The Daughter from a Wishing Tree Read online

  The brutal king’s subjects suffered and spoke to each other in worried whispers. ‘How can there be a being with the same name, a god’s body and a horse’s head? Hayagriva will never die!’

  Finally, they went to Brahma for help.

  Brahma, however, had no solution. So, he approached Shiva, who suggested that they go to Vaikuntha to meet Vishnu.

  When they reached the lord’s abode, they found a standing Vishnu fast asleep. He was so tired after a particularly fierce battle with the asuras that he had fallen asleep standing and still holding his bow, Saranga, in his right hand.

  Brahma was reluctant to wake Vishnu but knew that he had no choice. So, he created a colony of white ants and positioned them on Saranga. He thought the ants would eat the thread of the bow, causing a loud sound as the thread snapped and the bow opened. But he was terribly mistaken. The ants ate the thread in the blink of an eye, and the bow opened up with so much force that it beheaded Vishnu! His head flew up in the sky and fell with a splash in the middle of the sea.

  Brahma and Shiva were not prepared for this. Alarmed, they looked in shock at each other and wondered what to do. Unable to find a way out of this situation, they prayed to Shakti. Soon, she appeared and said, ‘Do not worry. Vishnu will be fine.’

  The two lords looked incredulous.

  With a smile, Shakti disclosed the reason. ‘One day, Vishnu and Lakshmi were speaking to each other, and Vishnu had taunted her, “O Lakshmi! Just look at your relatives—your father is the ocean himself, yet nobody can drink a sip of his salty water. What a waste! And what do I even say about your brothers who emerged with you from the churning of the ocean? Chandra, the moon god, is healthy for two weeks and then sick for the following fortnight. Halahala turned out to be the poison that turned the great Shiva into Neelkanth, the one with the blue throat. Amrut, the nectar of immortality, caused a great war, and your other brother, the seven-headed horse Uchaishravas, is constantly galloping around.”

  ‘Lakshmi was deeply offended. “It is very easy to talk ill of people,” she said to her husband. “The world survives today because of my father. Chandra gives his light to the earth at night, and Shiva was able to save the world thanks to his blue throat. Amrut is the reason for the gods’ eternal existence, and everyone desires a horse because of Uchaishravas. Maybe in time you will understand what it means to be a horse.”

  ‘So, you see,’ Shakti concluded, ‘Vishnu was predestined for a moment like this. This has all been designed to initiate the destruction of Hayagriva.’

  Shakti grabbed a sword and beheaded a horse grazing nearby. She took his head and put it on Vishnu’s body, which came back to life. ‘The lord’s body with this horse’s head will be known as Hayagriva. Haya itself means horse, and now is the time for him to fight the asura.’

  Vishnu, now in his form of Lord Hayagriva, followed Shakti’s instructions and killed his namesake asura. When he came back victorious after the battle, the horse’s head was replaced with his original one.

  This form of Vishnu, also known as Hayashirsa, is one of the Dashavataras and is sometimes considered to be an alternative to the avatar of Balarama. He is usually depicted with four hands, carrying a Sudarshana Chakra. In this form, he is offered a unique dessert, also called Hayagreeva, which is made with chana dal—a type of lentil.

  The Power of Faith

  A long time ago, there lived an able and just king named Dhruvasanti who ruled the kingdom of Kosala. He had two beautiful wives, Manorama and Leelavati, who each had a son named Sudarshana and Shatrujit. The boys were only a month apart in age and were raised in a lifestyle befitting their royal status.

  One day, the king went to the forest to hunt and was unexpectedly killed by a lion. Shocked by the unexpected loss, the people of the kingdom mourned their king’s death.

  Tradition dictated that Sudarshana, who was the older boy and Manorama’s son, ascend the throne. However, Yudajit, Leelavati’s father, strongly felt that his grandson, Shatrujit, was better suited for the crown. Yudajit was a clever king, and after some thought, he arrived in Kosala with his army to invade the kingdom’s capital city of Ayodhya in an effort to make Shatrujit the new crown prince. Virasena, Manorama’s father, countered the attack and stormed the city with his own forces in support of his grandson Sudarshana. The two sides battled each other and Virasena was killed.

