#the apsara's curse

[stxrrynxghts]

History of the Matsya Kingdom

Idk if y'all are interested or not, But I am compiling the facts I found out about Matsya or not, but I am still doing this post, haha-

So basically there was this King of Chedi called Uparichara Vasu. He was a friend of Indra's, and he was so special for Indra that he was gifted a flying chariot.

Uparichara was married to this lady named Girika, with whom he had many sons, as was normal.

Now comes the creepy part. One day he was roaming around, thought of his wife and well, ejaculated out of a sudden. He scooped his semen as he felt that "it was wrong to waste the semen in a fertile time".

So he scooped it into a leaf (ew) and gave it to a bird, to give it to his wife. IDK what she was supposed to do with it, but yeah-

so the bird dropped the leaf into the water, and this fish, who was actually an Apsara cursed to be a fish, swallowed it.

Now some fishermen caught it, and they opened her stomach to see two living human babies inside. They took the kids to the King, who took the boy, and gave the girl to the chief fisherman.

This girl grows up to become Satyavati. And the boy? He is named Matsya, and is later on given a part of Chedi, where he forms his own kingdom, named after him, aka Matsya.

Now, Uparichara is Chandravanshi King, who is descended from both Yadu and Puru, like most Kings of that time.

Historically, Matsya was one of the 16 Mahajanapadas. Geographically, it is to the south of Kurujangala and Shurasena Kingdom, hence, in present day Rajasthan. Some parts might have been part of MP and UP.

Pali Literature shows Matsya Kings as descendants of the Shurasena Kingdom.

The Matsya King featured in the Mahabharata is Virat, and it is in this kingdom, that the incognito year of the story takes place. Virat has many brothers and relatives as per the story.

He is married to Sudeshna, who is referred as Kaikeyi, so she is probably from Kekaya. Her brother is Kichaka, who is one of the most powerful dudes of the time. He is the commander-in-chief of Matsya.

Virat has four children, as per the Mahabharata, three sons Shweta, Shankha and Uttar, and one daughter Uttara. The order of these children is not specified, though.

Uttar is a very important character during the Virat War, when he and Arjun go and face the Kaurava army. Dude very naturally chickens out, but doesn't take Arjuna's credit at all.

As a token of credit, Virat requests Arjun to marry his daughter, which he (thankfully) refuses. Arjun instead sets up his student with his son, and the marriage takes place.

This marriage is described in very detail, with an assortment of gifts exchanged on both sides, and such a long list of gifts. Matsya is definitely rolling in gold.

Haha, how funny, how many sites call Virat an idiot and incompetent king, when he is called just so many times. FYI, despite so many allies, the Panchala and Matsya forces form the major part of the Pandava army.

Virat is a very crucial person in the war as well, seeing how he is one of the only Maharathis from their side, apart from Drupada, Arjuna and Abhimanyu.

Uttar dies on the 1st day of the war, after a fight with Shalya. He has defeated Shalya, but instead waits to taunt him, and Shalya kills him in the meanwhile.

Angered at his brother's death, Shweta goes berserk, attacking whoever comes in his way. Bhishma kills him with the Brahmastra, and unlike his would-be nephew, Shweta does NOT survive. The Pandava army "mourn" the loss of their "hero".

Shankha dies on the fifth day, at Drona's hands, then Virat follows him in the same manner on the 15th day. The rest of the Matsyas are either killed by Drona on the 14th and 15th days, or by Ashwatthama on the night of the 18th day.

Uttara is the only surviving Matsya kid left, and her son Parikshit and his descendants, the only ones carrying the blood of the Matsyas.

BTW, by this logic, aren't Uttara and Abhimanyu cousins? Like, very distantly yes, being Chandravanshis with Puru and Yadu's blood but see-

Uparichara Vasu-> Satyavati-> Vichitraveerya->Pandu->Arjun->Abhimanyu and

Uparichara Vasu-> Matsya->Son->Son->Virat->Uttara unless Virat isn't of Arjun's generation, but Pandu's? He is mentioned as aged so much, and he and Drupada are always mentioned together-

It is possible that Virat was closer to Karna in age than the Pandavas, and Uttara can still marry Abhimanyu, as she is the youngest kid (until one of her brothers is younger than her?)

BTW, they ain't direct cousins, even by the logic I specified above, since all the human blood in Arjuna is from Kunti, not Pandu. So Abhimanyu is what....1/4 god, 3/4 Yadava(?) technically?

[jedineedlove]

Monkey Man:

I watched this new movie trailer Monkey Man and with it Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god.

Usually, I talk about JTTW and Sun Wukong but this new movie trailer inspired me to take a look into this monkey god. Hanuman is the most celebrated and worshipped figure in Indian religion. And said to be the inspiration for Sun Wukong.

(What I wrote I just right what I learned from some research please don't hesitate to commoner below if I got anything wrong or missed anything Thank you. :) )

 There are several stories told to explain Hanuman's origins.:

One interpretation Shiva and Parvati decided to transform themselves into monkeys in the forest.  As a result, Parvati becomes pregnant.  Shiva directs the wind god Vayu to carry the offspring from Parvati's womb to that of Anjana - an Apsara with the form of a monkey who has prayed to be granted a boy.

According to Hindu legends, Hanuman was born to mother Anjana and father Kesari.

Hanuman is also called the son of the deity Vayu (Wind god) because of legends associated with Vayu's role in Hanuman's birth and is said to be the incarnation of Shiva (Destroyer god)

image above (Vayu)

Another tale of his birth is "when Anjana was worshiping Vayu, the King Dasharatha of Ayodhya was also performing the ritual of Putrakameshti yagna to have children. As a result, he received some sacred pudding (payasam) to be shared by his three wives, leading to the births of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. By divine ordinance, a kite snatched a fragment of that pudding and dropped it while flying over the forest where Anjana was engaged in worship. Vayu delivered the falling pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana, who consumed it, leading to the birth of Hanuman".

The majority of the stories contain Vayu and Anjana.

Similar to Wukong Hanuman had a youth full of mischief (usually with the gods and sages) and some familiar powers.

"As a youth Hanuman often abused his powers to pester the saints and holy men living in a nearby forest, with tricks such as beard pulling and the dousing of sacred fires.  However, it is as an adult that the monkey god Hanuman comes into his own."

"Indra, the king of the gods, struck Hanuman with a thunderbolt on the jaw(hanu), thus inspiring the name. When Hanuman continued to misbehave, powerful sages cursed him to forget his magic powers, such as the ability to fly or to become infinitely large, until he was reminded of them."

"The god Indra grants Hanuman a wish that his body would be as strong as Indra's Vajra and that his Vajra can also not harm him. Along with Indra other gods have also granted him wishes: the God Agni granted Hanuman a wish that fire won't harm him; God Varuna granted a wish for Hanuman that water won't harm him; God Vayu granted a wish for Hanuman that he will be as fast as wind and the wind won't harm him. Brahma also granted Hanuman a wish that he could move to any place where he could not be stopped. Hence these wishes make Hanuman an immortal, who has unique powers and strength."

"He is said to have transformed into the size of mountain, and flew across the narrow channel to Lanka." "he shrinks down to the size of an ant and sneaks into the city." "Upon arriving, he discovered that there were many herbs along the mountainside, and did not want to take the wrong herb back. So instead, he grew to the size of a mountain, ripped the mountain from the Earth, and flew it back to the battle. "

How the two are not alike is Hanuman was a being who wanted nothing to do with immortality and wanted to serve the Rama. Nothing like the free spirit and immortally seeking Wukong.

"After blessing all those who aided him in the battle with gifts, Rama gave Hanuman his gift, who threw it away. Many court officials, perplexed, were angered by this act. Hanuman replied that rather than needing a gift to remember Rama, he would always be in his heart. Some court officials, still upset, asked him for proof, and Hanuman tore open his chest, which had an image of Rama and Sita on his heart.

Now proven as a true devotee, Rama cured him and blessed him with immortality, but Hanuman refused this and asked only for a place at Rama's feet to worship him. Touched, Rama blessed him with immortality anyway. Like Shesha Nag, Hanuman would live on after the kalpa (destruction of the universe)."

