Indian Stories For Children

Varaha - The Wild Boar

2011-09-19T09:34:00.002+05:30

Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu were both sons of the sage Kashyapa, born of his second wife, Diti. Strong and valiant from childhood, they grew to be extremely powerful, and as their power grew, so did their ego. Hiranyaksha’s thirst for invincibility led him to perform great penances to Brahma in search for immortality. However, even the creator couldn’t bless a mortal with immortality, so Hiranyaksha settled instead for immunity from all creatures – human, divine and animal. To make doubly sure that he would indeed be safe from all creatures, he enumerated each creature he thought of! Brahma had no choice but to agree, bound as he was by the power of the sacrifices and penances Hiranyaksha had performed.

His already bloated ego inflated further by the boons, Hiranyaksha proceeded to unleash a reign of terror over the three worlds. He captured the heavens and forced the Gods out, who fled in search of a safe haven. He captured the earth (Bhudevi – the goddess of the earth) and imprisoned her at the bottom of the ocean, in the netherworld. All over, there was a hue and cry over the atrocities perpetrated by Hiranyaksha.

The gods, as usual, when faced with trouble, rushed to Brahma, who told them about the boons bestowed on Hiranyaksha, which depressed them further. After a consultation with Shiva, they proceeded to Vishnu in search of a solution.

Lord Vishnu, reclining on Adishesha, the celestial serpent, welcomed the gods and asked them the reason for their arrival. As the gods laid out their tale of woe, Vishnu smiled and said that the solution to their troubles lay, as always, in the cause of the trouble.

As the gods stared, uncomprehending, Lord Vishnu explained further. He said that Hiranyaksha’s colossal ego had led him to commit the one mistake which would lead to his death – in enumerating every creature he wanted immunity from, he had included every creature he could think of – from the tiny ant to the huge elephant, from the timid deer to the ferocious lion. However, he forgot one animal – the wild boar, which was too common to even be noticed! And this was how he would meet his end!

The gods still seemed to be at sea, so right under their eyes, Vishnu turned into a huge wild boar – the Varaha! Even as the gods looked on, astonished, the boar cleaved the ground with his hoofs, and rushed off towards the sea. Diving deep into the ocean, reaching the netherworld, he picked up Bhudevi with his massive tusks, and carried her to the surface.

Meanwhile, the disturbance caused by Varaha made Hiranyaksha aware of the intruder, and he arrived, ready to do battle with whoever was threatening him. Vishnu paused just long enough to get the earth floating on the surface, before plunging once more into the ocean to do battle with the demon.

Varaha and Hiranyaksha fought and fought, for each was strong and blessed with divine powers. Hiranyaksha used every weapon at his disposal, but none would work against Varaha, for he was Lord Vishnu himself. He tried to use his brute strength, but that was of no avail against the immense strength of the Lord in his boar form. At last, Hiranyaksha’s strength began to flag, and Varaha ran through him with his huge tusks, and Hiranyaksha was no more!

There are temples dedicated to Varaha all over India. Besides, in many Vishnu temples, there are sculptures and carvings depicting him lifting Bhudevi from the bottom of the ocean in his boar form. The image above is from one of the caves at Badami, in Karnataka.

Ganesha and Kaveri

2011-09-09T08:00:00.001+05:30

Kaveri is one of the major rivers in India and figures among the seven holiest of rivers. In south India, she is considered to be even holier than the Ganga! She originates in the heart of the Western Ghats, amidst the picturesque surroundings of Coorg, at Talakaveri, from where she flows down through the plains of Karnataka and Tamilnadu, before finally merging into the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar. As with all rivers in India, she is considered to be a goddess and her origin at Talakaveri has an interesting story behind it, in which Ganesha plays a small, but pivotal role!

The Story of Kaveri as shown in a temple painting
(Image from http://ganeshway.blogspot.com)

The king Kavera ruled over South India. Though he and his wife were kind and well loved rulers, they were sad because they were childless. They prayed to Brahma, who blessed them with a divine baby girl, who came to be known as Kaveri – the daughter of Kavera. When Kaveri was of marriageable age, she refused to marry any of the kings who presented their suit. She wanted to be the wife of someone exceptional, someone who could compare with even Brahma, the creator, who had given her in blessing to the king. She went off to the Sahya mountains (the Sahayadris in the Western Ghats) to meditate on the creator to get her wish fulfilled.

Meanwhile, lord Shiva was getting married to Parvati, who had been born as the daughter of Himavan (the king of the Himalayas). All the gods, demi gods, celestial beings, sages, and even humans congregated to witness the divine marriage, and the weight in the northern part of the continent multiplied alarmingly. The earth seemed to wobble as her balance tilted. Lord Shiva was alarmed, but he could scarcely ask his guests to leave before the marriage took place. He turned to the one man he could rely on – the great sage Agasthya.

Lord Shiva asked the sage to go south, for he was the only one who, with his superior powers, could match the extra weight in the north, and help the earth maintain her balance. Agasthya could not refuse such a well worded request from the Lord. However, he did have a question. If he went south, how could he witness the marriage, which he had come to see? Lord Shiva had his answer ready. If the sage agreed to go south, he would witness the marriage just as it happened, as if it were happening right in front of his eyes! (The first Live coverage of events?)

The sage agreed, but he had one more question. He needed water for his needs, and the area where he had been told to go had no river or any other perennial source of water. How was he to manage? Again, Lord Shiva assured him that his needs would be taken care of, and Agasthya set off on his mission.

Sage Agasthya arrived on the Sahya Mountains, and the earth relaxed, for her balance was now restored. Here, the sage’s eyes fell on the beautiful maiden performing penance – Kaveri. He was surprised to see such a beautiful and delicate girl all alone in the jungle, deep in penance, and asked her the reason for her presence. When she told him her quest, he laughed, saying that there was no one who could compare to Brahma, and that her quest was foolish. However, Kaveri would not listen. She was sure that a man worthy of her had been created by Brahma and that he would arrive to claim her soon. As the sage continued to debate with Kaveri, he found himself admiring her more and more, and finally, asked her to marry him.

Kaveri was stunned, but she realized that the sage was just the kind of person she had been looking for, and she agreed. However, she had one request to make to her future husband. She wanted to be helpful to her fellow mankind, and wanted to be remembered forever. She thus wanted part of herself to be transformed into a river, which would nourish her land. With her other half, she would serve the sage as his wife.

The sage agreed, and accordingly, turned one half of her into a river. However, remembering Shiva’s promise of providing him with water wherever he lived, he neglected to let her loose on the land, instead containing her in his kamandalu – a water container he carried around.

Time passed and Kaveri and Agasthya lived in peace. The gods returned from Shiva’s marriage, and only then turned their attention to more pressing matters. One of these pressing matters was the issue of scarcity of water in the southern part of the country. People were suffering from the lack of water, and humans constantly prayed for a source of water that would solve their woes. As the gods wondered about a permanent solution to the problem, someone remembered the sage Agasthya and the river he carried around in his kamandalu.

There was no doubt that Kaveri in her form as a river would nourish the land and make it fertile. Moreover, she was a daughter of Brahma, and thus would never dry up. Besides, she was present right on the spot, amidst the mountain ranges which overlooked the plains of southern India. She was the perfect solution to the problem, but she was confined to a tiny vessel in the hands of a powerful sage. How was she to be released for the benefit of mankind?

The gods, after much thought, turned to Ganesha for help. They were sure that he, with his wit and wisdom, would find a way to release Kaveri without creating any more problems. Accordingly, Ganesha set out for the Sahya mountains to find a way to let Kaveri out of the sage’s kamandalu.

When Ganesha arrived, the sage was busy meditating, his kamandalu by his side. Ganesha, sensing an opportunity, turned into a crow, and approaching the kamandalu unnoticed, sat on it and toppled it. As the sage raised his hands to shoo the crow away, Kaveri, taking it as an indication, began flowing down, out of the kamandalu. Thus was born the Kaveri river, which even today is one of the biggest of the rivers in India, and sustains the millions of people on her banks with her water.

There is an interesting addendum to this story, mentioned in some legends. As soon as Ganesha in his form of a crow toppled the kamandalu, he changed into the form of a little boy. Agasthya, seeing the boy, thought it was a prank, and began chasing him. He chased the child for a long distance, and finally Ganesha allowed himself to be caught. The sage in his anger, chastised the little boy by smacking him on the head. It was only then that Ganesha revealed himself to the sage, who at once realized his error and apologized. It is believed that the place where this incident took place is Tiruchi, and the Ucchi Pillayar temple here is related to this legend. Incidentally, as I mentioned in an earlier post, this temple is also sometimes related to the episode between Ravana and Ganesha, and this seems to be a slightly modified version!

How Ganesha Broke His Tusk

2011-09-08T08:00:00.002+05:30

Ganesha is usually depicted with one of his tusks broken. Have you wondered when and how the elephant headed god managed to break just one tusk? Was it an indication of ivory being used even then? Or did he get it broken in a fight? As with most other features of Ganesha, there are two stories to explain this too!

Sage Vyasa dictating the Mahabharata to Ganesha
(Image from the internet)

The first and the more popular story is related to the sage Vyasa and the Mahabharata.
Vyasa was then engaged in splitting the Vedas into four. While the Veda itself is just one, it was Vyasa who split it according to its content into four parts – the Rig Veda, containing hymns to be recited by the chief or presiding priest, the Yajur Veda, containing hymns to be recited by the officiating priests, Sama Veda containing the hymns to be sung in a rhythm, and finally, the Atharva Veda containing spells and incantations. The sage had just completed the elaborate work on the Vedas, and he already had in mind another tome – one as extensive as the Vedas, and which could in some ways be considered as the fifth Veda, since it would speak of right and wrong, and how to make the choices which decide the path we take.

The sage was too tired to write the story himself – the story he had decided to call the Mahabharata – the great tale of the Bharata Dynasty. He therefore went to Lord Brahma and asked him whom he should ask to write his epic. Brahma advised the sage that Ganesha would be the ideal person to write the epic, and the sage should approach him. Vyasa meditated on Ganesha till he appeared, and then put forth his request.

Ganesha thought for a while, and agreed. But he had one condition – he would write extremely fast, and could not wait for the sage to compose his words with care. If the sage was willing to speak without pausing, he, Ganesha, was willing to be his scribe. The sage pondered over the condition, and then added one of his own. He said, “I agree not to pause, but you have to promise me that you will understand the meaning of the verse before writing it.” Ganesha agreed and thus began the writing of the greatest epic!

As Ganesha got his materials ready, Vyasa utilized the time to put his thoughts together. In order to gain time, he made his verses as complex as possible, forcing Ganesha to pause so that he could understand the meaning before proceeding further. This gave Vyasa time to mentally compose the next set of verses. And thus, the composition of the Mahabharata continued, the sage composing, Ganesha transcribing!

The Mahabharata is an epic longer than any other. It consists of around one hundred thousand verses, each of which are long prose passages. Totally, there are more than 1.8 million words in all! As Ganesha set about writing down a work of such epic proportions, his quill broke. As per his agreement with the sage, he could not pause, and neither could he ask the sage to pause. How was he to continue writing without a quill?

The quick thinking Ganesha found an instant solution – he broke off one of his tusks and using it as a quill, continued to write. This was probably the first pen ever used!

Thus did the Mahabharata get written, and Ganesha also came to be known as Ekadanta – the lord with the single tusk!

Patachitra painting of Ganesha and Parasurama
(Image from Ganges India website)

The second story relates to the sage Parasurama. I have yet to write his story on this blog, but in short, he was a warrior sage who set out to avenge his father’s death at the hands of a king by eliminating every king on earth. Parasurama’s connection with Ganesha comes at a stage when he has circled the earth twenty one times, killing every king he comes across.

Parasurama was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. His favourite weapon, the axe, was one he had obtained from Shiva after a long and terrible penance, and it was this axe which he had used to rid the world of the evil kings. Since he had toured the world 21 times killing the kings, he decided to pay a visit to Kailas, probably for advice from the Lord he respected. He was stopped at the entrance by Ganesha, who refused to let him enter without learning his business there.

Now, Parasurama had been so busy with his vengeance, he probably didn’t even know the identity of the elephant faced child who barred his way. His anger, always quick to rise, ignited, and he hurled his axe at Ganesha. Ganesha realized that this was the axe presented to the sage by his father. Dodging it would be an act of disrespect to the axe, so Ganesha stood his ground, and the axe fell on one of his tusks, breaking it.

Parvati, hearing the commotion made by the sage, arrived, and was at once incensed at the sight of her son’s broken tusk. Her anger rose, and she was calmed only by the words of Ganesha, who reassured her that he was safe, and that he himself had allowed the sage’s axe to cut his tusk. At last, Parvati calmed down.

Meanwhile, the sage had cooled down enough to realize who Ganesha was, and apologized. Moreover, he gave his axe to Ganesha as a compensation for breaking his tusk, and thus, also gave up on his vendetta.

Why Ganesha Loves Dhurva Grass

2011-09-07T08:00:00.001+05:30

The first and main offering for Lord Ganesha is the Dhurva grass. The grass grows wild all over India, and is rarely used for anything else. Why then is it so important for Ganesha? Read this story to find out!

