Mahabharata - Ruru and Pramadvara

Ruru and Pramadvara

Ruru, the son of sage Pramati and celestial nymph (Apsara) Ghritachi was born in the lineage of great sage Bhrigu. Bhrigu's son was Chyavan, who was born of Puloma. He was married to Pramadvara, the beautiful damsel who was brought up by sage Sthulakesha. Now hear how Pramadvara was born. Her father was Viswavasu, the king of Gandharvas and her mother was Menaka, another Apsara. After giving birth, Menaka, pityless as she was, left the infant near the hermitage of sage Sthulakesha. Sthulakesha found the baby girl and brought her to his ashrama. He began to rear the girl as his own daughter. She was named by him as Pramadvara because she surpassed everybody else in beauty.

One day, Ruru came to the hermitage of Sthulakesa and saw Pramadvara and fell in love with her. He went back to Pramati's ashrama and was in a state of despondency. When his father Pramati asked him the reason for the same he told him of Pramadvara. Pramati then went to Sthulakesha's ashrama and requested his daughter for his son. Sthulakesha happily acquiesced and the wedding date was fixed to be on an auspicious day.

A few days before her wedding, when Pramadvara was happily playing with her companions near the forest hermitage, she accidentally put her feet on a snake which was lying on the ground. The snake was poisonous and it instantly bit her. Pramadvara died and the sages from entire hermitage as well as other sages living nearby including Ruru came there on hearing the news. Ruru could not stand seeing his would be bride lying dead and therefore left the place in grief. While he lamented for Pramadvara in the forest, there came a celestial messenger from the heaven who told him that Pramadvara had run out her life and therefore there is no point in grieving for her. He however told him that Gods have devised various measures of reviving the dead. If Ruru was willing to give up half of his total lifespan to Pramadvara she could be saved. To this Ruru agreed happily. Then Pramadvara's father Viswavasu went to Dharma, the God of justice, to revive Pramadvara with half the life of Ruru.

In the forest while all the sages were in deep grief, Pramadvara woke up as if nothing had happened to her and she fell asleep. All the sages were very happy and Ruru was delighted to see his beloved survived. On the auspicious day they got married and lived very happily. However Ruru could never forget the fact that his would be wife was bitten by a snake and therefore he developed a terrible grudge against the snakes. From that day onwards he used to roam around in the forest with a stick looking for the snakes. When he came across one he used to beat it to death. In this way he killed many snakes. One day came across a very old snake lying on the ground. That snake was called Dundubha. When Ruru had raised his stick to kill the snake, the snake asked him, "Why do you want to kill me, I have done you no harm." Ruru said, "One of you had bitten my wife, Pramadvara and I had to suffer much on account of that. Therefore I have taken a vow to kill all snakes that I come across." On hearing this the old snake said, "I am Dundubha, belonging to a species of snakes which is harmless. We carry no poison, therefore Oh Rishi, do not kill me, I beg of you."

Ruru took pity on the old snake and desisted from killing it. He then asked the snake, "Who are you? Why have you assumed the body of a snake though you speak like a man?" Dundubha said, "I was a sage named Sahasrapad. I had a friend named sage Khagam who was very powerful on account of his ascetic practices. One day, when Khagam was meditating, I played a prank on him by making a snake of grass and straw. He was very frightened at first and then in his anger cursed me saying that since I had used a harmless snake to frighten him, I would turn into a harmless snake myself. I begged him saying that I just wanted to play a joke and had no intention to frighten him. My piteous appeal calmed him down and he was very saddened by what he did out of anger. But there was no way to take back that curse. Therefore he said that Ruru, the son of Pramati, would come and liberate me from this body. Now I presume you are Ruru." While saying this Sahasrapad regained his former body and told Ruru that the highest quality of a Brahmana is truth and non violence. Therefore Ruru should always spare life and never take one and try to perform the duty of Brahmana as prescribed in the Vedas. You should also know the story of sage Astika, who saved the lives of the snakes in the great serpent sacrifice of Janamejaya. Having said this, he left and Ruru came back home.