Indian Mythology

Indian Mythology

There are vast range of Indian Mythology Stories, the charm of the magician, the intelligent wife of the poor farmer and several other themes talk about the rich heritage of folk tales. Tales in the form of indian village folk stories have traveled down from ages with lots of improvisations and additions. They relate to devotional concepts, excerpts from mythology and simple ways to live life. 

Ganesha and his intelligent decision

  On one occasion Lord Shiva and his wife Parvati were gifted a fruit by the other Gods. Both their sons, Ganesha and Karthikeya wished to have the fruit. There was just one fruit and two them wished to have it. The two did not want to have it half. So, finally Lord Shiva decided to solve the dispute by finding out who is the eldest of both. It was not about the age, but about the intelligence that the competition was based on. So Lord Shiva decided that the two would compete on a challenge. The challenge was to go around the world thrice and return back the earliest. The one who finishes the task and returns to them the fastest will win the fruit.

The race started and Karthikeya got over his peacock. Peacock was his vehicle on which Karthikeya used to roam around. He flew all around the earth. On the way he also stopped and paid his homage to the sacred spots and offered prayers for the well being of his family. However, what surprised him the most was that at every stop, he would see Ganesha far ahead of him. Karthikeya was puzzled at that.

Ganesha’s vehicle was the mouse. He very well knew that a mouse and a peacock cannot compete. The peacock would easily beat the mouse in the race. In that sense, he will never be able to win the race.

Ganesha thought for sometime and finally came up with some solution. Instead of circling the world he started walking around his parents, Lord Shiva and Parvati. He completed three rounds with his hands folded. His parents were confused at the sight. They asked the reason why he was revolving around them. On this Ganesha replied that for him his parents mean the world. He need not travel around the world. Ganesha completed his revolution around his parents.

Sometime passed by, and they saw Karthikeya returning on his peacock. He managed to circle the earth on his vehicle. But, when he came back he got to know that Ganesha had already won the competition. Lord Shiva explained to him that Ganesha had won the race on the basis of his quick thinking and intelligence and not on the basis of his strength.

Karthikeya accepted his defeat and bowed in front of Ganesha was his intelligence.

The Cursed Flower

  Once upon a time, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were having an argument. The topic on which they were quarrelling was who amongst the two was superior to the other. When they were fighting, Lord Shiva appeared in front of them in the shape of a light. The light was boundless. It stretched on all directions as far as their eyes could reach. It was like the sky, no boundaries. Brahma and Vishnu then decided, the one who finds the boundaries of the light would win and hence will be the superior of the two.

Lord Vishnu changed his appearance into a boar and Lord Brahma into a swan and proceeded in finding the boundaries. Vishnu went downwards and tried his best but could not find the bottom seam of the light. Brahma on the other hand went upwards to find the upper boundary of the light. But he too proved unsuccessful. However, he saw a flower falling downwards. He caught it and went at the place where the race had started. Lord Vishnu was waiting for Brahma desperately. He feared if Brahma would have found the boundary.

Looking at the desperate and sad look on Vishnu’s face, Brahma thought of lying to Vishnu. He claimed to succeed in finding the upper border of the light. He showed the flower as the proof. He told Vishnu that he had found the flower at the upper border of the light. He plucked it out to show it to him. Vishnu did not agree to the claim. He questioned the flower, whether Brahma was speaking the truth. The flower however said, Brahma was true.

The lie by the flower and Brahma made Lord Shiva angry and furious. Angry Lord Shiva cursed the beautiful flower as a punishment to its lie. The flower was the most beautiful flower of all the flowers that existed. However, after it was cursed by Lord Shiva, it lost all its fragrance and beauty. Since it became an ugly flower, it no longer got the same importance as it earlier did. It was no longer used as an offering during worships.