Tag Archives: mythology

The Sparkling Colours of Holi

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Kamlesh Tripathi

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    Holi blossoms from the celestial love of Radha and Krishna. It celebrates love as boundless as the spring sky and as playful as the Yamuna in gentle tide. It is a festival where devotion and delight mingle, where laughter carries the fragrance of faith. Yet beneath its riotous colours lies a profound spiritual remembrance: the good over evil, the eternal victory of righteousness over tyranny, and of light over encroaching darkness.

    The ancient legend recorded in the Bhagavata Purana narrates about the formidable Asura king Hiranyakashipu, who, through severe penance, secured a boon that made him nearly invincible. The boon gave him five special powers like. He would neither be killed by a human being nor an animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither during the day nor at night, neither by an astra nor by a shastra, and neither on land nor in water or air. Armoured in this seeming immortality, pride consumed him; he demanded to be worshipped as the supreme lord of all creation.

    But his own son, the gentle and steadfast Prahlada, remained unwavering in his devotion to Vishnu. No amount of cruelty could shake the boy’s serene faith. In desperation, Hiranyakashipu enlisted his sister Holika, who possessed immunity against fire, to lure Prahlada into a blazing pyre. Yet destiny turned upon immunity. Holika was consumed by the flames, while the child-devotee emerged untouched, sheltered by the grace of God.

    Then, at twilight’s (neither day nor night) mystic hour, when day melts into night, Lord Vishnu manifested as Narasimha, the awe-inspiring Man-Lion (neither human nor animal), upon the palace threshold (neither indoors nor outdoors). He placed Hiranyakashipu upon his lap, which was neither earth nor sky nor sea, nor air, and with his claws that were neither astra nor shastra, he tore him to pieces and killed him spontaneously. Thus was Dharma restored, and the cosmos breathed again in harmony.

    Holi arrives on the full moon of Phalguna, when winter loosens its pale grasp, and the spring steps forth, in emerald splendour. It is the season when fields swell with the promise of the Rabi harvest, when old leaves drift earthward, and tender shoots unfurl like whispered hopes. Nature herself seems to celebrate, adorning the earth in rejuvenated hues, as though echoing the colours soon to dance around human figures.

    To early European travellers, Holi appeared as the carnival of the Hindus, a spring revel in honour of Lord Krishna, the mesmerising cowherd whose flute once enchanted the groves of Vrindavan. Yet Holi is far more than a spectacle. Its colours are not fleeting illusions like a rainbow’s arc. On the contrary, they are living expressions of cultural memory and collective joy. Indian cinema, too, has borrowed from its palette, immortalising its exuberance in songs and dance, reminding you of the famous Amitabh Bachchan song, ‘Khai Ke Pan Banaras Wala’ from the film Don.

    On the eve of the festival, towering bonfires blaze in the rite of Holika-Dahan, their flames leaping skyward as symbols of purification and moral triumph. Families carry home glowing embers, tokens of protection and auspicious beginnings. The following day, the air reverberates with laughter as clouds of abir and gulal (scented coloured powder) bloom like ephemeral blossoms. Water bursts from playful pichkaris, and voices ring out in cheerful abandon, “Bura na mano, Holi hai!” Tolis (friendly groups) wander from house to house, bearing greetings, songs, and embraces in the tender gesture of gale milna.

    Sweetmeats such as gujias fragrant with khoya, crisp shakkarpaare, cooling dahi-vadas—along with thandai and the occasional draught of bhang, lend flavour to the festivities. Yet the truest sweetness lies in reconciliation. Old grievances are dissolved like colour in water. Estranged hearts find renewed warmth. Holi becomes not merely a festival of hues, but a celebration of restored relationships and shared humanity.

