मंगल

यन्त्रोपारोपितकोशांशः

Purana Encyclopedia

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

MAṄGALA : A deity in the form of Kuja or Planet Mars. There are different versions in the Purāṇas regarding the birth of Maṅgala.

(1) Satī committed suicide at the Dakṣayāga and Śiva greatly griefstricken at the loss of his wife started penance. A sweat drop fell from the forehead of Śiva doing severe penance and Maṅgala was the son born of that drop. Śiva then installed Maṅgala among the Navagrahas and according to the science of astrology this Graha is considered the protector of the landed property and the wife of a person. (Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṁhitā 1-10 and Skanda Purāṇa 4-1-17).

(2) Śiva married Vikeśī daughter of Hiraṇyākṣa. One day while they were engaged in sexual plays Agni came to their presence. Enraged at this the eyes of Śiva blazed with anger and a drop of hot water from his eyes fell on the face of Vikeśī and she became pregnant. After some days Vikeśī found it impossible to bear the embryo of Śiva thus formed and she aborted it. A child was born and the goddess of earth took it and fed it with breast milk. It was that child who later on became Maṅgala. (Skanda Purāṇa).

(3) Maṅgala was born of the blood drops of Śiva. (Bhaviṣya Purāṇa).

(4) Maṅgala was the son of Bharadvāja. (Gaṇeśa Purāṇa).

(5) Maṅgala was the son of Bhūmidevī. Devas, sages, Brāhmaṇas, Manus and Gandharvas all worshipped Bhūmi at the time of Varāhakalpa. It is also said in the Vedas that Bhūmidevī is the wife of Mahāviṣṇu's incarnation as Varāha. Maṅgala alias the planet Mars was born to Bhūmidevī of Mahāviṣṇu as Varāha. (9th Skandha. Devī Bhāgavata).


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*3rd word in left half of page 477 (+offset) in original book.