Hindu Mythology

Ashwasthama amazing mythical figure

Ashwasthama: Amazing Visitor

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40 kilometers away from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh India, on the banks of the Ganges river is a village called Shivrajpur. The star attraction of the village is the Khereswar Temple dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of death and destruction. But it’s not just any temple. The temple has a very special visitor; Ashwasthama, an immortal being who is cursed to roam the Earth for thousands of years.

The Visitor

The temple is so old that it is mentioned in the Indian epic Mahabharata (Read more about it here.). Guru Dronacharya was a weapons master who was assigned the task of imparting knowledge on warfare and weaponry to the Pandavas and Kauravas (if you’ve read the Mahabharata you would know that the Pandavas are the heroes and Kauravas are the villain of the story. Read more here). He used to live in the temple premises and worship Lord Shiva there. It was here that he was blessed with a boy, who he named Ashwasthama. Ashwasthama was cursed by Lord Krishna, the Hindu god of love and compassion. During the 18-day battle of the Mahabharata, Ashwasthama had slain all the offspring of the Pandavas at the dead of night. He was cursed to roam the Earth for thousands of years.

Ashwasthama, the amazing visitor with his might bow and arrow
Image illustrates Ashwasthama in action during the battle of Mahabharata. Source Vaarta.

Current priest of the temple Aakash Puri Goswami’s family has been conducting all the rites and rituals of the main deity of the temple for 36 generations. The daily proceedings in the temple begin when the priest opens the door at 4 a.m. in the morning and end at 8 p.m. after the final ritual for the day. A miracle happens everyday within this time frame. And that too with the temple locked and secured.

It is believed that the mythical visitor enters the temple within the time after the doors are locked at 8 p.m. and when it opens at 4 a.m. He is the first person everyday to worship the idol. Some witnesses claim to have seen a shadowy with an approximate height of 10 feet, with a wound to his head. The mysterious visitor comes in quietly and leaves before anyone sees him. When the temple is opened each morning by the head priest, fresh flowers and bay leaves are found on the statue of Lord Shiva.

In two other temples located in Liloti, Uttar Pradesh and Aligarh, Madhya Pradesh similar phenomenon occurs. The same mythical figure appears, silently worships, and leaves before the temple doors are opened. The story goes that Ashwasthama was enraged when he learnt that the his father Dronacharya was slain by the Pandavas during the 18 day battle of Mahabharata. Overcome by his fury, he headed over to the Pandava camp during nightfall when the battle ceased for the day and killed all their children. They were fast asleep.  When Lord Krishna learnt about this horrific crime, he cursed Ashwasthama. He was to roam the earth for three thousand years bearing the burden of what he had done. Only Lord Shiva had the power to break the curse. Therefore, to free himself from the chains of the spell, it is believed that Ashwasthama goes around worshiping Lord Shiva for repentance.

Amazing but true. If you want to catch a glimpse of this mythical figure, hop on a flight, and visit these unique temples and learn the story they personify!

The great war of Mahabharata

MAHABHARATA PART-IV: THE GREAT WAR

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Great war is about to begin. It will last for 18 days. We have learnt the origin stories of our heroes, the Pandavas and the villains, the Kauravas  (Check it out here). Now, let us jump right into the battlefield.

The Kauravas have a larger army with 11 divisions compared to only 7 divisions of the Pandavas. At the start of the war, the two parties head over to Lord Krishna for aid and advice. Krishna refused to fight in the war but said that he was willing to help under one condition. One party can have his army and the other party can have him as an adviser. To no one’s surprise, the Kauravas took the army and the Pandavas took Lord Krishna as their advisor. Krishna agreed to be Arjuna’s ( third Pandava sibling) charioteer and advise them whenever they needed him.

Before the war begins, both groups agree to certain rules that should be maintained under all circumstances. These included not using celestial weapons against mortals soldiers, ceasing fight after sundown, not attacking someone who is unarmed or retreating, and not striking legs or back. Obviously, all these rules were broken by the time the war ended.

THE WAR

At the beginning of the war, Arjuna refuses to fight against the villains because they are his relatives. Lord Krishna gives a rather long speech about ‘dharma’ ( meaning duty), which forms the basis of the Bhagvad Gita (Holy book of Hinduism). Krishna shows his ‘Vishwa Rupa’ ( Vishwa meaning universe and ‘rupa’ meaning guise). Lord Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu, the preserver. The Vishwa Rupa encompasses all the avatars of Vishnu which he has adopted since the beginning of time.

Krishna shows his Vishwa Rupa to Arjuna during the great war of Mahabharata
Lord Krishna shows his Vishwa Rupa to Arjuna when he refuses to fight.

 After this, he has no choice but to perform his duties of being a soldier. One unique thing about the characters of Mahabharata is that, unlike other epics, is that the hero hesitates before killing and does not act on a whim.

Bhisma

The war begins. Both sides battle fiercely. But the heroes are outmatched because the villains have two of the mightiest warriors, Bhisma and the weapons master, Drona. No matter how hard they tried, no one is able to outdo Bhisma in the battlefield. After nine days of persistently trying, he still stands tall. The heroes decide to visit him at nightfall when the battle ceases. They express their concern that, if Bhisma does not die the bloodshed will continue indefinitely. Since, Bhisma was offered the boon of choosing his time of death, he devices a plan.

