13 - Nurse Ratched and Umbrella Mountain

Summary

In 'Stories from India', host Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life, narrates tales of Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu. The episode revisits Krishna's escape from King Kamsa's prophecy and his encounter with the demon Putana, showcasing divine intervention. It also tells of Krishna's wisdom in challenging Indra's control over rain, using the Goan Mountain as a metaphorical umbrella to protect the people of Brindavan. The podcast draws parallels between Krishna and characters from 'Harry Potter', highlighting Krishna's fearlessness and wisdom.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' narrates myths, legends, and folk tales of India, hosted by Narad Monei, a character with eternal life and omniscience.
• 👑 The story of 'Cun', an evil king who imprisoned his sister to control the birth of her eighth child, Krishna, who was prophesied to kill him, is recounted.
• 𑂐 Krishna, being the eighth child, escaped his fate with divine intervention and was swapped with another baby, Balam, to avoid Cun's wrath.
• 🔍 Cun's search for Krishna led to the involvement of Putana, a shape-shifting demon, who was tasked with killing the baby but was defeated by Krishna's divine nature.
• 🍼 Krishna's mother, Yasoda, unknowingly left him with Putana, who was disguised as a nurse, but Krishna's divine immunity saved him from her poisoned milk.
• 🌧️ The story of Krishna lifting the Govardhan mountain to protect the people and cattle of Brindavan from excessive rainfall caused by Indra, the god of rain, is highlighted.
• 🌊 Krishna's explanation of the water cycle to the villagers, challenging the belief in Indra's control over rain, is a key narrative in the script.
• 🏹 Krishna's comparison to Harry Potter, with similarities in their stories of prophecy and attempts on their lives, is drawn by the host.
• 🐍 The tale of Shesha, the ultimate snake and Vishnu's sidekick, who desired more significant roles in Vishnu's avatars, is briefly mentioned.
• 🕊️ Krishna's fearless and wise nature is contrasted with Harry Potter's, emphasizing Krishna's better judgment and social skills.
• 📅 Shesha's body is said to control the flow of time in the universe, with the ability to move time forward or stop it when coiled.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by a mythological character named Narad Monein who has the gift of eternal life and knowledge.

Who is the host of the podcast and what are his characteristics?

The host of the podcast is Narad Monein, a mythological character who has the gift of eternal life, knowledge of the past, present, and future, and always speaks the truth. He is also a traveling musician and a storyteller by profession.

What is the story of Cun, the evil Tyrant King, in the podcast?

Cun, the evil Tyrant King, heard a prophecy that the eighth baby of his newly married sister would kill him. Instead of ignoring it, he imprisoned his sister and her husband to have absolute control over the baby. However, baby number seven, Balam, was swapped out by divine intervention for baby number eight, Krishna, who escaped the fate of his siblings.

What was the role of Putna in the story?

Putna was a demon employed by Cun. She was tasked with finding and killing the eighth baby, Krishna, who was prophesied to end Cun's reign. She disguised herself as a nurse to get close to Krishna, but her attempt to poison him backfired, and she was defeated.

How did Krishna demonstrate his divine powers as a baby?

Krishna demonstrated his divine powers by surviving an attempt on his life by Putna, who tried to poison him. Instead of being affected by the poison, Krishna caused Putna to become weak and die, showing that he was an avatar of a major God.

What is the significance of the story about Krishna and Indra?

The story about Krishna and Indra demonstrates Krishna's wisdom and power. Krishna explained the water cycle to the people, showing that rainfall is a natural process, not controlled by Indra. When Indra tried to punish the people by causing excessive rain, Krishna lifted the Govardhan Mountain to protect them, showing his strength and defiance against Indra's ego.

What is the connection between the story of Krishna and modern stories like Harry Potter?

The connection between Krishna's story and modern stories like Harry Potter lies in the themes of a prophesied child who is targeted by a villain, the use of divine intervention to protect the child, and the child's eventual demonstration of extraordinary powers and wisdom.

What is the role of Ananta Shesha, or Shesha Naga, in the mythology mentioned in the podcast?

Ananta Shesha, or Shesha Naga, is Vishnu's sidekick in Hindu mythology. He is large enough to serve as a daybed for Vishnu and accompanies Vishnu everywhere, playing various roles in Vishnu's avatars, including being a rope in the Matsya Avatar and having the power to control the flow of time in the universe.

What is the significance of the story about the dead mouse and business principles mentioned at the end of the podcast?

The story about the dead mouse and business principles is a teaser for the next episode, suggesting that it will involve a historical tale with a modern business twist, showing how clever business principles can change one's life.

