→ English Ganesha - God of New Beginnings, Success and Wisdom Lord Ganesha is one of the most popular Gods in our Hindu culture. He is known to be the destroyer of obstacles and devotees worship him at the onset of any important work. He is one of the most distinctive Gods with an elephant head and a human body. Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati and is the brother of Kartikeya and Ashok Sundari. He is also the God of prosperity and fortune. There are several stories in regards to his birth. In one of the stories he is born from Shiva and Parvati in a forest. Parvati was elated after her son's birth. She invited all the Gods to come and see the child's face but forgot to call Lord Shani. That is why Shani's evil eye fell on him and his head was burnt. This is when Lord Shiva replaces his head with an elephant head. In the second story Shiva and Pravati visit a forest and happen to see an elephant couple joyfully playing with each other. Lord Shiva and Parvati also take forms of elephant and decide to stay in the forest for a while. During their stay in the forest Lord Ganesh is born. This story is the most popular story about Ganesha's birth. Once Goddess Parvati and her friends Jaya and Vijaya were bathing in her apartment. Parvati had asked Nandi to stand outside the house and guard it. She told him not to allow anyone to enter until they finished bathing. However Shiva came unexpectedly at the door. Poor Nandi requested Shiva not to enter the house but Shiva did not listen. He entered the house. Parvati was furious after that. She wanted a personal guard now who will not let anyone enter the house without her permission not even Shiva. This is when she created Ganesha out of the dirt she rubbed off during her bath. She created a very handsome boy and gasped in joy looking at her son. Ganesha asked what shall he do for his mother. Parvati asked him to be a guard and stand at the entrance. She told him not to allow anyone. Shiva again turned up unexpectedly and wanted to enter the house. Lord Ganesha didn't let him. Shiva did not know then that he was created by Parvati and thought him to be some random person. Lord Ganesh also didn't know that Shiva was Parvati's husband. He did not allow Shiva to enter the house. Shiva turned angry and the fire from his third eye burnt Ganesha's head. When Parvati saw this she turned furious. Her rage and anger started burning the whole Universe. To calm her down and restore balance in the Universe Lord Shiva makes Ganesha alive again by replacing his head with an elephant's head. Lord Shiva was guilty and apologized for his anger. He then declared Ganesha as the chief of all Gods. He announced that all the worship and rituals should only begin by praying to Lord Ganesha first. Only after worshipping him the prayers would reach other Gods. Ganesha is also known as the God of intellect. Once Ganesha and Kartikeyan argued who will marry first. This is when their parents Shiva and Parvati decided to conduct a competition among them. They told both of them that whoever goes around the entire world and reaches Kailasha first will be the first one to marry. Lord Kartikeyan immediately left Kailasha with the aim of covering the Universe first. However Lord Ganesha just circled his parents 7 times and said he has won the race. When Parvati and Shiva asked he said that it was written in Shastras that circling your parents 7 times is as good as moving through the whole world. Lord Shiva was impressed with his intellect and he won the race. Hence he was married to two beautiful sisters Buddhi (embodiment of Wisdom and intellect) and Siddhi (Embodiment of spiritual growth and success). He later had two sons from them Kshema (prosperity) from Siddhi and Labha (Fortune) from Buddhi. </strong

Lord Krishna is considered to be the most important avatar of Lord Vishnu. He is the 8th incarnation of Vishnu who lived on Earth during the bronze age (Dwapar Yuga). Krishna is known to be the Supreme most being and the father of this Universe. He is the greatest among all the other Gods according to Vaishnava traditions. The mere utterance of his name brings divine joy and ecstasy to his devotees. He is not only worshipped in India but has a huge devotee base in the West as well. Lord Krishna is also known by several other names like Govinda, Krsna, Gopal, Muralidhar, Kanha, and many others.  Lord Krishna was born in the kingdom of Mathura. He was the son of princess Devaki and Vasudeva. Devaki's brother Kansa was the king of Mathura and he was an evil man. Kansa had been warned that his death was written in the hands of Devaki's 8th son. Kansa was a brutal and evil king and hence decided to slain Devaki's children. He killed all the 7 babies born before Krishna. He prisoned Devaki and Vasudeva as well so that they don't escape and all their children are killed in front of them  However when Krishna was born his father Vasudeva somehow managed to escape from the prison. He along with baby Krishna then visits Gokul. He then meets his friend Nanda. Nanda agrees to adopt Krishna. Nanda was the leader of cowherds and was married to Yashoda. Yashoda and Nanda became his foster parents and he grew up in the pastoral community. Subhadra and Balrama were his siblings. As a child, Krishna was very notorious. He would steal milk and butter and play pranks on everyone. Right from childhood, he was adored by everyone  especially womenfolk. Even at a tender age, he killed many demons. He killed the demoness Putana by sucking onto her breast. He also killed demon serpent Kalia. Krisha was known for miraculous activities right from his childhood. People knew that he was no ordinary human. Once Indra was angry at Krishna and the people of Vrindavan for not worshipping him. He decided to teach them a lesson by flooding the city of Vrindavan. The whole town was devastated by the flood. This is when Krishna came forward and lifted the hills of Gowardhan to provide shelter to the villagers. He held the mountain on his left hand as an umbrella and protected the villagers from the flood. At the age of 11, Krishna visited Mathura and killed his demon uncle Kansa. He then freed his real parents and handed over the kingdom of Mathura to its real king Ugrasen (Krishna's grandfather). During Krishna's adolescence, he was always surrounded by gopis who would sing and dance for him. Krishna was always shown playing his flute. During this time he met his eternal lover Radha. Radha and Krishna together mark the epitome of love. It is said that Radha was so dear to Krishna that he considered her to be his soul. Even today they are always worshipped together. Their relation defines the relation of a soul with the Supreme soul metamorphically. However, the relation did not end in marriage. Although there are many reasons associated with their separation their love story is the most sacred and divine association in Hindu philosophy. After killing hi uncle Kansa, Krishna met his real parents Devaki and Vasudeva. He and Balarama were welcomed in the royal family and they started their schooling as princes of the Yadu dynasty. Krishna was also a cousin brother to the Pandavas of Kuru dynasty as his father Vasudeva was the brother of queen Kunti. During this period Krishna became good friends with his cousin brothers the Pandavas and was especially close to Arjuna. After slaying Kansa, the kingdom of Mathura was in danger as Jarasandha (Kansa's father in law) along with Kalyavan (another powerful demon king) decided to ruin and destroy the entire city of Mathura. After several repeated attacks from them, Lord Krishna constructed the kingdom of Dwarka in the middle o

