कदलिगर्भा

{ kadaligarbhā }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

KADALIGARBHĀ   Daughter of the great sage Maṅkaṇaka. There is a story about her in Kathāsaritsāgara. There was once a city called Ikṣumatī. It was on the banks of the river Ikṣumatī. It was Viśvāmitra who set up that river and city. In a hermitage in the thick forest on the shores of Ikṣumatī lived a sage, Maṅkaṇaka performing penance. One day the beautiful nymph Menakā, came there from above. As a wind blew, her upper garment was displaced. Seeing her bare body, Maṅkaṇaka had emission. The semen of the sage fell into a Kadalī (plantain) tree and from there arose a maiden, extremely beautiful. Because she was born from Kadalī she was called Kadalīgarbhā. Kadalīgarbhā grew up into a beautiful lady and one day a King named Dṛḍhavarmā came that way while hunting and seeing Kadalīgarbhā he fell in love with her and married her with the permission of Maṅkaṇaka. The Devas advised her to scatter musṭard seeds on the way to her husband's house and in case her husband abandoned her she should be guided by the mustard plants to return home. She did so. One day by the evil advice of a barber the King divorced her and she returned to the Āśrama by following the young mustard plants. But Maṅkaṇaka took her back to the King. [Taraṅga 6, Madanamañjukālambaka, Kathāsaritsāgara] .