Significance of Skanda Sashti

Skanda Sashti corresponds to the birthday of Lord Kartikeya or Subramanya also called Muruga in Tamil. Skanda Sashti is the sixth day (Sashti Tithi) of the Shukla paksha in the month of Kartika (October – November). Lord Skanda is one of the popular names of Subramanya and therefore the event is called Skanda Sashti. On Skanda Sashti people observe fasting to propitiate Lord Subramanya. Grand celebrations happen in the temples of Muruga in Tamilnadu.

*The background of Skanda’s birth*

Once there were three demons named Surapadma, Simhamukha, and Tarakasura. These three created havoc in the three worlds and troubled all the gods and humans. Surapadma had secured some great boons from Lord Shiva that none else than Shiva’s own power would be able to kill him. The boon made the demon and his brother highly arrogant and they tortured anyone and everyone in the universe.

*Gods approach Lord Brahma*

In an utterly helpless situation, the gods approached Lord Brahma for help. Lord Brahma said none else than the power born out of Shia’s will power can annihilate the demon. However, the task of taking the matter to Lord Shiva was a tough one since Lord Shiva was engaged in severe penance. In order to bring Lord Shiva out of His penance, they approach Manmata, the god of love.

*Manmata is burnt to ashes*

Manmata approached the meditating Lord and released his arrows that would create amorous feelings in people. The Lord was woken up by the arrow and in a great fit of anger, Lord Shiva burnt Manmata to ashes and later rescued him in response to the prayers of gods. The gods pleaded Lord Shiva to give birth to his power to vanquish the demon Surapadma. The merciful Lord consented to do so.

*The birth of Skanda or Kartikeya*

Lord Shiva released six sparks from his third eye that were immensely hot. These sparks entered the cooling waters of the Saravana River and manifested into six children of divine charm. Six damsels named Kartika sisters nurtured the baby to growth. Once, Mother Parvati visited the six children growing in the pond and embraced them all at once. All the six babies now merged into one with six faces and thus Skanda was born.

*The incomparable child*

The divine child Skanda was a matchless one. He had the knowledge of everything and none was required to teach him anything. He was the embodiment of wisdom and perfection. He was so loving and compassionate too. He had a thorough knowledge of warfare. Mother Parvati gifted the child with a lance which is also called Vel in Tamil. The child was valiant enough to march at once with his assistants to wage a war against the deadly demon and his brothers.

*Skanda vanquishes the demons*

On his way to Veera Mahendrapur, the city of the demon Surapadma, Skanda killed his brothers Simhamukha and Tarakasura. There was a fierce battle between the lord and Surapadma. In all his mercy, Lord Skanda severed the body of Surapadma into two with his lance and a peacock and cock came out of him. The peacock became the vehicle of Lord Skanda and the cock entered his flag to sing the Lord’s praises.

*The festival of Skanda Sashti*

The festival of Skanda Sashti is a ten days long event in Tamil Nadu and some other states. In the temple for Lord Subramanya located in Tiruchendur, a grand festival is celebrated on these days, and to conclude the festival the event of Sura Samhar or the killing of the demons by Lord Skanda is enacted to this day. Devotees throng to witness this grand event and seek the blessings of Lord Skanda.

Significance of Kartik Poornima

The full moon day in the month of November is Kartik Poornima (Hunter’s Full Moon). Kartik has been named from ‘Kritika’ nakshatra. The Kartik Poornima is one of the most auspicious full moon among all other full moons. One of the reasons is moon exaltation in Kritika nakshatra. Another reason for its importance is that Kritika nakshatra is ruled by the Sun, which is the significator (Karak) of our soul. Therefore, Sun along with the Moon i.e. soul along with the mind rules this auspicious full moon. Kritika denotes sharp objects, which also signifies defeating the demons within oneself.

