March 16 - Sargas 56,57,58 and 59.
Rebirth of Vasishtha as Mitravaruni and continuance as a brahmarshi and kulaguru of Ikshwakus, King Nimi's resurrection into immortality living in everyone's eyelids, the birth of Janaka's line, and the story of Yayati.
***
Lakshmana is curious to know what happened to Sage Vasishtha and King Nimi after they died suddenly.
Sri Rama continues.
Sage Vasishtha and Nimi were in a disembodied state, suspended in the air. The sage went to his father, Lord Brahma, and appealed that he wanted to come back into a body to fulfill all his aspirations and not suffer the torment reserved for disembodied beings. Lord Brahma said that indeed there was a way he could come back as Mitravaruni.
The incredible beauty, the apsara of heaven, Urvashi, was going to her spouse Lord Mitra (the sun god) when she caught the fancy of Lord Varuna. Lord Varuna pleaded with Urvashi to unite with him but she declined, saying although her mind was attracted to him, she was already physically wedded to Mitra. Varuna deposited his seed in a pot next to her and she was glad to fulfill his desire this way. Mitra's seed also was combined and out of that pot was born Sage Agastya and also Sage Vasishtha Mitravaruni, who was again gladly welcomed as the kulaguru of the Ikshwakus.
Mitra was unhappy that Urvashi had gone to Varuna and cursed her to go to earth and be the wife of the king of Kashi. She gave birth to his son Nahusha in Kashi who later took the role of Indra himself for a longish period. Nahusha's son was Yayati. Before we go there, let us attend to King Nimi.
The sages who had performed the yajna for Nimi decided to bring him back from the dead. They performed the yajna which had been left incomplete by Nimi and took care of his body until, under the instruction from the great sage Bhrigu, who was pleased with Nimi, they brought his soul back by rubbing his body like wood to create fire. Nimi came back and when asked where he would like to dwell henceforth, given his current suspension in air, he wanted to live in the eyelids of all humans. That would make him immortal too, although suspended in air.
In fact, the rishis and gods granted him that and also ordained that we all wink our eyes to take care of Nimi! The act of winking is called Nimisha in Sanskrit and is a measure of time too.
( A minute is निमेष.)
The act of rubbing Nimi's body with a stick was also meant to ensure his lineage would not break. A baby was created by the sages out of that rubbing (i.e.born through मिथि in Sanskrit). That line of kings came to be called Mithilas and Videhas (not born in a womb).
Sri Rama concludes the story by saying Nimi was wrong in not apologizing to Sage Vasishtha.
***
Yayati, the son of King Nahusha, was a good king. He had two wives, Sharmishtha (daughter of a daitya) and Devayani (daughter of Sage Shukracharya, son of Bhrigu).
Devayani was upset that Yayati was partial to Sharmishtha, and went and complained to Shukracharya that she felt so rejected she wanted to end her life. Shukra cursed Yayati to lose his youthful vigour and become an old man. Yayati was most unhappy and appealed to his sons to give their youth to him in return for the kingdom. Sharmishtha's son Pooru was glad to do so, but Devayani's son Yadu declined. Pooru gave his youth, remained an old man until Yayati, after fulfilling all his corporeal desires, retook his old age and returned the youth to Pooru as well as making him the king of Kashi. Meanwhile Yadu was cursed to become a rakshasa and beget such children too.
Sri Rama concludes that Yayati found a way to survive Shukra's curse and continue his line. Nimi was not able to handle Vasishtha's anger well.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
