The purpose of Adhyay 4- Bhagavad Gita

Here is the purpose of Adhyay 4 from Bhagavad Gita. sri-Bhagavan uvaca imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave ‘bravit The

June 24, 2016

Stotras related to Sri Ganesha – Sri Ganpati Atharvashirsha

Sanskrit:
ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाग्‍ँसस्तनूभिः । व्यशेम देवहितं यदायूः ।।
English Translation:
Om bhadram karnebhih shrunuyam devaaha | Bhadram pashchemakshabhirya jatraha |
Sthirairangaistushtuvamsastanubhih | Vyashem devahitam yadayuhu

Sanskrit:
स्वस्ति न इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः । स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः । स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः । स्वस्ति नो वृहस्पतिर्दधातु ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
English Translation:
Om swasti na Indro vrudhashravaha | Swasti nah pusha vishvavedaah | Swasti nastaakshyo arishtanemih |
Swasti no bruhaspatirdadhatu | || Om Shantih Shantih Shantih ||

Sanskrit:
ॐ नमस्ते गणपतये ॥१॥
English Translation:
Om namaste Ganapataye

Sanskrit:
त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं तत्त्वमसि । त्वमेव केवलं कर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव केवलं धर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव केवलं हर्ताऽसि । त्वमेव सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्मासि ।
त्वं साक्षादात्माऽसि नित्यम् ॥1॥
English Translation:
Twameva Pratyksham Tatvamasi | Twameva Kevalam Kartasi | Twameva Kevalam Dhartasi |Twameva Kevalam Hartasi |
Twameva Sarvam Khalvidam Brahmasi | Twam Sakashadatamasi Nityam || 1 ||

Sanskrit:
ऋतं वच्मि । सत्यं वच्मि ॥2॥
English Translation:
Rutam vachami | Satyam vachmi || 2 ||

Sanskrit:
अव त्वं माम् । अव वक्तारम् । अव श्रोतारम् । अव दातारम् । अव धातारम् । अवानूचानमव शिष्यम् । अव पुरस्तात् । अव दक्षिणात्तात् ।
अव पश्चात्तात् । अवोत्तरात्तात् । अव चोर्ध्वात्तात् । अवाधरात्तात् । सर्वतो मां पाहि पाहि समन्तात् ॥३॥
English Translation:
Ava Twam Mam | Ava Vaktaram | Ava Shrotaram | Ava Dataram | Ava Dhataram | Avanuchanavamshishyam
Ava Pashchattat | Ava Purasttat | Avotarattat | Ava Dakshinattat | Ava Chordhvattat | Ava Dharattat |
Sarvato Mam Pahi Pahi Samantat || 3 ||

Sanskrit:
त्वं वाङ्मयस्त्वं चिन्मयः । त्वमानन्दमयस्त्वं ब्रह्ममयः । त्वं सच्चिदानन्दाऽद्वितीयोऽसि । त्वं प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि । त्वं ज्ञानमयो विज्ञानमयोऽसि ॥४॥
English Translation:
Twam Vangamaystyam Chinmayaha | Twam Anandmayastvam Brahmamaya | Twam Satchidanandadvitiyosi |
Twam Pratyaksham Brahmasi | Twam Dnyanamayo Vidnyanmayosi || 4 ||

Sanskrit:
सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तो जायते । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वत्तस्तिष्ठति । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि लयमेष्यति । सर्वं जगदिदं त्वयि प्रत्येति । त्वं भूमिरापोऽनलोऽनिलो नभः ।
त्वं चत्वारि वाक् {परिमिता} पदानि ।। ५ ।।
English Translation:
Sarvam Jagadidam Twatto Jayate | Sarvam Jagadidam Twattastishthati | Sarvam Jagadidam Twayi Layamesheti |
Sarvam Jagadidam Twayi Pratyeti | Twam Bhumiraponalo Nilo Nabhaha | Twam Chatwari Vakpadani || 5 ||

Sanskrit:
त्वं गुणत्रयातीतः । त्वं अवस्थात्रयातीतः । त्वं देहत्रयातीतः । त्वं कालत्रयातीतः । त्वं मूलाधारस्थितोऽसि नित्यम् । त्वं शक्तित्रयात्मकः ।
त्वां योगिनो ध्यायन्ति नित्यम् । त्वं ब्रह्मा त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं रुद्रस्त्वमिन्द्रस्त्वमग्निस्त्वंवायुस्त्वं सूर्यस्त्वं चन्द्रमास्त्वं ब्रह्म भूर्भुवस्सुवरोम् ॥६॥
English Translation:
Twam Gunatrayatitaha | Twam Dehatrayatitaha | Twam Kalatrayatitaha | Twam Muladharasthitosi Nityam |
Twam Shaktitrayatmakaha | Twaam Yogino Dhyayanti Nityam | Twam Brahma tvam, Twam Vishnustvam Rudrastvam
Indrastvam Agnistvam Vayustvam Suryastvam Chandramastvam Brahmabhurbhuvaswarom || 6 ||

Sanskrit:
गणादिं पूर्वमुच्चार्य वर्णादींस्तदनन्तरम् । अनुस्वारः परतरः । अर्धेन्दुलसितम् । तारेण ऋद्धम् । एतत्तव मनुस्वरूपम् । गकारः पूर्वरूपम् । अकारो मध्यरूपम् ।
अनुस्वारश्चान्त्यरूपम् । बिन्दुरुत्तररूपम् । नादस्संधानम् । सग्ं‌हिता संधिः । सैषा गणेशविद्या । गणक ऋषिः । निचृद्गायत्रीच्छन्दः । गणपतिर्देवता ।
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः ।। ७ ।।
English Translation:
Ganadhim Purvamuchharya Varnadim Tadanuntaram | Anuswara Parataraha | Ardhendulasitam | Tarena Ruddham |
Etattava Manuswaroopam | Gakarah Purvaroopam | Aakaro Madhyamarupam | Anuswaraschyantyarupam |
Binduruttararupam | Nadah Sandhanam | Sanhita Sandhih | Saisha Ganeshvidhya | Ganakarushih |
Nichrudgayatrichandaha | Ganapatirdevata | Om Gan Ganapataye Namaha || 7 ||