A depiction of the story of Dhurva at a pandal last year

There once lived a demon named Analasura, whose evil acts had the Gods worried.
Ganesha decided to rid the world of such an evil asura, and headed off to do battle. The battle raged on and on, and there seemed no way that the demon could be defeated. Finally, Ganesha made himself huge, and swallowed the demon!

While the gods cheered, the presence of the demon inside ganesha’s stomach was creating problems. The evil inside burned until even Ganesha could not bear it. he writhed in agony at the heat inside his stomach!

The gods rushed to cool him in whatever manner they knew. They first poured water, but it didn’t seem to make any difference. They brought more items, such as milk, curds, sandal paste, and even turmeric – all considered cooling and remedial, and bathed him with them, but to no avail. They then tried flowers of every kind, but that didn’t seem to work either. In some stories, it is even mentioned that it was then that Shiva offered him the moon (thus giving him the name Bhalachandra), Vishnu his lotus (making him Padmapani), and Brahma his daughters – Sidddhi and Buddhi (whom he married), but none were able to cool him down!

At last, the wise sages arrived, bringing with them the simple blades of grass called Dhurva. As they rained the grass on Ganesha, the demon inside got digested, and the fire cooled at last. Ganesha was pleased and declared that the sacred Dhurva grass would be his favourite item of prayer, and anyone who offered him Dhurva would be blessed.

The word Dhurva is combination of two words – Dhur – that which is afar; and Ava – that which pulls closer. Thus, the word, Dhurva itself signifies that when we offer the Lord this grass, it pulls us closer to Him. Another significance of this offering is the fact that Dhurva is easily accessible. It grows anywhere and everywhere, so it can be obtained easily. It shows that the Lord does not need expensive flowers and items to be satisfied. Even the blade of grass which is otherwise useless is pleasing to him.

Novel Methods of Obeisance

2011-09-06T10:27:00.001+05:30

In South India, devotees have two novel methods of worshipping Lord Ganesha. The first one is where they tap their temples (side of the head behind the eyes) with their knuckles (making a fist). The second is where they cross their arms and pull their ear lobes, while performing sit ups! Do you know how these interesting methods of obeisance came about?

In the last story, Ravana and Ganesha I told you how Ravana was cheated of the Lingam he had brought from Kailas by Ganesha in the form of a young boy. In his anger, he hit the child on the head with his fist, and when the child revealed his true form, Ravana realized that it was all a plan of the God. In his disappointment as well as regret, he hit himself on his temples with his own knuckles.

Devotees even today pay obeisance to Lord Ganesha by tapping their temples with their knuckles to remind themselves that everything is the will of God, and that we have to be humble enough to accept it. it is also a method for asking forgiveness.

Scientifically, it is said to be a method of acupressure – applying pressure to the temples is helpful to the brain.

The second method of prayer has another story behind it. Once, it is believed, Lord Vishnu came to Kailas to meet Lord Shiva. The little Ganesha was playing, and Lord Vishnu ignored him, thinking that he was just a small child. Ganesha didn’t like being ignored, and like all small children, tried to gain some attention. He picked up Vishnu's chakra (discus) and swallowed it! Vishnu was stunned! He politely asked Ganesha to take it out, but the child just laughed. Vishnu thought for a moment and realized that he should not have ignored the child. Besides, he probably didn’t know how to take the chakra out. The best idea would be to make the child laugh so much that the chakra would come out! In an effort to appear funny to the child, Lord Vishnu held his ear lobes with opposite hands, and started doing sit ups! The trick worked, for Ganesha started laughing so hard that he regurgitated the chakra at once!

And that is how people started paying obeisance to Ganesha by holding their ear lobes with opposite hands and performing sit ups! In Tamil, it is called the ‘Topikarnam’. The word comes from the Sanskrit words – Twabhyam Karna, which means I will obey your command! Topikarnam is also considered a way to ask forgiveness for our misdeeds. It used to be a typical punishment used to make kids realize their mistakes and not to perform the same mistake again.

Scientifically, it is believed that these two actions activate the nervous system, and thus stimulates the flow of fresh blood to our brain. Doing these actions as a method of obeisance to the Lord also helps us forget ourselves and our ego and submit to the higher power of the Lord. This thus helps us not only think better and clearer, but also gives us peace of mind!

Images in this post have been borrowed from the site Himalayan Academy. Their page on Ganapati Puja has detailed explanations for every part of the prayer to Lord Ganesha, and most interestingly, each method is illustrated! Please click here and take a look!

Ravana and Ganesha

2011-09-05T08:00:00.001+05:30

Ravana trying to pull the linga out
as Ganesha in the form of a child looks on
(Image courtesy; Rajan Draws)

Ravana was the demon king of Lanka. The son of sage Vishravas and the demon princess Kaikesi, he performed great penances to become the master of the three worlds. While he gained his kingdom and strength by meditating on the creator, Lord Brahma, he later went on to become one of the greatest devotees of Lord Shiva. Read the story WhenRavana Lifted Kailash to know more about how that came about.

Ravana’s mother used to pray to Lord Shiva everyday by making a Shiva lingam with sand. Day after day, the sea would swallow up the sand lingam, and she would make a new one the next day. Once, she mentioned to Ravana that she wished she had a special lingam that she could pray to every day, without having to make another one every single day.

Ravana decided to get a special lingam for his mother, from lord Shiva himself. He undertook severe penance to get the lingam from Shiva. Time passed and Shiva showed no sign of appearing. Ravana decided that he must adopt more severe methods to succeed. He began cutting off his ten heads one by one, and offering them to the sacrificial fire. He had cut off nine of his ten heads, and was about to chop off the last one, when Shiva appeared at last!

Shiva was pleased with Ravana’s dedication and presented him with a special lingam. He said, “This lingam comes from Kailas, my abode. Take care of it, for it is special. Place it on the ground only where you want it, for once placed on the ground, it cannot be moved. Remember this and take it back carefully.”Ravana was thrilled, and started on his long journey home.

Meanwhile, the gods were worried. Ravana was already dangerous, but installing the lingam at Lanka would make him invincible. They planned to take the lingam away from him, but none were brave enough to tackle Ravana. At last, they asked Ganesha for help. Ganesha agreed that the lingam should be kept away from Lanka at any cost, and set off to do the job himself. He transformed himself into a young Brahmin boy and followed Ravana.

Ravana had barely covered half the distance to Lanka when the sun started setting. It was time for him to perform his evening ablutions, something he never missed. However, he couldn’t possibly perform the ablutions holding the lingam in his hand. He couldn’t place the lingam on the ground either, for then it would settle there. As he looked around, hoping for a solution to his problem, his eyes fell on the young Brahmin in the distance.

Smiling at his good fortune, Ravana called out to the little boy, who came running. Ravana told him that he wanted to perform his ablutions and then asked him to hold the lingam for a short while so that he could refresh himself in the nearby river. The boy looked at the lingam and said, “This lingam looks terribly heavy. I don’t think I can hold it for so long.” Ravana was getting more and more anxious as the sun moved lower and lower over the horizon. He assured the boy that the lingam was not too heavy, and that he would hurry back. The little boy reluctantly took the lingam, and groaned, as if the lingam was too heavy. “It’s all right for you to say that it’s not heavy” said the boy. “You are so big that it might feel light to you. It is too heavy for me to hold. I will hold it for as long as I can. I will then call out to you thrice. If you don’t come by the third time, I will keep it down.”

Ravana pleaded with the child not to keep the lingam down at any cost, and rushed to the river. The little boy waited till Ravana was knee deep in water, before calling out, “The lingam is getting too heavy. Come soon!” Ravana hurried through his prayers, but before he could finish, the boy called out a second time. He now positively raced through the rest of his prayers and hurried back, but the boy called out a third time, and just as Ravana was approaching, placed the lingam on the ground!

With a mumbled curse, Ravana rushed and tried to pull the lingam out. However, it seemed to have grown roots instantly, and refused to budge. Under the full force of Ravana’s strength, the lingam twisted, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pull it out.

The full force of Ravana’s anger was now directed on the child. “How dare you keep the lingam down!” he cried, and with his fist, hit the boy on the head! Suddenly, in place of the child, there stood Ganesha. Ravana at once understood that this was all the doing of the gods, and hit himself on his head with his knuckles.

There are two places in India associated with this event.

The first one is Gokarna. Here, the Mahabaleshwara temple on the shore of the Arabian sea is believed to be where this event took place. The main lingam here is called Mahabaleshwara – the strong one, for it could not be pulled out of the ground. The top portion of this lingam is twisted, in keeping with the story. Besides, there is also an idol of Ganesha in this temple, which, unlike other idols, is in standing posture. Also, interestingly, in accordance with the story, the head of Ganesha has small depression where Ravana is believed to have hit him. Also, his feet are a little under the ground, as if pushed in by the force of the blow!

You can read more about this temple and temples related to this story located in the vicinity on my blog. Here are the links:

The second temple related to this story is at Baijnath, in Bihar. I have not yet been able to visit this temple, so don’t have much details, but the story is the same. You can get more details on the temple website: http://www.babadham.org/

Apart from these two, there is a third temple with a similar story. The protagonist here is Vibhishana, Ravana's brother, who is prevented from taking an idol of Ranganatha (Lord Vishnu) back to Lanka, by Ganesha. While that of course is a story of Lord Vishnu, and relates to the temple of Ranganatha at Srirangam, the role of Ganesha remains the same, and he is believed to have been hit on the head. He is believed to be on the hilltop at Tiruchi at the Ucchi Pillayar Temple in that same form!

The Race for the Mango

2011-09-04T08:00:00.001+05:30

Ganesha and Karthikeya were both sons of Shiva and Parvati. The two brothers, like all siblings, fought and loved with equal enthusiasm. While each one always stood by the other in times of trouble, they competed with each other with the same fervor. This is the story of one such confrontation – in fact, one of their most popular confrontations.

Ganesha and Karthikeya
(Image from the internet)

The sage Narada was known for kindling trouble. He always turned up when things were calm and peaceful, and by the time he left, he would have succeeded in churning up a storm! He arrived one fine day at Mount Kailas, bearing in his hand, a ripe, juicy mango. Now, mangoes are considered to be divine among fruits, for it is not an easy matter to grow a perfect mango, and they are thus fruits in great demand, but always in short supply.

At Kailas, it was a scene of a perfect family harmony. Shiva and Parvati were relaxing, with their two children at peace by their side. Into this blissful scene intruded Narada with the mango, offering it to the Lord. With his two young children by his side, Shiva could not eat the fruit Narada offered. He gave it to his children, and Narada asked, “Whom will you give it to, my Lord? Ganesha or Karthikeya?”

Now, you might wonder why Shiva didn’t simply cut the fruit and give pieces to both his sons. All I can say to that is that a mango is a fruit to be eaten whole – skin and all! The pleasure of biting into a whole, ripe mango, and sucking off every last drop of juice from the seed is something that has to be experienced to be understood! That pleasure can never be experienced once the mango is cut! And that is why this whole story unfolded!

Shiva looked at his sons and then Narada, knowing well that the sage was asking him to give his sons a chance to prove themselves. Ganesha and Karthikeya looked at their father with hopeful eyes, each wishing that he would get the mango. At last, Shiva made up his mind. He declared, “The one who circles the world three times and returns home first will get the mango.”

Karthikeya’s face lit up! His mount was the peacock, and he loved flying with his faithful mount. This was surely his lucky day. Ganesha would never be able to catch up on his slow mouse! Bowing to his parents, and smiling triumphantly at his brother, Karthikeya set off for his circumambulation of the earth with a swish of his peacock’s wings!

Ganesha’s face had drooped like a wilted flower at the announcement. How was he to compete with Karthikeya on his slow little mouse while his brother had probably already covered half the earth on his peacock? However, he knew that his father would never have set a challenge he couldn’t do justice to. There must surely be some way around the issue. He settled down to think, remembering all that he had learnt from his father. Suddenly, he smiled. He knew what he would do. Calling his mouse, he mounted him, and slowly started circumambulating his parents.

Shiva and Parvati watched with a smile as their son circumambulated them thrice and bowed before them. Narada, on the other hand, had a confused look on his face. He was probably wondering what was going on! Ganesha said, “Father, I have completed the challenge you had set. Hence, I deserve the reward of the mango.”

Narada couldn’t contain himself any longer. “Ganesha, you have only gone around your parents thrice” he said. “The challenge was to circumambulate the whole world. How can you now claim the prize when you haven’t even started?”

Ganesha smiled at the sage. “O sage!” he said. “My parents are the ones who have given me birth and take care of me. They are, therefore, not just my world, but indeed, the whole universe for me. By circumambulating them, I have circumambulated the entire universe! Do I not deserve the prize?”

For once, Narada was speechless! Shiva smiled and said, “Narada, have you got your answer?” Narada nodded. “Ganesha does deserve the prize my Lord!” he replied. “Your son is indeed the wisest among the wise!”

