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Sutradhar

Hello and welcome to Sutradhar Mini Tales a daily podcast brought to you by team Sutradhar. I am your host Manya Sharma and I will bring to you well researched short stories from our scriptures everyday. Some of these stories might be new for you while some of them you might already be familiar with but we guarantee that you will enjoy them nonetheless. For more of what we are doing you can download Sutradhar mobile app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sutradhar

Sutradhar Mini Tales (English)

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Brahmaji built a divine lake for himself and gave the task of guarding it to Riksharaj. Rikshraj decided to take a bath in that lake. When he came out of the lake, he had turned into a beautiful woman.

Around the same time, Indradev was passing through and saw the most beautiful woman near the lake and got infatuated by her beauty. The son he had with Riksharaj in the form of a woman became Bali, the king of Kishkindha.

When Suryadev saw Riksharaj in woman form, he also could not control himself and the son Riksharaj got from Suryadev was called Sugreev, who later helped Bhagavan Ram in His quest for Sita ji.

In another version of this there is mention that it was Suryadev’s charioteer Arun’s female form Aruni, who was mother of Bali and Sugreev. 
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Mother of Vanarraja Vali

Like Vishwakarma is the architect and engineer of Gods, Mayasur is the architect of demons. Mayasur was the father of Mandodari, who was married to Ravan. He had two more sons Mayavi and Dundubhi.

Dundubhi was like a giant bull and had the power of a thousand elephants. Once he went to Himavan mountain and challenged him for a duel. Himavan told him to go and challenge Vali in Kishkindha.

Dundubhi went to Kishkindha and challenged Vali for a duel. Vali obliged and the duel went on for days. In the end Vali was victorious and he killed Dundubhi and threw his carcass many miles away.
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Dundubhi- A giant bull demon

When Mayavi got to know about his younger brother’s death at the hands of Vali, he decided to attack Vali to avenge his brother’s death.

When Mayavi realised Vali’s strength, he ran away and hid inside a cave. Vali went after him, instructing his younger brother Sugreev to wait for him outside.

After many days when Sugreev saw a stream of blood coming out from the cave, he assumed that Mayavi had somehow managed to kill Vali. He closed the opening of the cave with a giant rock and became king of Kishkindha.

When a victorious Vali came out of the cave and found out that Sugreev had become king of Kishkindha, he got really angry and ran towards Sugreev with the intent to kill him.

Sugreev ran for his life and started living in Rishyamook mountain, when Vali could not set foot because of the curse from Matang rishi.

During the duel with Dundubhi, when Vali was throwing Dundubhi around his blood drops fell on Matang rishi performing Yajna in Rishyamook mountain. When he saw the blood and, in his anger, he cursed that whoever has caused this, his head will explode, if he comes near this mountain. That is why Sugreev was safe from Vali living in that mountain.
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Why did Vali want to kill Sugreev?

Once Hanumanji decided to find the right teacher for himself and decided to approach Sun for the same, since Sun has been looking over this universe since the creation and has observed everything. 

He asked Son to be his teacher, but Son told him that he is busy roaming around and does not have time.

Hanumanji found a solution to this problem. He suggested that he will fly along with his carriage, while he can teach him while continuing roaming.

In the end when Hanumanji wanted to offer gurudakshina to the Sun, He asked Hanumanji to always protect His son Sugreev.
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Friendship of Hanuman ji & Sugriva

Nal was son of Vishwakarma, the divine architect and like his father he was himself a great engineer and builder. 

When Varun dev did not give way to Shri Ram to cross the sea, Shri Ram got enraged and decided to dry to ocean, Varun dev suggested Shri Ram to ask Nal to build a bridge.

Nala undertook the great task of building the bridge across the sea that can be used to cross the ocean by entire vaanar sena.

In some versions Nal and Nila were twin brothers, who as kids were very mischievous. They would throw things belonging to sages living in their jungle into water and then tease them.

Once one of the sages got enraged and cursed them that whatever they touch will not sink in the water but it will float. It was this curse that acted as a boon while building the Ram Setu.

Nila is believed to be the son of Agnidev.
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Divine Architect of Ram Setu

Story of Ashtavakra is narrated in great epics Ramayan and Mahabharat. Astavakra is the son of Rishi Kahoda and Sujatha Daughter of Rishi Aruni. He was born with physical deformities and hence got the name Ashtavakra. When he was very young his father went to Raja Janak’s place to participate in a debate against renowned scholar Vandin/Vanin, son of water God Varun. His father lost the debate and was immersed in water as condition of the debate.

