The new king

The coronation

Soon, all the arrangements were made for the coronation of Yudhishthira as the new king of the Kurus. The consent of Dhritarashtra was taken in advance for the ritual. A golden throne was placed in the hall where such ceremonies are held. Yudhishthira and Draupadi were made to sit on that throne facing east. Krishna and Satyaki sat facing the Pandava. Bhima and Arjuna took the seats to either side of Yudhishthira. All the others sat around them in the order of priority.

Dhaumya who accompanied the Pandavas throughout their days in exile was the priest in charge. He, then, performed the rituals, sanctifying the water for the anointing ceremony. Krishna was given a gold decorated conch shell to pour the holy water on the head of the senior Pandava and his queen.

At that time drums and other auspicious musical instruments were played by the court musicians heralding the ceremony. The Brahmins chanted Vedic texts and pronounced blessings for the new king and his queen. Yudhishthira made generous gifts to all those who performed the ritual.

Assigning duties

Then Yudhishthira made his first announcement by in the hall as the new king. “I have accepted this throne only to perform my duties as per the guidance by my father (uncle), Dhritarashtra. His choices and decisions are mine, too. I request to all the citizens of this country and especially all the office bearers to pay special regards to him as the true king of the land”.

Yudhishthira, then, declared the special duties assigned to his brothers and other important persons. Bhima was made the prince apparent (yuvaraja). Arjuna was reputed for his sense of fairness and justice and he was made responsible for ensuring justice for the citizens in the country. Nakulla was a skilled warrior and an expert on horses. He was installed as the commander in chief of the Kaurava army.

Yudhishshira needed someone at his side, always ready to act on the situations that may arise. Sahadeva was made minister without portfolio, to remain with the king at all times.

Vidura was made the chief minister. Yushishthira announced. “My uncle, Vidura, shall be in charge of the six departments of the king (shadguNa), namely, that of making peace (sandhi), destroying the enemy by making war, etc. (vigraha), making tactical moves and manoevres (yana), waiting for the right opportunity to strike (Asana), playing duplicity (dwaidha) when the occasion arises and remaining subordinate to an enemy when he is stronger (Asraya)”.

Sanjaya was given the overall management of the palace. Dhaumya was made the chief priest. Kripa was given the post of the teacher of the Kurus, to instruct the young princes on all areas of warfare. Yuyulsu was given the responsibility to look after Dhritarashtra at all times.

The last rites

Dhritarashtra, then, performed the last rites of his sons. Yudhishthira conducted the necessary rituals for all the other relations killed in the war. He made generous gifts in the name of each of the princes and kings killed. He did that specifically mentioning the name of those killed on behalf their wives and mothers to make the ladies happy.

Yudhishthira also ordered rest houses to be built and ponds and wells dug in the names of the deceased. That was a noble way to commemorate the warriors who gave up their lives.

The allocation of palaces

The king, then, consulted his uncle, Dhritarashtra, and allocated the houses for his brothers. He gave the palace of Duryodhana to Bhima and that of Dussasana to Arjuna. Nakula got the palace of Durmarshana and Sahadeva, that of Durmukha. Suitable places were earmarked for others also in the palace complex of Hastinapura.

After giving suitable houses to all, Yudhishthira said. “You all have suffered long years on my account. Now, enjoy life peacefully in our ancestral land.”

In the company of Krishna

Krishna and Satyaki spent the night at Arjuna’s place. Yudhishthira met him next morning. By then, all had enjoyed the much needed rest after the long days of war. The king addressed Krishna and spoke. “Did you not sleep well at night? We have won all that we have today only with your help”. But, Krishna kept quiet and appeared to be lost in thought.

Surprised, Yudhishthira spoke again. “You appear to be meditating. Is there anything wrong?”

Then, Krishna replied.

“Bhishma who is resting on a bed of arrows and who is like fire with its flame about to die down is thinking of me. To him I went with my mind”

“He, whose bow string let out such a terrible sound like thunder that even Indra found it unbearable, to him I went with my mind”

“He, who defeated all kings and won the hands of the three princesses (of Kasi), to him I went with my mind”

“He, who fought with Parasurama for twenty three days and still remained unbeaten, to him I went with my mind”

Krishna reminisced in this way all the valiant deeds of Bhishma in the past. Yudhishthira said. “Krishna, what all you said about my grand father is entirely true. We want now to go and meet him. Please lead us from the front”.

Accordingly, Krishna proceeded to meet Bhishma in the battle field accompanied by the Pandavas.

(To be continued)

Yudhishthira moves to Hastinapura

We have taken a rather long break from the main story going briefly into the tales of the sixteen kings and into their background. Vyasa had narrated them to Yudhishthira to console him for the loss of his kith and kin.

Yudhishthira could forget his own sorrows to a great extent after hearing to the wise words of Vyasa. Then, he had several questions relating to the duties of a king. How many different types of sin are their and what are the remedies for them? To the query of the Pandava, the sage went into the different categories of sins and the atonements for them.

The sage guessed that the Pandava was thinking of his own sin when he asked the question. Vyasa pointed out that for a king the performance of the great horse sacrifice would suffice to free himself from the sin of all the crimes committed in a war. The sage concluded asking the Pandava prince to leave his sorrow behind and get on with his duties.

Yudhishthira had further queries on the type of food that can be eaten and not, and the type of gifts and the qualification of the right persons to receive them. Vyasa gave appropriate clarification on those issues. The Pandava, then, wanted to know of the codes of conduct of people in the main four professions (castes). The sage said. “If you want to know about them, the best person to ask will be Bhishma. Your grand father had learnt them directly from Brihaspati, the teacher of the gods. Go to him before he leaves this world. He will tell you all in detail”.

