A Journey To Discover Life

Navaratri , The Nine Days Dedicated to the Nine Forms of  Goddess Adi Shakti . In different parts of India, the traditions of the Navratri are quite different from one another. But the celebration is the same. The celebration of the  Mother Goddess, The Woman, The Protector, The Slayer of Evil. Durga Puja is celebrated for four days in Bengal during the same time. Day 1: The worship of Goddess Shailputri She, in this Avatar, is the Daughter Of The Mountains. Parvati, a reincarnation of Sati, was born to King Himalaya and his wife Meneka and was the sister of Goddess Ganga and Mount Mainak. In this avatar, she is unmarried and seen making a journey on Nandi, the Bull, Shiva's ride. This reflects the fact that she is making a journey from her Father to her Husband, thus from maidenhood to womanhood. Her white clothes are a symbol of the purity of her heart and soul. Nandi reflects the calm nature of this goddess; however, she also holds a trident as a mark of her power...

The Mythical world had many wonders, magical and fascinating. Yet, most scientific in form. One such element in the  Puranas  is the  Amrita . It is a drink churned from the sea that made the  Devas  immortal. But the religion only says that nobody, even Brahma, can be immortal. The  Amrita  ensured the longevity and healthy lives of the  Devas  and their families. People in the  Satya Yug  used to live four times the average age now, that is, 65 years.  Amrita  helped them stay fit and healthy. Then came the  Treta Yug , when the  Rig Vedas  were formed in their initial stages and handed over to the  Devas . The  Devas  must have thought of ensuring the secrets of the  Amrita  with their successors, and hymns were made for it. The story of how they churned the seas with the asuras came alive. People in  Treta  lived three times the age they live now.  Towards the end ...

The great Rishi Saunak and his students had once gathered at the Naimisharanya at the beginning of the Kali Yuga to save themselves from the effects of this age. Here, Ugrasrava Sauti, the great Sage and son of Sage Lomharshana, came to meet them. He surprised them with stories of King Janamejaya's strange Swarpa Yagna and the strangest tales he heard from Maharshi Krishna Dwaipayana Vyas Dev there, at this strangest of events. The eager Rishis asked Sauti about the story of Bhrigu and Agni. Bhrigu was a powerful Rishi. His wife was Puloma, the Daughter of Daksha Prajapati and granddaughter of Brahma. One day, when his wife was pregnant, he left her in the darkness of the awaiting dawn to go for a dip in the holy Ganges far away. She was alone in the hut when a Rakshasa attacked her. Scared and alone, Puloma cried helplessly for aid. Her beauty had mesmerised the animals who wanted to marry her by force. The demon leader took her into the hut and shut the door. But inside the hut, ...

The shopping mall echoed with a noise. The buzz grew silent. Fear crept in. Until somebody shouted, " It's just a Balloon!" The buzz grew again, the shopping continued, the romantic couples continued their walks, and the food court filled up with the aroma of the orders... A few decades back, people used to laugh carefree at a balloon bursting or a tyre booming in the streets or in various crowded areas. Now, in the back of everyone's head, a loud noise always brings the same thoughts... Another year, another city, another crowded place, Several innocent lives. They don't spare religious places either. For the sake of mankind? Religion? Politics? Power? They only know. Who are they? Nobody knows. It is said that the demon Kaali, who ushered in KaliYug, decided to reside in a few things. Addiction, Wealth, Desire, and Anger are some such things he resides in. This is KaliYug, where an innocent child's balloon makes adults fear the extremes. What is dharma here?...

  T he Trinity was in a dilemma. The  Dwapar  Yug has lost its value. Its consequences needed to be faced.  Kaali Yug  needed to be ushered in. Once again, it was time for  Vishnu  to take human form and purify the earth of all evils. Ram had removed evil from the Treta Yug; it was now time for Krishna to be born. A meeting was called for all  Devas  and  Gandharvas, Demons  and  Nagas  who reached  Swarga Lok . Vishnu spoke to the eager crowd that gathered to hear the Trinity. Vishnu “It’s time again, all devas; it’s time to remove evil from Dwapar once and for all… I have decided it’s time to take birth as an Avatar once again. You all have helped Ram usher in Dwapar, and I hope that you volunteer to do the same with Krishna.”  He added, happily looking at his family in the crowd,  “Laxmi will join me as Yajnaseni Draupadi, and Anant Naga as my elder brother Balaram.” “I have already heard that you have bl...

We have all heard of the famous immortals of Hindu Mythology. Hanuman to Vyas Dev to Ashwathama. The  Immortals of Hindu mythology  are called  Chiranjibi,  meaning "one who lives forever". However, it is in Hinduism itself that it is mentioned that no mortal body can be immortal; they pass on after a certain time on earth. Even Brahma is not free from this cycle. His earthly body collapses. Then who are immortals? What does it mean? First, let's start with the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. Brahma, the creator, resides in the minds of all creators. Scientists, Mothers, artists, everyone is a part of Brahma. He who creates. Brahma is immortal through every creation on earth. Vishnu is the protector and preserver. He resides in every mortal. They protect their families, their morals, and their cultures. All reflect the aspects of Vishnu. Hence, it is the common belief that Vishnu resides in all mortals. Hence, we touch our feet or Pranipat our elders to worshi...

Abhimanyu's Death changed the course of the battle for the Pandavas. They fought with rage and won the battle in the next five days. They slay each warrior in the same ruthless way to seek revenge for Abhimanyu. But my question is, was it all worth it? Was the throne of Hastinapur more precious than the young lives lost? Are cousins killing each other? Disrobing a woman in the courtroom? Where was Dharma in silence? Ram left Ayodhya without a question. Kaikeyi became the villain in the life of the favourite son of the kingdom. Her own son hated her. Sita suffered for it, Ayodhya suffered for it, and Dasharatha died in grief. Was it all worth the throne of Ayodhya? Vibhishana and Sugriva fought with their own brothers and betrayed them for the throne. Power has always been this manipulative. People say Power is the strongest of all desires. It can do almost anything like magic. The great epics are indeed proof of this Human behaviour. If we consider characters as mere humans living ...