Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Kaliya Mardan
I guess, the story of Kaliya Mardan needs no re-telling; it is probably one of the most popular bedtime-stories in India.
I read an interesting variant of this story, though - that the Naga Panchami festival is also associated with the Kaliya Mardan legend. In this variant, instead of the exciting-fight version that I have heard, the serpent quickly realizes that it is no match for the might of Lord Krishna, and begs for forgiveness. Krishna pardons Kaliya, and after elciting a promise that it would not harm anything hereafter, lets the serpent back into the Yamuna river.
Strange how many legends we have, and how they are all interlaced together. I mean, I realized very recently that Diwali is celebrated in honor of Lord Rama as well as Lord Krishna - amazing, I thought ! But, more about that later.
# posted by Ranjit Nair @ 10:38 AM 
