Foreign invaders took advantage of India’s disunity. Some time in the 12th century. The Afghan Chief Shahabuddin Ghori (also known as Mohammad of Ghor) captured the empire of Mahmud of Ghazni and became the new ruler of Ghazni.
After taking Lahore, he started his incursions into India. He marched to Delhi, which was then ruled by the valiant Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan, who defeated him in the battle of Tarain.
The following year Mohammad returned to India and again met the forces of the Rajput king on the same battlefield. This time the Muslim invader inflicted a crushing defeat on the Hindu army.
This second battle proved to be a turning point in India history. It put an end to the Hindu Empire in Northern India forever and established Muslim rule.
Prithviraj Chauhan was a famous king and warrior. He was noted for his valour and chivalry. Despite his defeat and death, his name has been immortalized and he had become the hero of many legends. The story of Pithviraj Chauhan as told in the following pages is based on these legends.
H.G. Wells, in his Short History of the World, says that Ashoka’s “reign for eight and twenty years was one of the brightest interludes in the troubled history of mankind”. Wells goes on to say, “Such was Ashoka, the greatest of kings. He was far in advance of his age”.
This volume is based on the original research of the author into the Mahavamsa, the Dipavamsa (the commentary on the Mahavamsa) and the edicts of Ashoka. Pali manuscript and other secondary sources have also been extensively studied in gleaning facts that will kindle new interest in the great Emperor Ashoka.
Soordas, the blind bard of Brij occupies a very eminent position in Hindi literature. He is considered the Valmiki of Brij (a dialect of Hindi), not only because he was the first poet to write in that dialect, but also because hes works have an epic stature.
Soordas was not only the poet, but also a great composer. His songs were so popular that he became a legend in his lifetime.If Brij is understood today from Rajasthan and Punjab in the West to Assam in the East, it is mainly due to Soordas songs. Many of these songs are even included in the Granth Sahab, the holy book of the Sikhs - a testimony to their popularity.
Though he is credited with the composition of 25 works, he probably wrote only seven. Of these, Soor-Sagar has a place fo pride, followed by Soor-Saravali and Sahitya Lahari. According to legend, Soor-Sagar consisted of a hundred thousand songs, though today only a few thousand of these are known and sung.
Soordas was a follower of the Pushti cult, founded by Vallabhacharya which considered Krishna as the supreme incarnation of God who could only be attained only through His grace. Like many other Vaishnavaite cults, the Pushtis also believed that all those who worship God belong to the same brotherhood, irrespective of their caste. Adoration for Krishna, Yashoda's and gopis'(the cowherd girls) The intense love of Radha for him, and the alliance of the latter with the gopis formed the theme of most of his songs.
The Vikrama Charita, a Sanskrit classic composed in the 11th century, supports this view. Apart from this work and few popular legends, there is no concrete evidence to support this theory. Brought up as a potter, the brave and good shalivahana was destined to become a great king, and this prophecy was well fulfilled.
History records that Gautami’s son Shatakarni of the shatavahana dynasty, defeated the powerful King Nahapana of the Satraps. The folklore of Maharashra identifies the same Shatakarni with Shalivahana.
The content for this Amar Chitra Katha title is derived from the Sanskrit classic Kathasaritsagara and Virama Charita, as well as from popular folk tales on this legendary hero.
The story of shakuntala originally appeared in the first book of the Mahabharata where the lineage of the chief characters is detailed. It was later adapted with minor changes into a play by kalidasa, the great Sanskrit poet and dramatist.
Shakuntala was the daughter of Sage Vishvamitra and Menaka, a celestail maiden. When shakuntala was born, Menaka abandoned her near Sage Kanva's hermitage where he found her and made her his foster daughter. One day King Dushyanta of Hastinapura met her while he was hunting in the forest. Enamoured by her beauty, he married her and returned to his palace, promising to send for her at the soonest. Later, Shakuntala went to his court,Dushyanta did not recognise her, owing to a curse placed on her by sage Durvasa.
