The Tale of Krishna and the Govardhana Giri…

Hi there!!! Today's story is about Krishna as a little boy and how he lifted the huge Govardhana Giri (Giri means mountain) on his finger!! This story is from the Puranas.

Let's go…

Brindavana was a place of luscious greenery and every single resident used to credit it to Lord Indra, who brought down monsoon rains and gave them warm and lovely weather all year round. Every year, they held a festival in honour of Lord Indra in the monsoon season. One monsoon, perhaps, had the best rainfall ever. It poured daily, nonstop, all the time. You couldn't put one step out of your house without getting drenched in cool, fresh rainwater. Many of the little kids used to frolic and play in the muddy grass. They would throw chocolate-tinted mud around, flinging it at each other too.

One similar monsoon, Brindavana had good rain and the village greenery thrived with healthy vegetation. The people in the village planned to celebrate the good weather and thank Lord Indra. So, the people cleaned and decorated the whole village with shiny lights and beautiful flowers. Lord Krishna was unaware of this new development, and as he heard the noise outside, he peeped outside of his window and saw the decorations. He enquired the reason for the celebration from his foster father, Nanda. Nanda said, "Lord Indra blesses us with good rains, so we celebrate him and his work," as he came to know, Krishna was shocked and denied that the reason behind the rain is not Lord Indra. The people in the village were astonished to hear this incident. The noise stopped and everyone were keenly listening to Lord Krishna.
Nanda tried to convince Krishna that Lord Indra brought the annual rains and was responsible for the growth of their crops. He tried many ways but to no avail. Krishna just wouldn't accept it. He went out into the calmed celebration and proclaimed, "People of Brindavana!!! You have been mistaken that Lord Indra takes care of the rains!!! Well, I say that's all codswallop!!!! I say that the Govardhana Giri is responsible or the monsoons and is the one behind all of our crops and is the reason that they grow!!!!" The people of Brindavana were shocked!!! They couldn't digest this new occurrence. A small child was claiming that Indra doesn't give them rains?! Some were annoyed. Some were angry. Some even became down-right enraged!!! They stomped over to Krishna and questioned him, "How dare you say that about Lord Indra?!?! He is the one who makes it rain every year. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have any food and we would all die!!!! If it weren't for him, our land wouldn't be fertile, too!!!! How do you propose that Govardhana Giri is responsible for our rains and monsoon weather?!? Indra is a GOD, and the Govardhana Giri is a non-living thing!!!!!" Krishna smiled and replied, "Yes, I agree with you. Govardhana is a non-living thing, but the monsoon is a natural phenomenon, right?! You all might know that when you pray to Indra, he only responds at a certain time of the year, right?! That is because of all the activities on the Govardhana Giri!!! It provides the cattle that Balarama, my friends and me graze, with luscious green grass. Since it provides, the cows can plough are land and they can give us fresh milk. Farmers such as us must only concentrate on our 'karma', or duties, and perform them to the best of our abilities, rather than conducting poojas like this for any natural phenomenon. I rest my case," The citizens of Brindavana were impressed by Krishna's words, and taking his assurance, they proceeded with the puja. But, not to Lord Indra, nooo. They performed it to Govardhana Giri!!!

Lord Indra, who was watching this incident unfold, became livid with madness!!! He was angrier than a dragon trying to blow out birthday candles!!! His face lit up a shade of pink, which the other gods laughed at.
Indra's face turned a bright shade of pink, to a deep red. He roared in a fit of rage, as he summoned his magical clouds. He called them and said, "Go and pour every single drop of rain that you have onto Brindavana. Let's see who they will worship after that!!!!!" The clouds flew over to Brindavana and counted down, "Five, four, three, two, one, POUR!!!!!!!" They let go of their rain, and it splattered down onto the Govardhana Giri. The people of Brinadavana saw the rain and went out. They witnessed a supernatural incident in the waking. The rain slowly grew heavier and heavier with the coming of each second. They were astonished to see the heavy rain turn heavier within seconds.
Within a few minutes, the whole village of Brindavana had been flooded!!!! People rushed into their homes, which slowly started to level with the water. Some houses crumbled with the force of the rain. Nearly all of the people were frightened out of their skins, as they ran into make-shift underground shelters.
Krishna, seeing this, ran out into the rain. Yashoda, his foster mother, screamed out to him, "Krishna!!! Krishna!!! Come back!!!! Krishna!!! Come back inside!!!!!!!!!" Without heeding his mother's words, he ran up to the Govardhana Giri and shouted, "ALL THOSE WHO WANT SHELTER, COME TO ME!!!!!!!!!" All of the citizens of Brindavana ran to Krishna, for they had previously seen his miracles in action. They knew that he could help them out.
Suddenly, Krishna grabbed the bottom of the Govardhana Giri and lifted it up into the sky. The people of Brindavana were sacred out of their skin!!!! They knew that Krishna wasn't an ordinary boy, but this was too much!!! Still, they sprinted over to him, as he lifted the whole mountain in one hand. he slowly eased it onto his pinky finger and kept it on there for hours. More and more people came rushing under the mountain. Even the cows and other animals of Govardhana had come to take shelter under Krishna's pinky.
Krishna held it on his finger for one day. Then two. Then three days, until one whole week had passed!!!! The town of Brindavana had become waterlogged, as the citizens held on for their lives. The clouds in the sky gushed rainwater down like waterfalls, breaking houses and shacks in seconds.

After the week had elapsed, Indra finally understood who he was fighting against. He called the clouds away and cleansed Brindavana of its waterlogging. He rebuilt all of the houses and made all of the monuments right once again. He bowed down to Krishna, asking for forgiveness.
Being an avatar of the kind-hearted Vishnu, Krishna forgave Indra and asked him to return to his abode up above. Indra gladly did so and returned to the heavens. The village of Brindavana turned into what it was before. So did the lives of all of the people of Brindavana.

Thus, Krishna lifted the Govardhana Giri and saved his town.

Thanks for reading Krishna and the Govardhana Giri!!!!! Please type your email in the box above the followers and click the blue button to receive emails about my posts!!!! Happy Reading!!!!!!!!!!

The Story of Vishnu and Brahma's Competition…

Hi there!!! Todays's story is about why the Creator God, Brahma,. isn't worshipped anywhere in the world, except one place. This story is also another reason why Brahma got his four heads (You can read my other story - Why Does Brahma Have Four Heads? - to understand the other reason behind how he got faces facing all directions). Let's go…

One day, Brahma and Vishnu were walking in the celestial gardens. They were both walking on two separate paths, each paved with shining gold. They were both breathing in the fresh air, exercising their hardest (What do you expect? Both, Vishnu and Brahma were very, very, VERY old, so they couldn't do workouts. Walking was good enough, I guess.). They were huffing and puffing, when the two paths they were walking suddenly converged!! The two roads had now turned into one!!! Vishnu huffed, "Hello, Brahma. Do let me pass, so that I may continue walking," but, Brahma puffed, "Sorry, Vishnu, but can you let me pass? I need to continue walking," Vishnu shook his head in frustration. He grit his teeth and growled, "Please move, Brahma!! I need to go!!! Let me move!!!" Brahma also did the same, "I am the Creator!!!! Let me move!!!!!" Vishnu pointed his finger at Brahma and warned him, "I am the Preserver!!!! If I wasn't there, why would you create?!?! There would be no-one to preserve your creations!!!!" Brahma warned Vishnu, "Don't point your finger at me!!!! You're talking to the Creator here!!! If I didn't create, what would you preserve?!?!?!"
As the gods argued, many others came to see what was happening. They thought that it would escalate into a huge heated fight!!!!

