Sampoorna Mahabharata • సంపూర్ణ శ్రీమహాభారతము • Episode 13

Death of demon Puloma

From the incident in Puloma’s childhood, we learn that names of demons must never fall into our ears. We must not keep demonic names for babies. Due to her father’s mistake of repeatedly saying that demon Puloma will take her away, the demon’s gaze fell on Puloma. If parents realize this dharma and follow it, they will spare their children from difficulties. Always bless children. Utter good words.

When the demon decided to abduct Puloma, the flames in the homakunda suddenly burnt fiercely. Realizing that the Fire-god was witnessing his evil deed, the demon asked, ‘Fire-god, tell me the truth. Whose wife is she? When she was little, I loved her and accepted her as my wife. After promising her hand to me her father got her married to Maharishi Bhrigu’.

Always he would say, ‘demon will come and take you’. After promising her to me, he gave her to this saint.

There is a story of 3 beggars who were outwardly friendly but actually envious of one other. Shouting ‘Grovindra’ they would beg from different homes and eat the alms given.

One noon, one of them stood outside a mansion and shouted, ‘Grovindra’. The couple there was engaged in fierce argument. In anger, the husband screamed, ‘take this woman away’. Soon thereafter the couple happily reconciled but the beggar continued to wait. The man asked, ‘Why are you still here?’ ‘You asked me to take away your wife’. Angered, the man trashed him.

Covering his badly swollen body with a blanket, he returned. His 2nd friend asked, ‘Why are you softly groaning?’ This 2nd beggar was envious that perhaps he had procured a good, tasty meal. This man replied, ‘In that mansion I was fed sumptuously. Go there and shout ‘Grovindra’. When the man asks you why you have come, say, ‘You asked me to take away. So I am here’.

In great urgency, the 2nd friend ran to the mansion. Very quickly he returned badly bruised. Hearing his groans, the 3rd friend was curious. Now he stood outside the mansion and said ‘Grovinda’. He too was severely trashed. This was the outcome of their envy and of the husband’s harsh word ‘take her away’.

Demon Puloma asked, ‘O Agni! In the form of the digestive fire, you eternally exist in all beings. Being omniscient, you are a witness to all deeds. Is she the same girl I loved? Frankly tell the truth’.
Fire-god was in a fix. If he said ‘no’ he would be lying; if he said, ‘yes’, the demon would abduct her and Bhrigu would curse him. He thought, ‘I perhaps can find a way out of the sage’s curse, but to utter lies is totally wrong’.

So he said, ‘She is the girl you loved. But you did not marry her per Vedic procedure. Every father seeks a son-in-law who is renowned and great. With the same desire her father gave her in marriage to Bhrigu. With me as a witness Bhrigu married her.

I do not want to tell lies as it is never revered in this world. Discard your evil thoughts and ways. Revere the Shastras. Understand that only deeds performed along with utterance of mantras give proper result. Demonic deeds do not’.

The moment Fire-god said this, the demon transformed into a boar and at speeds faster than wind and mind carried her away. She was weeping pitiably but there was none to help her. Fire-god remained watching helplessly.

At that time, the baby from her womb suddenly fell out. He was Cyavana. He was glowing like the bright Sun. The radiance was so intense that the demon was burnt to ashes.

Carrying her infant, the weeping Puloma went to Lord Brahma. He consoled her. As she wept inconsolably, her tears transformed in a river which flowed beside Bhrigu’s ashram.

Bhrigu completed his bath and returned. Gathering all the facts from his wife he was furious. ‘Who is that sinner who dared to inform the truth about you to the demon?’

Puloma said, ‘Only because of the Fire-god’s words, the demon carried me away. I was saved only because of your son who was born with infinite radiance’

Maharishi Bhrigu immediately cursed, ‘Agni! You are cruel. You have the audacity to trouble an innocent lady more so when she is pregnant. Henceforth may you eat everything – pure and impure and thus turn impure’.

From then on, fire burns everything indiscriminately.