Story behind MArisha: Many years ago, there used to be a sage called Kandu. This sage was performing difficult tapasya on the banks of the river Gomati. To disturb him, Indra sent an apsara (dancer of heaven) named Pramlocha. Kandu fell in love with her, married her and lived with her for more than a hundred years in a valley in the mountain Mandara. After many years had passed, Kandu regained his senses. He said, “Wife, one whole day is over. It is now evening. Let me say my prayers.”
“One day,” exclaimed Pramlocha. “Are you not aware that nine hundred and eighty-seven years, six months and three days have passed since you married me?”
This made Kandu realize what had happened. He went back to his tapasya and allowed Pramlocha to return to heaven. On her way towards heaven, Pramlocha wiped her sweat on the leaves of trees. She was bearing a baby and the baby came out with the sweat and was left with the trees. It was this baby who grew up and became Marisha.
In an earlier life, Marisha had been married to a king. But the king had died when Marisha had been very young. The young widow had prayed to Vishnu and Vishnu had agreed to grant her a boon. The widow had desired the boon that she might have a son like Brahma and that she might have good husbands in several lives. Vishnu had promised her that she would have a son like Brahma and that she would have several good husbands in the same life. That is why Marisha was now simultaneously married to the ten Prachetas.
A story of weird numbers in two sentences and two conclusions…
After many years had passed, Kandu regained his senses. He said, “Wife, one whole day is over. It is now evening. Let me say my prayers.”
“One day,” exclaimed Apsara Pramlocha. “Are you not aware that nine hundred and eighty-seven years, six months and three days have passed since you married me?”
If interested the whole story behind King Kandu can be read here in Vidyabalaji’s blog under Narayaneeya Dasaka 19: The story of Prachetas:
I am focused on two conclusions here,
- The Theory of Relativity
- The number appears to be corresponding to One nakshatra’s observed time in Precession of Equinoxes. One nakshatra takes around 960 years to precess. It is quite possible that the observed yoga tara, or star of certain nakshatra had met with high proper motion and by the time nine hundred and eighty-seven years, six months and three days elapsed they observed the other yoga tara of previous Nakshatra ( precesses) for calculation. Likewise, I have an apprehension on what if Suryasiddhanta also has a similar problem of computing Precession of Equinoxes as 54 sec per year. What if the first star of Ashwini meets with proper motion and that excess has got added to actual 50.3 sec per year. Point to ponder.
Rupa Bhaty 