Hindu Mythology has some wonderful stories. I will talk a bit of one of them. If I can, I will continue further.
This particular story is in the beginning of Markandeya Purana. The sage Jamini, a disciple of Vyasa, author of Mahabharata, approached Rishi Markandeya asked about the happenings in Mahabharat. He wanted to know why Vishnu had to be born as a human (Krishna)? He further wanted to know why Draupadi alone became the wife for the five Pandavas and why the sons of Pandavas were killed even before they could marry and settle down?
Jamini had approached Markandeya in the evening when the sage was about to perform his evening prayers. He asked Jamini to speak to the four sons of the Drona bird who lived in the Vindhya mountains. Jamini was amazed that there were birds who could talk and wanted to know more. Markandeya then began telling him about the birds.
Once, the celestial sage, Narada, came to visit the king of the Gods, Indra. Indra was in his garden, watching the celestial nymphs (apsaras) dance. Seeing the sage approach, Indra offered his seat to the sage. Seeing this, the apsaras stopped their dance and bowed down to the seer.
Indra asked Narada to choose an apsara whose dance he would like to see. Narada asked the apsaras to choose among themselves, the one who was most noble and most beautiful.
On hearing this, the apsaras starting arguing among themselves. Each thought one self to be superior than the others. Reaching no decision, they asked Narada to decide. Narada told them to dance for Rishi Durvasa. Durvasa, known for his temper, was meditating in the forest. Of the apsaras, the one who would be able to tempt Durvasa would be the winner.
All expect one apsara, Vapu declined the offer. Vapu left for the mountain Praleya, where Durvasa was meditating. She was confident that she would be victorious.
Approaching the mountain, the nymph saw the sage meditating. In her melodious voice, she began singing. Disturbed, Durvasa cursed the apsara to be born as a bird and live a life singing away in the forest. He further told her that she would have four sons. Then later she would return back to her position in the heaven.
In days past, the king of birds, Garuda had a son Sampati. Sampati had a son Suparshwa, whose son was Kumbhi and Kumbhi's son was Pralolupa. Pralolupa had two sons, Kanka and Kandhara. Once Kanka spotted a Rakshasha, Vidyudrupa, living on Mounta Kailasha. The Rakshasha and his wife were enjoying a drink and were scantily dressed. Knowing he had been spotted, the Rakshasha started shouting at the bird for spying on him. Kanaka said the mountain was open for all, and if the Rakshasha wanted privacy, he should gone into a closed space. Angered, the Rakshasha killed the bird.
Hearing of his brother's death, Kandhara got ready for battle with Vidyadrupa. He took on a ferocious form and went to the mountain where he saw the Rakshasha who was seated with his wife, Madanika. Both were enjoying themselves.
A fight started among them and Kandhara killed the Vidyadrupa. Scared, the Rakshasha's wife took refuge of the bird. Madanika, was a daughter of Menaka, one of the nymphs of Indra. She knew how to assume many shapes. Assuming the shape of a she bird, she enticed Kandhara and wed him, and went with him, to his land. In time, a daughter, Tarkshi was born to them. This was the cursed apsara, Vapu.
The bird, Mandapala had four sons, the youngest of whom was called Drona. Drone married Tarkshi and in due course she knew she was going to have babies. Tarkshi then flew to Kurukshetra, where the battle between Pandavas and Kauravas was going on. While in flight, she was pierced by an arrow and her unlaid eggs began falling towards the ground. At the same time, one flying arrow, accidentally cut off a huge bell from one of the elephants in the war, and the eggs fell on soft grass and got covered by the bell.
After the battle was over, Yudhisthira went to visit Bhishma, who lying on a bed of arrows. A rishi, Shamika, following Yudhisthira, heard noises on the ground and discovered the source to be coming from under the bell. He removed the bell and saw the birds. The sage blessed the birds. He asked his disciples to take care of the birds and to feed them and keep them safe. In some time, birds had grown up and started to fly around. Slowing they flew out and reached a place where the sage Shamika was teaching his disciples about religion. Having heard all holy thoughts from their birth, the birds went to the rishi and showed their gratitude for being their savior. They wanted to know what they should do with their lives.
Hearing the birds talk in human speech the sage was amazed. The birds then told him about the sage Vipulaswan, who had two sons Srikrishna and Tamvaru. We are sons of Srikrishna. We used to help our father collect fire for his fire and flowers for his worship. Once, Indra came to Srikrishna, in the guise of a bird, seeking food. He asked the bird what food it needed, the bird said it wanted human flesh. The rishi offered us as the bird's food. We refused to be served and were cursed by our father to be born as birds. Hearing this, the bird said it would not accept living flesh and it resumed its own form, that of Indra. Indra blessed us and said we would have great knowledge. We then approached our father. Our father also blessed us, saying even though we would we would born as birds, we would knowledge and would become enlightened souls. He also gave us the power to understand human language and also talk in the same, thus we are able to talk.
