Answer to Question # 18 and Quiz of the week #19

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Dear Bhaagavatas:Quiz of the week # 18 was We know that deities in the Hindu pantheon have their own mounts (Vaahanas). The following deities have peculiar Vaahanas. Each of these deities also has one or more alternate names.1. One uses a mongoose or a horse or a man as Vaahana.2. One rides on air (literally, Airborne!)(a) Who are these deities? (b) Mention at least one of their alternate names for each of them?Answer to the above Quiz # 18Kubera (also called Vaisravana) and Garuda (also called Vainteya)The following have given the correct answers and provided the alternate names as required in the Quiz.Kesaven Thirumalai Numbakkam (tnkesaven) Kubera---Alternate Name Dhanapathi ,Vaishravana ; Garuda Alternate Name vainatheya Vyjayanthi & Sundararajan (vijirajans) The god whose vehicle is the mongoose is Kubera. His other names are Dhanapathi and Vaishravana; the deity whose vehicle is the air is Garuda. His other names are Suparna and Vainatheya. ==============================================================Seshadri Sampath (seshadhrisampath) 1. Kubera and 2. Garuda

But, he has not given even one alternate name as required.While the following have answered the first part correctly, namely “Kubera” they have given a variety of answers for the second part mostly guess work as shown below. (Some have not given alternate names for “Kubera”)asd bte (vale_543) Surya - Ravi, Aaditya, Saptasapti, Kamalaaptaviji jagan (vijaya_47) Narada-----other name----KalahapriyaChitra Bhashyam (chitra_bhashyam) IndraJayashree Toronto, Canada (jayvarada) Vayusukumar (sukumar) Vishnu (Sri Rama) the Vayuvahana uses air (Hanumantha) as his vahana (VSN)Krishna Madhavan (srirangadesikadasan) For the second one, he has given several alternatives as follows:vAyuvAhana – This is SrImannArAyaNan as per SrI sahasranAmAdyAyA of mahAbhAratha -“bhArabRt katitO yOgi yOgISa sarvakAmadaha ASrama SramaNa kSAmA suparnO vAyuvAhana”. If you take vAyuvAhanA as perumAL himself, we have 999 other names given by bhISmAchAryA himself. The other possibilities for vAyuvAhanA nAmA is for both periyatiruvaDi (garuDan, garutmAn, supranaha) and siriyatiruvaDi (hanumAn, hanubhUSaNa, mArutAtmaja, AnjanEya, anjaniputra).

 

Some have voted for Hanuman:jagannathan raghuraman (grinahi) Hanuman.bhavani nirmal (bonnie605) HanumanVaradarajan Vijayanarayanan (vjnarayanan) AnjaneyaVishnu Sarathy (vishnusarathy) Hanuman (alternate names are Anjaneya, Maruti or Bajrang bali.)==========================================================================================

Some trivia about Kubera: How Kubera came to acquire “man” as his mount?

(Excerpts from SRI RANGA SRI VOL.07 / ISSUE # 24 dated 2nd January 2006)

 

“We have seen animals and birds acting as mounts (Vaahanams) for different deities. Do you know that one dEvata who makes a human being as his Vaahanam? It is KubEra who is considered the Lord of wealth. He was earlier known as “subEra” (One with a lovely form). A nara (human being) plotted to pull him down and suggested that he should make love to Paarvati. When Lord Siva noticed this misdemeanor, he cursed SubEra to become ugly. From then on, he came to be known as “Ku-bEra”- (one with an ugly form)!

 

Kubera wanted to teach the “nara” a lesson by making him as his vehicle. Kubera had his Pushpaka Vimaanam earlier but his half-brother, Ravana, the wicked king of Lanka fought with him and snatched the Vimaanam. Kubera had to make do with a mongoose as his vehicle. Later on, he switched over to “man” as his mount in the circumstances explained in the above Paragraph. This has been corroborated by an article in the September 2009 Issue of Journal “Samarpan”. (Please see the story below)KUBERA STORY (Excerpts from Samarpan Sep 2009) "Lord Shiva, found Him with Goddess Parvathi. Kubera was stunned to see the splendor and beauty of Goddess Parvathi. He felt sorry that he had not worshipped such a fine goddess for so long and one of his eyes shut itself. Goddess Parvathi got angry that Kubera was winking at her, and looking at her with evil intention. She made his eye burst. Kubera lost sight in one eye and was also cursed that he would always look ugly. Lord Kubera pleaded with Lord Siva to forgive him and explained that he had not seen the Goddess with any evil intention. Lord Siva left the choice to His consort. Goddess Parvathi forgave Kubera and let the eye grow back, but it was smaller than the other one. Kubera was, however, rewarded by Lord Siva with the post of being one of the guards of the eight directions - the North. The Goddess made him the lord of wealth and material"

 

Some trivia about Garuda:

(Excerpts from “Who is this Azhwar?” by Anbil Ramaswamy)

Mostly the vehicles (Vaahanas) of the Lord have no vehicles for themselves. But, GaruDazhwar is said to have his own vehicle. He is known as “Vaayu-vaahana” – one who rides on air. Elders used to point out “Sri Vishnu Sahasra naamam” in which a reference is made as “SuparnO vaayu vaahanah”as referring to Garuda?"

 

It is interesting to note the suggestion that it refers to Bhagavaan himself. But, for that matter, being the indweller (antaryaami) of all living beings and inanimate things, "Vaayu Vaahana" could also be extended to Bhagavaan!

But, GaruDaazhwar is specifically recognized by Poorva Achaaryas as though having a phenomenal speed himself - is also "airborne" and so he is called "Vaayu Vaahana".

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We give below the Quiz # 19.

Please read the question and the instructions carefully and send your Answers to ramanbil (Not Srirangasri group) so as to reach us on or before 13th December 2009.

 

The ALL-CORRECT answer received EARLIEST will be featured along with the next “Quiz of the Week”

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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QUIZ # 18

 

There are at least 8 similarities between Hayagriva and Nrisimha Avataras.

What are these 8 similarities?

 

Please make sure that you list at least 6 (out of the 8 ) similarities to qualify your answer as being

“ALL- CORRECT”.

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