Control Kaama and Eliminate Holika, Dhundhi and Pootana - Message of Holi

What do Holika, Dhundhi, Pootana and Kaama Deva have in common?

Well, one festival which connects all these is the festival of colors, Holi.

In this post we will look at all the legends associated with Holi.

1. Holika

The most ‘popular’ event associated with Hoil is the burning of the demoness Holika. Infact the name ‘Holi’ is a shortened version of the name ‘Holika’.

Legend has it that there was a great king of Asuras called Hiranyakashipu. He pleased Lord Brahma with severe tapasya and got a boon that he could not be killed 'during day or night; inside the home or outside, not on earth or in the sky; neither by a man nor an animal; neither by astra nor by shastra'. He became so self obsessed that he forbid worship of any God and in fact declared himself as the ‘Master of one and all’. But such is Prabhu’s maya that his own son Prahlada turned out to be a great devotee of Lord Vishnu.

[caption id="attachment_699" align="aligncenter" width="254"] Hiranyakashyipu threatening Prahlad to stop worshiping Lord Vishnu[/caption]

Hiranyakashipu couldn’t digest the fact that his own blood was going against his wishes. After trying very hard to pursue Prahlad to stop worship of Vishnu, Hiranyakashyapu reached a stage where he thought that killing his son was the only solution to end this ‘revolt’.

[caption id="attachment_700" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Prahlad locked up with snakes[/caption]

He poisoned Prahlada; but the poison got converted to nectar in his mouth.

He ordered Prahlada to be trampled by elephants; but Prahlada remained unharmed.

He put Prahlada in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes; no damage was done to Prahlada.

He threw Prahlada down a cliff; Prahlada easily survived the fall.

Thus all of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son failed.

Finally, he decided to employ the services of his demoness sister Holika in order to ensure the killing of Prahlad.

Prahlad was made to sit on a pyre in the lap of Holika.

Now the logic behind this was that Holika had a boon that she couldn’t be burned by fire.

So the plan was to make Prahlada burn while Holika would be unaffected by the fire. Prahlada quietly went and sat on Holika’s lap. The only thing he constantly did was to take the name of the Almighty - 'Om Namo Narayana'.

[caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Holika gets burnt in the fire and Prahlad remains unharmed[/caption]

When the pyre was lit, much against the expectations of people around, Holika  was affected by the heat of the fire and slowly her body perished. On the other hand Prahlad was untouched and unaffected by the fire.

This event is known as Holika Dahan.

[caption id="attachment_697" align="aligncenter" width="194"] Holika Dahan, on the eve of Holi[/caption]

Even today bonfires are lit on the eve of the Holi festival to commemorate Holika Dahan.

 

2. Dhundhi

In the kingdom of Prithu there was an ogress called Dhundhi.

Now Dhundhi, had a boon from Lord Shiva that she could not be killed by Gods, men nor suffer either from arms or from heat, cold or rain. These boons made her almost invincible. but there was a catch. She was also cursed by Lord Shiva that she would be in danger from young boys.

Because of this Dhundhi used to trouble little children in particular.

Prithu was alarmed by this terror of Dhundhi. He consulted a lot of people and a solution was arrived at. It was decided that on last full moon day of Phalguna, when the season of cold vanishes and summer begins, young boys with bits of wood in their hands would go out of their houses, collect a heap of wood and grass, set it on fire with mantras, clap their hands, go around the fire thrice, laugh, sing and by their noise and laughter Dhundhi would die.

The plan worked and since that day Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna.

 

3. Pootana

This legend is about Pootana. Pootana was summoned by Kansa, ruler of the Vrishni kingdom to kill Krishna, his nephew, as it was foretold to Kansa that Devki's 8th son i.e. Sri Krishna would kill him.

Just like Hiranyakashipu had tried numerous times to kill Prahlad, Kansa also made a lot of attempts to kill Krishna.

One such attempt was through Pootana. Kansa called Pootana and ordered her to go down to Gokul immediately. Pootana assumed the disguise of a young beautiful woman and entered Krihsna’s home town. Somehow she managed to distract all the women of the town and while they were away from their babies Putana made the babies suck her breast which had been smeared with poison. Thus slowly and slowly all the new born babies of Gokul died. Finally when Pootana came into Nand and Yashoda’s house and made Krishna suck her breast, she was in for a surprise. Krishna squeezed her breasts and sucked her milk as well as her life.

[caption id="attachment_701" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pootana's life sucked by Krishna[/caption]

Pootana couldn't bear the pain and went back to her real demonic form. She ran out of the house with Krishna still clinging to her. When the people of Gokul arrived at the place where Pootana fell, they were stunned to see small Krishna still alive and the dangerous Pootana dead.

The people of Gokul were releived that no harm had been done to Krishna and decided to hold a special celebration. Since then this celebration has become a part of the many legends associated with Holi.

This legend is particularly famous in the state of Goa.

 

4. Kaama Deva

Sati and Lord Shiva were happily married to each other. Once Sati’s father Daksha organised a yagya, but did not invite Sati or Shiva as he had an altercation with Shiva in the court of Brahma. But, Sati who wanted to attend the yagya, went even though Lord Shiva did not appreciate the idea. To here great anguish, Daksha ignored her presence and did not even offer a place for Shiva. Sati felt humiliated and was struck with profound grief. She jumped into the yagna fire and immolated herself.

Lord Shiva became extremely furious when he heard the news of Sati’s immolation. Carrying the body of Sati, Shiva began to perform Rudra Tandava (dance of destruction) and wiped out the kingdom of Daksha. Everybody was terrified as Shiva’s Tandava had the power to destroy the entire universe. In order to calm Lord Shiva, Vishnu severed Sati's body into 12 pieces and threw them on earth. It is said that wherever the pieces of Shakti’s body fell, there emerged a Shakti Peetha.

Lord Siva undertook rigorous penance and retired to the Himalayas. Sati took a re-birth as Parvati in the family of God Himalaya. She also started performing penance to break Shiva’s meditation and win his attention.

During this time a demon by the name of Tarkasur terrorized the Devtas and became the ruler of the world. Tarkasur had a boon that he could be only killed by the son of Lord Shiva.

[caption id="attachment_704" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Shiva opening Third-eye and turning Kaama Deva into ashes[/caption]

As Shiva was paying no heed to Parvati's tapasya, the Devtas requested Kaama Deva (also known as Madan) to accelerate the process of bringing together Shiva and Parvati. So Kamadeva shot his love-arrow on Shiva's heart. A deeply disturbed Lord Shiva opened his third eye and the fury of his third eye instantly turned Kamadeva into ashes. Kaama Deva's wife Rati requested Shiva  to restore her husband's life. Shiva agreed to Rati's request and granted immortality to Kamdev, but added that Kaamdeva would exist in a disembodied (free from a body) form. Since this day Kamadeva is also known as 'Ananga' or 'Atanu' (both meaning 'without body').

This event is celebrated as Kaama Dahan in southern parts of India.

