Tag: vishnu
16) Seven Dwipas in Veda
Seven Dwipas in Veda The world is divided into seven regions (dvipas. Their names are Jambu, Plaksha, Shalmali, Kusha, Krouncha, Shaka, and Pushkara. The seven dwipas are surrounded by seven oceans and the names of these oceans are Lavana, Ikshu, Sura, Sarpih, Dadhi, Dugdha and Jala. Right in the center…
15) Places Of Pilgrimage
Place of pilgrimage (tirtha) A visit to a place of pilgrimage (tirtha) brings the same punya that is obtained from performing a yajna. It is because people had not gone on pilgrimages or donated gold and cows in their earlier lives that they were born poor in their next lives….
14) Agni story on how to Pray, Build Temples And Idols – AGNI PURANA
Agni story on how to Pray & Build Temples and Idols The Agni Purana next has several chapters on how to pray and on how to build temples and idols. The techniques of praying to Vishnu, Shiva, Surya and the other gods and goddesses are described, including the special mantras…
13) Agni story Creation of Universe – AGNI PURANA
Agni story Creation of Universe Agni next told Vashishtha the history of creation. Vishnu is the Lord of creation, preservation and destruction. Before creation, it was only the Brahman that was everywhere. There was no day, night or sky. First Vishnu created the waters. And in the waters he sowed the…
11) Buddha Ninth Avatar of Vishnu – AGNI PURANA
10) Mahabharat agni kand as in AGNI PURANA
9) AGNI PURANA – Hari Vamsa Puranam in English
Hari Vamsa Puranam in English As you have already been told, Brahma emerged from Vishnu’s navel. Brahma’s son was Atri, Atri’s son Soma, Soma’s son Pururava, Pururavas son Ayu, Ayu’s son Nahusha and Nahushja’s son Yayati. Yayati had two wives, Devayani and Sharmistha. Devayani had two sons, Yadu and Turvasu….
8) Lord Rama Story in English – Brief story of Lord Rama
Lord Rama Story in English Brahma came out of Vishnu’s navel. Brahma’s son was Marichi’s son Kashyapa, Kashyapa son Surya, Surya’s son Vaivasvata Manu, Manu’s son Ikshvaku, Ikskhvakku’s son Kakutstha, Kakutstha’s son Raghu, Raghu’s son Aja, Aja’s son Dasharatha, Dasaratha’s sons were Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Since Rama was…
7) AGNI PURANA – Parashurama Avatar Story
6) AGNI PURANA Vamana Avatara- Dwarf Incarnation
5) Narasimha avatara story in English – half man lion incarnation
Narasimha Avatar story in English Hiranyaksha had a brother named Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu was furious to learn that his brother had been killed and the resolved to kill Vishnu. But this could not be done unless h e himself became powerful land invincible. Hiranyakashipu, therefore, began to pray to Brahma through…
4) AGNI PURANA – Varaha Avatar of Vishnu – Boar Incarnation
3) AGNI PURANA – Kurma Avatar of Vishnu – Turtle incarnation
2) AGNI PURANA – Matsya Avatara – Fish incarnation
Agni told Vashishtha the story of the fish incarnation. Many years ago, the whole world was destroyed. The destruction in fact extended to all the three lokas (worlds) of bhuloka, bhuvarloka and svarloka. Bhuloka is the earth, svarloka or svarga is heaven and bhuvarloka is a region between the earth…
61) Discover the Fascinating Story of PARSHURAMA in Hindu Mythology
Describing Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as Parshurama, Lord Mahadeva told Parvati–Sage Jamadagni came from the lineage of Bhrigu. He had pleased Indra by his tremendous penance and received Surabhi cow in return. In course of time he married the daughter of king Renuk whose name was Renuka. A child was born…
60) Exploring the Divine Power of Lord Vishnu, the Almighty God
Describing about the superiority of Lord Vishnu among the trinity Gods’ Sage Vashishtha narrated the following tale–During ancient times, Swayambhuva manu had once gone to Mandarachal mountain to perform a yagya. Many scholars and learned men had come to attend that yagya. Very soon, they got into a debate as…