Kartik Poornima is an auspicious day to initiate any activity, which can boost the stability of the mind. There are certain activities one can plan for this day:

#1 Dip in the Holy river :

If you live nearby any holy river like Ganga in India or can travel to do so, you should take a dip in the Holy river in the early evening (around moonrise). Water is the element for the moon, and Holy rivers especially Ganga are the purest and energized water, which is well known for aura cleansing. Celebrating this auspicious day with such activity is bliss. Even if you cannot take a dip in a holy river, take a shower at your home. You can mix some Ganga water if you have stored it. If not, you can do some basic aura cleaning exercises after taking bath.

#2 Bow to the Sun God :

As Kritika is ruled by Sun, so it is also significant to this day. One can bow to the rising and setting Sun and offer water to the Sun god.

#3 Remember your Ancestors :

This is a very auspicious day to remember and pray for one’s Ancestors. One should not forget to lighten at least 5 lamps (Diya) of clarified butter (desi ghee) in the evening. The fire has its importance on Kartik Poornima as fire is the significator of the soul, which can be individual or collective. One can also light the lamps on the bank of holy rivers (known as Diya Daan).

#4 Pray to Lord Shiva :

As the month Kartik is the favorite month among the devatas (supreme souls) especially lord Shiva, one should chant mantras like ‘Om Namah Shivaya‘ or Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, for the awakening of one’s third eye, denoting Shiva.

#5 Charity:

As the moon is the significator of mother and mother is a giver, so one should also perform charity to the needy on the auspicious day of Kartik Poornima.

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There are some other ancient events associated with Kartik Poornima. These are:

1. Another great legend associated with Kartik Purnima is the episode where Lord Shiva killed the demon king Tripurasura. Hence the name Tripura Purnima or Tipurari Purnima. It is believed that the Devas celebrated the day in heaven by lighting several diyas, hence the day also came to be known as the ‘Deva Deepavali’.

2. Lord Vishnu took birth as Matsya (incarnation of Lord Vishnu as fish), popularly known as Matya Avatar.

3.This fest is also memorialized as the birthday of ‘Vrinda’ who was the beautiful incarnation of the Goddess ‘Tulsi’ and Lord ‘Kartikeya’ (son of Lord Shiva)

4. A very special day to remember Radha- Krishna’s unconditional love as there is a belief that Lord Krishna worshiped Radha and they played ‘Rasa’ to solemnize their true love.

5. Birth of Guru Nanak Saheb, celebrated as Guru Nanak Jayanti also called Guru Poorab.

6. Jain devotee takes up Shri Shatrunjay Teerth Yatra, a religious walk covering 216 km of mountainous terrain to visit Lord Adinath temple atop the hill in the city of Palitana, in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat.

7. The world-famous Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan starts on Prabodhini Ekadashi and continues till Kartik Poornima

With all this, the most important activity on the auspicious day of Kartik Poornima is to spare some time with the full moon and strengthen your mind with the positive rays of the moon.

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Prodigious ‘Kartikeshwar’ deities are built in the city of ‘Cuttack’ and at the night time, they have been taken in a carcade to worship nearby Shiva Temple and thereupon immersed in ‘Mahanadi’ River.

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There are some Shiva temples in India where devotees offer ‘Kheer’ to Lord Shiva on the night and consume some of it as ‘Prasad’ of ‘Kartik Purnima’ and also perform various other rituals to please Lord Shiva, this festival is celebrated with peerless enthusiasm every year. List of Some of the Lord Shiva temples/pilgrimages to celebrate this festival:

– Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Varanasi)

– Arunachaleshwara Temple (Thiruvannamamalai)

– Manjunatha Temple (Dharamasthala)

– Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple (Vemulawada)

– Rajarajeshwara Swamy Temple

– Keesaragutta Ramalingeshwara Swamy Temple

– Kaleshwaram Shiva Temple

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Karthigai Deepam

 Significance of Karthigai Deepam

Karthigai Deepam happens to be an important and auspicious occasion in the Tamil calendar. Most Tamils respect this occasion when Lord Muruga was born. The household matters are taken care of and lamps are lit in almost every part of the house to bring peace and prosperity. The woman worship to bring happiness in the lives of their children and ward off all the troubles in life.