Soon, the argument had become a huge fight!!!! Brahma and Vishnu were shoving their fists into each other, they were kicking each other with their celestial feet. They were shouting at each other, just waiting for one of them to withdraw and let the other go on the path.
Hours passed. Brahma and Vishnu grew tired. They couldn't continue in this fashion for longer.
Soon, they decided on a competition: Whoever found the Atma Linga of Shiva shall be the superior and shall go on the road first (I know, all of this just for someone to walk on a path?!). Vishnu stated, "I shall take the form of Varaha and dig my way down until I find the Atma Linga," Brahma declared, "I shall fly higher and higher on my swan until I am the victor," So, Vishnu and Brahma got ready for the competition. Lord Shiva eagerly watched this, as he was the only one who knew how to get to the Atma Linga. He sat on the tip of Mount Kailasha and laughed.
The Next day, Vishnu and Brahma met on the Earth. Vishnu assumed the form of Varaha, the boar and Brahma called his vehicle, a swan, to his position.

One of the gods shouted GO!!!!! and they were off!! Vishnu dug deep into the ground, searching for the Atma Linga, whereas Brahma zoomed up into the sky, looking for the Atma Linga.
Vishnu went deep into the Earth. And deeper. And deeper. And deeper. Soon, he grew tired and wheezed, “This Atma Linga evades me. Why, I do not know!! I’m getting tired, and I’m getting hungry. I’m going back up to where I met Brahma. I can't take this any longer," thus, Vishnu came back, deserting his search for the Atma Linga.
Meanwhile, Brahma flew higher. And higher. And higher. He reached the clouds soon. With the Atma Linga nowhere in sight, he sighed He thought that Vishnu would win the competition. Ass he was resting on his swan, a small, white mallika flower toppled into his hands. He asked the flower, " My dear flower, where have you come from? Are you okay?!" The mallika flower smiled and said, "Hello, Lord Brahma. I was sitting atop the Atma Linga, for a devotee had placed me there. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew me off the Linga!! I fell off quite some time ago. After falling for nearly a few minutes, I landed in your hands. Then, you know what happened," Brahma stared in awe. He hatched a sneaky plan, then said, "That's wonderful!!! I was looking for a flower just like you. I have one little job for you to do," the flower said, “What is that job?” Brahma replied, “Well, you just tell Vishnu that I took you off the top of the Atma Linga.” The mallika flower said, “Well, Brahma, that’s not quite true. A devotee put me on top of the Atma Linga, and a gust of wind blew me off of the top of the Atma Linga. That’s how I came to be in your hand.” And Brahma said, “Do you know who I am? I’m the Creator of the Universe. And if you do this little thing for me, I will make sure that you are honoured amongst all flowers.”

The flower smiled and flew down to the surface of the Earth, where Varaha was waiting for Brahma. Smiling, Varaha asked the flower, "Hello, little mallika flower. How have you arrived here?!" The little flower narrated what Brahma had told him to say. Only that. He didn't tell anything that Brahma had added, like he would be revered in the flower kingdom, and that Brahma had told him to come here.
Vishnu stroked his chin, then saw that Brahma's swan was coming down, with him sitting on it. He greeted Brahma, who proclaimed, "I reached the Atma Linga and cam down. I told this flower to come here and tell you that I had completed the competition. I am now the superior!!!! Hah!!!!"
Meanwhile, Shiva was watching this incident unfold from his abode atop Mount Kailasha. He was enraged!!! He knew that Brahma hadn't reached the Atma Linga!!! He jumped down from his mountain and bellowed, "BRAHMA, YOU LIAR!!!!! YOU NEVER REACHED THE ATMA LINGA!!! YOU HAVE PROVED TO BE THE WORST OF MEN!!!" Shiva flung his trident at Brahma's head which was facing the sky and chopped it off. KKKCCCHHHAAACCCKKK!!!!!!!!! Brahma wailed in sorrow, as he begged Shiva and Vishnu for forgiveness. Shiva landed on the floor and stated, " Without my grace, no one can reach the top of the Atma Linga!!!!! Because of your horrid actions, I curse you - May you never be worshipped anywhere!!!!!!" Brahma begged them for forgiveness, which they readily gave, but on some conditions. Brahma would never challenge Vishnu. He would accept that Vishnu was the Supreme. He would never annoy others too.

Thus, Brahma lost one of his heads and he was never given any worship ever.

Fun Fact Nº 1: There is only one temple dedicated to Lord Brahma. It is in Pushkar, Rajasthan.

Fun Fact Nº 2: This incident (Varaha digging down and Brahma flying up) is said to have occurred in Pushkar

Thank for reading Vishnu and Bramha's Competition!!! Please type your email in the box above the followers and click the blue button to receive emails about my posts!!!! Happy Reading!!!!!!!!

The Tale of Krishna and the Syamantaka Mani…

Hi there!!! Today's story is about Krishna and how he suffered the curse of watching the Moon on Ganesha Chaturthi. He was accused of stealing the most valuable gem in existence, the Syamantaka Mani, from King Satrajit, a Yadava King. Let's go…

Long, long ago, during the time of the great epic Mahabharata, there lived a Yadava king called Satrajit. He ruled a province in Dwaraka, the capital of the Yadava Empire. He was a very prosperous king. But, Satrajit was only prosperous because of one reason. He had been given the Syamantaka Mani, the most valuable and amazing jewel in the cosmos.
Satrajit was an ardent devotee of Surya, the Sun God. One day, Satrajit had gone to the coast of Dwaraka to perform penance to Surya.
Upon hearing his prayers, Surya came down and told Satrajit to ask for a boon. Satrajit asked for the famed gem. It sat on Surya's neck in the form of a necklace, and when he took it off, his body stopped blazing and shining. He turned into a (sort-of) normal man!!! Surya allowed Satrajit to take the gem and asked Lord Vishnu to restore his powers.
When Satrajit walked back to his palace, he shone like the sun. He was gleaming and glistening. Many of Dwaraka's citizens thought that Satrajit was Surya himself!!!
Such was his dazzling glory, that Krishna pleaded him to give it to the supreme leader of the Yadavas, Ugrasena (Kamsa's father. He became the king again after Krishna killed Kamsa. You can check out my other story, The Slaying of Kamsa, to find out more about what happened). But, Satrajit didn't agree. He didn't comply to Krishna's earnest pleas. He wanted the gem all to himself (The greedy goose!!!!! How selfish!!!!)

Many months later, Satrajit decided to give the Syamantaka Mani to his younger brother, Prasena, who was also the ruler of another Yadava province. He wore the gem often, displaying it to all that came to him. Many envied him, but no one dared to steal the gem, for Prasena was a very-well trained warrior.
But, on one unfortunate day, Prasena had gone out to hunt with his men. He was roaming around the forest on his horse, when suddenly a lion attacked him!!!! He was killed by the ferocious lion, who swallowed the Syamantaka Mani!!!! Along with Prasena's corpse, the lion started to run back to its den, when suddenly, it was attacked!!!! A huge bear, with human-like features, pounced on the lion and killed it within seconds. It was none other than Jambavantha, the king of the bears. He helped Lord Rama build the Ram Sethu over to Lanka and he fought for him in the following battle. He remained alive for soooo long!!!!! He ripped the lion in two, as he roared with power.
As he dragged the two halves of the lion over to his den, he found the Syamantaka Mani lodged in its stomach!!!!! He picked it up and kept it in his hands. Running over to his house, Jambavantha kept the Syamantaka Mani safe in his hands. He knew that this gem could sustain his family for centuries, if not years!!!!

The next day was very eventful. It was Ganesha Chaturthi. Many had gathered together to sing hymns in praise of the God of Wisdom. They had prepared many delicious sweets too!!!!
That night, the moon was up high and shining like a diamond. Krishna, who was happily awaiting his dinner, roamed around the porch of his majestic palace in Dwaraka. He wasn't very happy, for Satrajit had not listened to his advice. He wanted to keep the Syamantaka Mani with Ugrasena, but Satrajit didn't permit him.
Soon, one of his attendants brought him some kheer to eat outside on the porch. He was really elated to see the kheer. It brought him a sense of calmness.
He sat down on the porch and lifted his hands to dip it in the kheer. As he went to dip his hand in the golden bowl of kheer, he saw the reflection of the Moon on the kheer!!! He smiled, beckoning whatever bad luck comes his way. No one else knew that Krishna saw the Moon that day. He was the only one to know about it.

