Pāñcālika
Pāñcālika
Pāñcālika, also called Pañcālika, is a yaksha, the son of Kubera. The Vāmana Purāṇa tells that when Kāma loosed his astras at Bhagavān Śiva after the passing of Satī Devī, and their heat spread through the whole world, Bhagavān Śiva called on Pāñcālika, and he took upon himself the Jṛmbhaṇa, Mādana and Santāpana astras, which no one else could bear. He answered Śiva as a servant ready to do even what the devas could not, and for this Śiva gave him a vara: bearing Śiva’s own name, he would be famed on earth as Pāñcālikeśvara, worshipped by all and granting varas to those who serve him. By Śiva’s grace he is worshipped as Pāñcālikeśvara in the holy land north of Kāliñjara and south of the Himavat. The Purāṇa also names the Pāñcālika deva of the Pāñcāla land in Prahlāda‘s tīrtha-yātrā, in a stotra that destroys pāpa, and among the forms of Bhagavān Vāmana.
Pāñcālika takes the astras of Kāma
Pulastya Maharshi tells Nārada Maharshi how, after the passing of Satī Devī, daughter of Daksha, and the destruction of Daksha’s yajña, Kandarpa, whose weapons are flowers, struck Bhagavān Śiva with the Unmādana astra. Under its power Śiva roamed the forests and the river banks, remembering Satī. He entered the Yamunā, and the heat he bore turned her waters black, the colour of collyrium; from then on the Yamunā was called Kālindī. Then Kāma struck him with the Santāpana astra, and the whole world was plunged into intense heat, and then with the Vijṛmbhaṇa astra, and Śiva looked all around in the four directions.
Then he saw Pāñcālika, the son of Kubera. At once Śiva went up to him and said: “Child, you are a great hero. Do as I tell you.” Pāñcālika answered: “Prabhu Śiva, you are of unequalled valour. I am your servant. Whatever you say, even if it is impossible for the devas, I will surely do. Command me.”
Bhagavān Śiva said: “Son! Since the passing of Varadāmbikā, the Mother who grants varas, I have been struck by the fire of Kāma and by the Vijṛmbhaṇa and Unmādana arrows. There is no one but you who can bear the heat of these astras sent by Madana, the Jṛmbhaṇa, the Mādana and the Santāpana. So take them and give me peace.” Hearing the words of Īśvara, the son of the yaksha took the Jṛmbhaṇa, the Mādana and the other astras.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 6
The vara of Bhagavān Śiva
Then, pleased, Śūlī, the bearer of the śūla, said to him: “Child! I am pleased with you, who took on the heat of the unbearable Jṛmbhaṇa and the other astras. In return I give you a vara that is good for you and gives joy to the people. In the month of Caitra, those who see you, or touch you, or make offerings to you with bhakti, whether old or young, women or men, will all become unmatta (beside themselves with ecstasy). In that state they will dance and sing, play many kinds of instruments with skill, and speak jests before you. Yet all of them will gain divine powers. And you, on the earth, bearing my name, will be famed as Pāñcālikeśvara; you will grant varas to those who serve you, and you will be worthy of worship by all.”
Having received the vara from Hara, Pāñcālika wandered through all lands. In the holy land north of Kāliñjara and south of the Himavat mountain, that son of the yaksha, by Śiva‘s grace, receives worship as Pāñcālikeśvara.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 6
Pāñcālika of the Pāñcāla land
When Prahlāda went on his tīrtha-yātrā, he bathed in the Aśvatīrtha, had darśana of Hayānana, the horse-faced one, served Śrīdhara and went to the land of Pāñcāla. There he had darśana of Pāñcālika, the son of a hero, endowed with the qualities of aiśvarya (sovereign power), and from there he went on to Prayāga.
In the second pāpa-śamana stotra (the stotra that quiets pāpa), told by Agastya Maharshi and passed on by Pulastya Maharshi to Nārada Maharshi, namaskāra is offered in turn to Pāñcālika, Hayagrīva, Svayambhū, Amareśa, Pushkarāksha, Payogandhi and Keśava. And when Bhagavān Vāmana told Bharadvāja Maharshi the places of his own forms, he named in the Pāñcāla land the Pāñcālika deva, after Vishṇu in Avantī and Amareśvara in Nishadha, and before Hayagrīva at Mahodaya and Yogaśāyī at Prayāga.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 57, 61, 63
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 6, 57, 61, 63