Spiritual Significance of Karthigai Deepam

The functioning of the lamp implies a great spiritual notion. The wick in the lamp symbolizes our ego and the oil that is used to light the lamp denotes our innate nature that is responsible for the ego to thrive. The flame, the spiritual knowledge has the capacity to blaze our ego, the wick by emptying our innate tendencies. This is the significance of Karthigai Deepam.

Lights symbolize the victory of the good over the evil. People try to make their homes protected from evil eyes and evil forces. They want to bring peace and prosperity to families for life. They pray honestly to God to give them good feelings for other human beings. Lamps CAN give the power to shed fear and bring victory in the lives of people.

Legends associated with Karthigai Deepam

Lord Shiva was very depressed after Parvati's death and secluded him in deep meditation and from the eyes of Lord Shiva came out the six flames. These six flames turned into six babies which were united by Goddess Parvati (his mother) on this day. Special rituals are performed to Lord Muruga on this day and Lord Muruga who took the form of six babies in a lake called "Saravana Poigai"

Muruga, later on, acted as a teaching guide to Shiva, according to another famous legend. He taught Shiva the actual meaning of the word "Om" which is very important in Hindu culture. The lamps also represent that Lord Shiva understood the actual meaning of the ultimate word "Om". He was enlightened by knowing the value of the word. Tamils want to live in peace and enjoy the best of life. They want to stay away from all sorts of worries and quarrels. Lamps are lighted everywhere to give them the power to say no to all bad temptations in life.

Parvati fought with Mahisasura as he was disturbing her and the other Gods in heaven. Her victory was also celebrated by lighting lamps. This festival represents the victory of the good over the evil forces. People always want to stay away from bad things and the lights lamps to bring in wealth and well being in the family.

Nowadays, people use a range of lamps of various shapes, sizes, and colors. The lamps are easily available in the market. The women prepare the oil and the wick to make the lamps glow for a long time. The main idea is to enjoy to the fullest and forget all the sufferings of life. Women take the lamps in their alms and move around the house to spread the feeling of joy. Hanging lamps and imported varieties are also available in this age of globalization.

Life is short and must be spent in a happy way. People worship Lord Shiva to give them the power to fulfill all the activities in life in an honest manner. The lamp actually represents the linga of Shiva that reminds people over and over again about the fact of staying on the right path. People keep lamps in the places of the home where the pictures of God are kept. Temples of South India look amazing with wonderfully lit lamps almost everywhere.

Science and technology have progressed a lot but the Hindu rituals and beliefs will keep mankind involved in every way. Even the best scientists and doctors know the significance of such great festivals. They come back home during this time to be with the family and share their joys and sorrows. People shed of all the misunderstandings and quarrels and unite during this wonderful festival of lights. This festival represents giving and sharing among humans. Wearing new clothes, and praying in front of God gives people the power to start life in a new way during the coming year.

One must not think of failures but look forward to getting new things in life by praying to God. The lamps will act as guiding lights in their lives.

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Dance of Shiva

THE COSMIC DANCE OF SIVA NATARÅJA IS BOTH SYMBOL AND REALITY. IT IS THE MOVEMENT OF CREATION, PRESERVATION, AND DISSOLUTION.

THE TRIAD WHICH TAKEN TOGETHER IS THE PRINCIPLE OF MÅYÅ, GOD’S ENDLESS IMPULSE, TAKING place within each of us and within every atom of the universe. We are all dancing with Siva this very moment and He with us. In the midst of His agitated dance, God Siva’s HEAD is balanced and still, His EXPRESSION serene and calm, in perfect equipoise as to the unmoved Mover. His right EARRING, made of a snake, is masculine. His left, a large discus, is feminine. Together they symbolize the fact that Siva is neither male nor female, but transcends both. God Siva’s THIRD EYE is the eye of fire and symbolizes higher perception, extending throughout the past, present, and future. God Siva’s HAIR is in the long untended locks of the ascetic, flying out energetically.

