Archives: mythology

By Aditya Sen

Vaikuntha is the abode of the mighty Vishnu. Vaikuntha is said to be a paradise like no other, regarded as the highest spiritual realm that one could attain, according to Hindu mythology. The name itself means ‘the abode of eternal bliss’. The entrance to this magnificent realm is guarded by the twin deities, Jaya and Vijaya. 

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One day, four Kumaras, named Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara, arrived at the entrance of Vaikuntha. By virtue of their tapas or austerities, they appeared to be children but, in reality, they were very old and spiritually advanced. Tempted by the world inside, they walked towards the gates. As they were about to enter the spiritual realm, they were stopped by Jaya and Vijaya, the dwarapalakas or gatekeepers of Vaikuntha. Considering them children, Jaya and Vijaya arrogantly declared that they could not be allowed inside the abode of Vishnu. They inform the Kumaras that Vishnu could not be disturbed as he was resting. The duo was unaware that these four Kumaras happened to be the mind-born sons or manasaputras of Brahma.

The Kumaras challenged Jaya and Vijaya’s words by saying that they were devotees, and Vishnu is always available for his devotees. Enraged by the slight, they cursed the twin gatekeepers to lose their divinity and take birth in the material world. On being cursed, Jaya and Vijaya let go of their arrogance and pleaded with the Kumaras to revoke the curse. Hearing the commotion, Vishnu enquired. Learning about this incident, Vishnu left his abode to sort out the issue. All present at the gate bowed as Vishnu appeared at the entrance. 

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Vishnu turned to his gatekeepers and told them that the curse of a Kumara could not be revoked. Instead, he could modify the curse. He gave them two options; either they could be born seven times as devotees of Vishnu, or three times as enemies of Vishnu. Either way, Vishnu would be a part of their mortal lives. Jaya and Vijaya could not stand the thought of being away from their master for seven lives, so they agreed to be born thrice as his enemies. After fulfilling the curse, they could return to their immortal forms as his gatekeepers.  

In the Satya Yuga, Jaya and Vijaya were born as the asuras Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyaksha was slain by the Varaha avatar of Vishnu, and Hiranyakashipu was slain Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar. In the Treta Yuga, they were born as the brothers Ravana and Kumbarkarna. They were both destroyed by Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. In the Dwapara Yuga,  they took birth as Shishupala and Dantavakra. They were both defeated by Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.

The depiction of Jaya and Vijaya guarding the gates of Vaikuntha loka is a common feature of most Vishnu temples, showing how inseparable they are from their lord.

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By Srinidhi Murthy

A japamala, referred to as a rosary in English, is a string of beads used to keep the mind focused and clear while reciting the divine name.  The word comes from two separate words; japa meaning recitation (of the divine name) and mala meaning garland. A japamala is used in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism and many other traditions for the spiritual practice referred to as japa. The use of a japamala while praying is a widespread practice since ancient times and it is not known exactly when this started.

Materials used

Japamalas are made using a variety of materials depending on the tenets of the faith of the practitioner, the kind of prayers and also the geographical availability of materials.

Shaivas, the devotees of Shiva use the seeds of the Rudraksha tree and Vaishanavas, the devotees of Vishnu use the beads from the wood of the Tulsi plant in their japamalas. These plants are especially dear to the deities they revere. Buddhists prefer seeds or wood from various species of the Bodhi Tree as it represents the place of Siddhartha Gautham’s enlightenment. 

Japamala in Hinduism

In Hindu mythology, 108 is an auspicious number, so you are most likely to find that many beads in the mala used by the devotees. Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, Brahma, the god of creation and Dattatreya, the god of yoga are all seen with a japamala in their hands representing the power of meditation and spirituality. 

Japamala in Buddhism

Japamala is a conventional meditation and prayer tool in Buddhism, and it is especially common among Tibetan Buddhists. Similar to the practice in Hinduism, the japamala contains 108 beads and that represents the mortal desires of humans. The beads are commonly used to count the recitation of mantras and for meditative breathing. The prayer beads maybe painted in specific colours and can be made of bodhi wood, sandalwood,  metal, shells, seeds, or other materials to support the main focus of the meditation.

Japamala in Christianity

In Christianity, the practice of using the rosary or chaplet for prayer was adopted somewhere around the third century by the Eastern Christian monks. ‘Rosary’ is derived from the Latin word rosarium, which means ‘a crown of flowers’. The beads of the chaplet may be arranged in five decades (sets of 10), each decade separated from the subsequent by a bigger bead. The 2 ends of the chaplet are joined by a little string holding a crucifix, two large beads and three small beads. In Roman Catholicism, the rosary is a well-liked method of public and personal prayer. The prayers may be dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ or a specific saint like Saint Michael. 

Japamala in Islam

In Islam, the rosary consists of three groups of beads whose total is a hundred. Each bead represents one of the names of God and helps to count these names. It is also carried by pilgrims.