 

Thus we see that Holi might be given any name, but the essence and message of Holi remains the same - eliminate and burn the negativities inside us (just like Holika, Dhundhi, Pootana and Kaama Deva were burnt) and lead a positive and colorful life.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Holi :)

 

 

 

 

 

Making men pay for the pranks of Krishna - Lath Maar Holi!

Every year around this time, Barsana, a small town in the Mathura district of the state of Uttar Pradesh comes alive; tourists from around the world flock the city; everyone who sees the sight is mesmerised at this event which has no such parallel in the world.

I am talking about the Lath Maar Holi which takes place every year around Holi.

[caption id="attachment_683" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Yashoda and Krishna[/caption]

According to mythological legends and stories, Lord Krishna who was dark in colour, was jealous of the fair-coloured Radha. He used to bring this up in front of his mother Yashoda all the time. (The sentiments are beautifully brought out in this super hit song from the 1978 movie Satyam Shivam Sundaram starring Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman and sung by Lata Mangeshkar )

One fine day Yashoda maiyya lost patience and ‘advised’ Krishna that he could change Radha's skin by sprinkling her with colours.

Encouraged by the ‘idea’, Krishna along with his shepherd friends visited Radha and her cowherd girls in Barsana and teased her by throwing colours at her. Radha and the girls got back at the boys and chased them away with lathis (sticks).

[caption id="attachment_684" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Holi at Barsana[/caption]

This practice has continued in the town of Barsana ever since. In the Lathmar Holi festival, the men from Nandgaon first come to the neighbouring village of Barsana to play Holi with the women there. But instead of colours, they are greeted with sticks. On the second day, men from Barsana travel to Nandgaon to play the game with their women.

[caption id="attachment_687" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Bachke Rehna Re Baba[/caption]

Even after thousands of years, the women of Barsana are making the men of Nandgaon pay for the natkhat pranks of Krishna :)

The Great Night of Lord Shiva - Maha Shivratri

Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat

Meaning - We meditate on the Three-eyed reality which permeates and nourishes all like a fragrance. May we be liberated from death for the sake of immortality, even as a cucumber is severed from bondage to the creeper.

Maha Shivratri is a Hindu festival celebrated every year in reverence of Lord Shiva.

Shivaratri literally means 'the great night of Shiva'.

It is celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day of the Phalguna month of the Hindu calendar.

The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael or Bilva/Vilvam leaves to Lord Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-long vigil.

Numerous legends are associated with the origin of Maha Shivratri.

1. Marriage of Shiva and Shakti

[caption id="attachment_674" align="aligncenter" width="298"] Shiva and Shakti[/caption]

Legend goes that once Lord Shiva and his wife Sati (or Shakti) were returning from sage Agastya’s ashram after listening to story of Ram. On their way through a forest, Shiva saw Lord Rama searching for his wife Sita who had been kidnapped by Ravana, the King of Lanka. Lord Shiva bowed his head in reverence to Lord Rama. Sati was surprised by Lord Shiva’s behavior and inquired why he was paying obeisance to a mere mortal. Shiva informed Sati that Rama was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sati, however, was not satisfied with the reply and Lord asked her to go and verify the truth for herself.

Using her power to change forms, Sati took the form of Sita appeared before Rama. Lord Rama immediately recognized the true identity of the Goddess and asked, "Devi, why are you alone, where's Shiva?" At this, Sati realized the truth about Lord Ram. But, Sita was like a mother to Lord Shiva and since Sati took the form of Sita her status had changed. From that time, Shiva detached himself from her as a wife. Sati was sad with the change of attitude of Lord Shiva but she stayed on at Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva.

Later, Sati’s father Daksha organised a yagna, but did not invite Sati or Shiva as he had an altercation with Shiva in the court of Brahma. But, Sati who wanted to attend the Yagna, went even though Lord Shiva did not appreciate the idea. To hre great anguish, Daksha ignored her presence and did not even offer Prasad for Shiva. Sati felt humiliated and was struck with profound grief. She jumped into the yagna fire and immolated herself.

Lord Shiva became extremely furious when he heard the news of Sati’s immolation. Carrying the body of Sati, Shiva began to perform Rudra Tandava or the dance of destruction and wiped out the kingdom of Daksha. Everybody was terrified as Shiva’s Tandava had the power to destroy the entire universe. In order to calm Lord Shiva, Vishnu severed Sati's body into 12 pieces and threw them on earth.

Lord Siva was now alone undertook rigorous penance and retired to the Himalayas. Sati took a re-birth as Parvati in the family of God Himalaya. She performed penance to break Shiva’s meditation and win his attention. It is said that Parvati, who found it hard to break Shiva’s meditation seeked help of Kamadeva - the God of Love and Passion. Kaamadeva asked Parvati to dance in front of Shiva. When Parvati danced, Kaamadeva shot his arrow of passion at Shiva breaking his penance. Shiva became extremely infuriated and opening his third eye that reduced Kaamadeva to ashes. It was only after Kamadeva’s wife Rati’s pleading that Lord Shiva agreed to revive Kaamadeva.

Later, Parvati undertook severe penance to win over Shiva. Through her devotion and persuasion by sages devas, Parvati, also known as Uma, was finally able to lure Shiva into marriage and away from asceticism. Their marriage was solemnized a day before Amavasya in the month of Phalgun. This day of union of God Shiva and Parvati is celebrated as Mahashivratri every year.

2. Neelkantha and Samudra Manthan

[caption id="attachment_675" align="aligncenter" width="203"] Lord Shiva drinking Halahala[/caption]

During the Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. (detailed post here) This terrified the Gods and demons as the poison was capable of destroying the entire world, and they ran to Shiva for help. To protect the world from its evil effects, Shiva drank the deathly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This made his throat turn blue, and he was given the name Neelakantha, the blue-throated one. Shivaratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world.

3. Lingam and the battle for 'Greatness'

Once the other two of the triads of Hindu Gods, Brahma and Vishnu, were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. But light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could find the end. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the Ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as a witness.

At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Brahma for telling a lie, and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him. The Ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship, as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a Linga, the day is especially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivaratri. Worshipping Shiva on this day is believed to bestow one with happiness and prosperity.

4. Lord Shiva's Favourite Day

After Creation was complete, Parvati asked Lord Shiva which devotees and rituals pleased him the most. The Lord replied that the 14th night of the new moon, in the dark fortnight during the month of Phalgun, is his most favourite day. Parvati repeated these words to her friends, from whom the word spread over everywhere.

On this auspicious day, lets bow down to Bholenath and seek his blessings.

Har Har Mahadeva :)

CERN and Lord Nataraja

[caption id="attachment_659" align="aligncenter" width="244"] Nataraja - The Lord of Dance[/caption]

"It is the clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of."

[caption id="attachment_664" align="aligncenter" width="210"] Statue of Nataraja at CERN[/caption]

In June 2004, an unusual new landmark was unveiled at CERN, the European Center for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva — a 2m tall statue of Lord Shiva in his Nataraja form. The statue, symbolizing Shiva's cosmic dance of creation and destruction acknowledged the profound significance of the metaphor of Shiva's dance for the cosmic dance of subatomic particles, which is observed and analyzed by CERN's physicists.