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On His hair are the SERPENT SESA NÅGA, representing the cycle of years; a SKULL, symbolizing Siva’s power of destruction; the fifth-day CRESCENT MOON, symbolizing His creative power; and the GODDESS GANGÅ, India’s most sacred river, a symbol of descending grace. God Siva’s BACK LEFT-HAND holds a blazing flame, the fire God Agni, symbolizing His power of destruction, samhâra, by which the universe is reabsorbed at the end of each cycle of creation, only to be recreated again by God Siva. This hand represents NA in the Pañchâkshara Mantra, Na-Ma-Si-Vâ-Ya. His PLANTED FOOT stands for the syllable MA and symbolizes His concealing grace, tirodhâna Sakti, which limits consciousness, allowing souls to mature through experience. Siva dances upon the figure known as APASMÅRA, “forgetful or heedless,” who represents the soul bound by anava Mala, the individuating veil of duality, source of separation from God. Apasmârapurusha looks up serenely at Lord Siva’s raised foot, the ultimate refuge, release, and destiny of all souls without exception. Lord Siva’s LEFT FRONT HAND, representing the syllable VÅ, held in the elephant trunk pose, Gajahasta, points to His left foot, source of revealing grace, anugraha Sakti, by which souls return to Him. Left and right back arms are balanced, as are creation and destruction.

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Siva’s BACK RIGHT HAND, standing for the syllable SI, holds the thin waisted rattle drum, damaru, symbol of creation, srish†i, which begins with soundless sound, Paranâda, from which arises the mantra Aum.

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The FRONT RIGHT HAND is raised in the gesture abhaya, “fear not,” symbolizing Siva’s power of sthiti, preservation, and protection, and standing for the syllable YA. Lord Siva’s RAISED FOOT symbolizes His revealing grace, by which the soul ultimately transcends the bonds of ânava, karma, and mâyâ and realizes its identity with Him.

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Lord Siva’s SKIN is a pinkish color. His body is smeared with white HOLY ASH, vibhûti, symbol of purity. The BLUE THROAT represents His compassion in swallowing the deadly hâlâhala poison to protect mankind. He wears a SKULL NECKLACE, symbolizing the perpetual revolution of ages. The SERPENT JAHNUWI adorns His body, a symbol of His identity with the kundalinî power, the normally dormant spiritual force within man coiled at the base of the spine. Raised through yoga, this force propels man into God-Realization.

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Siva wears a TIGER SKIN, a symbol of nature’s power. His SASH, ka†ibhandha, is blown to one side by His rapid movement. The ARCH OF FLAMES, prabhâvali, in which Siva dances is the Hall of Consciousness. Each flame has three sub-flames, symbolizing fire on Earth, in the atmosphere, and in the sky. At the top of the arch is MAHÅKÅLA, “Great time.” Mahåkâla is God Siva Himself who creates, transcends, and ends time.

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Siva Na†arâja dances within the state of timeless transcendence. The double lotus PEDESTAL, mahâmbujapî†ha, symbolizes manifestation. From this base springs the cosmos.

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The four sacred Vedas, mankind’s oldest scriptures, intone, “To Rudra [Siva], Lord of sacrifice, of hymns and balmy medicines, we pray for joy and health and strength. He shines in splendor like the sun, refulgent as bright gold is He, the good, the best among the Gods (Rig Veda 1.43.4- 5).”

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“He is God, hidden in all beings, their inmost soul who is in all. He watches the works of creation, lives in all things, watches all things. He is pure consciousness, beyond the three conditions of nature (Yajur Veda, Svetâsvatara Upanishad 6.11 upm).”