Japamala in Sikhism

Sikhs also use the japamala for prayers. The devout use it to repeat the Gur Mantar or Mool Mantar, which are specific chants. They have a selected number of small beads and one large bead to mark the completion of one count of the rosary. Again, the number hundred and eight is popular as it is considered to represent infinity. There is no ritual attached to the number of beads on any mala in Sikhism. It is only meant to encourage remembrance of the divine through the practice of prayer and meditation.

The japamala cuts across various faiths and brings together all spiritual practitioners in their journey to that one ultimate truth that they all are seeking.

The pure white, seven-headed horse, Uchhaisravas, was among the gifts that emerged when the devas and asuras churned the Ocean of Milk. This beautiful horse was immediately taken by Indra and became one of his vahanas or carriers.

Once King Revanta, Surya’s son, wanted to visit Vishnu and Lakshmi. Being a friend of Indra’s, he borrowed Uchhaisravas to travel to Vaikuntha. Lakshmi was so excited to see her brother Uchhaisravas (both were born from the Ocean of Milk) that she was distracted and did not hear something Vishnu said. Annoyed, Vishnu cursed Lakshmi to be born as a mare. Lakshmi tearfully apologised and Vishnu softened. He said that she would return to Vaikuntha after giving birth to a son as glorious as Vishnu himself.

As a mare on earth, Lakshmi prayed to Shiva for a thousand years to find out who the father of this glorious son would be. Finally, Shiva and Parvati appeared and assured her that they would find a solution. Shiva then sent Vishnu down to earth as a horse to be with Lakshmi. A baby boy was born after which Lakshmi and Vishnu returned to Vaikuntha. The boy was adopted by King Satajit and named Ekavira. He was also called Hehaya, meaning ‘born from a horse’, and became one of the founders of the Ilehaya dynasty.

Read more about other celestial beings of mythology in our title ‘Divine Beings‘. Now available on the ACK Comics app, Kindle, Flipkart, Amazon, and other major e-tailers.

According to the Shanti Parva and Vishnu Parva, one day when Shiva’s father-in-law, Daksha was performing a yagya, he invited all the gods except Shiva. It is believed that Daksha disliked Shiva and thought he was not worthy of his daughter. Sati noticed all the gods heading out and questioned Shiva. He informed her about the event and explained the situation. Sati felt very sorry and was deeply hurt by her father’s act. Unable to bear his wife’s grief, Shiva grew uneasy. A drop of sweat emerged from his third eye. 

This drop of sweat took the form of a fearful monster. The Vishnu Parva describes the asura as ‘…as fierce as Yama the god of death and fearful like a thousand clouds with a thunderbolt, gaping and sighing, with a tight body and horrible face, rendered so by many eyes.’ As soon as he was created, he dashed into all gods giving them a terrible fever. The gods became uneasy and turned to Shiva for help. Hearing their plea, Shiva took the fever off their bodies. However, the energy radiating from the asura was so intense that no one being or place could handle it in the intact form. Thus, Shiva divided the asura into several pieces.

He named the demon Jvarasura because, in many Indian languages, Jvara means fever and Asura, means demon. Thus, Jvarasura became a fever-inducing demon. Shiva took the parts of Jvarasura and gave it to other living beings. Doing so everybody understood that Shiva is the highest power and should be respected by all beings. Since then, it is believed that Jvarasura causes: 

• Headache for elephants
• Sore throat for horses 
• Hoof-rot for cows
• Sore-eyes for cuckoo 
• Weariness for tigers 
• Hiccups for parrots 
• Fever for humans 
• Algae on water 

According to Skanda Purana, when Jvarasura spread diseases on the earth, Shitala, an incarnation of Katyayani, got rid of all the diseases. Shitala means the ‘one who cools’. Thus, she is the goddess who cures diseases and cools the body of the fever heat. Some texts say that since then, Jvarasura became Shitala’s servant while many other texts depict Jvarasura and Shitala as companions. 

By Mansee Jain

Kama, the god of love, once distracted Shiva during his meditation. Enraged by this, Shiva opened his third eye and burnt him to ashes, much to the horror of Kama’s wife, Rati. The distraught Rati lit a pyre and was about to enter it when a heavenly proclamation stopped her. It told her that her husband was still alive and she would be reunited with him on the day of Shiva’s marriage. If she wished to meet him, she was to seek work in the kitchen of the asura, Shambara. Rati disguised herself as a maid and called herself Mayavati. The head cook of Shambara’s palace kitchen accepted her and she began to work there.