Karthikeya arrived just as Shiva was handing over the mango to Ganesha. He couldn’t believe that Ganesha on his slow mouse could possibly have won the race! Hearing the explanation, he was angry, (probably at the thought that he hadn’t thought of it himself!) and went away in a sulk! What happened next is a story to be told another day!

Thus did Ganesha get the name Buddhinatha – the Lord of Wisdom!

Phases of the Moon

2011-09-03T08:00:00.000+05:30

Mythology has stories for everything. Every scientific fact or event has an explanation, and sometimes, even multiple explanations…. One such story relates to the phases of the moon.

The first story concerns Ganesha….

Bhalachandra - Ganesha with the moon on his forehead
(Image from the internet)

Once, Ganesha, after an exceptionally heavy dinner, decided to go on a round. He mounted his vehicle, the mouse, and set off. Suddenly, a snake came in their path, and the mouse panicked. Ganesha fell off, and his stomach ruptured! Nonplussed, Ganesha simply picked up the snake and tied it around his waist like a belt!

This scene was witnessed by the moon, Chandra, who found it extremely funny and laughed aloud! Ganesha, who, till then hadn’t been bothered, was extremely angry that the moon had laughed at him. He cursed Chandra that he would lose his luster at once! Chandra realized his folly and apologized, and as the moon continued to wane, putting earth in jeopardy, Ganesha relented.

Lifting the moon, he placed it on his forehead, and the contact made the moon regain his luster slowly. This began the process of waxing and waning, which continues till today, reminding us not to laugh at others. This incident also gave Ganesha the name – Bhalachandra – the one with the moon on his forehead!

The second story concerns Lord Shiva…..

Shiva with the moon
(Image from the internet)

Daksha was a Prajapati – one of the creator gods. He had many daughters, among whom some were married to the Gods, while some were married to sages. His favourite daughter Sati was married to Shiva (more about that story later). Apart from these, he had twenty seven daughters married to Chandra, the moon. These were the 27 nakshatras (called lunar asterisms in astrology).

Chandra loved all of them, but he had a special attachment to Rohini. The other 26 resented this, and complained to their father. Daksha, always easily excitable, especially when it came to his daughters, at once cursed Chandra that he would lose his luster. As the moon waned, earth began to suffer, but Daksha showed no sign of relenting. Chandra approached Shiva and begged him for help. Chandra’s wives too asked for clemency for their husband, and Shiva agreed. He gave Chandra a place on his matted locks, which would keep him safe, but till today, the moon waxes and wanes, affected by Daksha’s curse and rejuvenated by contact with Lord Shiva. This is why Shiva is called Chandrashekara – the one with Chandra on his head!

Ganesha gets a vehicle

2011-09-02T18:30:00.001+05:30

We know that Ganesha's vehicle is a mouse. The sight of the huge potbellied God on a tiny mouse is an incongruous sight, and many of us would have wondered how the tiny mouse bears the weight of the God! Let me tell you how Ganesha got such a vehicle.

Mooshika Vahana
The one who has the mouse as his vehicle
(image from the internet)

There was once a Gandharva (a celestial being) named Kroncha. Now, Gandharvas are believed to be extremely good looking and talented. This frequently makes them quite vain and proud. This was the case with Kroncha too. In the court of Indra, he once met the sage Vamadeva, and filled with pride, insulted him. This incited the anger of the sage, who cursed him that he would lose the good looks he was so proud of, and become a mouse!

Kroncha found himself turned into a mouse, and ashamed of his appearance, ran away. He entered the ashram of Sage Parashara, and, true to his nature in his new form, started creating havoc. Meanwhile, Ganesha was paying a visit to the sage. The sage’s disciples approached Ganesha and asked him to put an end to the mouse which was wreaking havoc in their well kept ashram.

Ganesha at once realized the true identity of the mouse. Using a rope, he lassoed the mouse, and mounted it. Contact with the divine body of Ganesha made Kroncha at last realize the error of his ways. Besides, Ganesha was so heavy that he felt himself being crushed. He prayed to Ganesha, “Lord, please forgive me for my sins. I have learnt my lesson. Please accept me as your mount and release me from this misery!” Ganesha relented and made himself light enough for the mouse to bear his weight. And thus did he become Mooshika Vahana – the one with the Mooshika (mouse or rat) as his mount or vehicle.

Ganesha and Kubera

2011-09-02T08:00:00.001+05:30

Ganesha and Kubera
Image courtesy: Rajan Draws

One of Ganesha’s names is Lambodara – the huge bellied one! Have you wondered how he got his potbelly? The story goes back to the first encounter of Ganesha and Kubera, the treasurer of the Gods.

Kubera, being the God of wealth, was a complete contrast to Lord Shiva. While Shiva covered himself in ashes, Kubera draped himself in yards of the finest silk; while Shiva wore snakes as ornaments, Kubera was decked in glittering gold; while Shiva lived in seclusion among the monks and hermits, Kubera lived in the lap of luxury in a huge palace filled with every possible comfort. Most importantly, while Shiva was the epitome of detachment, Kubera was vain and proud. His pride led him to believe that he was greater than the Gods. He was especially disdainful of Shiva, whom he considered uncouth and destitute.

Once, in an attempt to belittle Lord Shiva, Kubera came to Kailas to invite Shiva to his home for a feast. Shiva, realizing Kubera’s pride and vanity, decided to teach him a lesson. He told Kubera that he would not be able to attend the feast, but his young son Ganesha would attend on his behalf. However, he told Kubera “My son has a voracious appetite, and is always hungry. Will you be able to satisfy his hunger? If you are not sure, you can, of course, withdraw your invitation.”

Kubera was affronted. He looked at the little boy with the elephant face and wondered whether the child could even begin to do justice to the feast he had planned. He resented the blow to his pride at the thought that Shiva could think that he couldn’t satisfy Ganesha’s hunger! Of course he couldn’t withdraw his invitation after such a slur on his capability! He agreed to host Ganesha for lunch.

On the appointed day, Ganesha arrived on time, unaccompanied. The little boy, in his simple clothes, looked completely out of place in the midst of the opulence of the mansion. Kubera welcomed Ganesha and insisted on showing him the beauties of his magnificent mansion before leading him to the dining room, where the tables groaned under the weight of the dishes laid out for the little boy!

Ganesha was served one dish after another, and soon the table was empty. But Ganesha was not yet satisfied. “I am still hungry” he said. Stunned, Kubera ordered the servants to bring out more food. Within moments, they too were eaten, but Ganesha was still hungry! The cooks went into frenzy, preparing more and more meals, and Ganesha went on eating, but his hunger wasn’t appeased yet. The kitchen was soon empty and the cooks were so tired that they collapsed. Ganesha looked at Kubera and asked, “Is this all you can serve me? My mother gives me more to eat than you. And you call this a feast!” Even as Kubera ordered more food from the kingdom, Ganesha kept eating anything that came his way!

Kubera was at his wits end. There were no more foodstuffs in his kingdom to satiate Ganesha’s hunger. He rushed to Kailas and prostrated before Lord Shiva. “Please help me Lord”, he begged. “Your son has drained all the resources of my kingdom, and yet he is hungry. Please tell me what I should do!” Shiva smiled, and replied, “Kubera, Ganesha does not require elaborate dishes to appease his hunger. All he needs is a bit of food offered with love and humility to satisfy his hunger.”

At last, Kubera understood. He realized his error and begged forgiveness. However, Ganesha was still hungry. Finally, borrowing some roasted rice from Parvati, he offered it to Ganesha with all humility, begging him to accept it and satisfy his hunger. Ganesha accepted the rice, and finally declared his hunger appeased!

Thus did Ganesha teach Kubera a lesson in humility.

Birth of Ganesha

2011-09-01T08:00:00.000+05:30

Raja Ravi Varma's rendition of the divine family
Image from the net

The story of Ganesha's birth begins with the story of Shiva and Parvati. Shiva is god of destruction. He maintains the balance of life on earth, and is a mendicant, happiest when living alone, away from society. Embodying the spirit of selflessness and detachment, he is usually shown covered in ashes, his hair matted, and wearing snakes as ornaments. His name “Shiva” or “Siva” means “pure”. He does not need the accruements of dress or jewelry to state his position. He is above all that. His consort, Parvati, on the other hand, is a daughter of the king of the mountains. She, who grows up amidst every luxury and comfort possible, gives up everything to be with her lord. It is these differences between the divine couple that led to the creation of Ganesha. Here then, is the legend which talks of the birth of Ganesha.

Parvati had given up her comforts and luxuries when she married Shiva and came to live on Mount Kailas. However, she couldn’t live the rough life that Shiva and his followers (Ganas) lived. Once, she wanted to bathe in peace without being disturbed by anyone. She posted Nandi, one of Shiva’s most devoted followers, also his vehicle, at the door, with strict instructions not to let anyone inside. A little later, Shiva arrived, and Nandi, hesitant to stop the Lord from entering his own home, allowed him to enter. Parvati was angry, but Shiva just laughed. To him, it wasn’t a great matter, but to Parvati it was a great slight! She had been disobeyed, and she realized that none of Shiva’s Ganas were really her own followers. Their first duty was to the Lord, and only after him would they obey her orders. She decided that she should have someone of her own, someone who would obey her alone!

The next time Parvati was getting ready for her bath, she ruminated over the matter again. Seeing the saffron and sandal paste she was smearing over herself gave her an idea. She collected the paste from her body and formed it into the shape of a young boy. For a moment, she admired her creation, and then with her powers, gave it life. At once, the little boy opened his eyes and looked at her. Filled with love and happiness at the sight, Parvati said, “My child, you are my son, since I have given you life. You will listen to me alone. I want you to stand outside this door and make sure that no one enters while I bathe.” “Yes, Mother” replied the boy. “I will not allow anyone to disturb you while you bathe. Rely on me and bathe in peace.” Parvati then handed him a staff – it not just signified his position, but would also help him perform his duty. Then, confident that her son would guard her privacy, she retired to bathe without fear of disturbance.

Meanwhile, Shiva was on his way back. As he approached his home, he saw a little boy standing outside, and was surprised. He was even more surprised when the little boy stopped him at the door. His anger flared at the sight of the staff blocking the way, but he controlled himself and asked the boy to move aside. The boy replied, “I cannot allow anyone to enter. It is my duty to make sure no one enters this house.” Shiva replied that it was his house, and that he had every right to enter it, but the boy simply reiterated his stance. He had been instructed to make sure that no one entered, and he would make sure that no one gained entrance.

Shiva's anger is legendary, and the calm insistence of the boy only succeeded in igniting it! Shiva decided that he would gain entrance, no matter what happened, and sent his Ganas, led by Nandi to move the boy and let him pass. The boy met the frightful Ganas with a peaceful smile, and, wielding his staff like a weapon, vanquished them in a matter of minutes. Shiva was stunned, but his anger, once ignited, was difficult to subdue. He called upon the other gods, who hastened to aid the Lord with their armies. The little boy met each one of them with the same calm attitude, and with his staff as his only weapon, managed to hold his own once more!

The Lord of creation, Brahma, tried a different tactic. He approached the boy in the guise of an old man and tried to dissuade him from his position. But the boy would not budge. He said, “My mother told me to guard her while she bathed, and guard her I will, no matter who tries to shake me!”

When Shiva learnt that the boy was Parvati’s son, he paused for a moment, wondering what he should do. But it was too late, for war had already been declared. It was too late to back out without losing face. The armies of the Gods had gathered, with Vishnu leading them, and Shiva ordered them to charge.

Meanwhile, Parvati had heard the disturbance, and learning of her husband’s determination, sent her own armies to aid her son. Parvati’s armies poured out in droves matching the Gods’ armies’ measure for measure. A terrible war took place, all for the right of entrance! The little boy fought valiantly, his staff moving faster than the wind itself!

Shiva watched as Parvati’s son fought the bravest warriors of the Gods, and felt a tinge of pride. He realized then that it was only He who could defeat the boy. It was no longer a fight for the right of entrance, it was now a war of wills between himself and Parvati, and he had to bring an end to it. He entered the battle himself, and in his first stroke, cut the boy’s staff into two. The boy stared at the broken pieces, picked them up and resumed the fight. Shiva smiled, and with his next stroke, cut off the boy’s head!

A strange stillness seemed to engulf the battlefield as Parvati’s son, headless, fell on the ground. Time itself seemed to pause! Into this stillness burst forth Parvati’s grief in the form of thousands of Shaktis – forms of Parvati. Fierce and fearful, they proceeded to lay waste the armies who had brought about her son’s end! At last, Shiva was forced to concede defeat against the mother’s grief. He appealed to Parvati to spare the Gods, for they had come to aid him. He promised to make amends for killing her son.

Parvati demanded that her son be brought back to life. Shiva agreed, but the boy’s head was nowhere to be found. It had been destroyed in the rampage. Shiva now ordered his Ganas to bring him the head of the first creature they saw lying with his head to the north. (This is one of the reasons it is believed inauspicious to sleep with our head to the north. Scientifically, sleeping in this direction puts us against the magnetic orientation of the earth’s poles, and is therefore not a very good position to sleep in). The Ganas returned with the head of an elephant.