 

Karwa Chauth

Origin of Karwa Chauth Celebration

Karva Chauth is made of two words, Karva means an earthen oil lamp and Chauth means four. Shiva, Parvati, and their son Kartikeya are worshiped on this day along with the 10 ‘karwas’ (earthen pots) filled with sweets.

The day of Karva Chauth is celebrated close to Diwali, exactly falls on the fourth day of the month of Kartik. The Kartik month celebrates the harvest time, where it is a time for meeting people and celebration. The Karva Chauth is a celebration of the beautiful bond between a husband and wife celebrating love and togetherness, Karwa Chauth is offering Argya to the moon using an earthen pot known as Karwa.

From sunrise till moonrise, she keeps a fast for the safety of her husband. Keeping a fast without drinking water and eating any food all through the day seems to be a difficult one but the doting wives perform all these with much love and respect in their head and heart for their husbands.

Tale of the Queen Veervati :

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful queen named Veervati who was the only sister among seven loving and caring brothers. In one of the Karwa Chauth, she was at her parent's place and began a strict fast after sunrise. In the evening she was waiting eagerly for the moonrise as she was suffering from hunger and thirst. The brothers were pained by seeing their sister in suffering. So, they created a mirror in a Pipal tree that made it look as if the Moon is up in the sky. Now, the moment Veervati broke her fast, the news that her husband has dead arrived. She kept on weeping and that's when a Goddess arrived in front and revealed that she was tricked by her brothers. Now, she kept the Karwa Chauth fast with full devotion, and seeing the dedication, Yama, the lord of death restored life to her husband.

From the Pages of the Mahabharata: It is said that Draupadi also observed this Karwa Chauth. Once Arjuna, the one whom Draupadi loved the most went to the Nilgiri mountains for self-penalty and thus the rest of the brothers were facing challenges without him. Now, Draupadi remembered Lord Krishna in this situation to ask what should be done to resolve the challenges. Lord Krishna narrated a story of Goddess Parvati where in a similar situation she performed the Karwa Chauth rituals. So, Draupadi then followed the strict rituals of Karwa Chauth and Pandavas resolved their problems.

The Story of Karwa:

There was a woman named Karwa who was deeply in love with her husband and this intense love gave her lots of spiritual powers. Once her husband was bathing in a river and that was when he was attacked by a crocodile. Now the courageous Karwa bound the crocodile with cotton yarn and remembered Yama the God of death. Yama was seriously afraid of being cursed by such a devoted and doting wife and thus he sent the crocodile to hell and gave life back to her husband.

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The Story of Satyavan and Savitri :

It is said that when Yama, the God of death came to acquire Satyavan's life, Savitri begged in front of Yama to grant him life. But Yama was adamant and seeing that Savitri stopped eating and drinking and followed Yama as he took her husband away. Yama now said Savitri that she can ask of any other boon except the life of her husband. Savitri being a very clever woman asked Yama that she wants to be blessed with children. She is a devoted and loyal wife and won't let any kind of adultery. Thus, Yama had to restore life into Satyavan so that Savitri can have children.

Why We Celebrate Karwa Chauth?

If we see the popularity of this festival, we see the prominence of the North and North-Western regions of our country. A huge chunk of the male population of these regions were the soldiers of the Indian Army and officials of the Military Forces and for the safety of these people, women of these regions started fasting. These armed forces, policemen, soldiers, and military personnel protected the country from enemies, and the women used to pray to God for the longevity of their men. The time of this festival coincides with the initiation of the Rabi cropping season which is the wheat sowing season in these aforementioned areas. The women of the families fill the earthen pot or Karwa with wheat grains and offer to God praying for a great Rabi season.

