Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1074

c4.1074

The gleam-points were the eyes of Cyavana and so he lost his eyes and suffered much from the pain. Though he felt angry he did not curse anybody. But slowly the country began to witness the evil effects of this cruel deed. People stopped passing urine or faeces. Even animals were affected. The King and his ministers were worried. People came on deputation to the King to describe the disaster that had gripped the state. The King began to doubt that somebody must have done some great injury to the sage, Cyavana. He started enquiries asking his subjects one by one about this. But everybody replied in the negative. He bribed, he threatened. The result was the same. Then one day while the King and his courtiers were sitting despondent Sukanyā approached her father and confessed what she had done. She said: "While I was playing with my friends in the tapovana I saw this huge shrub-heap and two points gleaming from inside. I took a pin-stick and pricked them both and on drawing it out I found it wet also. But I left the matter and never made any enquiries thereafter". Śaryāti now knew the cause of this national disaster and so immediately rushed to the sage for forgiveness. Prostrating before the ṛṣi the King pleaded "Oh, best of ṛṣis, forgive us for this injury done unknowingly. My daughter who is only an innocent child did this playfully while she was playing in this garden with her friends. She never knew what she pricked for a fun were your eyes. Oh, the best of sage, thou art rich in forgiveness and so please do condone this mischief and bless us." Cyavana replied that he would forgive if he gave Sukanyā in marriage to him. Śaryāti was depressed. How could he give his only and beautiful daughter to this aged senile ugly and blind ṛṣi? While the King was thus pondering over this, Sukanyā herself came to him and said, "Oh, dear father, please do not worry on my account. I shall go as his wife. If he is satisfied the nation would be saved from a calamity and I am prepared to sacrifice my happiness for the sake of the country. I will be only too glad to do so." With suppressed unwillingness the King gave his daughter in marriage to Cyavana.