MandaraMandara (Sanskrit: मंदर) is the name of the mountain that appears in the Samudra manthan episode in the Hindu Puranas, where it was used as a churning rod to churn the ocean of milk. Mahadev’s serpent, Vasuki, offered to serve as the rope pulled on one side by a team of Asuras, and on the other,…
MeruMount Meru (Sanskrit: मेरु) or Sineru or Mahameru is a sacred cosmological mountain with five peaks in Hindu cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.Many famous Hindu temples have been built as symbolic representations of this mountain. The dimensions attributed to Mount Meru, all references to it being as a part of the Cosmic…
KurmaKurma (Sanskrit: कूर्म; Kūrma, lit. turtle) is the second of the ten Avatars of Vishnu. Like other avatars of Vishnu, Kurma appears at a time of crisis to restore the cosmic equilibrium. Sage Durvasa had cursed the Devas to be mortal and fade away. The gods needed nectar of immortality (Amrita) to overcome this curse, and they make a…
Kadru According to the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, Kadru (Kadrū) is said to be the daughter of Daksha. Kashyapa married Kadru and twelve of Daksha’s other daughters. Kadru was the mother of a thousand Nagas. Legends of Kadru tell of her relationship with her elder sister Vinata, who was also one of Kashyapa’s wives. As the story in Mahabharata…
Jaratkaru Jaratkaru is a Rishi (sage) in Hindu mythology. He is the husband of the serpent-goddess Manasa and father of their son Astika. Jaratkaru is described as a great learned sage who practises severe asceticism. Though he wants to remain celibate, he marries Manasa on persuasion of his dead ancestors, who are doomed to fall to hell…
GarudaThe Garuda is a large legendary bird, bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in Hindu mythology. Garuda is the mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila. Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle’s beak and with a crown on his head. This…
Click on the links below for a Kannada Yakshagana Talamaddale rendering of “Durvasa” in 7 parts:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8wttGr5EW4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IAjSltjmXI&t=4shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IAjSltjmXI&t=4shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi00fiSphtM&t=11shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zl4XjOSRR0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNKy2h8D6dwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDP_5lwLlG4 DurvasaDurvasa (Sanskrit: दुर्वासा) also known as Durvasas (Sanskrit: दुर्वासस्), was an ancient Rishi, the son of Atri and Anasuya. He is known for his short temper. Hence, wherever he went, he was received with great reverence from humans and devas alike.According to local…
DaityasThe Daityas (Sanskrit: दैत्य) are a clan or race of Asura as are the Danavas. Daityas were the children of Diti and the sage Kashyapa. They fought against the Devas because they were jealous of their Deva half-brothers. Manu Smriti (XII – 48) classifies Daityas as ones possessing the quality of goodness but places them at a level lower than Devas: “Hermits, ascetics, Brahmanas,…
Deva Deva (Sanskrit: देव, Devá) means “heavenly, divine, anything of excellence”, and is also one of the terms for a deity in Hinduism. Deva is masculine, and the related feminine equivalent is Devi. In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called Asuras. The concepts and legends evolve in ancient Indian literature, and by the late Vedic period, benevolent supernatural…
ChandraChandra (Sanskrit: चन्द्र, IAST: Candra, lit. “shining” or “moon”) is a lunar deity and is also one of the nine planets (Navagrahas) in Hinduism. Chandra is synonymously referred to as Soma. Other names include Indu (bright drop), Atrisuta (son of Atri), Sachin (marked by hare), Tārādhipa (lord of stars) and Nishakara (the night maker).Chandra is described as young and beautiful, two-armed and carrying a club and a lotus. In Hindu mythology, Chandra…