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Dūrvāsa
In Hindu scriptures, Durvasa (, ), also known as Durvasas (), is a legendary rishi (sage). He is the son of Anasuya and Atri. According to some Puranas, Durvasa is a partial avatar of Shiva, known for his short temper. Wherever he goes, he is received with great reverence by humans and devas alike. Curses and boons The rishi Durvasa, being short-tempered, is said to have both cursed and gifted boons to several notable deities and people in the Hindu scriptures. Some of them include: Curses # Indra, whom he cursed to lose all his powers, after Indra's elephant Airavata threw down a rather fragrant garland given by Durvasa to Indra. # Saraswati, whom he cursed to be born as a human because she laughed at his incorrect recitation of the Vedas. Ubhay Bharati was the human incarnation of the Goddess Saraswati on the earth during 8th Century CE. # Rukmini, whom he cursed to be separated from her husband, Krishna, because she drank water without seeking Durvasa's permission. # ...
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Shakuntala
Shakuntala () is a heroine in ancient Indian literature, best known for her portrayal in the ancient Sanskrit play '' Abhijnanashakuntalam'' (The Recognition of Shakuntala), written by the classical poet Kalidasa in the 4th or 5th century AD. Her story, however, originates in the Hindu epic, the ''Mahabharata'' (c. 400 BC - 400 AD), where she appears in the ''Adi Parva'' ("The Book of Beginnings"). In both narratives, Shakuntala is the daughter of the sage Vishwamitra and the celestial nymph Menaka. Abandoned at birth, she is raised by the sage Kanva in a forest hermitage. She later falls in love with King Dushyanta and becomes the mother of Bharata, a celebrated emperor of India. In the ''Mahabharata'', Shakuntala and Dushyanta secretly get married through the gandharva tradition (love marriage) and consummate their marriage in her forest hermitage. When she later approaches him with their son Bharata, he hesitates to acknowledge them. Shakuntala rebukes him forcefully ...
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Rukmini
Rukmini (, ) is a Devi, Hindu goddess and the first queen of Krishna. She is described as the chief of Krishna's wives in Dvārakā. Rukmini is revered as the avatar of Lakshmi and is venerated primarily in Warkari, and Haridasa tradition, and additionally in Sri Vaishnavism. 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 and his other primary consort Satyabhama. Her birthday is celebrated every year on the occasion of Rukmini Ashtami. 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 ornaments'. Other names and epithets include: *''Shri'' – Lakshmi *''Vaidarbhi'' – She who is from the kingdom of Vidarbha *''Bhaishmi'' – Daughter of Bhishmaka *''Rakhumai'' – Mother Rukm ...
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Kurukshetra War
The Kurukshetra War (), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the Hindu Indian epic poetry, epic poem ''Mahabharata'', arising from a dynastic struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura. The war is used as the context for the dialogues of the ''Bhagavad Gita. Background The ''Mahābhārata'' is an account of the life and deeds of several generations of a ruling dynasty called the Kuru (Hindu mythology), Kuru clan. Central to the epic is an account of a war that took place between two rival families belonging to this clan. Kurukshetra (literally "Kshetram, Region of the Kurus"), also known as Dharmakshetra (the "Region of Dharma"), was the battleground on which the Kurukshetra War was fought. The first ''Mahābhārata'' says that this site was chosen because a sin committed on land was forgiven because of the land's sanctity. The events of the war make up more than a quarter of the ''Mahabharata''. The ...
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Payasam
Kheer, khir or payasam is a pudding or porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice. It can be additionally flavoured with dried fruits, nuts, cardamom and saffron. Instead of rice, it may contain cracked wheat, vermicelli ( sevai), sago or tapioca (sabudana). In Northern India, it is made in various ways. The most popular versions are the ones made with rice and vermicelli (semiya). Etymology The word ''kheer'' is derived from the Sanskrit word '' kshira'' (क्षीर), which means milk or a milk-based dish. Kheer is also the archaic name for sweet rice pudding. The word ''payasam'' used in South India for kheer originates from the Sanskrit term ''pāyasa'' (पायस), which means "milk" or a dish made from milk. This term evolved into various regional languages, including Malayalam (പായസം, pāyasaṁ), Telugu (పాయసం, pāyasaṁ), and Tamil (பாயசம், pāyacam). Origin It i ...
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Dvārakā
Dvārakā, also known as Dvāravatī (Sanskrit द्वारका "the gated [city]", possibly meaning having many gates, or alternatively having one or several very grand gates), is a sacred historic city in the sacred literature of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. It is also alternatively spelled as Dvarika. The name Dvaraka is said to have been given to the place by Krishna, a major god in Hinduism. In the ''Mahabharata'', it was a city located in what is now Dwarka, formerly called Kushasthali, the fort of which had to be repaired by the Yadavas. In this epic, the city is described as a capital of the Anarta Kingdom. According to the ''Harivamsa'' the city was located in the region of the Sindhu Kingdom. In the Hindu epics and the Puranas, Dvaraka is called Dvaravati and is one of seven Tirtha (Hinduism), Tirtha (pilgrimage), Sapta Puri (seven sacred cities of Hinduism), for spiritual liberation. The other six are Mathura, Ayodhya (Ramayana), Ayodhya, Varanasi, Ka ...