Fun Fact:

The namesake " One interpretation of "Hanuman" is "one having a disfigured jaw". It is due to that earlier tale of Indra striking him as a child in the jaw with a lightning bolt. Because child Hanuman mistook the sun for a fruit and tried to take a bite.

That then leads to the other gods and Indra giving him powers and wishes. There is another version the other is he was burned to ash and was brought back but had a bad jaw when he was restored.

"Though Hanuman is described to be celibate in the Ramayana and most of the Puranas, according to some regional sources, Hanuman married Suvarchala, the daughter of Surya (Sun-God). However, once Hanuman was flying above the seas to go to Lanka, a drop of his sweat fell into the mouth of a crocodile, which eventually turned into a baby. The monkey baby was delivered by the crocodile, who was soon retrieved by Ahiravana, and raised by him, named Makardhwaja, and made the guard of the gates of Patala, the former's kingdom. One day, Hanuman, when going to save Rama and Lakshmana from Ahiravana, faced Makardhwaja and defeated him in combat. Later, after knowing the reality and after saving both, he made his son, the king of Patala.o"

(Can't wait to see the movie Monkey Man when it comes out:))

[triviareads]

There's a part of the Mahabharata where Arjuna is cursed by an apsara who he spurns to essentially be neither man nor woman, or take on a more feminine aspect in some versions. During this time, he is taught by Krishna to use this to his advantage so he disguises himself as the dance teacher Brihannala. I was thinking about how I grew up reading stories like this (there are multiple instances of this, and gender is fluid in some cases) but I never really made the connection between this and modern queerness until fairly recently. My sister actually made this beautiful comparison between the movie and this portion of the Mahabharata— when Zakir Hussain is playing the tabla during Kid's training montage with the hijra community, she said it reminded her of Arjuna as Brihannala because Arjuna too was using music and the arts (because he was disguised as a dance teacher), something that is seen as feminine, as means of taking back their power against evil.

[shut-up-rabert]

Apsaras

What they are:

-> Nymphs who posses some divine power, a part of the divine ladder in the hindu pantheon

-> personification of art forms of dance, which they represent by dancing (y’know, kinda like how Indra represents being a king by sitting on the king’s throne :/)

-> Dancers amongst the court of gods because dancing and certain other arts are what they govern and genuinely enjoy depicting their skills in their house (again, kinda like how Kamdev enjoys making people fall in love or how gandharvas love playing instruments)

-> Married women who dearly love their respective husbands i.e. the gandharvas aka divine musicians, an allegory to the relation between music and dance.

-> Female dieties respected by gods and goddesses whom they dance for because dancing wasn’t seen as scandalous in ancient hinduism, it was just another form of art unless being explicitly used for seduction.

-> a kind of lower deity that you have to respect like every other deity because they will curse shall you dare cross your limits (remember: Raavan)

What they are not:

-> Sexy ladies you get after you reach heaven in hinduism (which you won’t if this is your thought process)

[sleep-can-wait]

Recollections (Those Truthful Stars)

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PREVIOUSLY: Through A Mother's Eyes

I promise the pov will make so much more sense at the end.

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Those Endless Nights

The day you opened your eyes, the stars promised you that you’d be rich in happiness and find the purest form of love.

So you hadn’t expected it when misery became your dearly despised friend, hadn’t expected that you’d be abandoned by who you thought you’d love forever, and who’d love you just as long in return. 

You hadn’t expected to give up your immortality, only to be backstabbed by the person you gave it up for, hadn’t expected someday you’ll die.

You hadn’t expected the world would shatter into misshapen shards around your feet that cut jagged wounds into your soles.

You hadn’t expected the stars to be right.

— — —

“Ulloo?” Your mother called. Owl.

“Ma?” You replied, twirling before the large mirror that stood in the large hall that led to Menaka’s Spa.

“Promise that you will never leave me.” You thought about it for a moment with pursed lips and struck a pose with one small hand up and the other down, fingers splayed.

“Okay.” Menaka smiled contentedly before giving her attention back to the magazine in her hands. You started your dance once again.

— — —

“And you’re sure stardom is your calling?”

“Yes, it had my name written on it the day I was born.” Urvashi sighed and gently stirred her ice cream with the tip of her finger before licking it off.

“Alright, if that’s what you want.” You grinned in return.

“I do, so teach me everything you know.”

“You’re a strange five-year-old, you know that?” 

“I’m seven.” You giddily hummed the melody of your happy, eternal future.

— — —

You delicately thunked your heels against the wooden floor of the dance studio, making your anklets chime in rhythm. With each slap of the foot came the flashing of fingers curled in a lotus.

“Impressive.” Urvashi waved her hand to stop the music that thumped through your skull and pumped through your veins.

“I can do better.” You always thought you could do better.

“You can, but right now it’s time for you to enter Nidra’s Halls.” You pouted but obeyed the elder’s wishes. 

The fall and rise and flare of the music’s beat was your companion in the realm of sleep that night. And every night after that. You thought those nights would never end.

— — —

They found you as you made your way toward the Frozen Dreams and Yogurt stall and swarmed you with notebooks and cameras.

“Is your mother around?” The Otherworld’s residents asked with eager eyes. “What about your sisters? Are they close by?” Their heads enthusiastically flicked here and there, as if they were high on caffeine, desperate to catch the first glimpse of your famous family. Their hands were ready to receive autographs and their smiles wide preparing for a dozen selfies.

“No.”

And just like that, they were gone, disinterested in you without the presence of the other apsaras hovering about. A few snapped a couple of pictures before muttering about how it would ‘gain them a few likes and would have to do for now’ before stalking off.

You bit the inside of your cheek until your irritation cooled. You’d make sure they’d never ignore you like this soon, and you thought there would be endless centuries to show them how wrong they were. But for now, you decided a hat would be good to wear when outside.

— — —

“I’m worried about… your child, Menaka.” You leaned towards the door more so that you could snatch up more pieces of their broken conversation.

“What do you mean by that?” You could hear fury flavoring each word your mother uttered.

“Nothing! It’s just… how do you know she won’t end up like… like her?” ‘Who?’ You inched even closer.

“Who?” Menaka echoed your thoughts.

“The cursed one…” They muttered, and your mother’s nostrils flared with anger.

“She is nothing like Shakuntula! How dare you assume-!”

“But Malini, though she is very pretty, isn’t exceptionally so. She doesn’t stand out among the heavenly dancers. She can dance, but it’s just like anyone else’s. And she’ll never make it in the singing department. I don’t need to hear her to know that, she’s much too quiet. Shakuntula was just the same. I’m afraid, just like her, Malini will fall in love with other mediocre—” They tried to smush flattery in their scathing remarks, but it only helped to fan the fire of their words and your mother’s temper.

“Shut up! All of you! I never want to see your faces again! You are supposed to be her family, my family! You think you can just waltz in here unannounced and-!” 

— — —

You were not even sure how you ended up back in front of the mirror in Menaka’s Spa. One moment you were listening to your aunts and mother ramble about your apparent inadequacy, the next you were staring at your own reflection.

You gazed at yourself, pinpointing your every flaw and desperately wanting to grab an eraser and rub it off. Your eyes were too big for your face and your lips too thin. Nothing about you was outstanding. 

You thought your dancing had gotten better to make up for that, but apparently, Urvashi had been pity-complimenting you.

Your fists clenched at your sides and you gritted your teeth to stop the hot tears that already stung your eyes.

No, you would not let yourself become like Shakuntula, whoever that was. And to accomplish that, you needed to find out who this cursed child was first.

You think to yourself that you’ll never forget the words they said, never let their words that scarred the insides of your ears fade. Those were your battle wounds, after all.

— — —

You’d read through the entire copy of The Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling and were ninety percent sure that wasn’t it. No mention of ‘Shakuntula’ either. You’d leafed through every book the Otherworld had to offer and came back with nothing every time.

“I will find you, whoever you are,” You muttered before stalking off to dance. You had a million and more years to figure it out.

— — —

“You don’t seem as enthusiastic as you did before,” Urvashi commented after another lame performance you presented to her.

You hung her head in response.

“What’s the point, I’m no good anyways.”

“What are you talking about, of course you are!”

“But not like you!”

“Obviously, no one can pull it off like I can.” There was more silence as you looked away from those penetrating eyes. Urvashi sighed.

