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काव्यमाता (kAvyamAtA)

 
पुराणम्
English
काव्यमाता / KĀVYAMĀTĀ. Mother of śukra, the preceptor of the Daityas.(1) śukra is also known as kāvya. Certain Purāṇas claim śukra as the son of bhṛgu, while certain others refer to him as the son of kavi son of bhṛgu. pulomā was Bhṛgu's wife. But, the Purāṇas call the mother of śukra kāvyamātā. No mention is made about the wife of kavi the son of bhṛgu. pulomā and kāvyamātā are different persons. Therefore, śukra might be the son of bhṛgu hy another wife, or he might be the son of kavi.) kāvyamātā possessed extraordinary powers of penance. In the devī bhāgavata the following story is given
how she cursed viṣṇu and how she made viṣṇu and indra powerless.
Once a fierce war was fought by the devas and the Asuras in which the latter got defeated, and they sought the help of śukrācārya. But, as the devas enjoyed the support of viṣṇu, śukra could not do anything for the asuras, and he therefore advised them to get on somehow or other for some time. After that śukra went to kailāsa and performed penance, hanging head downwards, for a thousand years to secure rare and exceptional mantras. During this period the devas again attacked the Asuras, who ran up to kāvyamātā for succour, and she, by one glance, sent the devas to long sleep. She reduced viṣṇu and indra also to a state of paralysis. Then viṣṇu meditated upon the sudarśana cakra, which arrived immediately and with the cakra he cut off Kāvyamātā's head. Sage bhṛgu then appeared on the scene and brought back kāvyamātā to life, and she, in furious rage cursed that viṣṇu should take many births. As a result of the curse Mahāviṣṇu had to incarnate himself on earth many times. (devī bhāgavata, 4th skandha).