Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.496

c7.496

Viśvānara father of Gṛhapati was living with his wife Śuciṣmatī in a hermitage on the banks of the river Narmadā. They had no children and Śuciṣmatī, was grieved much on this account. She requested her husband find out ways and means to get a child. Viśvānara, went to Kāśī and did penance to propitiate Viśveśvara and the God appeared before him and blessed him and said: "You will soon get a son". Very soon the wife of Viśvānara delivered a child and the son was named Gṛhapati. When the child was nine years old Nārada came there and warned them against fire. Viśvānara immediately went and did penance to propitiate Śiva and obtained from him for his son the qualities of fire also so that fire would be unable to act on him. It was on account of this that Gṛhapati when he installed an idol of Śiva at Kāśī gave it the name of Agniśvara.