SUKANYA

Sukanya, a princess, curiously pokes at two bright sparks in an

anthill. She is horrified when she realizes that the sparks are actually
the eyes of the great Sage Chyavana. He is blinded and a blight
descends upon the entire kingdom. There is respite only when
Sukanya agrees to leave her family and her royal home to marry the
sage and serve him faithfully.

This version is taken from the Mahabharata, but references to

Sukanya's integrity appear in the Bhagawat Purana, the Devi Purana
and the Rigveda. She remains faithful to Chyavana, eventually
shaming even the heavenly twins, the Ashwini Kumaras.

OTHER ACK EPICS & MYTHOLOGY:

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KKA SHAKUNTALA
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'Amar Chifra Kathas are a glonous tribute to India s rich cultural heritage These books
have been an integral pari of my children's early years, as they have been for many
othcr fomilies across India Comics are a great way of reachmg out to children, inculcat-
ina readirtg habits and driving their ques/ to leam more about our roots."
- narayan murthy, chief mentor, infosys
788184
 //*. v *nl
// TU<£ 4' 4

LON6 LONG A&O, THERE UVEP A CALLEP CHVAVANA

HE PERFORMEP Hl€> PENANCE5 ANI
NEAR A L AKE /N A JUN6LE ON THE OH
KtNGPOM
1
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA
SUKANYA

IF you ASK FATHER,Hfc SUKANYA WEN HOW BEAUTIFUL.

WILU CERTAINLY TAICE U5. TO SHAPVAAT/. SHE 16. SHE
SHALL MARRY
FATHER! WILL ONLY THE MO&T
YOU F>LEA&E HANP50ME,
I6RANT My ACCOMPLISHED,
...AND YEARS EOLLEO BY. CHYAVANA CONT/NUED TO MED/TATE. HE Lwish P
k a PRINCE IN
WAS CGMPLETELY CCVE/EEO B'/ AN ANTH1LL BUT BEJN& DEEPLY THE LANP
I 1MMEPSED /N MED!TAT/O//, HE IV/)6 NOT AWAPE OF ANYTH/N6.

I r' I .
L-
5UKANYA
PLEASE.
* it

CERTAINLY. MY
CHILP WHAT
16 IT 9

- «

2 3
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

e>HE CAME NFAKEE.

w. :

AN AMTHILL. 1
y.i
f WHAT ARE THOSE
«*
i SHINING O0JECT6?
r
A

Wf J*
••
Oin,
■4

« * vov
V*x i

THE Y LEE T EOF THE LAKE EOLLOWED 8V H

sr ^NVf -
• *. ilr . 'v?
'W4'i/A

f t ,*< • i

COULD THEY 6E
FIREFLIE0P f’LL PRIVE
THEM OUT ANP CATCH
> ThEM.THE OTHER5
WOULP 6E
K PELIGHTEP TO J
v A SEE THEM. A\
\ IKl

d v. 5TE 7
t|j 11 j
V/ 1 * j

lvSJUS J_J..

y/
\*
V l’LL WANPER1
OFF TO MY
FAVOURITE
& I 3

GROVE.
a/**»*

i tr
ftWftV FRom THE

4 5
AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

! MU5T
CATCH BOTH
TO(3ETHER THERE A STRAN6E 5KoHT MET SURANYA RAN TO HER FA 7MER.
HER EVES. THE RING*S MEN
IA/ERE WR/TH/NG /N PA/N.

SURANYA WAS TERR/F/EO. SHE

RAN FOR HER L /FE AND D/D
NOT STOP ...

6 1
f
 >• • * *

meanwh/l e E>UKF\N\f\ WALKED

WE WERE NEAR^ uP TO THF >
I WILL,
THE HERMITAGE OF YOUR e>PEAK, MY
5A E CHYAVANA
6 * FATHER, I HAVE CHILP, I AM
»H WHEIN WE WENT TO MAJE TY 5
TELL YOU LI TENINO.
5

THE LAKE.HA 50METHING.

: AM'VONE offenpep
6

ys /
\
/
THE REAT SAOE^ 0
NEAR N 7
r
4- l FINP OUT * THE LAKE,V
V»
V IMMEPlATELY. X £
I SAW AN
ANTHILL.
i v embeppep
k%\ IN IT WERE
\
JL

TWO BRI HT
0

V'!

i WHICH LOC
(I LIKE
w»
FIREFLIE6
u
v
f I MU T 5
j
r TELL FATHER. ^
W HAT HAPPENED
AT THE ANTHILL.

MiN!STEP BE(b/\N f\SKJN<b QUE5T/ONS.