    Though rooted in the Indian subcontinent, Holi’s vibrant spirit has travelled far with the diaspora, painting distant shores with its exuberant shades. Sometimes exoticised, sometimes misunderstood, it nonetheless endures as an indelible emblem of India’s cultural soul, and a radiant affirmation that after every winter of discord, spring returns in splendour, and goodness, like colour, inevitably prevails.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Colours of Holi published in The Speaking Tree, The Economic Times on 3.3.26

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Happy to share my piece carried in the Speaking Tree Economic Times today, the 3rd March 2026. Hope you enjoy reading it.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

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GOLDEN YEARS WITH CLASSICS & MYTHOLOGY by Kamlesh Tripathi

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    As we grow older, our perspectives and lifestyles evolve. Life, as they say, is never static; the only permanence is impermanence. The way we see the world at twenty is vastly different from how we perceive it at forty, sixty, or eighty. Though it is often claimed that age is just a number, the number subtly yet significantly shapes how we view our remaining time on Mother Earth—and how we choose to live it out. Life expands like Parkinson’s Law, filling the available hundred years of human life.

    Ancient Hindu wisdom offers a profound framework through the four ashramas—Brahmacharya (student life), Grihastha (householder life), Vanaprastha (withdrawal), and Sannyasa (renunciation). These stages map a gradual transition from outward engagement to inward realisation. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna gently reminds us of life’s impermanence: Just as a person discards worn-out garments and puts on new ones, so does the embodied soul discards worn-out bodies and takes on new ones.

    William Shakespeare, in his Sonnet 73, compares old age to late autumn and twilight: “That time of year thou mayst in me behold/ When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang…” Shakespeare’s metaphor of fading daylight beautifully mirrors the idea of life’s sunset.

        In his short story White Nights, Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky poignantly captures the anxiety of passing time. Lamenting to Nastenka, a girl whom the narrator meets on the street of Saint Petersburg, says:  “And you ask yourself: where are your dreams? And you shake your head and say: How quickly do the years fly by! And again you ask yourself: What have you done with your years? Where have you buried your best days? Did you live or not? Look, you say to yourself, look how cold the world is becoming. More years will pass, followed by gloomy solitude, and then doddering old age will come on a walking stick, to be followed by anguish and despondency. Your fantastic world will grow pale, your dreams will wither, die and scatter like yellow leaves from the trees … Oh, Nastenka! It will be sad, you know, to be left alone, quite alone, and not even have something to regret- nothing, absolutely nothing… because all that I have lost, all this, it was all nothing, a stupid, round zero– it was merely a dream!’

       In Sailing to Byzantium, poet W.B. Yeats reflects on ageing and the longing for spiritual permanence: “An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick…” Yeats sees old age not merely as decline, but as a call toward artistic and spiritual transcendence.

    In his essay Cato Maior De Senectute (On Old Age), Cicero argues that old age can be honourable and productive when guided by wisdom and virtue. He challenges the idea that ageing is merely decline.

    Rabindranath Tagore often wrote of life’s evening as a time of serenity and fulfilment. In his collection of poems, Stray Birds, he notes: “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” His vision transforms sunset into spiritual illumination.

    In Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea, fisherman Santiago doesn’t give up in his old age. On the contrary, he kills an 18-foot-long Marlin and a few Sharks that attack the Marlin in the Gulf Stream while alone in his skiff, and returns safely home, only to dream about lions while asleep. The lions represent strength, energy, and the vigour of Santiago’s younger days. Though he is physically old and worn, his spirit still carries the courage and pride of youth. Hemingway gives a tall message in the book: “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”  

    In his later masterpiece, The Glass Bead Game, author Herman Hesse explores withdrawal from worldly ambition and the search for contemplative depth—very much aligned with the Vanaprastha and Sannyasa stages.

    American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou spoke of ageing as empowerment rather than diminishment. She once said, “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” Her reflections on later life emphasise resilience and dignity.

        In Four Quartets, T S Eliot meditates on time, memory, and spiritual stillness: “Old men ought to be explorers…” He views the later years as a journey inward, not a retreat.

