KAṆḌU A great sage of ancient Bhārata. He was the father of Māriṣā (Vārkṣī) wife of the Pracetas.
1)
Birth of Māriṣā. Māriṣā, daughter of Kaṇḍu, took her birth from a tree. There is an interesting story about this in Viṣṇu Purāṇa. Sage Kaṇḍu, chief of the devajñas, was performing penance in a hermitage on the banks of the river Gomatī. Devendra sent Pramlocā, an enchanting nymph, to Kaṇḍu to distract him from his penance. Pramlocā by her sweet words and enticing manners won the heart of the sage and Kaṇḍu accepting her as his wife went to the valley of Mandara and lived there happily for a hundred years. One day Pramlocā went and bowed before her husband and sought his permission to go back to Devaloka. “Dear, stay here for some time more” replied the sage. Another hundred years went by. Again one day she went and sought permission to go home. Again the sage asked her to stay for a while more. Centuries passed without the sage losing even a little of his amour. On the other hand every day it found different channels of expression. One evening the sage stepped out of his Āśrama and on seeing that Pramlocā enquired where he was going. Sage: The sun is going to set. I am going to do my sandhyāvandana. I do not want to bring a break in my daily ablutions and duties. Pramlocā: Oh, Righteous one, did the sun set for you only today ? The Sunset of hundreds of years has gone by without your knowing. Sage: Dear, you came to this holy river-shore only this morning. It was only this morning that I saw you coming to my Āśrama for the first time. Now the day is over and dusk is coming. Why this ridicule? Please do tell me the truth. Pramlocā: That I came to you one fine morning is quite true. But since that several centuries have elapsed. Sage: How many years have gone by since I started enjoying with you? Pramlocā.: Nine hundred years, six months and three days have passed since I came to you. The great sage became very angry and scolded Pramlocā much. That beautiful maiden heard it all standing bathed in perspiration. The sage in rage commanded the trembling nymph to go away from his presence. Pramlocā, thus reprimanded and sent away, rose up in the air and travelled by it. As she flew, the perspiration of her body was absorbed by the tender leaves of trees on the way. She was pregnant at that time and the embryo which went forth along with her perspiration was absorbed in bits by the tender leaves and sprouts. Wind gathered them from the different trees and made everything into one. Moonlight gave it development and gave it the form of a woman. She was named Māriṣā. That was how Māriṣā was born of trees
[Chapter 15, Aṁśa 1. Viṣṇu Purāṇa] .
2)
Curse of Kaṇḍu. Kaṇḍu's dear son aged sixteen died in a forest. Grief-stricken, the sage cursed that forest and made it a desert. There was no water there and all the trees became dried and dead. Hanūmān and party who went in search of Sītā came to this place.
[Chapter 48, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa] .
3)
Kaṇḍu in the presence of Śrī Rāma. When Śrī Rāma returned to Ayodhyā after his exile many sages from all the four different parts came to visit him. Those who came from the south were Kaṇḍu, Dattātreya Namuci, Pramuci, Vālmīki, Soma and Agastya.
[Uttara Rāmāyaṇa] .