Bhim- the strongest of Pandavas

They humiliated his wife. Dragged and disrobed her in full view of the court. He avenged her humiliation. Killed them all. Drank
their blood. Abandoning dharma in the process. His name was Bhima, the powerful one, the second Pandava. Yudhishtira’s muscle
man of a brother, as simple as he was strong.

Bhima’s father, Pandu was cursed that he would die if he ever touched his wives. So the only way Pandu could have sons was if he let
his wives use a magic formula that forced gods to give them children. He chose the gods. First, he told his first wife to invoke Yama,
god of death and order. Thus was born the regal Yudhishtira. Then he asked her to invoke Vayu, the wind-god, who gave him the
mighty Bhima. Then she invoked Indra, the king of the gods, who gave her the skilled Arjuna. She then shared the formula with
Pandu’s second wife, Madri, who called upon the Ashwini twins, celestial physicians, who gave her two sons, the handsome Nakula
and the wise Sahadeva.

Why did Pandu choose Vayu? Was it because Vayu, the wind, was the father of Hanuman, the divine monkey, mightiest of gods?
Perhaps he knew that Yudhishtira could never be king unless he had a powerful warrior beside him. A henchman who did as he was
told without question or thought.

Such henchmen are often arrogant. And the Mahabharata informs us that years later, Bhima encounters Hanuman who appears to
him a weak old monkey lying across the road.  “Step aside,” Bhima tells him, too proud to walk around him. “I am too old,” says
Hanuman in a pitiable tone, “Push my tail aside and make way for yourself.” Bhima tries to kick the monkey away. But he finds the
monkey too heavy. Then he tries to brush the tail aside. Even the tail is too heavy. He then uses his hands. But he cannot move the
tail by an inch. He uses both his hands and all his might and still he cannot lift the tail. Then it dawns on him. This is no monkey.
This is his half-brother Hanuman, trying to teach him a lesson in humility. Falling at his feet, Bhima says, “Always sit atop Arjuna’s
chariot, blessing him with strength, wisdom and humility.”

Why did Bhima not ask Hanuman to sit atop his chariot? Why did he give Hanuman’s grace to his younger brother? This action gives
an insight into Bhima’s character. He constantly did things for others. Rarely for himself. And perhaps that is why in the
Mahabharata we get a sense that he was always taken for granted.

Pandu died soon after the birth of his sons. He could not control his desire for Madri. A guilty Madri jumped into the funeral pyre
leaving Kunti to take care of all five Pandavas. The Pandavas were contenders to the throne of Hastinapur, and as a result they were
much hated by their cousins,the Kauravas, whose father Dhritarashtra, though blind, became ruler of Hastinapur after Pandu’s
death. The orphaned Pandavas thus grew up in a rather hostile atmosphere with an uncle and cousins who did not want them
around.

The Kauravas did everything to make the Pandavas miserable. But Bhima ensured no harm came to his brothers. He fought for
them, made the Kauravas pay if they ever made any Pandava cry. He annoyed the Kauravas so much that they drugged him, tied him
and threw him into the Yamuna. Luckily for Bhima, he was rescued by serpents, Nagas. They claimed to be ancestors of his mother
Kunti. And according to a folklore in North India, they gave him a wife who bore him a mighty son called Barbareek.

Bhima was born on the same day as Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava. They were arch enemies. Both learnt the art of wrestling and
mace warfare from Balarama, Krishna’s eldest brother. But Duryodhana was always Balarama’s favourite. Balarama wanted
Duryodhana to marry his sister, Subhadra, but Krishna ensured she eloped with Arjuna. Never Balarama’s favourite, Bhima was not
considered worthy of Subhadra even by Krishna.

The Kauravas gifted the Pandavas a palace and set the building alight as soon as the Pandavas moved in. The Pandavas survived the
assassination attempt but Kunti feared for the life of her children. She decided not to return to Hastinapur. Instead she let the world
believe she and her children were dead. They lived in hiding far away from the city near the forest.
It is said that everyday Kunti sent out her sons to fetch food. Whatever was brought was shared. Bhima was given half of all that was
collected. The rest was divided amongst the remaining four brothers and their mother. Such was Bhima’s appetite. It was said that
Bhima had the constant expression of a hungry wolf. He was a glutton. He could eat forever.