The Pandavas are to bring Sikhandi (a woman) and make her stand in front of Arjuna while he fires arrows from behind her. Since, Bhisma does not attack woman, he drops his weapons. Against the rules of the battle, Arjuna pierces every inch of his body with arrows. However, Bhisma still does not die (He is one strong dude). His lies on a bed of arrows and witnesses the war till its culmination (since he can choose his time of death).

Bhisma lies on a bed of arrow during the war of Mahabharata
Bhisma lies on a bed of arrow during the war of Mahabharata.

Chakyavyuh: Battle formation

After the fall of their mighty warrior, the Kauravas give the reigns of command to the weapons master, Drona. Drona arranges the army in a battle formation called “Chakravyuh” ( pronounce: cha-kra-view) like a labyrinth. No one knows how to breach it except him and Arjuna.

Chakravyuh battle formation by the Kaurava clan in Mahabharata.
Chakravyuh battle formation by the Kaurava clan in Mahabharata.

But the villains strategically distract Arjuna and drive him far away, to the edge of the battlefield. The Pandavas were cornered with no way to escape. They were losing their footing.  However, fighting in the war was Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s 15-year-old son.

Abhimanyu had listened to his father narrate how to force into the battle formation while still in his mother’s womb. But unfortunately, while he was about to discuss the exit plan, his mother had fallen asleep. Abhimanyu only knew how to enter the formation, but not how to get away. But being his father’s son, he gallantly entered the battle formation. The Kaurava army was left aghast at the feat of the young soldier. He fought his way into the center of the formation. But before any of his family could join him, the breach he created closed behind him. He was left all alone inside the disc. The best of the Kaurava warriors were awaiting him. They mercilessly attacked him and with one final blow, the youngest lion-heart died serving his family. 

Karna

The next day, Karna enters the arena. Kunti (his and the Pandavas’ mother) tries to persuade him to join the cause of his half-brothers but he refused. He promises that by the end of the battle either he lives or Arjuna. Karna posses a magic lance (like a spear) which was a gift from Indra, the king of gods. The lance could instantly kill any living being on which it is used. However, it could be used only once.

To trick him, Krishna devices a plan. He calls upon Ghatotkatcha, demon son of Bhima. Karna fights fiercely with him, but Ghatotkatcha seems unconquerable. With no other way out, Karna is forced to use his lance. Ghatotkatcha dies fighting. Karna is now vulnerable to any attacks from Arjuna.

Arjuna and Karna engage in battle. They are equally matched. The duel goes on and on until Krishna intervenes again. He calls upon the earth, who cracks open under Karna’s chariot and one of the wheels get stuck. He is unable to move forward. Karna has to drop his weapon to release the wheel. He commands Arjuna to not attack a defenseless man. But obviously, he breaks the rules of the battle and attacks Karna as soon as he drops his weapon. Karna is killed.

Arjuna attacking Karna during Mahabharata
Arjuna attacking Karna during the battle of Mahabharata.

Drona

Drona stills remains an invincible war machine. He continues to slay the Pandava army by the thousands. But the heroes have figured out his biggest weakness; his only son Ashwasthama. Bhima kills an elephant by the same name and tells Drona that his son died in the battlefield. He does not believe Bhima’s words. Drona turns towards Yudhisthira and asks him if indeed his son died. Yudhisthira is known for his honesty and never has he ever lied in the long years that he lived. But in order to end the blood and carnage, he says “Ashwasthama – (muttering under his breath) the elephant – is dead.” Drona drops his weapons out of grief and disbelief. He dies with his head chopped off.

Duryodhana and Dushasana

Next, it is the turn of Kaurava second-born Dushasana. Bhima had sworn to break his thighs after he forcefully dragged Draupadi to sit on his brother’s lap during the game of dice. That is exactly what Bhima does. With one mighty blow with his mace, he breaks his thighs. Dushasana immediately drops dead.

Finally, it is time for the main villain to enter the battlefield. Duryodhana, the Kaurava first-born has been provided a boon from his mother, Gandhari. Gandhari had put a protective spell all over his body, except his thighs which he had covered with a loin cloth for modesty before his mother. His thighs were his Achille’s Heels. Over the course of the eighteen days, Duryodhana had seem his army getting wiped out by the Pandavas but had still refused to surrender. Yudhisthira offers him a deal where he could choose one of the Pandava brother to duel one-on-one. If he wins, he could have the kingdom and all the riches. Foolishly, he chooses Bhima, the mightiest of the five siblings. They fight like equals. Bhima wins by striking treacherously on his things against the rules of the  war. Finally, the last of the villains is dead.

The great war has ended, and the earth broken. The Kauravas are wiped out, except one Yuyutsu who had sided with the heroes. The Pandavas rule over Hastinapur for 36 years after which they leave the mortal world behind and begin their journey into the great beyond.

Scene from Mahabharata

MAHABHARATA PART-3: FAMILY FEUDS

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In the last part of this ongoing series (check it out here), we learnt the origin stories of the heroes and villains of our story. Now let us jump right into how this group of cousins define the idea of the first ever ‘dysfunctional family’. You did think this family would be into what every dysfunctional family does like being petty, melodramatic and argue pretty much all the time. But the Pandavas and Kauravas took this concept to a whole new level; arson, gambling, exiling their cousins, and waging war, they have it all. Let us get to it.

