Rajodarshan - First menses [Story of Sharmistha]

By Sri Chiraan 2009/07/28

When mars aspects the moon [lagna] in a unupachaya place, a girl attains her first menses. If the first menses [rutu] falls on: 

1. Padyami - issueless
2. Dwitiya - happy
3. tritiya - wealthy
4. chaturthi - wicked
5. Panchami - progeny
6. Shashti - cruel mind
7. Saptami - riches and ornaments
8. Ashtami - bold
9. Navami - sorrows
10. Dashami - leader
11. Ekadashi - pure [shuchi]
12. Dwadashi - scandal monger
13. Trayodashi - joyous
14. chaturdashi - sinful
15. Poornima - strong body
16. Amavasya - poor

• Sunday - diseased
• Monday - virtuous
• Tuesday - sorrow
• Wednesday - good married life
• Thursday - polite
• Friday - obedient
• Saturday - vicious

Result of cloth on the first menses

1. White cloth - happy
2. Silk /fibre - queen or fortunate
3. New cloth - happy
4. Torn cloth - poverty
5. Red cloth - diseased
6. Black cloth - widowhood
7. Dirty cloth - poverty

Results of number of drops on first menses

1. Drop gives wealth
2. Drops gives good enjoyments
3. Drops diseases
4. Many drops poverty

• If mars joins the star in which the first menses occurs, the girl will have dead children
• Guru makes her pious
• Ravi will give loss of husband
• Rahu will make her adulterous
• Sani will make her a maid servant 
• No planets will make her a happy and long lived
• Moon in eighth will bring dangers
• Venus in seventh will give marriage in foreign lands
• Saturn will give enslavement 

Sharmistha was the daughter of asura King Vrishaparva. Shukracharya was the daitya guru to the King. One day Sharmishtha and Devayani, daughter of Shukracharya were playing in the garden. Playfully Sharmistha pushed Devayani into well owing to an argument as to who was more powerful, as daughter of king Sharmistha or Devayani as the daughter of Bramhin.

Yayati a powerful King passed by pulled Devayani out helping her through his right hand. As Yayati had held the hand of Devayani, Devayani insisted he marry her owing to have taken her hand [ Panigrahan].

Yayati with the blessings of Shukracharya married Devayani. And As a punishment Vrshaparva king [to pacify his guru] made Sharmishtha the maiden of Devayani.

Sharmishtha accompanied Devayani to the land of Yayati. In course of time Sharmistha attained puberty. Yayati was around at the same time.

Sharmistha asked Yayati to marry her. Yayati refused. Sharmistha explained shastra words to Yayati saying:

"Oh king, those who refuse to marry the girl having attained her first rutu during rutu kala [out of her own will if wishes to have progeny from a man] will get sin equal to bhrun hatya".

King says "marriages are to be performed by the wishes of parents of Kanya, and without the wish of the Vrishaparva or Shukracharya it is not possible".

Sharmishtha says "oh King smriti says, parents have right onto the girl only till she attains puberty, after the rutu kala has passed even when a parent is unable to find a suitable groom for the girl, then girl has an independence to choose the man for herself. Therefore being the daughter of a king though living like a slave in your house, I choose you to be my husband, kindly accept me. Else you will have to embrace the sin of stree hatya and bhrun hatya as if you will not marry then I am surely not going to be alive".

Hearing this King Yayati secretly married Sharmistha and bore her three sons. Devayani after seeing three healthy babies in her courtyard asked her about their father. When the kids pointed to the King, she felt deceived and Shukracharya instantly cursed YAYATI to become old aged. When Yayati narrated the circumstances in which he had to marry Sharmistha, Shukracharya said his curse cannot be reversed but he can exchange his old age with any young man.

Yayati called all his sons to accept his old age,  none accepted except PURU. Thus Puru gave up his enjoyments in young age and embraced the old age of his father, after lakhs of years too Yayati found that his thirst for sexual pleasure did not weaken or die. Thus concluding this thirst cannot be quenched unless renounced. He renounced the world and gave back his youth to Puru and also the kingdom .

krishnarpanamastu