Category: Cosmic Tales
Narrative, editorial astrology — stories that illuminate the sky.
The Enchantress Who Saved the Nectar: Mohini Avatar
Mohini is the form Vishnu takes as a woman of overwhelming beauty. She appears at the climax of one of the best-known stories in Hindu tradition, the churning of the ocean, when the nectar of…
The Boar Who Retrieved the Earth
Varāha, “the boar”, is the third of the ten best-known avatars of Vishnu, the god who in Hindu tradition preserves the world. His story is about a problem unusual even by the standards of the gods:…
The Turtle Who Held the Mountain: Kurma Avatar
Kūrma, “the tortoise” or “turtle”, is the second of the ten best-known avatars of Vishnu, the god who in Hindu tradition preserves the world. He appears in one of the most famous episodes in all of…
The Dwarf Who Measured the Universe: Vamana Avatar
Vāmana, “the dwarf”, is the fifth of the ten best-known avatars of Vishnu, the god who in Hindu tradition preserves and protects the world. His story is unusual because the one he comes to overcome…
The Fish Who Saved the World: Matsya Avatar
Matsya (“fish”) is the first of the ten best-known avatars of Vishnu. An avatāra (avatar) is a “descent”: a form the god takes on earth to protect the world at a time of need. In the Matsya story,…
How Ganesha Got His Mouse: The Story of Musaka
In almost every image of Ganesha, somewhere near his feet, there is a small mouse. It may be looking up at him, nibbling a sweet, or patiently carrying his great weight. This mouse is Ganesha’s…
The Race Around the Universe: Ganesha’s Wisdom
Shiva and Parvati have two sons: Kartikeya, the general of the divine army, and Ganesha, the elephant-headed remover of obstacles. They are brothers, and they are very different — one swift, bold and…
The Night the Moon Was Humbled: Ganesha’s Curse
This is the story told to explain one of the best-known customs of Gaṇeśa Caturthī, the festival of the elephant-headed god Ganesha: on that night, people avoid looking at the moon. In the story, the…
The Teaching on the Battlefield: When Krishna Spoke to Arjuna
The Bhagavad Gītā, “the Song of the Lord,” is a conversation between two people standing in a chariot between two armies. One is Arjuna, the greatest archer of his age, who has just refused to fight.…
The Divine Thief: Krishna and the Butter
Among all the stories told about Krishna, few are loved as much as the ones in which he is simply a small child in a village of cowherds, stealing butter. Devotees call him Mākhan Chor or…