Dharma In Mahabharata, Dharma is presented in two forms: (1) personified as a Deva and (2) a concept. Dharma as a Deva Mahabharata provides the following details of Dharma as a Deva: Was a son of Brahma, born from his chest. Married 10 (Kirti, Lakshmi, Dhriti, Medha, Pushti, Shraddha, Kriya,…
Rakshasa A rakshasa (Sanskrit: राक्षस, rākṣasa) is a humanoid being in Hindu mythology. Rakshasas are also called “man-eaters” (nri-chakshas, kravyads). A female rakshasa is known as a Rakshasi. The terms Asura and Rakshasa are sometimes used interchangeably. Rakshasas were believed to have been created from the breath of Brahma when he was asleep at the end of the Satya Yuga. As soon…
Mahabharata Savitri Vyasa took three years to compose Mahabharata, following which Narada narrated this to the Devas, Asita Devala to the Pitris, Shuka to Yakshas and Rakshasas and Vaishampayana to the humans (नारदॊऽश्रावयद्दॆवानसितॊ दॆवलः पितॄन्। रक्षॊ यक्षान्शुकॊ मर्त्यान् वैशंपायन ऎव तु॥). Vyasa taught the entire Mahabharata through these four verses…
Yaksha The yakshas (यक्ष Sanskrit: yakṣa; Pali: yakkha) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as ancient and medieval era temples of South Asia and Southeast Asia as guardian deities. The feminine form of the word is yakṣī or yakshini (यक्षिणी Sanskrit: yakṣiṇī; Pali: yakkhinī). In Hindu, Jain,…
Lomaharshana Lomaharshana was one of the principal disciples of Vyasa. He was the father of Suta Ugrashrava, who narrated the Mahabharata to Shaunaka and other Rishis in Naimisharanya.
Vidura Vidura (Sanskrit: विदुर, lit. skilled, intelligent or wise) was the brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, and functioned as the main Counsellor to king Dhritarashtra. He was thus the uncle of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Vidura was born from Niyoga- between sage Vyasa and Parishrami, a handmaiden to the queens- Ambika and Ambalika. Ambika and Ambalika were wives of king Vichitravirya…
Shuka Shuka (also Shukadeva, Shuka deva, Suka, Sukadev, Śukadeva Gosvāmī) was the son of the sage Vyasa (credited as the organizer of the Vedas and Puranas) and the main narrator of the Bhagavata Purana. Most of the Bhagavata Purana consists of Shuka reciting the story to the dying king Parikshit. Shuka is depicted as a sannyasi, renouncing the world in pursuit of moksha (liberation), which most…
Jaimini Jaimini was one of the main disciples of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, the others being Sumanta, Paila, Shuka and Vaishampayana. Jaimini was an ancient Indian scholar who founded the Mīmāṃsā school of Hindu philosophy. He was a disciple of sage Veda Vyasa, the son of Parashara. Traditionally attributed to be the author of the Mimamsa Sutras and Jaimini Sutras, he is estimated…