Sanskrit:
एकदन्ताय विद्महे वक्रतुण्डाय धीमहि । तन्नो दन्तिः प्रचोदयात् ॥८॥
English Translation:
Ekadantaya Vidmahe | Vakaratundaya Dhimahi | Tanno Dantih Prachodayat || 8 ||

Sanskrit:
एकदन्तं चतुर्हस्तं पाशमङ्कुशधारिणम् । रदं च वरदं हस्तैर्बिभ्राणं मूषकध्वजम् ॥ रक्तं लम्बोदरं शूर्पकर्णकं रक्तवाससम् । रक्तगन्धानुलिप्ताङ्गं रक्तपुष्पैस्सुपूजितम् ॥
भक्तानुकम्पिनं देवं जगत्कारणमच्युतम् । आविर्भूतं च सृष्ट्यादौ प्रकृतेः पुरुषात्परम् । एवं ध्यायति यो नित्यं स योगी योगिनां वरः ॥९॥
English Translation:
Ekadantam Chaturhastam Pashmankushdharinam | Radam Cha Varadam Hasteirbibhranam Mushakadwajam |
Raktam LambodaramShurpakarnakam Raktavasasam |RaktagandhanuliptangamRaktapushpaih Supujitam |
Bhaktanukampinam DevamJagatkaranamchyutam |Aavirbhutam Cha ShrushtyadouPrakruteih Purushatparam |
Evam Dhyayati Yo Nityam Sa Yogi Yoginam Varah || 9 ||

Sanskrit:
नमो व्रातपतये । नमो गणपतये । नमः प्रमथपतये । नमस्तेऽस्तु लम्बोदरायैकदन्ताय विघ्ननाशिने शिवसुताय वरदमूर्तये नमः ॥१०॥
English Translation:
Namo Vratapataye Namo Ganapataye Namaha Pramathpataye Namaste Astu Lambodaraya Ekadantaya
Vighnashine Shivasutaya Varadamurtaye Namo Namaha || 10 ||

Stotras related to Sri Ganesha – Part I

Shloka 1: Ashtavinayaka Shloka

Sanskrit:
स्वस्ति श्रीगणनायकं गजमुखं मोरेश्वरं सिद्धिदम् ॥१॥
बल्लाळं मुरुडे विनायकमहं चिन्तामणिं थेवरे ॥२॥
लेण्याद्रौ गिरिजात्मजं सुवरदं विघ्नेश्वरं ओझरे ॥३॥
ग्रामे रांजणनामके गणपतिं कुर्यात् सदा मङ्गलम् ॥४॥

English Translation:
Svasti Shrii-Ganna-Naayakam Gaja-Mukham Moreshvaram Siddhidam ||1||
Ballaallam Murudde Vinaayakam-Aham Cintaamannim Thevare ||2||
Lennyaadrau Girijaatmajam Suvaradam Vighneshvaram Ojhare ||3||
Graame Raanjanna-Naamake Gannapatim Kuryaat Sadaa Manggalam ||4||

Meaning:
May Well-Being come to those who remember Sri Gananayaka, the leader of the Ganas, who has the Auspicious Face of an Elephant; Who abides as Moreshwara at Morgaon, and Who abides as giver of Siddhis at Siddhatek. ||1||
Who abides as Sri Ballala (at Pali), Who abides as Vinayaka, The Remover of Obstacles at Muruda (Mahad) and Who abides as Chintamani, a Wish-Fulfilling Gem at Thevur. ||2||
Who abides as Girijatmaja, Son of Devi Girija or Parvati at Lenyadri, and Who abides as Vigneshwara at Ojhara ||3||
Who abides as Ganapati in the village named Raanjana; May He always bestow His Auspicious Grace on us. ||4||

Also read: Ashtavinayaka: The eight abodes of Lord Ganesha

Shloka 2: Agajanana Padmarkam

Sanskrit:
अगजानन पद्मार्कं गजाननं अहर्निशम् ।
अनेकदंतं भक्तानां एकदन्तं उपास्महे ॥

English Translation:
Agajanana Padma-Arkam Gajananam Aharnisham |
Aneka-Dam-Tam Bhaktaanaam Eka-Dantam Upaasmahe ||

Meaning:
As the Rays from the Lotus-Face of Gauri is Always on Her Beloved Son Gajanana,
Similarly, the Grace of Sri Ganesha is Always on His Devotees; Granting their Many Prayers; the Devotees who with deep devotion Worship the Ekadanta ( Who is having a Single Tusk ).

Shloka 3: Gajananam Bhutaganadi Sevitam

Sanskrit:
गजाननं भूतगणादि सेवितं
कपित्थ जम्बूफलसार भक्षितम्
उमासुतं शोक विनाशकारणं
नमामि विघ्नेश्वर पादपङ्कजम् ॥

English Translation:
Gajananam Bhuuta-Gannaadi Sevitam
Kapittha Jambuu-Phala-Saara Bhakssitam
Umaa-Sutam Shoka Vinaasha-Kaarannam
Namaami Vighneshvara Paada-Pangkajam ||

Meaning:
I Salute Sri Gajananam, Who is having an Elephant Face, Who is Served by the Bhuta Ganas and Others,
Who Eats the Core of Kapittha Wood Apple and Jambu Rose Apple Fruits,
Who is the Son of Devi Uma (Devi Parvati) and the Cause of Destruction of Sorrows,
I Prostrate at the Lotus-Feet of Vigneshwara, the God Who Removes Obstacles.

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Who decides color for idols of hindu gods?