But, Yudhishthira was reluctant. He asked. “How can I go to him now, after I got him down in the war through devious means?

It was Krishna who responded to that point. “Do not think of all that happened in the war now. You need to get the codes of conduct from your grandfather to rule the land as a model king. You need to approach him for the sake of the country and your subjects. Take it as your duty.”

Yudhishthira in Hastinapura

(Apparently, the first thing for Yudhishthira to do was to establish himself as the new king and move to the original capital city of the Kurus before approaching Bhishma)

Accordingly, the Pandava discarded all the sorrow and the feeling of guilt from his mind and started to Hatinapura in a chariot driven by sixteen white horses. Bhima led the horses. Nakula and Sahadeva swayed two fans, made of the white and bushy tail of the Camara deer (Caamara), which is the royal insignia. Dhritarashtra and Gandhari were carried in a well decorated palanquin ahead of others. Elders like Vidura, Kunti and Vyasa moved in front in separate chariots. Krishna followed behind in his own chariot, accompanied by Satyaki.

The Brahmins walked ahead chanting verses from the Vedas and blessing the Pandavas with long life. Several bards moved along with them singing songs of praise to Yudhishthira and his brothers. The procession was accompanied by horse mounted soldiers on either side. Ordinary citizens in large numbers followed the royal entourage on foot.

The residents of Hastinapura gave a tumultuous welcome to their new ruler. The entire city was decorated with white garlands and flags in various colours. Aromatic smell emanated from every nook and corner of the palace by the burning of incense and other sweet smelling substances. Women thronged along the wide avenues leading to the palace to get a view of the royal procession. Yudhishthira had already won their hearts during his earlier reign.

A dissenting voice

The party entered Hastinapura in due course. The palace was already kept ready for anointing the new king. Brahmins in large number had gathered in the hall. They all proclaimed “victory” to Yudhishthira.

A voice could be heard from among them that said. “Yudhishthira, you do not deserve this after killing all your elders and teachers!” The face of all who heard the inauspicious remark fell at that time. Yudhishthira, too, looked down and meekly admitted his mistake.

But, the rest of the Brahmins protested loudly in unison. They said. “We do not support this man who is definitely not one of us. May he perish for uttering this falsehood!” It is said that the body of the person immediately went up in flames by the meditative power of all the Brahmins assembled.

All were baffled by the sudden drama that took place. Then, they heard Krishna speaking. “This man was, in fact, a demon with the name Carvaka who came in the guise of a Brahmin. He was destined to this death.”

The story of Carvaka

Krishna, then, went to tell the story of Carvaka. He was a demon of the first epoch (Krita Yuga). He meditated on Brahma for a long time and made the god appear before him. When asked for a boon of his choice the demon asked for protection from all living beings. Brahma refused to grant an all powerful boon like that. Instead, the demon was asked to limit his choice. He, then, agreed to leave out Brahmins, who posed no threat to him because of their meek nature, from the list. Brahma blessed him accordingly.

“Carvaka, then, started tormenting all creatures, especially the gentle folks like the Brahmins and their rituals. When complained, Brahma asked all to be patient. The demon was destined to be doomed in the fourth epoch (Kali Yuga) in the presence of the Pandavas. That was how all this happened. True to the condition in the boon, the wrath of the Brahmins reduced the demon to ashes.”

We shall get to the actual coronation in the next episode.

Of Sixteen Kings (Part 3)

Introduction

We already have come across Yayati in a separate story in Samskruthi. He was the father of Puru and Yadu, the former being the ancestor of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas and the latter, of Krishna and Satyaki. He belonged to the lunar dynasty. The story was about his exchange of youth with his son, Puru.

It is worth mentioning the importance of the last king of the sixteen, Pruthu. Chronologically, he should have come much earlier. He was so famous that the earth itself got the name “the daughter of Prithu (Prithvi)”. Other epics like the Mahabhagavata describe how he approached “the earth” and requested her to provide nourishment to the living beings. The response of the earth was that the she would, in the form of a cow, let the king to milk her, provided the king approached her with a suitable calf. It is said that Pruthu made the mountain “Meru” as the calf and milked all the nourishments, like the grass, corn vegetables and fruits, required by various living beings from the cow, which was the earth.

11. Yayati

He had won over the entire world. Then, he performed so many of the famous sacrificial rituals in which he donated mountains of gold to Brahmins. He divided the earth into parts and handed them over to his sons. But, he made Puru his true follower and retired to forest in due course.

Yet,

He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son

12. Ambareesha

This king was born as the son Nabhaga who was the brother of Ikshwaku. Thus, he may not be considered of the Ikshvaku dynasty, but, is certainly of the solar lineage.

The king performed thousands of sacrificial rituals and made such generous gifts that the people said that there was none like him earlier or later.

Yet,

He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son

13. Sasabindu

Sasabindu (SaSabindu) was the son of Citraratha and belonged to the Yadava dynasty of the lunar lineage. He had innumerable number of children from his thousands of wives. All his sons were great warriors. He performed great sacrifices and offered gold covered elephants, horses and cows in thousands as gifts to the Brahmins who participated in them.

Yet,

He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son

14. Gaya

He was the son of a king named Amoortarayasa . Gaya performed great rituals for a thousand years and lived on the left over from what was offered to the gods (hutocchishtam). The god of fire (Vahni) was so pleased that he asked Gaya to choose any boon. The king asked for so much wealth that his coffers would remain undiminished even after making any number of generous gifts. He also wanted his mind to remain steady (Sraddha) in following the right path (dharma). The god of fire granted that to Gaya. Then, the king performed rituals for another thousand years. He pleased the gods by offering “soma” and the ancestors with their choice offering (swadha). He also made his subjects happy with whatever they desired to have.

