The story of Swaminathan and Swami Malai from the Tamil Kanda Puranam challenges one of the accepted relationship hierarchies of Hindu mythology, albeit in a manner that is typical to the region. Usually the father-son relationship is one of obedience – be it Rama and Dasarath, Yayati and Puru and Bheeshman and Shantanu – in Hindu Indian mythology. This story however has a twist.

Swami Malai is a small hillock near Kumbakonam, a small town in Tamil Nadu. The temple at Swami Malai is one of the six important temples associated with the cult of Murugan. This story forms the sthala purana of the temple.

Vaishampanaya narrates the tale of a remarkable brahmin and minister from Mahabharata whose valuable advice to Dhritarashtra went unheard
The story goes that the worried father and distressed King saw his dream of getting Duryodhana installed as king of Hastinapur fading as he found the Pandavas growing from strength to strength. Their superior skills were particularly evident after they defeated the powerful ruler of Panchal, King Drupada. Dhritrashtra grew suspicious of them and summoned his finest minister Kanika for his advice. Kanika an expert political counsel responded with an animal fable that is reminiscent of the tales from Panchtantra and Hitopadesa.
He addressed the king, “My majesty possessing the strength of thousand elephants, listen to me and do not be angry with me for saying what I am going to say.” A king’s business is to rule and to extend his might and influence; he should not make mistakes himself but profit from other’s mistakes. Rule with a vigilant eye and incapacitate your enemy with conciliation, money, discord and punishment.

The mythological world of gods and goddesses is not immune to the array of emotions that ordinary mortals are captive to — sadness, happiness, anger, revenge, joy, deceit, you name it and there will be a narrative illustrating it. The following are two such narratives or local beliefs that record jealousy and petty competition among the gods of Kerala.

According to popular belief, the Vaikom and Ettumanoor* deities are not on good terms with each other.  Ironically both shrines are dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Back in 1798, Maharaja of Travancore, had a dream that the Vaikom deity- Shiva Mahadeva had asked for an offering of eight elephants. The Maharaja immediately ordered for eight wooden elephants plated in gold to be made and sent these with his trusted men to the Vaikom temple. As the entourage carrying the elephants reached Ettumanoor temple, the hungry and tired men handed over the elephants to temple guards for the safekeeping and went to bathe and eat. When they returned, they were taken aback to find that every single elephant had a serpent coiled on it with its hood spread in an attacking posture. The Maharaja’s men tried every trick in the book, but the snakes wouldn’t budge. Helpless and crestfallen as they could not reclaim the elephants the men went back to the king and reported the strange incident. The Maharaja immediately consulted his astrologers and found out that the Ettumanoor deity was unwilling to let go off the elephants** and was staking claim on the gift meant for the Vaikom deity.

As there was no other way out, the Maharaja decided to get another set of eight elephants made and sent to Vaikom deity.  That night the Vaikom deity approached the Maharaja in his dream saying he is no longer interested in the offering of elephants and instead a special ritual should be conducted for him using the same expense. This was done immediately. However this did not bring peace between two deities. It is believed that the two deities are still not on ‘talking terms’ with each other. This is confirmed by the practice of Ettumanoor residents boycotting the Vaikom celebrations on Ashtami day every year.

Many aeons ago, during the twilight that intervened between the Dwapara and Kāli Yugas, all men and women including barbarians and other workers of sin obtained entrance to heaven by visiting the celebrated shrine of Someswara (Somnath in Gujarat). Sacrifices, ascetic practices, charitable gifts, and all the other prescribed ordinances ceased and men thronged only to the temple of Siva. The old and young, those skilled in the Vedas and those ignorant of them, ascended to heaven, until at length it became crowded to excess.

Indra and other Gods, scared and afflicted as they were overcome by men and were nearly expelled from heaven invoked Siva. “O Sankara! By your favour now heaven is crowded with men and we are almost expelled from it. These mortals wander wherever and however they please each exclaiming himself/herself as “am the greatest, am the greatest”. Yama, the lord of Dharma and keeper of their good and evil deeds looks astonished. The seven hells were intended for these mortal wanderers of heaven but by your grace, having visited your shrine their all sins remitted and they attained most excellent life!”

 The mighty Bhima was passing through the jungle at Hemagiri one day when he heard a commotion. ‘The Jungle is usually a quiet and peaceful place!’ he said to himself. ‘I wonder what is going on here!’ he remarked before drawing himself closer to take a look. As he approached, he heard the trees having an argument.

