Souti said: -
1. O Brahmana, Chyavana, the son of Brigu begat a son on his wife, named Sukanya. And son of Sukanya was the illustrious and the resplendently energetic Pramati,
2. Pramati begot a son called Ruru on Ghritachi. Ruru begot a son called Sunaka on his wife, Pramadvara.
3. I shall tell you at length, O Brahmana, the history of the resplendently energetic Ruru. Listen to it in detail.
4. In the days of yore, there was a Rishi, named Sthulokesha, who was possessed of ascetic powers and learning, and engaged in doing good to all creatures.
5. At this time, O Brahmana Rishi, Menaka became quick with child by the king of the Ghandharvas, named Viswa-Vasu.
6. O Descendant of Brigu, the Apsara Menaka, when the time came, delivered her child near the hermitage of Sthulokesha.
7. And, O Brahmana, the cruel and shameless Apsara Menaka, after dropping the child on the banks of the river, went away.
8-9. The great Rishi saw the girl lying forsaken in a lonely place on the banks of the river, biasing in beauty; she was as beautiful as a child of an immortal. And the great Brahmana, Sthulokesha, the chief of Munis, finding it a female child,
10. Out of compassion, took it home and brought it up. The lovely child grew up in the hermitage of the great Rishi.
11. The great Rishi, the blessed Sthulokesha, performed for her in succession all the ceremonies with that of her birth, as ordained in the Sastras.
12. As she surpassed all others in beauty, in goodness and in every good quality, the great Rishi gave her the name of Pramadvara.
13. Ruru saw her in the hermitage and the pious man fell in love with her.
14. He made his father Pramati, the son of Brigu, acquainted with his love through his companions. Thereupon Pramati asked the illustrious Sthulokesha to give Pramadvara to his son.
15. The Rishi betrothed Pramadvara to Ruru, fixing the day of marriage when the star Varga Daivata would be in ascendant.
16. A few days before the date fixed for toe nuptials, while the lovely girl was playing with her companions.
17. Her time having come and impelled by Fate, she trod upon a snake. She did not perceive it, as it lay coiled.
18. The snake, to fulfil the will of Fate, stang the heedless girl with its venomous fangs.
19. Stung by the snake, she suddenly fell senseless on the ground with her colour faded and all her beauties gone.
20. Her hair dishevelled, a spectacle of woe to her friends and companions. She, who was so handsome when alive, became in death what was too painful to look at.
21. The slender-waisted girl, as she lay on the ground as one asleep, looked more beautiful than she was when alive.
22. Her father and other ascetics, who were present, saw her lying motionless on the ground with the beauty of a lily.
23. Then there came all the noted Brahmanas, filled with compassion. Swastyatreya, Mahajana, Kushika, Sankhyamekhala.
24. Uddalaka, Katha, and the renowned Sweta, Bharadwaja, Kaunakutsya, Arshtisena, Goutama.
25. Pramati and Pramati’s son Ruru, and other inhabitants of the forest were filled with compassion and they all wept when they saw the maiden lying on the ground overcome by the poison of the snake. And Ruru, being exceedingly pained, left the scene.
Thus ends the eighth chapter, Paulama, in the Adi Parva.