A while ago we wrote about Dog in Hindu Mythology and Man and God. They were about the references of dog in Hindu mythology and how the man got hos 80 years of age and how the man had got his companion - woman. You must have heard many jokes about husband and wife in which they prefer dog as their companions, instead of each other respectively. Do you know why do they do it so? So today we will talk about God and dog. Dog is a very important animal in our Hindu scriptures after cow in spite of being a very inauspicious animal. Let us see how the dog came to be called dog and why men and women prefer dog over their companions.
In the beginning, when God started His Creation, God made the earth and sky, the flowers and the trees, He then made all the animals, the fish, the birds and bees. When at last He had finished making everything, He saw that no two were quite the same. He said - "Let me go around this world of mine, and then give each one a name." So He traveled far and wide and went everywhere wherever He had His Creation and gave each one a name.
Now wherever He went a little creature followed Him. All were named upon the earth, in the sky and the sea, but that little creature. So in the end that little creature said - "Dear Lord, There's not one left for me?" God said - "I have left you to the end. I have turned my own name for you - back to front, and called you dog, my friend." Thus the dog was born.
And since the God gave him His own name, it is all right even if it was turned back to front, men and women saw the God in him. So when men and women do not appreciate each other, in spite of being produced from one body, the next thing they appreciate DOG.
Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Monday, June 17, 2013
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Dog in Hindu Mythology
Dog in Hindu society is considered an inauspicious animal. In North India it is not a very common sight to see a dog in houses in general. An exception I saw in Kachchh, when I was in Anjaar, that dogs were welcomed there in the houses, sometimes even in the kitchen. The women there fed them and after eating the dogs went away.You will be surprised to know several descriptions of dog in our scriptures, how and where, let us see ---
(1) Dog in Ved
Rig Ved Rishi have mentioned Dogs in at least 3-4 Mantra in Rig Ved, however, the stories are not there, because Upanishad doesn't contain text related to popular Indra, Sinhaasan and Devtaa and Daitya, God or Demon type stories, their subject is only Brahm and Aatmaa.
(2) Dog in Raamaayan
In the Uttar Kaand of Vaalmeeki Raamaayan, (V-Raamaayan, 7/24 Sarg 24) there is reference to a complaint made by a dog against a Braahman who had hurt it without any reason. Raam summons the Braahman concerned and admonishes him. He then asked the dog what punishment should be given to the Braahman, and the dog says "Make him a Kulapati (a kind of University Vice Chancellor) Kaalanjar Pradesh for I was such a Kulapati in its previous birth and had hurt many students, that is why I took birth as a dog. When he would be the Kulapati, he will also behave in the same way, and will be born as a dog in his next life." Raam laughed and punished the Braahman as the dog prescribed.
(3) Dog in Mahaabhaarat - Yudhishthir's Dog
--Yudhishthir had a dog with him when he was going to Swarg (in Swargaarohan Parv of Mahaabhaarat). He did not leave this dog in spite of Indra's threat that he would not be able to go to Swarg because the dogs were allowed in Swarg. When he did not get ready to go to Swarg at any cost leaving the dog behind,, the dog showed his real form and blessed him. In reality that dog was the father of Yudhishthir - Dharm Raaj himself, although he did not now it. (MBH, G-7-Postwar/34)
-- Because of being inauspicious animal, once Raajaa Janamejaya was doing a Yagya along with his brothers, that a dog came there and just stood there. Janamejaya's brothers considering him inauspicious pushed him back. By chance they did not know who that dog was. So after being pushed away that dog went to his mother and when his mother saw him beaten badly, she asked him what had happened to him. He told the whole story that he was just standing near the Yagyashaalaa that Raajaa Janamejaya's brothers beat him and pushed him away, although he did not do anything to annoy them. In fact he was the son of Indra's bitch Saramaa, so Saramaa came to Janamejaya's Yagyashaalaa and asked them as why did they beat her son without any reason. They could not reply, so she cursed the King - An evil will fall on you when you will least expect it."Raajaa Janamejaya came back after the sacrifice and had to look for somebody who could neutralize its effect. (MBH, G-0-Prolog/4)
(4) Indra's Dog
--Indra himself has a bitch named Saramaa whose son was abused by Janamejaya's brothers when he was doing a Yagya. At that Saramaa cursed Janamejaya that his Yagya will come to stop in between by a Rishi - the story is given in under the heading - "Dog in Mahaabhaarat" above.
