Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.3004

c4.3004

CHĀYĀ. A substitute of Saṃjñā, daughter of Viśvakarmā. Saṃjñā got from Sūrya three children, Manu, Yama and Yamī. The heat of Sūrya, her husband, became unbearable to her and so she created a substitute in her exact form and leaving her to look after Sūrya, her husband, she left the place and went to her father. Sūrya did not know of this replacement and taking her to be Saṃjñā he produced three children by her, Śani, Sāvarṇamanu and Tapatī. Chāyā loved her sons more and this made Yama angry and he raised his legs to strike her when Chāyā cursed that Yama’s legs would fall off from his body. Yama complained to his father and he amended the curse and said that only some flesh from his limbs would fall to the ground and that flesh would serve as food to the germs in the earth. Yama would escape from further injury. After consoling his son he turned towards Chāyā. The anger of Sūrya frightened her and she told him everything. Sūrya then divorced her and brought back Saṃjñā. For details see Saṃjñā. (Chapter 9 of Harivaṃśa; Chapter 2, Aṃśa 3, Viṣṇupurāṇa).