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Nepal JyotishTraditional Science
Place Names

Manichudgiri

The story of the generous king Manichud, who cured his people's disease by giving away the jewel on his forehead, and of Vajrayogini.

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Manichudgiri

In the kingdom of Shankhapur, a supremely virtuous and famously generous king named Manichud ruled. He was always eager to give charity to the poor and afflicted and to perform religious deeds. From birth he had a shining divine jewel on his forehead, because of which he came to be named Manichud.

Once, to satisfy a hungry demon that emerged from the sacrificial fire-pit, he cut flesh from his own body and gave it; another time he gave away even his queen Padmavati to the sage Marichi.

Just then a terrible epidemic of leprosy spread in the neighbouring kingdom of Khopring. Thousands of people fell prey to that incurable disease and began to writhe in agony. The astrologers and physicians of the kingdom advised the king: "This epidemic can be calmed only if we can sprinkle the water in which the divine jewel on the forehead of the neighbouring king Manichud has been washed."

The king of Khopring sent four Brahmins to Manichud to ask for the jewel. At that time King Manichud was performing solitary penance on a tall mountain to the north. The Brahmins reached the summit of the mountain and asked the king for the jewel on his forehead to save the lives of the people.

The supremely generous King Manichud said without hesitating for an instant: "If my jewel saves the lives of thousands of suffering people, I will gladly give it. Bring a saw and cut open my forehead to take out the jewel."

As the Brahmins began to work the saw, seeing the king's marvellous sacrifice a divine light spread through the sky and the goddess Vajrayogini herself appeared.

The goddess, pleased, said: "O virtuous Manichud, this great sacrifice and compassion of yours have shown the world a new path. This mountain on which you have performed penance will henceforth remain immortal by the name Manichudgiri, and I myself will dwell here forever in the form of Manijogini."

Saying this, the goddess vanished. The jewel on the king's forehead was safely removed and the people of Khopring were delivered from leprosy, and the name of King Manichud became immortal in history forever.

Note: These are traditional Nepali folk tales (kimbadanti), passed down orally through generations. They may or may not reflect actual historical events, but they are told and believed as part of Nepal's cultural heritage.

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