Ashta Vasu :Vasishta’s curse; rebirth as mortals(Mahabharta)

September 11, 2022 storiesofindiaretold 0 Comments

Vasus are deities representing the eight elements—earth, water, fire, wind, sun, sky, moon and the stars. Each elemental god has a name and it varies depending on which Indian literature you are referring to. In the Mahabharata, they are named Dhara, Aha, Anala, Anila, Pratyusha, Prabhasa, Soma and Dhruva, respectively. They are said to be the children of Manu, who is the son of Brahma, and are collectively called the ashta vasu or eight vasus. The Vasus, very unwisely, decide to steal sage Vasishta’s cow and get in trouble. Vasishta curses them with life of a mortal on earth. The Vasus beg Ganga to help them manage the curse.

Bhishma:Birth; vow of Brahmacharya; boon to choose time of death

September 4, 2022 storiesofindiaretold 0 Comments

The story of Bhishma’s birth and his vow to be childless is told in the Sambhava Parva of the Mahabharata.    As commander of the Kuru army and the grand-uncle to both the Kauravas and Pandavas, Bhishma is one of the main protagonists of the story. The son of King Shantanu and goddess Ganga, he …

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Yayati’s love triangle; obsession with his youth; why Puru was made heir.

May 25, 2022 storiesofindiaretold 5 Comments

Sauti Vaishampayana tells the story of: the story of the origin of the Kuru lineage. He lists the names of all the rulers of the lunar dynasty, starting from Daksha, who was considered Brahma’s son, all the way to the tenth in the line, Yayati, who was the son of Nahusha and Priyavasa; Yayati’s marriage to Devyani; his relationship with Sharmishta—Devyani’s friend-turned-slave; his obsession with his youth and what he did to hold on to it; and why he decided to make his youngest son, Puru, his heir. From Puru came the Pourava dynasty, who are the ancestors of the Puru or Kuru linieage, which include the Kauravas and the Pandavas.