In the end, however, the truth of her claims was proved, and Shakuntala and Dushyanta were reunited. Their son Bharat, a direct ancestor of the Pandava and Kaurava princes, is the one who gave our country its name - 'Bharat' .
It is said that when Bankim Chandra lived in Kanthi, on the coast of southwest Bengal, a kapalik (a Tantric worshipper of Kali or Shiva) frequently visited him. The mystery surrounding the kapalik made a deep impression on Bankim. He conceived the idea of writing a novel about a girl brought up by a kapalik in complete isolation from the civilised world.
The name Kapala Kundala has been taken from the Sanskrit play, Malati-Madhva. In the play, Kapala is the associate of the evil kapalik, Aghora Ghanta, and she is as heinous as her mentor. But although our heroine in Kapala Kundala was also brought up by an evil kapalik, she is full human affection and kindness.
The stor as it came down to us has many variations from the original narration in the Markandeya Purana. Folk singers, dramatists and poets who handled this story have added several incidents and characters to it – for greater effect. It is worth mentioning that Gandhiji who wrote the famous My experiments with Truth was greatly inspired by a dramatic representation of this story, which he had seen in his boyhood.
This story tells us of a king, who encounters forces immensely more powerful than him with an unflinching faith in integrity.
The Mughal Empire founded in the early 16th century began to disintegrate towards the later years of the 17th century. Two people who hastened its end were shivaji along with his Marathas in the Deccan and Guru Gobind Singh and the Sikhs in northern India.
Guru Gobind Singh's short career was not marked by any spectacular achievement on the battlefield. His chief contribution was to convert a pacifist, passive and fatalist community of Punjabi Sikhs into a militant, aggressive and determined brotherhood of the Khalsa. He gave sikhism its five sacred symbols, including the unshorn hair and beard, which made the Sikh members of the one casteless family - the Singhs. He was the chief proponent of the Dharmayuddha philosophy - war for the sake of righteousness - to which he committed his four sons and his following. Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the ten Gurus and one of the greatest poets of the Punjabi language. The Qualities that distinguish the Sikhs of today can be traced back to the tradition started by Guru Gobind Singh
Drona had studied together with Drupada, who later became the king of Panchala, in the ashram of Agnivesha. When he was unable to buy a glass of milk for his beloved son, he turned to his friend for help. But when Drupada humiliated him, he went to Hastinapura and became the teacher of military science to the Pandavas and Kauravas, believing that Arjuna alone, amongst all the Kuru princes, could avenge his shame.
He bestowed special attention on Arjuna, and, succumbing to his own motives of personal vendetta, he even demanded the thumb of Ekalavya, the great archer, despite the cruelty of this dastardly act.
The story of rama from Valmiki's Epic Ramayana has been often retold with variations, and several versions of it exist in india and other Asian countreis. This story of dasharatha, the father of Lord Rama, is largely based on the legendary epic of Valmiki.
Ravana, the rakshasa king of Lanka, had performed severe penances and obtained a boon from Brahma. No celestial being,be it a yaksha, a gandharva or deva, could kill him. Armed with this boon. he invaded amaravati, the city of the devas, and wrecked havoc among its inhabitants. Distressed, they appealed to Lord Vishnu.
On earth, at that time, Dasaratha, the prosperous, wise and just king of Ayodhya, was engaged in performing a series of sacrifices in order to obtain a son. To help the devas, Vishnu decided to manifest himself on earth and destroy Ravana, since Brahma's boon did not protect Ravana from mortal men. He chose to be born as four sons to the three queens of Dasharatha. As Dasharatha delighted in his growing sons, particularly in Rama, the eldest, little did he dream that a curse hurled at him in his youth would result in separation from his beloved Rama.
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- Product Code :2568
- Material :Paper Book
- Size :9.2" x 6.8" Pages
- Cover :Paperback
- Language :English
Description
The affection of Yashoda and the gopis – the vowherd-girls of Brij for Krishna, the intense love of Radha for Krishna and dalliance the latter with the gopis formed the theme of most of his songs.
