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Sachi - the divine queen, wife of Indra
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Sachi
is the goddess of sovereignty. Any man who performs a thousand sacrifices
wins Sachi's affection and becomes Indra, lord of heaven. Another man
performing a thousand sacrifices, Sachi casts away the old Indra and invites
the new one to rule the heavens. While different Indras rule the heavens,
only one supreme Sachi sits beside them. An Indra who seeks to hold on
to his crown constantly disrupts the holy rituals conducted by those that
perform the thousand sacrifices. One
such Indra, in a bid to hinder a pretender's sacrifice, killed the officiating
priest. For this crime, he was told to leave the heavens and return only
after purifying his heart.Without an Indra, Amravati, the dwelling of
the gods, was vulnerable to attacks by demons. The gods looked for someone
who could serve as Indra. They chose Nahusha, a man who had performed
999 sacrifices who was almost Indra. Nahusha was invited to the heavens
and crowned king.
Nahusha was allowed to ride celestial elephants, visit the divine pleasure
gardens and wield the sacred thunderbolt. He longed, however, for the
pleasure of Sachi's company. He tried to win her affection with gifts
and sweet words. Finally, his patience wore out and he threatened her
with violence.However Sachi did not accept him as her lord. "He has
not performed a thousand sacrifices," she reminded the gods. "Come to me on a palanquin borne by the seven cosmic sages," said the goddess. Nahusha immediately sent for Sachi's abode. Out of deference the sages obeyed to his royal status. Impatient to meet Sachi, Nahusha kicked the sages and told them to hurry: The sages, unused to such displays of impropriety, cursed Nahusha, "You fool, heaven does not befit you. Go back to earth in the form of a serpent. No more will sages carry you; you will spend the rest of your days crawling on your belly." He turned into a serpent. |
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Revati - Balarama's wife Revati's father Reva wanted the perfect groom for his daughter. So father and daughter went to consult Brahma, the lord of all beings. The consultation lasted a thousand years. Reva, oblivious of the passage of time, returned to earth only to find that world had changed dramatically since his departure humans were now of shorter stature. Revati looked now a giant amongst humans. And men, not used to looking up to women, did not find her desirable. This made Revati very unhappy. Meanwhile, Balarama, Krishna's elder brother, had decided only to marry a woman who could match him in strength and spirit. Balarama, a man of bucolic disposition with a fondness for wine, was fascinated by Revati's height and strength. He discovered that she could wrestle with him and drink as much wine as he could. Much pleased, he decided to marry this strong and mighty woman. |
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