Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.4971

c9.4971

As has already been mentioned, Kālī, a fisherwoman was the mother of Vyāsa. There is a story about this Kālī also. When king Vasu of Cedi went to the forest for hunting, he saw the coition of animals and he had seminal discharge. The king sent that semen to his queen. But on the way it fell in the river Kālindī and was eaten by a fish. This fish was a celestial maid named Adrikā transformed to fish by a curse. The fish conceived and got into the net of a fisherman, who lived on the banks of Kālindī. When this fish was cut open a male and a female infant were seen inside. The male child was given to the king himself. The fisherman brought up the girl naming her Kālī. As the girl had the gandha (smell) of matsya (fish), she got the name ‘Matsya-gandhā’, also. This fisherman was also a ferryman. Kālī used to help her father in ferrying people across the river Kālindī. She grew up and became a young woman.