Vamana was the 1st human avatar of Lord Vishnu who incarnated himself as a brahmin boy to end the rule of the great demon Mahabali. Bali was the grandson of Prahalad,  who was one of the biggest Vishnu devotees. Lord Vishnu had saved Prahalad from his father Hirankashyap in his Narasimha avatar. Bali like his grandfather was a Vishnu devotee as well. However, the mighty ruler of Patal Lok , Bali had become greedy for more power and wanted to rule all the three worlds (Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld). He decided to meditate upon Lord Brahma. After pleasing Brahma with his penance he became invincible and grew stronger than Gods as well. He decided to attack the Planet of Heaven and conquer the kingdom of heaven from Indra.  Indra was defeated in the battle and hence the Gods lost their kingdom and became homeless. Indra was the son of sage Kashyap and Aditi. When Aditi heard of her son's defeat, she was devastated. After consulting with her husband she began meditating upon Lord Vishnu. Vishnu was pleased with her worship and decided to visit her. Aditi asked Vishnu to be born as her son. She wanted Vishnu to take back the kingdom of Heaven and Earth and return to the Gods. Vishnu granted her wish. Soon Vishnu was born to Aditi and Kashyap. After his birth, he changed his form into a small brahmin boy. The boy was very small in size like a dwarf. He then decided to visit Bali.  Bali, though being a demon was a very righteous king. The kingdoms prospered under his leadership. He was very kind to his subject and ensured no one returned empty-handed from his court. When Lord Vishnu as Vamana (Brahmin boy) was about to enter Bali's court, Bali was busy performing a powerful Yagya to gain more power. The rituals of this Yagya were taking place under the guidance of his teacher Shukracharya. As soon as Vamana entered the court, the whole place was illuminated with divine bright light. Bali knew that the Brahmin boy was special and not some ordinary Brahmin. He invited Vamana with due respect and made him seated on a special seat. He then asked Vamana to express his desire. He announced that whatever the Brahmin boy shall ask from him, shall be given to him. On hearing, this Vamana said that he didn't desire much and only wanted a strip of land long enough to hold his three steps. Bali agreed to this.  Now this was a strange request and sage Shukracharya realized that this boy was none other than the Supreme Vishnu. He warned Bali stating that Lord Vishnu himself was here as Vamana to take away his kingdom. Bali, on the other hand, was a demon of his words. He told Shukracharya that since he has already agreed to grant the wish, he cannot fall back.  In the next few moments, Vamana started to grow in size, and very soon he was limitless touching the endless sky. With his 1st step he covered the whole of Earth. With his 2nd step, he walked through the entire heaven. Now there was no place left for his 3rd step. He then asked Bali where should he place his third step as there was no place left. Bali bowed down before the Lord and asked him to place his third step on his head as that was the only place he owned now. Granting Bali's request   Lord Vishnu placed his foot on Bali's head hence pushing him down to Patal Lok (Underworld). After this the kingdom of Heaven and Earth was given back to the Gods. Lord Vishnu was still pleased with Bali as he was a good demon. He decided to bless Bali and asked him to wish for a boon. Bali being a worshipper of Vishnu like his grandfather asked Vishnu to stay with him in Patal Lok. Bali wanted to worship Vishnu every day. Lord Vishnu granted his wish and left Vaikunta to stay with him. While Lord Vishnu was away from Vaikunta, Goddess Lakshmi started missing her

Goddess Durga is one of the most important deities in Hindu philosophy. She is the central deity in Shaktism and is considered to be the ultimate Brahman or reality. Durga means impossible to defeat. She is the fierce form of Adi Parashakti who is the slayer of demons. Though she personifies the divine feminine, she is endowed with all weapons of the male deities. She is the divine Shakti or force and the ultimate protector of this Universe. She is also known as the Goddess of war and has been invoked or worshiped upon before the onset of battles like Mahabharata and Ramayana. Goddess Durga is the most popular Goddess in eastern India and is worshipped extensively there. The 10 day festival of Durga Puja is the most important festival for East India. During this festival it is believed that Goddess Durga with her children Ganesh, Kartik, Lakshmi, and Saraswati descend on Earth. The nine forms known as Navadurga is worshipped during this 10-day festival. The 10th day known as Vijay Dashami is celebrated marking her victory over evil forces. Her consort Shiva is also worshipped during this festival. It is believed that Goddess Durga is the ferocious form of Goddess Parvati. Goddess Parvati had to take her form to kill powerful demons like Mahisasur. This demon was blessed with a boon that no man or male God could slay them. This made him invincible and he started misusing his powers. His atrocity against women increased as well. He was creating havoc in the Universe and that is when Gods approached Parvati for assistance. The Gods gave all their mighty weapons and power to her. This is how Goddess Durga emerged from Parvati and killed Mahisasur. In another tale Mahisasur tries to attack Kartikeya. Kartikeya himself is the God of war, but Mahisasur knew that no male god could kill him because of the boon given to him by Brahma. Goddess Parvati to protect her son takes the fiery form of Durga and kills Mahisasur. She is the epitome of motherly love who would go to any extent to protect her children. She is also known as Mahisasur Mardini because she killed Mahisasur. Her ten arms signify that she protects her devotees from all directions. She rides a lion or a tiger which signifies ultimate strength and power. The nine different forms known as Navadurga are Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayini, Kaalratri, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri. These forms are worshipped and meditated upon during the 10 day festival of Durga Puja. There are several other beautiful rituals associated with this grand festival. Few important ones. The idol is made using the soil in front of a brothel. The soil in front of the brothel is considered very pure as it is believed that before entering into a brothel a man leaves behind all his purity into the soil. Hence this soil is used for making the Idol. Kola Bou - She is a goddess who is married to Lord Ganesha during Durga Puja. She is known as the banana brie as she resides within a banana tree. On the 7th day (Saptami) a small banana tree representing her is bathed in sacred waters of Ganga and then decorated as a bride. The tree is then placed on the right-hand side of Lord Ganesha's idol. She is then worshiped as a new bride of Ganesha. Sandhi Puja - This is the most important ritual conducted during Durga Puja. During this puja, the Chamunda form of Durga is worshiped and meditated upon. It is believed that Goddess Durga in the form of Chamunda kill demons, Chanda and Munda, during the period when Sandhi Puja rituals take place. She is worshiped by igniting 108 lamps. This ritual takes place during the end of 8th Day (Ashtami tithi) and the beginning of the 9th day (Navami) Kumari Puja - This is another ritual where young girls are worshiped on the 8th or the 9th day of th

