Sri Mahabharat
(The Immortal and Enchanting Epic of world)
This collection has been made to represent
the true spirit of our culture. The principles would be truth,
love, mutual respect, righteousness, rectitude,
divinity, priority to societal unity, etc…All people, including the old people,
would enjoy reading these stories. You are welcome to share these stories with your
friends.
Through small stories, the idea is to illustrate the greatness of our human culture. Through the stories one can learn the various aspects of our lives. We urge people to read the stories carefully and apply the Moral learnt through the stories in their everyday life.
Through small stories, the idea is to illustrate the greatness of our human culture. Through the stories one can learn the various aspects of our lives. We urge people to read the stories carefully and apply the Moral learnt through the stories in their everyday life.
Myths and legends are an integral part of human existence. They
have been around us all the time. Though their validity is susceptible, nobody
seems to mind as they stand as a proof of the human belief in divine powers.
Here the collection of popular
mythological stories that will take you to times of yore when gods co-habited
with humans, divine voices could be heard and visions seen. Know more about
deities you worship everyday. Know about the extraordinary sacrifices made and
great feats achieved.
HOW MAHABHARATA CAME TO BE WRITTEN
Long ago in
Bharatavarsha, as India was
known then, there was a sage by name Krishna
Dwaipayana. His name in Sanskrit meant, the dark one, born in an island,
because he was dark and was born in an island. He was not merely dark. He was
rather fierce looking as well. That was the reason why poor Ambika got
frightened and closed her eyes when he entered her bedroom. But wait, this
comes later in the story and there are many things to know before we reach
there.
Krishna Dwaipayana was, by far, the most intelligent person of all times.
He consolidated the four Vedas or eternal truth, which are like the four
pillars on which the entire edifice of Hindu religion is built. This earned him
the name Veda Vyasa, the elaborator of the Vedas. We shall also refer to him as
Vyasa in future.
Vyasa had a
great tale to relate to posterity. A tale in which he himself was an important
character. But the tale was too big for any human to write it down. In fact, it
took a god to write it.
One day the
creator, Brahma, appeared before Vyasa. The sage prostrated before the god and
stood with his hands joined. The god told Vyasa, “You appear to be disturbed.
What is the reason?” Vyasa answered, “Venerable Lord, I need someone to write
the epic tale of the Bharata War, which I have formed in verse in my mind.” The
god advised Vyasa to meditate on the elephant-faced god, Vinayaka.
When Vyasa
did as Brahma had advised him, Vinayaka materialized before his eyes. Vyasa
told the god of his desire for an amanuensis to write his tale. “I can help you
in writing down the tale," Vinayaka told Vyasa. "Actually, I can
write it for you. But you must agree to a condition.” Vyasa replied, “It would
be my privilege to observe any condition that you may lay down.”
Vinayaka
said, “I am a busy god. I can give only one opportunity for you to dictate your
story for me to write. You should recite the verses without a break. If you
break even once, I shall stop and leave you.”
Vyasa
agreed, but not before laying down a counter-condition. Vinayaka should understand
every verse that Vyasa dictated. The god smiled and nodded his head in
agreement.
The tale
was to be written on palm leaf. For a pen, Vinayaka broke one of his tusks and
used the sharp edge. This is the reason why the elephant-god is always depicted
with one tusk broken.
The tale
Vyasa narrated was enormous. It ran into 88,000 verses. But Vyasa was a human.
So many verses cannot be dictated without a break. He found a solution to this
problem. Whenever he wanted a break he would recite a verse which was difficult
even for the god to understand. While Vinayaka would try to fathom the meaning
of the verse with his pen on his nose, Vyasa would utilize the interval to
leave the god’s presence.
It is no
wonder that Vyasa, who could manipulate the most intelligent god himself, found
it quite easy to manipulate men and remained an influence on all the characters
of his epic. It is hard to guess who was more tired at the end of the 88,000th
verse, Vinayaka or Vyasa.
The number
18 has a mystical significance in the story that Vyasa told. The Great War,
which is the centre piece of this epic tale, was fought for 18 days. The Gita,
as told to Arjuna by Krishna, has 18 sections.
And the narration itself has 18 chapters, or Parvas, in it. The first of these
chapters is the Adi Parva.
Sri Mahabharat
Chapter 1 Adiparva - Part 1
The Naimisha Forest in the Himalayan range contained
dense vegetation. The holy aura it wore made it ideal for rishis or sages to
dwell in, meditate and perform sacrifices.
Suta, a
learned and much traveled sage, arrived at Naimisha forest where he went to the
ashram of some eminent sages who were engaged in performing a sacrifice. The
sages were happy at Suta’s visit since Suta was a learned man who gathered much
information during his travels. After duly honouring their guest, the sages sat
around his feet and asked him, “O great sage, tell us what is happening in the
three worlds as we are totally cut off from them in our meditation of the
Lord.” The three worlds referred to ether, earth and sea.
Suta told
them that the great Vyasa had composed an incomparable history of the War
between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu
respectively. “I had the privilege of hearing it,” Suta said. “If you worthy
souls are inclined, I would recite it for you.” The sages answered in the
affirmative and Suta began his tale.
King
Janamejaya, son of Parikshit, who in turn was the grandson of Arjuna, was
holding a snake sacrifice. Janamajeya was intent on having all the snakes in
the three worlds, including their king, Takshaka, thrown into the sacrificial
fire. This was in revenge for Takshaka killing Parikshit. A search was on to
catch Takshaka who was hiding in some dark corner for his dear life. Meanwhile,
a learned brahmin boy, Astika, appeared at the sacrificial hall and succeeded
in persuading the king to stop the sacrifice. Takshaka and his tribe escaped,
by the skin of their backs, from becoming extinct.
While the
sacrifice was being performed, Vyasa with his disciples reached the hall.
Janamejaya received him with reverence and asked him, “O Maharishi, we hear
that you have composed an epic about the Great War fought between my ancestors
and their evil cousins, in which, the Pandavas, whose grandson I am, were
victorious. That tale should be music to our ears. Could you recite it for us?”
Vyasa
assured the king that they would hear the tale, “But not from me. I have to
hurry elsewhere. My favourite disciple here, Vaisampayana, who has heard it
once from me and hence remembers the entire story, would recite it to you”.
“I had the
good fortune to be present at the sacrifice when Vaisampayana recited the
tale,” Suta said. “I shall now repeat it to you.”
Kings of
ancient India belonged to either the Surya Vamsa (Sun dynasty) or the Chandra
Vamsa (Moon dynasty). The Kauravas belonged to the Chandra Vamsa.
Manu, a
grandson of Daksha who was created from Brahma’s toe in the beginning, was the
progenitor of human beings. To his daughter, Ila, was born the valiant and
learned Pururavas. In the line of Pururavas was born King Yayati.
Yayati had
two wives. The first, Deveyani, was the beautiful daughter of Sukra, the
brahmin seer of the Danavas who were asuras or demons. Being very learned,
Sukra was a great asset to the asuras. In the continuing battle between the
asuras and the devas (gods), Sukra’s knowledge of reviving the dead to life was
a matter of great concern to the devas who did not possess this skill. Day by
day the asuras were increasing in numbers whereas the population of devas
started dwindling. In desperation, the gods devised a scheme whereby a spy,
Kacha, was planted among the asuras to steal the secret of resuscitation. Kacha
was able to gain Sukra’s confidence. Soon he secured the secret, much to the
relief of the gods.
To Yayati
and Sukra’s daughter, Deveyani, were born two sons, Yadu and Turvasu. Yayati’s
life became complicated when he fell in love with Sharmishta, Deveyani’s maid.
Sharmishta, was a princess, being the daughter of the asura King Vishaparva.
She and Deveyani were friends from childhood. By winning a wager, Deveyani had
made Sharmishta her maid.
Yayati
married Sharmishta secretly. They had three sons in succession, Drahyu, Anu and
Puru.
Truth would
be out, as they say. Deveyani one day discovered that her husband and her maid
had married secretly. She became furious. Deveyani rushed to her father, Sukra,
and told him how her husband had betrayed her. This in turn made Sukra furious.
