Shiva is the third deity in the Hindu triad. He ought to be the more terrible one because he presides over destruction whereas Brahma and Vishnu are associated with concoction and preservation appropriately. Yet Shiva is as much loved by mortals as Vishnu is. He inspires fear in the hearts of the wicked love and affection in the hearts and the pious. From his snowy home on Mount Kailasa Lord Shiva travelled for and wide answering the prayers of his devotee. But he was often in disguise to guarantee t

Shivaji is one of the more inspirational historical figures in modern India. This is particularly true for the Marathi speaking region to which he belonged. He was born in the 17th century in Western India at a time when the area was under the oppressive rule of the neighboring states of Bijapur Golconda and Ahmadnagar. Shivaji managed to wrest independence from these states and come out a well-known ruler. In 1674 a grand coronation ceremony was held in Raigad declaring Shivaji the ''Supreme Ki

Yudhishthira the eldest of the five Pandava princes was born to Kunti by the charm of Yama. His actions were free from passion and prejudice. He came to be considered the very embodiment of Dharma and was respectfully referred to as Dharmaraja. Yama the awe-inspiring God of death is also revered as the Lord of Justice. According to Hindu belief all live beings reap the fruit of their actions after death. Yama administers justice to all the beings brought earlier him. Since he metes out justice

Shivaji is one of the more inspirational historical figures in modern India. This is particularly true for the Marathi speaking region to which he belonged. He was born in the 17th century in Western India at a time when the area was under the oppressive rule of the neighboring states of Bijapur Golconda and Ahmadnagar. Shivaji collected a loyal band of followers and gave them oaths of loyalty to the cause of freedom and steadily proceeded to wrest control of more and more forts from the ali

From imitating animal sounds to igniting a fire with his song - Tansen''s genius was unmatched. His voice was so much in demand that wily patrons used it to gain political benefit. Such a talent could win loyal companion and a exquisite wife but it could also arrange others viciously jealous. In Emperor Akbar''s court he was a jewel more priceless than the diamonds and pearls that were showered on him and he remains to this day a shining symbol of classical Indian music. Tansen was born into a music

Tapati the daughter of Surya catches the site of the mortal Samvarana and falls in love wth him. She appears earlier him in the forest and he is so enchanted by her he swoons and falls on the ground. Moving along a river bank one day Sage Sthulakesha sees a small girl abandoned there. He takes her abode and name her Pramadvara. When Pramadvara grows up she falls in love with Ruru. But just few weeks earlier their wedding she is bitten by a snake and dies. Ruru wanders into the forest beside him

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The Adventures of Pratapan is adapted from Pratapa Mudaliar Charitram the first novel to be written in Tamil. Written in 1879 by Mayuram Vedanayakam Pillai (1826-1889) the novel was a landmark in Tamil literature because till that time Tamil literature only consisted of poetry. Vedanayakam Pillai influenced by the ideas of women''s liberation and secularism bring into being a strong feminine character Jnanam. The story begins with the hero Pratapan being completely in love with Jnanam''s beauty and strengt

Jains are an ancient sect in India. Jain monks lived an austere life and traveled to preach spirituality. Stories came in handy for this purpose. Writings about travels of those times carried narratives of real or hearsay happenings at differ locations. ''Vasudeva Hindee'' (Vasudeva''s Travels) is a stock of about 500 B.C. in which the stories give us a glimpse of the social life of those times. Agad Datta a immature man of courage and presence of mind is assigned the task of bringing a gan

Panchatantra (Five Chapters) in Sanskrit is perhaps the oldest stock of stories in the world and has been translated into more than 50 languages. All of its ''Chapters'' includes a string of stories one emerging from the other with all patterned to lead to a precept for suitable practical conduct for a thinking person in the real world. The characters are taken from the entire gamut of live beings involving humans and animals in the wild. In a way the unity of life is stressed by assigning

King Shrenika was mentioned a necklace of priceless stones by a deva for his good deeds. The deva also told him that whether the necklace broke the person who repaired it would die. It happened as the king feared. The necklace broke and Queen Chellana who was wearing it insisted that it be repaired. Would anyone string the stones even for a big reward and risk death? And whether there was such a man would the king honour his warranty and give the reward to his heirs? This jain story is settled on a retelling of t

The three worlds of the universe were reeling from shock: the asuras had taken control! Even the plants were withering afar. Only the greatest Lord Vishnu could arrange things right again. He got both devas and asuras to churn up life-giving nectar from the ocean of milk and then ensured that the asuras were kept apart from this gift of immortality.

