Story of Vena

An ancient King who was notorious for his bad rule.

Genealogy.

Descended from Viṣṇu in the following order: Brahmā-Svāyambhuva Manu-Uttānapāda-Dhruva-Śiṣṭi-Ripu-Cākṣuṣa Manu-Kuru-Aṅga-Vena.

Birth.

Ten sons including Kuru, were born to Manu Cākṣuṣa by his wife Naḍvalā. Āgneyī, the wife of Kuru gave birth to six sons Aṅga and others. Aṅga married Sunīthā. The son Vena was born by Sunīthā. It is mentioned in Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Aṃśa 1, Chapter 13, that Sunīthā, the mother of Vena was the eldest daughter of Yama, and in Vāmana Purāṇa Chapter 47, that this Sunīthā was the daughter born to Kāla and Mṛtyu. Vena who was born as the son of the daughter of Yama was born a wicked man because of the badness of his grandfather.

Vena grew up as a great sinner. A story occurs in Padma Purāṇa about an incident which caused Vena to become a great sinner.

The story says that Sunīthā was the mother of Vena. In her play she used to imitate her father’s job which was hurting others. One day when she went to the forest for play with her maids she saw Suśaṅkha the son of a Gandharva named Gītakolāhala. That youth who was handsome in every part of his body, was doing penance meditating on the goddess Sarasvatī for the attainment of the art of music. Sunīthā began to annoy him daily. Suśaṅkha bore this annoyance patiently. He said only this-"Go away, go away." But she did not pay heed to his appeals. Once she became angry and struck him. Getting angry at this, Suśaṅkha called out, "You wicked girl! Why do you annoy me? You have beaten me, who am engaged in penance, for no cause." That righteous Gandharva youth curbed his anger considering that she was a woman.

She told him "My father will beat everybody in the three worlds. He will harm the wicked, and will not do any harm to the good. So he rules the country righteously." Sunīthā told all about the story to her father. Though Yama, the incarnation of righteousness, heard all that his daughter said he did not give any reply.

She again went to the forest and struck him with a whip. Suśaṅka rose up, shivering with pain and cursed her thus:

"You wicked girl! When you become a house-holder and join your husband you will get a son who will be a scoffer of Devas and Brahmins and an all-round sinner." Thus cursing her he continued his penance. Vena was born according to this curse.

The wicked rule of Vena.

The hermits anointed Vena as the King. He became lord of the whole earth. He made a proclamation thus:—"Sacrifice is prohibited. Giving alms, is prohibited. Offerings of no kind should be made. Who else, other than I, can be the Yajñapuruṣa? (the deity who eats the food of sacrifice)? I am the only lord and consumer of sacrifices."

Hearing this proclamation, the hermits approached him and told him that the Vedas were the basis of righteousness, that sacrifices were ordained in them, and that if no sacrifice was performed the Devas would not be pleased and so on. But this did not make any change in his behaviour.

The hermits became angry. They all gathered together and recited spells and struck him with Darbha (poa) grass and killed him. As there was no King the world fell into darkness. Because of the troubles caused by plunderers, people gathered round the hermits. Hermits joined together and churned the left hand of Vena, from which a man of short stature came out, to whom the hermits said, 'Niṣīda' (sit). Because the hermits said Niṣīda', Niṣāda came into existence from that dwarf born of the sins of Vena. Then the hermits churned the right hand of Vena. At this churning a person as big as a mountain with divine signs came out. He had bow and arrows and in his palm there were marks of a wheel and flag. Seeing this the Devas anointed him the King of the earth. He ruled righteously and brought the goddess earth (Pṛthvī) who had estranged herself from his father Vena close to him. Because he had conciliated Pṛthvī he became famous as a King. (Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 47).