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The Serpents Revenge Unusual Tales From the Mahabharata (Sudha Murty)
The Serpents Revenge Unusual Tales From the Mahabharata (Sudha Murty)
Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra
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PUFFIN BOOKS
THE SERPENT’S REVENGE
Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon in north Karnataka. She did her
MTech in computer science, and is now the chairperson of the Infosys
Foundation. A prolific writer in English and Kannada, she has written
novels, technical books, travelogues, collections of short stories and non-
fictional pieces, and four books for children. Her books have been
translated into all the major Indian languages. Sudha Murty is the recipient
of the R.K. Narayan Award for Literature. She received the Padma Shri in
2006 and the Attimabbe Award from the Government of Karnataka for
excellence in Kannada literature in 2011.
Also in Puffin by Sudha Murty
A great war was fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas in the
battlefield of Kurukshetra—a place which is considered sacred to this day.
This war was called Dharma Yuddha, or the fight for dharma.
On the first day of the war, Arjuna surveyed the huge army on the
opposite side. He saw his grand-uncle Bhishma, his guru Drona and his son
Ashwatthama, his maternal uncle Shalya and many of his dear cousins.
All of a sudden, he was overwhelmed by sadness, and he decided that he
didn’t want to fight any more for the sake of a piece of land. He set aside
his bow and other weapons and communicated his decision to Krishna.
Krishna understood what was going through Arjuna’s mind. So he
disclosed his true self to Arjuna in the form of Vishwarupa Darshana—for
he was none other than the omnipresent Lord Vishnu. Krishna went on to
advise Arjuna:
Firmly and yet gently, Krishna explained the concepts of duty, dharma,
knowledge and righteousness to Arjuna.
This is known as the Bhagavad Gita, popularly called the Gita—the holy
book of the Hindus that serves as a guide to harmonious living.
After listening to Krishna, the inspired Arjuna picked up his weapons to
fulfil his duty without worrying about the results of his actions.
Introduction
When I was a very young girl, I heard a lot of old ancient tales. I was an
inquisitive child and asked many questions when the story didn’t convince
me. It happened so often that my family eventually got tired of my endless
questions and said firmly, ‘The tales elaborate exactly what our scriptures
say and you must accept them the way they are.’
So I stopped my enquiries—I didn’t have any other choice. But I knew
that I couldn’t accept the tales the way they were narrated to me.
When I grew up, the same questions plagued me. I wondered, ‘Am I
interpreting the tales the way I am supposed to? Are my opinions fair?’
But this time, I had access to a whole lot of books on the subject and so I
could form my own opinions.
Over time, I realized that there was a difference between history and the
books we call the Puranas. The Puranas are based on history, but they are
less accurate. It is highly likely that in the past generations, the stories were
passed down through word of mouth. Just like a game of ‘Chinese
Whispers’ in which a sentence changes when it passes through different
people, the stories possibly and unintentionally changed over time to
include myths, lies and exaggerations.
With that assumption, I decided to ignore as much of the exaggeration as
I could and understand the crux of the stories. For instance, Ravana in the
epic Ramayana is famous for his ten heads. These are symbolic of his
intelligence and his ability to think in multiple ways. In Indian mythology,
we often portray a being or a creature with multiple limbs. It doesn’t mean
that the person is different or abnormal. It is usually only a figurative
representation of the strength or the skill of that individual. Sometimes even
a serpent is a depiction of an individual from the Naga tribe.
Many races and tribes lived in the times of the various Puranas—such as
the devas (or the gods), the Nagas (the serpent people), the kings (the royal
aristocrats) and the asuras (or the demigods who were classified as
demons). The devas and asuras were equally great warriors who were
forever at loggerheads, with the asuras inevitably almost always guided by
wrong desires.
My dear readers, you will come across many curses and boons in the
stories ahead. Most of the time, they are not what they seem. Don’t ever
forget that these tales are not practical or real—they are simply stories. Our
ancestors must have thought that the best way to discourage evil in the
world is through the depiction of curses and thus making one fear doing
wrong. In the same way, good deeds were rewarded with boons. God, in my
opinion, is compassionate. He doesn’t get upset or curse like us mortals or
the ancient sages. Just like a loving mother, He can never bear ill-will
towards His children. So be the person you are and do good in the world.
In the great epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, you will find
tales that are less popular but exquisitely charming. They inspired me to
attempt writing a series of books with stories about the main characters.
This book is the first volume in the series and contains stories from the
Mahabharata, the most realistic of all our epics. A bitter war takes place in a
royal family, dividing parents, siblings and grandparents, among others,
along with the kingdom itself. The story explores human emotions in great
detail—love, anger, jealousy, determination, greed and so on. It is no
wonder that Rahi Masoom Raza, the screenwriter of a television series
based on the epic, once said that no matter what the situation is anywhere in
the world, it has already been reflected in the Mahabharata. If the
circumstance is not reflected in the epic, then it will never occur in real life.
While most people in India are aware of the epic’s storyline—the war
between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, the main characters and the
circumstances of their birth and their marriages—what remain largely
unknown to the new generation are the supplementary stories elaborated
here, where Lord Krishna’s main role is not that of a supreme being, but of
an outstanding strategist.
In some places, I have also given references relevant to the country today
and mentioned places such as the Mahamaya Temple in Kukunuru and
Khatushyamji in Rajasthan, among others. The stories originating from
such places are popularly called the Sthala Purana.
There is another text known as the Jaimini Bharata, authored by Sage
Jaimini, who was one of the famous four disciples of Sage Vyasa. Jaimini
was well versed in the Upanishads and the Vedic texts. The Jaimini Bharata
has remained popular through the centuries. It describes the stories of the
Pandavas and their descendants after the Mahabharata war. It is believed
that Sage Jaimini was the main priest in King Janamejaya’s serpent yagna
and hence very familiar with the royal family.
I am not the author of these stories. I am simply a storyteller who has
tried to dip into this ocean of ancient, mesmerizing tales after referring to
multiple sources and removing many illogical details in an effort to connect
to today’s readers.
I only hope that you, along with my other younger and older readers, will
take a little bit away from the stories and pass on the interesting facets of
the Mahabharata to the next generation.
I am truly thankful to my dependable and efficient editor Shrutkeerti
Khurana. I would also like to thank Udayan Mitra, Hemali Sodhi and
Sohini Mitra from Penguin for their interest in publishing this, and Nimmy
Chacko for her editorial work. Most importantly, I would like to thank the
sages who have communicated these tales by word of mouth so that others
could memorize them and pass them on through the ages. Without them,
our life would indeed have been flavourless, and I wouldn’t have had the
strength to face difficult times had it not been for the characters in these
tales facing them too.
The Man Who Became a Woman
According to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the lunar dynasty (also
called Chandravansha or Somavansha) is one of the most prominent warrior
houses in India. As the name suggests, it is believed that this dynasty
descended from the moon.
A long time ago, there lived a man named Vaivasvata Manu, considered
to be the first man on Earth, and his wife, Shraddha. The couple didn’t have
a child for many years, so they decided to perform a yagna in the hope of
pleasing the gods. However, Shraddha secretly hoped for a daughter, while
Manu wanted a son. In time, their prayers were answered and a son was
born to them, whom they named Sudyumna.
Years passed and Sudyumna grew up to be a fine young man. One day,
he went hunting with his friends to the beautiful forest of Sharavana (the
forest of reeds). No sooner had the all-male troupe entered an enchanted
portion of the forest than they were magically transformed into young
women. None of them had any idea how it had happened or what they were
to do.
As the troupe began wandering deeper into the forest as women,
Sudyumna decided to reinvent himself according to the body he now had,
and called himself Ila. When Ila and her friends became desperate to leave
their beautiful surroundings and return to their homes, Goddess Parvati
appeared in front of them. ‘You and your friends have entered my garden,’
she said. ‘Look around you—this is no ordinary place. In fact, no men are
allowed to come here. If they do, they turn into women immediately and
permanently.’
Seeing Ila’s dismayed face, Parvati smiled. ‘I know you came here by
accident,’ she said gently. ‘So I will bless you, child. May you lead a happy
life irrespective of your gender. From this day on, you will be able to
choose what you want to be—male or female—whenever you want.’
To everyone’s surprise, beautiful Ila chose to remain a girl, and embraced
her new identity with her heart and soul.
Meanwhile, Budha, the god of the planet Mercury and the son of the
moon-god, Chandra, noticed Ila’s exquisite beauty and fell hopelessly in
love with her. Ila reciprocated his feelings and the two were wed. In due
course, Ila gave birth to a son called Pururava.
Time passed and Ila chose to revert to her male form, Sudyumna. He
returned to his kingdom and ruled it wisely. As was expected of a king,
Sudyumna got married and had many children of his own. He continued
taking care of his subjects until he was old, after which he handed over the
kingdom to his first son, Pururava, and retired to the forest to live out the
remainder of his days.
Pururava, the grandson of Chandra, thus introduced the lunar dynasty. He
ruled from his kingdom’s capital, Pratishthana (today’s Allahabad in Uttar
Pradesh).
The great Pandavas of the Mahabharata are a part of this dynasty. King
Yayati, one of the ancestors of the Pandavas, was succeeded by his
youngest son, Puru. His dynasty came to be known as the Puru dynasty.
Another one of Puru’s descendants was Emperor Bharata, the son of
King Dushyanta and Shakuntala. Bharata was such a great king that our
country was named after him and called Bharat or Bharatvarsha.
King Kuru was born after twenty-five generations of the Puru dynasty,
and gave rise to the Kuru dynasty. King Hastin, the great-grandson of King
Kuru, ruled an area called Kuru Jangal and established the capital of
Hastinapur (today’s Meerut). After fifteen more generations, the Pandavas
and the Kauravas were born. In theory, both the Pandavas and the Kauravas
are descendants of King Kuru, but the Pandavas, who were the sons of
Pandu, chose to carry their father’s name and not the identity of the clan.
The Ring of Memory
There once was a sage named Mandavya, who had taken a vow of silence.
He lived deep in a forest so he could pursue his spiritual goals in peace.
One day, four thieves, after looting the king’s treasury, ran into
Mandavya’s ashram to hide from the royal soldiers, who were in hot
pursuit. The king’s soldiers realized that the thieves were in the ashram and
so approached Sage Mandavya, saying, ‘Sir, have you seen some thieves
enter your home?’
The sage, because of his vow, stayed silent.
The soldiers began searching the entire ashram. Soon, they found the
thieves along with the loot and arrested them.
Since Sage Mandavya remained calm and silent, the soldiers mistook him
as one of the thieves in disguise and detained him as well.
The king of the land was so enraged by the robbery that he didn’t order a
proper investigation. Instead, he decreed, ‘These five men have taken part
in a great crime and must suffer the punishment of crucifixion.’
The soldiers followed the king’s order and crucified all five men. The
four thieves died immediately, but Sage Mandavya remained alive because
of his yogic powers.
When the king learnt of this, he realized what he had done and
immediately went to the site of the crucifixion and fell at the sage’s feet.
‘Please forgive me. I have made a grave mistake,’ the king said.
Sage Mandavya, the kind and compassionate soul that he was, only
blessed the grateful king.
The king then took him to his royal physicians, who were able to remove
all the nails from the sage’s body except for one. So from that day onwards,
Mandavya was called Animandavya (ani meaning a ‘small nail’).
That one nail caused immense pain to the sage. Unable to take the agony
any more, he approached Yamaraja, the lord of dharma and death. ‘O
Yamaraja,’ said the sage. ‘Why must I carry this pain? Tell me, how have I
sinned to deserve this extreme suffering?’
‘You haven’t done anything in this life,’ Yama replied. ‘But in your last
birth, you tortured butterflies by inserting twigs into their bodies. It is that
sin that has caught up with you in this life.’
‘I can’t recall my past life. Can you tell me at what age I committed this
horrible act?’
‘You did it when you were a little child,’ came the response.
This upset Sage Animandavya greatly. ‘Yamaraja, when a child makes a
mistake before the age of twelve, it is a pardonable offence, because it is
made without malice or any evil intention. You are the lord of dharma. You
are supposed to ensure that a sinner is punished according to his sin. Your
punishment is much greater than the mistake I have made. Therefore I curse
you to be born as a human being. Despite your great knowledge of dharma,
you will be completely ineffective in the circumstances you will find
yourself in.’
Yamaraja knew that he had no choice—he would have to bring the curse
to its fruition. Thus, he was born as Vidura, the son of Vyasa. Vidura was
famous for his intelligence, articulation and the knowledge of dharma. He
was the one who would later advise his brother King Dhritarashtra and his
son Duryodhana about the path of righteousness, but they would ignore his
advice, which would eventually lead to the Mahabharata war.
Arjuna and His Different Names
Arjuna was the third of the Pandava brothers. He was a supremely talented
archer, a skilled fighter and Bhishma’s favourite. Bhishma, an unparalleled
warrior himself, was the grand-uncle of both the Kauravas and the
Pandavas.
Even as a child, Arjuna was an excellent archer compared to the others,
including the Kauravas and his own brothers. His teacher, Drona, was very
fond of him, which the other students resented sometimes, as they felt
Arjuna always got their guru’s attention.
One night in the gurukul , the candles went out because of heavy winds.
Suddenly, Arjuna woke up, hearing a noise in the kitchen, and went to
check the source of the disturbance. There, he saw a shape that looked like
his brother Bhima gobbling up some food.
‘Bhima, there is absolutely no light here! How are you eating in the
darkness?’ Arjuna asked, baffled.
‘If you practise anything hard enough, you can do it any time—be it dark
or light! I practise eating every day and that’s why I can eat any time I
want,’ Bhima replied casually.
Realizing that there was great truth in Bhima’s words, Arjuna started
practising archery at night until he became perfect at shooting in the dark.
He also trained both his hands to handle the bow and arrow and hence came
to be known as Savyasachi, the ambidextrous one.
Because of his multiple talents and achievements, Arjuna’s epithets grew
in number over time.
He was called Phalguna because he was born in the Uttara Phalguni
nakshatra .
