ACK- 118: Tapati - The Daughter of the Sun God

An out of print ACK # 327

The sources of this story are the Purana & the Mahabharata. The period is considered as Treta Yuga according to old Indian literature & mythology - PBC.

In India, as elsewhere, the folk of the spirit world might woo or be wooed by impressionable mortals. A Gandharva related to Arjuna, the Pandava prince, by whom he was defeated in single combat, the "charming story", as he called it, of King Samvarana (the Lunar Dynasty) and the fairy-like Tapati, a daughter of the sun god, Surya.

Tapati was of all nymphs the most beautiful; she was "perfectly symmetrical" and "exquisitely attired"; she had "faultless features, and black, large eyes"; and, in contrast to an Apsara, she "was chaste and exceedingly well conducted". For a time the sun god considered that no husband could be found who was worthy of his daughter; and therefore "knew no peace of mind, always thinking of the person he should select". One day, however, King Samvarana worshipped the sun, and made offerings of flowers and sweet perfumes, and Surya resolved to bestow his daughter upon this ideal man.

ACK-114,115 & 116: Great Sanskrit Plays:Ratnavali, Vasantasena & Udayana

Today in some states of India people are celebrating New Year as Ugadi & Gudi Padwa . It falls on the first day of the month of Chaitra (March-April).

Ugadi, as called in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra indicates the start of a new year for people in those states.
Ugadi is derived from ‘Yuga adi’ where ‘yuga’ means time, era or period and ‘adi’ means beginning. Gudi in marathi is a Bamboo stick which is decorated and at the top of which a cup or a glass is placed and Padwa means the ‘adi’ described earlier.
Note: It falls on a different day every year because the Hindu calendar is a lunisolar calendar. The Saka calendar begins with the month of Chaitra (March/April).

Plays of Ancient India

Indian drama is analyzed by Bharata in the Natya Shastra, probably from the third century CE or before. Bharata ascribed a divine origin to drama and considered it a fifth Veda; its origin seems to be from religious dancing. In the classical plays the Brahmins and noble characters speak Sanskrit, while others and most women use Prakrit vernaculars. According to Bharata poetry (kavya), dance (nritta), and mime (nritya) in life's play (lila) produce emotion (bhava), but only drama (natya) produces "flavor" (rasa). The drama uses the eight basic emotions of love, joy (humor), anger, sadness, pride, fear, aversion, and wonder, attempting to resolve them in the ninth holistic feeling of peace. These are modified by 33 less stable sentiments he listed as discouragement, weakness, apprehension, weariness, contentment, stupor, elation, depression, cruelty, anxiety, fright, envy, arrogance, indignation, recollection, death, intoxication, dreaming, sleeping, awakening, shame, demonic possession, distraction, assurance, indolence, agitation, deliberation, dissimulation, sickness, insanity, despair, impatience, and inconstancy. Causes, effects, and moods manifest the emotions. The spectators should be of good character, intelligent, and empathetic.

ACK-113: Drona

The epic Mahabharta is the source of information about life of Drona. The Mahabharta which is the longest epic poem in the world, consists of nearly 1, 00,000 slokas or Sanskrit verses.

ACK #57 (565)

DRONA. 'A bucket'. A Brahman so named from his having been generated by his father, Bharadwaja, in a bucket.

He married Kripa, half-sister of Bhishma, and by her was father of Aswatthaman. He was acharya, or teacher of the military art, both to the Kaurava and Pandava princes, and so he was called Dronacharya.

He had been slighted by Drupada, king of Panchala, and became his enemy. Through the instrumentality of the Pandavas he made Drupada prisoner, and took from him half of his kingdom; but he spared his life and gave him back the other half of his country. But the old animosity rankled, and ended in the death of both.

ACK-112: Dhruva and Ashtavakra

ACK #117 (#571)

It contains illustration of two stories: Dhruva & Ashtavakra

Dhruva: meaning both "pole star" and "fixed".

The story of Dhruva's life is often told to Hindu children as an example for perseverance, devotion, steadfastness and fearlessness. The original sources are Vishnu Purana and Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 4.

According to the Vishnu Purana, the sons of Manu Swayambhuva were Priyavrata and Uttanapada. The latter had two wives; the favourite, Suruchi, was proud and haughty; the second, Suniti or Sunrita, was humble and gentle. Suruchi had a son named Uttama, and Suniti gave birth to Dhruva. While quite a child Dhruva was contemptuously treated by Suruchi, and she told him that her own son Uttama would alone succeed to the throne. Dhruva and his mother submitted, and he declared that he wished for no other honours than such as his own actions should acquire. He was a Kshatriya, but he joined a society of Rishis, and becoming a Rishi himself, he went through a rigid course of austerities, notwithstanding the efforts of Indra to distract him. At the end he obtained the favour of Vishnu, who raised him to the skies as the pole star (DHRUVA, the Indian name of the polar star). He has the patronymic Auttanapadi, and he is called Grahadhara, `the stay or pivot of the planets.'

ACK-088: Vasavadatta

ACK #030 (674)

The story of King Udayana and Princess Vasavadatta was very well known in ancient India. Early writers were inspired by this story and made it the subject of poems and dramas. Bhasa wrote the ‘Swapnavasavadatta’ in Sanskrit, which is unique for its literary value. ‘Vasavadatta’ by Subandhu is another great work on the same theme.

