Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Angamalaja included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana’).
Story of Aṅgamalaja
General Information.
(1) This was a country in ancient Bhārata. (Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 9, Stanza 50).
(2) Viśvāmitra had taken to the forest from Ayodhyā Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa to protect the hermits and their yāgas. On the way they entered the Tāṭaka forest. Viśvāmitra told the boys in answer to their questions thus: "In olden days this place was a countryside known as Aṅgamalaja or Malada or Karūṣa. There is a reason for calling the country by that name. Indra killed Vṛtra and thereby incurred the sin of Brahmahatyā and so he came away to this country and lived here for a while. The Gods found him out here. They poured water on the head of the unclean Indra and the dirt, hunger, excreta and Karūṣa having been separated from his body fell on the soil of this place and was mingled with it. Indra’s body became pure. As excreta, Karūṣa etc. were mingled with the soil of this country, it came to be called Aṅgamalaja, Malada or Karūṣa from that day onwards. One part of the country was called Malada and the other part Karūṣa. Indra, having been purified by washing in water returned to heaven with the gods. After that this country became uninhabited for a long time. The horrible Tāṭaka lives in this forest now". (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, Sarga 24).