  When Manorama learnt of her father’s death, she became terrified. She was certain that her son’s life was in danger in Ayodhya, so she escaped with him. On the banks of the River Ganga, a revered sage named Bharadwaja took pity on both the queen and the young prince and provided them with care and shelter.

  With Sudarshana nowhere in sight, Shatrujit safely ascended the throne and became the king of Kosala. One day, Yudajit, Shatrujit’s grandfather, learnt that Sudarshana was under the protection of Bharadwaja. He thought of killing him so that the first-born prince could not pose a threat to the throne. However, the kingdom’s wise ministers advised him not to proceed with this plan while the boy was under the hermit’s protection.

  In the hermit’s ashram, Sudarshana heard a fascinating mantra one day. However, later, he could recall only the first word of the mantra and began chanting it repeatedly: Kleem Kleem. Little did he know the word signified the sacred Devi.

  Years went by and the chanting became a part of Sudarshana’s daily routine. Devi, who had finally noticed the young boy and his innocent devotion, appeared before him. She blessed him with a divine bow and arrow and promised her protection to him.

  Meanwhile, Sasikala, the beautiful princess of Kashi and an ardent devotee of Devi, heard about Sudarshana and Devi’s blessing to him. Instantly, she felt a connection to him and fell in love, despite never having met him.

  Subahu, Sasikala’s father, had arranged her swayamvara—a grand gathering of prospective husbands from whom the bride would choose a groom—and invited many princes to attend. But Sasikala abruptly informed him that her groom would only be Sudarshana. This upset her parents. Sudarshana was a prince without a kingdom and any supporters, but what dissuaded them most was his powerful enemy and half-brother, Shatrujit. They advised Sasikala, ‘Please, dear daughter, you must change your mind for the sake of your future.’

  Sasikala, however, remained firm, unwavering in her decision. Reluctantly, Subahu sent a trusted messenger to the forest to invite Sudarshana to the upcoming swayamvara, though the princess’s parents still hoped that one of the other princes attending the event would change their daughter’s mind.

  On receiving the invitation, Sudarshana grew eager to attend the event. But his mother, the queen-in-exile Manorama, stopped him, afraid of what lay ahead. ‘O my dear child, please don’t go!’ she said. ‘I know you have received a royal invitation, but it was sent just days before the swayamvara. That, in itself, implies that you are not an important suitor for the princess. I am sure that Shatrujit will also be there, and I don’t want to lose you the way I lost my father.’

  Sudarshana smiled. ‘Mother, please don’t worry. Devi is with me. I belong to the clan of warriors, as do you. It is perfectly acceptable to be afraid, but it shouldn’t stop us from pursuing our path. We must push ahead.’

  ‘But you are my precious son,’ remarked Manorama sadly. Sensing that her son would not let this go, she said, ‘Well, if you must go, then I will come too.’

  Sudarshana agreed, and soon, the mother and son journeyed to Kashi.

  When they reached, King Subahu welcomed them with great respect, honour and hospitality.

  The next morning, Sudarshana ran into his half-brother, Shatrujit, at the swayamvara. Shatrujit was accompanied by his grandfather Yudajit. ‘Why are you here?’ Shatrujit asked, barely hiding his contempt. ‘This is not the place for you. You don’t even have an army!’

  ‘I am here with Devi, and hers is the only support I need,’ responded Sudarshana.

  Just then, Sasikala entered the hall with a garland. Softly, she said to her unhappy parents standing n
earby, ‘I don’t know how many princes have come here today expecting my hand in marriage, but the truth is that it doesn’t matter at all. My decision has already been made. I am going to marry Sudarshana.’

  The helpless and anxious king knew that he had to call off the swayamvara immediately. He made a loud announcement. ‘My daughter has decided to marry Sudarshana. Hence, the swayamvara will no longer take place. We welcome you as our esteemed guests, and I request each of you to accept a few gifts. Please have a meal with us before you journey back to your own kingdoms.’

  Yudajit became livid. He yelled, ‘If your daughter had already chosen Sudarshana, why did you invite the other princes? This is an insult to all of us and I will not tolerate it. I am going to abduct your daughter and force her to marry my grandson Shatrujit.’

