Prologue

The city of Anga is awake. The Shudras have cleaned the streets and taken care of the
rubbish. The Brahmins have begun their daily recitation of the Vedas and worshipping of the
gods. Vaisyas are out in full force trading their goods, selling boundless varieties of food and
clothes. There is a commotion outside the courts. People from all castes have arrived in
hordes to watch a young Brahmin who has been summoned.
The judge settles himself. He is an old man widely read in the scriptures and the laws of
Manu. He goes over his parchments and asks the guards to summon Bhrigu the Brahmin boy.
The boy is brought in chains flanked by guards with swords as if they have decided he is a
criminal already.
"Do you know why you are here."
"No, I am not sure"
"Do you know what we hold in front of you"
"Yes"
"We obtained the item from your premises. What does this machine do. No one sells
something like this"
"It's a calculating machine. It makes working with numbers easier"
"and you a Brahmin made it"
"Yes, no one else could"
"What was your purpose in making this machine"
"I tried to get people to understand its inner working but no one understood me. I had no
choice. I made it so that working with numbers would be easier, so that everyone could work
with them, take advantage of them."
"How did you make this" Even the judge is impressed it seems with the quality of work.
Despite himself, despite knowing he is writing his own sentence as he speaks a note of
enthusiasm and pride creep into Bhrigu's voice "When I had the plans ready, I tried to get
metal workers to make it but they declined. Every carpenter I approached sent me away
saying it was not possible so when my studies during the day were done I would apprentice
myself to the metal workers and to the carpenters. I learnt their craft."
"and they knew you were a Brahmin"

"Of course not, they would never have taken me in. I lied"
"So you a Brahmin by birth admit to having made this machine on top of which you
apprenticed yourself to carpenters and smiths, corrupting them and their profession"
"Yes, I made the machine but I haven't corrupted them or their profession. I simply did what I
could to get this made."
The answer is simple. Bhrigu cannot think of anything else to say. A hush silence falls over
the crowd.
"I sentence Bhrigu a Brahmin to live without his hands for the rest of his life. This Brahmin
has made something and making things, manual labour is not the domain of Brahmins. It is
not the natural order. Kshatriyas study arms and weapons. Brahmins involve themselves in
sharpening their mental skills. Vaisyas trade and make things. The Shudras only purpose is to
clean and serve the rest of the castes. Numbers are the sole domain of Brahmins alone. No
one else is capable enough to understand them. God has given everyone his place. So it is
said in the book of Manu. Let this be a lesson to everyone"
The crowd applauds. They are like prisoners who guard each other lest one of them escapes.
Bhrigu screams as his hands are cut, the crowd screams even louder, then bandaged. He has
been crippled for life.
Bhrigu remembers showing the device to his closest friend Pusthala after he had worked on it
for a year, Pusthala was amazed at the ease with which it manipulated numbers. The
mechanism made numbers accessible to everyone instead of a few and he had made it on his
own. His friend was pleased at first, he admired it wondrous intricate gears, its construction
and simplicity. He even noted additional uses for it such as calculating dates, finding the best
time to lay seeds. He was animated and genuinely excited by the device.
"Where did you get it. Which Vaisya possessed the genius to make something like this" asked
Pusthala
"I made it" replied Bhrigu and that is where things went wrong.
His closest friend snitched on him. Two days later Kshatriyas were at his door. They took the
device away from him and brought him for trial and made an example out of him.

Kunti gets a task

The court proceedings of King Kuntibhoja have begun. The same old routines repeat
themselves for the more formal a setting the more routines there are and the court is as formal
as a setting can be.

There are two cases of property dispute(far fewer than usual) which are taken care of. An
assassin has been apprehended on the city borders and sentenced to life imprisonment in the
dungeons along with the rest. The court jester does his best to entertain and even succeeds for
brief instants. The musicians play morning ragas and are awarded gold trinkets(Their wives
will later complain that it is not enough). It is all perfectly normal except for a dream that
plagues the King's mind.
The previous night, Sage Durvasa had appeared in the dreams of Kuntibhoja. Durvasa had
informed the king that he and his acolytes would be stopping over in his kingdom for rest and
shelter and that his daughter Kunti must be the one taking care of him. The mere thought of
Sage Durvasa's visit has terrified Kuntibhoja and his daughter taking care of him and his
retinue is making his stomach churn.
The king is well justified in his fears for Sage Durvasa is not to be taken lightly. He is
amongst the most powerful ascetics of the age along with being extremely short tempered, a
dangerous combination. Stories of his quick temper abound and the curses he has cast when
displeased are the stuff of legend. It is said that he turned an entire kingdom to stone when
they failed to live up to his standards. The king does not want such a fate to befall anyone
least of all himself or his daughter.
Kunti is Kuntibhoja's adopted daughter. She had been given to the king by his friend as he
himself was childless(this was not for lack of effort mind you, he had a harem of queens to
testify to his exertions). She had been called Kunti(her original name was Pritha) forthwith by
the kingdom as a token of their affection and the name stuck and she was regarded as a
daughter of the king. (Both figuratively and economically, her husband would gain the
kingdom in exchange, an expensive dowry if ever there was one)
He has thought over what he is going to do carefully. Kunti is able of mind, body and spirit
and detests being pushed around which is not the perfect combination to take care of the
Sage. KuntiBhoja knows that in normal circumstances Kunti would refuse which is why he
has decided to summon her in court where his power is absolute and his word cannot be
denied.
Once the routine of the court is over and everybody is almost ready to leave(they were
waiting for the king to make the slightest motion) he asks his Chief Advisor to ask Kunti to
appear before the court. The courtiers who were moments before eager to leave are now
pondering upon why this has been done and soon enough rumors and gossip began to
circulate(Courtiers can be worse than a bunch of old ladies they say).
The Chief Minister makes his way to Kunti's chambers while the court waits. The Chief
Minister enters her chambers(with permission of course) and after enquiring after her health
and other small talk he finally gets around to the fact the King desired to see her in court.
When Kunti inquires the reason all she gets is a shrug of the head from the advisor.
On the way to the court Kunti guesses that her father must want her to do something which
she would not have done otherwise. She might refuse him as a father but she cannot refuse a

king in his own court. She admires the king's craftiness and despises her father's
underhandedness.
Her arrival is duly announced in court and the courtiers stand up while bowing at the same
time to greet her. Kunti walks straight through without so much as a glance towards the
courtiers and asks the king as to how she can be of service. The king thinks to himself
"She will make a fine queen someday. See how she holds herself."
He proceeds to tell her
"Sage Durvasa will be visiting the kingdom soon and she is to be his caretaker"
At this the court draws a collective gasp. Surely they think that the king cannot be so cruel as
to assign the care of Sage Durvasa to a girl as young as her. Of course no one protests or
dares say a word.
Kunti knows that she must accede to the kings wishes.
She merely says "I will do as you command" and departs.

Durvasa Arrives
Preparations for the arrival of Durvasa are in full swing. The Brahmins are busy perfecting
their intonations and enunciations. (Usually they get by with many mistakes and even
chanting the wrong mantras but Durvasa and his retinue would spot it in an instant.) The
preparation of the food, lodging arrangements are supervised by Kunti in name only. The
king has ensured that his entire advisory is on the task and that Kunti is merely a figurehead.
He is after all trying to do what is best for the kingdom.
Sage Durvasa and his retinue finally arrive. They are spotted by the tower guards and
information stating that a band of safron wearing mendicants has been seen is relayed across.
Durvasa of course is the leader of the pack. He is the only one sporting a beard while the rest
are bereft of hair from head to toe. (These brahmins never do anything by halves, either they
have beards upto their feet or they have nothing, Tapasya(meditation in plain english) is the
stage in between).
The king greets them with the warmest regards
"Sage Durvasa, the greatest among the Rishis, thank you for gracing us with your presence".
As Kuntibhoja continues to speak Durvasa interrupts him almost rudely.
"KuntiBhoja, spare us the formalities, we have travelled a long way and are hungry, lead us to
our baths and put some food in our bellies". Kunti suppresses a barely hidden chuckle at this.

