Friday, November 11, 2016

Tulasee's Marriage

Tulasee's marriage is performed in the month of Kaarttik after Deepaavalee, on Kaarttik Shukla Ekaadashee, means Dev Uthaan or Dev Uthaanee Ekaadashee. You might have seen that mostly all Hindu households keep a Tulasee plant in their house. They water it daily twice, in the morning and in the evening, and light a Diya (lamp) at the bottom of the planr regularly.

It is especially worshipped in the  month of Kaarttik. In this month, normally from Sharad Poornimaa - Aashwin Maas Poornimaa. House women get up in the morning while it is still night, take bath and sit around the Tulasee plant. They worship it, light Diyaa and tell some stories of Tulasee. This they do the whole month of Kaarttik. Some women observe fast also.

Who is Tualsee?
Let us see who is this Tulasee who has been give so much importance in our lives? Very few people might be knowing who is Tulasee.

Once there was a Daitya (demon) named Jalandhar. He was not a very famous Daitya that is why most people do not know his name too. He had a wife who was very faithful to her husband (Pativrataa). Since she was very faithful to him he could escape from many bad Karm, so he was doing many bad Karm under the cover of her faithfulness.

Many Devtaa wanted to kill him because of his atrocities but were unable to kill him because his wife's Paativrat Dharm always saved him. Therefore Devtaa went to Vishnu to help them out of his atrocities. Vishnu promised them to help them soon.

Vrindaa and Vishnu
Once Jalandhar was out of his home to have a fight with Shiv Jee, that Vishnu went to his house in disguise of Jalandhar. Since Jalandhar was not to be expected back home soon, Vrindaa took it as a pleasant surprise and asked him as how he could he come home so soon. Vishnu in the guise of Jaandhar said - "I was missing you very much that is why I came home." Hearing this Vrindaa got very happy and she welcomed him heartily.

Vrindaa thought he was speaking truth and he was her husband so they made love, But in this process she could make out that he was not her husband. She got very angry with the man. Since Vrindaa's Paativrat was broken now Vishnu's objective was fulfilled and Jalandhar was no more protected by his wife's Paativrat armor. So Vishnu showed her His real form.

When Vrindaa came to know the real identity of the fake Jalandhar, that he was not Jalandhar but was Vishnu, she got very angry. She immediately cursed Vishnu - "You have broken my Paativrat Dharm so go and become a black stone."

Vishnu readily and happily accepted her curse and immediately turned into a black stone. That black stone came to be known as "Shaaligraam" (or Shaalgraam). Vishnu said - "Since your anger was appropriate, so you cursed me; I accept your curse but since my Darshan (sighting) does not go waste so I bestow you a boon that you will become a holy plant and will be known as Tulasee without whom my food will be incomplete. I will not accept my food without you. That is why whenever any food is offered to Vishnu, a leaf of Tulasee goes with it.

Besides, when I will appear as Krishn in Gokul in Kali Yug, you will grow abundantly in its nearby village of Mathuraa (UP) appearing there as Tulasee plant. That is why it will be called as Vrindaa Van (Vrindaa Forest) - based on your name and I will also live there for some time."

As Vrindaa's Paativrat Dharm was broken there was no problem in killing Jalandhar.
Tulasee's Raam Charit Maanas says that the same Jalandhar was born as Raavan later.

So this was Tulasee. The same Tulasee is married to that black stone (Shaalgraam) or Vishnu  on this day. Shaalgraam is called as Naaraayan Shilaa too.

Another Version
There is another version of this story. When Vrindaa had cursed Vishnu to be a black stone, Vishnu accepted it and bestowed her with the boon that she becomes a river and that He will always live in her heart (in her waters) in the form of black stone. So Vrindaa turned into Gandakee River and Shaalgraam stones are found abundantly there in her waters.


Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com 

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Foreign Folktales in Hindi Ready-3

Last month I published my Blog "Foreign Folktales in Hindi Ready-2" in which I wrote about the largest collection of foreign folktales published in Hindi language by one person - more than 1,100 folktales.

I am happy to report here that people read my Blog and asked me some questions about it. They were actually too surprised to know that how I could do it single-handedly. They were very appreciative about the work and commended it heartily. I am so much obliged to them that they commended my enthusiasm by commending my project of collecting them and then publishing them.

They commended my Project also under which I want to extend the body of this literature by distributing free to the children who can read and understand even a little bit of Hindi for the benefit of increasing their knowledge through their own language.

Whatever was in my hand I did it, but I do not have so much funds to get them published to distribute them freely to as many people as I plan to do so, but I still wish that this literature should reach to as many hands as possible.

In the series of "Desh Videsh Ki Lok Kathayen" (Foreign Folktales in Hindi), its first book was published by Indra Publishers, Bhopal - "Raven Ki Lok Kathayen-1". It was distributed free to almost more than 1,000 children. Children were happy just with the idea that they were able to read the foreign folk literature in their own language and at least it was available to them in their own language. Their expressions were very encouraging.

