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Devayani
Devayani () is a character in Hindu literature. She is described to be the daughter of Shukra, the acharya (preceptor) of the asuras, and his wife Jayanti, the daughter of Indra. She marries King Yayati, and gives birth to two sons — Yadu and Turvasu. Legend Infatuation with Kacha Kacha is described to be the handsome son of Brihaspati. He is sent by the devas to Shukra's ashrama (spiritual hermitage) to learn about the ''Mṛtasañjīvanī vidyā'' mantra, the knowledge that allows one to restore life after death. Shukra accepts him as his student, and the latter accepts the task of offering him a thousand years of service. Devayani is infatuated by the youth, and the two become an inseparable couple. The asuras, however, are suspicious of Kacha's intentions, guessing correctly that he wished to know the secret of the life-restoring mantra. They murder him on two different occasions: They kill him when he is deep within the forest and feed him to the wolves, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sharmishtha
Sharmishtha () is a princess appearing in Hindu scriptures. She is described to be the daughter of the daitya king Vrishaparvan. She becomes the second wife of Yayati, due to which she becomes an ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. She is featured as a friend of Devayani, for whom she later becomes a servant. Her story is told by Vaisampayana in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata. Legend Quarrel Sharmishtha is the daughter of Vrishaparvan, the daitya king, for whom the acharya Shukra is an adviser. She is a friend of Devayani, the daughter of Shukra. One day, the two go for a bath in a brook in a forest, accompanied by their retinue of maids, leaving their clothes on the bank of the stream. While they bathe, Indra manifests himself as a wind, blowing their garments off the banks. In their hurry to retrieve their clothes, the two women donned each other's clothes. A quarrel ensues between the friends, and insults are exchanged regarding each other's fathers. In the ensu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yayati
Yayati () is an emperor in Hindu tradition. He is described to be a Chandravamsha king. He is regarded to be the progenitor of the races of the Yadavas and the Pandavas. According to the Harivamsa, Yayati is the son of King Nahusha, and his wife, Virajas, the daughter of Pitris, and have five brothers: Yati, Samyati, Ayati, Viyati, and Kriti. Yayati had conquered the whole world and was the '' Chakravarti'' ("Universal Monarch" or "World Emperor"). He married Devayani, the daughter of Shukra, and also took Sharmishtha, daughter of king Vrishaparvan, and the maid of Devayani, as his mistress. Upon hearing of his relationship with Sharmishtha, Devayani complained to her father, who in turn cursed Yayati to old age in the prime of life, but later allowed him to exchange it with his son, Puru. His story finds mention in the ''Mahabharata's'' Adi Parva, as well as in the ''Bhagavata Purana'' and the Matsya Purana. Genealogy and early life Brahma's son was Atri, a ''Bra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kacha (sage)
Kacha () is a sage featured in Hindu mythology. He is the son of Brihaspati and Tara. The narrative of Kacha is mentioned in the Mahābhārata, the Matsya Purana and the Agni Purana. He is known for learning ''Mṛtasañjīvanī vidyā'' mantra (a hymn for reviving the dead) from his guru Shukra. However, he is unable to revive devas due to the curse of Shukra's daughter, Devayani. Legend Kacha is described to be the handsome son of Brihaspati. He is sent by the devas to Shukra's ashrama (spiritual hermitage) to learn about the ''Mṛtasañjīvanī vidyā'' mantra, the knowledge that allows one to restore life after death. Shukra accepts him as his disciple, and the latter accepts the task of offering him a thousand years of service. Devayani is infatuated by the youth, and the two become an inseparable couple. The asuras, however, are suspicious of Kacha's intentions, guessing correctly that he wished to know the secret of the life-restoring mantra. They murder him on two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jayanti (Hinduism)
Jayanti (, ) is a character in Hindu mythology. She is the daughter of Indra, the king of the Deva (Hinduism), devas and the ruler of Svarga, and his consort, Shachi. Jayanti is described as the wife of Shukra, the god of the planet Venus and the guru of the asuras. Their union results in the birth of a daughter, Devayani. Jayanti is also described as the sister of Jayanta. She is sometimes identified with Urjjasvati, Shukra's another wife. Literature Jayanti appears primarily in the description of one event, the tale of her marriage with Shukra. The tale is retold in many Hindu scriptures with some variations as per the interpretations. The texts include the ''Vayu Purana'', the ''Matsya Purana'', the ''Brahmanda Purana'', the ''Devi Bhagavata Purana'', and the ''Padma Purana''. Legend The ''Matsya Purana'' narrates that the asuras were almost decimated in battle with the Devas (Hinduism), devas. Their guru, Shukra, goes to Mount Kailash to please the god Shiva and acquire ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shukracharya
