Religion on RESEARCHUT

Lord Vishnu – Dashavatharam (Part – VII)

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 06:04:19 -0500

_ " yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham" -_ (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter-4)

**Sri Krishna said - **“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion–at that time I descend Myself.

** ” Praritranaya Sadhunam
Vinashaya Cha Dushkritam
Dharamasansthapnaya
Sambhavami Yuge-Yuge. “** _ -_ (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter-4)

Sri Krishna said - “In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to re-establish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.”

10) Lord Kalki

![kalki-nm](/images/kalki- nm.jpg)

It is foretold in Srimad Bhagavatam that Lord Kalki will appear at the conjunction of the two Yugas, namely at the end of Kali-Yuga and the beginning of Satya-Yuga. The age of Kali-Yuga lasts 432,000 years, out of which we have passed only 5,000 years after the Battle of Kurukshetra and the end of the regime of King Parikshit. Therefore at the end of this period, the incarnation of Lord Kalki will take place.

Srimad Bhagavatam describes that Lord Kalki will appear in the home of the most eminent brahmana of Shambhala village, the great soul Vishnuyasha. Lord Kalki will grow up with lord Parshuram as his teacher, who will instruct Lord Kalki to perform a long penance onto Lord Shiva to receive celestial weaponry. Later he will mount his swift horse Devadatta ; sword in hand, he will travel over the earth exhibiting his eight mystic opulence’s and eight special qualities of Godhead. Displaying his unequalled effulgence and riding with great speed, he will kill by the millions those thieves who have dared dress as kings. After all the imposter kings have been killed, the residents of the cities and towns will feel the breezes carrying the most sacred fragrance of the sandalwood paste and other decorations of Lord Kalki, and their minds will thereby become transcendentally pure.

The incarnation of Lord Vishnu on Earth as Lord Kalki; the maintainer of religion, will also mark the beginning of Satya-Yuga (The age of truth), and human society will bring forth progeny in the mode of goodness.

Bhairava – A Fierce Manifestation of Lord Shiva

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 06:00:18 -0500

Bhairava is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with total destruction.

He is ornamented with a range of twisted serpents (as earrings), bracelets, anklets, and sacred thread (Yajnopavita). He wears a tiger skin and a ritual apron composed of human bones.

Bhairava himself has eight manifestations: Kala Bhairava, Asitanga Bhairava, Samhara Bhairava, Ruru Bhairava, Krodha Bhairava, Kapala Bhairava, Rudra Bhirava and Unmatta Bhairava.

Origin Of Bhairava -

Once while travelling around the universe, Lord Brahma reached the abode of Lord Vishnu. He saw Lord Vishnu resting on Adi-Anant-Shesha and being attended by Garuda and other attendants.

![lord-vishnu-3r](/images/lord-vishnu- 3r.jpg)

As Lord Brahma entered, Lord Vishnu did not get up to receive him. This act of Lord Vishnu got him angry. Very soon, verbal dual erupted between them to determine who is superior. It became so severe that a battle was fought between them, which continued for very long time.

All the deities became very worried when they saw no sign of battle coming to an end. They decided to go to Lord Shiva, to seek his help.

[![Lord-Shiva (1)](/images/lord- shiva-1.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/lord- shiva-1.jpg)

When Lord Shiva reached there, he manifested himself in the form of ‘Analstamba’ (Pillar of fire) between them. Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were very surprised to see the pillar of fire, which reached the sky and penetrated down the Earth.

Lord Vishnu transformed himself into a boar and went to the ‘Patal’ (Underworld) to find the base of that ‘Pillar of fire’. But he was unsuccessful in his attempt and came back. Similarly Lord Brahma transformed himself into a swan and flew up in the sky to find its limit. While going through the aerial route he met a withered ‘Ketaki’ flower, who told Lord Brahma that he had been present there since the beginning of the creation, but was unable to know about the origin of that ‘Pillar of fire’. Lord Brahma then sought his help to give a false witness before Lord Vishnu, that he (Lord Brahma) had been successful in seeing the limit of that pillar of fire. Then, Lord Brahma told Lord Vishnu that he had seen the limit of that Pillar of fire, Ketaki flower gave a witness. Lord Vishnu accepted the superiority of Lord Brahma.

[![rudrashtakam-of-lord-rudra-shiva](/images/rudrashtakam-of- lord-rudra-shiva.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/06 /rudrashtakam-of-lord-rudra-shiva.jpg)

Lord Shiva became very angry with Lord Brahma. Overflowing with anger, Lord Shiva opened his third eye and from it manifested ‘Bhairava’. Addressing him as Kala-Bhairava (Lord of Time-Death) as he shone like the God of Death, Lord Shiva said- “You are called Bhairava because you are of terrifying features and are capable of supporting the universe. You are called Kala-Bhairava, for even Time-Death is terrified of you.” Lord Shiva ordered him to punish Lord Brahma, promising him in return eternal suzerainty over his city of Kashi (Varanasi). In a short period of time, Bhairava ripped off Lord Brahma’s guilty head with the nail of his left thumb. Seeing this, the terrified Lord Vishnu eulogized Lord Shiva and devotedly recited his sacred hymns, followed in this by the repentant Lord Brahma. [![Shiva-comic- virgin_thumb1](/images/shiva-comic- virgin_thumb1.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/shiva- comic-virgin_thumb1.jpg)

The severed head immediately stuck to Bhairava’s hand, where it remained in the form of the skull, destined to serve as his insatiable begging-bowl. Enjoining him to honour Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva then directed Bhairava to roam the world in this beggarly condition to atone for the sin of Brahmahatya (Killing of a Brahman).

Lord Shiva said - “Show to the world the rite of expiation for removing the sin of Brahmahatya. Beg for alms by resorting to the penitential rite of the skull (kapalavrata).” Creating a maiden renowned as Brahmahatya, Lord Shiva instructed her to relentlessly follow Bhairava everywhere until he reached the holy city of Kashi to which she would have no access.

Observing the Kapalika rite with skull in hand and pursued by the terrible Brahmahatya, Bhairava sported freely, laughing, singing and dancing with his goblin horde (pramathas). As he passed through the Daru forest, the erotic ascetic arrived at Lord Vishnu’s door to seek redemption only to find his entry barred by the guard, Vishvaksena. Spearing the latter and heaving the corpse of this Brahman on his shoulder, he pressed before Lord Vishnu with outstretched begging-bowl. Lord Vishnu split his own forehead-vein but the out-flowing blood as a suitable offering, but could not fill the skull though it flowed for eons. When Lord Vishnu then tried to dissuade Brahmahatya from tormenting Bhairava, the criminal observed that “Beggars are not intoxicated by the alms they receive as by drinking the wine of worldly honour.” Before leaving joyously to beg elsewhere, Bhairava reciprocated by recognizing Lord Vishnu as his foremost disciple and acknowledged the latter’s status as"Grantor of boons to all the Gods". On arriving at Kashi, the skull fell on the ground, freeing Bhairava from his sin and Brahmahatya sank into the nether-world.

" Har Har Mahadev"

Copyright (C) VIbhor Mahajan

Shri Hanuman Chalisa – Meaning

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 05:52:11 -0500

|| श्री हनुमान चालीसा ||

दोहा (Doha)

श्री गुरु चरन सरोज रज निजमनु मुकुरु सुधारि ।
बरनऊ रघुबर बिमल जसु जो दायकु फल चारि ॥

Shri guru charan saroj raj, Nij manu mukur sudhare |
Barnau raghubar bimal jasu, Jo dhayak phal chare ||

“Before I narrate the divine glory of Sri Ramachandra, the most supreme in the Raghu dynasty, the giver of four fruits of mankind, let me first clean the mirror of my mind with the dust of Shri Guru’s lotus feet”

बुद्धिहीन ननु जानिके सुमिरौ पवन कुमार ।
बल बुद्धि विद्या देहु मोहि हरहु कलेस बिकार् ॥

Budhihien tanu jaanke, Sumerao pavan-kumar |
Bal budhi vidhya dehu mohe, Harhu kales bikar ||

“O Hanuman, O Lord, as I am ignorant and lack of wisdom, I pray to you to take away all my woes and worries and shower on me wisdom, strength and knowledge.”

चौपाई (Chopai)

जय हनुमान ज्ञान गुण सागर ।
जय कपीश तिहु लोक उजागर ॥ 1 ॥

Jai hanuman gyan gun sagar |
Jai kapise tehu lok ujagar || 1 ||

“Hail, O Lord of the monkeys, who is well known in all the three worlds and is a vast sea of wisdom and virtue.”

रामदूत अतुलित बलधामा ।
अञ्जनि पुत्र पवनसुत नामा ॥ 2 ॥

Ram dut atulit bal dhama |
Anjani putra pavan sut nama || 2 ||

“Victory to you, Lord Rama’s messenger, who embodies strength beyond comparison and who is also known as Pavanputra and Anjaniputra.”

महावीर विक्रम बजरङ्गी ।
कुमति निवार सुमति के सङ्गी ॥3 ॥

Mahabir bikram bajragee |
Kumati nivas sumati ke sangi || 3 ||

“Banish all evil and wrong thoughts O Mahaveer, you who is like the lightening and thunder, strong and powerful and ushers wisdom.”

कञ्चन वरण विराज सुवेशा ।
कानन कुण्डल कुञ्चित केशा ॥ 4 ॥

Kanchan baran biraj subesa |
Kann kundal kunchit kesa || 4 ||

“Your skin is like gold and you look beautiful with your curly hair and ear- rings.”

हाथवज्र औ ध्वजा विराजै ।
कान्थे मूञ्ज जनेऊ साजै ॥ 5॥

Haat vajar ao dheja biraje |
Kandhe muj janeu sajee || 5 ||

“You have a flag in one hand and a thunderbolt mace in the other and your shoulders are endowed with the sacred thread of munja.”

शङ्कर सुवन केसरी नन्दन ।
तेज प्रताप महाजग वन्दन ॥ 6 ॥

Sankar suvan kesrinandan |
Tej pratap maha jag bandhan || 6 ||

“You are Lord Shiva’s descendant, the son of Kesari. and the whole world worships you.”

विद्यावान गुणी अति चातुर ।
राम काज करिवे को आतुर ॥ 7 ॥

Vidhyavan gune aati chatur |
Ram kaaj karive ko aatur || 7 ||

“Forever at Lord Rama’s feet ready to serve him, you are full of virtue and wisdom, and the master of all knowledge.”

प्रभु चरित्र सुनिवे को रसिया ।
रामलखन सीता मन बसिया ॥ 8॥

Prabhu charit sunibe ko rasiya |
Ram lakhan sita maan basiya || 8 ||

“Dwelling in your heart are Lord Rama, Laxman and Sita and you are devoted, listening to hymns on the lord.”

सूक्ष्म रूपधरि सियहिं दिखावा ।
विकट रूपधरि लङ्क जरावा ॥ 9 ॥

Susham roop dhari siyahi dhikhava |
Bikat roop dhari lank jarava || 9 ||

“You became demonic and demolished the city of Lanka, but at the same time you revealed your meek side to Sita.”

भीम रूपधरि असुर संहारे ।
रामचन्द्र के काज संवारे ॥ 10 ॥

Bhim roop dhari asur sahare |
Ramchandra ke kaaj savare || 10 ||

“You embellished Lord Rama’s missions and destroyed the demons.”