2 things.
1) Its in the stuti shlokas
2) As you want them to be.

Eg Ganesha. As described in Atharvashirsha

He is
रक्तं लंबोदरं शूर्पकर्णकं रक्तवाससम्‌॥
रक्तगंधानुलिप्तांगं रक्तपुष्पैः सुपूजितम्‌॥
(1st image)

His Form is having a Beautiful Reddish Glow (Raktam), with a Large Belly (Lambodara) and with Large Ears like Fans (Shurpa Karna);
He is wearing Red Garments (Rakta Vasam),
His Form is annointed with Red Fragrant Paste (Rakta Gandha),
and He is worshipped with Red Flowers (Rakta Pushpa),

But people also use light colors like skin color etc. (2nd Image)

Eg 2:
Saraswati (Stotra: Ya kundendu tushar)

या कुन्देन्दुतुषारहारधवला या शुभ्रवस्त्रावृता
या वीणावरदण्डमण्डितकरा या श्वेतपद्मासना ।
या ब्रह्माच्युतशंकरप्रभृतिभिर्देवैः सदा पूजिता
सा मां पातु सरस्वति भगवती निःशेषजाड्यापहा ॥१॥

Translation
Who is Pure White like Jasmine, with the Coolness of Moon,
Brightness of Snow and Shine like the Garland of Pearls; and
Who is Covered with Pure White Garments,
Whose Hands are Adorned with Veena (a stringed musical instrument) and the Boon-Giving Staff;
And Who is Seated on Pure White Lotus,

Eg 3:
Surya (Sun)

लोहितं रथमारूढं सर्वलोकपितामहम् ।

Translation
You are Reddish in colour, and mounted on a Chariot; You are the Grandfather of all persons.

Eg 4. Kalabhairaba (Stotra: Kalabhairav ashtak)

श्यामकायमादिदेवमक्षरं निरामयम् ।

Translation:
Whose Body is Dark, Who is the Primordial Lord, Who is Imperishable and Who is beyond Diseases [of the World]

Eg 5: Krishna (Stotra: Sri Bala Mukundashtakam)

इन्दीवरश्यामलकोमलाङ्गं
Translation:
Who is like a Dark-Blue Lotus with Tender and Soft Body (Image 1)

But there are idols where krishna is fair. Its as per people prefer.

14 Must Visit Ganesh Mandals in Mumbai

1) Lalbaug Cha Raja
Where: Ganesh Galli, Lalbaug.
The most famous Sarvajanik Ganapati in Mumbai

2) Girgaon Cha Raja
Where: Girgaon

Girgaoncha Raja - Hindu FAQs — Girgaoncha Raja

3) Rangari Badak Chawl
Where: Lalbaug

Rangari Badak Chawl - Hindu FAQs — Rangari Badak Chawl

4) Khetwadi
Where: Lane 1-12, Khetwadi
There are 12 lanes in Khetwadi and all 12 lanes have their own mandals and their ganpati.

Khetwadich Lane Ganpati - Hindu FAQs — Khetwadich Lane Ganpati

5) GSB Seva Mandal
Where: Ram Mandir, Wadala
The richest Ganpati.

GSB Seva Mandal - Hindu FAQs — GSB Seva Mandal

6) Parelcha Raja
Where: parel

7) Andhericha Raja
Where: Andheri

Andheri Cha Raja - Hindu FAQs — Andheri Cha Raja

8) Sahyadri Krida Mandal
Where: Tilak Nagar

Sahyadri Krida Mandal - Hindu FAQs — Sahyadri Krida Mandal

9) Icchapurti Ganesh, Fort
Where: Fort

Icchapurti Ganesh Fort - Hindu FAQs — Icchapurti Ganesh Fort

10) Keshavji Naik Chawl
Where: Girgaon
Mumbai’s first sarvajanik Ganpati is Keshavji Naik Chawl Ganpati which was started by Lokmanya Tilak in 1893.

Keshavji Naik Chawl - Hindu FAQs — Keshavji Naik Chawl

11) Mumbaicha Raja
Where: Ganesh Galli, Lalbaug.
One of the biggest ganesh murti of mumbai

Mumbaicha Raja - Ganesh Galli - Hindu FAQs — Mumbaicha Raja – Ganesh Galli

12) Tejukayacha Raja
Where: Lalbaug

Tejukaya Cha Raja - Hindu FAQs — Tejukaya Cha Raja

13) Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani
Where: Chinchpokli

Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani - Hindu FAQs — Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani

14) Tulsiwadi Cha Maharaja
Where: Tardeo

Tulsiwadi Cha Maharaja - Hindu FAQs — Tulsiwadi Cha Maharaja

Why are you told to enter a Temple with your right foot first?

There is a concept of prakriti and purush in Hinduism. Its a bit tough to explain but let me try to explain you in short. (I will write a big post of prakriti and purush explaining each and every small details later)

Samkhya: Samkhya or Sankhya is one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. Samkhya is strongly dualist.
It regards the universe as consisting of two realities, Pursha (consciousness) and Prakriti (matter).
a living being or Jiva is that state in which purusha is bonded to prakriti in some form. This fusion, state the Samkhya scholars, led to the emergence of buddhi (“spiritual awareness”) and ahankara (individualized ego consciousness).

The universe is described by this school as one created by Purusha-Prakriti entities infused with various permutations and combinations of variously enumerated elements, senses, feelings, activity and mind.

During the state of imbalance, one of more constituents overwhelm the others, creating a form of bondage, particularly of the mind. The end of this imbalance, bondage is called liberation, or moksha by Samkhya school of Hinduism.

Simplify:
Its a big topic, so i’ll just simplify it for you. Just learn this,
Prakriti = material reality and Purusha = spiritual reality

Material reality is to please our five senses. Sight, Hearing, Taste, Smell and touch are the five senses that we have. We work and do everything to please them. Every little and big thing you do in your life is to please one or all of these. From cleaning your house to visiting romantic places and to taste exotic foods.
Apart from this, material reality contains Art, Music, Sex, Pleasure, Prosperity, etc.

