Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.529

c9.529

Long ago while sage Gālava was performing tapas in his āśrama, an Asura called Pātālaketu used to disturb his meditations regularly. One day, the sage looked up to Heaven and heaved a sigh. At once a horse dropped down from the sky. A mysterious voice was heard saying—“This mighty horse will travel thousands of yojanas in a day.” The sage received that horse and presented it to Ṛtadhvaja, King of the lunar dynasty. Ṛtadhvaja mounted the horse and killed Pātālaketu. It was Viśvāvasu who dropped this horse from Heaven. Pātālaketu had once fallen in love with Viśvāvasu’s daughter, Madālasā. It was in revenge that Viśvāvasu had done like this.