THE FAMILY

Bhisma along with weapons master Drona are responsible for educating and training all 105 boys. Unfortunately, cooperation is something which he could not teach them. They keep mindlessly messing with each other. At one instance, the first born of the Kaurava clan (the villains) Duryodhana, gets so jealous of the five Pandavas that he locks them in a house and burns the place to the ground. Somehow, they manage to escape. The siblings are so traumatized by this incident that they decide to hang out in the woods for a while.

While camping out in the wilderness, Bhima comes across a demoness called Hidimba, who falls madly in love with him at first glance. She shape-shifts into a beautiful maiden and entices him. They have a half-demon son named Ghatotkatcha, who promises to call to his father’s aid should he need him.

A while later, the Pandavas attend a swayamvar (a ceremony where a princess chooses her groom from a pool of suitors via a series of war games) and Arjuna wins the hands of Princess Draupadi. When they return home, Arjuna excitedly tells his mom Kunti that he had a surprise he wanted to show her. Before knowing what it is, Kunti asks him to share the ‘thing’ with his brothers. Taking his mother’s words as an unbreakable vow, Arjuna asks his brothers to marry Draupadi. (And here I am, refusing to share a slice of pizza with my little sister).

The brothers live happily with their new wife, promising to respect each other’s privacy. On Lord Krishna’s advice, they agree to meet the blind king as a peace offering. He agrees to give them half of the kingdom (which is all barren). Yudhishthira happily accepts the offer. Together the brothers, their wife, and mother move to their new kingdom named Indraprastha. Over time they turn the area to a prosperous and mighty kingdom even more powerful than Hastinapur, ruled by the villains. Furious with the turn of events, Duryodhana decides to teach them a lesson.

THE FAMILY FEUD

Duryodhana goes to his wicked uncle Shakuni, who tells him that Yudhisthira has a weakness for gambling and he should challenge him for a game of dice called Pashichi. Shakuni also discloses that he has a special magical dice. The dice is made from the bone of his late father. So, the outcome is always the number decided by him. Duryodhana agrees and invites Yudhisthira along with his brothers and their wife to his court in Hastinapur.

Game of dice that the family of Pandavas and Kauravas played in Mahabharata
Game of Dice, called Pachisi.

As the game progresses, Yudhisthira starts losing everything, his lands, wealth, and kingdom. You did think, he stopped at this point. But no. With nothing else to bet, he wages himself and the lives of his brothers and loses everything. Finally, he wages Draupadi, his wife and loses her too.

Duryodhana then orders his second-born brother Dushasana to pull Draupadi by her hair and drag her to his lap. Dushasana obeys his elder brother’s wishes and drags Draupadi in front of a filled court and her five husbands, who stand with their heads hung. He throws her in front of Duryodhana, who proceeds to peel away her saree.

Devastated, Draupadi starts praying to Lord Krishna, who appears before the court and keep adding more layers of saree. Frustrated Duryodhana lets go. Draupadi vows to never tie her hair unless she washes them in Duryodhana’s blood and Bhima, her second husband vows to break Duryodhana’s thighs (because he orders her to sit on his lap).

Draupadi's saree being pulled while the family watches in Mahabharata
Duryodhana pulling away Draupadi’s saree.

Adding fuel to the fire, Duryodhana exiles the Pandavas into the woods for twelve years. They had to spend one more year disguised. Should their true identities be discovered, they had to start over. The Pandavas obliged. After they return from their exile, they wage war on their cousins, to win back their kingdom and dignity. The war lasts eighteen whole days and came to be known as Mahabharata meaning, the great (war of) the Bharata (Sanskrit for India).

Up next. The family great war begins. People die. Lecture by a god on duty. Bloodshed. A man lying on a bed of arrows. Killing a child by conspiracy. More bloodshed. End of war.

WAIT FOR PART-IV

Thanks for waiting. Check out Part-III here.

Image shows Mahabharata, the heroes Pandavas and the villains,Kauravas.

MAHABHARATA PART-2: Heroes and Villains

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In Part-I of this story, we learnt about the birth of Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Now let us know about their offspring. They are the main villains and heroes of this story (respectively). Pandu was the nice guy. He was the ruler of Hastinapur because his elder brother Dhritarashtra was blind.

One day he was out hunting in the woods. He came across a gazelle in the act of mating. Pandu killed it and turns out; he was a sage in disguise. The now furious sage curses Pandu. If he ever tries to mate, he will die. At this point, Pandu had two wives Kunti and Madri but no kids. Dejected, Pandu rejects the throne and decides to hang out in the woods with his wives. Dhritarashtra is crowned the new ruler. If you are wondering how did this blind guy manage a kingdom, he was a pretty bad ruler.

Pandu’s first wife Kunti has a little history, which is important to this story. Before marrying Pandu, she was out in the woods one day (what is it with people and woods, I don’t know.). She called out to the sun god, Surya. Surya appeared before her. She and Surya shared some time in the woods, and she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and named him Karna. But since the baby was born out of wedlock, she decides to get rid of him. Kunti puts Karna in a basket and sends him down a river. He is discovered by a poor man who raises him as his own. Karna later on returns to the story and becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Image showing Kunti the mother of the heroes Pandavas worshiping Surya.
Kunti calls out to the god of sun, Surya. Image by @Wikimedia Commons

HEROES AND VILLAINS

Now let us get back to our story. Pandu and his wives have been camping out in the woods, full-time. One day, Kunti tells him that she knows a powerful mantra which can invoke a god. They put the mantra to the test, and she gives birth to three sons from three different gods.