The man who started the discussion of the parallel between Shiva's dance and the dance of subatomic particles was Fritjof Capra, an Austrian-born American physicist and the founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California. In an article titled "The Dance of Shiva: The Hindu View of Matter in the Light of Modern Physics" published in Main Currents in Modern Thought in 1972.

[caption id="attachment_660" align="aligncenter" width="195"] The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capara[/caption]

Shiva's cosmic dance then became a central metaphor in Capra's international bestseller The Tao of Physics, first published in 1975 and still in print in over 40 editions around the world.

"Fritjof Capra, in The Tao of Physics , seeks . . . an integration of the mathematical world view of modern physics and the mystical visions of Buddha and Krishna. Where others have failed miserably in trying to unite these seemingly different world views, Capra, a high-energy theorist, has succeeded admirably. I strongly recommend the book to both layman and scientist."

In the words of Mr. Capra -

"Modern physics has shown that the rhythm of creation and destruction is not only manifest in the turn of the seasons and in the birth and death of all living creatures, but is also the very essence of inorganic matter," and that "For the modern physicists, then, Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter."

"Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics."

The place which helped Lord Shiva get rid of the heat when he drank the Halahala - Gosaikunda Lake

[caption id="attachment_653" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lord Shiva drinking Halahala[/caption]

One of the products that came out of the Samudra Manthan was Halaha (poison). The poison was so powerful that it could annihilate the entire universe. And it was the Maha Yogi, Lord Shiva who came to the rescue of everyone and inhaled the poison. As a result, the color of Lord Shiva's neck turned blue giving him the name "Nilakanta" (the one with the blue throat). When the heat from the poison finally became unbearable for Lord Shiva, he used his trishul to dig for water, thus forming the Gosaikunda Lake.

[caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Gosaikunda Lake[/caption]

Gosaikunda is an alpine freshwater oligotrophic lake in Langtang National Park, located at an altitude of 14,370 ft above sea level in the Rasuwa District of Nepal.

The lake melts and sips down to form the Trishuli river and remains frozen for six months in winter October to June. There are 108 lakes in this area, small to medium in size.

Hindu mythology attributes Gosaikunda as the abode of Hindu deities Lord Shiva and Goddess Gauri. Its holy waters are considered of particular significance during Gangadashahara and the sacred thread festival Janai Purnima when thousands of pilgrims from Nepal and India visit the area.

Gosaikunda is a significant place of interest in the Dhunche-Helambu trekking route.

How 'Churning of the water body' connects Japanase and Hindu mythologies!

In Japanese mythology, the Japanese creation myth, Tenchikaibyaku ("Creation of Heaven and Earth"), is the story that describes the legendary birth of the celestial and earthly world, the birth of the first Gods and the birth of the Japanese archipelago.

Two books namely Kojiki, the first book written in Japan (712 AD), and the Nihon Shoki (720 AD) form the literary basis of Japanese mythology and Shinto.

According to the Kojiki, at the beginning the universe was immersed in a beaten and shapeless kind of matter (chaos), sunk in silence. Later there were sounds indicating the movement of particles. With this movement, the light and the lightest particles rose but the particles were not as fast as the light and could not go higher. Thus, the light was at the top of the Universe, and below it, the particles formed first the clouds and then Heaven, which was to be called Takamagahara (“High Plain of Heaven"). The rest of the particles that had not risen formed a huge mass, dense and dark, to be called Earth.

When Takamagahara was formed, five deities known as Kotoamatsukami appeared spontaneously.

Subsequently two other gods arose after which five pairs of gods were born (total of ten deities), each pair consisting of a male deity and a female deity.

All these 12 deities are collectively called as Kamiyonanayo ( "Seven Divine Generations").

Following the creation of Heaven and Earth and the appearance of these primordial gods, the last pair of the Kamiyonanayo - Izanagi and Izanami went on to create the Japanese archipelago (Kuniumi) and gave birth to a large number of gods (Kamiumi).

[caption id="attachment_644" align="aligncenter" width="135"] Izanami and Izanagi churning the sea[/caption]

To help them to achieve this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a Naginata decorated with jewels, named Ame-no-nuboko ("Heavenly Jeweled Spear"). The two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, Amenoukihashi ("Floating Bridge of Heaven") and churned the sea below with the halberd ( two-handed pole weapon).

Drops of salty water formed the island, Onogoro ("self-forming"). The deities descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island. Eventually, they fell in love and wished to procreate.

From their union were born the Oyashima, or the eight great islands of Japan:

[caption id="attachment_645" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 8 Islands of Ancient Japan[/caption]

1. Awaji
2. Iyo
3. Oki
4. Tsukushi
5. Iki
6. Tsushima
7. Sado
8. Yamato

Thus we see that the concept of “churning a water body” is also present in mythologies other than that of the Hindus.

How Sage Vashishtha brought down River Gomti on Earth

There is an interesting tale describing how sage Vashishtha had brought down Gomti from the heaven to earth.

At the time of deluge when the whole world had submerged in water, a lotus flower manifested from Lord Vishnu's navel on which was seated Brahma. Lord Vishnu instructed him to perform his duty as a creator to which Brahma agreed.

First of all Brahma created his manasputras and sought their help in increasing the population of the world by becoming householders. But, all of them were extremely virtuous and did not show any inclination towards getting married.

Ultimately all of them went to the western coast and engaged themselves in austere penance. Their penance continued for a number of years after which 'Sudarshan Chakra' appeared before them. As all of them looked up in bewilderment, they heard a heavenly voice - "O sons of Brahma! Very soon the almighty Vishnu is going to manifest himself. The 'Chakra' you are seeing is his. You all must perform the rituals of 'ardhya' in the name of Lord Vishnu to show your reverence towards him."

All the Manasputras eulogized Sudarshan-Chakra with deep devotion. All of them wished that there were a holy river, with whose water they could perform the rituals of ardhya. But to their utter dismay there was no such holy river nearby. They then remembered Lord Brahma, who immediately understood what they desired.

Lord Brahma instructed Ganga by saying - "Ganga! Go to the earth, where you would be known as Gomti. Sage Vashishth will lead you to your destination. Just follow him like a daughter follows her father."

Finally, when sage Vashishth followed by Gomti reached their destination, all the Manasputras were delighted. They eulogized Ganga and expressed their gratitude to Vashishth for bringing Ganga on earth.

All of them thanked Vashishth by saying - "Since you have brought Gomti on earth, you would be considered as her father."

They offered 'ardhya' to Gomti and subsequently eulogized Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu appeared after being pleased and blessed them - "Your unflinching devotion in me has pleased me no bound. Since you did this penance with the objective of Moksha (salvation), this place would become famous as Moksha Dayak (giver of salvation). This sacrosanct place would also be called Chakra teerth because of Sudarshan chakra, who informed you all of my manifestation on earth. I assure you that I won't abandon this sacrosanct place even for a moment."

