Table of ContentsEarly Lineage and Birth
Rukmāṅgada was born in the royal lineage of King Bhīma, a ruler of Kauṇḍinyapura. King Bhīma, a devout and virtuous monarch, received spiritual guidance from the sage Viśvāmitra, who instructed him in the sacred ekākṣara Gaṇapati mantra (single-syllabled Ganesha mantra). Following the sage’s counsel, Bhīma worshipped Bhagavān with great devotion at a temple originally built by his ancestor Dakṣa. Pleased by his intense worship, Gaṇeśa appeared before him and granted him a boon that he would be blessed with a noble, handsome, and radiant son. In due time, Bhīma queen, Cāruhāsinī, gave birth to a son, and the royal couple named him Rukmāṅgada, meaning “one with a golden radiance.”
From a young age, Rukmāṅgada displayed extraordinary intelligence and moral discipline. He was sent to a gurukula (traditional residential school) where he studied under the sage Kapila. His brilliance was such that he was said to learn a lesson at a single hearing (ekasandhāgrāhī). On completing his education, he returned to the capital endowed with knowledge and virtue. King Bhīma, pleased with his son’s maturity, crowned him heir and later conducted his coronation ceremony. Rukmāṅgada, like his father, practiced devotion to Bhagavān Gaṇeśa, worshipping with the same ekākṣara mantra in steadfast austerity.
Encounter with Sage Vācaknavī and Mukunda
One day, while hunting in the forest, Rukmāṅgada grew weary and thirsty. Seeking water, he reached the hermitage of Sage Vācaknavī, where he was received hospitably by the sage’s wife, Mukunda. The hermitage was serene, filled with birds and peaceful animals, a place of great purity. When the sage left for his ritual bath, Rukmāṅgada requested some water from Mukunda to quench his thirst. Seeing the king’s radiant form and majestic demeanor, Mukunda was overcome with desire and propositioned him to fulfill her passion.
Rukmāṅgada, steadfast in dharma (righteousness) and devoted to the path of self-control, rebuked her advances. He declared that as the recipient of Gaṇeśa’s grace, he could not succumb to adharma (unrighteous conduct) by violating another’s wife. Enraged by his refusal, Mukunda cursed him, saying that his heart was as hard as a diamond and that he would be afflicted with kuṣṭha (leprosy). Accepting the curse as the result of past karma, Rukmāṅgada left the hermitage in sorrow, his body soon covered with white leprous patches.
Meeting with Sage Nārada
Wandering in despair, Rukmāṅgada resolved to undertake prāyopaveśa (fasting unto death). At that moment, the celestial sage Nārada descended from the heavens and inquired into his plight. Upon hearing the entire account, Nārada, moved by compassion, revealed a path of redemption. He told the king about the sacred shrine of Cintāmaṇi Gaṇeśa (The One who grants all wishes) in the city of Kadamba in Vidarbha. Near that temple, a sacred tank known as Gaṇeśa Kuṇḍa possessed miraculous healing power. Nārada narrated that even an aged śūdra who bathed there once had been instantly transformed into a divine being and taken to Gaṇeśa’s realm.
Following the sage’s instruction, Nārada urged Rukmāṅgada to bathe in that tīrtha (holy water), worship Bhagavān Gaṇeśa, and perform charity for the Brāhmaṇas, promising that he would be cured and attain purification of body and soul.
The Tale of Ahalyā and Indra
Before departing, Rukmāṅgada requested Nārada to explain the origin of this sacred tīrtha. In response, Nārada narrated the well-known divine account of Ahalyā and Indra, in which Indra, deluded by desire, assumed the form of Sage to deceive the sage’s wife Ahalyā. When the truth was revealed, cursed Ahalyā to become a stone and Indra to bear a thousand marks of shame all over his body. The gods later interceded on Indra’s behalf, seeking forgiveness from Gautama.
Out of compassion, the sage taught the gods the ṣaḍakṣara Gaṇapati mantra (six-syllabled mantra of Gaṇeśa) as the means for Indra’s redemption. When Indra recited the mantra with austerity and devotion, his marks of shame transformed into a thousand eyes, restoring his divine form. The place where Indra performed his penance became renowned as Cintāmaṇi Tīrtha, sanctified by Gaṇeśa’s appearance and blessings.
Journey to Cintāmaṇi Tīrtha and his ascent to Gaṇeśa Loka
Hearing this sacred history, Rukmāṅgada’s faith deepened. He journeyed to the holy city of Kadamba, accompanied by his attendants. There he bathed in the Cintāmaṇi Tīrtha, worshipped Cintāmaṇi Vināyaka, and offered abundant charity. Immediately, his diseased body was purified, and he regained his golden, radiant form. Overwhelmed with gratitude, he praised Gaṇeśa and continued his worship in devotion.
Suddenly, celestial messengers (Vināyaka dūtas) appeared in a brilliant chariot. They informed the king that Bhagavān Gaṇeśa, pleased with his unwavering devotion and purity, had sent them to escort him to the divine realm. Rukmāṅgada, however, requested that his parents, King Bhīma and Queen Cāruhāsinī, also attain liberation. The divine messengers advised him to take the ritual bath again in their names, tying kuśa-kaṅkaṇa (rings made of sacred grass) for them. He did so with reverence, thus granting his parents and his subjects release from mortal bondage.
After completing the rites, the sky resounded with auspicious sounds—Vedic chants, celestial music, and fragrant showers of blossoms. Rukmāṅgada, accompanied by his parents and attendants, ascended into the aerial chariot sent by Bhagavān Gaṇeśa and departed to Gaṇeśa Loka, the divine abode of the elephant-faced deity. There he attained eternal bliss, freed from all impurities.
Legacy and Spiritual Significance
Rukmāṅgada’s life exemplifies unwavering devotion, purity of conduct, and adherence to dharma even under trial. His story is inseparable from the glory of Cintāmaṇi Gaṇeśa, whose tīrtha continues to bestow divine grace and remission of sins upon those who hear, recite, or worship at its waters. According to the narrative, reading or listening to the Cintāmaṇi Tīrtha Mahātmyam confers the fulfillment of all desires and liberation from worldly afflictions.
Through faith in Bhagavān Gaṇeśa and adherence to righteousness, King Rukmāṅgada transcended a curse born of temptation and attained divine liberation. His story illustrates the supremacy of devotion, the redemptive power of Gaṇeśa’s grace, and the sanctity of moral steadfastness in the path of dharma.
Sources and References
- Gaṇeśa Purāṇa: Upāsanā Khaṇḍa – Chapters 25 – 35