The Puffin Book of Magical Indian Myths Read online

  Then, as the gods and the asuras continued with the churning, from the waters emerged the wondrous things which had been lost. First emerged Kamadhenu, the cow of plenty. It was given to Vashishta, the officiating priest. Then came Airavata, the stately white elephant, and Uchchaih-sravas, a wonderful horse, which were both claimed by Indra. Then emerged Sura, the goddess of wine, and following her from the whirlpool sprang the Parijata tree, which Indra said would be kept in heaven so that all celestial beings might enjoy its delicate fragrance. Then came Rambha, and the other celestial nymphs who later became dancers in Indra’s court; next came the moon, which Shiva seized and wore as a hair ornament.

  The gods and the asuras churned the ocean for a thousand years and still there was no sight of the nectar which was what they were really seeking. Instead, what came up was visha or poison. The snake gods drank as much of the poison as they could, but there was still so much left that it looked as if it would strike them all dead with its fumes. To prevent this, Shiva drank up all the poison, which lodged in his throat, turning his neck blue in colour. Now with renewed vigour, the churning began again. Shankha, the conch of victory, emerged, as did Kaustubha, a priceless jewel. Finally from amidst the froth, Lakshmi rose, with a lotus in her hand. Along with her, the ocean yielded the much-prized water of life. Wearing white robes, the god of medicines, Dhanwantri, appeared, bearing the jar of amrita in his palm.

  The churning finally came to an end and the asuras now discovered that almost everything had been claimed for their own by the gods. This angered them so much that they snatched the pot of amrita and a battle started.

  Shiva decided to intervene and said, ‘Since both the gods and the asuras have worked equally hard to churn the ocean, I suggest that the nectar too be divided equally.’

  ‘But who will divide the amrita?’ everyone asked.

  At that moment a beautiful woman appeared. Nobody had seen such loveliness before and all were dazzled. She said her name was Mohini. She smiled at them and said, ‘Allow me to divide the water of life.’

  Both the gods and the asuras agreed.

  ‘Since the gods are elder to the asuras, they must be served first,’ she said. The asuras were so enchanted by her that they agreed to that as well.

  Everyone sat down in two rows with their plates in front of them. Mohini started serving the gods first, and since there were thirty-three of them, all that was left after they had been served were a few drops, which she poured down her own throat.

  Just then the moon and the sun, who knew Mohini was actually Vishnu, spotted that Rahu, an asura who had disguised himself as a god, was sitting with them and had been served a portion of the amrita. They told Vishnu, who promptly hurled his sudarshan chakra at Rahu and cut off his throat. But the nectar had already slid down his throat, so his head and body remained alive separately. The head was called Rahu and the body, Ketu. Since then Rahu wreaks revenge on the moon and the sun by occasionally swallowing them up and plunging the world into darkness. But he cannot hold them for long and they always reappear. We call this an eclipse.

  When the asuras realized that Vishnu had tricked them to ensure that only the gods became immortal, they were furious. Another battle started. But the asuras were tired after the churning and the gods were stronger than ever after having consumed the amrita. And so the asuras were defeated once again.

  How the Earth Was Dredged Back

  Vishnu’s Third Avatar—The Varaha

  Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu were asura twins. They were groomed to be the chiefs of the asuras when they grew up. Even as children, they hated the gods and promised themselves that they would defeat them when they grew up.

  One day Hiranyaksha, the older twin, had an idea. ‘It is the people on the earth who give these gods delusions of grandeur. If there was no earth, then who would remain to pray to these gods,’ he thought.

  No sooner than he realized this than Hiranyaksha set off to destroy the earth. He dragged the earth to the bottom of the ocean and stood there holding it close to his chest.

  ‘What shall we do now?’ said one of the gods as they all gathered together. ‘All those millions of people, birds, animals, trees, flowers … everything is at the bottom of the ocean. How can we bring it all back?’

  ‘Even if we go to the ocean bed, how can we take on Hiranyaksha? He is stronger than all of us put together,’ said another god.