Yet,

He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son

15. Ranteedeva

He was the son of Sankrutya (sankrutya) and belonged to the lunar lineage of dynasties. He won a boon from Indra that he would never fall short of food and there would always be visitors to his land for him to feed. As a result there were always guests who arrived in thousands in his palace and he made generous gifts to them all. It is said that so much of meat was offered to his guests that the remains flowed as a river with the name Carminvati (carmiNvati).

Yet,

He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son

16. Pruthu

Pruthu was born into the family of Dhruva as the son of Vena. He was so powerful that the rivers and even the seas offered no resistance on his way. The farmers could make rich harvests even without tilling when he ruled. There was plenty of everything in the land and no one fell sick. It is said that Pruthu offered gifts that formed into twenty one hillocks to Brahmins.

Yet,

He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son

The story of the sixteen kings concludes here.

Of sixteen kings (Part 2)

Introduction

We have come across a few kings of the solar lineage in the Ikshwaku dynasty. The next four are also of the same dynasty.

We have covered Bhageeratha in one of the stories in Samskruthi some time ago. Sagara was also mentioned in the same story.

Dileepa is also very famous. Poet Kalidasa earned his name through the work called “the dynasty of Raghu (raghu vamSam)”. The poet narrated the story of a few kings of the Ikshwaku dynasty starting with Dileepa, through Sreerama to Agnivarna. All were kings of great repute, except for the last one or two. The disintegration of the dynasty was caused by the last, Agnivarna, through his neglect of duties and indulgence in pleasure. One famous stanza from this particular poem has been posted to Samskruthi (www.kunjunny.blogspot.com)

Sreerama is, of course, very famous because of Valmiki’s celebrated poem called “in the foot steps of Sreerama (ramayaNam)”.

7. Sagara

We know that the great king of the Ikshwaku dynasty is no more. When he traveled his sixty thousand sons followed him like the stars accompanying the moon. The entire world was once brought under his rule. He, then, performed one thousand horse sacrificial rituals (aSwamedha) and gave away gifts, even houses, of gold.

Out of anger he made a deep hole to be dug by the sea (so deep that reached the world below – paataaLa - in search of his lost horse that was let loose to establish his supremacy. (This has been mentioned earlier in the story of Bhageeratha in Samskruthi ).

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

8. Bhageeratha

The son of Sagara performed such a ritual (Yajna) in which Indra got so intoxicated after drinking Soma that he challenged one thousand demons to battle and defeated them all. Bhageeratha gifted thousands of maiden seated in chariots to deserving Brahmins. Each of those chariots was drawn by four horses and was accompanied by thousands of gold decorated elephants, cattle and goats.

The celestial river Ganges (ganga) came and sat on his lap (as though) and came to be known, since then, as Bhaageerathi (as daughter of Bhageeratha).

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

9. Dileepa

Dileepa performed so many rituals in which every object was made of gold. He offered them all as gift to Brahmins at the end. Thousands of heavenly musicians and dancers (Gandharva) took part in his rituals, played on their Veena and danced.

Three sounds always echoed in the land of Dileepa – the sound that emanated from his bow string (from wars), that of chanting of Vedas (from rituals) and of the command, “give, give”.

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

10. Sreerama

He is the hero of the famous Ramayana epic and belonged to the same Ikshvaku dynasty to which Marutta belonged. He ruled from the capital city, Ayodhya.

It is said that when Rama ruled the land there was none who was a destitute nor were there any widows. No type of calamity occurred in the land. It always rained in time. Food and other essentials were always plentiful.

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

The concluding part of the story of Sakuntala

Please go to the concluding part of ‘the story of Sakuntala’ along with a narrative of Kalidasa’s play around the same theme in Samskruthi (www.kunjunny.blogspot.com) for it.

Bharata, the son of Dushyanta and Sakuntala

We have covered Bharata in the first installment of the story of the sixteen kings. We should have gone through his birth which was covered in the story of Dushyanta and Sakuntala narrated in the very first book of Mahabharata (Aadi Parvam) in its chapter on the birth of the main characters (Sambhava Parvam). That was just before the story of Yayati.

Dushyanta belonged to the lunar dynasty and came after Yayati in the lineage of the kings. As we have mentioned, the world famous love story of Kalidasa under the name of “Sakuntala and the token of recognition (Abhijnana SaakuntaLam )” is based on this Mahabharata tale. We shall talk about the main differences between the two after going through the story as told by the great poet, Veda Vyasa.

Please go to ‘the story of Sakuntala’ in Samskruthi (www.kunjunny.blogspot.com) for it.

Of sixteen kings (part 1)

Introduction

One of the two main dynasties of ancient India is called the solar dynasty. That of king Ikshvaaku belongs to this. Most of the sixteen kings mentioned below belong to the Ikshvaakus.

(Their origin from Brahma, the creator, is mentioned as Brahma => Mareeci => kaSyapa => Vivasvaan (the sun) => Vaivasvata Manu => Iksvaaku)

There is repeated reference to two of the sacrificial rituals, Rajasooya and Aswamedha, which are done by great monarchs after they conquer vast tracks of land. Yudhishthira had already performed the first just before the game of dice. He is about to perform the second one soon after this. Their significance is the sovereignty of the performing king over a large number of kingdoms and the liberal gifts that are given to Brahmins during the ceremonies.

1. Marutta

He belonged o the Iksvaaku dynasty. ( Ikshvaku => VimSa => KalyaaNa => Ghaneenetra => Suvarcas => Karandhama => Marutta )..