Shiva placed the elephant’s head on the boy’s torso, and with his powers, gave it life. As the boy opened his eyes and felt his new face, Parvati rushed to hug him. Shiva had fulfilled his promise, and he now proceeded to explain his actions. He told Parvati, “This was your son, since you alone had given him life. Now that I too have infused life in him, he is truly our son. He will be called ‘Gajaanana’ – the one with the elephant face.”

But Parvati was still not completely pacified. She replied, “You have given him life and accepted him as your son too, but he still does not have a position of his own. I will not have his authority doubted again, as you did earlier. So, bestow on him a title, which will give him the importance and authority I desire for him”.

Shiva thought for a while and said, “He stood firm, all alone, as an obstacle in my path, refusing to make way for me, the destroyer of all things. From now on, he alone will be responsible for eliminating the obstacles in everyone’s path. People will pray to him first before beginning anything new, before starting any new venture, or even prayers to other Gods, so that their path will be free of obstacles. He will thus be called ‘Vighnaharta’ – the remover of obstacles. Further, he was the one who vanquished my Ganas singlehandedly. Thus, he will be the leader of all. He will thus be called Ganesha or Ganpati – the leader of the Ganas.

Parvati was finally appeased, and she smiled, lifting her son on to her lap, as the Gods bowed before them – the first family among Indian Gods!

Ganesh Chaturthi

2011-08-31T09:23:00.000+05:30

Ganesha or Ganpati is one of the most loved among Indian gods. Not only is he the son of Shiva and Parvati, but his elephant head and potbelly make him appear cute and approachable, unlike our other gods in their warrior stances. (The only other God who competes with Ganesha for popularity is Krishna, who is loved for his adorably mischievous smile and good looks!). Also, unlike many of our gods, he is believed to prefer using his brains rather than brawn, to solve problems – another trait which makes him lovable.

As we get ready to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, I have decided to write a series of posts about the festival itself and the different stories related to Ganesha. On this auspicious day, I begin with the story of the festival, and how it is celebrated.

Ganesha is believed to be vighnaharta – the remover of obstacles. To him are due the first offerings of prayers to any of our 33 crore deities, for only He can clear the path we have to take to succeed in whatever we do. Though no puja or festival takes place without paying obeisance to him, the biggest festival dedicated to him alone is Ganesh Chaturthi. This festival falls in the month of August/September, and is celebrated with great fervor all over the country.

Contrary to what many people believe, Ganesh Chaturthi does not celebrate the birth of Ganesha. That day is celebrated in the month of January/February, and goes by the name of Magha Shukla Chaturthi (the name comes from the date based on the Indian calendar on which the festival is celebrated).

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the arrival of Ganesha on earth. Legend tells us that Parvati or Gauri, Lord Shiva’s wife and Ganesha’s mother, was a daughter of the mountain king, Himavaan. Earth, was therefore her homeland, and as the story goes, she came for a visit, leaving her husband and son behind. Shiva couldn’t bear to live without his wife, and so he sent his son right behind her to bring her back. Ganesha thus came down to earth where he was welcomed with open arms, and his stay extended to 11 days. Finally, remembering the duty on which he had come, he went back, taking his mother with him.

Of course, the version of this story changes from place to place…..

In most states across India, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated just for one day, and prayers are restricted to Ganesha alone……

In some parts of Tamilnadu, the festival lasts for anywhere between one to five days, but prayers are again restricted to Ganesha.

In some parts of Karnataka, it is Gauri (Parvati) who first makes her appearance. An idol of Gauri is brought home, or an idol is made by filling a cloth with sand and tying it up tightly, and then decorating it to resemble a face. This is done the day before Ganesh Chaturthi. The next day, Ganesha is brought home, and both, Gauri and Ganesha are prayed to, for the next 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 days. The number of days the puja is conducted is based on various factors, from the dates to the customs in families! Finally, on the designated day, both, Gauri and Ganesha are immersed in water, symbolically sending them home.

In Maharashtra, a similar custom is followed, but it is Hartalika who arrives before Ganesha. Gauri arrives in Maharashtrian homes a few days later, and leaves on the 3^rd day after her arrival.

Customs and traditions might vary, as might the sweets and savories prepared for the Lord, but one thing remains the same – the abundance of love and affection shown to him. He is pampered as you would pamper a loved grandson visiting you just once a year, with all his favourite items. Right on top of the list are the modaks, a kind of dumpling, the shell made of rice flour and filled with fresh coconut and jaggery. Also offered are dhurva grass, a type of grass which is believed to keep him cool!

Special prayers and sacrifices are performed at temples and home across India for Ganesha, but the most interesting celebrations have nothing to do with religion or tradition. More than a hundred years ago, in 1893 to be exact, the freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak turned what was a homely celebration into one of the biggest public spectacle in the world! He started the first public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Pune with two aims in mind – firstly, to bridge the gap between the different classes and bring them together, and secondly, to provide a platform where people could gain awareness about the freedom struggle and strengthen their resolve for Independence from British rule. Today, there are numerous groups which organize public celebration of Ganeshotsav, as the festival is now known. Traditionally, Ganesha idols were made of clay, so that they could be immersed in water at the end of the festival. Once the festival gained popularity, the idols started getting bigger and bigger, till today, the average height of the public Ganesha is about 15-18 feet! The Ganeshas are placed in beautiful settings, which vary from sets depicting historical events, architectural wonders, or even social issues. The sets themselves draw crowds to the celebrations apart from the Lord himself! It is also a wonderful sight to see these Ganeshas on the road, especially on the immersion day, when they are surrounded by the faithful devotees singing and dancing all the way to the sea, where the Lord is bid farewell, with songs asking him to come back as soon as possible!

These are however, not the tallest idols. Last year, the tallest idol was at Vishakhapatnam, where the idol was over 70 feet high!! Unfortunately, these idols cannot be moved, so the immersion has to take place in the form of fire engines or tankers pouring water on them through their hoses! The festival has indeed adapted to the times!

Over the last few years, people have begun to realize the problems caused by these huge Ganeshas, which are made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). Unlike the clay idols, these don’t completely dissolve in the water, and days after the immersion, parts of idols wash up on the shore, a horrible sight! Awareness of the environment has begun to take root in the minds of people, and more and more people are switching to clay idols again, and even to eco-friendly decorations! It is indeed a re-assuring sight to see a board proudly reassuring visitors of its eco-friendly nature!

The 11 day festival is just beginning today, and on my other blog, A Wandering Mind, I will be taking you along with me, starting with the preparations for the festival, through the festival at my home, as well as around me….. from small, homely festivities to the public celebrations in and around my locality, I shall try to help you experience the festival through my words and photographs. Meanwhile, you can see my posts from last year’s posts to get an idea about what you can expect…

Ganeshotsav Celebrations, Mumbai, 2010

Narasimha

2011-03-18T12:26:00.001+05:30

Lakshmi Narasimha monolothic statue at Hampi

Good and evil are two sides of the same coin – they are brothers, who look opposite ways. Such were the Devas and Asuras too. Kashyapa was a great sage – he was one among the Saptarishis (the seven greatest rishis or sages of all time). He had two wives – Aditi and Diti, both daughters of Daksha Prajapati. Through Aditi, he begot the Devas – the Gods, and through Diti, he was father of the Asuras – the demons. This is the story of one of his sons – Hiranyakashipu.

Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu were both sons of Kashyapa, strong and valiant. They grew to be powerful, and as their power grew, so did their ego. Hiranyaksha’s ego and thirst for power led to a fight with Lord Vishnu, and he was finally killed by the Lord in his incarnation as Varaha – the boar.

The death of Hiranyaksha was a huge blow to Hiranyakashipu, but it did not subdue his desires or his thirst for power. He decided to avenge the death of his brother by growing even more powerful than Lord Vishnu himself. He was most afraid of death, and did not want to be killed by Vishnu, so he started meditating on Lord Brahma, the creator of the Universe. He knew that if he managed to please him with his devotion, the Lord would grant him his desire. Accordingly, when Brahma appeared before him, he asked for immortality. The creator shook his head sadly, and replied that if one was born as a mortal, he was doomed to die, and that even He couldn’t grant immortality to anyone. Hiranyakashipu then thought of the means by which he could evade death, and asked for death under conditions which he thought impossible to achieve!

He said, “If I should die, it should be at the hands of one who is neither man nor God, demon nor animal. I should die at a time when it is neither night nor day. The place where I die should neither be inside nor outside, not on earth or the sky. I should be killed by no weapons.” Further, he asked that he should rule over the whole world, and have dominance even over the Gods! Lord Brahma shook his head sadly at all these conditions, but he had been invoked by the power of Hiranyakashipu’s penance, and had no choice but to accede. He blessed the demon, and disappeared.

Believing himself to be immortal and all-powerful with his boons, Hiranyakashipu now turned his sight towards becoming more powerful than Lord Vishnu. He ordered that no one in his kingdom should even utter the name of the Gods. He declared that he himself was the only God – the Lord of the Universe - and that everyone should pray to him alone. He unleashed a reign of terror, wherein anyone who disagreed with him was immediately imprisoned, or worse, put to death.

Meanwhile, Indra, the king of the gods, was worried. He foresaw a time when the demon king would rule the gods, and tried to prevent it. While Hiranyakashipu was still deep in meditation, he kidnapped his queen, who was pregnant with her first child! The divine sage Narada, however, intervened, and reminding Indra that his conduct was not appropriate, took the queen to the safety of his ashram. She lived there till Hiranyakashipu returned, spending the time in the sanctity of the ashram, listening to the discourses and discussions of the learned sages. While she was a simple soul, who simply heard the discussions without really absorbing anything, the unborn child in her womb lapped up every word, growing not just bigger, but wiser with every month that passed. By the time Hiranyakashipu returned and took his wife back, his unborn son was already as great a devotee of Lord Vishnu as his father was His antagonist!

While Hiranyakashipu quelled the masses and prohibited even thought of the gods amongst his people, he did not even notice that his own son uttered no name but that of the Lord! Meanwhile, the child, within the confines of the palace, grew to be a young boy, with the name ‘Prahalada’, and was soon sent to the Gurukul for furthering his studies.

Hiranyakashipu first learnt about his son’s devotion to Vishnu from the teachers at the gurukul, who reported this to their king, shaking with fear! Of course, Hiranyakashipu’s first instinct was to blame the teachers, and he lost no time in changing them, but finally came to realize that his son, and not the teachers were at fault. He summoned his son to the court, and urged him to forget the name of Vishnu, and instead recite his, the king’s name, which Prahalada refused with a smile, saying “There is no name more sacred than that of Lord Vishnu!”

When neither gentle urgings, nor threats worked, Hiranyakashipu’s anger came to the fore, and he ordered the little boy confined to a dungeon without food or water. Prahalada retired to the dungeon with a smile on his innocent face, and simply chanted the name of the Lord, who appeared to feed his youngest devotee with love and affection. When the dungeon was opened after a week, with wailing women expecting to see his corpse, they were stunned to see the little boy happily playing by himself, appearing to be well fed and at ease in the cold and clammy dungeon!

It was now a matter of pride for the King to punish his errant son, and he ordered him to be crushed under the feet of the royal elephant. The elephant, which had been riled and angry, came forward to crush the child tied down to the earth, but surprised the throng by bowing before the boy and refusing to move another step! When ordered thrown from the highest peak in the kingdom, the child emerged without a scratch, and when seated in fire with his aunt, who was immune to fire, it was she who was burnt to ashes, while he came out unscathed!

Such events only succeeded in an unprecedented interest among the people, who were curious about what their cruel king would do next. Hiranyakashipu was lost for ideas, and angry beyond compare, and in a final attempt to settle the issue once and for all, had the child brought to court, where, in the presence of not just his court, but almost the entire kingdom, challenged him to prove that Lord Vishnu was indeed stronger and more powerful than him!

Prahalada, even at that young age, was more learned than the wise men at the court, and answered every question in a calm and precise manner, goading his father to losing what little control he had left. At last, the king roared, “Where then, does this Lord of yours reside?” Prahalada answered, “He is everywhere, in every single thing – animate and inanimate.” Hiranyakashipu sneered, “Oh, he is everywhere, is he? Is he, then, present in this pillar?” “Yes, he is” replied Prahalada, as calm as ever. “Let’s see, shall we?” said Hiranyakashipu, as he struck the pillar, breaking it into two.

The silence in the hall was eerie, as for a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, from the wreck of the pillar emerged a creature such as none had seen before – it had the head of a lion, which was roaring in anger, and the body of the human, but was built as no common human was built. While the arms were human, the claws were not, and they glinted as the creature lifted the huge Hiranyakashipu as easily as if he had been a sack of potatoes!

Not one in the court could utter a word, but they all looked on, fascinated and terrified, as the creature hefted Hiranyakashipu and carried him to the doorstep. Sitting on the doorstep, which was neither inside nor outside, the creature placed the demon on his lap (which was neither the earth nor the sky) and with his claws, (which were no weapons), easily tore the demon open, putting an end to his life forever!

