Lakshmana was the younger half-brother of Rama by the third and youngest wife of King Dasiaratha of Ayodhya. But his affection for Rama was understood to have been the result of his previous lifetime—as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu’s serpent, the one who floated as his bed on the cosmic ocean, Ananta (also called Sesha). Lakshmana could even be counted as a one-eighth incarnation of Vishnu. Lakshmana was the archetype of brotherly devotion, an example of pure human love and devotion (bhakti). Lakshmana married Urmila, with whom he had two … Continue reading →

Kurukshetra simply means “the field of the Kurus.” The Kurus or Kauravas decended from Kuru, a king of the Lunar Dynasty. About eighty-five miles north-northeast of Delhi, Kurukshetra has been an important pilgrimage site (tirtha) for at least twenty centuries. References in the Mahabharata to a firealtar (vedi) of Brahma would indicate that this area was considered the very heart of the Aryan or Bharata homeland. These plains also saw great historic bat­tles, including those with the Mughals in the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries.

This is one of the richest myths in the Vishnu myth cycle. Its popularity makes it pan-Indian and not just sectarian, even though many versions attempt to prove the ultimacy of Vishnu and his supremacy over Siva. When it is seen as an ori­gin myth, answering the question of how the gods became immortal, this myth also includes a trickster myth, which tells how the gods tricked the demons out of their share of the sacrifices and especially out of receiving the drink of immor­tality (amrita, or amritsa). There are … Continue reading →

Kunti was the aunt of Shri Krishna, mother of the five Pandavas and a sixth son Karna, and wife of King Pandu. Kunti was a heroine of the Mahabharata. As a child Kunti was given to a royal cousin, King Kuntibhoja, who was childless. She was given responsibility over religious arrangements in his palace. That was when she met and served the powerful brahmin Durvasa. In his gratitude for her devotion, Durvasa gave her a magical incantation that had the power to mani­fest any god upon whom she was thinking … Continue reading →

Kumbhakarna appeared in the Ramayana in a line of rebirths that started in Brahma’s court in heaven (svarga). In that lifetime he had been Vijaya, one of a pair of twin doorkeepers who were cursed for not properly performing their duties. He was reborn as Hiranyakasiipu and killed by Vishnu in his Narasimha incarnation (avatara). Next he was reborn as Kumbhakarna, to be killed by Vishnu in his Rama avatara. Kumbhakarna was a son of Visravas by his rakshasa (night-wandering demon) wife Keshini. He was a full brother of Ravana. … Continue reading →

Kucela was a fellow student with Krishna of the sage Sandipani. They were close friends as students, but lost contact in the following years. Kucela could not pro­vide for his large family, and all were on the verge of starvation. One day his wife sent Kucela to visit Krishna with only a small package of rice as a gift—their last food. Krishna accepted the rice and ate a handful. Perhaps Krishna forgot to pro­vide a feast for Kucela as they became engrossed in their renewed friendship, and perhaps Kucela forgot … Continue reading →

The myth of Kubja is embedded within that of Tilottama, an apsara. Kubja either gained liberation from her performance of auspicious rituals, especially the one known as the Magha bath, or was transformed into a beautiful woman by the embrace of Sri Krishna. Kubja was the rebirth of the celestial damsel called Tilottama, or Kubja might be seen as the incarnation of Tilottama.

Kubera has been interpreted to be a deva and, as such, the god of wealth. There were several versions of his parentage. In the Atharvaveda Kubera was chief of the spirits of darkness and son of Vaishravana. In the Mahabharata Kubera was son of the grandfather (prajapati) Pulastya, by his wife Idavida, and brother of Visiravas. However, in the Puranas his lineage, born of Visiravas by Ilibila, became fixed and he was king of the Yakshas (the “marvelous” or “mysterious” ones)—and thus an asura (demon). His half brother was Ravana, … Continue reading →

This is one of the richest Hindu myths. It is a creation myth and also a trickster myth, and it is nested in the Vishnu myth cycle as an avatara (incarnation) myth. It has versions that are pan-Indian and versions that are sectarian (those used to prove the supremacy and ultimacy of Vishnu). When it functions as an origin myth, answering the question of how the gods (devas) became immortal, this myth also becomes a trickster myth—how the devas trick the demons (asuras) out of their share of the sacrifices … Continue reading →

Six of the wives of the seven sages, known as the maharishis, were suspected of committing adultery with Agni and were cursed to become the Krittikas, star sisters of the Pleiades. Astrological symbolism resides in this myth, giving an idea of what was observable at that time in the heavens. Mythologically there was ambiguity about their becoming stars. Some versions implied that this fate was a reward for their nursing the creation of (Siva, as Subrahmanya, while other versions made it a punishment. Also the paternity of Skanda as Subrahmanya, … Continue reading →