लाय सञ्जीवन लखन जियाये ।
श्री रघुवीर हरषि उर लाये ॥ 11 ॥

Laye sanjeevan lakhan jiyaye |
Shriraghuvir harsha ure laye || 11 ||

“Sri Ramachandra was very pleased and embraced you with utmost joy when you revived Laxman with Sanjivini.”

रघुपति कीन्ही बहुत बडाई ।
तुम मम प्रिय भरतहि सम भाई ॥ 12 ॥

Raghupati kinhe bahut badai |
Tum mam preye bharathisam bhai || 12 ||

“He also praised you, giving you honour and considers you as dear as Bharat, his own brother.”

सहस वदन तुम्हरो जास गावै ।
अस कहि श्रीपति कण्ठ लगावै ॥ 13 ॥

Sahas badana tumarho jas gavey |
Aas kahi shripati kant lagavey || 13 ||

“Sri ram embraced you saying that Shesha Naga sings of his glory.”

सनकादिक ब्रह्मादि मुनीशा ।
नारद शारद सहित अहीशा ॥ 14 ॥

Sanakadika bhramadhi munisa |
Narad sarad sahit ahisa || 14 ||

“Other Gods like Sanaka, Brahma and other sages like Narad, Sharada forever sing your praises eternally.”

जम(यम) कुबेर दिगपाल जहां ते ।
कवि कोविद कहि सके कहां ते ॥ 15 ॥

Jam kuber digpal jaha the |
Kavi kovid kahi sake kaha the || 15 ||

“Words fail Yama, Kuber, Digpal in praise of your glory.”

तुम उपकार सुग्रीवहि कीन्हा ।
राम मिलाय राजपद दीन्हा ॥ 16 ॥

Tum upkar sugrivahim kehina |
Ram milaye raj pad denha || 16 ||

“With Lord Rama’s blessings you did a big favour for Sugriva by regaining his crown.”

तुम्हरो मन्त्र विभीषण माना ।
लङ्केश्वर भए सब जग जाना ॥ 17 ॥

Tumraho mantra vibhishana mana |
Lankeshvar bhaye sab jag jaan || 17 ||

“Vibhishana became Lanka’s king after accepting your council and this is known across the world.”

युग सहस्र योजन पर भानू ।
लील्यो ताहि मधुर फल जानू ॥ 18 ॥

Jug sahes jojan per bhanu |
Linyo tahi madhur phal janu || 18 ||

“Thinking it was a sweet fruit you swallowed the sun which is millions of miles away.”

प्रभु मुद्रिका मेलि मुख माही ।
जलधि लाङ्घि गये अचरज नाही ॥ 19 ॥

Prabhu mudrika meli mukh mahi |
Jaldhi ladhi gaye acraj nahi || 19 ||

“In search of Sita you swiftly crossed mighty oceans with the Lord’s ring in your mouth.”

दुर्गम काज जगत के जेते ।
सुगम अनुग्रह तुम्हरे तेते ॥ 20 ॥

Durgam kaaj jagat ke jete |
Sugam anugrah tumre tete || 20 ||

“All the problems in this world can be solved by your power and grace.”

राम दुआरे तुम रखवारे ।
होत न आज्ञा बिनु पैसारे ॥ 21 ॥

Ram duaare tum rakhvare |
Hoot na aagya binu pasare || 21 ||

“Without your mandate no one is allowed to enter Lord Rama’s humble adobe.”

सब सुख लहै तुम्हारी शरणा ।
तुम रक्षक काहू को डर ना ॥ 22 ॥

Sab sukh lahai tumhre sarna |
Tum rakshak kahu ko daarna || 22 ||

“Under your protecting hands, nobody needs to fear anything and each and everyone can be happy.”

आपन तेज तुम्हारो आपै ।
तीनों लोक हाङ्क ते काम्पै ॥ 23 ॥

Aapan tej samharo aape |
Teno lok hakte kape || 23 ||

“You alone can deliver from your might and when you call out loud the three worlds tremble and shiver.”

भूत पिशाच निकट नहि आवै ।
महवीर जब नाम सुनावै ॥ 24 ॥

Bhut pesach nikat nahi aaveh |
Mahavir jab naam sunaveh || 24 ||

“Whoever chants your name, evil spirits will not go anywhere near them, your devotees.”

नासै रोग हरै सब पीरा ।
जपत निरन्तर हनुमत वीरा ॥ 25 ॥

Nase rog hare sab peera |
Japat nirantar hanumat bal bira || 25 ||

“All diseases and illnesses can be cured if one chants your name in prayer.”

सङ्कट तें(सें) हनुमान छुडावै ।
मन क्रम वचन ध्यान जो लावै ॥ 26 ॥

Sankat se hanuman chudave |
Maan kram bachan dayan jo lavey || 26 ||

“Those who keep Lord Hanuman in their hearts, in their deeds, in their words, in their meditations will be kept safe from all distress and troubles.”

सब पर राम तपस्वी राजा ।
तिनके काज सकल तुम साजा ॥ 27 ॥

Sab per ram tapasvi raja |
Tin ke kaaj sakal tum saja || 27 ||

“You accomplished all the missions of Lord Rama, the ruler of all.”

और मनोरध जो कोइ लावै ।
सोई अमित जीवन फल पावै ॥ 28 ॥

Aur manorat jo kayi lave |
Tasuye amit jeevan phal pavey || 28 ||

“All wishes and desires will be granted to those who come to you and they will be faithful n life.”

चारो युग परिताप तुम्हारा ।
है परसिद्ध जगत उजियारा ॥ 29 ॥

Charo yuj pratap tumarah |
Hai prasidh jagat ujiyara || 29 ||

“Your radiance is wide spread all over the cosmos and acclamation of your glory is done in all the four ages.”

साधु सन्त के तुम रखवारे ।
असुर निकन्दन राम दुलारे ॥ 30 ॥

Sadhu sant ke tum rakhvare |
Asur nikandan ram dulare || 30 ||

“O Mahaveer, the slayer of evil spirits and protector of saints and sages, Lord Rama has great affection for you.”

अष्ठसिद्धि नौ(नव) निधि के दाता ।
अस वर दीन्ह जानकी माता ॥ 31 ॥

Ashat sidhi navnidhi ke data |
As var deen jaanki mata || 31 ||

“You have the power to grant anyone, one of the eight sidhis or of the nine sidhis by the blessings of Mother Sita.”

राम रसायन तुम्हारे पासा ।
साद रहो रघुपति के दासा ॥ 32 ॥

Ram rasayan tumhre pasa |
Sada raho raghupati ke dasa || 32 ||

“You are always ready to serve Lord Raghupati”

तुम्हरे भजन रामको पावै ।
जनम जनम के दुख बिसरावै ॥ 33 ॥

Tumreh bhajan ram ko bhavey |
Janam janam ke dukh bisravey || 33 ||

“Anyone can become free from the sorrows of many lives and reach Lord Rama by praying to you.”

अन्त काल रघुवर पुरजाई ।
जहां जन्म हरिभक्त कहाई ॥ 34 ॥

Ant kaal raghubar pur jaie |
Jaha janam hari bhagat kahaei || 34 ||

“By your grace one will enter the immortal adobe of Lord Rama after death and remain devoted to him.”

और देवता चित्त न धरई ।
हनुमत सेइ सर्व सुख करई ॥ 35 ॥

Aur devta chitna dhareyo |
Hanumat seye sarav sukh karaei || 35 ||

“Those who serve you will rejoice and enjoy all pleasures and won’t need to seek any other Gods in their hearts.”

सङ्कट कटै मिटै सब पीरा ।
जो सुमिरै हनुमत बल वीरा ॥ 36 ॥

Sankat kate mite sab pera |
Jo sumere hanumat balbira || 36 ||

“Cast away all difficulties and pains of those who revere you, Lord.”

जै जै जै हनुमान गोसाई ।
कृपा करो गुरुदेव की नाई ॥ 37 ॥

Jai jai jai hanuman gusai |
Kripa karo guru dev ke nai || 37 ||

“Praises and glory to you O mighty Lord, and be like my Guru, compassionate and kind.”

जो शत वार पाठ कर कोई ।
छूटहि बन्दि महा सुख होई ॥ 38 ॥

Jo sat bar pat kar koi |
Chutehi bandhi maha sukh hoi || 38 ||

“Whoever chants this prayer a 100 times will attain freedom from wordly sorrows and his happiness sublimes.”

जो यह पडै हनुमान चालीसा ।
होय सिद्धि साखी गौरीशा ॥ 39 ॥

Jo yahe pade hanuman chalisa |
Hoye sidhi sa ke gauisa || 39 ||

“Those who recite these 40 verses will be free from all problems.”

तुलसीदास सदा हरि चेरा ।
कीजै नाथ हृदय मह डेरा ॥ 40 ॥

Tulsidas sada hari chera |
Kijeye nath hridaye maha dera || 40 ||

“Tulsidas will be forever a faithful devotee to Lord Hari. O Hanuman, do stay in my heart always’.”

दोहा (Doha)

पवन तनय सङ्कट हरण - मङ्गल मूरति रूप् ।
राम लखन सीता सहित - हृदय बसहु सुरभूप् ॥

Pavantnaye sankat haran, Mangal murti roop |
Ram lakhan sita sahet, Hridaye basau sur bhup ||

“O conqueror of the Wind, destroyer of all miseries, embodiment of auspiciousness, along with Sri Rama, Laxman and Sita say in my heart.”

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Shiva Puran – Introduction

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 05:46:18 -0500

[![lord-shiva-chalisa](/images/lord-shiva- chalisa.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/lord-shiva- chalisa.jpg)

The Glory Of Shiva Puran

The Puran itself is the creation of Lord Shiva himself, the mystical wisdom crafted in words, molded into one hundred thousand couplets or quartets (Shlokas), divided into twelve chapters (Samhitas); and first revealed in grace to the creator Lord Brahma who relayed it to his favoured son, Narada. Then, it was relayed on in succession to Sanat Kumara and Ved Vyasa. The latter condensed the massive volume into 24,000 shlokas categorised under seven chapters namely:

Vidyeshwara Samhita, Rudra Samhita, Shatarudra Samhita, Kotirudra Samhita, Uma Samhita, Kailasha Samhita and Vayaviya Samhita.

The enlightenment with the mysticism of Shiva-Jnan was truly possible only for one Sage Ved Vyasa, a literati of the sacred texts as he as. He could abridge the original text of Shiva Puran to make it sharp and focused with distilled mysticism. By the grace of Lord Shiva, the inspiration behind his endeavour was to remove the diluting impression a voluminous text carried, out of compassion to all and to impart the enlightenment to others in digest form. A man of great literary talent he was. Later, he visualized the entire epic of Mahabharata in his mind. Upon the suggestion of Lord Brahma, Ved Vyasa dictated Mahabharata to Lord Ganesha who penned it down non-stop.

Learned Ved Vyasa, then imparted the knowledge of Shiv Puran to other scholarly sages like Soota and Shuka. Sage Soota revealed the Mysticism and glory of Shiva Puran to other holy men through a discourse. Soota was the son of Romaharshana and a favoured disciple of learned Ved Vyasa.

Revelations by Soota

A great many sages and seers had converged on the holy centre of Prayaga, situated at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati by the will of Lord. Sages headed by Shaunaka approached Sage Soota and requested him to reveal the glory of mysticism of Shiva Puran to them. Soota gladly accepted to oblige the holy group.

Spoke great Sage Soota:

“O accomplished sirs! You are seized by the desire to know the glory of divinely supreme Lord Shiva. Hear this, there is nothing more of value and blessing full than reciting or hearing Shiva Puran. Even hearing one Katha (Tale) contained therein, a part of it, an episode of just half of it earns one Lord’s blessings, redemption, salvation and deliverance from transmigration.”

