A vrat

A vrat for attaining beauty, luck and popularity as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 110.

Brihaspati’s wife Tara. She was beautiful and lived for a while with Chandra, and thus was named Chandramasi as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 219. See Tara.

The four castes. As per the puranas, Brahma created brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras and prescribed specific roles for each.

After Brahma prepared himself for creation, the first beings came out of his head and they were brahmins whose defining characteristic was satva. (divinity) Then, from his chest, emerged beings who had rajas (dynamic) and these were kshatriyas. From his thighs emerged beings with rajas and tamas (darkness) and they were vaishyas. And finally from his feet were created beings with only tamas and these were shudras, as per Vishnupurana Ansh 1 Chapter 6.

Many rules were applicable to all castes like being truthful, ahimsa, charity, revering elders and teachers etc but some were specific.

Brahmins were to conduct yajnas, study and teach vedas, be charitable etc. The mother’s caste decided the child’s, but this didn’t apply to brahmins. A child born to a brahmani and a  shudra was a chandala, that with a kshatriya was a suta, and from a vaishya, it was a Vaidehaka. A brahmin was allowed to grow crops or raise cattle, or lend money. If he was a farmer, he could till the land, cut herbs and kill insects, but should clean his soul with a yajna later. He is allowed to live on anything he gets by begging, or by consuming amrit. The brahmin children have ‘sharma’ attached to their name, and should have his upanayana in the eighth month of pregnancy or the eighth year of birth. There are specific materials to be used for the upanayana thread and even the clothes worn. A brahmin is allowed to have a wife each from each caste, but should conduct spiritual deeds only with his brahmin wife.

A kshatriya can learn vedas, give to charity and conduct yajnas. He is supposed to protect good people from evil. Kshatriya children have the suffix ‘varma’ to their name. Here too, there are specifications on clothes to be worn. He can marry one wife each from all castes except brahmins.

Agriculture, raising cattle, business are the prescribed occupations of vaishyas. The children’s names should be suffixed with gupta. He is allowed to have a wife each from among his own caste and shudras.

Shudras are supposed to serve brahmins and can also work on sculpting. His name was to be suffixed by ‘dasa’, and he could only marry from his own caste.  A son born to a kshatriya and a shudra woman is called a Pulkasa. A son born to a vaishya woman and a shudra is called Ayogavan.

The chandala is supposed to kill those condemned, and to live off women. The Pulkasa is supposed to hunt, and the Ayogavan, act on stage or be a sculptor. The chandala has to stay outside the village and cannot touch others. If he dies for a brahmin he attains salvation as per Agnipurana Chapter 151 – 155.

A vrat that lasts for 4 months, during which the vedas have to be recited with a clean mind. The Pandavas followed this in Gaya as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 95.

A henchman of Kamsa. Kamsa had appointed several wrestlers as his attendants – Pralambaka, Trinavarta, Mushtika, Arishtika, Keshi, Dhenuka, Agha, Vivida were the others. They had been sent with Pootana to Ambadi to kill Krishna, but they returned after her death. After Kamsa called Krishna to Mathura, Chanura and Mushtika were assigned to kill him. Both of them were killed in the wrestling matches with Krishna and Balarama as per Bhagavata Dashamaskanda.

A kshatriya king. He served Yudhishtira in the palace built by Maya as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 4 verse 26.

Also known as Kautilya. A brilliant person praised across the world for his sharp mind, but the details of whose life is still relatively unknown. He is believed to be a minister of Chandragupta Maurya and key to his becoming emperor. He is the author of the famous Arthashastra, believed to be written around 400 BC. He was also said to be known as Vishnugupta, Dramila, Angula. The Vishnupurana and Vayupurana also have mentions of Chandragupta and Chanakya.

A skill, learning which will allow a person to see objects at the closest level. This was taught by Manu to Soma, Soma – Vishwavasu – Chitraradha – Arjuna as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 139.

The sixth of 14 Manus.

From Swayambhuvamanu were born Uttanapada and Priyavrata. Dhruva was Uttanapada’s son and with Shambhu, he had 2 sons – Shishti, Bhavya. Shishti and Succhaya had 5 blemish-less sons – Ripu, Ripunjaya, Vipra, Vrikala, Vrikatejas. To Ripu and Brihati was born Chakshusha. He married Pushkarani, daughter of Virana Prajapati in varuna’s dynasty, and their son was Manu. He was known as Chakshushamanu. To him and Nadvala, daughter of Vairaja Prajapati, were born 10 glorious sons – Kuru, Puru, Shatadvimna, Tapasvi, Satyavan, Shuchi, Agnishtoma, Athirathra, Sudyumna, Abhimanyu. Puru’s sons with Agneyi were Anga, Sumanas, Khyati, Kratu, Angiras, Shibi. Anga married Sunidha and their son was Vena. Vena was the father of the famous emperor Pridhu as per Vishnupurana Ansh 1, Chapter 13.

The Markandeyapurana has a story on his life before becoming the sixth Manu. His name was Ananda and he was the son of Anamitra. When he was small, a cat carried him away and put him in the cradle of King Vikranta’s child. The cat also took away the king’s child. He grew up in the palace as the prince, but once announced that he was not the king’s son and left the palace to meditate. Finally Brahma appeared before him and blessed that he would be reborn as the sixth Manu.

During his time, the Naranarayanas were born to Dharma. To Atri and his wife Anasuya, Brahma was born as Chandra, Vishnu as Dattatreya and Shiva as Durvasa as per Devibhagavata Chaturskanda.