Varuthini and Pravara (वरूथिनी प्रवरश्च)

The legend of Varuthini and Pravara, is mentioned in Markandeya Purana while describing the origin of the Svarochisa Manvantara. The second Manvantara, after Svayambhuva Manvantara, Svarochi was the mulapurusha for this Manvantara whose son was Svarochisa Manu. Varuthini was the daughter of Menaka, the celestial apsara, and Pravara was a pious Brahmana who lived in Arunaspada, a janapada on the banks of Varuna. This story is alluded here to depict the impressionable nature of a young woman's mind and the role it has in shaping the personality of her children.

Disposition of Pravara

Pravara, was learned Brahmana who surpassed the Asvini devatas in beauty of form. He was gentle in disposition, upright in conduct, he had studied all the Vedas and Vedangas; always gracious to guests, he was the refuge to all those who arrived at night to his residence.

कश्चिद् द्विजातिप्रवरः पुरेऽभूदरुणास्पदे । वरुणायास्तटे विप्रो रूपेणात्यश्विनावपि॥६१.५॥

मृदुस्वभावः सद्वृत्तो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः । सदातिथिप्रियो रात्रावागतानां समाश्रयः॥६१.६॥

तस्य बुद्धिरियं त्वासीदहं पश्ये वसुन्धराम् । अतिरम्यवनोद्यानां नानानगरशोभिताम्॥६१.७॥ (Mark. Pura. 61.5-7)

Now he had this intention, to see the world which has most charming forests and gardens, and is embellished with many a towns and cities.

He was always busy in activities of a grhastha - with service to parents, atithis, bhutas, teaching students and maintaining agni. Very devoted to his family he was immersed in his activities for the welfare of his parents, wife, children and students. Yet he nursed the prospect of travelling and seeing the forest filled lands and beautiful cities. He would greatly respect travellers who come from distant lands on pilgrimage and hear all details of their yatras with rapt attention.

Visit to the Himavat Parvata

Once a Siddhapurusha visited Arunaspada after visiting many places on a long yatra. Seeing the Siddha who travelled far and wide at such a young age , Pravara expresses his heart's longing wish to visit the beautiful teerthas and kshetras of importance in the vast expanse of this earth, but due to his grhastha duties he is unable to do so. He asks his to show the way to this overcome this predicament allowing him to go on a pilgrimage. The Siddha, who had some shaktis, lauded Pravara's commitment to grhastha dharmas and gives him a divya pada-lepanam (पादलेपः) or a medicinal herbal application to the feet which gives the power to travel anywhere in short time to any direction or place of his wish.

प्रादात् स ब्राह्मणश्चास्मै पादलेपमुदारधीः । अभिमन्त्रयामास दिशं तेनाख्याताञ्च यत्नतः॥६१.१५॥

Delighted that his wish to undertake visits to divyakshetras of the Himalayas, he completes all his duties towards his parents for the day, asks his wife, a pious lady to take care of Atithisatkara and with the permission of his family he started to see different lands of and teerthas, the beautiful forests, waterfalls and cities by travelling on the Akasha marga or the skies. With an intent to have a quick visit to the Himalayas, Pravara thinks he can return soon in time for his evening duties.

सम्प्राप्तो हिमवत्पृष्ठं नातिश्रान्ततनुर्द्विज । विचचार ततस्तत्र तुहिनाचलभूतले॥६१.१८॥

पादाक्रान्तेन तस्याथ तुहिनेन विलीयता । प्रक्षालितः पादलेपः परमौषधिसम्भः॥६१.१९॥

Without any strain, Pravara reaches Himalayas and was walking around, he soon realizes that due to ice on the mountains, his medicinal application gets washed away. After walking around watching the beautiful mountains, the places where the Gandharvas, Kinnaras played, where devatas roamed about and celestial dancers sat on the mountain tops, he wished to go back to his home with an intent to return again to see the rest of the places.

However, once Pravara realised that because of the loss of the lepana, he cannot go back home. He started to think that all the Dharma and Karmanistha with which he performed his duties will not be in vain if he does not reach home in time. He was aware of the melodious music by the Kinnaras, the pleasant and sweet fragrances of the flowers, the soft soothing winds where all inviting him but being duty bound he wanted to seek any Tapasvi, to help him reach home.

Meeting Varuthini

Roaming around in the mountains, Pravara was looking for help to reach home. In this anxious state of mind he happened to meet Varuthini, a beautiful celestial dancer. Varuthini was a Gandharva lady who was instantaneously attracted to Pravara when he was visiting the Himalayan forests. तं ददर्श भ्रमन्तञ्च मुनिश्रेष्ठं वरूथिनी । वराप्सरा महाभागा मौलेया रूपशालिनी॥६१.३५॥

She was distressed to get his attention and watched him with amazement.