This way, all the Manasputras were finally successful in their objective of offering ardhya to Lord Vishnu with the holy water of Gomti. At last, Gomti having fulfilled her mission for which she had descended down to Earth merged with the ocean. Lord Vishnu disappeared from there and Manasputras continued to live there.

 

How Rishi Durvasa's curse resulted in the 'Greatest Show on Earth - The Kumbh Mela'!

Rishi Durvasa holds a special place in the many lores of Hindu mythology.

To begin with he was the ‘avatar’ of Lord Shiva born to Atri and Anasuya.

He was extremely feared for his short temper. He didn’t think twice before giving a shraap (curse) to anyone who didn't please him.

[caption id="attachment_577" align="aligncenter" width="218"] Durvasa cursing Shakuntala[/caption]

Right from Ambaraisha to Shakuntala and even Lakshman ‘suffered’ due to his curse. (more on these stories later)

But the one person who was one of his earliest ‘victims’ and whose attempts to get back to what he had lost resulted in a series of events due to which millions of followers come together once in 12 years to wash away all their sins.

The individual I am talking about is Indra and it is the Kumbh Mela which resulted from curse Sage Durvasa had given Indra.

Let’s know more about this story today.

[caption id="attachment_578" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Vidyadhari giving the garland to Durvasa[/caption]

Once Durvasa was wandering on earth, when he came across a female Vidyadhari (a nymph of the air) who was wearing a beautiful garland of flowers. Seeing Durvasa being attracted to the garland the nymph respectfully gave it to the sage. When he came back from earth, the sage came across Indra riding his elephant, Airavata.

[caption id="attachment_579" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Indra riding on Airavata[/caption]

Durvasa presented the garland to Indra, who not sure of what to do with the garland placed it on Airavata's head. The elephant was irritated by the fragrance of the nectar in the flowers and threw the garland to the ground with its trunk and crushed it with his feet. Durvasa was enraged to see his gift treated so callously and immediately cursed Indra that he would be cast down from his position of dominion over the three worlds, just as the garland was cast down.

Indra immediately begged Durvasa's forgiveness, but the sage refused to retract or even soften his curse, and went on his way.

Because of the curse, Indra and the Devas were diminished in strength and shorn of their lustre. Seizing this opportunity, the Asuras led by Bali waged war against the gods. The Devtas were routed and turned to Brahma for help.

Brahma in turn directed them to seek refuge with Vishnu. Vishnu in turn gave the idea for the Samudra Manthan.

Stay tuned; the story becomes very interesting from here ;)

"Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya" - Message of Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of India with different customs and names; but with the same spirit everywhere.

Makar Sankranti as a Harvest Festival
Makar Sankranti is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India. According to the lunar calendar, when the sun moves from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer or from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana, in the month of Pausha in mid-January, it commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India. The movement of the Sun from one zodiac sign into another is called Sankranti and as the Sun moves into the Capricorn zodiac known as Makar in Hindi, this occasion is named as Makar Sankranti in the Indian context.

The festival of Makar Sankranti is highly regarded by the Hindus from North to down South. The day is known by various names and a variety of traditions are witnessed as one explores the festival in different states.

Astrological Significance of Makar Sankranti
Makar means Capricorn and Sankranti stands for transition. There is a sankranti every month when the sun passes from one sign of the zodiac to the next. There are twelve signs of the zodiac, and thus there are twelve sankranti's as well. Each of these sankranti's has its own relative importance but two of these are more important - the Mesh (Aries) Sankranti and the most important, the Makar (Capricorn) Sankranti. Transition of the Sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn, during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere is known as Makar Sankranti. From this day begins the six-month long Uttarayana, considered very auspicious for attaining higher worlds hereafter.

While the traditional Indian Calendar is basically based on lunar positions, but sankranti is a solar event, so while dates of all festivals keep changing, the English calendar date of Makar Sankranti is always same, 14th January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha. There is another significance of this day, after this day the days start becoming longer & warmer, and thus the chill of winter in on decline.

Mythological Legends associated with Makar Sankranti



1. The Puranas say that on this day Sun visits the house of his son Shani, who is the swami of Makar Rashi. These father & son do not ordinarily get along nicely, but inspite of any difference between each other Lord Sun makes it a point to meet each other on this day. Father in fact himself comes to his son’s house, for a month. This day symbolized the importance of special relationship of father & son. It is the son who has the responsibility to carry forward his fathers dream and the continuity of the family.

2.  From Uttarayana starts the ‘day’ of Devatas, while Dakshinayana is said to be the ‘night’ of devatas, so most of the auspicious things are done during this time. Uttarayana is also called as Devayana, and the next half is called Pitrayana.

3.  It was on this day when Lord Vishnu ended the ever increasing terrorism of the Asuras by finishing them off and burying their heads under the Mandar Parvat. So this occasion also represents the end of negativities and beginning of an era of righteous living.

4. The great savior of his ancestors, Maharaj Bhagirath, did great Tapasya to bring Ganga down on the earth for the redemption of 60,000 sons of Maharaj Sagar, who were burnt to ashes at the Kapil Muni Ashram, near the present day Ganga Sagar. It was on this day that Bhagirath finally did tarpan with the Ganges water for his unfortunate ancestors and thereby liberated them from the curse. After visiting the Patala for the redemption of the curse of Bhagirath’s ancestors Gangaji finally merged in the Sagar. Even today a very big Ganga Sagar Mela is organized every year on this day at the confluence of River Ganges and the Bay of Bengal. Lakhs take dip in the water and do tarpan for their ancestors.

5. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration.

Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God begins its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere and thus it signifies an event wherein the Sun-God seems to remind their children that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'- may you go higher & higher, to more & more Light and never to Darkness.

To Hindus, the Sun stands for knowledge, spiritual light and wisdom. Makar Sankranti signifies that we should turn away from the darkness of delusion in which we live, and begin to enjoy a new life with bright light within us to shine brighter and brighter. We should gradually begin to grow in purity, wisdom and knowledge, even as the Sun does from the day of Makar Sankranti.

Wishing all of you a Happy Makar Sankranti :)

Kumbha Mela - The world's biggest religious gathering

Kumbh Mela is the greatest pilgrimage and festival in the Hindu religion. Derived from Kumbha meaning ‘pitcher’ and Mela meaning ‘festival’, Kumbh Mela is celebrated four times every 12 years, the site of the observance rotating between four pilgrimage places on four sacred rivers: at Haridwar on the Ganges River, at Ujjain on the Kshipra, at Nasik on the Godavari, and at Prayag (Allahabad) at the confluence of the Ganga, Jamuna, and the 'mythical' Saraswati.

It is held in twelve year cycles, alternating in such a way that about every three years a Kumbha Mela takes place.

Kumbha Mela has gained international fame as "the world's most massive act of faith". The festival is often regarded as the "biggest religious gathering in the world".