  Vishnu decided to fight Hiranyaksha. He assumed the form of Varaha, a gigantic boar, and swam to the bottom of the ocean. He challenged Hiranyaksha, and the ensuing battle continued for a thousand years.

  Finally Vishnu slew the asura. Picking up the earth with his horns, he tossed it back to the surface. As soon as the earth was restored to its place, the birds sang as they did at the crack of dawn, the animals shook themselves awake from their long sleep, the leaves began to rustle and even the spider that had paused for more than a thousand years began to weave its web. And the people went about their lives as they used to. All was well again.

  The Killing of Hiranyakashipu

  Vishnu’s Fourth Avatar—Narasimha

  When Hiranyakashipu discovered that his twin had been killed by Vishnu, he decided to obtain a boon that would make him indestructible so that a similar fate would not befall him. To achieve this, he began a long penance to appease Shiva.

  When Shiva finally appeared before him and offered him a boon, Hiranyakashipu asked that he should be made invincible.

  ‘Even though you have proved your devotion to me, that I cannot promise,’ Shiva said.

  ‘In that case, I would like you to give me a boon that will ensure I cannot be destroyed either by man or animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at day nor night, neither by poison nor weapon,’ Hiranyakashipu said.

  Shiva looked at him carefully, then smiled and said, ‘So be it!’

  Hiranyakashipu was certain that no one could defeat him now. The king of the asuras began his wars against the gods. He went to battle with Indra and wrested heaven away from him. There he began to dwell and rule heaven, the earth and the netherworld as if he were its only lord.

  The gods went pleading to Shiva, who was in deep meditation, to help them. Shiva opened his eyes and said, ‘You will have to endure your suffering for some more time. Hiranyakashipu’s end is drawing near.’

  The king of the asuras had a son named Prahlada. Hiranyakashipu was very fond of his son but his fondness turned to irritation when he discovered that his son was an ardent devotee of Vishnu. ‘Who is this Vishnu fellow?’ he bellowed. ‘There is only one lord in this universe and that is I, your father, Hiranyakashipu. If you wish to worship someone, then repeat after me, “Om namo Hiranyakashipu!”’

  But Prahlada refused to say such a prayer and continued with his prayers to Vishnu.

  Hiranyakashipu watched his son’s devotion and grew angrier and angrier. ‘He is not my son,’ he thundered. ‘He is a traitor. Like all traitors, he deserves to die.’

  Hiranyakashipu ordered that a rogue elephant be brought and made to trample the boy. But when the elephant saw Prahlada and heard him mutter, ‘Narayana, Narayana,’ it fell to its knees and dropped a garland of wild flowers around the boy’s neck.

  Angered by this failure, Hiranyakashipu let loose poisonous snakes on the boy’s bed when he was fast asleep. But the snakes merely stood guard around the boy. When Prahlada woke up, they went away without harming him.

  But the king was not ready to give up. He lit a pyre and had Prahlada thrown into it. Prahlada stood with his eyes closed, his hands folded in prayer, and continued to say, ‘Narayana! Narayana!’ Suddenly, a huge thunderstorm arrived out of the clear skies and sheets of rain put out the flames.

  Furious, Hiranyakashipu dragged his son to the palace. ‘Who is this Narayana? Where does he live?’ he asked the boy.

  ‘Narayana lives everywhere,’ the boy said.

  ‘Does he live here?’ the asura demanded, slamming a door. ‘Or does he live here?’ he said, pu
shing down a table. ‘Or is he crouched inside this pillar?’ he asked, smashing the pillar with his mace.

  The pillar fell apart and from it emerged a strange-looking creature. It was Narasimha, half man and half lion. It had the head and claws of a lion and the body of a man.

  When Prahlada saw the apparition, he recognized instantly that the half man–half lion was Vishnu. He fell on the ground and exclaimed joyously, ‘Oh, my lord, you are finally here!’

  As the assembled courtiers watched in amazement, Narasimha grabbed Hiranyakashipu and dragged him towards the door of the palace. He paused on the threshold. For there it was neither indoors nor outdoors. Then, with his claws, that were neither weapon nor poison, and at twilight, which was neither day nor night, he ripped open Hiranyakashipu’s stomach and pulled his intestines out.