He was frequently referred to as Jishnu (the conqueror of enemies) since
he never lost a battle, Vijaya (the victorious one) and Vibhatsu (the creator
of terror during a war).
Partha or Kaunteya were two other names that he was known by, as he
was the son of Pritha (who later came to be known as Kunti). Pritha was the
sister of Vasudeva, from the famous Yadu dynasty. She had been given
away by her father to his childless cousin King Kuntibhoja. After the
adoption, Pritha’s name was changed to Kunti.
Arjuna was called Kiriti (the one who wears the celestial crown given by
Lord Indra), Shwetavahana (the one who always mounts a white horse),
Gudakesha (the one with thick and lovely hair) and Dhananjaya (the one
who brings prosperity and wealth). He was given the name Dhananjaya
after he amassed a lot of wealth during a Rajasuya yagna.
Because of his dynamic and superior persona, Arjuna was popularly
referred to as Bharata because his subjects often felt that they got a glimpse
of his ancestor Bharata when they looked at him.
According to one story, Arjuna was known as Nara in a previous lifetime
in the holy spot of Badrinath, in today’s Uttarakhand. Nara and Narayana
were born to Dharma and Murti Devi. In their time there lived a demon
named Sahasra Kavacha, whose body was protected by a thousand armours.
And each armour could only be destroyed by an opponent who had done a
thousand years of penance and who could fight the demon for a thousand
years. But whoever destroyed an armour would immediately fall to the
ground and die. First, Nara meditated and fought with Sahasra Kavacha for
a thousand years before dying but only after he had destroyed one of the
demon’s armours. Narayana instantly took his place and resumed fighting
with the demon even as Nara was reborn and meditated for the strength to
defeat Sahasra Kavacha. Thus Nara and Narayana alternated until only one
armour was left to destroy the demon. With the loss of each armour, the evil
inside the demon kept decreasing until there was barely any left. At that
point, the demon managed to escape. It is said that the same demon was
later born as Karna, who was slain by Arjuna and Krishna, incarnations of
Nara and Narayana, of course.
The Rishi’s Revenge
The Kauravas and the Pandavas had been rivals even as children, and this
enmity only increased when they grew up. Bhishma, convinced that the two
sets of cousins would never see eye to eye, decided that the only way to
prevent conflict was to divide the kingdom equally among them.
The blind king Dhritarashtra, father of the Kauravas and the ruler of
Hastinapur, agreed to the plan and declared, ‘The Kauravas will rule
Hastinapur while the Pandavas will rule the forest area of Khandavaprastha
across the river Yamuna.’
This was clearly an unequal distribution—the forest land was
uninhabitable and uncivilized. Still, the Pandavas accepted their share with
grace.
When they went to Khandavaprastha and saw the thick forest with its
wild, dangerous animals, they wondered how they would make a kingdom
out of it. But their friend Krishna suggested, ‘This is your opportunity to
create a new land based on your values.’
With Krishna’s assistance, the Pandavas created the city of Indraprastha
in a part of the forest and soon their followers made the city their home and
chose to become their subjects.
One day, an old man came to meet Arjuna and Krishna. Strangely
enough, the old man’s body seemed to be glowing and Krishna thought he
could see fire in his bright eyes. The man said, ‘Sir, I am extremely hungry.
No matter how much and whatever I eat, I am not satisfied. Will you help
me?’
‘I have sworn to help anyone who approaches me with a legitimate
request,’ said Arjuna. ‘Tell me, what would you like to eat? I will try my
best to ensure that you get your fill.’
In a wink, the old man transformed into his real form—Agni, the god of
fire. ‘I can only satisfy my hunger by burning something,’ said Agni. ‘I
have been longing to scorch the Khandava forest. But Indra’s friend
Takshaka, the king of snakes, resides there with his friends. Whenever I
approach the forest, Indra prevents me from burning it by sending down
heavy rain. My hunger is now unbearable. Will you protect me while I burn
the Khandava forest?’
Arjuna was unprepared for this. ‘Why do you want to burn the Khandava
forest?’ he asked.
‘Every yagna provides me with food. Because so many people in your
kingdom conduct yagnas, I have no choice but to overeat. I have now
developed a stomach ailment. I need to consume the herbs of the forest to
recover.’
‘I will help you,’ said Arjuna. ‘I will stand with my bow and arrow on
one side of the forest and Krishna will guard the other. Both of us possess
weapons that can prevent the rain from reaching the forest. But I want two
things—a chariot that can move as fast as my thoughts, and a few suitable
weapons for Krishna. If you can arrange these for us, we can start right
away.’
‘I already have such a chariot, so you may have it. And my friend Varuna
has an extraordinary bow called Gandiva that will be suitable for you. The
bow was made by Brahma, from the celestial Gandi tree. As for Lord
Krishna, he already has his celestial discus.’
Thus Arjuna was presented with a solid gold chariot yoked with white
horses while Krishna was equipped with the mace Kaumodaki.
On the designated day, the trio marched to the edge of the forest. Agni
started burning the forest, and the flames shot up high, covering even the
sky. Arjuna and Krishna stopped everything that came in Agni’s way. The
news reached Indra soon enough, who was immediately concerned about
Takshaka’s family. Takshaka was away at the time, but his family would
have been trapped in the fire.
Indra called for a storm of clouds and commanded them to rain over the
forest and quench the fire. Arjuna used the mighty Gandiva bow and
covered the forest with so many arrows and in such a manner that even a
drop of rain couldn’t get through. A furious Indra descended to Earth with
his friends—the god of wealth, Kubera, and the god of water, Varuna, and
the god of death, Yama.
The battle, with Arjuna and Krishna on one side and the gods on the
other, was fierce. And yet, Arjuna and Krishna retained the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Avasena, Takshaka’s son, fled with the help of his mother.
When Arjuna learnt of the escape, he killed Takshaka’s wife in rage.
The battle continued with no end in sight until a voice came from the sky.
‘Indra, you have done enough. You must understand that Krishna and
Arjuna cannot be defeated.’
Recognizing the heavenly intervention, Indra stopped trying to save the
forest and went back with his friends.
Maya, the architect of the asuras, was also trapped in the fire. Krishna
spotted him when he was trying to flee and threw his celestial discus at him.
Terrified, Maya ran to Arjuna, seeking his protection. Krishna then agreed
to spare his life.
Slowly, the flames started to die and the forest was reduced to ashes.
Agni resumed his form as an old man and approached Arjuna and
Krishna. ‘I can’t thank you enough. You have performed a feat impossible
for even the gods. The weapons I have given you are yours to keep. If
you’re ever in a situation where you need my help, rest assured that I will
always be on your side.’
From that day on, Arjuna came to be known as Gandivi. The same
chariot, horses and the bow Gandiva were later used in the Mahabharata
war.
Meanwhile, Takshaka learnt of his family’s destruction and vowed to
take revenge.
Since Arjuna had saved Maya, the architect promised him, ‘I will build
you a fantastic palace, a building that can never be replicated.’
True to his word, Maya created a striking palace in Indraprastha and the
Pandavas performed the Rajasuya yagna, at the end of which they invited
all their relatives to their new home.
When Duryodhana saw the exquisite palace, he was taken aback. He
thought, ‘My father isn’t a wise person. He can’t see, I know, but he can’t
even think properly. He gave us the old city of Hastinapur and gave the
untouched beauty of the Khandava forest to the Pandavas. Just look at what
they have made—it’s a better city and they have created an even more
beautiful home.’
Duryodhana couldn’t contain his jealousy or his curiosity about the
palace. He decided to explore it properly. Draupadi, who was standing with
Bhima in a balcony, saw Duryodhana walking around and began to observe
him keenly.
As Duryodhana wandered about the premises, he saw a waterbody in
front of him. He lifted his dhoti slightly and started walking across it, but
then he discovered that there was no water at all—it was an illusion! Then
he saw bright flowers from a window and wanted to smell them. But alas!
As soon as he tried to get closer, they seemed to disappear. Next, he found
himself in front of an ornate door but when he tried to pass through it, he
banged his head—the door was enchanted; it was only a wall! A little while
later, he came across a mat embroidered with flowers. Confidently, he
stepped on it and fell into water.
These were just a few of the well-placed illusions that the great Maya had
incorporated into the palace.
Draupadi and Bhima chuckled and commented rather loudly, ‘Poor
Duryodhana! A son of a blind person must also be blind.’
Unfortunately, Duryodhana heard the last statement. It was then that he
decided to teach Draupadi a lesson. This eventually led to the dice game
between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and the disrobing of Draupadi,
which, in turn, caused them to be exiled and became the root cause of the
Kurukshetra war.
Thus, Maya’s enchanting palace never truly brought the Pandavas any
happiness. People believe that it was Maya’s way of taking revenge for the
burning of the Khandava forest.
The Enchanted Vessel
One day, the old and pious sage Markandeya visited the Pandavas when
they were in exile.
He said to them in consolation, ‘Let me tell you about Indradyumna. The
story will help you understand life better.
‘King Indradyumna was the son of Bharata and his wife, Sunanda. The
king performed many yagnas and donated a lot of cattle and wealth, among
other things, to the poor. He earned plenty of good karma through his deeds
and went to heaven after his death. He stayed there for many years,
exhausting his bank of good karma, until one day he realized to his great
surprise and dismay that his karma was almost down to nothing. Indra,
seeing his troubled face, told him, “O king, go down to Earth and show me
one single being who remembers your good deeds, or is still enjoying their
benefits. If you can point out even one, you can continue staying in heaven.
The truth is that no man can stay here forever no matter how much good he
has done in the past.”
‘So Indradyumna came down to Earth. He was confident that people
would remember him and all that he had done.
‘The first person that he met was me. Indradyumna was aware that I had
defeated the god of death with Shiva’s help, and had been on the planet for
a long, long time.
‘“Sage Markandeya, do you remember my deeds?” asked Indradyumna.
“I am King Indradyumna.”
‘“I am sorry, but I don’t remember who you are. I spend most of my time
meditating and reading sacred scriptures or going on pilgrimages. However,
there is an owl much older than me in the great Himalayas. He might know
you. Come with me and I will take you there,” I said.
‘Indradyumna nodded and the two of us went to the Himalayas and met
the owl.
‘“I am Indradyumna,” the king said, introducing himself. “I think you
can help me. You are one of the oldest beings in this world. Do you
remember me?”
‘“I don’t remember you,” replied the owl. “You must have lived on Earth
way before my time. But don’t lose heart. There is a lake not far from here.
My friend, a giant crane, resides there. He is much older than I am. Maybe
he knows who you are. Come, let us go to him.”’
‘The three of us soon reached the lake. The crane, however, didn’t know
Indradyumna. He said, “It is quite possible that my old friend, the king of
the turtles, might remember you. He has lived here from the time of my
parents.”
‘The four of us together went to meet the turtle. When the turtle saw
Indradyumna, his eyes filled with tears of joy. He prostrated before the king
and said, “O Indradyumna, I have heard of you from my grandfather. I am
blessed to see you. In your time, you were known for your generosity. My
grandfather told me that you gave away millions of cattle as charity. This
waterbody was formed by the movement of those cow hooves and that’s
why the lake bears your name—Indradyumna Lake.”
‘Indra immediately sent his chariot to bring Indradyumna back to heaven.
‘The king realized that it was his generosity that made him great. In time,
the presence of the waterbody led to the turtles settling there for a long
time, thus benefiting from Indradyumna’s actions.’
The sage thus ended his story.
Today, Indradyumna Lake is near Puri and there are still turtles living in it. The progeny of the
turtles can be seen when a large group of turtles gather offshore at the mouths of the
Rushikulya river to lay their eggs every year. This area is also home to one of the world’s great
nesting areas of the olive ridley turtles, that are believed to be descendants of the turtle
mentioned in this story.
The Yaksha’s Quiz
One day, a man approached the Pandavas while they were in exile in the
forest. ‘I need your help, Yudhishthira!’ he said, addressing the oldest of the
five brothers.
‘I had hung some arani from a tree branch next to my ashram,’ he
continued. ‘Suddenly a deer came and started scratching its back on the
tree. In the process, it shook the arani, which fell from the branch and got
stuck in its horns. Startled, the deer took off at a high speed. I ran behind
the deer but couldn’t catch up with it. I can’t start my yagna without the
wood. Please, will you help me?’
The Pandavas knew that they could easily get the arani wood back for the
man. It was their duty to care for their subjects, so they agreed to help him.
The five brothers began to look for the deer. Soon, they saw the animal
from a distance and tried to surround it, but it sprinted away. They tried
again and again to capture the deer, but it proved too fast for them. Tired,
the brothers finally sat down under a tree.
Yudhishthira said to his younger brother Nakula, ‘Brother, will you fetch
some water for all us?’
Nakula nodded and climbed up a tree so he could locate the nearest
waterbody. He saw one not too far away from them so he got down and told
his brother, ‘There is a pond nearby. I will bring some water for all of you.’
When Nakula reached the pond, he was mesmerized by the fabulous
sight in front of him—the crystal-clear water was surrounded by beautiful
trees, creepers and flowers. Then he remembered his thirst and stepped into
the pond. He wanted to drink a little water before taking it back to his
brothers.
Just as he was about to take a sip, there was a loud voice from the skies
above. ‘Don’t drink this water, Nakula.’
Nakula stopped, stood up straight and looked around. There was nobody
in sight.
‘I am the owner of this pond,’ said the voice. ‘You have to answer my
questions before you proceed. You can take the water only if I am happy
with your replies.’
‘Maybe I’m just too tired and that’s why I am hearing voices,’ thought
Nakula. Ignoring the voice, he bent down to drink the water again.
The voice repeated the warning. But by then, Nakula was too thirsty and
drank the water. Satisfied, he turned around and started walking away from
the pond. Suddenly, he fell to the ground and died.
Meanwhile, Yudhishthira was starting to get worried about Nakula. He
said to Sahadeva, ‘Go and find out what’s taking Nakula so long.’