54) JARASANDH
Jarasandh was the father-in-law of Kansa. When he learnt about Kansa’ death he surrounded Mathura with a huge army. Sri Krishna was well aware of Jarasandh’s might and bravery. He was also convinced that it would not be easy to defeat Jarasandh. So, he remembered Daruk–his eternal charioteer and sought…
53) KILLING OF KANSA
Continuing with the divine tales of Sri Krishna, Lord Mahadeva told Parvati–When Kansa failed in his repeated attempts to kill Sri Krishna, he instructed ‘Akrura’ to invite both Krishna and Balarama to Mathura on the pretext of attending a ceremony called Dhanush-yagya. Kansa had planned to kill Sri Krishna by…
48) SRI RAMA’S BIRTH
Describing about Sri Rama’s incarnation Lord Mahadeva told Parvati–‘Once, Swayambhuva Manu had expressed his desire of having Lord Vishnu as his son to which Lord Vishnu had agreed. During Treta Yuga Manu manifested himself as Dasharath and Vishnu kept his promise by taking birth as his son–Sri Rama. Similarly, during…
47) VAMANA–INCARNATION
Continuing with the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Lord Mahadeva told Parvati — Prahlada had a son named Virochan.The most benevolent king–‘Mahabahu-Bali’ was Virochan’s son. Bali had defeated the deities and ruled over all the three worlds. Sage Kashyapa commenced the most austere penance–Payovrata to help the deities regain their lost…
46) NRISIMHA–INCARNATION
Continuing with the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Lord Mahadeva told Parvati — Sage Kashyapa had two mighty sons from Diti–Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. Hiranyaksha had once carried the earth to Rasatala. The deities requested Lord Vishnu to rescue the earth. Lord Vishnu took the incarnation of a boar and killed…
45) THE INCARNATIONS OF MATSYA AND KURMA
Once, goddess Parvati expressed her desire to know about all the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Lord Mahadeva replied– Lord Brahma had created numerous Prajapatis like Bhrigu, Marichi, Atri, Daksha, Kardam, Pulastya, Pulaha, Angira and Kratu. Marichi was the father of Kashyapa. Sage Kashyapa had four wives–Aditi, Diti, Kadru and Vinta.Aditi…
44) VAIKUNTH–THE ABODE OF LORD VISHNU
Describing about the grandeur of Vaikunth, Lord Shiva told Parvati–A person who has total devotion in Vishnu attains to Vaikunth after his death. Vaikuntha is the abode of Vishnu and constitutes of numerous Janapadas. The magnificence of Vaikunth is beyond description and it houses many grand palaces fully decorated with …
43) INDRAPRASTHA
The sages enquired from Suta about the holiest city situated on the banks of river Yamuna. Suta narrated the tale which Sage Saubhari had once told Yudhisthira—Once, Narada and Parvat were travelling through an aerial route, while they were flying over Khandav forest, they were lured by the beautiful sight…
30) PATAL KHAND – RAVANA– THE MIGHTY DEMON
People of Ayodhya lived peacefully during Sri Rama’s reign until one fateful day when they were struck by a bad news–Sri Rama had abandoned Sita after a Washerman leveled an unfair charge against her character. Such was the greatness of Sri Rama that opinion of each and every individual was…
28) SWARGA KHANDA – PURANAS–THE EMBODIMENT OF SRI HARI
According to Suta, all the Puranas are nothing but the mediums through which Sri Hari manifests himself—Brahma Purana is said to be the forhead of Sri Hari, Padma Purana is said to be the ‘heart’ of Sri Hari, Vishnu Purana is said to be the ‘right arm’ of Sri Hari. Shiva…
25) SWARGA KHANDA – JAMBUMARG, RIVER NARMADA AMARKANTAK
Continuing with his narration, Sage Vashishtha said— A man desirous of going on a pilgrimage should first of all visit Jambumarg, because it is revered even by the deities and the sages. By visiting this holy place a man acquires virtue equivalent to the accomplishment of an Ashwamedha Yagya and…
