Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.1366.3

c7.1366.3

3) Power of her tapas (penance). When she was very young she went to Kailāsa and performed penance to Paramaśiva for a thousand years. At last Śiva appeared before her and gave her the divine knowledge, and taught her the Sāmaveda. He gave her the divine Śrī Kṛṣṇa mantra (a spell) called ‘Aṣṭākṣarī’ and the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Kavaca (the armour of Kṛṣṇa) called Trailokyamaṅgala’ and taught her how to use them in worship. Wearing this armour and using the spell she performed penance in Puṣkara, meditating upon Śrī Kṛṣṇa Paramātmā, for three yugas (world ages). At the end of this period Śrī Kṛṣṇa Paramātmā appeared before her and gave her all the boons she wanted. Śrī Kṛṣṇa said that all over the world she would be worshipped and that she had power to give boons to her worshippers. 4) Marriage and rejection. Kaśyapa gave his daughter Manasādevī in marriage to Jaratkāru, a hermit. As they were living in the hermitage, once the hermit slept with his head on the lap of his wife. Seeing the setting sun she aroused her husband. The hermit became angry and decided to reject her. She thought of the Devas, who instantly arrived. Brahmā argued that it was not meet and right to reject his wife before a child was born to her. The hermit touched the groin of his wife and prayed and with the power of yoga (meditation, contemplation etc.) she became pregnant. The son born to her is the famous hermit Astika. After giving birth to Astika she went to Kailāsa, where Parameśvara and Pārvatī received her.