The son of the god Dharma, Yudhistira the elder-born, righteous, and truthful. Bhima, son of wind god, Vayu and the strongest of all men. Arjuna was born of Indra, the king of the Gods (he is also the god of Lightning, Thunder, Rains, river flows and the King of Heaven) and became a master archer. Madri got together with twin gods Aswins (Hindu gods of medicine) and gave birth to twins Nakula and Sahadeva. These five siblings are together called Pandavas, meaning sons of Pandu. The story revolves around these guys, who are the heroes of the story.

Image shows the Pandavas, the main heroes of Mahabharata.
Image shows the five Pandava brother greeting Vyasa. Image by @Mind&Soul.

Later on, Pandu cannot control his urges and gets together with his second wife Madri. Because of his curse, he dies instantly in her arms. Devastated, Madri jumps at his funeral pyre, leaving Kunti to raise all five brothers.

Meanwhile, at Camp Villain, Dhritarashtra marries Gandhari, the princess of the kingdom Gandhara. Sympathizing with the plight of her blind husband, she blindfolds herself on their wedding day and vows to never see again (she does keep her promise, if you guys are wondering). Few years into their wedding, Gandhari becomes pregnant with their first child. After an abnormally long pregnancy of 2 years, she gives birth to a ball of flesh. She splits open the flesh and out pop 100 boys. They are collectively called the Kauravas. They are the bad guys. Kauravas keep picking fights with their cousins Pandavas throughout the course of the story.

If you like Part-II of this saga, you will love what is coming your way! Up next our heroes and villains deal with gambling, arson, exile and the whole nine yards of good vs. evil stories. 

WAIT FOR PART-III

Check out Part-I of the story.

Image describes the battle of Mhabharata

MAHABHARATA PART-I: THE ORIGIN

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(For best on the go experience, click on the red audio icon at the beginning of the post to stream narration.)

The Mahabharata is an epic poem compiled between 300 BC and 300 AD by the great poet Vyasa. Consisting of one hundred thousand 2-line stanzas, it is the largest single literary work in the world. To put the size of the epic in perspective, the Mahabharata is eight times as long as Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad put together and three time as long as the Bible.

Image depicts a battle scene from The Mahabharata.
An old manuscript, depicting a battle scene from The Mahabharata. Image by @Wikipedia

The name ‘Mahabharata’ is a combination of the Sanskrit word ‘maha’ meaning great and ‘bharata’ which is the Sanskrit name for India. Therefore, Mahabharata literally translates to ‘the great (story of the) Bharata’ or ‘the great (story of the) India’. The entire literary piece is written in Sanskrit. It narrates the story of two sets of cousins waging war on one another in pursuit of riches and right to the throne of Hastinapur.  

Origin

King Santanu, the emperor of Hastinapur married the beautiful river goddess, Ganga. She had disguised herself as a common woman. She asked the king to vow to never question her actions. He agreed happily. As the years went by, they sired many children together. Strangely, each time a child was born, the goddess immediately drowned them. The king was distressed, but honored his promise by not questioning or challenging her behavior. However, when the eighth child was born, he could not control himself. He stopped Ganga from drowning the child. Santanu confronted her and demanded to know the reason behind this bizarre behavior. She revealed her true self. Ganga said that their children had been celestial beings in their previous lives and were punished to be born as humans. She had terminated their sentences by immediately drowning them at birth.

Image shows King Santanu stoping Ganga in The Mahabharata
King Santanu stops Ganga from drowning their eighth son. Image by @Raja Ravi Verma.

Since Santanu had questioned her actions, Ganga left him and their eighth child named Devarata, who later on became Bhisma (meaning, the one with a firm oath). Years later, Santanu fell in love again and wanted to marry Satyavati (mother of Vyasa). But she too had her own conditions (tough luck for poor King Santanu). She said that she would only marry Santanu if their child will be the future king to his empire, leaving Bhisma out in the cold. Bhisma was the elder son of the king and the rightful heir to the throne. Fortunately, Bhisma was totally cool with this and promised to remain celibate for the rest of his life. Thus, he guaranteed that neither he nor his son would proclaim their rights to the throne.

The image shows King Santanu with Satyavati in The Mahabharata.
King Santanu wooing Satyavati, a common fisherwoman.
Image by @Raja Ravi Verma.

Few years later, one of Bhisma’s half-brother dies on the battlefield and other named Vichitravirya, comes of age to marry. On their behalf, Bhisma abducts three sisters (I mean, why not!), fighting off all their suitors. When he arrived home, one of the sisters named Amba reveals that she was in love with one of the suitors. Bhisma allows her to leave. Vichitravirya marries the other two sisters named, Ambika and Ambalika.  Humiliated by defeat, her betrothed refused to marry her. She returned back and demanded that Bhisma marry her instead. But Bhisma being a man of his words, refused her offer. Amba vowed to kill him someday. But the gods were kind enough on Bhisma to grant him one boon. He could choose when or where he will die.

Soon after, Bhisma’s half-brothers and father, King Santanu die leaving the family heir less. With no one to claim the throne, Queen Satyavati began to worry. She asked Bhisma to sire children with his half-brother’s wives, but he refused. The queen then revealed that she was born a fish and once after an encounter with a sage, had given birth to her first-born son, Vyasa (the same dude who has written this epic). Vyasa was not technically an heir, but she decided that he should sire children with Vichitravirya’s two wives.