‘What is the matter?’ Bhima asked one of the trees. ‘Why this ruckus?’

‘It’s a long story Bhima!’ said one of the trees.

‘Tell me the problem,’ said Bhima. ‘Perhaps I can help.’

‘You see,’ began the tree, ‘People have a king and government. There is someone to govern them, defend them and protect them. We trees have no king nor government. We need a king.’ The tree continued. ‘Hmmm…that’s interesting,’ mumbled Bhima. ‘So, what is the problem?’

‘But who ought to be made king? And how do we select a government?’ the tree asked. ‘Well…I can help you solve that problem!’ remarked Bhima. ‘But how? asked the trees in unison.

‘I will try pushing the trees one by one,’ Bhima suggested. ‘The tree that is able to withstand my force surely deserves to be King!’ he remarked. The trees thought that was a splendid idea and encouraged Bhima to begin his selection process immediately. Bhima pushed against one species of each tree to test its might. From Neem to Umbar and Kadamba to Palash, they all groaned and bent under Bhima’s strength, some of them falling over.

But three trees stood tall after having been put through Bhima’s stress test. They were the Tamarind, the Banyan and the Peepal. ‘What now?’ cried the trees. ‘We don’t have a winner! Surely, we can’t have three kings!’

‘Well…let’s go to Lord Brahma and ask him to solve this problem for us!’ suggested Bhima. The trees agreed and sent word to the Creator beseeching him to solve the puzzle. Lord Brahma considered the problem and came up with a unique solution. ‘I appoint Tamarind the King!’ Brahma proclaimed. The trees were puzzled and didn’t understand why Brahma had selected the Tamarind.

‘I appoint Banyan the Minister!’ said Brahma and this time laid bare his rationale. ‘For a king must have a resourceful minister. With its vast network of aerial roots, the Banyan can obtain information from every nook and corner of the earth. That is what a good minister is required to do!’

The trees swayed their branches in agreement. They knew the Banyan would make a wise and effective minister. ‘And I appoint Peepal as a Guard!’ announced Brahma. ‘Whenever the wind blows or a storm approaches, the Peepal shall stand guard and alert the others!’ Satisfied that they too now had an able government in place, the trees thanked Lord Brahma and Bhima for their able assistance. And hence it is that to this day, the leaves of the Peepal tree rustle loudly in the breeze, in deference to the wishes of the Creator.

This is one of the many legends and myths associated with the Peepal Tree. This story comes from a Muria tribal legend. The Murias are a tribe from the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

Story Collected by: Mallika Iyer

Source : Brahma’s Hair; On the Mythology of Indian Plants, Maneka Gandhi with Yasmin Singh

Location: Chhattisgarh

It was a grand feast. Siblings, sun, the moon and the wind had been invited by their uncle and aunt (thunder and lightning) to share a table laden with the best food that anyone had ever set their eyes upon. Their mother, one of the most distant and brightest stars in the sky, having sent them out, spent a restless night awaiting their return.

Everyone knew that sun and wind were greedy and selfish. They enjoyed the great feast that had been prepared for them. Gobbled it all down actually, without a thought for their mother. But the gentle moon was not as uncaring nor as forgetful. Of every dish that was served on that table that night, she took away a small portion and tucked it under her long finger nails. Quietly she kept putting away a little bit of this and little bit of that for her mother, the star.

On their return, their mother, finally looking forward to some sleep and who was also very hungry having kept watch all night asked, “Well, children, what have you brought home for me?”

Then sun (who was eldest) said, “I have brought nothing home for you. I went out to enjoy myself with my friends, not to fetch a dinner for my mother!”

Wind said, “Neither have I brought anything home for you, mother. You could hardly expect me to bring a collection of good things for you, when I merely went out for my own pleasure.”

But Moon said, “Mother, fetch a plate, see what I have brought you.” And with a gentle shake of her fingers she laid out a grand feast for her mother.

Then the mother star turned to sun and cursed him. “Because you went out to amuse yourself with your friends, and feasted and enjoyed yourself, without any thought of your mother at home, your rays shall ever be hot and scorching, and shall burn all that they touch. And men shall hate you, and cover their heads when you appear.” And that is why the Sun is so hot to this day. Then she turned to Wind and said, “You also who forgot your mother in the midst of your selfish pleasures—hear your doom. You shall always blow in the hot dry weather, and shall parch and shrivel all living things. And men shall detest and avoid you from this very time.” And that is why the Wind in the hot weather is still so disagreeable. But to Moon she said, “Daughter, because you remembered your mother, and kept for her a share in your own enjoyment, from henceforth you shall be ever cool, and calm, and bright. No noxious glare shall accompany your pure rays, and men shall always call you blessed.” And that is why the moon’s light is so soft, and cool, and beautiful even to this day.

