NALAYANI

 

NALAYANI

Nalayani also called Indrasena was none other Pancaali orDraupadi.  Draupadi had many previous births. During all these births many gods blessed her saying that she would have five husbands when she was born as the daughter of Drupada. Stories about her previous births lying scattered in the Puranas are given below: —

 Once there was an aged sage named Maudgalya. Nalayani alias Indrasena was the wife of Maudgalya. Even though the wife was young and the husband old, Nalayani was very chaste. The sage became very old, grey-haired and rugous, skeletonlike with a foul smell emanating from his body. He was always in an angry mood. Still Nalayani stuck to him as a chaste, loving and dutiful wife. As time passed on Maudgalya became a leper. One day while the sage was eating, a finger of his broke and fell into the rice. With great calmness and devotion Nalayani removed the finger from the rice and ate the rice. Greatly pleased at this act of hers the sage asked her what boon she wanted an 1 she replied she desired to have an amorous life with him as Pancasarira. Maudgalya granted her the boon and they both travelled the whole world enjoying an amorous life.

When the sage took the form of a mountain Nalayani became a river and when the sage took the shape of a flowering tree she became a creeper on it. They spent thousands of years like that and then Maudgalya became tired of a sexual life and returned to the ascetic life. Even after such a long period of erotic life Nalayani was still lustful and she resented the decision of her husband to go back to the life of a hermit. She begged her husband to continue the same life for some more time.

Maudgalya got cross when she thus caused hindrance to his penance and cursed her saying that she would in her next life be born as the daughter of the King of Pancala when she would have five husbands to satisfy her lust. Greatly grieved at this curse she practised severe austerities standing in the midst of Pancagni. Pleased with her penance Siva appeared before her and blessed her saying that she would be born in her next birth in a very noble family and she would then have five husbands, good-natured, doing godly work and equal in valour to Indra. She then pleaded that she should be granted the boon to remain a virgin during the coitus with each of her husbands. Siva granted that wish. Then Siva sent her to the river Ganga, and asked her to fetch a beautiful young man whom she would be seeing there. Accordingly she went to the river to do as she was directed.

At that time all the devas joined together and performed a Yaga at Naimisaranya. Kala, the god of Death, was one of the chief priests for the function. The Yaga lasted for a long time and since Kala was consecrated for the Yaga he did not attend to his duties as the god of Death. Death came to a dead stop and men increased in alarming numbers and the devas were perplexed. They went to Brahma and acquainted him with the frightening situation. Brahma sent them to Naimisaranya. They went there and were talking to Kala when they saw a few golden flowers coming down the river. Getting curious Indra walked up the river to locate the origin of these flowers.

When he reached the place of origin of Ganga he saw Nalayani there. Nalayani took the beautiful young man to Siva. Siva was at that time engaged in a game of dice with Parvati and Indra did not then recognise Siva. Indra in his arrogance argued that the whole universe belonged to him. Siva jumped up enraged and ran after Indra who ran to the mouth of a cave. Siva caught him and said that he would show him four Indras inside that cave. Both of them entered the cave and to the amazement of Indra he saw four other Indras sitting inside the cave. They were all the creation of Siva and with the original Indra the number of Indras came to five.

Then addressing Nalayani who had followed them Siva said, ''Oh beautiful girl, do not be worried. All these five are your husbands. You will be born as the daughter of the King of Pancala. Then all these five will be born in the lunar race and will marry you." The Indras agreed to be born on earth and do the work of God.

After that they all went to Mahavisnu and requested him to give them mighty accomplices to fulfil their mission. Then Mahavisnu plucked two hairs from his body, one white and the other black, and dropped them on the ground. The black hair was born as Sri Krsna and the white hair was born as Balarama, to help the Pandavas later.

Pancali's two previous births can be explained thus :  Agnideva created Mayasita who in turn became Svargalaksmi to be born as Pancali. Mayasita was a part of Mahalaksmi and so also Nalayani who became Pancali was a part of Laksml. Pandavas are known to be the sons of five gods and they used for the procreation of the Pandavas Indrarhs a (part of Indra) thus making them all' Indras.

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