पुष्करधारिणी

{ puṣkaradhāriṇī }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

PUṢKARADHĀRIṆĪ   The wife of a sage. There was once a sage named Satya in the country of Vidarbha. Puṣkaradhāriṇī was the wife of Satya. Satya who believed in Ahiṁsā performed a Yāga with fruits and roots. It is believed that no yāga is perfect if performed without a sacrificial goat. But even his wife for fear of a curse did not object to a Yāga of the kind. There was another sage living in that forest in the form of a deer due to a curse and he was a great friend of Satya. The deer came to the place of the Yajña and requested Satya to kill him as the sacrificial animal to make the Yāga a success. Satya did not agree to that but then Sāvitrīdevī appeared in person and compelled him to kill the deer and conduct the Yāga. With great reluctance Satya killed the deer and conducted the Yāga; but the power of penance of Satya faded away by that deed of his. Then Puṣkaradhāriṇī performed penance to regain the power of her husband and Dharma appeared in person and blessed Satya. [Chapter 272, Śānti Parva] .