THE DEITIES RESTING DAYS

Lord Vishnu takes rest on Sheshnag during the whole period of Uttarayan, which begins just after the last day of the bright lunar phase in the Hindu month of Ashadh is over. After he goes to sleep, all the deities, Gandharva, Devamata etc. follow suit. Narada requested Sage Pulastya to…

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VAMANA INCARNATION

INDRA DOES PENANCE TO ATONE FOR HIS SINS Pulastya says after being defeated by the demons Indra went to Brahma loka and narrated his woeful tale to him. Sage Kashyapa- his father was also present there. Lord Brahma told Indra that he was reaping the fruits of his evil deeds….

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BENEFITS OF STUDYING VAMANA PURANA

Study of Vamana Purana helps a man to enhance his knowledge and makes him free from all kinds of worldly attachments. It also increases his love and devotion towards the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. There are ten characteristics evident in all the Puranas- 1) Sarg. 2)Visarg. 3) Sthan. 4)…

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BALI’S QUERIES TO PRAHLADA

Bali enquired about the virtues which a man attains by the worship of Lord Vishnu. He also asked Prahlada about the worship and its rituals by which Lord Vishnu is pleased. Prahlada says- “Sages believe that the donations which are made with total devotion and in the name of Lord…

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BALI LIVES IN PATAL LOKA

Pulastya says- After reaching the nether world, Bali got constructed a beautiful city made of diamonds and other precious stones. Vishwakarma had constructed an enormous sized altar in the central part of the city. The windows of Bali’s palace were well decorated with pearls. Bali lived there in luxury and…

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LORD BRAHMA WORSHIPS LORD VAMANA

Narada asked sage Pulastya as  to  where did  Lord  Vamana  go  after disappearing from  the oblation site. Pulastya replied- “Lord Vamana went to Brahma loka mounted on his Garuda. On seeing him, Lord Brahma gave a warm reception and after worshipping him asked about the reason for his sudden arrival….

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LORD VAMANA’S DEMANDS

Bali was pleased that he would get an opportunity to see the Almighty God whom the sages contemplate upon. He was proud of his good fortune that the lord was paying him a visit. Shukracharya aware of the reason for Vamana’s arrival warned Bali against making any promise to him….

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66) ARRIVAL OF LORD VAMANA AT KURUKSHETRA

Pulastya says- “After satisfying Bharadwaj’s curiosity about his different abodes, Lord Vamana left for Kurukshetra where Bali was busy performing his Yagya. As soon as Lord Vamana reached Kurukshetra, the whole earth started shaking violently and high tides rose in the ocean. Being frightened of Lord Vishnu, Agni did not…

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BALI PERFORMS ASWHAMEDHA YAGYA – BALI’S ARRIVAL AT KURUKSHETRA

Pulastya says- “After the departure of Prahlada on his pilgrimage, Bali desirous of performing a Yagya went to Kurukshetra. Shukracharya had invited the descendants of sage Bhargava to supervise the proceedings of Ashwamedha Yagya but his decision was not approved by the descendants of some other sages like Atri, Gautam,…

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THE GREATNESS OF SARASWAT STOTRA

Sage Pulastya says- “There lived a Kshatriya who kept enemity towards Brahmins. After his death, he was reborn as a demon and spent his life indulging in nefarious activities. Once he saw a hermit doing penance. He wanted to devour him but was unsuccessful in his attempt as the hermit…

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GAJENDRA AND THE CROCODILE

Sage Narada requests Pulastya to describe how Gajendra managed to release itself from the jaws of the crocodile. Pulastya says- “There lived a crocodile in a reservoir near Trikut Mountain. One day, a thirsty elephant arrived there to quench its thirst. The wicked crocodile caught hold of the elephant’s leg…

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TALES OF UPAMANYU AND SRIDAMA

Sage Narada was still not satisfied by Pulastya’s explanation and asked Pulastya as to what compelled Lord Vishnu to give his chakra to Lord Shiva. Pulastya says- “There used to live a learned Brahmin named Veetmanyu. He was well versed in all the Vedas and other scriptures. His wife’s name…