This scares the king for an advisor of his has asked him to keep going as long as possible as
they do not have enough bathing rooms setup. They have severely underestimated the size of
Durvasa's company.
The king though seething cannot not do anything except talk which he has stopped from
doing. Kunti overhears this as she is right beside and she has an idea. Before the king can
speak again she says
"Maharishi, if you and your retinue would follow me I shall lead you to the river close by. It
will serve as your bathing station and allow you to pray to the river goddess as well".
At this Durvasa nods his assent and lead his troops behind Kunti. While the troop is having a
bath she tells the king. "I have taken the liberty of arranging for more food than necessary.
The sage's reputation preceedes him. It was obvious that he would have more acolytes
because he gets the best treatment wherever he goes."
Kuntibhoja is more relieved than pleased at this point. The party take their bath and are
refreshed. They desire a meal and Kunti ensures that everyone is served taking personal care
of Sage Durvasa.
The yagna is due to begin. Durvasa and Kuntibhoja sit beside each other and Kunti is
nowhere in sight. This Kuntibhoja decides is a good time to make his play
"Maharishi, I couldn't help but notice that you informed me in your dream that you would
like Kunti to take personal care of you and your camp. She is but a girl not used to hard
labour. I will put my finest concierge at your service for the duration of your stay if you will
but stay this request"
"My good king, I was quite clear in my request. Do not presume to think that I perform my
actions without thought. The reasons you mention of her not carrying out her task are
precisely the reasons that she should do them. This brooks no discussion unless of course you
would like us out of your kingdom. Did you not see that she led us to the river when the baths
were underprepared. She has a presence of mind which can only increase."
The king thinks that he will gladly have thrown them out but to cast a man of learning will
doom his kingdom and race forever, hence the discussion comes to a stop. While the yagna is
going on Kunti supervises the shifting of the lodging near the river. This way she reasons all
the bodily functions can be taken care of with far greater ease and being closer to nature will
keep the whole entourage calm.
Durvasa stays in the kingdom of Kuntibhoja for a year. In that time they scarcely have a
cause for complaint. Everyday Kunti grows in confidence. There is a spring in her step and a
command in her voice that wasn't present before. The king's advisors who guided her before
now take her orders calmly trusting that she knows best. Now the task before Kunti isn't hard
in the usual sense but to take care of a band of people for a year is a hard task and one that
she gets used to and one she enjoyed. She realized that it is more a matter of persistence and
thoroughness. She finds Durvasa to be rather like a grandfather, one who is impetuous in his

youth but mellows with age and in turn Durvasa looks up her as a daughter. Durvasa and
Kunti get on surprisingly well.
Once they are comfortable in each other's company she even dares ask him
"Maharishi, I had heard such stories about you and yet our kingdom is as before, I know
many occasions where I breached protocol but the land still stands" to which Durvasa replies
"My child, the threat often causes more fear than the thing itself. I did turn someone to stone
in my youth but those were different reasons. Stories about my temper spread. I let them stay
because they ensured I was treated better and they got me a reputation. Not even Sages are
immune to a little vanity."
The time for departure has come sooner than expected. Kunti is surprised to feel a twinge of
sadness to see them leave. While the farewells take place Durvasa has a vision in which he
sees Kunti being married to an impotent. He knows that there is nothing that can be done
about this because such was destiny and that he should simply leave.
Unfortunately Durvasa has developed a fondness for the child and he knows he will not be
able to live with himself if he does nothing when he knows the fate that will befall young
Kunti. As she touches his feet he whispers a mantra. Asks her to remember it and tells her to
use it only she is in want of children.
Thus does Kunti learn the Mantra that will change everything.

Karna is born
It has been a few days since Durvasa has left. Kunti is by the river having her bath. She has
always liked the river. She is surprised at finding that she misses the Sage's company and his
irreverance. She recalls leading the sage and his acolytes down to clean themselves. This
brings her thoughts to what Durvasa taught her just before he left.
"These sages are strange beings" she thinks.
"Imagine saying a mantra, invoking a god and having a child out of it all". She laughs out
aloud. What Durvasa hadn't envisioned while teaching her the mantra is the innate curiosity
in any human especially in a Kshatriya woman. Kunti sees the Sun smiling down at her and
decides to invoke the mantra with Surya, the Sun god as the subject.
She is surprised when the Mantra actually works. She finds Surya stands beside her in all his
radiance and glory. Kunti believed in the gods but never believed that they actually came
down to earth. She was an agnostic to put it mildly. Despite being taken aback Kunti cannot
help but notice that Surya is the most handsome man that she has laid her eyes upon. He is
broad of shoulder with perfectly formed features.

She realizes that she can't have any children out of wedlock. It would put her and the
kingdom into disrespect. This probably accounted for her next statement to Surya
"My Lord, I was just trying out what Maharishi Durvasa had taught me. I never imagined it
would work. Please head back and forgive my curiosity. I shall be more careful next time."
She said this in the tone of a child who's broken a toy.
"Alas this I cannot do. I am bound by the Mantra and it would be impossible for me to leave
till the deed is done."
"But how can I have a child out of wedlock. It would ruin mine and the kingdom's reputation
in the eyes of the world"
"It is amazing how much consideration you humans place on petty matters such as what
others think but I promise you that once the childbirth is complete your maidenhood shall be
restored. Also I shall keep a watch on the child ." Even then Surya realizes what will happen
to his child.
Kunti thinks this to be the perfect and only solution. She is caught between a rock and a hard
place.
Surya is surpassingly gentle. He ensures that she is well taken care of, fucking her gently with
minimum fuss. That he is a skilled lover is apparent in the way his hands move across her
body. His seed is inside Kunti and Surya is done. Kunti has just lost her virginity to a god. He
pays his respects to Kunti and departs back to his domain. Soon Kunti begins displaying the
classic symptoms of motherhood which the king cannot not help but notice. He enquires as to
why this is happening with some force. Kunti has no choice so she begins to tell the tale. Her
explanation of trying to see if Durvasa's mantra worked does not impress Kuntibhoja in the
slightest but being the father that he is he does the only thing that he can.
Kunti is sealed in her private chambers and only his most trusted aide Chamraj knows what
has transpired. It is announced in the kingdom that young Kunti desired to visit the kingdom
of her birth and would return soon to account for her absence.
The brahmans and pandits even carry out the Yagnas blessing the journey for success. The
citizens do their part of being tearful and go about their duties soon after as if nothing has
happened. The palanquin which is supposed to contain the queen is empty of course. By the
time the accompanying entourage discover the fact they are dead.
Life goes on for Kunti as usual. She uses the time to think about conundrums and life. There
is not much else one can do when one is in a locked room. She is hidden and not allowed to
venture out or be allowed to be seen except by Kuntibhoja, Chamraj and a retinue of deaf and
dumb servants. The cycle of motherhood is predictable and she goes into labour.
As pregnancies go it is fairly uncomplicated. The child is born just as the sun rises. The
midwives say they have never seen an easier pregnancy and a child more eager to step out
into the world.

Even just born the child is radiant and has a way about him. He seems to be drawn towards
the sun. He is born with two earrings and an armor that is a part of him and will grow with
him. These are the gifts of Surya his father. Even as a child it seems certain he will grow into
a fine young man.
He is taken some distance along the riverbank and then secured into a cradle with the finest
linens and cast away. The midwives who have supervised everything so far are then disposed
of by Kuntibhoja and Chamraj. Kunti is dragged away even as she was sheds tears for no
mother can bear to see her child taken away from her. She will not be the same and the
thought of her lost first born would haunt her till she will see him again.
Thus is Kunti's first born let loose into a river on a cradle. This son of gods will go on to
perform many great deeds and some not so great. His is a name that will be remembered
across the ages.

Karna finds a home

Adhiratha steps out of his house. He has just had an argument with his wife Radha. He is a
part of the Suta community of Charioteers who lived by the banks of Ashwa, one of the sub
tributaries of Ganga.
The fire as always had started out with a small match. It was their usual discussion on
children or rather why they were unable to have one. They have tried everything. The last
year they had gone for a year long trip of all the major temples in the country. No guru's feet
had been untouched by the two of them and there was no esoteric remedy that had been left
untried. All of this was of course to no avail. To compound matters their neighbours seemed
to have absolutely no trouble in having kids. Indeed they turned them out by the dozen it
seemed. Only yesterday had they gone to celebrate one of those births. Understandably this
put them in a bad state of mind. They were among the few childless couples still around.
When they walked they could hear whispers questioning her fertility and his impotence. In a
community where a child was a gift from the gods they had nothing to show.
Adhiratha goes to the Shiva temple on the banks of the Ganga. He doubts the efficacy of
prayer and the whole concept of godhood but he goes because it is a part of his routine and
routines are notoriously hard to break. The temple is simple and beautiful. The intentions of
the architect are clear. It is a temple that one visits to pray, find peace and not admire the
architecture.
He rings the bell at the entrance to announce his entry to Shiva. He walks forwards, touches
the feet of the idol and starts praying. He knows a lot of Shlokas more out of practicality than
anything else. The Brahmin bastards skin you alive before saying them on your behalf.
As Adhiratha finishes his prayers and opens his eyes he finds the sun is too bright. He turns
his head away and in that instant he notices something in the river. On closer inspection
thought it seems to be a cradle but he cannot not be sure. The thing is quite some distance

into the river so Adhiratha has to make a choice of taking the leap. He decides to leap. Any
ray of hope is too good to just let go. After all opportunity knocks only once.
Adhiratha has always been a strong swimmer. Growing up near the river banks it had been a
skill easily and well learnt. In a flash he is in the river, swimming with strong confident
strokes feeling the water beneath him aiding him in his quest. He reaches the cradle. His
suspicions are confirmed and he is overjoyed. The swim back is even easier than the swim to
reach the cradle. The added weight makes him lighter. He can't wait to tell Radha.
He walks back to his chariot, triumphant with the cradle nestled in both hands. He finds a boy
loitering about, gives him an anna and tells him to inform his superior that he will be taking
the day off because he has been gifted a child. Then he gives the boy another anna and tells
him to give his superior sweets and keep the change. He also tells him that he will find him
and beat him within an inch of his life if he finds that the sweets are not delivered the next
day.
With this taken care of he rushes back to his home.
"Look at what I have found" he tells Radha.
She says "What is it this time. I hope its not one of your stupid jokes" and then he presents
the cradle before her.
She is surprised to say the least. She is also obviously thrilled. Adhiratha himself hasn't made
a closer inspection of the cradle and the child. He had been so eager to head back that only
now does he notice all that he should have. The linen is of the finest quality, the child is with
earrings that should look out of place but don't. He notices the smile, the sheer good
naturedness of it. He has seen babies smile before but his was a smile even more guileless
than those. While Adhiratha is having these thoughts Radha says "We should return the child,
he is evidently of royal blood".
Adhiratha replies without hesitiation "He was discarded, he was not wanted. They will simply
dispose of him again. No we keep the child. One does not refuse a gift when it is so willingly
handed over to us" and with that the matter is settled. He is their son henceforth.
They name him Karna(the one with earrings) and Radheya after his mother. Sweets are
bought and distributed. The greatest feast that the Sutas have ever seen is thrown. Even the
brahmins are paid to ensure that everything is just right and not a stone is left unturned.
Karna has found a home.

