Unknown Stories after Mahabharata War..........

As per Mahabharata after the war is finished and Pandavas are done with their rituals for the throne Dhritarashtra is willing to go to forest and wants to do penance and his wife Gandhari and Pandavas mother Kunti and Vidur also wants to accompany him.

When Yudhisthira comes to know about this he doesn't want them to leave palace and go to forest. But after pacifying by Vidur he let them go to forest and all Pandavas accompany them to forest and after enquring and providing all necessary means for their survival they come back to Hastinapur and gets busy with their affairs.

As per Mahabharata serial karna’s wife is well respected by Pandavas and karnas son is very dear to Pandavas specially to Arjuna and is taught by Arjuna in archery.

But nothing much is known about the wife of Duryodhana.she was the princes from now days Assam of king Bhagadutta and karna did help Duryodhana to marry her by eloping her in front of many warriors and karna defeated them all.

Duryodhana had one son laxaman and a girl laxmana. Son was killed by Abhimanyu on 13th day and daughter was abducted by the samba the son of lord Krishna and latter he marries her.

After hearing the news of Pandavas winning the war Dhritrashtra and Gandhari set out to visit the battlefield where all their sons and Kuru warriors were lying dead.

Hearing the news of their visiting Battlefield Pandavas along with Lord krishna visits there and confronts Dhritrastra and Gandhari.

Gandhari on seeing her sons lying dead in battlefield and there bodies were reduced in dimensions by carnivorous worms and animal got very angry and she made Lord krishna responsible for this and curses him that he will watch his kinsmen dying in front of his very eyes as has they seen their sons dying on battlefield.

Then Gandhari Asks Bheema that what made him to kill her all sons with such cruelty and specially Dushasana where Bhima Opens his chest with his bare hands and drink his blood. and how come he Killed Duryodhana against the rule of Mace fight.

Bhima explains her that it was necessary for him to kill Duryodhna by injustice because he was fearing to lose him in the battle. He had to Drink Dushasana’s blood to fulfill his Words given at the time of Dice Play. But I didn’t take his blood below by throat and Karna was knowing so.

Yudhistra Ask for her forgiveness and says that he is the reason for all this destruction and so should be cursed by her for killing her entire Clan. Gandhari points Yudhistra to the body of karna which is being eaten by worms and other warriors of Battle who are dead now that what did he get by killing an entire race for the sake of a throne.

Karna’s Wife wept on the dead body of Karna and says that those curse has finally taken you.

Then Lord krishna, Vyas, Vidur, Sanjaya pacify both by explaining the truth of Death and Birth and giving them examples through stories pacify them. then the pyre is constructed to cremate the dead of battlefield and proper death rituals are performed afterwards.

Then Kunti Reveals the truth of Karna and Yudhistra after gearing the truth curses the whole women that they won’t be able to keep secrets anymore.

Yudhisthra says that at the Game of Dice when he looked at the feet of Karna it was resembling to Kunti’s feet and I tried to find out the truth but I couldn’t. If Karna and Dhanjaya both were my side I would have defeated the Vasudeva himself. Then to pacify him Sage Narada explains him the story of Karna How he was Cursed by Brahmin and Parshurama and how he promised Kunti not to kill four pandavs.

Afterwards Yudhisthra starts his Kingdom affairs and he in consultation with Dhritarashtra takes all decisions and he respects Dhritarashtra and gandhari like his own Mother Father. Thus 15 years have passed until one day Bhima Taunts them saying that he had killed all the sons of Blind with his very Hand.

Then Dhritarashtra and Gandhari decides to retire to woods and accompanied by Vidur, Kunti Sanjaya and many Brahmans.

After retiring to wood after performing proper rituals Dhritarashtra and others indulges into severe penance and lives upon air only. after 2 years are elapsed, yudhisthra along with his family and other people goes to woods and meet his Mother and other people and stays there for almost 1 month.

During their stays in woods, Sage vyas visits them and seeing Dhritarashtra and Gandhari still thinking about their sons and their death asks them to ask to fulfill one wish, where they asks to meet their deceased sons and other warriors of kurukshetra war.

Then Vyasa with his ascetic powers revives all the deceased warriors of Kurukshetra for one night and all people meet their fathers, brothers, husbands. and next day they all goes to their respective places and then Vyasa asks wives of deceased's to join them by bathing in the water of Bhagirathi and who so ever enters the water joins their husbands.

