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Lakshmi's Birth and the Creation of the Universe
Prajapati meditates upon the eternal waters. He ponders the meaning of life and the nature of being. As he is lost in deep thought, from his mouth emerges a woman, floating on a lotus. The lotus floats upon the waters, and the woman trembles with incredible energy. Her name is Lakshmi. The gods become entranced by her beauty. Their desire for her powers overcomes them, and they demand Prajapati give her to them so they can harvest her energy. Prajapati refuses, stating that male gods should not kill females. In thanks, Lakshmi gives them worldly gifts.
(96 words)
Saraswati Saves the Universe
The battle between the Bhargavas and Hehayas was long, and terrible. It raged for years, and from within the fray, a great fire was born. Vadavagni it was called, and its existence threatened the entire universe. The gods feared its wrath, and the beseeched Vishnu’s help. Vishnu went to Saraswati and asked her to turn into a river to extinguish Vadavagni. She agreed to help, but only if her husband, Brahma, asked her to. Vishnu turned to Brahma, who then asked his wife to help. Saraswati turned into a river and merged with the ocean. There, she extinguished Vadavagni.
(99 words)
Parvati - Wife of Shiva
Parvati Stops Shiva
Himavat, father of Parvati, had certain reservations about her husband, Shiva. As such, Himavat didn’t treat Shiva with much kindness, and tension within the house of Himavat grew. As Supreme Being, Shiva wouldn’t stand for any form of disrespect. This became a great source of conflict between the couple, and an argument commenced. Shiva didn’t want to fight, and went to walk out on his wife. Parvati, enraged, divided herself into ten terrifying goddesses, and blocked his every exit. Shiva couldn’t leave, and he became terrified by his wife’s power. Shiva stayed.
(92 words)
Author's Note: The last story! So sad, but it's been fun. I really loved writing these, there isn't a lot of mention about the goddesses, so reading their stories is interesting. I especially love the story of Parvati, it's like a 1970's sitcom of husband/wife arguments. It made me laugh. I think it's cool that she has such power of Shiva who is the most powerful god. In some sects of Hinduism, this story isn't considered cannon, and it's disregarded as such. But in other sects, Parvati is considered equal to, or more powerful than her husband. I think that's pretty cool! There were a lot of variations of this story, and some mention Shiva's first wife, Sati. I used Parvati just to keep with the theme of Tridevi. The other two stories are accurate.
Hey Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't read any of these stories before, so thank you for sharing your versions of them! I agree that Parvati's story sounds like a 1970's sitcom, and I could definitely see it being something Wanda would do in WandaVision. I haven't read too many stories about the gods specifically, but I do see what you mean about the goddesses not being mentioned much. I feel like most of the ones I know of become a river and that is what they're most known for. There's Himavat's other daughter Ganga who is the Ganges, Yama's sister Yami who is the river Yamuna, and Saraswati from your story
Hey again Jennifer! I'm really stoked to see some additional stories about the goddesses. I've been reading some of the "expanded literature" about the other gods/goddesses and some of the stories are just great. I thought it was a great idea to set these up as kind of introductory microfictions - I hope you're planning a few more (although I understand if you're already done, too.) Great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer! These stories are great! It shows that you had fun writing these! I know you mentioned that in your Author's Note. You can tell a difference between someone writing for a grade and someone writing because they are having fun! It is refreshing it read your stories. I also enjoyed reading them! You are an AMAZING writer! Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer! First and foremost, love your format of the story! I really enjoyed reading the stories about the goddesses. I am sure you enjoyed writing them and I enjoyed reading them! I love the way you set up the story! You kept it very interesting and fun! Great Job!
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