Speaking thus, Sage Soota began the Katha’s of Shiva Puran.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Devaraja’s Tale – Shiva Puran

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 05:43:21 -0500

Long time ago, there lived a Brahmin named Devaraja in town of Kirantanagara. A very lax, unprincipled and degenerate life he lived. No bathing and no praying was the order of his day. He was lecherous by nature. It appeared that the sole object of his life was to make money and spend it on vice games to satisfy his carnal desires. He would not mind cheating others and creating misunderstandings between friends and relatives.

One day, he went to the pond to wash himself for a change and happened to see there a woman of easy virtue called Shobhavati. Devaraja could not resist the coquettish gestures of the evil woman. She took away all the money he had by and by. He completely ignored the pleadings of his parents and the wife. To be free to do whatever he liked, he went to live with the evil woman in her house. When he had blown away all his money, the woman kicked him out of her house. She had no use of him any more.

The Brahmin roamed around and reached a place called Pratishthanapura. He fell ill there. He thought he was going to die. In a nearby Lord Shiva temple he took shelter. On the floor he lay unable to move. There was nothing he could do but listen to the recitation of the Shiva Puran and religious sermons being delivered to faithful’s. The sermons and recitations concluded on the day he finally died.

The agents of the lord of death, Yama duly arrived there to take charge of the soul of Devraja to take it to hell of after world. But the servitor agents of Lord Shiva Intervened to stop them. The agents of death revealed the long list of sins the dad Brahmin Devaraja had committed during his life time. The agents of Lord Shiva reasoned that what the dead man had done or how he lived no longer mattered, since the last few days of his life were spent in hearing the recitations of holy Shiva Puran which had cleansed him of all his sins. They took the soul of Devaraja to the Kailasha domain of Lord Shiva.

To his puzzled agents, Lord Yama explained, when they expressed their surprise over incident, that great was the glory of Lord Shiva and great was his grace bestowed upon those who listened to the Kathas of Shiva Puran.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Chenchula’s Tale – Shiva Puran

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 05:40:08 -0500

[![lord_shiva_by_mskumar-d365dpu](/images/lord_shiva_by_mskumar- d365dpu.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/06 /lord_shiva_by_mskumar-d365dpu.jpg)

Once there lived a Brahmin called Binduga and his wife named Chenchula at a place called Bashkala. Binduga fell to the fatal attraction of a woman of evil ways and infamy. He could not go home or try to meet his wife. Chenchula felt hurt and hard-pressed to make a living, she resorted to the oldest profession as veil men were never far away.

Binduga learnt about scandalous act of his wife and returned home. He thrashed her, but the unrepentant wife accused her husband of disloyalty and dereliction forcing her into prostitution to stay alive.

A lengthy argument followed. At last an agreement was reached, according to which each of them was to carry on one’s evil ways. Chenchula would turn over all the money she made to Binduga who could spend it on his own whores. Chenchula always found customers who paid her money for sex. And Binduga needed money. For the benefit of the world they continued to play husband-wife roles.

In this way they lived and one day Chenchula became a widow. She continued with her whoring way of life.

One day, she reached Gokarna, a holy place where recitation of Shiva Puran was on in the Mahabaleshwara temple. Out of curiosity Chenchula heard some snatches of it. She learnt that the sinners were condemmed to hell where Yamaraja tormented them with horrific punishments. It frightened her. After the recitation, Chenchula went to a Pauranic, the scholastic of Puran. She confessed her sins to him. The scholastic advised her to hear the recitations of Shiva Puran with her mind beamed into Lord Sublime. Chenchula faithfully did so.

As a result she got salvaged in her death and her soul was taken to the domain of Kailasha. There, Chenchula lived as a maid servant in the blissful company of Ma Supreme, Gauri.

Chenchula Redeems Binduga Too

Chenchula, one day relayed up a prayer to Ma Gauri revealing her desire to know the whereabouts of the soul of her husband Binduga. She learnt that her husband would suffer the tortures of hell for his sins. And currently he was going through the woes of an unfulfilled spirit in the form of a wicked ogre haunting Vindhya mountains. Chenchula prayed for his salvation from the ghost life. The gracious Ma Supreme smiled and sent a gandharva named Tumbura with her to the Vindhya’s. Ma advised Tumbura to recite Shiva Puran to the tormented soul to cleanse it of its sins. Accompanying Tumbura and Chenchula also were two of the guards of Lord Shiva.

Tumbura was able to contact the evil spirit of Binduga on the Vindhya mountain. But it would not hear Shiva Puran. Hence, the guards of Lord Shiva ensnared it. Tumbura strummed his string instrument (Tumbura) and crooned the glory of the great Lord Shiva. The sweet strains of melody wafted through the air of the mountain side. Even angels and fairies descended to hear the sanctifying melody revealing the glory and deeds of Lord Shiva.

it was time for the redemption of evil spirit of much sinned Binduga. The evil got washed away and spotless soul shined out. Binduga had been salvaged. Chenchula went back to Kailasha accompanied by her husband. There they lived happily together ever after.

So efficacious was the grace of Lord Shiva.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Knowledge Of The Mysticism Of Lord Shiva – Part I

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:27:57 -0500

Lord Shiva is the mystery of all mysteries. Knowledge of Lord Shiva’s mysticism is neither within the scope of Lord Brahma nor in that of Lord Vishnu who created Lord Brahma. Only Lord Shiva knows his own mysticism in totality.

At the time of last doom everything drowned in a mega deluge. Day or night did not exist. The time froze. None of the five elements (Panchabhootas) survived or their compound products. An endless darkness engulfed all and a blind nature prevailed. The only survivor was Lord Shiva, a nameless reality, without any form or shape, eternal, immortal, beyond evolution, one full of peaceful happiness of divine tranquility, self-aglow and the soul of the light.

This absolute divine force inspired coming into existence of a symbolic figure to recreate the cosmos. The figure got the name ‘Sadashiva’ , i.e. Shiva Eternal. Coupling with him was his generative power - Shakti, the two inseparables like a ‘word’ and its ‘meaning’ are. Implied are they, in each other.

Birth of Lord Vishnu

Five faced was Sadashiva while Shakti had one face. Lord Shiva really is Divine Luminant. He willed for a place to live with Shakti alias Sakaleshwari, namely Shiva-Domain, Kashi in an earlier creation. The two did not leave this place even during the doom. Then, the two thought of creating another divinity to delegate the responsibilities of certain and evolution. A rub of nectar on the left side produced a divinity of incredible beauty and attributes. All aglow was his body. He prayed to Lord Shiva to give him a name. Lord Shiva answered -‘Vishnu, the omnipresent’ and gave him the divine insight. At the command of Lord Shiva, the divinity named Lord Vishnu made penance for twelve celestial years. Streams of water jetted out of his body. The space was filled up with their vapours and all the sins and evils got washed away. In the sea formed in this process Lord Vishnu rested asleep tired of penance making. That earned him the name ‘Narayana’ literally meaning ‘Water asleep’. He generated the creative elements like nature and the five elements (Panchabhootas) after the three basic tendencies and ego. In all 24 elements were created. The sensory organs and functional parts of the body followed. Thus by grace of Lord Shiva, his willed one ‘Vishnu’ became the initiator of the new creation before going back to sleep by his grace.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Knowledge Of The Mysticism Of Lord Shiva – Part II

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:21:32 -0500

[![lord-shiva](/images/lord- shiva1.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/lord- shiva1.jpg)

Birth Of Lord Brahma

As Lord Narayana slept in water, by the will of Lord Shiva, a lotus stalk sprouted out of the navel of sleeping Vishnu Narayana. It gave him another name ’ Kamalnabha’.

The stalk continued to grow upwards like a thick column of smoke. Then, high up at the top of the stalk a huge lotus flower blossomed. It was a magnificent sight. Later it was learnt that, Lord Shiva produced Lord Brahma from the lower part of his body and put him on the lotus. He had four faces but was bereft of any knowledge about his father, his purpose, surroundings, location, situation and aim. That divine lotus was the only thing he saw and knew about. Hoping to find his creator at the base or root of the flower, Lord Brahma descended into the stalk that was like a vertical tunnel from inside. For hundreds of celestial years he kept sliding down without reaching the bottom. Frustrated at endless travel down he started upward climbing to reach the top. Again even after hundreds of years of ascent he could not reach the corona to his dismay.

Then, Lord Shiva willed a prophecy for Lord Brahma’s benefit. It asked him to make a long penance. He made a hard penance for twelve years and Lord Vishnu materialised before him, by grace of Lord Shiva. Magnificent was Lord Vishnu, incredibly handsome, wearing a crown and a lot of ornamental things, draped in yellow apparel, four armed, holding conch sell, chakra, lotus and mace in each hand. Both of them were under the spell of Maya of Lord Shiva.

Pillar Of Luminosity

Lord Vishnu claimed, he was Lord Brahma’s father and the one who lay at the root of the lotus stalk he manifested on. But Lord Brahma thought he had come into existence on his own through his latent divine power as he had not found Lord Vishnu during his exploration down. So, he would not accept his seniority claim and superior position. They argued on and on and even quarrelled. To bring peace Lord Shiva manifested between them in the form of luminous pillar. The spell of Maya broke when they failed to find either end of it as they competed to explore. Lord Vishnu went for down end and Lord Brahma for upper end. Defeated they prayed to the pillar - _ “O divine mystery! It is beyond our scope to understand what or who you are. Totally mystified we are, please manifest in your true form and enlighten us. Reveal your truth.”_

There was no response from the shaft of light which in fact was the Lingam symbol of Lord Shiva. For one hundred years they prayed in many ways without success. Then, a humming sound issued from the pillar. It felt like echoing ’ OM’. It was followed by other sounds echoing from various sides with formation of corresponding syllables like ‘aa’, ‘oo’, ‘um’. A divine happiness was being radiated by the luminous pillar, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma were confused.

Then, a shadow of a sage figure took shape. It revealed that Maya of the Force Supreme was at work, and it was Lord Shiva. In phonetics and syllables he was manifesting in the cryptic forms being yet beyond mind and speech. He was the causer of all. (AUM) manifested his syllable form that addressed a common gender. Various sounds and syllables appearing were representatives of the divinities to manifest, as willed by Lord Shiva. From the core echo syllable ‘A-U-M’ the three principal deities emerged in the form of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Manifested Lord Shiva) to carry on the exercises of creation, sustenance and destruction respectively. The syllable also stood for male, female and zone aspects (aum). The hum of the echo (Nada) kept them linked together. In other sense, Lord Shiva was the seeder, Lord Brahma seed and Lord Vishnu seeded (the later two being male and female aspect). The seeded seed expanded to become cosmic egg (Brahmanda). The divine egg remained in water for many celestial years.

Thousands of years later, Lord Shiva split the egg in two parts. The upper part became celestial world and lower half, the earth and five elements. From that egg also emerged the four armed creator.

Upon learning the supreme divinity of the luminescent pillar as being Shivalingam , Lord Vishnu began to sing prayers of the divinity supreme. Then, they saw a divine person with five faces, ten arms, having camphor white complexion, glow and ornamental embellishments materialise. Extremely generous and virile he looked. Every part of that divinity reflected a syllable and all the syllables were representing various parts. He appeared to be the embodiment of hymns, odes, prayers, holy mantras, spiritual wisdoms, enlightenments, mystical knowledge’s, volumes of un-worded scriptures, Vedas, visualisation of future epics, tenets, code books and alphabetical heap waiting to become meaningful words. It was syllabic manifestation of deity supreme, Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu sang odes to the Shabda Parbrahm , the supreme power of un-manifested words.