“Right now, I can see you are not very passionate about dancing.” You finally looked at your older sister, dreading her next words.

“You may come back once you really, really want to dance for you and yourself only.” Saying that, Urvashi turned on her heel and sashayed off.

— — —

“Why are you trying to find out about... her?” You looked at your mother, mystified.

“Who?”

“Shakuntula,” Menaka snapped, towering over you. Her shadow pressed heavily against your shoulders.

“Oh…” You shrugged.

“Well, don’t.” Your laptop which held the words ‘Who is Shakuntula?’ was snatched away from you. “She has nothing to do with you, alright?” You shrugged again.

— — —

“I told you to stop looking into her!” The book on ‘Apsara Curses’ was pried from your gasp. You pouted. Just as you were getting to the chapter on a guy who forgot about his lover until a fish came to save the day.

“How do you know if I was even looking her up?” You glared up at your scowling mother.

That only deepened her grouchy exterior. “I just… I just know! Stay away from fishes!” With that, Menaka stomped off.

“Fishes? Interesting…”

— — —

“We need to talk.” You looked up from your article on why fish stocks were rising to see a frustrated Menaka looking down on you with her arms crossed.

“Who is Shakuntula?” You asked immediately, ignoring your mother’s previous treats, which promptly elicited a sigh from the other woman.

“Was. What all do you know about her so far?”

“Pronouns are she/her, she was your child so probably an apsara, and she was cursed. Oh, also fishes.” Another sigh.

“It’s way past your bedtime so go to sleep. I’ll tell you about her tomorrow.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” And, anyway, she had an eternity to tell you.

— — —

If you were being honest, you hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night as you braced yourself to find out who Shakuntula, your supposed sister, was. Fingers crossed she was not a fish.

You took a deep breath in and watched as the doors to your mother’s office silently opened on their own. You took slow, steady steps, yet each seemed to echo against the walls, amplifying the pounding in your ears. 

Menaka was seated at the end of the hall, looking as regal as always.

“Sit down.” Her deep voice reverberated through your skull. “It’s time I tell you about another member of our family. Someone who came long before you.”

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I'm begging you all to pls tell me if you like this or not pls pls pls

also I'm posting this early cuz I have to go to the opticianist now.

[cinnamonspicewritingroom]

More Than Diamonds

Announcement

Hello, due to changes of work place, and applying to master degree I took a hiatus; while I have returned, I found several plot holes in my draft and things I would like to change, so it will fit to other stories I plan to publish, however it will not affect the main story plot.

I will not take More Than Diamonds down, but at the same time I am currently in the process of re-writing the story. When I have publish the chapters, I will put a note showing when it was re-published.

Thank you very much for supporting this story, and I will try to make it better in the future

Pairing: Prince Friedrich x Princess! Reader Description: Britain has gained themselves a new royalty nearing the debutante ball of 1813. Princess Amelia of Siam was sent as the new Ambassador of Siam. In Britain Princess Amelia was able to find her family, but will that be all?  After the failed courting between Daphne and prince Friedrich, it was a surprise to everyone that he stayed in London. However, Prince Friedrich is anything, but a coward. He came to Britain to find a wife and one failed courting will not chase him out of the country with a tail between his legs.  What both Amelia and Friedrich never thought to happen is, the friendship that blossomed between them and their growing feelings for one another. Friedrich was never a coward, but he is when it comes to Amelia. Everyone said Amelia is a genius, but not when it comes to love, because she is truly lost on what to do with these butterflies in her stomach. Tags: Slow burn, Coming of age, Time-Travel, Back to the past, Friends to Lovers, Royalties, Oblivious!FLxObvious!ML, Jealous! Friedrich, Slightly Possessive! Friedrich, Black cat gf, Golden retriever bf Timeline: S1&S2

Chapter 1. Ready, Set, Sail!

[Bangkok, 1812]

Her fast-approaching footsteps echoed in the hall of the Grand Palace. Her long, dark brown hair swaying with every move, the crinkling sound of her bracelets ringing like bells. Reaching the room she was searching for, she slammed the door open without bothering to knock.

“Brother!” She marched inside, stopping just in front of a desk. The man behind the desk glanced up slightly from the documents he was reading, dark brown eyes meeting her light brown ones. Her eyebrows furrowed as a frown marred her face.

“Yes, Apsara?” He sighed and set down his document to give her his full attention. He had a feeling about what they would be discussing now. Amelia’s frown deepened, and her fingers reached to toy with her bracelets, leaving a crinkling sound ringing across the room.

“I am to set sail for England. London, to be precise,” Amelia bitterly spat. Her light brown eyes equally analysed her brother’s movements, the same way he was doing to her right now. His dark brown eyes searched for any muscle movement that might betray her facial expression and let out a low humming sound.

“I see…” He intertwined his fingers on top of his desk. “You will be missed, dear sister. When will your trip start?” While her eyes might not betray her, her jaw did. Amelia tightened her jaw to prevent herself from outright cursing at her brother, Rama III, the strongest candidate for the throne, but more than that, he is her older brother, the one of the bunch who actually cared for her. Or so she thought.

“Do you mean that, brother?” Rama III, or by his birth name, Thap, saw the crestfallen look of his sister and how her voice trembled at the end. He knew she probably felt betrayed and speculated that he was sending her away because he didn’t love her anymore.

“Your absence will certainly be missed, Apsara,” he sincerely said, but this angered her even more. The pale cheeks she got from her mother’s heritage were now red, tears pooled her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled. Now this alarmed him. If she cried out in frustration, he would definitely be in trouble with Father. Truly, he just wanted to tease her a bit before explaining why she was the best candidate to go as an Ambassador, representing Siam.

Despite being half-siblings, Thap was actually doting towards most of his younger siblings, not that he would admit it. However, he had a bigger soft spot for Amelia than others, especially since he saw and took care of her more than his other siblings.

“Brother Thap, are you sending me away?” Aww… This is actually sad. Amelia was now looking very much like the sad wet cat meme. “I cannot say the same about our siblings, but you must know that I have no ambition for the throne, brother. Do remember that my gender disallows me to. I will never covet your right for the throne–” “And I appreciate you for it, Apsara. By no means did I ever think that you would covet the throne,” Amelia looked up at him, all crestfallen.

“Then why did you ask our father to send me away to England? There is no reason for me to be away from my own country and to a faraway land–” Amelia stopped for 3 seconds “Am I being cast away-” “No,” he quickly answered, now she was confused. “Want to give it another go?” Amelia glanced at the ceiling before her eyes were back at him. “I’m getting married-” Thap barked out a laugh “Father would rather shave himself bald than let you get married.” He waved in dismissal.

“I’m getting sold off?” Thap gave her a weirded-out look. “Cattle would be much more beneficial. We are not lacking in funds that we need to sell you off–” Well, rude. “Then why are you sending me away to England?” Amelia groaned, frustrated.

“You are to represent Siam in England as the new ambassador.” Amelia looked at her brother, flabbergasted. “Brother… You are the ambassador. You are Siam’s Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs. I can’t do that to you.” Thap nodded with a smile and got up from his seat to stand in front of his younger sister.

“Many people said that I am the most intelligent out of all the siblings, but we know that is untrue. Everyone in the Siamese court knows I can’t become the Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs without you, and I am upset despite being the one deserving of the position, you are being prevented by your gender.” He stroked Amelia’s head gently.

"I know you love Siam, which is why you are so against leaving the country, but right now, Siam needs your help to solidify our position internationally, and we need the best person to represent us. There is nobody better than you, Apsara. One day, when I take the throne, I want to change our country. I want you to be Siam’s very first female Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs." Amelia took a sharp breath, and she stared at her brother. Scrunching her face a bit, she let out her breath of defeat.

“There is no end when it comes to arguing with you, brother. If you are sure about this… Then I will accept the mission. Father arranged for me to depart in January.” Amelia leaned forward and hugged her older brother affectionately.

“So you will set sail in January. Make sure to choose your staff, 10 people, and we will prepare your residence there. Also, go to your mother.” Amelia distanced herself from him. “10 staff? Why do I need so many people?” Thap just realised that all this time Amelia prepared him to deal with foreign affairs, but this will be her first time travelling abroad. His sister will be on a boat for a month and then be in another country for… He doesn’t know how many months or even years. Colours start to drain from his face. His sister… She will be vulnerable.