Bhimshankara Jyotirlinga is among the 12 powerful jyotirlingas where Lord Shiva manifested himself physically. This shrine is located in the state of Maharashtra and is one of the most popular and sacred places of Hindu devotees. There are 2 stories attached to the origin of this place. Let us hear both of them. Long ago there lived a demon named Bhima. He was the son of demon Kumbhakaran (Ravana's brother) and Karkati. They lived in the forests of Dakini. When Bhima was young he was unaware that his father was killed by Lord Rama. As he grew up and got to know about this he became vengeful. He sought revenge and burnt in anger. He decided to undergo strict penance and please Lord Brahma. After several years of hard penance, Lord Brahma was pleased and granted Bhima a boon. With the boon, Bhima became invincible and with so much power he started creating havoc in the three worlds. His greed made him fight wars and conquer different regions. During this quest, he happened to defeat king Kamrupeshwar and conquered his kingdom. Kamprupeshwar was a staunch Shiva devotee. Bhima asked him to stop worshiping Shiva. When Kamrupeshwar refused, Bhima put him behind the bars and prisoned him. However Kamrupeshwar's devotion to Shiva didn't flicker a bit. He made a linga inside the jail and started worshiping Shiva. This made Bhima extremely furious and he decided to kill Kamrupeshwar. When he was about to kill Kamrupeshwar, Lord Shiva appeared before them. Shiva then killed Bhima. Pleased with Kamrupeshwar's worship he decided to manifest himself in a jyotirlinga and stay in his kingdom forever.  In another tale, there was a demon named Tripurasura who became very powerful after getting a boon from Lord Shiva himself. However very soon he started misusing this power and created havoc in all the three worlds. This when Gods approached Lord Shiva for a solution. Lord Shiva then along with Goddess Parvati took the form of "Ardha Narishwara" (half male and half female). He then fought Tripurasura and killed him. The battle was an intense one and hence after the fight Lord Shiva rested for a while on the top of Sahyadri Mountains. While resting the sweat from his body formed a river and started flowing from there. The river that was formed is known as the Bhima river. Devotees prayed to the Shiva to stay there forever. This is when Shiva manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga and stayed there until eternity. Follow us www.facebook.com/mysticadii www.instagram.com/mysticadii <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fmysticadii%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2sjU3JecIHlJ0_jej07ovQ6ZPxY02ht70HzkWM7p3rH3OeexSfv_vrXiQ&amp;h=AT29hzECR8-or0IGqsDou7KrsTyPuJmuCT0gfetvDcS-0Q8iGerPkpBYlzn0bcB1h0zmUcqNUXFa3rHHQzgO4ciryJtxZRiXBNEFsj3HbW-MUdBcCHuqUwIgfqOMJCPlm2OXF1own0Jt7REw-pYcHPRPWqB0NmG7Hs_yvcsvtGg8Oeai9X_-mQYbdUx-Y0p29sIyUnjLzeNftcZ4Rvckrix5fZKpXEQBSVkieFka4on3FeQKdCgSkhzgs8UOoLjRN7AfxxvQLr5Vr4PUToqg4epDxfBwywGVRd-7PNoSzFSWO9bChHZ6qTkFmYEgE6VevqQIlpAV

 Earth has been an abode for humans and several other thousand species inhabiting on this sacred planet. We all know that Earth is a moving entity revolving around the Sun. Not only in India but all across the world she is considered to be a massive super organism with an individuality of her own. If we compare the human anatomy and the Earth's structure, we will find a remarkable similarity. Even scientists from the past have not shied from stating Earth as a living entity. In Indian culture mother, Earth is known as Bhoomi. She is also known by several other names like Prithvi, Vasundhara, Bhudevi, etc. In most of the scriptures, she is known as the manifestation of goddess Mahalaxmi. She is the divine feminine who is the provider of all possible resources required to sustain life. She is represented sitting on 4 elephants which mark the 4 different directions of this world. She is the divine consort of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu in his Varaha avatar saved her from the clutches of demon Hiranyaksha. Hiranyaksha was an extremely powerful demon who had snatched Earth from the Gods and submerged her into the planet of hell. He kept her immersed in the cosmic ocean. This is when Vishnu came forward to rescue Bhoomi. he lifted her from the ocean and placed her back into her orbit. During this period Vishnu and Bhoomi also bore children. It is believed that Narkasur was born when Vishnu was lifting Bhoomi back to her original space. It is also believed that the planet of Mars (Mangala) was also born during this event.  Demon Narkasur had a boon that only his mother could kill him. When Narkasur started misusing his powers and torturing everyone, the Gods requested Bhoomi to intervene. This is when Bhoomi incarnated herself as Satyabhama and married Krishna. Both killed Narkasur after that. In Vishnu Purana, we encounter a different story in regards to Prithvi's birth. This occurred during the reign of King Prithu. A devastating famine had occurred all across the world. Earth had lost its fertility and there was almost no food left. This situation angered Prithu and he vowed that he shall cut Earth into several parts and dig out all her resources. This scared mother Earth and she disguised herself into a cow. Prithu chased the cow so that it could kill her. He kept chasing her until they reached the abode of Brahma. The cow then warned Prithu of the horrendous sin he was going to commit by killing a woman. Prithu then told her that killing one individual for the benefit of thousands of people would rather be a virtuous act than sin. The cow then agreed to help Prithu. She said that she will pour in her divine milk all across the world. This shall bring the fertility back. However, to achieve this  Prithu shall have to level up the land so that the divine milk can flow all across easily. Prithu agreed and started cutting the mountains to level the soil. This marked the beginning of agriculture and hence fertility was restored.  In the holy book of Ramayana Bhoomi has been shown as the mother of Sita who was adopted by the king of Janak. In the last book of Ramayana (Utara Kand) Rama asked Sita to stay in exile as the people of Ayodhya were not ready to accept her back as Queen. She stayed as a captive in Ravana's kingdom for long and this created suspicion among people regarding her chastity. Rama had to succumb to the public pressure and banish her. Sita stayed in Valmiki's ashram after this. Her two sons Luv and Kush were also born there. Later when Ram realized his mistake he requested Sita to come back as his queen. However, by now Sita had undergone immense suffering. She then asked her mother Bhoomi to accept her back and free her from this suffering. This is when the earth split apart and Sita merged into it.  In the Vedic texts, Bhoomi is depicted as the divine mother who is the wife of Dyaus Pita (Sky god). Together