He, the all prevailing and all-embracing Shiva Supreme breathed the divine knowledge of Vedas, five holiest mantras and Om into Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu. Pleased with there prayers, Lord Shiva materialised before them in his deity supreme form along with his consort, Uma to bless them. They made obeisance to them devotedly.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Creation and Characters – Shiva Puran

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:19:00 -0500

Cosmic Creation

After manifesting from Lingam of luminosity and enlightening Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva withdrew into his formless infinity. Lord Brahma sought guidance from Lord Vishnu about creation. After briefing Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu went to live in the outer region of space making it his own domain.

For the purpose of creation, Lord Brahma invoked Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Then, he threw up a handful of water which transformed into a great egg of cosmic dimension that was a manifestation of 24 elements. But it was inert. He prayed to beget life and consciousness for the cosmic egg. In reply Lord Vishnu materialized there. He transformed into a shape having infinite dimensions, thousand of heads, eyes and feet. In that form he entered into the egg which became alive with that. Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu built there own domains inside.

Meanwhile Lord Brahma began to create. It began with three formats and five elements, multiplied by their compounds. The eight were the primary tools of creative exercise. The ninth format was kumara, which produced men of spiritual wisdom, sages, holy persons and seers. Sanaka and Sananda were its products. Lord Brahma wanted them to assist him in creative exercise, but they made excuses and abandoned him. It hurt Lord Brahma.

Earlier, in the earth chapter of creation, ignorance and negative factors (Tamas) were born followed by solid state living and non-living things like mountains, plants, trees and other immovables. Beasts and birds came later followed by humans at later stage. This part of creation immensely pleases and satisfied Lord Brahma. But the betrayal of his own son-like Kumara products was a great disappointment. To sad Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu advised to seek the grace of Lord Shiva. So, Lord Brahma made penance to propitiate Lord Shiva.

Manifests Rudra

As Prophesied earlier by Lord Shiva, from the central part of the forehead, just above the eyes of Lord Brahma, Lord manifested _Ardhanareeshwara _(half man - half woman figure) accompanied by a host of divine guards and servitors called ganas. In this way the Rudra dimension of Lord Shiva materialized. It was the destroyer aspect of Lord Shiva.

Meanwhile, the creation of Lord Brahma was stagnating. No regeneration was taking place, the creatures were just aging without dying or falling ill. Lord Shiva had manifested in ‘half man - half woman’ form to convey the message that regeneration was possible only through interaction between the two sexes. He explained to Lord Brahma orally as well. Lord Brahma was advised to create creatures in gender format and the species who would be subject to birth, death and other calamities. So advising and duly blessing creator, lord Rudra vanished.

Creation of Characters

Freshly advised and empowered Lord Brahma began to create characters. By mixing subjective elements of meaning, touch, taste, smell and beauty with five objective elements of earth, fire, air and water plus compounds, dimensions, statics, dynamics and calibration of time spans, Lord Brahma shaped characters. Marichi was created from his eyes, heart produced Bhrigu, Angirasa was born of his head, etc.

By the grace of Lord Shiva and inspiration provided by Lord Rudra, Lord Brahma transformed half of his person into female anatomy. The interaction between the gender halves produced a male called Manu and a female in Shataroopa. the two were paired by creator to beget two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanpada, and three daughters Akooti, Devahooti and Prasooti. They were respectively coupled with Ruchi, Kardama and Daksha.

Yajna and Dakshina were born to Akooti. Their pairing produced a dozen sons. Devahooti and Prasooti begot large broods of daughters. Thirteen of them namely Lakshmi, Shraddha, Dhriti, Tushti, Pusti, Medha, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja, Vasuva, Santhi, Siddhi and Kriti were all married to Dharma. The others; Khyati, Neeti, Sambhuti, Samriti, Preeti, Kshama, Sannuti, Anuroopa, Voorja, Swaha and Suddha were paired with Bhrigu, Dharma, Marichi, Angirasa, Paulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Atri, Vashistha, Agni and Poorvaja respectively. The grooms were all either sages or deities. Those pairs gave birth to great many brilliant characters and brightened up the world.

Sixty daughters Daksha had, out of which he gave thirteen to Kashyapa and one ‘Sati’ to Lord Shiva. Others went to various other legendary characters. Kashyapa’s spouses gave birth to broods that filled the earth world and populated it in form of trees, plants and insects, devas, rakshasas, humans, giants, kinnars, gandharvas, yakshas, men-o-snakes, demons, warriors, sages, peers, holymen, kings, rishis, birds, mountains etc. That is why it is said, the earth is kashyapised world.

Lord Shiva’s consort Sati was manifestation of his latent power (Adi-Shakti) called uma. Sati later reincarnated as Goddess Parvati when her Sati form got immolated. Uma later manifested in several alternate or secondary forms. She became Goddess Laxmi, Saraswati and Parvati to couple with Trinity members and Goddess kaali to assist Lord Rudra.

Her secondary manifestations are : Goddess Durga, Bhagwati, Amba, Chamunda, Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanti, Bhadrakaali, Kameshwari, Kaamada, Mridani and Sarvamangla.

These primary legends remain the same through ages, only adding new episodes, manifestations, villains and sub-legends with the passage of time.

The domain of Lord Shiva dominates all other domains. In his domain Supreme Deity lives with his consort Power Latent (Adi-Shakti). Kailasha is his domain that survives all dooms and remains resplendent as ever.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Gunanidhi and Kubera’s Tale – Shiva Puran

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:15:06 -0500

Gunanidhi ’s Tale

A pious and faithful Brahmin called Yajnadutta lived in Kampilya, a long time ago. That Brahmin was blessed with a promising son whom the happy father had named Gunanidhi, literally meaning ‘repository of fine attributes’. After the boy’s sacred thread ceremony (Upanayana) he was sent to a guru to learn letters and gain wisdom.The boy progressed into youth but unfortunately fell in a bad company and picked up all bad and vice habits. Yajnadutta had been too busy to notice the degeneration of his son. The mother was blind in affection for her son to see anything going wrong.

Spoil rotten, Gunanidhi took gambling and womanising. All the money he laid his hands on went into those vices. Then, needing more money he began to thieve and sell the stolen goods. Once he gambled away all he had made. Meanwhile, his father, while going to river to take his bath entrusted his precious gold ring to his wife. The wife placed it in a niche of a wall. The son, Gunanidhi saw her doing that and stole the ring. He sold it to a man and gambled away the proceeds. Incidentally, Yajnadutta ran into the person who was wearing the ring his wife had lost. Upon enquiry the man revealed that he had bought the ring from a young man named Gunanidhi.

Yajnadutta now realised that what lately he had been hearing bad things about his son were true. The son learnt that his father had come to know of his misdeeds. Gunanidhi fled to avoid being confronted by his anguished father.

Gunanidhi went hungry for a couple of days. He flopped under a tree famished and exhausted. Suddenly flavours of richly cooked food wafted into his nostrils. A faithful was carrying some food offering to the nearby Lord Shiva temple. He waited at some distance for an opportunity to steal the offering. He saw the worship and prayers being sung. When the devotees fell asleep he sneaked into the sanctum where in front of Lord Shiva idol offerings were placed. The wick of the lamp had slipped into the oil and flame was about to flicker off. Gunanidhi quickly tore a strip off his kurta, dipped in oil, lit it and put it into the lamp to serve as substitute wick. Then he tried to hurry out with the bundle of stolen food offering. But he happened to stumble against a sleeping devotee who screamed in fright. The devotees woke up and grabbed the thief. Gunanidhi got beaten up and a blow of a thick stick smashed his skull. He died instantly.

The agents (dootas) of death arrived to despatch the sinful soul of Gunanidhi to burning hell. But ganas (elite guards of Lord Shiva) intervened saying that Gunanidhi had earned a place in the divine domain of Lord Shiva by participating in Lord Shiva worship, lighting the lamp after fasting for two days before his death, although done unwittingly yet the reward stood granted by the grace of lord. he had been salvaged.

Rebirth of Gunanidhi as Kubera

As the son of the king of Utakala, Gunanidhi took rebirth by a new name Damana. Damana lived a life of piety, devotion and nobility. In his next birth he was born as the son of the grandson of Brahma. He had brought forward goodness of his previous life and by the grace of Lord Maheshwara, remembered all about his past lives.

An ardent devotee of Lord Shiva he remained all his life. On the bank of Ganga he planted a holy lingam and penance on empty stomach. His shrivelled skin draped his skeletal emaciated body. Propitiated with his intense devotion Lord Shiva appeared to him along with his divine consort. The blessed their faithful with the boon of a divine body and renamed him _’ Kubera’. _By the grace of divine couple, Kubera later gained the rule of Alkapuri. Lord Shiva went to live near Alkapuri when Kubera wished for his proximity on a boon.

In his new domain Lord Shiva rattled his ’ hand tambour’ (Dumroo). It’s fierce beat echoed through the cosmos. All celestial beings rushed to Lord Shiva to feat their eyes on him. So did sages, holy men, faithful’s and hosts of his own ganas led by their chiefs with folded hands praying and making their obeisance. the celestial builder instantly created palaces to host them all. Lord Shiva duly settled in his adobe. Later, all the guests returned to their own adobes. Thus, Lord Shiva granted his proximity to his favoured faithful Kubera who became the lord of the divine treasury.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Sandhya and Kama (God of Love) – Shiva Puran

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:12:03 -0500

[![lord-brahma-hindu-god-of-creation](/images/lord-brahma-hindu- god-of-creation.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/lord- brahma-hindu-god-of-creation.jpg)

Birth of Sandhya and Kama

Once Lord Brahma was holding his court when all of a sudden a beauteous female popped out of his heart followed by a young man of incredible handsomeness who had a bow and flower-head arrows in his quiver. The young man asked for some specific duty. The creator, impressed by his beauty told him to romantically charge all the creatures with flower arrows. Lord Brahma proclaimed that none, not even a deity shall escape his arrows. Kama was the name young man got formally but was also called Manmadha , the enchanter, because he bewitched every mind anywhere.

To celebrate his empowerment Kama shot his flower arrows and everyone there in Lord Brahma’s court became infatuated and lustily ogled at the pretty female who had preceded the young enchanter. The deity of righteousness (Dharma) did not like this shameful scene, He prayed to Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, Lord Brahma broke into sweat fearing rebuke from Lord Shiva. The sweat shed by him produced 64 pitriganas (progenitors) who come to be known as ' Agnisthomas’.

The female that preceded Kama was called Sandhya being born of deep concentration of Lord Brahma. In answer to the prayer of Dharma, Lord Shiva materialised there and rebuked Lord Brahma for creating erotic scene in his open court by empowering Kama. As Sandhya had happened to see Lord Shiva, she became knower of Lord Shiva’s mysticism by his grace. Sandhya was recognised as the mother of Progenitors (Pitriganas)

Lord Brahma felt humiliated at being upbraided by Lord Shiva and as Kama had caused that, he put a curse on latter to get burnt to ashes by the third eye of Lord Shiva. It shocked Kama.

