Danda

There used to be a king named Dandha. He was very prosperous and had Shukracharya for a priest, Shukracharya had a daughter named Araja.

Shukracharya once went to visit the danava king Virshgaparva and was away for many days. While the sage was away, Danda happened to visit Shulracharya’s hermitage and, met Araja. He fell in love with her and decided to marry her.

“That is against the dictates of dharma,” replied Araja, “Shukracharya is your guru and he is therefore like a father unto you. I am his daughter and I am thus like your sister. How can I marry you?”

That is warped logic,” replied Danda. “I can certainly marry you.”

“In that case, please wait for may father return, and ask him for my hand in marriage, “ said Araja. “I cannot marry without my father’s permission,”

“Nonsense, “ retorted the king. “you don’t know the story fof Chitrangada. Let me relate it to you.”

Vishvakarma, the architect of the gods, had a daughter named Chitrangada. She was more beautiful than the goddess Lakshmi herself. Once Chitrangada and her companions went to bathe in the forest and there they met the prince Suratha. Suratha and Chitrangada fell in love with one another and decided to marry. Chitrangada’s companions tried to tell her father’s permission, but Chitrangada would not listen.

“It is by no means true that a woman has to marry only after her father has given her the permission.” said Danda. “I have told you the story of Chitrangada to illustrate the point.”

“On the contrary,” replied Araja, “You know only pat of the story. Let me complete Chitrangada’s account for you,”

When Vishvakarma returned, he was furious to find that his daughter had got married without waiting for his permission. He cursed her that she would be separated from her husband and that she would never bear any children. The river Sarasvati carried the prince Suratha far away. Separated from her husband, Chitragada had to undergo a lot of hardship and came to death’s door.

I shall therefore not marry without my father’s permission. “said Araja,

“You have not really completed the story,” replied Danda. “I will now complete it for you.”

Chitrangada eventually landed up at a temple. There she met the sage Ritadhvaja and told him her story. Ritadhvaja thought that Vishvakarma had cursed Chitragada unfairly. He therefore cursed Vishvakarma that he would be born as a monkey. As for Chitrangada, she prayed to Shiva and was reunited with her husband.

“Chitrangada did not really come to any grief in in the end.” Concluded Danda. “Marry me and let us live happily.”

Araja would still not agree. Thereupon. Danda married her forcibly. When Shukracharya returned and discovered what had happened, he burnt Danda and his entire kingdom into ashes. The place where the Dandakaranya. Danda’s crime was so serious that the gods never go to Dandakaranya. It is a place frequented only by rekshsas (demons).

Andhaka’s Defeat

Prahlada used Danda’s story to try and persuade Andhaka that it was a crime to marry a woman against her wishes, especially if that woman happened to be someone else’s wife.

But Andhaka would not be dissuaded. He would marry Parvati. As for Shiva, what could Shiva do to him? Andhaka was not even frightened of Indra. Shiva was nerely a minor god who rode a bull and wandered around smeared with ashes. Or so the demon thought.

Andhaka sent a messenger named Shambara to Shiva.

Shambara went and told Shiva, “Andhaka has sent you this message. He is the ruler of the three worlds and the three worlds include Mount Mandara. If you wish to live here, you must abide by Andhaka’s wishes. He desires that you hand over your wife Parvati to him. Andhaka will marry her herself.”