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Akshaya Patra: The Inexhaustible Source of Food

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date April 22, 2022
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By Srinidhi Murthy

The Mahabharata tells the story of Akshaya Patra, a magical copper plate that is an inexhaustible source of food. This magical object was gifted by Surya to Yudhishthira, and it helped the Pandavas survive the harsh life during their exile.

A gift from Surya

Script: Sumona Roy, Illustrations: Dilip Kadam

When Pandavas and their wife, Draupadi, started their twelve-year exile, they were worried about how they were going to provide food for the sages that accompanied them into the forest. Sage Dhaumya suggested that Yudhishthira pray to Lord Surya, as he was the provider of food for all creatures. Upon the sage’s advice, Yudhishthira stood in the waters of Ganga, facing the sun, and prayed to the Surya, consuming nothing but air for several days. He prayed that Surya bestow food upon them all. Pleased by his devotion, Surya appeared before him. He gave Yudhishthira the Akshaya Patra – a copper plate that would remain full of food until Draupadi eats. Surya also blessed Yudhishthira and declared that his kingdom would be restored to him at the end of the fourteenth year.

The inexhaustible source of food

On his return, Yudhishthira paid his respects to Dhaumya and gave the copper plate to Draupadi. Even though the food she cooked was scant, it soon grew large enough to fill the plate. The Pandavas first served their guests, then had their meals and only when Draupadi finished her own meal, did the plate finally become empty. In the following years, the Pandavas and Draupadi performed many acts of charity and religious sacrifices. They welcomed many sages, who visited them in the forest. Draupadi used the Akshaya Patra to feed sages and guests. She also made sure she was the last one to eat the food.

Duryodhana’s plan

Duryodhana was filled with envy when he heard about the peaceful life his cousins were leading in their exile. He devised a plan to get the Pandavas in trouble by turning Sage Durvasa against them. One day Sage Durvasa, along with his hundred disciples, visited Duryodhana in his palace at Hastinapura. When he arrived, Duryodhana provided lavish hospitality for Durvasa and looked after his every need. Pleased with his service, Durvasa decided to grant him a boon. Making use of this opportunity, Duryodhana asked the sage to visit the Pandavas in the forest, along with his disciples, and seek Yudhishthira’s hospitality. However, he specified that Durvasa should arrive at their home only after Draupadi had finished her meal. Duryodhana knew that the sage was famed for his temper and thus was convinced that Durvasa would curse the Pandavas when they failed to feed him.

Draupadi’s dilemma

Durvasa arrived with his disciples at Yudhishthira’s hermitage, after Draupadi had finished her meal. Yudhishthira welcomed the sage and his followers with due honour. Durvasa left with his followers to bathe in the nearby river, before their meal. In the meantime, Draupadi began to get worried looking at the number of guests they had. She had already finished her meal and the Akshaya Patra was empty. She knew she was in no position to prepare a large meal for Sage Durvasa and his hundred disciples. Draupadi, in her despair, prayed to Krishna, to save her from the sage’s wrath.

Krishna to the rescue

Upon hearing Draupadi’s pleas, Krishna immediately appeared in front of her. Draupadi explained the problem to Krishna and after listening to the distressed Draupadi, Krishna asked her to bring him the Akshaya Patra. He noticed that a small piece of vegetable was still there on the plate. He took the small piece, and putting it in his mouth, proclaimed that all the souls of the universe would be satiated with it.

Krishna immediately called Sahadeva and asked him to go to the sages to invite them for lunch. Meanwhile, Durvasa and his disciples who were bathing in the river, suddenly realised that they were not feeling hungry anymore. They felt as though they would not be able to eat even one morsel of food. The sages became worried, thinking that the Pandavas would be furious if they didn’t arrive for their meal. They decided to depart quietly, without informing the Pandavas. Thus, Krishna was able to avert a disaster and save the Pandavas and Draupadi once again.

Read more interesting incidents from the Mahabharata in our collection Mahabarata, now available on the ACK Comics App, Kindle, Flipkart, and with other major e-tailers.

Child Prodigies in Indian Mythology

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date April 11, 2022
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By Srinidhi Murthy

Indian Mythology has interesting stories of child prodigies, whose devotion and determination made it possible for them to reach new heights. Here are the fascinating legends of some such children who achieved seemingly impossible tasks.

Ashtavakra

Ashtavakra was the son of Sage Kahoda and his wife Sujatha. One day, when Kahoda was teaching his disciples, he was interrupted by a voice that came from his wife’s womb. The voice corrected the chant that was mispronounced by Kahoda. Angered at being humiliated in front of his disciple, he cursed his unborn child to be born with eight deformities. As the date of his son’s birth approached, Kahoda went to King Janaka as he needed money for the birth of his child. Janaka told Kahoda that he would reward him if he defeated Bandhi. Bandhi was a scholar who remained undefeated in debates. The king also added that the sage would be drowned if he did not achieve success.