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Pradyumna
Pradyumna () is the eldest son of the Hindu deities Krishna and his wife Rukmini. He is considered to be one of the four vyuha avatars of Vishnu. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Pradyumna was the reincarnation of Kamadeva, the god of love. The Mahabharata states that Pradyumna was a portion of Sanat Kumara. The Harivamsa describes the chaturvyuha, consisisting of the Vrishni heroes Vāsudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, that would later be the basis for the Vaishnava concept of primary quadrupled expansion, or avatara. Pradyumna is also another name of the Hindu god Vishnu, mentioned to be one of the 24 Keshava Namas (names). Birth and early life Pradyumna was the son of Krishna and the sixty-first grandson of Adinarayana. His mother was Rukmini, whom Krishna had eloped with from Vidarbha during her swayamvara on her request. Pradyumna was born in Dvaraka and was the reincarnation of the demigod Kamadeva, a deity who was burnt to ashes by the fury of ...
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Anushasana Parva
The Anushasana Parva (, IAST: Anuśāsanaparva) ("Book of Instructions") is the thirteenth of the eighteen ''parvas'' (books) of the Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. It traditionally has 2 parts and 168 chapters.Ganguli, K.M. (1883-1896)Anusasana Parva in ''The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa'' (12 Volumes). CalcuttaDutt, M.N. (1903) ''The Mahabharata (Volume 13): Anushasana Parva''. Calcutta: Elysium Press The critical edition has 2 parts and 154 chapters. Sometimes this parva is referred to as the "Book of Precepts". ''Anushasana Parva'' continues the theme of ''Shanti Parva'', a discussion of duties of a ruler, the rule of law, instructions on dharma for those close to the leader. The dialogue is between Yudhishthira, Bhishma and other sages. The book debates the duties, behaviours and habits of individuals, with chapters dedicated to men and to women. Various types of marriages are mentioned and their merits compared. The parva also recites many symbolic tales and legends s ...
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Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is widely revered among Hindu divinities. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Krishna Janmashtami according to the lunisolar calendar, 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 Līlā''. He is a central figure in the ''Mahabharata'', the ''Bhagavata Purana'', the ''Brahma Vaivarta Purana,'' and the ''Bhagavad Gita'', and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophy, Hindu philosophical, Hindu theology, theological, and Hindu mythology, mythological texts. They portray him in various perspectives: as a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, ...
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Sahadeva
Sahadeva () was the youngest of the five Pandava brothers in the ancient Indian epic, the '' Mahabharata''. He and his twin brother Nakula were the sons of Madri, one of the wives of the Pandava patriarch Pandu, and Ashvini Kumaras, the divine twin physicians of the gods, whom she invoked to beget her sons due to Pandu's inability to progenate. Sahadeva is renowned for his wisdom, knowledge of astrology, and skill in swordsmanship. Sahadeva was married to Draupadi, as were his four brothers. He was also married to Vijaya of Madra kingdom. He had two sons, Shrutasena and Suhotra, from his two wives respectively. Sahadeva played a crucial role during the Rajasuya of Yudhishthira, where he conquered the kings of the South. After Yudhishthira lost all of his possessions to Duryodhana in the game of dice, Sahadeva vowed to slay Shakuni, Duryodhana's maternal uncle, who had used loaded dice to unfairly win the game. Afterwards, the Pandavas and Draupadi were exiled for thi ...
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Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures 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 cursed inability to naturally sire 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 the split, the other part of the kingdom was ruled by their cousins, the Kauravas. However, the Pandavas lost their kingdom to Duryodhana (eldest and king of the Kauravas) when Yudhishthira gambled it away during a game of dice. The bet Yudhishtira agreed to was that the Pandavas would hand the kingdom over to the Kauravas and go into exile for 12 followed by an year in hiding. After this ...
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Raivataka
Raivataka mountain was a mountain mentioned in the epic Mahābhārata and in the Harivaṃśa-purāṇa 2.55.111. In the Mahabharata it was mentioned as situated in the Anarta Kingdom. In the Harivaṃśa-purāṇa it is "close to the sporting ground of the King Raivataka" (2.56.29) and called "the living place for the gods" (2.55.111). People from Dvārakā visited this mountain and celebrated its worshipping as a grand festival. The same mountain also features prominently in Māgha's Śiśupāla-vadha. This mountain is identified to be the Girnar mountains in Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ....Vittam Mani Puranic Encyclopaedia, p.626 References Ancient Indian mountains {{Junagadh-geo-stub ...
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Yadava
The Yadava (), not to be confused with Yadav, were an ancient Indian people who believed to have descended from Yadu (legendary king), Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the #The Satvatas, Satvatas, Andhakas, Bhoja tribe, Bhojas, #The Kukuras, Kukuras, Vrishni, Surasena, Surasenas, and Abhira tribe, Abhira 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. Amongst the Yadava clans mentioned in ancient Indian literature, the Haihayas are believed to have descended from Sahasrajit, elder son of YaduPargiter, F. E. (1972) [1922]. ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition'', Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p. 87. and all other Yadava clans, which include the Cedī (tribe), Chedis, the Vidarbha kingdom, Vidarbhas, the Sa ...
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