This popular story was re-echoed in Pali and Prakrit literature. In Dhamma-pada-atthakatha (5th Century A.D.), on which this illustrated classic is based, we get an elaborate account of the story of Vasavadatta and Udayana.

King Pradyota of Ujjaini is disturbed to learn from his minister that Udayana of Kaushambi is a greater king than he is. He tricks Udayana into captivity. Pradyota then wants Udayana to teach him the secret of taming elephants. Udayana refuses to do so until Pradyota himself pays him the homage due to a guru. As Pradyota's pride does not permit this, he sends his daughter lovely daughter Vasavadatta to Udayana for the lessons, with a curtain screen separating them. Vasavadatta is told her teacher is a leaper, and Udayanais told that his pupil is a hunch-backed relative of Pradyota.

What follows thereafther is encapsulated in this romantic tale.

Script: Menna Talim Illustrations: Pratap Mulick
(~From inside cover)

Note: It's said that the first reference to game pieces that could be chess or a similar game is found in Vasavadatta by Subandhu. I mean the reference only, game is older & started by Indians. With time there were changes in rules etc.

Check following links to read more about:

1. Earliest Chess Books and References by Bill Wall

2. Origins of ChessProtochess, 400 B.C. to 400 A.D. by G. Ferlito and A. Sanvito (FROM: The Pergamon Chess Monthly September 1990 Volume 55 No. 6)

Download Book ‘Vasavadatta’ by Subandhu (Here)

Many many thanks to “Shailendra Rao” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-072: The King in a Parrot's Body

An out of print ACK #191

Inside cover story

Jain monks took a keen interest in the spiritual uplift of the common people. To make their difficult philosophy accessible to the layman, they used the medium of stories.

Most of the stories teach that meritorious acts bring prosperity & evil acts untold misery. According to Jain philosophy, man is the master of his own destiny. He reaps what he sows. No outside force can help him get what he does not deserve, nor can it prevent him from getting what he does deserve.

The story of King Shuklapaksha has an underlying allegory. Shuklapaksha literally means the bright half of a lunar month and Krishnapaksha, the dark half. The king symbolises ggod and the minister evil. The confrontation between the two, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil, is the subject of this story.

Many many thanks to an “Anonymous friend” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-060, 061 & 062: Pinocchio, Valmiki; Shringabhuja

This past year has been an exciting one for me and for ACKnowledge blog. Many changes.........

I want to take a moment and say THANK YOU to all of you who have contributed & visited over the past 1 year.

Special thanks to those friends who come forward with scans to survive ACKnowledge blog. Only due to such selfless friends, it is running regularly & celebrating first anniversary today.

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An out of print ACK #9 (Hindi)

An Italian author, Carlo Lorenzini (November 24, 1826 – October 26, 1890) pen name Carlo Collodi, wrote the famous children’s story Storia di un burattino ("The story of a marionette"), also called Le Avventure di Pinocchio ( The Adventures of Pinocchio) toward the end of his life. It is an archetypal fairy tale of the inward conflict associated with the process of change, growth, and development. It is also noteworthy that Pinocchio contains the prescription to remedy these human dilemmas.
The entire story of Pinocchio symbolises a transition, via voluntary effort, from a purely material life to one incorporating the intangible, but more rewarding, spiritual dimension. The wooden boy, lacking a moral outlook, (crafted out of wood: a substance incorporating low-level life) is naturally prone to misjudgments which then require additional opportunities to prove himself. He returns again and again to his material condition, each time with a new set of surroundings and characters and opportunities.
Like many classic stories, fables, and myths that have weathered the passage of time, it carries the symbolic blueprint for social and emotional conflict and the potential for resolution: Pinocchio has many unhappy adventures as he progresses from his wooden and dependent state to true independence as a real boy. He finally attains fulfillment and happiness when he completes his symbolic quest for the psychological foundations of courage.

Read The Adventures of Pinocchio online.

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ACK #46 (579)

Valmiki
The Great Sage & Author of The Ramayana

Maharshi Valmiki, the author of the great Indian epic Ramayana, was a Hindu sage who lived around the beginning of the first millennium B.C. He is referred to as the 'adikavi', the original creator of the Hindu 'sloka' - a verse form in which most of the great epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, and other works are composed.

How Valmiki Got His Name

He was a Brahman*** by birth belonging to the lineage of Bhrigu. Fate consigned him to a family of robbers which brought him up. Accidental contact with the Saptarsis - the Seven Sages and with the sage Narada changed his life. By the repetition of Ramanama or the name of Ram, he attained the supreme state of a 'maharshi' or great sage. Since a 'valmika' or an anthill had grown over his body during his long period of austerities and poised state of penance, he came to be known as Valmiki.

The Epic Vision

When the mythical sage Narada came to his hermitage, Valmiki who received him with due honor, posed a question - who was an ideal man? The reply came from Narada in the form of Samkshepa Ramayana which formed the foundation on which the magnificent 24,000 verse edifice was built by Valmiki. Then, immersed deep into this story, Valmiki left for the river Tamasa with his disciple Bharadwaj. The pleasant and placid river reminded the seer of the mature and modest quality of his hero. He visualized a pure and pious man's mind reflected in the deep waters. In the next instant he witnessed a heartless hunter mercilessly killing a male bird that was in love with its mate. The piteous wailing of the distressed female moved the heart of the sage so much that he spontaneously uttered a curse on the hunter. However, this curse came out of his mouth in the form of a 'sloka', a perfectly metrical composition, which surprised the sage himself: "No - You shall not command any respect in society for a long time as you have shot dead an innocent bird engrossed in love". The sage had turned into a poet.