There are five types of Kumbh Melas:

1. Maha Kumbh Mela - occurs after 12 'Purna Kumbh Melas' or 144 years – takes place only in Allahabad


2. Purna Kumbh Mela - occurs after every 12 years - at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik


3. Ardh Kumbh Mela - celebrated every six years - at Haridwar and Allahabad


4. Kumbh Mela - celebrated every 3rd year - rotating between Prayag, Nasik, Haridwar and Ujjain


5. Magh Mela - annual, held every year except years of Kumbh Mela and Ardh Kumbh Mela - only in Allahabad

Kumbh Mela is celebrated at different locations depending on the position of the planet of Bṛihaspati (Jupiter) and the Sun (more on this a later post).

Famous ancient traveller, Huen Tsang of China, was the first to mention Kumbha Mela in his diary. His diary mentions the celebration of 75 days of Hindu month of Magha (January-February), which witnessed half a million devotee including sadhus, common man, rich & famous & kings.

The great Indian saint Shankara, who lived in the 8th century CE, is credited with popularizing the Kumbh Mela among the common people.

Renowned American author Mark Twain was so mesmerised after visiting the Kumbh Mela of 1895 that he wrote:

“It is wonderful, the power of a faith like that, that can make multitudes upon multitudes of the old and weak and the young and frail enter without hesitation or complaint upon such incredible journeys and endure the resultant miseries without repining. It is done in love, or it is done in fear; I do not know which it is. No matter what the impulse is, the act born of it is beyond imagination, marvelous to our kind of people, the cold whites.”

Snana Parva or bathing in the river  is one of the most important part of the Kumbh Mela (detailed post on this later). It is believed that it washes away all the sins and the cycle of rebirth and death ends as the soul becomes one with God Almighty.

Starting today we will one by one unravel all the aspects associated with Kumbh Mela.

The connection between the city of Gaya and Sage Marichi

Amongst all the holy tirthas, Gaya in Bihar has a special place.

This is the story of the demon after whom the city is named.

A demon named Gayasura once started to perform tapasya. Such was the power of his tapasya that the Devtas started to worry about the intentions behind this extreme penance. They went to Vishnu and sought his help. Vishnu pacified the Devtas went to Gayasura to grant him a boon.

"Grant me the boon that I may become the most sacred of all tirthas," replied the daitya.

The boon was granted and Gayasura disappeared. Vishnu then instructed Brahma and the Devtas to perform a sacrifice. He also asked them to go to Gayasura and ask for his body so that the sacrifice might be performed on it. As soon as Gayasura agreed, his head fell off from the body. Brahma then proceeded to perform the sacrifice on Gayasura's headless body. But as soon as the sacrifice started, the body began to shake.

To overcome this hiccup it was decided that all the Devtas along with Vishnu would enter a stone which would be placed on Gayasura's body so that the body would not shake.

Gaya is sacred because it is believed that through this stone the gods and Vishnu are always present in Gaya.

Now, let's look at the story behind this stone.

The sage Marichi was Brahma's son and had married Dharmavrata. One day Marichi went to the forest to collect wood and flowers and returned extremely tired. He called Dharmavrata and said, "I am very tired. Wash my feet."

Dharmavrata began to wash Marichi's feet when Lord Brahma suddenly arrived. Dharmavrata did not know what to do. Should she finish washing her husband's feet? Or should she first attend to Brahma, since Brahma was Marichi's father?

She decided to attend to Brahma first. Marichi became very angry on seeing this and cursed Dharmavrata converting her into a stone. Dharmavrata performed tapasya for many years to overcome this curse. Vishnu was pleased at Dharmavrata's meditation and offered to grant her a boon.

Dharmavrata wished that the curse imposed on her by Marichi might be waived. Vishnu explained that this was not possible, since Marichi was a very powerful sage. However Dharmavrata was granted a boon that her stone form would be so powerful that it would be desired even by the Gods and that all the gods would be always present inside this stone. It was this stone that was placed on Gayasura's body.

What roles do Shiva's Lingam, Ketaki flower, Sage Bhrigu and Daityas play in Brahmajee not being worshipped?

One of the most intriguing questions pertaining to Hindu mythology is that why Lord Brahma is not worshipped as much as the other two Lords in the holy trinity? Why does Brahma have a handful of temples dedicated to him while Vishnu and Shiva have infinite?

Let’s find out all the legends associated with this ‘mystery’!

1. According to the Shiv Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu had an argument on who was the most powerful amongst the Trimurti. The argument became so heated that the other gods asked Shiva, the third of the triad, to intervene. Shiva assumed the form of a gigantic lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva). The lingam was of flaming fire and it went up to the heavens and descended into the nether regions underneath the earth. Both Brahma and Vishnu agreed that the one who finds out how enormous the fiery lingam was and where it ended will be considered the most powerful among the Trimurti.

Brahma took the form of a swan and went upwards along the length of the ascending lingam while Vishnu assumed the form of a boar and descended along the lingam into the nether regions.

Both went on and on but neither could reach the ends.

Vishnu, being very clever, realized that he had been outdone by Shiva and came back to acknowledge Shiva as the greatest of the triad.

[caption id="attachment_397" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ketaki Flower[/caption]

Brahma, on the other hand, decided that he could get past Shiva with trickery. On his ascent to determine the end of the upper part of the lingam, Brahma passed the ketaki flower (Pandanus odorifer). Brahma requested ketaki to testify before Shiva that he had reached the uppermost end to which the flower agreed. When brought before Shiva, the flower told Shiva that he had observed Brahma reach the upper end of the lingam.

Shiva immediately found out about the lie and became very angry. He cursed Brahma with the horror of not ever being worshipped on earth. Also the ketaki flower was cursed with the depressing condition of never ever being used in any Hindu worshiping rituals.

2. According to the Matsya Purana, Shatarupa was known by different names, including Satarupa, Sarasvati, Sandhya or Brahmi.

When Brahma was creating the universe, he made a female deity known as Shatarupa (she of a hundred beautiful forms).

Brahma was immediately infatuated by the goddess's beauty and unable to contain his passion (kaam) pursued her wherever she went. Shatarupa did not want to be associated with carnal desire and moved in various directions to avoid his gaze but wherever she went, Brahma developed another head until he had four, one for each direction of the compass. Desperate, Shatarupa leaped over him to stay out of his gaze even for a moment. A fifth head, however, appeared above the others. Thus, Brahma developed five heads.
At this moment Shiva appeared, cut off the top head and determined that since Shatarupa was Brahma's daughter (being created by him), it was wrong and incestous of Brahma to become obsessed with her. He directed that there be no proper worship in India for the "unholy" Brahma. Thus, only the other two Gods of the Trimurti, Vishnu and Shiva continue to be worshipped, while Brahma is almost totally ignored. Ever since the incident, Brahma has been reciting the four Vedas, one from every mouth, in his attempt at repentance.

