Shakti | |
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Personal | |
Religion | Hinduism |
Spouse | Adrushyanti [1] |
Children | Parashara |
Parents |
In Hinduism, Shakti was a rishi (sage) and son of Vashistha and Arundhati. He was the father of Parashara, mentioned in the epic Mahabharata .
There is a legend found in Mahabharata about Shakti. Once King Kalmashapada, going hunting, killed many animals. Tired and being hungry and thirsty, he was proceeding through the woods. On the way, Shakti came on the same path, from the opposite direction. The King ordered him to get out of his way. The Rishi addressed the King sweetly and said "O king, this is my way". In accordance with duty and tradition, a king should always make way for Brahmins. The king persisted in acting like a Rakshasa (demon). The Rishi cursed the king thus: "O worst of the worst kings, since thou persecutest an ascetic, like a Rakshasa, thou shalt from this day, became a Rakshasa subsisting on human flesh! Henceforth, O worst of kings! thou shalt wander over the earth, affecting human form!". [2] [3]
He was the grandfather of Vyasa, author of the Indian epic Mahabharata .[ citation needed ]
Cursed thus by Rishi Shakti, the Rakshasa(demon) first killed and swallowed Shakti himself. After that, Kalmasapada ate successively all the 100 sons of Maharshi Vasistha. [4]
Rākshasas are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hindu religion. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as disrupting Vedic sacrifices or eating humans.
Kubera also known as Kuvera, Kuber and Kuberan, is the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yakshas in Hinduism. He is regarded as the regent of the north (Dikpala), and a protector of the world (Lokapala). His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine species, and the owner of the treasures of the world. Kubera is often depicted with a plump body, adorned with jewels, and carrying a money-pot and a club.
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Maricha, or Mareecha is a rakshasha, who was killed by Rama, the hero of the epic and an avatar of Vishnu. He is mentioned as an ally of Ravana, the antagonist of the epic. His most notable exploit is his role in the kidnapping of Sita, Rama's wife. His son Kalanemi was killed by Hanuman.
Drupada, also known as Yajnasena, is the king of the southern part of Panchala Kingdom, in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the father of Draupadi, the epic's lead female character. In the Kurukshetra War, Drupada fought from the side of his sons-in-law, the Pandavas, and was killed by his childhood friend and rival, Drona.
Rishyasringa is a rishi mentioned in Hindu and Buddhist scriptures from the late first millennium BCE. According to the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, he was a boy born with the horns of a deer who became a seer and was lured by royal courtesans, which led to the yajna of King Dasharatha. His story also occurs in the Buddhist Jatakas, where he is mentioned as the son of Bodhisatta and was tried to be seduced by royal courtesans.
In Hindu scriptures, Durvasa, also known as Durvasas, is a legendary rishi (sage). He is the son of Anasuya and Atri. According to some Puranas, Durvasa is a partial avatar of Shiva, known for his short temper. Wherever he goes, he is received with great reverence by humans and devas alike.
Parashara was a maharishi and the author of many ancient Indian texts. He is accredited as the author of the first Purana, the Vishnu Purana, before his son Vyasa wrote it in its present form. He was the grandson of the sage Vasishtha and the son of the sage Shakti. There are several texts which give reference to Parashara as an author/speaker. The various texts attributed to him are given in reference to Parashara being the speaker to his student.
Hindu mythological wars are the wars described in the Hindu texts of ancient India. These wars depicted both mortals of great prowess as well as deities and supernatural beings, often wielding supernatural weapons of great power. Hindu teachings prescribe war as the final option, to be employed only after all peaceful methods are exhausted. Participation in righteous war, or dharmayuddha, was said to be honourable and was a principal duty of the Kshatriya or the warrior varna, and victory in such wars was regarded as a matter of honour.
Kunti, born Pritha, is a prominent figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Recognized for her pivotal role as the mother of Karna and the Pandavas, the central protagonists of the narrative, she is depicted as possessing notable beauty, intelligence, and shrewdness.
The Kumaras are four sages (rishis) from the Puranic texts of Hinduism who roam the universe as children, generally named Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara. They are described as the first mind-born creations and sons of the creator-god Brahma. Born from Brahma's mind, the four Kumaras undertook lifelong vows of celibacy (brahmacharya) against the wishes of their father. They are said to wander throughout the materialistic and spiritualistic universe without any desire but with the purpose of teaching. All four brothers studied Vedas from their childhood, and always travelled together.
Prithu is a sovereign (chakravarti), featured in the Puranas. According to Hinduism, he is an avatar (incarnation) of the preserver god—Vishnu. He is also called Prithu, Prithi and Prithvi Vainya, literally, "Prithu — the son of Vena". Prithu is "celebrated as the first consecrated king, from whom the earth received her (Sanskrit) name, Prithvi." He is mainly associated with the legend of his chasing the earth goddess, Prithvi, who fled in the form of a cow and eventually agreed to yield her milk as the world's grain and vegetation. The epic Mahabharata, Vishnu Purana, and the Bhagavata Purana describe him as a part-avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu.
In Hinduism, Kabandha is a Rakshasa (demon) who is killed and freed from a curse by the god Rama – an Avatar of Vishnu – and his brother Lakshmana. Kabandha's legend appears in the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as in later Ramayana adaptations.
Vidyadhara(s) (Sanskrit Vidyādhara, meaning "wisdom-holders") are a group of supernatural beings in Indian religions who possess magical powers. In Hinduism, they also attend Shiva, who lives in the Himalayas. They are considered Upadevas, or demi-gods.
Samba was a son of the Hindu Krishna and his second consort, Jambavati. His foolish prank brought an end to the Yadu dynasty.
Kalmashapada, also known as Saudasa, Mitrasaha, and Amitrasaha is a king of the Ikshvaku dynasty In Hindu scriptures, who was cursed to be a rakshasa (demon) by the sage Vashishtha. He is described as an ancestor of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu and the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Puloma was the wife of sage Bhrigu who is considered to be one of the Brahma Rishis in Hindu Vedic scriptures. Bhrigu was one of the mind-born sons of Brahma the creator who was given the honorific of Brahmarishi. She was a very virtuous and devoted wife. When she was pregnant with his child, Bhrigu on his morning ablution visit to the river had entrusted her to the care of Agni. However, at that time a demon named Puloman came to the ashrama (hermitage) of Bhrigu and saw Puloma who had been betrothed to her in the past. He then made an attempt on her modesty and claimed that he had the right to marry her and carry her away as he had asked for her hand in marriage from her father but her father instead had married her off to Bhrigu.