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Home , Ambalika, Amba (Mahabharata), Ambika (Mahabharata), Ashvamedha, Bharata (Mahabharata), Durvasa

A Comprehensive Guide

By Jack Watts and Conner Reynolds

Texts:

Mahabharata

● Written by ● Its plot centers on the power struggle between the and princes. They fight the War for the throne of Hastinapura, the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan. ● As per legend, Vyasa dictates it to , who writes it down ● Divided into 18 parvas and 100 sub­parvas ● The is told in the form of a frame tale. , an ancestor of the , is told the tale of his ancestors while he is performing a snake sacrifice ● The Genealogy of the Kuru clan ○ King is an ancestor of Kuru and is the first king mentioned ○ He marries the goddess and has the son ○ He then wishes to marry , the daughter of a fisherman ○ However, Satyavati’s father will only let her marry Shantanu on one condition: Shantanu must promise that any sons of Satyavati will rule Hastinapura ○ To help his father be able to marry Satyavati, Bhishma renounces his claim to the throne and takes a vow of celibacy ○ Satyavati had married and had a son with him, Vyasa ○ Now she marries Shantanu and has another two sons, Chitrangada and ○ Shantanu dies, and Chitrangada becomes king ○ Chitrangada lives a short and uneventful life, and then dies, making Vichitravirya king ○ The King of Kasi puts his three daughters up for marriage (A swayamvara), but he does not invite Vichitravirya as a possible suitor ○ Bhishma, to arrange a marriage for Vichitravirya, abducts the three daughters of Kasi: , , and ○ Ambika and Ambalika agree to marry Vichitravirya ○ Amba, however, wishes to marry the King of Shalva, and Bhishma lets her go ○ Shalva does not marry her though ○ With no other option, Amba comes back to marry Bhishma, who also declines due to his vow of celibacy ○ Amba is enraged, and after she dies she is reborn as to King ○ With the help of Shikhandi, will cause the fall of Bhishma ○ Vichitravirya dies without any heirs, so Satyavati asks her first son Vyasa to father children with Ambika and Ambalika, the widows of Vichitravirya ○ Ambika shuts her eyes when she sees Vyasa, so her son is born blind ○ Ambalika turns pale when she sees Vyasa, so her son is born pale and unhealthy ○ Satyavati asks Vyasa to try one final time ○ However, Ambika and Ambalika send their maid, who gives birth to , who will eventually serve as Prime Minister to Dhritarashtra and Pandu ○ Dhritarashtra is about to be crowned king by Bhishma, but Vidura intervenes, reminding everyone that a blind man cannot become king ○ Because of this, Pandu is crowned king ○ Pandu marries twice; first to and then to ○ Dhritarashtra marries , who blindfolds herself to feel the pain her husband feels ○ , the of Gandhari, is enraged that Gandhari must blindfold herself, so he vows revenge on the Kuru clan ○ Pandu is relaxing in the forest one day, and he hears what he thinks is a wild animal, so he shoots an arrow in its direction ○ As it turns out, Pandu has just shot the sage , who curses Pandu to die if he should engage in a sexual act ○ Pandu gives up his reign to live in the forest, and Dhritarashtra takes over his rule, despite Dhritarashtra’s blindness ○ Pandu cannot have sex because of the curse of Kindama, but his first wife Kunti has been given a boon by the sage that she can invoke any god with a special ○ She invokes , , and to give her sons ○ She gives birth by the gods to three sons: Yudhisthira, , and Arjuna ○ Kunti shares her mantra with Madri ○ Madri gives birth to twins, and , after invoking the Ashvin twins ○ The sons of Kunti and Madri make up the Pandavas; five ○ Pandu and Madri have sex, and Pandu dies from his curse ○ Madri dies with Pandu on his funeral pyre, leaving Kunti to raise the Pandava brothers ○ Dhritarashtra has one hundred sons by Gandhari, the first of which is , and the second of which is ○ These one hundred brothers are the ○ From this genealogy we can learn two things ○ The first is that the eldest Pandava, Yudhisthira, is the oldest of any of the Pandavas or Kauravas, and therefore has a legitimate claim to the throne of the Kuru clan ○ The second is that the Kauravas were born of Dhritarashtra, the eldest of the sons of Vyasa. Therefore, Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas, also has a legitimate claim to the throne of the Kuru clan ○ Its is this question of true legitimacy that leads to the ● Lakshagraha (The House of ) ○ After Madri and Pandu die, the Pandavas and their mother Kunti return to ○ Dhritarashtra names Yudhisthira, not his own son Duryodhana, prince and heir to the throne ○ This exacerbates the tension between the two groups of brothers to the point that the Kauravas plot to kill the Pandavas ○ Shakuni, the uncle of Duryodhana, requests the architect Purochana make a house out of flammable materials such as lac ○ After the house is built, Shakuni arranges for the Pandavas and Kunti to stay there, with the intention of burning down the house and killing the Pandavas ○ However, the wise Vidura warns the Pandavas and sends them a miner so that they might tunnel out to safety ○ The Pandavas escape and go into hiding. However, at Hastinapura they are presumed dead ● Marriage to ○ While in hiding the Pandavas learn of a Swayamvara for the Pancala princess Draupadi ○ The Pandavas enter the competition disguised ○ The game is this: the suitor must string a