Do You Know?

I will give you here a few pieces of not too well known information which is interesting to know but not found easily.

1. How many years did Hiranyakashyap live for?
--Hiranyakashyap lived for 10 million years by the boon of Shiv Jee.

2. Everybody knows that Vishnu holds Sudarshan Chakra in His one hand. Do you know who gave it to Him and why was it named as Sudarshan?
--That Chakra (Discus) was given to Him by Shiv after killing a Daitya and named it as Sudarshan because of its blazing energy nobody could even look at it except Shiv.

3. Everybody knows that Vishnu worships Shiv and Shiv cannot live without Vishnu. What Vishnu has done to worship is even difficult to imagine --
--When Raam was building the bridge to cross the sea to go to Lankaa, he desired to worship Shiv there. He wanted to worship him with 1000 lotus flowers. So He asked His Vaanar to bring 1000 flowers. They brought them and Raam started worshiping Shiv. Shiv thought to play a prank on Him, so he stole one flower out of those 1000 flowers. When Raam counted them they were 999. If he ordered to bring one flower more, it could have been late. He thought what to do. He thought "people say that my eyes are like lotus, so let me complete this number by adding my one eye." So as He wanted to take his eye to add to flowers, Shiv appeared there and brought that missing flower and blessed Him.

4. Do you know how Raam went to His Lok (Dhaam)? What made Him to go from here - Prithvi?
--One day Kaal (Time) came and delivered the message of Brahmaa Jee that His time on Prithvi was now over, so He should come back to His Lok. Raam, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughn settled their sons in their kingdoms and all took Jal Samaadhi in Sarayoo River. Many other people who came with Him (took birth only for His work) also went with Him. Whatever creation was created for Raam, everybody went with Raam's going to Swarg. Thus when He went to His Lok the whole Ayodhyaa went with Him.

5. When Vishnu and Shiv are so much cooperative to each other, can you imagine of any occasion when they fought with each other? There is one occasion when they fought with each other, read it here --
--You must have read or heard the love story of Ushaa and Aniruddh. Ushaa was the daughter of Daitya Raaj Baanaasur and Aniruddh was the grandson of Krishn. Ushaa saw Aniruddh in her dream and succeeded in getting him in her palace. When he was found missing in his palace, Krishn came to know that he was in Baanaasur's palace. So Krishn and Pradyumn invaded Baanaasur's city. Now Baanaasur's city was guarded by Shiv, so when Krishn came to fight, Shiv had to come to protect Baanaasur. At that time both fought. In the end Shiv got defeated and asked Krishn to spare his devotee Baanaasur. Krishn said - "Do not worry, I was not going to kill him anyway, because I have already bestowed the boon to Prahlaad that I will not kill anybody in your family."

6. In ancient time kings used to have many queens, but how many, 2, 4, 10, 100, how many? --
--Yuvanaashwa, Maandhaataa's father, had 100 wives
--Dasharath had 350 queens.
--Krishn had 16,108 queens. His all queens had separate palace for herself and Krishn lived with all of them together, that is how no queen ever felt His absence. In fact He married 16,100 princesses together also.

7. Can you believe that a Rishi also had many wives? You will say, one is all right, but what is the need for many wives to a Rishi? But yes, he had many wives. Who was he? What was his name?
--His name was Saubhari Rishi and he married Maandhaataa's 50 daughters for whom he built 50 palatial houses. Like Krishn he also lived with all of them together and that is why each princess used to think that her sister must be jealous with her that "Rishi lives with her only and he does not come to me".

8. Any idea how old was Dasharath when his four sons, Raam, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughn were born to him?
--60,000 years

9. Can any girl marry a boy who has only one year left of his age? You will immediately say, "What, is she a fool or insane?" But there was a girl who married such a boy and brought him back from the claws of Death. And not only she brought her husband back but she brought luck to her in-law's house and parents' house. Who was she?
--She was Saavitree, and she chose Satyavaan as her husband. Later Naarad Jee told her that the boy had only one year to live, better she should choose some other boy", but she said - "Once an Indian girl has chosen her husband, she has chosen, she does not change it. I will marry Satyavaan only, otherwise I will never marry."

10. Can you guess what might be reason for Vishnu to incarnate 10 times? Did He like it Himself or somebody asked Him to incarnate?
--In fact He was cursed by Maharshi Bhrigu that he should incarnate 10 times, and that is why He keeps coming. He has already come nine times, the last one, Kalki Avataar, is yet to come.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com