Unknown Stories About Ganesha

On the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi. We at Indian Novella are celebrating the birthday of Lord Ganesha whom we pray before every major event of our lives be it exams,interviews, adventures.Let’s look into  some unknown facts about Lord Ganesha.

1.Most of us pray Goddess Laksmi along with Ganesh but Lakshmi is not the wife of the Lord Ganesha.”Riddhi” ( wealth and prosperity ) and “Siddhi” ( intellectual and spiritual power ) are the two wedded wives of Lord Ganesha.There is a popular story that since Ganesha was the elephant-headed no  one wants to marry him so he started making troubles in the marriages of the other demi gods with his mount, Mice.Then Brahma created Riddhi and Siddhi on the plea of other demi gods.

2.Ganesh has two sons named “Subha ”( auspiciousness ) and  “Labha” (profit).We usually paste stickers named Subha and Labha on the eve of Diwali are actually the names of the sons of the lord Ganesha.

3.Ganesha is also called “EkDanta” because his lost his one tooth while fighting with ParshuRam, the  devotee of Lord Shiva.When ParshuRam strikes with the axe provided by lord shiva then to show respect towards his father and the weapon he took the blow of the weapon on his tooth and thus lost his tooth and became”EkDanta”.

4. Lord Ganesha was the one who wrote the great epic Mahabharata as sage Vyasa recited it to him. This was done on the condition that Vyasa would not stop while reciting the epic and Ganesha would not stop while writing, and also that Ganesha would not merely write it but would also understand every verse of it.

5.Ganesha used his broken tooth to write down the Epic ,Mahabharata

6.The axe we see that Ganesha holds in his hand was actually provided to him by ParshuRam when he fought with Ganesha and broke his tooth.So in order to repent as Ganesha was merely following the instruction of lord Ganesha to not allow anybody to disturb lord shiva during meditation.

7. In the rare incidents when we hear of Lord Ganesha being angry, he once cursed the moon as he laughed at his fat belly. Lord Ganesha cursed him saying whoever looks at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi would be falsely blamed. This is still believed in most sections of the Hindu faith, as people avoid looking at the moon on Ganesh Chaturthi.

8. Lord Ganesha has around 108 names, including Vighna Harta (the remover of obstacles) and Buddhi Pradaayaka (the giver of wisdom and intellect).

9.In 1893, revolutionary freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak urged the masses to come together to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.His main motive was to inculcate the feeling of patriotism among people at a time when British discouraged social gatherings.

How Yadav’s Clan Vanished?

It is said that Lord Krishna had a desire for an extraordinary son, just like Lord Shiva. To appease Lord Shiva, Krishna meditated for years. When Shiva was pleased, Krishna sought to be blessed with a son like Shiva himself. Krishna wanted a son who had the destructive powers of Shiva as he could foresee the decline of the Yadava’s who would be needed to be eliminated in future. Soon Jambavati gave birth to a son, who was named Samba, after the name of Shiva. 

Once, three great sages came to Lord Krishna’s palace in Dwaraka. Krishna was resting. When he was informed of their arrival, he said, “Please tell them that I shall be there in a short while. In the meantime, let them be welcomed with proper respect and devotion.” Unfortunately, over the years, Krishna’s relatives and others who were close to him had become very undivine. Because they were dear to Krishna, they used to get everything. As a result, they became corrupted by the pleasure life. They used to drink and quarrel and do all kinds of unthinkable things. A few members of Krishna’s immediate family did not have any respect for the sages and saints who came to pay homage to Krishna. These relatives felt that as long as they had Krishna, it was enough. To them, all other spiritual people were as worthless as straw. Krishna’s son, Samba, was famous for his pranks. Even though he was no longer a child, he and some other young men decided to play a practical joke on the sages. Samba’s friends tied an earthen pot on his stomach and dressed him in a nice sari. Then they brought him before the sages. The young men said to the sages, “This woman is with child. Please, before Krishna comes, can you tell us whether she will give birth to a boy or a girl?”  Since the sages had occult vision, they immediately saw that the young men were mocking them. They became furious. “You are Krishna’s relatives! You, Samba, is his own son! You dare to make fun of us! Yes, this ‘woman’ will give birth, but she will give birth to an iron lump. It will bring about the destruction of Krishna’s entire clan. You have no respect for spiritual people. We are great sages and you have mocked us.” 

