Saturday, 8 April 2017

Chandra's children

Bhishma said - Let me tell you about some more customs. There was a king called Chandraketu. He was married to Chandravati, who was the daughter of the Moon. She had been cursed to be born as a human.
Yudhistira asked - Who cursed Chandra's daughter? Why was she born on earth?
Bhishma said -
Chandra used to go to the house of Brihaspati to study. There Chandra fell with love with Tara, the wife of Brihaspati. He ran away with her when Brihaspati was not at home. When Tara became pregnant with Chandra's child, Chandra left her at her house.
When Brihaspati came to know of his, he cursed Chandra to have spots on his body. He also said Chandra would be born as the son of Arjuna.
Hearing this Chandra said I was not in control of myself when I saw Tara. I curse you to be born as a vulture.
Yudhistira asked How did Brihaspati get relieved?
Bhishma said The Guru was born as a vulture and lived in the forest. He got married and soon his wife gave birth to four eggs which hatched to four little birds. This was a happy family.
One day the vulture went to a forest to get food, leaving his wife to look after the children. A hunter spotted the bird and shot it with its arrow. Wounded, the bird managed to drag itself and take shelter in a temple. The hunter entered the temple and tried to catch the bird which was unable to fly but kept hopping around. This happened seven times. The hunter frustrated, killed the bird by shooting another arrow and took the bird along with him.
Having gone around the temple seven times, the bird was relieved of the curse and Brihaspati returned back home. He asked his wife to abort the child and only he would accept her.
Tara was scared and immediately gave birth to a boy and a girl. Tara picked up her children and said the world would know them as her children. Chandra was not sure if the daughter was his and  cursed her to be born on earth. Sure that the son was his, he took the child and named him Budha.
Tara returned with Brihaspati.
The daughter of Chandra was born on earth as Chandravati.

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