Thus did the Lord put an end to the asura, taking a form such as none had seen before, to comply with the terms the demon himself had laid for his death. But his form was still so threatening, so fearful, that no one even dared to approach him, even after Hiranyakashipu had been killed. It was left to Prahalada – the greatest of His devotees – who had called out to him, to calm the Lord down, which he did, singing his praises in his sweet, childish voice. It was then that the Lord calmed down and smiled, and Lakshmi came down to take her place by the side of the Lord as he anointed Prahalada as the future king, and blessed him to live a happy and fruitful life.

And that is the story of the fourth avatar or incarnation of Lord Vishnu – Narasimha – the man-lion.

Ardhanareeshwara

2011-03-10T12:37:00.001+05:30

Ardhanareeshwara – literally meaning the Lord whose one half is a woman – represents Lord Shiva and Parvati as one. This form symbolizes the equality of men and women, and is a beautiful rendering in sculpture with each half showing a detailed rendition of the male and female halves of divinity.

Ardhanareeshwara with sage Bhringi on left and Parvat's attendant on right.
Location: Badami

There is an interesting story behind this manifestation –

The story begins with sage Bhringi, who took an oath that he would only worship Lord Shiva. He took his oath so seriously, that he completely ignored Parvati, even when she sat next to the Lord. He insisted on circumambulating the Lord alone, provoking Parvati’s anger. In an attempt to force the sage to circumambulate her along with the Lord, Parvati sat on Shiva’s lap. The sage simply took the form of a bee and buzzed around the Lord’s head alone.

Parvati was incensed by this disrespect towards her and towards all women, and cursed the sage that he would lose everything he had earned through his mother. The sage thus lost all the skin and muscles, which come from a mother’s milk, and was left as a bag of bones alone – the only contribution of his father!

Even then, the sage refused to give up, and continued his prayers to the Lord. He couldn’t even stand straight, so the Lord took pity on him and blessed him with another leg to support himself – and that is how he is portrayed in sculptures – a skeleton with three legs!

Parvati was still not pacified, and tried once again to force the sage to pray to her. She prayed to the Lord to give her one half of his body. The lord accepted, and Parvati and Shiva became one – the right side remained that of Shiva, but the left side became Parvati, and they stood together as one when the sage arrived for his daily prayers.

The sage took one look at them and turned into a wasp, and tried to burrow through the navel, which was the dividing point for the male and female halves!

Parvati was certainly not happy with the outcome, but she admired the sage for his tenacity, and for adhering so strictly to the oath he had taken. She forgave him; though she deemed that he remain forever as a skeleton to signify the role of women and their importance in life.

When Ravana lifted Kailash....

2011-03-10T12:07:00.000+05:30

We have all heard that Ravana was one of the greatest devotees of Lord Shiva. But not many know how he became a devotee of the Lord. This is the story of Ravana lifting mount Kailash, which is a prelude to his devotion.

Ravana had always been jealous of his half – brother, Kubera, who was the treasurer of the Gods. Right from childhood, he wanted to prove himself stronger, and more powerful than Kubera, and accordingly performed penance to gain strength and power. As soon as his penance yielded results, he attacked Kubera and looted his magnificent city, taking whatever he wished to.

Ravana was returning from Kubera’s city, when suddenly, his aerial vehicle stopped. He was surprised, and enquired about the reason. When he learnt that this was the abode of Lord Shiva, and that no one was allowed to pass that way, he was livid! Arrogant, and believing himself to be all-powerful, he refused to change his path, and decided to challenge the Lord himself! Getting down from his vehicle, he went to the foot of the mountain and began uprooting it with his immense strength!

Meanwhile, Lord Shiva, Parvati and the others on the mountain were disturbed by the shaking of the mountain. While Parvati and the other women worried about the cause of the disturbance, Shiva simply smiled. When at last, Ravana had managed to lift the entire mountain, Lord Shiva simply pressed his toe down….. and the huge mountain came back down to earth, crushing Ravana underneath!

At last, Ravana realized his error, and from under the mountain, prayed to Lord Shiva, who blessed and released him. It is also believed that when he was crushed under the mountain, he sang out to the Lord for mercy, and his composition so pleased the Lord that he forgave him at once! It is believed that these words were the origin of the ‘Sama Gaanam’ – the ritual singing of the hymns of the Sama Veda! This is the origin of one of the names of Lord Shiva - ‘Saama Gaana Priya’- one who loves the music of the Sama Veda.

And that was how Ravana became one of the greatest devotees of Lord Shiva!

When the Lord became a Weaver....

2010-07-03T08:00:00.002+05:30

Once upon a time, there lived two young men in a village. One was a weaver and the other a carpenter. They were very good friends, and were extremely attached to each other.

One day, they attended the annual village festival, which was a grand affair. People had come from far flung places to pay their respects to the deity.

One of the visitors was the young princess of their kingdom. All eyes were on her as she alighted from the elephant. Her long dark hair flew in the wind, while her lotus-shaped eyes took in all the happenings around her. Everyone seemed to be enraptured by her beauty, but the weaver fell in love with her the moment he set eyes on her. He could not take his eyes off her all day long, it was only when she left, that he turned to go back home.

The weaver was unable to get the princess out of his heart, and spent the night lost in her thought. Even the rising sun did not succeed in weaning him away from his dreams, and his friend was surprised by his behavior. “My friend, what is it that ails you?” asked the carpenter, in concern.

“My friend, I have fallen in love! This is the source of my unhappiness, for I know that I can never gain her hand!” replied the weaver, sadly. The carpenter continued to question his friend till at last, he learnt the whole story. He could not bear to see his friend grieve in this manner, and so he decided to help him.

“My dear friend,” he said, “Do not give up so easily. I assure you that I shall help you marry the princess.” The weaver was thrilled hearing his friend’s words, but he was also doubtful of success. “She lives in a palace surrounded by guards, and is the daughter of the king! How can I, a mere weaver, get to meet her, let alone marry her?”

The carpenter replied, “We may be ordinary men, but we are devout, and intelligent. If we use our intelligence, the Lord will surely help us achieve our goals. So, do not worry, but get ready and weave wonderful clothes for yourself so that you can meet the princess!”

Heartened by his friend’s assurance, the weaver got to work, and wove the most beautiful and expensive clothes he had ever made, his mind and heart fixed on the woman of his dreams.

Meanwhile, the carpenter was busy at work too. He returned the next day, bringing with him a mechanical contraption, which looked like the Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. The bird was fitted with different levers, which enabled it to fly.

He taught his friend how to use the bird, and said, “Friend, using this bird, you can easily fly high over the houses in our kingdom and reach the palace. No one can obstruct you, and you can easily reach the palace, without bothering about the guards who maintain a watch over the princess. Go late at night, so that no one will observe you, but just in case someone does catch a glimpse, he will think you are the lord Vishnu, and thus you shall be safe. Just in case, dress yourself as Lord Vishnu, which will aid you in concealing your identity, as well as winning the hand of the princess.”

The weaver was so happy with the plan that he hugged his friend and thanked him, and began preparations for his night-time jaunt. He wore the wonderful clothes he had made for himself, and adorned himself with jewelry fit for a God, and prepared to meet his love. Bowing before the lord, and asking for His blessings, he set off towards the palace.

Easily avoiding the palace guards, the weaver made his way on his mechanical Garuda to the princess’ apartments. The princess was stunned to see the Lord in front of her, but even more surprised when he said, “O Princess, I have fallen in love with you and have arrived here to marry you. Please consent to be my wife!”

The princess replied, with all due modesty, “O lord, I am honored by your words, but I am just a mortal girl. How can I marry you? Besides, the goddess Lakshmi is your rightful consort. How can you approach me thus?”

The weaver was well prepared for just such a question, and replied with a smile, “My dear, it is you who are my wife, born in this form due to a curse. I have sheltered you from other suitors for so long, but now it is time for me to make you my wife.”

The princess blushed and replied, “In that case, my lord, please talk to my father and take his permission. I shall marry you at once with his blessings.”

The weaver interrupted her, “My dear, it is not easy for mortals to set eyes on me. They have to perform severe penances for just a glimpse of me. I cannot grant your father this boon without due cause. Marry me at once in the Gandharva style, or I shall curse your family!”

The princes did not want to be the cause of her family’s doom, and she was also thrilled by her good fortune in being the wife of Lord Vishnu. Agreeing to the terms laid down by the weaver, she married him in the Gandharva style at once. The weaver spent the night happily with his wife and left at dawn. Thereafter, he visited the princess every night and left before sunrise.

Meanwhile, the princess’ attendants suspected that the princess was meeting a man. However, since they did not see any man near the palace, they were confused. At last, one of them went to the king and voiced his suspicions.

The king was very angry when he learnt of the intruder, and he and his wife questioned the princess in detail. Unable to lie to her parents, she blurted out the truth – “My dear parents, you have no cause to worry, but instead, you should rejoice, for it is no common man who has chosen your daughter as his life partner. It is the Lord Vishnu himself, who comes to me every night. If you do not believe me, you can hide in my apartment and see Him for yourself tonight!”

The king and queen were so happy to hear this that they hid themselves that night and saw the weaver appear on his mechanical Garuda. The king was thrilled to see that it was the Lord Himself who had wed his daughter.

However, the knowledge that the Lord was his son-in-law led to the ego of the king getting a boost, and he started attacking the neighbouring kingdoms, sure that his son-in-law would come to his aid.

The neighbouring kings, however, were strong and united, and they attacked his kingdom in retaliation.

Faced with such a huge army, the king sent word to his daughter. “My dear,” he said. “I have waged war against our neighbouring kingdoms, relying on your husband’s aid, but now, the enemies are attacking our land, but there is no sign of your husband. Please ask him to come to help us wage war against our enemies.”

The princess obediently relayed her father’s message to her husband when he arrived that night. Now the weaver was in a quandary. But he bravely assured his wife, “My dear, why are you afraid of these mortal enemies? I shall crush them in a moment, do not fear! I shall appear in the battle and kill your enemies with my Sudarshan Chakra (discus)!”

The princess was comforted when she heard his words, and the king was pleased when he heard the news. He made arrangements for facing the enemy the next day.

The weaver meanwhile was in a fix. He did not know what to do. In a moment of recklessness, he had assured the princess that he would appear and slay the enemies. But what if the army recognized him as a simple weaver, and not Lord Vishnu? What if he was killed? On the other hand, if he did not appear on the battlefield, or just disappeared from the land, the attackers would surely kill the king and take the princess captive. He could not allow that! Even if she was safe, he could never see her again, and that was unbearable! Such thoughts tormented him all through the night, and finally, he came to a decision – he would go ahead and fly over the battlefield in his disguise. If he was killed, so be it. But there was just a chance that the army might mistake him for the genuine Lord and flee at once. He would give it a try, and trust the Lord to help him out of the mess.

Meanwhile, the real Lord Vishnu and his Garuda were having a related conversation. They had just learnt about the weaver who was going to dress up as the Lord and appear in the battle. This was a matter of concern, and Lord Vishnu said, “The weaver is prepared to meet his death bravely, but if he succumbs to a mortal’s arrow, people will lose faith in me. I can not allow that. The weaver has taken my form, and trusts in me to help him out, and I can not let him down. I myself shall go into battle at dawn tomorrow!”

The lord then instructed Garuda thus – “I shall enter the body of the weaver tomorrow and possess his chakra too. You must enter the mechanical contraption that he calls his vehicle, and must help me defeat the enemies.”

Accordingly, the next morning, when the weaver got himself ready for battle, he found himself infused with a new strength. Even his vehicle flew more like a real bird than ever, and he confidently entered the battleground, where he fought the army with ease, and killed the enemy king with his discus.

The army scattered with the death of their king, and onlookers were stunned to hear that it was the Lord himself who had aided their king! Meanwhile, as the Lord left the weaver’s body to go to His abode, the king and others recognized in him, the weaver of the kingdom!

At first, the king was wild when he realized that his son-in-law was not Lord Vishnu, but a humble weaver. But then, when the weaver related his story, the king realized that his son-in-law was not just an honest and clever man, but he was also an ardent devotee of the Lord, since the Lord himself had come to his aid. He decided to get his daughter married to him at once.

The weaver thus became a prince, and in time, the King. He ruled wisely and well, and always had complete faith in the Lord.

(Image from the Internet)

Uddalaka and Swetaketu

2010-07-02T08:00:00.002+05:30

Have you ever wondered who and where is God? Why can we not see Him? How did he create the world? Here is a story from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad which answers your doubts.

Long, long ago, there lived a sage named Uddalaka. He had a son named Swetaketu. When Swetaketu was seven years old, Uddalaka invested him with the sacred thread and sent him to a gurukul to continue his studies under a suitable guru.

Swetaketu was a bright and diligent student, and learnt all he could from his guru, pleasing everyone at the gurukul. Finally, his studies complete, he returned home, bursting with pride at his achievement.

Uddalaka saw his son approaching the ashram, and realized at once that his son had returned filled with pride and ego. He was saddened, for true learning and knowledge brings not pride, but humility. A true scholar is one who has subdued his ego and humbly bows before the Supreme.

