Most Hindus know that Lord Shiva had two sons – Murugan and Ganesha. His sons are also deities who are quite popular and much-revered. Shiva also had a beautiful daughter called Ashoka Sundari. She is not as popular as her parents and brothers but appears in various forms in Indian folklore.
She is mentioned in the Padma Purana and folk tales of Gujarat. South Indians worship her as Bala Tripurasundari.
Interestingly, Goddess Parvati, the consort of Shiva, created Ashoka Sundari from the Kalpavriksha, a wish-fulfilling tree. Her name is made up of words that she invented. ‘Ashoka’ means ‘without sorrow,’ while ‘Sundari’ means ‘beautiful girl’.
Birth of Ashoka Sundari
Mount Kailash is the abode of Shiva and Parvati. Once, Parvati desired to wander in Nandanavana. As the divine couple strolled through the forest, they came across a magnificent tree. Feeling curious, Parvati asked Shiva what tree it was. Shiva replied that it was the Kalpavriksha tree. This tree was one of the many divine things that had emerged during the churning of the Milky Ocean. Shiva added that the tree could fulfill one’s wishes. Parvati wanted to see if it was actually true. She thought about what she could ask of the tree.
Suddenly, a thought struck her. Shiva was often absent from Kailas, as he had to fight demons. Hence, Parvati used to feel lonely and longed for some company. She felt she wouldn’t feel lonely in Shiva’s absence if she had a daughter. So, Parvati asked the tree to give her a daughter. The tree granted her wish, and Ashoka Sundari was born.
When the girl asked why they had created her, Shiva told her that Parvati created her to satisfy her curiosity. Parvati also prophesied that a king called Nahusha, born in the lunar dynasty, would become her husband. The divine couple raised Ashoka Sundari with a lot of love and affection. Parvati doted on the lovely girl.
Ashoka Sundari and Hunda
When she grew up, Ashoka Sundari wanted to become an ascetic. Ignoring Parvati’s objections and entreaties, she went to the forest to start her new life as an ascetic. An Asura (demon) called Hunda espied her and became obsessed with her. He declared his love for her and asked her to marry him. However, Ashoka Sundari rejected him, as her parents had already said that Nahusha would be her husband. Hunda couldn’t accept her rejection.
Hunda hatched a plan to kidnap the girl by disguising himself as a woman whose husband he'd killed and tricked Ashoka Sundari to visit his home. At the palace, he tried to rape her, but she escaped, cursing him that Nahusha would kill him.
Nahusha’s Story
Pururavas, the ancestor of the lunar dynasty, ruled over Prayaga, with Pratishthana as the capital. His eldest son, Āyu, succeeded him. Āyu’s wife was Prabha, the daughter of the asura, Rahu. However, they had no children.
Āyu requested the seer Dattatreya to grant him a son who would be invincible and possess many noble qualities. The sage agreed, and a son was born to Āyu. Hunda, fearing Ashoksundari's curse, kidnapped the infant and ordered his men to slay the child. However, they abandoned the child at the ashram of Sage Vasishtha. Vashistha took the child and gave him the name ‘Nahusha,’ meaning "the fearless one." Nahusha became a disciple of Vashistha, and when he became a youth, Vashistha revealed to him his true parentage. Nahusha acquired weapons from the gods and slew Hunda in battle. Then, he returned to his parents and married Ashoka Sundari. Nahusha was younger than his wife by almost 19 years.
A son named Yayati was born to Ashoka Sundari and Nahusha. Yayati went on to found the Yadava and Paurava dynasties, who were the predecessors of the Pandavas and Kauravas.
Parvati’s Curse
It is said that during Ganesha's beheading by Shiva, Ashoka Sundari hid in fear behind a sack of salt. When Parvati found out about her son’s beheading, she became very angry. In a fit of anger, she cursed Ashoka Sundari to become a part of the salt. After Shiva restored Ganesha’s head, the divine couple restored their daughter to life and pacified her.
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