--Saramaa is said to have pursued and recovered the cows stolen by the Panai Asur and hidden in the nether world of Paataal.
(5) Yam Raaj's Dog
Yam Raaj, the God of death is believed to have two ferocious dogs Sarameyas (described as the off springs of Indra's dog). Both of these dogs have four eyes each and they guard the road to Yam Lok. Yam himself took the form of a dog, while guiding Yudhishthir to Swarg Lok, see below. [MBH, G-7-Postwar/34]
(6) Kaal Bhairav's Dog
The vehicle of Kaalbhairav (a fierce firm of Shiv Jee) is a dog.
(7) Bhagavaan Dattaatreya's Dogs
Dattaatreya's picture can always be seen with four dogs following him.
(8) Shankaraachaarya and Dogs
Once when Aadi Shankar was in Kaashee, while returning after a bath in Gangaa River, he was confronted by a Chaandaal with 4 dogs. The Chaandaal was none other than Vishwanaath, the presiding deity of Kaashee, Himself, in disguise. The 4 dogs were the 4 Ved. Not recognizing this, Aadi Shankar requested the Chaandaal and the 4 dogs to move away from his path, whence the Chaandaal questioned that - "Who is to move away - their body or Aatmaa? If Aatmaa is indeed the same amongst every one - a learned scholar, a low-caste person and the dogs, why should Aadi Shankar ask them to move? If Shankar was referring to the body, then by Shankar's own admission, this body was temporary and one should not identify oneself with the body. On this count also, there wasn't any difference between the two of them." Gifted with a razor-sharp intelligence, it did not take long for Shankar to realize his folly and that the Lord Himself was before him in the form of Chaandaal and dogs. He immediately burst out with a philosopher's delight - Maneesh Panchakam a five-stanza exposition of the body-soul concept.
(9) Dog's Reference Elsewhere
Five Characteristics of a Student
Kaak cheshtaa, bako dhyaanam, shwaan nidraa, alpahaaree,
griha Tyaagee, vidyaarthee panch lakshanam"
Roughly translated - the five indications of a good student are ---
(1) perseverance of a crow,
(2) concentration of a crane,
(3) light sleeper like a dog,
(4) light eater,
(5) staying away from home (means noise, emotions).
Read also Dog or God, and Man and God
Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com
(1) Dog in Ved
Rig Ved Rishi have mentioned Dogs in at least 3-4 Mantra in Rig Ved, however, the stories are not there, because Upanishad doesn't contain text related to popular Indra, Sinhaasan and Devtaa and Daitya, God or Demon type stories, their subject is only Brahm and Aatmaa.
(2) Dog in Raamaayan
In the Uttar Kaand of Vaalmeeki Raamaayan, (V-Raamaayan, 7/24 Sarg 24) there is reference to a complaint made by a dog against a Braahman who had hurt it without any reason. Raam summons the Braahman concerned and admonishes him. He then asked the dog what punishment should be given to the Braahman, and the dog says "Make him a Kulapati (a kind of University Vice Chancellor) Kaalanjar Pradesh for I was such a Kulapati in its previous birth and had hurt many students, that is why I took birth as a dog. When he would be the Kulapati, he will also behave in the same way, and will be born as a dog in his next life." Raam laughed and punished the Braahman as the dog prescribed.