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PRAHLADA’S PILGRIMAGE

Pulastya says- “Prahlada went to the sacred place called Rishikanya and took a holy dip in the Irawati River. After that, he worshipped Lord Janardan in the temple situated nearby and then proceeded on his journey towards Kurukshetra. After reaching there, he worshipped Lord Kurudhwaj and paid a visit Lord…

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THE DESCRIPTION OF NAKSHATRA PURUSHA

Sage Narada asks Pulastya about the austerity named Nakshatra Purusha which King Pururava had accomplished to please Lord Vishnu. Pulastya says- “All the constellations dwell in different parts of Lord Vishnu’s body. The Mula Nakshatra dwells in his feet, Rohini Nakshatra in his thighs, Ashwini in his knees, Purvashadha and…

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PURURAVA REGAINS HIS GOOD LOOKS

Pulastya says- “After worshipping Lord Trivikrama, Prahlada went to Lingabhedak Mountain and worshipped Lord Shankar. He also visited many more sacred places like Kedar Tirtha, Badrikashrama,  Bhadrakarna and  Vipasha. At  last,  he reached  Irawati  and  worshipped  that Almighty Lord with whose blessings, Pururava was able to regain his good looks.”…

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MYTHOLOGICAL TALES DHUNDHU PERFORMS ASHWAMEDHA YAGYA

Pulastya says- “During his pilgrimage, Prahlada visited many sacred places like Manas Tirtha, Kaushiki, Devahnad and Hastinapur etc. At last he reached the bank of river Yamuna where he worshipped Lord Trivikrama (Vamana).” Narada was surprised at the mention of Vamana’s name and asked Pulastya- “Lord Vishnu is still to…

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THE SPLENDOURS OF BALI

Pulastya says- “The just rule of Bali had transformed the Kali Yuga into Satya Yuga. Even his subjects engaged themselves in virtuous activities like penance and Yagyas. They practised non- violence and always spoke the truth. One day, Goddess Trailokya Lakshmi went to Bali and said- “I have come to…

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KING BALI BALI RULES THE HEAVEN

The mighty Banasura saw the demons running away from the battlefield and came to their rescue. The arrival of Banasura boosted the morale of the defeated demons and they returned to fight the deities. Lord Vishnu advised the deities to fight gallantly and disappeared from the battlefield. Shukracharya assured the…

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LORD VISHNU KILLS KALNEMI

After hearing the news of Bali’s coronation, Maya and some other demons went and advised Bali to avenge the killings of his father- Virochan and other relatives by Indra. Bali became furious and marched with a huge army to fight the deities.   When Indra heard this news, he started…

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MARUT GANAS OF DIFFERENT MANVANTARAS

Sage Pulastya says- “O Narada! Now, I am going to describe about the origin of Marut Ganas of various Manvantaras. Savan was Swayambhu Manu’s son. He had no sons and when he died, the sorrowful queen- Sudeva heard a heavenly voice, which instructed her to give up her life by…

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THE ORIGIN OF MARUT GANAS

Narada asked Pulastya about the battle which Indra fought with the demon at Malay Mountain. Pulastya  replied-  “Andhak’s  followers-  Maya  and  Tar  tried  to  enter  Patal  loka  after  being defeated by the deities. While they were passing close to the Malay Mountain, they decided to live there being enchanted by…

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LORD SHIVA KILLS ANDHAK

In spite of death and destruction caused to his army, Andhak still wanted to continue fighting against  Lord  Shiva’s  army.  He even  dismissed  the advises  of  Shukracharya  who wanted a momentary retreat and rebuffed him by saying- “All the deities including Maheshwar and Indra cannot save themselves from my wrath….