The next day, Satrajit forgot of the festivities and went to search for his brother. he couldn't find him anywhere!!! Many went in search of Prasena, but to no avail. They couldn't find him anywhere!!!!
Satrajit thought that someone had killed Prasena when he had gone to hunt. He pondered over the matter for hours, then realised that Krishna could've killed Prasena!!!!! He marched over to Krishna's palace and accused him of stealing the Syamantaka Mani and killing his brother!! Krishna, oblivious to the fact that Prasena had been killed, exclaimed that he hadn't killed Prasena. But, Satrajit wouldn't take no for an answer (I know that doesn't fit the context, but it still makes sense, right?!?!?!?!). Krishna begged Satrajit to give him a chance to prove he was innocent, but Satrajit was adamant that Krishna had killed his brother!!!
Eventually, Satrajit gave in and told Krishna that he had one chance to prove he was innocent. Krishna immediately set off to clear his name.

As Krishna roamed the forest, he saw blood flowing. He ran to the source to see Prasena's corpse lying on the floor, with blood oozing from each and every part of his body. He had lion teeth digging into his armour, which pierced his skin too.
Krishna was shocked to see Prasena's corpse lying in this state. He followed more blood tracks that led to a cave. A deep cave. Krishna saw a small baby bear playing with the Syamantaka Mani. He asked the small bear kindly, but it wailed out in terror. That baby bear was none other than Jambavantha's son. Rushing out of the cave, Jambavantha saw Krishna and thought that he was attacking his child!!! He rammed into Krishna, who fought back valiantly.
28 days passed. The battle had continued to go on. Krishna had tried to reason with Jambavantha, but he would not listen.
Eventually, Krishna understood what Jambavantha needed to be convinced. He turned into Lord Rama and explained that he has come again to see his friend, Jambavantha. Realising his folly, Jambavantha bowed down to Krishna and handed over the Syamantaka Mani. He even gave his daughter, Jambavati, to Krishna for marriage!!!

Krishna travelled back to Dwaraka with the Syamantaka Mani and his new bride. He reached Satrajit and gave him the jewel. Realising what he had done, Satrajit apologised. He accepted the gem, but with shame and remorse. So, he gave the gem to Krishna and he gave his daughter, Satyabhama, to Krishna for marriage!!! But, Krishna didn't accept the jewel and gave it back to Satrajit.
After a few days, Krishna and Balarama went off to Hastinapur following rumours of the Pandavas burning to death in a fire (that's a story for next time!!!). Many Yadavas envied Satrajit, for he possessed the Syamantaka Mani. One such was Satadhanwa, who fancied Satyabhama as his wife. So, as an act of revenge, he killed Satrajit and gave the gem to Akrura, his friend. He ran off to Mithila, a faraway kingdom.
Krishna and Balarama got wind of Satrajit's death and ran to Mithila, where they killed Satadhanwa. But, they didn't kill him until he told them where the gem was. He told them that he had left it with Akrura.

Krishna and Balarama rushed to Dwaraka, where they met Akrura. He pleaded for his life with earnest pleas, but Krishna and Balarama didn't really think he was genuine. Still, they let him off, only if he swore that he would let the gem remain with Krishna in Dwaraka, and that he would never steal it again.

Thus, Krishna cured himself of his curse and he cleared his name.

Fun Fact Nº 1: It is said that if you hear this story after seeing the Moon on Ganesha Chaturthi, then all the bad luck and thief labelling will be abolished.

Thanks for reading Krishna and the Syamantaka Mani!!! Please type your email in the box above the followers and click the blue button to receive emails about my posts!! Happy Reading!!!!!!!

The Tale of Dhruva…

Hi there!!! Today's story is about the son of King Uttanpada, Dhruva, and how he reached for the sky. This story is a classic example of determination and never giving up. Let's go…

Dhruva was the son of Suneeti, the senior wife of King Uttanpada, and the grandson of Manu, the first man on the Earth. Unfortunately for Dhruva and his mom, Uttanpada loved his second queen, Suruchi, more and was completely partial to her. Dhruva and Suneeti didn't get the first pick, even though they were the first heirs of the family. Suruchi and her son, Uttama, would always get to do anything they wanted first. Dhruva and Suneeti were kind and just, so they didn't complain. Their hearts were strong and righteous, so they didn't act. They just received it happily.
Suruchi's main aim was to dethrone Dhruva and make Uttama the rightful heir to the throne. She would do anything to get what she wanted. Even if it meant killing someone…

One day, Uttanpada was sitting on his throne when Uttama ran and sat on his lap. Uttanpada stroked his sons hair and smiled. He whispered, "Let Dhruva also come here. I don't want y our mom to know though," Uttama pulled his brother to sit on his father's lap, when Suruchi walked up and shoved Dhruva away. She shouted, "Hey!!! My son is sitting on the king's lap!! You can't!! You have no right to sit there!! Get lost!!!" Dhruva immediately burst into tears. He wiped his cheeks, which were pink with sadness. He asked Suruchi, "Where should I go, Suruchi?! Where?!" Pointing out of the palace, Suruchi bellowed, "Go to Lord Vishnu and seek his blessings, okay!! Ask to be reborn as my son. Only then shall you sit on the king's lap!!!" Uttanpada closed his eyes in embarrassment and turned away, leaving Dhurva to run away.
Dhruva, stung by Suruchi's harsh words, ran to Suneeti. Wailing in agony, he hugged his mother. "Huh? What happened, Dhruva?! Oh my God!! Why are you crying like this?!" Suruchi exclaimed. Dhruva sat on her mother's lap and explained Suruchi's horrible words, "Suruchi said that I don't have the rights to sit on father's lap!!! Why mother, why?!" Suneeti, holding back her own tears, whispered to Dhruva, " Be calm, Dhruva. You mustn't cry. Suruchi will definitely get Uttama the throne. So, you might not have the rights." Dhruva continued to explain, not heeding his mother's words, "Suruchi told me to seek Lord Vishnu's blessings if I want to sit on my father's lap. Will he really help me, mother?" Suneeti grinned with pleasure and narrated, " Yes, my child. He never fails those who turn to him," Secure in his mother's arms, Dhruva became calm and thoughtful. His face changed from that of a sad boy, to a determined and steadfast one. He proclaimed, "Then I shall seek him out," Suneeti lifted Dhruva off her lap and onto the floor. She kept her hands on his shoulders and beamed, "Go, my son. He is the only one who can help us. It will not be easy to find him. But if you try hard enough you will succeed. Go, my son. Go!!" Dhruva ran off out of the palace and into the dense forest. He exclaimed, "I will succeed, mother. I will not return until I meet the Lord. I will become a greater King than my father and his father before him." Dhruva ran off into the dense forest.