Vyasa was a poet and lived as an ascetic. He decided to uphold his mother’s wishes. When he went into the room of the first wife Ambika, she immediately closed her eyes seeing him all filthy and smelling. The second wife, Ambalika turned pale seeing him. Embarrassed by their behavior, Vyasa cursed the two sisters. The one who shut her eyes seeing him will give birth to a blind child. The one who’s skin turned pale will give birth to a pale-skinned child.

In a few months, Vyasa’s curse turned into reality. Ambika gave birth to a blind child named Dhritarashtra and Ambalika gave birth to pale-skinned Pandu. Dhritarashtra was elder born but blind, which made him unfit to rule the kingdom. Thus, Pandu became the ruler of Hastinapur. Years later, their offspring will fight relentlessly for the throne. This epic battle between the two sets of cousins is the Mahabharata.

If you liked this origin story, you’re in for a treat! Up next cousin feuds, a woman marrying five men at once, gambling addiction, an 18 day long battle, and bloodshed/carnage for all the gore fans out there!

WAIT FOR PART-II.

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SANDIPANI ASHRAM: GOD’S SCHOOL

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(For best on the go experience, click on the red audio icon at the beginning of the post to stream narration.)

Sandipani ashram is located in Ujjain in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is famous because it was here where Lord Krishna (Hindu god of love and compassion), his elder brother Balarama, and their friend Sudama completed their education. The ashram still stands today and is an important part of the local folklore. There are multiple sites within the ashram which is unique and notable like the Gomti Kund and statue of Nandi.

Image showing the main shrine inside the Sandipani Ashram in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
The main shrine inside the Sandipani Ashram in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

As everyone knows, Nandi is the gatekeeper of Mount Kailasa (the abode of Lord Shiva, hindu god of destruction) and also the vahana (mount) of Lord Shiva. Nandi is usually depicted as a bull and is found in a sitting position (facing the main shrine) in all Shiva temples. One unique thing about the Nandi statue found in Sandipani Ashram is that it is the only standing Nandi statue in the world!

Image shows the statue of standing Nandi, Sandipani Ashram.
The statue of standing Nandi, Sandipani Ashram.

ORIGIN OF THE ASHRAM

According to legend, Ujjain was prone to long stretches of famine. The famines disrupted the economy and lives of the locals. With no other way out, the then king of Ujjain requested Guru Sandipani to worship Lord Shiva. Sandipani was living as a muni (sage) and was widely known in the area as a highly knowledgeable and spiritual man. Abiding the king’s wishes, the guru started meditating and praying to Lord Shiva. Shiva appeared before him and impressed by the guru’s dedication and sincerity, decided to help the kingdom. He revealed that he will come and live in a place called Mahakaleshwar (presently only 5.6km or 3.5 miles from the ashram) and mitigate the kingdom of any future bouts of famine. But he also requested the guru something in return. He asked Sandipani to build a ashram in Ujjain because according to cosmic prediction Lord Vishnu will soon be born in a new avatar (as Lord Krishna) and will then travel to the ashram alongside his elder brother and their friend to complete their early education. Heeding to Lord Shiva’s request, Sandipani established his ashram there. Millenia later, the ashram still stands where it was established and is called “Maharishi Sandipani Ashram”.

ARRIVAL OF LORD KRISHNA

Lord Krishna is an avatar of the all-powerful Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the universe. After reaching adolescence, he decided to travel to Ujjain with his elder brother Balaram and their friend Sudama for his early education. When the three of them arrived at the ashram, Sudama bowed before Sandipani and the guru, welcomed his new disciple inside. Next it was the turn of Balaram who proceeded to perform the same action and was welcomed inside. Finally, it was Lord Krishna’s turn to seek the guru’s blessing. When he approached Sandipani, the guru stood their smiling. The pair stood their as few minutes passed, without exchanging any words orally. After a while, the guru welcomed Lord Krishna inside. Both Balaram and Sudama stood perplexed at this bizarre interaction and inquired their new guru about it. Guru Sandipani said, when he saw Krishna, the supreme and omniscient lord of all living things asking for his guidance, he smiled. Without uttering any word orally, he asked Lord Krishna why he came seeking his counsel when he was the all-knowing lord of the universe. Krishna smilingly replied in his head that even though he is omniscient, he did not know where to start. Sandipani happily accepted his new disciple.

It is said that when Lord Krishna entered the ashram’s premises Nandi was still sitting in his position in front of the temple of Shiva which Sandipani had constructed. But seeing Vishnu (Lord Krishna being an avatar of Vishnu) entering the space, he immediately stood up out of respect and has been standing ever since.

GOMTI KUND

Gomti river flowed through Lord Krishna’s kingdom of Dwarka. People prayed the river and submerged themselves in its auspicious waters. Sandipani also believed in the spiritual powers of the river and often traveled far and wide to pray on its banks and dip in it. It is believed that Lord Krishna felt sympathetic towards the plight of his guru. Using his mighty powers, he called upon the waters of the river to come and settle in a new reservoir in the ashram. This became the Gomti Kund which is still found in the ashram and is one of the key places to visit within the ashram.

Image of Gomti Kund in Sandipani Ashram.
Gomti Kund, Sandipani Ashram

Sandipani Ashram is a truly unique place. After all, it’s not everyday that you get to visit a place where the all-knowing lord of the universe came for his education.

