Hindu Puranic Tales...

[Surya]

Hi guys, I've wanted to create such a thread for sometime, but for some reason i haven't. :?

Anywayz, as we all know, our puranas have millions and millions of stories, which usually have some moral or idea behind it. I personally and many other believe that these tales have really taken place.

This thread is just for Hubbers to Post Stories which they know, which others might not. :D

Since it is Hanuman Jeyanthi Today, I'll start the thread off with a Story Pertaining to Hanuman. :D

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@ One point in the Mahabharath, Bheema (Known to the be Strongest of the Pandavas) gets too proud, and his strength blinds him. To teach him a lesson, Narathar gives him a task to do. He asks Bheema to go somewhere. When he reaches that destination, he will see a tail which belongs to something or someone. He is to lift that tail, and put it aside. Bheema does as he is told and goes to the spot which Narathar has mentioned. He sees the tail, He tries to pick it up..I can't..He tries to move it, he can't. He tries to shove it. He can't. So he asks Naratha, what this thing is, and how he coulen't move it even though he is the strongest man in the world. Naratha asks Bheema to chant "Sree Rama Jeyam" A few times and then try it again. Bheema does what he is told, and after chanting "Sree Rama Jeyam" a few times, he is able to move it easily. Bheema now completly confused, asks Naratha why he wasn't able to move it in the first place, and what did this tail lead to. Naratha says asks Bheema to follow the tail, and Bheema finds out that the tail belongs to Hanuman who is now in deep Thapas.

That's all I know of this tale. My grandmother would often tell me these stories if I massaged her feet so she could fall asleep....but more than often, she'd fall asleep and never finish the story. :x

So anywayz, can someone finish the story if they know the rest? :D

[gayatri yanamandra]

I think hanuman showers his blessings on bheema and gives him boons and some weapons which later he used in kurushketra .


This reminds me of another purana ...on similar lines..

Narada and thumbura in vaikuntam sing in praise of lord vishnu
they were always on argument .. (more then the bhakti ), they were proud that there can never be singer like them...lord vishnu waits for oppurtunity to teach them a lesson...

unable to decide the best singer amongst them ... they reach out to lord vishnu as judge..after listening to them lord vishnu mentions about a third singer who shd also participate ... he mentions abt hanuman , who is in great tapas ...
he only says "sree ram "...
lord vishnu declares him winner , as his bhakthi is stupendous...and he is the true devotee of lord vishnu.

[Badri]

Hmm, since people have been talking about Hanuman and Narada, here goes another story about the two.

Narada becomes proud of his talent in music and goes around parading the fact, when he is told that Hanuman is much better at music than he is!

He is stung and goes to find Hanuman sitting in the mountains in tapas and challenges him. Hanuman takes Narada's string instrument (Mahati) and starts to sing about Rama. So melodious and soulful is the music that the even rocks begin to melt. The rocks start to flow like water, and suddenly, Hanuman throws Mahati into the molten rock and stops singing. As soon as he stops singing, the rocks resolidify, trapping Mahati.

Now, Hanuman tells Narada, "Now you sing and make the rocks melt again and take your instrument out."

Needless to say, Narada is not able to do it; he begs Hanuman's forgiveness and beseeches him to retrieve his instrument. So Hanuman sings again, once again the rocks melt at his music and a much humbled Narada goes back to Vaikuntha with Mahati!

[NOV]

another story on poor Naradhar. :cry2:

once Naradhar claimed that he was the greatest devotee of Vishnu with his constant :Naarayana: :Naarayana:
Sriman told Naradhar that there was another man on earth who was a greater devotee. This, Naradhar had to see. :D
The man was a farmer who woke up as early as 4 am and started the day with :Naarayana:
Naradhar follwed the man unseeingly for the rest of the day, anxiously wanting to count the number of times the farmer says :Naarayana:
Strangely the man went about his work without any more mention of :Naarayana: until he was ready to sleep late into the night. He mentioned :Naarayana: in exhaustion as he fell asleep

Naradhar was indignant and approached Vishnu.
Sriman listened to him calmly and then gave Naradhar a tumbler filled to the brim with water. "This water is very special. Not a drop must spill. Can you take it around earth and bring it back to me?" Sriman said. "Remember, not a single spill. This will prove your devotion to me."

Naradhar was proud to be tested by Vishnu and proceeded to carry the tumbler around the world. All his concentration was on the tumbler, as he resisted the panja boodhams while going around the world.

Eventually he reached Sriman and proudly was able to say that he did not spill a single drop.

And then Sriman dropped the bombshell on Naradhar. "How many times during your trip, did you remember :Naarayana: ?"

