निमि
[nimi] IAST: NIMI
A famous emperor who was the son of इक्ष्वाकु .
Genealogy ---
Descended from विष्णु thus: ब्रह्मा -- मरीचि -- कश्यप -- विवस्वान् -- वैवस्वत मनु -- इक्ष्वाकु -- निमि .
Among the sons of इक्ष्वाकु , दण्ड , विकुक्षि and निमि became famous.
वसिष्ठ 's curse
Emperor निमि was very generous with his gifts. He was interested in performing यज्ञस् . The feeding hall that can be seen even today near the आश्रम of गौतम महर्षि was built by emperor निमि . The emperor, a person of राजसिच् nature, decided to conduct a यज्ञ which would take a long time to end and which required much money for gifts; and he got his father इक्ष्वाकु 's permission for it. Arrangements were made for the यज्ञ , and ऋषिस् like भृगु, अङ्गिरस् वामदेव, पुलस्त्य, पुलह अन्द् ऋचीक who were competent to perform यज्ञ and great scholars in the वेदस् were invited for the यज्ञ . Lastly he met his family preceptor वसिष्ठ and told him thus: "Oh preceptor! I have made all arrangements for a यज्ञ , which it is my desire should last for five hundred years. You would also come with me and see that the यज्ञ is duly performed."
वसिष्ठ listened to निमि 's request with great attention. But, he had already been invited by इन्द्र to conduct a यज्ञ which would last for five hundred years, and he would be able to oblige निमि only after that period of time. So वसिष्ठ asked the emperor to postpone his proposed yajña by five hundred years. निमि returned disappointed.
निमि had no patience to wait for five hundred years. So he started the यज्ञ with गौतम as his preceptor. After इन्द्रऽस् यज्ञ for 500 years was over, वसिष्ठ came to निमिऽस् यज्ञ hall. निमि , at the time, was in the inner apartment of his palace. Though his servants went to him to tell him that his preceptor वसिष्ठ had come, they waited outside his chamber as he was sleeping then. Within a few moments वसिष्ठ was ablaze with anger. He raised his hands and cursed निमि thus: "Oh! निमि , you have insulted me, your preceptor. You disobeyed my injunction and began the यज्ञ . Therefore, let your body be parted from the soul and fall on the ground."
This curse of वसिष्ठ alarmed the servants of निमि so much that they roused him from sleep and told him all about the affair. निमि hurried to वसिष्ठ and prostrated at his feet. But, he did not shed his anger. This made निमि also angry. He also raised up his hands and cursed वसिष्ठ thus: "Oh मुनि ! you who got angry without reason are worse than a चण्डाल . Therefore let your body also be parted from the soul and fall to the ground."
वसिष्ठ got alarmed at the above curse. He ran up to and submitted his grievance to ब्रह्मा , who told him thus:--"My son, your action was really fool-hardy. Yet, I shall advise you a way out of your troubles. You dissolve your-self in the effulgence of मित्र and वरुण and remain there permanently. After sometime you will be able to be born without being present in the womb of a woman. Then you will remember everything about your previous birth will acquire sense of righteousness and knowledge of the वेदस् will become respected by all and will be omniscient.
The soul of वसिष्ठ parted from his body on account of the curse of निमि , saluted ब्रह्मा , went to the आश्रम of मित्रावरुणस् and got mixed with their effulgence. Meanwhile उर्वशी one day came to the आश्रम of मित्रावरुणस् , who had seminal emission at her sight. The semen fell into a pot. The pot duly burst open and there emerged from it अगस्त्य and वसिष्ठ .
निमि returned to the यज्ञ hall and told the मुनिस् about the curse on him of वसिष्ठ . While the मुनिस् were helplessly looking on, निमि 's body got separated from the soul and fell down. The मुनिस् placed the dead body in an uncovered coffin, kept it free from putrefaction with the help of medicines and मन्त्रस् and continued with the यज्ञ . At the close of the यज्ञ the देवस् appeared and asked निमि which did he prefer to have, a human body or body of a देव . He preferred to have a देव body, and accordingly ascended to स्वर्ग along with the देवस् .
As Nimi had no sons to perform his obsequies the मुनिस् began churning the corpse repeating मन्त्रस् and there arose from it an ideal person as glowing as Nimi. As he was created by 'mathana' (churning) the मुनिस् named him मिथि . Again, as he was created from a dead body he came to be known as जनक also. Further, as he was born from the body from which the soul had departed he was called विदेह also. The famous kingdom of मिथिला on the banks of the गङ्गा was founded by this जनक .
जनक , the father of सीता , was a King born in this dynasty. To all the Kings born in this dynasty the surname ' जनक ' came to be applied. This dynasty is known as जनकवंश and विदेहवंश after emperor मिथि . (Devī Bhāgavata, 6th Skandha) .
Other information
He worships सूर्य 's son यम in his court. [mh-2-8-9 ] .
He gave gifts of land to ब्रह्मिन्स् . [mh-3-234-26 ] .
He did not eat flesh. [mh-13-115-65 ] .
Son of दत्तात्रेयमुनि of the अत्रि family. [mh-13-91-5 ] .
Son of the King of विदर्भ . After giving his daughter in marriage to अगस्त्य he attained heaven. [mh-13-137-11 ] .
Project अर्थ (Artha): X, yashbonde.com, LinkedIn. See Sources