steel bow and shoot the eye of an artificial moving fish while looking at its reflection in a pool of oil below ○ Many fail, but Arjuna succeeds, earning him the hand of Draupadi in marriage ○ When they return, the Pandavas tell their mother to look at what Arjuna has won ○ Without looking she tells Arjuna to share his prize with the rest of the brothers ○ From then on, all five brothers were married to Draupadi ● ○ After the wedding to Draupadi the Pandava brothers are invited back to Hastinapura ○ The kingdom is split between the Pandavas and the Kauravas ○ Yudhisthira builds his new capital at Indraprastha ○ The problem is, neither the Pandavas nor the Kauravas are happy with the deal ○ Arjuna elopes with and marries ’s sister, ○ Yudhisthira wants to establish himself as the king, so he seeks the advice of Krishna, who advises Yudhisthira to perform a ceremony ○ Yudhisthira does this, and he is recognized as pre­eminent among kings ○ The Pandavas have a palace built for them by and , and they invite their Kaurava brothers to it ○ Duryodhana comes, and while walking around the palace, mistakes a glossy floor for water, and will not step on it ○ He is told of his mistake, but while continuing to walk around, he mistakes a pond for a glossy floor and falls in the water ○ Draupadi makes fun of him saying he has inherited his father’s blindness ○ Duryodhana vows to avenge this humiliation ● The Dice Game ○ Shakuni arranges for Duryodhana to play Yudhisthira in a game of dice in which the dice are loaded in favor of Duryodhana ○ Yudhisthira loses his wealth and his kingdom in the game, and he even sells his brothers, his wife, and himself into servitude ○ The Kauravas insult the Pandavas and even try to disrobe Draupadi in the presence of the entire court ○ Draupadi is saved, however, by Krishna, who creates a piece of cloth to replace any that is taken off of her ○ Dhritarashtra and Bhishma are angry at the situation, but Duryodhana insists that the kingdom be rejoined under only one crown ○ The Pandavas are sent into exile for 13 years. During the 13th year, the brothers are to remain hidden, and if they are discovered, they must go into exile for another twelve years ● Exile and Return ○ The Pandavas spend thirteen years in exile, spending much of their time creating alliances should a conflict erupt ○ In their thirteenth year the brothers spend their time disguised at the court of ○ The Pandavas are discovered, but only after the end of the thirteenth year ○ The brothers try to negotiate a return to their capital of Indraprastha, but Duryodhana refuses, claiming that the brothers were discovered before the end of the thirteenth year ○ With these events, a war between the Pandavas and Kauravas becomes inevitable ● The Battle at Kurukshetra ○ Both sides summon their allies and line up at Kurukshetra, preparing for war ○ Krishna takes part, but not in a militant role. Instead, he serves as the charioteer for Arjuna ○ Arjuna sees his great grandfather Bhishma and his teacher preparing to fight him, and gets scared, failing to lift his Gandeeva bow. It is at this time that the Bhagavad­Gita occurs, when Krishna gives a pep talk to Arjuna. ○ The battle begins with Bhishma as commander for the Kauravas ○ Bhishma falls on a bed of arrows and Drona takes his place as commander ○ Many of the great warriors die, including Drona, who is replaced by ○ The story of Balarma’s pilgrimage is told at this point in the epic. Refusing to partake in the carnage, he travels to the river ○ takes over as commander of the Kauravas in the final part of the battle ○ Duryodhana gets into a mace fight with Bhima. Bhima smashes Duryodhana’s thighs in, killing him and ending the Kaurava line and the war ○ Ashvattama, , and kill the remaining Pandava army in their sleep ○ The women and the Pandavas lament the dead ○ At the end of the 18 day battle only the Pandavas, Krishna, and five other people have survived ● The End of the Pandavas ○ Gandhari, who had lost all of her sons, curses Krishna. As a divine being, he could have prevented the carnage, but he did nothing ○ Krishna accepts the curse, which is fulfilled in 36 years ○ The Pandavas rule the kingdom for those 36 years ○ Yudhisthira performs a , a , and Arjuna goes on a world conquest ○ Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, and Kunti die in a forest fire while living in a hermitage in the ○ There is infighting between the (In the Rig Veda) that leads to their destruction ○ After the 36 years the Pandavas decide to renounce everything ○ They live in rags in the Himalayas until they decide to climb towards Heaven ○ A stray dog travels with the brothers as they travel up the mountain ○ As the brothers travel, each one, including Draupadi, stumbles and falls into the ○ Yudhisthira explains the reason each one falls and eventually only he and the dog are left ○ The dog reveals himself to be Lord , god of the underworld ○ Yama takes Yudhisthira down to the underworld, explaining that any ruler must see the underworld at least once ○ Yama also explains that his brothers and wife will join Yudhisthira once they have served their punishment in the underworld ○ Arjuna’s grandson rules the after the Pandavas leaving but is killed when a snake bites him ○ Parikshit’s son, Janamejaya, is angry at this and decides to perform a snake sacrifice in order to destroy snakes. It is at this sacrifice that the tale of the Mahabharata is told to him