Kunti is married
The messenger rides. He is well trained. His back can take the pain of a long ride easily. He
stops at a shelter along the way. No one messes with him. They understand he is out for
something important.

The messenger arrives at Kuntibhoja. He is at the gates. The guards are rude to him at first,
they seek to drive away the vagrant but they see the seal. They move away, take his horse to
the stables. Its part of their training to recognize seals and their importance. The messenger
bears a message from the greatest empire of them all, the Kuru empire.
The messenger is taken care of, given the best food and drink Kuntibhoja has to offer. The
next day he is taken to the King with the message. Kuntibhoja expects the worst but it turns
out to be a proposal for marriage for Kunti with Pandu the younger scion of Hastinapura.
Rumours of his strength and valor abound. Evidently tales of Kunti's beauty have reached the
kingdom of Hastinapur and found him. The fact that Kuntibhoja had commissioned a number
of paintings of Kunti and proceeded to leak them might have helped as well.
Kuntibhoja is pleased at how effective he has been. He is happy that the rumors of the out of
wedlock child have been swept aside. He accepts of course. The messenger departs far more
comfortably than he had arrived.
Kunti is happy as well and why shouldn't she be, she is going to be a part of the wealthiest
clans in the nation and it would be stupid to refuse such an offer. They ask Kuntibhoja to
come and visit Hastinapura along with Kunti of course. He obliges. The Kurus treat him well
and the union is finalized. The Kurus of course control another part of their ever growing
empire, more importantly they control the river that flows the land now. Kuntibhoja is a small
state but it is strategically positioned with respect to water bodies.
The marriage takes place with great festivities. Warriors get drunk on both sides, show their
valor off. Of course there are a few deaths. No good marriage is complete without them but
overall it is a surprisingly civilized affair. The city is transformed, there are games, there is
much merriment and enjoyment. Men and women are swept up in the frenzy. Many follow
the example laid down by the royal families.
Gold flows. The Brahmins come in, say their piece, perform their rites and most importantly
obtain Dakshina that will last them at least a generation. Kings from all over Bharath are
present at the wedding, they would not want to curry the displeasure of the kurus by failing to
attend the weddings. The great sage Vashishta himself conducts the sacred rites.
The wedding is over, Pandu and Kunti are tired but not tired enough to go straight to sleep.
Pandu and Kunti are both handsome. Pandu is broad of shoulder. They kiss gently at first,
they do not know each other. They have barely spoken but the kiss seals their marital
contract. They feel each other gently at first but then passion takes over. Pandu is on top of
Kunti but something that she felt with the Sun god is missing. Pandu is flaccid, he is weak, he
thrusts but nothing of any import happens. Kunti realizes what has happened with a sickening
realization. Pandu is impotent. All his earlier gestures make sense, they were forced. The
gods have a sense of irony after all she thinks. After being fucked by a god, having a sexual
experience that few could come close to matching she is married to an impotent.

They try again and again. Their lovemaking sessions become wrestling ones. Herbs are tried,
the best physicians are employed but to no avail. Pandu has no physical drive, the act of sex
is meaningless for him.
Whispers for an heir are heard across the kingdom.

Pandu finds a second wife

The physicians have tried everything they can but they do not want to admit failure. They tell
him that he is not at fault. It is Kunti who is the cause and her alone. They shift the blame to
her. Pandu knows in his heart what the problem is but in a rare display of cowardice refuses
to accept it.
The Kuru clan needs an heir. Since Pandu rules the kingdom it is he who needs to continue
the line.
They look east to the kingdom of Madra famed for its fields and beautiful women. A
messenger travels the way he had for Kuntibhoja. Salya the king of Madra accepts. It would
be foolishness to do otherwise he thinks. Madri becomes Pandu's second wife. She is a
beautiful woman perhaps even more so than Kunti. She is the only one who knows what will
happen.
The marriage happens as before. Kunti has seen the charade of merriment of the joy that
pervades the kingdom. People follow the royal example, more people get married, many
manage to have children as well. She is now cynical about the whole affair, the farce of
merriment. The married couple being bandied about as if they set the whole thing up but she
knows that both do not choose but simply go along with the rules and conventions set about
without questioning them thinking that this will be to their advantage.
When the night arrives Pandu is flaccid, weak yet again. He is unable to consummate the
marriage. Madri breaks down in tears. Kunti consoles her. Both become fast friends united by
the common difficulty they face. Madri cannot bear being away from Madra. Her needs
remain unfulfilled. She begins to take lovers. Men who she should would not have given a
second glance earlier find her favour. She is even with child twice but the child is not allowed
to grow, to flower. She knows the consequences. The Kurus will not take kindly to it.
Pandu is fed up with his life. He can feel the stares of the elders. He does not know if he
imagines or if it is real but he sees contempt for himself wherever he goes. The pleasures of
the palace begin to lose meaning for him. He decides that he will live the life of an ascetic
now. His heart is not in governing the kingdom. He knows that Bhishma has been taking care
of most of it. Governing the kingdom has not turned out to what he expected. He expected it
to be full of adventure, full of excitement. Instead it has turned out to be more bureaucracy
than anything else. He never imagined he would have to sign out so many forms, settle so
many disputes, decide water problems, intervene between warring clans and families. He
never imagined that a large part of kingship involves shuffling papers.

There is no joy in his life any more. He has no children to speak of. He can't fuck his
beautiful wives. He might as well live somewhere where at least he is free to travel in his
own time and is not bound by the dull routine of the court. Whatever else you might think
about Pandu he is a man of action and once he has made the choice he is happier for it.
Arrangements are made. The Kuru clan's eldest statesman Bhishma is sad or feigning
sadness. The Kuru clan maybe the most prosperous in Bharat but it is plagued by men who
are great warriors but not very good lovers.
Kunti and Madri have to leave with Pandu of course. It is their duty and even if they did stay
behind they would not be very well treated so they choose to travel with the crown prince.
They travel alone, with few clothes and just horses. Bhishma has made the arrangements.
They will be staying at the best Ashrams in places with the most pleasant weather.
Dhritrasthra is made the new king. Although he is blind there is no other choice.

Yudhishthir is born
Pandu is morose. The ascetic life he so desired is not fulfilling him. The details turn out be
quite different from what was advertised. Its mostly endless riding from one Ashram to
another. Its about being involved in the routine of the Ashram helping out the saints. Madri
has found lovers in the most unexpected of places having dalliances everywhere. She is after
all a young woman.
Kunti has mostly kept to herself. Her life has taken a detour that she would never expected it
to take. She decides to take control in her hands.
She confronts Pandu "Day by day you grow more disheartened. Every time you see a child
rather than enjoying you despise him for the very act of being born. What is it that ails you. Is
having a child that important"
Pandu can only smile "My Lady, being a prince all my life I was always the best at
everything. Had everything that I ever wanted. People looked up to me because I had
everything they did not. I had power to get what I wanted, yet now I find myself powerless.
My self esteem is shattered because no one else appreciates me. I know I sound vain but to a
Kshatriya respect comes from within only when it comes from without"
Kunti has been caught in two minds about what she is going to say next but when she does
say it there is no hesitation in her voice.
"There is a way. When I was a young girl Durvasa had come to our kingdom. Pleased with
the services rendered he had taught me a Mantra. This mantra when invoked will allow me to
have a child with any god I desire. If you wish you can have a child who is not your own but
a godson"
Kunti has phrased it delicately but she can see the gears spinning in Pandu's head. She knows
that he would have gotten her pregnant with a Brahmin's child using the ancient practice of

Niyoga if it didn't offend his pride, if he wasn't worried that the child would turn out to be
weak. This she knows makes sense to him.
"Kunti, I do wish you had told me of this before" is all he can say giving his agreement.
"I help you choose the god though". Kunti nods her ascent and it is done.
"What do we say to Madri" asks Pandu
"Let us have the child. If Madri asks me how which she will I will teach her Durvasa's
mantra"
Pandu has been going over the pantheon of gods enthusiastically. There are a lot of gods. 33
million of them to be exact but Pandu cuts, slices and dices what he can. He is excited. He
rules out Agni, too temperamental and dangerous to a fault thinks he. Varuna is ruled out for
the eldest. Finally they settle on Yama the lord of Dharma and Death who guides souls to
heaven and hell and has a ledger on everyone's deeds. Kunti agrees with his choice, a
virtuous son for the eldest will be good.
It's been a while since she has invoked Durvasa's mantra but her body trembles with
anticipation. She still remembers Surya. Much to her surprise it works the first time and
Dharamraja appears.
She is surprised at how boring and normal he looks.
"I wouldn't pay any attention to him. He would just slip by" She thinks
"My lady, here I am to do my duty as demanded of me" He sounds bored. Kunti is pissed off.
She is still a beautiful woman and any man should be glad to be favored by her.
Yama and Kunti have sex of course but he performs the deed as if it is his duty. He derives no
pleasure from it and the moment his seed is in Kunti he disappears without uttering a word.
Gods are strange is the only conclusion Kunti can draw.
She tells Pandu that it is done.
"I am pregnant with your child" says Kunti. Pandu smiles at the choice of words.
Madri comes to know of course. Her curiosity gets the better of her.
"I enjoy the dalliances that I have but have forgone any of the children that I might have had
because they might not be worthy Kshatriyas. Tell me how you are with child" and Kunti tells
her of Durvasa's mantra, of how she can have a child with any god she desired. Madri seems
pleased but when Kunti tells her that no power on earth will stop the child from being born,
Madri is disappointed. She wants the gods to pleasure her but not the consequences. She will
think about this she says. For the next 9 months Madri and Pandu tend to Kunti, take care of
her needs as she grows prone to bouts of anger over nothing. When the child is born they

name him Yudhishthir, the eldest son, the son of Pandu, Kunti and Yama the lord of Death
and Dharma.