Though very immature Muladeva is regarded as one of the wisest men in Ujjaini. Ond day he sets off for Patliputra with his companion Shashi eager to debate with the scholars there. On the outskirts of the city they get together a girl picking mangoes. She and Muladeva start arguing but the girl outwits him with peace and then disappears. Enchanted by her fast replies and her intelligence Muladeva decides that he will not rest until he has found her outsmarted her and married her. In this story from the Kathas

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Gautama as we all recognize left abode to uncover a way to end all human misery. He became Buddha the Enlightened One when one day in a spark the truth dawned on him as he sat meditating under the Bodhi tree in Gaya. He came back with practical clarifications which even a layman could adopt. Those who followed him had to first accept and comprehend the four Noble Truths: - That worldly existence is filled of misery; - That want and attachment are the cause of worldly existence; - That worldly existence co

Laugh your head off at the unbelievably foolish antics of paramartha and his disciples but You will achive surprisingly that you are forever on their side. Their kindly simplex ways have had a fan following since the 17th century when the tales were concoc

The stories in this Amar Chitra Katha are retold from the Mahabharata which is an Indian epic that has had a fundamental access on the culture and philosophy of people over the ages. Besides the main story of the feud b'tween the Pandavas and the Kauravas there are smaller tales found in this epic which reflect the value systems prevalent in that age. Atithidevo bhava or ''may your guest be a god to you'' is an vital value given in one of the Upanishads. The three stories in this book be

When Sakhwal accidentally gets some sand intended for the king he has no idea that it will rotation to gold and switch his life. Dravyashah uses his wits to win the kingdom of Liglig in the Himalayas. He is horrified when his brother requirements the kingdom from him. When Dravyashah refuses to give up his kingdom it looking alike war will break out b'tween the twin brothers and their kingdoms. The stories in this stock come from the mountain country of Nepal. Though Nepal is very close to India and sha

A immature man wanders into a village to achive that pandemonium prevails among the men working in the fields because of a demon! His curiosity aroused the man asks about the demon and is amused to realise that the demon is merely a watermelon. When he tries to prove this to the disbelieving men they rotation on him accusing him of being more wicked than a demon. This stock of Sufi tales mines human superstition and foolishness for a intelligent and lavishly comic looking at the world around us. Sufism is a bra

Delhi is located on the bank of river Yamuna at the rocky tip of a branch of the Aravali ranges on the eastern edge of the plains of Punjab and Haryana. Well-known long-standing tradition keeps that this was the site of the Pandavas'' capital Hastinapur. The earliest historical record in its precincts is an Ashokan rock edict from 3rd century BCE. Strategic location and rich long-standing tradition have made Delhi the natural capital city for a string of dynasties - Rajputs from the 8th to 12th centuries the Ghulams Khiljis T

The original text of the Panchatantra in Sanskrit was written about 200 BC by a greatest Hindi scholar Pandit Vishnu Sharma. Some of the tales themselves ought be much older their origin going back to the period of the Vedas and the Upanishads (1500 BC to 500 BC). In course of time travellers carried these stories to Persia and Arabia and assuredly through Greece to Europe.The Panchatantra has been translated into over 50 languages. It instill knowledge us how to understand people how to select trustworthy and tru

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Ambition and arrogance - these were to be the cause of Ravana''s downfall. Blessed by both Brahma the creator and Shiva the destroyer the strong ruler of Lanka could have enjoyed fame and respect had he only reined in his arrogance. It was left to Vishnu the preserver to achive a way to curb Ravana. In the process there unfolded one of the world''s more exquisite amorous sagas - the story of Rama''s love for his devoted Sita.

Prince Kshemankara was a kind and generous person. His immature brother Papankara was more suspicious by nature.Kshemankara determined to catch a fleet of ships and search for riches in other lands. Papankara went as well as him. During a storm their ship capsized. Kshemankara managed to acquire his unconscious brother to the shore earlier he too collapsed. Many months later Papankara came back abode alone and was made king. What could have happened to Kshemankara? Primitively of Indian origin the tale trave

A very poor man is mentioned a magical conch � when it is put in a pot and meal is cooked with it the pot supplies an endless quantity of very pleasing meal. When the conch goes missing the man and his companions a dog and a cat ought achive it earlier they starve. A tyrannical king decrees that anyone who desire a favour from him has to play chess with him. Sitting near by will be the king''s cat with seven lamps balanced on her tail. Whether she walks and even a drop of oil is spilt the king will do as his

Bhola is a kind-hearted but lazy old man � the despair of his hard working wife. When he catches a flock of sparrows the king sparrow� warranty to reward him lavishly if he sets the birds free. Bhola agrees and is rewarded with a cow whose dung is perfect gold! A wandering sanyasi appears to a village. The richest man refuses him alms but his brother who is poor provides him meal and shelter. The sanyasi provides the poor man a magic flute. But his jealous brother can't bear to view his good destiny. In thes