“Apologies, sister. Make it 20.” “20 staff? Whatever for?” Amelia blinked as Thap continued to pat her head. “Maids to take care of the house, head-chef and sous-chefs, personal doctors, ladies-in-waiting, lord-in-waiting for foreign affairs, baroness-in-waiting for dealing with high-society, especially when dealing with the wives and at least 6 royal guards.” Amelia wanted to reject and say that amount of people is too much, but she knows it’s no use to argue with her brother. He is like a dog with a bone and will never let go, so she just nods.

***

[Bangkok, 1813]

This is it… No backing down. Tomorrow, Amelia must depart for England, a foreign land far from her home. She has been to London before, far in the future, when she was still Pimchanok Davika Yontararak. Amelia wanted to survive and see Siam, or what in the future would be Thailand, thrive. Instead of becoming a diplomat, she pushed her brother, Rama III, to be the perfect diplomat and politician. He has the potential.

Now Amelia can’t hide behind her brother as he pushes her forward into the limelight. Like Davika, who flew to America, tomorrow, Amelia will set sail to England, once again as a diplomat. ‘What a terrifying coincidence,’ Amelia thought to herself as she watched her maids packing up belongings that will be in her carry-on.

Amelia must admit, her greed to make Siam a great country has pushed timelines forward. Siam’s openness towards modernization and western nations was supposed to happen in the future, during her younger brother, Mongkut’s reign. Yet, she is stealing ideas from people and stealing ideas from the future, developing them themselves.

“What are you thinking so hard, Apsara?” Her mother placed a palm on her shoulder as she joined her on the bed. “Nothing, mother. Just dreading the long journey to England. I will be on a boat for a whole month.” Amelia sighed and leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder.

“Oh, I know, honey.” Her mother kissed her on the forehead. “I remember how I travelled to Ayutthaya all those years ago. It took me 1 and a half months to arrive.” This made Amelia sigh and sneak her arms, looping it on her mother’s waist. “I’m going to miss you, mother.” Her mother hugged her close, stroking her back and combing her hair with her dainty fingers.

“Ahem—” And just like that, their mother-daughter moments were ruined. Amelia looked behind her shoulder to see her father standing there. Her light brown eyes narrowed as her piercing gaze pinned on her father. “Seeing your daughter for the last time before exiling her to another man’s land, dear father?” Her father, Rama II, or known by his birth name as Chim, rolled his eyes as he walked inside her chamber, passing through the bowing maids.

“Stop being dramatic, Amelia. I’m here to see my wife, right, Felicia?” He tore her mother from her embrace and brought her to his lap as he sat on her bed. Felicia quickly encircled her arms around his neck and his on her waist.

“How was your day, darling?” Felicia asked as he was busy leaving kisses on her cheek. Amelia groaned at the public display of affection and flopped back on her belly. “Can you love birds leave my chamber? If you want to act all romantic, please do it somewhere more private so I will not be scarred for life.” Chim gave her a teasing look.

“Then find one for yourself—” Amelia sat up. “If I find one there, I’d have to go wherever he goes. Do you really want that?” His smile dropped so fast. “No. You’re there to work, not to find a husband. Apsara, you better not go back with a suitor or worse—pregnant.” Felicia laughed at her husband’s overprotectiveness of their daughter. This made Chim pouted a bit as Amelia chuckled and shook her head. “Come on, darling. Apsara needs to sleep as she needs to wake up early tomorrow.” Chim was still pouting, but he followed his wife. The pair went out after giving her a kiss on the forehead.

***

Her departure was quick and not all that touching, to be honest. Her father and brother, Rama III, acted all formally about this. They reminded her of her responsibility as Siam’s representative in England and told her, while she is an ambassador, she is also a princess. If anyone at all tries to besmirch her name, Siam will not hesitate to reciprocate and declare war.

“Oh, my daughter Apsara.” Felicia hugged her only child and daughter. “You are now so big and about to travel all on your own.” She cupped Amelia’s face using both of her hands. Her mother was warm, was what Amelia was thinking about. She will definitely miss her mother’s warmth.

“Apsara, I need you to do me a favour.” Felicia handed her a necklace with a locket and a letter. “Give this to the Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, Prince Henry William of Gloucester, or the Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, Abigail of Gloucester. I need you to find them for me.” Amelia gave it a look before accepting the letter and necklace with a nod. “Alright, mother. I will make sure to give it to them and send you a letter once I do.” Felicia nodded and gave Amelia a hug one last time.

The sight of her family waving on the dock as she set sail was something she would never forget. Her younger brother from a different mother, Mongkut, was crying as he held on to his father. Amelia was surprised; after all, despite helping with his education, she could not say they have the best relationship. At most, they were civilised with each other.

Amelia turned around once the ship was far enough from the sight of her family. Well, this is it. The start of her month-long journey to England.

***

[London, 1813]

Contrary to what she thought, a month passed by quickly. Throughout her journey, she managed to visit many countries and grasp the basics of their main supplies and demands. This was important information, after all, so she tried to gather as much as possible and planned to write this back to Rama III as soon as she arrived in London.

As soon as she arrived in London, Amelia and her 20 staff were greeted by the British King’s Guards. Hugo, her lord-in-waiting, was sorting it out with the guards. Soon, they were divided into 4 carriages. Amelia, her lord and lady-in-waiting, along with the Siamese Royal Guards, all headed to the palace, while the rest of her entourage were sent to her mansion, one that was prepared by her father.

Buckingham Palace was grand, although lacking in colour; most of the exterior of the building was cream and white. Very different from the palace back home with all the intricate shapes and gold colours.

Right now, Amelia was waiting to be presented to the Queen of England, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of King George III, and one of the more prominent characters in the Bridgerton series. Man… She didn’t even get to watch Anthony’s season as she died too soon… Amelia sighed as she toyed with her rows of gold bracelets on her arms. She had replaced her headdress with a simple tiara while she was in England and decided to only wear it during formal occasions.

A knock erupted from the door. One of her guards opened the door along with Hugo. It was one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting. She was here to inform them the Queen was ready for their appearance.

“Lady Amelia, Queen Charlotte of England is ready,” Hugo informed her as she nodded. “Alright,” Amelia replied, standing up, and Lynn, her lady-in-waiting, helped to straighten her clothes.

“Once you are in front of the room, wait for a moment as the Queen’s guard will announce your arrival,” Hugo explained to Amelia the procedure in Siamese language. Amelia nodded. “Will it only be the Queen?” Hugo shook his head. “Aside from the Queen and her ladies-in-waiting, I heard she also gathered her children. The King, on the other hand, is absent as he has been ill for some while.” Amelia nodded, and they stopped their conversation as they arrived in front of the room.

“Ambassador of Siam, Lady Amelia Chakri.” The door was soon opened, and Amelia quickly looked straight at the Queen, who was standing in the middle of a podium, surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting; she could see the Princes and Princesses standing on either side of the podium. Amelia tried to remain stable and perfect.

With practised grace, Amelia kept her gaze straight on the Queen as she walked with poise. Her steps were confident and never faltered. Several steps from the podium, Amelia stopped and did a proper curtsy to the Queen and greeted with a simple ‘Your Majesty’. No suspicion there…

As Amelia ascended, she could see the satisfied smile of the Queen. The Queen stepped down from the podium to greet Amelia. Her eyes wavered a bit. Fuck-

“Greetings, Lady Amelia. I hope there was no trouble on your trip here.” Amelia gave the Queen a smile. “There was none, your majesty.” The Queen nodded before she gestured to her children. No way…

“Lady Amelia, I would like to introduce you to my children,” It was a long introduction and chat as one by one, all her 15 children were introduced to her. Queen Charlotte had the face of Golda Rosheuvel- The actress who played Queen Charlotte in the Bridgerton series.

