EKAAVALI
Ekaavali
was a wife of the king Ekavira, the founder of the Hehaya dynasty.
(Goddess Sri Maha Lakshmi incarnated as
a horse and she and Sri Maha Vishnu had a son, Ekvira,who is adopted by a
mortal king Ekavira. Ekvira eventually marries a princess,whom he saves
from a ogre). In the 6th Skandha of
Devi Bhagavatham it is stated thus.
Once,
the prince Ekavira accompanied by the son of the minister went for a pleasure
trip to the banks of the river Ganga. It was spring and the
prince wandering about enjoying the sight of a flowery forest was soon arrested
by the sight of a sweet smelling lotus with a hundred petals blooming in the
river.
By the side of the lotus was standing a beautiful
damsel weeping. The prince went to her and asked her the reason for
her weeping. After great persuasion, she replied thus: Oh! Prince!
There is a country not far from yours which is now being ruled over by a very
righteous king called Raibhya. His queen is called Rukmarekha. They
had no children for a very long time and so Raibhya conducted a Putrakameshti
yaga. When ghee was poured profusely into the sacrificial fire the
flames rose up to great heights and from inside the flames came out a lovely
maiden. The king named her Ekavaliand brought her forth as his
daughter.
I am Yasovati the daughter of the minister
there. We were of the same age and so I was asked to live with her
as her companion. She was very fond of lotuses and the king
constructed big ponds with lotuses in them for her recreation. Yet
she used to go to other ponds also in search of lotuses.
One day we came to this side of the river of Ganga
to play. Then a demon of name Kaalakethu came and kidnapped
her. I followed her. She never surrendered to the
enticements and persuasions of Kaalakethu. Her father wanted her to
be married to Ekavira, king of Hehaya. Kaalakethu sent her to
prison. Without knowing what to do next I am standing here weeping.
Hearing this Ekavira went to Paathaala and defeating
Kaalakethu released Ekaavali and brought both Ekaavali and Yasovati to the
palace of Raibhya. Pleased at this, Raibhya gave his daughter in
marriage to Ekavira.
It is to be noted that the thousand armed
KaarthaViryaarjuna was a descendant of this Hehaya dynasty.
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