In ancient India, women of 10-13 years of age were married. Hardly they could enjoy their childhood or early teenage in such a marriage. Communication was also a big obstacle in those days. So, they couldn't come to their parent's home easily and it was also not considered good. So, you can say from an early age, a woman had to take full responsibility for a new household. From cooking to cleaning, she was the in-charge. But, she was basically all alone away from the loved ones in an unknown house and without any friends too. Where would she go while feeling alone or missing home? So, to resolve this problem, the women started celebrating Karwa Chauth in a grand way where married women of the whole village and some nearby villages used to congregate in one place and spend the day in joy and laughter. They befriended each other and called each other God-friends or God-sisters. One can say that this festival started as a means of enjoyment and to forget the fact that they are alone in their in-law's place. They celebrated the union among themselves on this day and gifted each other bangles, lipsticks, sindoor, etc. to remind each other that there is always a friend somewhere.

 

Significance of the Rat as the Vahana of the Ganesha

 

The gods and goddesses in Hindu Puranas travel in supersonic speed on animals and birds. Different gods have different vahanas (animal vehicles). The literal meaning of the word ‘vahana’ is ‘that which carries, that which pulls’, But lord Ganesha has a tiny mouse as ‘Vahana’ which made him the butt of many jokes of elephant riding a mouse, but how did a tiny mouse become the Vahana of the Ganesha is an interesting story – read on :

 

Origin

 

According to the Archeologists and Historians the earliest Ganesha images are without a vahana of the eight incarnations of Ganesha described in the Mudgala Purana,- Ganesha has a mouse(shrew) in five of them, uses a lion in his incarnation as Vakratunda, a peacock in his incarnation of Vikata, and Shesha, the divine serpent, in his incarnation as Vighnaraja Of the four incarnations of Ganesha listed in the Ganesha Purana, Mohotkata has a lion, Mayūreśvara has a peacock, Dhumraketu has a horse, and Gajanana has a mouse.

 

Even Jain depictions of Ganesha show his vahana variously as a mouse, elephant, tortoise, ram, or peacock.

 

The mention of the mouse as Ganesha’s mount appears first in the Matsya Purana and later in the Brahmananda Purana and Ganesha Purana. Ganesha is shown riding on or attended by a mouse, began to appear as the principal vehicle in sculptures of Ganesha in central and western India during the 7th century and was always placed close to his feet. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa includes a meditation verse on Ganesha that describes the mouse appearing on his flag
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Puranas

 

According to Ganesha Purana, there was a celestial musician-god named Krauncha. He accidentally stepped on the foot of Muni Vamadeva who cursed him to become a mouse. However, after he recovered his temper he promised Krauncha that one day the gods themselves would bow down before him. The giant mouse damaged everything that came in its path. The prophecy was fulfilled when the mouse became the vahana of Ganesha.

Once, when Lord Ganesha was invited to Maharishi Parashar’s ashrama. Krauncha ended up stepping on the ashram and destroyed it. Lord Ganesha decided to meet the giant mouse and teach him a lesson. He unleashed one of his weapons called ‘pasha’ which ended up looping around Krauncha’s neck and brought him to Ganesha’s feet. Kroncha asked for forgiveness and asked Ganesha to accept him as his vehicle. However, Krauncha couldn’t bear the weight of Lord Ganesha and he requested him to become light-weight which is bearable. Since then the mouse is the vehicle of Lord Ganesha.

 

Another belief is that Lord Ganesha is able to go into nooks and corners of the world and do his job as the Destroyer of Obstacles because his vehicle is a mouse, who basically can slither through tiny holes and narrow pathways, even in the darkness of night. This gives the quality of all-pervasiveness to Ganesha.
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Science behind the Vahana

 

Lord Ganesha is known as the Conqueror of Obstacles (Vighnaharta). In ancient times, when agriculture was the primary mode of sustenance, rodents were one of the biggest obstacles to prosperity. Rodents would destroy standing crops, eat up stored grains, and thereby result in severe losses for the common man. Lord Ganesha, in having a mouse/rat as his vehicle, is symbolically shown to have conquered this pest, thus staying true to his name of Vighnaharta.

