Previous stories of Lord Krishna's parents

Previous stories of Lord Krishna's parents

Everyone knows about the parents of Lord Krishna.His real parents were Vasudeva and Devaki,while his foster parents were Nanda and Yashoda.When Krishna was born,he showed his four armed form to Vasudeva and Devaki and told them that they were his devotees in their previous births and hence they had him as their son even in their previous births.In their first birth they were Sage Sutapa and Prishni and the Lord had born as their son called Prishnigarbha.In their second birth they were born as Sage Kashyapa and Aditi and the Lord had born as Vamana to them.Now they were Vasudeva and Devaki and the Lord had born as Krishna to them.This is told in Bhagavatam.The Brahmavaivarta purana tells another story of why Kashyapa and Aditi were reborn as Vasudeva and Devaki.Once Aditi, after her periods, decorated herself and awaited her husband for lovemaking.But her servants informed her that he was enjoying with his other wife Kadru at that time.Angered by this,Aditi cursed Kadru to be reborn as a human being on earth.Later, Kadru who came to know of this also cursed Aditi to be reborn as a human being on earth.Kashyapa reassured Kadru that he too would be born on earth to accompany her as he would get the association of the supreme Lord.He then went to Aditi and satisfied her desire,as a result of which Indra was born.Now as a result of these curses,Kadru was born as Rohini and Aditi as Devaki, while Kashyapa was born  as Vasudeva.Both Rohini and Devaki became the wives of Vasudeva.But Rohini was sent to Gokula to live under the care of Nanda to protect her from the wicked king Kamsa.Devaki was imprisoned along with Vasudeva by Kamsa to kill their children.The seventh baby of Devaki was transferred from her womb to Rohini's womb by Yogamaya and that baby was Balarama.The eighth child of Devaki was Lord Krishna whom Vasudeva shifted to Gokula to the side of Yashoda taking her girl child with himself.

            How could Nanda and Yashoda get the association of Lord Krishna as their son?The Brahmavaivarta purana tells a story for this.In their previous life they were a vasu (a type of demigod, totally being eight vasus) called Drona and his wife called Dhara.They did a severe penance for ten thousand years at Gautamashrama near Gandamadhana mountain to get a darshana or vision  of Lord Krishna (As per Brahmavaivarta purana Lord Krishna is the supreme God in Goloka even above Vaikuntha of Lord Vishnu though both are essentially same). But since they didn't get the darshana they prepared a fire and got ready to fall in it.Then a celestial voice told them not to do so and that they would get the darshana of Lord Krishna in their next life as their son.Accordingly, Drona and Dhara were born as Nanda and Yashoda and as a result of their previous penance they got Lord Krishna as their foster son.

          The Brahmavaivarta purana tells many interesting stories of previous births of many popular pauranik characters.

A Bird with two heads-A rare story from Panchatantra

A Bird with two heads- A rare story from Panchatantra 

This short story from Panchatantra teaches us that when we live together we have to adjust and live harmoniously with each other. 

      Once there was a Bharunda bird with a single body but two heads. One day one of the heads got a fruit and started eating it. It said that it had never eaten such a delicious fruit before. At this, the second head asked it to give him too a little to relish. But the first head said, "We both have the same stomach. Hence if I eat it's enough. Our stomach gets satisfied. Let's give the rest of the fruit to our wife. "

      The second head just kept quite. The first head then gave the remaining fruit to the wife who ate it,felt very happy and hugging and kissing him,spoke sweet words with him the whole day. The second head felt very bad at this and waited for an opportunity to take revenge on the first head. Then one day the second head found a poisonous fruit and picking it up told  the first head,"O cruel one who neglects others! Now I shall eat this poisonous fruit! "

  The first head told him in anguish, "O fool! Don't do so for both of us will die! "

   But the second head ate it up, and both of them died!

The Intelligent Brahmin -A rare story from Panchatantra

A rare story from Panchatantra 

The Intelligent Brahmin 

This story teaches us that we should keep questioning so that we get to know many things which come to our help at times. 

     Once a brahmin was going to some place through a forest.On the way, a demon caught hold of him and asked him to carry him on his shoulders. The scared brahmin carried him on his shoulders and walked on. As he was carrying him, he felt that his feet were as soft as the interior of a lotus flower, and asked him,"Why are your feet so soft? "

   The demon said, "I follow a sacred rite as per which I won't keep my feet on the ground when they are wet."

   The brahmin continued walking. On the way, they came across a river. The demon immediately jumped down and said, "I will now take a bath and worship the God. Till then you should stay here itself."

    And then the demon entered the river for the bath. The brahmin now thought that as the demon's feet would be wet he would not step on the ground, and immediately ran away from there. Thus, by questioning he got the clue to escape.

