Earth’s total height is 70,000 Yojans. In her depth, are situated seven nether worlds with a depth of 10,000 Yojans each respectively. Names of these seven nether worlds are Atal, Vital, Nital, Gamastiman, Mahatal, Sutal and Patal. These nether worlds have beautiful palaces, and have lands which are white, black,…
Plakshdweep- Plakshdweep has an expansion of 2,00,000 Yojans. Its ruler Meghatithi had seven sons- Shanthaya, Shishir, Sukhodaya, Anand, Shiva, Kshemak and Dhruva. Those seven princes later on came to rule Plakshdweep. Hence, Plakshdweep had seven divisions named after these seven princes. Seven mountains mark the boundaries of Plakshdweep. These are …
GUNANIDHI – THE BRAHMINS’ SON Narada asked lord Brahma, when did lord Shiva make Kailash as his abode and what was the reason of friendship between Shivaji and Kubera. Brahma narrated the following story- – There used to live a brahmin by the name Yagyadutt in Kampilyanagar, who was proficient…
Daksha was Brahma’s son and had a daughter named Sati. Sati was married to Shiva. Daksha was thus Shiva’s father-in-law. Once Daksha came to visit his son-in-law. But although Shiva worshipped him with all due respect, Daksha felt that he had been slighted. Subsequently, when Sati went to visit…
In the Ikshvaku dynasty there ruled a king named Harishchandra. Harishchandra had no son. One day two sages named Narada and Parvata came to visit Harishchandra and told him that he would go to hell if he did not have a son. “How can I obtain a son?” asked Harishchandra….
Having heard accounts of the solar and lunar dynasties, the sages requested Romaharshana. “Tell us a little about the geography of the world. What does the earth look like? What are its limits?” Romaharshana obligedand said– The earth is divided into seven regions (dvipas). Their names are Jambudvipa, Plakshadvipa, Shalmaladvipa,…
Once Narada arrived in Dwaraka. Vasudev prayed him and requested to provide him with pious company of Bhagavat dharma. Narada said: “O king, once upon a time, nine great sages arrived in the court of the king Janaka. King Janaka had put the same curiosity before them also. I will…
Once, on being asked by Sage Narada about the means that helped a man in attaining self realization, Lord Vishnu told him that only those privileged few who have understood the impermanent nature of this world and have successfully controlled their sensual desires can attain self realization. All the mysteries…
THE ORIGIN OF KAILASH AND VAIKUNTH Brahma revealed to Narada how the process of creation commenced- “After Lord Shiva vanished from our sight, I transformed myself into the appearance of a swan and Vishnu transformed his appearance into that of a boar with the purpose of commencing the process of…
How do Vedas then depict Brahma? King Parikshit asked: “Brahmin, Brahma is beyond the limit of do’s and why’s. He is free from the virtues like Sat, Raja and Tama. He cannot be seen by mind. On the other hand Guna (Virtues) is the subject of all the Shrutis (Vedas)….
Daksha’s wife was named Asikli and Asikli gave birth to five thousand sons. They were known as the Haryashvas. The Haryashvas were destined to rule over the world. But the sage Narada went to the Haryashvas and said, “How can you rule over the world if you don’t even know…
Sukhdev says: “Parikshit, once Lord Krishna was holding His court when an emissary arrived in the court. The kings who were held captive forcibly by Jarasandh had sent him. The emissary related the miseries of those kings to Lord Krishna. Through the emissary, the kings had requested: “O Lord of…
Markandeya says- ‘The king stopped fighting at the request of Narada. Nabhag married the Vaishya girl. After the marriage, the king ordered Nabhag to follow a Vaishya’s occupation. Nabhag got engaged in activities like animal husbandry and agriculture. With the passage of time, a son was born and who was…
Markandeya says- ‘Nabhag was the son of King Dishta. One day, he saw a beautiful woman who was the daughter of a Vaishya. He was very enchanted by her beauty and wanted to marry her. He went to the Vaishya and expressed his desire. The Vaishya was terrified at the…
Lord Vishnu the creator Driven by the desire, the Adi Purusha (primitive being) Narayan took the help of his Prakriti (nature’s female creational force) and generated himself in Chaturbhuj (four-armed) from. And from His navel appeared Lord Brahma, the creator. That form of God was full of pure truth and…
Pradyumna Birth Story Sukhdev says: O Parikshit, Kamdev was a part of lord himself. After getting incinerated by Rudra, Kamdev took refuge in the supreme lord to get an incarnation once more. Thus, Kamdev was born as Rukmani,s first son Pradyumn. Kidnapped by a demon Shambrasur But just after his…
Vyasa is more properly referred to as Veda Vyasa since the name was a common one, meaning “arranger,” or editor. Veda Vyasa was said to have edited the four Vedas and authored the Puranas and the Mahabharata. Accomplishing all that would require a human who lived several thousand years,…
