Elements of Hindu Iconography v3.c19.195

v3.c19.195

The *Liṅga-purāṇa* has an interesting account of Jyēṣṭhādēvī which is somewhat different from what has been given above. When the ocean of milk was churned to obtain the immortalising ambrosia for the gods, *kāḷakūṭa-viṣa*, the all-destroying cosmic poison, came out first from that ocean; then came Jyēṣṭhādēvī. A Brāhmaṇa *rishi* named Dussaha married her and was taking her home with him. He perceived in her on the way a peculiar trait which he was not able to comprehend. He noticed her closing her ears wherever there was the singing of the praise of Viṣṇu or the uttering of the prayers offered to Śiva, or any other good thing was being mentioned or done. Once upon a time he went with his wife to the forest for tapas, but the lady could not endure to see him so engaged, and consequently left him alone there and quietly returned home. The poor ṛishi had at last to promise to her that he would no longer engage himself in any virtuous acts, which were displeasing to her, before he could reside with her in his house. Just about that time Mārkaṇḍēya came there; and poor Dussaha then opened out to him his heart and explained to him the peculiar nature of his wife and asked him for advice as to what places he might visit without causing annoyance to his wife. He was advised Mārkaṇḍēya that he might go with her to all places where inauspicious acts were being done or inauspicious words were being uttered; and gave a long list of acts of which the following are a few:— wherever there was quarrel between husband and wife in a household, Jyēṣṭhādēvi might be taken there; she might also be taken to places of Bauddha and non-Vaidik forms of worship; again, she might be asked to take her place in houses where the elders enjoy pleasures, such as eating anything good, without first offering the good things to the children to eat. After giving this advice, Mārkaṇḍēya departed. The *rishi* Dussaha then called his wife and told her that he was going to the Rasātala-lōka to find out there a good place for them both to live in without anything to disturb them, and asked his wife to stay, till his return, in a place midway between his *āśrama* and the pond near by, and was getting ready to start on his journey. Jyēṣṭhādēvi asked the *rishi* how she was to sustain herself till he returned, and who would help her with the things she wanted; the *rishi* replied that women would offer her *bali*, which would be more than enough for her to feed herself satisfactorily, and added that she should not visit the houses of any of those women who offered her oblations. Promising to return as early as possible, the *rishi* went to the tank near his abode and plunged into it with a view to reach the lower world Rasātala, and never again returned. Ever since that time, this poor abandoned wife is said to have been wandering here and there and making the hills and the plains outside inhabited villages her abode from time to time. She once happened to meet Viṣṇu, whom she entreated to prescribe for her some avocation to while away the tedium of being all alone. He thereupon permitted her to go and live with those who offered worship to him exclusively, with a distinct disregard in their hearts for Śiva and the other gods. On leaving her after bestowing this boon he went on muttering the Rudramantra to safe-guard himself from the evil influence of Jyēṣṭhā otherwise called Alakṣmī. Viṣṇu-bhaktas and women must therefore offer oblations to Jyēṣṭhādēvī.