Stories of Holi Festival

Stories of Holi Festival

Let us recount shortly the stories behind the Holi festival.A story from the Bhavishyottara purana says that there was once a demoness by name Dhonda or Dhoonda,who was the daughter of a demon called Mali,who did penance on Lord Shiva and took a boon that she should be invincible,in that she should not be killed by humans, demons,gods,and by weapons,hot and cold seasons,or in the rainy season, and either in the day or at night, either in the house or outside the house.Shiva granted her the boon but warned her that if excited people shouted obscene words at her she would shrink and die.Arrogant of such a boon,she started torturing people, especially children and youngsters.She would shout Adaadaa and attack the people.At that time,a king called Raghu was ruling the earth, and saw that she could not be killed by weapons or mantras by anyone.Not knowing what to do he consulted his family priest Sage Vasishtha,who disclosed her secret,and then said that all youngsters should join together fearlessly the next day on the full moon night of the bright fortnight of Phalguna month,and put a bonfire using all dried sticks and grass.Then,they had to chant mantras called Rakshoghna mantras (protective mantras), and then circumambulate it, laughing, clapping, and singing.They had to sing obscene and vulgar songs in local language.The fire sacrifice, obscene songs,and laughters would make the demoness weak and die.Accordingly the people did and the demoness died.This is commemorated by making bonfire and singing and dancing on the full moon night of Holi and playing colours the next day.The reason for singing sensual songs on Holi is this, and it is a release action for a controlled life in the whole year.It also denotes the arrival of the spring season when fertility and creation is begun.The throwing of colours is to express the blooming of flowers.Thus,Holi is a part of the Vasantotsava, spring festival.A version of the story says that the demoness was also called Holika,and hence the name Holi.It is also said that Holika means that which destroys evil and that is the purpose of the bonfire.

    Another story is that there was a demoness called Holika,who was the sister of Hiranyakashipu.When Hiranyakashipu could not kill his son Prahlada who was devoted to Lord Vishnu,he tried to kill him through his sister as a last resort.Holika had a boon from Agni that she wouldn't get burnt in the fire.Hence she took the boy Prahlada on her lap and sat on the pyre.However, because she tried to harm a great devotee, the boon turned reverse,as she got burnt and Prahlada came out safe.Another version of the story is that she had a magic blanket on covering which she wouldn't get burnt.However wind blew and the blanket flew over Prahlada's body and he got saved and she got burnt.In order to commemorate this,a bonfire is made.

    It is also said that Lord Shiva burnt Kamadeva, the god of love on this day when he tried to distract him from his tapas,so that he would get attracted to Parvati and thereby marry her to beget a son to kill the demon Tarakasura,who had obtained the boon from Lord Brahma that he should die from Shiva's son.His logic was that since Shiva's wife Sati had died he couldn't have any son.When Kama was burnt,his wife Rati was about to immolate herself when a voice told her that Kama would come back to life when Shiva would marry Parvati.Parvati,who was none other than Sati reborn, did tapas to please Shiva and he married her.Kama was restored to life,but was bodyless from then onwards and could be seen only by Rati.It is said that the bonfire is done to commemorate this event of burning Kama,and hence is called Kamadahana.The idea is that bad desires should be burnt and good desires should be favoured.Also, the idea that Kama is seen only to Rati indicates that Kama or desire should be expressed outside as an art,and enjoyed inside, personally.

      Krishna is generally shown playing Holi colours with Radha and gopis, the cowherd girls.Local legends say that Krishna was living in Nandagav,or Vrindavan, while Radha was a resident of the village Barsana, near Nandagav.Krishna used to visit Barsana on this day and play Holi and mischief  with Radha and her friends while she and her friends would hit him with sticks and drive him out.This is commemorated as Laathmaar Holi,where the boys of Nandagav go to Barsana to play Holi with the girls there.The girls of Barsana, like Radha hit the boys,who are like Krishna,with sticks,and they try to protect themselves with shields.After this they all play colours and enjoy the celebration.

  Thus,Holi has many stories.It is mainly a festival of enjoyment where love and creative spirit of spring season is celebrated and people of all castes,creeds and sections are brought together.

Story of Kacha and Devayani

This is the story of Kacha and Devayani which appears in the Adiparva of  Mahabharata.

