Sunitha

Yama is the gods of death. He is also referred to as Mrityu, Kala or Dharma. The sinners are punished by Yama. Mritry or Yama had a daughter named Sunitha.

(This story is also given in the other Puranas. There, Sunithra is simply stated to have been Mrityu’s daughter. It is only in the Padma Purana that Mrityu is explicitly identified with Yama, the god of death.)

Sunitha was in the habit of going to the forest with her firneds. She came across a hermitage there. A gandharva (singer of heaven) named Sushankha was busy meditating in the hermitage.

Sunitha tried to disturb Sushankha’s meditation, but the gandharva paid no attention to her. He merely asked Sunitha to go away. Although his ire had been roused, her forgave Sunitha because she was a woman. But Sunitha would not leave. She was extremely proud that she was Yama’s daughter. She slapped Sushankha and at this, the gandharva lost his temper.

“You are really an evil woman,” said Sushankha. “You deserve to be punished. I have been quietly trying to meditate and you have been unnecessarily creating a disturbance. I curse you that your son will be exceedingly evil.”
Anga

There was a king named Anga who was the son of the sage Atri.

Anga once happened to go to the garden known as nandanakanana and came upon Indra there. Indra was being served by other gods, gandharvas and asaras. Anga was greatly impressed. He wished to have a son who would be as powerful as Indra.

Anga asked his father, “How can I have such a powerful son?”

“You must pray to Vishnu,” replied Atri.

Anga went to Mount Sumeru to meditate. Mount Sumeru defies description. It is full of gold and jewels and is frequeneted by the gods and the sages. Hermitages abound on the peak and the gandharvas can be heard singing. The apsaras dance there. There are beautiful lakes in which lotus flowers bloom. It is from Mount Sumeru that the sacred river Ganga originates.

Anga found a convenient cave on the banks of the Ganga. He made this his hermitage and started to pray to Vishnu. For a hundred years Anga meditated. To test the king, Vishnu created all sorts of distractions. Wild animals and ghosts threatened him. But Anga was unmoved. Vishnu alone was in his heart.