Bhagavad­Gita

● Contained within the Mahabharata ● It is the story of Krishna reminding Arjuna of his duty while the two are waiting for the Battle of Kurukshetra to occur ● Other than Arjuna and Krishna it has two other characters: King Dhritarashtra and his counsellor ● Made up of 18 chapters and is in the sixth of the Mahabharata ● is an important part of this text ● “Renouncing Fruits of Works” ● Has a bunch of “Religion by” parts ● “Performance of prescribed duties, but without attachment to results” ● Describes absolute reality and its illusory energy as Maya ● Describes the importance of the last thought before ● Krishna displays his “universal form;” a form in which he is facing every direction and is really fucking bright ● Explains the three modes (Gunas) if material nature ● Krishna describes a metaphorical tree with its roots in Heaven and its foliage on Earth. Said tree should be cut down with an “ of detachment” after which one can go to his “supreme abode” ● Krishna explains how eating habits correspond to the three modes (Gunas)

Vedas

● Rig Veda ○ mainly hymns to and Indra, the gods of fire and storms, respectively ■ “Agni” is the first word of the Rig Veda ○ consists of 10 , divided into hymns called sukta, divided into stanzas called ṛcas, which can be divided into feet called padas (meters used by padas­ jagati (12 syllables), trishtubh (11), viraj (10), and anushtubh (8) ■ Mandalas 2­7 are known as the “family books” ■ 1 ● along with Mandala 10, the most recently written ● 1.154 to 1.156 are addressed to ● 1.164.46 is seen as an example of emerging monism/monotheism ■ Mandala 3 ● 3.62.10­ Gayatri Mantra ○ begins with the mahavyahrti “ bhur bhuvah svah” ■ bhur=celestial, bhuvah=terrestrial, svah= link between the celestial and the terrestrial ○ invokes Savitri ○ recited during the ○