Matsya Puran.....Noah's Ark in Hindu Mythology

One day while bathing, Satyavrata (also called Manu by some) accidentally catches a small fish in his hands. To his surpise, the fish looks at him and starts talking to him. It asks Manu to save its life and protect it in return for which the Matsya will protect Manu from an impending flood about which it is aware of.

When Manu agrees to help, the fish first asks him to put it in a jar of water, and then when it outgrows the same, it asks him to dig a pit, fill it with water and put it in the pit. Later, when it outgrows the pit, it asks Manu to transfer it to the ocean, by which time it is big enough to survive and is also indestructible. At this point, the fish asks Manu to build himself a boat and be ready for the impending flood. It also instructs him that when the flood waters increase, he should think of the fish that will then come over to help him out.

When the flood begins, Manu boards the boat and then prays to the fish for assistance. The fish then appears and ties the boat to a horn that has grown on its head. It uses the serpent Vasuki as the rope to tie the boat to its horn. The fish then tows this boat to safety and takes Manu to the highest and driest point left on the earth.

It is told that as the matsya swam through the flood waters he discoursed Manu on the various topics and revealed to him the knowledge of the Vedas, Puranas, Samhitas and the Supreme Truth.

Some versions also has the matsya instructing Manu to collect seeds of all types of plants and assembling the saptarishis (seven great sages) on the boat who are then rescued by the great matsya.

Guru of Lord Shiva and Meaning of OM.....Lord Karthikeya

When the five elements governed by Lord Shiva (Panch Mahabhoota – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether) united with Shakti (Pure Consciousness), Lord Kartikeya was born.

Shiva is called Panchaanana – Lord with five heads. These five heads represent the five elements in Nature. When these five elements united with the sixth:Chaitanya Shakti(Pure Consciousness), they gave birth to the Shadaanana (six headed), also called Lord Kartikeya. You can understand this in terms of the Kundalini Shakti (the primordial, dormant yet potent energy said to be present in a coiled form at the base of the spine).

We have seven chakras (energy centers) within us. When the energy surges through the six chakras and stabilizes at the sixth chakra – the Ajna chakra (present in the middle of the eyebrows), it blossoms as Lord Kartikeya(symbolism of the Guru Tattva -Principle). The Ajna chakra is the place of theGuru Tattva. It is where the Guru Tattva blossoms and manifests itself. And thatGuru Tattva itself is Kartikeya Tattva.

Lord Shiva is the un-manifest Divinity, while Lord Kartikeya is the manifest.  So you can think of Lord Kartikeya as symbolic of the Kundalini Shakti.

There is a story about Lord Kartikeya from the Puranas.

When Kartikeya was a young child, His father, Lord Shiva asked him to go and study and receive education from Lord Brahma.  So Kartikeya went to Lord Brahma and asked him, ‘Please tell me the meaning of Om.’ Lord Brahma said, ‘First learn the alphabets! You are directly asking for the meaning of Om.’  Kartikeya said, ‘No, I want to know the highest knowledge first – Om.’

Now Lord Brahma knew all about the alphabets, but he did not know the meaning of Om (the primordial sound). So Kartikeya said to Lord Brahma, ‘You do not know the meaning of Om, how will you teach me? I will not study under you.’ And Kartikeya went back to his father, Lord Shiva.

Lord Brahma told Lord Shiva, ‘You alone can handle your son. I can’t handle him. If I say this, he says that. Whatever I say, he says the exact opposite of that. I won’t be able to teach him. So you decide what is best and handle him.’  Hearing this, Lord Shiva asked Kartikeya, ‘What happened son? Lord Brahma is the Creator of the entire universe. You must learn from him.’

To this Kartikeya replied, ‘Then you tell me, what is the meaning of Om?’

Hearing this, Lord Shiva smiled and said, ‘Even I don’t know.’

Kartikeya then said, ‘Then I will tell you because I know the meaning of Om.’

‘Then tell me the meaning since you know it’, said Lord Shiva.

‘I can’t tell you like this. You have to give me the place of the Guru. Only if you put me on the pedestal of the Guru can I tell you’, said Kartikeya.

Guru means he has to be on a higher position or platform. The teacher has to sit on a higher place and the student has to sit down and listen to him.

How can Lord Shiva find a seat higher than Him, for He is the highest and greatest of Gods? So then Lord Shiva lifted the young Kartikeya on to His shoulders. And then in the ear of Lord Shiva, Lord Kartikeya explained the meaning of the Pranava Mantra(Om).
Kartikeya explained that the entire Creation is contained in Om.

The Trinity – Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are contained in Om.

Om means that everything is love – unbroken and unshakeable love is Om. This is the essence and also the secret of Om that Lord Kartikeya narrated to Lord Shiva.