  Thus did Vishnu kill the tyrant Hiranyakashipu, but without breaking any of Shiva’s promises.

  Prahlada became the king of the asuras, returned heaven to Indra and made his subjects happy till his death.

  How King Bali Lost His Kingdom

  Vishnu’s Fifth Avatar—Vamana

  King Bali was the grandson of Prahlada and was as noble and pious as his grandfather. He ruled the asuras well and tried to curb their violent behaviour.

  Unlike his ancestors, King Bali sought supremacy over heaven and earth by non-violent means. Instead of going to battle with the gods, he undertook rigorous penance and by the strength of his dedication and virtue, he wrested heaven away from Indra. Soon he was king of the three worlds and everyone on the earth loved him dearly. There never had been such a noble king as Bali, they said.

  The gods soon grew jealous of Bali and feared that they would lose their standing if Bali continued to reign. ‘The people don’t turn to us in times of trouble because Bali takes such good care of them. Soon they will forget that we exist. Moreover, he continues to accrue such blessings that he will remain lord of the three worlds forever,’ they told Vishnu.

  When Vishnu seemed unmoved by their fears, one of the gods added, ‘Bali is a good king, but his children might not be such noble rulers. What then? They will destroy this universe if they inherit such power!’

  So Vishnu decided to step in and save the gods from further humiliation. He was born to Sage Kashyapa and Aditi and was known as Vamana. Even as an adult, Vamana remained diminutive and it was as a little man he went to King Bali’s court asking for alms.

  King Bali received Vamana as though he were a very important guest and asked, ‘What can I do for you? How can I be of service to you?’

  Vamana looked up at the king and said, ‘All I need is three feet of land!’

  ‘Is that all?’ Bali asked in surprise. ‘Don’t you need anything more?’

  ‘Three feet of land will do,’ Vamana said.

  ‘Then it shall be yours. Do take it from wherever you want,’ the king said, amused by the little man’s modest request.

  Then, as the king watched, Vamana began to grow rapidly. He multiplied in size until he was as tall as the trees, as tall as the mountains and finally as tall as the skies.

  With his left foot, Vamana covered the earth. ‘This is the first foot of land,’ he said, his voice ringing through the skies. With his right foot, he covered heaven. ‘This is the second foot. What is left, O king? Where shall I take my third foot of land from?’

  King Bali realized that this was none other than Vishnu and that the third foot of land had to be found. So he fell on his knees and bent his head, ‘All I have left is my head. Take this as the third foot of land,’ he said with quiet dignity.

  When the gods saw this, even they were moved to tears by Bali’s humility and honour and rained flowers on Bali. But Vamana put his foot on the king’s head and pressed him down into the netherworld. ‘Henceforth, this shall be your kingdom,’ he told King Bali.

  As Bali was about to leave the earth for good, his grief-stricken subjects gathered to bid him farewell. When the king saw the tears in his people’s eyes, he too was saddened. ‘How can I stay away from my subjects?’ he thought.

  Bali turned to Vamana and said, ‘I have one request before I leave. All I ask is that for one day in the year I be allowed to visit my people and know all is well with them.’

  Vamana agreed.

  Ever since, the king’s subjects wait for his coming year after year. To this day, the people of Kerala welcome King Bali with a carpet of flowers every year. This day is known as Onam.

  Why Sukanya Wed Chyavana

  Chyavana was an old sage who lived in the forest by himself. One day, he began a penance that went on for several years. As he sat cross-legged, deep in meditation, termites built their nest around him. Soon the sage was completely covered, except for two holes that left his eyes visible.

  Sukanya, the daughter of King Saryata, came to the forest with her friends. As they wandered picking flowers and fruit, they came to the spot where Chyavana sat concealed in a mound of mud.

  Sukanya saw the small hillock and went close. ‘What is this strange thing?’ she asked her friends.

  ‘That’s an anthill,’ said one of them.

  ‘No, it’s a termite’s nest,’ said another.

  ‘But look at these two holes! Something glitters within,’ Sukanya said.

  ‘That’s true. This is no ordinary anthill,’ said the first girl.