King Marutta wanted to perform a great sacrificial ritual (Yajna) and requested Brihaspati, the chief priest of gods, to preside over it. Sage Brihaspati knew that Indra did not approve of the ritual and hence, turned down the request.

But, Brihaspati had a brother by name Samvartta who had earned as much merit as his brother through long years of penance. Marutta approached Samvartta with the request which was duly accepted. The ritual took place in all its glory. All the important people from heaven and earth attended the ceremony. Timely rain and in the right quantity is said to be the immediate benefit from such rituals. As a result, the land became so fertile that it was possible to reap rich harvest from crops that grew on it even without tilling. The king’s fame spread over all the lands and reached even the

heaven.

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

(There is a mention elsewhere in Mahabharata that Marutta won plenty of gold as gift from Lord Siva for the ritual. There was so much of it that a lot was left over even after spending it lavishly on the Yajna. It is said that the king buried the remaining riches on the Himalayas close to his palace. Saint Veda Vyasa pointed out the treasure to Yudhishthira when the latter was in need of money to conduct the horse sacrifice)

2. Suhotra

He belonged to the Lunar Dynasty and had married a princess from the Ikshvakus.

When Suhotra ruled the land of the Kurus Indra was so pleased with him that he caused gold to pour down from the sky as rain which flowed through rivers and streams. Even the fishes and tortoises in them were of gold. The king, then, performed a ritual (Yajna) in which he gifted away (dakshiNa) all that gold to Brahmins.

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

3. Brihadratha of the Anga kingdom

Brihadratha performed rituals in which he gifted a million white horses, an equal number of maidens adorned in gold and as many elephants to Brahmins. He also gave away ten million gold decorated bulls and thousands of cows. It is said that Indra got intoxicated with Soma (that is offered as drink) and the Brahmins, as though, with the gifts.

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

4. Sibi of the Lunar Dynasty.

This Sibi had driven round the earth in his chariot after he brought all the lands under his rule. He conducted a sacrificial ritual in which he gifted away as much cattle as roamed about anywhere on earth.

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

(Famous for the story of the hawk and the pigeon which appeared in Sanskruthi -www.kunjunny.blogspot.com – sometime in March last year)

5. Bharata

(There were several famous Bharatas in ancient Indian history. The brother of Sreerama was one and sage Bharata famous for the science of acting and dance – NatyaSastra – was another, besides the Bharata mentioned here)

Bharata was the son of Dushyanta and Sakuntala (became famous especially because of the play, SaakuntaLam of Kalidasa) and belonged to the lunar dynasty.

He had conducted a thousand horse sacrifices and one hundred Rajasooya ceremonies and had given millions of animals as gift to Brahmins.

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

India got the name Bhaarata after this king.

6. Mandhata

He belonged to the same Ikshvaku lineage of the solar dynasties as Marutta, the first king in our list. There was a reference to him earlier in our episodes.

There is a story that the earth developed cracks as a result of the twanging sound emerging from his bow strings in one of his battles. He ruled over all the lands over which the sun rose in the morning and set in the evening. It is said that he conducted one hundred each of the Aswamedha and Rajasooya sacrifices.

Yet,

“He died, Srinjaya, who was four fold

As meritorious as you are

Even more blessed than your son

Do not feel sad for your son”

(To be continued)

Yudhishthira’s Grief (Part 5)

Sage Narada – an introduction

We have come across sage Narada a few times in the past. He is so prominent a sage throughout the epics of India that it is worth knowing a bit of his background.

Narada was said to be born as the son of Brahma, the creator. He is on one hand considered to be so pious that he spends all his time chanting the name of his favourite god, Vishnu. Narada was considered to be a great musician and had his favourite string instrument, Veena, (some say it was a Tamburu) always with him.

At the same time he is also considered a little fun loving to the extent that he enjoys stirring up a quarrel wherever he gets a chance. He does that normally without malice. The stories of Narada, themselves, make one epic if compiled together.

None of these traits have any relevance to the story below.

Narada was among the dignitaries present when Yudhishthira was lamenting about the disastrous war.

Krishna consoles Yudhishthira

Krishna continued where Vyasa left trying to console Yudhishthira. He started narrating the stories of the sixteen famous kings. The same stories were told by Vyasa to the Pandavas after the death of Abhimanyu. We had left them out at that time. There is not much of a story there. Both Krishna now and Vyasa earlier simply pointed out to the examples to lessen the sorrow of the incident.

There is a story involving Narada and his nephew by name Parvata behind this. Parvata, himself, was a sage of great meditative powers. The two, both uncle and nephew, once started on a pilgrimage. They were so close with one another that they came to an understanding that they would not keep any secret from one another. After all, it was a pilgrimage in which great hardships may test their endurance to a great degree. Then, on such a spiritual mission there was no place for little secrecies. That was how they thought about it.

With King Srinjaya

Srinjaya was a king of the same dynasty in which several of the great rulers of India took birth. A few of them appear in the brief stories that appear below. He was a good friend of both Narada and Parvata.

The two sages decided to spend a few days with their friend in the middle of their pilgrimage. The king received his friends with open hands. He appointed his daughter to look after the guests.

The boon

The two sages were very pleased with the hospitality offered by their friend. Hence, they decided to grant him a boon. They said. “Friend, choose any boon that you wish”. The king did not have to think hard. He asked for a son who would be glorious like Indra, the king of gods, himself.

It was Parvata who came up with the offer. He said. “You will have a son who will become so famous that he will be like Indra in his glory. But, there is a problem. He will have only a short life”.

The king was pleased with the boon, but, was sad with the thought of losing a glorious son too early. So, he appealed to the sages.