The tired and hungry Sahadeva reached the same pond and saw his
younger brother lying dead on one side. Shocked and upset, he took a few
minutes to calm down and then, unable to take the thirst any more, hurried
to the pond to drink some water. As soon as he touched the water, the voice
warned him, ‘Be careful, young man. Stop whatever you are doing and
listen to me first. If you don’t, you will share the same fate as that man
lying there.’
Disregarding the warning, Sahadeva drank the water and immediately
fell dead.
When Sahadeva also didn’t come back, Yudhishthira turned to Arjuna.
‘Take your bow and arrow and find our brothers,’ he said to the master
archer. ‘I suspect some danger has befallen Nakula and Sahadeva.’
Arjuna saw his dead brothers lying near the pond, and looked around
carefully for the hidden foe. Then, overcome by thirst, he too bent close to
the water.
Right on cue, the voice repeated its warning to Arjuna.
‘Show yourself! Come out and talk to me,’ Arjuna roared. If you don’t, I
will use my shabdavedi arrow and destroy you.’
Without waiting for the voice to respond, Arjuna drank the water and
dropped dead immediately.
Now, Yudhishthira sent the mighty Bhima, the strongest of the five
brothers, to the pond. When Bhima saw Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva and
heard the voice, he shook in anger, but the same fate befell him as well.
Finally, the weary and thirsty Yudhishthira trudged to the pond himself.
When he saw his brothers lying dead on the ground, he rushed to examine
them. There were no physical injuries on their bodies. Yudhishthira
understood that they had not been in a fight and that some other forces were
at play.
Yudhishthira went closer to the pond to have a sip of water. Just as he
was about to commit the same mistake as his brothers, the voice spoke yet
again. ‘My child, stop. I own this pond and you can’t drink the water unless
I say so. See what happened to your brothers because of their arrogance. I
only want to ask you some questions and hear your replies. Then I will
decide whether you can drink from the pond or not.’
Yudhishthira thought for a while and stepped back. ‘Fine,’ he said. ‘Ask
me your questions. I will try my best to answer them . . . but, tell me first,
who are you?’
Suddenly, Yudhishthira saw a yaksha approaching him. The being sat in
front of him and began firing questions rapidly at him.
‘What is bigger than the Earth?’ the yaksha asked.
‘A mother,’ replied Yudhishthira.
‘What is taller than the sky?’
‘A father.’
‘What is faster than the wind?’
‘The mind, of course.’ Yudhishthira smiled.
‘What grows faster than hay?’
‘Worry.’
‘What is the greatest dharma in the world?’ queried the yaksha.
‘Compassion and conscience.’
‘With whom is friendship never-ending?’
‘With good people,’ responded Yudhishthira patiently.
‘What is the secret to never feeling unhappy?’
‘If one can control his or her mind, then that person will never feel sad.’
The yaksha increased his pace now. ‘What is the greatest kind of
wealth?’
‘Education.’
‘What is the greatest kind of profit?’
‘Health.’
‘What is the greatest kind of happiness?’
‘Contentment,’ said Yudhishthira, ever prompt with his replies.
‘What is man’s worst enemy?’
‘Anger.’
‘What disease will never have a cure?’
‘Greed is incurable.’
The yaksha smiled again. ‘A last question, my friend. What is life’s
biggest irony?’
‘It is the desire to live eternally. Every day, we encounter people dying
but we always think that death will never come to us.’
‘Yudhishthira,’ said the yaksha. ‘I am pleased with your answers. So I
will grant you the life of any one of your brothers.’
‘I choose Nakula,’ responded Yudhishthira immediately.
‘Yudhishthira, you will need warriors like Arjuna or Bhima in the war
that’s coming. What makes you choose your stepbrother Nakula instead of
your mighty brothers?’
Yudhishthira bowed to the yaksha. ‘My father, Pandu, had two wives,
Kunti and Madri,’ he explained. ‘While my mother, Kunti, had three sons,
mother Madri had twins—Nakula and Sahadeva. If I choose Arjuna or
Bhima, it will be unfair to my other mother, Madri, who will be left with no
sons of her own. I must be fair and hence I choose one of her sons. That is
the call of dharma—to live with compassion and conscience, without bias
and in peace.’
The yaksha was delighted. ‘O Yudhishthira, I bless you. You are truly a
follower of your path. I grant back the lives of all your brothers. From this
day on, you will also be known as Dharmaraja or the king of dharma.’
Thus Nakula, Sahadeva, Arjuna and Bhima came back to life and
together they knelt down in front of the yaksha. Yudhishthira said, ‘I am
sure that you aren’t just a yaksha. You killed my four brothers within
seconds and you revived them equally quickly. You must be Lord Vishnu or
Lord Shiva or someone just as powerful. Will you please reveal your true
identity to us?’
The yaksha then transformed into Yamaraja, the god of death. ‘I bless all
of you,’ he said, smiling. ‘I am the one who went to the poor man in the
form of the deer, causing you to come here. I would like to give you a boon.
Tell me, what would you like?’
‘O Yamaraja, give us a boon that will allow us to live the thirteenth year
of our exile in anonymity, as is the condition of the bet that we lost. If we
are recognized, then we are bound to repeat the thirteen years of exile again.
Please help us disguise ourselves during that year,’ said Yudhishthira.
‘So be it,’ said Yamaraja.
A Weapon of Mass Destruction
Krishna, being a great friend of the Pandavas, would visit their home
frequently while they were in exile.
During one such visit, Krishna advised Arjuna, ‘I foresee a great war at
the end of these thirteen years. Your cousin Duryodhana will never give you
the kingdom back or even a small share of it. If he does, it will bring me
endless joy, of course. But my advice to you would be to prepare for the
worst.
‘I know you are a strong warrior,’ continued Krishna. ‘But you will need
equally powerful weapons to survive this war. You will face the world’s
best warriors, like your grand-uncle Bhishma, your master, Drona, and his
son, Ashwatthama, as well as Karna. Each of them will be an obstacle to
your success.’
Arjuna was baffled. He asked, ‘What must I do, my lord?’
‘Lord Shiva is a kind-hearted deity. He has an extraordinary weapon
named Pashupatastra, which can destroy everything in this universe. You
must possess it.’
‘And how do I obtain this weapon?’ asked Arjuna.
‘Pray to Lord Shiva, of course! When he appears in front of you, as he is
bound to, ask him for the weapon. He won’t be able to refuse you. Simply
possessing the weapon is enough to make your enemies nervous!’
Arjuna accepted the challenge and told his family, ‘I’m going to a dense
forest in the Indraneela mountain. Nobody will disturb me there and I will
be able to meditate in peace.’
Arjuna found his way to the Indraneela mountain, which was in the
Himalayas, and began his penance. Years went by. Lord Shiva was aware of
Arjuna’s meditation, but he made no move to appear in front of his devotee.
Finally, his consort, Parvati, could resist no further and asked, ‘My lord!
You know you have to bestow your weapon on Arjuna. Then why are you
not going to him?’
‘What he asks for is no ordinary weapon,’ explained Shiva. ‘I once
owned two powerful weapons—the first was the bow Pinaka, which I gave
away to King Nimi after I had finished using it, and now all I have is the
Pashupatastra—the weapon that Arjuna seeks. If he wants it, he has to
prove that he is worthy of it.’
Parvati was interested in how her husband was going to test Arjuna. She
asked him, ‘Are you going to have a contest of physical strength with him?’
‘Yes, I plan to,’ replied Shiva.
‘Well, a warrior must never show his back to his opponent during a fight.
It is an indication of defeat. So you must have a clear view of Arjuna’s back
if he is to lose.’
Lord Shiva agreed and came down to Earth disguised as a hunter. He
conjured up a wild boar and sent it to Arjuna to disturb his meditation.
Annoyed with the boar, Arjuna grabbed his bow and arrows, took aim and
shot the animal dead at the first attempt. When he went near the boar, he
was surprised to see another arrow in its body. ‘I have been living here
alone in this thick forest without seeing any sign of a human for the longest
time. Is there someone else around here?’ he wondered.
Just then, a hunter, who was really Shiva in disguise, appeared and
claimed the boar as his kill. ‘This is my prey. I shot him first.’
‘I haven’t seen you here before. Where are you from?’ asked Arjuna.
‘You may not have felt my presence but I have seen you many times,’
replied the hunter mysteriously, smiling.
Arjuna did not return the smile. ‘I am one of the best archers in the
world,’ he said proudly. ‘I am skilled in the art of shabdavedi , or shooting
without seeing, and only with the advantage of sound. In fact, I can shoot
arrows blindfolded or in the night and with either hand. How dare you tell
me that you shot the boar first?’
The exchange of words continued between Arjuna and the hunter, neither
of them willing to relent. At last, they decided to fight each other without
the use of the bow and arrow.
While they were wrestling, Arjuna’s back faced Shiva very clearly. Once
Parvati had also noticed it, Lord Shiva appeared in his true form.
When Arjuna understood who he was fighting with, he fell at the god’s
feet and begged for forgiveness. Pleased with Arjuna, Shiva presented him
with the Pashupatastra even as he warned him, ‘Arjuna, this is the most
dangerous weapon in the world. Use it only if you have no other way out. It
must never be used against lesser enemies.’
Arjuna took Shiva’s advice and never actually used this weapon.
This story is frequently referred to as ‘Pashupatastra Prapti’ (The Possession of the Pashupata
Weapon) or ‘Shabarashankara Vilasa’ (The Enchanting Duel of the Hunter Shankara) or
Kiratarjuniya (Of Arjuna and the Hunter).
For Want of a Flower
One day, when Draupadi was taking a bath in a river near their forest home,
she saw a beautiful pink flower in the water. The fragrance of the flower
enchanted her and she wanted it desperately. She glanced at the plants and
the trees nearby but didn’t see a similar flower anywhere. A little
disappointed, she gathered her belongings and went back home.
For days, Draupadi thought about the flower. Her desire to possess it
increased by the day, until she was unable to control it any more. So she
went to the brave and adventurous Bhima, described the pink flower to him
and said, ‘Oh please, Bhima, will you bring me the flower?’
Bhima immediately went in search of the flower. He travelled far and
wide, but didn’t find anything that seemed even remotely like the flower
Draupadi had described. Still, he didn’t give up and continued his quest.
At one point, he came across an old monkey sleeping in the middle of his
path. Since there wasn’t enough room for him to go around the monkey,
Bhima requested him to move a little.
The monkey was tired. He sighed. ‘I am old and weak. Will you please
lift my tail and keep it aside so that you have some space to go?’
‘I can’t believe he finds the act of moving his tail so tough! Ah well, if he
can’t do it, I will,’ thought Bhima.
So he tried to move the monkey’s tail, using only one hand, but found
that he couldn’t lift it! He tried with the other hand, and then with both, but
the tail simply wouldn’t budge. Then Bhima used all of his incredible
strength but no matter how much he tried, the tail just seemed to get
heavier! Bhima, who had always been proud of being one of the mightiest
men on Earth, felt humbled. He realized that the monkey before him was by
no means ordinary.
He gave up and said, ‘I can move rocks and mountains but not your tail,
sir. You must be a great being. Tell me, who are you?’
‘I am Hanuman. My father is Vayu, the wind god,’ replied the monkey.
‘I’ve been around from the time of Lord Rama. I wanted to teach you an
important lesson, which is why I gave you the task of moving my tail.
Never be too proud of your accomplishments, and don’t underestimate
anyone’s powers.’
Bhima felt ashamed of his mistaken sense of pride and entitlement and
asked Hanuman for forgiveness.
‘At the time of the inevitable war,’ said Hanuman, ‘I will remain with
you.’
The Pandavas would later depict Hanuman on their flag to remind
themselves of the deity who had protected them through their trials.
Bhima asked, ‘I am looking for a special flower, Lord Hanuman. Will
you be able to help me?’
‘I was the one who sent the enchanting flower to Draupadi so it would
lead you to me. That flower is from the garden of Kubera, the god of
wealth. Feel free to go there and take as many as you want.’
Bhima journeyed to Alkavati, Kubera’s city, and found his way to the
famous garden, which contained flowers of many different types, shapes
and smells, including the Saughandika Pushpa, the flower he was looking
for.
Today, it is believed that Bhima met Hanuman in the valley of Uttaranchal. Interestingly
enough, Bhima and Hanuman are half-brothers, as the mighty Pandava had been born out of
Kunti’s invocation of Vayu, the wind god.
The Ingenious Ghatotkacha
When their exile was over, the Pandavas went back to the Kauravas to
reclaim their kingdom, but Duryodhana refused to give it back, thus
breaking his promise. The Pandavas also found out to their dismay that
Indraprastha, their beautiful capital, had been reduced to a village in their
absence. Even then, they didn’t want to wage a war on their cousins and so
they went to Krishna for advice.
‘A war brings unimaginable destruction of every kind. I agree with you,’
said Krishna. ‘I have a plan,’ he added. ‘I will be your messenger of peace
and go to Duryodhana’s court. I will request for five villages—one for each
of you. We will ask for Indraprastha, Sonaprastha, Paniprastha, Tilaprastha
and Bheemasthala. It is nothing compared to what Duryodhana owes you,
so I hope he will agree and this issue is resolved soon.’
Krishna sent a message right away to Duryodhana informing him of his
visit as the ambassador of the Pandavas. Duryodhana began to panic—
Krishna was not only a great statesman, but also a gifted orator, known for
his powers of persuasion. If he managed to convince the elders of the
family to see things his way, Duryodhana knew that he would be forced to
give back the kingdom to the Pandavas.
Despite his concerns, Duryodhana, wanting to show off his hospitality as
the prince of Hastinapur, arranged for a fantastic meal for his visitor.
Krishna visited the court and presented the proposal that required
Duryodhana to relinquish his power over only five villages. There were
murmurs of agreement in the court. After all, what were five villages
compared to half a kingdom?
Duryodhana’s friend Karna said to him, ‘I suggest you agree to this
proposal and hand over the villages for the sake of peace in the kingdom
and the family.’