A lump of flesh
Dhritrashtra and Gandhari have been married for three years Once their marriage was official
Gandhari had decided to forego her sight. She couldn't bear the gift of vision while her
husband was blind. Shakuni her brother tried to dissuade the act but he couldn't convince her
otherwise. They too had problems but finally Gandhari was pregnant. The Kurus would
finally have the heir they so desperately desired.
Gandhari screams. This has not been a comfortable pregnancy. She has been there for more
than two hours trying desperately to push and push but it doesn't seem to be working. If it
lasts any longer she will pass out and die.
The doctors consult. Leading them is Sushrut the foremost surgeon of Hastinapur. He doesn't
normally do pregnancies but this is the birth of the future kings. They cannot cut open her
stomach and take the child out as it is stuck somewhere in between. Sushrut thinks to himself
that had he knows something like this was about to happen he might have decided against it.
He might have decided to cut open her stomach but something about doing so has always
made him squeamish.
Everyone outside is praying. Sushrut dives in with forceps made specifically for a cause like.
He can't seem to get a good grip though. He is unable to find the head of the baby or any part
that he can individually discern.
Finally after a lot of grappling he finds something that he can hold onto. He pulls and
Gandhari pushes once again. He manages to pull the child out. What emerges next scares
Sushrut, the midwives.
They ask for Bhishma and Dhritrashtra to come in. Gandhari is faint with exhaustion. They
cannot give her the child to hold, the fruit of her labors, a mothers deepest desire to hold the
baby that she just created cannot be fulfilled.
All Gandhari has delivered is a lump of flesh which is why the struggle took place. It had no
shape resembling a new born. How this travesty came about no one can say. The ignorant
brahmins will say the gods were offended but no one truly knows. Bhisma arrives. He sees
the lump of flesh. The usually poker faced grandsire's expressions changes but for just an
instant. He is calm again. Dhritrashtra is told what has happened. He is in tears. The Kuru
clan in without an heir once more.
"Keep the lump on ice. Preserve it any cost says Bhishma. The servants do not understand
the orders but they follow them.
He moves out and into his private chambers. He summons his fastest messengers. "Go fetch
Ved Vyasa he tells them.

"Whoever is successful will not need to deliver messages for life he gives them an
incentive.
The messengers drive their horses hard and fast. They change horses many times, leave many
for Yama to take away. The one known as Vinayaka finds Ved Vyasa and begs him to come to
Hastinapur. He of course agrees. He has always had close ties with the Kurus and understands
their problems.
About a week has passed when Ved Vyasa finally reaches Hastinapur and meets Bhishma.
There are no times for formal welcomes. They move straight to business.
"Gandhari has given birth to a lump of flesh. The doctors tell me that she cannot have
children again. The Kuru clan is heirless. Can you do something, raise children from the
dead
"Bhishma, its an imperfect speciment, there is one thing I might try, the stakes warrant it
though. Let me do my best
Bhisma asks one of the servants to get him the lump of flesh. He travels with Ved Vyasa.
They go to the Ganga. Ved Vyasa washes the lump of flesh in the Ganga water all the while
chanting something under his breath. He gives it a taste of fire, the element that makes life
and takes it away. He summons a storm, there is thunder and there is lightening. The lump of
flesh has electricity coursing through it. He cuts the lump of flesh into a 100 pieces and asks
Bhisma to keep it in a place where plants are grown, in warm comfortable conditions. For the
next three months he stays there. Monitors the cut lumps but now they don't seem to be lumps
anymore. They have life. The 100 pieces become 99 sons and a daughter. The piece that
comes to life is deemed the eldest. They name him Suyodhana, doer of good deeds and his
younger one Dushasana. Ved Vyasa departs after his work is done, to take care of his Ashram.
While he is there Bhishma keeps Ved Vyasa's physical needs satiated and his lust satisfied for
Ved Vyasa has an unusual libido, one extraordinary among Saints. He has not been able to
discard it and he has come to terms with it.
They discuss the scriptures, the Ramayana, the Upanishads. Bhishma still cannot get around
the fact that upon hearing a single Dhobi speak out against Sita he cast her away to fend for
herself. He wonders where this concept of monogamy came about when everything he has
seen and understood of this world marks it as unnatural to mankind. Ved Vyasa can only
laugh. They discuss warfare and the latest mantras that he has managed to conceive. He asks
about how the storm came about. Ved Vyasa says that is dark magic and one no one should
have to use but Ved Vyasa teaches Bhishma other things. He talks about how the Dwapar
Yuga is ending and how Kali Yuga is just around the corner. Bhishma can already feel it
happening in his bones. Already he sees people obsessed more by gold than their obsessions.
Few people seem to do things for the sheer joy of it. He knows how corrupt the
administration has become and how it grows like a weed that refuses to die.
Gandhari and Dhritrasthra cannot believe what has transpired, how Ved Vyasa has achieved
the impossible and they have no idea what it cost him. They wonder about the dark elements

that he called upon. They know something happened during the storm that was conjured. The
Kauravas grow surprisingly fast. They are strong able bodied and sharp of mind. One couldn't
wish for better children.

The way the wind blows

"Lets have another child" Pandu says.
He seems quite eager. Yudhisthir has changed him. He enjoys tending to children he finds.
They bring him peace which nothing else seems to do. Kunti find herself agreeing. After
Surya she expected better from Yama. She hopes this time will be different.
"This time I choose though" Kunti says.
Kunti heads out for one of her evening walks.
The breeze blows, gently at first, then takes liberty with her body, throwing her clothes out of
the way as if they do not exist, caressing her as a lover would. She wonders why she never
noticed how beautiful the wind is. Kunti knows whose child she wants.
She seeks out Vayu, the god of the winds. He is huge and stands at least a foot above Kunti.
This is something that Kunti did not expect. "My lady" shall we begin is all he says. All Kunti
does is nod her head. He towers over her. Kunti's neck is upturned almost completely. He
kisses her on both cheeks and then on her lips. Their tongues meet, fight and finally settle
down into a rhythm and cadence of their own.
Their clothes come of. He tosses her into the air and catches her as she falls inches of the
ground. Vayu is strong as expected but his gentleness catcher her by surprise. He fondles her
breasts, Kunti can feel his cock harden. The wind god is not one for subtlety. He lays her on
the ground and climbs on top of her. He kisses her, tastes her. His mouth and hands find her
breasts which he proceeds to squeeze. Kunti can sense his strength, can also sense that he is
holding himself back. This is why the wind god has no wife she wonders. For a woman to
take this strength every day would kill her. Kunti can feel his cock hardent. The size frightens
her. Vayu thrusts, Kunti moans. The wind god burrows deep and Kunti is orgasmic. He keeps
fucking her for what seems like an eternity. One hand is on his breast another in her mouth.
Finally Vayu ejaculates. He is spent. He lies down beside her.
Vayu is barely flustered. Kunti is exhausted though. Just for a second Kunti is jealous of the
Apsaras that find his favor.
"My lady I shall take your leave, I hope it was enjoyable for you" he says and he is gone just
like the wind. Kunti nods. She has not spoken only moaned. Kunti will never look at the
Wind the same way again.
The next day she is sore. Such was the strength of the Vayu.

Nine months later a son is born. They name him Bhima. Soon he will also be named
Vikrodhara the one with the appetite of a wolf. As he holds Pandu's finger Pandu can already
feel his strength in the grip. Bhimas is a worthy son of Vayu and and a true brother of
Hanuman. It will take him only a year before he is bigger and stronger than his elder brother.
He already has a voracious appetite and his feeding sessions leave Kunti exhausted. Even as a
child he is changeable, generous to those he knows and quick to anger with rage as terrible as
the Wind God himself.