Narada intervened and said. “Do not grieve on that account. May your son be anywhere, on earth or in heaven, I shall bring him back whenever you think of me”.

The curses

As this incident took place a love story was taking shape in the palace. It is said that sage Narada started developing a soft corner towards the king’s daughter which was also reciprocated by the young princess. But, he was shy to reveal his feelings to his nephew, ignoring all about their agreement.

Unfortunately, Parvata guessed what was in the mind of his uncle through his powers. He was angry that there was a breach in the agreement. He accosted his uncle and said. “I know what is in your mind which you kept as a secret from me. You have thus broken your own words. Hence, I curse you to become a monkey which will take effect as soon as you marry the daughter of king Srinjaya”. Narada, in turn, cursed his nephew that he shall not go to heaven in spite of his all other qualities and spiritual attainments.

Having cursed his uncle Parvata left the palace carrying the burden of the curse he received in turn.

King Srinjaya, soon, came to know of the love affair in the palace. Healso knew of the curse. Yet, he was happy to wed his daughter to so worthy a groom such as Narada. The love of the princess also remained firm even after hearing that she was going to marry a monkey.

The happy ending

Narada wed the princess and turned into a monkey immediately. That did not diminish the love the two had for one another. The two lived happily in a forest not far away from the palace. Years later, Parvata came across his uncle in the form of a monkey. He apologized to his uncle and begged him to withdraw the curse so that he could ascend to heaven. In turn he promised to cancel his own curse on Narada. Thus, the sage recovered his original form and lived happily with the young princess for long years.

The birth of a son to Srinjaya.

It is said that king Srinjaya, soon was blessed with a son. The palace and the entire country celebrated the event with great festivities. The king was overwhelmed with joy. The boy had an extraordinary power right from birth. Whatever he touched turned into gold. Hence, he was named “swarNashTheevi (one who spitted out gold)”. The magic of the child was such that the king became rich beyond words. The entire palace, even the trees and river that flowed, as though, turned into gold.

Indra heard about the birth of the strange prince and the prophecy that he would grow in glory equal to his. He was worried that the child may one day challenge his own position. So, he sent his weapon, the “Thunder Bolt (Vajra)” to kill the boy. Vajra assumed the shape of a tiger and waited at the outskirts of the palace for a chance.

One day, when the boy, a mere child of five years, was taken by his nurse to play outside the tiger pounced upon him and killed him instantaneously. The palace that was still celebrating the birth of the prince, immediately, was deeply immersed in sorrow. The king, himself, was beyond consolation.

Sage Narada sensed the tragedy from where he was and arrived at the palace. He narrated the example of the sixteen kings and tried to console his friend. The sorrow of others was not enough to lessen the weight of the king’s sorrow. Hence, it is said that sage Narada brought the prince back from the land of the dead which is a very rare feat in all epics taken together.

The story of the sixteen kings may briefly be narrated in the next episode.

Yudhishthira’s grief (Part 4)

Note

The two sages, Sankha and Likhita, in the last episode have earned a name through a treatise on moral codes. These are called “smriti”s. Four of the Smritis are famous, including theirs, by Manu, Yajnavalkya,( Sankha and Likhita) and ParaSara are famous. The Smritis are said to be based on the Vedas which are the revealed truths (Srutis)

Life cycle on earth (time) is divided into four epochs - Krita, Treta, Dvaapara and Kali. There is said to be a moral decay as man passes from the first through the last of the epochs. We are currently on the last. Each of the Smritis, in the order given above, is designed to suit the behaviour of mankind in each of the epochs. These were treated as the constitution of the countries in the region, because the kings judged the crimes and meted out punishments with reference to the codes set by the relevant Smriti.

The end of an epoch is supposed to be marked by a great calamity. The Mahabharata war took place at the end of the third epoch, just before the start of the Kali epoch. At the end of the four epochs there is said to be a deluge (PraLaya). Then life starts again, passing through the four epochs repeatedly. After several such cycles a great deluge takes place.

Vyasa’w words (Continued)

Veda Vyasa continued to speak addressing Yudhishthira in an attempt to console the grieving Pandava.

Vyasa said. “Son, think of your brothers who suffered with you in the forest all these years. You owe them their due along with what you owe to the gods, ancestors (by way of offerings) and to the citizen (protection)”.

“What you need to do now is to assume the role of an emperor and conduct the great horse sacrifice (Aswa Medha). Make generous gifts to all deserving which is part of the ceremony. You will attain all the merits you can ever hope to achieve as a result”.

If you collect the taxes (said to be one sixth of one’s earnings) from your subjects and do not ensure their protection, then you end up attracting one fourth of the sins committed by the erring subjects from time to time.

The story of Hayagriva

Vyasa, then, continued to describe the story of an ancient king by name Hayagriva. There are no details available about the king other than what is given here. (There was a demon by the same name who was killed by an incarnation of Vishnu as fish. That story is more famous, mentioned in many of the epics). In the few stanzas outlining the story the poet uses synonyms (of the word Hayagriva which means one with a neck resembling that of a horse) such as Vaajigriva and Aswagriva. Each stanza ends with a refrain. We have a few translated here with the refrain in the same meter (with four lines of eleven syllables each) to give a taste of the poetry.

The king died at the end of performing acts that destroyed the enemies and protected the subjects. Now, “Vaajigriva in heaven merrily lives (Vaajigrivo modate swargaloke)”.

After facing enemies he sacrificed his life when all his weapons were destroyed in the conflict. And, “Vaajigriva in heaven merrily lives”.

