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INTERVENING STORIES
175
the murder of her brother. She reviled Dandaka and became a nun. Skandaka (deva) then burned Daņdaka, Pālaka and the people of that city to ashes. Dandaka was reborn as the bird1.
According to the VR (7. 79-81), Muni Agastya narrated the story of the Dandaka forest to Rama as follows:
Danda, the youngest son of Ikṣvāku was a stupid fellow, hence he was granted the kingdom lying between the Vindhya and the Śevāla mountains. Danda established a capital there. It was named Madhumat. Once Danḍa raped Araja, the daughter of Rși Bhargava. Then Bhargava cursed Dandaka as a result of which Dandaka, his relations and his country were burnt to ashes. After his name that region came to be known as Dandakaranya.
About Jaṭayu, it is said that (VR, 3.14) Kasyapa married six daughters of Prajapati Dakṣa. One of them namely Tamra gave birth to Kroñci, Bhāsī, Śyenī, Dhṛtarăștri and Suki. Suki's daughter, Nată gave birth to Vinată whose sons were Garuda and Aruna. Sampati and Jatayu were the sons of Aruna and Syeni (probably another Syenī) Jatayu is further introduced as friend of Dasaratha.
The Sarabhanga Jataka (V. p. 134) mentions Dandaki as a powerful ruler of the kingdom of Dandaka in the Vindhya region. His capital is said to be Kumbhavati. The kingdom of Dandaki was destroyed by a natural catastrophe.
41. The story of Rucira and Pravara:
Follwing the previous birth story of Jaṭayu or the story of king Dandnka, Muni Sugupti who along with Trigupti was received by Rama in the Daṇḍakāranya, narrated the (cause of their renouncement) story to enlighten the vulture (Jatayu) (41.40-64) by illustrating the futility of the worldly bonds.
Being requested by Śrī, the wife of king Acala of Banaras, a monk named Sugupti prophesied that she would be blessed with two sons. In course of time two sons were born and they were named Trigupti and Sugupti.
Purohita Soma of Gandhāva tinagari had two sons Suketu and Agniketu. Suketu became a Jaina monk under Anantavirya while Agniketu became a Tapasa at Banaras. Suketu on being equipped with the instructions given by his teacher, went to
1. This story of the TSP is found in the Nisitha Curṇī, 16. p. 1113.