Lord Brahma's Command

His powerful emotions found equally powerful medium for their manifestation. It was a spontaneous outburst of his inner voice motivated by divine will. When he returned to his hermitage, Brahma (the fourfaced God, the creator), appeared to him and commanded him to compose an epic poem on the story of Ram as he had heard it from the great sage Narada, in his newly discovered metre. He also gave him the boon of the visions of all the incidents and the revelation of all the secrets connected with the story. Accordingly, Valmiki composed the epic, named it The Ramayana - the way or the conduct or the lifestory of Ram - the story of Ram's march in search of truth and righteousness.

A contemporary of the heroes of the Ramayana, Maharshi Valmiki gives very little information about himself since he was a sage who had completely dedicated his life to contemplation on God and service to humanity. History has no account of his life except that he figures briefly and modestly on two occasions in the course of the epic he wrote:

Valmiki's Cameo in Ramayana

He is one of the first sages whose hermitage Ram visits along with his wife and brother on his way to Chitrakoot after leaving Ayuodhya. Valmiki welcomes them with love, affection and reverence and utters just one word 'asyatam' (be seated). He feels honored when Ram accepts his request and sits a while.

The other occasion is when Ram banishes Sita, it is Valmiki that shelters her and rears up her twin sons Luv and Kush. When they recite the epic poem in his royal court, Ram invites Valmiki and requests him to bring Sita along so she can prove her chastity before the elders and sages. Valmiki is offended yet keeps his composure and says Sita would comply with Ram's wishes for he is her husband. While presenting Sita in the Mandapa (prayer hall) Valmiki utters words that highlight the penance and perseverance which Valmiki practiced his entire life.

In His Own Words

"I am the tenth son of the sage Prachetas. You belong to the great dynasty of Raghu. I do not remember to have uttered any lie so far in my life. I say that these two boys are your sons. I performed penance for thousands of years. I shall not accept the fruit of all my penance if there is any blemish in Maithili (Sita). I never entertained any ignoble thought, I never wronged any person, and I never spoke any vulgar word - I shall derive the benefit thereof only if Maithili is void of sin."

A True Sage

Valmiki was truly a Maharshi. I Panduranga Rao describes Valmiki in these words: "He was purity, penance, benevolence and meditation personified and the sole object of his dedication and contemplation was Man, a man leaves his selfish existence and lives for others identifying himself with the composite culture of the cosmic creation." The only work available of the great sage-poet, The Ramayana, has established the poet's timeless fame.

Bibliography

• Makers of Indian Literature: Valmiki by I Panduranga Rao (Sahitya Akademi) 1994
• Studes on Valmiki's Ramayana by GS Altekar (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute) 1987
• Maharshi Valmiki by Chalasani Subbaro (Machilipatnam) 1988

(~Author Subhamoy Das of this article published at About.com)

*** According to Dr. Nandini Sahu, Valmiki was from Kirata Bhil (a tribal) community. Many other sources also say that he was from tribal community. As there is very little information available about him, point of view differs. But he was first poet of Sanskit mostly specialists agree.

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An out of print ACK #378

Read about author & Kathasritsagara in earlier post.









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Contributors:

ACK #9 - Ajay Misra
ACK # 46 - Anon ( our old ACK conrtibutor friend who requested to not reveal his identity)
ACK #378 - Apoorva Chandar

All thanks & credits go these three friends.

ACK-052 & 053: Tukaram; Shrenik and The Hidden Truth

An out of print ACK

#68 Tukaram

A great saint who lived only for his God vittala -an incarnation of Lord Krishna, who in turn, is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu- in Hinduism. He faced varieties of difficulties with astonishing patience. He refused diamonds and opals offered by Shivaji Maharaj himself. He is also believed to be spiritual guru of Shivaji. His devotional songs are an invaluable contribution to Marathi spiritual literature.

Biography

Tukaram was born in 1608, in the small village of Dehu in the West Indian state of Maharashtra to Bolhoba and Kanakai a couple belonging to the lower Sudra* class. He had two other brothers. Despite their lower class status the family was well to do and enjoyed good social standing in the village. Tukaram's troubles started with the illness of his father, due to which he had to start supporting his family at the tender age of thirteen. Shortly thereafter, both his parents died. Tukaram's problems only mounted; death of his family members and economic hardship seemed to plague him.

Tukaram was married twice, his first wife Rakhumabai died due to starvation during a famine, his second wife Jijabai or Avali as she was called, was much younger than his first had been and had little patience with his devotion and for God and she nagged him continuously. He had three sons. Tukaram was initiated without any intermediaries as the other saints usually were. He dreamt that he was initiated by the Lord Hari himself dressed as a Brahman.

Tukaram continuously sang the praises of the Lord, he sang it in the form of abhangs which he wrote. These were in his mother tongue Marathi. The abhangs express his feelings and philosophical outlook. During his 41 years, Tukaram composed over 5,000 abhangs**. Many of them speak of events in his life, which make them somewhat autobiographical. Yet, they are focused on God, Pandurang, and not Tukaram. His abhangs became very popular with the masses of common people. It was this very popularity that caused the religious establishment (the high caste Brahmins) to hate and persecute Tukaram as, he was causing them to lose their power over the people.

