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Chyavan     
 


Chyavan

Chyavan Rishi was the son of Maharshi Bhrigu. He was married to Vaivaswat Manu's son Sharyaati's daughter Sukanyaa.

Birth of Chyavan
 Bhrigu had a wife named Pulomaa. She was first given to Pulomaa named Daitya, later she was married to Bhrigu. So Pulomaa was always searching for an opportunity to et her. Once Bhrigu went to forest, his wife was alone in the Aashram. Pulomaa came there and asked Rishi living in the Aashram about Bhrigu's wife but they showed their ignorance. So he came to his hut and asked Agni Dev, Agni Dev could not have lied, so he told him about her.

Pulomaa took her and started going away from the Aashram. Pulomaa was pregnant at that time. She got frightened and her fetus fell from her womb. Seeing this Pulomaa ran away from there. When Bhrigu came he named that child "Chyavan" because he got "Chyut" from its place; and cursed Agni Dev that you will be eating everything even the dirtiest things." Hearing this Agni asked for his forgiveness and showed his helplessness. Then Bhrigu said - "All right, even f you will eat everything, you will not become impure."

Marriage of Chyavan
 Once Raajaa Sharyaati came on a hunting spree with his daughter Sukanyaa. In the same forest, Chyavan Rishi was doing severe Tap. Ants had built a mound around his body. There were only two holes in front of his eyes.

Playing with her friends, princess Sukanyaa happened to come there where Maharshi was doing Tap. She saw this mound and the two holes too in it behind which two stars were shining. For curiosity sake, she took a straw and pierced the holes with it. But they were not only the holes, behind them were Rishi's eyes. Blood came out of those eyes. Sukanyaa got frightened. She ran away from there.

Now the excretion system stopped working. Raajaa understood what had happened. Raajaa asked - "Who has played with Chyavan Rishi?" Suknya said - "Father, I think, I did."

Raajaa immediately came there and asked for his forgiveness. Then he offered his daughter to him as a Praayashchit. But Chyavan Rishi said - "First ask your daughter." When Raajaa sked his daughter, embarrassed Sukanyaa got ready to marry him. Raajaa returned to his kingdom and married Sukanyaa to Chyavan Rishi.

Chyavan Gets His Eyes and Youth
 Now Chyavan Rishi was not at all in agreeable condition, still she used to serve him sincerely. Pleased with her services, one day Chyavan Rishi invoked Ashwinee Kumaar and asked them for his eyes, beauty and youth. Ashwinee Kumaar granted him both. When Sukanyaa saw him she did not recognize him, then after a lot of persuasion she agreed that he was her husband.

Another Version - Once Ashwinee Kumaar came to their Aashram. Sukanyaa served them very well, so they asked her to ask for any Var. She asked for Muni's eyes. Ashwinee Kumaar said, "So be it" and took them to a pond. They all entered the pond and when they all came out they looked same, handsome and Divine. Ashwine Kumaar asked Sukanyaa to identify her husband, but since they all looked perfectly same she could not recognize him. She then prayed Ashwinee Kumaar and they guided her to identify him.

Chyavan then promised Ashwinee Kumaar to give their share in Yagya. Till then they did not get it as Devtaa considered them of lower status being Devtaa's Vaidya (doctor).

Some time later Sharyaati came to Muni to ask him to perform a Yagya for him to get a son. First he got very angry at his daughter that she had chosen somebody else as her husband, but Sukanyaa told him that he was none other than Rishi Chyavan. He got very happy to see the changed Rishi. He gave then their share in this Yagya and since then they also started getting their Yagya share along with other Devtaa.

 

  

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 5/27/03
Contact: bhagvatjee@yahoo.com
Updated on 05/20/09