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RAMAYANA: TALE OF LOVE AND SACRIFICE

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Ramayana, like Mahabharata is a Hindu epic poem which dates back to somewhere around the 5th century B.C. It was written by the sage, Valmiki and has around 2400 verses. It describes the journey of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya as he is exiled to the woods for 14 years and his journey back to the throne. Ramayana is dominated with power games, royal politics, battles, and family drama. Yet somehow it edifies us the true meaning of love, sacrifice, loyalty, and brotherhood.

Image from Ramayana.
Image @Temple Purohit

RAMAYANA: Birth of Rama

Ramayana begins in the kingdom of Ayodhya ruled by King Dasharath. He had no offspring. Longing for an heir to his riches and throne, he called for a sacrifice. At the ceremony the god of fire, Agni appeared in the flames and bestowed the king with a golden vase containing nectar. Agni said, “ I am pleased with your sacrifice. In return, I present to you this vase. It contains divine nectar. Give this to your queens and your heart’s longing shall be fulfilled” and vanished.

Dasharath had three wives. To his first and eldest, Kaushalya he gave half of the nectar. To his third and youngest, Kaikeyi he gave the other half. However, to his second wife Sumitra he gave the remaining portions of the drinks which Kaushalya and Kaikeyi couldn’t finish. After a while, Kaushalya gave birth to Rama, the eldest among all siblings. Sumitra gave birth to the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata.

Marriage with Sita

After a few years, the four princes had grown into strong yet generous men. One day, sage Vishwamitra arrived at King Dasharatha’s court and said that he needed the help of Rama and Lakshman to get rid of demons plaguing his hermitage and sabotaging every ritual by throwing blood and bones into the sacrificial fires. The king agreed and the princes accompanied Vishwamitra to his hermitage and killed off all the demons. Happy with the princes, Vishwamitra took Rama and Lakshman to the nearby kingdom of Mithila.

The kingdom of Mithila was organizing a ‘Swayamvar’ ( a ceremony where a princess picks a groom for herself from a pool of worthy suitors) for its princess, Sita. Sita was born of the earth. She was found in a rice field and was adopted by the king of Mithila, Janaka as his own. He had declared that anyone who could pick up the Divine bow of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction and string it would be worthy of marrying his daughter. But this was no ordinary bow and therefore couldn’t be lifted by any ordinary man.

Prince Rama and Lakshman entered the court alongside sage Vishwamitra. The Bow of Shiva lied at the center of the room, still unstrung. Rama walked over to the bow, picked it up effortlessly, and bent the bow to tie the string. But the bow crushed under his force and broke into two. The entire court fell silent. Soon after, Rama happily married Princess Sita. Later on, his three brothers married Sita’s younger sister and her cousins. 

Scene from Ramayana. Lord Rama breaks the bow of Shiva.
Lord Rama breaks the bow of Shiva. Image @Raja Ravi Verma

Rama sentenced to exile

After a few years of peaceful reign, King Dasharatha decided to retire and abdicate the throne and pass it on to his eldest, Rama. Everyone was ecstatic about the decision. But Kaikeyi’s handmaiden, Manthara was extremely vile. She poisoned Kaikeyi’s mind and brainwashed her into believing that Bharata was the true heir to the throne. She went to Dasharatha with her suggestion.

Kaikeyi wanted Bharata to be the new king and Rama to be exiled into the forest for 14 years so that he doesn’t claim his right to the throne. Dasharatha was shocked and immediately refused the notion. In order to force the king to do her bidding, she reminded Dasharatha of a promise he made to her a few years back. He had promised to fulfill one wish of her’s, no matter the request.

Dasharatha refused to uphold his promise, but Rama being the ideal son decided to honor his father’s old promise. Accompanied by Lakshman and his wife Sita, they gave up all their royal possessions and dressed as commoners, left for the woods. Dasharatha was so shocked and traumatized by this that he died within two days.

Meanwhile, Bharata and Shatrughna were away at Bharata’s maternal grandfather’s kingdom for vacation. They were summoned back to Ayodhya by Kaikeyi. Upon arrival, Bharata was furious when he learnt what had happened in his absence. He reprimanded his mother for her actions which tore the family apart and refused to ascend the throne.

Bharata gathered some men and headed for the woods to get his brothers and sister-in-law back. But Rama refused to go back with him because he wanted to honor his father’s promise. Heartbroken, Bharata returned back with Rama’s sandals and placed them on the throne. He continued to rule the kingdom in the name of his brother until he returns.

Scene from Ramayana.
Bharata takes Lord Rama’s slippers. Image @News Nation

Rama along with Lakshman and Sita decided to move deeper into the woods so that no one from Ayodhya could find them and beg him to go back.

RAMAYANA: Sita is abducted

Its been a few years in the woods. Rama, Lakshman, and Sita have built themselves a hut and have settled down. One day, a demoness named Surpanakha happened to pass through the area. She glanced at Rama and instantly fell in love. She approached him, but Rama turned her down pointing at Sita and stating that he already has a wife. He asked her to talk to Lakshman instead. This time also, she was turned down. Furious, she pranced towards Sita to finish her off, but Lakshman jumped between them and cut off her nose and ears.

Enraged, Surpanakha flew to Lanka (present day Sri Lanka), the kingdom of her ten-headed demon brother Ravana. Even though he was a demon, he was extremely intelligent and smart. He had the knowledge of scriptures and was an ardent worshiper of Lord Shiva, god of destruction.