Words: 2615 words

Edited: 29 March, 2024

More Than Diamond's Master List

IMPORTANT NOTES A/N: Hello, how are you guys? I hope you are well. Regarding this story that is following Julia Quinn's hit series, Bridgerton, I would start by saying I read the book first before I watch the Netflix series, thus I apologize if there are some differences with the Netflix version, but I will try to make it as similar as possible. I would also ask the readers to be kind when criticizing this story as this is my first time to actually publishing my work in the open. For the story, as you can see there is a time-travel tag. Our reader was sent back to the past with all the knowledge from the future. If you are also confused with Davika's education, I actually based her using Spencer Reid, a character from Criminal Minds. I also made Friedrich to be a year younger than Benedict when in actuality, he was born in 1794, 2 years younger than Daphne. If you are not interested or felt like those 2 themes ruined a historical romance story, then please do not leave any bad comments as you can just stop reading this story. Thank You Very Much! Much Love, Cinnamon Meilleure's Writing Room

[lychniis]

— MEMORY ( AS YOU SLIP AWAY )

↷ zhongli x reader ( minific ) . . . coming soon

❝ just remember, the storm doesn't last forever. it can scare you; it can shake you to your core. but it never lasts. the rain subsides, the thunder dies, and the winds calm to a soft whisper. and that moment after the storm clouds pass, when all is silent and still, you find peace. quiet, gentle peace. ❞

S. L JENNINGS , THE FEAR OF FALLING

DISCLAIMERS + NOTES

i. THIS WORK CONTAINS MENTIONS and some depictions of violence and gore, death and mass murdering *looks at the reader*, angst just lots of angst with a bittersweet ending, sad vibes all around, some humor, reader just trying to vibe and survive but also being a hot emotional mess.

ii. THE READER IS A GOD INSPIRED by the gods from noragami and uses feminine terms as a descriptor. the use of y/n is minimal at best and they are usually referred to by their godly name 'foras'. this work also contains smut, said chapter will be tagged appropriately.

iii. I DO NOT OWN THE characters mentioned save for any mentioned original characters. the above image was taken from picsart and the manga / anime ‘noragami’ belongs to adachitoka. however, i will not tolerate plagiarism of any kind of this work. please do not steal / repost / copy my work onto this or other websites and if you find it anywhere else ( save tumblr or ao3 ) then kindly let me know. thanks for choosing to read this book!

SUMMARY

EVEN THE DIVINE WERE NOT exempt from the misfortunes of fate. those who rule teyvat bear their burdens of loss and blood, of the times of peace they once lived sullied by the ugly scars of war. even the gods look upon their lands and wish for their respite away from their bleak reality and loneliness.

YOU WERE A YOUNG GOD, born in an age of a peace that stood upon foundations yet to be reinforced and solidified. the whispers of the dead long past meet your ears and mortal longing beats within your heart. but fate, as it is, dispassionate against the divine and the mortal lets your ascension be marred by three cruel curses.

PERHAPS YOU WERE DOOMED to be forgotten from the start, to be glanced over by the heavens till you fade away from history and it's writings. but you still keep walking, keep wandering, despite your fears and heartache, bearing the scars of a war upon your back and your final penance. a promise that you hope to keep for a friend and lover till the very memory of you slips away.

INDEX

masterlist || playlist || quotev ( sfw version. ) || author rambles

✧ CH. 00 — conception ; a story goes unspoken.

✧ CH. 01 — vasantha ; with the blooming flowers, comes you.

✧ CH. 02 — grishma ; the letters between friends remain uninked.

✧ CH. 03 — varsha ; trust not the words of an apsara.

✧ CH. 04 — sharada ; the flower fades but your breath stays warm.

✧ CH. 05 — hemanta ; in this dream, the scent of jasmine persists.

✧ CH. 06 — shishira ; your memory, as you slip away.

PLAYLIST

little talks ( of monsters and men ) — a soulmate who wasn't meant to be ( jess benko ) — je te laisserai des mots ( patrick watson ) — dream a little dream of me ( ella fitzgerald and louis armstrong ) — the night we met ( lord huron ) — wasteland, baby ( hozier ) — evermore ( dan stevens ) — merry go round of life ( joe hisaishi ) — lovers' oath ( yu-peng cheng ) — mountain sound ( of monsters and men ) — in this shirt ( the irrepressibles ) — hearing ( sleeping at last ) — saturn ( sleeping at last ) — my heart is buried in venice ( rick montgomery ) — happiness is a butterfly ( lana del ray ) — love like ghosts ( lord huron ) — sayonaragokko ( amazarashi ) — yamiyo ( eve ) — yumemiteta no atashi ( daoko )

AINE © 2023. do no plagiarize, repost or rework this piece.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Gender Fluidity, non-heterosexual, and gender variance behavior in mythology.

For the purpose of this thread, and keeping it short cuz even though this is my off month to finally rest from burn out, I've got publishing obligations, signings, and stuff to do -- we're keeping-- this to South Asian mythology:

I've already done a thread about third sex/intersex and trans (Hijra) in South Asian culture and the portrayals in a pop culture IP recently - Monkey Man by Dev Patel --

This is a short primer really:

Harihara - the union representing totality/oneness of all existence is the being born of the union of Shiva and Vishnu (who at prior to this morphs into Mohini, the female celestial temptress who Shiva becomes besotted with and tries to get intimate with), Vishnu changes back amidst this and the two fuse into a being. The ability of celestial beings | gods | goddesses to morph, change shape and gender in Vedic to Hindu mythology is well-established/normal. But there are many legends about Mohini, including the birth of her (Vishnu, his female avatar form being Mohini) son, Shasta, with Shiva. Mohini is also known as a femme fatale archetype, seducer, temptress, as well as someone known for destroying/seducing demons to their doom.

One thing to remember is that the Vedic religion and its stories are old, older than our records because the stories, songs, poetry of it all existed before written records and were transmitted orally. There are also varied versions of the epics, such as Tamil recountings of Mahabharata for example, in where one such example exists.

Krishna also takes the form of Mohini to marry Aravan (in Tamil) Iravan otherwise to give Aravan the chance to experience love before his death. There is a festival celebrated to this in the month of Chitrai (April/May) at the Koothandavar Temple dedicated to Iravan during which, Hijras (the third sex, transgender, intersex, and or eunuchs as well) celebrate Krishna/Mohini marrying Aravan and then mourn Aravan/Iravan's death as he sacrificed himself.

It must be noted that there is artwork and mention throughout the wide spread of Vedic upwards stories (and how many interpretations, takes, and varies stories there are) of same sex and yonic/non-vaginal sex relationships, births, and more.

There's also inter-being...?

Erotica/romance authors help me out here? Inter...celestial sex?

Apsara, devas, asura, humans, demigods. Look, lots of sex of all kind happens, and it's normal.

There's also the story of Arjuna to consider: when he refuses the seductive advances of Urvashi, she curses him to be a Klba, or member of the third gender. Later when Arjuna adopts the name of Brihannala, the curse takes effect as Arjuna dresses in women's clothing, and because of this, Arjuna is able to gain entrance to the kingdom of Virata in the Padma Purana and teach the high arts of music, singing, and dance, to the king's daughter and princess. Later, he is turned into a woman when he wishes to take part in Krishna's mystical dance which only women may attend.

Then there is Ila, a character cursed by Shiva and Parvati to change genders each month.

NOTE: there are MANY versions of the story of Ila, but it is canonical they changed gender -- known as Sudyumna as a woman, and Ila as a man.

Ilā is considered the chief progenitor of the Lunar dynasty of Indian kings – also known as the Aillas.

Continuing. In one story, Ila marries Budha (not Buddha the former king and founder of Buddhism), but Budha that is the god Mercury -- Budha is aware of Ila's origins as a man and changing status, but only marries Ila in his feminine state, and honoring that part of them as his wife and only when Ila is in that state. He does not enlighten Ila to the changing effect as each gender is unaware of the other and those lives.

The tale of Ila's transformations is told in the Puranas as well as the Indian epic poems, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

This is just a little thread. Anyways, I'm off now to sign nearly 2000 pages (won't finish today) and have an achey hand while I do more research and trying to improve the prose style I want for book three of Tales of Tremaine.

❤️ thank you. Remember, be kind.

[monsterbabez]

Monster Babes Lore #1

Most are just here to see the Babes but you’re interested in the world’s lore eh? Let’s open up the history book then!

In this high fantasy realm named Sensual Springs men and women are completely separate species. Men are civilized races like Elves, Hobbits, and Nekos and Women are mostly uncivilized monsters. There are some exceptions, some monsters have higher IQs and even communities but most monsters either stay with their own kind or alone.