You will work hard, earn lot of money, your needs will increase, to keep up with them, you will work harder. It’s a loop. Human needs are unlimited, but the resources he have are always limited.
Material reality is impermanent; Sooner or later it withers away. Today you are eating the best food, tomorrow you may have a great financial loss and you won’t be able to afford what you can afford now. With this there comes a stage where you become restless, frustrated, pain, anxiety, stress, fear and all sorts of emotions.

So Now, Prakriti = material reality = Unstable

Purusha or spiritual growth is the ability to overpower these emotions so that one has the wisdom to appreciate and enjoy all things material without getting needy or clingy. One is happy when the material world favours us and not unhappy when it does not. This can only happen when material growth is accompanied by intellectual growth. Only intellectual growth can control emotional turmoil caused by dependence on material things.

So Now, Purusha = Spiritual reality = Stable

Ok i think you got the basic idea of Prakriti and Purusha. Now, Think of our human body. The heart is on the left side, so the side is unstable. and so that side i.e. the left side of a body is considered as Prakriti Side.
So eventually, the right side, being stable is Purusha Side.

Moving on, When any person wants to go to a temple, he want to go there to calm himself. Technically, to exit the material world and enter the Spiritual world. So sit there, calm himself, to meditate, to pray. So if an individual wants to enter the spirituality i.e. the purusha, then why not to start from spiritual side of the body i.e. the purusha, the stable side, i.e the Right side..

Hope you got the answer.

Further info:

You can stop reading here. But if you are intrested in further understanding prakriti and purusha side, here is the small explaination.

Visit an temple or see any Hindu GOD’s photo. If the GOD’s right leg is on the ground, He or she represents the Purusha side.

Shiva and shakti are perfect blend of Purusha and Prakriti. SHIVA symbolises consciousness, the masculine principle.
SHAKTI symbolises the feminine principle, the activating power and energy.

Lord shiva meditating defines purushastha

In Ganesha’s Idol, even the tusk can tell you that that particular idol represents purusha side or Prakriti side.

This Idol of lord Ganesh signifies Purushartha, as the tusk is on the right hand side of the idol’s body.

Likewise Saraswati and Lakshmi shows material reality which is Prakriti

Vishnu shows perfect blend of Prakriti and Purusha…

and last but not the least, our Trinity, which shows Lord Brahma as Prakriti, Vishnu as master of both prakriti and Purusha and Shiva as Purusha.

Hindu Trinity, which shows Lord Brahma as Prakriti, Vishnu as master of both prakriti and Purusha and Shiva as Purusha.

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Who are the seven immortals (Chiranjivi) of Hindu Mythology? Part 4

The seven Immortals (Chiranjivi) of Hindu Mythology are:

Aswathama
King Mahabali
Veda Vyasa
Hanuman
Vibhishana
Krupacharya
Parashuram

Read the first part to know about the first two Immortals i.e. ‘Aswathama’ & ‘Mahabali’ Here:
Who are the seven immortals (Chiranjivi) of Hindu Mythology? Part 1

Read the second part to know about the Third and forth Immortals i.e. ‘Veda Vyasa’ & ‘Hanuman’ Here:
Who are the seven immortals (Chiranjivi) of Hindu Mythology? Part 2

Read the third part to know about the Fifth and Sixth Immortals i.e. ‘Vibhishana’ & ‘Krupacharya’ Here:
Who are the seven immortals (Chiranjivi) of Hindu Mythology? Part 3

7) Parshuram:
Parshurama is the sixth avatar of Vishnu, He is son of Renuka and the saptarishi Jamadagni. He lived during the last Dvapara Yuga, and is one of the seven immortals or Chiranjivi, of Hinduism. He received an parashu(axe) after undertaking terrible penance to please Shiva, who in turn taught him the martial arts.

Parashurama is most known for ridding the world of kshatriyas twenty-one times over after the mighty king Kartavirya killed his father. He played important roles in the Mahabharata and Ramayana, serving as mentor to Bhishma, Karna and Drona. Parashurama also fought back the advancing seas to save the lands of Konkan, Malabar and Kerala.

It is said that Parashurama will act as a teacher for the last and final Avatar of Vishnu known as Kalki and will help him in undertaking penance in receiving celestial weaponry and knowledge which will be helpful in saving mankind at the end of the present Yuga that is the Kaliyuga.

Apart from these seven, Markandeya, a great rishi Who was blessed by Shiva, and Jambavan, a strong and wellknown character from Ramayana are also considered as Chiranjivins.

Markandeya:
Markandeya is an ancient rishi (sage) from the Hindu tradition, born in the clan of Bhrigu Rishi. He is celebrated as a devotee of both Shiva and Vishnu and is mentioned in a number of stories from the Puranas. The Markandeya Purana especially, comprises a dialogue between Markandeya and a sage called Jaimini, and a number of chapters in the Bhagavata Purana are dedicated to his conversations and prayers. He is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. Markandeya is venerated within all mainstream Hindu traditions.

Mrikandu rishi and his wife Marudmati worshipped Shiva and sought from him the boon of begetting a son. As a result he was given the choice of either a gifted son, but with a short life on earth or a child of low intelligence but with a long life. Mrikandu rishi chose the former, and was blessed with Markandeya, an exemplary son, destined to die at the age of 16.