Trembling in fear Kama prayed to creator that he had acted at Lord Brahma’s own command. He was merely doing his duty, he claimed. There was some merit in his claim but Lord Brahma reasoned that his empowerment as Kama was not meant to create scenes of eroticism or orgy. Some discipline, moderation and modesty was required. Although Lord Brahma admitted that the sexual urge could blind anyone. Softening up, Lord Brahma said that Lord Shiva himself would find a way to save him. As a divine coincidence, at the very same moment Daksha shed sweat which transformed into a damsel of incredible beauty and grace. Bewitching was she. Rati was her name, and at the very first sight Kama fell in love with her passionately. Their union was solemnised by the express will of Daksha and Lord Brahma.

Penance of Sandhya

Having sighted Lord Shiva at the very time of her origin, Sandhya was naturally motivated into making an intense penance to earn the grace of power supreme. She was blaming herself for arousing the passions of males including her brother (Kama) and father (Lord Brahma) in the court for that she had taken a vow to burn herself to death.

Meanwhile, Daksha had given all his 27 daughters to Chandradeva in marriage. They were all stars or constellations bearing the corresponding names like Revati, Ashwani, Rohini etc. Chandra loved Rohini more than the others. This discrimination was not liked by 26 others. They complained to Lord Brahma about it. Lord Brahma took them to Sandhya who was engaged in her own penance mission. At last Lord Shiva got propitiated and appeared to her and granted her three boons as spelled out by her -

Humans will become conscious of the sexual desire only after attaining the age of puberty, and not before that, and her husband not be a lecher.
She should be rated as the greatest woman penance maker ever born.
Anyone who casts an amorous or lustful glance at her, except her husband, shall turn into a eunuch.

After gaining the boons, she bowed to Lord Shiva. He advised her to go to the bank of river Chandrabhaga where Sage Medhatidhi was holding a twelve year long yajna to lift the curse put on Chandradeva by Daksha for subjecting his daughters to injustice. In that holy fire Sandhya could offer her sacrifice and redeem her vow. She would gain the husband whoever she thought of before jumping, Lord Shiva revealed. By the grace of deity supreme she could do it remaining invisible. In the holy fire pit of Jyotisthomayajna , Sandhya jumped and out of flames emerged a girl having glowing body. Sage Medhatidhi adopted her as his daughter and gave her the name ’ Arundhati’.

Later, she stayed with Guru Vashistha to gain the spiritual knowledge. She adored him and got his image imprinted on her heart. Arundhati made it known that she would accept only Vashistha as her husband. The sages, seers and Lord Brahma made their union possible. In this way, Arundhati got a saintly husband, she had prayed for to Lord Shiva. And she already was the greatest penance maker and sacrificing woman as she had wished in her boon.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

The Holy Tale Of Sati – Shiva Puran (Part-I)

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 05:05:57 -0500

Lord Brahma carried the grudge against Lord Shiva for rebuking him in his own court before others during the Kama episode. He thought - what did prosaic and ascetic like Lord Shiva know the power of passion and the force of romantic feelings? Lord Shiva must experience it and know, he muttered. So, Lord Brahma urged Kama to work his spell on Lord Shiva with the arrows having flower heads blessed by him, the creator. To help Kama he created Vasanta Sena , the spring season of love, romance pollinated air, humming bees, birds crooning mating calls, blooms etc. But they failed to arouse Lord Shiva.

Dismayed was Lord Brahma. Kama told him that Lord Shiva sat with burning eyes totally unresponsive to their passion charges. He was scared of getting burnt to ashes. Lord Brahma sighed unhappily.

The creator sought the help of Lord Vishnu who also wanted Lord Shiva to have normal love life because his ascetic attitude and stern approach was not helpful for sustenance. Lord Vishnu advised that Lord Brahma and Daksha may invoke Lord Shiva’s Maya aspect to seek her help. Accordingly Lord Brahma asked Daksha to pray to Adi-Shakti (Mahamaya) of Lord Shiva to take incarnation as his daughter. In answer to penance of Lord Brahma, Mahamaya manifested before him. Lord Brahma asked her to help them arouse romantic sentiment in Lord Shiva to have him desire for a wife. Mahamaya wondered if it was Lord Shiva’s will expressing itself through Lord Brahma. She promised to try and materialised before Daksha who prayed her to incarnate as his daughter. She granted his prayer.

Daksha joined his wife Veerni and copulated. In due course of time Mahamaya arrived as their female child. They named her Sati. From the very birth she worshipped Lord Shiva, sang prayers and odes to him. When she grew up into her teens, Lord Brahma went to her and reminded her of her mission of life and the purpose of incarnation. Daksha also kept encouraging her in her endeavour to win Lord Shiva.

Sati kept all fasts prescribed for Lord Shiva faithful’s. She would perform all Lord Shiva rites and obeyed the regimes of his worship. Nandivrata was one of them. Then, she engaged herself in intense penance to propitiate her idol, Lord Shiva.

Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma went to Kailasha to pray to Lord Shiva to urge him to become a family man to inspire continuation of creation process. Lord Shiva said as a divine Yogi, he always remained withdrawn into deep meditation delinked from outside world. If he took a wife she must be like a yogini who must only get into heat whenever rarely he felt amorous. The visiting divinities gradually mentioned about the daughter of Daksha who had all the qualities he was desiring and her undivided devotion to him.

Lord Shiva knew about the penance of Sati because he was feeling the heat of her devotion. He materialised before her in his glorious masculine resplendence. He revealed to her that he was ready to accept her as his wife. He knew if it came to granting her a boon she would ask him to be her husband.

Sati demanded that there union be properly solemnised in the presence of her parents and all others with due traditions.

Lords Shiva and sati became husband wife in the grand marriage celebration and rites performed on the 13th day of the ascending moon phase of Chaitra month under Uttara Phalguni star. It was attended by all the deities, celestials, holy men and all kinds of weird characters of the spirit world.

[![sati_and_shiva_indian-mythology](/images /sati_and_shiva_indian- mythology.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/07 /sati_and_shiva_indian-mythology.jpg)

During the ceremony Lord Brahma committed yet another outrage. As Lord Shiva and Sati were going around the holy fire for seven rounds (Saptapadi) Lord Brahma caught the sight of incredible pretty feet of Sati. Out of curiosity he cast a glance at the face of the owner of those feet. The facial beauty of Sati so sexually titillated Lord Brahma that his male organ could not help shedding four drops of semen. Lord Shiva stared at the red face of Lord Brahma sensing what he had done. He raised his trident to punish Lord Brahma.

At this sudden development all those present at the ceremony got struck with fear and shock. Most of them were baffled. Daksha and some sages rushed to Lord Shiva to calm him down who looked in raging fury. Lord Vishnu also ran to deity supreme. The sight of him appeared to cool down the temper of Lord Shiva. Meanwhile, Lord Brahma prayed for mercy.

Lord Shiva made Lord Brahma touch his forehead and there appeared a tattoo of Nandi Bull borne face of Lord Shiva. Lord Brahma was asked to make long penance. Whenever anyone questioned him about the tattoo, Lord Brahma was to recount true episode behind it and his own shameful role in it. Every ridicule would lessen the burden of his sin, Lord Shiva proclaimed.

When the ceremonies were over Lord Shiva felt sorry for Lord Brahma. To assuage his feelings he asked Lord Brahma to seek a boon. Lord Brahma asked for that very venue to be made a holy and sacred spot as ’ Kalyana Mandap’. Lord Shiva obliged and said any faithful visiting that spot on the holy wedding day to worship each year shall earn his blessings and get freed of all mundane wishes.

“This episode is known as Dakshayani - Kalyana, the marriage of daughter of Daksha. Bringing this episode to mind of anyone would gain the grace of deity supreme and a wife as blessing. A faithful woman hearing the recital of this Katha will beget a son.”

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

The Holy Tale of Sati – Shiva Puran (Part-II)

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 04:58:58 -0500

[![shiva-parvati](/images/shiva- parvati.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/shiva- parvati.jpg)
Back at Kailasha, in the new marital bliss Lord Shiva once confided to Sati the nine easy ways to propitiate him and gain his grace. Those nine ways of devotion were -

Hearing (Kathas related to him and his Puranic wisdom).
Singing (Prayers, odes and hymns in his praise).
**Remembering ** (His glory, deeds and names).
Serving (The noble causes of others taking them as his forms).
Servitude (Living with the spirit of humility of devotion surrendering all to his grace).
Worship (Him with true devotional spirit confirming to all rites, rituals, customs and regimes).
Obeisance (Making to him in true faith and trust taking him to be the ultimate redeemer and deliverer).
Friendliness (To him as only a true friend proves helpful in need and he as divinely true friend shall get his devotee friend across the sea of mundane woes).
Surrender (The soul to him, all the deeds and consequences to his grace).

He revealed that there was a little difference between the knowledge (Spiritual) and devotion. The latter was more rewarding as it involved direct approach to power supreme instead of going through various channels of regimes. For an enlightened one all the mundane attachments and exercises were meaningless as he mentally withdraws from the physical realities. But a devotee continues to live in mundane world in comfort and participates in its joys and pleasures while spiritually benefitting from the grace of Lord Shiva. Propitiated by direct prayer or worship Lord Shiva blesses his devotee more readily as the emotion of devotion is more humble and pure here. A Jnani , enlightened one is more dedicated to his own exercise, its correctness and achievements. For him his blessing is just a reward or spiritual toil. The Jnani begets some pride in his success. But his devotee is totally dependent on his grace and no wall of pride exists between him and his devotee.

In this sense. enlightenment ( Jnan ) without devotion is worthless. It also loses value when pride or egoism poison it. The sentiment of devotion ( Bhakti ) is the most important. Without it, knowledge and asceticism is as meaningless as honey without its sweetness.

Lord Shiva admitted to Sati that his devotees were his only treasure. For them, he would burn even God of death, Yama to ashes. His devotee was more dear to him even than Sati herself. Lord Shiva blessed Sati with comprehension ( Jnan ) of his mysticism, the most important fact of which was that Lord Shiva and divine power source Uma were indivisible and inseparable. That was basic truth of Lord Shiva, the very spirit of eternal joy unlimited, unfathomable and in exhaustible.

“HAR HAR MAHADEV”

The Holy Tale Of Sati – Shiva Puran (Part-III)

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 04:55:28 -0500

![Lord Shiva](/images/lord- shiva.jpg)

Grudge of Daksha against Lord Shiva

Once in an ancient age many sages and spiritual seers converged at Prayaga and decided to perform a grand Yajna. It was attended by celestial lords, divine sages, gods, deities, prajapati etc., besides earth based holy men. Lord Shiva was also present. Sometime later, Daksha arrived. Everyone there rose up to pay respect to Prajapati Daksha. But Lord Shiva ignored his entry and kept sitting. Daksha took it deliberate affront of him. So, he declared that for the misconduct Lord Shiva shall not be offered any oblations in yajnas and his name won’t be invoked in religious ceremonies in future. Lord Shiva’s carrier Nandi pleaded that Prajapati’s action was improper since a Brahmin (Daksha) could not put a curse of Lord Shiva. It further angered Daksha and he debarred all Shiva Ganas (special guards) from attending functions conducted by divine sages and seers. The ganas were told to parade themselves as weirdos having ash smeared bodies and matted hair like their master.

In retaliation, Nandi shot back a volley of curses at Daksha. He bellowed - “Be Brahmins condemned to poverty, living on charity or begging like mendicants. Karma pedagogues they shall be, never attaining any enlightenment or understanding the basic truth of the religion. So will Daksha also be, no redeemer of soul or inspirer of spiritual upliftment. Merely pedantic he shall be and a goat faced! Become demons many of the Brahmins will.”

Lord Shiva admonished Nandi for crossing the limit and failing to use restraint.