Third of the ten incarnations of Vishnu, as Varaha, the wild boar In the Padma Purana the world order had again been disrupted. The fierce asura (demon) Hiranyaksha had gained a boon (vara) of invincibility. With his provisional immortality, he stormed around the three regions of the universe wanting to…
The story of Taladhwaja was retold to solve a variety of problems—above all, how a sage could remain an ascetic when he had changed genders to marry a king. The solution in the Devi Purana was a kind of popular use of Advaita philosophy in a myth: using a popular…
The Savitri is also called the Gayatri. It is recited each morning and evening by millions of Hindus. The Savitri is addressed to Savitri (the generator) who in the earliest Vedic lore may have been one of the attributes of the great sun god, Surya. The Savitri was also personified…
Devaki’s seventh baby was transferred before birth into the womb of Rohini. The baby was born as Baldevji. At his birth, Brahmins blessed Nand. But laughingly Nand said: “O holy Brahmins, this baby is not mine. It is born to my friend’s wife.” Brahmins said then: “Okay Baba, we will…
Once Jaimini, a disciple of sage Veda Vyasa expressed his curiosity before Markandeya- ‘O Lord! In the great epic Mahabharata, which was created by Veda Vyasa, description of Dharma, Arth, Kama and Moksha appears to be intertwined at times and at other times, it appears to be separate from one…
Prahlada preached, “Friends, human incarnation is a rare thing in this world. So taking shelter at the feet of God in this human incarnation is a success for life. Brothers, God is the friend, beloved and the soul of each and every being. Sensual pleasures are easily available in every…
Pious virtues of Prahlada: – The youngest son of the demon king Hiranykashipu, Prahlada was very virtuous. He used to serve the sages with love. He treated all the beings equally and did never differentiate them as separate from him. He had a respect for the elders. Despite having knowledge,…
By the curse of Brahmins, the gatekeepers of the God, Jay-Vijay took their first birth as the demons- Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksh. Diti was their mother. Hiranyaksh had stolen the earth and hidden it in Sutala Loka, causing worries for Brahma. To remove the worries of Brahma, Lord appeared as Varaha…
During the Rajsuya Yagya in Yudhisthira’s court, Lord Krishna had beheaded Shishupal with His wheel. Everyone, including Yudhisthira saw Shishupal’s soul annihilating in Lord Krishna. Surprised Yudhisthira had asked Narada then, ” O Devarshi, isn’t it surprising that Shishupal who was so jealous of Lord Krishna, got merged in Him?…
The king Parikshit asked, ” O fortunate one, God is said to have an equal view for everybody. Why then does He favor the gods alone. Why does He kill the demons only? Thus I have some doubts regarding God’s impartiality. Kindly remove them.” Shukdev says, ” Parikshit, God’s sketches…
Vishrupa became the second Acharya (teacher) of the gods. He also saw over indulgence of Indra in luscious objects. Vishwarup’s mother belonged to demon clan, so he had some inclination for the demons also. Stealthily, he supplied parts of offerings of the oblations to the demons. Very soon, Indra too…
Parikshit had a miraculous birth. At the very end of the war told of in the Mahabharata, one of the last surviving Kauravas launched the magical weapon of Brahma (a Brahmashira) to exterminate all of the Pandavas, but Arjuna had an equal weapon that he launched to defeat it. However,…
Shukdev says, “Ten sons of the King Prachinbarhi were known as Prachetas. They observed severe penance under the sea. When they re-emerged, Chandra (the moon-the ruler of the vegetation) calmed them and presented a beautiful daughter of the apsara Prabhlocha, to them as their wife. From her, Prachetas begot prachetas…
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…
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…
Lord Vishnu takes rest on Sheshnag during the whole period of Uttarayan, which begins just after the last day of the bright lunar phase in the Hindu month of Ashadh is over. After he goes to sleep, all the deities, Gandharva, Devamata etc. follow suit. Narada requested Sage Pulastya to…
Study of Vamana Purana helps a man to enhance his knowledge and makes him free from all kinds of worldly attachments. It also increases his love and devotion towards the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. There are ten characteristics evident in all the Puranas- 1) Sarg. 2)Visarg. 3) Sthan. 4)…
Narada asked sage Pulastya as to where did Lord Vamana go after disappearing from the oblation site. Pulastya replied- “Lord Vamana went to Brahma loka mounted on his Garuda. On seeing him, Lord Brahma gave a warm reception and after worshipping him asked about the reason for his sudden arrival….