Tulsidas rendered the Ramayana, written in Sanskrit by Valmiki, into hindi in the sixteenth century. But his ‘amcharit-manas’ differs from the original in many ways. It was written at a time when a very vast area of India was under Mughal rule. Amongst the Hindus, there were frequent controversies between the worshippers of Shiva, Vishnuand Mother Goddess, and again between the worshippers of Ram and Krishna. It is to the credit of Tulsidas that he tried to weave all these cuts into an integrated whole.
The story as narrated in this book is mostly based on legends.
The third title in this series is on Mirabai. She was born a princess and marriage became a queen. But the kingdom she chose was the one of Krishna. Not for a moment did she swerve from her purpose. Hers was an immutable faith in Krishna. Uncharitable relatives and uncomprehending friends were no hindrance to her devotion. She had given herself up to Krishna. She belonged to him completely.
The store of Mira, as narrated in this book on legends about her and not on historical facts.
He wrote commentaries on the Brahmasutras, the Upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita. It was his view that these three philosophical texts proclaim bhakti as the chief means of realizing God.
In is life and teachings, Ramanuja upheld that all humans are born equal and that caste or social status has no role in determining one’s relationship with God. He accepted Kanchi Purna, who was not Brahmin, as his guru. One of his most worthy disciples, Dhanurdasa, was non-Brahmin form a lower caste. For Ramanuja, a Vaisnava (man of God) is worthy of respect; But be defined as true Vaishnava only one who has abundant love for God.
It is said that the poem flowed form the compassionate heart of Valmiki when he witnessed the sorrow of a female Krauncha bird when the merciless arrow of a hunter killed its mate. This ‘spontaneous overflow of powerful emotion’ saw the creation of a powerful epic that still inspires that soul of India, 2000 years after it was first written.
The Ramayana is such an integral part of our heritage that our apparent diversities are reflected in differing versions written in various languages. The Ramayanas of Kamban, Tulsidas, Kirtivas and Tunchan, are variations of the same theme.
This sublime theme is embodied in the character of Rama and Sita – the highest ideals of ‘men’ and ‘woman’. The idea that God fulfills Himself through the best of men is conveyed through Rama’s life.
This is the sotry of the Ramayana. The story narrated in the following in the pages is based on Ramcharit–Manas of Tulsidasa.
Vishnu has countless incarnations, but the complete incarnations are ten in number nd are called Dasha Avtar. These ten start with the form of a fish and work their way up to the human form, cast in the image of god.
The tales of these descents or avatars told in various Puranas have contributed in no small measure to make Vishnu one of the most popular Hindu deities. His worshippers are called Vaishnavas. Of the eighteen major Puranas, six are known as the Vaishnava Puranas as they eulogise Vishnu and depict him as the Supreme Self.
According to some scholars, the identification of Vishnu with Vasudeva-Krishna, the deified Yadava hero, contributed significantly to the rise of Vishnu as the greatest of the gods in the hierarchy of the Hindu pantheon. In fact, Vasudeva-Krishna came to be considered the eighth avatar of Vishnu.
Vishnu inspires more love than fear in his devotees. The Bhagwat Purana, from which the tales in this Amar Chitra Katha have been adapted, abounds in narratives of the benevolent acts of Vishnu. Although he is kind and sympathetic, he is never taken in by the apparent devotion of the wicked and wily. Even when they suceed in wresting favours from the other deities, Vishnu maneuvers to bring about their destruction without falsifying the boons given to them by the gods.
Krishna is, at times, the simple cowherd indulging the milkmaids in playful banter. At other times, he is the supreme intellectual – engaged in the exposition of the Gita philosophy. Krishna’s beguiling childish pranks and his dignified wisdom have, in turn influenced the Hindu consciousness for centuries.
This Amar Chitra Katha special issue brings to you three charming tales of the invincible Lord Krishna. The first tale encapsulates Krishna’s romantic marriage with Rukmini, the beautiful and viruous princess of Vidarbha who gives her heart of Krishna when she hears of his great deeds. Rukmini is said to be the earthly incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. How he whisks her off under the very noses of his stunned enemies and subsequent battle of the two sides is wonderfully narrated in this story.