Upon hearing this, Goddess Parvati (Mother of Lord Kartikeya, and an incarnation of the Mother Divine) was elated and overcome with joy.  She said, ‘You have become a Guru (Swami) to my Lord (Natha)!’  Saying this she addressed her son as Swaminatha, and ever since Lord Kartikeya also came to be known as Swaminatha.

Story of Jalandhar and Why Ram Sita Viyoga Happened

Once upon a time, Lord Indra was going to Kailash mountain to meet Lord Shiva along with Sage Brihaspati. Lord Shiva came to know about their arrival and he wanted to test his devotion towaards him. Lord Shiva met them on their way disguised as a hermit. Indra did not recognize Lord Shiva. Indra inquired as to who he was and where he lived. Lord Shiva sat quietly without replying to his question. Indra asked him again and again, but Lord Shiva did not reply. Indra became angry and tried to attack Lord Shiva with his Vajra (sword).

Lord Shiva paralyzed the hands of Indra by his divine power. Shiva's eyes turned to red with anger, which made Indra frightened. Sage Brihaspati was able to recognize that hermit was none other than Lord Shiva. He prayed Lord Shiva and requested him to pardon Indra. Lord Shiva became pleased and diverted the power of his radiant eyes to the sea. Lord Shiva went back to Kailash mountain. Indra and sage Brihaspati returned back to their own places.

The effulgence, which had been divided from Lord Shiva into the sea resulted into the manifestation of a small child. The child was crying so loudly that fear was created everywhere. The deities and the sages went to Lord Brahma to and he assured them to find out the reason. Lord Brahma went to the seashore. The sea put the child in his lap and asked him about the name of that child and his future. Meanwhile the child pressed Lord Brahma's neck with such power that tears rolled down from his eyes. For this reason he named the child as Jalandhar. Lord Brahma said to the sea that the child will become the king of the demons and no deity would be able to kill him except Shiva. After Lord Brahma returned to his abode, the sea took that child to his home and brought up the child with care and love.

Jalandhar grew up and married Vrinda, the daughter of Kalnemi. Later he became the king of the demons. One day Sage Bhrigu came to meet Jalandhar. Jalandhar asked him as to who severed the head of Rahu. Sage Bhrigu told him about Hiranyakashipu who was the maternal uncle of Rahu. Sage Bhrigu also told him about Virochana - the son of the mighty king Bali. He also narrated the story of churning of ocean and how ambrosia emerged from the churning of the ocean. He told him how Rahu's head was severed by Lord Vishnu while Rahu was sitting among the deities when ambrosia was being distributed to all the deities.

Jalandhar became angry after hearing this tale. He sent one of his messengers named Ghasmar to Indra to ask him why he took all the wealth of his father (sea) which emerged during the churning of the sea. Jalandhar also instructed Ghasmar to warn Indra about the dire consequences unless he takes his refuge. Indra sent back Ghasmar without any specific assurance and this made Jalandhar more angry and he attacked Indra with his army.

A fierce battle was fought between the armies of Jalandhar and dieties and many warriors died from both the sides. Shukracharya, the guru of the demons brought back the dead warriors from the demon side back to life by his mritasanjivani vidya. Sage Brihaspati brought back the dead warriors from the deities side back to life with the help of medicinal herbs. When Shukracharya saw that sage Brihaspati was also successfully making the dead deities alive, he instructed Jalandhar to submerge the Drongiri mountain into the sea so that it becomes impossible for Brihaspati to get the medicinal herbs by the help of which he made the dead deities alive.

Jalandhar submerged the Drongiri mountain into the sea and the deities became demoralized and fled from the battlefield and Jalandhar captured the Swargaloka. Then deities went to Lord Vishnu and asked his help. Lord Vishnu agreed to help them, but Goddess Lakshmi considered Jalandhar as her brother because both of them originated from the sea. She asked Lord Vishnu not to kill Jalandhar. Lord Vishnu promised to her that he will not kill Jalandhar and he went to fight a battle against Jalandhar. A fierce battle was fought between Lord Vishnu and Jalandhar, which remained indecisive till the end. Lord Vishnu became very much impressed by the valiance of Jalandhar and asked him to demand any boon he liked.

Jalandhar requested him to make Ksheersagar (sea of milk) as the abode of Jalandhar along with his sister Goddess Lakshmi. Lord Vishnu agreed to fulfill his wish and started living in the Ksheersagar along with his consort Lakshmi. Being undefeated even by Lord Vishnu, Jalandhar became the ruler of all the three worlds. All his subjects were satisfied by his virtuous rule except the deities.

