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Krishnavatara
''Krishnavatara'' ( hi, कृष्णावतार) is a series of seven novels written by K.M. Munshi. A projected eighth novel was not completed. The series is based on life of Lord Krishna and the epic Mahabharata series. Books * Krishnavatara I: ''The Magic Flute'' * Krishnavatara II: ''The Wrath of an Emperor'' * Krishnavatara III: '' The Five Brothers'' * Krishnavatara IV: ''The Book of Bhima'' * Krishnavatara V: ''The Book of Satyabhama'' * Krishnavatara VI: ''The Book of Vedavyaasa The Master'' * Krishnavatara VII: ''The Book of Yudhishthira'' * Krishnavatara VIII: ''The Book of Kurukshetra (incomplete)'' Synopsis ''Krishnavatara I: The Magic Flute'' opens with the marriage of Vasudava and Devaki, sister of Kamsa and daughter of Ugrasena. Sage Narada prophesied to Kamsa that eighth the child of Devaki would kill him. He imprisons Devaki and Vasudava. Kamsa kill killed six children of Devaki. Gargacharya and Akrura rescue the last two children, Balarama and Kr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Putana
In Hinduism, Pūtanā () is a rakshasi (demoness), who was killed by the infant-god Krishna. Putana disguises as a young, beautiful woman and tries to kill the god by breast-feeding poisoned milk; however Krishna sucks her milk as well as her life via her breasts. Putana is also considered as a foster-mother of Krishna as she breast-fed him. By offering her milk, Putana had performed "the supreme act of maternal devotion", in the shadow of her evil motives. The legend is told and retold in Hindu scriptures and some Indian books, which portray her variously as an evil hag or a demoness who surrendered herself to Krishna, though she initially came with evil motives. Putana is interpreted as an infantile disease or bird, symbolizing danger to an infant or desire respectively, and even as a symbolic bad mother. She is included in a group of malevolent Hindu mother goddesses called the Matrikas and also in the group of Yoginis and Grahinis (Seizers). Ancient Indian medical texts pres ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Krishna Janmashtami according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar, which falls in late August or early September of the Gregorian calendar. The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna's life are generally titled as ''Krishna Leela''. He is a central character in the ''Mahabharata'', the '' Bhagavata Purana'', the ''Brahma Vaivarta Purana,'' and the '' Bhagavad Gita'', and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophical, theological, and mythological texts. They portray him in various perspectives: as a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and the universal supreme being. Quote: "Krsna's various appearances as a di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledged as the sons of Pandu, the King of Kuru, but were fathered by different ''Devas'' (gods) due to Pandu's inability to naturally conceive children. In the epic, the Pandavas married Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, and founded the city of Indraprastha after the Kuru Kingdom was split to avoid succession disputes. After their paternal cousins the Kauravas—led by Duryodhana—tricked them into surrendering their kingdom and refused to return it, the Pandavas waged a civil war against their extended family, and this conflict was known as the Kurukshetra War. With the help of the god Krishna, the Pandavas eventually won the war with the death of the Kauravas, albeit at great cost. Etymology The word ''Pandava'' ( sa, पाण्डव ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muchukunda
In Hindu history, Muchukunda (), the son of King Mandhata, and brother of Ambarisha, is an Ikshvaku (Suryavamsha) king. Battle with the asuras Once, in a battle, the devas were defeated by the asuras. Tormented by arrows, they sought help from king Muchukunda. King Muchukunda agreed to help them and fought against the asuras for a long time. Since the devas did not have an able commander, king Muchukunda protected them against the onslaught by asuras, until the devas got an able commander like Kartikeya, the son of Shiva. Then Indra said to the king Muchukunda, "O king, we, the deities are indebted to you for the help and protection which you have given us, by sacrificing your own family life. Here in the heaven, one year equals three hundred and sixty years of the earth. Since, it has been a long time, there is no sign of your kingdom and family because it has been destroyed with the passage of time. You came here in Treta Yuga and now its Dwapara Yuga on earth.We are happy and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalayavana
Kalayavana ( sa, कालयवन, lit=Death Greek, translit=Kālayavana) is a king in Hinduism. He is stated to have invaded Mathura with an army of 30 million ''yavanas'' (barbarians) against Krishna. Legend The ''Brahmanda Purana'' 14.46ff narrates the following story of Kalayavana's birth: a woman named Vrka-devi decided to test the virility of Gargya (IAST: Gārgya, "descendent of Garga"). Gargya was unable to ejaculate, for which the Yadavas insulted him. After a 12-year penance, Gargya got a boon from Mahadeva that he would get a son who would destroy the Yadavas. During his penance, he ate iron fillings that made his complexion iron-black (''kāla''). Subsequently, Gargya came to Mathura, and had sex with a cowherd's daughter (''gopi''), who was actually an apsara in disguise. Kalayavana was the result of this union: Garga crowned him as the new king, and left for the forest. According to the Vishnu Purana and Harivamsa, Kalayavana was a Yavana king. He was the par ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swayamvara