At that moment, Krishna entered the hall. He was so sad to hear the curse of the sages. At the same time, he knew that his relatives deserved it. The sages also felt sorry that they had uttered such a dreadful curse, but they could not withdraw it. In spite of this unfortunate turn of events, Krishna stayed and had a long talk with the sages, and they received Krishna’s blessings. Krishna was beyond, beyond everything. He advised them and illumined them, and then the sages departed. In due course, the curse came true and Krishna’s son gave birth to a heavy iron chunk. Samba and his cousins realised that their destruction was imminent. Akroora immediately ordered, “Grind the mace to a fine powder and cast it into the seas.” The Yadavas nodded and retreated. Akroora cast his gaze at Krishna, his eyes full of questions. Krishna simply smiled back. “The wheels of time are turning Uncle”, he said, “and Samba has played his part perfectly.” He left without another word.“What did he mean by that?” asked Ugrasena. “I can tell you that, father.” Ugrasena turned around to the source of voice – Rukmini. “Thirty-six year ago, Krishna prayed to Shiva for a son like him…A son like the god of destruction! Krishna wanted Samba to aid in destruction…” And even more slowly, her voice down several levels, she uttered, “Gandhari’s curse. The time for her curse to act has arrived. A reward for her devotion in him.” Leaving Akroora agape, Rukmini left.

Outside the palace, the Yadavas had obeyed Akroora’s command to the dot. They had ground the mace finely. Everything was ground except a sharp triangular piece which appeared to be very hard indeed. And then they had thrown the fine powder and the lone piece into the sea. Happy that they had taken care of the matter so easily, they returned back to their general state of intoxication and bliss. Time rolled by. The triangular piece of the mace was swallowed by a fish. The fish was caught by a hunter, who upon finding the piece in the fish’s entrails immediately used it to craft a fine poisonous arrow. The fine powder, on the other hand, washed back ashore and deposited itself by the beautiful coast of Dwaraka. A certain grass grew in lush abundance in the area where the powder was deposited. Everything was set for the final showdown.The Yadavas soon forgot all about their curses. The consumption of alcohol was banned in the entire kingdom of Dwaraka. However, after 36 years of Mahabharat war, lots of omen used to appear in the Dwaraka city. The Sudarshana chakra, Panchajanya shankh, the chariot of lord Krishna and the plough weapon of Balarama disappeared from the earth. One day, the Yadavas gathered on the beach. 

The liquor that they drank made them lose their senses completely.They started teasing one another, bringing up the gory pasts and gruesome mistakes of each other. Satyaki and Krithavarma acted as the starting points of the doom of Dwaraka. Satyaki had fought on Pandava’s side in the battle of Kurukshetra and Krithavarma, on the Kaurava side. They taunted one another, bringing back memories of the horrific war. In a fit of rage, Satyaki, jumped on Krithaverma and cut his head off. The friends of Krithavarma pounced on Satyaki and a great brawl followed. As the Yadavas had come to the sea shore for a pleasure, they did not carry any weapons along with them. They saw the long grown grass in abundance along the sea shore. They picked up the grass stems and beat and killed each other. Those grass stems are nothing but blades made of the powder of the same lump of Iron born to Samba. Thus the curse of saints fructified.Each blade of grass became a mace, smashing into the Yadavas, killing them instantly. It was a matter of moments before the Yadavas lay dead, killed by their own clan members and in front of their very King. Except Krishna, all Yadavas were killed.

While the Krishna himself was killed Jara,the hunter who had received that triangular piece of metal from the fish belly and craved it into arrow.That arrow was finally shot by Jara On Krishna who assumed Krishna as some animal while he was meditating under the tree.