Sage Narada requests Pulastya to describe how Gajendra managed to release itself from the jaws of the crocodile. Pulastya says- “There lived a crocodile in a reservoir near Trikut Mountain. One day, a thirsty elephant arrived there to quench its thirst. The wicked crocodile caught hold of the elephant’s leg…
Sage Narada was still not satisfied by Pulastya’s explanation and asked Pulastya as to what compelled Lord Vishnu to give his chakra to Lord Shiva. Pulastya says- “There used to live a learned Brahmin named Veetmanyu. He was well versed in all the Vedas and other scriptures. His wife’s name…
Pulastya says- “Prahlada went to the sacred place called Rishikanya and took a holy dip in the Irawati River. After that, he worshipped Lord Janardan in the temple situated nearby and then proceeded on his journey towards Kurukshetra. After reaching there, he worshipped Lord Kurudhwaj and paid a visit Lord…
Sage Narada asks Pulastya about the austerity named Nakshatra Purusha which King Pururava had accomplished to please Lord Vishnu. Pulastya says- “All the constellations dwell in different parts of Lord Vishnu’s body. The Mula Nakshatra dwells in his feet, Rohini Nakshatra in his thighs, Ashwini in his knees, Purvashadha and…
Pulastya says- “After worshipping Lord Trivikrama, Prahlada went to Lingabhedak Mountain and worshipped Lord Shankar. He also visited many more sacred places like Kedar Tirtha, Badrikashrama, Bhadrakarna and Vipasha. At last, he reached Irawati and worshipped that Almighty Lord with whose blessings, Pururava was able to regain his good looks.”…
Pulastya says- “During his pilgrimage, Prahlada visited many sacred places like Manas Tirtha, Kaushiki, Devahnad and Hastinapur etc. At last he reached the bank of river Yamuna where he worshipped Lord Trivikrama (Vamana).” Narada was surprised at the mention of Vamana’s name and asked Pulastya- “Lord Vishnu is still to…
Lakshmi’s multiple importance in Hindu mythology cannot be captured in a few paragraphs. Three perspectives will demonstrate the breadth of her roles and the changes in the ways in which she was perceived. Linguistically and historically, Lakshmi in the Rigveda was a word of feminine gender that quantified good fortune…
Sage Pulastya says- “O Narada! Now, I am going to describe about the origin of Marut Ganas of various Manvantaras. Savan was Swayambhu Manu’s son. He had no sons and when he died, the sorrowful queen- Sudeva heard a heavenly voice, which instructed her to give up her life by…
Narada asked Pulastya about the battle which Indra fought with the demon at Malay Mountain. Pulastya replied- “Andhak’s followers- Maya and Tar tried to enter Patal loka after being defeated by the deities. While they were passing close to the Malay Mountain, they decided to live there being enchanted by…
Narada asks sage Pulastya- “What did the demon Andhak do after entering Patal loka and how was Lord Shiva’s life at Mandar Mountain?” Pulastya says- “Andhak was infatuated by Girija’s divine beauty and his lust only became stronger as the days passed by. Although Prahlada tried very hard to convince…
Sage Markandeya then goes on to describe about the splendours of Sthanu Tirtha- Surya was Manu’s father. Vena was Manu’s grandson. He was wicked and always criticised the Vedas. Being displeased by his irreligious son, Vena’s father left for the forest to do penance where he attained salvation. In…
Regarding the different stages of liberation, Suta told the sages that there were five stages of liberation capable of freeing a man from the sorrows of this world. 1) Sarupya (Similitude with the Almighty), 2) Salokya, 3) Sannidhya (living in the proximity of the almighty), 4) Sayujya (getting united with…
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…
The science of architecture owes its origin to eighteen great sages. Their names are Bhrigu, Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvakarma, Maya, Narada, Nagnajita, Vishalaksha, Puranadara, Brahma, Kartikeya, Nandishvara, Shounaka, Garga, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Shukra, and Brihaspati The building of a house should never be begun in the month of Chaitra. A person…