The Prajapati Daksha begat sixty daughters. Amongst them, thirteen were bestowed by him upon Kashyapa; ten upon Dharma; ten upon Manu; and twenty-seven upon Soma. Although all the the twenty-seven who called Nakshatras and conferred upon Soma were cqual in beauty and accomplishments, yet Soma became more attached to one, viz., Rohini, than the rest. Filled with jealousy, the rest of his wives, leaving him, went to their husband, saying,-O holy one, although all of us are equal in beauty, yet our husband Soma is wholly attached to our sister Rohini!-Enraged at this representation of his daughters, the celestial Rishi Daksha cursed Soma, saying, that thenceforth the disease phthisis should attach his son-in-law and live in him. Through this curse of Daksha, phthisis attacked the powerful Soma and entered into his person. Attacked by phthisis thus Soma came to Daksha. The latter addressed him, saying,-1 have cursed you because of your unequal conduct towards your wives. The Rishi then said unto Soma,—You are being reduced by the disease phthisis that has attacked you. There is a sacred water called Hiranyasarah in the Western ocean. Going to that sacred water, do you bathe there!-Advised by the Rishi, Soma went there. Arrived at Hiranyasarah, Soma bathed in that sacred water. Performing his oblation, he purged himself off of the sin. And because that sacred water saw illumined (abhasita) by Soma, therefore was it from that day called by the name of Prabhasa. On account, however, of the curse imprecated upon him in day of yore by Daksha, Soma, to this day, begins to decrease from the night of the full moon till his total disappearance on the night of the new moon whence he once more begins to increase till the night of full moon. The brightness also of the lunar disc from that time got a stain, for the body of Soma, since then, has come to show certain black spots. In fact, the splendid disc of the moon has, from that day, come to show the mark of a hare.
दक्षस्य या वै दुहितरः षष्टिरासंस्ताभ्यः कश्यपाय त्रयोदश प्रादाद् दश धर्माय दश मनवे सप्तविंशतिमिन्दवे तासु तुल्यासु नक्षत्राख्यां गतासु सोमो रोहिण्यामभ्यधिकं प्रीतिमानभूत् ततस्ताः शिष्टाः पल्य ईर्ष्यावत्यः पितुः समीपं गन्वेममर्थं शशंसुर्भगवन्नस्मासु तुल्यप्रभावासु सोमो रोहिणी प्रत्यधिकं भजतीति सोऽब्रवीद् यक्ष्मैनमाविश्यतेति दक्षशापात् सोमं राजानं यक्ष्मा विवेश स यक्ष्मणाऽविष्टो दक्षमगाद् दक्षश्चैनमब्रवीन्न समं वर्तयसीति तत्रर्षयः सोममब्रुवन् क्षीयसे यक्ष्मणा पश्चिमायां दिशि समुद्रे हिरण्यसरस्तीर्थं तत्र गत्वा आत्मानमभिषेचयस्वेत्यथागच्छत् सोमस्तत्र हिरण्यसरस्तीर्थं गत्वा चात्मनः सेचनमकरोत् स्नात्वा चात्मानं पाप्मनो मोक्षयामास तत्र चावभासितस्तीर्थे यदा सोमस्तदा प्रभृति च तीर्थं तत् प्रभासमिति नाम्ना ख्यातं बभूव॥ तच्छापादद्यापि क्षीयते सोमोऽमावास्यान्तरस्थः पौर्णमासीमात्रेऽधिष्ठितो मेघलेखाप्रतिच्छन्नं वपुर्दर्शयति मेघसदृशं वर्णमगमत् तदस्य शशलक्ष्म विमलमभवत्॥