A nymph of extraordinary beauty. Taking instructions from इन्द्र , मेनका used to entice many sages and destroy their power of penance. There are innumerable stories of this kind in पुराणस् . Some important events connected with मेनका are given below:

Mother of प्रमद्वरा

Once मेनका became pregnant by a गन्धर्व named विश्वावसु . On the day she delivered she threw the child on the banks of a river and went to स्वर्ग . A sage named स्थूलकेश who was doing penance nearby took the babe and brought it up. When she grew up she was named प्रमद्वरा and रुरु married her. (See under Pramadvarā) .

Birth of शकुन्तला ---

When विश्वामित्र was performing penance in the forests, मेनका , under instructions from Indra, went and enticed विश्वामित्र and broke the continuity of his penance. A girl was born to मेनका and became later the celebrated शकुन्तला . (See under Śakuntalā) .

Again with विश्वामित्र

Once again when विश्वामित्र was performing penance in पुष्करतीर्थ , मेनका approached him and again विश्वामित्र fell in love with her and they lived together for ten years. Then one day विश्वामित्र realised his folly and leaving her went again to the forests for penance.

मङ्कण was enticed

See under मङ्कण .

Other details

When once दुर्वासस् visited देवलोक it was मेनका who presented him with a flower garland. This incident led to the churning of the milk ocean at a later period. (See under Amṛta) .

मेनका was one among the six prominent celestial maidens. उर्वशी , पूर्वचित्ति , सहजन्या , मेनका , घृताची and विश्वाची are the six. [mh-1-74-68 ] Mahābhārata • Ādi parva

मेनका attended the Janmotsava of अर्जुन and sang on the occasion. [mh-1-122-64 ] Mahābhārata • Ādi parva .

Menakā was a dancer in the court of कुबेर [mh-2-10-10 ] Mahābhārata • Sabhā parva .

मेनका once gave a music performance in the court of इन्द्र in honour of अर्जुन . [mh-3-43-29 ] Mahābhārata • Vana parva .