(3) Dog in Mahaabhaarat - Yudhishthir's Dog
--Yudhishthir had a dog with him when he was going to Swarg (in Swargaarohan Parv of Mahaabhaarat). He did not leave this dog in spite of Indra's threat that he would not be able to go to Swarg because the dogs were allowed in Swarg. When he did not get ready to go to Swarg at any cost leaving the dog behind,, the dog showed his real form and blessed him. In reality that dog was the father of Yudhishthir - Dharm Raaj himself, although he did not now it. (MBH, G-7-Postwar/34)
-- Because of being inauspicious animal, once Raajaa Janamejaya was doing a Yagya along with his brothers, that a dog came there and just stood there. Janamejaya's brothers considering him inauspicious pushed him back. By chance they did not know who that dog was. So after being pushed away that dog went to his mother and when his mother saw him beaten badly, she asked him what had happened to him. He told the whole story that he was just standing near the Yagyashaalaa that Raajaa Janamejaya's brothers beat him and pushed him away, although he did not do anything to annoy them. In fact he was the son of Indra's bitch Saramaa, so Saramaa came to Janamejaya's Yagyashaalaa and asked them as why did they beat her son without any reason. They could not reply, so she cursed the King - An evil will fall on you when you will least expect it."Raajaa Janamejaya came back after the sacrifice and had to look for somebody who could neutralize its effect. (MBH, G-0-Prolog/4)
(4) Indra's Dog
--Indra himself has a bitch named Saramaa whose son was abused by Janamejaya's brothers when he was doing a Yagya. At that Saramaa cursed Janamejaya that his Yagya will come to stop in between by a Rishi - the story is given in under the heading - "Dog in Mahaabhaarat" above.
--Saramaa is said to have pursued and recovered the cows stolen by the Panai Asur and hidden in the nether world of Paataal.
(5) Yam Raaj's Dog
Yam Raaj, the God of death is believed to have two ferocious dogs Sarameyas (described as the off springs of Indra's dog). Both of these dogs have four eyes each and they guard the road to Yam Lok. Yam himself took the form of a dog, while guiding Yudhishthir to Swarg Lok, see below. [MBH, G-7-Postwar/34]
(6) Kaal Bhairav's Dog
The vehicle of Kaalbhairav (a fierce firm of Shiv Jee) is a dog.
(7) Bhagavaan Dattaatreya's Dogs
Dattaatreya's picture can always be seen with four dogs following him.
(8) Shankaraachaarya and Dogs
Once when Aadi Shankar was in Kaashee, while returning after a bath in Gangaa River, he was confronted by a Chaandaal with 4 dogs. The Chaandaal was none other than Vishwanaath, the presiding deity of Kaashee, Himself, in disguise. The 4 dogs were the 4 Ved. Not recognizing this, Aadi Shankar requested the Chaandaal and the 4 dogs to move away from his path, whence the Chaandaal questioned that - "Who is to move away - their body or Aatmaa? If Aatmaa is indeed the same amongst every one - a learned scholar, a low-caste person and the dogs, why should Aadi Shankar ask them to move? If Shankar was referring to the body, then by Shankar's own admission, this body was temporary and one should not identify oneself with the body. On this count also, there wasn't any difference between the two of them." Gifted with a razor-sharp intelligence, it did not take long for Shankar to realize his folly and that the Lord Himself was before him in the form of Chaandaal and dogs. He immediately burst out with a philosopher's delight - Maneesh Panchakam a five-stanza exposition of the body-soul concept.
(9) Dog's Reference Elsewhere
Five Characteristics of a Student
Kaak cheshtaa, bako dhyaanam, shwaan nidraa, alpahaaree,
griha Tyaagee, vidyaarthee panch lakshanam"
Roughly translated - the five indications of a good student are ---
(1) perseverance of a crow,
(2) concentration of a crane,
(3) light sleeper like a dog,
(4) light eater,
(5) staying away from home (means noise, emotions).
Read also Dog or God, and Man and God
Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com
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