Meanwhile, Sage Narada, the wandering sage, came to know of Suruchi's harsh words and Dhruva's resolve. He thought to himself, "He is a true Kshatriya indeed. Though a mere child, he will not brook the insults of Suruchi. Yet, what he seeks is impossible. I must speak to him," Narada searched for Dhruva, who had reached another end of the huge forest. He had literally covered miles on his bare feet!!!
Eventually, Narada reached Dhruva. He huffed and puffed, as Dhruva bowed down at his feet. "My child, why don't you accept your fate and go back to your mother?" Dhruva grinned and said, "Namaste, O master. I am Dhruva, the son of King Uttanpada, a Kshatriya. I am determined to win the lord favour, without paying heed to my surroundings," Narada got slightly agitated at Dhruva's behaviour, but he continued, "I am aware of that, little one, but you are too young to find Lord Narayana. Why don't you wait until you are a little older?" Dhruva stomped his foot in determination and proclaimed, "Forgive me, master, but I will not turn back. Pray, tell me how I can succeed in my resolve?"
Suddenly, Narada was overwhelmed by Dhruva's devotion. He was extremely pleased, and said, "If you meditate in the Madhuvana forest on the banks of the River Yamuna, you will find the Lord," Dhruva again bowed down and said, "O master, teach me how to meditate. I haven't a clue how to!!" Narada closed his eyes and asked Dhruva to repeat after him, "Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya!!" Dhruva did the same with ease and continued to for hours on end. He stopped only when the sun had gone down and the glistening moon had come up into the sky and the blue sky had turned a deep black-purple, with gleaming bright, white stars shining in the distance. Narada blessed Dhruva and sent him to Madhuvana.

The net day, Narada went to King Uttanpada's palace and met him." Welcome, sage Narada!! Please be seated," proclaimed Uttanpada. He treated Narada with great care and tended to all his pleas.
Narada and Uttanpada went to sit in Uttanpada's chambers. Narada sat down on one of the king's couches, but Uttanpada stood dazed, deep in thought. Narada asked him, "What has happened, O King? What thoughts do you ponder in your mind?!" Uttanpada confessed his thoughts, "Holy sage, I am the vilest of all men in the world. I did not utter a word when Suruchi drove poor Dhruva away with her cruel words. Alas!!! He has gone into the forest, all alone. The beasts will devour him!! I fear for his life," Narada laughed, "Oh King!!! Do not worry!! The Lord himself will protect your son. He will come back, bringing glory to all!!" Uttanpada bowed down to Narada, who blessed him.
Meanwhile, Dhruva reached the Madhuvana forest, far away on the banks of River Yamuna. He sat down in a tall tree and started to meditate, "Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya!! Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya!!!" He continued his penance fervently.
Through the first month, he lived off only the fruits and berries that grew in the forest. He plucked what he could find off of the highest trees, off the widest logs and off the deepest ditches. After eating only what he could, Dhruva continued chanting, "On Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya!! Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya!!"
Gradually, he gave up his berry-eating lifestyle. In the second month, he lived off only the green grass and the tender leaves that grew on the tips of the long branches of the trees in the forest. He plucked the greenest grass he found and swallowed it, without feeling the urge to go home and live his life.
Through the third month, he stopped eating itself and lived off the pure water of the River Yamuna!! He would drink a few sips of water a day, and carry on with his meditation. He couldn't stop thinking of the Lord. He repeatedly chanted, "Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya!!! Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya!!!"
In the fourth month, He gave up every worldly object he needed and survived on the air alone!!  Throughout the whole month, he repeated the mantra over and over and over again!!! His hair had grown long enough to touch his feet by then!!! But, he had no need to cut it!! His mind was focused only and only on the Lord, "OM NAMO BHAGAWATE VASUDEVAYA!!!! OM NAMO BHAGAWATE VASUDEVAYA!!!!!!!" He gradually even stopped breathing!!! His chants were so strong, that he could survive without air and still chant!!!!!

Dhruva concentration stopped the very air from flowing through the universe. There was pandemonium and panic in the heavens and on earth. Devas and humans alike gasped for air, as the very life source they needed had just gone down the pipe!!! All the air in the universe had vanished because of Dhruva's concentration. The Devas rushed to Lord Vishnu, who was sitting on Garuda, his vehicle. The Devas barely explained what was happening to him. They could use the very little breath that they had to whisper what was happening to Vishnu. He replied with a chuckle, "Don't fret. Do not despair. I shall descend to earth and grant Dhruva the boon he seeks," Vishnu flew on Garuda down to earth and saw Dhruva meditating. Dhruva thought, "Lord, I thought I had found you, but you've not come yet!! Where are you?! Have I failed you?! Has my worship not been enough for you. In that case, I shall start over again, " Dhruva opened his eyes to see an amazing sight!!! He saw the Lord standing right in his presence!!! He bowed down and touched Vishnu's feet. Vishnu said, "Hello, Dhruva. I know what brought you to Madhuvana. May you be the greatest king ever known. May you rule for 36,000 years. Then, I will give you a place in heaven where you can stay forever!!! Go back to your mother. She shall be awaiting you, " Dhruva didn't reply. He just whispered, "Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaya!!"

Meanwhile, at the palace of Uttanpada, many of Uttanpada's messengers rushed to him, telling him the news of Dhruva's returning!! Uttanpada gave off nearly all of his jewels and gems in ecstasy and proclaimed, "Prepare my chariot!! Call all of my subjects!!! Let them know that Prince Dhruva is coming back!!! We shall all go and meet him in the Madhuvana!!!"
Dhruva sat in the Madhuvana, anxiously getting ready to leave the banks of the Yamuna. Suddenly, Queen Suneeti rushed up to him!! She hugged him with love and exclaimed, "Oh, my son!!! Thank goodness you're alive!!!!" Dhruva rushed to meet his mother. Uttanpada ran to him too, and they all embraced each other.

Thus Dhruva's determination and hard work paid off.

Fun Fact Nº 1: Dhruva got himself his own heaven when he died!!! It is called Dhruvaloka.

Fun Fact Nº 2: Dhruva also became a star which is visible to us. It is very familiar. It is called the Pole Star (Dhruva Nakshatra).

Thanks for reading The Tale of Dhruva!!!!! Please type your email in the box above the followers and click the blue button to receive emails about my posts!!!! Happy Reading!!!!!!

The Tale of Ganesha and the Moon…

Hi there!! Have you ever heard the legend, that if you look at the moon on Ganesha Chaturthi, you will be cursed with bad luck? Today's story is about that same legend. Let's go…

Disclaimer: This story is also another reason why Chandra waxes and wanes. Nobody knows the real reason. I have written another story on that, called Why Does Shiva Have A Crescent Moon In His Hair? Be sure to check it out!

Lord Ganesha - the son of Lord Shiva and Goddes Parvati - had a weakness for sweet treats. Whenever anyone offered him, sweets, like modaks, jamuns, and jalebis, his tummy would roar like a lion!! His mouth would water like the River Ganga. His eyes would widen so that they would resemble the size of the sun! He would grin in hunger, as he eyed the juicy sweet treats that a devotee offered him. As soon as they left the temple, Ganesha would zoom down and gobble the sweet treats all up!! He couldn't restrain himself from the delectable delicacies that his dear devotees brought him. 

On Ganesha's birthday, millions of people made mouth-watering sweets and finger-licking treats, all being offered to Ganesha. Seeing the massive preparations, Ganesha licked his lips in awe, "Waah!!! How good it is to be a god!! Everbody gives you yummy sweets on your birthday!! This is soooo much better than a birthday cake!!" Ganesha's smile grew over his face, and his eyes widened like an inflated balloon. H clenched his fists in ecstasy and jumped up into the sky!! His vehicle and best friend, Krauncha the Mouse, ran swiftly around him and stood under him when he landed. He squeaked, "O Ganapati, why don't we go now and eat all the sweets down there!! I can smell the beautiful scents all the way up here!!! Let's go now!!" Ganesha laughed in agreement and exclaimed, "Of course, Krauncha. Of course!! Let's go!!" Krauncha rode down from the top of Mount Kailash all the way to the Earth. They closed their eyes and breathed in the lovely scents that wafted from the houses of their devotees.

