Sauti continued:
“O Brahmin, after the birth of the mighty sage Chyavana, the lineage of Bhrigu continued to flourish.
Chyavana and his wife Sukanya had a son nad Pramati, a noble soul whose spiritual power shone like a blazing fire.
Pramati later fathered a son nad Ruru through the celestial nymph Ghritachi.
And Ruru, in ti, beca the father of Shaunaka through his wife Pramadvara.
Now listen carefully, for I shall tell you in full the story of the illustrious Ruru, whose life was filled with remarkable events.”
The sages settled in silence as Sauti began the tale.
Long ago there lived a great sage nad Sthulakesha.
He was renowned for his learning, his austerities, and his boundless compassion toward all living beings. His hermitage was a place of peace where creatures of every kind found refuge.
Around that sa ti, the celestial nymph naka conceived a child by Vishvavasu, king of the Gandharvas.
When the ti ca for the child to be born, naka descended to the earth.
Near the hermitage of Sage Sthulakesha, on the bank of a river, she gave birth to a daughter of extraordinary beauty.
The infant seed almost divine. Her radiance shone like that of a heavenly being.
Yet after giving birth, naka left the child there and departed.
The baby lay alone beside the river, abandoned and without anyone to care for her.
Not long afterward, Sage Sthulakesha happened to pass that way.
The great ascetic saw the infant lying by herself in the wilderness.
Even at that young age, she seed to glow with an otherworldly beauty.
Moved by deep compassion, the sage gently picked her up and carried her back to his hermitage.
There he raised her as his own daughter.
Years passed.
The little girl grew into a young woman of remarkable grace and beauty. She possessed not only physical charm but also every noble quality of character.
Among all maidens, she seed unmatched.
Because she surpassed other won in beauty, virtue, and refinent, Sage Sthulakesha gave her the na Pramadvara—"the foremost among maidens."
She grew up in the peaceful surroundings of the hermitage, beloved by all who knew her.
One day, fate brought Ruru to that very hermitage.
As soon as he saw Pramadvara, his heart was captured.
Ruru was a righteous and self-controlled young man, not one easily swayed by passion.
Yet the mont his eyes fell upon her, all his restraint was tested.
Her beauty struck him like a celestial arrow.
Without realizing it, he found himself thinking of her constantly.
For the first ti in his life, Ruru had fallen in love.
Sauti continued:
Ruru could no longer hide his feelings.
Through his friends, he made known to his father, Pramati, the love that had taken root in his heart.
Pramati listened carefully and, seeing that his son's affection was sincere, went to Sage Sthulakesha to formally seek Pramadvara's hand in marriage.
The request was gladly accepted.
Sthulakesha agreed to give his beloved foster daughter to Ruru. The marriage was arranged, and an auspicious date was chosen under the favorable constellation of Bhaga.
Joy spread through both households.
The days passed swiftly as preparations for the wedding began.
But fate had already woven a darker thread into the story.
Only a few days remained before the ceremony.
One afternoon, Pramadvara was playing with her companions near the hermitage. Laughter filled the air as the young won wandered through the forest paths.
Unseen among the grass lay a serpent, coiled and sleeping.
Destiny had chosen its mont.
Lost in play, Pramadvara failed to notice the snake.
Without realizing it, she stepped directly upon it.
Startled awake and driven by the force of fate, the serpent struck.
Its venomous fangs pierced her flesh.
The bite was swift and deadly.
Pramadvara staggered.
Then, before anyone could reach her, she collapsed to the ground.
Consciousness fled from her.
Life left her body.
The beautiful maiden who had been full of laughter only monts before now lay motionless upon the earth.
Yet even in death, her beauty did not fade.
The poison left her looking not like a corpse, but like soone peacefully asleep.
Her face remained radiant.
Her slender form seed even more enchanting than before.
She lay upon the ground like a fallen lotus blossom, untouched by decay.
Soon the tragedy was discovered.
Sage Sthulakesha arrived and found his beloved daughter lying still upon the earth.
Other ascetics rushed to the scene as well.
One after another, the great sages gathered around her:
Svastyatreya, Mahajanu, Kushika, Shankhakhala, Bharadvaja, Kaunakutsa, Arshtishena, Gautama, Pramati, and many other forest hermits.
They looked upon the lifeless maiden and understood what had happened.
The serpent's venom had taken her life.
Compassion filled their hearts.
Many of the sages wept openly.
The peaceful hermitage was overco with grief.
But no one suffered more than Ruru.
The sight of Pramadvara lying dead shattered him.
Unable to bear the pain, he turned away from the gathering and wandered alone into the forest.
His heart was crushed.
The woman he loved, the bride he was soon to marry, had been taken from him just days before their wedding.
Overwheld by sorrow, Ruru left the others behind and disappeared into the wilderness, carrying with him a grief deeper than any he had ever known.
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