Due to crossbreeding there are now extremely rare examples of exceptions to this rule like female Elves and male Oni, however 90% of the time a monster girl will give birth to a male of the fathers race or a monster girl. Only a handful of monster girls can’t reproduce, usually those of a ghost specter nature or other exceptions

Although the Sensual Springs realm is one of magic and swords, recently magic has grown enough that dimensions to other planes have opened up. Monster Girls have now been encountered in more realistic or futuristic realms too!

Although Monsters come in many varieties, most are primal beings either unable or unwilling to act civilized or simply untaught how to. They seek mates due to both lust and a desire for companionship but often don’t understand the more normal ways of romance, resulting in… you can guess, but it varies widely per monster.

Both Monster Girls and Civilized races tend to possess magic and often special abilities. Magic requires much practice to both build and control, there are many schools of magic like the common school of conjuration, the forbidden blood magic, and the more wild lust magic. These will be explored in a future post.

There are hundreds of monster types and subtypes, and some count as multiple.

A list of some of the major monster families and subtypes is right below:

Demon - Monsters from darker dimensions or dark magic itself that are usually sinful

Subspecies - Succubus, Beelzebub, Cerberus

Aquatic - Sea dwellers that have similarities to regular fish

Subspecies - Apsara, Mershark, Siren, Wortle

Undead - Beings that have passed and yet remain. Not to be confused with Demons, as Demons are not native to this Dimension, yet Undead are

Subspecies - Specter, Lich, Vampire

Majin - It is possible for women and rarely men of certain races to be transformed or infected by monsters or magic. This is the result

Subspecies - Mad Hatter, Glitterwraith, Akaname

Plant - Plants are all living, but some are sentient and lustful enough to be classified as Monster Girls

Subspecies - Mantrap, Dryad, Alarune

Beastwomen - Monsters with traits similar to other animals. Different from Nekos, which are a civilized male species, in that they’re often far less in control of their nature

Subspecies - Werewolf, Tiger, Frog

Animate - These ones were once inanimate objects or are extremely related to one

Subspecies - Gargoyle, Golem, Cursed Sword

Fey - A rarer sight, Fey are mystical creatures who live in harmony with nature and usually have magical properties

Subspecies - Fairy, Pixie, Changeling

Slime - Simple-minded beings made of gelatinous liquid. Slime can take male or female forms but tend towards female so they can get nutrients from men

Subspecies - Bubble, Queen, Metal

Demihuman - While most have physical resemblance to civilized races, the main thing is their intelligence is similar to civilized races and as such many have societies

Subspecies - Amazoness, Goblin, Ork

Shapeshifter - Their traits are changeable and inconsistent

Subspecies - Mimic, Creeping Coin, Bloodgolem

There are many more races and subraces out there but this post has already gone on long enough so we’ll check out a small list of half of the major regions in Sensual Springs:

Nohr, the Dreaded Dominion

A Dark and scary land with a tyrannical centralized kingdom and strong military. Dark magic, undead, fiends, and such are common.

Misty Vale, the Hidden Mist

Filled with Spirit Monsters (Nicknamed Yokai by locals) the monsters here live in harmony with the civilized races. Some particularly powerful ones are even worshipped as deities. It is nicknamed the hidden mist for being misty and hard to find.

The Sandsea

A huge amount of monsters and less civilized races than most regions, this sprawling desert is home to many Djinn and unique monsters.

Wonder Lands

A whimsical and zany land, the magic here is unlike anywhere else and the exact path to here is unknown even by the denizens as most people stumbled upon it. Crazy things like living lampposts that sing are common here.

Shadowgrave

A dark land overrun with monsters, there’s no major civilization here and Monster Girls roam free. It’s extremely dangerous but some say the Necropolis is hidden here and filled with evil people practicing forbidden magic.

Veiled Wilds

A vast, uncharted jungle filled with tribes (Manotaur, Ork, etc) and monsters, especially plant ones. It has a famous city made of pure gold and gems with a famed coliseum inside it, people come from all over to compete in the arena!

The Sweet Lands

A region made entirely of food, with sugar roads, lollipop trees, pancake lily pads, Cheese Pyramids, and many denizens made of food.

There will be more lore post that are more focused in the future, like ones on the history of the universe, the magic systems, the religions and factions, regions, and the civilized races too. For the next few posts though we’ll finally be showing off the Monster Girls of the realm! Stay tuned!

In the meantime drool over some more beautiful Monster Babe images! Oh and have a link to the Bogeys encounter and the tag at the bottom!

[highaugur]

For: @lcblanc Where: Neutral Ground When: Why, evening, of course.

"And what, pray-tell, brings such a singular being here? Surely not the hunger, this close to Hunter territory."

It is freshly dusk, and while much of the investigation has run its course, at least with the human institutions of Port Leiry, there are those still poking about between the stone structures of Siltshore, looking for anything that might clue them into the hows or the whys, or, in Urvashi's case, the when nexts.

This course has led her from the wrecked graves and into the city proper, where she finds a small, quiet spot in which to divine her next destination, whereby she has been happened upon by one of the city's many stalkers in the night.

The Vampire echelons are often oil to the witch's water; Nature cannot abide a void, and that is precisely what those dead who walk above the soil are, life-voids, undeath seeking that which it craves.

But it is hard for her to judge anything with true harshness or finality, or to paint in such broad strokes. For every monstrous vampire there can be counted a frightened child who does not know why food is ash on their tongue or why the sun scores their skin so harshly. Those cursed by fate and not by choice are the ones who keep her tongue from condemning Vampires sight unseen.

She had been throwing stones; some polished rocks, some cut gems of little material value but of immense magical fortitude, and the presence of a vampire of age alerts her on otherwise unseen wavelengths, pulling her attention to the vampire.

"Narcisse," utters Apsara, standing from her divination and turning to the woman.

[thereader-radhika]

Dedicating this to Nandini.

ആത്മാവിൻ പുസ്‌തകത്താളിൽ ഒരു മയിൽപ്പീലി പിടഞ്ഞു A peacock feather writhed in the pages of my soul. വാലിട്ടെഴുതുന്ന രാവിൻ വാൽക്കണ്ണാടിയുടഞ്ഞു The mirror of the adorning night has shattered. Valkkanadi is a kind of long handled mirror made in Kerala, and is considered sacred and auspicious. വാർമുകിലും സന്ധ്യാംബരവും ഇരുളിൽ പോയ്‌മറഞ്ഞു Rainclouds and the evening sky have disappeared in the darkness. കണ്ണീർ കൈവഴിയിൽ ഓർമ്മകൾ ഇടറിവീണു The memories slipped into a river of tears.

കഥയറിയാതിന്നു സൂര്യൻ സ്വർ‌ണ്ണത്താമരയെ കൈവെടിഞ്ഞു (2) Today, the golden lotus was misunderstood and forsaken by the sun. അറിയാതെ ആരുമറിയാതെ ചിരിതൂ‍കും താരകളറിയാതെ Then, without anyone knowing, without the laughing stars knowing, അമ്പിളിയറിയാതെ, ഇളംതെന്നലറിയാതെ without the moon knowing, without the breeze knowing, യാമിനിയിൽ ദേവൻ മയങ്ങി the god slumbered in the night.

നന്ദനവനിയിലെ* ഗായകൻ ചൈത്രവീണയെ കാട്ടിലെറിഞ്ഞു (2) The gandharva has abandoned his veena in the forest. വിടപറയും കാനനകന്യകളേ The wood nymphs who are bidding farewell, അങ്ങകലേ നിങ്ങൾ കേട്ടുവോ do you hear at a distance, മാനസതന്ത്രികളിൽ വിതുമ്പുന്ന പല്ലവിയിൽ അലതല്ലും വിരഹഗാനം ... the weeping tunes of seperation rippling on the heartstrings?

*It says the singer of Nandana vani. Nandana vani is Indra's garden in Amaravati where Gandharvas sing, apsaras dance and 5 divine trees grow. Gandharva abandoning his veena alludes to a curse. Sometimes Gandharvas are cursed to be born on earth and return only when they attain salvation.

Movie: Mazhayetthum Munpe (1995)

Lyricist: Kaithapram

Music: Raveendran

Singer: K J Yesudas

[the-stray-storyteller]

Congrats on being done with exams! May I have a domovai and the most fucked up kitsune you have?