:rotfl:

[avii]

once there was a brahmin, and though his devotion was great , so was his pride. one morning when cleaning the temple he found meat placed ontop of the shiv lingam in the temple . this , he removed and then made his offerings to lord shiva.

the next day was the same , and so was the day after. The brahmin getting greatly angered by vandalism , so prayed to the lord to solve this great mystery . Later that night the lord gave him a dream to go outside of the temple and hide.

the brahmin did this , soon enough , a hunter carrying meat came to the temple and offered it on the lingam. the brahmin was about to stop the hunter when he saw heard to hunter starting to weep . when the brahmin looked , he saw that blood was flowing out of one of the eyes of the lingam.

then he saw the hunter , using his spear, plucked out one of his own eyes and placed it in place of the lord's bleeding eye. The bleeding stopped!!! the hunter began to dance in joy that he had cured the lord when the lingam's other eye began to bleed as well .

the brahmin looked on in shock as the hunter was about to pluck out his other eye, the lord himself appeared and stopped the hunter, and gave him blessings .

at that instant , the pride of the brahmin disappeared, making him an even better devotee.

[padmanabha]

[tscii:72e6771954]
HANUMAN HUMBLING BHIMA IS THEME OF KALYANA SAUGANDIKAM-KATHAKALI
BY-KOTTAYATHU THAMPURAN

Whilst Arjuna was away in the Himalayas, in search of a divine arrow, his brothers and Draupadi, spent a long time visiting holy places. Eventually, they came to Kulinda the kingdom of Subhahu. They stayed at Narayanasram. One day wind wafted a beautiful flower near Draupadi. She was so enchanted, by its fragrance that she asked Bhima to find some more flowers of the same sort.


Bhima knew only that the flower came from north as the wind was blowing from that direction. He sets off in search of the flower. He encounters many difficulties. Then he reaches a forest, where his step Hanuman was dwelling. Hanuman recognized Bhima and wanted to help him. But he felt that Bhima should be humbled. Therefore, he transformed into a decrepit old monkey and lay in Bhima’s path. He teases him and asked him to shoe off the tail-which Bhima could not. Thus Bhima was humbled. Now he reveals his true self and directs him where to find the flower. Bhima reaches the garden of Kubera where the flower grew and brought it back to Draupadi.
[/tscii:72e6771954]

[gayatri yanamandra]

The hunter who gave his eye to lord siva is bhaktha kanappa
and famous temple where lord appeared before kanappa is srikalahasthi..

[sipi]

I think hanuman showers his blessings on bheema and gives him boons and some weapons which later he used in kurushketra .


no gayathri, he didnt give any weapon.. he only gives his blessing...


Bheema to follow the tail, and Bheema finds out that the tail belongs to Hanuman who is now in deep Thapas.

So anywayz, can someone finish the story if they know the rest? :D

actually, the story starts like this... Bheema has self-conceit that he is a strong and strengthy man, no one can beat him... Krishna felt sad about him. cause, he know self-conceit never make a man to success in life... so, he ask narada to meet drowpati.

Drowpati felt some flower smell, she is interested to know whats that. While on that time, Narada says its a wonderful flower which gives best smell.. so, she is interested to get that. she send bheema to get that place... There only he met hanuman tail...
.................................................. .......................................
.................................................. .......................................
.................................................. ....................................... then bheema find his fault about self-conceit and felt guilty about that... then, he meet hanuman.

after hanuman seen bheema, he came to know that he is his younger brother. cause, both are VAAYU PUTRA'S. Hanuman ask him what u want... he say i like to see your real structure (vishva roopam) in dwapara yugam, this is the only time hanuman showed his vishva roopam.

He said to him that, Truth will be there where krishna is! and i will be there where truth is!

in kurushetra war, hanuman being in the flag and protects 5 pandavas.


moral of the story : (rajini style) thaan thaaan periyavannu yaarum ninaika koodadhu.... avanuku annum irupan... :D

there is one more story about relating to hanuman & arjun, concept of same self-conceit...

[sipi]

once there was a brahmin, and though his devotion was great , so was his pride. one morning when cleaning the temple he found meat placed ontop of the shiv lingam in the temple . this , he removed and then made his offerings to lord shiva.


this story is also an HISTORY not only PURANA.


The hunter who gave his eye to lord siva is bhaktha kanappa
and famous temple where lord appeared before kanappa is srikalahasthi..

yes... such a wonderful temple...

more than this, he is the only NAYANMAR touched by lord shiva and called by lord shiva as kannappa... (Actually, his real name is something else)

[sipi]

A story of ARJUN's SELF-CONCEIT


After hi dapas, he met lord shiva and received BRAMA ASTRA and blessings too... so he felt, he is great one in the world and he felt he can beat any one through his bow & arrow. He was hanged by SELF-CONCEIT.

