Karma Yoga

Prince Meghakumar learned from Mahavira about his past life as elephant king Meruprabha. During a forest fire, when a rabbit jumped under his raised foot, Meruprabha held his leg aloft for two and a half days to avoid crushing it. His leg became stiff; he fell and died in agony, but his supreme compassion earned him rebirth as a prince.

Sampati lost his wings shielding young Jatayu from the sun. Millennia later, helping find Sita restored his wings. Brotherly sacrifice and redemption through service.

Guru Nanak established sangat (fellowship in prayer) and pangat (eating in rows together). For the first time, all people - rich or poor, high or low caste, Hindu or Muslim - would sit as equals sharing food.

After the Battle of Chamkaur where Guru Gobind Singhs two elder sons were martyred, their bodies lay unclaimed as Mughal forces patrolled. Bibi Sharan Kaur, a young woman, risked her life to collect their bodies at night, cremating them with proper rites. She was caught and martyred for this act of devotion. Her courage ensured the Sahibzade received proper last rites.

Great yogi Changadeva Maharaja, proud of his siddhis, came to meet young Jnaneshwar riding a tiger with a live snake. Jnaneshwar decided to meet him at the village boundary while seated on a wall. He commanded the wall to move, and it did, carrying him forward. Changadeva, humbled by this greater display of power, prostrated and became his disciple.

Prince Jimutavahana takes the place of a snake about to be sacrificed to Garuda. Moved by this selfless act, Garuda vows to end snake sacrifices forever. True heroism means breaking cycles of violence.

A mother asked Kabir to advise her son to stop eating jaggery. Kabir waited a week - first giving it up himself. Practice what you preach; live your teachings before advising others.

King Narasimha Deva I commissioned 1,200 craftsmen under master architect Bishu Maharana to build the Sun Temple in 12 years. When they couldnt solve how to place the crown stone, Bishus 12-year-old son Dharmapada arrived and brilliantly solved it overnight. To protect the craftsmens honor, young Dharmapada climbed to the summit and leaped to his death.

On April 13, 1699, at Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh drew his sword before 80,000 Sikhs and asked for volunteers willing to sacrifice their heads. Five men from different castes came forward one by one. After a dramatic test in a tent, all five emerged alive as the first Khalsa (the Pure Ones).

Ambas story begins as the princess abducted by Bhishma but rejected by both him and her intended Shalva. After failed vengeance attempts, Shiva blessed her to be reborn as Bhishmas killer. Reborn as Shikhandi and later exchanging sex with a yaksha, Shikhandi rode with Arjuna against Bhishma, who refused to fight anyone who was or had been a woman, enabling Arjunas fatal arrows.

Seeking relief from Bhandasuras tyranny, the gods performed Maha Yagna (great sacrifice). From the sacrificial fire emerged Maha Tripura Sundari on a radiant disc. She split herself into Kameshwara (Purusha) and Kameshwari (Prakriti), married Shiva-Kameshwara, and recreated the universe while preparing to battle Bhandasura.

King Harishchandra promised his son Rohita to Varuna as a sacrifice, but Rohita fled. A substitute, Shunahshepa, was bought from his impoverished father. Bound to the sacrificial post, Shunahshepa prayed to the Vedic gods and was miraculously freed when Ushas loosened his bonds.

The story of Bali Chakravarti's righteousness - how a demon king ruled more justly than gods, and why his 'defeat' by Vamana was actually his elevation to eternal grace.

The tragic story of how Parashurama obeyed his father's terrible command to kill his mother Renuka, then used his boons to restore her, revealing his capacity for impossible duties.