The word chakra in Sanskrit means wheel. Chakra is a well-known concept in the world of spirituality. They are the most important components of our energy bodies. The human body is made of the physical body, mental body, and subtle body.  The physical body is made of flesh and bones and the one we can see and feel. The mental body is the mind and deals with our thoughts and emotions which can felt but not seen. The third body is the subtle body or the energy body. The energy body deals with life force or prana and regulates the flow of energy in the body. The chakras form the core of this energy body. These are wheel-like energy centers located in different parts of our bodies. According to scriptures, there are a total of 114 chakras of which 112 are situated inside the body.   However, according to ancient Hindu texts, there are 7 main chakras or main energy centers, the rest of them are minor centers. These centers are associated with different colors and Bija mantras. They also correspond to different elements a human body is made of (earth, fire, water.ether, air), Out of these 7 chakras, 6 are located inside our bodies and the 7th one is located just above our head.  These centers are located along the spinal cord and start from the base of the spine to the top of our head. These centers handle various physical and psychological aspects of our lives. If a chakra is wide open and healthy and is aligned with the cosmos, it ensures a free flow of energy through that center hence resulting in the proper functioning of the aspects related to that chakra. However, if the chakra is not functioning well and is out of balance it will lead to physical and mental health disorders. In yogic culture different mudras, asanas and mantras are taught to ensure our chakras are aligned and balanced throughout. Now let us discuss each of these 7 centers specifically. Root Chakra (Muladhara) Element- Earth Color - Red  Bija Mantra - LAM The root chakra is the lowest and is located at the base of the spine. This center is associated with earth and hence provides us with the feeling of being grounded and secured. A well-balanced root chakra makes us feel grounded and secured in life. This center is also associated with our survival on this planet. The fear of survival is also associated with this chakra. An improper working root chakra will give one the feeling of being uprooted and insecure about life in general. A person might feel insecure and needy about finances, health love, and other aspects of his life. It is also mentioned that Kundalini Shakti resides in this chakra and when invoked rises from Muladhara towards the crown  (Sahasrara). The diseases related to this center are issues with colon prostate, bladder, etc. Sacral Chakra (Swadistana) Element - Water  Color - Orange Bija Mantra - VAM  This chakra is located in our pelvic region and corresponds with our sexual and reproductive organs. This chakra is associated with all the pleasures of one's life. It also controls the aspect of creativity and fertility. When this center is functioning properly one will have his creative juices flowing. His basic emotions shall also be stable. If this goes out of tune it can lead to depression. emotional instability and lack of creativity and fertility. Diseases associated with this center are related to issues with reproductive organs, kidney, bowel movements, etc. Solar Plexus (Manipura) Element - Fire  Color - Yellow Bija Mantra - RAM The solar plexus is located near the naval region. This center is associated with the feeling of p