Duryodhana, however, did not listen to him. He hated the Pandavas too
much to let go of anything. ‘Karna,’ he said, ‘if you want half of my
kingdom, I will give it to you without a second thought, but I don’t want to
give the Pandavas anything, not even a tiny dot equalling a pinpoint. They
don’t deserve anything from me.’
Krishna, keenly observing what was going on, now spoke to
Duryodhana’s father, Dhritarashtra. ‘O king, you must intervene. If you
don’t, you will be responsible for a horrific war. A kingdom can only
flourish when there’s peace. So I entreat you, advise your son to take the
deal.’
King Dhritarashtra turned to his son and tried to convince him, but to no
avail. Duryodhana refused to budge.
Finally Krishna looked at Duryodhana and said, ‘I have tried my best to
prevent the war that is coming. I understand now that this is your destiny.
You will be responsible not only for the death of your family and friends
but also many innocents who have nothing to do with this petty fight. You
will also be accountable for the deaths of all the good people who will stand
by your side out of friendship or loyalty. Women will lose their husbands
and parents will lose their children, but I see no other way out.’
He stood up. ‘I must leave now,’ he said with resignation.
‘But you must eat with us before you depart,’ said Duryodhana. ‘I have
got the most delicious dishes in the kingdom prepared for you.’
‘Ah, a meal must be eaten at a place where your heart has affection for
the people around you or the compulsion to feed your body because of
hunger. I have neither right now. I must go,’ insisted Krishna.
Duryodhana’s ego was hurt. ‘Who does he think he is?’ he thought. ‘He
has grown up with cowherds and doesn’t even own a kingdom. How can he
turn down an invitation from the prince of Hastinapur?’
He lost his temper. ‘Put this man in jail,’ he ordered his soldiers. ‘How
dare he reject an offer of a meal from me?’
Krishna was immediately surrounded by soldiers.
He smiled. ‘I was born in a prison and yet, nobody could stop my
chained father from taking me to Vrindavan despite the number of soldiers
on guard, heavy winds and the cold rain in the dark night. Those who have
tried to poison me or kill me have invariably brought death upon
themselves. I have neither a beginning nor an end. I have everything but I
have nothing. I am all-seeing—I can behold both the creation and the
destruction of this world. Try all you want, but you cannot imprison me.’
Krishna started growing in size and, in a few moments, became so big
that his head touched the high ceiling of the court. Everyone was amazed.
Suddenly, there was so much light that Duryodhana had to close his eyes.
So did all the soldiers.
Karna, Bhishma and Drona, however, could see this form of the god.
Krishna, in this particular form, had many heads and multiple arms holding
weapons and other divine objects. They also saw a vision—the terrible war
and their own deaths.
Bhishma knelt before Krishna in awe.
Before anyone could recover, Krishna reverted to his human form and
walked out of the room.
Karna ran behind Krishna and said, ‘O Keshava, you are no ordinary
human being. I’ve known this for a long time but it is only today that I
realized who you are. You are beyond any description or understanding.
You are everywhere and you are nowhere. I am fortunate and blessed to
have seen you in this great avatar of Vishwarupa. You showed me how I
would die and I retain the knowledge that we are all going to perish in the
imminent war. But I noticed that you were Arjuna’s charioteer. I am an
archer but also the son of a charioteer myself. May I have the pleasure of
being your charioteer today and escorting you to wherever you wish to go?’
‘Let’s go towards the Ganga,’ Krishna replied thoughtfully.
Once they reached their destination, Krishna said, ‘You don’t know
everything about your past, Karna. You may have been raised by the king’s
charioteer Adiratha and his wife, Radha, but you are also my cousin—the
first child of my aunt Kunti. You are the oldest brother of the Pandavas.
That is why you are a lot like them.’
Krishna paused. He wanted to give Karna time to absorb this.
Karna was unprepared for this life-changing revelation. He had noticed
Kunti a few times and always thought of her as the Pandavas’ mother.
Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable pain run through his body—how could he
be the brother of the hated Pandavas, especially his arch-enemy Arjuna? He
had always been ready to fight them for Duryodhana, but now the thought
made the blood drain from his face.
But he knew that Krishna wasn’t lying. He had always felt like a misfit in
his clan and among the Kauravas. He had never even considered the
possibility that he had been adopted. His parents Adiratha and Radha had
never given him any reason to think so. Krishna’s revelation explained
many of the things that had puzzled him about his life.
He looked at Krishna with hurt and betrayal in his eyes. ‘Why did you
tell me this before the war? How can I fight with the people I cannot be
enemies with? I am lost now.’
Krishna cajoled him saying, ‘The truth is the truth. Now that you know
that you are the oldest of the Pandava brothers, you should join them. I’m
hoping Duryodhana will agree to give the Pandavas their due at least for
your sake and make you their leader. The Pandavas are obedient and will
accept your governance. You are the only one who can help prevent the
war.’
Karna was astonished by Krishna’s logic. ‘Krishna, how can you ask that
of me? I can’t simply switch sides! I know that Duryodhana is in the wrong
but he is my best friend. His wish is my command. You have shown me my
death and that remains my destiny. I will follow the path of my conscience.
Please let me know where else you would like to go and I will take you.’
Krishna was disappointed at the refusal, but he appreciated Karna’s
devotion to Duryodhana and accepted his decision. ‘You can take me to
Vidura’s house for lunch,’ he said.
Karna was puzzled. ‘May I ask you a question?’
Krishna nodded.
‘You rejected Duryodhana’s sumptuous feast and are instead going to
Vidura’s humble home for a meal. Why?’
‘Vidura is my friend and has always been kind to me. Eating a simple
meal with a friend is better than partaking of a royal feast at Duryodhana’s
house. It is not food, but affection that I crave,’ said Krishna, smiling.
The form that Krishna appeared in at Duryodhana’s court is called Vishwarupa Darshana or the
Universal Form.
The Unusual Fighter
Jarasandha
The Mahabharata war took place in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, and went
on for eighteen days. During the first ten days, the commander-in-chief of
the Kauravas’ army was the old and respected warrior Bhishma. Despite his
age, he was a fierce fighter and killed a great number of soldiers.
Duryodhana, however, was unhappy. He had noticed that Bhishma, who
had played the role of a grandfather in his life, did not intend to kill the five
Pandava brothers. Duryodhana was well aware of Bhishma’s affection for
them and was upset about his grand-uncle’s partiality.
Unable to let things be, he approached Bhishma’s tent one night.
‘Grandfather,’ said Duryodhana. ‘You are a fine combatant but I am
ashamed of you. You are Sage Parashurama’s disciple and one of the
greatest warriors in the world, and still you haven’t been able to kill even
one of the Pandavas! I have a feeling that you are actually fighting on their
behalf in secret.’
Bhishma was hurt. With much effort, he calmed down and replied, ‘How
can you say that to me, son? The world knows that I am sincere in my
duties and true to my word.’
Then he pulled out five arrows from his quiver, closed his eyes and
touched them briefly. The arrows glowed with the colour of gold.
‘What are these?’ asked Duryodhana, afraid to touch them.
‘I have energized these five arrows with my strength and vitality—one
for each of the Pandavas. If I use them in battle, they are sure to hit their
target. There is no escape, I assure you.’
Duryodhana was pleased. ‘If Grandfather uses these arrows tomorrow,
then the Pandavas will certainly be destroyed,’ he thought. ‘But I can’t trust
him completely. What if he hands over these arrows to them?’
So he looked at Bhishma and said, ‘Grandfather, I will keep the arrows
and hand them over to you tomorrow.’
Bhishma understood what Duryodhana was implying. ‘I am the one who
created the arrows with the specific purpose of destroying the Pandavas.
Don’t you have faith in me?’ he questioned.
‘Please, Grandfather, I would like to keep the arrows with me tonight,’
Duryodhana insisted.
Bhishma nodded and gave him the five arrows.
The news of the golden arrows reached Krishna through a spy, and he
immediately told Arjuna about them.
Seeing Arjuna’s alarmed face, Krishna said to him, ‘Do you remember
your encounter with the gandharvas during the exile?’ he asked.
Arjuna recalled the incident.
Once Duryodhana brought his friends and camped near the hut in which
the Pandavas lived so he could keep an eye on them. While he was
wandering in the forest during the visit and making fun of the Pandavas in a
loud voice, he met some gandharvas and got into a heated argument with
them. The gandharvas and Duryodhana agreed to a short combat. Within
minutes, the gandharvas defeated Duryodhana. They tied him to a tree and
began making fun of him.
Yudhishthira heard about the incident and immediately asked Arjuna and
Bhima to go and help Duryodhana.
Bhima refused, but Arjuna obeyed his elder brother and rescued
Duryodhana.
Duryodhana was ashamed of his behaviour and felt that it was his duty to
give Arjuna something in return for his assistance. He said to Arjuna, ‘You
have freed me from the gandharvas. Tell me what you want and I will
ensure that your wish is fulfilled.’
‘I don’t want anything. I only came because my brother asked me to.’
But Duryodhana insisted on returning the favour somehow.
Finally, Arjuna said, ‘Let’s keep this on hold. If I need something in the
future, I will let you know.’
Later, Arjuna narrated the incident to Krishna but he himself forgot all
about the favour.
Now Krishna reminded him of Duryodhana’s promise. He said,
‘Bhishma’s arrows will slay you and your brothers. It is time for you to ask
Duryodhana for the favour he owes you. You know what to do.’
Arjuna went to Duryodhana’s tent that same night.
After they had exchanged greetings, Arjuna reminded him, ‘Do you
remember how you had promised me a favour whenever I needed it after I
defeated the gandharvas who’d attacked you?’
Duryodhana nodded.
‘Well, I’d like those five golden arrows that Grandfather has given you.’
Duryodhana wasn’t expecting this. Even though he was very upset he
knew that he had to keep his promise. He sighed and handed over the
arrows to Arjuna. ‘Here, take them,’ he said. ‘But tell me, who advised you
to take the arrows from me today?’
Arjuna smiled. ‘You already know the answer—it is Krishna.’
Helplessly, Duryodhana watched Arjuna walk away with the precious
arrows.
The next morning, when Bhishma asked Duryodhana for the arrows, he
hung his head in shame and said, ‘I am sorry, Grandfather, I gave the arrows
to Arjuna. Can you please create them again?’
‘Sorry, Duryodhana, I can’t. Had they been with me, I wouldn’t have
given them to the Pandavas. You have handed over victory to your enemies
with your own hands,’ remarked Bhishma.
The Illusion of Sunset
While they were in exile, the Pandavas once left Draupadi with Sage
Trunabindu as they had to go to the forest to hunt and collect firewood.
King Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhu kingdom, happened to pass by
their hut a little while after the brothers left. Jayadratha was married to the
Kauravas’ only sister, Dushala. As he went close to the hut, he happened to
notice Draupadi, who was engaged in some household chores, and was
enchanted by her beauty. He didn’t know who she was so he went to her
and introduced himself, hoping to learn more about her. That’s when he
found out that she was the wife of the Pandavas.
Draupadi was happy to meet a relative and welcomed him inside.
Jayadratha, now growing bolder, said, ‘O beautiful lady, come with me.
You shouldn’t stay with men like the Pandavas, who were careless enough
to lose you in a bet. It is obvious that they don’t know how to treat you. You
can become my queen and I promise you that you will want for nothing.’
‘Please behave yourself!’ said Draupadi, trying to put Jayadratha in his
place. ‘You are our guest and a relative.’
Jayadratha wouldn’t take no for an answer and forced her into his chariot.
The sage Trunabindu, who had been inside all this while, heard
Draupadi’s cries and came running out of the hut but the chariot had already
left by then. The sage screamed for help, and, fortunately, the Pandavas,
who were returning from their task, heard the shouts and raced back.
Arjuna and Bhima rushed to rescue Draupadi. The two of them soon
caught up with the chariot and fought with Jayadratha. They then tied him
up and brought him back to the hut along with Draupadi.
Bhima wanted to kill him but Draupadi begged him not to. ‘Dushala is
your cousin, dear husband. Think of her. In your anger, you will make her a
widow. But I agree that he must not go unpunished—you may send him
back in shame as you see fit.’
So Bhima shaved Jayadratha’s head, but left five spots of hair on his pate
—the mark of a slave. Then he set him free.
This incident filled Jayadratha with angst and a thirst for revenge. He
performed an austere penance for Lord Shiva, who appeared and asked him
what he desired.
‘I want to defeat the Pandavas,’ said Jayadratha.
‘That is impossible,’ replied the god. ‘Lord Krishna is on their side.’
Jayadratha knew that a war was to come in the future. He said, ‘Then at
least give me one such day in the war when I can stop them from advancing
further.’
‘So be it,’ blessed Lord Shiva, ‘but Arjuna will be an exception to this.’
Jayadratha’s father, Vridhakshtra, had become an ascetic after handing
over the kingdom to his son. Through his powers, he divined that his son
would be killed for his bad deeds. So he performed multiple penances and
harnessed his spiritual powers into designing a curse: whoever caused his
son Jayadratha’s head to fall to the ground would turn to ashes.
During the war, Jayadratha chose the side of the Kauravas. On the
thirteenth day, Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu entered a battle formation created
by the Kauravas’ army, which was known as the chakravyuha. But he had
only learnt to breach the formation, not to exit it. Using the boon from
Shiva, Jayadratha stopped Yudhishthira, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva from
advancing and entering the chakravyuha to help Abhimanyu, who was
brutally killed by the Kauravas.
Unfortunately, Arjuna was busy fighting elsewhere and remained
unaware of the fate of his son. When he later learnt how his brave son had
been slaughtered and how his brothers couldn’t help him in the
chakravyuha because of Jayadratha, he took a vow: ‘I will kill Jayadratha
before tomorrow’s sunset. If I fail, I will kill myself by jumping into fire.’
Krishna, who heard the vow, was greatly concerned. He knew that the
Pandavas didn’t stand a chance of winning the war without Arjuna. So he
devised a strategy to save him.
Meanwhile, in the opposing camp, Drona was busy formulating a plan to
protect Jayadratha. The Kauravas had to hide him only for a day.