    Sunset is the golden period of your life. It might become more meaningful and absorbing when you handhold classics and mythology and carve your own path. A smooth and gainful exit from this world is the best trophy.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Reader’s Rewind: I dreamt of Utopia … by Kamlesh Tripathi

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READER’S REWIND: I DREAMT OF UTOPIA

    The world has become colourful. But the ‘Happy Prince’ is no longer alive to see it. So is the swallow, who carried out his last orders, but died in the frost, at his feet, before he could escape to Egypt. The lead metal statue of the ‘Happy Prince’ cracks in agony, but his leaden heart still beats for his kingdom and his subjects. But are there any such rulers left, anymore? Well, they are practically extinct or very rare. Perhaps you might remember the name of the author who wrote the story ‘The Happy Prince.’ I’m forgetting his name. Oh! I remember now. It was Oscar Wilde. But “What’s in a name? Wrote Shakespeare. “That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” Maybe Oscar Wilde would like to rewrite the story ‘Happy Prince’ in the context of the present day while residing in heaven. But does a happy man without a shirt exist anymore, as told in the Italian tale ‘The Happy Man’s Shirt’? A quintessential example in recent times was India’s Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, whose simple attire—a loincloth and shawl (without shirt) during the 1930s, particularly around the 1931 Round Table Conference- was given the abrasive title of ‘half-naked fakir’ by the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, to mock him. I’m more than sure there isn’t a happy man without a shirt anymore because the man now wears not only shirts but also colourful shirts, yet he remains unhappy.

    Utopia is now seized of polarising colours, such as red, blue, green and saffron, and certain adamant tenets and philosophies that rule the roost, along with the so-called isms, the right wing and the left wing, in the central pillar of democracy. Have we gone back in time? Are we proving the Greek epic poem Hesiod’s Theogony correct, which propagated the initial theory that dense darkness covered everything until the earth was born out of chaos? With Earth came the mountains, the sea, the sky and Uranus. Uranus and Earth came together and gave birth to the Titans. Later, the Titans and Gods, both from the same lineage and class, fought for supremacy, in which the Greek God Zeus won, just like Lord Krishna.

    But halt there. Take time off to think because the world leaders of today suffer from the same fear as Uranus, Cronus or the Kansa Mama of Mathura, who killed their would-be adversaries. Even Nigas tried to swallow Lord Vishnu in a television series, but that was in a different context. Ajatashatru killed his father Bimbisara to ascend the throne of the Magadha Empire, and in return, his son too killed him for the same throne. The Robinhoods are extinct now. The two biggest democracies are always in the news, but at times for the wrong reasons. The world is full of Brutus in present times, which may put the original Brutus to shame and the Bard into a wonder, ‘to be or not to be’.

    One can say goodness has eclipsed and is rarely seen and experienced. Much has evolved, but more is yet to come. So wait and watch. Be on the lookout for that happy man without a shirt, and the happy prince, with a lead heart that beats for the public even now. Fortunately, I dreamt, Utopia shall remain Utopia and not become a Dystopia.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

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READER’S REWIND: I DREAMT OF UTOPIA

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READER’S REWIND: I DREAMT OF UTOPIA

Kamlesh Tripathi

    The world has become colourful. But the ‘Happy Prince’ is no longer alive to see it. So is the swallow, who carried out his last orders, but died in the frost, at his feet, before he could escape to Egypt. The lead metal statue of the ‘Happy Prince’ cracks in agony, but his leaden heart still beats for his kingdom and his subjects. But are there any such rulers left, anymore? Well, they are practically extinct or very rare. Perhaps you might remember the name of the author who wrote the story ‘The Happy Prince.’ I’m forgetting his name. Oh! I remember now. It was Oscar Wilde. But “What’s in a name? Wrote Shakespeare. “That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” Maybe Oscar Wilde would like to rewrite the story ‘Happy Prince’ in the context of the present day while residing in heaven. But does a happy man without a shirt exist anymore, as told in the Italian tale ‘The Happy Man’s Shirt’? A quintessential example in recent times was India’s Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, whose simple attire—a loincloth and shawl (without shirt) during the 1930s, particularly around the 1931 Round Table Conference- was given the abrasive title of ‘half-naked fakir’ by the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, to mock him. I’m more than sure there isn’t a happy man without a shirt anymore because the man now wears not only shirts but also colourful shirts, yet he remains unhappy.