Karna finds a tutor

The child is playing around. There is a calmness about him and a charm. There is strength
there. As far as childhoods go he has had a pretty uneventful one with his parents being kind,
considerate and as caring as they can be.
A bear of a man walks into the kingdom. He has travelled long and hard. Purposeless with
nothing to do but wandering about. He sees the child playing around. He has found his
project. The child shall be his student.
Jambhavan finds out that the child is Karna from a passerby and knocks on the door of
Adhiratha the charioteer. Adhiratha invites him in. Those were different times. No one drives
a guest away or a traveller in need. They talk about the good old times when everything was
more moral and incorruptible. They speak of the decadence of today's youth. Radha serves
both a meal, simple but delicious. It is only when the meal is done and the hands washed that
Adhiratha finally asks him
"What is your business here and what is it you really want."
"Your son Karna, I would like to train him".
Adhiratha almost laughs but notices that Jambhavan is serious.
"Why would you want to do this"
"I am sure you can see he is different from the other children. There is a poise about him, a
certain trust that is rare these days"
Radha interrupts "We will be sending him to the finest school we can."
At this Jambhavan can only laugh "Have you seen what those things called Schools do, they
teach only conformity, obedience, and that everything runs on a schedule, Follow the bell and
nothing else. They teach a child nothing but to hanker approval from his supposed betters and
lose confidence in himself until someone else grants it to him. Would you want Karna to
grow up in that manner, never questioning, schooled but not educated in the truest sense of
the word. Would you want Karna to do things that his mind and soul revolted against but had
to do anyway day in day out. Schools extend childhood to far beyond what is natural. Let me
teach him. I do not offer this lightly"

"How do we trust you, what have you done before this that we trust you with the education of
Karna"
"Have you heard the tales of Hanuman, I was with him when he made the leap to Lanka, He
knew not his own abilities, they had been systematically beaten out of him. I helped him
rediscover them. He made the leap. Tales are written about him. He is but one of my students.
In every era I take up a student who I believe will benefit from what I offer"
Adhiratha finds himself agreeing. He had never liked school himself as a child, even though
he was good at it he detested the schedule, being told what to study. Jambhavan's words have
cut deep into him. He is about to say yes when Radha interrupts.
"Give us a day to ponder this. This is a big decision to make"
"Very well think about it. but I will be gone tomorrow" and with this the bear man leaves.
Adhiratha is all for it. Radha is the sceptic but he finally manages to bring her around. He
doesn't know why but he instinctively likes the man. There is a certain candor, a certain
honesty about him
"We will not be able to pay you a lot though he says"
"Do you think I have want of money, give me as much as you desire. I have enough to last
me my lifetime"
Karna is introduced to Jambhavan, the bear man. Both take to each other, like each other
instinctively and without reservation. If Adhiratha and Radha have any doubts they are settled
the moment they see them together.
They realize that this will mean social ostracization. Their community will mark them out, for
not sending their scion to a school but they are prepared to sacrifice this for the sake of
Karna.

Karna trains
Over the next few years, Jambhavan takes care of Karna's training. There is no grand plan but
just talk about how things get done and how things work. He makes Karna curious about how
the world works or rather he allows Karna's natural curiosity to flourish.
Radha is worried. "The other kids are learning to read and write" she says.
"They are just forming letters" Jambhavan tells her, "most of them will never gain
understanding or acquire any interest in the great stories of our times"
He reads Karna stories, great stories from the epics, from mythology, tells him about the
gods. One day Karna says that he would like to use the book. He doesn't know the word read

yet. Jambhavan smiles. This is what he has been waiting for. He teaches Karna to read. It
doesn't take long. The squiggly characters that he so often sees become more than just drawn
lines. They acquire a meaning for Karna. He loves to read. He reads the tales of heroes, of
villains. He reads everything he can lay his hands on.
He takes Karna out to buy stuff with him. Karna looks and learns how business is done
amongst men. Karna learns about numbers, about addition and subtraction. He learns the skill
of counting money. He is good at it. His skills get applied every day. He struggles initially
because the curriculum is not laid out in an easy systematic manner but that is its greatest
strength. The chaos causes Karna to deduce meaning from it.
By the time he is 8 Karna knows the epics. He is curious, he is sharp. He is referred to as a
genius by some but his parents now understand that he is simply a child who has been
allowed to be curious. Karna is being educated in the truest sense of the word.
Karna admires the tale of Ram although he finds his adherence to duty over common sense
tiresome. Later on in his life when he rereads the Ramanyana he will find Ravana to be
unnecessarily vilified. He will hate the way he treats Sita and how Laxman is more of a
servant than a brother. He will hate the servile portrayal of Hanuman but for now he admires
Ram's valor, his bravery and his archery.
He tells Jambhavan he wants to be an archer. Jambhavan teaches him. He makes a bow for
him with his massive but delicate hands. The bow is the perfect size, small enough that he can
hold it, just big enough so that it pushes him to his limits. Jambhavan teaches him to aim, to
shoot straight and to make his own arrows out of wood. Soon he is visiting the forests, honing
his skill by hunting rabbits and small creatures.
Karna's days pass happily. He will never be happier than he is now.
Adhiratha notes that he is what a child should be. Not fearing the next day, fearful of going to
school with incomplete homework, doing exactly what he likes to do. Carrying out his duties.
Jambhavan sends him out for week long apprenticeships to the chariot makers for which their
community is famed. Soon he knows about wheels, how work with wood is done. He learns
these skills from fathers whose own children do not do so because they are away in school.
He sends him out to work a week with his father riding a chariot. Karna has a newfound
respect for Adhiratha. They are not distant any more. They talk about things that most parents
and children never talk about. Karna admires the way Adhiratha coaxes the horses to their
best. How he knows with a single sound where the chariot is broken or a wheel is splintered.
Karna is 9, he is a proficient archer, he has mastered reading, read all the tales and is great
with the sword. He has learnt the skills he was most gravitated towards. He is also physically
strong and generous to a fault.
"Jambhavan I want to learn more, I like weapons and want to master them. Ironical as it may
seem I feel best when I have a bow in my hand with an arrow nocked ready to be loosed"

"Very well then" Jambhavan knows the time has come. "There is only guru who will teach a
non Kshatriya the science of warcraft and that is Parasurama. You must go to him"
Jambhavan has asked for a meeting with Adhiratha and Radha. He wants to talk about Karna.
"I have done what I set out to do. Karna is now a great son, well learned and most
importantly he knows how to learn, and do what he wishes to do"
"I have taught him all I know, all that I can impart to him I have."
"and we are thankful for the time that you have given to Karna and us"
"Have you noticed the way he does things, with a quiet precision and an attention to detail,
his imagination, his vision is profound. There are few like him. I am glad to know I wasn't
mistaken in my judgement."
"You must send him to Parasurama now, in the Himalayas. Karna is interested in weapons
and there is no better teacher. The Kshatriyas begin learning early but I am sure he will be
their equal easily"
"He will teach Karna everything. He must depart as soon as possible. Pack his provisions and
send him off."
"Why are you in such a hurry" both ask
"Because otherwise both of you will hesitate. The biggest decisions must be made quickly
when you know you are right.Otherwise doubt, procrastination will catch up to you and you
will never have the courage to do so. You have trusted me with 9 years of Karna's life. Trust
me with this"
"How will he go" He will travel alone of course. That itself will be a learning experience. He
will travel with sword and bow and arrow and his skill with those will keep him safe"
Adhiratha knows what Jambhavan speaks is true.
Karna is asked to join them.
Jambhavan bends down so that they are eye to eye.
"Karna, I have taught you all I know, all I could teach and you have been marvelous. I know
you have an interest in warcraft. If you desire to learn more you must go to Parasurama in the
Himalayas, he will teach you the arts of war no one else can. It will be hard but you will
learn, this I promise you."
Karna knows he will go even before he thinks about it. He was decided the moment the idea
was suggested to him.

"Yes I will go and start tomorrow" He is all too aware of the effect delay has. He hugs
Jambhavan as he says this.
Adhiratha and Radha begin the preparations. They prepare his provisions.
It all takes a day more to setup than they thought it would. When Karna tries to look for
Jambhavan before taking off he is not to be found. Karna realizes that Jambhavan has left and
he has tears in his eyes as he heads out to the Himalayas as per the route laid out by
Adhiratha.

Interlude 1 - Parasurama's presence of mind

Revathi and Jamadgini have an Ashram on the banks of Narmada. They have four sons all of
whom are supremely gifted in the sciences and devout brahmins. They say though that the
smallest needle is the best and their children are no different. The fourth son Rama is sharp of
mind but also has a warriors bent. He is an immaculate scholar but also possesses great
mastery over weapons especially the axe.
It is a normal routine day with nothing to set it apart from the rest. Revathi has gone to the
river to fill water when she notices Gandharvas on the banks. They are handsome creatures
and they are enjoying themselves. Revathi watches transfixed by what she sees. She cannot
fathom what they are doing but it is undeniably attractive and sets her pulse racing. She
watches them for a long time. All of a sudden she remembers what she was originally here
for. She takes the water and heads back to the Ashram. Jamadgini notices her.
"What took you so long"
There is an expression of lust on her face. Jamadgini immediately understands what has
happened. He is livid with rage that his wife seeks pleasure elsewhere. He asks his eldest
three sons to take their mothers life as she has committed a grave sin.
They refuse one by one with great fear but they think they are doing the right thing.
Jamadgini grows angrier with each refusal. Using his considerable power he turns them into
stone.
"Where is Rama" he asks no one in particular.
"Here I am father" says Rama who has just returned from practicing with his weapon.
"Your mother has sinned. She has looked upon another man and had thoughts that she should
not have had. Behead her."
Rama can see Jamadgini is angry. He also sees stones and he is sure there never were those
stones in the Ashram.
"Father this is a terrible thing you ask of me. If I do this I would like a boon bestowed."

"You shall have whatever you wish" says Jamadgini.