HA 6 ANYONE ANNOYEP I...I WA£> CURIOUS.I POl<
0A E CHYAVANA? ^
0 AT T'HE/Vl WITH TWI 00 . TERRIFIEP
I CAME
M! '.i SUPPENLY FROM THE RUNNIN 0
fc-T ir r
ANTHILL CAME A CRY OF BACK
i i ir >f- rf 4 ' , fL
PAlM f E...E..EAAAH.,>
4
k TO VOU.
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I’LL GO
• Tw / TO THE
\
r
t LAKE
n

v:
ANP 5EE

8
 SUKANYA

f* J>V
A.

W/FH
OF ANTH/LL

I HAVL NOT CURSEP ANYBODY

THE HARM i
M* s M \ 4 J YOU ARE REAPIN6 THE
POINE BV 1 3
L\xy V \ l *• J j FRUIT5 O E YOU R PAU<5HTERr3
BUKANYA. ACriONB. 5HE HA6 PI5TURBEP
W?** 1

ih f MY AAEPITATION
AND BLiNDED v/
MF .

OH! OH!
 SUKANYA
AMAR CHITRA KATHA

B/\C!C P\T THE PALACE

HOW CAN
WE MA K £ HOW
AMENP6 CAN I.
FOR THI6 5ENP MV
0REAT 51 N? FAVOURITE
COMMANP PAU0HTER
ME! TO 5ERVE
anvthing! / THI0
ANVTHIN6 l/ OLP
5A0E?

I WILL NEEP 50MEONE

TO LOOK AFTER ME,
, BLINPEP ANP J

WHEN PIP VOU

RETURN
I 5HALL FATHER? WHAT
5ENP A PIP VOU 5EE A
HUNDREP THERE? vC
MEN TO
3ERVE VOU

I WILL NCTT HAVE 5ERVANTS

I WANT VOU R PAU6HTER
TO 5ERVE ME.THINIC *
ABOUT IT ANP LET
ME KNOW. ^

12 13
AMAR CHITRA KATHA
SUKANYA

AND SUKANYA TOOfC AN OATM.

J 11 f Lk _ «IK Jd J
1 f fJ 4 | I r 1 ♦\ «y^

5 11 a k . £r7H r * V^.V kiiJl

'M! * j ^

Y\y IN THE NAME

r OF 0OPPE05 PURGA^
I VOW THAT I 6HALL ^
MARRV ONLV GA6E
CHVAVANA . IF MY WORP5
BE TRUE,LET ALL BE
K RELIEVEP OF THE /
I |K 0COURC5E.
father,
HAVEN’T Wl

VOU TOL U> T

ME THAT A

BEAUTV T5
WILL 500N 7
THE PAI N HAS
\/ANIS H? \ ^ LEFT AAE ! >
HAVEN’T A MIRACLE
VOU TAU6HT WE ARE
M E THAT CUREP!
TRUTH ALON E
LAE>T0 FOR

V .^

14 15
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

THEN SHAR YA A 77, EUKAN YA AND THE M/N/STER, FOLLOWED BY A (3ROUP

OF SERVANT5 CARFY/N6 R/CH PFEGENTe EOR THE BF/DE(3ROOM,

SA(5E CHYAVANA REFU5ED THE ROYAL (b/F TS FATHER,PLEA5E \/ TmTwZ&T'

TAKE AWAV ALL f ^ , r
MV JEWEL5 ANP m t' J
RICh ROBE6. I 'f-A . _ V \
0HOULP WEAR
SOMETHIN6 THAT BEFITS MY STATUS»
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA
SUKANYA
SUKANYA COMPLETELY PEO/CATED HERSELF 70
I ML/888h/D, 5/yf I NEVER THOU6HT
THAT THERE
WOULE? 8E 60
MUCH PLEA6URE
IN eERVIN(3
ANOTHER !

SURE TH/\T

19
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

'tP 50 ™E VEAR<E> PA&SED. ONE PAY THE ASMW/N/ TW/NS HAFPENED TO

WITH THAT
/)6>s 6V' SUKANYA WAS RETURN/N& HOME FROM THE LAKE AFTER A BATH
HOPE /N
HER HEART
SU/CANYA I
STOPRED *
7iP ANSWER C
THEM.

r /y A
1

M3

I AM SUKANYA, >
THE WIFE OF
SAGE CHYAVANA.
BUT ALAS ! HE
IS BLINP. 7
WE ARE THE ASHWINI
TWINS, PHYSICIANS
▼
r
*
TO THE GOPS. * V ** 1 I