How can listeners provide feedback or get in touch with the podcast?

Listeners can provide feedback or get in touch with the podcast by leaving a comment or a review on the site sfipodcast.com, tweeting at SFI podcast, or finding them on Instagram or Facebook.

What is the source of the music used in the podcast?

The music used in the podcast is from Purple Planet, an online music platform that provides royalty-free music, which can be found at purple-planet.com.

Outlines

00:00

🐉 Introduction to Krishna's Tale

The podcast 'Stories from India' hosted by Narad Monei delves into Indian myths, legends, and folk tales. This episode revisits Krishna, a central figure from a previous episode, and provides a recap. The story focuses on King Kamsa, who imprisons his sister to prevent the birth of a prophesied child that threatens his rule. Despite his efforts, Krishna escapes, leading to a search for all babies born on a specific day. Kamsa sends Putana, a shape-shifting demon, to kill Krishna in his infancy. However, Putana's attempt to poison Krishna backfires, leading to her own demise.

05:00

🌧️ Krishna and the Rainfall

In Brindavan, Krishna questions the villagers' practice of worshiping Indra, the god of rain, for their livelihood. He challenges the belief in divine control over rainfall by explaining the water cycle. When Indra, offended by the lack of offerings, unleashes a torrential downpour, Krishna lifts the Govardhan Mountain to shield the villagers and their cattle. This act not only protects them from the rain but also demonstrates Krishna's immense strength and defiance against Indra's perceived tyranny.

10:01

📚 Krishna's Wisdom and Comparisons

The podcast explores Krishna's character, drawing parallels with Harry Potter and other mythological figures. Krishna is portrayed as a wise, fearless, and attractive hero, unlike Harry Potter who often shows poor judgment. The episode also discusses Balarama, Krishna's older brother and sidekick, and his role in various avatars. The comparison extends to the roles of Shesha, Vishnu's sidekick, and the moral implications of his wish fulfillment gone wrong.

15:04

🐍 Shesha Nag and Upcoming Stories

The final paragraph introduces Shesha Nag, Vishnu's sidekick, who controls the flow of time in the universe. His role in the mythology is explored, highlighting his importance in various avatars and his relationship with Vishnu. The host teases the next episode, which will feature a story about a modern retail giant set 500 years ago, involving characters associated with bees, wasps, and hornets. The episode concludes with a call for feedback and acknowledgment of listeners' contributions.

Keywords

💡Narad Muni

Narad Muni is a central figure in Hindu mythology, known for his eternal life, omniscience, and role as a divine sage. In the script, he is portrayed as the host of the podcast, 'Stories from India,' where he shares myths, legends, and folk tales, embodying the theme of storytelling and wisdom transmission.

💡Krishna

Krishna is a major deity in Hinduism, revered for his divine attributes and as an avatar of Lord Vishnu. The script discusses Krishna's early life, where he overcame the evil King Kamsa's attempts to kill him, illustrating the theme of divine intervention and heroism.

💡Divine Intervention

Divine intervention refers to the involvement of a deity or supernatural power in human affairs. In the script, divine intervention is depicted when Krishna is swapped out by the gods to save him from King Kamsa, highlighting the theme of protection and the divine's role in human destiny.

💡Prophecy

A prophecy is a prediction or a statement about the future, often of a ominous or significant nature. The script mentions a prophecy that King Kamsa heard, which led him to imprison his sister to prevent the birth of a child who would kill him, thus driving the narrative and setting up the conflict.

💡Puta

Puta, in Hindu mythology, is a demoness who was sent by King Kamsa to kill Krishna. In the script, Putana's attempt to poison Krishna illustrates the theme of evil and the constant threats faced by divine figures in their earthly manifestations.

💡Avatar

An avatar, in Hinduism, is the manifestation of a deity in a form that can interact with the physical world. The script refers to Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu, emphasizing the theme of divine descent and the divine's engagement with the mortal world.

💡Indra

Indra is the Hindu god of rain and thunderstorms, associated with power and authority. The script describes a story where Krishna challenges Indra's control over rainfall, demonstrating the theme of questioning traditional beliefs and the power dynamics between gods and mortals.

💡

💡Water Cycle

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. In the script, Krishna explains the water cycle to the people of Vrindavan, challenging the belief in Indra's control over rain, and illustrating the theme of scientific understanding versus mythological attribution.

💡Gokul

Gokul is a place in Indian mythology, known as the childhood home of Krishna. The script mentions Gokul as the place where Krishna was hidden from King Kamsa, underscoring the theme of refuge and the significance of place in mythology.

