One Word Many Meanings

Jaya

- April 24, 2020


What were the different connotations of the sanskrit word ‘Jaya’ ?

 

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  • Jaya and Vijaya are the gate-keepers of the abode of Vishnu. Once, when they didn’t let Rishi Sanaka enter, he cursed them, saying they would be born on Earth as asuras. They would only be redeemed when slayed by Vishnu’s celestial weapon. Accordingly, the duo was born as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashyapu, Ravana and Kumbhakarna, and Shishupala and Dantavakra.
  • Jaya was the original name of the Mahabharata written by Ved Vyasa. Many scholars opine that Vaisampayana, a disciple of Vyasa, added fifteen thousand two hundred stanzas to the Jaya. After sage Suta recited the book to other hermits at a Vaishnavite temple called Naimisharanaya, it came to be called the Mahabharata.
  • Jaya is also another name for the sun god, Surya.

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Comic of The Month

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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