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In the Rama myth cycle in his previous life Kabandha was a gandharva called Visvavasu. He was born to a gandharva called (Sri Visvavasu, who was also known by the name Danu. Visvavasu performed a penance (tapas) and received the boon of immortality from Brahma. Arrogant about this boon, Visvavasu then attacked Indra. In the great battle that followed Indra used his divine discus (Vajrayudha). The head and thighs of Visvavasu were squeezed into his body, and his mouth was pushed down to his abdomen. Upon Visvavasu’s pleading, Indra gave … Continue reading →

According to the Devi Bhagavata Janamejaya was but an infant when his father King Parikshit died from the poisonous bite of Takshaka, king of the serpents. At an appropriate age Janamejaya was crowned king of Hastinapura. When he learned exactly how his father had died, Janamejaya sought a way to rid the world of snakes. Many great priests came to his kingdom to help perform a rit­ual called Sarpasatra. Soon their mantras and oblations, given to the sacred fire pit, called snakes of all kinds into the fire where they … Continue reading →

Jambuka’s ascetic practices threatened the very foundations of Rama’s perfect rule as king (ramarajya). Jambuka was a Sudra who had adopted spiritual exer­cises (tapas) that he was not entitled to practice. Rama had returned from twelve years of exile, and his rule in Ayodhya seemed to fulfill dharma (righteousness) in every possible way. Then one day a brahmin and his wife brought their dead child to the king’s court. It did not seem possible that there could be a child-death during a ramarajya. The know-it-all sage Narada pointed to a … Continue reading →

The goddess Samjna created her replica, Chaya, in order to fool her husband, the sun (Surya). After having three children by Surya (Manu, Yama, and Yami), Samjna could no longer stand the heat of his affections. So she created Chaya to take her place. Things went well for a while, and Chaya gave birth to Sani (the planet Saturn), a Manu (first human of a cosmic age) known as Savarni, and a river goddess, Tapati. Chaya treated her own children so well that Yama, who had been fooled as completely … Continue reading →