Epics of India

"Greetings one and all! This is  Dating Deities , and I'm your host, Kamadeva, resident Goddess of Love. We have a great show for you today, so let's welcome our eligible Goddess, Aadya, to the stage."  Aadya floated across the stage in a long gown bejeweled with precious stones. She sat down gingerly on the gold chair on the right end of the stage, looking out over the audience with the demeanor of a queen gazing upon her subjects. Kamadeva the host walked over to her.  "Aadya, welcome. Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and what kind of man you're looking for?" "I am the primal Goddess, and my essence permeates all of creation. I am looking for a man who can match my power but respect me as the supreme Earth Mother." Kamadeva said, "Wonderful! Now let us meet the eligible male Gods." The darkened left side of the stage suddenly lit up, and Aadya's choices were bathed in light. Kamadeva...

Mr. and Mrs. Otter lived a quiet life in Huckleberry Lake, surrounded by clear blue waters and tall riverbanks covered with wildflowers. The calm of the lake had recently been disturbed by an uncharacteristic amount of squabbling, however. Mr. and Mrs. Otter having some marriage difficulties, and there were nights when the water never ceased rippling as they bickered back and forth. Mrs. Otter had decided that enough was enough, and asked her friend Patricia the hermit crab, who lived along the riverbank, what to do. "Well, when Albert and I were going through an especially crabby phase, we went to see Rudy the wolf. He's the top therapist in our ecosystem, 8 years running!" Mrs. Otter had made an appointment with Rudy wolf that very day. She combed her fur, gathered her purse and Mr. Otter, and set out on the trek to Rudy’s office. Rudy worked out of a hollowed tree in the forest that surrounded Huckleberry Lake. When Mr. and Mrs. Otter arrived, Mrs. Ot...

“How about, The Bad-to-the Bone Babes?” Thataka scoffed and glanced over her shoulder. “Darling, have you looked in a mirror recently?” Soorpanaka rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. She, Thataka, and Putana were busy painting the walls of the rented office where the three of them would soon be opening their new business. They had yet to decide on a name, however, and continued to brainstorm as they smeared a rusty red color along the walls. The idea began on a lazy Saturday afternoon when the three friends had gone tanning on the rim of Mount Valcron, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The sun’s rays were too weak to have any effect on their thick skin, but a splash of lava here and there achieved the sun-kissed equivalent of their strange hues. They had been discussing the unfair treatment of demonesses and reflecting on their own personal experiences. “It was one failed mission! And my brother Ravana refused send another female demon on a mission for nearly...

A wretched sound echoed from Ghandhari's bathing quarters as she sat hunched over a basin, green slime emerging from her throat in sickening waves. Each morning she was wrenched awake by a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, and was held captive by the nausea for hours at a time. Her pregnancy had been extremely difficult, and the illness it caused showed no signs of letting up. The physical sickness had made her weak and stripped her body of its vitality. Her curves were replaced by bony protrusions, and her dewy complexion became dull and lifeless. Welts and bruises of rich burgundy and indigo hues covered her skin, and the slightest touch felt like fire.  These symptoms paled in comparison to the nightmares that haunted Ghandhari. She writhed in bed for hours as horrifying scenes flashed before her eyes, her sleep disturbed by demons and visions of  death.  Ghandhari had watched the wives of Pandu navigate pregnancy with grace. Kunti was mother to ...

Day after day, Draupadi found herself confined to the women's quarters of king Virata's palace, performing  the ritual tasks of a s airandhri .  She longed to roam the magnificent halls and sneak out into the gardens, to breathe in the rich scent of the earth and drink the sunlight. The marble walls began to feel as if they were closing in on her, and she became a prisoner among the gold fixtures and jeweled ornaments.  Each day resembled the next. Every morning Draupadi rose before the sun to help the women of the palace dress and prepare for the day ahead. She wound her hands through hundreds of royal ringlets and sculpted the clay of their faces, creating the statuesque beauties that were beholden throughout the kingdom. She applied pigments that made their features come alive, and it could indeed be said that all the rosy cheeks glimpsed at court were the work of the artist Draupadi.  One of the women always lingered slightly longer in Draupadi's care. H...

In the home of a lovely family, a small but distinct plop! disturbed the waters of a bowl that sat on the living room table. A small creature had appeared inside of it; as it opened its eyes, it sent up a great stream of disgruntled bubbling and muttered, "Uh oh." Lord Vishnu, the great preserver and protector of the universe, found himself trapped inside a goldfish bowl.  Moments before, Lord Vishnu had been gazing down from the heavens and caught sight of the evil asura Hayagriva stealing the wisdom of the Vedas. The sacred words were casually slipping out of the corner of Brahma's mouth (along with a thin line of drool) as he reclined for his midday nap. "How careless that Brahma is sometimes," thought Vishnu. "Create one universe and suddenly you think you can do whatever you please." Lord Vishnu, who was actually paying attention to what was happening in the universe, realized that the end of the current world was imminent, an...

Mother Earth was the guardian of the world and the protector of all its creatures, who lived in harmony on the majestic landscapes of her body. Where her hip curved the waves of the ocean cascaded; where her knee bent the canopies of the forest bowed. Humans had always held a special fascination for Mother Earth. Their capacity to feel was unlike any of the other species that roamed her lands, and their lives were colored by a broad spectrum of emotions. She watched their tears mingle with the rains and their joy brighten the rays of the sun. The other creatures of the earth each had their own domain; the lion roams the desert as the monkey swings between the trees of the rainforest, just as the crocodile slips among the reeds of the wetlands and the penguin glides over the icy arctic floor. But humans were found far and wide, living among all the other creatures. They roamed and they settled, and then once more they would be on the move. Mother Earth watched intently as they ...

There once was a land covered in a majestic forest. The trees rose for miles in every direction, and their bold green leaves absorbed the golden dew of the sun, casting brilliant light across the forest floor. Travelers always observed that the ground spread far and wide as a single velvety layer of earth. It had been worn smooth by dancing feet, for within the heart of the woods lived spirits who loved to dance. At night the spirits took the form of beautiful women, and they would sing sweetly to attract men who might be passing among the brambles. Once these men heard their voices, they had no choice but to follow them; the music of the spirits was irresistible.  When the men arrived to the clearing that was home to the spirits, it looked as if they had stumbled upon a royal ball. The spirits were dancing under the veil of the ebony sky, their beauty illuminated by the stars. Mortal men could not resist this intoxicating scene, and they became caught up in the frenzy of ...