The three worlds of the Gods, Demons, and Humans are pervaded by Lord Shiva in the form of sacred lingams. However, the main Jyotirlingas on Earth are 12 where Shiva appeared by manifesting himself into a physical form and decided to stay there until eternity to bless the world. Ghusmeshwara Jyotirlinga in the state of Maharashtra is one of them. This Jyotirlinga is one of the most powerful and sacred places in our country and known to attract a lot of devotees throughout the year. Let us now hear the beautiful legend behind this place.  Long ago there was a  couple named Sutharam and Sudeha. They lived in the mountains of Devagiri. The couple longed for children but unfortunately, their wish could not come true. They waited patiently, worshipped all the Gods but in vain. Finally desperate to have a child at home, Sudeha decided to get her husband married again. Sudeha had a sister named Ghusma. Ghusma was a very pious lady and was a very big devotee of Lord Shiva. Sudeha decided to get her sister married to her husband. After a lot of resistance Sutharam finally agreed and married Ghusma.  Ghusma loved Lord Shiva the most and under no circumstances missed worshipping him. Every day as part of the worship ritual she would make 101 lingams and then discharge them off in the nearby lake. By the grace of Lord Shiva soon they were blessed with a beautiful baby boy. The family was complete and happy now. However after the birth of this child Sutharam would spend most of his time with Ghusma and the baby boy. This closeness started making Sudeha jealous of her sister. Although she was the one to get them married the emotion of jealousy and insecurity engulfed her and soon she started despising Ghusma and her son. Ghusma was unaware of her sister's hatred and continued to love her as a good sister. Soon Sudeha's anger and jealousy crossed all limits. She wanted to end all this and in the fit of rage, she decided to kill the boy. At midnight when everyone was sleeping she barged into the boy's room and stabbed him to death. After killing him she dragged his body and threw it in the nearby lake where Ghusma used to discharge the lingams.  The next morning everyone came to know of the tragedy that took place. Sutharam was inconsolable. He could never expect his wife could do such a wretched thing. The villagers wanted to punish Sudeha for this crime and hence tied her with a rope. Soon they started making arrangements for the boy's funeral. Ghusma although grief-stricken with her loss held on to her calmness. Despite the tragedy she decided to first finish off with her daily worship to Lord Shiva. She was confident that Lord Shiva was would help her sail through this hardship. Everyone was amazed looking at her dedication and devotion to the Lord. Lord Shiva pleased with her worship decided to appear in front of her. Lord Shiva immediately got the dead boy back to life. Shiva asked Ghusma how does she want to punish Sudeha for her crime. However, instead of punishing her Ghusma asked Lord to forgive her. She knew it was anger and jealousy that made Sudeha do this and hence asked Shiva to kill the emotions of anger and jealousy in her instead of punishing her. She requested Shiva to stay near her forever if he was happy with her devotion. Shiva agreed and manifested himself into a Jyotirlinga. This Jyotirlinga is known as Ghusmeshwara Jyotirlinga. Follow us www.facebook.com/mysticadii <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fmysticadii%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2HsJ9nVfTuqKWzQCUkPVEYeDDPT9K3n_0hQYNk4Sz4fe62aSov90l4xis&amp;h=AT3Vvg_-sS6nj13MTLK36KyglHOkuRjEO9u5cB3uGGw9cTLdIOESS20mSg8mQ0MoQ0ASCcRf3XYb71NdUQiyfMOE8BLRRHPWYsUnJogMoxzR4T-PFOX7-YqmswJ0JO0TAp7F

Lord Shiva in Indian culture is worshipped in various forms. Just like Kaali is the fiercest form of Parvati, Kala Bhairava is the most fearful manifestation of Shiva. In certain subsects of Hinduism, he is equaled to the entire Universe and the most important deity in the Tantric sect. Kala Bhairava is considered to be the ultimate judge for souls and even Yama cannot interfere in his decisions. Kala Bhairava has a pitch-black complexion with protruding teeth. He is seen with a black dog who is considered to be his mount. He is also known as Khestrapala or the protector or guardian of the cosmos. Some scriptures mention him to be the son of Shiva. There are different legends regarding his origin. Let us hear a few of them. At the time of the creation once there was a heated argument between Brahma and Vishnu over supremacy. Very arrogantly Brahma declared himself to be the most powerful God. He also mentioned that he was at par with Shiva and could easily perform all his duties. Very soon he started inferencing in Shiva's work as well. This made Shiva angry and threw a nail from his finger at Brahma. This nail manifested into Kala Bhairava, the most fearful form of Shiva. Kala Bhairava chopped Brahma's 5th head to teach him a lesson. Brahma's ego head was completely shattered and he soon realized his mistake. However, the head got stuck in Kala Bhairava's hand. No matter how hard he tried he could not get rid of it. He had sinned of killing a brahmin and hence had to carry his karma. For a long time, Kala Bhairava kept moving across the Universe with Brahma's head in his hand. He used it to beg alms. He had to undergo this punishment to clear out the karma of killing. Finally, after some thousand years, Vishnu suggested him to visit Kashi. As soon as Kala Bhairava reached Kashi, the head finally drooped off and he was set free from the sin. He was so elated that he decided to stay there forever. This is why he is also called the Kotwal of Kashi. It is mentioned in our scripts that the land of Kashi or Benares is completely governed by Kala Bhairava. Anyone dying there will have to deal with Kala Bhairava directly and no matter how bad the person was, he is sure to achieve Moksha. Post-death the soul goes through the toughest penance which clears his Karma account and he achieves Nirvana. Not even Yama, the lord of Death can interfere here. In another version, there was a demon named Dahrusuran. He had a boon that he could only be killed by a female. Hence  Parvati took the form of Kaali to kill him. After killing him. Kaali's anger manifested into a small child. This is when Shiva decided to merge with Kaali and the little child. This is when Kala Bhairava was born. This is why Kala Bhairava is also known as the son of Shiva. In another version once there was a fight between Devas and Asuras. This is when Shiva created Kala Bhairava. Kala Bhairava then produced 8 Bhairavas known as Ashtanga Bhairavas. These 8  bhairavas are known to the protectors of the Universe. They are also associated with the 8 key elements i.e air, water, earth, fire, space, sun, moon, and soul. The Ashtanga Bhairavas went onto marry Ashta Matrika and produced 64 Bhairavas and 64 Yoginis. These Bhairavas are scattered all across the Universe and are known as Guardians. They also protect the different Shaktipeeths which were formed when Vishnu had cut Sati's dead body to get Shiva out of his grief. This is when Shiva had appointed Bhairavas to protect the different parts which fell on Earth. Kala Bhairava is married to Bhairavi. The best time to worship Kala Bhairava is midnight, especially on a Friday night. it is believed that Kala Bhairava protects his devotees from external as well as internal enemies like greed, lust.anger, etc. He is also worshipped by travellers before starting their journey. There are numerous temples dedicated to Kala Bhairava esp

"Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devoo Maheshwara, Guru Sakshat Parambrahma, Tasmaye Shree Guruve Namah!!!" On the occasion of Guru Purnima, Mysticadii team wishes you all a very prosperous Guru Purnima. May this day help you with the awakening and realization of your true self. Guru in India refers to a guide or a teacher who guides a person through the darkness and provides us with knowledge and wisdom.  A Guru-disciple relation is one of the most important relations we serve in our lives. Blessed is the man who has his Guru by his side. The day of Guru Purnima is a special day dedicated to honoring the work of our spiritual and academic Gurus. The day has been celebrated in India for thousands of years now. The day is celebrated on the first full moon day in the month of June-July, marking the onset of the rainy season as well. Now there are few stories behind this auspicious day. Let us hear a few of them. As per Hindu tradition, Guru Purnima is also known Vyasa Purnima. It marks the birthday of the famous Hindu sage Ved Vyasa. Rishi Ved Vyasa is one the most important and celebrated contributors of Hindu scriptures and literature He is the author of several scripts like Mahabharata, Puranas, Brahma Sutras, etc. He is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself. He is also known as the divider of Vedas as he was the one to split Vedas into 4 different books (Sama, Yajur, Rig, Atharva). He was the one the greatest spiritual Gurus of India and thus day of Guru Purnima is also dedicated to him. This day is also dedicated to Lord Shiva. In Hindu tradition, Shiva is considered to be the Supreme God. In Yogic culture, Shiva is also known as Adi Yogi - The first Yogi to walk on Earth. The day of Guru Purnima marks the transition of Adi Yogi into Adi Guru - the first-ever Guru of mankind. Long long ago, some 15000 years back, there came a Yogi who sprang from nowhere. No one knew his background and hence were curious to meet him. When they saw him, everyone was amazed. Adi yogi sat quietly at one place not aware that others were observing him. He kept eyes closed and tears of ecstasy kept rolling down his cheeks. Everybody was terrified to encounter this as they had never seen anything like this before. Fearing him they all left, except the 7 sages who waited for him to open his eyes. After the long wait when Adi yogi finally opened his eyes, he saw the 7 sages looking at him. The sages requested Adi Yogi to guide them into this divine experience of feeling ecstatic just by closing one's eyes. Adi Yogi gave them some preparatory steps and asked them to follow the same. He then went back into his trance state again. The sages practiced these prescribed steps for 84 long years. When Shiva opened his eyes again, he saw the 7 sages meditating by his side. After all these years the sages had become extraordinary beings who could now be initiated into this Divine process. On the very next full moon day, Shiva decided to become their guide and Guru and hence became Adi Guru. This day is celebrated as Guru Purnima. The 7 sages came to be known as Saptarishis, who after being enlightened by Lord Shiva became the torchbearers for the rest of mankind. This day also holds a special significance among Buddhists as it is believed that on this day the chief 5 disciples of Gautama Buddha were initiated into enlightenment by their teacher Buddha himself. The day of Guru Purnima also marks the onset of the rainy season. It has been an age-old practice for the saints of this country to travel barefooted across the country and spread their wisdom across. However, during the season of rains, it becomes very difficult to walk barefooted especially trekking on the hills. Hence during these months , the monks reside in secluded locations and dedicate these month

Well not many of us know that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati also had a daughter by the name of Ashok Sundari. Most of us only know of their sons, Ganesh, and Kartikeya. Ashok Sundari was the 2nd child born after Kartikeya.  Kartikeya left Kailash and moved down south to fight demonic forces there. After his departure, Parvati started feeling very lonely and missed having her child around. One day she asked Shiva to take her to the most beautiful garden. Shiva took Parvati to Nandanvan. Parvati was mesmerized with the beauty of the garden. The garden also had a wish full filling tree called Kalpavriksha.  Parvati longed for a child and hence made a wish to the divine tree. The boon was granted and she was bestowed with a divine beautiful daughter. They named her Ashok Sundari. Ashok Sundari grew up in the hills of Kailash under the guidance of Shiva and Parvati. Parvati also told her that she was destined to marry Nahush (King of the Lunar dynasty). Being Shiva and Parvati's daughter she was deeply inclined towards the study of this cosmos. She underwent strict penance to achieve Nahush just as her mother Parvati did to marry Shiva. Once a demon named Hunda saw Ashok Sundari and fell for her beauty. He persuaded her but Ashok Sundari outright rejected his advances. Then he decided to kidnap her by disguising himself as a poor helpless widow. When Ashok Sundari came to know of his evil plan, she cursed him and said that he shall die in hands of her future husband Nahush. Nahush was the son of king Ayus and queen Prabha.  When Hunda got to know of his birth, he got scared as Nahush was going to kill him someday. He decided to kidnap the baby and kill him. However, Hunda's servant managed to save Nahush and left him under the guidance of sage Vashisht. After a few years, Nahush got to know about all. As grew up he went on to fight Hunda and killed him. After this, he got married to Ashok Sundari. Post marriage their son Yayati was born along with 100 other daughters. Ashok Sundari doesn't enjoy a lot of popularity and fame as Ganesh and Kartikeya do. Some say that this is because she got married and did not stay with Shiva and family for long, while some other stories say that she was cursed by Parvati. When Ganesh was beheaded by Shiva, Ashok Sundari was present at the scene. She got scared looking at her father's fiery nature and instead of saving Ganesh, she hid behind a huge lump of salt. When Parvati came out and saw her son lying dead she became furious. She then saw Ashok Sundari hiding behind the salt. She then cursed Ashok Sundari that she shall become a part of this salt as she was not courageous. This is why Ashok Sundari is also related to salt without which the food seems tasteless. Ashok Sundari is referred to as Bala Tripurasundari in South India and there a few temple. Follow us www.facebook.com/mysticadii www.instagram.com/mysticadii <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.co