Surpanakha approached her brother and described the entire incident in detail. Ravana was angry beyond measure and decided to avenge his sister’s honor. He called the demon Marich, who was a shapeshifter. He asked Marich to disguise himself as a deer with a golden hide and wander around Rama’s hut.

Marich obliged. Sita, on seeing the breathtaking golden deer asked Rama to get it for her. Before leaving, Lakshman drew a circle around the hut called Lakshman Rekha (Lakshman’s line) and asked Sita not to cross it no matter what. Then, they headed out in pursuit of the golden deer.

Ravana was hiding in the nearby bushes all this time. Once the brothers left, he approached the hut in the guise of an old sage. He called on Sita and asked her if he could have some food. Sita crossed the line to help him and immediately, Ravana revealed his real self. He abducted Sita and flew to his kingdom, Lanka in a flying chariot.

Jatayu, a divine bird noticed the beautiful woman crying for help and attacked the chariot. However, Ravana strikes back and cuts off his wings. Sita in complete desperation and helplessness throws her necklace in the hope of Rama finding it.

Ravana abducting Sita on his flying chariot and striking down Jatayu. Image @Temple Purohit

Rama gathers an army of monkey:

After returning back to an empty hurt, Rama and Lakshman are worried. They start looking around for Sita. They come across a now injured and on the verge of death, Jatayu who informs them about the abduction. He then breathes his last and the brothers bury him nearby. Heartbroken, Rama continues his quest.

On his way, he comes across the monkey king Sugreeva and helps him win a battle against his wicked brother. As a sign of gratitude, Sugreeva vows to help Rama. He gathers an army of monkey and together they decide to march south. Among the monkeys was Hanuman, born of the wind. He swore his loyalty to Rama and flew to Lanka to pinpoint Sita’s location.

RAMAYANA: Ravana’s Kingdom

The ten-headed demon King, Ravana had kept Sita in a beautiful garden called ‘Ashok Vatika’, with three demonesses as guards. On several occasions he had forced Sita to concede and marry him, but she turned down all his offers. Hanuman flies over Lanka and finds a depressed Sita in the garden, siting under the shade of a tree and chanting Rama’s name.

Seeing her, he bows down and introduces himself. Sita is suspicious but Hanuman shows Rama’s ring he was carrying, and she immediately recognizes it. Hanuman promises that Rama and his army are marching south to rescue her and she shouldn’t lose hope.

Scene from Ramayana.
Hanuman offers Sita, Lord Rama’s ring. Image @Saithya Sai

Before leaving, Hanuman wanted to have some fun. He deliberately let himself get caught by the royal guards. They tie him up and take him to the court. Ravana enquires him about his intentions, but Hanuman refused to answer any of his questions.

Furious, Ravana orders his men to wrap clothes around Hanuman’s tail and set it on fire. The men oblige. However, as soon as they set his tail on fire, Hanuman releases himself from the bonds and flies around and incinerates the entire city. Once done, he flew back to Rama with Sita’s location.

Hanuman sets Lanka on fire. Image @Bhavesh Katira

RAMAYANA: THE FINAL BATTLE

Rama and his army march south. Upon reaching the tip of the Indian subcontinent, they face a rather difficult challenge. Lanka was a small island in the Indian Ocean, several miles off the coast. They decided to build a bridge. But every time the army threw large boulders into the ocean, it drowned. Then someone came up with a unique idea.

On every single rock they wrote “Sri Rama” ( Sri is a title of respect written before the name of a god or man) and threw it into the ocean. Surprisingly it remained floating. Soon after, they constructed the bridge and the army marched into Lanka.

A fierce battle was fought. Ravana had invited all his demon brothers to fight alongside him except Vibhishana who sided with Rama. After few days, the battle ended with Rama killing Ravana and his army. Vibhishana was declared the new ruler of Lanka.

Scene from Ramayana.
Image @Youngisthan

After the war, an ecstatic Sita walks towards Rama but he refused to take her back because she had been ‘living’ with Ravana. Heartbroken, Sita jumped into a nearby pyre to end her life. But to everyone’s astonishment she rose in the arms of Agni, the god of fire who announced that Sita was free of any sin. This event came to be known as ‘Agni Pareeksha’  meaning trial by fire.

By this time, 14 years of exile were over. Rama returned to Ayodhya along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman. People of his kingdom lit earthen lamps to celebrate his homecoming and the triumph of good over evil. This is how the festival of ‘Diwali’ came to be celebrated. Ramayana celebrates the triumph of good over evil. In the end, Bharata steps down and Rama is crowned as the new ruler of Ayodhya.

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THE LOST THRONE OF KING VIKRAMADITYA

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(For best on the go experience, click on the red audio icon at the beginning of the post to stream narration.)

Raja Bhoja sat on the throne of Malwa region of ancient India during 1010-1055 C.E. He was an efficient ruler and his subjects prospered under his reign.

Image of Raja Bhoja who sat on the throne of Malwa, India.
A statue of Raja Bhoja at Bhopal, India. Image by @Sunil Deepak

However, a few years later his kingdom was plagued with attacks from wild animals from the surrounding woods. After numerous complaints from his subjects, Raja Bhoja decided to hunt down the attackers. He gathered a small hunting party and headed for the woods. After a few hours of hunting, the king was satisfied with the outcome of the hunt and decided to head back. On their way home, the group was extremely worn-out and hungry.