Unfortunately, Kahoda was no match for Bandhi and was defeated. Soon after this event, Sujatha delivered a son. The child was named Ashtavakra due to his eight deformities. When Ashtavakra reached the age of twelve, he wanted to avenge his father by defeating Bandhi. Seeing the confidence and intelligence of the boy, Janaka permitted him to have the debate with Bandhi. To everyone’s surprise, Bandhi was easily defeated by the boy. Bandhi then revealed that he was the son of Varuna and that the true purpose of his challenge was to send sages from earth to perform a yagna for his father and not to drown them. Hearing this, the king and his courtiers rushed to the river where to their surprise, they saw all the sages emerge alive and well from the water. There, Ashtavakra had a joyous reunion with his father, who was overjoyed by his son’s success and cured his deformities.

Script: Shailaja Ganguly, Malati Shenoy; Illustration: Ram Waeerkar

Dhruva

Dhruva was the son of King Uttanapada and his first wife Suneeti. Unfortunately, Uttanapada loved his second wife Suruchi more than his first wife and son. One day, Dhruva saw Uttama, the son of Queen Suruchi, sitting on his father’s lap. Filled with excitement, Dhruva ran toward his father to join his brother but Suruchi stopped him on his way and told him that he had no right to sit on his father’s lap. She also added that Dhruva should pray to Lord Narayana to be reborn as her son if he wanted to enjoy the same rights as Uttama. Hurt by the harsh words of his stepmother, Dhruva became determined to gain the favour of Lord Narayana. With his mother’s blessing, he reached Madhuvan forest and started his meditation by chanting the name of the Lord. Moved by the determination of Dhruva, Lord Narayana appeared before him.

Narayana blessed Dhruva and told him that he would be a great king for 36,000 years and would have a permanent place in heaven. When Dhruva returned home, he was reunited with his joyful parents. A few years later, Uttanapada retired to the forest, after crowning Dhruva as the next king. The Dhruva Tara or the Pole Star is said to be Dhruva, in his place in heaven.

Prahlad

Prahlad was the son of the asura Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu’s brother had been slain by Vishnu and hence, the asura wanted to destroy Vishnu and his devotees as revenge. He performed severe penances to gain the boon of immortality from Brahma. When Brahma appeared before him, Hiranyakashipu asked that he should not die either by man or beast, during the day or night, indoors or outdoors, on earth or in the sky. After gaining the boon, the asura invaded heaven and drove the gods out of their abode. He became extremely powerful and started wreaking havoc on earth as well as in heaven. However, to his great dismay, his son Prahlad grew up as a great devotee of Vishnu.

Script: Kamala Chandrakant; Illustration: Souren Roy

At first, Hiranyakashipu tried to change his son by instructing his teachers to change his mind. Days passed but Prahlad’s devotion towards Vishnu did not waver. Angered by his son’s insolence, Hiranyakashipu ordered his asuras to kill his Prahlad. The asuras tried to kill the child in many ways, but Prahlad remained unharmed by the blow of swords, the poison of serpents, blazing fire or the trample of mighty elephants. After his numerous failed attempts to kill his son, Hiranyakashipu called Prahlad and asked for his source of power. Prahlad calmly replied that Lord Vishnu was the source of his power. Angered by his words, Hiranyakashipu kicked the pillar and asked Vishnu to appear before him. Lord Vishnu emerged in the form of Narasimha, a half lion-half man. In the twilight hour, Narasimha killed Hiranyakashipu on the threshold of the courtroom. After the death of his father and with the blessings of Lord Vishnu, Prahlad ruled wisely and well for many years.

Nachiketa

Nachiketa was the son of Sage Vajashrava. He was sent to a gurukula at the age of eight, where he received his education. Soon, Nachiketa was called back by his father to assist him in his upcoming Vishvajit Sacrifice, wherein an individual gave away all his possessions. When he reached home, Nachiketa noticed that his father was giving away the sick and old cows he possessed as his sacrifice. Nachiketa realised that the sacrifice would not be completed properly with such offerings. He, therefore, asked his father to sacrifice him instead. The sage was irritated by Nachiketa mocking his offerings. When Nachiketa asked him who the sage would sacrifice his son to, Vajashrava angrily told Nachiketa that he would give him away to Yama, the god of Death. Although Vajashrava immediately regretted his words, Nachiketa set out to fulfil his father’s words. He reached the abode of Yama and waited for him there for three days.

Script: Subba Rao; Illustration: P. B. Kavadi

When Yama learnt that Nachiketa received no hospitality for three days, he offered him three boons to compensate for the mistake. As his first boon, Nachiketa asked Yama to grant his father peace of mind and happiness. In the second, he asked Yama to teach him a sacrifice that would grant him the ability to feel no hunger or thirst. Yama granted his two boons but was surprised when Nachiketa demanded that he reveal whether or not there is life after death, as his final boon. At first, Yama tried to offer other things to distract the boy but Nachiketa was keen only on getting an answer to his question. Seeing his determination, Yama felt obliged to answer the boy’s question. He explained that people who lived virtuous lives are able to realise their true selves, while those who chase pleasure get stuck in an endless cycle of rebirth. Yama then taught Nachiketa about the nature of the self and the correct manner of leading one’s life. Satisfied with his boons, Nachiketa returned home. As he grew older, many came to his hermitage to seek knowledge and guidance.

