Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2928
Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c9.2928
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SUŚĪLĀ II. A cow, the sister of Surabhi. She was the cow used in connection with sacrificial offerings made in the āśrama of the sage Jamadagni. Jamadagni once got his wife Reṇukā killed by Paraśurāma. Though he brought her back to life as desired by Paraśurāma, Jamadagni felt deep sorrow for having got his wife killed. So, he went to Goloka and pleased Surabhi by his penance and she gave him Suśīlā, her sister. Jamadagni gave the cow (Suśīlā) to Reṇukā. It was this Suśīlā which later on Karttavīryajuna took away by force. (See under Jamadagni, Para 8). (Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, Chapter 61); ŚUṢKA. A Maharṣi who lived in the Gokarṇa temple. When Bhagīratha brought Gaṅgā from heaven to the earth, sea water began to rise and the temples situated near the sea were submerged. At that time Śuṣka went along with other Maharṣis to visit Paraśurāma at the Mahendra mountain. In response to Śuṣka's prayer, Paraśurāma raised the submerged temples including the Gokarṇa temple, above the water. ŚUṢṆA. An asura. In Ṛgveda we find that once Indra bound the magician Śuṣṇa in chains and put him in prison. SUŚOBHANĀ. A Maṇḍūka princess. King Parīkṣit of Ikṣvāku dynasty married her and three sons Śala, Dala and Bala, were born to the couple. (See under Parīkṣit II). SUŚRAVAS I A Vidarbha princess. King Jayatsena of the Puru dynasty married her and a son called Arvācīna was born to them. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 95, Verse 17). SUŚRAVAS II. A king of the Ṛgveda period.
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When enemies encircled him he prayed to Indra who helped him by diving away the 10099 enemy warriors. (Ṛgveda, Maṇḍala 1, Anuvāka 10, Sūkta 53). SUŚRAVAS III. A spy of the Devas. He once informed Sarasvatī secretly about the penance by the Sage Kātyāyana. Sarasvatī appeared before the Sage and told him that he would get from Sage Sārasvata the knowledge he wanted. Accordingly Kātyāyana ended his penance and went to Sage Sārasvata. SUŚRUTA. Reputed master of the science of Surgery, Suśruta was the grandson of King Gādhi and son of Viśvāmitra. (Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 4, Verse 55). He is the author of Suśrutasaṃhitā, one of the famous texts on Āyurveda. SUSTHALA. A place of Purāṇic fame in ancient India. The people who lived here were called Susthalas. (Sabhā Parva, Chapter 14, Verse 16). SUṢUPTI. One of the four states or conditions of man. Jāgrat, Svapna, Suṣupti and Turīya are the four states of man. (For details see under Jāgrat). SUSVARĀ. A Gandharva woman. (See under Pramohinī). SUŚYĀMĀ. An apsarā woman. She was the wife of Ṛtadhvaja, son of Ārṣiṣeṇa. The couple had a daughter called Vṛddhā. (Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa). SŪTA I
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1) General information. A hermit who recounted the Purāṇas to other hermits at Naimiṣa forest. He was a disciple of Vyāsa. Vyāsa composed the Purāṇas and taught them to his son, hermit Śuka who was a man of abstinence and who was not born of womb. At this time Vyāsa had another disciple named Sūta. It is stated in Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 9, that this Sūta who was a fellowdisciple of Śuka, who had learned all the Purāṇas directly from the teacher Vyāsa, and was capable saying stories so convincingly, was the son of the hermit Lomaharṣa. 2) In Naimiṣāraṇya. Sūta who had learned the Purāṇas directly from Vyāsa, happened to reach Naimiṣāraṇya once. (See under Naimiṣāraṇya). Naimiṣāraṇya is the abode of hermits in the Kali-age. In days of old, hermits, who were miserable because of the evils of Kaliyuga, which was fast approaching, gathered here at the end of Dvāparayuga. They went to the world of Brahmā to consult about the means and ways of preventing the evils of Kaliyuga. Having heard their complaints Brahmā brought a wheel of the figure of mind and placing it before the hermits told them thus: "You follow this wheel. The place where this wheel falls down will be a place of purity, which will not be affected by the evils of Kali-age. There you can live in peace, without being affected by the evils of Kali-age till the coming of the Satyayuga." Saying these words Brahmā set the wheel rolling in front of them. The hermits followed it.
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The wheel rolled on till it reached the earth, fell down and was crumbled to powder in a particular place. That place became famous later under the name Naimiṣāraṇya. Sūta came to this place. As soon as they saw Sūta, the hermits such as Śaunaka and others who were living there welcomed Sūta with hospitality and told him thus: "Oh! hermit, you are the disciple of Vyāsa. You have learned the eighteen Purāṇas from Vyāsa We are eager to hear them. So please recite to us the Purāṇas, the hearing of which will remit all sins and secure heaven." According to this request Sūta recited the eighteen Purāṇasto the gathering of the hermits. It is in the form of the teaching of Sūta to Śaunaka and the others, i.e. in the form of a dialogue between Sūta and Śaunaka, that the people got the Purāṇas. (Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha I). 3) Sūta was beheaded. In Bhāgavata, Skandha 10, there occurs a story, stating how Balabhadrarāma cut off the head of Sūta as the battle of Kurukṣetra had started when Sūta had been reciting the eighteen Purāṇas in Naimiṣāraṇya and how his head was fixed in its place again and he was brought to life. (For further details see under Balabhadrarāma, Para 6).
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4) Other details. Sūta was one of the hermits who visited Bhīṣma on his bed of arrows during the battle of Bhārata. (MB. Śānti Parva, Chapter 47 Verse 12). SŪTA II. One of the hermits who were expounders of the Vedas. (Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 4, Verse 57.) SŪTA. III. A blended class of people. (See under Varṇa). SUTALA. A part of Pātāla (netherworld). (See under Pātāla). SUTANU I. The wife of Aśvasuta, the son of the King of Vajra. Sutanu was the daughter of Yudhiṣṭhira. (Vāyu Purāṇa, 96, 250). SUTANU II. The daughter of Āhuka otherwise called Ugrasena. (Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 14, Verse 33) Śrī Kṛṣṇa made Akrūra marry this Sutanu. SUTAPAS I. A King of the dynasty of Bharata. He was the son of Homa and the father of Bala. (Bhāgavata, Skandha 9). SUTAPAS II. A Prajāpati who lived in days of yore. A son named Pṛśnigarbha was born to this Prajāpati by his wife Pṛśni. That son was a partial incarnation of Mahāviṣṇu. (For further details see under Aditi Para 7). SUTAPAS III. A son of Vasiṣṭha. Seven sons named Rajas, Gotra, Ūrdhvabāhu, Savana, Anagha, Sutapas and Śukra, were born by his wife Ūrjā. All the seven of them were the Saptarṣis (seven hermits) of the third Manvantara. (See under Manvantara). SUTAPAS IV. Father of the hermit Upamanyn. (Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, Chapter 18). SUTAPAS V. A hermit of the family of Bhṛgu. (See under Ugratapas).