Another version of the story describes how all of the animals of all kinds in today's world were born. After Brahma had grown his fifth head Shatarupa had turned into a cow to avoid his lust. When Brahma found out he turned into a bull in order to continue to follow Shatarupa, eventually finding her. She hid in the form of another animal in order to quell his unnatural lust. But, alas, Brahma found out again and incarnated as the appropriate male animal. Again, she hid in the form of another animal. This continued until and Shiva finally ripped off one of Brahma's five heads to put an end to his lust.

[caption id="attachment_400" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sage Bhrigu in Brahma Lok[/caption]

3. Once upon a time many great sages gathered at the bank of river Saraswati to participate in Maha yagya organized at that time. Maharishi Bhrigu was also present there. All the great saints and sages could not decide that out of the Trimurti - Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Shiv who is pre-eminent and to whom should they offer Pradhanta (Master) of that yagya. With the consent of all the great saints present there, it was decided that Maharishi Bhrigu will test and decide who was pre-eminent.

Upon being entrusted with the task Maharishi Bhrigu decided to test Lord Brahma first. He went on to see Lord Brahma in Brahmalok. On reaching Brahmalok Maharishi displayed utter disrespect to Lord Brahma on purpose. Lord Brahma got angry as Bhrigu was his son and wanted to punish Maharishi but Maha Saraswati, wife of Lord Brahma saved Maharishi from his anger (in some versions he himself composed himself to hide the anger). Angry with disrespect and not finding bRahma worth of being ‘Supreme’ Maharishi Bhrigu cursed Lord Brahma that no one will worship Brahma in Kaliyug.

In another version Brahmarshi Bhrigu cursed Brahma because when he went to Brahma to invite him for a Yagna he was deeply immersed in the music played by Saraswati and couldn't hear Bhrigu's calls.

4. According to the Bhavishya Purana certain 'daityas' or demons had begun to worship Brahma and therefore the 'devas' of heaven could not defeat them. In order to mislead the daityas from the worship of Brahma, Vishnu appeared on Earth, as Buddha and Mahavira. With various arguments he convinced the daityas to leave the worship of Brahma. Having left the worship of Brahma, the daityas lost power and were hence defeated.

In the next post we see what was Step 3 for Lord Brahma in the creation of the world.

Brahmajee’s Step 3 – The Prajapatis

After the initial setbacks, Brahma was more than ever determined to create further. This resulted in the following 10 creations from Brahma’s body and mind -

1. Marici - from his mind


2. Atri - from his eyes


3. Angira - from his mouth


4. Pulastya - from his ears


5. Pulaha - from his navel


6. Kratu - from his hand


7. Bhrigu - from his touch


8. Vasistha - from his life-air


9. Daksha - from his thumb


10. Narada - from his lap

All of them are also known as the 'Prajapatis'.

Brahma didn’t stop here and carried on with following creations -

1. Dharma (religion) - from the right side of his breast


2. Adharma (irreligion) - from his back


3. Kaam (lust) - from his heart


4. Krodh (anger) - from his eyebrows


5. Lobh (greed) - from his lower lip


6. Saraswati - from his mouth


7. Samudra (oceans) - from his penis


8. Nir-riti (reservoir of all vices) - from his anus

In addition to all this Kardama Muni manifested from his shadow.

But after all these activities an untoward incident took place and Brahma had to leave his body.

What made Brahma dessert his body and seek penance? And more importantly why is Brahma not worshipped as much Vishnu and Shiva? Why a handful of temples dedicated to Brahma whereas infinite temples and places dedicated to the other two individuals of the Trimurti?

Answer to all these questions in the next post.

Brahma's Step 2 - The Rudras create havoc

Before the Kumaras, Lord Brahma first created the five forms of agyaan (ignorance) :

1)    andhatamisra - the idea that one would die
2)    tamisra - indignation
3)    maha-moha - craving of infatuation
4)    moha - delusion of errors
5)    tamas  - absence of knowledge about one's own engagements

Seeing such a misleading creation as a sinful task, Brahma did not feel much pleasure in his activity, and therefore he purified himself by further meditation. Then he began another term of creation.

This resulted in the creation of the four Kumaras - Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana and Sanat-kumara.

But when these four refused to generate progeny, anger (krodh) was generated in the mind of Brahma.

Although he tried to curb his anger, out of his anger from between his eyebrows instantly a child who was red (for passion) and blue (for ignorance) was born.

The child cried loudly to his ‘father’ and requested him to designate him a name and a place.

“As you were crying out aloud the moment you were born, people will address you with the name Rudra”, Brahma pacified the child by first giving him a name.

“The heart, the senses, the air of life, the sky, the air, the fire, the water, the earth, the sun, the moon and austerity are places for your residence”.

“Manyu, Manu, Mahinasa, Mahan, Siva, Ṛtadhvaja, Ugrareta, Bhava, Kala, Vamadeva and Dhrtavrata are your 11 other names”

“Dhi, Dhrti, Rasala, Uma, Niyut, Sarpi, Ila, Ambika, Iravati, Svadha and Diksa are your eleven wives (the Rudranis).”

“You are the master of the living beings. Accept these different names and places and the wives belonging to them and increase the population on a large scale” Brahma asked Rudra.

Rudra generated unlimited sons and grandsons. All of them assembled together and attempted to devour the entire universe. When Brahma saw this he became afraid of the situation and requested Rudra to stop generating living entities of this destructive nature.

He advised his son Rudra to undergo penance which would result in creation of the universe as it was before.

Rudra took leave from his father and started performing austere penances.

Thus the second attempt also didn't yield desired dividends for Brahma.

Lord Brahma's Step 1 – The ‘Four Kumaras’ or the ‘Catursana’

At the beginning of the process of creation, Lord Brahma created the ‘Four Kumaras’ or the ‘Catursana’.

As the Four Kumaras were born from the mind (manas) of Brahma they are referred to as his Manasaputras.

Their names are : Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanat Kumara.

When the four Kumaras came into existence, they were all embodiments of pure qualities. They did not have any sign of negative qualities like laziness, sleep etc.

Now Lord Brahma had created these four Kumaras so that they could help in the process of creation.

However, the Kumaras (kumara means unmarried) refused his order to procreate and instead devoted themselves to God and celibacy (brahmacarya).

They requested their father for the boon of remaining perpetually five years old.

The Four Kumaras are mentioned numerous times in the Puranas as well as the Upanisads.

1. According to a verse in the Srimad Bhagavatam (6.3.20-21)

svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam
dvadasaite vijanimo
dharmam bhagavatam bhatah
guhyam visuddham durbodham
yam jnatvamrtam asnute

Meaning - "Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the Four Kumaras, Lord Kapila, Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada , Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhishma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami and I myself know the real religious principle."

2. In the 11th Canto of the Bhagavata Purana Lord Sri Krishna in His conversation with Uddhava declares:

                                                                                        etavan yoga adisto macchisyaih sanakadibhih 

Meaning – "I taught this yoga to my disciples, the four brothers headed by Sanaka."