I wish to request to our generous people to help us to advance this project to this point so that our Hindi speaking people can also benefit from these foreign folktales reading them in their own language.

It is a collectors' material also. Whosoever will collect it will appreciate his collection later as it is not even a collection but a small treasure library in itself - 1,100 foreign folktales in Hindi - they are not small in  umber.

Brother Grimms' collection and Andrew Lang's collections are most notable collection in English language so far. This collection largely exceeds their collections in Hindi language. To read more about these folktales please search for "Foreign Foktales in Hindi" in Labels.

http://sushmajee.blogspot.ca/2016/07/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-ready-2.html 
http://sushmajee.blogspot.ca/2015/12/foreign-folktales-in-hindi-ready-1.html 


Sushma Gupta
http://sushmajee.com/folktales/index-folktales.htm

Friday, July 22, 2016

Foreign Folktales in Hindi Ready-2


Till recently most foreign folktales were available only in English language. Very few folktales have been available in Hindi language. This project has been initiated only keeping this in mind that foreign folktales may be available to our Hindi readers in India and at other places.
Under this project more than 1,100 foreign folktales have been written in Hindi after reading from books and Internet and by hearing from people. Indian folktales are normally available in Hindi language that is why Indian folktales have not been included in this collection.
Besides where folktales from European countries are easily available in English, the whole folktale literature seems to be incomplete without their mention that is why some folktales have been included from those countries. 
The following books have been prepared as e-Books (on CDs) in which more than 600 folktales have been given. These folktales are available to our Hindi readers any time – to tell children, to be read by children and adults alike, for reference and for research purposes, or for any other purpose the people find useful. The rest of the folktales are also being organized under various titles whose information will be made available at time to time.
This project does not stop at 1,100 folktales rather it is a continuous process so expect more to come in future.
Till now no single folktale collection has been as large as this one even in English language. The two large collectors of folktales known in Europe are: Grimm’s Brothers and the Andrew Lang. But even their collections are also not so large as this in Hindi language.
We are pleased that we could collect so many folktales at one place in Hindi language. We hope that this valuable collection will prove unique and useful to our Hindi folktale literature.

AFRICA
Folktales from Western Africa – 15 tales, 154 pages
Folktales from Eastern Africa – 9 tales, 106 pages
Folktales from Southern Africa – 15 tales, 146 pages

Folktales from Egypt – 8 tales, 126 pages
Folktales from Ethiopia-1 – 27 tales, 126 pages
Folktales from Ethiopia-2 – 23 tales, 126 pages
Queen of Sheba Makeda and King Solomon – 212 pages
King Solomon – 11 tales, 164 pages

Folktales from Nigeria-1 – 20 tales, 170 pages
Folktales from Nigeria-2 – 20 tales, 178 pages
Folktales from Ghana – 14 tales, 172 pages
Cunningness of Anansi Spider – 15 tales, 112 pages
Cunningness of Anansi Spider – 20 tales, 196 pages

Folktales from Zanzibar – 10 tales, 164 pages
Folktales from South Africa – 18 tales, 194 pages

AMERICA, NORTH
Folktales from North America-1 – 12 tales, 124 pages
Folktales from North America-2 – 12 tales, 120 pages
Folktales from Canada – 17 folktales, 112 pages
Folktales of Raven-1 – 20 tales, 124 pages
Folktales of Raven-2 – 20 tales, 126 pages
Folktales of Raven-3 – 3 modern tales, 126 pages

AMERICA, SOUTH
Folktales from South America – 8 tales,

ASIA
Folktales from Asia-1 – 26 tales, 196 pages
Folktales from China – 8 tales, 80 pages
China: Myths and Legends-1 – 18 tales, 190 pages
China: Myths and Legends-2 – 20 tales, 188 pages
Folktales from Russia – 22 tales, 264 pages


EUROPE
Folktales from Europe-2 – 22 tales, 214 pages
One Story many Colors-11 – Cinderella – 20 tales, 272 pages
Folktales from Italy-1 – 18 tales, 194 pages
Folktales from Italy-2 – 16 tales, 200 pages
Folktales from Italy-3 – 12 tales, 200 pages
Folktales from Italy-4 – 21 tales, 200 pages
Folktales from Italy-5 – 15 tales, 210 pages
Folktales from Italy-6 – 18 tales, 220 pages
Folktales from Italy-7 – 22 tales, 230 pages
Folktales from Italy-8 – 13 tales, 122 pages
Folktales from Norse-1 – 8 tales, 148 pages
Folktales from Norse-2 – 11 tales, 120 pages

WORLD
Christianity in Folktales – 23 tales, 258 pages
One Story Many Colors-12 – Cinderella – 10 tales, 112 pages


The e-Books published under the Series “Foreign Folktales in Hindi” are available now on CD-ROMs. To obtain further information about them or a copy of any book :