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Guha, Godavari and Ganga - A myth, a king, and an epic.

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Guha, a character that needs no introduction to people who have watched or read something about Ramayana. Many of us remember this character as someone who helped Rama cross a river. But how many of us remember or correctly know which river Rama crossed with the help of Guha? I asked the same question on different social media platforms with the following options: Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, and Godavari.  The question received 60 votes as below: Ganga (33.9% - 20) Yamuna (14.3% - 9) Brahmaputra (3.6% - 2) Godavari (48.2% - 29) Godavari got the highest number of votes, but the correct answer is Ganga . Then how did we end up with Godavari getting the highest votes? This can be attributed to movies in regional languages and a slight mistranslation of the Valmiki Ramayana. So, what does Valmiki Ramayana have to say about Guha and his role in Ramayana? The episode of Guha begins in Ayodhyakanda, Sarga 50, with Rama reaching the banks of the Ganga. The intro of Guha goes like this: तत्...
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Dharmaraja's Gamble - Draupadi's disrobing - A myth and a lesson.

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Dharmaraja . Yudhishthira . The man who needed no introduction. In the grand epic of the Mahabharata , he stands as the embodiment of Dharma . His brilliance shines in the episode of the Yaksha Prasna. His restraint, wisdom, and commitment to righteousness define his character across the epic. And yet — there is one moment. One devastating moment in the Mahabharata where Dharmaraja crosses the fragile boundary of conscience — and pays for it instantly… and for the rest of his life. Yes. The gambling episode in the Kuru Sabha . Most of us remember it through television and cinema: Yudhishthira loses the game. Duryodhana orders Dussasana to bring Draupadi . She is dragged into the court. Someone protests weakly. Dussasana attempts to disrobe her. Krishna appears miraculously with endless sarees. The villain collapses in exhaustion. Powerful scene. Dramatic. Memorable. But not entirely faithful to the original narrative. In the Sabha Par...
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Putrakameshti - Birth of Rama

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Image source: AI generated by me with ChatGPT. We all know that Sri Rama Navami is celebrated on the 9th day of the ascending moon of Chaitra Masam in the Hindu calendar. We also know that Rama was born after Dasaratha and his three wives performed the Putrakameshti yagam. So, the question is, Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata & Shatrughna were born after how many months/years from the completion of Putrakameshti? When I asked this question on X, it received 38 votes. 15 people opted for 9 months, 15 others opted for 12 months, 4 people opted immediately, and another 4 opted for 6 months. I am not surprised, as I saw similar responses for earlier questions on Ramayana. So, what was written in the Valmiki Ramayana about Rama's birth date and the timelines from the Putrakameshti yagna? In Valmiki Ramayana, Balakanda, Sarga 13,14, 15 & 16 details the performance of Rajasuya yagna and Putrakameshti by Dasaratha and his wives under the guidance of sages Rishyashringa and Vashishta. Sarga...
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