Upanishads

Ramayana

● Written by ● Divided into seven kandas ● Bal Kanda ○ was a king of ○ He has three wives: , , and ○ He has sons by all three of these wives: by Kausalya, by Kaikeyi, and and by Sumitra ○ All of these sons are somewhat endowed with the essence of Vishnu, Rama being one of Vishnu's incarnations ○ Vishnu decided to take mortal form to fight and kill , a king that was terrorizing the gods and could only be killed by a mortal ○ When Rama is 16 Vishwamitra comes to the court of Dasharatha to find someone to help him fight ○ Rama and Lakshmana (Lakshmana is Rama's constant companion throughout the work) go and kill the demons ○ was a king of Mithila when he found a female in a furrow of a ploughed field ○ Janaka regards this child as a "miraculous gift from god" and proceeds to name her , the word for "furrow" ○ When Sita is old enough to be married Janaka decides to have a swayamvara for his daughters. It involves a contest ○ The contest is this: Janaka was given an extremely heavy bow by . Anyone who could wield the bow could marry Sita ○ Rama, Lakshmana, and Vishwamitra attend; Rama wields the bow and even snaps the string when he pulls back on it ○ So all of the sons of Dasharatha are married to the daughters of Janaka: Rama to Sita, Lakshmana to , Bharata to , and Shatrughan to ● Ayodhya Kanda ○ Rama and Sita have been married for twelve years and the elderly Dasharatha wishes to crown Rama king, to which the people are in full support ○ However, Kaikeyi, instigated by her maid , becomes jealous and wishes to see her son Bharata on the throne instead ○ She cashes in two boons promised her by Dasharatha and asks that Rama be exiled for fourteen years ○ Dasharatha, not willing to go back on his word, complies with her demands and passes the succession of kingship onto Bharata ○ Rama, joined by Sita and Lakshmana, goes to live in the wilderness for the next fourteen years ○ He asks Sita to not follow him, but she replies: "the forest where you dwell is Ayodhya for me and Ayodhya without you is a veritable for me" ○ Dasharatha, stricken with grief, passes away ○ Bharata was on a visit to his uncle, and when he got back he was furious ○ He did not wish to profit from his mother's scheming and therefore asked Rama to come back and rule ○ Rama, unwilling to deny his father's wishes, refuses ○ So Bharata takes Rama's sandals and places them on the throne, ruling as regent in place of Rama ● Aranya Kanda ○ The group (Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana) travels along the banks of the river Godavari, where they build cottages to survive in ○ At the Panchavati Forest they are visited by a woman, Surpanakha, who is the sister of Ravana ○ She tries to seduce Rama and Lakshmana, and upon failing tries to kill Sita ○ Lakshmana stops her, however, by cutting off her ears and nose ○ Surpanakha's demon brother, Khara, hears of this incident and organizes an attack on the group ○ However, Rama beats the shit out of him and his demons ○ Ravana hears of this, and he decides to destroy Rama by destroying Sita ○ He enlists the help of the Rakshasa , who assumes the form of a golden deer ○ Sita is mesmerized by this deer and requests Rama capture it. Rama knows this is the work of demons but he cannot convince Sita so he goes to capture the deer ○ Rama leaves Sita in the care of Lakshmana ○ However, Sita soon hears Rama calling for her and requests Lakshmana go to help Rama ○ Lakshmana tries to convince Sita that Rama is invincible and that she is better off if guarded by Lakshmana, but she won't have it ○ So Lakshmana enchants a circle (The Laksh around the cottage so that things can only get out and he goes to find Rama ○ Now Ravana has his chance. He takes the form of a monk and asks that Sita come out of her cottage to help him ○ When she does, he captures her ○ Jadayu, a vulture , tries to save Sita, but he is mortally wounded by Ravana ○ Sita is taken to where she is kept under guard and is pressured into marrying Ravana. However, due to her devotion to Rama, she refuses to marry Ravana ○ Rama and Lakshmana learn about Sita's kidnapping from Jadayu and set out to save her ○ The two brothers meet the demon and the monk who direct them to and ● Kanda ○ Set mostly at the monkey citadel of Kishkindha ○ Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman, the greatest of the monkey heroes and a follower of Sugriva ○ Sugriva has been banished from the throne of Kishkindha ○ Rama befriends Sugriva and makes a deal with him: Rama will kill Sugriva's elder