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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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AYODHYA – Ayodhya Ram Mandir History

   Ayodhya was the capital city of the kings of Ikshvaku. But it then became one of the seven most sacred cities in India because it was the birthplace of King Rama. Ayodhya was also where Rama ruled as king after he defeated Ravana. Ram Navami is the festival that…

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34) THE SEVEN ISLANDS

The earth consists of seven islands, many rivers, mountains and seven oceans. The Plaksha, Shalmali, Kush, Kraunch, Shak and Pushkar. Lord Shiva alongwith goddess Ambika and his ganas dwell in all these seven islands in one form or the other. The name of the seven oceans are Ksharod, Rasod, Surod,…

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68) KING PRITHU AND THE SURYA DYNASTY

 Bhisma enquired Sage Pulastya about the mighty King Prithu upon whom the earth was named as Prithvi. Sage Pulastya replied—Anga-Prajapati was the descendant of Swayambhuva Manu and Sunitha was his wife. In course of time, Sunitha gave birth to a son, who was named Vena. After growing up, Vena turned…

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SATI DOES PENANCE—SHIVA MARRIES SATI

When Sati attained marriageable age, Daksha started worrying. Sati understood the reason behind her father’s worried. She went to her Mother Virani and expressed her desire of marrying lord Shiva. Her mother made all the arrangements so that Sati could worship Shiva without any problem. Sati commenced her austerity named…

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THE EMERGENCE OF RUDRAVATAR AND CREATION

Brahma said to Narada- “When I accomplished my penance, Lord Shiva manifested in his incarnation of Rudra from in between the eyebrows. Half of his body resembled like that of a woman (Ardhanarishwar). I requested him help me in my creational activities. Rudra created his hosts (Rudragana) who resembled like…

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12) CHAPTER TWELVE DESCRIPTION OF KROSHTU VANSH

Lineage of Kroshtu grew as follows- Kroshtu, Dhwajnivan, Swati, Rushanku, Chitrarath, Rashibindu. Rashibindu had one lakh queens and ten lakh sons among whom Prithusharva, Prithukarma, Prithukirti, Prithuyasha, Prithujay and Prithushan were prominent. In their lineage later on occurred a king named Jyamadh. He was so dedicated to his wife Shaivya…

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3) CHAPTER THREE MANDHATA, TRISHANKU, AND SAGAR

Once upon a time Gandharvas of collective name Mauneya defeated the Nagas and snatched all their wealth and powers. The Nagas prayed Lord Vishnu to rescue them. Lord Vishnu told them that he would appear in Mandhata’s son Purukutsa and kill the Gandharvas. Afterwards Narmada brought Purukutsa to Rasatal where…

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56) SHADAKSHAR MANTRA

Describing about the greatness of Shadakshar mantra that consists of six letters, Suta said– The sacred mantra — OM NAMAH SHIVAY holds a supreme place among all the mantras. During the Meghavahan kalpa of the first Treta Yuga, there lived a brahmin named Dhoondhmook. He became a licentious person due…

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45) THE LINEAGE OF ADITYA

On being enquired by the Sages about the respective lineage of Aditya (Sun) and Soma (moon) Suta replied— Sage Kashyapa had a son–Aditya, from Aditi. Aditya had four wives–Sangya, Rajyi, Prabha and Chhaya. Sangya gave birth to Manu whereas Ragyi was the mother of Yama, Yamuna and Raivat. Prabha gave…

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35) BHARATA VARSH

Agnighra–the ruler of Jambudweepa was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. He had nine sons– Nabhi, Kimpurusha, Harivarsha, Ilavrata, Ramaya, Hiranyaman, Kuru, Bhadrashva and Ketumal. Agnighra appointed Nabhi the king of Hemakhya. Similarly, Kimpurusha, Harivarsha, Ilavrata, Ramaya, Hiranyaman, Kuru, Bhadrashva and Ketumal were given the kingdoms of Hemakoot, Naishadh, Meru,…

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4) THE ORIGIN OF CREATION

In the initial phase of his creation, Lord Brahma created immovable natural things like trees, mountains etc-then birds and animals. In the process of creation, he created various things and human being was his seventh creation.   First of all Lord Brahma created his Manasputras- Sanak, Sanandan etc, who had…

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1) PART THREE CHAPTER ONE DESCRIPTION OF MANVANTARAS

Maitreya says- “O Gurudev! Now I wish to hear the description of all the Manvantaras and the Manus who ruled those Manvantaras.” Parashar says- “First Manu was self-begotten. After him five more Manus occurred namely Swarochish, Uttam, Tamas, Raivat and Chakshush. All these Manus had occurred during the previous ages. The…

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THE EMERGENCE OF RUDRAVATAR AND CREATION

THE EMERGENCE OF RUDRAVATAR  AND CREATION Brahma said to Narada- “When I accomplished my penance, Lord Shiva manifested in his incarnation of Rudra from in between the eyebrows. Half of his body resembled like that of a  woman (Ardhanarishwar). I requested him help me in my creational activities.  Rudra created…