Then deities prayed Lord Shiva to seek his help in defeating Jalandhar. According to the wish of lord Shiva, Sage Narada came to meet the deities. The deities narrated their woeful tales to him. Sage Narada went to meet Jalandhar and received a grand reception by Jalandhar, which pleased him very much. Narada praised the splendours and prosperity of Jalandhar but said that it was nothing in comparison to Shiva's splendours. Narada told him that inspite of all his authority and splendours, his prosperity was still incomplete, as he did not have a consort. Jalandhar asked him where could he find his consort.

Narada told Jalandhar to make Parvati as his consort and Jalandhar fell into Narada's trap. He sent Rahu to Lord Shiva with a proposal to part with Parvati. Rahu went to Lord Shiva and demanded Parvati, which made Lord Shiva very angry. His anger resulted into the creation of a ferocious creature, which ran towards Rahu to devour him. Rahu had no option but to take the refuge of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva protected the life of Rahu. The hungry creature asked Lord Shiva as to what should he eat to satisfy his hunger. Lord Shiva instructed him to devour his own limbs. The creative followed his instructions and devoured his limbs. Lord Shiva was very pleased by his sense of obedience. He named that creature of his palace. He also blessed him saying that he too would be worshipped along with him.

Rahu went back to Jalandhar and narrated the whole thing to him. Jalandhar attacked Kailash mountain with his army. A fierce battle was fought between the Shiva-ganas and the demons. When Jalandhar realized that Lord Shiva had begun to dominate the battle he created beautiful Apsaras and Gandharvas by his magical powers to divert the attention of Lord Shiva and his ganas. Lord Shiva and his ganas became enchanted by the beauty of the apsaras. They stopped fighting and started watching their dance and music.

In the meantime Jalandhar went to Parvati disguised as Lord Shiva, but was recognized by her. Being enchanted by the beauty of goddess Parvati, he looked at her with his evil intentions, but was immobilized by her wrath. Goddess Parvati then went to Lord Vishnu and narrated the whole tale. She requested Lord Vishnu to go to Jalandhar's wife in the guise of Jalandhar and act in the same way. With the help of his divine powers, Lord Vishnu created many inauspicious dreams while Vrinda was asleep. Vrinda became very restless and when the anxieties become unbearable she proceeded towards the forest. Vrinda saw a hermit in the forest who was preaching his disciples. The hermit was none other than Lord Vishnu. She went to that hermit and prayed to save her husband's life. Lord Vishnu disappeared from the there and reappeared in the guise of Jalandhar, but Vrinda was unable to recognize the real identity of her husband. She was very pleased after finding her husband. Both of them stayed in that very forest as husband and wife for a very long time.

One day, she came to know about the real identity of the person who was acting as her husband. Realizing that her chastity has been breached, she cursed Lord Vishnu that just as he had cheated her, in the same way somebody would abduct his wife and he too would wander in her search. After cursing Lord Vishnu, she left her life by entering into the fire. On the other side, after the departure of Parvati from Kailash Mountain and after the illusionary powers created by Jalandhar had ended all the apsaras and gandharvas vanished. Shiva realized that whatever he was watching was nothing more than illusion. Lord Shiva resumed his battle. The demons Shumbh and Nishumbh came forward to fight with him, but ultimately they had to flee from the battlefield. Then Jalandhar arrived to fight with Lord Shiva. A fierce battle commenced between them. Lord Shiva severed the head of Jalandhar by his 'Chakra, which had been created from his toe. After his death, Jalandhar's soul united with Lord Shiva.

Then dieties came to Lord Shiva and praised him. Lord Vishnu was very much saddened by the death of Vrinda. He took the ashes from the pyre and after applying them on his body started wondering here and there. The deities became very worried to see the condition of Lord Vishnu. They went to Lord Shiva and requested him to eliminate the false attachment with which Sri Vishnu was suffering. Lord Shiva sent the deities to Goddess Parvati, saying that she would help in this regard. The deities went to Goddess Parvati and prayed to her. She became very pleased and with the assistance of Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati, gave some seeds to them. The deities sprayed those seeds on the pyre, on which Vrinda had given up her life. Three holy plants manifested from that pyre-Amla, Tulsi and Malti. Later on Tulsi and Malti attained to the Vishnuloka by the virtue of their penance.

Story of River Brahmaputra

The Mystical Tsangpo

The Tibetans believe that long before human occupation, the Chang Tan plateau was covered by the waters of a great lake. A Bodhisattva (an enlightened being) decided that the waters had to flow in order to help the people in the region. So, he cut an outlet through the Himalayas for the Tsangpo or ‘Great River’.