Svayamvara ( sa, स्वयंवर, svayaṃvara, translit-std=IAST), in ancient India, was a method of marriage in which a woman chose a man as her husband from a group of suitors. In this context, in Sanskrit means 'self' and means 'groom'. The bride wishing to marry would select an auspicious time and venue and then broadcast her intentions. Kings typically sent messengers to outside lands, while commoners simply spread the news within the local community. On the appointed day, suitors would gather at the venue and declare their qualifications. The bride would place a garland on the man of her choice and a marriage ceremony was held immediately. Indian literature Sīta In the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'', King Janaka proclaimed that Sita would be wed to the man who could lift and string the Shiva Dhanush (Shiva's bow), calling this feat , meaning the cost to be paid by a suitor. Sita married Rama, the only man strong enough to lift and string the bow. Kunti King Kuntibho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shishupala
Shishupala ( sa, शिशुपाल, lit. ''protector of children'', IAST: ''Śiśupāla''; sometimes spelt Sisupala) was the king of the Chedi kingdom, and an antagonist in the Mahabharata. He was the son of King Damaghosha and Srutashubha, the sister of Vasudeva and Kunti, as well as the cousin of Nanda. He was slain by Krishna, his cousin and an avatar of Vishnu, at the great coronation ceremony of Yudhishthira, as a punishment for his opprobrious abuse made against him. He is also referred to as Chaidya ("(Prince) of the Chedis"). Shishupala is considered to be the third and last birth of Vishnu's gatekeeper Jaya. Mahabharata The Mahabharata states that Shishupala was born with three eyes and four arms. His parents were inclined to cast him out but were warned by a voice from heaven (''ākāśavāṇī'') not to do so, as his time had not come. It also foretold that his superfluous body parts would disappear when a certain person took the child into his lap and that he w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rukmini
Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an incarnation of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi. The goddess is regarded to be the chief or principal consort of Krishna in various pieces of literature and is venerated primarily in Warkari and Haridasa tradition, and additionally in Sri Vaishnavism where Lakshmi-Narayana are revered and worshipped. Rukmini is mainly worshipped in Maharashtra and South India. The people of Maharashtra venerate her with Vithoba (a regional form of Krishna) and call her Rakhumai. In South India, she is worshipped along with Krishna and his other primary consort Satyabhama. Etymology and epithets The name ''Rukmini'' is derived from the Sanskrit word ''Rukma'' which means 'Radiant', 'Clear' or 'Bright'. The name can also mean 'decorated with gold ornamen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jarasandha
Jarasandha was a powerful king of Magadha, a minor antagonist in Mahabharata. He was the son of king Brihadratha, the founder of the Barhadratha dynasty of Magadha. According to popular lore, the descendants of Brihadratha ruled Magadha for 2600 years followed by Pradyota Dynasty and the Haryanka dynasty. He is mentioned in the Mahabharata and the Vayu Purana. He is also mentioned as the ninth '' pratinarayana'' in the Jain text ''Harivamsa Purana''. Etymology The word ''Jarasandha'' has been explained as a combination of two Sanskrit words: ''jara'' (जरा) and ''sandha'' (सन्ध), "joining". A demoness Jara picked the two halves of Jarasandha together after finding them near a tree. When the two halves came together, a boy was formed and cried loudly. Jara carried the son and returned it to the King. In return for saving Brihadratha's son, he was named ''Jarasandha'' after her. The meaning of ''Jarasandha'' is "the one who is joined by Jara". Birth and early life ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yadava
The Yadava (literally, descended from Yadu) were an ancient Indian people who believed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and Satvatas, who all worshipped Krishna. They are listed in ancient Indian literature as the segments of the lineage of Yadu (''Yaduvamsha'').Thapar, Romila (1978, reprint 1996). ''Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations'', New Delhi: Orient Longman, , p.223 At various times there have been a number of communities and royal dynasties of the Indian subcontinent that have claimed descent from the ancient Yadava clans and legendary Yadava personalities, thus describing themselves as the Yadavas. The sociologist M. S. A. Rao and historians such as P. M. Chandorkar and T. Padmaja say that epigraphical and historical evidence exists for equating the Ahirs with the ancient Yadava clan. The Yadavas of the Mahabharata period were known to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Uddhava
Uddhava () is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, described to be the friend and counsellor of Krishna. He plays a significant role in the Bhagavata Purana, being taught the processes of yoga and bhakti directly by Krishna. The principle of these discussions is often referred to as the ''Uddhava Gita'', similarly to the Bhagavad Gita wherein Krishna instructs Arjuna. According to some texts Uddhava was also Krishna's cousin, being the son of Devabhaga, who was the brother of Vasudeva, Krishna's father. His physical appearance was so like that of Krishna's that in some instances, he is mistaken for the latter. The Mahabharata mentions that Uddhava was a minister of the Vrishnis, whom they all regarded and respected. The Bhagavata Purana mentions that Uddhava was a disciple of Brihaspati. Legend Messenger to Vrindavana In the Bhagavata Purana and Brahmavaivarta Purana, after Krishna had defeated Kamsa, Uddhava came to see him, much to Krishna's pleasure. Krishna requ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