But he was not lazy. When he walked he carried his mother on his shoulders and his two younger brothers, Nakula and Sahadeva, in
his arms. Yudhishtira and Arjuna walked beside him. He was the protector. Everyone could rely on him.

During this time in the forest, Bhima killed many Rakshasas, probably barbarian forest dwellers. There was Baka who terrorized
local villages by forcing them to give him a cartload of food every day. Baka ate the food, the bullocks and the driver of the cart. But
he met his match in Bhima.

Hidimbi, a Rakshasa woman, fell in love with Bhima on hearing how he killed the mighty Baka. She came to Bhima and said, “If you
kill my brother, Hidimba, you can marry me and I will take care of your mother and your brothers.” Bhima killed Hidimba and
became the first Pandava to get married. Hidimbi took care of the Pandavas. But Kunti did not like the idea of having a Rakshasa as
her daughter-in-law. She wanted a princess for a daughter-in-law whose royal father would protect her sons from harm. So she
forced Bhima to abandon Hidimbi and the son she bore him, Ghatatkocha.

Bhima’s victory over Baka and Hidimba and his marriage to Hidimbi has ensured he has a great fan following in tribal and rural
India especially members of the lower strata of society. Even today, Bhim-sen is a much adored deity of the countryside. Much more
than Arjuna who is popular amongst the upper castes of priests and warriors. This class and caste divide is evident in the weapons
the two brothers use. Bhima uses the club, used by brutes, while Arjuna uses the sophisticated bow, reserved for the Aryan elite.
Remember the tale of the tribal Ekalavya whose thumb was cut by Drona because he dared to learn archery.

Significantly, Peter Brooke’s Mahabharata has a black man playing the role of rash yet lovable Bhima and a white man playing the
skilled and sharp Arjuna. Wonder if any racial prejudice crept into the casting to reflect the caste prejudice. Hidimbi is also played by
a black woman. Her son, Ghatatkocha, sacrificed by Krishna to save Arjuna, is also played by a black actor.   To be fair to Peter
Brookes, in his story, even Apsaras are black and Shiva is played by a Japanese actor. But still the thought is interesting.

Eventually, Bhima and his brothers married Draupadi, the princess of Panchala. And as per the terms of marriage, he was allowed to
have Draupadi to himself exclusively for one year, after Yudhishtira. After that,he would let her go for a year each to Arjuna, then
Nakula and finally Sahadeva. Bhima’s second turn would come five years later. It is interesting that while Bhima was allowed to have
the larger share of food, he had to share his wife equally.

Bhima was obsessed with Draupadi (she had such an effect on all men). He would do anything for her and she knew it. While
Yudhishtira would temper rage with righteous conduct, Bhima would submit to raw emotions. Draupadi took full advantage of that.
In the thirteenth year of exile, when the Pandavas were supposed to live in hiding, Kichaka tried to rape Draupadi. Yudhishtira
refused to come to her rescue for fear of exposing their identity. Rational thought came in the way of rage. But Draupadi wanted
revenge. She went to Bhima, provoked him and got him to kill Kichaka. He did not care about the consequences when it came to
serving as Draupadi’s avenging angel. While all the Pandavas fought in the Kurukshetra for principle and property, only he fought to
avenge Draupadi’s humiliation and to help her tie her hair. He killed all the Kauravas, drank their blood and offered the blood to
Draupadi so that she could wash her hair with it and finally bind it.

We are told that Bhima could never forgive or forget. After the war, he continued to taunt the blind old Dhritarashtra, describing in
gruesome detail, each time the family sat together for dinner, of how he killed each of his hundred sons. Disgusted, Dhritarashtra
finally decided to renounce royal life and retire to the forest. His wife Gandhari and his sister-in-law Kunti joined him. There they
were killed in a forest fire.

In the final chapter of the Mahabharata, we are told that Bhima went to hell because he was a glutton. His fondness for food
indicates his association with baser emotions – rage, lust. In the Drona Parva, we are informed his emblem was of a lion. And he was
a lion. Arrogant and vengeful. But he would never be king. The leader of the pack. He was after all too much brawn and too little
brain, too much heart and too little head.
Again yes again it happened. The city of Mumbai was again rocked by serial bomb blast. Again and again
how many times this great metropolis of ours have to undergo this ordeal.