    Utopia is now seized of polarising colours, such as red, blue, green and saffron, and certain adamant tenets and philosophies that rule the roost, along with the so-called isms, the right wing and the left wing, in the central pillar of democracy. Have we gone back in time? Are we proving the Greek epic poem Hesiod’s Theogony correct, which propagated the initial theory that dense darkness covered everything until the earth was born out of chaos? With Earth came the mountains, the sea, the sky and Uranus. Uranus and Earth came together and gave birth to the Titans. Later, the Titans and Gods, both from the same lineage and class, fought for supremacy, in which the Greek God Zeus won, just like Lord Krishna.

    But halt there. Take time off to think because the world leaders of today suffer from the same fear as Uranus, Cronus or the Kansa Mama of Mathura, who killed their would-be adversaries. Even Nigas tried to swallow Lord Vishnu in a television series, but that was in a different context. Ajatashatru killed his father Bimbisara to ascend the throne of the Magadha Empire, and in return, his son too killed him for the same throne. The Robinhoods are extinct now. The two biggest democracies are always in the news, but at times for the wrong reasons. The world is full of Brutus in present times, which may put the original Brutus to shame and the Bard into a wonder, ‘to be or not to be’.

    One can say goodness has eclipsed and is rarely seen and experienced. Much has evolved, but more is yet to come. So wait and watch. Be on the lookout for that happy man without a shirt, and the happy prince, with a lead heart that beats for the public even now. Fortunately, I dreamt, Utopia shall remain Utopia and not become a Dystopia.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Human Power Vs Divine Will: Lessons from King Kansa of Mathura and King Acrisius of Argos.

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Human Power Vs Divine Will: Lessons from King Kansa of Mathura and King Acrisius of Argos

Kamlesh Tripathi

    Perseus survives despite Acrisius’ dastardly attempt to kill him. Though he is abandoned and left to adrift in a wooden chest in the sea along with his mother, he is protected by the gods. On the other hand, Krishna, the eighth child of Devaki, is secretly carried away from the prison and saved, while Kansa kills infants in his attempt to escape fate. Both narratives show the failure of human power against divine will.

    Perseus is aided by Zeus, Athena, and Hermes, all key Olympian gods in Greek mythology and children of Zeus, the king of the gods and the ruler of the sky, who provide him with magical weapons and guidance. Krishna is protected by Lord God Vishnu, who incarnates as him, and supernatural events such as the parting of the mighty river Yamuna, the prison guards falling asleep at the time of his birth, ensure his escape. Perseus and Krishna’s survival is ensured through direct divine involvement. Let’s not forget the famous Hindi saying, ‘Ja ko rakhe saiyan mar sake no koi’ (No one can harm a person whom God protects).

    King Acrisius of Argos (a historic city in Greece) receives a prophecy that his grandson will kill him. Terrified, he tries to prevent fate by incarcerating his daughter Danaë and later abandoning her and her infant son Perseus (his grandson) in the sea to die. Similarly, King Kansa, of Mathura (a kingdom in India), hears a divine prophecy that the eighth child of his sister, Devaki, will be the cause of his death. To avert this destiny, Kansa imprisons Devaki and her husband Vasudeva and resolves to kill their children at birth. In both cases, the prophecy of death becomes the central trigger for the ruler’s actions.

    Despite all precautions, Perseus accidentally kills Acrisius with a discus during athletic games, fulfilling the prophecy. Krishna eventually slays Kansa in Mathura, bringing an end to his reign of terror. In both myths, destiny is fulfilled not through rebellion but inevitability.

    Acrisius and Kansa both represent a fear-driven authority that turns cruel and unjust. Perseus and Krishna represent the restoration of moral and cosmic balance (Greek dike and Hindu dharma).

    These stories reflect a universal mythic pattern: A ruler hears a prophecy of downfall. He persecutes the innocent to escape fate. The child survives through divine grace. Fate ultimately triumphs. A comparable example is of tragic Greek hero Oedipus, who was saved as an infant by a shepherd who took pity on him after being ordered to leave the baby to die on Mount Cithaeron by his father, King Laius, who was warned that his son Oedipus would kill him and marry his mother.