Meanwhile, Dwaraka was celebrating the birth of Krishna and Rukmini’s son, Pradyumna. He was the reincarnation of Kama. A week after Pradyumna’s birth, Shambara had a dream. Through this dream, he came to know that he would meet his end at the hands of Pradyumna. Unperturbed, Shambara decided to kill Pradyumna before he was old enough to be a threat. He made himself invisible and flew to Krishna’s palace in Dwarka. There, Shambara stole baby Pradyumna from his sleeping mother’s side and flew with him to the ocean. He then threw Pradyumna into the ocean and presumed that the threat was over.

However, unknown to Shambara, Pradyumna did not die but was instead swallowed by a large fish. By a turn of events, the fish was caught and ended up in the kitchen at Shambara’s palace! On cutting the fish, the cooks found baby Pradyumna and entrusted him into Mayavati’s care.

A befuddled Mayavati wondered about the child’s parents when the sage, Narada, appeared before her. He explained to her that the baby was none other than her husband, Kama. On being burnt, Kama had begged to be reborn as Krishna’s son. Narada also told Mayavati that Pradyumna, the son of Krishna and Rukmini, was fated to end the wicked Shambara’s life. He also detailed how Shambara, wanting to prevent this, threw baby Pradyumna into the ocean, which resulted in the baby being swallowed by a large fish and ending up in Shambara’s kitchen. After instructing her to raise Pradyumna with care and revealing to him his identity when he came of age, Narada disappeared.
As he grew up, Pradyumna displayed his father Krishna’s traits, such as his love for butter and the look of injured innocence when caught red-handed. Soon, he grew into a handsome young man, favoured by all the young maids in the kitchen.

An anxious Mayavati decided that it was time for Pradyumna to learn the truth. She revealed to him his lineage and the events that had occurred after his birth. She also told him how his mother still believed him to be dead and wept for him. On hearing this, Pradyumna flew into a rage and determined to kill Shambara. Rati calmed him down and told him that he would have to learn spells to counter Shambara’s magical powers before engaging him in combat. She then began to teach him the skills that he would require to defeat Shambara, including a spell to counter the invisibility magic possessed by Shambara. Once Pradyumna was ready, Rati used her magical powers to arm him with the resources necessary to defeat the asura.

Pradyumna then reached Shambara’s palace gates and loudly taunt him about how Shambara had taken him from his mother’s side and thrown him into the ocean. An enraged Shambara, wondering who could have disclosed his secret, rushed out of his palace. A mighty battle ensued between Shambara and Pradyumna. Finally, resorting to magic, Shambara turned invisible. Pradyumna immediately cast the spell taught by Mayavati to break Shambara’s invisibility. He then cut off the asura’s head with his sword and returned to Mayavati to give her the news of his success. Mayavati then took Pradyumna and flew with him to Dwarka.

Meanwhile, Shiva was getting married to Parvati. Once the ceremony ended, the gods went up to him and begged him to restore Kama to Mayavati. Shiva immediately agreed since he too was now a slave of Kama or love.

At that moment, Mayavati and Pradyumna entered the inner sanctum of Krishna’s palace in Dwarka. All the ladies assumed that Pradyumna was Krishna and wondered who the beautiful woman with him was. On the other hand, Rukmini, who knew that this youth was not Krishna, wondered who he was and wished for him to be her son, Pradyumna. Before she could question him, Narada and Krishna entered. Narada proclaimed that her son had finally returned to her and revealed the true identities of both Pradyumna and Mayavati. A surprised Pradyumna embraced his wife and the couple took the blessings of Krishna, Rukmini and Narada. On hearing that their long-lost prince had returned with a wife, all of Dwaraka celebrated this momentous occasion.

Read the story of Kama in our title ‘Pradyumna‘ available on the ACK Comics app, Kindle, Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers. 

By Shivam Pathania

Kaliya was a ferocious naga that lived on the Ramanaka Dwipa of the Yamuna River but left the island in fear of the Garuda, a celestial being possessing human and eagle features. Since eagles feed on snakes, Garuda was Kaliya’s nemesis. The multi-headed naga came to Vrindavan as Garuda was cursed and could not enter the village. The venom that seeped out of its multiple mouths boiled the water around him and killed any living being that came in contact with the contaminated water. He, unlike the other nagas, does not have an origin in the scriptures.

Once Krishna and his friends were playing near the river with a ball. While playing their ball fell into the river, and Krishna went jumped in to fetch it. In the river, he was attacked by the violent snake. The snake tried to crush Krishna by coiling around him but Krishna escaped effortlessly. Krishna dragged the snake onto the surface of the river, jumped on one of its heads, and started performing his cosmic dance. He had assumed the weight of the entire universe in his tiny feet and almost crushed the naga to death. But Krishna stopped after hearing the prayers of Kaliya’s wives. The humiliated and defeated snake asked for forgiveness from Krishna and Krishna commanded him to return back to his island of Ramanaka and blessed him that his vahana, Garuda, would never attack him.

The story of Krishna and Kaliya is also available in our ACK Junior Collection, now available on the ACK Comics App, Kindle, Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers.