The Story of How Shiva’s Neck Turned Blue; Neelakantha and the Churning of the Cosmic Ocean (Samudra Manthan)
Category: Hindu Mythology
Shiva’s Other Child: Batara Kala, Lord of the Underworld
Before getting into the origin(s) and function(s) of Batara Kala, the Javanese/Balinese God of the Underworld, a little back story is necessary. Hinduism enjoyed a brief but… Read more “Shiva’s Other Child: Batara Kala, Lord of the Underworld”
The March of the Ants: Indra’s New Palace
Sometime between 1700 and 1100 B.C.E., four massive books, written in Sanskrit, were codified to create the Vedas. These included groupings of various myths, rituals, prayers and… Read more “The March of the Ants: Indra’s New Palace”
Who Wants To Live Forever? Markendaya and the End of the World
There’s an old adage about death and taxes being the only two certainties in life. Now, taxation is a function of government – death is a function… Read more “Who Wants To Live Forever? Markendaya and the End of the World”
Punished for Beauty: Shurpanakha
India has two great epic poems, comparable to the Iliad and the Odyssey. Both are tied into Avatars of Vishnu; Rama has the starring role in the… Read more “Punished for Beauty: Shurpanakha”
Kalki, the Tenth Avatar of Vishnu, Hindu Cycles of Time, and the End of World as We Know It…
Hindu calculations of time are tricky business; they reckon units of time that are measured against a day of Brahma, the creator God. How long does a… Read more “Kalki, the Tenth Avatar of Vishnu, Hindu Cycles of Time, and the End of World as We Know It…”
B_, the Ambiguous Ninth Avatar of Vishnu
As we’ve seen earlier, there are two competing theories as to why mythic motifs keep recurring through the world; one is that they are archetypal, and therefore… Read more “B_, the Ambiguous Ninth Avatar of Vishnu”
Krishna, the Eight Avatar of Vishnu
It was tricky putting together a narrative for Rama, the seventh Avatar of Vishnu. While there are definitely strains of Hinduism (mostly Shiva/Shakti lineages) that ignore the… Read more “Krishna, the Eight Avatar of Vishnu”
In the End, Ashes: the Good King of Kashmir
Once upon a time in Kashmir, there was a Sultan (the VIth, to be precise) named Sikandar who was a religious zealot. He destroyed Hindu temples, persecuted… Read more “In the End, Ashes: the Good King of Kashmir”
Rama, the Seventh Avatar of Vishnu
At some 24,000 verses, the tale of Rama, the Ramayana, is tricky to summarize. To further complicate things, there are at least 300 distinct versions from all over… Read more “Rama, the Seventh Avatar of Vishnu”