[Source: Speakingtree ]

Unknown Facts of Krishna

 1.Krishna had 16008 wives  of which  only eight were his princely wives known as ‘AsthaPatrani’.Bhargava Purana lists them as  – 

1. Rukmini,
2.  Satyabhama, 
3. Jambavati,
4.  Kalindi, 
5. Mitravinda, 
6. Nagnajiti,
7. Bhadra and 
8. Lakshmana

2.Krishna had eighty sons since each Patrani gave him 10 sons.Some of the Prominent sons of the Krishna were  Pradyumna, Samba , Charu Deshna Sudeshna and  Charudeha.

3.There is a quite popular story about Samba ,son of Krishna.Krishna always wanted a son like Shiva, the god of Destruction.So he penanced for Lord Shiva and got a boon from Shiva to have a son similar to Shiva.Later Jambavati gave birth to a son and was named Samba, another name of Lord Shiva.Samba later became the anchor who brought destruction to Yadav clan.

4.Eklavya was actually the Krishna Cousin.He was the son of DevSharava who got lost in the forest.Nishad HiranayaDhanau found him.Eklavya died protecting his father in Rukmini Swayamvar when Krishna was eloping with Rukmini.He was killed by Krishna and  for his great Sacrifice and he was blessed that he would be born as DhrishtDhumn and would kill Drona.

5.The narration of Bhagwad Gita was heard firsthand not only by Arjuna but Hanuman and Sanjaya who was blessed with divine power by Ved Vyasa in order to narrate the events of battle to king DhritRashtra.

6.Pradumnya ,son of Krishna was Kamadeva in the earlier life who was turned to ashes by Lord Shiva.

7.Pandavas was related to Krishna from his mother side as Kunti was the sister of VashuDeva , father of Lord Krishna.

8.Once Dhurvasa was eating Kheer(pudding) and eventually he asked Krishna to apply that kheer on his whole body.Krishna obliged and applied kheer to his whole body except his feet thinking of Kheer to be consecrated.Durvasa angered and told him that his whole body would be impenetrable except his feet and we all know whole the Jara killed Krishna by shooting an arrow on his feet by mistake.

9.Jara , the hunter who killed Krishna was actually Bali who killed by Rama,the avatar of Vishnu .

10.The Six brothers of the Krishna who were killed by Kansa were 1.Smara 2.Udighta 3.ParishVanga 4.Patanga 5.KshudraBhit 6.Ghrini. The Seventh was BalaRama while eighth was Krishna himself. 

Dashavatar of lord Vishnu

In this post simplicity is the theme .This blog post will contain the all the ten incarnations of lord Vishnu  and which yuga they appeared or will appear in.

1.MATSYA  –(SATYA YUGA)

It is believed that Lord in Matsya Avatar had rescued the  first man,Manu from a great deluge.

2.KURMA  –(SATYA YUGA)

Lord Vishnu took the Kurma Avatar to hold the Mount Mandara while churning of the ocean of Milk from which the nectar of immortality aroused.

3.VARAHA –(Satya Yuga)

In this Avatar lord saved the Mother Earth from the demon Hiranyaksha who had imprisoned mother Earth in the vast ocean.

4.NARASIMHA  –(Satya Yuga)

The famous incarnation of half lion-half man to rescue his disciple ‘Prahlad’ from the hands of his torturous father Hiranyakashipu who was indeed brother of Hiranyaksha who was slain by lord Vishnu in the Varaha Avatar.

5.VAMANA –(Treta Yuga)

The Lord measured the whole universe in two step while he was awarded Land worth three steps by the king Mahabali.Then to fulfill his promise of three step land Mahabali offered his head as a destination for the third step.We will talk about this story in another post.Till then let’s wait.

6.PARSHURAM  –(Treta Yuga).

We have talked about this in the great detail in our blog post ‘ Ram to ParshuRam’.please have a look on it.