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30) Rituals

The sacred thread (upavita) ceremony is very important and must always be performed at eight year of age. Brahma had created the cotton tree so that sacred threads might be made out of cotton. But on occasions it is permissible to make sacred threads out of grass.   A guru…

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25) Geography and Astronomy

It is hoped that you have not forgotten that Svayambhuva Manu had a son named Priyavrata. Priyavrata had ten sons. Their names were Agnidhra, Agnivahu, Vapushmana, Dyutimana, Medha, Medhatithi, Bhavya, Savana, Putra and Jyotishmana.   Medha, Agnivahu and Putra had no desire to rule. They were not interested in material…

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22) Krishna’s Tapasya

Krishna was the eight incarnation of Vishnu and he was born as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Initially, Krishna did not have any sons. Desirous of obtaining a son, Krishna went to visit the sage Upamanyu. The sage’s hermitage was beautiful. Wonderous were the trees and flowers and grew…

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10) Parvati’s Thousand Names

Shiva was married to Daksha’s daughter Sati. Sati died and was reborn as Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya and his wife Mena (alternatively, Menaka). Parvati was married to Shiva.   In fact, Himalaya and Mena prayed so that they might have the goddess as their daughter. Pleased with their prayers,…

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7) Creation continued

Brahma first created five sons through his mental powers. Their names were Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana, Kratu and Sanatakumara These five sons became sages and did not have any offspring.  Brahma therefore had  to  create some more beings  so  that  the population  of the universe  might  increase.  But  prior  to  that,…

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DIFFERENT KIND OF AUSTERITIES

Describing the various types of austerities, Lord Vishnu named a few of them– Yama (Restraining Passion)- This particular austerity comprises of ten virtues- Celibacy, Forgiveness, Meditation, Truthfulness, Honesty, Non-violence, Not stealing, Gentleness and Self control. Niyama (Daily Routine)- This austerity stresses the importance of purity: both of the body as…

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9) BRAHMA PURANA – Trishanku

From Dridashva was descended a king named Trayaruni. Trayaruni was a  righteous king and followed all the religious dictates. But Trayarun’s son  Satyavrata was quite the opposite and refused to follow the righteous path. King Trayaruni’s chief priest was the great sage Vashishtha. Vashishtha advised the king that his evil…

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LOVE AND MARRIAGE OF SUBHADRA AND ARJUNA – BHAGAVATA PURANA

King Parikshit asked: “Gurudev, how did my grandfather Arjuna and grandmother Subhadra got married? I want to hear this tale. Kindly narrate it to me.” Shukdev said: Parikshit once travelling on a pilgrimage tour, Arjuna reached in Prabhas region. There he learned that Balarama was desirous of marrying his sister…

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KILLING OF NARISHYANT

Markandeya says- ‘When the newly married couple Dama and Sumana returned to the capital, King Narishyant was extremely pleased. King Narishyant after knowing about the brave deeds of his son was very proud of him. As he had become old, he appointed Dama as his successor and he went in…

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AVEEKSHIT PROMISES HIS FATHER TO GET MARRIED

Markandeya says- ‘Once, Veera- the wife of King Karandham and mother of Aveekshit had taken a vow to accomplish a very arduous penance. But this could only be accomplished with Karandham’s and Aveekshits assistance. Karandham had assured her that he would provide all the wealth required for the accomplishment of…

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KING AVIKSHEET BIRTH OF AVEEKSHIT AND ABDUCTION OF VAISHALINI

Markandeya   says-   ‘Shubhvrata-   the   daughter   of   Veeryachandra   had   decided   to   marry Karandham.  A  son  was  born  to  them  who  was  named  as  Aveekshit.  The  astrologers  had predicted a very bright future for him. Aveekshit learnt lessons in handling all kinds of weapons from the son of Kanva. In a very…

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BHALANDAN AND VATSAPRI

Nabhag told his wife- ‘I would never accept the kingdom for the second time, which I had relinquished at the instruction of my father. He then instructed his son to rule over the kingdom he had won. Following his father’s instructions, Bhalandan started ruling over his kingdom. Later on, he…

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SAVARN MANVANTAR

Markandeya says- ‘O great sage! Now I am going to tell you about the Manavantar of Savarn, which will be the ninth Manavantar. Savarn was the son of Daksha. During this Manavantar, there will be three prominent groups of deities. Each group would comprise of twelve deities. During this Manavantar,…

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THE VARIOUS MANVANTARS SWAYAMBHUVA MANVANTAR

Markandeya says- ‘Swayambhuva Manu had ten sons. He had divided the whole earth into seven continents. In the beginning of Treta Yuga, the sons of Priyavrata had done the same. Prajavati- the daughter of Kardam Prajapati had ten sons and two daughters from Priyavrata. Names of these ten sons were-…