He cornered Yayati and released on him a curse. He said, “You proud monarch,
you were unfaithful to my daughter. It is because of your youth that you betrayed
her. May you lose that youth and become old and decrepit.”
When Yayati
sought Sukra’s forgiveness, the sage relented. He told Yayati, “I can, out of
compassion, modify the curse. If you are keen to remain young and vigorous, you
may exchange your old age with any one of your sons for a period of time. The
son who agrees to your proposal would, one day, become a great monarch.”
Yayati
called his sons and told them about Sukra’s curse and the way he could be
redeemed from it. The first four sons valued their youth too much to agree to
switch it for their father’s old age. It was the last son, Puru, who
readily stepped forward and offered to help his father.
The
exchange of old age with youth between the father and son lasted a thousand
years. At the end of that period the process was reversed. Puru became young
again and Yayati relapsed to old age. Yayati handed over his kingdom to his
faithful son and retired to the forest to meditate upon the Lord.
The young
Puru ruled as a wise king. This was the beginning of the Puru dynasty. From
Yadu rose the Yadavas, among whom were born Krishna and Balarama. The tribes of
Yavanas, Bhojas and Mleechas sprang from the other sons, Turvasu, Drahyu and
Anu respectively. All these tribes had their roles to play in the Kurukshetra
War.
A
distinguished king of the Chandra Vamsa was Dushyanta. He married Sakuntala,
daughter of the sage Viswamitra and the apsara (nymph), Menaka. A saga was
enacted in their life when they had to separate. But their son, Bharata, achieved
great fame. Bharata had three wives who together gave him nine sons. These nine
sons did not possess the character to please the king. Hence the wives killed
them all.
In order to
obtain a successor the king performed a sacrifice. The sacrificial fire yielded
a son, Bhumanyu, who fulfilled his father’s expectation in all ways.
A few
generations later there appeared in this line a great king, Kuru by name. It
was he who established the holy site of Kurukshetra at a place called
Kurujangala, all named after him. Kurukshetra became a holy site in which great
sacrifices were performed and great battles were fought.
Generations
later came King Pratipa, a descendent of these illustrious kings. He ruled a
vast kingdom with his capital in Hastinapura. Pratipa had three sons, Devapi,
Balhika and Santanu. The eldest, Devapi, was afflicted by skin disease. He was
therefore declared unfit for kingship by the brahmins and other elders. A
disappointed Devapi renounced the world and wandered as an ascetic. The next
son, Balhika, was adopted by his maternal grandfather whose rich kingdom he
became heir to. It was to Santanu that the prized possession of Hastinapura
fell when Pratipa died. Santanu was a worthy scion of the Kuru dynasty and he
ruled wisely.
King
Santanu’s birth as Pratipa’s son was due to certain happenings in the heavenly
court of the Supreme Lord. All kings who had performed their duties properly on
earth were eligible to enter heaven when their mortal life was over. King
Mahavisa was one such who had gained admittance to heaven. In the great hall of
the Lord, Mahavisa was seated along with many sages and kings worshipping the
Supreme Being. When Goddess Ganga, the Queen of Rivers, entered the hall, her
garment inadvertently fell off her person. All those assembled in the august
conclave avoided looking at her. But Mahavisa alone kept his gaze fixed on her.
This angered the Lord who cursed him, “For your wretched action, you shall be
re-born on earth. Ganga would also be born on earth and provoke your anger.”
As a result
of this curse, Mahavisa was born to King Pratipa on earth and given the name
Santanu.
If it were
not for a chance encounter with a maiden by Santanu, this entire story would
not have been written. The maiden’s name was Satyavati. We should investigate
how this happened.
During the
time our story is set, there were several other kingdoms in India apart from
Hastinapura. One of them was Chedi whose ruler was Uparichara. Besides being a
benevolent king, Uparichara was also deeply religious. He performed great
sacrifices to the Supreme Lord. This activity of his was causing concern to
Indra who was the lord of the regions inhabited by gods. There had been
instances when a king, through severe penance, had pleased the Lord. The king
would then ask for a boon. He would want to depose Indra and sit in his throne.
Indra had constantly to guard himself from such usurpers. He would distract
such kings and mislead them into bad ways. An easy way would be to send apsaras
to dance before them. This device worked with Uparichara who relapsed into an
easy life.
Uparichara
was fond of hunting. He would leave alone with his bow and arrows on distant
expeditions, deep into the jungle. In one such trip he suddenly realized that
the stars had aligned in a way that it was auspicious to have a progeny. It was
not possible to return to his kingdom. So he used an eagle to send his vital
energy to his queen. The eagle, while on its way to Chedi, was attacked by
another eagle and its precious cargo fell into the River Yamuna.
A fish
swallowed what the eagle dropped. This fish was in reality an apsara who was
undergoing a curse. Ten months after this strange happening, a fisherman chief
caught the fish. When he took it home and cut it he was surprised to see a male
and a female human baby in the fish’s stomach.
The
fisherman was surprised and also frightened at what he found. He took the two
babies to the king and told him of the strange occurrence. It happened that the
king was issueless and was just then looking for a boy to adopt. He thought
that God had sent him the baby in answer to his prayers. He therefore kept the
boy and asked the fisherman chief to take away the girl. The fisherman named
her Satyavati and brought her up as his daughter.
Satyavati
grew up to be a beautiful maiden. But, being born of a fish, she had the
repulsive smell of fish emanating from her. No effort on her part could rid her
of this smell. Being a dutiful daughter, she assisted her father by plying a
boat in the River Yamuna.
The sage
Parasar, who had great mystic powers, was one day being ferried across the
river by Satyavati. He was captivated by her beauty and told her of his desire
for her. Satyavati pleaded that she wanted to remain a maiden. Parasar
persisted and finally won her consent by giving her two boons.
Parasar’s
first boon was that Satyavati would remain a maiden, even after union with him.
The second boon was that the offensive odour she carried would disappear and,
instead, she would smell of perfume. The second boon benefited Satyavati so
much that she began to smell of flowers. She was transformed from Matsyagandha
(she who smelt of fish) to Yojanagandha (she whose fragrance spread to a
‘yojana’ or nine miles).
On the
boat, to avoid being seen by the rishis on either bank, Parasar caused a fog to
occur. As soon as the sage left her, Sayavati conceived. By Parasar’s grace she
gave birth to a male child immediately in an island in the river. Since the
child had a dark complexion Satyavati named him Krishna. Since he was born in
an island, Dwaipayana, or island-born, was added to his name. Krishna attained
maturity as soon as he was born, again thanks to the mystical powers of his
father. He was, after he grew up, to become proficient in scriptures and to
earn the name Veda Vyasa for his elaboration of the Vedas. He left his mother
to seek knowledge after assuring her that he would return to her side whenever
she called him in her mind. For the present we shall leave Satyavati to ply her
trade and turn to Santanu.
Santanu was
walking along the banks of the river Ganga, admiring its vast expanse and
tranquil surface. Suddenly there appeared on the waters a beautiful damsel,
dressed in white, walking towards him gracefully. Captivated by her sight,
Santanu wanted to know more about her. He beckoned to her and asked her who she
was. The maiden introduced herself as Ganga. She seemed to be equally attracted
by the king. When Santanu proposed marriage to her, she immediately consented.
But she was willing to marry Santanu only on a condition. Once married, he
would, at no time, restrain her from doing what she pleased, nor ask her to
explain any of her actions.
Santanu
took Ganga to his palace where he celebrated his marriage with her. They were
soon blessed with a son. But as soon as the baby was born, Ganga carried him to
the river and threw him into the water. Santanu who was watching this strange
act was helpless to intervene, remembering his promise not to interfere with
anything Ganga did.
When the
next son was born, Ganga repeated the same act of throwing the baby into the
river. This behaviour of Ganga went on till seven sons were born and all the
seven were killed. When the eighth son was born, Ganga, as usual, picked up the
baby and started walking towards the river.
Santanu had
come to the end of his patience. His anger and frustration at seeing his sons
thrown into the river got the better of him and he confronted Ganga. He bade
her to stop killing his children and demanded an explanation from her for her
action.