By the time the sun had gone down and the moon had risen high into the sky, Ganesha and Krauncha had finished all of the modaks, jamuns, jalebis and rasgullas in the whole world!!!! Ganesha's tummy, despite being huge already, bloated up like a hot air balloon!! Krauncha suddenly turned from a mouse into a pig-bellied fatso!!! They lied down in a dense forest, burping into the night. BBBUUUURRRRRPPPP!!!!!! BBBBBBBUUUUUUUURRRRRRRPPPPPP!!!!!!!!! went Ganesha and Krauncha as their bellies recovered from being filled up with goodies (They were like the luckiest kids on Halloween!! They got the most amount of sweets ever known, EVER!!!!!!). Their bellies were full to the brim, making the most potent sleeping pill known to mankind. They closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep, as the trees ruffled in the wind and the birds flapped their wings into the night.

When Ganesha and Krauncha woke up, they saw that the moon was high in the sky, meaning that they had slept until midnight!!!! Ganesha slapped his head in shock!! His parents would be expecting him back by now!! They must have been worried sick!!! Ganesha exclaimed, "Krauncha, we must go fast, or else we will get a sound thrashing from Mom and Dad!!! Come on, let's go!!!!" He climbed onto Kraucha's back and rode off to Mount Kailash.

As they were going down a road, Krauncha saw a huge serpent spring out of nowhere!!!! He lept away and ran off, making Ganesha fall to the ground. Unfortunately, Ganesha had eaten one too many modaks, and his tummy burst in two!!!! He fell on the floor in a rage, as he picked up all of the sweets that had fallen on the floor. Looking over his shoulder, Ganesha thought, "I hope no-one has seen me. This is so embarrassing!!!!" But, alas!!! Chandra, the Moon, had seen it all. He rolled around and started laughing like a joker. Soon, he erupted in laughter, choking on his breath, and wheezing with excitement. Ganesha trumpeted with fiercely and shouted, "O CHANDRA!!!! You have caused a grave offence to me!!! I curse you!!! May you turn black and lose your power!! Then, no one can see you forever!!!!!" Suddenly, Chandra started to fade away!!! He pleaded Ganesha to take back his curse, but Ganesha stated, "I cannot do so, my friend. I cannot take back my words," Chandra wailed in sadness until his tears ran dry. Ganesha saw his earnest pleads and said, "I shall alter your curse, Chandra. On this day, every year hereafter, if anyone looks at you then they shall undergo very bad luck and be falsely accused as a thief. You shall not lose your powers, but you shall undergo a phase without your powers and a phase where you retain your powers, " Chandra jumped in ecstasy and thanked Ganesha, who found Krauncha and rode all the way back to the top of Mount Kailash.

Thus, Chandra started to wax and wane and the Curse of Ganesha Chaturthi was set upon him.

Thanks for reading The Tale of Ganesha and the Moon!!! Please type your email in the box above the followers and click the blue button to receive emails about my posts!!! Happy Reading!!!!!!

P.S. Sorry for not posting yesterday!! I was caught up with some homework, so I couldn't find time to type my story. I'll be sure to publish stories every day!!!!! 

Why is there a Crescent Moon in Shiva's Hair?

Hi there!!! Today's story is about the crescent moon on top of Shiva's head. He is Chandra, the Moon God. He was cursed to lose his shape and power forever. Let's get on with the story, then…

Long, long ago, before the world hadn't heard of the word death, Chandra, the Moon God, sat up in the sky. He was always round, without a care in the world (well, sky). He was married to 27 different people. They were all the daughters of Daksha.
He was particularly inclined to one of his wives, Rohini. He spent most of his time with her, and not with his other wives.
Those other wives didn't like Chandra hanging out with Rohini. They didn't like it at all. They marched to their father, Daksha, who was livid with rage when he heard that Chandra wasn't treating his other wives properly. He bellowed, "O CHANDRA!!!!!! You have caused a great offence to me!!!!! I curse you!!!! May you lose your power every day!!!!!" Daksha acted the way he had only out of sheer rage. Chandra heard the curse and pleaded his father-in-law to take back the curse. But, he couldn' t do so. He told Chandra, "I am sorry, son. My rage had turned me into a monster. But, I cannot take my curse back," Chandra wept with sorrow, as he slowly lost his shape. He was destined to become nothing…

Days passed. Chandra turned from a round, white orb to a C - shaped slice. He wept every day until his tears ran dry. Chandra was turning into dust when Lord Shiva came to him. Shiva smiled and said, "Hello, Chandra. What have we here? Why are you in the shape of a crescent?" Chandra narrated the whole story to him and wailed in tears. Stroking his chin, Shiva said, "I know what to do!!! I bless you: when you lose your powers completely, may you regain them again. Take refuge in my locks, and I shall be able to save you," Chandra bowed down to Shiva and flew up into his hair, which ruffled with his arrival.
Chandra soon grew into his original size, and thanked Shiva, "Thank you, My Lord. You have saved me from a grave fate,"
Shiva smiled and kept Chandra in his matted hair forever.
Thus, Shiva saved Chandra and got a crescent moon on his head.

Fun Fact Nº 1: Shiva is also called Chandrashekar or Somashekar because he saved Chandra (who is also called Soma)

Fun Fact Nº 2: The significance of Chandra in Shiva's hair is that Shiva accepts any form of a devotee: whether it be man or animal, weak or strong, even in their lowest forms (like Chandra), Shiva will accept them with a whole heart

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Why do Squirrels Have Strokes on their Fur?

Hi!!! Today's story is about how some squirrels have strokes on their back from the Ramayana. It's about a small squirrel, who goes to huge lengths to help Lord Rama build the famous Ram Sethu to Lanka. The Indian Palm Squirrel is the species of squirrel that helped Lord Rama. It has three stripes on it's back, right? Here's a photo of it ↓↓↓

Doesn't it look strange? It surely
couldn't have turned up
on their backs by mistake.
Let's see how they might have come…










When Rama got to know that Sita was in the far-off island of Lanka, he commanded the mighty Vanara Sena (The Army of Monkeys) to build a massive bridge all the way to the coast of Lanka.
Work began straight away, with the monkeys collecting huge stones and rocks to dump into the sea. They slowly layered rock upon rock, stone upon stone and pebble upon pebble to create the foundation of a huge stone bridge.
Soon, all of the creatures near the tip of India got wind of the construction of Rama's bridge. They all rushed to help him build a massive bridge all the way to Lanka. Elephants came and lifted boulders, giraffes came and heaved big slabs of rock, Lions and tigers came and shoved huge mounds of stone down into the sea. Several varieties of animals came to help Rama, who admired their devotion, "Wow!! These animals work so hard!! Their love for me makes them work like this!!! How devoted they must be!!" he thought.
Early one morning, when only a few monkeys and Rama were awake and starting to build, a squirrel waddled in. He was chocolate brown on the back, and had grey fur covering his other parts of the body. He had large, black eyes and a long, fluffy tail. Large hamstring muscles adorned the sides of the squirrel's body, with small, thin feet grasping the floor. He had a flat nose, with whiskers popping out of the sides. Curly ears perched on his head completed his head, which shuffled left and right, looking in different angles.
He started scooping small heaps of sands, not more than a few grams or two, and dumped them on top of the rocks that the larger animals had placed before him. He repeated this for a long time. a LONG time.