7.RAMA  –(Treta Yuga)

Who doesn’t know the story of lord Rama inscribed in an Indian epic ‘Ramayana’ who had killed the much-feared demon named ‘Ravana’.

8.KRISHNA   –(Dwapara Yuga)

Krishna the master strategist who anchored the whole Mahabharata and who can forget all the plays performed by Krishna in his childhood and also slained the demon Kansa and freed his mother and father from his clutch.

9.BUDDHA  –(Dwapara Yuga)

Buddha is described as the ninth avatar of lord Vishnu and all Puranas and Vedas had referenced Buddha as the ninth avatar of Lord Vishnu.

10.KALKI –(KALI YUGA)

Kalki is the last avatar the lord will take during kali Yuga to bring justice to the world and kill all the evils and negatives.Kalki is assumed that he   will be atop a white horse with a drawn blazing sword. He is the harbinger of the end time in Hindu eschatology, after which he will usher in Satya Yuga.

Son of HariHara (Vishnu-Shiva)

Most of the readers might be bewildered after reading the title of the post which seems pretty confusing .How can Lord Shiva and Vishnu have a child as both of the deities are male. Now let me tell you a story about the birth of the son of lord Vishnu and shiva.

Ashuras (demons) and devas (gods) were the sons of sage kashyapa which fathered them with his wives Diti and Aditi respectively.Till that time Gods doesn’t have the power of immortality and were same as mere mortals.Devas fought with the gods and drove them out of their palaces in heaven.Then Devas approached Lord Vishnu to solve this problem and he suggested them to engage with devas in a diplomatic fashion.Devas engaged with Ashuras and decided to churn the nectar of immortality from the Sir-Sagar( Ocean of Milk) and distribute it among themselves and leave peacefully as they have an assurance from Lord Vishnu that only Devas would get the nectar of immortality .

Afer heavy penance from both sides; as the nectar of immortality emerged Lord Visnu took the form of Mohini and seduced all the Ashuras such that their mind went into abeyance and they couldn’t notice that Mohini was not feeding the nectar of immortality while the doing the opposite for the gods.

Lord Shiva when heard of these events, he also wanted to know what was the look of Mohini that made the minds of Ashuras go into Abeyance.He, Lord Shiva then requested the Lord Vishnu to show him the Mohini Avatar.The Lord Vishnu obliged him and showed him his immensely beautiful Avatar of Mohini.

Lord Shiva became so enchanted with the beauty of Mohini that he fused along with the Mohini (avatar of Lord Vishnu ) to form the HariHara (Hari-Vishnu  and Hara-Shiva) and from this union came the “AYYAPPA”, the son of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

There is also another story revolving around the birth of Lord Ayyappa.Mahisi was one of wildest demons and had dethroned Indra from his heavenly kingdom as he was blessed by the Lord Brahma that only the son of Vishnu and Shiva could Kill Mahisi.Then gods approached Vishnu and Shiva and the both gods fused together to give  world, the Lord Ayyppa which later killed the demon Mahisi on his way to the forest to bring the milk of lactating tigress.We will look onto this story on some another post.

The Unknown Story of Dattatreya

Now, it’s time for the three-faced god,  Dattatreya and the story of his birth which is quite unique in its own ways.Have we heard of the supreme goddess being jealous of  a mere mortal human being. But Anasuya was one of the names which created jealousy among the supreme goddesses .Anasuya, the mother of Dattatreya was a highly virtuous woman and had full devotion to his husband ,Atri father of Dattatreya.

Once when Narada was singing praises about the mother Anasuya , the three supreme goddesses ,Saraswati and Lakshmi and Parvati heard the wordings and asked Narada why is he singing such praises about a human.Narada answered that “Mother Anasuya is free from all vices of the world.She is free from jealousy and envy. She is very pious, and always practiced austerities and devotion”.This created jealousy among the supreme goddesses.