Markandeya and shiva | Hindu FAQs — Markandeya and shiva

Markandeya grew up to be a great devotee of Shiva and on the day of his destined death he continued his worship of Shiva in his aniconic form of Shivalingam. The messengers of Yama, the god of death were unable to take away his life because of his great devotion and continual worship of Shiva. Yama then came in person to take away Markandeya’s life, and sprung his noose around the young sage’s neck. By accident or fate the noose mistakenly landed around the Shivalingam, and out of it, Shiva emerged in all his fury attacking Yama for his act of aggression. After defeating Yama in battle to the point of death, Shiva then revived him, under the condition that the devout youth would live forever. For this act, Shiva was thereafter known also as Kalantaka (“Ender of Death”).
Thus Maha Mrityunjaya Stotra is also attributed to Markandeya, and this legend of Shiva conquering death is inscribed in metal and worshipped at Thirukkadavoor in Tamilnadu, India.

Jambavan:
also known as Jamvanta, Jambavantha, Jambavat, or Jambuvan is a first form of humans created by god Brahma, with lots of hair on his body he is perhaps not a bear, later he appeared has a bear in next life in Indian epic tradition (though he is also described as a monkey in other scriptures), immortal to all but his father Vishnu. Several times he is mentioned as Kapishreshtha (Foremost among the monkeys) and other epithets generally given to the Vanaras. He is known as Riksharaj (King of the Rikshas). Rikshas are described as something like Vanaras but in later versions of Ramayana Rikshas are described as bears. He was created by Brahma, to assist Rama in his struggle against Ravana. Jambavan was present at the churning of the ocean, and is supposed to have circled Vamana seven times when he was acquiring the three worlds from Mahabali. He was the King of the Himalayas who had incarnated as a bear in order to serve Rama. He had received a boon from Lord Rama that he would have a long life, be handsome and would have the strength of ten million lions.

In the epic Ramayana, Jambavantha helped Rama find his wife Sita and fight her abductor,Ravana. It is he who makes Hanuman realize his immense capabilities and encourages him to fly across the ocean to search for Sita in Lanka.

In the Mahabharata, Jambavantha had killed a lion, who had acquired a gem called Syamantaka from Prasena after killing him. Krishna was suspected of killing Prasena for the jewel, so he tracked Prasena’s steps until he learned that he had been killed by a lion who had been killed by a bear. Krishna tracked Jambavantha to his cave and a fight ensued. After eighteen days, realizing who Krishna was, Jambavantha submitted. He gave Krishna the gem and also presented him his daughter Jambavati, who became one of Krishna’s wives.

Jambavan mentions two incidents in his life in the Ramayana. Once at the foot of Mount Mahendra, where Hanuman is about to take a leap and mentions that he could have jumped over the ocean to Lanka except that he got injured when he was beating the drum for Vishnu during the Vamana Avatara when the great god measured the three worlds. Vamana’s shoulder struck Jambavan and he was injured which limited his mobility.

And once during the Samudra-Manthan,he was present at the time of the event. He got to know about the all-curing plant Vishalyakarni from the gods there and he later used this information to order Hanumana to help an injured and unconscious Laxmana in the great battle with the Lanka emperor, Ravana.

Jambavan, together with Parasuram and Hanuman, is considered to be one of the few to have been present for both Ram and Krishna avatars. Said to have been present for the churning of the ocean and thus witness to the Kurma avatar, and further the Vaman avatar, Jambavan may well be the longest lived of the chiranjivis and have been witness to nine avatars.

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Who are the seven immortals (Chiranjivi) of Hindu Mythology? Part 2

The seven Immortals (Chiranjivi) of Hindu Mythology are:

Aswathama
King Mahabali
Veda Vyasa
Hanuman
Vibhishana
Krupacharya
Parashuram

Read the first part to know about the first two Immortals i.e. ‘Aswathama’ & ‘Mahabali’ Here:
Who are the seven immortals (Chiranjivi) of Hindu Mythology? Part 1

3) Vyasa:
Vyasa ‘व्यास’ is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa ‘वेदव्यास’, the one who classified the Vedas into four parts. His real name is Krishna Dvaipayana.
Veda Vyasa was a great sage born in the later stage of Treta Yuga and who has been said to have lived through the Dvapara Yuga and the current Kali Yuga. He was the son of Satyavati, daughter of the fisherman Dusharaj, and the wandering sage Parashara (who is credited with being the author of the first Purana: Vishnu Purana).
The sage like any other immortal is said to have a lifetime of this Manvantara or till the end of this Kali yuga. Veda Vyasa was the writer of Mahabharata and the Puranas (Vyasa is also credited with the writing of the eighteen major Puranas. His son Shuka or Suka is the narrator of the major Purana Bhagavat-Purana.) and also the one who split the Vedas in four parts. The splitting being a feat that allowed people to understand the divine knowledge of the Veda. The word Vyasa means split, differentiate, or describe. It can also be debated so that Veda Vyasa was not just one being but a group of scholars who worked on the Vedas.

Vyasa is traditionally known as author of this epic. But he also features as an important character in it. His mother later married the king of Hastinapura, and had two sons. Both sons died without issue and hence their mother asked Vyasa to go to the beds of the wives of her dead son Vichitravirya.

Vyasa fathers the princes Dhritarashtra and Pandu by Ambika and Ambalika. Vyasa told them that they should come alone near him. First did Ambika, but because of shyness and fear she closed her eyes. Vyasa told Satyavati that this child would be blind. Later this child was named Dhritarashtra. Thus Satyavati sent Ambalika and warned her that she should remain calm. But Ambalika’s face became pale because of fear. Vyasa told her that child would suffer from anaemia, and he would not be fit enough to rule the kingdom. Later this child was known as Pandu. Then Vyasa told Satyavati to send one of them again so that a healthy child can be born. This time Ambika and Ambalika sent a maid in the place of themselves. The maid was quite calm and composed, and she got a healthy child later named as Vidura. While these are his sons, another son Suka, born of his wife, sage Jabali’s daughter Pinjala (Vatika), is considered his true spiritual heir.

