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Poking Fun of Gods!

Imposing anthropomorphic quality on their various deities gives extra freedom to Sanskrit poets who make fun of their own favorite deities. For instance, a famous invocatory verse to Lord Shiva by a devoted poet runs like this:

Hari (Lord Vishnu) goes visiting Hara (Lord Shiva). Noticing him from a distance, Hara (who usually moves naked) covers himself with piece of elephant skin hurriedly and uses a snake passing by for a belt and comes out to greet Hari. But seeing Garuda the vulture vehicle of Hari, the horrified snake runs away; cover falls down leaving Hara all bare! May such Hara bless you all!

See Related Links:
• Lord Shiva in Indian Art
• Lord Vishnu and His Avatars
• Another example of anthropomorphic poem
• Lord Krishna rides Garuda, the king of birds

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Jyotsna Kamat

Jyotsna Kamat Ph.D. lives in Bangalore.


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