When Ashtvakra was ten years old, his mother told him about his father’s fate and the kid went to meet Raja Janak. Janak first tested the boy and found him very knowledgeable. He then went on with the debate against Vandin and won the argument. After Ashtavakra won the debate, his father and other drowned scholars were released by Varun dev.

He is credited with writing of Ashtavakra Gita, which mostly talks about nature of God and metaphysical nature of existence. 

There is an interesting story behind Ashtvakra’s physical deformities.

When he was inside his mother’s womb, his father was teaching him verses from Vedas and boy would correct him from inside the womb. This irked his father a lot and once out of irritation he cursed the boy to be born with deformities.

After Ashtavakra rescues his father, his father is very impressed with his young son and his knowledge and accepts his mistake in cursing him. On their way back from Janak palace, he asks Ashtvakra to take a dip in a divine lake. After taking the dip in the lake, he is cured of his deformities and becomes normal again.
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Rishi Ashtawakra

Everyone knows Hanuman ji was celibate for all his life, however there is a mention of his son in various regional retellings of Ramayan.

When Hanuman ji was returning from Lanka after putting it on fire, he took a dip in the ocean. A drop of his sweat was swallowed by a giant fish (sea creature). 

This fish was captured by Ahi Raavan, the king of Pataal-lok. When the fish was cut open mighty hero Makaradhwaj appeared. 

Ahi Raavan, impressed by his strength, took him under his wings and gave him the task of guarding the gates of his palace in Pataal-lok.

When Shri Ram and Lakshman were kidnapped by Ahi Raavan and taken to Pataal-lok, Hanuman ji went to rescue them and was confronted by Makaradhwaj. 

Hanuman ji was confused to know that he was his son. However, Makaradhwaj was loyal to Ahi Raavan, so he fought against his father and was eventually defeated.

After Ahi Raavan was killed by Hanumaan ji, he made Makaradhwaj king of Pataal-lok, with the blessings of Shri Ram.

Jethwa clan of Gujrat who ruled Kathiawar and Porbandar regions are believed to be descendants of Makaradhwaj and worship Hanuman ji as their Ishta-devta. Their Royal flag had image of Hanuman ji on it. Temples of Makaradhwaj can be found in Gujrat, MP, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. 
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Makaradhwaj, The son of Hanuman ji

Charioteer of Suryadev had two sons Sampati and Jatayu. Both brothers once decided to fly to the sun. Jatayu flew too high and when he reached closer to the sun, his wings started burning. In order to save his brother Sampati shielded his brother burning his wings in the process.

They both fell from the sky. Jatayu could not fly for days, while Sampati completely lost the ability to fly. 

When vanar sena was looking for mata Sita, they bumped into Sampati, living in a cave on the way to Lanka. When Sampati found out about Jatayu’s death at the hands of Ravan, he decided to help Shri Ram find mata Sita by pointing them towards Lanka. 
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Jatayu- Sampati brotherhood

Shurpanakha was the youngest child of rishi Vishrava from his second wife Kaikeshi. She was the sister of Raavan. She was very beautiful and was called Minakshi (one who has eyes like fish).

She fell in love with a Danava prince of the Kalakeya clan named Vidyutjihva/Dushtabudhi and married him against the wishes of her brother Raavan.

Once after conquering the underworld Raavan was visiting his sister’s place and got into an argument with Vidyutjihva and killed him. Nobody had the power to confront Raavan.

Minakshi was distraught but she also couldn’t do anything. She became Shurpanakha and started roaming in the woods with her relatives Khar and Dushan but she could never forgive her brother for making her a widow and killing the person she loved.

Some narratives suggest that Shurpanakha deliberately instigated Raavan to kidnap mata Sita because she was convinced that only Shri Ram was capable of killing Raavan and take revenge from her brother for making her a widow.
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Revenge of Shurpanakha from Raavan

According to the version of Ramayana prevalent in the Bengal region, Bhagwan Ram performed Shakti Puja in order to win the battle against Ravana. 

For the purpose of worshipping Devi Adishakti, 108 blue lotus flowers were collected. At the end of the puja, when Shri Ram was about to offer the 108th blue lotus flower to Devi Shakti, he realised that there were only 107 flowers. 

Shriram was very upset and did not want his worship to remain incomplete, as it would have been inauspicious. He thought for a moment and decided to offer one of his eyes to Devi instead of a blue lotus flower, since he was called Kamal-Nayan. Shri Ramchandra did not hesitate even for a moment before taking an arrow in his hand with the intention to take out one of his eyes as an offering to the deity.

As soon as Ramchandra ji took the arrow near his eyes, Devi Adishakti appeared and stopped him. Being pPleased with his devotion, she granted him the boon of victory over Ravana.

 
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Shri Ramchandra's Shakti Puja

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