Uddalaka decided that he would have to complete his son’s education himself, and called Swetaketu. The boy arrived with a smile, ready to tell his father about all that he had learnt and all the praises he had received.

Swetaketu was received by his father with a question. “My son,” said Uddalaka “I am sure you have learnt all there is to learn at the gurukul. Do you now have the knowledge by which one can hear what can not be heard, by which one can see what can not be seen, and by which one can know what can not be known?”

Swetaketu was not only stunned, but also confused by his father’s question. How could one hear that which could not be heard, see what could not be seen, or know what could not be known? His father was a great rishi. Surely he had some knowledge that he hadn’t learnt so far. Part of his pride fell away as he asked his father respectfully, “Father, I do not have the knowledge of what you speak. Can you please explain this to me, since I do not understand?”

Uddalaka replied, “My son, I am talking about that which is inherent in all things. For example, once you have seen a lump of clay, you can recognize all objects made of clay. Similarly, once you have seen a nugget of gold, you can identify all items made of gold. In the same way, once you have seen a piece of iron, you can recognize all objects made of iron, no matter how different they may seem. For, it is not the shape, size or use of the object, but what they are made up of, which is important. Similarly, everything in the universe has different names and forms, but there is something inherent in all of them. Do you know what that is?”

Swetaketu bowed before his father and said, “Father, I do not know of these things. Perhaps my gurus too did not know of this, for if they had, they would surely have taught it to me. Please teach me this knowledge of which you speak.”

Pleased with his son’s humble request, Uddalaka said, “Listen, my son, I shall tell you how this world was created. In the beginning, there was only the ‘Sat’ or the One True Being. Having decided to create other beings, he first created Tejas (Fire), Apas (Water) and

Annam

(Food). Entering them as the Jivatma (Soul), he brought them to life and gave them name and form. He then decided to multiply further, and made them merge in different ratios to create more beings. These are what we know by various names today as Indra, Surya, and others.”

The rishi continued, “The three basic forms had merged to create more forms, but the basic nature of the three constituents were retained. Agni or fire showed itself as the red colour, while water showed itself as white and food as black. Even in their new forms, they showed themselves, for example, in the sun, what we call Surya or Aditya, the red colour is due to the fire, the white due to water and black due to food or earth.”

The sage explained further, “The basic forms of all beings are only the first three forms to be created – Tejas, Apas and

Annam

. Even in these three forms, it is the Sat, the True Being, who is the one form within all these three. Thus, the Sat alone is all, for all are different names for Him!”

Uddalaka concluded, “My son, the Sat is all powerful, for all beings are just His reflections. We call Him by many names, the True Being, the Supreme, and the Brahman. But they are all just different names for the all powerful One who is the essence of all life. Once we know Him, we know everything else. It is from Him that we all are born, and it is into Him that we merge when we die. We come into contact with Him within ourselves when we meditate. He pervades all and destroys all. He is the only perfect One. My dear son, you are not Him!”

Swetaketu was humbled by his father’s words, for he realized how little he knew. He said, with folded hands, “Father, please tell me more about the Supreme Being, for I want to know more about Him.”

Uddalaka was happy to see that his son was showing the signs of humility and a desire for knowing the real truth. He said, “My son, observe how the bees collect nectar from different flowers and make honey in their hive. Is it possible to distinguish the nectar of the different flowers from the honey? So also, we are all different, but in essence, it is the one true being that unites us all!”

He continued, “My son, see the rivers which merge into the sea. The waters of the different rivers appear different. But the sea into which the merge does not change. So also, we are all different forms of the true being. We appear different due to our forms, but we arise from the same source, and merge into the same – which is the Supreme!”

The sage then asked Swetaketu to bring a fruit and cut it into two. Uddalaka asked, “What do you see?” Swetaketu replied, “I can see seeds.” Uddalaka said, “Cut a seed into two and tell me what you see.” Swetaketu replied, “Father, there is nothing inside the seed.” Uddalaka smiled and replied, “Son, you can not see anything inside this seed, but from this tiny seed sprouts a huge tree. So also from the One True Being sprouts the entire universe!”

Next, Uddalaka asked Swetaketu to bring a glass of water and some salt. He asked Swetaketu to put the salt in the water and asked, “Can you see the salt now? Can you take it out?” Swetaketu replied, “Father, I can not see the salt, for it has dissolved in the water, and I can not take it out.” Uddalaka now asked Swetaketu to take a sip from the glass. Swetaketu replied, “The water is salty.” Uddalaka asked Swetaketu to taste the water from all portions of the glass, and Swetaketu replied that the water tasted salty everywhere. Uddalaka explained, “My son, you can not see the salt, but you can taste it. Similarly, the Supreme being pervades every atom of this universe, even though we can not see Him.”

Swetaketu understood at last the significance of Sat, and felt humble as he realized the magnitude of the One True Being. In course of time, he became a great rishi himself.

Thus, we too should understand that the only perfect one is the Lord, and all we see around us are His forms. We are, but tiny specks of his creation, and must remember this and learn to be humble. Humility is indeed the greatest of all virtues, for only then can we realize the truth.

(Image from the internet)

Hidden Treasure

2010-07-01T08:00:00.002+05:30

Once upon a time, there was an old man who owned a vineyard. He was a hard worker, and took care of his vines, growing some of the best grapes in the area. He had three sons, but was an unhappy man, because all his sons were lazy.

He worked hard from dawn to dusk in the vineyard, but none of his sons even offered to help him! They spent their time sleeping or whiling away the time in useless activities. As he grew older, the old man grew weaker, and was not able to work as hard as before, but he continued to tend to his grapes as best as he could. However, he was now worried, for none of his sons had learnt anything about the vineyard.

He was old and knew he would die soon, and wondered, “How will my sons manage after I die? If they continue to be as lazy as they are, the vines will wither and there will be no harvest. How will they earn money?” Tormented by such thoughts, the old man’s health deteriorated. “I should somehow make them aware of their duties and the importance of work” he thought.

One day, the old farmer was working on his farm in the cold, and he fell sick. He was bedridden, and could not move. He knew he would die soon, and called his sons. “My sons, the time has come for me to die. I wanted to teach you how to work on the farm, but you never listened to me. I know that you have no idea how to tend to a vineyard, but I do not want you to starve, so I have accumulated a treasure for you. Dig in the vineyard and you will find it. You can live happily on the treasure for your entire life!” As he said these words, the old man breathed his last.

The three sons were excited! Treasure! Their father had buried a treasure in the vineyard! “We only have to dig once for the treasure. Once we find it, we can easily live on it all our lives!” they said. “We shall never have to work again!”

Early the next morning, they began their work, digging up the vineyard bit by bit. They were too lazy to uproot the grape vines growing there, so they dug all around the roots carefully so that they would not miss the treasure.

It took them a month to dig up the entire vineyard, but they could not find the treasure. They decided to try again, this time digging a little deeper. Again, they could not find anything. They decided to try one last time, but again, they returned, disappointed! Dispirited, and angry with their father, they gave up.

Meanwhile, that year, the rainfall was not good, and all the vineyards in the area suffered. The harvest was bad, and the grapes that did grow were dry and looked lifeless. However, the old man’s vineyard flourished, since the earth dug again and again near the roots of the vines had absorbed all the water there was, and provided plenty of nourishment to the growing grapes. In time, the fattest, juiciest grapes grew on the vines! No one in the area had seen such grapes before! They came to the three brothers and asked them how they had managed to grow such grapes.

The lazy brothers realized that all their digging had resulted in a great harvest. Spurred on by their friends and neighbours, they set to work at once, harvesting the grapes, and carting them to the market. At the market, their grapes sold at a price higher than ever before, for they were the best grapes of the year!

When the three brothers returned home and counted their earnings from the sale, they realized that it was a small fortune! By digging in the vineyard they had really found a treasure! This was the treasure their father had spoken about! They finally understood that hard work would always yield results. They silently thanked their father for his clever way of making them realize their error, and resolved never to be lazy again, but to work hard, so that they could reap such wonderful grapes again!

The Wheel Bearer

2010-06-30T08:00:00.000+05:30

Once upon a time, there lived four young Brahmin boys in a small village. They were bored of the simple life they led, and wanted to earn money and live a comfortable life. They did not want to work hard as farmers or acquire learning as Brahmins did in their little village.

They decided to leave their village and set out into the world. “We shall visit other places and find a way to make lots of money” they decided, and set out on their journey.

They visited towns and great cities, but all the methods to make money involved a lot of hard work as well as knowledge, and they were unable to find any task to their liking. Finally, one day, they met an old and wise-looking sage who asked why they were wandering about.

“O wise one, we want to make lots of money, as fast as possible, so that we can spend our life in comfort and happiness. We do not want to remain as poor as the rest of the people in our village, and that is why we are travelling, looking out for the right opportunity” they said.

The sage replied, “Sons, your travelling has borne fruit with our meeting. I can help you achieve your goals. Here are four cotton wicks. Take them and go to the slopes of the mighty Himalayas. Where your wicks fall, you will find a great treasure!” Handing over one wick to each of them, the sage disappeared.

The boys were thrilled, and set out for the Himalayas. Just as they began ascending the snow covered mountain, the first wick fell.

The boy who had held that wick began digging, and found copper-ore in that spot. He was very happy and collected all the copper he could carry and said, “Our quest has ended, for this will gain us a lot of money. Let us take this copper and return.” But the other boys said, “it is just your wick which has fallen, and this is just copper, the basest of all metals. We shall journey further, and seek a better fortune.” The first boy said, “You can proceed. I am satisfied with this, and shall return home with what I have.”

A little further up the hill, the second wick fell, and they found the area full of silver. Again, the boy who had held that wick was satisfied, and decided to return with all the silver he could carry. The other two however said, “First we found copper and then silver. We shall surely find gold and diamonds next.” They left their friend alone and climbed up further.

At last, the third wick fell, and as they had anticipated, they found gold. The boy said, “My friend, this is what we came for, and here it is, at last – So much of gold, and all for us. Let us take all the gold we can carry and return home. Our family must be missing us.”

But his friend was not yet satisfied. “It is your wick which has fallen, and if you are satisfied, you can return like the others. My wick is yet to fall, and I shall surely find diamonds next. What is gold when compared to diamonds? I do not wish to return” he said.

The third boy did not want to leave without his best friend, so he said, “Friend, we know by now that these wicks are magical, but we have been taught to be wary of magic. I feel in my heart that we should not be greedy and return home now, but if you insist, you can go further. However, I shall not return alone, but shall wait for you here till you return with what you find.”

The fourth boy continued up the steep mountain, until at last he came to a plateau. He was hungry and thirsty, and fatigued by the difficult climb. All he wanted was water, but there wasn’t a sign of it. Instead, he saw a haggard-looking man with blood dripping down his body, for there was a wheel whirling on his head.

He went up to the man and asked, “Sir, why are you standing here, and in this shape, and why is that wheel on your head?” As soon as he said these words, the wheel left the man’s head and settled on his own!

Suffering from the pain from the whirring wheel, and absolutely shocked by the change of events, he asked the man who was now stretching his limbs happily “What is this? Why has this happened? When will I be freed?”

The man replied, “This is a device set by the Lord of Wealth to safeguard his treasures. Anticipating that magicians would send their disciples to gather wealth, he has arranged that whoever gets so far with a magic wick in his hands will have to undergo this suffering. You will be freed only when another man like you comes here with a wick in his hands and asks you the same question you asked me. Till then, you will not know hunger or thirst, sickness or death. You just have to stand here and experience the suffering as a punishment for your greed.” Saying this, the man walked away, happy to be free at last.

Meanwhile, the third boy was waiting for his friend, and started worrying when there was no sign of him. When he at last saw a strange man going down the hill happily, and still couldn’t see his friend, he decided to search for him. He also climbed up and reached the plateau and saw the strange sight, and it was a while before he recognized his friend.

Hearing the sad tale from his friend’s lips, he said, “My friend, I asked you to be satisfied with the gold, and beware of the magic wick, but you would not listen to me. This suffering is the outcome of your greed, and I cannot do anything to help you. I do not know how long it will take you to be free of this curse, so I cannot wait for you any longer. Allow me to return to the village.”

Saying thus, the third friend returned to the city, sold all his gold at a high price, and returned to his village a rich man. He was satisfied with his wealth, and now worked hard, and also helped others, for he had learnt that it was not wise to be greedy.

The Six Blind Men and the Elephant

2010-06-29T08:00:00.003+05:30

Once upon a time in a village, there lived six blind men. In spite of their blindness, they had managed to educate themselves. Seeking to expand their knowledge, they decided to visit a zoo and try out their skills in recognizing animals by their touch.

The first animal they came across, as soon as they entered the zoo, was an elephant. Remember, these men were blind, and they had no idea what an elephant looked like. They sensed an animal nearby and went closer so that they could feel it and see what it was like.

As the first man approached the elephant, the elephant waved its trunk, and the man felt something brush past him. Managing to hold on to it, he felt it, and found something long and moving. He jumped back in alarm, shouting “Move away! This is a snake!”