In the first book of the Mahabharata, it is described that Vyasa asked Ganesha to aid him in writing the text, however Ganesha imposed a condition that he would do so only if Vyasa narrated the story without pause. To which Vyasa then made a counter-condition that Ganesha must understand the verse before he transcribed it.
Thus Lord VedVyas narrated the whole Mahabharata and all the Upanishads and the 18 Puranas, while Lord Ganesha wrote.

Ganesha and Vyasa — Ganesha writing Mahabharata as told by Vyasa

Veda Vyasa in literal sense means the splitter of Vedas. Having said that however it is widely believed that he was a single human being. There always is a Veda Vyasa who lives through one Manvantara[a timeframe in ancient Hindu mythology.] and hence is immortal through this Manvantara.
Veda Vyasa is said to live life of a hermit and is widely believed to be still alive and living among the living beings till the end of this Kali Yuga.
The festival of Guru Purnima is dedicated to him. It is also known as Vyasa Purnima, for it is the day believed to be both his birthday and the day he divided the Vedas

4) Hanuman:
Hanuman is a Hindu god and an ardent devotee of Rama. He is a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and its various versions. He also finds mentions in several other texts, including Mahabharata, the various Puranas and some Jain texts. A vanara (monkey), Hanuman participated in Rama’s war against the Daitya (demon) king Ravana. Several texts also present him as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. He is the son of Kesari, and is also described as the son of Vayu, who according to several stories, played a role in his birth.

It is believed that Hanuman, as a child, once misunderstood the sun to be a ripe mango and made an attempt to eat it, thus disturbing Rahu’s agenda of forming the scheduled solar eclipse. Rahu (one of the planets) informed this incident to the Leader of Devas, Lord Indra. Filled with rage, Indra (God of Rain) threw his Vajra weapon at Hanuman and disfigured his jaw. In retaliation, Hanuman’s father, Vayu (God of Wind), withdrew all the air from earth. Seeing the human beings choke to death, all the lords promised to shower Hanuman with multiple blessings in order to appease the Wind Lord. Thus one of the most powerful mythical creatures was born.

Lord Brahma gave him these:

1. Invulnerability
The power and strength to prevent any war weapon from causing physical damage.

2. Power to induce fear in the enemies and destroy fear in the friends
This is the reason why all the ghosts and spirits are believed to fear Hanuman and that reciting his prayer is considered to shield any human being from evil forces.

3. Size Manipulation
Ability to change the body size by preserving its proportion. This power assisted Hanuman in lifting the massive Dronagiri mountain and to enter monster Ravana’s Lanka unnoticed.

4. Flight
Ability to defy gravity.

Lord Shiva gave him these:

1. Longevity
A blessing to lead a long life. Many people report even today that they have physically seen Hanuman with their own eyes.

2. Enhanced Intelligence
It is said that Hanuman was able to astonish Lord Surya with his wisdom and knowledge within a week.

3. Long range flight
This is just the extension of what Brahma blessed him with. This boon gave Hanuman an ability to cross vast oceans.

While Brahma and Shiva conferred abundant blessings on Hanuman, other lords miserly gave him one boon each.

Indra gave him protection from the deadly Vajra weapon.

Varuna gave him protection against water.

Agni blessed him with protection from fire.

Surya willingly gave him the power to change his body form, commonly known as shapeshifting.

Yama made him immortal and made death fear him.

Kubera made him happy and contented for the entire lifetime.

Vishwakarma blessed him with powers to save himself from all weapons. This is just an add-on to what some of the gods had already given him.

Vayu blessed him with more speed than himself.
Read more about Hanuman: Most Badass Hindu God: Hanuman

When Rama, his devoted Lord was leaving the earth, Rama asked Hanumana if he would like to come. In response, Lord Hanumana requested Rama that he would like to stay back on earth as long as the name of Lord Rama is chanted by the people of the earth. As such, Lord Hanumana is said to still exist on this planet and we can only speculate as to where he is

A number of religious leaders have claimed to have seen Hanuman over the course of the centuries, notably Madhvacharya (13th century CE), Tulsidas (16th century), Samarth Ramdas (17th century), Raghavendra Swami (17th century) and Swami Ramdas (20th century).
Swaminarayan, founder of the Hindu Swaminarayan sects, holds that other than worship of God through the Narayana Kavacha, Hanuman is the only deity who may be worshiped in the event of trouble by evil spirits.
Others have also asserted his presence wherever the Ramayana is read.

अमलकमलवर्णं प्रज्ज्वलत्पावकाक्षं सरसिजनिभवक्त्रं सर्वदा सुप्रसन्नम् |
पटुतरघनगात्रं कुण्डलालङ्कृताङ्गं रणजयकरवालं वानरेशं नमामि ||

यत्र यत्र रघुनाथकीर्तनं तत्र तत्र कृतमस्तकाञ्जलिम् ।
बाष्पवारिपरिपूर्णलोचनं मारुतिं नमत राक्षसान्तकम् ॥

yatra yatra raghunathakirtanam tatra tatra krta mastakanjalim ।
baspavariparipurnalocanam marutim namata raksasantakam ॥

Meaning: Bow down to Hanuman, who is the slayer of demons, and who is present with head bowed and eyes full of flowing tears wherever the fame of Rama is sung.

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What are the similarities between Hinduism and Greek mythology? Part 2

Please do read our previous post “What are the similarities between Hinduism and Greek mythology? Part 1”

So lets continue……
The next Similarity is between-

Jatayu And Icarus :In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a master inventor and craftsman who designed wings that could be worn by humans so they can fly. His son Icarus was fitted with wings, and Daedalus instructed him to fly low as the wax wings would melt in proximity to the sun. After he starts flying, Icarus forgets himself in the ecstasy of flight, wanders too close to the sun and with the wings failing him, falls to his death.

In Hindu mythology, Sampati and Jatayu were the two sons of Garuda – represented as eagles or vultures. The two sons always competed with each other as to who can fly higher, and at one such time Jatayu flew too close to the sun. Sampati intervened, protecting his little brother from the fiery sun, but gets burnt in the process, loses his wings and falls to the earth.