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DAKSHA’S LINEAGE

Markandeya says- ‘Brahma on seeing that inspite of all his creations the population was not increasing, he decided to create his Manasputras. These Manasputras were created merely by his wish. Their names were Bhrigu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Angira, Marichi, Daksha, Atri and Vashishta. After this, he first created the ferocious…

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6) CHAPTER SIX DHRUVA’S MIGRATION TO THE FOREST

Swayambhu Manu had two sons- Priyavrata and Utanpad. Utanpad had two wives- Suruchi and Suniti. Suruchi had a son- Uttam while Suniti had also a son- Dhruva. King Utanpad loved Suruchi more than he loved Suniti. One day the king was sitting on the throne. Prince Uttam was playing in…

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Ikshvaku dynasty story – DESCRIPTION OF IKSHVAKU DYNASTY

Sukhdev says, ” Once Shraddha Dev Manu sneezed violently. From his nostrils, a son was born. He was named Ikshvaku. Ikshvaku had one hundred sons. Vikukshi, Nimi and Dandak were the eldest three of them. Vikukshi 1.)Vikukshi :- Once, Ikshvaku sent his eldest son Vikukshi to collect tubers for the…

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TALE OF MATSYA AVATAR IN BHAGAVAT PURANA

Matsya avatar story in english King Parikshit asked: ‘O Gurudev, Lord is omnipotent. Why did He then take Matsyavatar like an ordinary being bound by karma? I want to hear the tale of God’s Matsyavatar.’ Shukdev said: ‘O Parikshit, God is one. Still for the preservation of His devotees, He…

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Priyavrata story in english

Hearing the tale of Prachetas’ devotion and receiving God’s grace by them, a curiosity arose in the mind of the king Parikshit about self-knowledge and Grihastha Dharma (duties of a married person). He asked Sukhdev, “O Brahmin, Priyvrat was a supreme devotee and self-indulgent. Why did he then live in…

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MATSYA – Fish incarnation of Vishnu

  There are many versions of the myth of Matsya in the Puranas, with many interesting paradoxes and twists in the story line. Even the names of principle characters change. But the essentials of the myth speak of an avatara of Vishnu coming down to earth at the end of…

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MALINI – A Brahmin woman

This story has interesting implications about karma and rebirth. A brahmin woman was mentioned in the Skanda Purana for her bad character and equally bad deeds. Consequently, she was reborn as a dog. But during that lifetime she was able to observe a vow of purification (Sukladvadashi vrata) and was…

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LILAVATI – A prostitute

In the Padma Purana Lilavati (charming) was a prostitute in the krita yuga (first age, also called satya yuga). She went to another town looking for better clients. She noticed devotees celebrating a festival at the temple. When she inquired, Lilavati learned that it was the celebration of the birthday…

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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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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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DESCRIPTION OF TEN WAYS CREATION BY MAITREYA

1. By the inspiration of God and because of imbalance in pious virtues, creation of Mahattatva (the soul) was the first (Mahattatva the soul). 2. From Mahattatva (the soul) originates Ahankar (the ego) which generates five primitive elements (the earth, the fire, the air, the water and the ether), sense…

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34) PAVILIONS (MANDAPA)

These are classified in terms of the number of pillars that are used in their construction, and there are twenty-seven main types of pavilions. (i) A pushpaka pavilion has sixty-four pillars. (ii) A pushpabhadra pavilion has sixty-two pillars. (iii) A suvrata pavilion has sixty pillars. (iv) An amritanandana pavilion has…

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89) BHUWAN-KOSH AND THE ISLANDS

All the sages listened with rapt attention to the description Lord Shiva made of the Almighty Narayan. But, they had few more queries in store, so they asked Lord Shiva– “O Lord of Uma! Please tell us about the expanse of the Earth- the situation of mountains and the prominent…

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49) SHAURYA AND SARVA BHAUM VRATA

the nineth day of the bright half of the Hindu month-ashvin. The rituals commence by taking a ‘sankalpa’ as well as observing a fast on the preceding day (saptami). The fast is broken on the next day (ashtami) by having fruits. Cereals are excluded from the diet. One important aspect…

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48) PUTRA-PRAPTI VRATA

This austerity commences on the eighth day of the bright half of the Hindu month-bhadrapad. The rituals consist of taking a ‘sankalpa’ on the preceding day (saptami) and worshipping lord Sri Hari on the next day with appropriate rituals. Offerings are made to the sacrificial fire, which usually consist of…

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47) AROGYA-VRATA

This austerity is related with the worship of lord Surya Narayan who is also known by several other names like Aditya, Bhaskar, Ravi, Bhanu, Diwakar, Prabhakar, etc. A devotee should observe a fast on the seventh day of any month and worship lord Suryanarayan. The fast should be broken on…

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46) KAM-VRATA

This austerity is related with the worship of lord Kartikeya and is observed in the bright half of the Hindu month-pausha. On the sixth day of this month, a devotee is expected to live on nothing else but fruits. Lord Kartikeya is also known by several other names- Shadanan, Senani,…

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