    Wars were frequent between Devas, the gods and Asuras, the demons. The Asuras who died were revived to life by their guru Shukracharya by his knowledge of Mritasanjeevini mantra, a hymn which could bring back the dead to life. But the guru of Devas, Brihaspati didn't know this mantra and hence could not revive the dead gods to life. Hence the gods decided to send one of them to Shukracharya to learn this mantra, and they selected Kacha, the son of Brihaspati for this task. Kacha agreed readily and went to Shukracharya as a disciple who accepted him. Kacha served him as an obedient disciple, took his cattle for grazing and did many other works. He also had to entertain Shukracharya's daughter Devayani by singing, dancing, talking to her, getting her flowers etc.He was doing all this with respect as a guru's daughter, but she began loving him seriously. Meanwhile, the demons,who doubted that Kacha had come to learn the secret mantra, found him alone grazing the cattle, and killed him off! The cattle returned but Kacha did not, and Devayani, worrying much, begged her father to find his whereabouts. Shukra, by his divine vision, understood what had happened, and chanting the mantra brought Kacha back to life. Devayani felt very happy. However, the demons again killed Kacha, cut his body into pieces, and threw them to dogs and jackals to eat, thinking that he could not be revived. But when Devayani cried for him, Shukra again brought him back to life by chanting the mantra. Next the demons did a different plan. They killed Kacha, burnt his body, and mixed his ashes in wine, and gave to Shukracharya himself to drink! Shukra, without knowing, drank. When Devayani again missed Kacha and begged her father for him, Shukra chanted the mantra, and Kacha became alive in his stomach! He related him what happened to him at the hands of demons, and now Shukra had no other way but teach Kacha the mantra, so that he would come out tearing his stomach and thus killing him, and then revive him to life by the mantra. He did so,and Kacha learning the mantra, came out of Shukra's stomach, and then revived the guru to life by chanting the mantra.

     Now,Shukra got extremely angry on the demons for giving him the wine and got angry on himself for drinking it. He scolded the demons, and then cursed that if ever Brahmins drink wine, they would incur sin.Hence,from then on brahmins were restricted to drink wine. 

     Now, Kacha, having his purpose served, got ready to leave. Devayani now expressed her love to him. But he told her that he never saw in the direction of love but just treated her as a guruputri. And moreover, since he came out of her father's stomach, he was now like her brother, he said. Angry at this, Devayani cursed him that the mantra would be of no use to him. Kacha too cursed her that she wouldn't get a brahmin husband and said that even if he couldn't use the mantra, he could teach it to others. So saying, he left.

The Serpent Friend -A Jataka Tale

A Jataka Tale

The Serpent Friend

This story shows how difficult one feels when someone asks him his favourite object, and how such asking can break friendship.

     Once, when Brahmadatta was ruling Varanasi, Bodhisattva (Buddha was first born as Bodhisattva who took birth as many animals and men and then was born as Buddha) was born in a rich brahmin family.After sometime,a brother was born to him.As they both grew up, their parents died.They both became disinterested in materialistic life and became ascetics.The elder set up his hermitage on the upper bank of the river Ganga, and the younger one on the lower bank of the river Ganga.

       One day,a serpent king by name Manikantha came from his palace and took a stroll on the banks of the river Ganga in the form of a celibate.He came up to the hermitage of the younger one, and saluting him,sat at a place.Both talked to each other and became friends.From then on, the serpant came everyday to his hermitage in the form of the celibate.It became difficult for them to leave each other.As their friendship increased, the serpant, before going, would take his real form, and encircling the ascetic in his coils,open his huge hood,and take rest for some time.This scared the ascetic.Day by day,he became very weak and pale due to the fear of the serpant.

         The ascetic one day went to the hermitage of his elder brother.The elder brother,on seeing him, enquired him why he was so weak.The younger one told him his story.At this, the elder asked him,"Do you like that serpant king come to you or not?"

       "No!", answered the younger one.

        "Does the serpent king wear any ornament when he comes to you?", the elder brother asked.

        "Yes,he wears a jewel", the younger one said.

         "Ask him to give you that jewel even before he comes inside your hermitage.He then goes away without encircling you", the elder said.

           The younger brother agreed and returned to his hermitage.The next day, the moment the serpant king came, the ascetic asked him to give him his jewel.The serpent king, without sitting, went away.When he came the next day, standing at the entrance of the hermitage itself, the ascetic said,"Yesterday you didnot give me the jewel.You must give me today!"

             Hearing this, the serpant king went away.The third day, even as the serpent king came out of the river, the ascetic said,"I have been asking you the jewel for three days.Please give me your jewel today!"

            At this, the serpent king said,"I get a lot of foodstuffs and drinks from this jewel.You have been begging too much!I shall never give you this.I shall henceforth not come to your hermitage too!You have been scaring me by asking my jewel just as a young man scares one holding a well sharpened knife!"

            So saying, the serpent king disappeared in the river.He never came again to the ascetic's hermitage.The ascetic got relieved from the serpant king.But however,he again became even more weaker.One day,his elder brother came to see him.Seeing him even more weaker,he asked him why he was so now.At this, the ascetic answered that he was weak as he was now missing his friend and had got depressed.The elder brother understood that he couldn't live even without that friend.And he exclaimed,"Once we know that a substance is the favourite of a person,we should never ask him that!If he is asked too much,he develops hatredness against the seeker.Just see, this brahmin asked the serpent king his jewel,and he disappeared!"

             He then advised his brother not to worry about this and returned.Gradually both achieved perfection in spirituality and went to Brahmaloka.

                                A tale from Manikantha Jataka