3. According to a verse in the Padma Puraṇa,

sampradāyavihīnā ye mantrāste niṣphalā matāḥ|
ataḥ kalau bhaviśyanti catvāraḥ sampradāyinaḥ||
Śrī-brahmā-rudra-sanakā vaiṣṇavā kṣitipāvanāḥ|
catvāraste kalau bhāvya hyutkale puruṣottamāt||
rāmānujaṃ śrī svicakre madhvācaryaṃ caturmukhaḥ|
śrīviṣṇusvāminaṃ rudro nimbādityaṃ catuḥsanāḥ||

Meaning - All mantras which have been given (to disciples) not in an authorised Sampradāya are fruitless. Therefore, in Kali Yuga, there will be four bona-fide Sampradāyas. Each of them were ignaugurated by Śrī Devī and known as the Śrī Sampradāya, Lord Brahmā and known as the Brahmā Sampradāya,Lord Rudra and known as the Rudra Sampradāya; and the Four Kumāras and known as Sanakādi Sampradāya. Śrī Devī made Rāmānujācārya the head of that lineage. So too Lord Brahmā appointed Madhvācārya, Lord Rudra appointed Viṣṇusvāmī and the four Kumaras chose Nimbāditya (an epithet for Śrī Nimbārkācārya).

The Nimbarka Sampradaya also known as the Hamsa Sampradaya, Kumara Sampradaya, Catuḥ Sana Sampradaya and Sanakadi Sampradaya, is one of the four ‘authorised’ Vaiṣṇava Sampradāyas.

4. According to a story from the Bhagavata Purana, the Four Kumaras once visited Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu, to see him.

Due to the boon from their father Brahma and the strength of their tapas, the Four Kumaras lloked like 5 year olds. Jaya and Vijaya, the gate keepers of the Vaikuntha stopped the Kumaras at the gate, thinking them to be children. They told the Kumaras that Sri Vishnu is resting and that they cannot see him now. The enraged Kumaras cursed both Jaya and Vijaya, that they would have to give up their divinity, be born as mortals on Earth (bhuloka), and live like normal human beings.
This curse was eventually 'diluted' to Jay and Vijaya choosing to be born three times on Earth as enemies of Vishnu. (more on this in another post later)

5.                                                                               Nārāyaṇamukhambhojānmantrastvaṣṭādaśākṣaraḥ|
                                                                                          Āvirbhūtaḥ kumāraistu gṛhītvā nāradāya ca||

This holy eighteen-syllabled mantra known as Śrī Gopāla Mantra was given by Lord Vishnu to the Four Kumaras and was in turn passed to the disciple of the Kumaras, Narada Muni.

This mantra is the Vaidika mantra from the Gopalatapinyupaniṣad of the Atharva Veda.

Narada Muni took initiation from his elder brothers, the Kumaras and their discussions as guru and disciple are recorded in the Upaniṣads with a famous conversation in the Chandogya Upaniṣad.

6. The dialogue between King Prithu and the Four Kumaras found in the Bhagvata Purana in which the Kumaras preached Prithu about devotion to Vishnu is one of the finest writings on bhakti.


Thus we see that the first attempt by Brahma to increase the population on earth failed.

What was his next step?

Find out in the next post.

Progenitor of all human beings - Lord Brahma

One of the foremost concepts in Hinduism is that of the Trimurti.

According to this concept, the ‘functions’ of creation, maintenance, and destruction are performed by the following

1) Brahma - the creator
2) Vishnu - the maintainer or preserver
3) Shiva - the destroyer or transformer

This trio is often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara".

But one out of these three is conspicuous by absence (or very limited presence) in the numerous temples all over the world is the 'progenitor or great grandsire of all human beings' - Lord Brahma. (post on this later)
Brahma is the great great grandfather of Manu and from Manu all human beings are descended.

There are numerous legends about the origins of Lord Brahma.



1) According to Manu Smriti and the Shatapatha Brahmana, Brahma emerged from Brahman, the Supreme Being. Brahman wanted to create the universe. He first created water into which he deposited his seed. This seed became a golden egg, and from this egg, he was born as Brahma or Hiranyagarbha (born of the golden egg)



2) According to Vaishnavism, Brahma arose from a 1,000-petalled lotus that grew out of Vishnu's navel.

3) According to a few Puranas, Brahma is the son of the Supreme Being and his female energy Maya.

Different legends give different versions of the origins of Brahma. But the only constant factor is the fact that all the legends maintain that it was Brahma who is incharge of ‘creation’.

Starting this post we start on a journey in which we will gradually unravel Brahma’s creations and try and find out about our ‘forefathers’.

Let's seek the blessings of the 'srishti rachayta' before embarking on this mission.

Om Brang Brahmaneya Namaha

The curious case of Onam and Diwali

According to Hindu mythology, Bali was the son of Devamba and Virochana and the grandson of Prahlada.
Under his grandfather’s tutelage, Bali was instilled with a strong sense of righteousness and devotion. Bali succeeded his grandfather as the king of the Asuras and conquered not only the entire world but also brought Patala and Heaven under his control.

The Devatas, as usual, approached Vishnu and requested him to restore their rule over Heaven.

On the advice of his guru and advisor, Sukracharya, Bali began the Ashwamedha Yagya so as to maintain his rule over the three worlds. Vishnu, meanwhile, adopted the avatar of Vamana, a small Brahmin boy. Vamana went to the place where the yagya was taking place and asked Bali to give him bhiksha. The benevolent Bali despite being stopped many times by Shukracharya agreed to grant Vamana his wish. Vamana requested Bali to grant him as much land as he could cover with three steps.

As soon as Bali granted him the wish Vamana grew to an immense size, and with his first pace traversed the all of the earth and the underworld (Patala). With his second pace he covered Heaven in its entirety. Admitting defeat, and seeing that Vamana has no more room for his last step, Bali offered his own head as a stepping-stone. As a result Bali was crushed deep into the Patala.

Lord Vishnu was so pleased by the generosity of Bali that he granted him a boon that he would be the next Indra after Purandara's reign was over.

The other boon given by him is the source of ‘curiosity’. Let’s look at both the curious cases.

1) It is believed that Vishnu granted Bali a boon that he could return to earth for one day in a year to be with his people and light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is this day that is celebrated as the Bali Padyami or Bali Pratipada, the annual return of Bali from Patala to earth on the fourth day of the Diwali festival

2) However, in Kerala the Onam festival (which is celebrated a good one-one and a half months before Diwali) also marks the homecoming of the demon-king Maveli (also known as Bali). The story goes that the beautiful state of Kerala was once ruled by an Asura king, Mahabali. The King was wise, judicious and extremely generous. It is said that Kerala witnessed its golden era in the reign of King Mahabali. Everybody was happy in the kingdom, there was no discrimination on the basis of caste or class. Rich and poor were equally treated. There was neither crime, nor corruption. People did not even lock their doors, as there were no thieves in that kingdom. There was no poverty, sorrow or disease in the reign of King Mahabali and everybody was happy and content. Mahabali was 'tested' by Lord Vishnu's Vamana avatar and he passed with 'flying colors' (this 'test' is the same as that mentioned in the above version). The King was so much attached with his Kingdom and people that he requested that he be allowed to visit Kerala once in a year. Lord Vishnu was moved by the Kings nobility and was pleased to grant the wish. This 'homecoming' is celebrated as Onam (which is the state festival of Kerala) by the people of Kerala during the month of Chingam.