Ganga told
Santanu that since the king had broken the contract made at the time of their
marriage, she was leaving him. She would however not kill the eighth child.
Ganga then related to Santanu the reason for all her actions. Ganga said :
There is a
group of eight demigods in the ether world known as the Vasus, They are always
found together. Once, when they were roaming about on earth with their wives,
they came to the forest where the sage Vasishta had his hermitage. In the
pasture nearby they saw the divine cow, Nandini, the proud possession of the
sage. The cow was grazing peacefully. She had a glorious appearance, and her
milk, which she yielded in abundance, was known to have a rejuvenating power.
The wife of the Vasu Dyau desired to obtain the cow so that she can present it
to her dear friend, Jitavati, daughter of the sage Usinara.
Dyau wanted
to satisfy his wife’s desire. He found that the sage had left the hermitage and
gone to the river. The cow was unguarded and Dyau had no difficulty in
capturing her.
When the
sage returned to the hermitage, he found the cow missing. Through his vision he
learnt that the Vasus had abducted her in his absence. An angry Vasishta cursed
the Vasus, “Because you stole the cow Nandini, you should all be born as humans
on earth.”
Realising
their mistake, the Vasus rushed to the sage and fell at his feet, begging
forgiveness. They prayed for the withdrawal of the curse. It is in the nature
of a curse that once it is given, it cannot be withdrawn. It can however be
modified or redemption can be offered.
Vasishta
felt pacified and he modified the curse. He said that the Vasus cannot escape
from being born on earth. But they could return to heaven immediately after
their birth. That is, all of them except Dyau who actually stole the cow. He
will remain on earth for a longer period. While on earth, he would be devoted
to his father. Due to his strength, virtue and knowledge, his fame would spread
far and wide. But female companionship or progeny, he will have none.
“The Vasus
then approached me,” Ganga continued. “After explaining their predicament, they
sought my help. They desired to be born to me on earth. I agreed to help them
in their deliverance.”
The seven
children which were born to me were seven of the Vasus. I killed them
immediately so that they could return to heaven. The eighth one, Dyau, who is
born as your son now, will remain alive. He will live a noble life on earth
until he finally gets his release.”
After
relating the story of the Vasus to Santanu, Ganga took the child with her,
promising to return him to the king after nursing him through his childhood.
She gave the child, who was named Devavrata, the best of education in all
disciplines, from Vedas to warfare, under preceptors as distinguished as the
sages Vasishta and Parasurama. After some years, Ganga returned Devavrata, now
a youth, to Santanu as promised. There was none in the three worlds to equal
the handsome young prince in bravery, wisdom and dedication to truth. Santanu
installed Devavrata as his heir apparent.
Chapter 1 Adiparva - Part 2
Ever an
admirer of rivers, Santanu was this time walking on the banks of the river
Yamuna. A sweet fragrance floating in the air captivated him. Looking for its
source, he found a lovely maiden negotiating the waters with her boat. He
learnt from her that she was the daughter of a fisherman chief, engaged in
transporting passengers across the river. Santanu was instantly ensnared by her
beauty and decided to have her as his wife. He approached the maiden’s father
and asked for her hand in marriage.
The wise
fisherman chief told the king, “I would certainly like to get a good husband
for my daughter. But you already have a son who has a claim on your throne.
Given in marriage to you, my daughter’s children cannot dream of becoming your
heir. I could, however, consider making her your wife if you give a solemn
commitment that only descendents of Satyavati would occupy the throne, and that
your son Devavrata would be disinherited.”
His
affection for Devavrata being unqualified, Santanu had no inclination to agree
to the condition laid down by the fisherman chief. He turned down the proposal
and returned to his palace. But his longing for Satyavati was clearly reflected
in his behaviour, and Devavrata was quick to observe the change in his father.
When he questioned Santanu, the father had this to say. “Devavrata, you are my
only son and the future of the Kuru race depends on your being well and alive.
How better it would be for me to have more children!”
Devavrata,
who sensed a deeper meaning in Santanu’s speech, learnt from his father’s old
minister and charioteer about the king’s infatuation for the fisherman’s
daughter. Repairing to the banks of River Yamuna, Devavrata sought the
fisherman chief. He solicited the chief’s daughter for the king. The fisherman
chief repeated what he had already told the king.
Devavrata
immediately allayed the chief’s fears. Then and there he vowed that he would
not claim the throne, nor would he marry, lest his progenies may compete with
Satyavati’s progenies. Hearing this vow pronounced in his majestic voice, the
devas and apsaras from above hailed, this is the terrible one, a Bhishma. That
name stuck to him all his life.
Santanu
married Satyavati. Although Satyavati was about his own age, Bhishma was
devoted to her as a son to his mother. Santanu was greatly pleased by Bhishma’s
action. Having acquired powers through austerity, Santanu gave a boon to his
son. He could choose the time of his own death. This made Bhishma invincible.
Out of the
union of Santanu and Satyavati were born two sons, Chitrangada and
Vichitravirya. On Santanu’s death, Chitrangada succeeded to the throne. He was
a headstrong monarch, fond of wars, who did not last long. After a three-year
battle with the Gandharvas, a heavenly tribe whose king bore his name,
Chitrangada lost his life while fighting. He was not married and had left no
issues.
A grieving
Bhishma installed the second son of Satyavati, Vichitravirya, as king. The new
king was still a young boy and Bhishma himself looked after the governance and
welfare of the state. As Vichitravirya grew up, Bhishma thought it was time to
get him married. He had just heard that the King of Kasi had three pretty and
accomplished daughters for whom he was looking for grooms.
Among kings
of the warring race, Kshatriyas, there existed the practice of holding a
Swayamvara, where the prospective bride would choose her future lord from among
the many eligible young men who had come to the function splendidly attired to
catch her eye. She would go around the hall and garland the person she chose.
This was accepted by all the others with grace.
The King of
Kasi organized one such Swayamvara for his three daughters. On the Swayamvara
day, Bhishma reached Kasi and walked into the function hall. Already many
powerful and eligible monarchs had gathered there and were waiting for the
princesses to arrive. Although Bhishma was the most powerful of the princes
present, nobody thought he was in the race, knowing fully about his age and
celibacy vow.
The
sisters, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika, beautifully dressed and radiating charm,
arrived at the hall and started on their selection tour. Garland in hand, they
went from one prince to another. Hardly had they passed a few when an impatient
Bhishma rounded them up and took them away to his chariot that was waiting
outside. As Bhishma was about to drive away with his booty, the greatly
incensed monarchs who were present, King Salwa of Saubha among them, chased the
abductor and showered arrows on him. Bhishma stood up and warded them all off,
subduing Salwa who fought fiercely. Secure in his chariot, Bhishma returned to
his capital, Hastinapura, where he offered all three girls for the prince,
Vichitravirya, to marry.
While
Ambika and Ambalika were quickly reconciled to the situation and thought that
their prayers had been answered, the eldest, Amba, pleaded with Bhishma that
she had already lost her heart to the Saubha king. Not desiring to force her
into marrying Vichitravirya against her wishes, Bhishma released her and sent
her back to Kasi. Amba approached the Saubha king, Salwa, and expressed her
desire to marry him. Salwa turned her down. He was unwilling to accept a girl
discarded by another prince. Amba’s pleadings were of no avail as the Saubha
king stood firm.
Rejected at
both places, Amba regretted not having jumped out of Bhishma’s chariot when she
was abducted. She cursed herself, but instead of returning to her father, she
wandered into the woods. When she reached a hermitage, the ascetics there took
pity on her. Just then, a venerable sage, Hotravahana, came to the hermitage.
It turned out that the sage was Amba’s maternal grandfather. Hearing her story,
he suggested that Amba should approach the sage Jamadagni’s son, Parasurama,
the legendary warrior and destroyer of Kshatriyas, and seek his help.
While they
were discussing on how to meet Parasurama who had retired to a resort in the
Himalayas, by a strange coincidence, the warrior himself turned up at the
hermitage.
Parasurama
was a great friend of Hotravahana. Hearing the story of Amba, he offered to
persuade Saubha to marry her. Alternatively, he would ask Bhishma to marry her.
