The love story of Rishi Ruru and Pramadvara was narrated in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata.
Rishi Bhrigu and his wife Puloma had a son named Chyavana. Rishi Chyavana was married to Sukanya, and they had a son called Pramati. Rishi Pramati married Gritachi and their son was Ruru.
Rishi Ruru fell in love with Pramadvara.
Once upon a time, there lived a Rishi named Sthulakesha who was a devoted ascetic. One day, he found a newborn at the banks of the river near his hermitage. The rishi realized that the child was the daughter of Apsara Menaka and her Gandharva lover, Vishvavasu. Menaka went back to heaven, leaving the children near the rishi’s ashram. He decided to adopt the newborn and named her Pramadvara. She grew up into a beautiful and humble girl, loved by everyone.
Years passed. Then, one fine day, Rishi Ruru visited the Sthulakesha’s ashram and saw the young woman. He fell head over heels in love with her. Back home, Ruru took the help of his friends to convey this news to his father, Rishi Pramati. Ruru’s parents were happy and approached Sthulakesha with a wedding proposal. Soon, the marriage date for their wedding was finalized by the elders.
A few days before the wedding, Pramadvara went into the forest to spend time with her friends. Though this was a part of her routine, that day, she unknowingly stepped on a snake. The terrified snake bit her, and the venom killed Pramadvara. Before her friends could react, she fell to the ground and lay there lifeless.
The rishis and Brahmins who lived nearby immediately reached the spot along with Ruru and his parents. They wept at the sight of a young woman losing her life. Ruru, however, couldn’t bear to see his love in such a condition. He went deep into the forest and cried loudly. He called out to the devas to help him and said that if his practice, devotion, and ascetics were genuine and pure, the woman he loved should wake up from her death.
Suddenly, a messenger arrived from heaven. He consoled Ruru that mortals have to die someday or another. However, the devas had given a chance for Ruru to revive Pramadvara if he was willing. Ruru said he would do anything for her. The messenger stated that Ruru had to give up half his lifespan so that it could be transferred to his love. His life would shorten but she would come back alive.
Ruru agreed immediately. The messenger and the Gandharva king (Pramadvara’s father) went to Yama Dharmaraja (or Yamaraja) with their request. Yamaraja accepted their request and agreed to transfer half of Ruru’s years to the woman he loved. The moment he said it, Pramadvara opened her eyes and sat. Everyone around her was surprised to see this. Ruru ran and reached the spot to find his love alive and uninjured.
The couple got married on the designated date and lived happily. However, Rishi Ruru nursed a grudge against snakes for harming his wife. He made it his job to kill snakes wherever and whenever he found them.
Many years later, he came across a dundhuba snake (a non-venomous water snake) and wanted to kill it. However, the snake was a rishi cursed by another rishi (his friend) and requested Ruru to spare his life. When the snake found out the reason for Ruru’s anger, it said that as a Brahmin, Ruru should not take the life of living creatures in anger or for revenge. It also talked about Astika who once saved the snakes from extinction by stopping King Janamejaya’s snake sacrifice.
Ruru went to his father to find out more about the event.