The mountains, gorges, and jungles through which the Tsangpo flows in Tibet are considered extremely holy. Ancient Tibetan scrolls written by sages, speak of sanctuaries or beyuls deep in the Himalayas. Here, ageing is slowed down and, animals and plants have miraculous powers. The Tibetans believe that in this area, perhaps through one of the waterfalls at the bottom of the world’s deepest gorge, is the doorway to paradise on Earth, Shangri-la.

Son of Brahma
This river flows into India at Arunachal Pradesh and then flows into Assam, where it is called the Brahmaputra. In mythological times, Amogha wife of Sage Shantanu had a child by Brahma the creator of the Universe. The child took the form of water. Shantanu placed the child right in the middle of the four great mountains — Kailash, Gandhamadana, Jarudhi, and Sambwartakka. He grew into a great lake, the Brahmakunda.

Parashurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, had committed the terrible sin of killing his own mother because his father had ordered him to. So great was the sin that the axe he used got stuck in his hand!

The sages advised Parashurama to visit holy places. At Brahmakunda he axed down one side of the mountains, releasing the waters to help the locals. This got the name Brahmaputra or Son of Brahma. To Parashurama’s great relief, the axe came lose and the blood from the axe was washed off, leaving a reddish tinge in the river. Hence, the name Luit in Assamese (from the Sanskrit word for blood).

It is also called Burha Luit, perhaps because ‘Burha’ meaning old locally, represents the ancientness of the river.

Another legend goes on to add that Parashurama used a plough to further furrow the soft soil to make a path for the waters to flow to the plains. Tired he stopped at a place near Sonargaon. Here, his plough or ‘Langal’ came to a standstill or ‘bandh’, and this place got called Langalbandh. This is considered to be a very holy place to round of a pilgrimage with a dip in the Brahmaputra.

Alternatively, Balarama, Krishna’s brother committed the sin of killing many Brahmins. To wash of his sins, he went on a pilgrimage and visited the confluence of the rivers Brahmaputra and Laskshya. He used his plough to get them to flow and meet yet another river the Dhaleshwari. As this was the place where the plough stopped, it was called Langalbandh.

Interestingly, a dip here during auspicious days is considered equivalent to a many dips in other holy places.

The Lohit or Luit or Lauhitya joins the Brahmaputra and the Brahmaputra itself is called by these names in parts of North eastern India. From India, the Brahmaputra enters Bangladesh. It is said that the Brahmaputra wanted to marry Ganga. To test his love, Ganga took on the form of an old woman. When Brahmaputra came he did not recognize Ganga. She got angry and sent him off forever. Later, Ganga allowed the Jamuna to join her.

Blood-soaked city
Tezpur in Assam is a historic town on the northern banks of Brahmaputra. Legend goes that it used to be called Sonitpur. Banasura a descendent of Prahalada, ruled here. He had a beautiful daughter Usha. Not wanting her to marry someone he did not approve off, he kept her isolated in a palace. She had among her friends the minister’s daughter Chitralekha who had some magical powers.

Usha once dreamt of a handsome young man and fell in love with him. Chitralekha helped her by drawing his image from Usha’s dreams. Then Usha helped her by identifying him as Krishna’s son Aniruddha. Later, Chitralekha abducted Aniruddha while he was sleeping at home. She smuggled him into Usha’s Palace, they fall in love with each other and got married.

Banasura discovered this and tied up Aniruddha using snakes. Krishna heard of this and came to rescue him. Banasura was a great devotee of Shiva. When a huge battle began, Shiva fought Krishna, just as many other equals fight each other. Eventually, many died and the whole city was drenched in blood. Banasura’s arms were cut off and he retired to the Himalayas. Krishna returned to Dwaraka with Usha and Aniruddha.

That is how the name Tezpur comes — from ‘Teza’ + ‘Pura’ or ‘Blood’ + ‘City’.

 Trivia

1.      The biggest and the smallest river islands in the world, Majuli and Umananda, are in this river.

2.      The river is navigable for large crafts.

3.      It meets with the Ganges river in Bangladesh.

4.      It originates as the Yarlung Zangbo River in southwestern Tibet and is also known as the Tsangpo there.

5.      The Brahmaputra is at its narrowest (1 km) at Guwahati near the ancient pilgrimage center of Hajo.

6.      The Bodos, native inhabitants of Assam, a state through which the Brahmaputra flows entirely, called the river Bhullam-buthur. This means “making a gurgling

          sound.” The name later became the Brahmaputra. 

