Rama and the Early Avatars of Vishnu: plus Ramayana abridged (The Galaxy of Hindu Gods) - Softcover

Achuthananda, Swami

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0975788345 ISBN 13: 9780975788349

Publisher: Relianz, 2019

Synopsis

Hindu deities are not exactly known to be perfect. Yet an exemption is Rama, the central character in the epic Ramayana and a favorite of Mahatma Gandhi. Worshiped by millions of Hindus around the world, Rama is held in such high regard that his name has become a popular form of greeting. He is the seventh avatar of Vishnu, who, Hindus believe, descends into the world whenever the cosmic balance is threatened. Vishnu has many avatars, but his top ten avatars are special.

In this book, we discuss the early avatars of Vishnu and begin with the story of a wicked demon stealing the Vedas while Brahma is sleeping. Vishnu takes the form of a giant fish and not only saves the Vedas but rescues mankind from a certain deluge. As we progress through the avatars, you will come across Prahlada, whose story offers a shining example of the extent to which Vishnu is willing to go to protect his devotees. Next,the axe-wielding Parashurama, a Brahmin by birth, embarks on a mission to exterminate the warrior caste from the face of Earth--and largely succeeds until he bumps into another avatar of Vishnu.

The highlight of this volume is undoubtedly Rama, a name that is synonymous with dharma(religious duty). About half the book is dedicated to Rama as we dissect Ramayana in detail, particularly the controversies. Although Rama is famous for defeating the ten-headed demon king of Lanka, it seems he waged a bigger battle with the dictates of dharma--and lost. We meet the monkey-faced Hanuman for the first time in this book.He is closely associated with Rama and highly revered among Hindus. Also in the Ramayana, we encounter one of the ultimate villains of Hindu mythology--the mighty Ravana. Even though Ravana abducted Rama's beloved wife, Sita, you will be surprised to know that not everyone regards Ravana as an antihero. In fact, at the end of the Ramayana, we are left with many thought-provoking questions that are debated even today.

About this title

From the Back Cover

As the protector god, Vishnu is often depicted as sleeping blissfully on an ocean ofmilk. But that's a deceptive image. Duty-bound, Vishnu is alwaysvigilant and descends into the world in one of his avatar forms whenever humanity is threatened by evil or chaos. The Dashavataras are Vishnu'stop-ten incarnations to destroy evil and establish righteousness.

In the third volume of the series, TheGalaxy of Hindu Gods, we begin the avatar saga by exploring the tales and legends connected with each incarnation. We introduce you to Prahlada, whose story offers a shining example of the extent to which Vishnu would go to protect his devotees. The story of Bali shows how a generous king is dispatched to the netherworld for being too ambitious. Although this may seem unfair,Vishnu makes amends by bestowing on Bali the gift of longevity. The axe-wielding Parashurama embarks on a mission to exterminate the warrior caste from the face of Earth--and largely succeeds until he bumps into another avatar of Vishnu.

The highlight of this volume is Rama, the protagonist of the Ramayana and a name that is synonymous with dharma (religious duty). Rama fought the ten-headed King of Lanka and defeated him in his own hometown, but it seems Rama waged a bigger battle with the dictates of dharma--and lost. In this book you meet the monkey-faced Hanuman for the first time. The quintessential devotee, Hanuman is associated with Rama and highly revered among Hindus. Also in the Ramayana we encounter one of the greatest villains of Hindu mythology--the mighty Ravana. Even though Ravana abducted Rama's beloved wife, you will be surprised to know that not everyone regards Ravana as an antihero. Was Ravana really a bad guy? Did Rama go overboard with dharma and neglect his family? At the end of the Ramayana, we are left with many thought-provoking questions that are debated even today.

Edition details

• Publisher: Relianz
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0975788345
• ISBN 13: 9780975788349
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 170