Vishvachi

Once Bhrigu Maha Rishi was performing intense penance on the Mandara mountain, and Venus, who was then a boy, used to tend to his father's needs. It so happened that one day, when Bhrigu Muni was absorbed in a deep meditative trance and the lonely Venus was appreciating the beauty if the sky above him, the exceptionally beautiful Apsara Vishvachi swam into his ken. Seeing her so filled the
boy's heart with delight that he sat stock still, absorbed in her bewitching charm, and all his
thoughts became centered on her. In order to distract his attention from her, his mind followed Indra­deva to the heavens (Indraloka), where he was received with honour, but as he was sightseeing in heaven he unexpectedly came across the Apsaras whose beauty had drawn his mind there in the first place. They fell in love at first sight with each other, and to fulfil his desire Venus created a hut from the thick foliage in a small corner of heaven, which he then enveloped in darkness. Then that couple thereupon indulged in lovemaking in their bower for eight cycles of the Four Yuga {Ages} (34.56 billion earth years). Then, when Venus' good karmas had finally been used up, he fell from the heavens down to the Moon, whence his soul reached the Earth through rain that fell a rice paddy.

His Original body, meanwhile had long ago dropped to the earth after extended exposure to wind, rain and the sun, but the power of Maha Rishi Bhrigu's penance prevented it from decaying or being eaten. After one thousand years, Bhrigu opened his eyes to find not his living son but a famished, worn out body lying nearby.  In his fury over his son's premature death, he was about to curse the Lord of Death, Shree Yamaraja, but Yamaraja appeared before him and said to Bhrigu Muni, “please do not waste your accumulated spiritual power by cursing me. I   have   already   devoured   innumerable   universes.   Besides,   your   son   fell   into   this   state because of his own actions”. Yamaraja said further “you son is now performing penances on the river banks of the Ganga; open your inner eye and see for yourself” Yamaraja then revived the body of Venus, who rose up and paid his obeisances to his father. Venus then set out to gain the favour of Lord Shiva. After many thousands of years Lord Shiva did appear and blessed Venus that he would eventually become his son. Lord Shiva taught Venus the Sanjivini Vidya (a formula that revived the dead) which is known only to Mother Parvati, Lord Ganesh and Lord Skanda. Lord Shiva blessed Venus to be the best of the planets and his rise in the sky would inaugurate the performance of all auspicious rituals.