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Krishna is the single most beloved figure in Hinduism. Such is his popularity that he is considered a supreme god in his own right even though he is only an avatar. In this book, we journey through Krishna''s life--spanning his birth, childhood, youth, and adulthood--and describe many of the delightful stories associated with him. We also examine the Mahabharata War in which he plays a major non-combat role. Although the purpose of his incarnation was to end the life of the demon king Kamsa, Krishna turned into a larger-than-life figure with his childhood pranks and adolescent romances. Starting with a miraculous birth-that has parallels to the birth of Jesus-Krishna grew up as an ordinary, but adorable child. In his youth, he became the heartthrob of milkmaids and popularized the passionate romantic dance Rasa Lila, together with his childhood sweetheart Radha. The annihilation of Kamsa followed thereafter. By this time the purpose of his incarnation was accomplished, but he stayed back on Earth to play a major part in the Mahabharata War. His greatest gift to humanity-the Bhagavad Gita-was delivered at this time. Maybe he overextended his stay, because his extraordinary life came to an end in less than perfect circumstances. The Mahabharata occupies a significant portion of this book. With a complex plot and a myriad of characters, the epic has surprisingly no role models, only many heroes. Yet, the Mahabharata has been the inspiration for countless books, songs, and Bollywood movies. Although this book is centered on Krishna, the remaining avatars of Vishnu-particularly Buddha-are also explored at length.

Home to one of the ancient civilizations of the world, India is also the birthplace of numerous gods worshipped by millions of Hindus living in India and across the globe. Over the centuries many of these gods rose to power and became the object of utmost devotion, only to fall from grace and lose their standing. These deities shared a peculiar trait: they were never perfect.In this multivolume series entitled, The Galaxy of Hindu Gods, Sach takes you on an extended journey to meet with the gods and share their tales with you. Among the multitude of deities, the most ancient are the Vedic gods, which include luminaries like Indra, Surya, Varuna, Agni, and others. Today a minor deity, the Vedic Indra was once the ruler of the three worlds who, under the influence of a mysterious power drink, fought with the demons and vanquished them. His reign did not last long. His comrades Surya and Varuna also had their glory days but were overthrown by other gods of the pantheon. Yet, after thousands of years, gods like Indra, Surya, and Varuna are still household names and honored in Hindu rituals and traditions.If you know little or nothing about Hindu mythology, this is your ideal starting point where you will meet the overwhelming array of Hindu gods and learn about their wonderful stories.Tentative release date of next book in this series:#2 The Ascent of Vishnu and the Fall of Brahma - September 2018

After the Vedic era, the triad of gods comprising Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva propelled to power. Among them, Brahma initially became the supreme deity, but he could not hang on to his position for long. A judgmental lapse is said to have caused his downfall. With Brahma’s descent, Vishnu took over the reins and steadfastly held onto this position for centuries. Today, in the Hindu pantheon, Vishnu is a juggernaut—a word coined in his honor— and has a following of more than 700 million devotees.In the second volume of the series The Galaxy of Hindu Gods, we continue our journey beyond the Vedic era. First we’ll take a look at a popular creation myth in which Brahma emerges from the navel of a sleeping Vishnu and starts crafting the world. Further on, we’ll examine the Churning of Milky Ocean, a crucial event in Hindu mythology and one of the rare occasions where gods and demons collaborated in search for the nectar of immortality. We will learn that many precious things—and surprises—came out this quest, including Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and consort of Vishnu.There will be occasional detours when we look at art and architecture. Hindu temples are not only serene places of worship, but also one of the finest specimens of ancient art and architecture. In particular, we’ll look at Angkor Wat, one of the largest Hindu temples in the world. We’ll also peek at ancient paintings from a mythological perspective. Next we’ll examine a unique genre of miniature paintings called ragamala that combines art, music and poetry. A remarkable shift in worship took place during this period. Bhakti transformed into a major form of worship supplanting sacrifice and penance, and pervaded throughout the Hindu society