7.      The Brahmaputra is less polluted than most other rivers in India.

8.      In Arunachal Pradesh, as the river enters, it is called Siang. Further in its course, it becomes known    as the Dihang River.

9.      The Brahmaputra’s main problem is flooding but it has pollution issues due to petroleum refining units which release industrial pollution into the waters.

Why Shiva Burned Kamdeva

Kamadeva is the Hindu God of Love and in an important story in the Puranas, Kamdeva was assigned with the mission to stop Lord Shiva’s penance that he started after the death of Sati Devi.

After the death of Sati, Lord Shiva entered into yogic penance in the Himalayas. Lord Shiva was no longer interested in the world.

Taking advantage of the situation, a demon named Tarakasura, son of Vjranga and Varangi, did Tapas (penance and austerities) and pleased Lord Brahma and got two boons. As the first boon, he asked Brahma to make him the most powerful man in the world. As the second boon he sought that his death should only happen at the hands of a son born to Shiva – thinking that Shiva will never again marry.

After getting the boons, Tarakasura showed his true color and started attacking the demi gods, saints and humans. He defeated all the Kings and Devas and took control over earth and heaven.

All the Devas and saints sought refuge at the feet of Brahma who told that the only solution for this problem was to bring back Lord Shiva to the world and stop his penance.

Brahma told them that Goddess Sati was reborn as Goddess Parvati and was doing penance to get Shiva as her husband. But Shiva was not ready to stop his intense penance.

Brahma asked the gods to take the help of Kamadeva to stop the penance by creating sexual desire and passion in Lord Shiva.

Kamadeva arrived in front of Shiva along with Ratidevi, and shot five arrows of flowers at the heart of Shiva.
Shiva’s meditation was interrupted and he was terribly angry and opened his third eye on his forehead, and a fierce blazing flame came out of his third eye and burned Kamadeva into ashes.

The sperm that split from Shiva as the result of the arrows of Kamadeva fell into River Ganga and it was born as six children. These six children were looked after by the Krithiga Stars and were later joined to a single child by Goddess Parvati after her marriage with Lord Shiva. This child was Kartik and he later killed Tarakasura.

Shiva was later convinced regarding the intention of Kamdeva and he was later restored.

Thanks for Reading..............................

Story of Belaarsen - Unknown Hero of Mahabharata

In the epic Mahabharata, the story of Belaarsen is seldom mentioned.

Belaarsen was the son of Ghatotkacha, and the grandson of Bhima. He was a brilliant warrior, and was given a boon of three magical arrows from Lord Shiva (Teen Baan), which is why he's also known as Teen Baandhari.

When the Kurukshetra was about to begin, Belaarsen promised his mother he'd participate in the war if he felt the fancy, only to aid the losing side, and wished to watch the war as a spectator otherwise.

During Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna went around asking people how long they'd take to end the war on their own. Even mighty warriors like Arjuna estimated they'd take 28 days, however Belaarsen promised Krishna he could end the war in a minute.

Krishna, perturbed, visited Belaarsen disguised as a Brahmin. He asked Belaarsen to demonstrate his arrows and realized they were infallible. The first arrow Belaarsen fired would mark all the things he wished to destroy. The second, if used, would mark all the things he wished to save. The third, finally, would destroy all the things the first had marked. To test out these arrows, Krishna asked Belaarsen to shoot down all the leaves from a nearby tree. However,he kept a leaf hidden under his  foot. Belaarsen, upon firing his first arrow, saw it mark all the leaves on the tree and then prick Krishna's foot. (This is another theory why Krishna's foot was a weak spot, along with Durvasa's curse)

Seeing this, Krishna realized it wasn't in his power to hide anything from Belaarsen's arrows, and the Pandavas wouldn't be safe from him.

 It dawned upon him that this man could single-handedly destroy the world if he so wished to, and he decided to nip this threat in the bud.

First, he explained to Belaarsen that if he chose to aid the losing side, the other side would start losing, and he'd be oscillating between the two sides and eventually be the only man left. He was also aware that Belaarsen was a generous man, and never refused to grant someone a boon, so he asked Belaarsen for his head as a sacrifice, to anoint the battlefield in the blood of the bravest Kshatriya. Belaarsen, obviously, grew suspicious of the Brahmin, and asked him to reveal his true self. Upon seeing Krishna in his divine glory, Belaarsen agreed to sacrifice himself on the condition he could watch the war. Krishna agreed, lopped his head off, and mounted it on a pole next to the battlefield.

