Arthatatvam

  There was a Rishi named Mandavya. He used to observe the vow of silence by raising his arms at the entrance of his hermitage. Once a gang of thieves came near his hermitage and hid their stolen goods. When the guards of the king came in search of the thieves, they saw the Rishi Mandavya and asked him their whereabouts. Since, the Rishi was observing the vow of silence, he did not reply. At that time the guards saw the stolen goods hidden near the Rishi. Assuming he was also one of the gang members they took the Rishi to the king. Later they found the other thieves and took them to the king as well. The king asked the guards to impale all of them! When the guards did so, all the thieves died except Mandavya. Other Rishis came in the form of birds took pity on him and asked him why he had to suffer such a plight. When Mandavya replied, the guards told the king that the Rishi was alive. The king came there and begged for the Rishi's forgiveness and offered to remove the pole from hi...

  Once Ruru, the son of Sage Pramati, along with his friends went to the hermitage of Sage Sthulakesha for some water. When they asked for it, the daughter of Sage Sthulakesha, Pramadvara, approached them with some water. As soon as Ruru saw her, he fell in love with her. After he and his friends returned home, he told his father he wanted to marry her. So Sage Pramati approached Sage Sthulakesha for the proposal. Sage Sthulakesha told him that he found Pramadvara abandoned in the forest when she was a baby and he adopted her. Ruru said he did not have a problem with this and soon they were engaged. Then one day Pramadvara was playing with her friends in a forest. At that time she accidentally stepped on a snake and it bit her. She immediately died. When Ruru heard the news, he was aghast! He immediately went to the forest to see her. When he saw her lying there, he lamented and said if he had been charitable, respected his elders, observed penances, to restore the life of Pramadva...

  Once the Ashwini Kumaras (Celestial physicians) saw Sukanya in a forest and asked her to marry them. She told she was the wife of Sage Chyavana and would not marry anybody else. When they asked why she wanted to be the wife of a blind Sage, she got angry and asked them to leave before she curses them. They said they wanted to test her chastity and would restore Sage Chyavana's vision and his youth if she passes the test. The Ashwini Kumaras said they would disguise themselves as Sage Chyavana along with him and she has to identify from the three who is her real husband. Sukanya was hesitant. She approached her husband and took his permission to take the test. He blessed her. Then the Ashwini Kumaras along with Sage Chyavana jumped into the lake. When the came out, all the three looked like Sage Chyavana. Sukanya prayed to the divine mother. The divine mother told her to look carefully only at their eyes and said only the mortals blink. Sukanya observed only the eyes of the one in...

  Once, there lived a Sage named Chyavana. He performed severe austerities in the jungle on the outskirts of Sharyaati's kingdom. Being immersed in meditation for several years, he was not aware that he was covered by an anthill. Once Sukanya, King Sharyaati's daughter, wandered off into the forest in which Sage Chyavana was doing his meditation. Suddenly the anthill attracted her. She saw two shining objects inside the anthill and assumed it to be fireflies. She poked it with twigs unaware that it was the eyes of Sage Chyavana! She saw blood flowing from the anthill. Terrified, she ran to her father. She observed that all her father's men were in pain. Sukanya narrated her story to her father. He along with his men set out to the jungle. When he saw Sage Chyavana, he narrated the story of his daughter. He asked for his forgiveness and asked if he could do anything to help him. Chyavana said he needed someone to look after him as he was blind. The King offered hundred men t...

  Sage Bhrigu was the mind-born son of Lord Brahma. He had a wife named Puloma. Once Bhrigu had gone out to perform his ablutions. At that time, a Rakshasa(demon) also named Puloma came to the Rishi's hermitage and kidnapped the Rishi's wife. He told her that her father had formerly promised her to him. He told Agni (Fire) had been a witness to this and asked Agni to tell her this. But, Agni was afraid of Bhrigu's curse. Agni told the Rakshasa though he was promised to her by her father, she was given as a gift to Bhrigu and was married to him with due rites. So, she rightfully belonged to Bhrigu. After hearing this, the Rakshasa took the form of a boar and carried Puloma away. The child that was in her womb got enraged and dropped down. For this reason he got the name Chyavana. Looking at this, the Rakshasa fell down and was burnt to ashes. Lord Brahma consoled Puloma and a great river was formed from her tears named Vadhusara. When Bhrigu saw his wife and son, he got angr...