Eventually, Drona arranged for the finest soldiers in the army to line up in
front of Jayadratha in such a manner that it would be almost impossible for
Arjuna to reach him.
The next day—the fourteenth day of the war—was long and weary. All
day, Drona’s strategy had worked and Jayadratha was still alive.
Sunset was almost upon them. The Pandavas started to worry. Then
Krishna discreetly used his celestial discus to mask the sun and create the
illusion of a sunset.
Within minutes, the lines of soldiers in front of Jayadratha were
dismissed and the Kauravas rejoiced thinking that the sun had set and that
Arjuna’s death was now certain.
Jayadratha himself stood before Arjuna and taunted him.
Sensing that the moment was close, Krishna removed the discus masking
the sun. The illusion of the sunset was shattered and the rays of the setting
sun dispelled the darkness.
Jayadratha now stood in full view of both armies and without any
protection.
Krishna instructed Arjuna, ‘Kill Jayadratha in such a way that when his
head is dismembered, it flies through the air and lands on his father’s lap.’
Arjuna’s shot resulted in just that. Jayadratha’s head fell into
Vridhakshtra’s lap, who had been busy meditating. Startled, the ascetic
stood up and his son’s head fell to the ground. Vridhakshtra was reduced to
ashes, doomed by his own curse.
Thus Krishna saved Arjuna from certain death and dealt a heavy blow to
the Kauravas by helping to slay both Jayadratha and his father with a single
shot.
Drona’s Achilles’ Heel
Drona was a prodigious warrior and hard to defeat on the battlefield. As the
war went on, Krishna wondered how Drona could be defeated. He was
aware that Drona’s Achilles’ heel was his son, Ashwatthama.
One day, Krishna learnt that there was an elephant in their cavalry also
called Ashwatthama. He knew what he had to do to defeat Drona.
He approached Yudhishthira and said, ‘Let’s use the elephant
Ashwatthama in battle today.’
During the course of the day, the elephant fell down and died.
As Bhima had a loud voice, Krishna asked him to announce loudly that
Ashwatthama had met his end. Bhima obeyed and began shouting, ‘Listen
to me! Ashwatthama is no more!’
When Drona heard the news, he wondered in confusion, ‘Is my son really
dead?’
He searched everywhere for his son but couldn’t find him. Drona had
difficulty believing Bhima but he trusted Yudhishthira blindly. So he asked
the oldest and the most righteous of the Pandavas, ‘Tell me, who has died?’
Krishna had already told Yudhishthira and Bhima what to say and do.
‘Ashwatthama hataha ,’ said Yudhishthira truthfully. It meant that
Ashwatthama had died. Yudhishthira opened his mouth to clarify further but
Bhima, as if on cue, blew a conch so loudly that Drona couldn’t hear the
rest of the sentence.
Yudhishthira added, ‘Narova kunjarova (I don’t know whether it is a
human being or an elephant).’
But Drona only heard that Ashwatthama had died. Overwhelmed by
sadness, he just sat on the ground, numb, and refused to fight. ‘Why should
I fight when my son is no more? What do I live for?’ he thought.
Taking advantage of Drona’s vulnerability, Drishtadyumna, Drupada’s
son, cut off the great teacher’s head, thus fulfilling his father’s vow of
vengeance.
The Sun Child
Before Kunti married Pandu and became mother to the Pandavas, she’d
received a boon from a sage that would allow her to invoke any god and be
blessed with his child. Curious to test the boon, she called upon the sun god,
Surya. The boon worked, and Kunti gave birth to Karna.
Afraid of what the world would say since she wasn’t married, Kunti
abandoned her newborn. Karna was found and raised by Adiratha, a
charioteer, and his wife, Radha. Adiratha and his wife brought him up with
such love and care that Karna also came to be known as Radheya, the son
of Radha.
Karna was as intelligent as his brother Arjuna but because he wasn’t from
royalty he wasn’t formally trained in warfare under Drona. However, he
learnt most skills in the ashram of Parashurama.
When the Pandavas and the Kauravas completed their education, Drona
arranged for a display of their skills where all could come and witness their
learning in the form of a tournament. Yudhishthira demonstrated his javelin-
throwing abilities while Bhima and Duryodhana exhibited their skills with
the mace. Arjuna demonstrated his archery and Nakula and Sahadeva
showed their mastery in horse riding.
Everyone present was stunned by Arjuna’s outstanding performance.
Duryodhana thought, ‘I don’t think any of my brothers can match
Arjuna’s skill.’
Suddenly, a young man who had been part of the crowd all along stood
up. ‘I can match whatever Arjuna has presented here,’ he declared.
Drona was certain that no one could even get close to Arjuna’s level. So
he invited the young man to the arena without hesitation.
To everyone’s surprise, the young man proved to be Arjuna’s equal.
‘What kingdom do you belong to?’ Drona asked the young man. ‘Are
you a prince?’
The young man shook his head. ‘I am Karna, the son of charioteer
Adiratha,’ he said.
The crowd burst into laughter—he was a nobody. He had neither land nor
a kingdom.
Duryodhana, however, was intrigued and wanted to befriend the young
man. So he invited Karna to sit beside him and presented him with the
kingdom of Anga. Karna thus became Angaraja. This was the beginning of
a lasting friendship between the two men.
Karna was a generous man. He worshipped Surya every day on the banks
of the river Ganga. He was especially grateful to the river because she had
guided the basket he was abandoned in into the hands of his adoptive father
Adiratha. After the puja, Karna would give alms to the poor and fulfil the
needs of all who came to him.
Karna had been born with a pair of special earrings and a body shield that
were permanently attached to his body. The earrings were blessed by Surya
and contained supernatural strength that would allow Karna to defeat any
opponent and emerge victorious.
When it was time for the war, Krishna knew that as long as the earrings
and the shield remained with Karna, it would be difficult for the Pandavas
to beat him.
One day, Krishna called upon Indra and said to him, ‘If you want your
son Arjuna to be successful in the war ahead, then please go to Karna after
his daily puja and ask for his earrings and his shield as alms.’
Indra went to the river Ganga at the appropriate hour and waited for
Karna in the guise of an old man. After the puja, Karna approached the old
man and asked gently, ‘Sir, what can I give you?’
‘Your earrings and the body shield,’ said the man.
Karna instantly realized that the old man was not who he seemed. But
that did not deter him from giving away the objects that he had been asked
for. Without another word he gave away the earrings and the body shield as
alms.
Indra was humbled by Karna’s generosity and felt sorry for him. He
appeared in his true form. ‘Karna!’ he said. ‘I am touched by your big-
heartedness and would like to bestow upon you this powerful arrow—it will
never miss its mark. But remember, you can only use it once.’
‘Maybe this arrow will help me in defeating Arjuna one day,’ thought
Karna.
However, he would later use the arrow to execute the giant-like
Ghatotkacha, the son of Bhima and Hidimbi, who would cause great havoc
in the Kurukshetra war and fall like a mountain on the Kauravas’ army.
Despite Karna’s loss of the earrings and the shield, Krishna still worried
about him and his friendship with the Kauravas.
Just before the war Krishna went to Kunti and said, ‘You must go to your
firstborn, Karna, and try and convince him to join his real brothers. He
already knows that you are his mother. Maybe you will succeed where I
have failed.’
Kunti agreed hesitantly and approached Karna after his daily puja. When
she saw him, her heart filled with sorrow, and tears threatened to spill over
at the memory of how she had abandoned him in the river. She had been
young and immature and worried about her honour. Today, she was proud
of how well her son had done for himself.
‘Tell me, what can I do for you?’ asked Karna when he saw the old lady.
Then he realized who she was and found himself unable to utter another
word.
Kunti tried her best to convince him to join his brothers, but Karna
refused outright. He was not going to change his mind.
Finally Kunti begged, ‘At least promise me that you will not kill your
brothers, Karna.’
‘I can’t promise you that, Mother. But I assure you that I won’t fight any
of my brothers except Arjuna. At the end of the war, either Arjuna or I will
remain standing, and you will still have five sons.’
While Krishna did not disclose the truth to the Pandavas, Karna was
excruciatingly aware of who he was fighting against. Thus Karna’s
unquestioning loyalty to Duryodhana, coupled with his reluctance to slay
his brothers, restricted his progress at climactic moments in the war.
When the day of the fight between Karna and Arjuna arrived, as it was
destined to, the wheel of Karna’s chariot became stuck in mud. Just as he
got down from the chariot to free the wheel, Krishna advised Arjuna, ‘Use
your arrow and kill Karna now!’
‘That is unfair, Krishna! He is on the ground and I am in my chariot. He
is unable to defend himself. It is not right to attack him now.’
‘This is the war of righteousness,’ said Krishna firmly. ‘Karna is clearly
supporting the wrong side. There’s no such thing as “fair” in this war.
Listen to me carefully and kill him now. Don’t waste time.’
Because Arjuna trusted Krishna completely, he eventually gave in and
killed Karna.
The Last Man Standing
Within days, all of Duryodhana’s friends and loyalists were dead except for
Ashwatthama. With a heavy heart, Duryodhana headed to a placid lake
called Dwaipayana in Kurukshetra. Duryodhana used a special mantra
called the Jala Mantra there, which gave him the ability to stay at the
bottom of the lake for as long as he wanted.
When they did not see Duryodhana for a long time, the Pandavas became
confident that victory was now theirs.
However, Krishna warned them, ‘The war is not over until you defeat
Duryodhana.’
So the Pandavas went in search of Duryodhana. They looked everywhere
but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, they came across a set of
footprints heading towards the lake but there was no matching set of
footprints coming back.
A hunter who was passing by remarked, ‘I saw a person going towards
the lake. He looked like a king and I assumed that he was going there for a
bath.’
Krishna was sure that the man was Duryodhana.
‘Maybe he went there to commit suicide . . . he has no one left,’
Yudhishthira said thoughtfully.
Bhima was worried. He had sworn to break Duryodhana’s thighs. ‘If that
is so, how will I fulfil my vow?’ he wondered.
‘Duryodhana will not kill himself,’ said Krishna. ‘He has gone to the lake
to recover from his tiredness and loss. We have not seen the last of him.’
‘Then what should we do?’
‘The only way to make him emerge from his hiding place is to provoke
him,’ advised Krishna. ‘We all know that he can’t help the way he reacts.
And I can’t think of anyone better for this task than Bhima—his childhood
enemy.’
Hearing this, Bhima promptly raced to the lake and began shouting, ‘O
Duryodhana, I know that you are inside the water.’
There was no response.
‘Why are you sitting in the lake like a coward? Aren’t you a kshatriya?’
‘I think you are scared of dying,’ continued Bhima.
Still, there was silence.
‘Dying in a battlefield is the greatest honour for a warrior, but maybe
you’ve changed your mind after all your losses. Maybe now you are more
attracted to the flowers in the water than the weapons of war . . .’
Bhima continued in this vein for some more time.
‘Foolish Duryodhana! Look how the world will remember you—a
coward like they’ve never seen before!’
Suddenly, Duryodhana emerged from the lake, his face red with anger.
His pride and ego had been hurt and he couldn’t contain himself any more.
‘Bhima, stop! Let’s just fight so that I can silence you once and for all. The
winner of the duel will be the winner of the war.’
‘I accept,’ said Bhima simply and watched Duryodhana as he began
walking away from the lake.
This was to be the end—the last battle between two extraordinary mace
champions.
Duryodhana went to his mother to take her blessings—the mother who
had chosen to live her life blindfolded. When she heard about the
impending fight, she knew what she had to do. ‘Today, I will open my eyes
for the first time in decades,’ she said. ‘The energy from my eyes will
provide you with a special power. So go have a bath in the river Ganga and
come to me the way you were on the day that you were born.’
Desperate for all the power he could get before the mace battle,
Duryodhana took a bath in the river and made his way back to his mother’s
tent.
Out of nowhere, Krishna appeared in front of him and smiled upon
seeing Duryodhana naked. ‘Duryodhana, what are you doing?’ he asked.
Duryodhana explained why he was without clothes.
‘I know your mother has great affection for you and that you are devoted
to her,’ said Krishna. ‘But you are not a small child any more. How can you
go like this in front of your mother? It is completely inappropriate, isn’t it?’
Duryodhana, who was already embarrassed at the thought, agreed. ‘What
should I do?’ he said out loud.
‘Take a few banana leaves from this tree here,’ suggested Krishna, ‘and
cover yourself—at least from the waist till the knees.’
Duryodhana wrapped a few banana leaves around himself and went on
his way.
When he entered his mother’s tent, Gandhari took off her blindfold and
saw her son for the first time in her life. Though she was familiar with his
voice, she had never seen any of her children. Her eyes moistened when she
saw his face. As her eyes fell upon him, Duryodhana felt a wave of energy
pass through his body—almost as if it was charging him. Gandhari’s eyes
made their way down her son’s body. When she saw the banana leaves, her
eyes changed.
‘O son,’ she said with sadness in her voice, ‘I told you to come exactly
like you were the day you were born. Then why did you cover yourself with
leaves? I had opened my eyes to transform your entire body in such a way
that it becomes as hard as diamond. It would have made you strong enough
to withstand every blow from Bhima’s mace. But alas! Now the covered
portion of your body will remain as vulnerable as it was before.’
Saying this, she closed her eyes and blindfolded herself again.
Duryodhana begged her to open her eyes, but Gandhari refused.
‘I have already exhausted my powers and cannot open my eyes a second
time,’ she said. ‘Maybe this is your fate, my son, and I have failed to
prevent it. Tell me, who told you to cover yourself? A mother always looks
at her offspring as a child, no matter his age.’
‘The cowherd Gopala gave me this idea,’ he said, angry at Krishna’s
intervention.
‘If that is so, I curse Krishna,’ shouted Gandhari in rage. ‘O Krishna, you
have destroyed our family. Dhritarashtra and I have seen the deaths of our
children. I curse you and your parents—you will all suffer the deaths of
your children and your clan.’