Theseus And Bhima: In Greek mythology, to prevent Crete from waging war on Athens, a treaty was signed that every nine years, seven young men and seven young women from Athens would be sent to Crete, into the Labyrinth of Minos and ultimately feasted upon by the monster known as the Minotaur. Theseus volunteers as one of the sacrifices, navigates the Labyrinth successfully (with the help of Ariadne) and slays the Minotaur.

In Hindu mythology, at the outskirts of the city of Ekachakra lived the monster called Bakasura who threatened to destroy the city. As a compromise, the people agreed to send a cartload of provisions once a month to the demon, who ate not only the food, but also the bulls that pulled the cart and the man who brought it. During this time, the Pandavas were in hiding in one of the houses, and when it was the house’s turn to send the cart, Bhima volunteered to go. As you can guess, Bakasura was killed by Bhima.

Ambrosia and Amrit: The Ambrosia in Greek Mythology, and the Amrita in Hindu Mythology were the food/drink of the gods which conferred immortality on those who consume it. The words even sound alike, and it’s possible that they share an etymology.

Kamadhenu And Cornucopia: In Greek mythology, the newborn Zeus was nursed by many, one of which was the goat Amalthea who was considered sacred. Once, Zeus accidentally breaks off Amalthea’s horn, which became the Cornucopia, the horn of plenty that provided never-ending nourishment.
In Hindu mythology, cows are held sacred as they represent Kamadhenu, usually depicted as a cow with a woman’s head and containing all the deities within her. The Hindu equivalent of the cornucopia, is the Akshaya patra that was provided to the Pandavas, producing unlimited quantities of food till they were all nourished.

Mt.Olympus and Mt.Kailash : Most major gods in Greek mythology take up residence in Mount Olympus, a real mountain in Greece, believed to be the realm of the gods. One of the different lokas in Hindu mythology where deities resided was called the Shiva loka, represented by Mount Kailash – a real mountain in Tibet with great religious significance.

Aegeus And Drona: This is somewhat of a stretch, as the common theme here is that a father is led to falsely believe that his son is dead, and as a result dies himself.

In Greek mythology, before Theseus left to kill the Minotaur, his father Aegeus asked him to raise white sails in his ship if he returns safely. After Theseus successfully slays the Minotaur in Crete, he returns to Athens but forgets to change his sails from black to white. Aegeus sees Theseus’ ship approaching with black sails, presumes him dead, and in an uncontrollable bout of grief jumps off the battlements into the sea and dies.

In Hindu mythology, during the Kurukshetra War, Krishna comes up with a plan to defeat Dronacharya, one of the greatest generals in the enemy camp. Bhima kills an elephant called Ashwattama, and runs around celebrating that he has killed Ashwattama. As it’s the name of his only son, Drona goes to ask Yudhistra if this was true – because he never lies. Yudhistra says that Ashwattama is dead, and as he continued saying that it’s not his son but an elephant, Krishna blows his conch to muffle Yudhistra’s words. Stunned that his son has been killed, Drona drops his bow and using the opportunity Dhrishtadyumna beheads him.

War on Lanka And War on Troy: A thematic similarity between the War on Troy in the Iliad, and the War on Lanka in the Ramayana. One was incited when a prince abducts a king’s wife with her approval, and another when a king abducts a prince’s wife against her will. Both resulted in a major conflict where an army crossed the sea to fight a battle that destroyed the capital city and the return of the princess. Both wars have been immortalized as epic poetry singing the praises of warriors from both sides for thousands of years.

Afterlife and Rebirth: In both mythologies, the souls of the deceased are judged according to their actions and sentenced to different places. Souls judged as wicked were sent to the Fields of Punishment in Greek mythology, or Naraka in Hindu mythology where they were punished as befits their crimes. Souls judged as (exceptionally, in Greek) good were sent to the Elysian Fields in Greek mythology, or Svarga in Hindu mythology. The Greeks also had the Asphodel Meadows for those who lived ordinary lives, neither wicked nor heroic, and Tartarus as the ultimate concept of Hell. Hindu scriptures define various planes of existence as lokas among other things.

The important difference between the two afterlives is that the Greek version is eternal, but the Hindu version is transient. Both Svarga and Naraka last only till the duration of the sentence, after which the person is reborn, for either redemption or improvement. The similarity comes in that consistent attainment of Svarga will result in a soul achieving moksha, the ultimate goal. Greek souls in Elysium have the option to be reborn three times, and once they achieve Elysium all three times, they are sent to the Isles of the Blessed, the Greek version of Paradise.

Also, the entrance to the Greek underworld is guarded by Hades’ three-headed dog Cerberus, and the entrance to Svarga by Indra’s white elephant Airavata.

Demigods and Divinity: Even if the concept of gods being born, living and dying as mortal beings (avatars) is not present in Greek mythology, both sides have gods descending among men for short periods of time for various reasons. There is also the concept of children born to two deities becoming deities (like Ares or Ganesh), and also the idea of demigod children born to a god and a mortal (like Perseus or Arjuna). Instances of demigod heroes raised to the status of gods were also common (like Heracles and Hanuman).

Heracles and Shri Krishna:

Heracles Fighting With Serpentine Hydra and Lord Krishna Defeating Serpent Kaliya. Lord Krishna didn’t kill Kalingarayan (Serpent kaliya), instead he asked him to leave the Yamuna river and go away from Brindavan. Simialrly, Heracles did not kill Serpent hydra, he only placed a huge stone over his head.

Killing of Stymphalian And Bakasur: The Stymphalian Birds are man-eating birds with beaks of bronze, sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims, and poisonous dung. They were pets of Ares, the god of war. They migrated to a marsh in Arcadia to escape a pack of wolves. There they bred quickly and swarmed over the countryside, destroying crops, fruit trees, and townspeople. They were killed by Heracles.