The second story in this volume is about Krishna, the child. He particularly appeals to children because unlike and other deity he is, in fact, one among them. Young Krishna is mischievous, naughty and bubbling with enthusiasm. This powerful human element is the secret to Krishna’s universal popularity.
The third title narrates the story of Krishna when he was falsely accused of stealing the syamantaka gem that belonged to Prince Satrajit of Dwarka. To save his honour, Krishna goes into the jungle on a frantic hunt for the gem. A great adventure follows where Krishna duels with a mighty bear for 28 days and wins two new brides.
The three titles in this Amar Chitra Katha collection narrate the adventures of Hanuman.
‘Hanuman to the Rescue’ is based on krittivasa’s Ramayana. Hanuman’s exploits, particularly after he sets out to bring the herb vishalya karani from Mount Gandhamadana to save Lakshmana, have been beautifully embellished in the Bengali version of the Ramayana.
Hanuman’s unflinching devotion to Rama has made him one of the greatest bhaktas (devotees) ever known In fact, Hanuman is often referred to as Ramabhakta Hanuman. His singular worship of Rama made him compassionate. It helped him leap across 800 miles of ocean to Lanka and console Sita who was pining for Rama – forlorn and lonely in Ravana’s Ashoka garden. This story encapsulates the escapades of Hanuman.
The third tale in this special issue describes the encounter between Hanuman and Bheema, the mighty Pandava prince. Hanuman was the son of Vayu, the Wind God, and Bheema was the son of Kunti, born by the grace of Vayu, thus, the tow can be considered half-brother. Hanuman tests the strength and humility of the great Bheema in this charming anecdote. Hanuman is described as chiranjivi, and immortal. This explains how the meeting between the two was possible, although Bheema was born many centuries later.
Hanuman was the chief general of the monkey king, Sugreeva. The story of his adventures, particularly after the monkey army reaches the seashore opposite Lanka, is one of the best efforts of pure imagination to be found in the Ramayana. Years later, this virtue also helped Hanuman submit himself to the buoyant valour of Rama’s children, Luv and Kush. Serious but never solemn, Hanuman ever taunted his half-brother Bheema, the Pandava prince, who was out on a quest for the flower Kalyanasaugandhika. This incident, in fact is one of the most charming and popular episodes in the Mahabharata.
Hanuman is the son of Vayu, the wind-god; and Bheema is the son of Kunti, born by the grace of Vayu. Thus the two can be considered brothers. Hanuman is described as a Chiranjivi - an immortal. This explains how the meeting between the two was possible, though Bheema was born many centuries later. The episode also emphasises the feminine intuition of Draupadi who unerringly chose Bheema for a risky and romantic errand.
Vishwamitra was a Kshatriya king who constantly explored the realms of immortality beyond the kingdom of earth. His confrontation with Sage Vasishtha convinced him of the superiority of spiritual power over physical strength, and so he set out to attain it.
When he was given the status of Rajarshi, he was not content. This was because the word connoted a rishi who was born a Kshatriya and was considered inferior to a Brahmarshi, a rishi who had been born a Brahmin.
The arduous paths that Vishwamitra had to tread to conquer his passion in order to reach spiritual heights are described in detail, giving us a glimpse of the glory of the rishis.
India was later named after Bharata, the grandson of Vishwamitra.
Vishwambhar or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as he was later known, was born at a time when a very large area of northern and eastern
Of the many ways by which devotees can reach Him,
But even while preaching love and brotherhood, Chaitanya taught people not to yield to injustice and untruth. Perhaps the first ever non-cooperation movement (satyagraha, as Gandhiji later called it) was launched by Chaitanya. When the Kazi of Nabadwip forbade the singing of bhajans in the open, Chaitanya ordered peaceful mass singing, leading a peaceful procession of hundreds who sang all the way to the house of the Kazi. So