    In the case of Moses, the Israelites (Hebrews) are enslaved in Egypt. Fearing their growing numbers, Pharaoh orders all Hebrew male infants to be killed. At this time, a child is born to Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi. To save him, his mother places him in a basket (ark) made of reeds and sets it afloat on the River Nile. The basket is discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who takes pity on the child and adopts him. He is named Moses, meaning “drawn out of the water.” Moses does not kill the Pharaoh directly, but he confronts Pharaoh and manages the release of the Israelites across the Red Sea.

    The similarity between Acrisius and Kansa lies not in their personalities but in the mythic structure: The futility of resisting destiny and the triumph of divine justice over fear and tyranny.

    Greek mythology and Hindu mythology, though distant in geography, converge on this profound philosophical truth: no power can overturn cosmic law.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are designed for our readers, including children and adults, and feature a diverse range of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Legends surrounding the Parijaat Tree by Kamlesh Tripathi

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     Just as it is believed that Gods and Asuras (demons) claimed ‘Amrit’ by churning the ocean, in the great mythological event of Samundra Manthan, which happens to be the genesis of the world-famous ‘Kumbh Mela’, now considered the biggest spiritual congregation on earth. It is also believed that either Lord Krishna or Arjuna brought the Parijaat Tree from heaven.

    Parijaat is considered a sacred Baobab tree. Modern science traces its origin to Sub-Saharan Africa. The tree may have been planted in India by someone who travelled between India and Africa. By the order of the local district magistrate, any form of damage to the tree is strictly prohibited. The tree stands in the village of Kintoor, in the district of Barabanki, in Uttar Pradesh. In botanical terms, Parijaat is known as Adansonia Digitata. The Government website places it in a special category because it does not bear either fruits or seeds, and neither can its branch-cuttings be planted to reproduce a second Parijaat tree. It is also known as “the tree from paradise”. Its age is difficult to determine. Botanists describe it as a unisex tree. It is unique and has not been found anywhere else. The leaves at the lower part of the tree have five tips like the fingers of a hand, while those at the upper part have seven tips.

     Parijaat bears beautiful flowers with snow-white petals, five in number, with a red stalk. After drying up, the flowers take on a golden hue. They bloom only at night and shed before sunrise. They also possess medicinal value. The tree blossoms occasionally, with very few flowers, but after ‘Ganga Dussehra’, a Hindu festival that commemorates the day the holy Goddess Ganga descended from heaven to Earth to purify the souls of King Bhagiratha’s ancestors. Its fragrance spreads far and wide. The tree’s age is estimated between 1000 and 5000 years, with a trunk perimeter of around 50 feet, and a height of around 45 feet.

    Village Kintoor is named after Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas. It is about 38 km east of the district headquarters, Barbanki. Several ancient temples and ruins are also found in the area. Near the temple established by Kunti in the village of Kintoor stands the Parijaat Tree, which, according to a legend, grew out of Kunti’s ashes.

    Many other legends about this tree find popular acceptance. One being, Arjuna, brought it from heaven, and Kunti offered its flowers to Lord Shiva.

    There is also a sad myth according to which Princess Parijataka was in love with the Sun God, but her love was never reciprocated. Heartbroken, she committed suicide and from her ashes rose the Parijaat Tree. Unable to bear the sight of her love during the day, she blooms only at night and sheds her flowers as tears, before sunrise.

    Another story is that Lord Krishna brought this tree for his queen, Satyabhama or Rukmini. According to Harivansh Puraan, the Parijaat Tree is a Kalpavriksha or wish-fulfilling divine tree, otherwise found only in heaven. Newlyweds visit the tree for blessings, and every Tuesday, a fair is held where local people worship the tree.