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SHUKRACHARYA USES SANJIVANI VIDYA

Andhak went to Shukracharya and narrated the woeful tale of demons’ defeat. He also requested Shukracharya to help the demons win the battle. Shukracharya was dejected but he assured the demons that he would make alive, all the dead demons with the help of SanJivani Vidya and really all the…

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THE BATTLE COMMENCES

Pulastya says- “When the Ganas saw Andhak’s army approaching the Mandar Mountain, they made a loud roar, which reverberated through the land and sky. Hearing this roar, Lord Ganesha became apprehensive and went to Mandar Mountain to ask Lord Shiva about the origin of that tremendous roar. Lord Shiva told…

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LORD SHIVA PREPARES FOR THE BATTLE GANAS THRONG MANDAR MOUNTAIN

Pulastya says- “When Lord Shiva became aware of Andhak’s imminent attack, he requested Nandi to summon all the Ganas who were more than 700 crores in number. Some of the prominent  Ganas  like Pashupat,  Kalmukh,  Mahavrati,  Digambar, Maini,  Mahapashupat  and Vrishabhdhwaj arrived at Mandar Mountain to help Lord Shiva at…

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SAGE SHUKRACHARYA CURSES DANDA

Prahlada says- “Blinded by lust, Danda forcibly breached the modesty of unrelenting Araja and returned to his palace. Araja was saddened by the inability to protect her chastity and started wailing. When Shukracharya returned to his hermitage, he found Araja lying down at the entrance. He asked her about what…

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SEARCH FOR CHITRANGADA AND VEDAVATI

In the meantime, both daughters of Yaksha and the demon arrived at Srikanth Mahadeva temple and engaged themselves in the worship of lord Mahadeva. One day, sage Galav arrived at the temple and was astonished to find two young ladies at such a deserted place. While taking bath, he heard…

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VISHWAKARMA BECOMES A MONKEY

Continuing with his story, King Danda says- “Chitrangada stayed for a long period at Saptagodavar. She used to spend time by engaging in the worship of Lord Hatkeshwar waiting for the day she would meet her husband. Vishwakarma had become a monkey due to the curse of that sage and…

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KING DANDA AND ARAJA ANDHAKASURA- THE DEMON

Narada asks sage Pulastya- “What did the demon Andhak do after entering Patal loka and how was Lord Shiva’s life at Mandar Mountain?” Pulastya says- “Andhak was infatuated by Girija’s divine beauty and his lust only became stronger as the days passed by. Although Prahlada tried very hard to convince…

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DESCRIPTION OF HELLS

Lord Brahma, on being enquired by Sanatkumar on the different hells said- “Those who have illicit relationship or are in the company of sinners go to the first hell. Felling of trees and stealing the fruits of others’ tree lead to the second hell. People who kill creatures unworthy of…

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LORD VISHNU KILLS MURA

Mura was the Aurasputra of sage Kashyapa and Danu. When he saw the demons being vanquished by the deities, he went to do penance with the objective of getting boons from Lord Brahma. When Lord Brahma appeared before him, he said- “O lord! Bless me with a boon, which enables…

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LORD SHIVA DOES PENANCE

Lord Shiva was so deeply attached to Uma that for 1000 years, he was possessed by only her thoughts. He forgot about his duties and as a result, there was anarchy all over the world. His obsession  with  Uma  had  also  decreased  his  radiance.  He  decided  to  do  penance  with…

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RITUDHWAJ INJURES PATALKETU

King Ripujeet- a descendant of Raghu lived with his valiant and brave son named Ritudhwaj. Ritudhwaj being a virtuous prince thought it as his duty to protect all the sages and hermits. Under his protection, the sages performed their religious duties without any problem.   During Ripujeet’s reign, a great…

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KARTIKEYA KILLS TARAKA AND MAHISHASURA

After being appointed as the chief commander of the deities, Kartikeya sought his guardians’ permission to kill the demons- Taraka and Mahishasura. All the deities including Lord Vishnu blessed Kartikeya and wished for his victory. Lord Vishnu eulogised Kartikeya and praised his valiance.   Kartikeya then proceeded with a huge…

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BIRTH OF KARTIKEYA

Swallowing of Lord Shiva’s sperm had subdued Agni’s radiance. The deities advised him to take Lord Brahma’s help. While he was on his way to Brahma loka, he came across a river named Kutila and requested her to hold Shiva’s sperm. She agreed and requested him to release it in…

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KILLING OF NISHUMBH AND SHUMBH

Shumbh and Nishumbh were sons of Danu. They wanted to avenge Mahishasura’s death and sent many demons like to bring Goddess Chandika after enslaving her. First of all, Sugreev was sent followed by Dhumralochan but both of them were killed by the Goddess. When Shumbh and Nishumbh heard of their…