Bakasura, the Crane Demon, simply got greedy. Lured by Kamsa’s promises of rich and swanky rewards, Bakasura “tricked” Krishna to come close – only to betray the boy by swallowing him. Krishna forced his way out of course and put an end to him.

Killing of Cretan Bull And Arishtasura : Cretan bull had been wreaking havoc on Crete by uprooting crops and leveling orchard walls. Heracles sneaked up behind the bull and then used his hands to strangle it, and then shipped it to Eurystheus in Tiryns.

A true bull-y in every sense of the word. Aristasur the Bull Demon stormed into town and challenged Krishna to a bull fight that all the heavens watched.

Killing of Horses Of Diomedes and keshi : Horses Of Diomedes were four man-eating horses in Greek mythology. Magnificent, wild, and uncontrollable, they belonged to the giant Diomedes, king of Thrace who lived on the shores of the Black Sea. Bucephalus, Alexander the Great’s horse, was said to be descended from these mares. Heracles the Greek hero slays the horses of Diomedes.

Killing of Keshi the demon horse And Horses Of Diomedes

Keshi the Horse Demon was apparently mourning the loss of so many of his fellow rakshasa friends, so he approached Kamsa to sponsor his battle against Krishna. Shri Krishna Killed him.

Please do read our previous post “What are the similarities between Hinduism and Greek mythology? Part 1”

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Sunil Kumar Gopal
HinduFAQ’s Krishna
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What are the similarities between Hinduism and Greek mythology? Part 1

There are many similarities among different mythical characters of different epics. I dont know whether they are same or related to each other. Same thing is there in Mahabharata and Trojan war. I wonder if our mythology is influenced by theirs or theirs by ours! I guess we used to live in the same area and now we had different versions of same epic. Here I have compared some of the characters and I tell you this is very interesting.

The most obvious parallel is between Zeus and Indra:

Zeus, the God of rains and thunder is the most worshipped God in Greek Pantheon. He is the king of Gods. He carries with himself a thunderbolt.Indra is the God of rains and thunder and he too carries a thunderbolt called Vajra. He is also the king of Gods.

Hades and Yamraj : Hades is the God of the netherworld and death. A similar role is carried by Yama in the Indian Mythology.

Achilles and Lord Krishna: I think Krishna and Achilles both were the same. Both were killed by an arrow piercing their heel and both are the heroes of the two of the world’s greatest epics. Achilles heels and Krishna’s heels were the only vulnerable point on their bodies and the reason of their deaths.

Krishna dies when Jara’s arrow pierces his heel. Achilles death was caused by an arrow in his heel too.

Atlantis and Dwarka: Atlantis is a legendary island. It is said that after a failed attempt to invade Athens, Atlantis sank into the ocean “in a single day and night of misfortune.” In Hindu Mythology, Dwarka, a city built by Vishwakarma on the order of Lord Krishna is supposed to have suffered a similar fate of submersion into the sea after a war among the Yadavas, the descendants of Lord Krishna.

Karna and Achilles: Karna’s kawach (armour) has been compared with that of Achilles’s Styx-coated body. He has been compared to the Greek character Achilles on various occasions as they both have powers but lack status.

Krishna and Odysseus: It is the character of Odysseus that is a lot more like Krishna. He convinces a reluctant Achilles to fight for Agamemnon – a war the Greek hero did not want to fight. Krishna did the same with Arjuna.

Duryodhana and Achilles: Achilles mother, Thetis, had dipped the infant Achilles in the river Styx, holding him by his heel and he became invincible where the waters touched him—that is, everywhere but the areas covered by her thumb and forefinger, implying that only a heel wound could have been his downfall and as anyone could have predicted he was killed when an arrow shot by Paris and guided by Apollo punctures his heel.

Similarly, in Mahabharata, Gandhari decides to help Duryodhana triumph. Asking him to bathe and enter her tent naked, she prepares to use the great mystic power of her eyes, blind-folded for many years out of respect for her blind husband, to make his body invincible to all attack in every portion. But when Krishna, who is returning after paying the queen a visit, runs into a naked Duryodhana coming to the pavilion, he mockingly rebukes him for his intention to emerge so before his own mother. Knowing of Gandhari’s intentions, Krishna criticizes Duryodhana, who sheepishly covers his groin before entering the tent. When Gandhari’s eyes fall upon Duryodhana, they mystically make each part of his body invincible. She is shocked to see that Duryodhana had covered his groin, which was thus not protected by her mystic power.

Helen of Troy and Draupadi:

In Greek mythology, Helen of Troy has always been projected as a seductress who eloped with young Paris, forcing her despairing husband to fight the war of Troy to get her back. This war resulted in the burning of the beautiful city. Helen was held accountable for this annihilation. We also hear of Draupadi being blamed for Mahabharata.

Brahma and Zeus: We have Brahma changing into a swan to seduce Saraswati, and Greek mythology has Zeus changing himself into many forms (including a swan) to seduce Leda.

Persephone and Sita:

Both were both forcibly abducted and wooed, and both (in different circumstances) disappeared under the Earth.

Arjuna and Achilees: When the war starts out, Arjuna is unwilling to fight. Similarly, when the Trojan War starts, Achilees does not want to fight. The lamentations of Achilles over the dead body of Patroclus are similar to lamentations of Arjuna over the dead body of his son Abhimanyu. Arjuna laments over the dead body of his son Abhimanyu and pledges to kill Jaydrath the following day. Achilles laments on the dead pody of his brother Patroculus, and pledges to kill Hector the following day.

Karna and Hector:

Draupadi, although loves Arjuna, begins to have a soft corner for Karna. Helen, although loves Paris, begins to have a soft corner for Hector, for she knows that Paris is useless and not respected while Hector is the warrior and well respected.

Please do read our Next post “What are the similarities between Hinduism and Greek mythology? Part 2” to continue reading.

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