While trudging along, one of the members of the group noticed a garden. He informed the king who in turn ordered the group to proceed towards it. Up close, the entire group was awe-struck. The garden was nothing they had ever seen. It was loaded with exotic fruits and flowers and shone bright under the sun. Together, the royal party entered the garden. They noticed a man standing on a raised platform and smiling down on them, as if he had no worldly tension whatsoever. He seemed genuinely pleased with the royal party’s arrival. He said, “My name is Saravana. Please, Your Highness. Treat yourself to some fruits from my humble garden.”

Hearing this, they started helping themselves pick fruits. Saravana said, “Your Majesty, just relax. I will fetch some of the juiciest fruits for you myself”. He started making his way down the platform. As soon as he got down, his expression changed. He became exasperated with the group for picking his fruits. He screamed, “How dare pick my fruits without my permission?”. The king was taken aback. The man looked like he was in some dreamland before and had been shaken back to reality. He noticed that Sarvana’s mood shifted when he got down the platform. One of the royal helpers started pacifying the man and told him that he was the one who authorized them to pick the fruits. However, the man didn’t seem to recall the incident. The king interceded and told the man that he would like to buy the garden. Sarvana hesitated but the king said he is willing to pay double the total worth of the land. After pondering over the offer for a while, he agreed to  hand over the ownership to His Royal Highness.

The king was fascinated with the platform which so rapidly shifted the mood of the man. After arriving at the palace, he ordered few of his men to go and dug up the platform. He was convinced that something was hiding in the earth underneath it, which had the power to influence behavior. After a few days of excavation, they found the source. A magnificent throne made of solid gold. There were 32 steps which led to the seat of the throne. The throne itself was embedded with precious jewels. On the 32 steps that led to the seat, there were intricately carved images of beautiful Apsaras (angels in Hindu Mythology) with hype-realistic expression.

The team decided to clean the throne and haul it back to the capital. However, when they tried to move it, the throne wouldn’t budge. Brahmins (priests) were called and rituals performed. Once the rituals were over, the throne allowed itself to be lifted. It took many days, but it made its way to the Raja’s palace. Everyone present in the court were mesmerized with the magnificence of the throne. It was absolutely majestic and radiated an aura of power, which heightened the excitement around the room. The king was immediately drawn towards it and decided that this shall be his new throne and shall be placed at the heart of his court for everyone to bask in its grandeur.

A day was picked for the auspicious occasion of the king ascending his new throne. Raja Bhoja was dressed in his best attire and was accompanied by a group of his ministers and trusted advisers. Everyone gathered in the court to witness the event. The king walked towards the throne. As he was about to take his first step, the lips of the Apsara’s image on the first step started moving. She was laughing. The king, taken aback asked “Who are you?”. The image, still laughing replied, “First, tell me Your Highness. What are you trying to do?” Raja Bhoja said, “I am trying to sit on this throne”. He felt kind of silly having to express his intentions to an inanimate carving. The statue continued, “This throne belongs to King Vikramaditya. He was the mightiest and bravest king in all of history. Nothing you have done can be compared to half of the glory he has achieved in his lifetime. Why are you trying to sit on a throne of which you are not worthy?”.

King Vikramaditya, seated on his throne at Ujjain, India.
King Vikramaditya, seated on his throne at Ujjain, India. Image by @D’Source

The king was speechless. He was supposed to be a descendant of King Vikramaditya. But he knew full well of the greatness and magnanimity of his ancestor. King Vikramaditya’s stories were legends. He also remembered the story of Lord Indra (the king of heavens and the god of lighting, rain, thunder, and war) gifting a majestic throne to Vikramaditya for his generosity. Bhoja wanted to know more about his great ancestor. He asked, “O Apsara of the throne, please tell me about King Vikramaditya”.

She started narrating a story about the king and his greatness. As the story ended, Raja Bhoja acknowledged that he indeed was not worthy of the throne. Every day for the next 31 days, he came to the throne. Every day, one Apsara from each step told a story of King Vikramaditya’s deeds. And every day Bhoja conceded his defeat. Finally, after the last Apsara finished narrating another epic tale, Raja Bhoja announced, “ Today, I realize. I am not worthy of this throne which once belonged to my ancestor, King Vikramaditya. There is truly no one who can match his magnanimity and greatness.”

Hearing this, bright shimmering lights same soaring out of the throne. 32 transparent faces of the Apsaras appeared in the streak of light and they collectively said, “ We are nymphs and we once resided in Mount Kailash alongside Lord Shiva and his wife, Goddess Parvati”. Then they let out a sigh and hung their heads in shame saying, “We wanted to make Lord Shiva fall in love with us and take us as his brides. However, Goddess Parvati saw through our plan and cursed us to be statues in the steps of this throne. We could only be freed if someone from King Vikramaditya’s bloodline listened to all the epic tales of his life, patiently.” They continued, “Today, you have freed us my Lord and for this we shall remain eternally grateful. Know this very well, you are as humble and magnanimous as your ancestor. You’re worthy of his throne. You can ask us for any boon”.

The king deeply humbled and in tears said, “I wish the stories of my ancestor King Vikramaditya is remembered by all the generations to come. May his legends remain immortal and inspire others to achieve greatness.” The Apsaras smiled and nodded in agreement and vanished. Raja Bhoja ascended the throne and this time around, he truly felt worthy of the throne.

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