Most of the participants forgot the incident taking it as mere outburst of frayed tempers that deserved no serious thought. But Daksha would not forget and he carried the grudge against Lord Shiva. Under the spell of Maya he swore to take revenge on Lord Shiva. For that very purpose he organised a great yajna to which all were invited except Lord Shiva, his gana guards and known faithfuls.

The venue was at a place close to Haridwar. Sage Dadheechi discovered that Lord Shiva was not invited to the event. He asked Daksha reason for it because the sage thought without Lord Shiva the yajna would be incomplete and would not bear any fruit. Daksha explained that the absence of a weird one who lived in cremation ground smeared in funeral ash, wore elephant pelt, heap of matted hair on head with cannabis infected mind inside and snakes creeping over, should not matter and no harm would come to yajna. All the celestial and Lord Vishnu had already agreed to attend. “So, why should anyone worry over Lord Shiva no coming?” Daksha asked. Not convinced Dadheechi walked away in a huff.

Meanwhile, when Sati heard about her father’s yajna she expressed her wish to take part in it and use the opportunity to meet her mother and sisters. Lord Shiva advised her that going to the ceremony uninvited was improper. But Sati said she wanted an explanation from her sire for not inviting them. Lord Shiva sighed feeling bad about it.

Death of Sati

Sati went to the yajna, but was not received with any respect. The family ignored her. Her father spoke harsh words to her and made fun of Lord Shiva in the presence of everyone. She noticed at the yajna venue that there was no portion of oblation set aside in the name of Lord Shiva. She wanted to know the reason. Daksha sarcastically remarked that oblations were meant for gods or deities and not for Lord Shiva who was more like an ogre.

Sati flew in a fury and cursed all the impost ring deities present there and the shameless sages who were conducting that yajna of no merit.

She thundered, “What yajna is this where the Deity Supreme is being overlooked?”

Daksha countered her by using more invectives against Lord Shiva.

Engulfed in anguish and anger at Daksha’s blasphemy against her Lord, Sati could take it no more. She took some water in her hand and invoked Maheshwara before jumping into the leaping flame of holy fire pit of yajna to the horror of everyone there. The gods and deities trembled in fear of impending calamity.

[![sati-commits-suicide](/images/sati-commits- suicide.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/sati-commits- suicide.jpg)

The body guards of (Shiva ganas) of Sati went berserk. Many killed themselves in grief. Many of them created mayhem around killing everyone in sight or in their way. Sage Brig performed impromptu Havana and created some divine warriors to take on maddened Shiva guards. The two groups clashed. Surviving ganas fled to Kailasha to tell their Master about the ghastly happening. The gods, deities and sages sought protection of Lord Vishnu but he was himself confused and in fear of the wrath of Lord Shiva.

Then, a divine prophecy was heard which asked Lord Vishnu to leave that place and leave Daksha to his fate, whose face would be burnt and his followers done to death.

Manifestation of Veerbhadra

Meanwhile, Narada had revealed the sequence of events that had taken place at yajna venue. Then, the beaten away ganas arrived there. In furious mood Lord Shiva pulled a plait off his matted hair nest and began to whip the mountain with it. From the mystic rite a terrifying male guard called Veerbhadra and a female avenger named Mahakali emerged. The male guard bowed to his master and asked for a command. Lord Shiva told him to destroy the yajna of Daksha.

Like a raging storm Veerbhadra hit the venue of the yajna of Daksha. He went on a rampage and killing spree there. Lord Vishnu told him that he was there merely to guard the yajna as his divine duty but Lord Shiva’s will overruled everything else. He asked Veerbhadra to provide him with some screen to enable him to get out of that place in a flash to his Vaikuntha domain. Veerbhadra covered him with arrows and Lord Vishnu fled. In his rampage, Veerbhadra beheaded Daksha, who was later given a goat head by Lord Shiva.

After wreaking havoc at yajna venue the guard went back to Kailasha to his Master. As a reward for carrying out his command dutifully, Lord Shiva appointed him as chief of his guards.

" HAR HAR MAHADEV"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Origin Of Creation

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:33:25 -0500

The basic element of manifest and the un-manifest, Power Eternal started the creation in manifested Lord Brahma form. First, water came into existence. By the will of power eternal, Lord Shiva, a divinity got vested in the water and was called “Narayana” (Water borne). Then an egg appeared in the water and out of it came Lord Brahma who split the egg in two halves horizontally. The upper half became celestial world and the lower half the base. The space in between was turned into sky and fourteen domains by Lord Brahma.

[![neutron-star-magnetar_1118_610x343](/images/neutron-star- magnetar_1118_610x343.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/08 /neutron-star-magnetar_1118_610x343.jpg)

He created earth on water. Ten directions came into being in the sky. Then creator made elements of mind, speech, angst, beauty and love. A seven sage group made up of Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Ritu and Vashishtha materialised as willed by the mind of creator. The sages were the material and sources for the creation of Purans.

Then, Lord Brahma revealed four Vedas, the book form repositories of wisdom and knowledge of religious exercises. He worshipped Deity Supreme before producing the gods from his chest, humans from his thighs and demons from lower parts. He rested for a long time to assess his creations. But it was a static world with no scope of evolution. To correct this fault he created body and its nature. More creations followed in that format. It was also flawed being non-generative and non-re-creative.

Lord Brahma created a host of his mind born sons who came to be known as Manus. In the same way Manus created more Manus as their own lines of sages, seers and holy ones also came into existence in large numbers. Creator and Manus shaped various other creatures, four legged, two legged, water borne and winged ones. But it still made no sense. Lord Brahma and his Manus were creating like potters make pots and had no generative power of their own. The created world was stagnating. There was no variety, no evolution and no self generation. It frustrated Lord Brahma.

[![Lord Brahma](/images/lord- brahma.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/lord- brahma.jpg)

He Prayed to Lord Shiva to guide him into right and lively kind of creation that did not stagnate. Deity Supreme answered the prayer after a long penance of Lord Brahma by manifesting in his Ardhanareeshwara form which was made up of “Half-man + Half-woman” vertically. In this way, he revealed that self- generating and evolutionary creation was possible only through gender based male-female pairing. Lord Brahma got the message.

[![androgyny-Ardhanarisvara](/images/androgyny- ardhanarisvara.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/08 /androgyny-ardhanarisvara.jpg)

Then Lord Brahma’s mind projected gender based Manu and Shatroopa pair. Their mating produced sexually reproductive Manus who bred their own lines of males and females. It led to the explosion of the life forms by evolution, sons, daughters, couplings, species and dynastic. King Uttanpada was born who sired the great faithful Dhruva.

Dhruva had two sons, Pushti and Dhanya. They bred Ripu, Ripunjaya, Vipra, Nrikala, Vrisha and Teja to further the blood line in Chaksuta, Varuna, Bena, Prithu (The incarnation of Lord Vishnu), Vijitashwa, Prajapati, Haryavya and his ten thousand sons who became ascetic upon hearing the sermon of Sage Narada who said the mundane life was not worth living being full of woes and miseries. Angered Daksha (Prajapati) put a curse on Narada to be foot loose and not to stay at one place for long. Then, Daksha sired thirteen girls who were married to Sages, Kashyapa, Angira, Krishnashwa and Chandra. As sexual wave spread, Daksha sired more girls said to be 28 in total. The earlier married ones also got new wives besides the girls getting new husband. They all produced a number of deity figures like Vishwa, Sadhya, Marutwana, eight Vasus, twelve Bhanus, Mahurtaja, Ghosa, Naga, Prithvi etc. Then arrived Sankalp, Ava, Dhurva, Soma, Dhara, Anila, Pratyusha and Prabhasha. Sankalpa was their mother.

Prabha produced Vishwakarma Prajapati. He was a craftsman who crafted various masterpieces for the gods like aerial craft, homes, ornaments, embellishments etc. He became deity of craftsmen and skilled workers. Sarupa produced Rudras and they all multiplied into millions of Rudras but eleven are main Rudras namely, Raivata, Aja, Bheema, Bhava, Ugra, Bhama, Vrisha, Kapi, Ankpada, Ahirbungna, Bahurupa and Mahana. They are masters of the world.

In Chakshusha’s blood line Vena was born who was an evil character. He harassed all in many ways. So much so that even sages fled to the forests. At last the seers and sages worked up the death of Vena by invoking a killer mantra. When his mother wept bitterly, the sages of Saraswata line churned the dead Vena’s right hand and out of it Prithu was born. Prithu became the first sole king of the earth. He turned earth into a cow and made it yield the milk of herbal plants, food grain crops, fruit bearing trees, vegetable plants etc. He had four sons. One of them sired ten enunciate sons called Prachatas. They made penance to propitiate Lord Shiva for thousands of years. Lord booned them power to save earth from over vegetation. Prachetas returned to normal life and married Anubhuti. the daughter of Chandra.

Kashyapa Bloodline

Aditi, Diti, Sursa, Arishta, Ila, Dhanu, Surabhi, Vinita, Tabra, Krodha, Voshi, Kadru etc. were the wives of Sage Kashyapa. Aditi gave birth to twelve deities of Tushita order. She was the mother of Lord Vishnu (manifested) and Indra also. Diti produced giants (demonic) and Dhanu bore demons. Vinita produced asura, garuda and other species of birds and animals. Sursa became mother of reptiles. That is why she is known as Nagmata also. Her sons include even the divine serpents like Adishesha, Vasuki and Takshaka. Krodha produced offspring with fangs and claws. Surabhi gave birth to rabbits, hare and buffaloes. Ila was the mother of trees, plants, creepers and other greens. One of them produced females only who became the celestial beauties known as apsaras. Kadruva gave birth to pythons, dragons and boas. Arishta gave birth to men-o-snake.

The offspring’s of Khasha made up the orders of Yakshas and Rakshasas. Tabra produced eight daughters in Keki, Syeni Bhasi, Sujrevi, Shuki, Gridharika, Ashani and valooki besides sons. Further on Keki bore crows, Syeni bore hawks and kites and Bhasi bore ducks and other game birds. Gridharika produced eagles and vultures. Ashmi begot camels, horses and all kinds of asses.

Thus the wives of Kashyapa filled up the world with greens, plants, forests, birds, animals, reptiles, insects and other living creatures. The world was came to be known as Kashyapi.

Glory of Eternal Uma–7 Manifestations (Part-I)

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:27:09 -0500

The eternal force Mahamaya, an eternal part of Lord Shiva. Also known as Ma- Uma or Adi-Shakti, manifested in seven different avatars as Mahamaya, Yogmaya, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, Gauri, Durga and Yaksharoopa, since the very beginning of creation.

Mahakali and Yogmaya Manifestations

[![250px-Mahakali](/images/250px- mahakali.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/250px- mahakali.jpg)

At the very beginning of the creation water came into existence by the will of force eternal Lord Shiva. In water, Lord Vishnu vested. A long penance tired him out and he went to deep sleep of yoganidra. From the ear wax of Lord Vishnu got two mighty demons created who were called Madhu and Kaitabha. For a long period they made penance and got the blessings of Power Eternal Mahamaya. Meanwhile, a lotus stalk had emerged from the navel of sleeping Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma appeared atop the flower. The demons spotted him and began to harass him. The frightened Brahma tried to seek protection of Lord Vishnu but he found the latter withdrawn into yoganidra. In desperation, Lord Brahma prayed to Mahamaya. She answered his prayer by manifesting as Mahakali on the twelfth day of the first fortnight of Phaluguna. She woke up Lord Vishnu by exiting from his eyes as Yogmaya.