Amba declined both offers. After Saubha’s refusal, that king was now out of
question. As for Bhishma, she wanted revenge. She wanted Bhishma’s life.
Reluctant
to fight, Parasurama decided on a path of conciliation. He took Amba and
proceeded to Kurukshetra along with his followers. He then sent word to Bhishma
at Hastinapura about his arrival. Joyous at the opportunity of meeting his
preceptor of old, Bhishma reached Kurukshetra with gifts of cows and other
valuables. After paying his respects to the guest, Bhishma asked him what he
owed this visit to.
Parasurama
told Bhishma, “I have brought here with me Amba, the daughter of the Kasi king.
Having no desires yourself, you abducted this innocent girl from the
Swayamvara. You then sent her back to join Saubha. Unfortunately, Saubha has
also rejected her. It therefore falls on you to accept her as your wife.”
Bhishma
replied, “Sir, my brother Vichitravirya for whose sake I abducted this girl,
refuses to marry her after hearing her declare her love for Saubha. As for me,
I have vowed never to marry.”
Bhishma’s
refusal to accept Amba angered the ancient warrior who was not used to his
requests being turned down. A battle between the two ensued.
At the end
of twenty-three days of fierce fighting, neither could vanquish the other. So
equally matched were they. At this point Bhishma prepared to use the deadliest
of the weapons in his armoury, the Praswapa. Knowing its efficacy and terrible
side-effects on the world, the gods and the Vasus themselves appeared before
Bhishma to dissuade him from using it. “Parasurama is a brahmin by birth,” they
said, “and killing a brahmin is a sin. He has also once been your preceptor.
Using this weapon will certainly destroy him. Killing him would be doubly sinful
for you.” But Bhishma showed no sign of relenting.
When
Parasurama saw Bhishma take up the weapon he was truly frightened. He cried,
“Cease Bhishma! I am vanquished.” As Bhishma saw his adversary surrender, he
laid down his bow. The ancestors of Parasurama appeared before him. They told
him that his persecution of the Kshatriyas should come to an end. From that
moment he should kill them no more.
Disappointed
at Parasurama’s failure to bring to book the great Bhishma, the princess Amba
retired to the forest. For twelve years she was engaged in severe penance,
invoking the god Siva. Pleased with her devotion, Siva appeared before her.
“My child,”
Siva said, “Your devotion gratifies me. Ask me a boon and I will grant it.”
Amba
related to him her story and prayed that she should be given the power to
destroy Bhishma. “So be it,” the god said. When Amba asked how a woman could
vanquish the mighty Bhishma, the god told her that she would soon have another
birth when, although a woman, she would be a man for some time. The relevance
of such a strange boon would become evident later in the story.
Amba could
hardly wait for her next birth. She set fire to herself to end her present
life. Her next birth was as the daughter of Drupada, the King of Panchala.
Drupada,
who had no male issue, prayed intensely to Siva for a son. The god granted him
his wish, adding, “The child you get would be a female first, and then a male.”
A female
child was born to Drupada’s queen. But the queen, knowing that her husband was
longing for a male issue, misinformed him that the new born child was a son.
Drupada believed her words and the child, named Sikhandin, was brought up as a
prince. She was even taught warfare under the great teacher Drona who took her
to be a prince. When Sikhandin came of age, Drupada wanted to get his ‘son’
married. The daughter of King Hiranyavarman of the Dasarnas was chosen as the
bride.
Soon after
the wedding, Hiranyavarman received news from his daughter that Sikhandin was a
girl. In anger, he vowed to kill both Drupada and Sikhandin. Hiranyavarman
marched a huge army towards Panchala.
When news
reached Drupada that Hiranyavarman was on his way to Panchala to fight with
him, he found out the reason for Hiranyavarman’s chagrin. It was only now that
the truth about Sikhandin’s sex was revealed to Drupada by his queen. He
started making preparations to meet the threat from Hiranyavarman. Pressed by
the sudden turn of events and not ready for war, he despaired over the
situation to his queen. Amba overheard the conversation.
Amba felt
guilty for having caused all this misery to her parents. She decided to end her
life and, with that object, set out to a forest in the region of Kubera (god of
wealth and patron of Yakshas, a celestial tribe). Seeing a mansion in the
forest, Amba took refuge there. She then starved with the idea of killing
herself.
The mansion
belonged to a Yaksha called Sthuna. He appeared before Amba who acquainted him
of her story.
“What is
the use of my existence?” Amba asked Sthuna. “My only purpose to be born was to
be the cause of Bhishma’s death. How could I achieve that, being a woman?”
Sthuna took
pity on Amba and by his magical power exchanged his sex with hers. Sikhandin
transformed into a man. This arrangement was to be for a temporary period, at
the end of which Sikhandin was to return to Sthuna his manhood.
With her
new identity as a man Sikhandin went back to Drupada’s capital, Kampilya. She
proved her credentials to Drupada and Hiranyavarman and reconciliation was
brought about between the two.
Soon after
this, Kubera visited Sthuna. When he learnt about the Yaksha’s action, the god
became angry. He cursed Sthuna that the sex exchange would not be of a
temporary nature but that he would remain a woman until Sikhandin’s death.
Vichitravirya,
the Kuru King, under the benevolent guidance of Bhishma, ruled wisely. However,
after seven years of married life, he fell victim to a deadly disease. He died,
leaving his two wives without children. A crisis of the first order descended
on the family. They had lost a young king and there was no successor to the
throne.
The Queen
Mother, Satyavati, was plunged in grief at the loss of both her sons with no
progeny to occupy the throne. She summoned her stepson, Bhishma, and told him,
“Virtuous prince! It is in your hands to ensure the perpetuation of the Kuru
race. Your brother has left two wives, neither having children. Oh! If I could
only release you from the promise you made to my father that you would neither
be a king nor marry and beget children.
“I however
see a way out. You may be aware of the convention that permits you to act as
the husband of Vichitravirya’s queens and sire a successor to our dynasty.”
Bhishma
turned down the proposal, reminding Satyavati of his vow of strict celibacy. He
instead came up with a plan. He said, “Parasurama, the son of Jamadagni, vowed
to destroy all the Kshatriya males on earth. He wiped them out twenty-one
times. The Kshatriyas had to find a way to perpetuate their race. The widowed
women begot children through the priestly class of brahmins. Hence, seeking the
help of a brahmin to be a father is an accepted Kshatriya practice.”
With
Bhishma’s refusal, Satyavati’s thoughts now turned to her son from the sage
Parasar. Vyasa was both a brahmin and a brother of Vichitravirya. Satyavati
related to Bhishma the story of Vyasa’s birth and his promise to appear
whenever Satyavati desired his presence. “I would call him now,” she said, “and
ask him to help us during this critical time.” Bhishma fully supported the idea
of Vyasa siring the queens’ children. Satyavati mentally summoned Vyasa.
Vyasa
appeared before his mother and after paying his respects to her, asked her the
reason for her summoning him. Satyavati explained to him the grave crisis faced
by the Kuru dynasty.
Satyavati
told Vyasa, “Only you can ensure the future of our dynasty. With the death of
Vichitravirya, only you can sire his successors through his queens.”
Vyasa
replied, “Your plan is certainly sanctioned by our laws. I shall follow your
wishes.”
Ambika, the
elder of Vichitravirya’s two widows, was selected by Satyavati for the purpose
of begetting a child. Ambika agreed to the plan. But what she expected was that
Bhishma would take her husband’s place.
Although
Vyasa was endowed with all the best qualities, he was dark in complexion, with
matted locks and blazing eyes. Waiting in her chamber, Ambika was expecting to
receive the handsome Bhishma. On seeing the formidable-looking Vyasa enter her
room, a frightened Ambika closed her eyes. When later Satyavati asked her son
about the meeting, Vyasa replied that Ambika would have a strong and powerful
son, but he would be born blind. Satyavati anxiously asked Vyasa, how a blind
man can rule a kingdom like the Kauravas’, although he may be endowed with all
the best qualities of a king. Vyasa expressed that what was done could not be
undone.
