Budha’s Birth and the Tārakāmaya War

Budha is the graha (planet) Mercury. He was born to Tārā, the wife of Bṛhaspati, after Candra (the Moon) took her away. The refusal of Candra to give her back led to the Tārakāmaya war. Chapter 215 of the Uttara Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa tells this.

Candra takes Tārā

Tārā was the wife of Bṛhaspati, the teacher of the devas and the foremost ṛshi among them. Candra saw her beauty and was overcome with desire. He took her away. Bṛhaspati and the devas asked again and again for her return, but Candra would not give her back.

The devas, led by Indra, came to demand her. Brahmā himself stepped in and ordered Candra to give Tārā back. Candra refused.

The Tārakāmaya war

Candra’s refusal brought on a great war, called the Tārakāmaya war, the war on account of Tārā. The asuras saw their chance to fight the devas and took Candra’s side. The devas under Indra fought to bring Tārā back to Bṛhaspati. This was the first of the great wars of the worlds.

The battles were fierce and the worlds were disturbed. The war went on without a clear end until Brahmā again used his authority to make Candra let Tārā go. At last, on Brahmā’s direct order, Candra gave up Tārā and returned her to Bṛhaspati.

The birth of Budha

When Tārā came back to Bṛhaspati’s house, she was found to be with child. Bṛhaspati was troubled and pressed her to say whose child it was. Tārā was ashamed and did not want to speak. At last, with Brahmā’s encouragement, she said that the child was Candra’s.

When the child was born, his beauty and radiance were remarkable. He was named Budha. He became one of the Navagrahas, the nine grahas (planets), and presides over Wednesday (Budhavāra) and the planet Mercury.

Budha’s curse on a ṛshi’s family

The same chapter says that Budha, in a moment of anger, cursed a ṛshi’s family line. The anger came from provocation by a ṛshi or by members of a ṛshi’s household. The śāpa (curse) said that a son would be born through adultery, that is, through a union outside lawful marriage. The ṛshi pleaded, and Budha softened the curse, but he could not take it back completely.

This was the curse that led to Kuśala’s wife having a son who was not her husband’s. It is the background of the Kuśala Madhuvana narrative.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 215