The story of “Ax Rama” (the literal meaning of Parasu-Rama) contains a chilling warning to the kings and rulers of India. Brahmins could revolt against them if their rule was unjust or cruel. The story proving the need for an incarnation of Vishnu began with the curse of a sage….
Parasara was born to Saktri and his wife Adrisyanti. Parasara’s father Saktri was eaten by a rakshasa (night-wandering demon) before he was born. So Parasara grew up with an immense hatred for Rakshasas. So this great sage of the sacrificial lore performed a mighty sacrifice (yaga) that began destroying all…
Pandu was born of the sage Vyasa and Ambalika. The child was named Pandu because of his pale skin. It was a substitutionary parentage—one in which a king used a sage to have a child by his queen. (For more details see the entries on Dhritarashthra and Vyasa.) One day…
Three sons were born to Pandu and his wife Kunti, and two sons were born by his second wife Madri. They were in the order of birth: Dharmaputra (Yud- hishthira), Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva.
Literally, panca-kanya means the five “girls” or “daughters,” but it is used in Hindu mythology to refer to five heroines. The list does vary, especially as some of the heroines were defamed by the mythmakers of the Puranic period. The five ideal women are role models for all Hindus. They…
In the Vedic period Om became the holiest invocation (mantra) in Hindu mythology and religion. Om was a contraction of the vowels a and u and the anusvara m. In this one sound were encapsulated the conceptions about sound (Vac), about its effectiveness in the Vedic fire rituals, and about…