Meanwhile, the second man had moved closer, and walked right near its legs. Thankfully, it was a tame elephant, and it did not crush the man at once, but allowed him to touch its legs. As the man touched the thick, cylindrical –shaped legs, he called out “Do not worry. These are just four trees here. There is certainly no snake!”

The third man was curious hearing the other two, and moved forward. As he walked towards the elephant, it bent, and he felt his hand touch one of the tusks. Feeling the smooth, sharp ivory tusk, the man cried out “Be careful! There is a spear here! A sharp one!”

The fourth man cautiously walked up behind the elephant, and felt its swinging tail. “It’s just a rope! There is nothing to be afraid of!” he said.

The fifth man had meanwhile reached out and was touching the huge ears of the animal. “I think all of you have lost your sense of touch!” he said. “This is nothing but a huge fan!”

The sixth man did not want to be left out. As he walked towards the elephant, he bumped into its massive body, and he exclaimed, “Hey! This is just a huge mud wall! There is no animal at all!”

All six of them were convinced that they were right, and began arguing amongst themselves. “It’s a snake!” said one. “No, its not!” said the second. “It’s a tree!” “You are wrong!” cried the third “It’s a spear!” “You are all wrong! It’s just a rope!” shouted the fourth! “It just a fan!” said the fifth, and the sixth insisted “You are all wrong. There is no animal, just a mud wall here!”

Wondering about the commotion, the zoo keeper arrived on the scene, and was surprised to see 6 blind men surrounding an elephant, each of them shouting at the top of their voices! “Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!” he shouted out, and when they had calmed down, he asked, “Why are all of you shouting and arguing in this manner?”

They replied, “Sir, as you can see, we are all blind. We came here to expand our knowledge. We sensed an animal here, and tried to get an idea of its appearance by feeling it. However, we are not able to arrive at a consensus over its appearance, and hence are arguing. Can you please help us and tell us which of us is right? Does the animal resemble a snake, a tree, a spear, a fan, a rope, or a wall? Please enlighten us!”

The zoo keeper laughed and laughed before answering, “My dear men, each of you have touched just one portion of the animal. The animal you see is neither a snake, nor any of the other things you have mentioned. The animal in front of you is an elephant!”

Turning to the men one by one, he continued, “Sir, you touched the trunk, which is long and curved, hence you thought it to be a snake. Sir, what you thought were trees are just the elephant’s legs. They are so thick and strong, because the animal is huge. Its body is what you thought was a mud wall” he said, turning to the sixth man.

He continued further “Sir, what you thought of, as a spear is just the tusk of the elephant, and what you thought was a fan is one of its ears. As to what you thought was a rope, it is its tail!”

As the six men bowed their head, ashamed of the scene they had created, the zoo keeper said, “My dear men, this is a huge animal, and luckily, it is tame. It stood by calmly as each of you touched it. You are extremely lucky that it stayed calm even during your argument, for if it had got angry, it would have trampled all of you to death!”

He continued further, “It is not enough to gather knowledge, but also important to learn to share and pool your knowledge. If, instead of fighting amongst yourselves, if you had tried to put all your observations together, you might have had an idea of the animal as a whole! Also, when you can not see the entire truth, it is better to go to someone who does know the complete truth, rather than guess about small parts of it. Such half-knowledge is not just useless, but also dangerous. If you had come directly to me, I would have helped you identify all the animals without putting you in danger!”

The six men apologized to the zoo keeper, and assured him that they had learnt their lesson. From now on, they would seek true knowledge from the qualified people, and would also try to work together as a team so that they could learn more.

The zoo keeper took them on a tour of the entire zoo, and showed them all the animals, describing each of them in detail, so the men got a clear mental picture of the animals. The six men returned home, more knowledgeable and much wiser than they had been when they left!

(Note: This story is originally from the Panchatantra, but it has been adapted to appeal to today's generation. The essentials of the story and the moral value have been retained in the spirit of the original) Image from the internet.

The Dove's Sacrifice

2010-06-28T08:00:00.001+05:30

There was once a hunter who lived in a village at the edge of a forest. Everyday, he would go into the forest and ensnare animals or birds, and selling them, would return home with the money.

One day, he was unable to catch any animals, but just a single she-dove. Putting her in a cage he always carried along, he turned homewards. Suddenly, the sky was rent by thunder and lightning, and soon, it started raining heavily. Finding himself unable to proceed in the rain, he took shelter under a tree, praying aloud, “O Lord, I am caught in this terrible thunderstorm, tired, cold and hungry. Please help me and show me a way out of my troubles.”

Now, on the same tree lived a dove, the husband of the same she-dove who had been captured by the hunter. The dove was worried about his wife, and wondered what had become of her. He voiced his worries aloud, “My beloved has not yet returned. Has she been stranded by this terrible thunderstorm, or has she become the target of some hunter. Is she alive or dead? My nest feels too lonely without her, and I can not live in her absence. O my beloved, where are you?”

The she-dove heard the lamentations of her husband, and thanked the lord for giving her such a wonderful and caring mate. She felt sad that she was unable to return to him. But she called out to him, saying, “My dear husband, please do not grieve so. I cannot bear to hear your lamentations. As a wife, I have tried to be true and good to you, so please remember the good times we had together.”

She continued, “I have been caught by the hunter who rests under this tree, which is our home. But before you get angry with him, let me tell you that he is only doing his duty, which is to capture or kill animals and birds. It is our misfortune that I have fallen into his hands. But he is cold and hungry in this thunderstorm, and has taken refuge under our home. He is thus like a guest to us, and it is our duty to serve him to the best of our ability.”

Filled with emotion, she advised her husband, “helping our enemy might land you in danger, and you might even lose your life, but we should never budge from our duty, so I pray to you to help the poor man!”

Hearing the words of his wife, the dove wept for her, but then, flew down to the hunter and said, “O hunter, in the midst of this thunderstorm, you have taken refuge under the tree I call home. You are thus my guest, and I welcome you. Please tell me what I can do for you.”

The hunter was surprised to hear the words of the bird, but he said, “O bird, I am cold and hungry. Is there something you can do to relieve my misery?”

The dove thought for a moment, and then flew off, returning with a burning piece of twig. Placing it on the ground, he gathered some half-dried leaves and tried to add fuel to the fire. When it still wouldn’t burn, he picked up his nest and threw it on the embers, and at last the fire was big enough for the hunter to warm himself.

While the hunter tried to bring some life into his numbed limbs, the dove addressed him again –“O hunter, I have tried to give you warmth, as best as I could. I can see that you are hungry, but I have nothing to offer you as food. I therefore, offer myself to you, and hope that you fill your stomach and return home refreshed. This is the only way I can serve you, who are my guest.” Before the hunter could say a word, the dove jumped into the fire so that the hunter could eat him!

The hunter was left speechless at the great sacrifice of the bird. He felt disgusted with himself and said, “I am the lowliest of all creatures on this earth, for I have been hunting and capturing these creatures, which are kinder and better than I am. From now on, I shall give up this terrible profession. I shall not harm any other creatures ever again!”

Taking this oath, he set free the she-dove he had in his cage, and turned his feet homewards, for the thunderstorm had passed.

The she-dove saw the body of her dear husband, who had sacrificed himself performing his duty, and said, “My dear husband, you perished doing your duty, and shall surely attain heaven. Of what use is my life without you by my side. I do not want to live any more!” and she too jumped into the fire which had consumed her husband!

As she stepped into the fire, a divine vehicle appeared from the heavens, with the dove seated in it. He called out to his wife – “Come dear, come and join me, for we shall live together now in heaven!” Thus the dove and his wife, having performed their duty righteously, attained heaven.

The hunter saw this sight from afar, and repented for his deeds which had separated such a pair. Immersed in his thoughts, and unwilling to live such a cursed life, he walked into a forest fire. The fire consumed all his evil deeds, and he too attained heaven.

There are two things we can learn from this story – first, that sacrifice is the key to happiness, and second, that we should never harm any creatures, however small they are.

Strangers are dangerous

2010-06-27T08:00:00.001+05:30

Once upon a time, in a palace, there was a huge and beautiful bed with soft pillows and warm sheets. The mattress was filled with feathers, and was fit for a king, for it was the king himself who slept on it. In a corner of this wonderful bed lived a flea with her family.

Every night, when the king was deep in sleep, the flea bit him and drank his blood. She was careful not to bite the king before he was fast asleep, and wasn’t too greedy, and just bit him once, so the king never realized her presence. Thus, she continued to live on the bed, undiscovered, and soon grew plump and healthy, feasting on the royal blood. Her family too learnt the art of sucking blood inconspicuously, and prospered on this feast.

One day, a mosquito happened to enter the royal chamber through an open window. She saw the wonderful bed and the decorations, and realized that it must be some great personage who resided there. She wondered how the blood of such a rich man would taste, and decided to stay back to try it out.

The flea saw the mosquito and asked, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

The mosquito replied, “I am a mosquito, and I have come from the stagnant pond outside the garden. I am tired and hungry. Could I please stay here tonight?”

The flea angrily replied, “No, you cannot. This is my area, and I have not invited you. I do not like strangers, so leave at once!”

The mosquito continued to plead. She said, “Please allow me to stay here just for the night. I can see that you are healthy and strong. The person who sleeps here must indeed be something special, since you are well fed. Look at me; I am so thin because I have not tasted good blood in a very long time. I have been living only on the blood of the vagrants who sleep near my pond, and their blood is as thin as water, for they are a malnourished lot. Please tell me who is it that sleeps in this magnificent bed!”

The flea replied, “You are right. It is no ordinary human who sleeps in this bed. This is the abode of the king himself, and it is on his blood that we feed everyday. I have lived here all my life, and have learnt to suck the king’s blood without making him aware of me. I have marked out my area, and no one is allowed here. So please leave. I am sure you will find other beds in the palace with other occupants as well nourished as the king.”

The mosquito would not give up so easily. “Please, please allow me to stay just for tonight” he said, but the flea was adamant in her refusal.

As a last resort, the mosquito resorted to flattery. “You are blessed to feast on the king’s blood. Indeed, you are the king of us vermin. I am a simple insect who has come to ask you for help. Will you turn me away without even a meal? I have never tasted royal blood, and am not likely to do so again. Please do not turn me away like this.”

The poor flea was moved by this entreaty. She did not have the heart to turn away such a supplicant, and relented. But she also laid down a condition. She said, “All right. You may stay here tonight and taste royal blood, but since you are in my domain, you must follow my rules. Do you agree?”

The mosquito was thrilled, and agreed. She said, “Thank you so much for allowing me this pleasure Please tell me your rules. I shall surely obey them.”

The flea replied, “There is a place and time for every deed. You must only bite the king at the right place and at the right time.”

The mosquito said, “I am an ignorant mosquito. Please tell me which is the right place and the right time.”

The flea was happy to enlighten the mosquito. She said, “You must only bite the king when he is fast asleep. That is the right time. Further, you must bite him only on the feet where the sensations are the least. That is the right place.”

The mosquito replied, “Thank you for teaching me. I shall abide by your rules.”

The mosquito waited in a corner of the room, while the flea returned to her home in the mattress. Soon, night fell, and the king returned to his room. The mosquito was awed by the sight of the royal personage, and looked forward to tasting his blood.

As the king got into the bed and closed his eyes, the mosquito was overwhelmed by her good fortune, and forgot all the warnings and the rules laid down by the flea. She rushed to the king and bit him on his arm!

The king was not yet asleep, and the mosquito bite seemed to him like the sting of a scorpion! He woke up in alarm and called out to his guards –“There is some insect on my bed which just bit me. Find it at once and kill it!”

As the guards began combing the mattress and the pillow for the insect, the mosquito flew away. Meanwhile, the guards found the flea and its family in a crevice, and killed all of them!

Thus, the mosquito brought about the destruction of the family who had granted him sanctuary. This is why we must never trust strangers or allow them into our homes.

Sri Krishna's Hunger

2010-06-26T08:00:00.013+05:30

The Pandavas were the true heirs to the throne of Hastinapur. However, the Kauravas, their cousins, led by the evil Duryodhana, would not allow them their right. The kingdom was finally divided, and the Pandavas given the kingdom of Indraprastha. The envy of the Kauravas did not cease, and they managed to trick the Pandavas out of Indraprastha through a deceitful game of dice. Moreover, they even managed to get the Pandavas exiled to the forest for 13 years.

The Pandavas left for the forest accompanied by their wife Draupadi and a few sages and their disciples. During these 13 years, they were also regularly visited by many sages as well their relatives. Yudhishtra foresaw the problems of feeding such a large number of people, and, on the advice of the sages, prayed to Surya, the Sun God. In response to his prayers, Surya gave him a bowl – an Akshayapatra – a vessel which manifested and held unlimited amounts of food. While giving this wonderful gift to Yudhishtra, Surya said, “Through this vessel, you shall obtain, for the entire period of your exile, as much food as is needed for you and all those who accompany you. Only when everyone has been fed, and Draupadi has her share, will the vessel become empty for the day. Once empty, the vessel will fill again, only the next day!”

The Pandavas were careful in using the vessel, and had no trouble feeding all the people who came to visit them. This, in turn, provoked the Kauravas’ ire, for they could not bear even the slightest happiness for the Pandavas.