22) BHUMI KHAND – KUNJAL PREACHES VIJJWAL
Describing the virtue of benevolence to Vijjwal. Kunjal–the learned parrot narrated the following tale — Once, there lived a king named Subahu who ruled over chola desha. A learned brahmin named Jaimini used to counsel him on religious and spiritual matters. One day, while Jaimini was giving a discourse on…
21) BHUMI KHAND – KUNJAL–THE ENLIGHTENED PARROT
Once, while describing about the importance of a teacher, Lord Vishnu had narrated the following tale to king Vena— Sage Chyavan came from the lineage of Bhargav. Once, he arrived at Omkareshwar with the objective of acquiring knowledge. Since he was tired, he decided to take rest under the shade…
20) YAYATI MARRIES ASHRUBINDUMATI
Once, king Yayati went into a forest for hunting. He saw a stag, which had four horns and chased it. The deer led him deep into the forest and then disappeared. Yayati was tired and thirsty. He saw a lake and decided to quench his thirst. First of all he…
19) KING YAYATI PROPAGATES VAISHNAVA–DHARMA
King Yayati was the son of Nahush and a descendant of Soma–dynasty. He was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and had contributed a lot in the propagation of Vaishnava–dharma. Yayati had sent many emissaries in all directions to propagate Vaishnava–dharma. During Yayati’s reign his subject were prosperous and were…
18) BHUMI KHAND – DIFFERENT TYPES OF SIN AND VIRTUE
Once, Yayati requested Matali to describe the various sinful and virtuous deeds, which a man normally commits in his life. Matali replied—‘One who criticizes the vedas and follows the religion of other’s after abandoning his own or torments virtuous people is a grave sinner. Similarly, not respecting one’s parents, not…
16) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RUDRAKSHA, AMLA AND TULSI
Once, while describing about the importance of Rudraksha to the sages, Vyasa said— One who wears a Rudraksha rosary is supreme among all human beings. The mere sight of such a holy man absolves people of their sin. A Rudraksha bead bears features of a Linga and yoni on its…
15) NAROTTAM—THE BRAHMIN
Describing about the importance of five virtuous deeds, Pulastya said to Bhisma—“The five supreme virtuous deeds are–obedience to parents, faithfulness towards husband, equanimity, not having enmity towards friends and devotion towards Lord Vishnu. By pleasing his father, one pleases all the deities. Mother is superior even to all the places…
13) AN IDEAL BRAHMIN AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GAYATRI MANTRA
Describing about the qualities of an ideal brahmin, Sage Pulastya said— Once, Narada had asked Lord Brahma as to who was worthy of receiving Vishnu’s blessings. Lord Brahma had told Narada that Lord Vishnu showered his blessings on those who engaged themselves in the service of brahmins. A brahmin should…
10) BASHKALI–THE DEMON KING
Bhisma requested Sage Pulastya to reveal Why Lord Vishnu had to take incarnation as Vamana. Sage Pulastya replied— Once, during Satya Yuga, the demons had defeated the deities and driven them out from their abode–heaven. The mighty demon, Bashkali was their leader. He had become immortal an account of a…
8) THE ORIGIN OF MARUDGANAS
Bhisma requested Sage Pulastya to describe how all the Marudganas came into existence. Pulastya replied— All the sons and grandsons of Diti had perished in the battle fought between the deities and demons. Diti—the mother of daityas (demons) wanted to take revenge, so she started doing a penance at the…
5) THE MANIFESTATION OF GODDESS LAKSHMI