Mythical Birds in Legends and Puranas

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date April 1, 2022
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By Komal Narwani and Kayva Gokhale

Hindu mythology is full of divine beings that are not always humans, and yet play an integral role in the stories of the Puranas as well as the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. Folktales, regional mythologies and legends also have many such magical creatures, with fascinating origins and awe-inspiring powers. Here are some majestic birds that feature in Hindu mythology.

Garuda

Garuda, the divine eagle, is widely known as Vishnu’s mount. However, he is no ordinary vahana and is a powerful divine being capable of fantastic feats. The story of Garuda’s birth is an interesting one. According to some legends, Sage Kashyap conferred a boon to his wives Vinata and Kadru. While Kadru asked to be the mother of a thousand mighty snakes, Vinata asked for only two sons, who would surpass Kadru’s children in strength. Soon, a yagna was conducted to grant the wives their wishes. During the preparation of this yagna, the sages were angered by Lord Indra’s arrogance. They were determined to make Vinata’s son stronger than Indra, in order to humble him. Frightened, Indra requested Sage Kashyap to help him. The great sage then requested the others to change their decision. ‘Let the being you create be the Lord of all winged creatures’, he suggested instead. The sages agreed and that is how Garuda came to be born with tremendous strength, the ability to change his form at will as well as the ability to increase his size and soar across the blue skies.

Navagunjara

This fascinating mythical being finds its mention in Oriya folklore based on the Mahabharata. It is believed that once when Arjuna was out hunting, he came across a creature beyond his imagination. It was made up of nine animals! This magnificent creature had the head of a rooster, the neck of a peacock, the hump of a bull, the waist of a lion, legs of a human, an elephant, a deer and a tiger, and with a snake as its tail. Though initially frightened of Navagunjara, Arjuna soon realised that such a being could only be a manifestation of the divine. Arjuna laid down his weapons and saluted the wondrous creature.

Hanshansali and Marangbonga

Illustration: Atula Siriwardane, Colour: Sachin Adhare

According to the Santhal tribe’s mythology, birds play an important role in the creation of the world. It is believed that when the Earth was covered with water, Marangbonga, the divine crow, was flying through the sky one day when he decided to create living creatures. He then created a pair of swans, called the Hanshansali, who became the first living beings on the earth. This swan couple eventually laid two eggs, out of which a man called Pilchuharam and a woman called Pilchuayo were born. These were the first humans for whom the earth was made habitable by the Gods. Thus, the crow and swans are seen as imperative for the beginning of mankind.

Peacock, Crow and Swan

Long ago, the king of Usheerabeeja, Marutta was performing a Mahesvarayajna. Many gods including Indra, Yama, Varuna and Kubera, were present at the yajna. Suddenly, Ravana, the king of Lanka, who had received the boon of near-invincibility from Brahma, arrived at the yajna. Scared of Ravana’s presence, all the demi-gods assumed the form of different animals and birds. Indra became a peacock, Yama transformed into a crow, Varuna took the form of a swan and Kubera turned into a chameleon. The animals had saved the demi-gods from Ravana’s wrath. Hence, when Ravana left the place, each of them blessed the animals and birds they took the form of. Indra made the peacock’s feathers iridescent. Yama gave crows the right to have Pitru Bali Rice/Pinda, a ritual to leave food outside the house for the dead as an offering to Yama. Varuna blessed the Swan with pure white colour. Kubera gifted the chameleon the capability to change its colour.

Sampati and Jatayu

The great vultures, Sampati and Jatayu, were brothers. Both of them were fond of flying at dizzying heights. They would often fly up to meet their father, Aruna, the sun god’s charioteer. Although proud of his mighty sons, Aruna would advise them not to get too close to the sun god. Unfortunately, his advice went unheeded. One blazing afternoon, the two brothers unknowingly ended up flying extremely close to the sun. Their bodies were burning but Jatayu continued to fly higher. It was Sampati who noticed the sun god approaching them. Sampati flew over Jatayu and spread his wings wide to shield his brother. The flames ate up Sampati’s wings and he hurtled to the ground in pain, sacrificing himself for his beloved brother.

Jatayu was the second son of Aruna, the sun god’s charioteer, and nephew of Garuda, the mount of Vishnu. He was the great vulture who dedicated his life to saving Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, and his family. When Ravana, the king of Lanka, abducted Sita, the princess of Mithila and the wife of King Rama, during their exile. Jatayu was the first to notice. Upon hearing Sita’s cry for help, Jatayu speeded his way to face the deadly foe with all his might. Though Jatayu was a might vulture, his strength couldn’t match up to Ravana’s, who mercilessly cut off Jatayu’s wings and talons. Even after Jatayu was severely injured, he held on to life until he broke the terrible news about Sita’s abduction to Rama. He breathed his last only after uttering Sita’s location to Rama and Lakshmana.

