Sattvam: Soulful Tales and Food for the Soul

Lord Vishnu is everywhere around us in this world. Here is a little story from the Bhagavatha where he reminds Lord Brahma of this fact. Seeing the leelas of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan, Lord Brahma decided to play a game with him. Whether he intended to reveal Lord Krishna’s divinity, test his powers, or assure himself that indeed it was this little cowherd boy who was going to save the world, we do not know, but he decided to play a trick on the Lord! So, one day when Lord Krishna and his friends were having lunch on the river bank after grazing the cows, Lord Brahma quietly came and hid all the cows. When Lord Krishna went in search of the cows, he hid his cowherd friends as well, in a faraway cave. When the five-year-old Lord Krishna came back and found his friends missing, he started searching all around for them. When he could not find them, he realised through his inner vision that this was Brahma’s mischief! He could have immediately gone to where his friends were hidden and ...

Thiruvarur is a kshetra that is enrobed in wonderful lore -- be it about its origin, or about the wondrous deeds of the presiding deities and their devotees. Here is one such story about how the resplendent statue of Lord Thyagaraja came to Earth, to reside in Thiruvarur and bless us all.  An innocent monkey lived on a bilva tree in Kailasha. Once when he was playing on the branches, some of the bilva leaves fell on Lord Shiva and Parvathi who were sitting under the tree. Nothing pleases Lord Shiva as much as an offering of bilva, and so the Lord called the monkey near him and said, “Dear monkey, you have pleased us by showering bilva leaves on us. We would like to give you a boon! What do you seek?”  The monkey had no answer. It simply sat and gazed, mesmerized by the divine image of the Lord and the Mother. “Oh Lord, I am already so gifted, having seen You and Mother together like this. What more do I need? I need nothing.”  Shocked by a boon But, Lord Shiva, th...

Here is how you can make your paruppu usili more nutritious by using whole legumes instead of deskinned dals… Paruppu Usili is a dish that is oft-repeated in Tamil, especially veg, kitchens, as it is an excellent source of protein. It is a dry dal crumble, which can be mixed with veggies, sevai (rice noodles) or poha to make interesting dishes. Here is what everyone knows: The preparation for paruppu usili usually starts with soaking tuvar dal and channa dal for a couple of hours. The soaked dal is ground with red chillies, turmeric and salt into a thick, coarse paste * . This mixture is patted into small vadas or rolled into small balls and steamed in a modak steamer or idli plate. The cooked dal balls are then crumbled and sautéed in coconut oil, with a tempering of mustard seeds, urad dal , asafoetida and curry leaves. The resultant aromatic and golden-hued dal crumble is the actual paruppu usili. This is then tossed with the desired quantity of boiled veggies like ring bean...

There are two interesting morals to be learnt from this simple Panchatantra story. First, we must heed the advice of good friends in a time of calamity. Second, we must learn to be silent when required! Sometimes our silence is more valuable than speech. Once upon a time, there was a tortoise called Kambugriva. He was a bit foolish and very talkative too! He was good friends with the swans Sankat and Vikat, who were intelligent and truthful. The tortoise and the swans spent many happy evenings together, talking about good things like the puranas, penance, etc.   Alas, one year, there was no rain and the pond that our friends lived in started to dry up. It became marshy and uninhabitable. The tortoise became very sad. It told the swans, “Oh friends, you are birds, you can fly away and find a new pond to live in. I, on the other hand, will have to perish once this pond dries up.” Sankat and Vikat were aggrieved by their friend’s remarks and said, “Oh Kambugriva, do not speak like tha...

You can achieve anything through real bhakti – if you seek it with pure intentions. Here is the story of a young boy who was blessed by Lord Shiva, with immortality and unending youth too.  Our salutations to Parvathi and Parameshwara Sage Mrikandu was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Unfortunately, his wife Marudmati and he were childless for long. He continued to keep his faith, and prayed sincerely to Lord Shiva. One day, the Lord appeared in front of the sage and asked, “Dear Mrikandu, I am happy with your unwavering devotion. What do you seek?” When the sage sought to be blessed with a son, Lord Shiva asked further, “Sage, do you wish for a noble son who will master the vedas but will live only for 16 years, or would you rather have a stupid son who will live a long but unfruitful life?” The wise sage obviously chose the former option!  Soon, the couple was blessed with a beautiful young boy, whom they named Markandeya. The boy was so endearing and kind that everyone love...