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๐๐๐๐ขฤ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐. Let's talk about her today.
No, not the subject of a movie from Bollywood, who used the name with god knows what reason whereas the name of the queen in question was Padmini... but of a goddess. A goddess of quite a repute in some specific parts of India.
No, not the subject of a movie from Bollywood, who used the name with god knows what reason whereas the name of the queen in question was Padmini... but of a goddess. A goddess of quite a repute in some specific parts of India.
Padmฤvati - born off a lotus' stem. Daughter of Kashyapa ... daughter of Mahฤdev, as well.
Also known as ๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จฤ - the goddess of the Nฤgas, snakes. We find her story or mention in few different places, namely, Mahฤbhฤrata, Devi Bhagavatam, Brahma-Vaivarta Purฤna,
Also known as ๐ฟ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จฤ - the goddess of the Nฤgas, snakes. We find her story or mention in few different places, namely, Mahฤbhฤrata, Devi Bhagavatam, Brahma-Vaivarta Purฤna,
and, most prominently, in an old Bengali literature called Padmฤ-Purฤna or Manasฤ-Mangal Kavya, the most popular version of which is attributed to poet Bijoy Gupta (circa, 1484 AD), though there are some other versions in circulation from around that time by some different poets.
Whether this Padmฤ-Purฤna can be called an Upapurฤna, Oupapurฤna, Sthalapurฤna, or Kulapurฤna - I am not sure. But who are we to challenge the words of Bijoy Gupta, who received the divine vision of Devi Manasฤ and brought the story to the world?
The narrations of the story of Devi Manasฤ in each of these sources have slightly different structures. So today, in my usual style, I will try to give you the lore in a format that is frictionless to read, and perhaps does justice to all the narrations.
Let's start.
Let's start.
The place: Kashi - the holiest of all holy places.
The time: one or two generations before the battle of the Ten Kings (Rigveda), and at the same time when Ayodhya was being ruled by king Dasaratha.
Kashi was then being ruled by king Divodasa.
The time: one or two generations before the battle of the Ten Kings (Rigveda), and at the same time when Ayodhya was being ruled by king Dasaratha.
Kashi was then being ruled by king Divodasa.
He had an esoteric origin, as he was given to his father, king Vadhryasva, also known as Bhimaratha, by the great river Saraswati, somewhere in the region of today's southern Afghanistan. The king himself belonged to a divine lineage, as he was the son of
Vishnu-avatara Dhvantari Himself, and was the father-in-law of king Dasharatha of Surya-vamsha, as he had married off his daughter Sumitra to the Ayodhyan family.
However, coming back to main track, it is said that during the reign of Divodasa, Kashi was literally
However, coming back to main track, it is said that during the reign of Divodasa, Kashi was literally
the abode of Mahadev, as in His Shankara rupam, He was omnipresent there, radiating His divine grace.
But He was Mahadev - and His grace transcended across the barrier of species. Like mankind felt His presence closer to home, so did all the other creatures on earth.
But He was Mahadev - and His grace transcended across the barrier of species. Like mankind felt His presence closer to home, so did all the other creatures on earth.
Especially the snakes.
Under the protection of Vasuki, the nagas almost had a free hand and the situation was not always so pleasant for the mankind.
So who else to go to, with all these problems, if not to the father of the terrible species of the nagas, Rishi Kashyapa?
Under the protection of Vasuki, the nagas almost had a free hand and the situation was not always so pleasant for the mankind.
So who else to go to, with all these problems, if not to the father of the terrible species of the nagas, Rishi Kashyapa?
Brahmarshi heard the problem of the men. It was not an easy problem to resolve, as he understood what is missing in bringing a balance to the social equation between the men and the nagas.
The tantric knot that could enforce the behavioral control on the nagas, and which could be evoked by due austerities performed by the men, was missing from creation. Indeed he and his wife Kadru gave birth to the nagas, installed the eldest of them - Vasuki - as their king...
but it wouldn't be feasible to always route every demand from other species through the king of the nagas. There must be a controlling tantra in place - just in case.
He went to counsel with Prajapati Brahma. After much discussion, he knew the solution.
He went to counsel with Prajapati Brahma. After much discussion, he knew the solution.
Based on ParamPitah's instructions, he created the mantras with the latent energies that would control the behavior of the nagas. And with the power of his mind, he created those mantras' presiding deity - a female form out of clay mold.
But strangely, he was unable to bring life into the pratima. However hard he tried, it just remained inert - a beautiful form, but a statue, nevertheless.
He cast his mind out of the present into the eternal flow of time, focused his thoughts at the feet of the Mahakaal... and His Shankara swarupa smiled back at him. He understood. There were more elements to this play, and it was not yet time.
He ordered his son Vasuki to place the statue in the Nagaloka... in Patala. When Vasuki enquired about the purpose, he was only told - this will be your sister, and will one day help saving your entire race.
Time went by, and Devarshi Narada entered the playfield - the leelakshetra - to do his part in the play that will now see Mahadev and Parvati do their parts.
๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐๐...
๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ช๐๐...