Shukra (, ) is a Sanskrit word that means "clear" or "bright". It also has other meanings, such as the name of a sage who was the preceptor of the asuras and taught them the Vedas. In medieval mythology and Hindu astrology, the word refers to the planet Venus, one of the Navagrahas. Hinduism In Hinduism, Shukra is one of the sons of Bhrigu, one of the Saptarshis. He was the guru of the asuras and is also referred to as Shukracharya or Asuracharya in various Hindu texts. In another account found in the ''Mahabharata'', Shukra divided himself into two, one half became the fount of knowledge for the devas (gods) and the other half became the knowledge source of the asuras (demons). Shukra, in the ''Puranas'', is blessed by Shiva with ''Sanjeevini Vidhya'' after performing ''tapas'' to propitiate Shiva. ''Sanjeevini Vidhya'' is the knowledge of raising the dead back to life, which he used from time to time to restore life to the asuras. Later, this knowledge was sought by the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yadu (legendary King)
Yadu () is the founder of the Yadu dynasty in Hinduism. He is described to be the eldest son of King Yayati, and his queen, Devayani. He married five daughters of Nāga king. Legend According to a narrative found in the Mahabharata, and the Vishnu Purana, Yadu refused to exchange his years of youth with his father, Yayati, when the latter was cursed with senility by his father-in-law, Shukra. Thus, he was cursed by Yayati to have his progeny disinherited of the dominion. Due to this proclamation, Yadu was replaced by his half-brother, Puru, as the heir to the throne of the Chandravamsha dynasty. Yadu founded his own cadet branch of the dynasty, called the Yaduvamsha. Descendants The Agni Purana states that Yadu's lineage was continued by his eldest son, Sahasrajit. Sahasrajit had three sons: Haihaya, Renuhaya, and Haya. A historical dynasty called the Traikutaka claimed descent from Haihaya. According to Historian T Padmaja, the Abhiras migrated to Tamil Nadu and es ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Puru
Puru () is a legendary king in Hinduism. He is the youngest son of King Yayati and Sharmishtha, and one of ancestors of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. King Puru marries Kausalya, and is succeeded by his son, Janamejeya. Legend Bhagavata Purana In the nineteenth chapter of book nine of the Bhagavata Purana, Puru is described as having four brothers; Yadu, Turvasu, Druhyu, and Anu. He exchanges his youth for the old age of his father Yayati when the latter gets cursed by Shukracharya, allowing his father to enjoy his youth for a thousand years. Afterwards, Yayati takes back his curse and makes Puru his heir, though he is the youngest of them all. His successor is Práchinvat; his son is Pravíra; his son is Manasyu. Mahabharata In the Mahabharata's Adi Parva, he is said to have inherited his kingdom in the Gangetic plain. He is said to have three mighty heroes as sons by his wife Pauṣṭi; Pravīra, Īśvara, and Raudrāśva. Pravira succeeded Puru, and was in turn succeede ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succession between two groups of princely cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandava, Pāṇḍavas. It also contains Hindu philosophy, philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life" or ''puruṣārtha'' (12.161). Among the principal works and stories in the ''Mahābhārata'' are the ''Bhagavad Gita'', the story of Damayanti, the story of Shakuntala, the story of Pururava and Urvashi, the story of Savitri and Satyavan, the story of Kacha (sage), Kacha and Devayani, the story of Rishyasringa and an Ramopakhyana, abbreviated version of the ''Rāmāyaṇa'', often considered as works in their own right. Traditionally, the authorship of the ''Mahābhārata'' is attributed to Vyasa, Vy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hindu Texts
Hindu texts or Hindu scriptures are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. Some of the major Hindus, Hindu texts include the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Itihasa. Scholars hesitate in defining the term "Hindu scriptures" given the diverse nature of Hinduism,Dominic Goodall (1996), Hindu Scriptures, University of California Press, , p. ix–xliii but many list the Āgama (Hinduism), Agamas as Hindu scriptures,Klaus Klostermaier (2007), A Survey of Hinduism: Third Edition, State University of New York Press, , pp. 46–52, 76–77 and Dominic Goodall includes Bhagavata Purana and Yajnavalkya Smriti in the list of Hindu scriptures as well. History There are two historic classifications of Hindu texts: ''Śruti, Shruti'' (Sanskrit: श्रुति, ) – that which is heard, and ''Smriti'' (Sanskrit: स्मृति, IAST: ''Smṛti'') – that which is remembered. The ''Shruti'' texts refer to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashram
An ashram (, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery in Indian religions, not including Buddhism. Etymology The Sanskrit noun is a thematic nominal derivative from the root 'toil' (< PIE *''ḱremh2'', śramaṇa) with the prefix 'towards.' An ashram is a place where one strives towards a goal in a disciplined manner. Such a goal could be ascetic, spiritual, yogic or any other. Overview [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). The traditional occupation of Brahmins is that of priesthood (purohit, pandit, or pujari) at Hindu temples or at socio-religious ceremonies, and the performing of rite of passage rituals, such as solemnising a wedding with hymns and prayers.James Lochtefeld (2002), Brahmin, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing, , page 125 Traditionally, Brahmins are accorded the supreme ritual status of the four social classes, and they also served as spiritual teachers (guru or acharya). In practice, Indian texts suggest that some Brahmins historically also became agriculturalists, warriors, traders, and had also held other occupations in the Indian subcontinent.GS Ghurye (1969), Caste and Race in India, Popular Prakasha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
