One Word Many Meanings

Mani

- August 2, 2020


Illustration: Mala Narwani

The word ‘Mani’ has multiple references in the Puranas. Here are some of them.

  1. One of the two attendants given to Kartikeya by the moon god, Chandra. The other attendant was called Sumani.
  2. A sage who was a member of the Brahmasabha.
  3. A serpent born of the Dhritarashtra family, burnt to death in the Sarpa Satra, a snake sacrifice yagya, performed by Janamejaya who was the great-grandson of Arjuna.

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The Sons of Rama

The story of Rama and Sita was first set down by the sage Valmiki in his epic poem 'Ramayana.' Rama was the eldest son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, who had three wives - Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. Rama was the son of Kaushalya, Bharata of Kaikeyi and Laxmana and Shatrughna of Sumitra. The four princes grew up to be brave and valiant. Rama won the hand of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka. Dasharatha wanted to crown Rama as the king but Kaikeyi objected. Using boons granted to her by Dasharatha earlier, she had Rama banished to the forest. Sita and Laxmana decided to follow Rama. While in the forest, a Rakshasi, Shoorpanakha, accosted Laxmana but had her nose cut off by him. In revenge, her brother Ravana, king of Lanka, carried Sita away. Rama and Laxmana set out to look for her and with the help of an army of monkeys, defeated Ravana. On returning Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, Rama banished Sita because of the suspicions of his subjects. In the ashrama of sage Valmiki, she gave birth to her twin sons, Luv and Kush.

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