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VIŚVĀVASU II A Gandharva King. The following information about this King is taken from the Purāṇas. (i) The father of this Devagandharva was Prajāpati Kaśyapa and his mother was Pradhā. [M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 25, Stanza 47] . (ii) Pramadvarā was born to Viśvāvasu by the celestial maid Menakā. (See under Pramadvarā). (iii) Viśvāvasu was present at the Birth-festival of Arjuna. [M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 122, Stanza 22] . (iv) This Viśvāvasu learned from Soma, Cākṣuṣīvidyā (the art of seeing all) and taught Citraratha, a Gandharva the same art. [M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 169, Stanza 43] . (v) He was present at the Svayaṁvara (marriage) of Draupadī. [M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 186, Stanza 7] . (vi) Viśvāvasu stays in the palace of Indra glorifying him. [M.B. Sabhā Parva, Chapter 7, Stanza 22] . (vii) It is mentioned in [Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 10, Stanza 25] , that he stays in the palace of Kubera praising him. (viii) This Gandharva recited a poem at the sacrifice performed by Jamadagni. [M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 90, Stanza 18] . (ix) Kabandha, the asura, who stopped Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, was the changed form of Viśvāvasu by a curse (See under Kabandha). (x) It was this Viśvāvasu who played the lute in the sacrifice performed by emperor Dilīpa. [M.B. Droṇa Parva, Chapter 61, Stanza 7] . (xi) Once Viśvāvasu asked hermit Yājñavalkya twentyfour questions. When he got satisfactory answers, the Gandharva returned to heaven. [M.B. Śānti Parva, Chapter 318, Stanza 26] . (xii) It was Viśvāvasu and some other Gandharvas who took away Urvaśī from Purūravas. (See under Purūravas). (xiii) At the time of emperor Pṛthu, when the earth was milked, the thing the Gandharvas got were those befitting them, In the course of the milking Viśvāvasu stood as the calf. [Bhāgavata, Skandha 4] .
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