There are many miracles attributed to Tukaram.

(~Biography from Oldpoetry.com)

*Tukaram’s family belonged to the Kshatriya (warrior) caste. His forefathers had embraced martyrdom while fighting the enemy on the battlefield. The family was also very cultured and religious. Worship of Lord Vithoba had been its hallmark for generations together and so was the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur. The family also had the distinction of being mahajans (money-lenders). It owned farmland engaged in money-lending and trade. The family owned two wadas (houses) at Dehu: one for residence and the other, in the marketplace, for trade and business. It enjoyed the respect of the villagers and also of those living in the immediate environs. They were called kunbis (farming community), because they engaged in agriculture and vanis (trading community) because of trading. However, Tukaram abjured all these, because of which he came to called gosavi (someone like a fakir). Nevertheless, ‘Gosavi’ was never the surname of the family. It was ‘More’ and ‘Gosavi’ was an honorific.
The vaishya (trader) community had come to be included among the shudras (the lowest in the social scale) about the time of the Bhagawad-geeta and during Jnanadev’s time, the Kshatriyas were also being counted among the shudras. Only two castes (Varna) had remained: the Brahmins and the shudras. Thus Tukaram also came to be called a shudra.

**Abhang means 'indestructible'. A true Abhang is supposed to carry in its lyrics, the ageless truths of life and spirit that know no death. Not every devotional song in Marati is an Abhang either.

Many many thanks to “Anonymous friend” for providing ACK scan.
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#322 (#730) Shrenik and The Hidden Truth

Inside cover story

The two Jain tales in this Amar Chitra Katha deal with Shrenik and Jinadatta whose stories teach the importance of bring astute and insightful without necessarily indulging in shrewdness or deceit.

Jain monks took a keen interest in the spiritual emancipation of the common people. To make their terse philosophy intelligible and interesting to any ordinary individual, they used the medium of stories. Thousands of such didactic stories in Sanskrit and Prakrit have come down to us.

‘Shrenik’ is retold from Harishena’s Bhrihat Katha Kosha (10th century) and ‘The Hidden Truth’ from Rajashekara’s Vinoda Katha Sangraha (14th century).

Many many thanks to “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-045: Panchatantra - The Brahmin and the Goat

My thanks to all persons who are participating in polling. Trend is showing that most of friends wish to read Jataka, Panchatantra, others similar tales first. OK.
I promised to be more active this year. I can inform you today, 30+ ACK are coming with interval of 1-2 days.

You have opportunity to choose next posts.

Here is leader. Enjoy.

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How the tales of the Panchatantra came to be told is itself an interesting story (read earlier post). The etymology of term ‘Panchatantra’ suggests that it is a combination of two words, ‘Pancha’ (five) and ‘Tantra’ (practice/ principle). So, the five principles or practices illustrated by Panchatantra are ‘Mitra Bhedha’ (Loss of Friends), ‘Mitra Laabha’ (Gaining Friends), ‘Suhrudbheda’ (Causing discord between Friends), ‘Vigraha’ (Separation) and ‘Sandhi’ (Union). Here are provided some of the popular tales from Panchatantra.
The study of the theories of philosophy, psychology and statecraft became engrossing when Vishnu Sharma drove the moral home through the mouths of talking animals and their escapades.
One unique feature of the tales is that most of the characters are animals; another, the tales form a chain of stories; a third, each of the tales has a distinct moral; and yet another, the tales have different levels of appeal.
The Panchatantra is the best guide to enroot moral values in children since its each tale has a moral lesson in its end. The morals which the Panchatantra seeks to teach continue to be relevant to this day and the stories themselves have not lost their novelty even two thousand years after they were first told.

Read Panchtantra stories online.

Many many thanks to our new member “Apoorva Chandar” for providing ACK scan.

ACK-036: Nagananda

An out of print ACK

Nagananda (Joy of the Serpents) is a Sanskrit play attributed to king Harsha (606 C.E. - 648 C.E.).

Nagananda is one of the best Sanskrit dramas in five acts dealing with the popular story of Jimutavahana's self-sacrifice to save the Nagas. The unique characteristic of this drama is the invocation to lord Buddha in the Nandi verse, which is considered as one of the best examples of the dramatic compositions.

Harsha was a distinguished and creative patron of religions and the arts. He lavished gifts on Buddhist institutions, and it is clear that he was profoundly influenced by Buddhist thought and practices. Still, there is no evidence that he became a Buddhist; rather it would seem that he remained a devotee of Shiva. Late in his life he may have become more concerned with the prosperity of Buddhist institutions as he emulated the manner of Asoka Maurya.

Kings and princes of India prided themselves on the accomplishments of artists, scholars, and poets whom they attracted to their courts. Harsha was no exception. And he had reason to be proud, for in his court were such great literary personalities as Banabhatta and Mayura.