P* X>rv
O^1
»/ » WILL
they be able aI WASTE NOT MARRY
nm ?■ ONE OF US
'H TO RESTORE MY V' YOUR
HUSBANP'S YOUTH ANY ANP BE
SIGHT? MORE! HAPPY!
I WONPER. '

(
Vv
Y*

v - *
V-
>
J-l

\ fair maipen, A 3H
\
r tfll us whoyou
are. are you a
mm
OOPDESS OR A
human being? X

ARE YOU ALONE

L IN THI5 LONELY
FORE5TP ^

20 21
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

HOW PARE YOU SPEAK WE 6HALL

THE&E WORPS TO A RE6TORE VOU R
CHA5TE WOMAIN ! (oODS HU5BANP’6
YOU CLAIM SK VI5ION... >

ANP 01VE HIM

BACK HI&
YOUTH, TOO.
8UT...

'W

AFTER 0IVIN0 HIM BACK

H16 VI6ION,WE 6HALL
MAKE HIM LOOK EXACTLV
> LIKE U6.ANP YOU .
\ MU5T 6POT HIM. S

^y/, %

WHV 6HALLI
AWAY F ROM
HE5ITATE ? BEIN0 A0REE
^ Pk’AY, A CHA6TE WIFE, TO THI6
A5 A REWARP,
wait! we ~ WE ARE EA0ER VOU 6HOULP HAVE
MERELY WANTfc'P TO PO YOU A NO TROUBLE IN
GOOD TURN
5POTTIN0 VOUR
YOU HU0BANP.

—
T'
«
PRAY, WAIT HERE
A w

i’ «
m
riLL I RETURN.I SHALL
<30 TO /V\Y LORP ANP
M
6EEK HI6 PERMI56ION.

WE WILL
WAIT.

mJt
/
y
23
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

BACK AT THE ASHKAM, SUKANYA TOL D HEE HUS&AND ALL THAT MAP HAPPENED. ' NOW WE 5HALL
IMMER5E
OUR5ELVE6. VOU
RETURN TO
THE BANK ANP
WAIT TILL WE
COM E UP A6AIN,

THERE 5HE
CQMEe>,
LEAPING
THE OLP
ONE.

AS SOON AS SUKANYA PEACHED THE BANK, ALL THE THEEE

DISA RREA R. ED UNDEP THE WATEP. ,-_-

NOW

MY LORP’S 5I6HT
. ANP YOUTH

\1W
Jl WA-
v ' -i^T
—

f fv?A\/P >

SUKANYA,LEAD
YOUR HUSBANP
INTO THE
k LAKe.

24 25
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

AFTEP A WHfLE THEV CAME UP A6A/N CAN’T YOU

5POT ME?/

Si

*
/ r

I AM
YOUR
O PIVINE " A /SUKANYA,! AM
HU6BANP!
MOTHER A 7 PLEA6EP WfTH
f I AM HELP ME ^ YOUR PEVOTION.
YOUR YOUR LOOK CAREFULLY
HU6BANP! HUSBANP «pAOlN LY THE EYES
\/jt\ of mortals
XV.IV 6LINK.

26 27
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

SUZANVA LOOKED CAFEFULLY AT THEM EOF A WHILE AND SAIA/ THAT £>/V 77-/E BANK THE TWINS ANP YOUR (5LORY
THE EYES OF THE ONE /N THE CENTFE BLiNKED. .- CHyAVANA BLESSED Kj 6HALL LIVE
^77 >< f£- * v ■ •prz'
'-i F.; x 9 , H SUKANVA. i- i!'W V FOR EVER.
■ ■■L/ * lV — Sr ^
THI6 16 MV
HUSBANP. SUKANYA, YOU, A
CHA6TE WOMAM,
MAVE humblep
THE VERY 0OP6!

HE/e &UESS WA5 PK5HT. ALL FOUfZ OF THEM CAME OUT OF THE LAKE. A NO THE ASHW/N/ TWIN B DEPARTED

29
28
 AMAR CHITRA KATHA SUKANYA

LATEZ* n T THE ASHEftM — i I HAVE EVERYTHIN6

\ A WIFE COULP
•v WI5H FOR. /

SUKANYA, YOU \
HAVE MAP E ME
proup! nay! youhavf
MAPE ALL WOMANKINP
proup!! y

y 15 THERE c
N0THIN5 LEFT J
THAT I COULP n y AS LON6 A5
PO FOR MY THE SUN ANP THE
k 6ELOVEP WIFE? MOON EXIST, LET
HER BE KNOWN AS
^^<,SATI »>i
r SUKANYA
v • Of

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30 *CHASTE WIFE . 31