One day, the sage Durvasa arrived at Hastinapur with ten thousand disciples! The sage was known for his great anger, and Duryodhana hurried to serve the sage himself. He looked after the sage’s every need, and made sure all his followers were contented and comfortable. As he had hoped, the sage was pleased with the prince, and asked him what he wanted.

This was the opportunity Duryodhana had been waiting for! Instead of asking something for himself or his family, or for the good of his subjects, Duryodhana tried to make use of the opportunity to belittle the Pandavas. He said, bowing with false humility, “Great Sage, you have blessed us by your visit here. My cousins, the Pandavas are living in the forest. All I ask of you is that you visit them and bless them too, as you have blessed me. Please go late in the afternoon, so that they can complete their chores and look after you and your followers well.”

Duryodhana had phrased his request well, for the sage was impressed by his love for his cousins, and agreed to go to the Pandavas at once. He did not realize that Duryodhana was trying to get his cousins into trouble, sending the sage to them at a time when they would not be able to provide food for the sage and his huge retinue.

As Duryodhana had expected, the sage and his disciples arrived at the Pandavas’ ashram just after they had all finished their meal. Yudhishtra welcomed the sage warmly and asked how he and his brothers could serve him.

The sage replied, “O eldest of the Pandavas, we are coming from Hastinapur, where we learnt that you were living here in exile. You cousin took good care of us and asked us to pay you a visit. We are tired from our long journey, and wish to have food. But before that, we shall take a bath in the river. Please keep the food ready for us, for we are very hungry!”

As soon as the sage had left for the riverbank, Yudhishtra turned towards Draupadi, who had a shocked look on her face. “My lord” she said, “the Akshayapatra is empty, for I have just had my food. What can we do now?”

Now the Pandavas panicked! If they did not serve the sage food, he would be angry and curse them! No doubt, this was what Duryodhana had intended when he had sent the sage to their abode.

As the Pandavas wondered what to do and how to inform the sage that they could not provide food to such a huge number of people, Draupadi thought of the only one who could help them – Krishna! She was an ardent devotee of the lord, and had complete faith and belief in Him! She called out to him “Krishna, please help us. There is no one but you who can help us. If you do not come to our aid, the sage will surely curse us!”

The lord always responds to a sincere prayer, and Krishna appeared at once, miraculously, in their midst. As the Pandavas and Draupadi stared at him, stunned by his sudden appearance, Krishna looked at Draupadi and said, mischievously, “Draupadi, I am hungry. Can you please give me something to eat?”

Draupadi found her tongue at last, and pleaded, “Krishna, how can you tease me like this? The sage Durvasa has arrived with ten thousand disciples, and we are wondering how to feed them, and now you come here and ask for food too! Don’t you know that there isn’t a morsel of food here?”

Krishna replied, with a smile, “Draupadi, are you sure there is no food in the house? Come, show me your vessel, and let me see.”

Draupadi went inside the ashram and brought out the Akshayapatra, which she had just cleaned after eating her share of the food. Krishna took it in his hand and peered into it. Suddenly, he put his hand in and picked out a morsel of food from the rim. “See” he said, “There is some food left!”

While Draupadi bowed her head, ashamed that she hadn’t cleaned the vessel properly, Krishna put the morsel into his mouth, and said, “Aah! This is just what I wanted! Now my stomach is full. I am satisfied!”

Turning to the Pandavas, who were looking at him open-mouthed, Krishna said, “Bhima, go and inform the sage and his disciples that food is ready for them. Ask them to come and eat soon!”

Bhima was surprised by Krishna’s words, but he trusted the lord and obeyed him at all times. He walked towards the river, where the sage and his disciples had just completed their bath.

Meanwhile, the sage and his ten thousand disciples, as they were emerging from the river, suddenly felt their ravenous hunger disappearing, and in no time, they felt as if they had just had a full meal. Seeing Bhima approaching, they wondered how to inform him that they could not eat another morsel!

The sage wondered what had happened to make him feel so satiated, and realized through his powers, the entire sequence of events. He said to Bhima, “Son, we came here sent by your cousin, knowing that you would not be able to provide us food. I wished to test you, and you have passed the test with your love and devotion to the lord. I realize that it is Krishna, who has accepted a morsel of food from you and satiated the hunger of the whole world. I bow before the lord who rescues his devotees in distress. You are all blessed, because of your devotion to the lord. Please forgive me for refusing your hospitality and allow us to take your leave.”

The sage left the ashram at once, blessing the Pandavas, and the Pandavas heaved a sigh of relief. Krishna had saved them once again! Such is the love of the Lord towards his devotees.

Satyakama Jabala

2010-06-25T08:00:00.001+05:30

There was once a young boy named Satyakama, who lived with his mother. His father had died many years ago, and they lived all alone. The young boy saw his friends being sent to the gurukul, where they would gain knowledge at the feet of the guru, and wanted to go to the gurukul too.

He went to his mother and said, “Mother, I want to go to a gurukul and gain knowledge like all other Brahmin boys. Please tell me our gotra (family name) so that I can inform my guru.”

His mother replied, “My dear son, when you were born, I was busy with household duties, and had no time to ask your father his gotra. Unfortunately, your father died soon after, and the two of us were left all alone. Your name is Satyakama, and mine is Jabala. So call yourself ‘Satyakama Jabala’. Tell your guru the entire truth and he will accept you as his disciple.”

Satyakama bowed to his mother and left for the nearest ashram. It was the ashram of the great rishi, Gautama. He told the sage his mother’s words, and the sage was pleased to see the truthful boy. He said, “You have proved that you are a Brahmin by your adherence to truth. Bring me the samith (sacred twigs of the peepal tree which are used as fuel), and I shall initiate you.”

Satyakama began his duties by fetching the fuel as instructed, and was initiated into brahmacharya – the celibacy stage of a Brahmin, with the Gayatri Mantra. Given the sacred thread, Satyakama took his place amongst the other Brahmin boys and began his education.

A few days later, the sage called him aside and gave him 400 lean and weak cows. “My son,” he said, “Take these cows to the forest and graze them. They are your charge now, so take good care of them.”

Satyakama, the ever obedient student said, “Sir, I will care for them well, and bring them back when they multiply into a thousand.”

With his guru’s blessings, he entered the forest with his herd, built a small hut for himself and a shed for the herd, and started his duties. He cared well for the cows, at the same time practicing the duties of a Brahmachari, and time flew. The cows grew fat on the lush green grass of the forest, and thrived on his love for them. Well fed and satisfied, the cows began to multiply, and soon there were many calves among them.

One day, a bull in his herd spoke aloud to him, “Satyakama, have you noticed that there are now a thousand of us here? It is time for you to take us back to the ashram. In return for the love and affection you have shown to us, I shall teach you one-fourth of the sacred truth about Brahman or God!”

The bull continued, “The east is part of the lord, and so is the west. So are the south and the north. The four cardinal points are the four parts of the Brahman. He is named ‘Prakasavan’ – the shining. This is all I can teach you. Agni, the lord of fire shall teach you more when the time comes.”

Thanking the bull, Satyakama collected the herd and started back towards the ashram of Gautama. He walked all through the day and stopped at night so that the cows could rest. After making arrangements for the herd, he lit a fire and performed his duties, and sat thinking of the lord.

Suddenly, he heard a voice. It was Agni – the lord of fire, speaking from the fire he had lit. “Satyakama!” it said, “I am here to teach you another fourth part of Brahman. The earth is a portion of Brahman, and so is the sky. The heavens and the oceans too are part of the Brahman. This portion of Brahman is called ‘Anantavan’- the endless. This is all I can teach you. You will learn another portion from a swan.”

Satyakama thanked the God of fire and continued his journey the next day. That evening, as he performed his evening duties by a river, a swan flew towards him from the river and said, “Satyakama, I am here to teach you another fourth part of Brahman. The fire you worship is one part of Brahman. The sun is one part and so is the moon. The Lightning is also part of the same Brahman. This aspect of Brahman is called Jyotishman – the luminous. This is all I know. You will learn the rest from another bird, a water fowl.

Satyakama thanked the swan and continued his journey towards his guru’s ashram the next day. That evening, after he performed his rituals and sat by a pond, a waterfowl appeared and said, “Satyakama, I am here to teach you the final fourth part of Brahman. Hear it and be blessed.”

The water fowl continued, “Satyakama, the prana, or breath, is itself a part of the Brahman. The eyes and its sense of sight are another part, and so are the ears and their sense of hearing. The final part is the mind and its thoughts. These are what make up the final one fourth part of Brahman, and this portion of Him is called Ayatanavan – the support. You now know the complete secret of Brahman.”

Satyakama thanked the water fowl and continued on his journey the next day, and finally reached the ashram of Gautama. Prostrating himself before his guru, he said, “Guruji, I have fulfilled my duty and brought back the cows which now number a thousand. Please accept them and give me your blessings.”

Gautama welcomed his disciple with open arms, and was struck by the luster on his face. He said, “Satyakama, you have performed your duty well and your face now shines with the luster of Brahman. You have surely gained the supreme knowledge. Tell me, how did you learn the secret of Brahman?”

Satyakama replied with folded hands, “Guruji, I learned about Brahman through beings which were not men. However, I have heard that it is only the knowledge which is gained through the guru, which is considered the true knowledge. Therefore, kindly instruct me in the true knowledge of Brahman, yourself!”

Sage Gautama replied, “My son, the knowledge you have gained is the result of performing your duties with diligence and sincerity. You have served your guru well, and it is this service which has gained you the ultimate knowledge. You have earned it well, and are blessed. There is nothing I can add to this, and hence your education is now complete.”

The story of Satyakama Jabala occurs in the Chandogya Upanishad, and teaches us that service towards our teachers, adherence to truth and sincere performance of our duties are the only paths towards the real knowledge.

Krishna, I only need you!

2010-06-24T08:00:00.001+05:30

War had been declared between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Both sides were busy, trying to amass the larger army, and sent envoys to all the kings to ask them to take their side in the war.

The Yadavas, led by Krishna, were a sizeable force, one to reckon with. Knowing that Krishna, with his army, had the capacity to tilt the scales in the war, Duryodhana decided to go to Dwaraka himself and secure the co-operation of Krishna, especially his army. Meanwhile, the Pandavas who were truly devoted to Krishna, only wanted his support, and they sent Arjuna, the one closest to Krishna, to Dwaraka to humbly ask Krishna to join them.

Arjuna and Duryodhana arrived at Dwaraka at the same time. Krishna was having his siesta when the two of them arrived. Since both, Arjuna and Duryodhana were closely related to Krishna, they were allowed to wait in his room till he woke up. At once, Arjuna went to wait humbly at Krishna’s feet while Duryodhana, as haughty as ever, took a seat near the head of the bed.

As soon as Krishna woke up, his eyes fell on Arjuna. He sat up and then saw Duryodhana. He welcomed them and asked them the reason for their visit. Arjuna said, “Krishna, you know that war has now been declared. I have come to ask you to join us and give us your blessings.” Duryodhana said, “Krishna, I too have come to ask you for your help. Since I arrived here first, you must fulfill my desire before you grant Arjuna his wish.”

Krishna looked at them and said, “Duryodhana, you might have arrived here first, but it was Arjuna whom I saw first when I woke up. Besides, Arjuna is younger than you and has the right to be heard first. So it is Arjuna who shall have the first say.” Duryodhana was miffed, but he kept quiet.

Krishna continued, “Listen Arjuna and Duryodhana, both of you are my cousins and have equal rights over me. I would not like to take sides and have opposed the war from the very beginning. However, since the war is now going to take place, I am offering you a choice between me and my army. I shall not participate actively in the war, shall not take up any weapons, and shall only be the charioteer of the one who chooses me. My army, however, is free to fight for the side that chooses it.”

As soon as Krishna stopped, Arjuna said, “Krishna, I have made my choice. I only want you, not your army.” Krishna advised Arjuna to think again, but Arjuna was adamant, and Krishna granted him his wish.

Meanwhile, Duryodhana was thrilled! “Arjuna is a fool. He has chosen Krishna, who isn’t even going to take up arms. How can he help Arjuna? Now I have Krishna’s powerful army, and that I what I really wanted!” he thought. Outwardly, he humbly thanked Krishna for his army and left with a smile on his face.

When Duryodhana had left, Krishna asked Arjuna why he had chosen him. Arjuna said, “Krishna, you are divine and the greatest of all. If you are by my side, I will surely win the war!” Krishna was happy and smilingly blessed Arjuna.

The Great War began and both sides faced each other. As Arjuna’s charioteer, Krishna held the reins and guided Arjuna without taking up any weapons. It was he who counseled Arjuna on the means to defeat his enemies and guided them to victory. Without Krishna, the Pandavas could never have won the war. It was Arjuna’s humility and devotion to Krishna which secured them the support of the Lord, and helped them trounce their enemies.

The true devotee is one who has a firm faith in the Lord, and performs his duty in a humble manner. Such a devotee always has the lord by his side, guiding him and steering him towards success and happiness.