brother and return the throne of Kishkindha to Sugriva if Sugriva will help Rama find Sita ○ Rama kills Vali, but Sugriva quickly forgets his promise, instead enjoying his kingship ○ Lakshmana becomes enraged and nearly destroys the monkey citadel until the second wife of Sugriva, Queen , convinces Sugriva to honor his promise ○ Sugriva sends search parties to the four corners of the Earth, without success from the North, East, or West ○ However, the Southern party, led by Hanuman and Angad, learns from a vulture named that Sita is being held in Lanka by Ravana ● Sundara Kanda ○ After learning of Sita's location, Hanuman takes on a gigantic form and leaps across the ocean to Lanka ○ Hanuman explores Ravana's citadel and spies on Ravana ○ Hanuman locates Sita in Ashoka grove, were she is wooed and threatened to marry Ravana ○ Hanuman gives Sita Rama's signet ring as a reassurance ○ Hanuman offers to carry Sita back to Rama but she refuses, unwilling to be touched by a male other than her husband ○ Sita says that Rama must come himself and avenge her abduction ○ Hanuman then goes berserk in Lanka, destroying trees and buildings and killing Ravana's warriors ○ He allows himself to be captured and when presented to Ravana he gives Ravana a lecture about releasing Sita ○ Ravana orders Hanuman to be put to death: Hanuman's tail is set on fire ○ However, Hanuman escapes and jumps from building to building, lighting everything on fire with his tail ○ Leaving Ravana's citadel burning, Hanuman jumps back across the ocean and returns to Kishkindha, where he delivers his report ○ ● Lanka (Yudhdha) Kanda ○ Rama, with the help of Sugriva, raises an army ○ Ravana also raises an army ○ Rama and Lakshmana take their army to the southern shore where the monkeys Nal and Neel construct a floating bridge, known as the Rama Setu, across the ocean ○ When the army crosses the ocean a long battle ensues: ■ On Rama's side are a few important groups/people ■ The monkeys, known as the , form much of Rama's forces ■ Ravana's brother, , who is against the abduction of Sita, joins Rama ■ On Ravana's side there are also a few important people ■ , a son of Ravana, defeated Lakshmana twice before Lakshmana finally killed him the third time. He inflicted heavy losses on Rama's army ■ was a brother of Ravana famous for eating and sleeping. He would sleep for months and when he woke he would eat everything in sight. His gigantic size allowed him to inflict heavy losses on Rama's army before Rama cuts off his limbs and then his head ○ Eventually Rama wins and kills Ravana ○ After this, Rama installs Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka ○ The monkeys try to enter the throne room, but the guards do not let them in. This angers Rama, showing his devotion to the common people (represented by the monkeys) ○ Sita is brought before Rama, who treats her very coldly, due to her being in the house of another man for so long ○ Rama is afraid of "how vulgar people speak and the sort of prejudices they harbor" ○ So, to prove her purity, Sita goes through an "agni pariksha" (fire ordeal/test of fire) ○ Sita steps into a fire, which she is raised out of unharmed by the fire god Agni ○ Agni then raises her to the throne, signifying her divinity ○ After all this Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita return to Ayodhya, where Rama is crowned king ● Kanda ○ This is an additional kanda added by Valmiki after the completion of the original Ramayana ○ Rama has been king for many years, all of which he has spent with Sita ○ However, despite Sita's agni pariksha, rumors of her purity spread throughout Ayodhya ○ Yielding to public opinion, Rama banishes Sita to the forest, where she is taken in by Valmiki at his hermitage ○ At Valmiki's hermitage Sita gives birth to twin boys, and ○ The boys are brought up as pupils of Valmiki, ignorant of the fact that they ares sons of the king ○ Valmiki composes the Ramayana and teaches the two boys to sing the Ramayana ○ Rama holds a ceremony that Valmiki, Lava, and Kusha attend ○ Lava and Kusha sing the Ramayana to Rama and his audience ○ During the part about Sita's exile by Rama, Rama becomes grief stricken ○ Valmiki produces Sita, who calls on the earth, her mother, to take her away ○ The earth opens up and Sita vanishes into it ○ Rama learns that Lava and Kusha are his children, and they succeed him in his kingship of Ayodhya ○ Soon after this a messenger from the gods informs Rama that his incarnation period is over and Rama returns to his heavenly home

