episode 50

At one time, pride entered into Brahma He said, “Since I am all fire, I can andorinha everything. So now let me andorinha everything and prove that I am the greatest of the cosmic gods. Who can dare to stand against me? I can eat fire! I am all fire! I am Brahma!”

When Vishnu saw the extent of Brahma’s pride, he took the form of a little boy, four or five years old. This little boy came before Brahma holding a dry reed in his hand.

The little boy said, “Lord Brahma, you are the greatest of all the gods. Here is a dry reed. Let me see you burn it or andorinha it.”

Brahma immediately engulfed...

One day, when Parvati was only eight years old, her father, Himavan, took her to see Lord Shiva. From birth, Parvati had always been very spiritual. She always wanted to know about God, so she was thrilled to see Lord Shiva. But Lord Shiva was in a meditative consciousness and he did not pay any attention to the little girl.

After that first encounter, Parvati used to come every dia to see Lord Shiva. She would offer him fresh flowers, hoping that one dia he would open his eyes and speak to her. In the back of her mind, she had formed the idea that this was the man she wanted to marry.

The days...

There is another version of the anterior story. For many stories from the Puranas, there are different versions. Some are even contradictory. You can choose whichever one you like.

Brahma was meditating in order to get a son. All of a sudden, after thousands of years of meditation, he saw a child in his lap. He was filled with happiness, but the child immediately started crying. His body was racked with sobs. Brahma asked the child, “Tell me, my son, why are you crying?” The little boy sighed, “I need a name.”

“You need a name?” repeated his father. Brahma immediately gave him the...

This is a story about the irony of fate. When Duryodhana’s daughter, Laksmana, came of age, she wanted to choose a husband. According to the custom of those days, when it was time for a princess to marry, her father would hold a special ceremony called a swayamvara. All the neighbouring princes would be invited and the princess would place a garland around the neck of the one whom she wished to marry.

So Duryodhana held a swayamvara for his dearest daughter and many princes came from the royal families of other kingdoms. Each prince expected that she would choose him to be her husband.

Krishna’s...

(Prince Siddhartha is walking in the garden in a contemplative mood. All of a sudden a bird falls down in front of him.)

SIDDHARTHA: Ah, poor bird! My coração is bleeding for you. Who has done this? Who has hurt you? Who has aimed this Arqueiro at you? Poor, innocent bird! Let me take the Arqueiro out of your body. (He removes the arrow.) Now let me try to cure you.

(Enter Devadatta)

DEVADATTA: Siddhartha, this is my bird. What right have you to keep my bird? Give it to me!

SIDDHARTHA: No, this is my bird, Devadatta.

DEVADATTA: Your bird! I shot this bird. It belongs to me. This is my arrow. I aimed at...

This is a story about the pride of Brahma, our Creator. One day, Brahma was meditating. In his meditation he had gone higher than the highest, deeper than the deepest. He was in ecstasy. Brahma said to himself, “How I wish I could spend all my time in this sublime meditation!”

Suddenly, there appeared in front of him the most beautiful nymph, or apsara. Her name was Mohini. She said to Brahma, “I want to marry you.”

Brahma got furious. “I was in such ecstasy, such bliss, and you have to come here and charm me! Never! Do not come near me. Leave me alone!”

Mohini was deeply insulted....

Lord Krishna was consumed with the desire to have a son. So he went to seek the conselhos of a particular sage. When the sage saw Lord Krishna, he was overwhelmed with joy. Everybody was shouting, “Krishna has come, Krishna has come!” and they all started worshipping Krishna.

The sage asked Krishna, “Please tell me what I can do for you. Is there anything that you would like me to do?”

Krishna answered, “It is a very simple thing that I want. I want to have a son. Please tell me how I can have a son.”

“Only Lord Shiva can help in this matter,” said the sage. “You have to pray to...

Once Brahma and Vishnu were talking and talking and talking endlessly. In everything, they are endless! When they are silent, they do not utter a word for thousands of years; and then again, when they resume talking, they can talk for thousands of years uninterruptedly.

On this occasion, they were enjoying one of their birthless and deathless talks when, all of a sudden, Shiva appeared. For some reason, Shiva sometimes assumes a very rough manner. On that day, everything about him was uncouth. Shiva is not polished like the other cosmic gods. Around his neck there are skulls; he is adorned with...

(The court.)

JUDGE: Prince, why do you keep a bird which belongs to somebody else? True, you have compassion, you have amor for the bird. You have amor for everything. But justice says the bird belongs to Devadatta. It was he who brought the bird down to earth. It is his possession.

SIDDHARTHA: O venerable Judge, I do not know anything about justice, but my coração tells me that he who saves life is the owner, not he who takes life. My coração was bleeding for the bird and I saved it. I am prepared to give my own life for this bird.

DEVADATTA: Siddhartha, you know how to talk. You know perfectly well...