Krishna heard about the curse. ‘The Yadavas are too powerful to be
destroyed by anyone. However, it is true that everyone must perish one day.
If it must happen to the Yadavas, then the only way the curse can come true
is if they fight among themselves. If that is to be the destiny of the Yadavas,
then let it happen,’ he thought, unperturbed.
Decades would pass before the curse would come true. It would result in
the destruction of the Yadava kingdom in Dwarka due to fighting among the
Yadavas themselves.
Even today, whenever a civil war takes place, it is called Yadavi Yuddha,
or a war fought in the way of the Yadavas.
Shortly thereafter, the duel began.
Duryodhana was desperate—he knew that it was the moment of truth.
Almost everyone he had cared for was no longer alive and he fought like a
man who had nothing to lose. Bhima, however, was happy that he had a
chance to end the fierce war and exact revenge on his enemy.
Duryodhana fought fiercely, and while Bhima kept up his onslaught, it
had no effect on Duryodhana because of his mother’s blessings.
Bhima was perplexed. After a while, he became certain that he would
lose. Almost instinctively, he looked at Krishna. The god smiled and just
patted his thighs. Bhima nodded. He carefully aimed for Duryodhana’s
thighs.
The blow was so powerful that Duryodhana fell immediately. Fighting
like a provoked tiger, Bhima kept hitting his opponent’s thighs mercilessly.
Bhima screamed as he landed a powerful blow on Duryodhana, ‘This is
for what you tried to do to us in the house of wax.
‘This one is for Draupadi’s disrobing,’ he said, with another blow.
‘This one is for cheating during gambling and this one for the exile,’ he
said and landed another two powerful blows on Duryodhana’s bloody
thighs.
Krishna intervened. ‘Stop it, Bhima, stop it. His thighs are broken now
and the war is over. Duryodhana has lost to you.’
Bhima stood still, uncertain of what to do next.
‘Let’s go back to our tents,’ Krishna said and pulled him away.
Duryodhana, the royal prince and the last of the Kauravas, was left to die
alone.
The lake mentioned in the story exists today as the Brahmosarovara in the state of Haryana.
Barbarika
Much before the Kurukshetra war, Duryodhana had made an attempt to kill
the Pandavas by setting their wax palace on fire. However, the Pandavas
managed to escape with their mother to the forest, where they lived in
disguise.
It was there that the Pandavas met a demon named Hidamba, whose
sister, Hidimbi, fell in love with Bhima. The two got married and had a son
named Ghatotkacha.
When it was time for the Pandavas to go back to their kingdom, Hidimbi
promised Bhima that their son would be at his service whenever he needed
him.
Ghatotkacha grew up to be a fine man with a kind heart and a huge,
strong body. He was also a master illusionist. In time, he married Maurvi, a
princess of the Yadava dynasty, and they had a son whom they called
Barbarika (also known as Belarsen).
Barbarika learnt the arts of war from his mother and archery from a great
guru, and so grew up to be a skilled warrior. He was an ardent devotee of
Lord Shiva, and he’d received an extraordinary gift from him—three
infallible arrows that would stay with him for as long as he was alive. But
when his guru learnt of the arrows, he was worried. ‘It is highly unlikely
that you can ever be defeated now,’ the guru said to Barbarika. ‘So I ask—
which side of a war would you choose?’
‘I promise that I will take the side of the weaker opponent, which most
people would hesitate to do,’ he said without a moment’s hesitation.
The guru nodded and blessed his disciple.
When the great war was announced, Barbarika visited his parents and
grandparents. Hidimbi remembered her promise to Bhima and told
Ghatotkacha and Barbarika, ‘Both of you must participate in this war. You
belong to the family of the Pandavas. I’d promised my husband that our
children would be there whenever he needs them. A promise is a promise—
it must be kept under any circumstances.’
Taking the blessings of his parents and his grandparents Barbarika went
to the camp of the Pandavas. Bhima and the others were ecstatic to see him
and welcomed him with open arms. They had already heard about his
exceptional skills.
Surprisingly, Krishna was a little detached and wasn’t as thrilled as the
others about Barbarika’s arrival. One day, he sought out Barbarika when the
latter was meditating under a tree. ‘Tell me,’ asked Krishna, ‘why do you
want to join the Pandavas?’
‘There are two reasons,’ said Barbarika. ‘First, these are my people and
my family. Second, they have only seven akshauhinis while the Kauravas
have eleven. This makes the Pandavas the weaker of the two camps. I
promised my teacher that I would always support the weaker opponent.’
Krishna fell silent. After a few minutes, he changed the subject and
asked, ‘Tell me about your special arrows.’
‘My arrows are no ordinary ones. The first one will mark my enemies
and return to me. The second will kill those marked by the first arrow and
then come back to me. The third is just a spare.’
Krishna recalled a conversation that he had had with different warriors
about the number of days they thought the war could last. Bhishma had told
him that he could end the war in twenty days. Drona had given an estimate
of twenty-six days while Karna gave it twenty-seven days. Arjuna, on the
other hand, had specified twenty-eight days.
Now, Krishna asked Barbarika the same question, ‘My dear child, how
many days do you think it will take for this war to end?’
‘No more than three days,’ he responded.
‘In that case, you are possibly the greatest warrior today, maybe even
better than Bhishma himself. Do you see this tree?’ said Krishna pointing to
a tree nearby.
Barbarika nodded.
‘Now assume that each leaf is a soldier and pretend that they are your
enemies,’ continued Krishna. ‘Use your arrows and show me what you can
do.’
Barbarika shut his eyes and took out his bow and the first arrow. Quickly,
Krishna hid a leaf under his foot.
Barbarika opened his eyes and shot the first arrow. The arrow had a red
mark on its tail and began touching all the leaves and marking them with a
red dot. Once that was done, Barbarika took out the second arrow and shot
it. One by one, it began destroying the leaves with the red dot. Finally, it
pierced Krishna’s foot and blood started oozing out of the wound.
Barbarika was upset. He apologized, ‘Sir, my arrow has hurt your foot! I
am very sorry.’
‘It’s not your fault,’ said Krishna, consoling him. ‘I had placed a leaf
below my foot in order to test your arrows.’
‘But the area of the wound will now always be vulnerable. Please take
care of your foot!’ Barbarika requested earnestly.
Krishna’s mind was somewhere else. He said, ‘I am curious, Barbarika.
You have joined the Pandavas now because they have a smaller army. But
once the Kauravas lose more people, they will become weak. Then whose
side will you be on?’
‘Well, then I will have to switch sides and support the Kauravas!’
‘If that happens, you will damage the Pandavas’ army and they will again
become feeble. Then what?’
‘Then I must return to the Pandavas.’
‘What will happen if I hide all the Pandavas? Will your arrow still find
them?’
‘Yes,’ said Barbarika. ‘It will find them. For sure.’
‘So you will kill your grandfather and his family?’
Barbarika did not answer. He was speechless.
‘Because of the foolish promise you made to your teacher, you will
oscillate between the two camps along with your powerful arrows. At the
end, everyone will die and only you will remain. Barbarika, it is a good
thing to make a promise or a vow, but you can’t do it without thinking about
long-term consequences. Think about it—Bhishma’s vow of celibacy could
very well be the root cause of this war. Your promise to your teacher
brought you here but you might end up killing your own family! You are a
fantastic warrior and a kind man. But . . . what a conundrum!’
‘I never thought of it that way,’ admitted Barbarika. ‘But I can’t change
anything now. The promise has been made.’ Then he remembered his
grandmother. ‘O Krishna, but I also promised my family that I would fight
in the war. Tell me, what should I do now?’
‘I can guide you and be your guru,’ said Krishna. ‘But you have to give
me gurudakshina.’
‘I am ready to give you my life, dear Krishna. Tell me what you want and
I will give it to you.’
‘In that case,’ said Krishna sadly, ‘I want your head.’
Barbarika smiled gently. ‘Of course, Krishna. It is a great honour—you
accepting my gurudakshina. But I have one last desire. Will you help me?’
‘I will ensure that it is done,’ said Krishna.
‘I am a warrior—even if I can’t fight, I would at least like to observe the
war. You may have my head, but how will I witness the war?’
‘That won’t be a problem, Barbarika. Even though your head will be
separated from your body, I can guarantee that you will be able to hear and
see the war till the end. That is my promise to you,’ said Krishna.
Just then, the Pandavas arrived at the spot. They had heard the last part of
the conversation and understood that it was another of Krishna’s strategies.
Still, they couldn’t hold back their tears. Barbarika was their grandson and
they were proud of his courage and commitment.
The young man bowed to his grandfathers, and decapitated himself.
After the deed was done, Krishna turned to Bhima and said, ‘Take your
grandson’s head and put it on the top of a hill so he can view the unfolding
of the war of Kurukshetra. From this day on, he will be known as Mahatma
Barbarika. He has become the first warrior to give up his life for this war.’
Following Krishna’s orders, Bhima placed Barbarika’s head on the top of
a hill, from where Barbarika could see everything that happened in the
battlefield.
Soon after the war, everybody from the Pandavas’ side gathered together
and talked about how each one had contributed to the victory.
‘I was able to kill many Kauravas because of my skill with the mace,’
said Bhima.
‘Well, it was my powerful Gandiva that helped slay Drona, Karna and
Grandfather Bhishma,’ remarked Arjuna.
By then, Sage Vyasa had also joined the conversation. ‘None of us really
knows who has contributed the most to the victory because we did not see
the whole picture. Let’s ask Barbarika—he is the only true witness,’ said
the sage.
So they all went to meet Barbarika, who was still at the top of the hill.
He said, ‘I could see a fascinating war with many nuances, but my
opinion is that the war was won because of the sudarshan chakra—the
celestial discus. I saw the chakra circle the person who was destined to die
that particular day, whether it was Bhishma, Karna or Dushasana. It is clear
that death is predestined and everything is just a means or an instrument to
that end. To me, Krishna is the only one responsible for the victory.’
Krishna then joined Barbarika’s body to his head and he came back to
life.
However, Barbarika refused to go back home to his family. He said, ‘I
have seen the worst of humanity and am not interested in living the life you
expect me to. I don’t want or need any arrows or power. I want to spend the
remainder of my days as a sage.’ Then he turned to Krishna, ‘You did the
best for me.’
Krishna smiled. ‘In the time ahead, people will remember you and the
sacrifice you made. Your unconditional love for me will join my name to
yours and you will forever be called by my name—Shyam.’
Thus Krishna never used his weapons during the war. Time made it clear
that Arjuna had made the right choice in choosing Krishna over the
Narayana Sena.
Today, Barbarika is worshipped in the state of Rajasthan as Khatushyam.
The King of Udupi
A Folk Story
When the war of Kurukshetra took place, even the rulers of other lands
ended up choosing sides and were compelled to fight each other.
For instance, King Shalya, the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva,
was tricked into siding with the Kauravas. King Vinda and King Anuvinda,
Krishna’s brothers-in-law, also fought for the Kauravas. One of the
Kauravas, Yuyutsu, was the only one to switch sides and join the Pandavas.
Krishna’s brother Balarama, upset with the whole affair, went on a
pilgrimage instead.
The king of Udupi, unable to choose a side, refused to take a decision. He
said, ‘I will be in charge of the kitchen and feed soldiers from both camps.’
The war began.
Each day took the lives of many soldiers. At the end of the day, the
remaining fighters from both the camps came to the kitchen and ate
together.
There was one strange thing that didn’t escape notice—no food was ever
left over after everyone had finished their meal in the evening. The king of
Udupi seemed to know exactly how much food had to be made every day,
but that also meant that he knew beforehand how many soldiers would not
live to see another night. Curious, the Pandavas asked the king one day,
‘Please tell us how you know the exact number of soldiers that will make it
back alive each day?’
He smiled. ‘I have a simple technique. I take a bag of peanuts to Krishna
at the end of every day and observe him closely. Then I multiply the
number of peanuts he eats by one thousand and deduce the number of
soldiers that are going to die the next day.’
The Pandavas were stunned.
After the war ended, Krishna blessed the king, saying, ‘You have taken
care of all the soldiers who’ve fought in this battle, without any bias. Your
future generations will be famous for making delicious food and serving it
efficiently.’
People say that this is the reason we see so many Udupi restaurants
across India!
The Price of Loyalty
Vikarna was the son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and one of the hundred
Kauravas. Three Kauravas are frequently remembered—Duryodhana,
Dushasana and Vikarna. While the first two are notorious for their bad
deeds, Vikarna stands out for opposing his brothers.
During the infamous dice game, Vikarna was the only one who raised his
voice against the way the game was played and the mistreatment of
Draupadi, while even the elders of the family like Bhishma, Drona and
Dhritarashtra remained silent.
Duryodhana was upset with his brother, but Vikarna stuck to his guns.
‘By insulting Draupadi you have brought downfall upon our own clan,’ he
warned.
Out of loyalty, he fought for his brothers in the war against the Pandavas.
While he killed the other Kauravas without a moment’s remorse, Bhima
didn’t touch Vikarna.
However, when they finally had to face each other in an unavoidable one-
on-one fight, Vikarna said, ‘Bhima, you and I both know that the Kauravas
are not going to win this war, and it’s all because you have Krishna’s
support. When it was my duty to oppose the dice game, I did. Now it is my
duty to fight for my brother, and I will.’
Thus the two cousins engaged in a fierce battle until Bhima killed
Vikarna. Bhima wept bitterly and lamented, ‘Vikarna, you knew what was
right and what was wrong and yet your fate was sealed. You chose loyalty
over dharma. This war is a curse for people like you and me.’
Vikarna’s story is similar to that of Kumbhakarna in the epic Ramayana.
Both Kumbhakarna and Vikarna were well aware of the right path but they
still chose to fight for their respective brothers and even die for them.
The Golden Mongoose
After the Pandavas won the war, Yudhishthira became the emperor of the
land. He performed many yagnas and made large donations to all those who
approached him for help. In time, word spread about his large-heartedness.
