Bits of Life 2

M-13 Words-1150

but we had no problem in paying devotional respects to Mary. We used to have a moral science class twice a week in which sister Philip used to teach us morals based on the Bible. We were interested in knowing and understanding the stories of the old and new testaments of the Bible.

Religion made no difference to me. Be it Hinduism or Christianity, I found the stories from respective religious texts fascinating and eye opening in many ways. An impartial minded person would love Rama or Jesus equally well. Both were of ideal nature and their life is worth emulating. Whether it is Rama or Jesus suffering at the hands of events brought tears to my eyes.

We read all the stories from Old Testament beginning with God creating this world. We were told of the creation of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. Wonderful images of them played on mind. Of course at that juncture of my life I couldn’t understand the deeper implications till we read Milton’s Paradise Lost or a little before that. It goes without saying that we never liked the interfering serpent called Lucifer, the fallen angel and arch enemy of God.

I used to wonder whether God can have enemies at all. Yes, this is possible I thought later on. Many of the tales of The Bhagavata, another vital and popular Hindu epic has a number of tales where the Lord Vishnu was hated by several unbelieving kings mostly of demonic mentality. Isn’t Satan a symbol of demon too? It is based on his mentality and attitude towards God and the believers. Out of sheer hatred emerged his plans to dethrone God from His Heavenly abode.

The Bhagavata Purana is a Sanskrit text. It is treatise with 18,000-verse Hindu scripture. It is part of the Mahapuranas, which are eighteen in number, focusing on intense devotion (Bhakti) to Lord Vishnu and his avatars, particularly Krishna. The term Bhagavata stands for the follower or worshiper of the Lord, referring particularly to Vishnu.

Attributed to Sage Vyasa, it highlights the stories of devotees like Prahlada and Dhruva, and details surrounding Krishna's life, serving as a key text for spiritual enlightenment.
The core philosophy of the Bhagavata Purana is to promote Bhakti or devotion as the ultimate means to Moksha or liberation.
The 12th canto is all about Krishna, who also propounds the Bhagavad-Gita among other things.

The Bhagavata Purana Comprises 12 cantos (Skandas) covering topics like creation, protection by the Lord, and stories of various avatars.
There are ten avatars of Lord Vishnu known as Dasavataras.
They are primary incarnations of Vishnu, the preserver, across ages or eons or Yugas.

Matsya avatar-

Matsya is the first avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, appears as a giant golden fish to save humanity, the Vedas, and the key beings from a great, divine flood, Pralaya or apotheosis. He warned King Manu about the oncoming deluge. He instructed him to build a boat, and later guided it to safety, marking the renewal of life.

As the world floods, in order to restore order and protect the righteous (specifically King Manu), and retrieve the sacred Vedas stolen by the demon Hayagriva, Matsya or the divine fish instructs Manu to take the Saptarishis (seven sages), seeds of all plants, and animals onto a boat.
Symbolism in the Matsya avatar is that the Matsya represents the preservation of knowledge and life, acting as a guide through chaos and destruction.

There is an interesting parallel I find in the story of Noah from the Bible.

The story of Noah is mentioned in the Genesis (6-9). It tells of a righteous man named Noah who was chosen by God to survive a global flood. It was sent to purge a wicked and corrupt world. Noah builds a massive ark, rescuing his family and pairs of every animal species. Afterward, God seals a covenant with a rainbow, promising never to destroy the earth.

Kurma Avatar is the second avatar (incarnation) of the Hindu god Vishnu, taking the form of a giant tortoise during the Satya Yuga to support Mount Mandara on his back during the churning of the cosmic ocean.

Why did they have to churn the cosmic ocean?

The Devas or gods and the Danavas or demons undertake the churning of the cosmic ocean or the ocean of milk in order to attain immortality. they used Mount Mandara as a churning rod and the serpent Vasuki as a rope. But the mountain began to sink into the ocean.

Lord Vishnu transformed into a massive turtle or Kurma (in Sanskrit) and dived to the bottom of the ocean to support the mountain on his back.

Symbolism in the Kurma avatar is that it symbolizes extreme patience, stability, and the ability to withdraw into oneself (detachment), as well as the strength to support the world during chaotic times.

The Varaha avatar-
Varaha or the holy boar is the third of avatar of Vishnu. The purpose of this incarnation is to rescue Bhudevi (Mother Earth) from the demon Hiranyaksha, the arrogant demon, who had hidden her in the cosmic ocean. Varaha slew the demon after a long battle, restoring balance to the universe.
The symbolism embedded in this avatar is strength, divine intervention, and the triumph of good over evil.

Narasimha Avatar-

The fourth avatar or incarnation of Vishnu is Narasimha (Man-Lion). Narasimha destroyed the demon Hiranyakashipu to protect his devotee Prahlada. It is rather overwhelming that the demon hated his son Prahlada because he loved and worshiped Vishnu.

By emerging from a pillar at twilight to kill the demon at a doorway on his lap, Narasimha upheld the integrity of the demon's specific boons.

What are those boons and why did he get them?

Hiranyakashipu, a staunch devotee of Brahma got boons after intense penance. When being asked by Brahma as to what kind of boons he wanted, he asked for the following
That he could not be killed by man or beast, inside or outside the house, during day or night, on earth or in the sky, and by no weapon.
It is noteworthy that God is omnipresent and that He would deliver divine justice in order to protect his devotees from the evil-minded.

Vamana Avatar-

Vamana is the fifth avatar of Lord Vishnu. He appears as a dwarf Brahman boy to restore cosmic balance by humbling the generous but arrogant Asura King Mahabali.

After performing Yajna or worship of the elements appeasing them with various prescribed offerings through fire, king Mahabali gave alms to those came to him.

At that crucial moment, a dwarf Brahmin boy comes to him and asks for three steps of land. The Asura king grants them. Incidentally, Mahabali is famous for charity and generosity. Perhaps his fame made him arrogant.

However, soon after being granted the boon, Vamana transforms into a giant and occupies the earth as