Gandaberunda and Sharabha

When Vishnu descended to earth as Narasimha to destroy the evil king, Hiranyakashapu, he lost sight of his true purpose and started to wreak havoc on earth. Even the gods feared him and turned to Shiva for help. Shiva took the form of Sharabha, a half-bird and half-lion being. Sharabha tried to calm Narasimha under his wings but instead, got him furious. From his body emerged Gandaberdunda, a two-headed bird of unimaginable strength. The two divine beings fought a fierce battle that lasted for eighteen days. At the end of the eighteenth day, Gandaberunda stopped to look around. Realizing the enormous devastation the battle had caused, he spilt into two and Vishnu emerged from the centre of the fearsome beast. Shiva too resumed his form. The two returned to the heavenly abode and peace was restored.

Read about more such fascinating creatures in our title Divine Beings on the ACK Comics app!

Krishna and Jarasandha

By Srinidhi Murthy

According to the Mahabharata, a long time ago, Magadha was ruled by a virtuous and powerful king named Brihadratha. He married the twin daughters of the king of Kashi, whom he loved equally. But the king had no sons with either of his wives and this thought troubled him the most. One day, Brihadratha learnt that an illustrious sage had arrived in his city. Hoping to get a solution for his problem, the king visited the sage with many gifts.

The sage, after hearing about the king’s misery, closed his eyes for a while. To the surprise of everyone present, suddenly a mango fell in his lap. The sage gave the mango to the king and told him to give it to his wife. He told the king that upon eating the mango, his wife would obtain a son. Brihadratha loved both of his wives dearly and didn’t want to choose one among them. Hence, he divided the mango and gave half of it to both of them.

Script: Kamala Chandrakant, Illustrations: Pratap Mulik

Soon, both queens were expecting a child. However, when the queens delivered, they had only half a baby each. Not knowing what to do, the midwives carried the two halves and left them in the backyard of the queens’ apartments. A few hours later, a rakshasi named Jara, passed by and saw the two halves of the baby. The demoness lived on flesh and blood and so she decided to join the halves to make them easier for her to carry. The moment she joined the halves, the baby came to life and roared. Hearing the loud cry of the baby, the king, his wives and midwives came rushing to the scene. Jara, realising the baby was the son of the king, returned the baby to him. Brihadratha, overwhelmed with joy, announced that since Jara put his son together, he would be named in her honour.

Jarasandha grew up to become an able prince. Soon Brihadratha handed him the reins of the kingdom and retired to the forest with his wives. Jarasandha soon subdued almost all the kings of the territories adjoining his kingdom. He also got his daughters married to Kamsa, Krishna’s evil maternal uncle. When Krishna defeated Kamsa, Jarasandha was outraged at his daughters’ widowhood. He waged battles against Krishna constantly but was defeated each time.

Meanwhile, the Pandavas acquired the kingdom of Indraprastha and Yudhishthira decided to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice. Krishna suggested that it was necessary for them to kill Jarasandha and release the kings under his control for the successful completion of the Rajasuya. Everyone was hesitant about their ability to kill the mighty king, but soon Bheema volunteered for the task, and set out to defeat Jarasandha with the help of Arjuna and Krishna.

The three of them left for Magadha, disguised as Brahmins. When they reached Jarasandha’s court, the king declared that he would give the Brahmins whatever they asked for. Immediately, Krishna asked him to combat Bheema, and revealed their real identities. Jarasandha agreed to the demand, confident in his victory. He and Bheema fought fiercely with each other in a duel for the next twenty-seven days. As they were both well-matched, neither of them were defeated.

Krishna knew the secret of Jarasandha’s birth and therefore, the key to his defeat. Before the duel, on the 28th day, Krishna picked up a twig and split it into two lengths in front of Bheema. The strongest Pandava understood Krishna’s signal. During the duel, he seized Jarasandha by the leg and threw him to the ground. He then tore the body of the king into two halves and threw the halves away from each other. The two halves joined by the demoness were thrown away in opposite directions by Bheema to bring an end to the mighty Jarasandha.

Read more tales of Krishna in our title Bhagavad, now available on the ACK Comics App, Kindle, Amazon, Flipkart and other major e-tailers.

Tirupati – The Abode of Lord Venkateshwara

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date February 22, 2022
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By Srinidhi Murthy

Set in the peaceful hills of Tirumala, the temple of Lord Venkateshwara Balaji or Vishnu, is one of the holiest places in the country. The story of why the Tirupati temple is so special is a fascinating one.