To defend Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu challenged the demon duo and fought with them for five thousand years but failed to subdue them. Then, Lord Vishnu invoked Mahamaya and prayed for her help. Mahamaya befuddled the minds of demon duo and made them tell Lord Vishnu how they could be accounted for. So Lord Vishnu put their heads on his widened thighs and killed them as that was the only way possible.

Mahalaxmi (Jagdamba) Manifestation

The demon lord Rambhasura was a mighty one who had become a scourge of the gods. His son Mahishasura was even mightier than him and was a repository of more evils. He was a very ambitious demon and to realise his demonic dreams he made a hard penance to propitiate Lord Brahma. From Lord Brahma he got a boon that no man or god shall ever kill him. After gaining that boon he went berserk tormenting all the three worlds. He raided heaven and banished gods from there. The deities of the directions were under his constant threat and punishment. Then he targeted all the people who used to worship deities and celestial beings. He banned all religious rites and ceremonies. No yajna no havana and no worship was his monstrous order.

The deities and the gods went to Lord Brahma seeking deliverance from the tyranny of Mahishasura. Lord Brahma took them to Lord Vishnu as the former had himself booned the demon. Lord Vishnu advised that they must all go to Lord Shiva to seek his help. They all paid to Deity Supreme. Lord Shiva revealed that the demon could be killed only by a female character as he could not die at the hands of a male due to his boon. Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Rudra shot out light balls of their divinity which fused in one radiant body. The other gods shot into it their own respective beams. Thus amplified ball of light transformed into a goddess figure of Mahalaxmi, also called ‘Jagdamba’. She was a picture of valour. Her face radiated the divinity of Lord Shiva and the other parts of her body represented the divinity of other gods. She had lord Vishnu arms and thighs and the legs of Lord Brahma. Yama was in her hair and she rode a lion.

The divine lords lent her their powers. She got the trident of Lord Shiva, Sudarshan Chakra of Lord Vishnu, Thunderbolt of Indra, Armour from Vishwakarma, Heat from Agni, Carrying Bowl of Lord Rama, Time scale and shield from Yama, Storm from Pavana, Liquidity from Varuna, Rays from Surya and the other gods empowered her according to their own divine capacities. Thus power packed Mahalaxmi rode that reverberated through the universe. It elated the hearts of the gods.

They all prayed to deliver them from the torments of evil Mahishasura. She assured them of her protection and the independence from the demonic tyranny. She went to the ground outside the palace of the demon and let out a mighty roar which shook the entire universe.

Angry demons came out to meet the challengers. There were great demonic battlers in Chiksura, Chandra, Udagara, Kerala, Bhaksha etc. besides Mahishasura.

The two armies clashed. To help Mahalaxmi, the host of the gods had also followed her but the most of the fighting was being done by the goddess herself. She killed several renowned demon warriors in no time. Very soon all the big names of the demons except Mahishasura had become history. It angered the demon lord. The demons of the order of Mahishasura were basically wilder beasts who could transform into any animal shape.

Angry Mahishasura charged in his bull buffalo form at Mahalaxmi and herarmy.He played havoc with the gods who prayed to the goddess to deal with the demon. She tossed a lasso at the demon buffalo and seized it. To get off the noose the demon transformed into a lion and tried to clobber the lion the goddess was riding. Mahalaxmi raised her sword to slay the enemy lion but he instantly reverted to his demonic form. The goddess attacked with her sword, spear and arrows to confuse her enemy.

Mahishasura transformed into an elephant and trumpeted violently. Mahalaxmi cut it’s tongue in a swift move. The demon again changed his form and resorted to demonic poltergy creating great many illusions. The goddess took a swing from her divine flagon of wine gifted to her by Kubera. Then she blew her conch shell in fury creating shock waves and let out a thunderous laughter that made Mahishasura tremble. With a beastly roar she jumped at Mahishasura and stomped him down to earth. Her foot was on the demon neck and her trident impaled the face of her enemy and she lifted him up in the air as if raising the flag of her victory.

The Scene frightened the demon army and it fled in all directions in fright. The delighted gods rained down flowers from the heaven to celebrate the victory and kettle drums were beaten. The gods assembled around Mahalaxmi and sang her prayers requesting her to keep her protection extended to the noble forces forever.

" Jai Mata Di"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Glory of Eternal Uma-7 Manifestations (Part-II)

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:18:37 -0500

Gauri (Kaushiki) Tale

Once there existed two demon brothers called Shumbha and Nishumbha. They were mighty and very big trouble makers. All the three worlds and their populaces were living under the fear of those two demons. They had let loose a rule of tyranny. The gods and other celestial races had fled to the caves and forests to hide. That made the demon duo more arrogant and cruel.

The gods were advised by Brihaspati and Lord Brahma to seek the help of Goddess Parvati (Uma manifest). The gods went to the forest where Goddess Parvati was making penance to sort out her own problems. To help the gods she created her alter-ego out of her call. This new manifestation of her was called Gauri (The white one) since she had a spotless milk white skin. She was also known as Kaushiki for being born out of a cell (Kaushika). She astride a tiger armed with many fangled divine weapons. An incredible beauty she was and drank wine from a silver flask that dangled from her waist. Her skin was so clear that the gods could see red liquid going down her throat. Like a big cat she growled angrily. The over whelmed gods sang paeans to her as she made the universe shudder. She needed no briefing as she had heard the woes of the gods revealed wen she was a part of Goddess Parvati.

She flashed to a garden outside the palace of the evil demon pair of Shumba and Nishumbha. The demon commanders called Chanda and Munda saw her there. The beauty of Gauri stunned them. They ran to their demon pair of masters, Shumbha and Nishumbha with the news of the arrival of a unique beauty in the garden that deserved to the grace the palace of the demons. They had no words to explain her beauty correctly.

It excited Shumbha and Nishumbha. They sent some messengers to Gauri proposing her to marry one of the two and enjoy all the luxuries and splendours of the palace. Gauri revealed that she was avowed to marry only a person who would defeat her in a battle. The demon lords thought it was below there dignity to fight a tender girl of the weaker sex. It was some joke, they thought. So they sent their commander, Dhoomralochana to reason with her and if it did not work he was asked to bring her to palace by force. The demon got burnt to ashes by an angry gaze of Gauri. Then the demon duo sent their warriors Chanda and Munda with a host. A growl of Gauri blew away the demon host. She grabbed the fleeing Chanda and Munda and killed them. For killing Dhoomralochana, Devi got the epithet of ‘Dhoomravati’ and for slaying Chanda - Munda she gained the adjective name of ‘Chandika’.

Then, demon lords sent Raktabeeja demon to teach a lesson to the irrepressible Gauri. The every drop of blood of that demon fallen on ground could produce another demon like him. It created a problem for Gauri. To counter it Gauri produced many dark manifestations of her called Kaalis who drank the blood of Raktabeeja by collecting it in coconut shells to prevent its being spilled on the ground. Thus Gauri was able to slay demon Raktabeeja. Now Shumbha and Nishumbha had to come to the battle.

The demon duo again tried to entreat her to stop battling and marry them to make them her slaves for ever. Gauri challenged them to defeat her in battle if they were real men and prove that they were worth marrying. To impress their lords, warriors came forward to challenge Gauri who rained arrows at them killing most of them and making the rest fall back. Shumbha was dismayed, Nishumbha moved forward and spoke - “O beauty, why should you kill our poor soldiers with arrows when you can kill us with your one askance glance?” Gauri gave him a treat of a volley of her deadly arrows. Nishumbha had to engage in a battle with her. Devi Gauri’s arrows destroyed all his demonic weapons and then felled him to ground as Shumbha watched in shock.

The death of his brother angered Shumbha and he moved forward to challenge Gauri. Finding him in front of her made her let out great roar that sounded like a thunder clap followed by a rumble. It put scare into the demon host that trembled. Shumbha launched a fiery weapon on Gauri which the latter cut to pieces with her arrows. Then, Devi threw her glimmering trident at the demon that went through latter’s rib cage to protrude its dents from the back. The wounded Shumbha staggered towards his female foe with his sword raised. Gauri released her deadly chakra and beheaded the evil demon. The bulk of the demon collapsed the ground. Devi’s tiger devoured the dead demons.

The gods rained down flowers and sounded bugles and kettle drums to hail the victory of Goddess Gauri. The celestial rhapsodists sang her paeans.

Uma Manifests as Yaksharoopa

Once again yet another battle was fought by the gods and the demons against each other. This time the gods won and the defeated demons had to flee to the bottom world of Patala.

This victory was secured without seeking the help or blessings of The Trinity. It filled the hearts and the minds of the gods with arrogance. Big egos they grew. They got so overblown that they talked of nothing but their valour, endeavour, battle skills, courage, grit, will power, divinity, wisdom etc. The unmanifest power eternal, Uma felt the gods needed to be corrected and some sense put back into them. In the domain of the gods she mysteriously manifested in the form of a giant and radiant female figure of Yaksha. The gods saw it wondered who or what it was. No one had any idea. Yaksha herself did not bother to reveal anything deepening the enigma.

Mystified Indra sent Vayu, the wind god to find out who the intruder was. To Vayu’s query about her identity she did not reply and ask who he was. The wind god introduced himself and extolled his own divine powers of creating storms, tornadoes, typhoons etc. The Yaksharoopa put a straw on the ground and asked him to blow it away. Vayu used all his powers but the straw remained inert at its place. Yaksharoopa smiled mockingly. Embarrassed Vayu returned to Indra in defeat.

Then, Indra sent Agni, the fire god to investigate. When asked to introduce himself Agni boasted about his incendiary powers. Yaksharoopa again put straw in front of him and asked him to demonstrate his burning powers. Agni used all his powers but straw remained there unaffected. He too went back defeated. Indra sent other powerful gods to try their powers but all returned with long faces and bent heads.

It greatly surprised the celestial lord, Indra. He himself went to see the mysterious figure. But Yaksharoopa had vanished. He stood puzzled. Then, Saraswati, the goddess of knowledges whispered into his mind to use common sense to know who it could be? It was primordial Eternal Force! The truth suddenly dawned on Indra. He at once prayed to the Force Eternal. It manifested in form of Uma to speak," Look, I am the divinity of Brahma,Vishnu and Mahesh. Even they are nothing without my grace. I provide to you all the powers you have that earn you victories. If I withdraw those powers all your gods will be reduced to nothing. So, you must not become self conceited. Humility should be your asset. One who grows ego he works his own downfall."

Indra promised that he and other gods would never again fall pray to ego. He prayed for her grace.

" JAI MATA DI"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Glory of Eternal Uma-7 Manifestations (Part-III)

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:11:46 -0500

[![adi-shakti-tridevi](/images/adi-shakti- tridevi.jpg)](https://vibhormahajan.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/adi-shakti- tridevi.jpg)

Shatakshi Durga Tale

A great trouble maker demon named Durgama was once the scourge of all the faithful’s, the gods, sages, nobles and peace loving people of the three worlds. Great was his physical power and master of Vedas he had become. He had made a long penance and had asked for Vedas as a boon from propitiated Brahma. He had studied them all and had become all knowing. Durgama found out that the gods got empowered by the religious acts of yajna, havana, penance, charity, fasts and worship regimes. As he became the ruler of all the worlds he banned all those religious acts to debilitate the gods. The gods were no more getting empowered and their divinity was diminishing.

The gods got together and prayed to primordial Devi power Uma to redeem them. In the prayer the gods revealed how evil Durgama was squeezing divinity out of them and tormenting them. How woe begotten had become their existence! The demon had monopolised the knowledge of Vedas. The water was not available and without it no religious ritual was possible. No rain could fall as water god and rain god had been rendered powerless by the demon Durgama. They no more received empowering oblations as no yajna and havana was being performed. They prayed to Mahamaya Uma to deliver them from Durgama.