When he back to home, he seen a river crossing him with full speed. He has to cross it to back to his place. he ordered the river to provide space to cross it otherwise to use his arrow. River pleased him, its nature. we cant split us to provide the space... you are a great archer, so better you built a bridge on me.

He felt, its a great idea. So, he used to build ARROW BRIDGE to cross... after he crossed it, he felt he is greater than sri ram. even, sri ram is also a great archer, but he used to built bridge by stones. but, arjun built it through arrow's. Hanuman felt that, some one criticising about sri ram.

Hanuman (looks like an ordinary person) meet arjun and said that this bridge never be a strong one to carry his weight.. both are bets about that. Arjun bet that, if bridge didnt balance your weight, i never use bow & arrow after that.

Bridge totally broke, when it met hanumans first step... Arjun felt guilty about himself. so, he decided to broke his own bow (gaandeepam) Krishna appear there and stop him to broke the bow... He ask him to built bridge again and ask hanuman to broke it. And this time, hanuman cant able to broke the bridge... cause, krishna fulla carry over hanuman weight through his shoulder and he get blood on his shoulder.

Arjun ask why u sacrifice yourself? Krishna said that "now, i have only you to protect truth. i dont like to lose you".

moral of the story : dont bet anything easily without thinking, dont be self-conceit, and believe all are born to protect truth.

[sipi]

அனுமான் பிறப்பு

(இந்திர லோகத்தில் ரம்பை, ஊர்வசி, மேனகை, திலோத்தமை-இல் ஒருவர் அல்லது ஐந்தாவது நபராக கூட இருக்கலாம். பெயர் தெரியவில்லை.)

.... வாயு பகவான் மெல் கொண்ட காதலால் மனம் சஞ்சல பட்டு ஒரு முனிவரை மதிக்காமல் நடந்துக்கொள்ள, முனிவரின் சாபத்தால் சஞ்சல புத்தி உள்ள வானரமாக மாறுகின்றாள். அதே போல் ஒரு அரசனும் சாபத்தால் வானரமாக மாறுகின்றான். இருவரும் ஈசனை பிறார்த்திக்க, அவர்கள் முன் பிரசனமாகும் இறைவன் ஒரு பிறவி மனித வானரமாக வாழ்ந்து, என் ருத்ர அவதாரத்திற்கு தாய் தந்தையாக வாழ்ந்து சாப விமோட்சம் பெறும் வழி கூறி மறைகின்றார்.

அடுத்த பிறவில், அந்த அரசன் "கேசரி" என்ற பெயருடன் வானர அரசனாக பிறக்கின்றான். "அஞ்சனை" யை மணக்கின்றான். இருவருக்கும் பிள்ளை இல்லாததால், அஞ்சனை திருமலையில் சிவனை நோக்கி விரதம் இருந்து அனுமனை பெற்றெடுக்கிறாள். இதலால், அனுமனை "அஞ்சனை புத்திரன்" என்று அழைக்கின்றனர்.

[gayatri yanamandra]

You are right sipi... his real name is Tinnappa he was named by lord siva as kannappa (one who offered eyes).

[sipi]

You are right sipi... his real name is Tinnappa he was named by lord siva as kannappa (one who offered eyes).

hmm yes... thinnappa... i forgot that name... nyabaga paduthiyadhuku mikka nanri...

[sipi]

I am not sure, whether it really happened in MAHABARATHA or not... I heard this story, somewhere (didnt remember that) i felt, its one of the best example about KARNA.

The story starts here:

Udhishtra felt sad, cause both he & karna donates to poor people. But, all praised karna as a DHANAAM PANNAVE PIRADHAVAR.

He felt that both are same then how he is special than him... He decided to ask about this doubt to krishna...

Krishna felt this, he decided to prove KARNA is greater than him in helping tendency... He met Udhishtra and said that, I decided to do a YAGA so, i need a dry wood for fire.

Udhishtra felt that, its very important. If he send employees, maybe there is a possibility to get wet woods. so, he decided to go straightly... He got an axe and went to forest and bring some dry woods...

Krishna kept all in his place and went to KARNA. He said the same to him also... He took up his axe and cutted the door & window which was made by wood. he gave it to krishna...

Now, krishna back to udhishtra place with door & window and showed that to him.

