In the Rama myth cycle in his previous life Kabandha was a Gandhara called Visvavasu. He was born to a gandharva called (Sri Visvavasu, who was also known by the name Danu. Visvavasu performed a penance (tapas) and received the boon of immortality from Brahma. Arrogant about this boon,…
Ka is the first consonant in the Sanskrit alphabet, although, since Sanskrit is a syllabic language, one should say that it is the first consonantal-syllabic. Ka is also the ordinary word for who. It was used in an agnostic hymn of the Rigveda that asked “who” created all this, and…
One day a group of hermits led by Sanaka came to Vaikuntha to see Vishnu. They were stopped by Vishnu’s doorkeepers, Jaya and Vijaya. But the sages took offense and cursed the doorkeepers to be reborn three times as demons (asuras). The frightened doorkeepers begged the angry brahmins for forgiveness,…
Jatila was the name assumed by (Siva when he was disguised as a brahmin. Siva sought to test Parvati because she was doing tapas (austerities) in order to obtain him as her husband.
Jatayu was one of two sons born to Aruna, chariot driver of Surya (the sun god), and Shyeni, a divine bird. In his youth Jatayu was saved by his brother Sampati as they raced toward the sun, Sampati allowing his wings to be burned as he shielded Jatayu from…
Jarasandha, mighty king of Magadha, was born by double magic, first from a brahmin and second from a giant demoness (rakshasi). His parents had been childless. They enlisted the sage Kakshivan (some texts say Candakaushika) to help. As the sage meditated, a mango fell in his lap. He gave…