(To anybody wondering what the fuck this is click this link)

*squealing like a fucking school girl* HI!

For the domovai (also I am not sure if you are still writing that WIP of yours but I remember reading about it in one ask so I added it):

Behold, thy name, a harbinger of infernal flames, a force unfettered from the depths of Hades itself. Stubborn, unyielding, a scourge upon all that is foul. Thy drawings, akin to vengeful angels with their thousand watchful eyes and swords that cleave through the fabric of thought and time, stand as a testament to thy relentless artistry.

Hellfire, thy intricate depiction of the Naming ritual within the realm of Asyndrians is a spectacle to behold, a tapestry woven with threads of intrigue and enigma. The depths to which thou dost delve into the significance of names, their evolution throughout the passage of time, is a journey both profound and immersive, stirring the very depths of the soul. May thy flames of creativity continue to blaze, illuminating the path of artistic discovery for all who dare to tread in thy wake.

For the Kitsune:

Since you asked for the most fucked up story you will get the most fucked up story but be warned this story is so fucked up it will sound like it's from the depths of the messed up part ao3. IT'S THAT FUCKED UP. SO BE WARNED.

You though greek mythology was fucked up? WELL INDIAN MAKES GREEK LOOK INNOCENT.

Also this is 16+ maybe 17+ so be warned.

In Indian mythology there was an apsara (nymph in indian mythology) named Girika (different versions have different names) who was cursed and because of this curse she lived as a fish in the river Ganga.

Now there was a king named Uparicaravasu (sometimes Uparichara). He was on a hunt in the forest and he started to think about his wife and.....uh....and he... do you get the idea? I am going to assume you get the idea. Not wanting to waste it he folded it in a leaf and told a parrot to deliver it to his wife so she could bear children.

The parrot on the way got attacked by a falcon and dropped the leaf into the river Ganga where the fish ate it. *painful smile* I hate this story so much.

A fisherman later caught the fish and cut it open finding twins in her belly. The king Uparichara accepted the male twin but not the girl. The story continues to become more fucked up but this is the end for now.

[blessed1neha]

What happened with Tulsidas ji while composing Hanuman Chalisa?

Tulsidas ji used to write Hanuman Chalisa, he used to keep the written letters carefully at night, when he woke up in the morning and looked at them, the writings in them were erased.

Tulsidas ji worshiped Hanuman ji, Hanuman ji appeared. Tulsidas told that if I write Hanuman Chalisa, someone erases in the night.

Hanuman ji said, if you want to write praise, then write of my Lord Shri Ram, not of me. At that time, Tulsidas ji thought of the first couplet of Ayodhya incident, he wrote it at the beginning of Hanuman Chalisa.

"श्रीगुरु चरन सरोज रज निज मन मुकुरु सुधारि।

वरनउं रघुबर बिमल जसु जो दायकु फल चारि॥

So Hanuman ji said, I am not Raghuvar. Tulsidas ji said that you and Lord Shri Ram have incarnated after receiving the same prasad, therefore you are also Raghuvar.

Tulsidas reminisced that there lived an apsara named Suvarchala in the Brahma world who had once been enamored of Brahma, and in anger Brahma had cursed her to be a vulture. The prasad that will be distributed among the three queens in the Yajna of Dasaratha's son, you will fly away with Kaikeyi's share. Mother Anjana was wishing for a son by extending her hands to Lord Shiva, in those hands she had dropped the prasad from which you incarnated Lord Shri. Ram himself has called you his brother.

"तुम मम प्रिय भरतहि सम भाई

Tulsidas gave another argument that when you went to Ashok Vatika in search of Maa Janaki, Maa Janaki made you her son.

"अजर अमर गुननिधि सुत होहू।

करहुं बहुत रघुनायक छोहू॥

Lord Shri Ram himself had made you his son when he came back after searching for mother Janaki.

"सुनु सुत तोहि उरिन मैं नाहीं।

देखेउं करि विचार मन माहीं॥

That's why you also became Raghuvar, after listening to this argument of Tulsidas, Hanumanji should be enlightened.

It is often said and heard in the world that a person should not be too straight and simple, everyone takes advantage of a straight and simple person, it is also a proverb that no one even touches a crooked tree, only a straight tree is cut. .

In fact, the world runs away from crooked people, while the straight ones are harassed. But do understand this thing that whatever creation has been done in the world, it has not been done by crooked people but by straight people only.

If a straight tree is cut, then the wood is also useful in building construction or building decoration.

Even in the temple, the rock from which the form of the Lord appears, is not a crooked rock, it is a straight rock.

The flute whose melodious sound we enjoy listening to is also made from a straight bamboo tree. Straight people are dear to Govind!

Jai Shree Ram!

[ginazmemeoir]

Indra's About to Get His Ass Kicked

Swarga. Paradise. The abode of the gods, up in the heavens. It was filled with all sorts of wondrous things as far as the eye could see, and promised its inhabitants a safe and luxurious life, devoid of conflicts. There were wish fulfilling trees and flowers that never wilted, gemstones that granted what you thought and rivers of somarasa, the divine wine. Apsaras and gandharvas kept your senses entertained, while the companies of the gods and goddesses provided contentment to the mind and soul. Mortals too could access this plane of existence after death, provided they had earned enough merit on earth. All of this however was linked to its rulers, the king and queen of the gods, Indra and Shachi, god of rain and lightning and goddess of marriage, and right now, the world rejoiced at their merriment.

The divine couple were sitting in their private chamber, enjoying a performance by the apsaras, when their tranquility was thrown into chaos. Indra’s throne started shaking violently, and threw down its occupant on the floor in a big mess of jewels, fabric and wine. Stained with soma, and clearly furious and perplexed at this development, the king of the gods summoned his feared weapon, the Vajra, and stomped out to vaporize anyone who dared to do so.

Outside however, a storm raged. Palaces were crumbling and trees lay uprooted, the sky a dark so frightful that one might have thought the sun had gone out. The inhabitants of swarga shrieked and dodged the flying projectiles, otherwise so confident and content. Shyama and Sabal, Indra’s pet dogs who stood guard at heaven’s gates, came panting towards him, relaying their message in a series of barks. “Are you mad?!” Indra roared, even as his dogs whimpered and cowered. He then called forth Vayu, the god of wind, “Vayu, take your army of Maruts and give me a report on what’s happening. My dogs have apparently had wine as well!”

The forty-one gods came back a few minutes later, their faces stricken. “My lord, it’s a giant eagle! Its unlike anything we have ever seen! It’s approaching us with a frightening speed, and it seems intent on destroying Swarga!”

Still dumbfounded, the gods, led by Indra, approached their preceptor Brihaspati, lord of the planet Jupiter and god of wisdom. On reaching his abode however, they found him deep in meditation, unperturbed by the chaos around him.

“Gurudev, help us! The heavens are in trouble!” the devas cried.

Opening his eyes, Brihaspati then directly addressed Indra, “The Valakhilyas’ curse has come true Indra. Garuda, the son of Vinata and Kashyap, approaches Swarga in all earnest to claim your throne.”

The assembly went silent. After a beat, Indra gave a deafening laugh. “An eagle? That’s the mighty Indra of the Valakhilyas? And have you forgotten who I am, gurudev? I am the Slayer of Vritra and the Wielder of the Vajra! King of the gods and ruler of the sky! A puny eagle can’t defeat me!”

“I don’t think we should be overconfident Indra. Perhaps we should call forth the shakti army?” advised Agni, the god of fire.

The shakti army was the gods’ last resort, made up of all the goddesses in the world and led by the fearsome Goddess Durga and Goddess Kali themselves. They had come to their aid in the past against the asuras, and had even defeated the devas once in an epic episode where they had rallied around Goddess Parvati’s son Ganesha.

“He’s right Indra. Lord Kartikeya is away with the bulk of the army fighting the asuras. We should call forth the Shaktis.” Brihaspati said, agreeing with Agni.

“Rest assured Gurudev. Its nothing we can’t handle. Call forth Lord Surya and Lord Chandra, and send my son Jayanta to bring Lord Kartikeya. Today, the devas shall show the world their might!” Indra proclaimed, rallying his troops. The other gods, put at ease by their leader’s confidence, too gave shouts of victory and bravery, and started preparing for battle. Rolling his eyes, Brihaspati sent forth a silent prayer. “Narayana, please protect him from his folly.”