It was a (religious) sacrifice that Hayagriva performed with the bow (as the sacrificial post or Yoopam), arrows (as the wooden ladle offering the ghee– sruk), the chariot (as the platform for the sacrifice – vedi), the four horses (as the four Vedas), the blood that flowed (as the sacrificial ghee – aajyam) and the war itself (as the fire). At the end, “Vaajigriva in heaven merrily lives”.

The example of king Senajit

Here again, we know about the king only from the few lines mentioned in Mahabharata in this context. We do not even know to whom he spoke. Vyasa quotes the words of the king to console Yudhishhira.

“This killing when you think of it is just a name, only a way of looking at it. What is the use of mourning the death of people you care? After all, who are they and who are we? If you think of others as you think of yourself, then there is no cause for further sorrow”.

“There will be thousands of reasons for a fool to feel sorry about. Not so for a wise person. Joy and sorrow come by turn to all living beings. You must rise above all such temporary joy and sorrow to attain permanent happiness”.

“It is the duty of kings to come out of the sorrow and taken upon the task of ruling the land”.

Yudhishthira, in response, referred to the story of Yayati to point out how important it is to control desires. (This famous story appears at the beginning of our epic, given in 2-3 episodes just before the game of dice. Yayati was not satisfied with the youthful joys even at old age. He asked his sons for a temporary exchange of their youth with his old age. All except Puru refused. Yayati continued to enjoy life with the borrowed youth of his young son, Puru. Finally, he realized that yielding to passion was like pouring oil to fire. It only burns it further. One of the sons who refused was Yadu. He originated the Yadavas, the race to which Krishna belonged. Puru was the ancestor of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas ). The Pandava continued to feel sorry for the death of Dronacharya and the young and valorous Abhimanyu. He felt personally responsible for these. He also considered himself instrumental in the fall of his grandfather, the formidable Bhishma.

(To be continued)

Yudhishthira’s Grief (Part 3)

Introduction

There are four prescribed paths of life called celibacy (Brahmacarya), married life (Gaarhasthya), the life of a recluse (Vaanaprastha) and sainthood (Sanyaasa). These are institution (varNa aaSrama) with specific purposes (Dharma). Ideally, one passes through all the four in that order. Education takes place during the first. There were many who remained in that institution throughout life. At the third stage the married couple retires to a forest after handing over their worldly affairs to their children. It is the stage to prepare one for the final sage, sainthood.

Most of the great sages, even the Vedic Seers, remained in the third stage. The final one is said to be only for the exceptional cases where man is mentally prepared to abandon all worldly possessions and desires.

It may be mentioned that the four parts (of each of the four Vedas) – the Samhita, BraahmaNa, AaraNyaka and Upanishad – have been compiled out of the Vedas for these four paths, respectively.

Nakula’s words

Yudhishthira was apparently not convinced listening to the wise words of his brothers. Then, Nakula talked in his own way.

He said. “One should not escape from one’s duty which, for a king, is to rule the land. It is said that the sages once weighed the four paths of life and found that that of a Grihastha (one leading a married life) weighed more than the other three together. You can do a lot to the world while leading a worldly life. You also do what is due to the gods and to your ancestors while leading this path. What is important is that all your actions are done with complete detachment. This is by far the most difficult”.

Sahadeva joined the others and pleaded with his senior brother to rule the land following the prescribed path.

Yudhishthira remained silent after listening to the words of his four brothers.

Draupadi speaks.

Note: The Caataka is the proverbial bird that has a hole in its neck. Hence, it cannot drink water (or eat food) in the normal way. It is said that the bird remains flat on its back waiting for the rain to quench its thirst.

Then, the Pandava queen spoke what was in her mind. She said. “Oh, son of Pritha (Kunti)! Your brothers are looking to you like the Caataka bird so that they can enjoy the worldly life. They had spent thirteen long years under snow and rain waiting for this day to come. Had you not promised them in the Dwaita forest that you, in the company of your brothers, would defeat Duryodhana in war and enjoy the riches of the land? Why are you turning away from your own words now?”

(Draupadi speaks of the boundaries of the Bharata empire in this context. The proverbial mountain, Meru, is said to be at the centre of the land. Four islands occupy the four sides of it – the jambu to the South which contains the present day India, the kraunca to the west, the bhadraaSwa to the North and the Saaka to the East. These names are consistent with what is given in the ancient Indian geographic texts. The world was said to be composed of seven islands at that time).

“You did not get this land by charity, but, won it the hard way. Please do not turn your back on your duty which is to rule this land in the glorious tradition of your ancestors”.

Arjuna spoke at that time of the need to mete out just punishment to the offenders and thereby protect the peace loving citizens. Bhima called on his brother to assume the role of the emperor and conduct an Aswamedha ceremony.

Yudhshthira was still not in agreement with the rest and continued to talk of the ideal life of saints.

Arjuna reminded his brother the story of Janaka (the father of Seeta, the wife of Rama, in the famous RamaayaNa epic) who was a great scholar. King Janaka at one time wanted to abandon the kingdom and retire to the forest. It was his queen who convinced him of the need to return to the land and to rule the empire.

Yudhishthira remained unconvinced. Among the sages who had assembled, one by name Devasthaana tried to argue against the decision of Yudhishthira quoting the words of Brihaspati, the wise counsel to Indra, the king of gods. Even then, Yudhshthira remained adamant.

Sage Veda Vyasa joined the rest in an attempt to prevail on Yudhishthira.

The story of Sankha and Likhita

Vyasa narrated the story of two brothers, Sankha and Likhita, who were sages of great learning and of great meditative powers. The younger brother, Likhita, happened to pluck some fruit from a tree near the hermitage of his brother while the latter was not around. When Sankha returned he found the fruits missing. When asked, Likhita admitted to his eating the fruits.