Harsha's participation in the cultured life of his court was more direct than that of most kings, and it is in his personal contribution to Sanskrit literature that he clearly overshadows them. To him are assigned three plays: Priyadarsika, Ratnavali, and the Nagananda. In addition, he is credited with two significant poems on Buddhist themes--the Ashtamahasricaityastotra (Praise to Eight Grand Caityas [Buddhist assembly halls]) and Suprabhatastotra (Laud to Morning)--and a tract on grammatical gender, the Linganusasanam. Harsha's authorship has been disputed on several occasions, but no decisive contrary arguments have been proposed.

The Priyadarsika appears to be the earliest of Harsha's plays. It and the Ratnavali deal with the amorous adventures of the king Vatsa, his queen Vasavadatta, and newcomers to the royal harem. Both plays borrow from the earlier works of Bhasa and Kalidasa (especially the latter's Malavikagnimitra) and are based ultimately on material in the collection Brhatkatha. These plays lack thematic novelty but sustain interest through brisk dialogue. Both are frequently cited by later writers on dramatic theory and technique.

Harsha's Nagananda is his most important play. This five-act drama draws again on the Brhatkatha for the substance of its first three acts. In them, the hero, Jimutavahana, Prince of the Vidyadharas, meets and marries the Siddha princess Malayavati. To that point, the romance of the fairy prince and princess is quite conventional.

The mood of the play changes sharply in the fourth act. Jimutavahana discovers mounds of skeletons which evidence the daily sacrifice of serpents to the celestial bird Garuda. The hero resolves to offer his own body so that the serpents may be spared (a type of resolution very familiar in Buddhist literature). At the drama's conclusion it is the non-Buddhist goddess Gauri, however, who restores the bodhisattva, Jimutavahana, to life. In this attractive and moving drama, Harsha combined Buddhist and "Hindu" themes adroitly and uniquely, and through it one sees clearly his artistic and political genius.

With Harsha's death passed an age unduplicated in Indian history. There would be other Hindu political structures more extensive and longer-lived than Harsha's; and there would appear Sanskrit authors more facile and ingenious than he. But India has not produced again an individual of such wide-ranging talents who could wield the sword, the scepter, and the pen with equal authority.

Many many thanks to an “Anonymous friend” for providing this ACK scan.

ACK-034: Sridutta

An out of print ACK

This ACK is based on Kathasaritsagara (Ocean of Rivers of Stories) by poet Somadeva (11th century). Some detail about Somadeva is available in earlier post dated 3rd August 2008.

Many many thanks to “Ajay Misra” for providing this ACK scan.

ACK-029:The Ancestors of Rama; & ACK-030: The Celestial Necklace

Rama's Ancestry

The Sun Dynasty or Solar Dynasty or Suryavansha is one of the most prominent dynasties in the history of Hinduism, along with the "Chandravansha" or Lunar Dynasty.

"Suryavanshi" means a person belonging to this dynasty. This clan was the eldest and the most prosperous in ancient India till the rise of Magadh in the 6th century BC. Ayodhya, the city founded by Vaivasvata Manu son of Vivasvan or Vaivasvata, was their capital.

The full lineage from Brahma is given in the Ramayana by Valmiki, other important sources are the Mahabharat, the Ramayana , the Bhagwat Purana & the Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa

The List of Monarchs

The following is the list, in chronological order, of the monarchs of the solar dynasty. Most of them were rulers of Ayodhya and therefore, Kings of Kosala.

According to Bhagwat Purana, Brahma created sage 10 sages using his mental powers -Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaka, Kratu, Vasishtha, Prachetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, Nārada., one of whom was Marichi.

Kashyapa, the son of Marichi and Kala, is regarded as the father of humanity. His sons from Aditi, the sky goddess, and the daughter of Daksha Prajapati are called Adityas (Sons of Aditi), they were, Aṃśa, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhūti, Mitra, Pūṣan, Śakra, Savitṛ, Tvaṣṭṛ, Varuṇa, Viṣṇu, and Vivasvat or Vivasvan.

Vivasvan or Vaivasvata (one of the sons of Lord Sun) - the Sun God, progenitor of the clan. His parents were the sage Kashyapa, father of all beings, and Aditi, Aditi's 12 sons, the Adityas, are the sun deities, and both Vivaswan and Aditya mean sun. Therefore another name for Vivaswan is Surya or the Sun, hence the name, Suryavansha. Vivaswan's sons include Shrraaddev and Shanishchar. The river Tapi was named after Vivaswan's sister Tapti.