  ‘It must be the home of some rare creature; a gem-studded snake, perhaps,’ said a third.

  Sukanya stared at the glittering gems. Her desire to know what they were grew in intensity. Finally, she took a twig and poked the glittering objects.

  Suddenly there was a scream of anguish and the anthill fell apart and from it emerged Chyavana with his eyes bleeding. The princess was frightened. What have I done, she thought, and fell at his feet. ‘Forgive me, Your Holiness. I didn’t know that you were there,’ she cried.

  But Chyavana refused to accept her apologies. ‘You deserve to be punished for disturbing my penance and for hurting my eyes,’ he growled.

  ‘I meant no harm,’ Sukanya pleaded. ‘I saw the radiance of your eyes and thought they were rare jewels.’

  But the sage refused to be placated.

  Meanwhile King Saryata arrived on the spot and at one glance he understood that if he didn’t step in and save the situation, he and his kingdom would be cursed.

  So he too fell at the sage’s feet. ‘Please forgive my daughter,’ he cried. ‘And to make up for having hurt your eyes, I beg that you allow her to serve you for the rest of her life. Please take her as your wife and let her live here taking care of your every need.’

  The princess’s heart sank. What, marry this old and ugly man, she thought. But she said nothing, for she realized that if the sage didn’t forgive them, a great calamity might occur and the kingdom would be doomed forever. So she swallowed her misery and smiled.

  ‘You might offer her in marriage to me, but does she want me as her husband?’ the sage demanded.

  The king looked at his daughter.

  She raised her eyes and said, ‘If Your Holiness would have me, I will be privileged to be your wife.’

  Chyavana looked at the young, beautiful princess and his heart softened. ‘So be it,’ he said.

  And so Sukanya became the old and ugly Chyavana’s wife and lived with him in the hermitage.

  How Sukanya Thwarted the Ashwin Twins

  The Ashwin twins were the sons of the sun god. They were young and handsome and looked so like each other that it was impossible to tell them apart. They were also the physicians of heaven.

  One day in the course of their travels, they arrived at Chyavana’s hermitage. The sage received them and said, ‘I shall ask my wife Sukanya to take care of your needs.’

  The twins were appalled to see that the sage’s wife was the young and beautiful Sukanya. ‘Why did you marry this old and ugly man?’ they asked.

  So she narrated the sequence of events.

  ‘How do you bear it?’ they asked her.
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br />   But Sukanya refused to speak anything against her husband or his looks. ‘He makes me happy,’ she said quietly.

  One of the Ashwin twins said, ‘Abandon him and one of us will be your husband. You do not deserve to be tied to a man as ugly as him. We are more suited to be your husband.’

  But Sukanya refused. ‘He is my husband and I shall remain with him. Besides, you are young and handsome now, how can you compare yourself to him? He must have been handsome in his youth too.’

  The Ashwin twins smiled. ‘That is true. Do you know who we are?’ they asked.

  She shook her head.

  ‘We are the physicians of heaven,’ they said laughing. ‘So this is what we propose: we shall turn your husband into a young and handsome man, identical to us, and then you must choose from one of us.’

  Sukanya thought about it and agreed.

  The Ashwin twins asked Chyavana to go with them to a lake to bathe. When they returned after their bath, instead of two young men and one old man, three young men, all handsome and radiant, stood in front of her.

  Sukanya smiled in delight, tinged with confusion.

  ‘Now you must choose from one among us,’ all three said together.

  Sukanya closed her eyes and prayed for help. As she stood before the three young men who looked alike, she felt a strange power draw her towards one. She immediately understood he must be Chyavana. So she chose him.

  The Ashwin twins accepted the decision. As for Chyavana, he was happy to be young and handsome. He told the twins, ‘In time, I shall repay this favour.’

  Meanwhile, in heaven, Indra was conducting a ceremony where all the gods would partake of soma, the divine drink. However, he refused to let the Ashwin twins drink the soma. ‘The Ashwin twins are unreliable,’ he said grimly. ‘They don’t behave like gods ought to. They wander among human beings and keep changing their forms as and when they please. I cannot allow it.’