Intelligent Yudhishthira strong Bheema Skilful Arjuna brave Nakula and Sahadeva - five expectionally talented brothers whose buoyant exuberance made their kaurava cousins very jealous. Things only got worse when Duryodhana found that each one desired Yudhishthira as king. It was their courage and skill that helped the Pandavas princes survive many homicidal plots. And as a bonus they won themselves amazing wives! The Mahabharata is essentially the story of the Pandavas and their cousins the Kaurav

When the Kuru elders granted the arid territory of Khandavaprastha to the Pandavas small did their hostile cousins the Kauravas suspect that the Pandavas would soon rotation it into a flourishing kingdom. Indraprastha as the kingdom was called was the envy of the Kauravas. They were bent on making it theirs by fair means or foul. Since the Pandavas were too strong for them they had to resort to cunning. They invited the Pandavas to a game of dice. The Pandavas lost as the Kauravas resorted to cheat

When Satyabhama Krishna''s conflagrant wife gets offended by the behaviour of Indra''s wife Shachi the twin gods come to war over the charming Parijata Tree. The Princess Lakshmana is decided to marry Krishna. Her father ought guarantee that during the swayamvara only Krishna will win his daughter. Sage Narada Provokes Satyabhama into agreeing him to give Krishna unless she can achive some thing heavier than him. But all her possesions together prove to be lighter than Krishna

Why are dogs kept in the house as pets while pigs ought remain outside?This stock of folk tales from Arunachal Pradesh has ingenious and hilarous explanations for all kinds of phenomena from why langurs have black faces to why tigers have lines.In the hills of Arunachal Pradesh as the family gathers earlier dinner grandmothers and grandfathers answer the children''s questions with age-old legends and stories. Arunachal Pradesh has a rich culture of folktales that are told and re-told shared out a

A cat fools the animals in the jungle by pretending to be holy and pious.A frog acquires himself in a serious predicament with a hungry crow. A clever deer knows exactly what she ought do to hold her babies free from harm.Animal stories have forever been a well-known and humorous way of pointing out human failings alike greed egotism and ignoranceThe stories in this stock are from Rajasthan. Tales that have been handed down over generations � altering and growing with all new telling

Is a glowing stone more valuable than w isdom? Is truth more priceless than wealth? Answers to such questions came comfortably to Aushadha Kumar a Bodhisattva at the court of King Vaideha. A previous incarnation of the intelligent and compassionate Gautama Buddha the tale of his life admist adversity and courtly rivalry formalizes the Buddhist paragon of right thinking and right live. This priceless gem from the Jataka fables instill knowledge even as it entertains.

When seven brave warriors go missing and a exquisite princess is transformed into a dog the twelve-year-old prince Balaraju swears to punish the culprit. His weapons - single-minded courage and an unfailing grace - seem puny opposite to the spells of a strong magician. All the same the intelligent immature lad''s mission is brilliantly successful and he also acquires he can cast few beneficial spells of his owned. An adaptation of a well-known folktale from Andhra Pradesh.

As the king of Varanasi lay dying he upset about his wife and unborn child. �The queen will be free from harm� said his loyal minister Ghoshthila. �She will bear a son who will one day rule over the kingdom.� Reassured the King ambassador afar. But the prophecy had been overheard by the King''s older son Suryanemi the heir to the throne. Suryanemi thought of his unborn brother as a rival and ordered the minister to have the child killed as soon as it was born. Though it speaks of the Indian kingdom of Varan

Gautama was born a prince over 2500 years ago in Lumbini in the northern part of India. He left the comforted life of the palace his immature wife and infant son to go in search of true knowledge. After a life of wandering austerities and meditation he became Buddha (''the Enlightened one''). Buddha taught compassion non-violence and the require for right conduct in life. His teachings spread a far and wide even outside India in China and Southeast Asia. The ''Jataka'' (Birth-cycle) tales narrate the

When Chenamma the queen of Kittur lost her only son she was steeped in sorrow. But when her husband reminded her that even the people of Kittur were her children. She pulled herself together and devoted her life to their well-being. So committed was she to the honour and welfare of her land that when the British came demand its allegiance she took on their military strength and fought them to the end.

Timma the fowler acquires a parrot in his net. He is taken aback when the bird speaks to him asking him to bring out it. He lets it go. As it flies afar the parrot tells him to wait for the next bird to land in his net � a bird so charming that even a king would be proud to owned it. The parrot''s gift sets Timma off on a series of adventures all more unbelievable than the previous and behind it all is the parrot''s own secret. This flashy folk tale is a re-telling of Dr. Chandrashekhar Kambar''s Kannad

The Syamantaka Gem was an ornament of the Sun God. It was a magical grace which had strange effects on its possessor. It did good to a virtuous person and bad to an evil one. When Surya pleased with his devotee Prince Satrajit bestowed the gem on him no one foresaw the violent upheavals it would cause least of all the prince himself. Satrajit gave the gem to his brother Prasena who was killed by a lion. Jambava king of the bears killed the lion and carried the gem afar. Since Krishna had admired