💡Yasoda

Yasoda is Krishna's foster mother in Hindu mythology, known for her deep affection and care for him. In the script, Yasoda's decision to hire Putana as a nurse for Krishna highlights the theme of maternal love and the vulnerability of divine figures in their human forms.

💡Vrishchik

Vrishchik, also known as Scorpion, is one of the zodiac signs in Hindu astrology. The script refers to Vrishchik as the sign under which Krishna was born, indicating the theme of astrology and its influence on life events in Indian culture.

💡Shasthi

Shasthi is a Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of Shashthi, the goddess of the sixth day of the lunar fortnight. The script mentions the confusion about which Shasrti the Goan Mountain lifting story occurred on, highlighting the theme of cultural festivals and their significance.

Highlights

Introduction to the podcast 'Stories from India', which discusses myths, legends, and folk tales from India.

Host Narad Mone introduces himself as a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge.

The story of Cun, an evil tyrant king who imprisons his sister to control the birth of her eighth child, destined to kill him.

Divine intervention swaps baby number seven with baby number eight, Krishna, to save him from Cun's clutches.

Cun sends Pua, a shape-shifting demon, to kill Krishna, but Krishna's divine nature protects him and defeats Pua.

Yasoda, Krishna's adoptive mother, believes Pua was a demon killed by Krishna, showcasing his divine protection.

Krishna's explanation of the water cycle to the villagers, challenging the traditional belief in Indra, the god of rain.

Indra's retaliation by unleashing incessant rain, which Krishna counters by lifting the Govardhan Mountain to shield the villagers.

The story of Krishna lifting the Govardhan Mountain, demonstrating his superhuman strength and wisdom.

Comparison of Krishna's story with that of Harry Potter, highlighting similarities and differences in their mythologies.

The role of Balaram, Krishna's older brother and sidekick, and the unique dynamic of their relationship in Indian mythology.

Introduction of Shesha Nag, Vishnu's sidekick, and his various roles and desires across different avatars.

Shesha Nag's control over time, where his body's movement can influence the flow of time in the universe.

Upcoming story preview about a dead mouse and its impact on life when clever business principles are applied.

A cautionary note about the character associated with bees, wasps, and hornets to be featured in the next episode.

Invitation for listeners to provide feedback and corrections if any errors are found in the podcast.

Acknowledgment of listeners and sources of music used in the podcast, with a reminder to tune in for the next episode.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