1. Manu or Vaivasvata Manu - the King of all mankind and the first human being. (According to Hindu belief there are 14 Manvantaras; in each, Manu rules. Vaivasvata Manu was the seventh Manu. Manu is referred to as a Rajan (King) in the Shatapatha Brahmana scripture. He founded the town of Ayodhya. He had nine sons, Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, Prishadhru, Nabhagarishta and one daughter, Ila, who was married to Budha of the Lunar Dynasty). He left the kingdom to the eldest male of the next generation, Ikshvaku, who was actually the son of Manu's brother Shraaddev.
2. Ikshvaku - the first prominent monarch of this dynasty, giving the dynasty its another name the Ikshvaku dynasty. He had one hundred sons. Fifty of them ruled Uttarapath (Northern India) and fifty ruled Dakshinapath (Southern India).
3. Vikukshi - He is said to have eaten the meat of a rabbit at the time of Shraddha and was known as Shasad. (Some records claim him to be grandson of Ikshvaku.) His son was Kakuthsa or Puranjay.
4. Kakutstha or Puranjaya - He was a brave king and fought in the Devasur Sangram. His original name was Puranjaya. But after he annihilated Asuras (demons) while sitting on the hump (Kukud) of a bull, he was known as Kakuthstha, which means seated on the hump. His dynasty was also known as Kakuthstha after him.
5. Anena or Anaranya
6. Prithu
7. Vishvagashva
8. Ardra or Chandra
9. Yuvanashva I
10. Shravast - He founded the town of Shravasti near Kosala.
11. Vrihadashva
12. Kuvalashva - He killed a Rakshasa named Dhundh. It is said that Dhundhar region and the Dhund river are named after Dhund. Eighteen of Kuvalashva's sons died in the battle with Dhund. Thereafter, Kuvalashva was called "Dhundhumara".
13. Dridhashva
14. Pramod
15. Haryashva I
16. Nikumbh
17. Santashva
18. Krishasva
19. Prasenjit I - His daughter Renuka was married to sage Jamdgni. She was mother of Parashurama.
20. Yuvanashva II - He was married to Gori, daughter of the Chandravanshi king Matinaar.
21. Mandhata - He became a famous and Chakravarti (ideal universal ruler) king. He defeated most of the other kings of his time. He married Bindumati, a daughter of the Chandravanshi king.
22. Purukutsa - He performed the Ashwamedha Yajna (horse sacrifice). He married Nagkanya "Narmada". He helped Nagas in their war against the Gandharvas.
23. Traddasyu
24. Sambhoot
25. Anaranya II
26. Trashdashva
27. Haryashva II
28. Vasuman
29. Tridhanva
30. Tryyaruna
31. Satyavrata or Trishanku - His original name was Satyavrata, but he committed three (tri) sins, and hence got the name Trishanku. First, while he was a prince, he misbehaved and was temporarily exiled from the kingdom. Next, he killed the milch cow of his preceptor Vasishta. His third sin was that he used the unsanctified meat of his kill as food. Trishanku also had a desire to ascend to heaven in his mortal body. After Vashistha refused him this boon, since it is against nature to ascend into heaven as a mortal, the sage Vishwamitra, Vashistha's rival, created another heaven for him, called "Trishanku's Heaven", and located in mid-air. His sons were Dhundumara, and Harishchandra, who was borh of the princess of "Kaikaya" named "Satyaraksha".
32. Harishchandra - He is known for his honesty, truth and devotion to duty or Dharma.
33. Rohitashva - He was the son of Harishchandra. He founded town of Rohtas Garh in Rohtas district, Bihar and Rohtak, originally Rohitakaul, meaning from the Kul (family) of Rohit
34. Harit
35. Chanchu
36. Vijay
37. Ruruk
38. Vrika
39. Bahu or Asit - He was attacked and defeated by another clan of Kshatriyas. After this, he left Ayodhya and went to the Himalaya mountains to live as an ascetic with his queens. At that time Yadavi queen was pregnant with Sagara.
40. Sagara - He recaptured Ayodhya from the "Haihaya" and "Taljanghi" Kshtriyas. He then attempted to perform the horse sacrifice, Ashwamedha Yajna. However, the sacrificial horse was stolen by the god Indra on the south eastern shores of the ocean, which was at that time an empty bed with no water in it. At least sixty of Sagara's sons died attempting to recover the horse, also causing great destruction by their reckless search. Puranic legends say the number of his sons was 60 thousand.
41. Asmanja - Sagara's surviving son was not made king due to his bad conduct.
42. Anshuman - He was the grandson of Sagara, and his successor as king. He did penance in an attempt to bring the holy river Ganges to earth, that she might wash away the sins of his ancestors.
43. Dileepa I - He also tried to bring Ganges to earth, but also failed.
44. Bhagiratha - Sagara's great-grandson, after strenuous penances, at last succeeded in bringing Ganga down from heaven. When she flowed over the remains of his ancestors, their souls were redeemed, and the ocean was refilled. Ganga also bears the name "Bhagirathi", in honour of his deed.
45. Shrut
46. Nabhag
47. Ambarish - According to Buddhist legends, he went to Tapovana to be a renunciant but after a public outcry returned and ruled for some time.
48. Sindhu Dweep
49. Pratayu
50. Shrutuparna
51. Sarvakama
52. Sudaas
53. Saudas or Mitrasah - He performed the Ashwamedha Yajna, but as the rituals were concluding a Rakshasa tricked him into serving human meat to Brahmin,s including Rishi Vashishta. He was then cursed by the Brahmins. He wanted to curse them back, but his wife prevented him. He spent twelve years in exile in the forest.
54. Sarvakama II
55. Ananaranya III
56. Nighna
57. Raghu I
58. Duliduh
59. Khatwang Dileepa
60. Raghu II or Dirghbahu - He was a famous king, who conquered most of India. The great epic Raghuvamsa describes his victories. After him the Sun dynasty was also known as the dynasty of Raghu or Raghu Vansha.
61. Aja
62. Dasaratha
63. Rama - He is considered the seventh Avatar of the god Vishnu. He is worshiped by every Hindu. Rama's story before he became king of Ayodhya is recounted in the Ramayana. After he ascended the throne, he performed the Ashwamedha Yajna. Bharata, his younger brother, won the country of Gandhara and settled there, where his two sons, Taksha and Pushkal, founded the cities of Taksashila and Pushkalavati, now known as Taxila and Peshawar. Rama's third brother, Lakshmana, founded Lakshmanpur, now known as Lucknow, and his youngest brother Shatrughna, Lakshmana's twin, was given Madhura which is now known as Mathura.