Religion/Mythology:

*It should be noted that Hinduism is henotheistic. That is, Hindu’s believe in many deities, but they worship only one. Therefore, there really is no supreme being in Hinduism.

Key Terms (Sura): Simply is a term that refers to a male deity

Devi: Is a term that refers to a female deity

Shakti: Just means goddess

Asura: Enemy of the Suras, the gods (ie, demons)

Timeline:

● The Hindu myth system is much like the Greek system as far as timeline. The current set of gods (The ) has replaced the older gods, the Vedic gods. ● The timeline begins with Vedic tradition ○ Indra is the Supreme God of the Vedic tradition ○ Other gods include Agni, , etc. ○ Vishnu is present as a marginal god ● Next we move to current Hindu Tradition ○ Trimurti ■ Vishnu creates ■ Brahma then creates the universe and the Trimurti ■ The other member is Shiva ● Today there are three primary “sects” of Hindu worship ○ ■ Worships Vishnu as the Supreme God ○ ■ Worships Shiva as the Supreme God ○ ■ Worships the Goddesses

Vedic Tradition

Indra

Agni

Varuna

Yama

Dharma

Current Hindu Tradition

Trimurti

Brahma Shiva

● In Vedic Myth he is named as ● Lives on Mt. Kailash ● consumed during the Churning of the Ocean, which turned his throat blue ● rides the white bull Nandi ● symbolized by the phallic in temples ● Has matted hair from which the flows ● head is decorated with the crescent moon ● he smears his body with ashes (bhasma)­ symbolizes humans’ final fate ● wields the Trishula trident­ ● served by the ● wears a of snakes­ the Nagendra Haara ● often depicted in Nataraja form (Lord of the Dance)­ steps on the dwarf (aka Muyalaka), of ignorance ● possesses Damaru (a drum) which provides the beat of the universe­shaped like an hourglass ● ­ aspect of Shiva as a ­ means “one who is facing south” ● in the form of (Ender of Death) he kills Yama, the Lord of Death, when he comes for the soul of Shiva’s devotee ○ Markandeya had been given to his father Mrikandu by Shiva as a virtuous son on the condition that he would only live 16 years ○ Brahma taught him the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra­ a mantra that extends life, and Markandeya worshipped the linga. The other gods pleaded with Shiva to extend his life, and he did ○ Yama came for Markandeya, but he told Yama that it would be an offense to Shiva ○ Yama replied that not even Shiva could save him, and threw hs lasso around Markandeya as he clung to the linga ○ when the lasso touched the linga, Shiva appeared as Kalantaka, bitch smacked Yama with his trident, and kicked him in the chest, killing him ○ Shiva later had to revive Yama by touching him with his foot as without death, earth became polluted with evil things that wouldn’t die ● Ardhanarisvara­ half­male, half female form (split down the middle) ● Third Eye

Vishnu

Other Gods

Ganesha

● "remover of obstacles" ● son of Shiva and ○ created out of clay by Parvati to guard her ○ Shiva beheaded him when he came between him and Parvati, then replaced his head with an 's ○ alternatively, created from Shiva's laughter ○ in another story he gets his elephant head after Parvati asked to look at her son, and his gaze burned his head off. Vishnu then flew offf on to fetch an elephant head ● The Purana is dedicated to him ○ eight incarnations: ■ Vakratunda (twisting trunk)­ embodiment of the form of , purpose is to fight the demon Matsaryāsura (), rides a lion ■ Ekadanta (single tusk)­ embodiment of the essential nature of Brahman, purpose is to fight the demon Madāsura (arrogance), rides a mouse ■ Mahodara (big belly)­ embodiment of the wisdom of Brahman, purpose is to fight the demon Mohāsura (delusion), rides a mouse ■ Gajavaktra (elephant face)­ purpose is to fight the demon Lobhāsura, rides a mouse ■ Lambodara (pendulous belly)­ embodiment of the pure power of Brahman (Śakti), purpose is to fight the demon Krodhāsura (greed), rides a mouse ■ Vikata (unusual form/misshapen)­ embodiment of the illuminating nature of Brahman, purpose is to fight the demon Kāmāsura (lust), rides the peacock ■ Vighnaraja (king of obstacles)­ corresponds to Vishnu, embodiment of the preserving nature of Brahman, purpose is to fight the demon Mamāsura (possessiveness), rides the Naga King ■ Dhumravarna (grey color)­ corresponds to Shiva, embodiment of the destructive nature of Brahman, purpose is to fight the demon Abhimanāsura (pride), rides the mouse ● holds an axe, whip(or noose), lotus, and his broken tusk ○ alternatively a mace, discus, shell, and lily ● left tusk was severed by ○ Parashurama was travelling to the Himalayas to pay homage to Shiva but Ganesha blocked his path ○ Parashurama threw his axe Paraśu at Ganesha, who allowed it to sever his tusk because it was a gift from Shiva ○ Ganesha's mother Parvati flew into a rage, transforming into her omnipotent form Durgama, but Shiva talked her down ○ Parashurama asked her forgiveness, and Ganesha defended him and received Paraśu ● Shiva and Parvati challenged him and his brother (aka Murugan or Skanda) to race around the world three times (in some accounts it is for a divine fruit of knowledge from , in others it is to marry Buddhi and Siddhi) ○ Kartikeya set off on his peacock, and Ganesha realized he couldn't outpace him on his mouse ○ he insteads circumnavigates his parents three times, realizing that they are the universe ● married to Buddhi (intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power/prudence), and Riddhi (prosperity) ● Feast at 's Palace ○ Kubera, god of wealth, invited Shiva to a banquet at his city of Alakapuri to show off his wealth. Shiva declined but offered to send his son in his place, warning Kubera that he had a voracious appetite ○ Ganesha kept eating all the food and then began eating the decorations and furniture ○ Kubera pleaded with him not to eat everything, but Ganesha threatened to eat Kubera if he wasn’t given more food ○ Kubera asked Shiva for help, and Shiva gave him a handful of roasted rice­ anything can satisfy Ganesha's appetite if offered with love and humility ○ Ganesha had eaten like half the city before Kubera got back ● Moon Incident ○ on the way back from Kubera's feast, a snake scared Ganesha's mouse and he fell off and his stomach burst open, spilling food everywhere ○ Ganesha began putting the food back in, but the moon laughed at him ○ Ganesha cursed the moon to never be seen, but the moon begged for mercy, so he made it go through cycles from new to full, and if anyone saw him on Ganesha's birthday, that person won't achieve ○ Ganesha then used the snake to tie up his belly ● Celestial Armies ○ The were semi­god troops who served Shiva ○ The Devas competed to be their commander by circumnavigating the world and return to Shiva's feet ○ Ganesha set out on his slow mouse, and Narada appeared to him ■ Ganesha was impatient because it was considered bad luck to encounter a lone at the beginning of a voyage, and even worse that he asked where Ganesha was going ○ Narada reminded him that Shiva embodied the world, so Ganesha circled Shiva and was declared Ganapati (conductor of the celestial armies) and Vinayaka (Lord of all beings)

