Rishabhdev was married to Jayanti, the daughter of Indra. Jayanti gave birth to one hundred sons. Bharata was the eldest among them. The youngest nine sons became Yogeshwara. Eighty one sons accepted Brahminism. Remaining nine brothers followed their elder brother Bharata. One day Rishabhdev called a meeting of his sons…
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…
After Brahma had created the seven sages (sapta-rishis) from his mind (manasa- putras), he created Rudra (a storm god) from his anger, Narada from his lap, Daksha (a progenitor) from his right thumb, and Virani from his left. The Puranas accounted for seven of his rebirths, including as a gandharva…
Nara was one of the four sons of the god (deva) Dharma. Dharma-deva had been born from the breast of Brahma. Dharma-deva married the ten daughters of Dak- sha. His four sons were Nara, Narayana, Hari, and Krishna. Nara and Narayana became great ascetics, practicing severe penances. They stayed in…
Nandi was both a divine bull and a human manifestation of Siva. One account stated that Kandikeshvara (the tawny-colored dwarf), or Adhi- kara-Nandin, had lived a good and long life that was coming to an end. He prayed to Siiva for a longer life, and Siiva not only granted his…
Nalakubera had a god, Kubera (god of wealth), as his father and his grandson was Visiravas—in his dark, or demonic, lineage. In a lineage that seemed to recognize more of Kubera’s divinity, Nalakubera’s grandfather (prajapati) was Pulastya (a progenitor). The demon Ravana was Nalakubera’s uncle. Ravana, the constant womanizer, raped…
