Cyavana was a son of the great teacher and priest of the demons, Bhrigu. Cya- vana had become a great magician like his father, but he had grown old and blind. The Asvins, the Divine Twins, cured Cyavana of both his old age and blindness. After getting back his youth, Cyavana was extremely happy with theAsvins, who had won their fame as physicians to the gods. Now Indra had banned the Asvins from partaking of soma, the celestial drink. Cyavana prom­ised that he would help them get soma, even if … Continue reading →

Queen Cudala’s accomplishment was placed long ago in the first Dvapara yuga of the seventh manvantara (world cycle). Perhaps that placement in an age of greater spiritual potential was why ks’atriyas were able to achieve great powers (siddhis) without mention of a brahmin teacher and a woman could learn faster than her husband. It seemed also to be a time when humans did not wish to yield to the temptation of calling for help from a god. An alternative interpretation is that we are dealing with an anti-priestly myth with … Continue reading →

Citrasena had many roles in the Puranic and Epic literature. While flying overhead in his celestial chariot, Citrasena accidentally spat on the sage Galava, who complained to Krishna, who in turn vowed to kill Cit- rasena before sunset. The good old sage Narada telepathically learned of all this and told Citrasena. So Citrasena’s two wives, Sandhyavali and Ratnavali, made a firepit before the abode of Subhadra, wife of Arjuna and sister of Krishna. They planned either to win her help or to die with their husband on his funeral pyre. … Continue reading →

In the Mahabharata while the Pandavas were walking in the forest after killing the demons Hidimbha and Baka, they heard a sound in the river nearby of some­body taking a bath. Arjuna went to see who was taking a bath at night. He saw the gandharva king Citraratha and his wife Kumbhinasi bathing together. It was the only moment that it was possible for a human to see a gandharva—at twi­light when it was between night and day. Citraratha was furious at having a human spy on his privacy and … Continue reading →

One day while she and her friends were taking a bath in a forest pond, Cit- rangada saw Prince Suratha, son of Sudeva, walking by. She recognized that Suratha was in love and that she would give herself to him. Her friends tried to restrain her impulse but could not. Learning of this, her father, Visvakarma, cursed her that she would never marry. Citrangada fainted, but her friends believed that she was dead and took her to the cremation ground beside the Sarasvati River. They left her there while they … Continue reading →

This little story has great popular appeal. One even finds it alluded to or even added as a scene within modern Indian films or video serials. According to the Bhagavata Purana Chitralekha had an unusual ability to draw portraits. She drew one from an account of a dream that Usha, a princess, gave. The portrait actually was the picture of someone whom Usha was yet to meet. Usha fell in love with the portrait and then discovered that it was Aniruddha, grandson of Krishna. Later, when Aniruddha was brought to … Continue reading →

This nested myth within a myth begins with a king and queen being granted a child; they then gain the blessing of becoming gandharvas (celestial musicians), but the story ends with the king cursed to become a demon. According to the Bhagavata Purana King Citraketu and his queen had been childless for many years before they received a blessing from the sage Angiras. From that blessing came a son. However, not long after the infant died. With great sorrow Citraketu took the body of his son to Angiras. Angiras was … Continue reading →

These were the seven beings who did not have to experience death. Hanuman was one among the ciranjivis. The other six chiranjivis were Asvatthama, Maha- bali (Bali), Vyasa, Vibhishana, Kripa, and Parasu-Rama. Accordingly, they are all still alive in this creation and perhaps will be in all others.