The maid of Queen Kaikeyi was reborn from a previous lifetime as a gandharvi (heavenly musician). Manthara’s sins from that lifetime produced her condition as a hunchback in her birth as the queen’s maid and advisor. Manthara planted the idea in Kaikeyi’s mind to ask Dasaratha to send Sri Rama to the forest for fourteen years and to enthrone her own son, Bharata, as the king.
The Skanda Purana says that Mangala (Mars) was born of the sweat of (Siva, which was produced on his forehead when he heard the news that his wife Sati had committed suicide at Daksha’s sacrifice (Dakshayaga). The planet Mars is worshipped as a deity.
In her previous birth, Mandodari had been a celestial damsel (apsara) named Madhura. Madhura went to Kailasa to worship Siva, having observed a special vow, the Somavara vrata. When Madhura reached Kailasa, Parvati, Siva’s wife, was not there. Madhura worshipped and praised Siva. But they were attracted to each other and made love. When Parvati returned to Kailasa, she saw Madhura’s breast smeared with the ash from Siva’s body. Parvati went into a great fury and cursed Madhura to live as a frog for twelve years. Siva was grief-struck. He … Continue reading
Mandakarni did austerities (tapas) in a pond for ten thousand years. Indra became fearful that Mandakarni’s tapas would be used to gain a boon that would upset the order of heaven, so he sent five celestial maidens (apsaras) to distract him. The five apsaras did distract Mandakarni. He built a palace near the pond and lived with the maidens for many years. The palace became famous for music and dance. Even Rama and Lakshmana visited Pancapsaras Palace (five celestials palace) during their exile in the forest. Mandakarni had no tapas … Continue reading
This title of child of mind was given to those who were born of the mind of Brahma, the creator. Lists of seven, nine, and ten are given. In most cases the manasa-putras are thought of as identical to the Prajapatis, the progenitors of all beings in each creation. The list of nine included Bhrigu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Angiras, Marici, Daksha, Atri, and Vasishtha.
This story has interesting implications about karma and rebirth. A brahmin woman was mentioned in the Skanda Purana for her bad character and equally bad deeds. Consequently, she was reborn as a dog. But during that lifetime she was able to observe a vow of purification (Sukladvadashi vrata) and was reborn next as an apsara (celestial damsel)—the famed Urvasi. It was Urvasi who was attracted to Arjuna during his time as a dance instructor. It was also Urvasi who was cursed by Mitra and Varuna for exciting them.
Maitreyi was mentioned in the Vedas and Puranas as one of the wisest and most virtuous of women. Maitreyi was married to the great philosopher-sage Yajnavalkya. She was noted as being especially learned in the scriptures. In one of the Upanishads Maitreyi engaged her husband in one of Hindu philosophy’s great dialogues: about happiness as the most important experience in life.
This version of an episode involving King Nimi and the sage Vasishtha was given in the Devi Bhagavata. Nimi and Vasishtha had cursed each other, and the result for Vasishtha was that he was alive but had no body. Vasishtha went to Brahma for advice and was told to merge with the brilliance of Mitra-Varuna (the composite sun deity). So Vasishtha went to Mitra-Varuna’s asrama (hermitage) and merged with that brilliance. When the apsara (celestial damsel) Urvasi came to the asrama, she excited Mitra-Varuna, whose seed was collected in a … Continue reading
There was a time when the mountains could fly. When they came to earth, they caused injury and suffering. Humans prayed to Indra, and he cut off the mountains’ wings. The mythic tradition used Mainaka in a variety of ways without much regard to an actual location. Mainaka was the son of Himalaya and was rescued by his friend Vayu, the wind god. Mainaka lived according to one account in the ocean. Thereby Mainaka helped Hanuman, the great monkey god and servant of Rama, cross the ocean on his way … Continue reading
At the beginning of this creation, Kasiyapa-prajapati and Danu had two powerful sons who competed with the devas (gods), Rambha and Karambha. They practiced austerities (tapas) in order to defeat the gods, but in spite of this Karambha was killed by Indra. Rambha chose to use Brahma’s boon for his ascetic practice to gain a son who would not be defeated by devas or asuras. The boon was granted, and the son was born to his wife, a mahishi (she- buffalo) of great charm. Some versions stated that Rambha lost … Continue reading