Sankha reminded his brother that what he did amounted to stealing. He should approach the king and receive whatever punishment he meted out for the offense.

Likhita, accordingly, went to the king by name Sudyumna (sudyumna). The king was aware of the greatness of the sage and tried to evade the issue. But, Likhita persisted. Then, the king had to pronounce the judgment which was to chop off the two hands of the offender. The sage accepted the punishment with calm. He, then, went to his brother holding his bleeding hands up. Sankha asked his brother to take a dip in the nearby river by name Baahuda and offer prayers to gods (tarpaNam). Likhita did accordingly. To his surprise new hands appeared in place of the ones that were chopped off.

Likhita returned to his brother and reported the miracle. Sankha said. “There is no miracle here. I created them out of my power from meditation”.

Surprised, Likhita asked. “Then, why had I to undergo this ordeal? You could have purified me off my guilt in the first place”.

Sankha replied. “No, it is the duty of the king to punish the offender. I wanted Sudyumna to do his part”.

The moral of the story, Vyasa explained, was that the king has the duty to protect the land from offenders. It is a difficult one. But, he alone can do it. It needs to be done so that justice prevails in the land.

(To be continued)

Yudhishthira’s grief (Continued)

The words of the sages and of Kunti could not lift the sagging spirit of Yudhishthira. He continued to sulk over the death of Karna. He spoke to Arjuna.. “We better had continued with our life in the forest begging for food. We would not have committed this sin in that case. The very duty of kings (Kshatriya) is itself faulty. What is the use of power and valour? It was also wrong to keep enmity with our own people. What we have gained with all that is remorse beyond redemption”.

“Think of the sages who live in forests. They are gentle in nature, tolerant and are always at peace with oneself and with others”.

“What has happened to the dreams of the mothers who bore all those killed in the war? They would have counted on their children, thinking that they would grow powerful. Instead, they have left for the other world without looking after their parents, who took care of them in childhood, in their old age”.

“For what gain did we kill those who deserved our care and protection? - merely, for the land and the riches”.

“Now that we have committed this crime, what is the way out? The Vedas say that atonement is by one of the following ways – by remorse, confession, giving gifts, meditation, pilgrimage, by repeating the text from the scripts over and over again (Sruti-smruti-japa) and by giving up all possessions. Out of these, the last is our resort. I want to retire to forest leaving the land in the care of my brothers”.

Yudhishthira fell silent after speaking the above words.

Arjuna speaks

Arjuna did not like the stand taken by his elder brother. He countered his brother’s arguments with his own reasons.

“Why are you affected so much by the events? We have rightly fought the war and won it the hard way. Do you want to leave everything at this stage? Then, why had we to kill all those veteran fighters? What will the people say when they see you begging around with a bowl in hand, you who possessed the richest of lands? Begging is for the poor and sages, not for kings”.

“The gods have, themselves, set an example for us. How have they retained their position in heaven? By fighting and winning against the demons who are their step brothers (The gods and the demons are born of the same father, kaSyapa prajaapati, to two different mothers, aditi and diti ). In the process, they have killed so many of their enemies. ”.

“Please remember one thing. You need wealth (artha) to achieve anything in this world, may it be to perform one’s duty (dharma), to fulfill one’s desires (kama) and even to attain salvation (moksha). (These are three of the four objectives of human life called Purushaartha. The first, Artha, is only a means to achieve the other three). This kingdom of yours has been handed down to you from great monarchs like Dileepa, Nriga, Nahusha, Ambareesha and Maandhaataa. What you need to do now is to perform the horse sacrifice (Aswa medham) that is prescribed for emperors with unquestioned authority. Please do not even think of any other path”.

Yudhishthira’s response

Yudhishthira replied. “I stick to my stand. I am going to leave all these royal attire and change to one made of the bark of trees. I shall then mat my hair and leave for the forests alone. There I shall spend my days deep in meditation, sustaining my life eating fruit and roots”.

“In the forests, my sole companions will be wild animals and birds. The only music I listen to will be the noise they make. The sight of beautiful flowers and enjoying the smell will be my only pleasure. I shall expose myself to cold air and rain and thus temper my body”.

“I shall get rid of all desires and attain equanimity in mind and thoughts. Thus I shall spend the rest of my life”.

Bhima speaks

Bhima intervened at that point and spoke. “Brother, you speak words of wisdom (Veda) like a half witted person. If we had sensed your thoughts earlier, then we would not have taken the very trouble of fighting the war in the first place. Our effort is like that of someone who dug a well for a long while and stopped, soaked in mud all over, without finding water; or like that of a man who climbed up a tall tree with a lot of effort, found honey, but got down without eating it. Your action will be the same as killing so many and committing suicide at the end”.

“The scripture approves of forest life for a king in his old age or if he is defeated by an enemy. If living a life without harming others for salvation is your aim, then you should have taken birth as a tree or a hill. They do no harm to others. Thus, they must qualify for a place in heaven”.

“Please do not get into this vain talk on philosophy. Your duty is to act like a king. Thereby is your salvation”.

Arjuna’s story

Arjuna narrated a story when Bhima stopped. A few young Brahmins left their homes for a life in forest, leaving their parents and family members behind. Indra felt pity on them for their ignorant action. He appeared before them as a bird and advised them to return to their homes. Indra (as the bird) pointed out that their duty was to live the life of a house holder (grihastha) and follow the prescribed path (dharma). That was superior even to the life of a recluse in the forest. It is said that the Brahmins followed the advice given by the bird and reached heaven at the end of their normal family life.

Arjuna concluded saying, “you are well versed in the scriptures and your duty is to rule this land with courage”.

