Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1073

c4.1073

In the neighbourhood of the palace of Śaryāti there was a tapovana as good and grand as Nandanavana and it contained a lake similar to the Mānasa lake. In one corner of this tapovana a sage named Cyavana was doing penance. He had been sitting there for so long a period without food meditating on a goddess that he was covered with plants and shrubs had grown over him. He was unaware of the growth around him. Once at this time Śaryāti with his wives and child and followed by a large retinue entered the tapovana for recreation. The King and his wives entered the lake and Sukanyā with her friends moved about in the garden plucking flowers and playing. Moving about thus aimlessly Sukanyā and party reached the place where Cyavana was doing penance. She saw the huge shrubby growth and while looking at it saw two gleaming points inside the shrubby heap. She was about to break open the thing when from inside she heard somebody addressing her thus : “Oh, innocent girl, why do you think of doing this mischief. Please do go your way. I am an ascetic. What wrong have I done to you for you to disturb me like this ?” But Sukanyā brought up as she was, as a very pet girl did not like anybody advising her like this and so taking a pointed stick gave two pricks at the site of the gleampoints and left the place arrogantly.