  Once there were three asuras(demons): Tarakaksha, Vidyunmali and Kamlaksha. All of them did great penances. Lord Brahma was pleased and appeared before them and gave them each a boon. They asked to be immortal. When Brahma said nobody could be immortal, they asked for  three indestructible cities made of iron, silver and gold and located on earth, in the sky and in heaven, respectively.  However, as Brahma told them that nothing could be everlasting, they requested the destruction of the cities could be brought about by a single arrow only. Brahma agreed to this.   Maya(Celestial architect) built them the three cities. The three cities were called Tripura.  The three cities were mobile and moved in such a way that they would never be in a single line, except for a few moments in around a thousand years. All the asuras lived in the three cities happily. After sometime, their inherent evil tendencies surfaced once again and they began to destroy the earth and he...

  Garuda proceeded to the abode of the Devas. Various evil omens appeared there. Indra (The King Of The Devas), consulted Brihaspati (The Guru Of The Devas), about this. Brihaspati told him that Garuda was on his way to steal the Amrit (Nectar Of Immortality). Indra informed others about this and asked them to guard it. Garuda arrived and a terrible battle ensued between him and the Devas. He defeated them. He had to cross a wall of fire surrounding the Amrit. He filled his beak with water and put the fire out. He then saw the Amrit guarded by two poisonous serpents and a revolving wheel with a sharp edge. He reduced his size and slid under the wheel and killed the serpents and snatched the pot of Amrit and the wheel shattered. He rose to the sky carrying the Amrit. As he flew along, Vishnu saw him. Vishnu wondered that though Garuda had the Amrit, he didn't even have a drop of it. He decided to give him two boons and called Garuda. When Garuda arrived and was asked what boons...

  After Vinata became Kadru's slave, her second son came out of his shell. As he was born, he increased the size of his body and rose up to the sky and went to meet his mother, Vinata. She was very happy to see him! At that moment, Kadru came up to them and said she wanted to go to the pleasure island of the nagas (snakes) in the midst of the ocean called Ramaniyaka. Vinata took Kadru on her shoulder and Garuda took Kadru's children on his shoulder. He was perplexed and wondered if he and his mother were their slaves. He got enraged and increased his size further. He flew towards the sun. The snakes were alarmed. Kadru prayed to Indra to save her sons from the heat. Indra answered her prayers and it began to rain. Then Garuda took her sons to the island. Kadru and Vinata were already there. Kadru and her sons went to explore the island. Garuda asked Vinata why should they listen to bidding of the snakes. Then Vinata explained the story of the bet. After listening to the story, ...

  Once upon a time, Kadru(Mother Of Snakes) and Vinata(Mother of Aruna and Garuda), were taking a walk. They saw Uchaishrava(celestial horse) in the sky. Kadru asked Vinata to tell the colour of the horse. Vinata confidently said "white". Kadru said that she thinks the tail of the horse is black. Vinata disagreed. So both of them bet on the colour of the horse and agreed whoever loses, will become the slave of the other. Kadru had second thoughts about the bet. She decided to make the horse's tail appear black even if it wasn't. Kadru asked her thousand sons(snakes) to make the horse's tail appear black. When they refused to do it, Kadru cursed that they would all be consumed in Janamejaya's(Arjuna's great grandson) snake sacrifice. Brahma heard this curse and approved it as the number of poisonous snakes were increasing on earth. He advised the snakes to follow their mother's order. They agreed to do it. The next morning, Kadru and Vinata set out to t...