Murugan/Skanda/Kartikeya/Subramanya

●

Female Trimurti

Lakshmi

● Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, and beauty ● Associated with luck ● Mount is an owl ● Wife of Vishnu ● Golden skinned ● Very closely related with the color red ● Holds a lotus flower ● Only divine being born of the churning of the sea ● She has a separate incarnation for each one of Vishnu’s incarnations ○ ■ She is either the lover of Krishna or a very good friend of Krishna ○ Rukimi ■ Daughter of Bhishmaka, king of Vidarbha ■ Story of her marriage to Krishna (She is the first wife of Krishna) ● , her eldest brother, was a friend of King Kansa, who had been killed by Krishna. So, Rukmi was against Rukimi’s marriage to Krishna. Rukmi had a better idea. He would marry Rumiki to , a vassal of Emperor , in order to gain favor with Jarasandha. However, Rumiki sent a letter to Krishna asking him to kidnap her and marry her. Krishna came, and after defeating the Rukmi in a duel and shaving Rukmi’s head, he took Rumiki away with him. ■ Queen of , where Krishna is king ■ Placed a Tulsi/Tulasi leaf on a scale to equal the weight of Krishna in wealth. The whole story is under ■ Son is ○ Sita ■ Wife of Rama ■ Six different accounts of her birth ● Found in a furrow in a ploughed field and then raised by Janaka ● Born of and raised by Janaka and his wife Sunayana ● Real daughter of Janaka ● of , who had been raped by Ravana ● Reincarnation of Manivati, who had been wronged by Ravana ● Daughter of Ravana ■ Read the Ramayana summary above to learn about her first exile ■ She is exiled a second time ● She is taken in by Valmiki at his hermitage ● Here, she gives birth to twin sons named Kusha and Luv/Lava ● Finally her mother comes and takes her away ○ Satyabhama ■ Third wife of Krishna ■ Marriage to Krishna ● Satyabhama is the daughter of , who owns the jewel. Krishna wanted the jewel, but Satrajit would not give it to him. Prasena, brother of Satrajit, went out with the jewel on, and was killed by a lion. killed the lion and took the jewel. Satrajit, not knowing any of this, accused Krishna of killing Prasena and taking the jewel. Krishna, to refute this accusation, went to Jambavan’s cave and got the jewel back. Jambavan, after realizing who he was, gave Krishna his daughter in marriage. Jambavati became Krishna’s second wife. Then Krishna gave the jewel back to Satrajit, who in turn gave him his daughter Satyabhama. ■ Killing of ● Narakasura was a demon king. He gained a boon from Brahma that he would only die in the hands of his mother, so he ruled like a despot. His mother Bhoomi , had also gained a boom that her son would only die when she wished. Narakasura did many terrible things. He defeated Indra and stole the earrings of . Indra then sent Krishna to fight Narakasura. Krishna, with his wife Satyabhama, went to fight Narakasura, who knocked Krishna unconscious. Enraged, Satyabhama fired arrows at Narakasura. Satyabhama was a reincarnation of Bhoomi Devi, so she fulfilled both boons and killed Narakasura. ■ Tulabharam (Weighing by Scale) ● Satyabhama prided herself on being the greatest love of Krishna. Narada arrived in Dwarka and hinted to Satyabhama that Krishna’s love for her was not all real, and that rather it was Rukimi who had control over Krishna’s heart. Satyabhama challenged Narada to prove this. Narada convinced her to participate in a , a ritual in which Krishna is given away to Narada and Satyabhama has to reclaim him by giving his weight in wealth. Satyabhama, sure of herself, agrees to this. However, she cannot produce enough wealth. Finally she asks Rukimi for help. Rukimi places a single Tulsi/Tulasi leaf on the scale, and it equals the weight of Krishna. ● One of her epithets is Padma, lotus dweller