One day, a little mongoose came to the site of one of Yudhishthira’s
yagnas and began rolling in the ashes from the ritual. One half of the
mongoose’s body was golden.
When the murmurs finally settled down and the mongoose had rolled
around in the ashes to his satisfaction, he spoke in a human voice. ‘O King
Yudhishthira, I have heard great praises of your yagnas and the lavish
donations you make to those in need. But I am disappointed. I wasn’t
expecting you to conduct a yagna in this ordinary way!’
Yudhishthira was hurt by the mongoose’s words. ‘I have followed all the
rules for peforming this puja. How can you call this . . . ordinary?’ he
asked.
‘Let me tell you about my experience of a great yagna,’ said the
mongoose.
The audience fell silent, keen to hear the mongoose’s story.
‘In a small village not far from here,’ the mongoose began, ‘there once
lived an old man, along with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. They were
very poor and could barely make ends meet. To add to their woes, a famine
struck their land and the family began to starve.
‘One day, the old man found a little rice for his family from somehere.
His wife cooked the rice and divided it into four parts. Just as they were
about to eat, there was a knock on the door. When the old man opened it, he
found a man looking so fatigued that he was about to drop to the floor.
Taking pity on the unexpected visitor, the old man invited him inside and
remarked, “You look hungry.”
‘“Yes, I have been wandering around for a long time . . . it has been
several days since I have eaten,” said the visitor.
‘“You have come at the right time. We were just about to have our meal.
Please take this portion and satisfy your hunger,” said the old man and
offered his share of the food to him.
‘Too tired to even thank his host, the traveller took the bowl and wolfed
down the rice in less than a minute. Then he looked at the old man—he was
still hungry.
‘The old man’s wife now came forward and gave away her portion too.
Seeing her husband’s surprised face, she said, “This man is our guest. When
you have been so kind to give our visitor your portion and are willing to go
hungry for another day, then it is my duty to do the same.”
‘The traveller ate the second helping but he still looked as hungry as he
had when he’d walked in through the door. Now, the old man’s son came
forward, “When my parents can go hungry, I can too.”
‘Thus the traveller ate the son’s portion too.
‘Finally, the daughter-in-law also offered her share. The old man stopped
her, saying, “You are the youngest in the family . . . I cannot let you starve!”
‘The daughter-in-law smiled and said, “Feeding our guest is like
performing a yagna for the gods above. The three of you have been selfless
. . . I would like to give my portion as an offering to the yagna too.”
‘And she too handed over her share to the traveller. The visitor blessed
the family saying, “You have given me everything without keeping
anything for yourselves. This is the most sincere yagna I have ever seen.
May God bless you.’
‘Almost as if this was some kind of a test, God himself arrived and began
escorting the family to heaven.
‘It was then that I happened to pass their house and saw all of them going
to heaven,’ the mongoose’s voice rang loud and clear as the people in the
yagna returned to the present moment, after having been completely
transfixed by the story. ‘I glanced around and saw a scrap of food lying on
the ground nearby. Before I knew it, I slipped and fell on the food. When I
got up, I found that the side of my body that had fallen on the food had been
transformed into gold.’
The mongoose turned slightly to display the golden half of his body. ‘I
wanted to transform my entire body but there was no more food left. That’s
why my body looks like this now,’ he added. ‘Since this happened to me, I
have been travelling from one yagna to another in the hope of turning my
other half into gold. But I couldn’t find a single worthy yagna. When I
heard about King Yudhishthira and this yagna, I was sure that my wish
would be fulfilled. But alas! O king, your yagna is not as sincere or pure as
the one performed by the family of that poor man.’
The golden mongoose then disappeared from sight.
Yudhishthira felt humbled. He had been taught an important lesson—it is
not the lavishness of a gift that counts, but the purity of one’s soul and the
spirit of sacrifice that makes a yagna successful.
The Lost Son
Sometime before the Kurukshetra war, while the Pandavas were still ruling
Indraprastha, a man approached Arjuna one day. ‘Some wild animals are
troubling my cattle, Arjuna! Please help me,’ he pleaded.
‘I will,’ promised Arjuna, who was always willing to help the needy.
But the bow and arrows were in Yudhishthira’s room and he was resting
there with Draupadi, and Arjuna didn’t want to disturb them. It was an
unwritten rule amongst them that whoever disturbed the resting couple
would have to go on a one-year exile.
Arjuna wondered, ‘What takes priority—the man who needs my help or
the danger of a one-year exile?’
After some thought, Arjuna decided that it was more important to help
people, so he entered the room, took his bow and arrows silently and chased
away the wild animals that were attacking the man’s cattle.
When Arjuna returned, he told Yudhishthira and Draupadi what he had
done and not wanting to escape the consequences of having broken the rule,
left the house. Before departing, he went to his mother, who blessed him
saying, ‘Kalyana mastu, kalyana mastu, kalyana mastu (May good things
happen).’
Arjuna spent his self-imposed exile wandering around the neighbouring
kingdoms in disguise. All his life, he’d only known fame, so now he
enjoyed the anonymity the disguise brought him.
At some point, he found himself in the kingdom of Manipur. Arjuna
stayed at a small temple on the outskirts of the capital, from where he could
observe the goings-on of the kingdom. To his surprise, he noticed that the
most important positions in the king’s court were held by women!
The king of Manipur, Chitrabhana, had a beautiful daughter named
Chitrangada, who was a warrior herself. When the princess encountered the
handsome Arjuna, she fell in love with him. Her father requested Arjuna to
marry her but he refused. ‘I have to get back to Indraprastha,’ was Arjuna’s
honest reply. ‘Manipur has become dear to my heart, but I cannot stay here
all my life.’
King Chitrabhana was insistent. He said, ‘I would still like you to marry
my daughter. You are free to leave whenever you want, but Chitrangada
cannot go with you, and neither can the children you have together. They
belong to my kingdom—their home is here.’
Arjuna agreed and married Chitrangada.
Through her, he met her friend Ulupi—a Naga princess. Ulupi also fell in
love with Arjuna and married him. However, like Chitrangada, she couldn’t
leave her kingdom—the underwater world—either.
Soon it was time for Arjuna to leave. He journeyed to Dwarka, where he
met and married Subhadra. After a year, Arjuna went back to Indraprastha
along with her.
Legend has it that this was the reason Kunti blessed him three times—a
way to signify his three marriages during the exile.
Years passed, and the Kurukshetra war happened, causing countless
deaths and throwing even the gods in turmoil. Dharma was restored once
the Pandavas won.
Vrishaketu, the son of Karna, was lonely after his father’s death in the
war. When the Pandavas learnt the truth about Karna after the war, they
were horrified at what they had done—they had killed their own brother
and in a heinous way! So they decided to accept Vrishaketu as one of their
own and bestowed all their affection on him.
After some time had passed, Yudhishthira decided to hold an
Ashwamedha yagna, and Arjuna was instructed to follow the horse so he
could fight whoever dared to stop it.
After wandering through many lands, the horse stopped at Maheshvati.
The king of the land was a man named Neeladhwaja—an ardent devotee of
Lord Krishna. He had a wife named Jwala and a daughter, Swaha, who was
married to the fire god, Agni. Agni stayed at his father-in-law’s home and
helped protect the kingdom.
Neeladhwaja’s son Pravira tied the horse from the yagna on Jwala’s
suggestion. As was the norm, this was viewed as an act of defiance.
Neeladhwaja advised his son to untie the horse and accept Yudhishthira as
the sovereign king, as the Pandavas were close to Lord Krishna. However,
Jwala was furious at the thought of giving in to the Pandavas and incited
her husband against them.
Jwala called her son-in-law Agni to her and made him promise that he
would do anything she asked of him. After he assured her that he’d do
anything she wished, Jwala said, ‘I want you to burn Arjuna’s army and the
camps. The battle is going to begin soon and we must win.’
Agni was shocked. ‘Mother,’ he said. ‘Don’t ask this of me. You know
Krishna is always with Arjuna. This is an unfair demand!’
Jwala was adamant. Agni thus, with the greatest reluctance, began
burning the camps and creating havoc.
Arjuna was advised to use a ‘water weapon’ to fight back against Agni.
Once discharged, the weapon would release heavy volumes of water—
enough to counter Agni’s attacks. But he knew better—he had seen Agni’s
hunger during the burning of the Khandava forest. So Arjuna prayed to
Agni and beseeched him to withdraw, saying that Draupadi, who had been
born out of the fire from a yagna, was Agni’s daughter and that made
Arjuna his son-in-law.
Agni, after much thought, stopped his rampage.
The rest of the battle played out fiercely between the armies of Arjuna
and Neeladhwaja. At the end, Arjuna was able to slay Pravira, and
Neeladhwaja was also eventually seriously injured and forced to surrender.
When Jwala learnt of the death of her son and the loss of her kingdom,
she walked out of the capital in fury until she reached the river Ganga.
Standing by the river, she thought of Bhishma, Ganga’s son, and said to her,
‘O Ganga, don’t you have any concern for your dead son Bhishma? Arjuna
killed him treacherously . . . made him lie on a bed of arrows . . . and yet,
you let him be. Look what he has done to our kingdom!’
Jwala’s words hit home and Ganga became upset, recalling how Arjuna
had killed her son. She cursed Arjuna saying, ‘May you be killed by your
own son.’
Jwala was then transformed into an arrow and she made her way into a
quiver that belonged to Babruvahana, the young king of Manipur, which
was where the horse stopped next.
King Babruvahana tied up the king’s horse, thus challenging the warriors
accompanying the animal to a battle.
Arjuna agreed.
Now Babruvahana was actually the son of Arjuna and Chitrangada, but
neither of them knew about the other. By the time Babruvahana was born,
Arjuna had already left Manipur. Chitrangada, along with Ulupi, had raised
her son to be a skilled warrior just like his father.
Meanwhile, Chitrangada learnt about Arjuna’s presence in Manipur and
revealed the truth to Babruvahana, who was overjoyed.
He rushed to welcome his father with cartloads of gifts, and introduced
himself as his son. But Arjuna mistook this gesture as an act of cowardice.
‘I only had one son, Abhimanyu, who became a martyr in the war,’ said
Arjuna firmly. ‘I think you are nothing but a coward trying to escape a
fight. Now that you know who I am, you are well aware that you won’t be
able to match my skills, so this is nothing but an act of surrender.’
‘No, Father. Please believe me. My mother, Chitrangada, told me about
you . . . it’s the first time we are meeting each other, these gifts are only a
token of my love and respect for you. We can fight if you want. If I am your
true son, then I am sure to defeat you.’
By then, Chitrangada had also reached the spot, but Arjuna failed to
recognize her.
Not able to bear the insult to his mother, Babruvahana became livid.
‘What kind of a husband are you?’ he shouted. ‘All right, if you want a
fight, then let’s begin.’
Chitrangada was horrified at the thought of father and son battling each
other.
‘Mother,’ called out Babruvahana. ‘You are a skilled warrior yourself.
Come and fight by my side.’
‘Before I became your mother, I was Arjuna’s wife,’ said Chitrangada.
‘My loyalty lies with him.’ She went to Arjuna and took over as his
charioteer without his consent.
Babruvahana was at a loss. He was a devoted son and a good king and
yet his fate was playing terrible tricks on him. His own parents were
warring against him.
Ulupi, the Naga princess, came to his rescue then. She said, ‘You are not
just my student but also dear to my heart. In my opinion, a son is more
important than a husband who has forgotten his own wife. What is the use
of such a husband? I would rather be with my son.’
Saying that she took over the reins of Babruvahana’s chariot and the
battle between the father and the son began.
It wasn’t long before Arjuna understood that the boy was much superior
to him. Babruvahana then used that special arrow in his quiver, the one that
Jwala had transformed into, to wound his father. Arjuna, the great warrior,
thus lay dead before them, killed by his own son.
Chitrangada cried bitterly. ‘O Babruvahana, why did you kill him? Your
father may have been wrong but he’s still the one who gave you life. Ulupi
and I have become widows because of you.’
Ulupi, however, was quiet. She sensed that all was not lost. She carried
Arjuna to her underwater world and brought him back to life by removing
all the poison from his body.
Once Arjuna had been revived, the memories of his old life came rushing
back and he accepted Babruvahana as his son. Thus the curse of River
Ganga came true and reached fruition.
The Lucky Boy
Chandrahasa, the son of the king of Kerala, was born with six toes in his
left foot. Soon after his birth, his father was killed in a battle, and his
mother died of shock.
The baby was left with a trusted maid, who knew that the land was no
longer safe for the young prince. So she took the infant to a province named
Kuntala and looked after him for a few years, until she also passed away.
The poor orphan boy was left alone, without anyone to call his own.
Fortunately, the people around him were kind and, out of pity, provided him
with food and shelter.
One day, Chandrahasa was playing on the banks of a river when he
spotted a black marble-like stone on the ground. He immediately picked it
up and popped it into his mouth to keep it safe. After a few days, he
realized to his astonishment that whatever he said with the marble in his
mouth would come true! The young boy knew there was something special
about the black marble, so he showed it to a priest.
‘Why, this is a Vishnu shaligram,’ said the priest.
‘Don’t keep it in your mouth,’ advised the priest. ‘Pray to Lord Vishnu
and worship the stone every day. It is sure to bring you prosperity.’
Chandrahasa duly followed the instructions of the priest.
Kuntala had a devious and wicked minister named Dushtabuddhi. One
day, he invited many learned men to his home for a meal. One of the guests
noticed Chandrahasa playing with a few children on the road near the
minister’s house. He instinctively felt that there was something very special
about the boy. So he approached Chandrahasa and examined his hands and
feet. He exclaimed, ‘This boy is very lucky! He will become the king of this
land some day.’
Dushtabuddhi, who happened to hear this prophecy, was alarmed. Surely
this would spoil his future plans! Dushtabuddhi had two children—a son
named Madan and a daughter named Vishaye. He had harboured dreams of
his son marrying the king’s daughter Champakamalini and taking over the
throne when the king was old. So Dushtabuddhi was not at all happy to hear
that some orphan boy who didn’t even have the means to get one meal a
day would take on the position meant for his son!
