The Legend of Sri Venkateswara Part 3 - The story of Padmavati

My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.

The Legend of Sri Venkateswara Part 3 - The story of Padmavati

Please read the earlier parts before going further -
Part 1 - The Lord descnds on Earth
Part 2 - The Lord finds a mother... and his wife too...

Vedavati was a great devotee of Vishnu who wished to marry the lord himself. She performed great penances with this aim. However, once, the demon king Ravana was passing by, and was enamoured by her beauty. He tried to convince her to marry him, but she refused. When he tried to force her, she invoked Agni (Fire) by the powers of her penance, and fell into it, cursing Ravana that his downfall would be brought about by a woman, and she would be responsible for her death.

Years later, Ravana planned to abduct Sita while Rama and Lakshmana were away. Coming to know of the plan, Agni took his place in the Lakshmana rekha – the line drawn by Lakshmana to protect Sita. When Sita crossed the line to give alms to Ravana disguised as a sage, Agni subtly interchanged Vedavati for Sita, and sent Sita to his wife for her safety. It was thus Vedavati who lived in the Ashoka Vatika at Lanka, and who brought about the downfall of Ravana. When Rama killed Ravana on the battle field, he asked Sita to undergo Agni Pariksha, or trial by fire. When Sita entered the fire, Agni appeared with both Vedavati and Sita, and handed them both to Rama, saying that both deserved to be by his side. Rama was, however, committed to remain monogamous, and promised Vedavati that he would marry her at a later time, during Kali Yuga. (In some legends, it is believed that while Lakshmi was Sridevi, the goddess of prosperity, Vedavati was a form of Bhudevi – the goddess of earth, and another wife of Vishnu)

Time passed and the Kali Yuga arrived. Akasa Raja was the king of Narayanapuram, a kingdom on the foothills of Seshachala. He and his wife were pious and erudite, but they had no offspring. They performed many yagnas to beget children, but to no avail. Finally, they were advised to perform the puthra kameshti Yagna (the same one performed by Dasaratha). A plot of land was chosen for the purpose, and men were assigned to plough it to prepare it for the yagna. While ploughing the field, a golden box was found, which was taken to the king. Inside it was a golden lotus with a small baby girl on it. The king was thrilled – at last he had a child! He had little idea that this was no ordinary child – this was Vedavati (or Bhoomi Devi), destined to marry the lord in the form of Srinivasa. He took the child home and named her “Padmavati” – the one who came from a lotus, and brought her up with love and affection. She was a beautiful and gifted child who learnt and mastered all the arts as a fish takes to water.

As Padmavati grew older, she also grew more beautiful and talented, and the king and queen worried about her marriage. They were unable to find a single prince or king even half-way equivalent to her. And how could they? She was destined to marry the lord himself, who was then roaming about the jungles adjoining her kingdom as a common hunter! Meanwhile, the sage Narada arrived and assured the king that he need not worry about Padmavati’s marriage. He informed the king about the reality, and assured him that the lord would arrive to claim his wife soon.

Coming up : Part 4 - A marriage is fixed.... and the finance too.....

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw

The Havelis of Bikaner - A Photo Post

The lanes are narrow , twisting and turning amidst buildings old and new. Crumbling old structures with intricate workmanship stand side by side with art deco buildings, and more modern constructions, which follow no particular style. Autos, bicycles, motorcycles and vans rush past, blowing their horns as loudly as possible, while cows saunter past peacefully, completely unaffected by the noise. In the midst of all this chaos, children play by the side, and women go about their chores, as we explore these by-lanes of Bikaner, and its beautiful Havelis. Facade of one of the Rampuria Havelis

The Power of 8 - The Ashta Dikpalas and Ashta Vasus at Khajuraho

The four cardinal directions form the axis on which a temple is built, and are thus the basis of temple architecture. Leading from them are the eight directions, which are believed to be guarded by the eight guardians, or Ashta Dikpalas . In the temples of Khajuraho, great care has been taken by the sculptors to carve the Ashta Dikpalas on the walls, both inside and outside. They not only guard the temple, but also look over us as we circumambulate the shrine, protecting us by their presence. They are augmented by the Ashta Vasus , celestial beings which represent natural phenomena. Together, they enhance the idea of the temple as cosmos, enfolding within it, all the aspects of nature, both, on earth, as well in space.

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