Jamadgini has just about finished saying this as Rama beheads his mother Revathi with one
clean stroke of his axe.
"I would like my mother's life to be restored and my brothers back. This will be my boon"
Jamadgini has no choice, he makes his brothers human and gives Revathi back her life.
Only a warrior would not have hesitated to chop of his mother's head under orders but only a
Maharishi would have had the presence of mind to ask for her life as a boon. Parasurama
embodied the best of both.
Author's note It is amusing that all mythologies are patriarchal enforcing an invisible social
order. A man can have dalliances do as he wishes but a woman simply having thoughts is a
crime. If you are a child I advise you to enjoy these stories for what they are stories and not
gather morals from them.

King of the gods

Kunti is walking around the forests near the Ashram. It has been three months since Bhima
birth. She is bored once again. Nothing seems to be happening. She wonders how Madri
entertains herself. Yudhishthir and Bhima have grown up fast. They don't need her much. Her
thoughts go back to Durvasa and the events that transpired. Her body yearns. Without even
realizing what she has done she invokes the Mantra with Indra, the king of gods, the one who
controls thunder and the clouds as the subject.
Kunti spots a handsome man in a chariot heading her way. The chariot doesn't seem to have
horses. It just moves with an effortless ease in the air and stops right beside her. Indra strides
out. He has that indefinable charisma which makes people and even gods follow him.
Strange stories abound around Indra. It is said that he is addicted to drink, gambling and
women. He has been dethroned as the king on more than one occasion. Everytime he has
been deposed the incumbent initially competent became drunk on power and began misusing
it. Eventually Indra always found his way back to the throne through some scheme. It seems
to be that Indra is unaffected by power, he is the same with or without it, a rare quality and
one essential in a king but seldom found. He has a fetish for esoteric weapons that other gods
do not even know exist.
Kunti is swept away at her first glance of him. Even Surya did not affect her thus. He invites
her on board his chariot and she does not even think about disagreeing. They take to the
clouds.
He entertains her, he is an excellent conversationalist. He makes her laugh, regales her with
tales and the gossip of the gods which turns out to be more like human gossip than she can
imagine. Pandu has never managed this in all their years of marriage. Kunti feels free to talk

to him about anything and breaks down. She talks about the son she had to cast away. He
reassures her saying he is in a good place with good people. Kunti complains about Pandu
and living in a Ashram when she should be living in the lap of luxury. Indra agrees but extolls
the virtues of modest living at the same time praising her devotion to her impotent husband.
He presses all the right buttons and Kunti doesn't even realize when the clothes come off.
He fondles her, plays with her and then lays her on a cloud. She thinks that he is going to
fuck her when he is in her mouth. Kunti is disgusted but a small part of her realizes that she
wants this. Once he is spent he turns her around so that she is looking only at the clouds as he
fucks her like a dog. Kunti moans with pleasure. The king of the gods is evidently practiced
in arts of Kamasutra and plays all the right notes.
Once he is spent he engages her once again. Kunti thinks that no one has understood her the
way Indra has. He never mentions himself or her being under an obligation like the other
gods and makes her feel like the queen she is. Evidently being bound, following orders is
something that he does not like to. He drops her off just outside the Ashram and once he
disappears Kunti realizes that she has never felt more used.
Kunti tells Pandu and Madri what has transpired.
Pandu is aghast. He berates Kunti saying that it was never her decision to have a child. She is
in a feisty mood and will not listen to him. "You would have a say only if you could do
something about having children That stinging comment hurts Pandu. He leaves.
Madri only asks with a smirk "Was the king of gods better than the rest . The answer is
writ clear on Kunti's face.
Nine months later a son is born. Kunti names him Arjuna. They will soon discover he has
inherited his father's charisma and not inconsiderable charm. Pandu wants to hate Arjuna but
he cannot do so. He soon becomes Pandu's favorite. They soon discover that Arjuna almost
always gets his way.
Yudhisthir the eldest grows ever more jealous of his two siblings. He possesses neither
Bhima's strength nor Arjuna's finesse. He will grow more introverted as the years pass. Being
Yama's son he fulfills his duties and eventually grows to love his younger siblings.
Madri takes care of the three Pandavas as if they are her own and Kunti can see that she
yearns for children of her own.

Meet the twins

"Teach me" Madri tells Kunti. "I have had enough of being childless"
Kunti has been expecting this. She sees the look of wistfulness in her eyes as she plays with
Yudhishthir, Bhima and Arjuna. Being a mother she understands the yearning that Madri
experiences.

She teaches her the Mantra as Durvasa had taught her. She also tells Madri to be careful.
Pandu knows as well and he knows too that she takes lovers because he cannot satisfy her. He
can't say anything because he has condemned her to this fate. He knows too that she has had
children aborted as she desires only Kshatriya children.
Madri invokes the Mantra. She doesn't succeed the first time, nothing happens. She thinks its
a farce but she has seen Kunti's fine children and knows it cannot be. She tries again placing
emphasis on the intonation getting it just right enunciating every word.
This time she is successful. The Ashwin twins appear. They are more handsome than any
human she's laid her eyes upon. They are also exactly identical. Twins usually develop
differences over time and it is easy to see the difference especially if they are together but she
cannot make out any. They are fungible.
It is said that the Ashwin twins never do any deed alone, they are always together. They are
the gods of healing, valor and grace but right now they are here for only one reason and that
is to fuck Madri. The mantra binds them till they finish.
Madri is beautiful. Even in the kingdom of Madra where beautiful woman abound she is
looked on as more than beautiful. Her very presence is electrifying and even the gods are not
immune to her charms.
Though she has had lovers, dalliances they have been ordinary lovers, lovers too eager and
too pleased with their luck to really please her.
"Madri, the power of Durvasa brings us here, you seek to bear our children and so you shall"
They speak in perfect synchrony.
Before she can do anything else she is undressed. The twins are gentle. They have fucked
many a Apsara but even for them Madri is special. With her clothes off they see the
suppleness of her thighs, her full breasts and her upturned lips. They feel desire coursing
through their veins. They take turns to kiss her while the other feels the curves of her body.
They taste her, feel every nuance of her mouth. They fondle her breasts with their hands and
mouths.
The Ashwin twins lay her gently on the ground which turns surprisingly soft. One of them
has her head in his lap. The other begins to fuck her, gently at first then giving himself away
to his baser nature. The inside of her thighs is gorgeous he notes. The second plays with her
mouth with one hand. Fondles her breast with the other bends over and kisses her.
The Ashwin twins switch places, the other Ashwin twin takes his turn to fuck Madri. He too
notes her suppleness. He goes deep and is finally done. The three of them are exhausted but
extremely pleased. Madri gets dressed it seems by Ashwin magic.
"And now we depart my lady. The deed is done. We have finished what we came for"
They cannot resist themselves. Each takes a deep farewell kiss before they disappear.

Madri is happy. She hasn't been fucked like this in a long time. Her lovers are usually
incompetent Ashram boys who are so thrilled at seeing her that they are finished even before
they begin. She smiles noting to herself that the Ashwin twins are not as they seem. They are
different. When faced with a choice about who goes first it was inevitably the same twin. He
must be the elder she thinks.
She is tended to by Kunti and Pandu. Kunti can guess what her experience was like. Pandu
doesn't ask. He doesn't want to know. Nine months later she has twins. They are mirror
images of each other, fungible. They name them Nakul and Sahadeva.

Everyone dies
A plague has struck the Ashram. Nearly everyone is dead. Soon everyone will perish apart
from Kunti, Madri and the five Pandavas. They seem unaffected the whole affair. It seems the
gods have given them immunity from all disease.
Pandu's health is deteriorating as well. He has already lasted longer than the rest of the
inhabitants. The strong man he was is no more. He remains a shadow of his former self and
has become skin and bones. His lips are perennially dry. He speaks in fits and starts. He is
sectioned of, he dies in a day.
Kunti is stoic about the whole affair. Someone has to be. She is the rock of the Pandavas.
Madri seems to be the more affected of the two even though Pandu and Madri were never
close. Kunti is now effectively mother to all five children as Madri withdraws more and more
into herself. No Pandava is able to drag her out of her stupor. Even Arjuna with his all his
charms fails.
Pandu finally dies in his sleep. His last rites are conducted in the Ashram. The five Pandavas
grow up. They have seen death close. It might have been harder for them if only their father
had died but paradoxically seeing everyone dead in the Ashram inures them to it. They realize
that death is inevitable.
Two months later Madri commits suicide. She leaves a note for Kunti. "I cannot continue
leading this half life, a life wherein my husband gets taken away from me without even
consummating our marriage. This is not how I imagined life would be. I have no interest in
living life as a widow looked down upon going back to a kingdom where I will be forced to
lead a sheltered and protected life."
Madri didn't speak to Kunti before doing this. All of Madri's life has come to naught. If Kunti
could have spoken to her she would have told her that life goes on and nothing is permanent,
that eventually everything passes. She would have told her that she could have started a new
life, the Kurus would have provided her enough gold but beauty has its own pitfalls. Things
come easy and never having faced any difficulties the first great one proves too great to
handle. The children are distraught. They were close to her but they will recover.