The Tiger Eater and The Bear appears to Dinner are adapted from twin well-known folktales of Punjab

Telegu a vibrant language even in medieval times produced the famous poet Manchana. His stories are all delectable lessons in wisdom. Some teach us the value of honour while others tell us that might is not forever right. We view a tiny rat outwitting a venomous serpent and then an old turtle saving his companion from a greedy eagle. Read on to be trained a �machination or two--------

Tipu Sultan is one of the more controversial figures in Indian history. One school hails him as a valiant warrior who fought for his honour and for his country; another describes him as a ruthless and bigoted ruler. Recent researches demonstrate that Tipu was "more sinned opposite to than sinning". As B.S Gidwani points out Tipu was the only ruler in the eighteenth century who did not side with the English at each and every time in a war opposite to his fellow countrymen. Had Tipu succeeded in forming a united front with

The Devas and the Asuras or daityas are stepbrothers. They are the progeny of Aditi and Diti the wives of sage Kashyapa. They are however forever at war; the Puranas contain innumerable accounts of the battles b'tween them. The Asuras propitiate the gods to gain boons and become strong. When they misuse the power they so gain they get together their end some times at the hands of the very same gods they have propitiated and the Devas emerge victorious.

The Ramayana written in Sanskrit by Valmiki is considered to be the ''Adikavya'' the first ever poem. Tulsidas rendered it into Hindi in the sixteenth century. But his ''Ramcharit-manas'' differs from the original in many ways. It was written at a time when a very vast area of India was under Mughal rule. Amongst the Hindus there were frequent controversies b'tween the worshippers of Shiva Vishnu and the Mother Goddess and again b'tween the worshippers of Rama and Krishna. There were also cults

This story is adapted from the Sanskrit play Swapnavasavadatta generally attributed to the Sanskrit playwright Bhasa. It is one of the thirteen Sanskrit dramas discovered in the South by Pandit Ganapati Shastri in 1912. Udayana the Vatsa king was tricked into captivity by King Pradyota of Avanti who desired to be trained from him the secret of taming elephants. At Ujjaini the capital of Avanti Udayana refused to teach Pradyota unless he paid him the homage due to a guru. But Pradyota''s ego would not

Uloopi was the daughter of Kauravya the King of the Nagas. The Nagas are a historical race and there are many references to them in the Puranas and Mahabharata. According to mythology Nagadwipa was one of the seven divisions of India. There were Naga kingdoms in Mathura Padmavati and Eastern India. Perhaps alike the Asuras Daitya and Danavas the Nagas too offered strong deadness to the spread of Aryan culture. The preferred theory is that the Nagas were so named because they worshipped serpents

Kalidasa the Sanskrit poet and dramatist is the author of Vikramorvashiam the Sanskrit drama from which this book has been adapted. Kalidasa elaborated on the Vedic and post-Vedic versions of the tale of Pururavas and Urvashi. In Kalidasa''s drama she emerges as a squishy tender woman who even forgets at times her celestial origin and is guilty of human tensions and misgivings.

Vali Sugreeva and Hanuman have key roles in Valmiki''s famous epic Ramayana from which our Amar Chitra Katha has been drawn. They were begotten in the monkey tribe by Indra king of the Devas Surya the sun-god and Pavana the wind-god appropriately to aid Vishnu when he manifested himself on earth as Rama Bharata Lakshmana and Shatrughna the four sons of King Dashratha of Ayodhya to destroy the evil Ravana. Vali became the king of Kishkindha. He loved Sugreeva his brother. But a misunderstanding e

Noble though penniless the good-looking Charudatta is the love of Vasantasena''s life but scoundrels and misguided companion threaten their happiness. Their tale told by Shudraka in his Sanskrit play written 2000 years ago presents a picture of bustling town life at the time. Excitement and venture lurk around every corner and sudden twists and shifts arrange this a standard nail-biting amorous thriller.

King Pradyota desired to be considered greater than neighboring king Udayana who famous for his ability to cast a spell on elephants in the enemy army. Pradyota plants a white elephant in the forest at the common boundary of their rival kingdoms tricking Udayana into coming to acquire it. Pradyota''s men waiting inside the fake elephant capture Udayana. Chided by Udayana for unbecoming conduct Pradyota suggets to free him whether Udayana instill knowledge him how to cast a spell on elephants. Udayana requirements homage

No history textbook will tell you the hardships Indian revolutionaries had to suffer and the sacrifices they had to arrange for their country''s freedom. This Amar Chitra Katha highlights the life of revolutionaries who were exiled to the dreaded cellular prison on Port Blair in the Andaman Islands. Many went insane and few committed suicide but Veer Savarkar refused to be daunted. He valiantly continued the fight for human nobility and freedom even in prison. What was the secret of Savarkar''s st