Week 11 Reading Diary: Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art

This week I am continuing on with my viewing of Pattanaik's Seven Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art. The stories from this portion are Devi's Secret and Vishnu's Secret Part 1. Below are some of my favorite moments from these stories.

I liked the part from Devi's Secret about the merger of Shiva and Vishnu. Shiva is called Hara and Vishnu is called Hari. Together they are called Hari-Hara, the observers of life. Hari-Hara shows the merger of the absence of society, Shiva's half, and the existence of society, Vishnu's half.

Wikimedia: Hari-Hara

My favorite part from Vishnu's Secret Part 1, was the story about Vishnu's first avatar, Matsya. Matsya was a fish that was saved by Manu and was cared for in a pot. The fish continued to grow under Manu's care until he was needed to be transferred to a sea. Matsya kept growing until rains fell in order to make the sea large enough for the fish. So much rain fell that the Earth was submerged and was being destroyed. Matsya eventually saves Manu and teaches him that too much compassion leads to the destruction of society. 

Wikimedia: Matsya