Even as
Vyasa had predicted, Ambika brought forth a healthy baby with the one handicap
of being blind. The baby was named Dhritarashtra,
A
dissatisfied Satyavati again summoned Vyasa and persuaded him to give her
another grandson. This time a meeting with the younger wife of Vichithravirya,
Ambalika, was arranged. Unlike her sister, Ambalika kept her eyes open while
receiving Vyasa in her chamber. But she became pale out of fear when Vyasa came
near her. The result was that the son born to her was of sallow complexion. But
Ambalika’s son, Pandu, otherwise looked a noble child, born to be a king. This
gave Satyavati great satisfaction.
The Queen
Mother still had doubts lingering in her mind. What if some harm befell both
the grandsons? She thought that one more son eligible for succession would be
playing it safe. She asked for Vyasa’s help for a third time. Ambika was chosen
for the purpose.
After her
earlier experience with Vyasa, Ambika was keen to avoid another similar
encounter. She called her maid attendant and instructed her to wait for Vyasa
in the bedchamber.
When Vyasa
entered Ambica’s bedchamber, the maid received him with great reverence. She
was about to leave when Vyasa stopped her.
Vyasa told
the maid, “I am pleased with your behaviour. I would therefore bless you with a
child who would one day become the wisest man in the kingdom.”
As a result
of Vyasa’s liaison with the maid, Vidhura was born.
The
story of Mandavya
An
interesting story surrounds Vidura’s antecedent. There was a sage by the name
of Mandavya. He was in deep meditation in the forest one day when soldiers of a
nearby kingdom intruded into his hermitage and asked if he had seen some
thieves who were running away with loot. His eyes closed, the sage made no
reply. When the soldiers searched the woods nearby, they were able to catch the
thieves red handed with the loot. They suspected that the sage had given the
thieves asylum in his hermitage and was therefore their accomplice. Arresting
him along with the thieves, they handed him over to the king. In the inquiry,
Mandavya was not given an opportunity to defend himself. The rash king gave the
unfortunate sage the same punishment that he gave the thieves. He was impaled.
While the
other thieves died when they were impaled, Mandavya languished, all the time
performing penance. A few Rishis came to know about the sufferings of Mandavya.
They approached him and asked what offence he had committed to be so condemned.
The sage was unable to recollect having done anything to deserve this
punishment. The king soon came to know that even after several days in the
stake the sage had not died. He realized that the sage had mystic powers and he
had erred in his dispensation of justice. Rushing to Mandavya, the king begged
forgiveness. Mandavya generously forgave him.
After his
term of life in the world was over, Mandavya was rewarded with heaven. There he
encountered the God of Justice (Dharma) from whom he demanded to know what sin
he had committed to be punished on earth with impalement. Dharma said that as a
boy, the sage once tortured a fly by piercing it with a wire. As a consequence,
he also had to be similarly punished.
Mandavya
pointed out to Dharma that, according to the scriptures, no punishment was to
be given if a child of less than twelve years committed a sin. Hence, Dharma
had erred and he should pay for it. The sage condemned Dharma to be born on
earth to a woman of the working class (Sudra). As a result Dharma came to be born
as Vidura.
When Vidura
grew up, he mastered law and justice and his fame spread far and wide. He
became the conscience keeper of the Kauravas and a storehouse of virtue.
Bhishma
brought up Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura with great care, as if they were his
own children. They were taught all the Vedas and were trained to be excellent
warriors. Till they reached adulthood, Bhishma himself conducted the business
of government for which his fame spread everywhere. When the time came to
install a king, Pandu was chosen. Dhritarashtra was overlooked because of his
blindness.
Bhishma
then addressed himself to the task of finding suitable brides for the three
brothers.
Suvala, the
King of Gandhara, had a daughter by name Gandhari. She was beautiful and
accomplished. Austere by nature, she was a great devotee of the god Siva.
Pleased with her constant prayers, Siva appeared before her and gave her a
boon, that she would one day be blessed with a hundred sons.
Bhishma
thought that Gandhari would make an ideal bride for Dhritarashtra. When Bhishma
approached Suvala with the proposal, the Gandhara King at first hesitated to
give away his daughter in marriage to a blind man. But considering the
reputation of the Kurus, he agreed for the union. The marriage of Dhritarashtra
with Gandhari was consecrated with pomp, the Prince of Suvala, Sakuni, being in
the forefront of the ceremonies. Gandhari, as a mark of love and respect for her
blind husband, denied herself sight by bandaging her eyes and vowed to remain
thus till the end of her life. She gained the reputation of being a devoted
wife and a respecter of the elders.
Having
settled Dhritarashtra’s wedding, Bhishma turned his attention to Pandu. His
search led him to the Yadava kingdom.
The Yadava
race into which Krishna and his brother Balarama were born, was ruled by King
Sura. To him were born a son, Vasudeva (father of Krishna and Balarama), and a
daughter, Pritha by name. Pritha was unrivalled in her beauty and also became
well versed in religious matters. Bhishma decided that Pritha would make an
ideal wife for the younger Kuru prince, Pandu.
When
Bhishma sought her hand for Pandu, Sura readily agreed. Pritha was then living
with Sura’s cousin, King Kuntibhoja, who was childless, to whom she had been
given in adoption. For this reason the princess was also known as Kunti.
Once,
Durvasa, a sage of radiance and great learning, visited Kuntibhoja. A young
Pritha was assigned to look after his comforts. Known for his quick temper, the
sage was very irregular in his habits, and handling him needed great patience.
But Pritha so pleased him with her devotion that he granted her a boon. He
taught her a Mantra (holy verse), on reciting which she could summon any
celestial to her side and beget a child through him.
Soon after,
the ascetic left. Kunti could not get her mind off the boon Durvasa had given
her. One morning, alone in her apartment, Pritha, yielded to her curiosity. She
summoned the lord Surya (Sun) to her side to test the boon. When Surya
appeared, Pritha got frightened and wanted to withdraw her wish. But the god
persuaded her to have a child through him.
Surya told
Kunti that she would beget a son who would be adorned with a pair of ear-rings
and an armour around his chest. These appendages would invest him with
invincibility. The god then disappeared. By Surya’s grace, Pritha remained a
maiden even after this incident.
Fearing
adverse reaction from members of her family, Pritha decided to keep concealed
her meeting with Surya. She kept her confinement a secret by remaining in her
apartments with only a nurse to attend on her. In due time, a son was born to
her.
As soon as
the baby was born, she put him in a basket and cast him into the River Aswa, a
tributary of the River Ganga. She prayed to god that the child should be safe
until someone found him and took him home. The basket drifted along until it
reached the Ganga. There it was found by Radha, the wife of Adhiratha, a
charioteer who had once served Dhritarashtra. Radha and Adhiratha took the baby
to their home and brought it up as their own. The adopted child was named
Vasusena. He remained the charioteer’s son till the end of his life, his true
identity hidden from the world.
The son of
Radha, or Radheya, was possessed of great beauty and strength. When he grew up,
he became a very skilful wielder of weapons and, besides, acquired fame for his
charitable disposition. From dawn to midday, everyday, he would stand in the
river and worship the sun. During this period he would give away anything that
he possessed to brahmins who approached him.
In order to
choose a husband for Pritha, Kuntibhoja invited the leading princes of the
country for a Swayamvara. Many princes turned up for the ceremony, Pandu being
one. His fame had preceded him and Pritha’s choice fell on him. Kuntibhoja was
more than happy to give away his daughter as bride to Pandu. Immediate
arrangements were made for their wedding.
After some
time, Bhishma desired to have a second wife for Pandu. Madra or Salya, king of
the Balhikas, had a beautiful sister, Madri by name. Bhishma set his heart on
having her married to Pandu. Arriving at the Madras’ capital, Bhishma made his
proposal to Salya after offering the king gifts of elephants, horses, cars and
money. Salya consented to Pandu marrying his sister.
Nor did
Bhishma forget Vidura. He obtained for him a beautiful and intelligent bride, a
daughter born to King Devaka of a working woman.
