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Varanasi: A Sacred City in Mythology

According to Hindu mythology, the city of Varanasi was founded by Shiva after a fight with Brahma where Brahma's severed head fell from Shiva's hand and disappeared into the ground, making the city an extremely holy site. The Pandavas from the epic Mahabharata visited Varanasi to atone for sins committed during a war. Varanasi is one of seven cities believed to provide moksha or liberation from the cycle of life and death.

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54 views2 pages

Varanasi: A Sacred City in Mythology

According to Hindu mythology, the city of Varanasi was founded by Shiva after a fight with Brahma where Brahma's severed head fell from Shiva's hand and disappeared into the ground, making the city an extremely holy site. The Pandavas from the epic Mahabharata visited Varanasi to atone for sins committed during a war. Varanasi is one of seven cities believed to provide moksha or liberation from the cycle of life and death.

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16SA125.KaranThakkar
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History

Hindu mythology
According to Hindu mythology, Varanasi was
founded by Shiva,[16] one of three principal
deities along with Brahma and Vishnu. During a fight
between Brahma and Shiva, one of Brahma's five
heads was torn off by Shiva. As was the custom, the
victor carried the slain adversary's head in his hand
and let it hang down from his hand as an act of
ignominy, and a sign of his own bravery. A bridle
was also put into the mouth. Shiva thus dishonored
Brahma's head, and kept it with him at all times.
When he came to the city of Varanasi in this state,
the hanging head of Brahma dropped from Shiva's
hand and disappeared in the ground. Varanasi is
therefore considered an extremely holy site.[17]
The Pandavas, the protagonists of the Hindu
epic Mahabharata, are said to have visited the city in
search of Shiva to atone for their sin
of fratricide and Brāhmanahatya that they had
committed during the climactic Kurukshetra
War.[18] It is regarded as one of seven holy cities
(Sapta Puri) which can
provide Moksha; Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar,
Kashi, Kanchi, Avanti, and Dvārakā are the seven
cities known as the givers of liberation.[19] The
princesses Ambika and Ambalika of Kashi were wed
to the Hastinapur ruler Vichitravirya, and they later
gave birth to Pandu and Dhritarashtra. Bhima, a son
of Pandu, married a Kashi princess Valandhara and
their union resulted in the birth of Sarvaga, who later
ruled Kashi. Dhritarasthra's eldest
son Duryodhana also married a Kashi princess
Bhanumati, who later bore him a son Lakshman
Kumara and a daughter Lakshmanaa.

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