Friday, 5 April 2024

EKAAVALI

 


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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