Sage Sthulakesha finds and adopts the infant Pramadvara
The apsara Menaka leaves her newborn daughter on a riverbank and vanishes. The sage Sthulakesha finds the radiant infant, a child who looks like an immortal's, and is moved by compassion to raise her as his own.
The sage Sthulakesha lived in a hermitage, a man known for his austerities, his learning, and his devotion to the welfare of all creatures. His life was one of quiet ritual and contemplation.
Near his hermitage, another story was unfolding. The apsara (celestial dancer) Menaka had conceived a child with Vishvavasu, the king of the gandharvas (celestial musicians). When the time came, Menaka gave birth near Sthulakesha's home. Then she did what apsaras often did: she left the child on the banks of the river and went away, returning to her celestial life.
Sthulakesha found the daughter abandoned by the water. The infant was not crying or frail; she was blazing in beauty, like the child of an immortal. The sight of this radiant girl, alone and vulnerable, stirred the great sage. Driven by compassion, he adopted her.
The beautiful and radiant girl grew up in the hermitage, raised by the sage and the community of sages. She surpassed everyone around her in beauty and in every quality. Seeing this, the great sage gave her a name that reflected her nature: Pramadvara.