Many years ago, a farmer heard a divine voice from an anthill. The farmer rushed to tell King Thondaiman about the voice. Upon investigation, King Thondaiman found an idol in the anthill and decided to build a temple to match its serenity and beauty. However, this story goes further back to the time when Lord Vishnu arrived on earth as Venkateshwara.

Script: Aruna Balakrishna Singh, Illustrations: Sundara Moorthy

The Departure of Lakshmi

After the end of Vishnu’s Krishna Avatar, he returned to live in Vaikuntha. Many sages decided to perform a yagna under the guidance of Sage Kashyapa. Following the advice of Narada, Sage Bhrigu was chosen to decide who among Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma would accept the final offerings of the yagna. To make this decision, Bhrigu decided to pay a visit to the gods at their abodes. However, Bhrigu was dissatisfied with the reception he received from Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. The sage expected more disrespect when he arrived at Vaikuntha. Hence, as soon as he reached, he struck Lord Vishnu on his chest. Vishnu, through his divine intuition, understood the anger of the sage and calmly washed his feet. As he did, he pinched the sole of Bhrigu’s foot, shutting the sage’s third eye which was located on his foot. This ended Bhrigu’s arrogance and he immediately realised his mistake. Humbled, Bhrigu requested Vishnu to accept the offerings of the yagna. However, when Bhrigu left, Vishnu realised that Lakshmi was upset. Upon asking her the cause of her distress, she told Vishnu that the sage had kicked his chest, that is, the place where Lakshmi resides. Hence, by letting Bhrigu kick his chest, Vishnu had allowed Lakshmi to be insulted. Not able to tolerate this insult, Lakshmi decided to leave Vaikuntha.

Vishnu and the Cowherd

Lakshmi then descended to the earth and started living there. Unable to live without Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu came to earth in search of her. He began meditating without food and water in an anthill. Seeing this, Lord Shiva and Brahma decided to help Vishnu. The two gods formed a plan with Narada and took the form of a cow and calf, respectively. They approached Goddess Lakshmi and Narada requested her to gift the animals to the Chola king. The king in turn gave the cow and calf to the queen. After a few days, the queen noticed that the animals were not yielding milk and accused the cowherd of stealing it. In order to prove his innocence and find out what happened to the milk, the cowherd followed the cow. He noticed the cow was giving all its milk to the anthill. Angry, he threw the axe at the cow, but to his horror, Lord Vishnu took the hit to protect the cow. The cowherd fainted due to the shock of what happened. When the king learnt about all this, he begged Lord Vishnu to forgive him for the consequences of his ignorance. Vishnu forgave him and told the King that he would be born as King Akasa Raja in his next birth.

The Gesture of Gandharva Princess

The wound inflicted on Lord Vishnu did not heal completely and he was left with a perceptible bald spot. Seeing the misery of Lord Vishnu, a Gandharva princess named Neela Devi, decided to help him. She cut off her lustrous hair and pressed it on Vishnu’s bald spot. Touched by her gesture, Vishnu decreed that whoever came to worship him would sacrifice their hair to her. Hence, even today, thousands of devotees offer their hair at Tirupati to clear Vishnu’s debt to Neela Devi.

Shrinivasa and Padmavati

As foretold by Lord Vishnu, the Chola king was reborn as Akasa Raja. Akasa Raja decided to perform a special yagna to obtain an heir. In preparation for this yagna, the king and queen were asked to till some fertile land. While doing so, they found a golden lotus box. They opened the box and found a baby girl in it. Akasa Raja named the child Padmavati as she was found resting on a golden lotus box. Unbeknownst to the king, Padmavati was an incarnation of Vedavati. In her previous birth, Vedavati wanted to marry Lord Vishnu, which is why she was reborn as Padmavati in this birth to fulfil her destiny. In the meantime, Vishnu was staying on earth as Shrinivasa, with his foster mother, Vakula Devi. One day, when Shrinivasa went hunting, he heard some cries for help. He saw an elephant chasing some young women, one among them was Padmavati. Shrinivasa subdued the elephant and chased it away. Shrinivasa and Padmavati took an instant liking to each other and fell in love.

Marriage arranged

When Shrinivasa learnt about the identity of Padmavati, he went to his mother. Revealing that he was in fact, Lord Vishnu, he asked her to go to Akasa Raja to discuss marriage between him and Padmavati. Vakula Devi was sceptical about whether or not the king would believe the true identity of Shrinivasa. Shrinivasa then disguised himself as an astrologer and went to the palace before his mother. He predicted that Padmavati would marry Lord Vishnu himself. Later, when Vakula Devi arrived with the proposal, Akasa Raja agreed immediately.