Eventually, after Kurukshetra ended, the Pandavas were arguing over who had been the best warrior. Krishna suggested they go and aasked Belaarsen. On being questioned, he said "All I could see were two things. One, a divine chakra spinning all around the battle field, killing all those who were not on the side of Dharma. The other was Goddess Mahakali, who spread out her tongue on the battle field and consumed all the sinners as her sacrifice".

Hearing this, the Pandavas realized it was Lord Narayan, and Goddess Mahamaya who had cleansed the world with this war, and they had been mere instruments of this divine cleansing.

Thanks for Reading.........................................

19 Stories & Legends About Lord Shiva

Allowing almost everything which is otherwise considered a taboo in religion, here's a God who apparently makes mistakes fearlessly and deals with them in a surprisingly calm way. Whaaaat?! Definitely, someone who is not a sucker for rules, he is fairly easy to please and breaks all stereotypes of being a God.

Cool, fun, unpredictable (unlike most Gods), and extremely popular with the young and the old alike, Lord Shiva deals with the cosmos, meditates most of the time, likes to mind his own business, has a crazy mix of anger and calm, and is someone whose stories have managed to appeal to every generation of people. 

Here are some fun stories and interesting facts about him

1. Hanuman, son of Anjana and Kesari, is actually an avatar of Lord Shiva

It is believed that Hanuman is the eleventh avatar of Lord Shiva. Several texts present him as an incarnation of the god Shiva. Known for his devotion to Lord Rama, the son of Anjana and Kesari, blessed by the Hindu God of wind, Vayu, Hanuman is celebrated for his devotion to Lord Rama. 

Source: medium

2. Ravana, the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana, was one of the greatest devotees of Lord Shiva

It is said, when Ravana tried to uproot Mount Kailash, Shiva trapped him beneath Kailash. To redeem himself, Ravana started pleasing Shiva by singing hymns and playing instruments. Eventually, over many years, Shiva freed him from under the mountain and blessed him. 

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Source: wordpress

3. Even Kamadeva, the Hindu God of love and Cupid's equivalent, could not distract Shiva successfully with his tricks. He had to face the consequence when he tried to

When Devas were waging a war against Tarakasur, they needed Shiva's help but Shiva was busy meditating. So the Devas asked Kamadeva to pierce Shiva with his love arrows. But Shiva, who was in deep meditation, woke up in rage and burnedKamadeva down to ashes with his third eye. 

Source: YouTube

4. Lord Shiva's first wife Sati killed herself because she was frustrated with her father who insulted Shiva. Shiva took his revenge and how

As per mythology, Sati, and not Parvati, (as most of us may not know), was the first wife of Shiva and was very fond of him. The daughter of a priest, her father did not approve of the ways of Shiva. When Sati's father decided to perform a sacrifice, he invited everyone except for Shiva. This move to insult Shiva really bothered her and she killed herself in the sacrifice. A furious Shiva killed her father in a rage.

Source: templepurohit

5. The snake around Shiva's neck reinforces a sense of stillness

The mountains, snow and the snake around Lord Shiva's neck is a symbol representing his sense of calmness. Self-contained and content, Shiva is a symbolof calm and peace. 

Source: wordpress

6. Shiva's Trishul or Trident symbolizes the unity of three worlds

The Trident or Trishul of Lord Shiva unites the three worlds a human being is associated with - his inside world, the immediate world around him and the broader world. The trident shows a harmony between the three. 

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7. Ganja/Cannabis is one of the primary offerings in Shiva's worship

On the auspicious day of Shivaratri, the Shaivites, a sect of followers, consume Bhang (a beverage prepared from cannabis) and smoke weed. Popular among the followers, this is one hell of an offering for a God!

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8. Shiva takes the form of Nataraja to suppress Apasmara - the symbol of ignorance

It is believed, the dwarf demon 'Apasmara', who represented ignorance challenged Lord Shiva. It was then that Lord Shiva took the form of Nataraja and performed the famous Tandava or the dance of destruction, eventually crushing the arrogant Apasmara under his right foot. Since Apasmara (ignorance) should not die to preserve the balance between knowledge and ignorance, it is believed that Lord Shiva forever remains in his Nataraja form suppressing Apasmara for eternity. His Nataraja avatar is a message that ignorance can only be overcome by knowledge, music, and dance.

Source: YouTube

9. Ardhanarishwar is Shiva's androgynous form

Often cited as an example of perfect marriage, Shiva along with his consort Parvati is represented in the Ardhanarishwar form - which is a half male and half female icon. It is believed that this androgynous form shows that the masculine energy (Purusha) and feminine energy (Prakrithi) of the universe in a synthesis. 