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VISHWAKARMA CONSTRUCTS A PALACE

After reaching Mandar Mountain, Lord Shiva instructed Vishwakarma to construct a home. Vishwakarma constructed a spacious home for Shiva, which was spread in the area of 64 Yojans. The home was decorated with Swastika symbols and its walls were made of gold.   One day, Lord Shiva jokingly referred to…

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UMA MARRIES LORD SHIVA

Lord Vishnu, Brahma, the deities and the Ganas were pleased to hear about Shiva’s marriage. Lord  Shiva  went  to  his  abode-  Kailash  Mountain  to  make  preparations  for  the  marriage ceremony. Lord Shiva’s marriage procession proceeded towards Himalaya Mountain. His appearance was quite terrifying with a tiger skin around his waist…

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LORD SHIVA SENDS MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

After paying a visit to Prithudak Tirtha, Lord Shiva returned to his abode. At that time, he was living at Mandar Mountain. After Lord Shiva’s contemplation, the Saptarishis arrived. After the formal salutations, Lord Shiva told the sages that his wife- Sati has re-incarnated as Uma. “All of you must…

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PRITHUDAK TIRTHA

Describing the majesty of Prithudak Tirtha, Mahadeva told the deities- “All of you must pay a visit to this sacrosanct place of pilgrimage situated near Sanihitya reservoir. The day on which Moon, Sun and Jupiter unitedly come under Mrigshira Nakshatra is called Akshay Tritiya. You must go to that sacred…

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THE ORIGIN OF BRAHMESHWAR’S FOUR HEADS

After creating all the movable and immovable living things, Lord Brahma created a beautiful lady. He was so infatuated by her beauty that he expressed his desire to procreate with her help. As a result of this grave sin committed by Lord Brahma, one of his four heads got detached…

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VENA ATTAINS HEAVEN

Sanatkumar says- “Lord Shiva became pleased by his devotion and blessed Vena that he would manifest from his body as Andhak in his next birth. Due to the sins acquired by criticising the Vedas, he would be born in the family of the notorious demon Hiranyaksh.” Lord Shiva then asked…

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KING VENA, BIRTH OF PRITHU

Sage Markandeya then goes on to describe about the splendours of Sthanu Tirtha- Surya was Manu’s father. Vena was Manu’s grandson. He was wicked and always criticised the Vedas. Being displeased by his irreligious son, Vena’s father left for the forest to do penance where he attained salvation.   In…

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OTHER PROMINENT LINGAS

Sanatkumar says- “The sacred places of pilgrimage named Shukra Tirtha and Soma Tirtha are situated towards north and south of Sthanu Vata respectively. Daksha Tirtha is situated towards its south and Skand Tirtha towards its west. The sacrosanct Sthanu Tirtha is situated just in between all these four places of…

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SAGES TAKE LORD SHIVA’S REFUGE

Ashamed, the sages requested Lord Brahma to tell them the way to pacify Lord Shiva. Lord Brahma assured them that they would be forgiven if they took Lord Shiva’s refuge. Lord Brahma went to Kailash Parvat accompanied by all the sages. After reaching there, he eulogised Lord Shiva with deep…

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STHANU TIRTHA

The sages then asked Lomaharshan about the origin of Sthanu Tirtha and the importance of Sthanu Vata. They also expressed their desire to know about the reservoir named Sanihitya and how Indra had filled it up with mud. Sage Lomaharshan replied- “Once, Sanatkumar upon being asked by Balkhilya and other…

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KAMYAKVAN TIRTHA

The sages asked Lomaharshan about the origin of Kamyakvan Tirtha. Lomaharshan replied- “Once upon a time, the sages of Naimisharanya came to Kurukshetra to take bath in river Saraswati. But, since they were large in number, the banks of river Saraswati could not accommodate all of them. In their helplessness,…

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VASHISHTHAPAVAH TIRTHA

The sages asked Lomaharshan about the origin of Vashishthapava Tirtha and about the reason why sage Vashishtha was carried along by the powerful current of Saraswati river. Lomaharshan said- “There was great rivalry between sage Vashishtha and sage Vishwamitra. In course of time, it turned into a bitter enemity. Vashishtha…

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