Some of the Vanaras, who were carrying big chunks of rock in their hands, didn't see the small squirrel huffing and puffing its way around the seashore. It dug down and came up with his hands ( ok, paws) stuffed with wet and sticky sand. One of the Vanaras didn't happen to see this and nearly tripped over the squirrel!!! He waved his hands in confusion, and picked up the small squirrel, "Hey!! Look over here, guys!! We have a squirrel trying to help us build this bridge!! look, he's even got little mounds of sand stuffed in his hands!!! HaHaHa!!!!!" The squirrel replied, "I am very sorry, o Vanara, for nearly tripping you over. It was unintentional!! But, please do not make fun of me!! I am more capable than you, and you know it!!!" But, the Vanaras didn't pay heed to the petite squirrel's words. They had a good laugh and got back to work. Suddenly, they threw the poor squirrel into the air!!!! He whispered to himself as he flew through the air, "Rama!! Rama!! Shri Rama!!!" He soon landed in the hands of a seated Lord Rama, who said, "Well, well!! What do we have here? Oh, little squirrel, what happened to you?!" The squirrel blurted out the whole story to Lord Rama, who patiently listened to each and every detail. Rama called the Vanaras who had insulted the squirrel to his small tent and proclaimed,

"How could you do such a thing?! This poor creature has done us such a great job!! Not even you great monkeys or the valiant lions could achieve this task!!!" The Vanaras were stumped!! They didn't know what Rama was talking about!! They pleaded him to continue. " This little animal has been throwing heaps of sand into the water above the sea, right? So, when the sand settles, it will fill in the gaps left in the gaps between the huge rocks that you threw in!! The squirrel in my hands has done what none of you thought of?! If not for him, we would crumble into the water below. The sand that fills those gaps could save us from imminent drowning!!!" The Vanaras hung their heads in shame, realising the offence they have caused. Rama then turned to the squirrel, "O little one, your love for me touches my heart. I assure you, whenever you feel threatened, I shall be there to protect you," with that, he stroked three of his fingers right down the squirrel's back. He let it go on the floor, where the three strokes turned into three white stripes!! The squirrel bowed down to Rama along with the shameful Vanaras. Rama blessed them and let them get back to their work.

Thus, the Indian Palm Squirrel got Strokes on their fur.

Moral: No task, however small, is unimportant. Every task should be looked upon as service to the Lord, and his blessings will always be with us.

Fun Fact Nº 1: The moral is also stated in the Bhagavad Gita. In Chapter 9, Verse 27, Krishna tells Arjuna - 

yat karōsi yad asnāsi |
yaj juhōsi dadāsi yat ||
yat tapasyāsi kaunteyā |
tat kuruśvā madar panam ||

Whatever you do, what ever you eat, 
whatever you offer or give away,
Whatever austerities you perform, O Kaunteya (Son of Kunti),
Do them all as an offering to me.

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How Hanuman Tried to Swallow the Sun…

Hi there!! Today's story is about Hanuman, the monkey god, and how he tried to eat the whole Sun in his infancy!!! This story is a favourite to my sister, who adores the innocence of baby Hanuman. Let's go…

Hanuman was born to the monkey, Anjana and to a monkey chief, Kesari. He was named Anjaneya because he was the son of Anjana.
Early one summer morning, Anjana had gone to the forest to pluck some fruit. Kesari had gone into a deep, dense forest to meditate. He hadn't come back for quite a long time.
Anjana had told her son, who was at the ripe age of two, "Putta, don't go anywhere. I am going to get fruits for you. I will come back soon, don't worry," Anjaneya replied with a pleasant smile. He chuckled, "Okay, amma!!! Don't forget to get some mangoes. I love the mango from the forest!!!' Anjana patted her little one's head and smiled. She headed off to the forest, leaving Anjaneya in his small, wooden cot (I know, very bad parenting, right?! Leaving a toddler all alone?! What a bad idea!!!).

Anjaneya sat in his bed, waiting patiently. He craved the juicy, sunset coloured mangoes that grew atop the tall trees.
He waited for an hour. Then another. Then another. He waited until lunchtime, but his mother did not turn up at all!! He wailed for his mother, who didn't come back. He became worried. He went into his house and took a large piece of bread to eat. He chomped on it, as he awaited his mother's arrival.
Hours passed. The sun slowly went down, to be cut in half by the horizon. Anjaneya passed his time by doing backflips, He even slept in his cot, dreaming of his mother's arrival. He anxiously waited for Anjana to come back home, so he could devour his mangoes. He pretend-playing the destruction of the world, with him being the most powerful of them all. 

Anjaneya looked up to see the sunset. But, he didn't know that it was the sun that was floating in front of his eyes, "WOW!!! What a juicy mango!! It looks so yummy!!! I want to grab it and stuff it right inside my mouth!!" Anjaneya licked his lips as he stared at the sun.
Anjaneya devised a plan to capture the so-called mango. He leapt into the air with such force, that the trees nearly fell down!!! His mystic father, Lord Vayu (the God of the Wind and Air) saw this and exclaimed, "What is my son doing?! I must go help him," He flew down and, in the form of the wind, pushed Anjaneya further up into the sky. Anjaneya exclaimed, "I'm coming to get you, mango!!" Surya, the Sun God, didn't know that he looked like a juicy mango when he set. So, when he saw Anjaneya flying towards him, he screamed in terror, "Aaaah!!!! A monkey is coming to eat me!! A monkey is coming to eat me!!!" Indra, the king of the gods, saw the monkey and saw Surya's earnest pleas. He exclaimed, "Oh no!! Surya might be eaten by a mere monkey!!! I must save him!!" Indra jumped onto his elephant, Airavata, and flew down to Surya.

Anjaneya, who was oblivious to the fact that Indra was right in front of him, continued to bolt to Surya. Surya couldn't run, because he had to hold his position until the day ended!! He was only going down slowly, which Anjaneya could catch up to.
Suddenly, Indra shouted at Anjaneya and threw his thunderbolt, which hit him on the cheeks!!! Anjaneya screamed and fell down to Earth, fainting. Vayu bellowed in rage, and flew down to save his son.
Anjaneya was a few centimetres from hitting the surface and dying, when Vayu came and held him up. He put him in his cot and exclaimed, "Indra has done an act of great offence to me. I shall go to a cave and meditate, taking all of my powers with me. Then will he learn of my capabilities. He better not mess around with me again!!!!!" Vayu bolted to a dark cave, secluded from the outside world, and sat there, absorbing his powers.

Suddenly, all the air in the universe vanished. People suddenly died by the millions. The remaining survivors, who couldn't even close their eyes, pleaded Indra with all their hearts. Indra, who couldn't bear to see the humans suffer so, flew to the cave where Vayu sat and begged him to give back his immense power to the Earth. But, Vayu had no intention of stopping. He wanted every last person on Earth dead. But, Indra also pleaded him fervently.
At last, Vayu withdrew and let the air in the world flow again. He even brought the dead back to life. When Vayu did this, he demanded Indra, "You must bless my son, or else…" Indra bowed down to Vayu as they called the other gods to visit him.
When they got to Anjana's house, they saw that Anjaneya's cheeks and mouth had swelled, just like a balloon. Vayu woke him up and called him to Indra. "I bless you with the power of immortality. Death shall never come close to you, "blessed Indra. Surya gave Anjaneya amazing strength, Agni told him that no fire shall burn him, and many other gods gave him ultimate abilities. Soon, Anjaneya became the most epic person (okay, monkey) in the universe, let alone the world!!!!!

As the gods all flew back up, Anjana came back. She didn't see the gods who floated away, but she hugged Anjaneya, "Chinna, I've brought the freshest, most delicious mangoes I could find!! They look divine!!!" Anjaneya bound into his mother's arms, and twitched his nose. He could smell mangoes!!! He ran behind his mom, where baskets of Mangoes lay there, all for the taking. He devoured them with pleasure. Anjana looked on, as her son chomped on the mangoes until the sun went down.
Anjaneya dropped into the hands of his mom and slept off after munching thousands of mangoes. 
From that day on, Anjaneya was called Hanuman, or 'the one with the crooked jaw', because his jaw had bloated when Indra's thunderbolt hit him.

Thus, Anjaneya tried to swallow the sun.

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Why are there so many Udupi Restaurants?