Wedding and Reunion

The preparations for the grand wedding began. Shrinivasa approached Kubera, the lord of wealth, to lend him money for his wedding. In the presence of Lord Brahma, Shiva and others, Shrinivasa married Padmavati. They built a house like Vaikuntha and spent their days together happily. When Lakshmi heard about the marriage of Shrinivasa and Padmavati, she was furious and rushed to meet the Lord. When he saw the angry Goddess, Vishnu turned to stone. Brahma and Shiva decided to come to earth to soothe Lakshmi’s fury. Their explanations calmed the Goddess and she decided to live, where she always lived, in Vishnu’s chest. Padmavati settled down at Tiruchanur, offering boons to her devotees. A visit to Lord Venkateshwara at Tirupati is incomplete without a visit to Tiruchanur temple.

Read more about the different destinations of India in our digital release Touring India, now available on the ACK Comics App and Kindle.

Kubera’s Nine Treasures

By Komal Narwani

In Hindu mythology, the demi-god Kubera is known as the god of wealth. Once the ruler of Lanka, he was overthrown by Ravana, his half-brother. He eventually settled in the city of Alaka in the Himalayas. In the scriptures, Alaka or Alakapuri is described as a splendid city blessed with abundance, much like the wealthy god’s personality.

Kubera is often depicted holding a bag of gold, symbolizing the enormous wealth he owns. Interestingly, he also owns nine priceless treasures. According to Amarakosha, a thesaurus written in Sanskrit by the ancient Indian scholar Amarasimha, Nidhi or Nidhana is a set of nine treasures possessed by Kubera. While not much is known about the Nidhi, it is believed that each of these has a guardian spirit associated with it. Let’s look at the Nidhi in brief.

Padma

The Padma translates to the lotus flower. However, this treasure is interpreted as a lake in the Himalayas containing precious minerals and gemstones.

2. Mahapadma

Just like the name signifies, Mahapadma is the great lotus flower, which symbolizes a lake double the size of Padma. Thus, it has double the number of minerals and gemstones than the Padma.

3. Shankha

The Shankha or conch is considered to be a sacred object, according to the scriptures. It holds significance in a lot of Puranic texts, including the Mahabharata. The mineral composition of a shankha, calcium, iron and magnesium, makes it even more precious.

4. Makara

While the literal translation of Makara is a crocodile, Amarakosha says it is also a synonym of Padmini, which means black antimony. The powdered form of antimony is a source of kohl.

5. Kachchhapa

The tortoise shell is considered auspicious. Its mineral composition makes it extremely valuable. Various accessories and artefacts have been designed from turtle shells in old times. However, the illegal trade of tortoise shells has been banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species since 1973.

6. Kumud

A tantalizing bright scarlet coloured mineral, cinnabar is one of the other treasures of Kubera. It is the brick-red form of mercury sulfide. This mineral is the source of vermillion which is used in several Indian rituals too.

7. Kunda

Kunda means the jasmine flower. However, this treasure is interpreted as arsenic, since the jasmine plant absorbs arsenic from the soil.

8. Kharva

The Kharva symbolizes cups and vessels baked in fire.

9. Nila

The gemstone sapphire is Nila. It is made up of the mineral corundum, a crystalline form of aluminium oxide. The blue gemstone is one of the most expensive jewels, even in the real world.

Indra and Shachi

By Srinidhi Murthy

Indra and Shachi were the king and queen of the Devas. The loyalty and devotion shown by Shachi, helped Indra gain his kingdom back from Nahusha, the king who replaced him for a while.

Threat from Trishira

Indra lived peacefully with his wife Shachi in his celestial city, Amaravati. But their peace was soon destroyed with the birth of Trishiras. Trishiras was the son of Indra’s enemy, Tvashta. Tvastha vowed to make his son the king of the gods, at the time of his birth. Trishiras grew up to become strong-willed and powerful. He decided to perform severe penance to destroy Indra. When Indra heard about his intense penance, he sent the celestial maidens, the apsaras, to distract him and break his concentration. However, the apasaras could not tempt Trishiras. Indra, taking matters into his own hands, used his thunderbolt to kill Trishiras, when he was lost in prayer. Since Trishiras was a Brahmana, Indra had to perform severe penance to atone for killing him.

Illustration: M.N. Nangare | Script: Lakshmi Seshadri

Revenge of Tvashta

Struck by grief at the death of his son, Tvashta performed a sacrifice and created an Asura named Vritra to avenge Trishiras. There was a terrible battle between Vritra and the Devas. Indra barely escaped and had to appeal to Vishnu for help. Vishnu advised Indra to make peace with Vritra for the time being. Vishnu also vowed to help Indra, when the right time arrives. Indra agreed and soon he made peace with Vritra. The latter, however, was sceptical. He, therefore, made Indra promise that Indra would not kill him with any weapon – wet or dry, of wood or stone. He also made Indra promise that he would not kill Vritra during the day or the night. One evening, Indra and Vritra were on a seashore. Indra saw his chance as it was neither day nor night. He prayed to Vishnu to help him to kill Vritra with the seafoam, which was not a weapon and was neither wet nor dry. Vishnu entered the foam and Indra immediately threw it at Vritra. The Asura could not withstand the power of Vishnu and was killed.