Bhisma expressed his desire to know about the manifestation of goddess Lakshmi. Pulastya replied– Once, after being defeated by the demons, the deities went to Lord Vishnu and sought his help. Lord Vishnu instructed them to collect all the medicinal herbs, and put them in the Ksheersagar, so that after…
4) THE FOUR PROMINENT CASTES
On being asked by Bhishma about the origin of the four prominent castes, Sage Pulastya said— Lord Brahma created the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas from his mouth and chest respectively. Similarly, Vaishyas and Shudras manifested from Lord Brahma’s thigh and feet respectively.Lord Brahma had created his ‘manasputras’ with the objective…
3) BRAHMA’S LIFESPAN AND CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE ‘ERAS’
Pulastya says—Lord Brahma, the embodiment of Lord Vishnu has a lifespan of one hundred years. His lifespan is also called ‘Par’, and half of its period is known as ‘Parardha’. One ‘Kashtha’ consists of 15 Nimesha while a Kala consists of 30 ‘Kashthas’. A muhurta consists of 30 Kalas. The…
1) SRISHTI-KHAND – PADMA PURANA
Having revealed the contents of all the Puranas to his son Ugrashrava, Sage Lomaharshan instructed him to go to ‘Naimisharanya’ and spread it among the sages doing penance over there. There is an interesting tale how this sacrosanct forest of Naimish derived its name — Once, the sages sought Lord…
MAHANANDI KSHETHRA – VISHNU NANDI (OR) KRISHNA NANDI
This is in the northern side of Mahanadi in a distance of 4 km. near the village Kampala kalpa. The lord Vishnu meditated Nandeewara and was blessed. So it is named as ‘Vishnu Nandi”. The water from this place wets many hectares of the fertile land. Sri Chittibotla Eswara Sharma…
VIJAYANAGAR THE CAPITAL
It is situated on the southern bank of the river Tungabhadra and is surrounded by rocky mountains. Earlier, Anegundi, the nearby ancient city, was the Capital. Later the capital was shifted to Hampi from Anegundi. According to mythology this area was Pampa Sarovar and the capital of vali mentioned in…
THE WAR
Rama too was very happy that Hanuman was successful in finding Sita. Sugriva had kept up his word and Rama now had to plan about reaching Lanka to kill Ravana and rescue Sita. He therefore talked to Sugriva about this. “Sugriva, you have proved to be my true friend. I…
SITA’S SWAYAMVAR
Vishwamitra, Rama and Lakshmana reached Mithila in time for Sita’s Swayamvar. As per Janaka’s wish, the mighty Siva Bow was hauled to the wedding hall. The hall wore a grand look and was occupied by many kings and princes. Ravana, the king of Lanka was also present and was confident…
The Temples of Tiruchanur – Parvatiparinaya
Accompanied by two women with their hands in anjali standing behind her, Parvati holds an object in her left hand and with her right hand catches the out-stretched right hand of Siva. Siva, standing in samabhanga and holding ankusa in the upper right hand and mriga in the upper left,…
The Temples of Tiruchanur – Vishnu
This image is found in the central koshta in the western wall of the Garbhagriha. Standing in samabhanga, this deity holds samkha and chakra in the two upper hands, keeps the lower right in abhaya and hangs the lower left hand and touches the left thigh the tips of the…
The Temples of Tiruchanur – The Parasaresvara Temple
This temple is situated in Jogi-Mallavaram, a hamlet to the south of Tiruchanur. It is inhabited by the weaver community which plies a busy trade. There are eleven inscriptions incised on the walls of this temple. The earliest of them is dated in the 23rd year of the reign of…
The temples of tiruchanur – the varadaraja shrine
This shrine is to die south of the shrine of Alagiyaperumal and is now known as Sundararajaswami shrine. Three inscriptions refer to the deity of this shrine. The earliest of them (IV-157), dated 1541 A.D., mentions the car festival of Varadarajaperumal. The second, dated 1547 A.D. (V-99), mentions the Brahmotsavam…