Hi there!! Today's story is a Kannada folk tale from the Mahabharata. In today's story, we will be talking about the history of why there are so many Udupi restaurants around the world. This story dates back to many, many years ago, when the great Kurukshetra War took place. Udupi restaurants are famous for their genuine South-Indian food. Many claim that Udupi food is so good, that it can be considered a separate cuisine to South-Indian!!
This story circulates around the ingenuity of the King of Udupi, who couldn't choose between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Anyways, let's get on with the story…

The Kurukshetra War was one of the most ultimate wars in history. It was considered the mother of all wars. It involved many, many warriors from many, many kingdoms. It even involved forces from China and the Middle East!! In total, there were about four and a half MILLION warriors and soldiers in the great war.
One of the kings hailed from Udupi, a coastal town in Karnataka. He had no alliances, for he fought no wars. So, he found it hard to choose a side to fight for. He could've fought for the righteous Pandavas, who had good ideals and values, or he could've fought for the ill-minded Kauravas, who sought only the fall of the Pandavas and were willing to go to any stretch to exterminate them (Like the Daleks in Doctor Who, EXTERMINATE!!! EXTERMINATE!!!!). But, the Udupi king couldn't choose. If he had participated in the war, then he would play no significant role: His army was very small, and they weren't as skilled as the ones of Hastinapur and Panchala. 
A few days before the war, the King of Udupi told Krishna, "I have made a decision on who to fight for." Krishna perked his ears. He wanted the Udupi army to join the Pandavas, as they would need all the help they can get. He exclaimed, "Go on, I'm listening, I'm listening!!" The Udupi King sighed and said, "The war is not petty. The soldiers fighting cannot go back to their homes and have a hearty meal and come back. This is the biggest war in history, for God's sake!!! Al; the warriors would have to camp here. But, there will be no-one to provide them with food. So, I have decided not to fight for either side. If you respect my wish, I would like to be the caterer to both the sides. I will provide them with food every day. And, after the day's fight is over, they shall sleep in peace with their bellies full." Krishna sighed. But, he understood why the King of Udupi made his choice. He said, " Okay. Anyways, we haven't appointed anyone to take care of our food. You may become the head chef for both the sides."

The marvellous war lasted for eighteen long days. Cooking for so many people was one of the biggest challenges of the war. It was, supposedly, slightly harder than the war itself!! If the Udupi King made too much food, then it would all go to waste. But, if he made too less, then some of the soldiers and warriors would have to fast!! And, a random number of people would die on one day, so the King of Udupi would have to estimate every day!!! So, it was all a game of eyeballing. But, the King of Udupi magically made just enough for each and every warrior!! He even took into account the people who wouldn't live to see another day!!! He didn't even waste one solitary grain of rice!!!
This marvellous cooking by the King of Udupi overwhelmed both sides of the war. The Pandavas and the Kauravas envied the King of Udupi, for he made the most delectable food they could've ever had!!! But, alas!!! The best food ever tasted was being served in the worst timing ever - in a war (What an irony, am I right?!)!!!! The King of Udupi used to toil every day, even though being provided with a thousand other cooks (Some would disagree, but in this case, the saying 'too many chefs spoil the broth' doesn't apply!! Even though there were one thousand cooks, the meals tasted divine!!)
Over the eighteen days, the King of Udupi made thousands of kilos of food, each tasting more delicious and flavourful than the next. Many soldiers claimed that they had never, ever, EVER had such delicious meals in their life!! They considered themselves to be blessed, as they got to try out the most tasty food ever!!

After the great war had ended, the Pandavas - Yudhistira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahdeva -  and Krishna came to talk with the King of Udupi. Astounded by his performance in the war, they blessed him with. But, the Pandavas still wondered how he had managed to make so much food - and make sure that not even a grain of rice or a chunk of potato ever went to waste!!!! They asked him, "O King, you were tasked with one of the most impossible tasks in a war. But, how did you manage to cook the perfect amount every day?! How did you know who would've died, and how much to prepare every day?! We are still stumped; please answer our query," The King of Udupi chuckled, "Haha!! I have a very simple explanation as to my secret formula for the amount of food I make: Every night, after the day's war had ended, I would give Krishna a woven bag of peeled peanuts. As he ate them, I would observe. I would count how many peanuts he would swallow and multiply that by one thousand. That number would be the number of soldiers and warriors destined to die the next day. Next, I would deduct that number from the current day's count, therefore leaving a certain number of how many soldiers I would need to feed that day. Krishna would also specify the amount of food for each soldier that I would need to cook while eating the peanuts," The Pandavas were in shock!!! This amazing food had been calculated and ingeniously planned only by a bag of peanuts?! Their astonishment knew no bounds. Krishna, seeing that the King of Udupi had done such a great service out of such a small medium, blessed him, "You have taken care of all of the soldiers who've fought in this battle without any bias. I admire that kind of generosity in humans. May your future generations be famous and revered for making delicious food, serving it efficiently, and making everybody who eats your food, be content until their next meal," The King of Udupi bowed down to Krishna and drove his chariot back to his coastal town in Karnataka.

People say that this is the reason we see so many Udupi restaurants across the whole world - let alone India!!! Nearly all are revered as the masters of their cuisine, which brings content tummies and filled-up bellies along with it.

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The Tale of Ambarisha…

Hi there!!! Today's story is about the Suryavamshi king, Ambarisha. He was the great-grandson of Manu, the first person on Earth. His story is remembered for his immense devotion to Lord Vishnu, even in the lowest of times. This dedication proved to be of great use to Ambarisha, as it saved his life. Let's go…

Ambarisha was a king from the race of Rama, the Suryavamsha. He was said to be one of the greatest kings of Ayodhya. He was remembered not only for his power and his strength, but he was also known for his devotion to Lord Vishnu. He used to think of Vishnu when he woke up, ate his breakfast, did his chores too. He even dreamt about Vishnu in his sleep!!
The people of Ayodhya loved their king. He wasn't hated by anyone.
One day, Ambarisha and his equally-devoted wife decided to perform a huge penance for Lord Vishnu. Consulting the Head Priest, they went into the forest and sat under a big tree.
The news of Ambarisha's penance reached far and wide. People flocked to see how the couple was doing.
Ambarisha and his wife survived hail, rain, and freezing cold winds to appease Lord Vishnu.

After the year had passed, Ambarisha and his wife awoke from their meditation to a crowd of people. They had come to welcome the king and queen back to the kingdom.
The priests who had come to perform the final pooja to release Ambarisha from his fast, told him, "O King, you must finally eat a small morsel of food to complete your penance." Ambarisha agreed to the proposal and sat down to eat.
Just before he was going to put a scoop of rice in his mouth, Ambarisha saw the infamous Sage Durvasa approach him. Leaving the rice back in the bowl, Ambarisha stood up and clasped his hands in front of Durvasa. "Namaskara, O Sage. I feel enlightened in your presence." Durvasa blessed Ambaisha and smiled, "Hello, Ambarisha. I have heard of your penance. I am impressed. But, before you sit down and eat, wait for me to bathe and come. I shall also eat with you," and Durvasa paced off to a nearby river.
Ambarisha nodded his head and went to see his subjects. But, the priests warned him, "O King, you must eat the food before the sunsets. Or else, by tradition, you must do another year of meditation!" Ambarisha heard the priests' warnings and got stuck in a dilemma. On one hand, he had Sage Durvasa and his short temper. On the other hand, he had another year of penance. He didn't know what to do!

The day slowly started to end. The sun came down, just avoiding the cut of the horizon. Ambarisha and the priests trembled in anxiety. If Durvasa didn't come back by the sun had completely gone down, Ambarisha would have to do one more years' penance!!
The priests started to think. They thought deeply, trying to get their king out of this situation.
Suddenly, one of the priests cried, "O King!!! I know what you can do!!! You may drink a few drops of water, because water isn't considered food and you shall break your fast!! It's a win-win!!!" Ambarisha bowed to the priest and thanked him.
Ambarisha sipped a few drops of water, when suddenly, Durvasa appeared in front of him!! He shouted, "O KING!!!! Couldn't you have waited for me?!?! I have been deeply offended by you!!!!" He then plucked out a single, long strand of his hair and set in on the floor. He stamped on it, and lo!!! It turned into a huge fire demon called Krucha!!!! Ambarisha's subjects ran in terror. But, Ambarisha and his wife didn't run. They stayed here and closed their eyes. They chanted many chants, all going to Lord Vishnu. They knew that he would save them.