    Some myths suggest that the tree sheds its tears at the touch of the first rays of the sun. Its flowers spread their fragrance in the entire area during the day. According to another myth, the Parijaat tree was planted in Indralok, which was one of the gifts received from the Samudra Manthan. It was thus a celestial plant, not available on earth. To sow seeds of discord, sage Narada brought some flowers from Indralok and gave them to Lord Krishna. He then waited to see to which of his wives Krishna would present them. Finally, Krishna gave the flowers to Rukmini. On seeing this, Narada went to Satyabhama, Krishna’s other wife and told her about it.

   On hearing this, Satyabhama felt very jealous. Narada then gave her a solution. He suggested that she should insist on Krishna getting the plant itself from Indralok and plant it at her home, instead of a few flowers. Satyabhama decided to do that, and when Krishna came to her quarters, she expressed her anger and disappointment over the entire incident and insisted that he retrieve the whole plant from Indralok.

    In the meantime, Narada went and warned Indra that some earthlings were out to steal the celestial plant from his Indralok. Meanwhile, when Krishna and Satyabhama were about to leave Indralok, after obtaining the celestial Parijaat tree, they were accosted by Indra. Soon, a battle broke out between them in which Indra lost.

    But Indra would not let it go so easily. He cursed that the plant would never bear fruit again, though it might bear flowers, and since then, the Parijaat tree does not bear any fruit.

    Having brought the tree to Dwarka, Rukmini also took a fancy to the tree because of its flowers. Krishna planted the tree in such a manner that, though the tree was planted in Satyabhama’s house, when it bore flowers, they would fall in Rukmini’s home. Satyabhama had asked for the tree, and she got it. Rukmini wanted the flowers, and she too got it.

    It is believed that the Parijaat Tree in village Kintoor, in district Barabanki, in Uttar Pradesh, dates back to the Mahabharat era. It is mentioned in the Mahabharat that Sri Krishna uprooted the Parijaat Tree from the kingdom of Indira, the King of the Devas.

    Another legend in the Puranas suggests that Arjuna of the Mahabharata brought the Parijaat Tree for his mother Kunti, who offered it to Shiva.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Mythology: When God’s Get Angry … by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Bhavan’s Journal 31.12.22

SHORT STORY
WHEN GOD’S GET ANGRY

    Once, Lord Shiva and his wife, Parvati, were engaged in a lengthy conversation on Mount Kailash. Shiva was explaining the holy Vedas to his wife. The discussion went on for several years. This fatigued Parvati to the point that one day she lost her concentration. The short-tempered Shiva became very angry, and in a fit of rage, he cursed Parvati. He shouted at her, “Parvati, you are only as intelligent as a fisherwoman. So go and take birth as a fisherwoman.” And immediately after that, Parvati disappeared.
    Shiva loved Parvati deeply and enjoyed her company immensely. After her sudden departure, he became very sad and lonely. He also felt terribly guilty because he had unnecessarily created a problem both for himself and her because of his anger. But there was nothing he could do now to bring back his beloved wife. With each passing day, his sadness only grew deeper. He sat quietly in one corner of his abode, brooding over his rashness. Meanwhile his vahana, Nandi, the bull, was deeply moved by his master’s plight. After some time, he could no longer bear to see his suffering. So he decided to do something about it to bring back Parvati by hook or by crook.
Meanwhile, Parvati had taken birth as a baby girl on earth. The chief of a fishing community saw her lying alone under a tree near his village. He did not have a child, so he decided to bring her up as his own daughter. He named her Parvati. Years went by. Parvati grew up into a beautiful young girl. She was very intelligent, loving and kind-hearted. Everybody liked her immensely in the community.
By now, Nandi had finalised his covert plan to bring back Parvati. He turned himself into a huge fish and went to live in the sea, where Parvati lived. He started troubling the fishermen of her community. He would tear their fishing nets and overturn their boat often. Soon, the fishermen were scared to go out fishing. They went to their chief and told him about their plight. The chief declared that whosoever captured the rogue fish would wed his beautiful daughter. There were several young men who wanted to marry Parvati. They tried their level best to capture the fish, but to no avail.
Finally, in desperation, the chief prayed to Lord Shiva to rescue his men from the evil fish. Parvati too prayed to Lord Shiva for help. Shiva heard her prayers. It made him joyful, having found an excuse to go to her. He decided to rush to the earth immediately to help her. He took the form of a handsome young fisherman and met the chief. He offered to catch the mighty rogue fish, which had been troubling his people. The chief received him with great warmth and told him that, as declared by him, he would offer his daughter in marriage to him if he were successful. There was nothing better that Shiva could have hoped for. Nandi was only too happy to see his Lord Shiva coming to catch him. He offered no resistance and was caught in no time. The chief’s happiness knew no bounds. As promised, he immediately organised a grand wedding in the village where Parvati and Shiva were married. Shiva immediately returned to Mount Kailash with his beloved wife Parvati. He had realised that it was not good to act in anger. Nandi too realised that even Gods were not spared from the emotion of anger.