Then three goddesses approached their husbands and asked them to test the divinity of the Anasuya.They initially disagreed but after continuous persuasion from their wives they agreed.They transformed themselves into sages(rishis) and then went to Anasuya hermitage and asked her to feed them.Mother welcomed them inside, offer them to sit and serve food.Then the real drama began, the three sages put a condition that they would eat only if Anasuya serves them naked without any piece of cloth or jewellery on her body.

Anasuya was in a dilemma as she couldn’t let the sages leave the place without feeding and didn’t want to remove her clothes.She prayed to her husband and then sprinkled holy water to all three sages and converted all of them into infants.Then she removed her clothes and fed them food, played with them and made them sleep .She was totally taking care of them as her own child.The  world started going out of balance as three gods Brahma,Vishnu and Shiva were infants and playing with Anasuya instead of caring out their responsibilities.Now the everyone was begging before three goddesses to go before Anasuya and plead to her to reconvert the Trinity into their original forms.

Then Three goddesses went before Anasuya and asked for forgiveness for their ego and pleaded her to reconvert the Trinity into their original forms.Mother obliged them and reconverted the gods into their original forms.The gods were very impressed by the mother and wanted to give her a boon. The Mother told them as they called her “Mother” ; she  wanted to be their mother forever.Gods obliged her and told her that they would always be his son in the form of  “Dattatreya”.Then the god Dattatreya was born to mother Anasuya and god left the place to carry out their responsibility.

How Ravana got Lanka?

We all know that Ravana was the king of Lanka, which was the golden city and best fortified and the wealthiest city in the world but few among of us would know how Ravana become the king of the Lanka.How did Lanka come into existence and how did Ravana know about it when he was the son of a sage(rishi.)Now to answer all these questions we have to look back in the history.

Ravana was the son of sage Vishrava and grandson of Sage Pulastya and great grandson of lord Brahma.Vishrava had two wives : Mandakini and Kaikasi .Mandakini had a son named ‘Kubera’.Kubera was the god of wealth.There is always a misconception among people that Lakshmi is the goddess of the wealth , but in reality, Kubera is the god of wealth  while Lakshmi is the goddess of fortune .While we generally associate fortune with the wealth; that’s why this misconception arises.

Kubera who is also called ‘Dhanpati’ was once ruler of Lanka given by the Lord Brahma from where he could work on his wealth management among the people.He was also gifted “ Pushpak Vimana”, a flying chariot which was created by Vishwakarma who was the architecture of the gods on the instruction of lord Brahma. Kubera is also the guardian of one of the eight directions of the globe, North.

One day when Kubera  came to meet his father Vishrava with all his majestic style and grandeur flying in his chariot ‘Pushpak Viman’.Ravana on seeing this was struck and asked his mother “who is this fellow and from where did he get that majestic Vimana ”.Kaikasi replied that he is none other than your step brother ‘Kubera’. Kaikasi being the daughter of the demon king couldn’t control her anger and lust and told Ravana “Kubera had made his mother proud be his conduct and grandeur while your existence does not count.You are no better than an insect”. This irked Ravana who decided to show his mother that he is no less than anyone else.

He along with his brothers moved to a forest to perform deep penance to lord Brahma to get a boon from him.After thousand of years of his hard penance ,lord Brahma appeared and gave him the boon of invincibility .This made Ravana proud of his prowess and he started tormenting Kubera.He at last ,drove out Kubera from the Lanka and also snatched ‘Pushpak Vimana’ from him.Then he requested his father and mother to came along with him to Lanka while his father refused to go along with him while his mother kaikasi agreed as it was her direful wish to live in luxury and wealth which she couldn’t have while leaving with his husband Vishrava who was a sage. Thus Ravana became the king of the Lanka .

Kubera went to mount Kailasha after being defeated by his stepbrother Ravana and performed deep  penance to lord Brahma , who awarded him with a palace with most beautiful garden of the world  named ‘Alkapuri’ in Mount Mandara  and later lord shiva awarded him the lordship of all Yakshas and a guardianship of the North direction(dik-pala).