hello and welcome to stories from India

a podcast where we talk about myths

Legends and folk tales from

India I'm your host narad monei and I'm

a mythological character myself I have

the gift of eternal life and knowledge

of the past the present and the future

and I also always speak the truth I'm a

traveling musician and a Storyteller by

profession I used to walk around with

the wiena telling my stories for several

Millennia but podcasting has made my job

so much

easier this week we are back to

Krishna if you haven't heard episode 11

it's a good idea to begin with with that

but if not I'll provide a quick recap

for you the character this week is a

creature that can control the laws of

physics simply by stretching and

unstretch cun was an evil Tyrant

King he heard a prophecy that the eighth

baby of his newly married sister would

kill

him instead of laughing it off over cozy

fireside chats with the new couple cuns

put his newly married sister and her

husband into prison not to prevent the

baby being born but to have absolute

control over it the moment it entered

the

world unfortunately his plan worked very

well for babies 1- six but baby seven

balam was swapped out by divine

intervention for baby number eight

swapping was still what the gods chose

but they had the dad do all the hard

work in

instead so Krishna the baby escaped the

fate of his brothers and

sisters

unfortunately CS found out about it

we'll pick up the story right

here cuns dispatched people far and wide

to find all babies born on that day ay

or the eighth day of that

month just like Voldemort had sent out

his Death

Eaters

soon one of his Scouts came back with

the news of a baby in Gokul to nandaba

and

Yoda K knew what to do he sent for

Pua putina was a demon in his

employee and she was trusted enough to

be

salaried she could change shape sort of

like Rogue from the X-Men

series which might make you think that

putna probably earned multiple salaries

by pretending to be multiple

people and just like Rogue Pua preferred

to be in her natural form which others

may have found less pleasing to the eye

but she

didn't and just like Magneto cuns

encouraged her to be herself and not

simply eye candy for the rest of the

world that had not been nice to

her K told putna the

backstory he had putna listen to episode

11 of this

podcast Buna was ready all right I will

take an army of people and go crush this

child probably thinking this was just a

baby she could do the job alone and

pretend to have been the Army when it

was time to claim salaries and

bonuses no no I need you to be subtle

said

k Why asked putna you rule this land we

can simply Crush all of Gokul you have

the resources to do

it K replied but then if anything goes

wrong social media will be all over it I

still get a question or two in every

press conference about how I meant to

destroy the eighth baby and failed they

called it gross incompetence at the

highest level I was trending on Twitter

for

weeks puta

sympathized I hear you she

said if subtlety is what you want then

subtlety is what you get I'll head to

Gokul right now watch the evening news

for a tragic accident in

Goku I try and message you or post a

picture or something on Instagram but

I'm not sure I'll have signal out

there she changed her shape and clothes

into that of a very attractive young

nurse and walked over to

Gokul

honestly I'd have personally changed

shape into an eagle and reached Gokul

quickly but maybe Pua needed time to

plan out her

strategy Krishna had already built up

some reputation then and it was easy to

find out which house he lived

in seeing as Krishna was about a month

old she advertised herself exclusively

as a nurse for one month

holds putna was in luck Yoda was in the

market for a nurse to take care of her

baby nandaba was out minding the

cows not that the cows needed any

minding the cow herd's job is more

important during the walk to and from

the

meadow Yoda who was a milkmaid took her

job very

seriously there was a sale on the latest

edition butter making equipment and she

absolutely had to buy it but a shopping

mall was no place for a one-month-old

baby bna's advertisement of her Services

as a nurse to one Monon olds which she

was conveniently shouting out right

outside Yoda's door was exactly what

Yoda

needed it didn't matter that Yoda had

never seen putna before but the girl had

a very Charming appearance and Krishna

smiled at her so that must mean it was

quite all right to leave her darling son

in the hands of this perfect stranger

right yasoda quickly grabbed her

reusable shopping bags indicated all

emergency phone numbers and rushed to

the mall maybe she'd get a bonus milk

pil or

something putr got to work right away

she nursed the baby but with a little

twist she had coated the source of milk

with a very strong poison

the baby was still smiling at her it

latched on no

problem but then as it drank the effect

was the opposite of what putna

expected the baby wasn't affected by the

poison instead she herself went weak her

energy levels dipped and drained away

she couldn't keep up her disguise

anymore

either powerless she realized this was

the end for her she knew this child had

to be an avatar of a major God and that

she was way out of her League here when

Yoda returned she was shocked at the

scene with putina in her true form

lifeless on the floor and Krishna

peacefully sleeping in his

crib there was only one possible

explanation for this

incident the lifeless hideous body

belonged to a demon who had come to the

house looking for

food Pua sticking to her Duty must have

fought this Beast the Beast probably ate

up puta seeing as she didn't seem to be

around

anymore the demon then would have eaten

her baby too but probably choked on Pua

Yoda thought

chokingly oh well guess nandaba had the

garanon task of hauling away the demon

when he got

back there are many more stories of

Krishna there are broadly two themes

either those that demonstrate cute

childlike and superhuman Behavior sort

of like baby Superman lifting a car or

those that involve him defeating an

adversary sent specifically to destroy

him or in a few cases to just humble

him this next story combines both of

these

themes we'll fast forward a few

years Krishna his coward family and all

the other coward families were now in

brindavan a place near

Maura Krishna observed how everyone was

gathering gifts he asked nand Baba why

is everyone Gathering all that

stuff nand Baba replied it's for the big

prayer to IND ra the god of

rain Krishna said and why is everyone

worshiping

Indra nand Baba replied because this is

ancient India and the way we take care

of our cattle and whatever food we grow

is entirely dependent on the rain and