 

Another belief is that Lord Ganesha is able to go into nooks and corners of the world and do his job as the Destroyer of Obstacles because his vehicle is a mouse, who basically can slither through tiny holes and narrow pathways, even in the darkness of night. This gives the quality of all-pervasiveness to Ganesha.

 

Another popular view is that – Elephant has immense strength and can physically move and remove objects that no human can. The Mouse symbolizes the human mind – running helter-skelter up and down here and there, Not being still for a moment. The mouse is also destructive and will gnaw and tear up things for no reason. Just like angry humans do. It takes an elephant size intellect to reign it in and directs it in the direction of spiritual enlightenment. When embarking on an important undertaking we first do Sankalpa, in which we envision the project we wish to create. We then pray to Sri Ganesha, to show us, through our own intellect how to proceed and present us with the needed information to overcome any obstacles in our path. But our human minds are fickle like the little mouse, and soon we are thinking about all sorts of other things than what our task ahead should be. So it takes focus, determination, dedication, and an elephant-sized concentration for us to forge ahead and not deviate from our chosen path.

 

Jayanti

 

 Jayanti 

In Hindu, Puranas Jayanti is the daughter of Indra, the king of the devas (gods) and ruler of Svarga (heaven), and his consort Shachi. She is described as the wife of Shukra, the god of the planet Venus and the guru of the asuras (demons). Their union results in the birth of a daughter, Devayani. Jayanti is described as the sister of Jayanta.

Legends:  

The Matsya Purana narrates that the demons were almost decimated in battle with the gods. Their guru, Shukra, goes to Mount Kailash to please the god Shiva and acquire new powers to revive the demons from doom. Shukra performs severe tapas (austerities). The gods try to destroy the remaining demons and their refuge by Shukra’s mother, Kavyamata. But after the murdered Kavyamata is resurrected, Indra, the king of the gods, becomes worried that with Shukra’s success the demons will regroup and attack again. He sends his daughter Jayanti to serve Shukra and to do anything possible to the advantage of Indra.  

In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Indra orders Jayanti to entice the sage to disturb his austerities. Jayanti is displeased with her father’s methods but still goes to Kailash to honor his orders. At Kailash, she becomes an attendant of Shukra and serves him faithfully. She fans him with a banana leaf, gathers cool fragrant water for him to drink, and collects fresh flowers and darbha grass for his worship. She also stands in the heat and uses her upper garment to offer shade to the sage. She prepares a warm bed for him to sleep in and fans him until he falls asleep. She also speaks sweet words to please the sage. She serves him like a dutiful disciple and disregards her father’s instructions to break Shukra’s penance.  

In the Matsya Purana, Jayanti follows her father’s orders. After a thousand years, Shiva appears before Shukra and grants him the powers he desired. A pleased Shukra talks to Jayanti and promises to grant her a reward for her services. On her request, he marries her and “enjoys” with her for ten years. Shukra creates a shell of magic so that they become invisible to the world and remain undisturbed. In other versions, Jayanti requests Shukra to create a haze around them so their lovemaking is hidden from the world. The Padma Purana extends the period to a hundred years, instead of ten.  

After ten years, Shukra is free from his promise, and Jayanti allows him to go visit his disciples, the demons. The Matsya Purana and the Brahmanda Purana relate that the couple’s union produces a daughter called Devayani. The Hindu epic Mahabharata, which recalls a detailed account of Devayani’s life, mentions that she is the daughter of Jayanti. However, the Devi Bhagavata Purana disagrees and portrays her as a daughter of Urjjasvati, another wife of Shukra.  

Meanwhile, during the ten years that Shukra is involved with Jayanti, the demons are deluded by the guru of the gods, Brihaspati, who has assumed the form of Shukra. An enraged Shukra curses the demons when they doubt him. Indra’s mission is fulfilled.