Tales from the Indian Epics/Vrigu and Agni
VRIGU AND AGNI
Once upon a time in the days when the Bharata princes ruled over India there lived a mighty rishi named Vrigu. And his wisdom and powers were such that men said that the god Brahmadeva had created him out of the fire, when Varuna the sea god made a great sacrifice. At this same time, there lived a most beautiful maiden named Puloma, the fame of whose loveliness spread throughout the whole empire of the Bharatas. When she grew to full womanhood her father offered her in marriage to Vrigu the rishi. Vrigu accepted her hand. And thus the wisest and the loveliest in all the land were united in wedlock.
They lived together happily and after several months Puloma was about to bear her lord a son. But before the child's birth the great sage went to bathe in a holy river. In his absence there came to his hermitage a demon king named Paulama. When Puloma was quite a child her father had promised her hand to the demon king. But afterwards, hearing the fame of the rishi Vrigu, he broke his promise and gave her in marriage to the great sage. Paulama in vain urged that he was betrothed to Puloma. But her father treated him with scorn. At last the demon king went away in anger, vowing that his disgrace would one day be avenged. Day after day he hid himself near Vrigu's hermitage, until at last, seeing that Vrigu had gone to a distant river, the demon king boldly entered the hermitage and asked Puloma to give him food. The rishi's beautiful wife suspected no evil and welcoming the betrothed of her childhood, offered him for food the fruits of the forest. But as Paulama ate, his longing for Puloma grew and so also grew his hatred for Vrigu. "I shall carry her off," he muttered to himself, "and thus I shall avenge my dishonour and win for myself the wife whom Vrigu tore away from my arms." But before he did so, he entered an inner room where a sacred fire burnt always day and night. "O fire god Agni," he said, "the lady Puloma was once my affianced bride. Vrigu took her from me by trickery. But she was given to me first, therefore tell me, I pray you, whether she is not now my lawful wife." Agni at first did not answer. He would gladly have said that Paulama had a just claim. But he feared that if he spoke thus, Vrigu's curse would fall upon and destroy him. So after thinking deeply he said, "O demon king, it is true that Puloma was your affianced bride, but she never became your wife. She went through the marriage ceremony with the rishi Vrigu. She is therefore Vrigu's wife and not yours."
The demon king grew angry and paying no heed to the words of Agni, took the shape of a boar, and throwing Puloma across his back galloped at full speed through the forest. As he galloped he met the rishi Vrigu, who was returning from the sacred river where he had gone to bathe. When the great sage saw that the wild boar carried on his back his beautiful bride he cursed the boar as he ran. Instantly the boar was consumed and became a heap of ashes. Puloma fell to the ground and lay unconscious.
When Puloma had recovered from the fall Vrigu asked her who had pointed out their hermitage to the demon king Paulama, so that he might curse him. "It was Agni," answered Puloma weeping, for she thought that Agni had aided Paulama. Then Vrigu's wrath blazed up like a forest fire and he cursed Agni saying, "Henceforth everything that you touch will be consumed." Agni was very angry at the curse for he had in no way merited it. And he would have cursed Vrigu in turn, had Vrigu not been one of the race of the Brahmans whom he respected. So Agni went far away into a distant cave and hid himself. And because mankind had no longer any fire they could no longer offer sacrifices to the gods, nor did the gods receive any honour from them. At last in great distress the rishis and the Immortals met. "O Immortals" said the rishis, "we can no longer serve you, owing to the flight of Agni. Let us therefore pray to the god Brahmadeva and perhaps he may help us." Together, therefore, the rishis and the Immortals went to the throne of the god Brahmadeva and told him how Vrigu had cursed Agni the fire god, and how in his wrath Agni had hidden himself from mankind.
On hearing their tale, the god Brahmadeva sent a messenger to call Agni the fire god to him. And Agni came into his presence and told Brahmadeva how Vrigu had cursed him without reason. But Brahmadeva answered Agni with soothing words. "The curse of Vrigu," said Brahmadeva, "cannot be removed. But I shall turn his curse into a blessing. Henceforth, Agni, all that is vile you will consume with your flames. But all that is pure will remain. Thus all that passes through fire will be purified." And Agni hearing these words was comforted. He no longer hid himself in a distant cave, but lived in his former dwelling. And mankind used Agni as of old in their sacrifices. The Immortals were happy because of the honour which they received and the rishis because they once again could offer sacrifices. And because of the happiness of the Immortals and the power of the rishis mankind grew daily happier. And in after years they spoke of this time as the golden age.