Arrival of Nahusha

Though Indra emerged successful in killing Vritra, he was ashamed to face the world as he had betrayed Vritra in the process. Indra ran away from his city and decided to hide where no one could find him. Without the king of gods, heaven and earth descended into darkness and chaos. The Devas met in a council and decided to appoint a suitable king to replace Indra. They selected Nahusha, the son of King Ayus, as the successor of Indra. Nahusha was a good and pious man. He accepted the invitation of the Devas to become their king. Nahusha was given the power and strength required to become the king of the Devas. Nahusha also had the power to obtain half of the strength of the person before his sight.

Search for Indra

After Nahusha became the king of heavens, he started to enjoy all celestial pleasures. He became arrogant and conceited, treating everyone else with disrespect. The Devas were unhappy with this tyrannical behaviour but felt helpless against his powers. One day, Nahusha saw Shachi in the gardens and decided to make her his queen. The terrified Sachi took refuge at the abode of Sage Brihaspathi. Nahusha was infuriated and demanded that Shachi returns to Amravati. Sage Brihaspathi pacified Shachi and advised her to come up with a plan to find Indra. As per his advice, Sachi informed Nahusha to conduct a search for Indra. She promised to marry him if Indra was not found. The Devas once again appealed to Vishnu for help. Vishnu advised them to find Indra and make him perform an Ashwamedha to atone for the sin of killing Vritra by deceit.

The End of Nahusha

Devas found Indra after a long search and convinced him to fight Nahusha. Indra performed an Ashwamedha and came back to his city to confront Nahusha. However, upon seeing Nahusha’s power, Indra felt weak and ran away. The tearful Shachi prayed to Upashruti, the Goddess of the Night, for help. The goddess took Shachi to Indra, where they came up with a plan to defeat Nahusha. According to their plan, Shachi agreed to become Nahusha’s wife on the condition that he visit her in a palanquin carried by the seven sages. Nahusha was thrilled with the arrangement and he immediately ordered the palanquin to meet Shachi. Soon, the seven sages assembled and started to carry Nahusha to Shachi. However, the sages moved slowly much to the irritation of Nahusha. In his anger, he kicked Sage Agastya, who was holding the palanquin from the front. Furious, Agastya cursed Nahusha and transformed him into a snake. Now reduced to a mere snake, Nahusha was no threat to Indra, who came back to rule Amravati with his devoted queen, Shachi.

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Vigraha

The word ‘Vigraha’ had many meanings in Puranic texts. Here are some of them:

Kartikeya was presented with two attendants – Vigraha and Sangraha, by the ocean.
The idols and images consecrated in places of worship are called vigrahas.
Vigraha is one of the six qualities a king should possess. It is the quality of fighting in a war to ensure the welfare and safety of his kingdom.

Divine Weapons from Mythology

Post author By Kayva Gokhale
Post date December 13, 2021
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By Krithika Nair

Sanatan Shastra Vidya refers to an ancient science that describes the usage and workings of different weapons. Hindu mythology is host to an arsenal of divine weapons or divyastras. Each of these astras has a specific power – while some rained down arrows, some could cause winds and floods, while some others could even control the minds of the enemy. Let’s look at some of the most unique weapons found in the Puranas.

Vasishtha’s Brahmadanda

Brahmadanda is a weapon of self-defence, created by Brahma. It is only to be possessed by Brahmanas and its powers are dependent on its owner. The weapon is a rod capable of absorbing any incoming attack towards its owner. When Vishwamitra, in a fit of anger, unleashed the Brahmastra onto Vasishtha, it was his Brahmadanda that protected him from the lethal weapon.

Ravana’s Chandrahasa

Chandrahasa is a sword with a curved blade, representing the shape of a crescent moon. The name can be literally translated to mean ‘the laughter of the moon’. The sword was gifted to Ravana by Shiva, after Ravana sang praises of the god in repentance for his prideful act of lifting the mountain on which Shiva and Parvati were seated. The sword, however, came with a prophecy. If Ravana were to use it for any wrongful acts, the sword would return to Shiva, eventually leading to Ravana’s imminent death.

Barbarika’s Teen Baan

Barbarika was the son of Ghatotkacha and the grandson of Bheema and Hidimbi. He had received three undefeatable arrows, known as Teen Baan, from Shiva. The first arrow was a target marker; anything marked by this arrow would be destroyed when the third arrow was released. The second arrow was used to mark things that were to be saved; on the release of the third arrow, everything except the things marked by the second arrow would be destroyed. The arrows would also return to Barbarika’s quiver once their task was completed.

Indra’s Vajra

Vajra is considered to be one of the strongest among all the divine weapons. Possessed by Indra, Vajra is depicted as a club-like weapon made out of bones. The weapon is said to possess both the strength of a diamond and the energy of a thunderbolt. The weapon was made out of the bones of Sage Dadhichi by Vishwamitra, the divine architect. The weapon was created to defeat the demon Vritra, who was blessed with a boon that made him immune to weapons made of wood and metals.