Sumitra - He was the last king (118^th) of Ayodhya from solar dynasty. In the fourth century BC, emperor Mahapadma Nanda of the Nanda Dynasty forced Sumitra to leave Ayodhya. He went to Rohtas with his sons. His son Kurma established his rule over Rohtas.

Above motioned Information based on Wikipedia, but modified with help some more authentic sources.

Many many thanks to “Ajnaabi” for providing ACK scan.

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An ACK based on JAIN STORY

Many many thanks to “Ajay Misra” for providing this ACK scan.

ACK-018: Himbala Aur Sat Baune; ACK-019: Hitopdesha How Friends are Parted; & ACK-020: Velu Thampi

The Flag of my country

Furls very high,
We belong to India, a nation of pride
& we say-"HINDU, MUSLIM, SIKH, ISAI, SAB HAI BHAI BHAI."
jai hind!!!

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we will redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance .... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again."

- Jawaharlal Nehru (Speech on Indian Independence Day, at the stroke of midnight August 15, 1947).

The day when India woke up to freedom back in 1947 was a day of great celebration. A country got rid of her foreign yoke and became a sovereign nation, she celebrated her sovereignty on this day - the triumph of numerous martyred souls. It was a day of fulfillment, it was the day of a new beginning, a birth of a nation.On the stroke of midnight, a country came into life again as the British handed over the governance of India to the Indian leaders.The long and difficult struggle had borne fruit at last, though the happiness was marred by the fact that the country was divided into India and Pakistan and the violent communal riots had left the countries permanently scarred.

That was the price that India paid for her dearly bought freedom. The British government declared the country independent and left for their own shores. On the 15th of August, 1947, India became completely independent. It was on this historic date that Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime Minister of India, unfurled the Indian tricolor on the ramparts the magnificent Red Fort, symbolically marking the end of the British colonial rule.

August 15 is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 138 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, in which Roland is killed.
  
• 927 - The Saracens are conquered and destroyed Taranto.
  
• 1040 - King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. The latter succeeds him as King of Scotland.
  
• 1057 - King Mac Bethad is killed in the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada.
  
• 1185 - The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia.
  
• 1248 - The foundation stone of the Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, was laid. Construction eventually completed in 1880.
  
• 1261 - Michael VIII Palaeologus is crowned Byzantine emperor in Constantinople.
  
• 1309 - The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights establish their headquarters on the island, and rename themselves as the Knights of Rhodes.
  
• 1461 - The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmet II. This is the real end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered.
  
• 1517 - Seven Portuguese armed vessels led by Fernão Pires de Andrade meet Chinese officials at the Pearl River estuary.
  
• 1519 - Panama City, Panama, is founded.
  
• 1534 - Saint Ignatius of Loyola and six classmates took initial vows that would lead to the creation of the Society of Jesus in September of 1540.
  
• 1537 - Asunción, Paraguay, is founded.
  
• 1540 - Arequipa, Peru, is founded.
  
• 1549 - Jesuit priest Saint Francis Xavier comes ashore at Kagoshima (Traditional Japanese date: July 22, 1549).
  
• 1599 - Nine Years War: Battle of Curlew Pass - Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces, led by Sir Conyers Clifford, were sent to relieve Collooney Castle.
  
• 1760 - Seven Years' War: Battle of Liegnitz - Frederick the Great's victory over the Austrians under Ernst von Laudon.
  
• 1824 - Freed American slaves form Liberia.
  
• 1843 - The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States.
  
• 1843 - Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest still intact amusement parks in the world, opens in Copenhagen, Denmark.
  
• 1863 - The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom (Traditional Japanese date: July 2, 1863).
  
• 1869 - Meiji government establishes six ministries below Pardication in the bottom of Cabinet, officer-of-Shinto-Worship, and jurisdiction of Cabinet.
  
• 1891 - San Sebastian Church in Manila, the first all-steel church in Asia, is officially inaugurated and blessed.
  
• 1914 - A male servant of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright set fire to the living quarters of the architect's Wisconsin home, Taliesin, murdered seven people, and burned the living quarters to the ground. It is unknown if the servant was arrested or not.
  
• 1914 - The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon.
  
• 1920 - Polish-Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw - Poles defeat the Red Army.
  
• 1935 - Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska.
  
• 1939 - 13 Stukas dive into the ground during a disastrous air-practice at Neuhammer. No survivors.
  
• 1942 - World War II: Operation Pedestal - The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island defenses.
  
• 1944 - World War II: Operation Dragoon - Allied forces land in southern France.
  
• 1945 - World War II: Victory over Japan Day - Japan surrenders.
  
• 1945 - World War II: Korean Liberation Day.
  
• 1947 - India gains independence from the United Kingdom and becomes an independent nation within the Commonwealth , Jawaharlal Nehru addresses the nation with the Indian Declaration of Independence and takes office as the first Prime Minister of India.
  
• 1947 - Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is sworn in as first Governor General of Pakistan at Karachi.
  
• 1948 - The Republic of Korea is established south of the 38th parallel north.
  