Kubera is the Indian god of wealth. He is known to be the richest god and is the possessor of all the money, gold, minerals of the world. In India, we consider Lakshmi to the goddess of wealth however Lakshmi is the goddess of overall fortune and prosperity in one's life. There are different stories on how Kubera achieved the status of God. Some scripts say he was a thief in his previous life and with the grace of Shiva he became the god of wealth while other scripts suggest he was the brother of Ravan. Let us hear of both the stories in detail. Long ago, during the period of Satyug there lived a priestly man by the name of Yajnadata. He lived with his wife and son. His son's name was Gunidhi. Gunidhi was  opposite to his father. Right from childhood days, he kept a bad company.  He started gambling at a young age. He also started stealing money and other precious stuff from his house for the sake of gambling. Despite knowing about all this, his mother kept silent as she was too scared to let her husband Yajnadata know. She knew that her husband would abandon both of them if he came to know of all this. She would always cover up for her son and hide everything from the father. Gunidhi grew up and got married as well, but as the saying goes old habits die hard, He continued his evil activities. Once he stole a diamond ring from his house. He lost the ring to another gambler. Yajnadata happened to meet that gambler somehow and saw the ring in his finger. When he questioned the gambler, he opened up and said that his son Gunidhi was one of the biggest gamblers in town.  Yajnadata was completely taken aback. He came home and asked the mother about all this and as usual, she tried to cover it for him. Yajnadata got furious and abandoned both of them.  Gunidhi fled away from the town as he was too scared to meet his father. He roamed like a homeless beggar stealing food from here and there. On the day of Shivaratri, he failed to steal anything and kept roaming. He found a Shiva temple and saw a huge crowd of devotees offering different food items to the Linga. Gunidhi stopped and waited for the devotees to leave so that he could steal all the offerings and satisfy his hunger. He also heard the different Shiva mantras being chanted inside the temple. Night set in and soon the devotees were off to sleep. Slowly Gunidhi entered the temple and stole the sweets and fruits offered to Shiva. However, on his way back outside he happened to fall on one of the devotees who was sleeping inside the temple. This woke everyone up and they saw what was happening. The crowd was furious as stealing from God was an incorrigible offence. They started hitting him and finally beat him to death. As soon as Gunidhi died the tribe of lord Yama got hold of him and took him to Yamlok. There he was about to be sent to hell for all the wrong things he did in his life. However, just before his sentence, the tribe of Shiva came to his rescue. Yamaraj was confused as he knew that Gunidhi was a corrupt man.The Shiva Ganas said that his sins were burnt down into ashes by the grace of Lord Shiva. Gunidhi had unknowingly kept a fast on Shivaratri. This act itself was big enough to remove all the sins from his account. In his next life, he was born into a royal family as Dama, son of the king Arindam of the Kalinga dynasty. Soon after he grew up he took over the kingdom. He was the biggest Shiva devotee known to mankind. He decided to meditate upon Shiva. After a few years of hard penance, Shiva along with Parvati appeared before him. The light around them was so bright that Dama could not even open his eyes. His eyes kept flickering. When Shiva asked what does he want, Dama simply said that he needs a clear vision to see Shiva properly. Shiva blessed him with divine vision. Dama saw both Shiva and Parvati together. He was amazed to see Parvati and was curiou

We all have heard about the famous Cupid and how he makes two people fall in love with each other with his love-struck arrows. The Universe for the propagation of future generations has its way of bringing people from the opposite gender close to each other. Their love and attraction for each other results in the birth of their offsprings which in turn keeps different species of Earth alive. Hence this is one of the most important activities prevailing on Earth which keeps the world going forward without being extinct. In India, we have Gods assigned for every aspect of life. Kamadev is one such god who plays the role of Indian Cupid. He is the god of love and infatuation with a primary responsibility of making couples fall in love with each other. Kamadev has been depicted as a very handsome god with a sugarcane bow and arrows made of flowers. He is accompanied by his wife Rati who is the goddess of love and infatuation and shown riding on a parrot which is his mount. The season of spring is also associated with Kamadev and Rati. Now there are different stories concerning his birth. Some scriptures suggest that he was born from Brahma's mind while some suggest that he was the son of Manu and Shatrupa. Few other texts mention him as the son of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.  Pradyuman who was the son of Lord Krishna is also known to be Kamadev's reincarnation. Rati who is  Prajapati Daksha's daughter was married to Kamadev. Together they invoke feelings of sensuality, love , attraction, and pleasure inside us. Now there is a very famous story of Shiva's encounter with Kamadev. Let us hear about it. There was a period in the Universe when the whole world was being controlled by demon Tarkasur. Tarkasur had a boon that only Shiva's son could kill him. However, Shiva was a hermit with no lady in his life. The Gods were tensed as their position had been diluted and Tarkasur had become immensely powerful. This is when Brahma suggested Goddess Parvati to meditate upon Shiva so that he could marry her. The Gods became impatient and wanted to rush this whole event. Indra the king of heaven was most insecure and decided to seek help from Kamadev. Upon  Indra's instruction Kamadev along with Rati reached mount Kailasa. Their entry to Kailasa also brought the season of spring and Kailasa started blooming with flowers. They saw Shiva with his eyes closed and in a deep state of trance. Kamadev shot his arrow of flowers on Shiva. Shiva's meditation was broken due to this and he opened his  third eye in a state of immense fury and wrath.  His anger was so intense that fire started oozing out of his third eye. This fire burnt Kamadev completely into ashes. Kamadev's wife Rati was also there witnessing the entire episode. In a moment she lost her husband and was inconsolable. The gods realised their mistake and now begged for forgiveness for showing such impatience. They requested Shiva to revive Kamadev as without him the whole process of creation shall suffer and come to an end.  Shiva accepted their apology and agreed to revive Kamadev. However, Shiva mentioned that Kamadev shall remain without a body in a disembodied state for now. He shall again get his body back when he is born to Krishna as his son Pradyuman. Kamadev is also known by many other names like Manmath,Kandarp,Mansija,Pushpavan,Gandharv etc.The book of Kamasutra and Kamashastra have a detailed description of Kamadev. Mandana Kamadev also known as Khajurao of Assam is one of the most famous temples dedicated to him. Follow us on www.facebook.com/mysticadii www.pinterest.com/mysticadii www.instagram.com/mysticadii Download Our iOS App