[dailyupdatestoday]

Hanuman Jayanti: Honoring the Symbol of Strength and Devotion

Hanuman Jayanti: Celebrating the Birth of the Mighty Monkey God

Hanuman Jayanti is a Hindu festival that is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm throughout India and in various parts of the world. It marks the birth of Lord Hanuman, who is considered to be one of the most revered deities in Hindu mythology. Hanuman, also known as Anjaneya, is believed to be the son of Anjana and Vayu, the Wind God.

Hanuman is depicted as a monkey-like figure with immense physical strength, incredible agility, and a deep devotion to Lord Rama. He is known for his unwavering loyalty and his role as a trusted ally and friend of Lord Rama in the epic Ramayana. His devotion and service to Lord Rama make him a symbol of selfless devotion, courage, and loyalty.

The Legend of Hanuman

According to Hindu mythology, Hanuman was born in the Treta Yuga, which is the second of the four Hindu ages. His mother, Anjana, was an apsara (celestial nymph) who was cursed to be reborn as a monkey. She prayed to Lord Shiva for a son who would be powerful, brave, and devoted to the service of Lord Rama. Lord Shiva blessed her with a son, who was later named Hanuman.

Hanuman's childhood was marked by many adventures and feats of strength. He was known for his mischievous nature, but also for his bravery and loyalty. He was a quick learner and possessed great knowledge of the Vedas and other ancient scriptures.

Hanuman's devotion to Lord Rama was tested when Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, kidnapped Sita, Lord Rama's wife. Hanuman helped Lord Rama in his search for Sita by crossing the ocean, defeating many demons, and ultimately locating her in Lanka. He played a pivotal role in the battle against Ravana and was instrumental in the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king.

Celebrating Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on the 15th day of the Shukla Paksha (the waxing phase of the moon) in the month of Chaitra, which falls in March or April according to the Gregorian calendar. The festival is celebrated with great fervor in North India, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar.

On this day, devotees gather in temples and perform special puja (worship) rituals to honor Lord Hanuman. They offer flowers, fruits, and sweets to the deity and recite Hanuman Chalisa, a hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The Hanuman Chalisa is a 40-verse hymn that describes Hanuman's virtues, strength, and devotion to Lord Rama.

The festival is also celebrated with processions and cultural programs. In some places, people dress up as Hanuman and perform street plays and dramas depicting his life and adventures. Devotees also visit the Hanuman temples and offer prayers and donations to seek his blessings and protection.

Significance of Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti is an important festival in Hinduism, as it celebrates the birth of one of the most revered deities in Hindu mythology. Lord Hanuman is regarded as a symbol of strength, devotion, and loyalty, and his life and adventures inspire people to follow his example.

The festival is also significant because it falls in the month of Chaitra, which marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year in some parts of India. It is believed that the worship of Lord Hanuman on this day brings good luck, prosperity, and success in life.

Conclusion

Hanuman Jayanti is a festival that celebrates the birth of the mighty monkey god Hanuman, who is revered and loved by millions of Hindus around the world. His life and adventures serve as an inspiration to people of all ages, and his devotion to Lord Rama is a symbol of selfless service and loyalty.

The festival of Hanuman Jayanti is a time for people to come together and celebrate their faith, and to seek the blessings and protection of Lord Hanuman. It is a time for reflection, prayer, and devotion, and a time to remember the importance of strength, courage, and loyalty in our lives.

As we celebrate Hanuman Jayanti, let us all take inspiration from the life and teachings of Lord Hanuman, and strive to follow his example in our daily lives. Let us embrace his virtues of strength, devotion, and loyalty, and let us work towards a world that is guided by these noble principles. May the blessings of Lord Hanuman be with us all, now and always. Jai Hanuman!

[alokastrology1]

What is the Significance of Durva in Hindu Tradition?

A unique variety of sacred grass is called durva (Agrostis linearis). The terms duhu and avam are the origin of the word durva. Duhuavam refers to both what is far away and what draws close. Durva has a better ability to draw in and continually strengthen the attributes of the three gods AadiShiv, AadiShakti, and Aadi Ganesh. Typically, durva’s tender shoots are employed in a deity’s puja rite. The ability of these fragile shoots to absorb divine principles found in the dewdrops that land on their leaves is greatest. The worshipper gains from this. Durvas (Significance of Durva) are not utilised in puja rituals if they bear flowers. The presence of flowers indicates ripeness. The plant’s vitality decreases as it ripens. This further lessens its ability to draw in divine fundamental frequencies.

Know more about the Importance of Durva in Hindu Mythology. Get an online astrology consultation by the world-renowned Astrologer Mr. Alok Khandelwal.

Durva & Lord Ganesha:

Once upon a time, Analasura was an Asura (devil). His voice caused the earth to quiver, and his eyes once burned with fire. As a result, everyone was terrified of him. Even the Gods shook with dread. Therefore, all of the gods turned to Ganesha to save them from Analasura’s grasp. Ganesha transformed into a child and promised the Gods that Analasura would not harm them. “Sarvkasha” war was launched by Ganesha. The strong eyes of Analasura shoot out fireballs and obliterate Ganesha’s surroundings. Finally, Analasura attempted to swallow Ganesha, but Ganesha displayed his “Virat” roop and swallowed Analasura to kill it. However, due to increasing body heat, Ganesha was unable to even lie down. He was agitated. Despite the excruciating heat from the body, he smeared sandal paste all over it.

Ganesha is also referred to as “Bhalachandra” since all the gods at this time decided to build the moon’s foundation on his head. Because Lord Vishnu lent his lotus, Ganesha is sometimes referred to as “Padmapani.” Ganesha’s hip was bound with a cobra that Lord Shankara had plucked from his neck. Despite the rains of Lord Varuna, the rain god, the heat did not abate. A miracle occurred thanks to certain sages who arrived there with a group of 21 Durvas and placed them on his head. Ganesha recovered fully. Ganesha said that while many gods attempted to assist, only a plain grass called “Durva” turned my suffering into regular life. With this, he declared that whoever offered me Durva with dedication would be holy and receive Punya.

Second, it is stated that there once was a stunning Apsara who fervently adored and prayed to wed Ganesha. She once appealed to Ganesha as well. However, Apsara was cursed by Parvati, Ganesha’s mother, to take the form of ordinary grass on earth so that no one would notice her. Durva, however, pleaded for forgiveness and requested ushaap. Even if she is in the grass form, Ganesha will adore her, and Parvati forgives her and assured her.

Durvarchan

Give Sri Ganeshji the Durva along with three or five pamphlets. They go by the name durvankur. Durvankur’s three leaflets attract Primal Shiva, Primal Shakti, and Primal Ganesh. There should be at least 21 durvas offered to Sri Ganesh ji. After dipping the Durva in water, tie them together and give them to Sri Ganesh ji. Durva should cover Sri Ganesh ji’s idol except for the face. As a result, the aroma of Durva fills the area around the idol. Each chant of I or utterance of Sri Ganesh ji’s one thousand names is ritually honoured by sacrificing a Durva. This is known as “devachan.” Starting with the holy feet of the Ganesh idol, this offering of Durva is made.

Read Also:- Saraswati Mantra | Benefits and Method of Chanting

Durvarchan's effects

The Holy Feet of the idol radiate the Principle of the Deity more strongly than other parts of the idol. As a result, the Durva provided at the beginning attracts the Ganesh Principle more strongly. The Durva that is later offered incorporates this Principle. The Durva, which is presented in order, spreads this Principle to the top. As a result, the idol emits a higher proportion of Chaitanya frequencies.

This durvarchan attracts the greater Ganesh Principle to the worship site. The idol attracts the Nirgun vibrations of the Deity Principles. The worshipper benefits more as a result of these frequencies being converted into Sagun vibrations in the Sri Ganesh idol and being released through the idol.

Thus, it is obvious that the negative impact of the raja-tama-predominant Principles on the environment is lessened as a result of the emission of the Deity’s Principle through the Durva. This is the cause of the distress experienced by a person exposed to negative energies when they come into contact with the Durva.

Read Also:- What are the types of Kaal Sarp Dosha as per Astrology?