Staying fit and healthy for better sex

Sex may appear simple enough to master (unless you’re an inexperienced teenager or 40-year-old virgin fumbling around in the dark, that is).
However, if you really want to boost the potency of your passion, it might be time you tried some of the following techniques ...

    * Working out groin muscles — If you often find yourself hobbling around with muscle pain the morning after a steamy night of passion, it might
be useful to regularly stretch your groin, keeping it primed and ready for even the most outrageous sexual position. Basic groin stretches will better-
prepare your body for a forthcoming sexual epic, so make sure you regularly try out a few when you get chance!

    * Building arm muscles — Sexual stamina can require great upper-body strength, depending on which coital position you’re planning to adopt! It
may therefore be an idea to enjoy the occasional free-weights session, gradually toning up your arm muscles. We’re not saying you should build yourself
up into a beefcake Adonis overnight. However, the odd bout of upper-body exercise could really keep you energised for longer-lasting sex.

    * Staying mentally focused — An obvious one this, but if you really want to make the most of your sexual encounters, it’s vital you don’t let the
possible repercussions play on your mind. Avoid worrying and allow yourself to stay focused in the bedroom by taking adequate precautions before you
hop into the sack. Protect yourself against the perils of pregnancy scares with decent contraception and you’ll feel all the better for it.

    * Reducing alcohol consumption — If your nightly routine consists of downing the odd beer (or seven) at the local bar, before stumbling home
for a swift night of passionate fumbling with your other half, you may need to reassess your thirst for booze. Alcohol can seriously damage your sexual
virility when consumed in heavy doses, with its depressive nature dampening testosterone levels. A few drinks with the lads may help keep up social
appearances, but they certainly won’t keep up things in the bedroom. So, unless you want to suffer the wrath of a moody spouse, unfulfilled by your
semi-cocked sabre, try and take it easy, else the only hot date you’ll be making will be with that lonely single-bed in the spare room.

    * Improving blood-flow — Before you sprint to the doctor’s at the first sign of erectile problems, try and adopt a more natural way of increasing
the blood flow to your groin, without the aid of Viagra. By regularly flexing and massaging your body’s central groin muscles, blood will start to flow
more readily in that area, allowing you to stand to attention for longer in the bedroom.

    * Flexing the abdominal muscles — Whilst your torso may currently appear more of a flabby twelve-pack than a toned six-pack, a little
abdominal exercise could go a long way in boosting yoursexual stamina. The abs are key to providing bursts of sexual energy, driving the groin by
thrusting it forwards and then releasing it. As a result, a few daily crunches or sit-ups could really develop your sex life, preventing you from flopping
down onto your partner with sheer exhaustion in the middle of a bedtime romp. So build up those belly muscles and you’ll be feeling abs-olutely
fabulous in no time!

    * Loving thyself ... but not too much — It won’t make you go blind, but ‘self-love’ could certainly damage your chances of making a potent first
impression. What could be worse on a hot date than whipping off your boxer shorts to reveal ... well, not much at all really? Self-pleasure may while
away the lonely nights between dates but it certainly won’t do much to strengthen your credibility in the presence of a female. No matter how desperate
you get, try and save your energy for the real thing ... after all, sex is a marathon, not a sprint.

    * Stretching the quads and calves — Cramp is a big turn-off in the bedroom, with the quads and calves notably susceptible to sudden bouts of
tightening pain. As a result, regularly stretching your leg muscles could seriously heighten your sexual experience, easing them into the demands of
flexible sex-ercise. Don’t let muscular pain cramp your style ... work-out those quads and calves and you’ll soon feel the benefits.

Sex shouldn’t just be about making a quick entry and an even quicker exit. Instead, if you really want to enjoy a night of steamy passion and appease
your partner in the process, it might be worth undertaking a few extra-curricular exercises and lifestyle tweaks to truly reach your optimum
performance. Sexual stamina won’t come overnight but hopefully you will!