This particular story is in the beginning of Markandeya Purana. The sage Jamini, a disciple of Vyasa, author of Mahabharata, approached Rishi Markandeya asked about the happenings in Mahabharat. He wanted to know why Vishnu had to be born as a human (Krishna)? He further wanted to know why Draupadi alone became the wife for the five Pandavas and why the sons of Pandavas were killed even before they could marry and settle down?
Jamini had approached Markandeya in the evening when the sage was about to perform his evening prayers. He asked Jamini to speak to the four sons of the Drona bird who lived in the Vindhya mountains. Jamini was amazed that there were birds who could talk and wanted to know more. Markandeya then began telling him about the birds.
Once, the celestial sage, Narada, came to visit the king of the Gods, Indra. Indra was in his garden, watching the celestial nymphs (apsaras) dance. Seeing the sage approach, Indra offered his seat to the sage. Seeing this, the apsaras stopped their dance and bowed down to the seer.
Indra asked Narada to choose an apsara whose dance he would like to see. Narada asked the apsaras to choose among themselves, the one who was most noble and most beautiful.
On hearing this, the apsaras starting arguing among themselves. Each thought one self to be superior than the others. Reaching no decision, they asked Narada to decide. Narada told them to dance for Rishi Durvasa. Durvasa, known for his temper, was meditating in the forest. Of the apsaras, the one who would be able to tempt Durvasa would be the winner.
All expect one apsara, Vapu declined the offer. Vapu left for the mountain Praleya, where Durvasa was meditating. She was confident that she would be victorious.
Approaching the mountain, the nymph saw the sage meditating. In her melodious voice, she began singing. Disturbed, Durvasa cursed the apsara to be born as a bird and live a life singing away in the forest. He further told her that she would have four sons. Then later she would return back to her position in the heaven.
In days past, the king of birds, Garuda had a son Sampati. Sampati had a son Suparshwa, whose son was Kumbhi and Kumbhi's son was Pralolupa. Pralolupa had two sons, Kanka and Kandhara. Once Kanka spotted a Rakshasha, Vidyudrupa, living on Mounta Kailasha. The Rakshasha and his wife were enjoying a drink and were scantily dressed. Knowing he had been spotted, the Rakshasha started shouting at the bird for spying on him. Kanaka said the mountain was open for all, and if the Rakshasha wanted privacy, he should gone into a closed space. Angered, the Rakshasha killed the bird.
Hearing of his brother's death, Kandhara got ready for battle with Vidyadrupa. He took on a ferocious form and went to the mountain where he saw the Rakshasha who was seated with his wife, Madanika. Both were enjoying themselves.
A fight started among them and Kandhara killed the Vidyadrupa. Scared, the Rakshasha's wife took refuge of the bird. Madanika, was a daughter of Menaka, one of the nymphs of Indra. She knew how to assume many shapes. Assuming the shape of a she bird, she enticed Kandhara and wed him, and went with him, to his land. In time, a daughter, Tarkshi was born to them. This was the cursed apsara, Vapu.
The bird, Mandapala had four sons, the youngest of whom was called Drona. Drone married Tarkshi and in due course she knew she was going to have babies. Tarkshi then flew to Kurukshetra, where the battle between Pandavas and Kauravas was going on. While in flight, she was pierced by an arrow and her unlaid eggs began falling towards the ground. At the same time, one flying arrow, accidentally cut off a huge bell from one of the elephants in the war, and the eggs fell on soft grass and got covered by the bell.
After the battle was over, Yudhisthira went to visit Bhishma, who lying on a bed of arrows. A rishi, Shamika, following Yudhisthira, heard noises on the ground and discovered the source to be coming from under the bell. He removed the bell and saw the birds. The sage blessed the birds. He asked his disciples to take care of the birds and to feed them and keep them safe. In some time, birds had grown up and started to fly around. Slowing they flew out and reached a place where the sage Shamika was teaching his disciples about religion. Having heard all holy thoughts from their birth, the birds went to the rishi and showed their gratitude for being their savior. They wanted to know what they should do with their lives.
Hearing the birds talk in human speech the sage was amazed. The birds then told him about the sage Vipulaswan, who had two sons Srikrishna and Tamvaru. We are sons of Srikrishna. We used to help our father collect fire for his fire and flowers for his worship. Once, Indra came to Srikrishna, in the guise of a bird, seeking food. He asked the bird what food it needed, the bird said it wanted human flesh. The rishi offered us as the bird's food. We refused to be served and were cursed by our father to be born as birds. Hearing this, the bird said it would not accept living flesh and it resumed its own form, that of Indra. Indra blessed us and said we would have great knowledge. We then approached our father. Our father also blessed us, saying even though we would we would born as birds, we would knowledge and would become enlightened souls. He also gave us the power to understand human language and also talk in the same, thus we are able to talk.
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