The
curse on Pandu
Pandu was a
brave king who extended his kingdom far and wide. He soon became the foremost
of rulers. With his empire well established, Pandu retired to the forest with
his two wives to devote himself to his favourite pastime, deer hunting.
An event
happened to disturb the tranquil and joyous life of Pandu. One day, while
hunting on the foothills of the Himalayas, he shot his arrows on a couple of
deer that were mating. He was not aware that the stag was a sage of high merit,
in disguise. The stag began to moan in human voice. Before dying, it cursed the
king for his reckless act. Pandu was condemned to meet his end when in the
intimate company of a woman.
After this
incident Pandu became depressed. He realized that he was spending all his time
in pleasure, without observing austerities. His immediate reaction was to leave
his two wives and take to the life of an ascetic and wander without an aim. He
wanted to leave alone since he wanted to observe strict celibacy. But both
Kunti and Madri persuaded him to take them along in his wanderings, assuring
him that they would not interfere with his vow..
Pandu
ordered his retinue to return to Hastinapura, taking with them all the wealth
that he was carrying. Clad in deerskin, he started wandering in the forests in
the company of his wives. He observed severe austerity, which pleased the gods.
On one
occasion, certain Rishis whom Pandu met blessed him with progenies. This made
him suddenly realize that he had no children to succeed him as king. He
therefore approached Kunti and proposed to her that she beget a child through
the offices of a good brahmin. He quoted examples of kings taking such a course
in order to continue their lineage.
Kunti told
Pandu of the boon she had received from the sage Durvasa whereby she could
invoke any of the gods to give her a child. She however took care not mention
her earlier adventure with the Sun god. Pandu’s face brightened and he urged
her to use the boon.
They
discussed which of the various gods should be invoked by Kunti’s Mantra to
bless them with a child. Pandu desired to have a son who would be the
embodiment of justice. Kunti invoked the god of Justice, Dharma. The god
appeared before her and gave her a son. The child was named Yudhishthira. At
about the same time that Yudhishthira was born in the forest, in the palace in
Hastinapura, Gandhari, Dhritarashtra’s wife, was pregnant for a year.
Happy with
the success of the experiment with Dharma, Pandu’s desire for children grew
further. He now desired to have a son who would be brave and strong. Vayu (god
of Wind) was chosen as the sire. Accordingly, Bhimasena was born as the son of
Vayu. The child was very strong. When, by accident, he fell from his mother’s
arms, instead of getting hurt, he broke the stone below.
Bhimasena
was born on the same day as Gandhari’s eldest son, Duryodhana, was born. How
and why Gandhari delivered her child so late after her conception, we shall
know soon.
Not
satisfied with the two sons Kunti had given him, Pandu dreamed of having one
more son, a son who would become the foremost warrior in the world and whose
fame would be everlasting. Who better than the lord of the celestials, Indra,
to be the sire? Towards this goal, Pandu undertook a severe penance directed
towards that god. Indra was highly pleased. He appeared before Kunti and gave
her a son. As a result, Arjuna was born. The birth of Arjuna was heralded by
great rejoicing in the ether world, where apsaras and gandharvas sang and
danced and showered their blessings.
All along,
Pandu’s other wife, Madri, was watching the arrival of Kunti’s sons with awe.
The desire to have children was kindled in her. She approached her husband,
Pandu, and pleaded with him to talk to Kunti. If Kunti could utter the Mantra
on her behalf and summon a god, her desire could also be fulfilled. Pandu
understood Madri’s longings. He talked to Kunti who graciously agreed to help
Madri.
Kunti asked
Madri to summon any god of her choice. The clever Madri closed her eyes and
invoked the twin Aswins, gods who were like two sides of the same coin. The
Mantra took effect and Madri was able to obtain two sons from a single boon.
The twins Nakula and Sahadeva were born. Pandu now had five sons, all of them
sprung from gods.
Vyasa one
day visited Dhritarashtra’s queen, Gandhari. He was received with great respect
by her. This pleased the sage who asked the queen what she would like most.
Gandhari told Vyasa of her desire to have a hundred sons.
“You can
rest assured,” Vyasa told her. “Your wish will certainly be fulfilled.”
When
Gandhari at last conceived, for two years she did not bring forth a child. In
the meanwhile news of Yudhishthira’s birth reached her. She waited patiently
for her labour, but in the end her longing gave way to frustration. She beat
her own stomach. As a result of this desperate act she brought forth a big
piece of flesh.
Vyasa was
aware of Gandhari’s action. He had the ascetic power to see everything that
happened everywhere. He now appeared before the grieving woman.
Consoling
Gandhari, Vyasa told her that all was not lost. He directed her to prepare a
hundred-and-one vessels and fill them with clarified butter. He caused water to
be sprinkled on the flesh that Gandhari had delivered. The flesh became divided
into a hundred-and-one parts, each the size of a thumb. In each vessel, one
piece of the flesh was placed, and all the vessels were carefully preserved.
After two
years, from the first of the hundred-and-one vessels, Gandhari’s eldest son,
Duryodhana, was born. When the baby issued from the vessel, he frightened all
the elders, as his crying resembled the braying of an ass.
Dhritarashtra
anxiously addressed Bhishma and Vidura, “Yudhishthira is elder to Duryodhana
and he would become king. Will Duryodhana also become king?”
As soon as
Dhritarashtra asked this question, the hideous calls of jackals and other animals
were heard. Vidura interpreted this as an evil sign, and recommended that
Duryodhana should be killed then and there. Of course, no father would agree to
kill his son.
It happened
that the day Duryodhana was born was the same as on which Bhima was born to
Kunti.
Within a
month, the remaining ninety-nine sons of Gandhari were born. From the
hundred-and-first vessel was born, a daughter. This satisfied Gandhari who had
the desire for a daughter in addition to her hundred sons. In due time, the
daughter, Dussala, was married to Jayadratha, the King of Sindhu.
During the
pregnancy of Gandhari, Dhritarashtra liaised with a Vaisya (service class)
woman as a result of which he got a son, Yuyutsu.
Chapter 1 Adiparva - Part 3
Pandu,
a victim of desire
Pandu, with
his wives and five handsome sons, was leading a happy life in the forest.
Remembering the curse that was upon him, he carefully followed his discipline
of maintaining his celibacy. But Fate cannot be cheated. In a weak moment, when
Kunti was absent, Pandu desired the company of Madri. Madri agreed. The curse
chased Pandu, and he died in Madri’s arms.
The family
was plunged in deep sorrow, and Madri could not forgive herself for causing
Pandu’s death. Her remorse was such that she decided to kill herself by
climbing into her husband’s funeral pyre, an accepted practice among Kshatriya
women. Before Madri mounted the funeral pyre, Kunti promised that she would
show the same affection to the twins, as she did to her own three sons, a
promise which she kept.
The
ascetics in the forest came to know about Pandu’s death. Since they regarded
the departed king highly, they took Kunti and the children to the Kaurava
capital of Hastinapura.
The kingdom
was plunged in sorrow when they learnt about Pandu’s death. The ascetics were
given full honours and were sent back with appropriate presents.
Vyasa met
Satyavati during the obsequies that were performed for Pandu and Madri, She
asked him anxiously, “With your power to visualize the future, what do you see
ahead for this family?”
Vyasa
replied, “Respectful mother, I see destruction and misery to the world, caused
by infighting among your great-grandchildren. Rather than your witnessing those
sorrowful events, I would advise you to retire to the forest and devote
yourself to prayers.”
Satyavati
followed Vyasa’s advice. Joined by Ambika and Ambalika, she left Hastinapura
and entered the woods.
With Pandu
dead, the reins of government now passed into the hands of Dhritarashtra. The
Kaurava (Dhritarashtra’s family) and the Pandava children grew up together in
Hastinapura. From the earliest days the Pandava children were miles ahead of
the Kauravas in intelligence, capacity to learn and physical strength. Bhima
who was a strong lad, was also a big bully. He was fond of teasing his Kaurava
cousins whose despair he soon became. Duryodhana, in particular, grew a deep
hatred for Bhima, resulting in his earliest attempt to kill his cousin.
