Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Vishnus Avatars, etc

More Comparisons in Hindu Mythology (work in Progress)

A fish saves all forms of life and carries them from one point to another in a massive ship in a huge ocean.
A turtle carries a huge mountain while the forces of Nature (the devatas) and Rakshasa churn the ocean to bring various valuable things and life in the making.
A boar digs out the earth and brings it out of the ocean.
A lion rules the forest and ensure the balance. Kills the evil rakshas.
As a short brahmin asks for 3 steps of land and takes all. Lets the king remain and rule.
As Parasuram avenges his mother, As Ram saves his wife, As Krishna helps his sister.

Ram

Krishna

Ram is perfect
  1. son [goes to forest for his father]
  2. brother [opts to stay back in the forest if his brother wants to, does not wish to go back to his kingdom, if his brother Bharata wants to remain the king]
  3. husband [despite being a king, vows to have one wife, goes great distance to save and free her]
  4. student [obeys his Guru, even to go against his favorite bhakta Hanuman]
  5. king [opts to leave his beloved wife, for the sake of his people, he asks his brother Lakshman to leave his wife Sita in the forest, but doesn't abandon his people
  6. above all the enforcer of dharma by the word and deed
Krishna is beyond perfect
  1. born to a mother, brought up by another
  2. brother [though he and Balram defeat a vast evil force of Kansa and Kansa himself, he lets his brother be the ruler]
  3. for all those good people who wanted to enjoy his company on earth, he satisfies them as a child, friend, protector, and a above all loving husband [he has 16000 wiwes, sages in their previous births]
  4. friend (he embraces Sudama his friend from child hood)
  5. protects his people by defeating and if necessary moving all the people to a safer place
  6. protector of dharma by using a little rule bending only to achive the inevitable
Ram favors son of Surya/Sun vs son of Indra
Ram helps Sugriva by killing Vali
Why?
Since Indra's son, Vali is super strong and can absorb others strengths.
Krishna favors son of Indra vs son of Surya
Krishna helps Arjuna kill Karna
Here it is help kill....since Suray's son had comparative advantage over Indra's son.
Why?
Karna was born with [Kavach Kundall] Earrings that could make him immortal and Golden Armor that could protect him and was practically in-defeat-able while the Sun shined.
Ram takes Help
Ram takes the help of a vast Vanara Sena[ape army] and other animals [Jambavatha, the bear king, Jtayu and Sampathi, the vulture brothers, Garuda the king of the Birds, vehicle of Vishnu]

Ram is helped by the sons of devatas
  1. Hanuman** <Son of Vayu> [follows him unconditionally]
  2. Vali <Son of Indra> [Frees him from life]
  3. Sugriva* <Son of Surya> [Makes him a King]
Krishna Helps
Krishna helps the Pandavas to
  1. build a kingdom
  2. evolve/enlighten/learn while they are in exile/van vaas
  3. guides them during the battle
Krishna helps sons of devatas
  1. Bhima** <Son of Vayu> [follows him unconditionally]
  2. Arjuna* <Son of Indra> [Frees him from affection and asks him to follow Dharma]
  3. Karna <Son of Surya> [Frees him from life]
  4. Yudhistra <Son of Yama>
Ram wages war with Ravana the demon king to save his wife.
Lakshman is angry younger brother.
Krishna helps his sister and her husband Pandavas.
Balram is his elder angry brother.
Ravan is afraid and gathers 100s of Rakshasa/Demons under his rule. Ram kills them in one place. Kans is afraid and sends Rakshasas to kill Krishna. Krishna kills them.
Ram shoots Vaali Jara <Vaali reborn as a hunter> shoots Krishna

Ram is 2nd child born after a Yagyan<Fire Ritual> in the palace of Ayodya Krishna is the 7th child, born in Jail in Mathura
Ram's spent his child hood <as a student>, before coronation <as if he were a ascetic> with his wife and brother, and then his wife had to spend more years in a forest. Krishna spent his life far from his biological parents as he was taken to Brindavan on a stormy night, right after he was born.
Ram requests the ocean to give way so that he can build a bridge to Lanka, and threatens the Ocean as he gets no response after several days. Krishna builds a city next to the ocean, the ocean consumes the city after Krishna's time.

Ramayana

Mahabharata

Surya Vanshi
The epic is dominated by Surya Vanshis.
These people, like the Sun, believe in burning themselves, to uphold the Dharma.
Chandra Vanshi
The epic is dominated by Chandra Vanshis.
These people think more otherwise.
Common People
  1. Hanuman [Plays an active role in finding Sita, fighting battle, serving Sita Ram, proves Bhakta/devotee[he] is better than the God[Ram] or Ram Naam [devotion to Ram] is better than Ram, God has to do the bidding of perfect devotee]
  2. Jambvantha [Plays role in invoking Hanumans Strength, and in the battle]
  3. Vibhishan [Advices Ram how to act in the war]
  4. Parashuram [Gives Ram a mighty bow]
Common People
  1. Hanuman [Breaks the ego of Garuda, Balarama, Bhima, Arjuna. Is in the flag of Arjuna's chariot to reduce the effect of dangerous Astras/Missiles.]
  2. Jambvantha [Has a wish of fighting Ram fullfilled as Krishna duels him]
  3. Vibhishan [Meets Krishna]
  4. Parashuram [Gives Krishna his Sudarshan Chakra]