Parashurama’s Vidyudabhi

Parashurama’s axe, Vidyudabhi, was a gift from Shiva. Shiva was also the one who taught Parashurama to wield the famed battle-axe, among other martial arts. It is believed that the warrior sage threw his axe towards the sea, which caused the sea to retreat in fear. The land that was given up by the sea now forms the western coast of India.

The Damaru

By Kayva Gokhale

The Damaru plays an important role in the Puranas and is one of the main markers in Shiva’s iconography.

What is a Damaru?

A Damaru is a small, hourglass-shaped drum that is most commonly associated with Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology. While it is unclear as to when exactly the Damaru originated, some sculptures of Shiva holding this drum have been dated back to the 10th century C.E. The Damaru also makes an appearance in the Tibetan practice of Tantric Buddhism after that.

This hourglass-shaped drum is generally carved from a solid block of wood with skinheads covering each opening. A piece of string with pellets at each end (or a leather cord with knotted ends) is tied to the waist of the Damaru. The player holds the waist of the Damaru in their hand and rotates their wrist to make the ends of the string hit the skinheads, thus producing a reverberating sound.

One instrument, many interpretations

There have been various philosophical and spiritual interpretations of the Damaru in Hinduism. According to the most common interpretation, the Damaru is seen as a representation of yin and yang, since the shape of the Damaru symbolises the coming together of male and female procreative energies, with the top portion representing the lingam and the bottom portion representing the yoni.

Illustration: Durgesh Vellhal and Sanjay Valecha

Apart from that, the Damaru has been seen as a representation of the rhythm of the heartbeat. The alternately rising and falling sound of the Damaru is seen as mimicking the human heart, thus symbolising the energy and sound of life itself. On a larger level, the Damaru also represents the rhythm of the entire universe. According to Hindu beliefs, the universe is constantly being created, preserved and destroyed, and has a cyclical nature. The beats of the Damaru thus symbolise the continuous expansion and collapse of the universe.

The legends behind the Damaru

While the interpretations of the Damaru are abundant, it is also the central aspect of several fascinating legends and folktales. One of the legends associated with the Damaru calls it crucial to the creation of the universe. It is said that before creation, when there was simply a void, the Damaru gave rise to the first nada or sound. Shiva then performed the Tandava to the beats of the Damaru, thus creating the universe.

Some other legends state that the Damaru is responsible for the creation of all music. According to these stories, the sound of the Damaru was passed on to Shiva’s son, Ganesha, who is known to be a proficient player of the Pakhawaj. Ganesha then added more rhythm and sound to the Damaru beats and that’s how music was born.

According to yet another story, the Damaru was the source of grammar and music in the universe. It is believed that when the universe was created, Saraswati’s veena produced the first nada i.e. sound. At that time, Shiva played his Damaru fourteen times and this gave birth to grammar and music.

The language of the Damaru

There is one more story that links the Damaru to the creation of the rules of grammar. According to this legend, Panini, the Sanskrit grammarian, was a great devotee of Shiva in his youth. Wanting to be blessed with divine knowledge from Shiva, Panini began his penance. It is said that he was so deep into his meditation that he did not break his trance even when Shiva appeared before him. In order to get Panini’s attention, Shiva began to play his Damaru. The sound of the Damaru jolted Panini out of his trance, after which Panini bowed to the Lord and received his blessing. The sound of the Damaru however, was so powerful that it continued to resonate in Panini’s ears even after Shiva disappeared. Panini is then believed to have formulated the rules of Sanskrit grammar, syntax and morphology in fourteen verses all due to the Damaru’s sound. Panini’s work is known as the Maheshwara Sutrani today and is one of the most significant texts on linguistics.

Fascinating folklore

Apart from these legends explaining the role and significance of the Damaru, there is an interesting folktale involving the Damaru which highlights the importance of practice in one’s life. According to this tale, a village of farmers once offended Lord Indra, thus leading him to announce that the village would not receive rain for the next fourteen years. Upon hearing the pleas of the farmers of the village, Indra then amended his statement and declared that the village would receive rain only when Shiva played his Damaru. However, still wanting to teach the villagers a lesson, Indra went to Shiva and appealed to him not to play the Damaru for the next fourteen years – a request Shiva accepted immediately. Seeing all of this play out, the farmers turned hopeless and stopped working on their fields. However, one farmer out of them all continued to plough the field and plant seeds. Upon being questioned by the others, the farmer explained to them all that he did not wish to forget his skills and thus would continue to practice farming for the next fourteen years despite the absence of rain. Upon witnessing the scene, Parvati, impressed by the farmer, decided to help the villagers. She went to Shiva and insinuated that he would forget how to play the Damaru if he did not practice for fourteen long years. Shiva, now worried about losing his art, immediately began to practice his Damaru, causing Indra to adhere to his promise and restore rains upon the village.

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