Sati/Dakshayani/Gauri

● Her name is where the name of the Indian practice of comes from ● Daughter of and ● Granddaughter and great granddaughter of Brahma ○ Granddaughter by Daksha, who is the son of Brahma ○ Great granddaughter by Prasuti, who is the daughter of , who is the son of Brahma ● Wanted to marry Shiva her whole life ● She went into the forest to fast and devote herself to Shiva ● She fasted so intensely that she earned the nickname Aparna ● Finally she married Shiva, but her father disapproved ● Daksha’s arrogance ○ Daksha held a giant party for many of the gods ○ However, he did not invite Shiva or Sati ○ Sati just figured that he skipped the formality of sending an invitation, so she went anyways ○ When there, she got into an argument with her father over Shiva ○ Realizing that her marrying Shiva caused her father to abuse Shiva, Sati was filled with shame, and she self­immolated ● Shiva’s Rage ○ Shiva found out about the incident, and he became extremely angry ○ He created the monsters and Bhadrakali, who wreaked havoc at Daksha’s party, decapitating Daksha himself ○ There is also another story about how Shiva dealt with the incident ○ Shiva performed a dance with the charred body of Sati on his back ○ The body of Sati ripped into many different pieces and fell on the earth ○ Today, the believed sites of these body pieces have become pilgrimage sites known as Peethas ○ Also, there are just regular peethas which are the landing sites of the blood drops of Sati ● Shiva’s Forgiveness ○ Shiva is known as the all­forgiving ○ He restored all those slain at the party back to life ○ Even Daksha was revived and given a goats head to replace the one he lost ● After Sati died, she was reincarnated as Parvati, who also married Shiva ○ Wife of Shiva and second consort of Shiva ○ Reincarnation of first consort of Shiva, Sati ○ Goddess of power ■ Gives Shiva his power ■ If her anger reaches its peak, the whole universe is destroyed, Trimurti and all ○ Daughter of Himavant ○ Sometimes said to be the sister of Vishnu ○ Mother of Ganesha ○ Lives on ○ As she defeats Durgasur ○ Lalita is her highest aspect ○ is sometimes said to be one of her incarnations ○ Elder sister is Ganga ○ Ekaparna and Ekapatala are her younger sisters ○ Sometimes said to be the daughter of Mena

Saraswati

● In the Saraswati is a river and she is the personification of this river ● Therefore, in Vedic times Saraswati is essentially a river goddess ● However, when modern Hinduism came around, she became the goddess of knowledge, music, art, and nature ● Consort of Brahma ● Rides a Hansa Bird (Swan) ● Sometimes portrayed holding a Veena ● Forms a trinity with Kali and in the Devi Mahatmya ● Creator of Sanskrit

Other Goddesses

Kali

● Goddess associated with empowerment ● Goddess of Time, Death, and Destruction ● Emerged from the forehead of Durga (Parvati) ● Wears a belt of human skulls ● Kills Raktabija with Durga ● Is often depicted standing over the body of Shiva, her consort

Chandi

● Supreme goddess of the Devi Mahatmya ● A consort of Shiva ●

Miscellaneous

The Churning of the Ocean

Mahishasura

● Was an asura, a demon ● ’s birth ○ His father was the king of the ○ Rambha fell in love with princess Shyamala, who was cursed to be a water buffalo ○ Mahishasura was born out of this union, and is therefore able to switch between water buffalo and human form ● Mahishasuras’s attack on the gods ○ He assembles a massive demon army and attacks Heaven ○ He defeats Indra and takes over Heaven ○ The gods then go to the Trimurti to ask for help ○ Mahishasura obtained a boon from Brahma so that he could not be killed by man or god, and the gods know this ○ The Trimurti morphs together creating the goddess Durga ○ Durga then defeats the demon armies and kills Mahishasur ○ After this Durga is absorbed into Parvati, where she waits to be incarnated as Durga again

Nagas

Yama

Narayana

Hanuman

Agni

Varuna

Vayu

Bhumi

Dyaus

Prajapati

Ayyappa