Story collected by: Shweta Joshi

Text source: Indian Fairy Tales selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs

Location: Pan India

On the slopes of Himawat, once stood a lovely Salmali tree. It was a very large tree under whose shade travellers took shelter, hermits practised penances, birds and butterflies took refuge. It was said that Lord Brahma himself had rested under the shade of the Salmali after he had finished creating the Universe.

‘What a gorgeous tree!’ exclaimed Sage Narada, who happened to pass by this beautiful Salmali tree one day. ‘Surely, you enjoy the benevolence of Vayu, the wind-god, whose wrath does not spare even the tallest trees that stand in his way,’ Narada remarked.

Stories where in the beginning only women lived on earth without companionship of men is found across ancient mythologies. In this women- centric realm, men not only lose their position of power but are relegated to the position of slaves or victims of magic by which they service women in all kinds of jobs. Examples such as Amazonian women in Homer’s Illiad were sought and found somewhere near Lycia.  Diodorus mentions that the Amazons travelled from the Libya under Queen Myrina. People living under the rule of women suggest that in ancient cultures, matriarchal systems were the first social order of world. Arab geographers describe a great town in an island in the western ocean, which was free of men. Also similar ideas can be found in ancient Chinese, and Polynesian mythologies.

In Indian mythology we find a similar concept first mentioned in Mahabharata, in the context of fifth adventure of the Horse sacrifice or Ashvamedha. It is said that the horse entered a country inhabited only by women ruled by a queen Paramita.

In early times, people were looking for guidance on how best to lead their lives and decided to seek the advice of none other than Lord Shiva in the matter. Consequently, a delegation was sent to Lord Shiva and they arrived to seek his help. Shiva was however very busy at that time and hence sent his mount Nandi, the bull, to answer the delegation. ‘Tell the people,’ says Shiva to Nandi, ‘Din mein ek baar khao, teen baar nahao’ (Eat once and bathe thrice daily).

Following his master’s instructions, Nandi proceeds towards the delegation. Afraid he will forget, he keeps repeating the instructions to himself, chanting them like a mantra.

‘Din mein, Ek Baar Khao, Teen Baar Nahao’ he repeats loudly.

‘Ek Baar Khao, Teen Baar Nahao’ he mutters as he trudges along. ‘Ek Baar Khao, Teen Baar Nahao, Ek Baar …, Teen Baar …,’ he goes on till he reaches the delegation, not realizing he has muddled up the crucial part of the instruction. ‘Listen Very Carefully Everybody!’ Nandi says to the people gathered. ‘Shiva has asked me to give you these instructions so you may lead a proper life!’ Nandi announces. ‘Din mein Ek Baar Nhao, Teen Baar Khao’ (Bathe once and eat thrice daily) he proclaims with contentment before sending the delegation off.

Delighted at having received instructions from Lord Shiva, the delegation returns home and dutifully follows the advice. Gradually, others adopt this way of living as they believe it had the divine sanction of the lord. People begin eating thrice a day and bathing once daily. This became a routine for people living everywhere. Eventually, due to this lifestyle, there is a severe shortage of food. Another delegation then visits Lord Shiva to ask him how to resolve the new problem they were facing. This time, Shiva listens to them patiently and realizes that Nandi was the cause of the problem.

‘You are responsible for this!’ Shiva admonishes Nandi. ‘Therefore, you will go and help these people grow the food they need!’ he curses the Bull. And from that time on, the Bull has been helping people grow their food. Domesticated for the purpose of agriculture, the Bull pays an eternal price for Nandi muddling things up!

Story told by: Dhiraj Vyas, current resident of Vile Parle in Mumbai. Mr Vyas is from Keshod in Junagad district of Saurashtra, Gujarat and says he has heard this story as a child.

Story collected by: Mallika Iyer

Location: Gujarat

Image source and credit: Trustees of British Museum

The motif of immaculate conception is prominently associated with the birth of Jesus Christ. However in many tribal myths in India one finds a similar motif wherein their supreme god is conceived through immaculate conception.

Mythologies across the world often subscribe to such births as supernatural births often to justify godhood to their heroes. Here is such a tale from the Dhangar community belonging to Solapur district in rural Maharashtra. Dhangars are primarily pastoral people who tend livestock and are classified as a nomadic tribe.