Bhavan’s Journal Dec 31, 2022

Written and Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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21/7/25 Speaking Tree: Radha Rukmini:Two Facets of Love in Krishn Lila

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(Times of India 21/7/25. Speaking Tree: Radha & Rukmini: Two Facets of Love in Krishn Lila by Ganesh Kolambakar)

    In Krishn’s divine lila, love reveals itself in many shades, not to confuse us but to awaken us. At first glance, Krishn’s bond with Radha may seem puzzling, especially since Rukmini was his lawful consort. Yet across centuries, temples, songs, and hearts remember Krishn not as ‘Rukmini-Krishn’ but as ‘Radha-Krishn’.
    Radha and Rukmini are two expressions of the Divine force. They symbolise two dimensions of love– the worldly and the transcendental, the composed and the consuming. They are not in conflict but in complement, reflecting the soul’s journey towards the divine.
Rukmini, the queen of Dwaraka, embodies maryada, the love that lives within the boundaries of dharm. She is Lakshmi incarnate, graceful and steadfast. Her love stands for a sacred partnership rooted in harmony, order, and purpose. She represents Apara Shakti, Krishn’s manifest energy that sustains worldly life.
Radha, the gopi of Vrindavan, is Krishn’s Hladini Shakti, his bliss, inner song. Her love transcends all boundaries. It is romantic, yes, but not merely earthly; it’s the soul’s cry for union with the Infinite. Radha is Para Shakti, the soul’s longing for the Divine, unbound by law or logic. She is not another love; she is love itself, raw and pure.
To a layperson, Radha and Krishn’s romance is emotionally relatable, a tale of longing, stolen glances, and secret meetings under moonlit skies. But to the seeker, it reveals a profound truth: that the soul, like Radha, yearns not for a husband or a protector, but for oneness with the Divine Beloved. This is why their love stirred saints and poets alike. Meerabai, too, wept and sang for Krishn, not as a king but as her eternal lover. Her devotion mirrored Radha’s fearless and boundless love, pure, sacred, and beyond the bonds of this world.
Rukmini’s love is the temple. Radha’s the sacred fire within. Rukmini walks with grace, and Radha dances in divine ecstasy. Both are true. Both are sacred. One represents Krishn’s presence in worldly life. The other reveals Krishn in the innermost heart. Sri Aurobindo saw Radha as the symbol of the psychic being – the soul’s flame moving toward the Divine. In this light, Radha and Krishn are not two lovers, but the seeker and the sought. Their union is not merely emotional. It is spiritual and cosmic.
Some traditions view Radha and Krishn as Shakti and Shiv, two forms yet ultimately one. Rukmini represents Krishn’s role in society and dharm. Radha is the inner music, his hidden joy. Both are divine movements of the same truth.
To truly understand Krishn, one must embrace both these aspects. He is the cowherd of Vrindavan and the sovereign of Dwaraka. He is Radha’s eternal beloved and Rukmini’s devoted husband. One whispers the mystery of divine ecstasy. The other upholds the strength of divine grace.
Krishn’s lila unveils love in its fullness. In Krishn’s world, love has many faces. Each of them is sacred. Through them, we do not just learn how to love. We learn how to become Love itself.

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Mythological Story: When God’s get angry by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Enjoy the story published in Bhavans Journal

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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Like it and Share it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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