Story of Medhāvī

General information.

A fierce sage. His father was a sage known as Bāladhi. For a very long time Bāladhi had no children and so, griefstricken, Bāladhi did penance and Medhāvī was born as a result of his penance. Even from boyhood the child showed wonderful powers of grasping things and so he was named Medhāvī. (Chapter 135, Vana Parva).

How Medhāvī cursed a nymph.

One day in spring, Mañjughoṣā (Śucismitā), a nymph, was playing with other companions in the Caitrarathodyāna. Medhāvī was doing penance in a place nearby and Mañjughoṣā fell in love with the sage and she went near him and made love to him by dance and music. Medhāvī was attracted by her and the sage accepted her advances and lived with her for a long time.

One day Mañjughoṣā sought permission to go to Devaloka. "Wait till daybreak" said the sage. When it was morning the nymph renewed her request and the sage said "Wait till I finish my evening prayers." Hearing this Śucismitā said "Oh, best of brahmins, how many mornings and evenings have gone by this time! Fiftyfive years nine months and three days have gone by since we started living together". The sage then counted the years and found she was correct. The astounding fact that his penance had such a long break made the sage angry and he cursed her and made her into an evil spirit. She begged for pardon and the sage said "If you observe with fasting the Caitrakṛṣṇaikādaśī called Pāpamocinī it will absolve you of all sins and give you release from the curse". (Chapter 48, Part 4, Padma Purāṇa).

In Ṛgveda.

The Aśvinīdevas once gave rice to this sage. (Sūkta 117, Anuvāka 17, Maṇḍala 1, Ṛgveda).