Duryodhana
had a water pavilion built at a place called Pramankoti on the banks of the
River Ganga. He then proposed that all his brothers and his five cousins spend
a holiday there.
The
children were sent to the new resort where they had a happy time, bathing in
the river and feasting. At an opportune moment, Duryodhana managed to slip
poison into Bhima’s food. Towards evening, while all the other children dressed
up and returned to the palace, Bhima, under the influence of the poison, fell
unconscious on the river bank and was lying alone. Making sure that nobody was
watching, Duryodhana bound Bhima in ropes of creepers and threw him into the
deep water. He then returned to the palace, sure that his cousin would be eaten
by the creatures under the water.
Bhima sank
to the bottom of the river, reaching the kingdom of snakes. Poisonous snakes
living there bit him all over his body, excepting his chest, which was too hard
to be penetrated. The venom of the snakes acted as antidote to the poison that
Bhima had consumed. He regained his consciousness and broke the ropes binding
him. The strong Bhima then pushed the snakes down. Soon the oppressed snakes
took him to Vasuki, king of the Naga world.
At the Naga
court, Bhima met a snake, Aryaka, who turned out to be the great-grandfather of
Kunti. Intermixing of humans with asuras, nagas and apsaras was not uncommon in
the epic. The venerable old snake was pleased to recognize Kunti’s son. He
admired the boy’s strength and recommended to Vasuki that Bhima should be given
Rasakunda (vessels with nectar) that would restore him from his recent ordeal.
After swallowing eight vessels-full of the nectar, Bhima went off to sleep.
Meanwhile,
in the palace in Hastinapura, there was great commotion as Bhima’s absence was
noticed. Kunti was inconsolable. Vidura pacified her by saying that Bhima would
definitely return, although he suspected foul play by Duryodhana.
There was
great relief when, eight days after he disappeared, Bhima walked in, happy and
majestic. He related to his brothers what he felt certain was Duryodhana’s
treachery and his own adventures in the nether world. Yudhishthira instructed
him not to mention this to anyone. At the same time he advised his brothers to
be cautious.
Duryodhana
made yet another attempt to poison Bhima and failed. By now Duryodhana had
formed a coterie with his uncle Sakuni and friend Radheya. Together they kept
plotting against the Pandavas.
As the
Kaurava and Pandava princes grew up, Bhishma looked out for a tutor for them.
His choice fell on Kripa.
Maharishi
Gautama, the great sage, due to his penance, had acquired immense prowess in
the wielding of the bow and arrow. When Indra observed him intensely
meditating, he became concerned. In order to disturb his concentration, he sent
the apsara, Janapadi, of unsurpassed beauty, to the lonely spot where Gautama
was meditating. The sage was momentarily distracted by the apsara, but pulling
himself together, he fled the scene. Due to the haste of his departure, he left
his bow and arrow and deerskin on the ground. In that split second, his energy
fell into a bush from which a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, materialized.
King
Santanu who was passing that way while hunting, saw the twins. He took them
with him and brought them up in the palace. Santanu named them Kripa (pity) and
Kripi since he took them with him out of pity.
Gautama,
through his spiritual insight, came to know that his son and daughter were with
Santanu. The sage called on the king and explained the children’s lineage to
him. He also spent time to teach Kripa arms and related sciences.
In due
course, Kripa was appointed tutor to the Kaurava and Pandava princes. On
Bhishma’s recommendation Kripa also took under his wings the Vrishnis (of
Yadava origin).
After the
children had learnt all that Kripa had to offer, Bhishma, ever concerned about
his clan, felt the need to appoint a preceptor who could impart them higher
education. The choice fell on Drona, a brahmin well versed in the Vedas and
equally so in the various branches of warfare. The Kauravas, Pandavas and other
princes, all benefited from this great teacher.
Drona means
born out of a vessel. The sage Bharadwaja, one who observed the most rigid vows
and was well versed in arms, once went to the River Ganga to bathe. There he
saw the beautiful apsara, Gritachi, and momentarily lost his concentration. His
vital energy was held in a vessel, out of which Drona was born. As he grew up
Drona learnt all the Vedas and the science of warfare under various teachers.
Bharadwaja had knowledge of an astra (arrow) called Agneya, which was
all-powerful. This knowledge was imparted by him to a sage, Agnivesa by name.
Agnivesa, in turn, taught this astra to Drona.
Drona’s
sire, Bharadwaja, was a friend of the Panchala king, Prishata, father of King
Drupada. As children, Drona and Drupada used to play together. Drupada, once in
play, offered Drona his kingdom, whenever he became king. When Prishata died
Drupada became monarch of the powerful kingdom.
Bharadwaja
soon attained heaven. Drona grew up to marry Kripi, the twin sister of Kripa.
To them was born a son, who, as soon as he was born, gave a cry which resembled
the neighing of a horse. Those who heard the sound compared it to the neighing
of the divine steed Ucchaisravas. The child was therefore named Aswatthama
(horse-voiced). This son of Drona was endowed with immense strength and
intelligence.
The great
destroyer of Kshatriyas, Parasurama, after his encounter with Bhishma, laid
down his arms and turned his attention to performing penance. Drona heard about
this and immediately went to Parasurama. Drona’s obeisance towards him pleased
Parasurama.
Parasurama
told Drona, “Lo! I do not know how to reward you. You have come to me at a time
when I have left with me only two things. My body and my weapons. You can have
either of them, if you so desire.”
Drona chose
the warrior’s his weapons. Parasurama obliged by handing over to Drona all his
powerful weapons.
Drona spent
his early life in poverty. He was so poor that, after Aswatthama’s birth, he
found that once he could not even buy milk for his child. It was then that he
remembered the promise made by Drupada when they were children, that the prince
would give his kingdom to his friend. Drona repaired to Panchala with his wife
and son, and met the king.
After being
received with the civility due to a brahmin, Drona reminded Drupada of the
promise he had made when they were children.
“I do not
ask for your entire kingdom. Give me at least part of it,” Drona told the king.
Drupada rudely turned Drona out saying, “A promise made in childhood has no
meaning. You are in no way equal to me and should not desire my friendship. One
who is not a king, should not aspire to be a king’s friend, let alone ask for
his kingdom.”
Drona
walked out in a rage. Revenge was foremost in his mind. But he had no means of
countering a powerful monarch like Drupada. He therefore thought of a scheme.
He would acquire intelligent and loyal pupils who would fight for him and help
him subdue Drupada. For the present, he sought the shelter of his
brother-in-law, Kripa, who was living in Dhritarashtra’s court.
One day,
the princes of Hastinapura who were playing in the vast palace garden, chanced
to stray near where Drona lived with Kripa. One of the princes dropped a ball
into a well and could not get it out. Drona who was watching him, offered to
help. He took his bow and formed a chain of arrows from willows of grass. He
shot one end of the chain into the well. The leading arrow pierced the ball,
and as the chain was pulled, the ball was retrieved. Drona gave a further
demonstration of his skill. He threw a ring into the well and retrieved it in a
similar fashion.
The
princes, who were watching Drona’s awesome skill, ran to Bhishma. They told
their grandfather the story of how a strange brahmin had recovered the ball and
the ring from the well. Realising that the brahmin could be none other than
Drona, Bhishma sent for him. When Drona arrived, he was received with warmth
and respect. Bhishma offered him the tutorship of the sons of Dhritarashtra and
Pandu. Drona readily accepted the offer.
On the
first day of his tutorship, Drona asked his young pupils, “I shall impart to
you excellent knowledge on warfare. I however have an object in mind. Would you
help me achieve it?” All the children were quiet. Arjuna alone stepped out and
assured to do whatever his preceptor bid him to do. This pleased Drona and
Arjuna became his favourite pupil from that day.
Drona
taught his wards, which included his own son Aswatthama, all skills, spiritual
and martial. His fame as a teacher spread far and wide. Soon princes of the
Vrishni and Andhaka clans, as well as Radheya, the charioteer’s son, became his
pupils.
Drona
treated all his pupils with the same care. But it was Arjuna who became his
favourite.
As a
father, however, Drona did show some partiality towards Aswatthama, He would
set all the princes on the job of fetching water from a nearby river.
