Sukanya
Encyclopedia
In Hindu mythology, was the daughter of Shryayati, son of Vaivasvata Manu and the wife of the great sage Chyavana
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The sage had spent so long in meditation that he was covered by a termite
nest. The beautiful girl Sukanya came upon the nest and saw two shining objects inside. Not realizing these were the eyes of the sage, she poked playfully at them, and the sage was blinded.
Chyavana was enraged, and Sukanya's father placated him by offering her in marriage. After their marriage Sukanya served the sage cheerfully, despite his old age and blindness.
One day she was spotted by the Ashwini Kumaras
, identical twins who served as physicians of the gods, who decided that her ethereal beauty was worthy of residence in heaven rather than languishing on the Earth serving an old blind sage. They asked her to marry one of them. Being a faithful wife, she vehemently objected to their request. Pleased with her devotion to her husband, the Ashwini Kumaras offered to restore her husband's youth and eyesight. The bargain was conditional on Sukanya's ability to distinguish her husband from the twins themselves. If she failed to do so they would return him to old age and blindness. All parties accepted these terms. The Ashwini Kumaras asked Chyavana to accompany them into the nearby pond. Being demigod
s, the Ashwini Kumas left no footprints on the bank as they exited the pond. Although the rejuvenated sage looked identical to the twins, he left footprints. The Ashwini Kumaras blessed the couple and left. In return they also requested that the sage give them a share of the sacrificial offerings in the future. This results in a conflict with the king of god, Indra
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Chyavana
Chyavana was a maharshi in Hindu mythology. He was son of sage Bhrigu and known for his rejuvenation after penances for several years. According to the Mahabharata, he was powerful enough to oppose the Vajra of Indra and was responsible for the Ashvins getting their share of the sacrificial...
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The sage had spent so long in meditation that he was covered by a termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
nest. The beautiful girl Sukanya came upon the nest and saw two shining objects inside. Not realizing these were the eyes of the sage, she poked playfully at them, and the sage was blinded.
Chyavana was enraged, and Sukanya's father placated him by offering her in marriage. After their marriage Sukanya served the sage cheerfully, despite his old age and blindness.
One day she was spotted by the Ashwini Kumaras
Ashvins
The Ashvins , in Hindu mythology, are divine twin horsemen in the Rigveda, sons of Saranya , a goddess of the clouds and wife of Surya in his form as Vivasvat. The Ashvins are Vedic gods symbolising the shining of sunrise and sunset, appearing in the sky before the dawn in a golden chariot,...
, identical twins who served as physicians of the gods, who decided that her ethereal beauty was worthy of residence in heaven rather than languishing on the Earth serving an old blind sage. They asked her to marry one of them. Being a faithful wife, she vehemently objected to their request. Pleased with her devotion to her husband, the Ashwini Kumaras offered to restore her husband's youth and eyesight. The bargain was conditional on Sukanya's ability to distinguish her husband from the twins themselves. If she failed to do so they would return him to old age and blindness. All parties accepted these terms. The Ashwini Kumaras asked Chyavana to accompany them into the nearby pond. Being demigod
Demigod
The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...
s, the Ashwini Kumas left no footprints on the bank as they exited the pond. Although the rejuvenated sage looked identical to the twins, he left footprints. The Ashwini Kumaras blessed the couple and left. In return they also requested that the sage give them a share of the sacrificial offerings in the future. This results in a conflict with the king of god, Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
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