  King Subahu grew pale. His army was no match for the strength and skill of Yudajit’s forces! So, he turned to his daughter. ‘My dear child, do you see the situation you have put us in? I beseech you, please change your mind and peace will prevail.’

  ‘I’m sorry, dear father, but I must abide by my decision,’ responded Sasikala. Undeterred, she approached Sudarshana and garlanded him, indicating to the guests present that she was now betrothed to him.

  In an instant, the hall turned into a battleground, as Yudajit and Shatrujit’s soldiers attacked the kingdom’s guards with great force. The other parties joined one of the two sides, and the battle seemed like it would never end.

  Suddenly, Devi appeared in the room out of nowhere, mounted on a ferocious tiger. She wore a red sari, sported a garland of mandara flowers around her neck and had weapons clutched in her multiple hands.

  It was almost as if Sudarshana instinctively knew what to do next—he brought out his divine bow and began shooting arrows in quick succession.

  When the soldiers in the room saw Devi, they put their arms down and retreated. Yudajit, however, too caught up in his desire to slay Sudarshana, did not recognize her. To him, she was just a woman. He roared at his soldiers, ‘Why are you cowards fleeing at the sight of a woman? Surround Sudarshana and kill him!’

  With a slight smile and without a word, Devi killed both Yudajit and Shatrujit with her perfectly aimed arrows.

  This story of Devi’s power and her execution of justice quickly spread everywhere.

  In due course of time, Sudarshana was crowned the king of Kosala. He remained a devotee of Devi and dedicated one day a year in his kingdom to the goddess.

  The Goddess of Fruits and Vegetables

  There once lived an asura named Ruru who belonged to the lineage of Hiranyaksha. A devotee of the Trinity, Ruru performed a penance to please Brahma.

  When Brahma appeared before him, he asked Ruru, ‘What do you desire, my dear child?’

  ‘O Lord, will you bless me with the boon of always having the Trinity protect my family?’

  ‘So may it be,’ blessed Brahma and vanished.

  Time passed, and Ruru’s son, Durgamasura, an ambitious and intelligent asura, grew up to be a powerful king. The guru of the asuras, Shukracharya, advised Durgamasura to pray to Brahma. Shukracharya knew about some of the foolish boons the asuras had asked for earlier, so he warned Durgamasura, ‘Be careful what you ask for.’

  Durgamasura listened to his teacher carefully before he departed for his penance. He meditated for years until Brahma appeared and asked him, ‘What do you want, my devotee?’

  Durgamasura was aware of the importance of the Vedas and the yagnas and decided that, unlike his predecessors, he did not want to ask for immortality. Instead, he said, ‘Lord, you are the creator of the four Vedas. Please give their sole ownership to me.’

  Brahma agreed and blessed Durgamasura.

  Once he became the owner of the Vedas, Durgamasura kept them under lock and key in Patala, the lower realm of the earth. As a result, future generations of priests and sages, who were unable to refer to the Vedas, could not perform yagnas. Gradually, fewer yagnas took place, and the share of food usually offered to the fire to please the gods through yagnas became minimal. With the passing of some more time, the practice of yagnas became extinct. So, the gods grew disconnected from humans and began losing their power over the earthly realm, becoming weaker and weaker.

  Durgamasura knew that the weakness of the gods would in turn enhance his strength. He soon began troubling the citizens of earth and other living beings on the planet.

  Varuna, the god of water, became so thin and weak that he was unable to send rain for the people on earth, resulting in all the water sources drying up. Famine ravaged the world. Animals began dying due to the lack of food and resources, and so did the men, women and children.

  However, Durgamasura showed no sign of change or repentance. As a king, he still demanded all resources from his subjects, including water, and was unbothered by the difficulties faced by his people. Instead, he used this opportunity to march towards the heavens, dethrone Indra and crown himself the king of the gods. This made all the gods, including Varuna, his slaves.

  The gods felt helpless because of the Trinity’s promise of protection to Durgamasura’s father. Brahma had no inkling that giving the Vedas to Durgamasura would result in the end of yagnas, which would lead to powerless gods and famished people on earth.

  Gods and humans alike became terrified of Durgamasura and his next move. Brahma and Vishnu ran to Shiva, requesting him for assistance.