Mahamaya materialised in the form of one hundred eyed Shatakshi. In her many hands she held bow, arrows, lotus, tubers, vegetable, corn and weapons. Her one hundred eyes shed tears of sympathy for the parched lands and the thirsting creatures. Her tears flowed to become streams to provide water. The people were blessed with plentiful bounties of food grains, vegetables and tubers. The land again greened up. The people could harvest the crops again with water aplenty. All the tanks, lakes, pools and wells were full of water.

Then, Mahamaya Uma asked the praying deities and the gods to seek boons from her. She was beseeched and retrieve the Vedas from his possession. The human priest also made the same request as the demons were missing the knowledge of Vedas.

This manifestation of Mahamaya Uma was named ’ Shatakshi’ for having hundred eyes and ‘Shakambari’ for providing food and vegetables to the people.

Meanwhile, Durgama was getting uneasy about the situation. He was feeling the vibes that his enemy gods were again getting empowered and were gaining strength. He could not understand what was causing it. He decided to raid the celestial domain once again to destroy whatever was causing the revival of the gods. But he could not reach the capital city of gods Amravati because his way was barred by the incarnation of Mahamaya Uma. She stood there with her divine wheel and other weapons ready to face the foe. The host of gods stood behind her. Durgama was not alone. He was backed up by a huge force of demon warriors.

Seeing this Devi produced a host of her alter forms in Kali, Tara, Chinnamastaka, Shri Vidya, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Bagala, Matangi, Tripura Sundari and Rauravi. These ten alter forms further generated their own hosts. Thus, a great goddess force launched itself on the demon host. The demons were cut down like fodder. A mighty blow from her own self felled the mighty demon Durgama. For this victory over demon Durgama, the Devi incarnation also got the name of ’ Durga’ which later became an epithet or adjective noun meaning ’ Fierce and indomitable battler ‘.

For slaying demons she is known also as ’ Bhīma Devi’. The consort of Shiva manifestation of Mahamaya Uma came to be known as ’ Parvati’ because she dwelled in mountains (Parvat), Himalaya being her parental adobe and Kailasha mountain as her marital home. Devi got the name of _’ Bhramarambha’_when she sent black bees (Bhramars) to kill Aruna.

" JAI MATA DI"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Story Of Navratri

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 12:05:27 -0500

The story of Navratra is the symbolic message of the fact that however glorious and powerful the evil become, at the end it is the goodness that wins over all of the evil. The story is associated with Maa Durga and Mahisasura, the buffalo headed demon.

The story begins from the life of two sons of Danu called Rambha and Karambha who performed austerities to gain extreme power and authority. When their prayers became deeper and austerities became exceptional, the King of the heaven God Indra got perturbed. Out of fear, he killed Karambha. Rambha, who came to know about his brother’s death, became more stubborn to win over the Gods. He increased the intensity of his austerities and finally got several boons from gods like great brilliance, beauty, invincibility in war. He also asked a special wish of not being killed by either humans or Gods or Asuras.

He then considered himself immortal and started freely roaming in the garden of Yaksha where he saw a female-buffalo and fell in love with her. To express his love, Rambha disguised in the form of a male-buffalo and copulated with the female buffalo. However, soon after that a real male buffalo discovered Rambha mating with the she-buffalo and killed him. It was due to Rambha’s inflated ego that killed him, out of which he has not asked his death to be spared from the wrath of animals. As the pyre of Rambha was organized, the female-buffalo, who was copulated with him jumped into the funeral pyre of Rambha to prove her love. She was pregnant at that time. Thus, demon came out of the with the head of a buffalo and human body and he was named Mahishasura (the buffalo headed demon).

Mahishasura was extremely powerful. He defeated the gods and the demons and acquired power over the entire world. He even won over the heaven and threw devas outside of it. He captured the throne of Indra and declared himself to be the the lord of the gods. The gods led by Lord Brahma approached Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva and evaluated them of the situation. In order to save the Gods, the three supreme deities emerged a light of anger, which combined to the take the shape of a terrible form and this was Durga. All the gods then granted this Goddess of power with all the supreme weapons they had. This is why; Durga is called the brilliance of all the Gods.

When the goddess was seen by Mahishasura, he was mesmerized by her beauty. Her then fell in love with her and proposed to marry her. The goddess said she will marry him, if he defeated her in the battle. Then began a scary and terrible battle between both of then which continued for nine days. Finally, on the last day, Durga took the form of Chandika and stood over the chest of Mahishasura and smashed him down with her foot. She then pierced his neck with her spear and cut off his head off with her sword. It is the day when Vijayadashmi is celebrated.

“Darbaar Tera Darbaaron Mein,
Ik Khaas Ehmiyat Rakhta Hai…
Usko Vaisa Mil Jata Hai,
Jo Jaisi Niyat Rakhta Hai”

“Pyaara Saja Hai Tera Dwaar Bhawaani
Badaa Nyaara Sajaa Hai Tera Dwaar Bhawaani
Bhakhton Ki, Tere bhakton Ki Lagi Hai Kataar Bhawaani
Badaa Pyaara Sajaa Hai Tera Dwaar Bhawaani”

" JAI MATA DI"

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Song of God – The Bhagavad Gita (Part – I)

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 11:58:54 -0500

The armies of the Pandavas, and the Kauravas stood facing each other on the battlefield. Then suddenly, a chariot drew away from the Pandava side and came between the two armies. A banner displaying the image of a monkey fluttered above it. It was Arjuna.

Arjuna looked at the army before him. Then he looked at the army behind him. Brothers, uncles and nephews, ready to fight and kill one another - for what? A piece of land? “I cannot do this”, he said. “This cannot be dharma!”

To the surprise of all assembled warriors, he lowered his bow.

“Don’t be such a weakling, Arjuna. Face the situation like a man!” shouted Lord Krishna.

“I cannot”, moaned Arjuna, his shoulders dropping.

‘It’s your duty as a Kshatriya", said Lord Krishna, trying to reason with him.

“I cannot”, said Arjuna.

“They abused your wife. They encroached upon your kingdom. Fight for justice, Arjuna”, pleaded Lord Krishna.

Arjuna replied - “I see no sense in killing brothers and uncles and friends. This is cruelty, not nobility. I would rather have peace than vengeance.”

Lord Krishna said - “Noble thoughts indeed. But where does this nobility comes from? Generosity or fear? Wisdom or ignorance? Suddenly, you are confronted by the enormity of the situation - the possibility of failure, the price of success - and you tremble. You wish it had not come to this. Rather than face the situation, you withdraw. Your decision is based on a misreading of the situation. If you knew the world as it truly is, you would be in bliss even at this moment.”

“I don’t understand.”, said Arjuna.

It was then that Lord Krishna sang his song, a song that explained to Arjuna the true nature of the world. This was The Bhagavad Gita.

“Yes, you would kill hundreds of warriors. But that would be the death only of the flesh. Within the flesh is the immortal soul that never dies. It will be reborn; it will wrap itself in a new body as fresh clothes after old ones are discarded. What is a man’s true identity; the temporary flesh or the permanent soul? What do you kill, Arjuna? What can you kill?

“The flesh exists to direct you to the soul. For the flesh enables you to experience all things temporary - your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions. The world around it is temporary. The body itself is temporary. Eventually, disappointed of all things temporary, you will seek permanence and eventually discover the soul. You grieve for flesh, right now, Arjuna, without even realizing the reason it exists.”

“Of all living creatures, the human being is the most blessed. For human flesh is blessed with intellect. Humans alone can distinguish between all that is temporary and all that is not. Humans alone can distinguish between flesh and soul. Arjuna, you and all those on this battlefield have spent their entire life losing this opportunity - focusing more on mortal things than on immortal things.”

“Your flesh receives information about the external world through your five sense organs: eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin. Your flesh engages with the external material world through your five action organs: hands, feet, face, anus and genitals. Between the stimulus and the response, a whole series of processes take place in your mind. These processes construct your understanding of the material world. What you, Arjuna, consider as the battlefield is but a perception of your mind. And like all perceptions it is not real.”

“Your intellect is not aware of your soul. It seeks meaning and validation. Why does it exist? It seeks answers in the material world and finds that everything in the material world is mortal, nothing is immortal. Awareness of death generates fear. It makes the intellect feel invalidated and worthless. From fear is born the ego. The ego contaminates the mind to comfort the intellect. It focuses on events, memories and desires that validate its existence and make it feel immortal and powerful. It shuns all that that makes it feel worthless and mortal. Right now, your ego controls your mind, Arjuna. It gives greater value to the finite experience of your flesh and distracts you from the infinite experiences of your soul. Hence, your anxiety, fear and delusion.”

“Your mind retains memory of all past simulations - those that evoke fear and those that generate comfort. Your mind also imagines situations that frighten you and comfort you. Goaded by your ego, you suppress memories that cause pain and prefer memories that bring pleasure. Goaded by your ego, you imagine situations that the ego seeks and shuns. Right now, Arjuna. on this battlefield, nothing has happened. But a lot is occurring in your mind - memories resurface as ghosts and imagination descends like a demon. That is why you suffer.”

“Your ego constructs a measuring scale to evaluate a situation. This measuring scale determines your notions of fearful or comforting, painful or pleasurable, right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate, good or bad. It is informed by the values of the world you live in, but is always filtered by the ego before being accepted. Right now, Arjuna, what you consider right is based on your measuring scale. What Duryodhana considers right is based on his measuring scale. Which measuring scale is appropriate? Is there one free of bias?”

“The world that you perceive is actually a delusion based on your chosen measuring scale. New memories and new imaginations can change this measuring scale, hence your perception of the world. Only the truly enlightened know the world as it truly is; the rest construct a reality that comforts the ego. The enlightened are therefore always at peace while the rest are constantly restless and insecure. If you were enlightened, Arjuna, you could have been in this battlefield, bow in hand, but still in peace. If you were enlightened, Arjuna, you would have fought without anger, killed without hate.”

“Your ego clings to things that grant it maximum comfort. The purpose of life then becomes the pursuit of comfort - generating states, the shunning of fear

generating states. Attainment of desirable states brings joy, failure to do so becomes sorrow. The ego clings tenaciously to things and ideas that validate its existence. The ego does everything in its power to establish and retain a permanent territorial hold over all external states that give it joy. Do you realize, Arjuna, all you want is to reclaim or recreate situations that give you joy? You have attached your emotions to external events. Separate them.”

Copyright (C) Vibhor Mahajan

Hindu Mythology

rrs@researchut.com (Ritesh Raj Sarraf) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 11:51:15 -0500

Hindusim is a religion that is commonly dominant in the Indian sub-continent. Though personally not very religious, I am born in a Hindu family, and was brought up following the Hindu religion. As a religion following human, I do have my favorite god, Lord Shiva - The god of death.

With my website’s this section, my desire is to document whatever I think is true and legitimate. One of the reason is, India (where Hinduism is most common) was invaded by many rulers, from different religions. That led to many of the history not being preserved. We do have some history, that still remains, in tid bits.

My attempt is to gather as much of content I can, and have it documented in digital form. Almost all the content is authored by someone else, to whom I try my best to attribute, tracing their sources.

As a country so big that India is, it is important we document things. Things come and go, emperors come and go, opinions come and go, what remains stagnant is the event. It is important that we document events so that the coming generations get a better history to read up on.