  Sage Kashyapa had many wives. Two of them were Kadru and Vinata. He gave them each a boon. Kadru asked for a thousand snakes, equal in splendour as her sons. Vinata asked for two birds as her sons who had more strength, energy and size than the sons of Kadru. Kashayapa granted them both these boons. After a long time, Kadru gave birth to a thousand eggs and Vinata to two eggs. They were kept separately in warm vessels. After 500 years, the sons of Kadru came out of the eggs. But Vinata's eggs did not produce anything. She broke opened one of the eggs. The child inside the egg cursed her saying as she had prematurely broken the egg being jealous of Kadru, she had to serve Kadru as a slave. The child also said that if she waited patiently for another 500 years, an illustrious son will be born from the other egg and will release her from this slavery. Saying this the child rose to the sky. That child was called Aruna and became the charioteer of the Sun God. At the stipulated time, ...

  Jaratkaru roamed all over the world searching for a wife with the same name as his. But, he did not find anyone. Once, he went to a forest and in a faint voice begged thrice for a wife. Then Vasuki(Serpent King), appeared before him and offered his daughter in marriage as a gift to him. Jaratkaru asked what was the name of his daughter. When Vasuki replied "Jaratkaru", he was jubilant and accepted to marry her. Together they had a son named "Astika". He was a great ascetic. He rescued all the Nagas(Snakes) when Janamejaya(Arjuna's great grandson) performed the snake sacrifice. Thus, Jaratkaru and his ancestors attained heaven.  PS: This is the continuation of the previous story. Read about it from the following link: https://arthatatvam.blogspot.com/2021/06/story-of-jaratkaru.html

  There was once a Brahmana named Jaratkaru. He was always engaged in austere penances. He was the foremost of Yayavaras. He roamed all over the world bathing in many sacred waters and visiting many holy shrines. He once came across some rishis whose head was hanging downwards towards a hole and their legs pointing upwards. He asked them who they were. They said they were the ancestors of Jaratkaru and that they were sinking down into the earth because they had no offspring. Since, Jaratkaru had adopted to ascetism, their wishes may not be fulfilled. Jaratkaru then addressed them saying he was the same Jaratkaru and that he would fulfil their wishes if he finds a woman with the same name as his and if she is given away willingly as a gift!  PS: Story to be continued...

  Surya(The Sun God) had a wife named Sanjana and they begot a son, Shraddhadeva Manu. One summer his rays were very intense, then he went to meet Sanjana. She could not bear the heat and closed her eyes. Surya got angry and cursed her that she will have a son named "Yama" who will be the God Of Death. Sanjana trembled listening to this curse. Seeing this, again he cursed her saying she'll also bear a daughter, Yamuna who will be fickle minded and left. Sanjana was then enveloped in darkness. She decided to flee and left her shadow, Chaya, to take care of her kids and went to a forest and lived there in the form of a mare. Chaya then went to Surya's abode in the form of Sanjana and had three children from him. They were Sani, Savarni Manu and Tapti. Chaya started caring for her own kids and ignored Sanjana's kids. They informed their father Surya that Chaya was not their real mother as she did not care about them. When Surya interrogated Chaya about this, she told...

  Once Krishna and Satyabhama(his wife) went to Indraloka to visit Indra and the devas after he had defeated Narakasura. While the devas received them, Satyabhama felt she was deliberately being ignored. But she did not say anything and she and Krishna left for Dwaraka seated on the Garuda(Vishnu's vehicle). As Garuda flew past Indra's garden, she asked if they could spend sometime there. When Krishna agreed, they landed there. Satyabhama then noticed the beautiful Parijatha tree(wish-fulfilling tree) and asked him if they could take it to Dwaraka. When he agreed, Indra's guard stopped them and he informed Indra about this. Indra got angry and a fight ensued between Krishna and Indra. Krishna defeated Indra and Indra began to flee. Then Satyabhama stopped him and told him that the reason she did this was because the devas did not welcome her properly and ignored her and said the tree can remain in his garden itself. But, Indra insisted they take the tree to Dwaraka. So, Kri...