Panchamukhi Hanuman (the five-faced Hanuman) is a form of Lord Hanuman that he assumed to rescue Lord Rama and Lakshman from Patala Loka. The five faces of Panchamukhi Hanuman are Hanuman, Garuda, Narasimha, Varaha, and Hayagriva. Panchamukhi Hanuman is believed to be very powerful for protection from negative energies, like black magic, ghosts, etc. Meaning of Panchamukhi Hanuman: The word Panchamukhi comprises two words, viz. Pancha and Mukhi. Pancha means five, and Mukhi means faces. Therefore, Panchamukhi Hanuman means “Lord Hanuman with five faces”. Iconography: Panchamukhi Hanuman is depicted as having five faces. The front face is that of Lord…

Bhikshatana Shiva is a form of Lord Shiva in which he became a naked mendicant and wandered all over the world asking for alms. There are different stories behind why he assumed this form. 1. The Story of Bhikshatana (Shiva Purana, 4.12): Once upon a time, there was a forest named Daruvana. There were many sages who were devotees of Lord Shiva. One day some of them went into the jungle to bring sacrificial twigs. To test their devotion, Lord Shiva assumed a very hideous form. He was stark naked and had smears of ashes all over his body. He…

The eight immortals (Chiranjeevis) in Hindu scriptures are Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, Veda Vyasa, Vibhishana, Lord Parashurama, Lord Hanuman, King Mahabali, and Sage Markandeya. There is some confusion over the number of immortals whether there are seven or eight Chiranjeevis, but there is a mantra that lists the names of all the eight immortals. It is as follows: अश्वत्थामा बलिव्र्यासो हनूमांश्च विभीषण:। कृप: परशुरामश्च सप्तएतै चिरजीविन:॥ सप्तैतान् संस्मरेन्नित्यं मार्कण्डेयमथाष्टमम्। जीवेद्वर्षशतं सोपि सर्वव्याधिविवर्जित॥ Transliteration: Ashwathaama Balirvyaaso Hanumanshcha Vibheeshanaha Krupaha Parshuramascha Saptaitey Chiranjivinaha Saptaitaan Samsmareynnityam Markandeymathaashtamam Jivedvarshshatam Sopi Sarvavyadhivivarjit Meaning: The one who remembers these seven immortals daily, along with Markandeya, who is the eighth,…

Lingodbhava (emergence of the Linga) is the story of the origin of the Shiva lingam. It is also an iconic representation of Lord Shiva. The Shiva lingam is his aniconic representation. The story of Lingodbhava is mentioned in many Puranas including the Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, Kurma Purana, Vamana Purana, Skanda Purana, Brahmanda Purana, and Vayu Purana with slight variations. This is also the story of the birth of Lord Shiva. The Lingodbhava Story in the Linga Purana (1.17.6): At the end of the Kalpa (a period of 4.32 billion years), there was only a single vast sheet of water.…

The names of 18 Puranas are hard to remember, but there is a trick with which you can do so easily. Puranas are Hindu texts that give information on many topics other than Hinduism also. There are 18 Maha (major) and 18 Upa (minor) Puranas. Hence, the total number of Puranas is 36. It is not known who wrote them, but the original draft of Puranas was compiled by Sage Vyasa. Puranas are less authoritative than Vedas, but it does not mean that they are useless. They contain many interesting stories. Many of the Hindu customs have their roots in…

The story of the birth of Kauravas is very interesting, and there could be some hidden science in it. Some scholars believe that Kauravas’ birth could have been possible with the help of stem-cell and/or test-tube baby technology because it is not possible for a human being to give birth to 100 (actually 101) children even in a lifetime. The story of the birth of Kauravas is found in the Sambhala Parva, Section CXV of the Adi Parva of the epic Mahabharata by Sage Vyasa. Background of Birth of Kauravas: Gandhari, the mother of Kauravas, in her maiden days, did…

The story of Indra and Ahalya is one of the most famous and controversial stories in Hindu scriptures. Most of the people blame Lord Indra for adultery and also think that it is just a lust story, but this is only a partial truth. This story has another angle also. There are different versions of this story. The story in this article is mainly based on Brahma Purana and Valmiki Ramayana (Ch. 48-49). The story of Indra and Ahalya: Who was Ahalya? The word Ahalya means “one with impeccable beauty.” She was the daughter of Lord Brahma. As her name…