Source: YouTube

10. Shiva accepted Nandi, who was offered to Him by other Gods, as his doorkeeper and his vehicle

As the story goes, Surabhi, the mother of all cows started giving birth to a lot of cows, and the cows started flooding Kailash with their milk. Furious at this, Shiva used his third eye and destroyed many of them. To calm him down, the Gods sought to offer Nandi the magnificent bull to Lord Shiva.

Source: imgbuddy

11. In stories, Lord Shiva is naked and sports an erect phallus

According to Devdutt Pattanaik, in Epified, Shiva is naked and sports an erect phallus in almost all the stories. It is to save the public from discomfort that he clothes himself in an animal hide. According to Pattanaik, Shiva being content and disconnected from the outside world is aroused not by external stimulation but by perpetual internal bliss.

Source: panoramio

12. The ash Shiva is smeared with symbolizes permanence and destruction

Like we all know, Shiva is smeared with ash. It is a symbol of destruction as well as permanence for it is created by burning things but cannot be burnt itself. It is a symbol indicating the permanence of the immortal soul, which is released when the matter is destroyed. 

Source: mp3hitz

13. The three lines of ash on his forehead refers to destruction of the three worlds

Shiva has three lines of ash smeared on his forehead in a horizontal orientation. The lines represent the destruction of the three worlds of Hinduism. It suggests inertia and lack of movement and refers to the merging of the three worlds to become one with the self. 

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14. Shiva has a blue throat because he drank Halahala poison during the churning of the milky ocean. 

The Devas and Asuras started churning the milky ocean in order to obtain Amrit. In the process, they found a fatal poison - the Halahala poison, that had to be sucked out of the ocean. Without thinking of the consequences, Shiva drank all the poison and Parvati pressed his throat in order to stop the poison from spreading to other parts of his body - which is the reason behind his blue throat.

Source: dailyo

15. The  story of the infinite pillar of fire - when Brahma and Vishnu fought over who the real God was, Shiva made it clear who it really was.

In a conflict between Brahma and Vishnu regarding who the real God was, Shivaappeared as an infinite Linga fire-pillar. Determined to find the ends of the pillar, Vishnu as Varaha tried to find the bottom of the Linga while Brahma tried to find its top. Vishnu came back and admitted that the pillar was endless. Brahma, however, lied about the pillar's limits and claimed that he was the true God. Just then, the pillar broke open and Shiva appeared. Accusing Brahma of lying and denying he is a God, he appreciated Vishnu for his honesty and suggested that Vishnu was on his way to becoming a God - in the process stating that he was the one true God. We see what you did there!

Source: wheretogoindia

16. According to a Hindu legend, Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity in the Amarnath Cave to Parvati

It is believed, this is the cave where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort, Parvati. Every year, followers and devotees of Lord Shiva pay their visit to the famous Amarnath cave. The cave also houses an ice stalagmite Lingam.

Source: ishtadevata

17. Shiva was attracted to Vishnu's female form, Mohini, as a result of which Ayyappa was born

In the Bhagavata Purana, after Vishnu deceived the demons in his female form, Shiva wanted to see the bewildering Mohini again. When Vishnu agreed and revealed his Mohini form, Shiva got lured by Mohini, while the abandoned wife Parvati looked on. Shiva is overcome by Kama (love and desire). His 'unfailing' seed escaped and fell on the ground. From these seeds of Shiva, Ayyappa was born.

Source: divyabhaskar

18. Shiva calmly trapped Ganga back in his hair because of her arrogance. He let her out but in small streams

As it goes, Bhagiratha asked Brahma to bring the river Ganges down to earth so that he could perform a ceremony for his ancestors. Brahma asked Bhagiratha to propitiate Lord Shiva, for only Shiva could break Ganga's landfall. Ganga arrogantly flew down to earth but Shiva calmly trapped her back in his hair and let her out in small streams. It is said, the touch of Shiva further sanctified Ganga.

Source: googglet

19. Lord Shiva punished one crore Gods and Goddesses for not waking up on time and turned them into stone images

As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva was on his way to Kashi along with one crore gods and goddesses. He asked all of them to wake up before sunrise the following day, before taking a night's rest in Unakoti, Tripura. But in the morning, no one except Shiva woke up. This made him furious and he set out for Kashi on his own, cursing the others to become stone images. 

Source: Flickr

True or not, the debate will go on. But by far, Shiva is the closest to the most relatable and coolest of all the Hindu Gods, hands down.