Kunti is a lone mother to five children. She takes the only sensible course of action and sends
a message to Hastinapura. She cannot go back to Kuntibhoja. Once a woman is married she
belongs to her husbands town. It is one of the great ironies of life that woman give up
everything, they start a new life just when they become comfortable with the old one. They
sacrifice their lives, their dreams and desires for their children next. It is a lot to ask but they
do it uncomplainingly because it is expected, because that is the queer logic of the way
society functions.
It takes time but Bhishma himself arrives to take Kunti back to Hastinapur. The Kuru clan
never leaves their kin unattended. Kunti introduces Bhishma to the Pandavas. He notes that
even though Yudhisthir is older than Bhima and Arjuna he is slighter than both. They are far
more confident of their abilities and seem to possess a charisma that the eldest does not.
Nakula and Sahadeva are delicately built but agile in both body and mind. Arjuna especially
surprises him with his confidence and the two have conversations that extend into the night.
Arjun even now has the ability to be charming and genuine when he needs to be and Bhishma
and Arjun develop a genuine attachment. Bhishma has deliberately taken the long way back
so that Kunti has time to recover from her ordeals, get herself in order. She asks Bhishma
why such things happen and he says that such things are predestined. We don't know what
cards fate will deal, all we can do is make the best of them.
When they finally reach the kingdom, there is a grand welcome. The Kauravas watch their
cousins with the elder two Suyodhana and Dushasan being particularly jealous seeing the
welcome they get.
Shakuni, Gandhari's brother is watching as well. The only question that plagues his mind is
"Who is to be King when Dhritrashtra dies."
It is a conundrum. Pandu handed the reins of the kingdom before leaving so Duryodhana
should be king but Yudhisthir has an equal claim to the throne as Dhritrashtra was simply a
custodian and is not a king by birthright.
Shakuni is also sure that he is not the only one thinking the same. Once Dhritrashtra has
greeted Kunti, shown her to her quarters which are more than adequate and come back to his
chambers, Shakuni visits him. "The Pandavas seem like excellent kids, they will make
excellent companions for the Kauravas" "As if 100 children could need more company"
laughs Dhritrashtra "Just be sure that they know their place, know that Suyodhana is the
rightful heir to the kingdom" and with this idea planted in the blind king's head he leaves.
Dhritrashtra cannot help but think that this might indeed be a possibility. Pandu for all his
follies and vanity was a much loved king and no matter what Dhritrashtra has done the people
have never supported him. They seem to think that the throne is not his and he rules over
them by might instead of right. He summons Suyodhana's trainers, asks them to subtly
indicate to Suyodhana that the kingdom is his and his alone. He doesn't sleep well that night.
He dreams of syncopated rhythms and discordant chords.

Karna reaches the Himalayas

Karna reaches Parasurama's valley after a long arduous journey. It is not important how he
gets there. That is a matter for another tale. He reaches Parasurama's camp at night haggard
exhausted but happy. He has braved many dangers but the cold is what gets to him. Fire has
been a most valuable ally.
He is stopped at the gates. Boys older than him enquire the business that he has and what a
kid like him is doing so far away. He answers that he wants to be trained by Parasurama and
wants to meet him. They laugh, Karna is tired, prone to anger, there is a scuffle. The older
boys pin him to the ground but not before they receive a beating themselves. The oldest
among them finally takes him to Parasurama warning him that he will most likely be driven
away.
"Take a seat is all Parasurama says.
"Why have you come here he asks.
"To be trained in the arts of war, to learn to use weapons, to ask that you teach me your
expertise in these
"This will not be easy. You are young. Enjoy your life. Have some fun.
"This is what I enjoy. I have travelled too far to be driven away with drivel. Give me a direct
answer but do not try and convince me otherwise. The decision is taken
"Who sent you here"
"Jambhavan the bear man asked me to come to you for training but he never sent me here.
That was my own decision."
"Very well then your training begins the day after. Rest a while. Recover your strength. Have
a look around. Angad ensure that he gets a room and bed to sleep on
The oldest boys leads him, shows him his cottage. Parasurama gives everyone his own room
and then the boy doubles back
"He is a mere child. Why do you train him? You have driven away many but chosen him. The
most prosperous non Kshatriya families are eager to send their wards to be trained by
you.
"He came by his own choice. He is young but not indecisive. Did you not see the command,
the poise, the desire to do something. He is genuinely interested the arts of warfare. It
fascinates him. He will make a good student. Besides he was sent by Jambhavan, a man
whose judgement I would trust with my life. No more. Off with you and to bed

Karna's training is hard, long and arduous. It begins with runs in the biting cold of the
Himalayas with only his nether regions being protected. It is tough but soon he finds it makes
no difference. The cold is invisible non existent. They always train except for a two day break
every seven days. That is when their body recovers, gains its strength back and the mind gets
a chance to roam. They get a chance to do something apart from learning warfare. Karna
usually just reads. He still finds it the best way to use his time. He writes sometimes but
mostly just whiles it away until the day comes when he just decide to practice a little during
the break as well. Parasurama immerses him in a weapon. He is not allowed to touch any
weapon while he uses another.
He is taught without weapons in the beginning. They correct his balance, the way he walks,
the way he runs with subtle improvements. He becomes better at the most mundane of tasks.
His hands are steadier. He becomes stronger and more delicate at the same time.
They teach him archery first. Jambhavan has taught Karna well. The archery is easy even
with the heavier bows and the arrows. The older boys are jealous of his prowess. They
attempt to corner him once or twice but he is not the haggard, tired boy who came in. He is
able to outwit them. He is not an easy target and after a while they let him be.
Parasurama teaches him to use an axe before the classic sword and spear. He wonders why
but then he understands. The axe is a hard weapon to fight with. It is effective but because its
handle is wood it can be cut away with a sword. This itself causes him to avoid blows when
he can, be sure of his movement and himself. Parasurama is a master of the axe. He swings it
about the tips of his fingers, rotating the heavy axe as if it were a quill. The axe follows his
every command, his every desire. Some of the older boys are good with it as well but Karna
has eerie sense of weapon craft. His body responds to weapons. He is soon better than
everyone with the axe even those who have been training for far longer than he has.
The sword comes next. Parasurama trains him with swords of every size. They practice with
daggers, with blades that curve around themselves, each of them have their own peculiarities,
their own quirks as if they were individuals and not weapons.
Once Karna is done with the basics he is taught the mantras that make the weapons infinitely
more potent. Soon he can summon wind, he can make water gush from the ground, he can
summon thunder and storms. The gods are at his mercy. He is now so far ahead of the rest of
the Ashram that they train on their own leaving Karna to his own devices. He trains, he trains
till he is perfect. He has become much to their chagrin Parasurama's favorite.
He spends another year familiarizing himself with his old friends until he himself becomes
the most dangerous weapon and the weapon he holds doesn't matter.

Possibilities open up
Karna's training is done. Parasurama summons him one night to have dinner with him. A rare
honor accorded to only a few.

As is usual they finish their dinner with few words eating well. Only once food has been
finished does Parasurama begin speaking.
"Karna, your training is done. You have learnt well. There is however something else that I
can teach you"
"I would like to learn whatever you can teach me" is all Karna can say.
"Not so fast my eager student"
"What I will teach you next might make you forget what you have learnt so far. You will have
to unlearn everything that you have learnt so far and relearn it which you might never be able
to do. If you are successful you will be hundred times the warrior you are now but if you fail
your training, your dedication will come to naught. I have seen this happen and I do not offer
this lightly."
"I just want to learn" says Karna although the prospect genuinely scares him. He is attached
to person he has become. It will be tough to lost it all.
"Sleep over it. We meet tomorrow morning. Inform me of your decision then. You can either
leave for home or you can train with me" With that it is understood that the meeting is over.
Karna thinks it over. It is the first time he is not able to sleep soundly in years. The next
morning he tosses a coin and the for the split second the coin is in the air he knows what he
wants. He doesn't see how it lands.
He meets Parasurama.
"Master, I will continue my training. I want to learn everything I can"
"Very well then lets begin" Parasurama is poker faced as always but Karna can detect signs of
pleasure.
Over the next few months Parasurama teaches Karna to split his mind. To do two things at
once, perform different unrelated tasks with as much felicity as he did one. Its hard in the
beginning but Karna manages to master the skill eventually.
"Now begins the easy part" says Parasurama.
"The world seems as if cast in stone but underneath it all it is fragile, malleable, amenable to
our will"
"When you cast an arrow, you determine where it goes, its motion is planned by you. You
leave no room for doubt. There is only one possibility."
"Imagine though if you could harness all the possibilities, one arrow becomes many, a single
sword thrust becomes many thrusts."

