77 - The Vaivasvata Manv-antara. 

The Sun married Tvashtri’s daUghter SanjnA, and their children were Manu Vaivasvata and YaMa —Markandeya narrates, how the Sun’s splendour was pared down hy TvashTri because she could not endure it. 

Markandeya spoke:

1 The Sun Martanda’s wife was VisHva-karman’s illustrious

2 daughter, by name Sanjna. The Sun begot of her a son, a Manu, of celebrated fame, learned in many sciences; since he was Vivasvat’s son, he was called Vaivasvata in sooth.

3 And Sanjna used to shut her eyes when the Sun gazed on her, and the Sun in anger thereat spoke sharply to Sanjna —

4 “Because thou dost always imprison thine eyes when thou seest me, silly one, thou, shalt therefore give birth to Yama, the imprisoner * of mankind.” 

* A play on the words sam-yama, yama and sam-yamana. 

Markandeya spoke:

5 Thereupon the goddess, unnerved by fear, became wild- eyed, and the Sun seeing her agitated glances addressed her

 6 again — “Since thine eye-sight has become agitated, † now that thou hast seen me, thou shalt therefore give birth to a daughter, the river Vi-lola.” †† 

† Vi-lolita. 

†† This means the Yamuna, see the next verse. This name is not given in the dictionary and I have not met with it elsewhere.

Markandeya spoke:

7 Hence through that her husband’s curse Yama verily was born of her, and also Yamnna this famous and very great

8 river. And it was with pain that Sanjna, the noble lady, endured the Sun’s splendour; and then unable to bear the 

9 splendour she fell into thought— “What am I to do? Where am I to go? Where shall I go that I may find ease? And

10 how shall the Sun, my husband, control his wrath?” So pondering in many ways, the Praja-pati’s illustrious daughter then thought much of actually taking refuge with her father.

11 Thereupon the famous lady having resolved to go to her father’s house fashioned her body, that the Sun loved, in

 12 shadow-form, and addressed her shadow-self— “Remain thou here in the Sun’s house even as I; and behave thou becomingly

 13 to the children even as to the Sun and though questioned say nothing of this my going away; say always this, ‘I am she indeed, Sanjna by name.”

The Shadow-Sanjna spoke:

14 “lady, I will obey thy order and will so declare, as far as suffering my hair to be seized and as far as undergoing curses; it is performed indeed as far as drawing curses down upon myself.” 

15 The goddess*, receiving this assurance, then went to her father’s abode. She saw Tvashtri there cleansed from stain

* For davi read devi.

16 by means of austerities. And being honoured by him, Vishvakarman, with much respect, she remained in her father’s

17 house some time, unreproached. Then her father spoke to the beautiful lady, his daughter, when she had dwelt there not very long, after praising her and prefacing his speech with love and much respect — 

18 “Now while I have been seeing thee my child, the days though very many may be reckoned as equal to half a moment;

19 nevertheless righteousness suffers loss. Dwelling a long time among kinsmen brings no good repute to women; kinsmen hold a woman’s proper residence is in her husband’s

20 house. Such art thou, and thou art mated to a husband, the Sun, the lord of the three worlds; deigu not my daughter

 21 to dwell a long time in thy father’s house. Being such, go tliott to thy husband’s home. I am pleased; thou hast been honoured by me. Thou must come again to see me, my beautiful one.” 

Markandeja spoke:

22 Thus was she admonished by her father then, and she agreeing saluted her father respectfully and went to the 

23 Northern Kurus, O muni, disliking the Sun’s heat, afraid of his splendour; and there she practised austerities, changed into a mare’s shape. 

24 The lord of day thinking the shadow-form was Sanjna, begot

25 of that other two sons and a charming daughter. Now the Shadow-Sanjna was very affectionate to the other children just as to her own; Sanjna did not use to show special attention

26 tion to her daughter and two sons daily by caresses * and other marks of pleasure. Manu accepted that affection from

* For nalinadi read lalanadi, with the Bombay edition. 

27 her; Yama did not bear it patiently from her, and indeed he lifted his foot in anger to kick her, but, again moved with forbearance towards her, did not strike it against her body.

28 Thereupon, O brahman, the Shadow-Sanjna in anger cursed Yama, her upper lip quivering slightly, and her delicate 

29 hand shaking — “Because thou spurnest me, thy father’s wife, disrespectfully with thy -foot, this thy foot shall there fore fall this very day to the earth.” 

Markandeya spoke:

30 Yama, terrified on hearing the curse that his mother had pronounced on him, went to his father and falling prostrate before him spoke: - 

Yama spoke:

31 O father, this great marvel -was never seen by any one, that a mother casting love away imprecates a curse on her,

32 son. She is not mother to me in the same way as Manu calls her his mother; no mother would abandon her good qualities even towards sons devoid of good qualities. 

Markandeya spoke:

33 Hearing this speech from Yama, the adorable Dispeller, of darkness called the Shadow-Sanjna and asked her —” Where

34 has she gone?” And she answered — “I am Tvashtri’s daughter Sanjna, O god of fire, thy wife; through thee these children

35 were begotten of me. “Now when, as Vivasvat was thus questioning her repeatedly, she did not speak further, the Sun

36 enraged thereat prepared to curse her. Thereupon she told the Sun what had happened, and the god knowing the truth went to Tvashtri’s abode.

37 He then paid honour to the Snn, the god hononied by the three worlds, who had visited his house, with sublime faith.

38 Vishva-krit on being asked about Sanjna, then told him – “She came indeed here to my honse, saying she had been

 39 verily sent by thee.” And the Snn, collecting his mind in’ meditation, perceived her in mare’s shape practising austerities

 40 ties among the Northern Kurus, and the Sun understood the purpose of her ansterities, namely, ‘May my hnsband become

41 mild in body, beautiful in form.’ “Pare down my splendour now “quoth the Sun also to Sanjna’s father “Vishva-karman,

42 brahman. And Vishva-karman thereupon pared down the splendour of the year-revolving Sun, and obtains the praises of the gods.