Ancient India is a treasure box filled with beautiful tales of people from every age. It is indeed the richest contributor to literature for the whole world. These enchanting stories take us to a world unknown to all of us. The greatest books like Ramayana and Mahabharata is a compilation of several short stories. Today we are going to hear of one such beautiful tale from the book of Mahabharata. This is the story of Shakuntala and Dushyant who were the ancestors of Pandavas and Kauravas.  Long ago in the age of Sat Yuga there lived a sage named Vishwamitra. Vishwamitra was an extremely powerful and divine saint known for his spiritual powers. His power was such that it even made the Devas (Gods) insecure. One such God was Indra who very insecure and decided to break Vishwamitra's penance to subdue his powers. He sent the most beautiful apsara (nymph) from heaven to seduce Vishwamitra. This beautiful nymph was known as Menaka. She descended on Earth and as per the plan went to visit Vishwamitra. It didn't take much time for her to lure Vishwamitra into her divine beauty. Vishwamitra lost his control and made love to her.  A beautiful girl child was born due to this act of love. Menaka was now successful in her mission. She retreated to the heavens leaving Vishwamitra and their daughter on Earth. Vishwamitra realised that all this made him lose much of his spiritual powers. He abandoned the child in the forest and went back to continue with his penance. This child was Shakuntala. The baby girl was spotted by Rishi Kanva. He saw that baby was being guarded by birds. Sage Kanva decided to adopt the child and hence took her to his hermitage. He named her Shakuntala. Shakuntala grew up to be a beautiful maiden just like her mother.  One day a king named Dushyant happened to encounter her in the forest. He was simply struck by Shakuntala's beauty and fell in love with her instantly. He proposed to her for marriage and Shakuntala agreed. They married as per Gandharva tradition in the presence of sage Kanva. Dushyant was a king from the Lunar dynasty and Shakuntala was the daughter of an ascetic. Hence it was not an ideal match. Dushyant needed time to make arrangements in his kingdom so that Shakuntala is accepted as his Queen. He decided to go back and promised Shakuntala that he will return soon to take her along. He also gifted her a ring as a token of their love. After he left, Shakuntala gave birth to their child. He was named Bharat. Years passed but Dushyant did not return. He became very busy with his duties and kingship. Shakuntala waited for him but soon grew anxious and started losing her patience. She would be lost in his thoughts the whole day without talking much to anyone. One day sage Durvasa decided to visit Kanva's ashram. When he met Shakuntala she was lost in Dushyant's thoughts as usual and hence did not greet the sage respectfully. This enraged Durvasa and in the fit of his rage, he cursed her that whoever was in her mind shall forget her completely. Shakuntala begged for forgiveness and hence Durvasa gained his calm again. Realising that he overreacted he modified the curse and said that the person shall remember Shakuntala when she will show him any proof of their relation. After this Shakuntala decided that she won't wait for further but rather go and see him by herself. She and her foster father then began their voyage towards the kingdom. To reach the kingdom they had to cross a river and hence they boarded a boat. Accidentally while sitting in the boat Shakuntala lost her wedding ring gifted to her by Dushyant. The ring fell off in the river. When Shakuntala finally met king Dushyant she was disheartened to see that the king had completely forgotten about her. She tried hard to make him remember everything, but in vain. Insulted with this she returned to her hermitage.

In Hindu philosophy different Gods and Goddesses are assigned different universal responsibilities. The different elements of nature like wind, fire, earth, water, sky, etc. are governed by different deities. These deities held Supreme authority during...

Time Travel – A myth or reality? We all have watched movies taking us to the future like the Time Machine. In movies like Interstellar we have seen concepts of time dilation and relativity. The movie shows how time is running differently in different...

We all must have observed priests uttering the word Swaha at the end of each mantra. Whenever there is a Yagna performed, it is considered to be incomplete without saying Swaha in the end.  During a Yagna, various Gods are invoked by offering food and...

The Supreme power and the God of yogis and also a passionate lover of his spouse. He is the ultimate Man and his consort Shakti is the ultimate Woman. Shiva is Shakti and Shakti is Shiva!! Their love story marks the origin of creation and is the 1st...

Narayan Narayan!!Rishi Narad is a well-known sage in Hindu philosophy. Narad Muni is considered to be the chief leader of all sages and saints known to live on planet Earth. He is also known as 1st journalist to live on planet Earth. Rishi Narad is one...

Nandi The path to God starts and ends with devotion. There is nothing more powerful in this world than being devoted to something. Devotion means you completely surrender yourself to that person or cause or community. Devotion to God or the Supreme Lord...

Mohini - the divine enchantress and the only female avatar of Lord Vishnu!!! As the legend goes Samudra Manthan is one of the most important stories narrated in Bhagvat Purana and Vishnu Purana. Lord Indra ( God of the Heaven) had been cursed by sage...

Lord Vishnu is the part of the Hindu Trinity and is the responsible for smooth operation of the Universe. He is the preserver and responsible for maintaining cosmic balance. Whenever this balance is disturbed and negative or evil forces dominate the...

Goddess Kaali – Goddess of DestructionWhen nothing existed and only darkness prevailed she existed. She is beyond duality. Time and Tide waits for none. In Hinduism we worship the Divine Masculine (Shiva – Consciousness) and the Divine Feminine (Adi...

Indra - King of HeavenIndra is one of the most popular gods from the Vedic period. He has been greatly mentioned in the texts of Rig Veda and is known as the king of Gods who is the ruler of the planet of Heaven (Swargalok).Indra is mentioned as the God...

We all the know the great Lord Hanuman who played a very vital role in Ramayana. Here is a short story about him.Hanuman was the son of Vayu (the Lord of Wind) and Anjana ( a celestial nymph). Now you must be wondering how can a nymph bear a monkey...

Rishi Durvasa is one of the famous sages from ancient India who was known for his anger and fiery nature. Durvasa means anyone who is difficult to live with. Durvasa was born from Lord Shiva’s anger.  He was born to Rishi Atri and Anusuya. According to...

Draupadi is the most important female character in the great Hindu epic Mahabharata. She is the main reason for the battle of Kurukshetra.  She was born to king Drupad who was the king of Panchal. Hence she is also known as Panchali. Let us know her...

Goddess Aditi is an ancient Vedic Goddess. In the Vedic literature she is referred to as the Cosmic mother and is the female counterpart of Lord Brahma. She is known as the divine mother of all gods and a Guardian to the Cosmos. In some scriptures she...