Story of Pramadvarā

Wife of Ruru.

Birth.

Pramadvarā was the daughter of the nymph Menakā born of the Gandharva Viśvāvasu. As soon as the child was born, Menakā threw the child into the forest and left for Devaloka. Sthūlakeśa, a sage who was engaged in penance in that forest in a hermitage heard the cry of a child and came out of his āśrama. On seeing a new-born child lying unclaimed and uncared for, he took the child to his āśrama and named her Pramadvarā and brought her up. She grew into a charming maiden and one day Prince Ruru coming that way while hunting saw her and fell in love with her. The sage was pleased to give her in marriage to the King and so fixed the date of marriage.

The day previous to her marriage she trampled over a poisonous snake while walking in the forest with her companions and immediately she fell dead by the bite of the serpent. Ruru’s grief was uncontrollable. He wept bitterly crying aloud "If I have from my very birth with great devotion taken vows, let Pramadvarā rise up alive." Then a devadūta (messenger from god) appeared before him and said that all his wails were of no avail since it was only in the order of things that one whose āyus (period of life on earth) was over should die. Ruru then enquired of him a way of escape from this inevitable calamity and then the devadūta said that if Ruru was prepared to surrender half of his āyus in favour of Pramadvarā she would come back to life. Ruru agreed and they went to Dharmarāja (god of Death) and told him of his wish. Dharmarāja brought back Pramadvarā to life and she stood before Ruru as if just woken up from sleep. Their marriage was duly conducted. (Chapters 8 and 9, Ādi Parva).