Karna seems to make sense of it all. His warrior mind immediately spots a defect. "All the
possibilities include the ones in which the arrow never leaves the bow, or ones in which the
swords swing back on itself hurting the bearer"
Parasurama smiles, "That is where the training comes in, only keeping the relevant
possiblities and discarding the rest".
It is hard to learn the skill. Karna simultaneously has to unlearn the skills he had learnt the
hard way about being accurate, about being sure while remembering some of the lessons so
that he himself would not be hurt. He now understands why Parasurama was trying to split
his mind. It is as if he is two warriors. As one warrior he is accurate, everything calculated
and thought out. Every swing measured and perfect. As the second warrior he is the exact
opposite. He is inaccurate and leaves room for error, for possibilities but leave room only for
the right ones. It is an incredibly a hard balance to strike.
The toll this takes on his mind is incredible and Parasurama fears for his sanity. There is no
going back however on this road. Once begun it has to be traversed otherwise Karna will be
half a warrior.
He immerses himself in becoming a possibility warrior. The other Ashram boys delight in this
because he is terrible at it. Parasurama often makes Karna fight them without allowing him to
fallback to his usual methods. He usually goes to bed with bruises, something he has the lost
the habit of. His aim with the bow usually so accurate has gone haywire. His skills are
broken.
Eventually though persistence wins most battles. Slowly but surely Karna becomes a better
possible warrior. As the ashram boys begin losing to him once again he gains in confidence. It
takes him a year of working hard every day when he becomes Parasurama's near equal in the
art. The mantras he gained become a hundredfold in their efficiency. He can summon rains
and thunderstorms that seem as if they can drown the whole world. He can fight ten people at
once easily. He can hit ten targets at once. His control is such that he suffers not a scratch but
he loses the finesse, delicacy and accuracy that he had once possessed. That was the cost to
be paid.
He begins relearning his skills. This turns out be harder. The Ashram boys beat him again but
he fights until six months later he gets it all back. He is the accurate warrior once again.
A further six months and he can switch between the two. He becomes the most fearsome
warrior by a distance. Some even whisper that he is Parasurama's equal but this is laid to rest
when Parasurama begins to spar with him.
The gulf between them is still vast. The master is a shrewd warrior. One does not destroy the
entire Kshatriya race 21 times over by being naive. Everyone sees that the Acharya merely
plays with them. When he fights Karna he is fearsome. He changes. It takes focus just to
watch them move. One can never be sure where the next attack would come from. Karna is
beaten brutally each day but he knows he is getting better. He is close to the day when he will
finally beat the Acharya.

Interlude 2 - Parasurama wipes out the Kshatriyas

Kartavirya Arjuna a king was the legendary ruler of the Hyihya kingdom. He was out on an
expedition to extend his dominance, expand his influence, to conquer kingdoms along with
his armies and sons. He was tired. They had travelled days without proper food and shelter
when they chanced upon Jamadgini's Ashram. They demanded to be taken care of which
Jamadgini should not have been able to do but did so. He possessed a divine cow Kamadhenu
who was able to fulfill any desire asked of him. Once the meal was done the King wanted to
find out how Jamadgini had managed the impossible feat. Jamadgini foolishly told him about
Kamadhenu. The king desired the cow more than anything else.
"I would like the cow for the betterment of my citizens and my kingdom. Not a child shall go
hungry once I possess Kingdom" Kartavirya phrased it like a request but with Kshatriyas
everything was a command.
"My liege, that is not possible. I have need of him for my rites that I carry out, for the
offerings that I make to the Gods. Besides what you say and do are two different things. You
say it is for the betterment of your kingdom but I know that you shall you use it procure gold
and weapons. You only disguise your intent claiming the betterment of your citizens as an
excuse."
The king was angered by the refusal and the accusations. He chopped Jamadgini's head and
took Kamadhenu away with him by force. He expanded his kingdoms a great deal for they
had a ready source of food and weapons and were never short on them. No siege was
effective against them and eventually all kings submitted to his supremacy.
Rama the youngest son had been away to the Himalayas sitting in penance till Shiva came
down from his abode and asked him what he desired. He demanded a weapon. A strange
request for a Brahmin but he was given one. He was given an axe that was bloodthirsty and
would drink blood and never allow itself to get slick. After this he was always referred to as
Parasurama, Rama of the axe.
Upon his return he was told what had happened. How his father was killed and how the
Kshatriya's had taken Kamadhenu by force.
He travelled to the Mahashamiti the capital of Hyihya kingdom near the banks of Narmada.
During his travels in all the kingdoms he went through he noticed the abuse of power by the
Kshatriyas, the way they had kept the other classes down. He saw how they had monopolized
knowledge of weapons and used force to exert control over the citizenry. He saw the
corruption that was rampant everywhere. He decided that Earth would be better off without
the Kshatriya race.
Finally he reached Mahashamiti and informed the gatekeepers of his intent to fight the king.
The gatekeepers laughed when they heard Parasurama had come to challenge the great king
to single combat. They would never laugh again. Their heads were cut before the swords
were out of their scabbards. Matters escalated. Wave after wave of soldiers kept attacking

only to find they couldn't get the better of a single brahmin who had no armor and no formal
training with weapons. Even though Rama was not even half the warrior Parasurama is now
he decimated them.
Rivers of blood flowed. The army was slaughtered. Kartavirya Arjuna himself came out to
fight him. This was no ordinary battle. It is said that the Gods themselves came out to watch
the clash. Kartavirya had had a boon granted to him by Dattatreya that made him impervious
to death and alllowed him to change into a monster with a thousand hands. They fought for
days without rest. Parasurama's axe kept chopping his hands off but they kept growing back.
The axe kept swallowing the blood. Finally Parasurama attacked his stomach. This was an
unexpected blow and The king didn't live for long after that. He was able to get within his
reach and cut him open.
Rama could never forget what had happened to his father. He could never the way their
possessions had been taken away by force. He killed the entire Kshatriya race. He wiped out
21 generations of the Kshatriya and the Axe drunk all the blood until it too was sated and
could take no more. Parasurama had enough of death and destruction himself. They say that
the soil at Kurukshetra is red because of the blood that Rama had his axe release over the vast
empty fields.

Karna beats Parasurama

Parasurama and Karna clash again. Each day Karna gets closer to beating him but fails. He
goes to bed with endless bruises and pain. He has been close many times but the Acharya
seems untouchable. The others tell him that to fight one who has killed every single Kshatriya
at will and hold him off is an achievement but that offers him no solace. He is driven and he
has tried everything.
Something seems different about this day though. Karna feels faster, fitter. He has made the
leap to understanding his skills. He has no equal in archery and so student and teacher fight
only with swords and axes.
The Acharya goads him on. "Don't hold back because I will not"
They fight without weapons at first. Hands meet. Fists hardened by the years of training
clash. Everyone is watching but hiding. Karna is moving between the possible and the
accurate warriors. Once he thinks he almost has the Acharya pinned but Parasurama counters
with almost impossible quickness. They move as if they are blurs. They fight with great
speed.
Finally they stop as if by mutual understanding. Catch their breaths. Pick up swords. This is
the most dangerous. Even though the intention to kill is absent a single lapse of concentration
could cost them their lives. Parasurama is fighting it seems barely pushing himself, he moves
into possible mode, a single thrust becomes many, striking at Karna from various angles.
Karna only just about manages to block the blows. He knows he is being defensive. He has to

become slightly more aggressive, wrest the initiative. The Acharya seems to be able read his
every move. It seems that he knows exactly what Karna is going to do and with this thought
Karna realizes where is going wrong. In this flash of insight he changes his strategy. He
becomes unpredictable, going with the flow, making random strikes.
The difference is palpable. The Acharya is on the back foot. Even though he fends away all of
Karna's thrusts and feints he has a harder time doing so. Karna attacks the Acharya with a
single forward strike. The Acharya almost looks at this attack in contempt before blocking it
easily. He has been fooled. Swords come from behind him and stop just a hair away from the
back of his neck. The Acharya smiles, concedes defeat and lays the sword. Karna is thrilled.
He has beaten the Acharya. This round is his. They pick up the axes. This is where things get
interesting. Karna has gotten close to beating the Acharya with the sword but never the axe.
The axe is a part of him. It seems an extension of his hands. They twirl the axes between their
fingers. He can feel the Acharya become serious, become more dangerous. He makes the first
move. Running almost at the speed of thought. The Acharya is not present. The axe is a
different weapon. It cannot be blocked, only evaded. Parasurama is behind him but Karna
anticipates this and turns around just in time and manages to avoid the axe. Karna
understands the only way to win is to become the possible warrior. He fights. Every swing is
multiplied but the Acharya it seems is too good. He will not be beaten but Karna understands
that he is ahead. The Acharya does not mount his own attacks, turn defence into attack as he
has been able to do so before.
He takes a gamble he never thought he would take. The Acharya expects him to run, to attack
him, instead he hurls the axe, throws it with tremendous power. The single throw becomes
many all going for the Acharya. The Acharya looks terrified. He barely gets out of their way.
It seems Karna has lost but behold he has managed to cut the wood out of Parasurama's axe.
"That was foolish lad, you lost, you now have no weapon" Parasurama smiles but then he
sees what has happened.
Karna has harnessed the possibilities, his mastery is complete. There was infinitesimal chance
that the axe would never leave from his hand and that axe still remains. He wins. He is on his
knees. He knows what he has achieved is near impossible. What he doesn't know is that after
Bhishma he is only the second one to beat Parasurama.
Parasurama raises him up. "You are now my equal, my better. I have taught you all I know."
and hugs him.
Everyone applauds, they cannot help themselves, Karna has achieved the near impossible.
There is a feast to celebrate the feat. The usually fine food of the Ashram is even better. Even
drink is passed around which Parasurama doesn't partake of. Karna is convinced to have a
swig of it as well. There is much merriment and much sadness.
The next morning it is time to leave. Karna seeks the blessings of the Acharya.
"I know you haven't seen your family in years but before going home I would like you to go
to Hastinapura. There is a tournament, showcasing the best of the Kuru clan, what they can

achieve. At the end they allow commoners to participate, to show their skills but no one does
because no one can match up to the princes'. Go parade your skills there. Show the world the
fruits of your training, your hard work. Don't over do it though. All you do is match them,
nothing more. Be brave, be fearless, and be aware of the possibilities" and with these words
Parasurama sets Karna of for Hastinapur.