The minister therefore devised an evil plan. He called his servants and
commanded them to murder the boy in return for a handsome sum.
The servants lured the boy into a forest to kill him. When Chandrahasa
learnt of their intentions, he said, ‘Will you give me a few minutes? I would
like to pray to my shaligram one last time.’
The servants agreed.
While he was praying, the servants heard the roar of a lion. They turned
around to realize that the lion was right behind them, ready to pounce.
Immobilized by fear, they fainted. Chandrahasa ran to a nearby stream, got
some water, and came back and revived them. Chandrahasa’s kind
behaviour and the timely appearance of the lion, almost as if it had
appeared only to protect the boy, made the servants change their minds.
They decided to let him go. However, they had to show proof of the boy’s
death to the minister. So they cut off his sixth toe and went back. Having
seen the proof of the crime, the minister rewarded them.
Meanwhile, Chandrahasa was left in the forest, bleeding and crying in
pain. He called upon Lord Vishnu to help him.
Just then, Kulinda, the king of the forest tribes and a subordinate king of
the land of Kuntala, came across Chandrahasa. When he saw the wounded
boy lying helplessly on the forest floor, he decided to take him to his house.
Kulinda and his wife had no children, so they adopted Chandrahasa and
raised him as their own and as the prince of their tribe. Kulinda’s kingdom
became very prosperous and people attributed this to the luck that
Chandrahasa seemed to have brought with him.
Dushtabuddhi also heard about the handsome prince of the prosperous
tribal lands and went to meet him. When they met, it was obvious to the
shrewd minister that the prince was not Kulinda’s biological son. When he
asked Kulinda about the matter, the king told him about how he had found
the boy, and Dushtabuddhi realized that he had been fooled by his own
servants. He promised himself that he would punish them suitably.
However, his first priority remained the young man. ‘Chandrahasa must be
killed, in one way or the other,’ he thought, and formulated a new plan.
While he was still staying at King Kulinda’a home, Dushtabuddhi wrote
a letter to his son Madan instructing him to poison the bearer of the sealed
letter. Then he handed over the letter to Chandrahasa and said to him,
‘There is an urgent matter in the capital and this must be delivered to my
son Madan. I trust no one but you to deliver this confidential message
safely.’
The obedient Chandrahasa set off for the capital unaware of the contents
of the letter.
It was Chandrahasa’s first long journey. By the time he reached his
destination, he was very tired. Just as he felt that he could no longer carry
on, he came across a beautiful garden, on the outskirts of the capital. He
decided to rest there for some time before resuming his journey and
promptly fell asleep.
Chandrahasa didn’t know that he was in the royal gardens. Vishaye,
Dushtabuddhi’s daughter, happened to visit the garden along with her
friends at that time. When she saw the sleeping face of the handsome
Chandrahasa, she instantly fell in love with him. She went closer and saw
the letter lying next to him. She recognized the handwriting as her father’s,
and it was addressed to her brother. Curious, she picked up the letter,
opened it and began reading the contents.
Dear Madan,
This may seem like a strange request, but you know your father doesn’t do
anything without reason. Make sure you give the bearer of this letter Visha
as soon as possible. Don’t wait for my arrival, and don’t discuss this with
anyone else.
Something was amiss. Visha meant poison in Sanskrit, but surely her father
couldn’t have meant that. Vishaye thought for a minute. Her infatuation
with the young man caused her to completely reinterpret the letter. ‘I’m sure
Father means that I must be given in marriage to this young man. He must
have written this letter in a hurry, which is why instead of writing Vishaye,
he has written Visha!’
Convinced of her theory, Vishaye picked up a mango leaf, dipped its
pointy edge in kohl and changed the word ‘Visha’ to Vishaye. She sealed
the letter and kept it back as she had found it.
Chandrahasa was still asleep.
When he awoke much later, he delivered the note to Madan, who got his
sister Vishaye married to Chandrahasa without waiting for his father’s
return.
After a few days, Dushtabuddhi returned to the capital, and was shocked
to find that Chandrahasa had now become his son-in-law and Vishaye was
terribly in love with him. The king and everybody else at court
congratulated him on the unexpected wedding of his daughter while he
could barely contain his anger.
Dushtabuddhi was still determined to murder the young man. He called
Chandrahasa one day and said, ‘It is a custom in our family for the new
son-in-law to visit the Mahamaya temple located on the outskirts of the city.
Please take a plate laden with all the items necessary for the puja and
worship the goddess.’
The unsuspecting Chandrahasa obeyed his father-in-law and left for the
temple.
Meanwhile, Dushtabuddhi arranged for two of his servants to kill the
next man who approached the temple with a plate full of puja items.
At the time, Madan was in the royal palace assisting the king of Kuntala
and taking care of the affairs of the kingdom. The king wanted to consult
Chandrahasa on a certain matter so he asked Madan to bring him there
immediately.
Madan left the palace in a hurry to find Chandrahasa. When he found
him, Chandrahasa told him that he was going elsewhere.
Madan stopped him saying, ‘But you must go to the palace first!’
‘But your father’s asked me to visit the Mahamaya temple. He said that it
is very import—’
‘This is the king we are talking about! Don’t worry—I will take care of
the puja for you, but the king cannot wait. Here, give me the plate and off
you go to the palace,’ said Madan.
Reluctantly, Chandrahasa handed over the plate to Madan, trudged to the
palace and sat down with the king. The king, who had now met
Chandrahasa many times, was convinced that he was the right successor to
the throne. The king asked, ‘Chandrahasa, I would like you to marry my
daughter Champakamalini and take over the kingdom. I believe you would
make a fine ruler!’
Chandrahasa respected the king and wanted to honour his wish, so he
agreed.
‘I am old and sick and I don’t know how many minutes, hours or days I
have left. So you would be doing me a great kindness if you agree to marry
her right away.’
By then, Madan had reached the temple with the plate and was
immediately slaughtered by his father’s goons, who mistook him for
Chandrahasa.
Back in the palace, Chandrahasa married Champakamalini in a simple
ceremony.
Hours later, the news reached Dushtabuddhi that Chandrahasa had
married the king’s daughter and was next in line for the throne while Madan
had been killed in the Mahamaya temple. The wicked minister realized that
he had been responsible for his own son’s death and decided that he
couldn’t live with what he had done. Heartbroken, he went to the
Mahamaya temple and killed himself.
When Chandrahasa learnt about the deaths of Madan and Dushtabuddhi,
he raced to the temple and prayed to the goddess to restore both their lives.
Seeing that his prayer wasn’t answered, he prepared to kill himself too. That
is when the goddess, recognizing his sincerity and piety, granted his wish
and restored all their lives.
For the first time, Dushtabuddhi felt ashamed of his evil deeds. He had
tried to get Chandrahasa murdered twice, and yet, the young man was the
one who begged the goddess for his life.
In time, Chandrahasa became the ruler of Kuntala and also took over his
father Kulinda’s kingdom. He was blessed with two sons. His strong and
just rule brought happiness to his subjects, who were devoted to their king.
One day, the two young princes went for a stroll in their capital and
happened to encounter the horse from the Pandavas’ Ashwamedha yagna.
They ran back to inform their father. Chandrahasa was happy to hear the
news and invited Arjuna and Krishna, who accompanied the horse, to be his
guests for some time. He also helped them with the conclusion of the yagna,
proving his loyalty to Krishna and the Pandavas.
It is said that Kuntala lies somewhere between today’s Kotepur and Banavasi in the state of
Karnataka, and that the Mahamaya temple is actually the Lakshmi temple in the town of
Kukunuru.
Even today, shaligrams are special stones found on the banks of the Gandaki river in Nepal.
These stones have natural designs on them and are known by different names such as
Sudarshan shaligram, Vishnu shaligram and Narasimha shaligram, based on the pattern on
each stone.
Chandi and Uddalaka
Many years before the war, when Subhadra was pregnant, she had a
conversation with her husband, Arjuna, that would have long-term
consequences.
‘Subhadra, there are a number of vyuhas or techniques we can use to stop
the enemy from advancing or entering,’ said Arjuna, trying to explain the
many facets of warfare to Subhadra. ‘These vyuhas have different names
and various levels of difficulty.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Subhadra.
‘Well, Garudavyuha is a formation in which the soldiers stand in line in
such a manner that it resembles the bird Garuda from a distance. There is
another one in which a king can be protected in such a way that he remains
at the centre of a circle while being surrounded by soldiers in a particular
formation. The toughest is the chakravyuha —a group of concentric circles
arranged in a manner that makes it almost impossible for an enemy to enter
it. Even if a skilled opponent somehow manages to make it through the first
circle, he would still find it difficult to go deeper because the formation is
like a maze. He will go from one circle to another and eventually lose his
sense of direction. Only a few can make it through the chakravyuha and cut
to the actual target. This vyuha requires smart thinking and practice.’
‘How many people in this world can survive the chakravyuha?’
‘The only people who know how to get in and out are my teacher Drona,
his son Ashwatthama, Grand-uncle Bhishma and me. Do you want to
learn?’ asked Arjuna.
‘Yes, Arjuna, please teach me,’ said Subhadra and lay down on the bed.
Enthusiastically, Arjuna took a handful of grains, instructed his wife to
assume that they were soldiers and created a design with concentric circles.
Then he explained the process by which a warrior could avoid the
unnecessary circles and determine the direct path to the target. When he
glanced at his wife a little later, he found that she was fast asleep, so he
stopped his explanation midway.
The matter was then completely forgotten.
After a few months, Subhadra gave birth to a baby boy who was named
Abhimanyu. When he reached adulthood, Abhimanyu was married to
Princess Uttara. During the time of the Mahabharata war, Princess Uttara
became pregnant.
While Arjuna was busy fighting a border battle, Drona used his
knowledge and created a chakravyuha.
When the young warrior Abhimanyu learnt of this development, he told
the other Pandavas, ‘I know how to get in. When I was in my mother’s
womb, I heard Father telling her how to enter the chakravyuha.
Unfortunately, she slept before Father could finish. So I don’t know how to
escape the formation. But I am happy to lead the way and with your help, I
am confident that we can find a way out.’
With Arjuna nowhere in sight, the other Pandavas agreed, and allowed
him to lead the way. To their misfortune, Abhimanyu was the only one who
managed to enter the chakravyuha. The Kauravas blocked the other
Pandavas from entering. Within minutes, Abhimanyu was surrounded by
the mighty Karna, Drona, Ashwatthama, Duryodhana and Dushasana,
among others, and brutally killed.
By the end of the eighteenth day, only five of Draupadi’s children had
survived.
But that night, while they were asleep, Ashwatthama—Drona’s son and
Duryodhana’s loyal friend—mistook them to be the Pandavas and killed
them in revenge for his father’s death. So the Pandavas were left with no
child to call their own except for the one yet to be born to Uttara. When she
finally gave birth, the body of the baby seemed lifeless.
The Pandavas panicked. Was this the end of their lineage?
They prayed to Lord Krishna fervently, who revived the infant. The
newborn was named Parikshita, because it seemed like the little child was
testing the dynasty’s continuance.
Parikshita was raised with a lot of care. Eventually, he became king and
ruled the land in a fair and just manner. He was well liked by his subjects.
One day, King Parikshita went hunting with his soldiers. He went far
ahead of his troupe and wandered into the ashram of Sage Shamik, who was
meditating and thus completely unaware of his surroundings. Nobody else
was present in the ashram at the time. Parikshita was thirsty and desperate
for water. He called out for someone to bring him some but there was no
response. Then he saw the sage sitting in silence with his eyes closed.
Parikshita also noticed a dead snake lying in the corner. Thirsty and
frustrated, the king assumed that the sage was only pretending to meditate
and, in a fit of anger, he picked up the dead snake with a wooden stick and
put it around the sage’s neck. Then he left the ashram.
After some time, Sage Shamik’s son Shringi came home to find his father
meditating with a dead serpent around his neck. He became really upset—
somebody had obviously tried to insult his pious father. He shouted out a
curse: ‘Whoever has garlanded my father with this dead serpent will die
within seven days of snakebite.’
By then, Sage Shamik had opened his eyes. When he learnt of the curse,
he said, ‘Shringi, you shouldn’t curse anyone without knowing the entire
story. You must hear both sides. When you lay a curse on someone, you
lose some of your power. We are here to help and make a better world.
Curses should only be used in exceptional cases.’
After making some enquiries around the area Sage Shamik found that it
was the benevolent King Parikshita who had visited his ashram. He
immediately sent some of his disciples to the royal palace to inform the
king about his impending death so that he could take care of his affairs.
Meanwhile, King Parikshita was already regretting what he had done. He
had dishonoured a sage, of all people!
When the disciples informed the king of the curse, he remained calm. He
handed over the kingdom to his ministers as his son Janamejaya was still a
young boy and decided to spend the remainder of his days by making
donations and listening to stories of his ancestors and Lord Vishnu. He
requested Sage Shuka, the son of Veda Vyasa, to chant the stories.
Parikshita’s ministers struggled to find a way to save their king. Finally
they came up with a plan. The ministers got a tall pillar built overnight on
the banks of the river Ganga, upon which a small house was constructed for
Parikshita to stay. The house was surrounded by the best guards in the
kingdom, and were given strict instructions not to allow anyone or anything
inside.
Parikshita had already accepted the curse and knew that it would come
true. He was prepared for death. However, he gave in to his ministers’
earnest requests and stayed in the house they had built for him.
Meanwhile, Sage Shuka and the king sat together every day. Shuka’s
stories—also known today as the Bhagavata—lasted for a period of six
days.
On the seventh day, a well-meaning visitor sent the king a basket of
fruits. When the king cut one of the fruits open, he found a small worm
wriggling out of it. Within seconds, the worm morphed into a big poisonous
serpent and bit the king before he could take another step. Parikshita died
instantly. This serpent was Takshaka, the king of snakes, who had taken a
vow of revenge against the Pandavas for his family’s destruction in the
Khandava forest.
The Cycle of Vengeance