that is controlled entirely by

Indra so you're just bribing Indra to

keep the rain coming asked

Krishna nand Baba

replied bribing is a strong word let me

explain something called quit

proquo Krishna quickly interrupted with

all due respect let me explain something

called the water cycle he explained it

not just to nandaba but also to everyone

else given krishna's Magnetic

Personality and the way he explained the

water cycle everyone was convinced that

the rainfall they received was dependent

on the melting of glaciers and

evaporation from water bodies and not

something that could be simply turned

off by a god with a huge

ego they were right and also

wrong yes Indra could control the

RS when he found out he wouldn't be

getting gifts from the reavan

cowards he didn't turn off the

rains he turned them on at full

blast he kept the rains coming at full

strength and pretty soon it looked like

this was going to need matsa or unicorn

fish all over again but Krishna stepped

in to save the day

again he saw how everyone in brindavan

was soaking wet and their cattle

besides it was hard to even see with

rain pouring in sheets like

this if only here had an umbrella while

he tried to think of a

solution an

umbrella wait a minute that was the

answer an

umbrella he gathered all the people of

ravan and cattle did a few

calculations P * the radius

squared and then measured and picked the

right spot on a nearby Mountain the

mountain was called

Goan once he picked that spot on

Goan he picked up goer and by that

spot yeah lifting a mountain isn't too

hard is it I just lifted a couple myself

over breakfast this

morning that mountain became an umbrella

for

everyone Indra could not make it rain on

the cattle and people

anymore he tried raining real hard on

the mountain but that just did

nothing in fact as if to shame Indra

Krishna was now balancing the mountain

on his

pinky sometime later Indra had to admit

defeat the Reigns were back but just the

way the people wanted Indra did get some

prayers out of it and everyone got to

see an awesome demonstration of the use

of the world's biggest umbrella and

krishna's Pinky didn't even

hurt that's it for the stories now some

notes

the Goan Mountain lifting story is

thought to have occurred around

sankranti a local Indian festival that

happens to be this

week but there are 12 different

santis there is some confusion about

exactly which sankranti this story

happened on but it doesn't

matter all of the calendars in human use

are inaccurate to one degree or the

other

so it doesn't really

matter krishna's stories May remind you

somewhat of walmort and Harry

Potter the comparisons are striking I

mean even the name Harry sounds like

hurry which is another name for

Krishna K was ashamed of his dad and had

him

imprisoned just as Voldemort

did the prophecy was nearly identical

though Harry Potter is one left room for

Voldemort to possibly kill

him that had to be different of course

because if the prophecy simply said that

Harry would certainly kill walmort I

don't think the books would have sold as

much walmort actually killed Harry's

parents while cuns imprisoned Harry's

parents for life not the same but

similar the baby in each case was taken

to a place where they could grow up in

an

onity the difference is that nandaba and

yeshoda were the opposite of the durle

they treated hurry as regular parents do

showering him with love as well as a bit

of discipline when

required Krishna had several runin with

snakes good and bad and he could

communicate with them though not in

parcel

tongue while you might be tempted to

think of Krishna B RAM and subadra as

Harry Ron and Herm this would be wrong

Krishna was Fearless like Harry but

never showed bad judgment like Harry

Potter often

does Krishna was well read and wise like

Herm but not socially

awkward and

Ron I'm not sure what Ron brought to the

table in the trio but if you think

attractiveness Krishna had that

too balam was krishna's sidekick the

older than

him this is unusual in Indian mythology

where AG is proportional to respect

commanded over and over walmort and his

Death Eaters engineered Harry Potter

assassination attempts as

ConEd every one of those

failed and just like in Harry Potter all

the parents and Guardians seem perfectly

content with putting their children in

the the most dangerous positions

possible I mean battling fire breathing

dragons and being sent into the dark

forest for detention for the crime of

unsafely walking around after hours in

school just doesn't make any

sense the character this week is shash

nag or ultimate snake shag is vishnu's

sidekick he floats around in the ocean

of

milk and he's large enough for his body

to serve as a daybed for

Vishnu he accompanies Vishnu everywhere

for example during the Mia Avatar while

Vishnu had the all important role of

being the unicorn fish that saved

Humanity shag's role was that of a rope

to tie manu's boat to the Horn of the

fish not an unimportant task but not the

most glamorous one either in subsequent

avatars shag AED his grievance to Vishnu

and was given more and more important

roles but all of them came out not quite

the way he

wanted sort of like a classic morality

tale about wish fulfillment gone wrong

when shag asked to be born as a human he

got to be lakshman to vishnu's Ram

lakshman was obviously a sidekick in the

ramayan or it would have been called the

lakshmanan he told Vishnu no fa you got

to be the older brother next time make

me the older

brother sure thing said Vishnu and in

the next AAR shag was

bam and despite being krishna's older

brother he had the supporting role yet

again it's said that shag's body

controls the flow of time in the

universe if the snake UNC calls its body

time can move forward but but when it

coils time stands still and the universe

can even blink out of

existence that's it for this week next

week we'll learn about how a dead mouse

can change your life if you apply some

clever business principles it's the

story of a very well-known modern retail

giant but set 500 years

ago approach the character next week

with caution because she is a associated

with bees wasps and

hornets and I'm not talking about a DC

Comics

superhero because I'm thousands of years

old my memory may be imperfect at times

so if you see any errors in my podcast

please let me know by leaving a comment

or a review on the site sfip podcast.com

or tweet at SFI podcast or find me on

Instagram or Facebook as always thank

you for your feedback I'll call out a

few more people this week sarj Simi

nitish adiya sna nidi Karthik Sama and

cavia the music is from purple

planet.com that's

purple-planet.com

I'll see you next

[Music]

week