  Shiva was calm. He said, ‘The Trinity has promised to protect Ruru’s family, which is why we cannot declare war against Durgamasura. The only person who can do so is my wife, Parvati, who is independent of me in thought and action. Even though we have promised to protect the family, perhaps Parvati can assist. She is a fierce warrior who can easily defeat her enemies.’

  Hearing the endless pleas of gods and humans alike, Parvati came down to earth on a lion. She was armed with sixteen weapons in each of her sixteen hands. The goddess observed the sparse vegetation and the heaps of dead animal and human bodies because of the never-ending drought. A mother at heart, she could not contain her sadness, and tears spilled from her eyes. The moment the tears touched the earth, they instantly turned into full-fledged rivers. When Parvati realized that her tears were turning into water, she used her powers to replicate one hundred eyes all over her body. This gained her the name Shatakshi—a hundred eyes.

  Soon, the earth was blessed with water, but there were no trees left to sustain life. Parvati wondered how this problem could be solved. She knew that rainwater was the purest water of all and that it helped grow food quickly.

  So, she went in search of Durgamasura. The asura king became enchanted with her beauty the moment he saw her without realizing who she really was. He asked her, ‘O beautiful lady, what do you want from me? I am sure that I can give you whatever you are looking for.’

  ‘Release the Vedas and allow yagnas to resume. Let Varuna send water to the earth. Only rain can bring crops. Rivers can help but rain is essential.’

  ‘I will agree to this, fair maiden. But I want you to marry me.’

  ‘Don’t you know that I am the wife of Shiva and the mother of the universe? Don’t you know the meaning of love?’ She continued, ‘You have done wrong, my child. Stop your negative actions and understand that it is important for the world to have peace.’

  Durgamasura, however, did not heed her words. He was obsessed with her beauty. He said, ‘It is wonderful to know that you are Shiva’s wife. But I must advise you to leave your ascetic husband who resides in a godforsaken place like Mount Kailash. Become my queen and I will be your slave for life.’

  Parvati became furious at his words, as the gods watched the proceedings with interest and fear. ‘There is no point in trying to explain anything to you,’ she said. ‘So, the only solution is that you must meet your end—maybe that is your destiny and the purpose of your words. Come, let us fight.’

  Durgamasura laughed loudly. The thought was absolutely absurd to him. ‘Oh, come on. How can a delicate w
oman like you fight a mighty demon like me?’

  Parvati refused to back down, so Durgamasura reluctantly agreed to a fight. A terrible and fierce battle ensued. Parvati, now in her angry and vengeful avatar, used all her weapons and strategies and killed Durgamasura.

  Gradually, Parvati returned to her calm and peaceful self and said to the gods and humans who had come to thank her, ‘The form in which I fought against Durgamasura will be known as Durga. To save the world, I will give the seeds to grow plants, trees and vegetables, and Varuna will send rain to help cultivation. For this purpose, you must pray to me in my form as Shakambhari, with vegetables, and not flowers or ornaments. I will create a beautiful garden here, which will have vegetables growing in it forever. For this, I will be known as Banashankari, or the goddess of the garden, and I must always be dressed in green.’

  Today, the temple of Banashankari is in the Bagalkot district of north Karnataka and has a statue of Parvati with a pleasant face, sixteen hands and riding a lion. During Navratri, she is decorated with garlands of lemons, chillies, eggplants, paan leaves and other green vegetables. On one of those days, she is offered only cooked vegetables, which must add up to the holy number of 108.

  The Steps to Heaven

  When King Pandu died, his widow Kunti went to Hastinapur with her five children, the Pandavas, to live with her husband’s half-brother and the ruling king, Dhritarashtra; his wife, Gandhari; and their hundred children, the Kauravas.

  Kunti, who was also known as Pritha, felt strongly that her children were princes in name only, since they did not have a father or a kingdom to inherit. In time, she began feeling like an unwelcome guest in her brother-in-law’s house and wondered how long she was likely to stay there.

  One day, the wandering sage Narada came to the palace and happened to see Kunti and Gandhari in conversation. Later, he asked the women, ‘What were both of you discussing?’