Meanwhile, in Vaikunta, Vishnu was watching the whole incident unfold. He flung his celestial discus, the Sudarshana Chakra, down to Earth, where it chopped of Krucha's head!!! Durvasa was shocked!!!! He ran for his life, as the chakra followed him.
The chakra followed Durvasa everywhere. It followed him into a river. It followed him into his house. It followed him into the sky. It followed him everywhere!!!!
Finally, Durvasa fell at Ambarisha's feet. He pleaded him, "O King, please save me from this deadly weapon. I beseech you, please save me!!" Ambarisha smiled and said, "If my devotion to Lord Vishnu has paid off, then the Lord will withdraw his weapon," suddenly, the Sudarshana Chakra vanished from the air, and in its place came Lord Vishnu. He blessed Ambarisha, "May you obtain immortality." Ambarisha bowed to the Lord, along with his wife and Durvasa.
Vishnu blessed all of them and flew back to his abode in the heavens.
Durvasa thanked Ambarisha and walked away, letting the king go back to his throne.

Thus, Ambarisha's devotion reaped the fruits of immortality.

Moral: Pure devotion is the ultimate strength

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The Tale of Krishna and Kalia…

Hi there!! Today's story is from a long, long time ago when Lord Krishna was still a small kid. It's about his encounter with the poisonous serpent, Kalia. Let's go…

One beautiful day in Gokul, when the sun shone a bright yellow, and a breeze blew through the tall, green coconut trees, Krishna and a few of his friends had gone to graze their cows. They had tied them to a tree when they went to get some water.

Meanwhile, a huge serpent had swum into the Yamuna, polluting everything in his wake. His name was Kalia. He had multiple heads, with green hoods lining them.
He had swum all the way from his home, to run from his half-brother, Garuda. Garuda had been cursed, that if he ever went to Gokul, he would meet his end. Realising that Garuda couldn't come to Gokul, Kalia bolted to Gokul, where he wanted to make his own home.
Kalia went into the Yamuna with his wives, killing all in sight.
Soon, Kalia had killed all of the animals and plants in the river!!!! He sat in the river, chilling.

Krishna and his friends soon had gone to a faraway tree. They sat down, longing for some water. 
Krishna sent one of his friends to fetch some water for all of them. He had walked all the way until he reached the river Yamuna, which had turned a pitch-black colour. Unsuspecting, he scooped a handful of water and drank it all up. Within seconds, he had fallen on to the floor and died.
Confused, Krishna sent another one of his friends. He soon met the same fate of his friend before him.
Soon, everyone but Krishna had gone to retrieve water, but none had come back. Krishna walked to the Yamuna, where he saw the ghastly sight of his friends' dead bodies. He revived them with his magic and saw that the colour of the water had turned black.

Krishna eyed the water, looking for something, anything, that could've killed his friends.
Suddenly, he saw a slither in the water. He stared at it and jumped into the water. His friends begged him to stay because there was something dangerous in the water, but Krishna didn't pay heed to their pleas.
He swam and swam until he saw Kalia. Kalia attacked Krishna with his sharp fangs, but Krishna averted his bites.
Kaila tried to dig his fangs into Krishna, but he was too fast.
Kalia tried to coil around Krishna and crush him, but Krishna grew huge, blasting Kalia's grasp.
Krishna regained control and started to punch Kalia in the faces. He hit him left, right and centre.

Meanwhile, Krishna's friends alerted the people of Gokul, who came rushing to see the sight. Yashoda, Krishna's foster mother, came crying to the black river.
Meanwhile, underwater, Krishna caught Kalia's neck and lifted him up to the surface. Kalia hissed in pain, as Krishna pulled him above the water. He held him up, and started dancing on his many heads!!!! Krishna assumed the weight of the universe and banged his feet on Kaila's hoods. He roared in agony, as Krishna simply danced on his head.
The people of Gokul stared in awe, as Krishna belted Kalia.
Kalia's wives, who were spectating the fight, pleaded Krishna to let their husband go. Krishna had no intention of letting Kalia go, but seeing the plight of Kaila's wives, he made a deal with Kalia: If he ever came back to Gokul, Krishna would finish him off. Kalia agreed and swam away with his wives.
The city of Gokul had been, once again, saved by Krishna.

Thus, Krishna saved Gokul by banishing the evil serpent, Kalia.

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The Story of the Truthful Cow…

Hi!!! Today's story is a folktale from Karnataka. It's about a truthful cow, who doesn't stop telling the truth even when she nearly reaches the end of her life. Let see what happens…

A long time ago, in a small village off the coast of Karnataka, lived a herd of cows. Every morn, they would leave their small calves in the shed and go graze with their cowherd. Every evening, they would come back and play with their calves. This routine continued every day. 
One day, the cowherd had taken his cows to graze in a different patch. It was in a dense forest, with many big caves surrounding the huge trees.
The cowherd had wandered off, when suddenly a huge tiger jumped out of a cave!! The cows ran amock seeing the tiger. He had a sunset orange coat, with thin, pitch-black stripes lining his body. He had two white tufts of fur under his jaws, which rippled when he roared. His paws had short, sharp claws, which were tinted an ivory colour.

 The tiger lunged at a cow, who ran away in fear. Soon, all of the cows had bolted back to the shed. All but one. Her name was Punyakoti. She had tried to run, but the tiger never let her run away. The tiger had stopped her.
The tiger circled Punyakoti,  waiting to kill her. Punyakoti was biting her lip in fear. She pleaded the tiger, "I shall come back, O Tiger. Please, pretty please let me go," but, the tiger didn't think that Punyaloti would come back. "Hmm… How should I believe you… I think that you are just going to escape…" But, Punyakoti continued, "I shall just feed my child and come back, then you may eat me," The tiger had many doubts about Punyakoti, who begged him to let her go.
Soon, the tiger broke. He scoffed, "If you don't come back, I'll hunt you down and kill all of the cows and calves that live with you. You must come back!!! If you don't…" Punyakoti nodded her head and ran back to her shed.
She saw her calf whining, which made her sob. She came to her calf and whispered, " Hello, my little one. I have to tell you something," her calf innocently asked, "What, ma? What happened? Are you okay?" Punyakoti shed a tear and said, "I have come to see you for the last time. A tiger had captured me and only let come to you to feed you. This is the last time I shall set my eyes on you. I am so sorry," She sobbed along with her calf, fearing that he might also join his mom with her fate. He wailed in agony, as his mom discussed her fate with her friends. They begged her to stay, but she said, "I have made a promise. I cannot go back on it, even if it costs me my life," they wept with her, too.

Soo, it was time for Punyakoti to go back to the tiger. She wished her friends and her calf goodbye and set off.
Meanwhile, the tiger had grown even hungrier. He cursed himself for letting such an easy prey go!!! Pondering over his misfortune, he saw Punyakoti arrive at the cave. He couldn't believe his stars!!!! ‘Here I am, as I promised,’ said the cow, coming up to the tiger. "I have fed my calf for the last time and said goodbye to him. The other cows have promised to look after him. So, now you may kill me and eat me." The tiger, who was moved by Punyakoti's devotion to her promise, shook his head. He thought that Punyakoti would've deserted him, but she stayed true to her word. He sat in front of her and stated, "I cannot eat you," he said. "It is better that I die than eat someone as good and truthful as you." With that, he climbed to the top of his cave and jumped off, killing himself.
Punyakoti rushed back to her shed, where her calf sat in dismay. He looked up and mooed in ecstasy. He ran to his mom, who wept with joy.
She narrated the story of how the tiger had let her go.

Thus, Punyakoti saved her life by being truthful and honest.

Moral: Be truthful, for it could save your life

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