• 1950 - Srikakulam district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
  
• 1952 - Devon, United Kingdom A flashflood drenches the town of Lynmouth, killing 34 people.
  
• 1960 - Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) declares its independence from France.
  
• 1961 - Conrad Schumann flees from East Germany while on duty guarding the construction of the Berlin Wall.
  
• 1961 - Keiyo Road is specified to be the first driveway in Japan.
  
• 1962 - James Joseph Dresnok defected to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, running across the Korean DMZ. Dresnok still resides in the capital, Pyongyang.
  
• 1965 - The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City, marking the birth of stadium rock.
  
• 1969 - The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opens.
  
• 1971 - President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors.
  
• 1971 - Bahrain Independence Day.
  
• 1973 - Vietnam War: The United States bombing of Cambodia ends.
  
• 1974 - Yuk Young-soo, First Lady of South Korea is killed amid an apparent assassination attempt upon President of South Korea, Park Chung-hee, during the anniversarial ceremony of the Liberation day.
  
• 1974 - Turkish invasion of Cyprus continues, and the 37% of the island is now under Turkish control.
  
• 1975 - Military coup in Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujibur Rehman killed along with all family members, except Haseena Wajid.
  
• 1975 - Miki Takeo makes the first official pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine by a sitting prime minister on the anniversary of the end of World War II.
  
• 1977 - The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by The Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the "Wow! signal" for notation made by a volunteer on the project.
  
• 1999 - Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria; some 29 people killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco.
  
• 2003 - Global oil production begins a four-year plateau (and subsequent decline) in the face of rising demand, causing the start of the Oil price increases since 2003.
  
• 2007 - An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru killing 514 and injuring 1,090.
  

Holidays and observances

• VJ Day / VP Day (Victory over Japan Day/ Victory in the Pacific Day)
  
• India – Independence Day (from the United Kingdom, 1947).
  
• Egypt – Flooding of the Nile Day.
  
• Italy, Ferragosto, remembrance of an ancient Roman holiday in honor of Augustus (Feriae Augusti).
  
• Korea – Gwangbokjeol (Liberation Day).
  
• Tuva – Naadym.
  
• Costa Rica– Mother's Day.
  
• Eastern Orthodoxy – Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the commemoration of the death of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
  
• Feast day of the Assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Holy Day of Obligation. Public Holiday in: Austria, Belgium, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, East Timor, France, Greece, Guatemala, India, Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Poland, Portugal, Seychelles, Slovenia and Spain.

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Friends, these are the first 10 ACK, please add these in ACK list. These were based on famous fairy tales:

#1.Jack & The Bean Stalk
#2.Little Red Riding Hood
#3.Cinderella
#4.The Magic Fountain
#5.Aladdin & His Lamp
#6.Pinochhio
#7.The Three Little Pigs
#8.The Wizard of Oz
#9.The Sleeping Beauty
#10.Snow White & Seven Dwarfs

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Himbala Aur Sat Baune

(Snow White & Seven Dwarfs)

The Brothers Grimm, Jakob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), were German academics who were best known for publishing collections of folk tales and fairy tales and for their work in linguistics, relating to how the sounds in words shift over time (Grimm's Law). They are among the best known story tellers of novellas from Europe, allowing the widespread knowledge of such tales as Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel.

The German version features elements such as the magic mirror and the seven dwarfs, who were first given individual names in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

Download original story (50.5 KB)

Many many thanks to “Ajay Misra” for providing rare ACK scan.

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Hitopdesha
How Friends are Parted & other stories

One of the most widely read Sanskrit books in India, Hitopadesha tales are short stories that have the priceless treasure of morality and knowledge.

Hitopadesha has been derived from two words, hita and upadeśa. It basically means to counsel or advice with benevolence. The author of Hitopadesha, Narayana (11~12 th centuryA.D.) says that the main purpose of creating the Hitopadesha is to instruct young minds in a way that they learn the philosophy of life and are able to grow into responsible adults. The stories are very interesting and youngsters not only find it interesting, but also accept it easily.

The Emperor Akbar, impressed with the wisdom of its maxims and the ingenuity of its apologues, commended the work of translating it to his own minister Abdul Fazel. He accordingly put the book into a familiar style, and published it with explanations, under the title of the Criterion of Wisdom. He followed the Emperor's suggestion that the incantions which often interrupt the narrative be abridged.

Many many thanks to “Ajnaabi” for providing ACK scan.

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An out of print ACK

Velayudhan Chempakaraman Thampi (1765 - 1809) was the Dalawa or Prime Minister of the Indian kingdom of Travancore between 1801 AD and 1809 AD during the reign of His Highness Maharajah Bala Rama Varma Kulasekhara Perumal. He is best known for being one of the earliest individuals to rebel against British supremacy in India. He was an exceptional administrator and led a daring rebellion in 1808 against the British Resident Macaulay’s intervention in the affairs of Travancore.

In his famous Kundara proclamation, in 1809, Velu Thampi made an impassioned plea to the people to rise up against the British. In the beginning, he had many allies including Paliath Achan, the Diwan of Cochin. But in the later stages he fought a lonely battle as his army stood no chance against the modern weaponry of the mighty British. At the brink of defeat, he chose to kill himself than submit to a humiliating surrender. The British made a public display of his corpse in the gallows at Thiruvananthapuram.

Many many thanks to “Ajnaabi” for providing ACK scan.