Which of these two legends is the ‘true’ homecoming of Bali, cannot be told (another post with more references and research will be posted soon).
Let us take this opportunity to remember the King ‘who was able to grant a wish to the great Lord himself’.

Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam
manusharellarum onnupole
amodhathode vasikkum kalam
apathangarkkumottillathanum
kallavum illa chathiyumilla
ellolamilla polivachanam
kallapparayum cherunazhiyum

Meaning -
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people were equal.
And people were joyful and merry;
They were all free from harm.
There was neither anxiety nor sickness,
Deaths of children were unheard of,
There were no lies,
There was neither theft nor deceit,
And no one was false in speech either.
Measures and weights were right;
No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people formed one casteless race.

A day featuring both 'current' Indra and 'future' Indra!

The fourth day of Diwali is celebrated as Govardhan Puja in Northern India.

This legend has its roots in Govardhan, a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura.
According to Vishnu Puran the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshiped him after the end of every monsoon season. Once Lord Krishna observed that his father Nanda Maharaj and cowherd men were preparing themselves for a sacrifice to 'pacify' Indra. The sacrifice was done in order to ‘please’ Indra so that there was no scarcity of water for the grains and fodder. However young Krishna had other ‘plans’ for this time. He explained to all the residents of the village that Indra had no role to play in the water cycle which brought about rain. Instead it was Govardhan Hill which was worth worshipping as all the cattle grazed on Govardhan Hill and the rains were due to Govardhan and not Indra.

Everyone was convinced and it was decided to call off the prayers to Lord Indra.

Indra was angered by this and sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. People were afraid that the downpour was a result of their neglect of Indra. But Krishna assured them that no harm would befall them. To protect the people from the torrential downpour Krishna lifted Mount Govardhan with his little finger and provided shelter from the rain to everyone. This incident gave the name 'Govardhandhari' to Shri Krishna.

This incident opened Indra’s eyes and he ‘surrendered’ to Lord Krishna.

Through this incident Lord Krishna taught people to worship nature and not idols for things such as rain and good harvest.  He wanted to convey to the people that if they took care of the nature, good care would be taken of them as well.

This festival is also called ‘Annakut’ (meaning a heap of grain) which refers to a ‘mountain of food’ symbolizing Govardhan mountain.

This day is also celebrated as Bali Pratipada in some parts of India (more about this festival in the next article). It is believed that King Bali would be the next 'Indra'.

Therefore the fourth day of Diwali is very special as it brings together both the 'current' and the 'future' Indra.

Who really killed Narakasura?

The second day of the festival of Diwali is Naraka Chaturdashi. It is celebrated because on this day the asura Naraka was killed.

But who actually killed Naraka has different versions attached to it. In this post we look at each of them.

1. Maha Kali
In this version it is believed that Narakasura was killed by Kali. Hence Naraka Chaturdashi is also called ‘Kali Chaudas’ in some parts of India.

This myth is mentioned in the Kalika Purana (10th century AD), which was composed in Assam. Motivated by his carnal desire, the Asura Naraka wanted to marry Devi Kamakhya. Naraka proposed to Kamakhya who playfully put a condition before him that she would marry him if he was able to build a staircase from the bottom of the Nilachal Hill to the temple within one night before the cock crows to indicate dawn.

Naraka took it as a challenge and tried all with his might to do this huge task. He was almost about to accomplish the job before it was dawn. When Kamakhya Devi got this news, panic-stricken she strangled a cock and made it crow untimely to give the impression of dawn to Naraka. Duped by the trick Naraka thought that it was a futile job and left it half way through. Later he chased the cock and killed it. Now the place is known as Kukurakata situated in the district of Darrang. The incomplete staircase is known as Mekhelauja Path.

2. Lord Krishna
According to this version Naraka was the son of the Earth Goddess Bhoodevi (Bhumi) and Lord Vishnu in his Varaha avatar. Therefore his another name is Bhaumasura. He established the kingdom of Pragjyotisha in Assam.

In association with another Asura named Banasura, Narakasura became very evil. Maddened with power, he brought all the kingdoms on earth under his control. His next target was Swargaloka. Even the mighty Indra could not withstand the assault of Narakasura and had to flee. Narakasura thus became the lord of both the heavens and the earth. Addicted to power, he stole the earrings of Aditi, the heavenly mother goddess and kidnapped 16,000 women.

Indra led all the Devtas to Vishnu and asked him to deliver them from Narakasura. Vishnu promised them that his incarnation of Krishna would solve their problem.

It was foretold that Narakasura would be destroyed by a later incarnation of Vishnu. Therefore his mother sought a boon from Vishnu asking that his son should have a long life and that he should be all powerful. Vishnu granted these boons. But when the evil activities of Narakasura became unbearabale, Vishnu took avatar as Krishna.

Aditi, who was a relative of Krishna's wife Satyabhama approached Satyabhama for help. When Satyabhama heard of the Narakasura's ill treatment of women and his behaviour with Aditi, she was enraged. Satyabhama approached Lord Krishna for permission to wage a war against Narakasura. As promised to the Devas and Aditi, Krishna attacked the great fortress of Narakasura, riding his mount Garuda with wife Satyabhama. The battle was furiously fought. Narakasura possessed 11 Akshauhini (a division of the army), that he unleashed on Krishna. However, the Lord slew them all with little effort.

Krishna also killed Mura, Narakasura's general. Thus Krishna is called 'Murāri' (the enemy of Mura). In desperation, Narakasura launched his great weapon, sataghini (a thunderbolt) on Krishna. However, it made no impact whatsoever on Krishna. At last, when Narakasura tried to kill the Lord with a trident, Krishna beheaded him with his Sudarshan Chakra.

Krishna subsequently married 16,100 maidens who were held captive by Narakasura to save their honour.

Before dying, the Asura requested a boon that his death anniversary should be celebrated by all people on earth. This day is celebrated as 'Naraka Chaturdashi' - the first day of Diwali.

3. Satyabhama

In another version of Naraksura’s killing, Satyabhama is said to be the one who put an end to Narakasura’s evilness.

In addition to asking Vishnu for his son’s long life, Bhoodevi also obtained a boon from Lord Vishnu that her son would die only when she wishes for it.

Satyabhama was an Avatar of Bhudevi - Narakasura' mother. During the battle between Sri Krishna and Narkasura, the Lord was ‘hurt’ by a Shakti used on him by Narakasura and he feigned unconsciousness. This enraged Sathyabhama who inturn fired arrows at Narakasura killed him finally.

The legend of Narakasura is important in the history of Assam since Narakasura is cited as the progenitor of many dynasties that ruled Kamarupa in historical times (A detailed post on this later).

Wishing all of you a Happy Choti Diwali (or Naraka Chaturdasi or Kali Chaudas) :)