Meet These Curious Creatures From Indian Myths And Folklore

In Adbhut: Marvellous Creatures of Indian Myth and Folklore, Meena Arora Nayak presents a selection of fifty-five magical and monstrous creatures from the myths and folklore of India’s various cultures.

There was a mighty king, Vena, born from Punitha, the daughter of Mrityu (Death). Being Death’s grandson, Vena was cruel, unfeeling, and arrogant. ‘I am king. I am your supreme lord; not Vishnu,’ he would say to the Brahmins in his kingdom. ‘Obey only me; worship only me; sacrifice only to me.’

One day, outraged at his wicked commands, the sages fell upon Vena and beat him with consecrated blades of grass, till he was dead. But now the kingdom was without a king, and it became an easy conquest for neighbouring rulers. To protect the kingdom, the sages then sought to produce an heir from the slain Vena. They rubbed his thigh until a being emerged from it. He was charred black and dwarfish, like Vena’s depravity, and with him the king’s wickedness was expelled. Then the rishis rubbed Vena’s right arm, and the being which emerged was handsome and resplendent, like Agni; he also had the auspicious mark of Vishnu’s chakra in his hand. They named him Prithu, and he became a chakravarti king, his sovereignty extending over the whole earth. Prithu began to rule with virtue and justice; however, in the time that the kingdom had been without a king, Earth had forsaken the land and people were inflicted with a terrible famine.

Angered by Earth’s disregard for human suffering, Prithu took up his divine arrows and the Ajagava bow, that Shiva had bestowed on him, and sought Earth to punish her. She took the form of a cow and fled, but he pursued her. Finally, unable to escape Prithu, the Earth Cow faced him, trembling in fear. ‘Do you not know the sin of killing a female?’ she asked.

‘When the destruction of one serves the happiness of many, that killing is a virtue not a sin,’ Prithu replied.

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‘But by killing me you will take way the very means by which your people live,’ she said.

‘I will support my people with the fruits of my own merit,’ he replied.

Realizing that Prithu’s intent was to erase her very existence, Earth conceded. ‘Give me a suitable calf,’ she said. ‘From the milk of my udders, I will milk your whole land, and it will become fertile. But you must make the land level so that my milk can flow unimpeded.’

Prithu tore down mountains and levelled the land. He created boundaries for villages and towns, pastures for agriculture, and highways for merchants. Then he requested Swayambhu Manu, mankind’s first progenitor, to become Earth’s calf. Thus, the Earth Cow was milked, and the earth became fertile for all humanity. From then on, the Earth Cow has been considered Prithu’s daughter and is called Prithvi— she who gives to each class of being the milk that it desires.

The all-giving cow is also Surabhi—sweet-smelling. Once, Krishna and Radha were sporting in Vrindavan, and Krishna felt a keen desire to drink milk. He then created Surabhi from his left side and milked her, collecting the milk in an earthenware jar. While Krishna was milking Surabhi, some drops of milk spilled on the ground. These became a vast expanse, called Kshirasagara, the cosmic ocean of milk. After drinking the milk, Krishna felt satiated, and his satisfaction spread to all humanity. Then, from Surabhi’s every pore, one lakh koti (crore) Kamadhenu, desire-fulfilling cows were born, and Krishna gave these away to the cowherds. From these Kamadhenu, more were born, and soon the world was filled with cows and milk, and prosperity spread everywhere.

Another aspect of the sacred cow is cosmic dharma. In Vedic times, when Indra killed Vrta, the great serpent dragon that was holding the primordial waters captive, the water gushed out like lowing cows. These cows were pregnant, and they birthed the sun. Then the earth and sky were set in place. This is how Rta, cosmic law, was established, assigning roles for devas, asuras, and mankind, so that creation could be sustained. Thus, the lowing cow is the microcosm of the universe. When she stands with her four hooves firmly planted, she encompasses all four directions. She is complete, she is self-contained, and she is perfection. She is dharma in its full agency. With the passing of each yuga— Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga— dharma degenerates, and the dharma cow lifts one of her hooves. In the present Kali Yuga, dharma is so diminished that she is tottering on the tip of just one hoof, and when no dharma remains in the world, she will lift that, as well. Then the current cycle of Great Time will stop, and everything will end, annihilating all in the final dissolution. When the universe is renewed and cosmic order is re-established, the dharma cow will once again stand balanced on all four hooves. Then the cycle will resume, and the process will begin anew.

Excerpted with permission from Adbhut: Marvellous Creatures of Indian Myth and Folklore by Meena Arora Nayak published by Aleph Book Company.

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