Aswatthama was always given a receptacle with a broad mouth, which he could
fill ahead of others so that he returned to his father’s side earlier than the
others. Drona taught extra skills to his son during the period when they were
alone.
The clever
Arjuna, however, was quick to discover Drona’s trick. He would fill the
receptacle with the Varuna (god of Water) arrow, and rush to Drona’s side, in
time to catch any special lessons Aswatthama might receive.
The
ambidextrous Arjuna was an ideal student. He learnt everything that his teacher
had to offer, including the skill to operate his weapons in the dark. All this
pleased the preceptor to no end and he vowed to make Arjuna the greatest bowman
of all time.
An
interesting side story of this period is that of Ekalavya who was the son of
the ruler of the Nishadas, a tribe of hunters living in the forest. Ekalavya
desired to become the greatest bowman in the world.
The Nishada
prince realized that to become a great bowman he needed to have a great
teacher. He had heard about Drona, the celebrated tutor of Hastinapura.
Ekalavya approached the venerable teacher for lessons. But Drona turned him
down because of his low birth. Ekalavya had to return to the forest in
disappointment.
Some time
later, the Pandava princes went on a deer hunt. A dog that was being led by an
attendant strayed into the forest. The attendant later found it lying dead with
five arrows piercing it from its mouth and leaving through its tail. The
attendant brought this to the attention of the Pandavas who set out to find who
could shoot so skillfully with his bow. When they saw Ekalavya practicing in
the forest, they asked him who he was and who his teacher was. Declaring
himself to be the prince of the Nishadas, he told them that Drona was his
teacher.
Arjuna
heard this and was deeply perturbed. With Drona’s tutelage, the Nishada could
very well overtake him in archery. He rushed to his teacher.
Arjuna
described the incident in the forest to Drona, at the same time reminding his
mater of his promise that no other pupil of his would excel the Pandava prince
in archery. Drona asked to be taken to Ekalavya.
The Nishada
prince, after prostrating before the revered Guru, told him that, having been
rejected as a pupil, he made an image of Drona and installed it on a pedestal.
He practiced in front of the image and acquired all his skill. He therefore
acknowledged Drona as his teacher.
“As
the preceptor,” Drona told Ekalavya, “I should be paid a fee.” Ekalavya assured
that he would pay anything the teacher asked. Drona demanded that Ekalavya
should cut his right thumb and offer it. Without hesitation, the Nishada prince
cut off the
thumb.
Besides
being excellent with the bow and arrow, Arjuna also became an Atiratha, one who
can, from his chariot, vanquish sixty thousand foes. A supreme test of Arjuna’s
abilities as an archer was when the teacher asked his students to aim at a clay
bird installed on the tree. He asked each student what he saw as he set his
aim. All the pupils described the tree, the branch, the leaves and finally the
bird. Arjuna said he saw only the bird and nothing else. When Drona questioned
further, Arjuna said that he saw only the bird’s head. The next moment Arjuna
released his arrow, which took the bird’s head.
In the
wielding of the mace, both Bhima and Duryodhana showed equal ability. Being an
excellent preceptor, Drona developed a particular skill in each of the princes.
Arjuna alone was skilful in all disciplines.
Once Drona
and his pupils went to the River Ganga for a bath. As he stepped into the
water, a ferocious crocodile caught hold of his foot. As Drona cried for help,
there was only one who could react fast enough. It was Arjuna, who sent five
deadly arrows and destroyed the reptile. Pleased at Arjuna’s readiness and
quick reflexes, Drona taught him a divine weapon, the Brahmastra. It was so
potent that, if it was directed against an inferior opponent, it will destroy
the whole world. Arjuna was cautioned to use it only against celestials, not
humans.
On
graduation day, an arena was built where the students displayed all the skills
that they had acquired under Drona’s tutelage. The King, Bhishma and all the
other elders watched the students as they showed their mastery over various
martial arts. Arjuna impressed all by his skills with the bow. But he was
challenged by the charioteer’s son, Radheya, who boasted that he was a better
bowman. Duryodhana and his brothers felt elated at the prospect of Arjuna being
humiliated by Radheya.
To settle
the issue as to who was the better archer, Arjuna or Radheya, a contest between
the two was arranged. In keeping with the vogue, the two contestants were
introduced to the assembly, the master of ceremonies being Kripa. While
Arjuna’s credentials as a prince were clear, Radheya could make no such claim.
He was only the son of a charioteer.
Objections
were raised from the assembly that Radheya, due to his low rank, was not
eligible to challenge Arjuna. The contest was about to be called off when
Duryodhana intervened.
“If all
that is wanting is that Radheya should be a king to challenge Arjuna,”
Duryodhana said, “then I would make him a king now and here.” He immediately
offered his friend a kingdom that was under his suzerainty, Anga, and Radheya
was installed a king. The friendship between Duryodhana and Radheya was sealed
forever.
Before the
fight between Arjuna and the newly crowned king of Anga could take place, the
sun went down and the meet was called off. Duryodhana proudly led his
friend by his hand, out of the arena.
Drona now
thought that he should ask from his pupils, his fee as preceptor. The moment he
was waiting for, to avenge the insult he had received from Drupada, had
arrived. He told the princes that they should march on Panchala and seize its
king, Drupada. All joined the campaign enthusiastically.
Drona, with
his army of young princes, marched on Panchala. In the battle that ensued,
Duryodhana, supported by his brothers and Radheya, was given the first
opportunity to attack Drupada. The Panchala king fought bravely and the
Kauravas had to show their back.
The
Pandavas now took over. Leaving out Yudhishthira, the other four brothers
attacked the Panchala forces. Both Bhima and Arjuna distinguished themselves in
the battle, and soon Drupada was captured and brought before Drona.
Drona
addressed Drupada thus. “Fear not for your life. Once again I seek your
friendship. You told me that one, who is not a king, should not aspire to be a
king’s friend. I shall become a king by taking half of your kingdom. We can
then be friends.”
After the
defeat of Drupada in the battle, the Panchala kingdom was divided into two.
Drona took the northern part of the kingdom with Ahicchatra as its capital. The
southern part, with Kampilya as its capital, was returned to Drupada.
Made to
swallow his pride, Drupada realized that being a Kshatriya was not enough. One
should, in addition, be as learned as a brahmin to be able to subdue an enemy
like Drona. He decided to seek knowledge and also get a son who would one day
destroy his arch-enemy.
A year
after the above incidents, Dhritarashtra installed Yudhishthira as his heir
apparent, and in stages handed over to him the administration of the Kaurava
kingdom. Yudhishthira, with the active support of his brothers, was quick in
showing the Pandava stamp of quality in administration, justice and security
for the subjects. Bhima who continued his education on the use of the mace
under Balarama, the illustrious elder brother of Krishna, became a source of
strength to Yudhishthira. He and Arjuna launched an extensive campaign to
subdue several powerful kings and extended the kingdom. While Nakula became an
expert in handling the chariot, Sahadeva learnt spiritualism from Brihaspati,
the teacher of gods, himself.
One day,
Drona asked Arjuna, “I have given you the celestial weapon, Brahmastra. I now
demand a fee for imparting that knowledge to you. There may come a day when you
may have to fight with me in battle. You should then do so wholeheartedly, and
not yield ground because I am your teacher.” Arjuna agreed, not fully realizing
the implications of this undertaking.
The success
and fame of the five brothers slowly started working in the mind of
Dhritarashtra, jealousy making its appearance. In his restlessness, he summoned
his minister Kanika to whom he told of his misgivings and asked for advice.
Kanika gave
his master a lecture on the art of diplomacy and statecraft. He said that the
king should always have his mace raised in order to strike the enemy. He should
be alert like a deer, always apprehending danger. Like a jackal, he should
outwit everyone while reaching his goal. Killing of anyone, even if it is a
friend or a relative, was permitted for the king if his security was
threatened. Kanika’s lecture was a treatise on diplomacy, fit to be followed by
any king. He concluded by saying that the Pandavas were a threat to
Dhritarashtra’s sons and the king should act with this in mind.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
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