He said that donation is a part of your life.. but thats a life for karna.

unnala edhu mudiyumo adha kodukuradhu, DHARMAM.
kekuravanga virupathauku kodukuradhu, DHAANAM.

udhishtrar seidhadhu dharmam. aanal, karnan seidhadhu dhaanam.

[avii]

there was a great sage , who performed great tapas for many years , surviving only on leaves of plants.

one day , while cutting leaves, he accidently cut himself. But instead of blood comming out , he bled sap , from trees.

at once he became greatly conceited and soon his heart was clouded by pride , he began to think to himself what a great devotee he must be to have bled instead of blood .

he was thinking to himself thus when lord shiva appeared before him in the form of an old brahmin. the brahmin approched the sage and greeted him . the sage could not resist but to tell the brahmin of the incident which occured with his bleedng sap.

after listening to all the sage had to say , the brahmin then cut his own finger. to great amazment , instead of blood , ashes .

at the sight of this the sage immediately was free from all pride .
when sap is burned it becomes ashes , so one could only imargine the great devotion that the brahmin posessed .

the brahmin then revieled himself to the sage and freed him from his own pride...

[Surya]

Thank you Gayatri, NOV, Badri, Sipi, Avii, and Padmanaba for the controbutions. :D

[crazy]

wow great tread with really unheard "puranas"

thanks to all :)

[Shakthiprabha.]

I do not know where to ask this question.

My question is..

We all know, Sati was the daughter of dhaksha who disrespected shiva by not inviting shiva for his yagna. Some ppl finish the tale by saying, Sati went back to shiva with remorse / guilt and shame, had a heavy argument with shiva, who then burnt her with his 3rd eye, hence forth she rose again from those ashes to become ardhaangini (better half) of shiva.

However, another version has that,

Sati was humiliated by her father when she went to his yagna, she later felt immensely grieved due the disrespect given for her husband and herself, hence gave up her body by invoking yogic flames , right there at daksha's yagna.

While giving up her body, she prayed, she would take another birth as a daughter of a father whom she would be PROUD of, and then attain shiva.

The story further goes, she is born as the daughter of HIMAVAN and named parvathi, who with her penance won shiva's heart once again. This time, She united with shiva, never ever to part again.

So what exactly is Sati's story? Did she give up her body or did shiva burn her to ashes?

Is giving up body equal to suicide? Was it not considered sin?

Is it true, that hence forth, any woman who gave up the body(when healthy) was then said to have followed sati (sati practice)?

[P_R]

SP, haven't the foggiest but just one point..

Is giving up body equal to suicide? Was it not considered sin? Suicide is decried as sinful only in Christian thought and people who committed suicide have been denied a proper burial.

The general attitude towards suicide in Hindu mythological stories has never been too harsh. There are many tales of people committing suicide and then being blessed with moksha or reinstatement of life after the "um bakthiyai yaam mechinOm".

[anbu_kathir]

Every Hindu master would say suicide is not appropriate. They would go as far to say its like throwing God's gift back on his face, I guess.


http://www.hindunet.org/srh_home/1997_1/0056.html

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_suicide.asp

General accepted idea is that one would return to the same circumstances that one tried to escape from, reflecting the idea that the outer world is but a reflection of the inner world.

Love and Light.

[anbu_kathir]

You are right that giving oneself as a sacrifice to God has in several mythologies figured to be the final phase of an intense desire to see Him/Her. Why, even Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa did that. But that is quite different from what suicide would mean in todays world, isn't it?

Love and Light.

[avii]

this world is nothing but a great illusion , and one comes to truly accept and realise this , this body becomes nothing more than a hinderance to the soul. sri ramakrishna had reached a state of samadee where the soul just gave up the body. this is not suicide !
this is like a young coconut plant shedding its husk . since the body cannot be seen as real , the shedding of the body is just a stage in spiritual growth.

[podalangai]

Is giving up body equal to suicide? Was it not considered sin?

Tamil puram poetry exalts several types of ritual suicide committed by warriors. Vadakkirutthal, avippali, marakkanchi... you'll find all these celebrated and glorified in our classical literature. For Tamils, at least, suicide being considered sinful is a relatively recent development. Suicide as a form of cowardice is a different issue, but that's not what we're talking about.

Hinduism, too, takes a more nuanced view of suicide. The law books condemn suicide generally as sinful, but literature suggests there were exceptional circumstances where it wasn't a sin. The uttararamayana for example talks of Rama ending his life by ritually drowning himself in the Sarayu. Whatever you think of the validity of the Uttararamayana, they're hardly likely to have depicted him doing that if suicide was considered sinful. Then there's "sati" itself, which was considered a glorious act in its time. Jainism has "sallekhana" as a permitted form of suicide in some circumstances. And so on.