(To be continued)

Yudhishthira in grief

The new book titled “the book of peace (Saanti parvam)” starts with the long chapter, “Instruction on the duty of kings (raja dharma anuSaasana parvam)”. Nearly five thousand stanzas of poetry are contained in this chapter alone.

Kunti reveals her secret

It was in the context of the last rites for the dead that Kunti revealed the secret of Karna’s birth to her other sons. (This was done in the final section of the last chapter. We had covered that much earlier). She wanted her sons, as the younger brothers, to perform the ritual themselves for Karna. Already Yudhishthira was overwhelmed with grief on account of the killing of all his kith and kin. The curse on Krishna and the Yadavas by Gandhari took his grief to new heights. The awareness, that the one whom he and his brothers had taken all along as the worst of enemies and one whom Arjuna killed at his own pressing request was, in fact, his elder brother, was too much for the righteous Pandava to bear.

Several sages lead by the venerable Narada paid a visit to the Pandavas at that time. Their mission was to congratulate the Pandavas on their great victory, at the same time to condole them for the loss of their dear ones.

Narada addressed Yudhishthira and said. “It is fortunate that you won this great and virtuous victory with your own strength and with the help of Krishna. Hope, you have not stored undue grief in your mind along with all the riches that you have amassed in your coffers”.

That question made Yudhishthira to lose control of his pent up emotions. He replied. “You are right in one respect. I have won this war with the blessing of Krishna and of Brahmins (like you) and with the prowess of Bhima and Arjuna. Yet, my mind is in turmoil on account of the great loss of life of my own people. I feel defeated than won a victory in this war. Look at the ladies like Draupadi and Subhadra who are disconsolate in their sorrow”.

The elder Pandava, then, told the sage the secret of Karna as was just revealed by his mother. He continued. “None of us realized that we fought against our own brother and killed him. We had heard about the visit of our mother to him and the promise he had made to spare four of us in battle. Yet, we did not suspect that the truth could be so tragic. In fact, now I remember that I often wondered at the resemblance of his feet to those of my mother. Why did we have to kill him? Why the wheels of chariot had to stick in mud at the crucial point in the battle?”

The curses on Karna

It was then that the sage narrated the story of Karna, how he was denied the knowledge of Brahmaastra by Drona, how he ended up as the disciple of “Rama with the axe (Parasurama)” and how all that effort was wasted because of the curse by his teacher.

Karna had approached the tempestuous Rama in the guise of a Brahmin. The ploy of a demon that attacked Karna taking the form of an insect did the damage. Karna had borne the pain with courage with the intent of not waking up his teacher who was sleeping on his lap. Parasurama did not have to think hard to see through Karna’s lie. A Brahmin, soft by nature, would not have tolerated the pain with that much courage. Parasurama cursed Karna that the latter would forget all that he had painstakingly learned when needed.

Narada also narrated the curse of another Brahmin whose cow was killed by Karna by mistake. It was this curse that caused the wheel of Karna’s chariot to sink at the crucial moment.

We had covered these stories earlier.

Karna’s tales of heroism

Sage Narada continued, going into the heroic deeds of Karna. He had helped Duryodhana to take the princess of Kalinga by force in the middle of her marriage (Swayamvaram). The kings who had gathered there in the hope of winning the hands of the princess had challenged Duryodhana for a fight. It was Karna’s skill alone that foiled their attack.

The great Jaraasandha of Magadha later invited him for a duel when he had heard about the pursuits of the latter. The king who had never tasted defeat (whom Bhima later killed before the war) realized that he was about to be beaten. At that point he gave up the fight and gifted Karna with the kingdom of Anga.

The sage also told Yudhishthira how Indra induced Karna to gift him with the “in-built” armour and protecting ear rings (kavaca and kundala). It was in return that the king of gods gave the unfailing weapon, the Sakti, to Karna. Unfortunately for Karna, that was wasted on the son of Bhima, the powerful Ghatotkacha.

The intention of Narada was to soften the feelings of Yudhishthira by going into the greatness of Karna. The sage also tried to impress on the Pandava that circumstances lead to the downfall of his elder brother. There was no need to feel guilty for something that was inevitable.

A curse

Kunti tried in her way to console her son. She explained how hard she had tried to win her first born to the side of the Pandavs. If she had succeeded, Karna would have been alive now. Unfortunately, her elder son was adamant. She meant to say that there was no need to feel guilty. Karna refused to save himself from the impending tragedy.

But, the words of his mother took Yudhishthira’s mind in a different direction. All the tragedy could have been avoided, if only his mother had revealed her secret in time. So, it is said that the Pandava put a curse on all women in the world. “May women, henceforth, never be able to keep a secret!”

(To be continued)

The sorrow of Gandhari

Gandhari visited, as we have seen in the last episode, the places where her sons lay lifeless as victims of the recent war. Her sorrow grew in leaps and bounds as she went from one body to the other. It reached the peak when she saw the body of Duryodhana. Seeing the wasted life of the young and valorous Abhimanyu was also too much for the good Gandhara queen to endure.

Gandhatri, next, proceeded to the various places where Karna, Salya, Drona and other veteran Kauravas and Pandavas had fallen. She also paid a visit to Bhishma who was mortally wounded by the arrows of Arjuna. The grandsire was still waiting for the auspicious time of the summer solstice (uttaraayaNa) for his death. He had such a boon that his end was at his command.

A curse on Krishna

The gentle queen of the Kauravas had already undergone undue sufferings during the past thirteen months. Things had gone out of her control one after the other. Heinous crimes were committed by her own sons against their cousins. The war was still to be avoided at all costs. She had failed even there to impose her will. The war in turn caused great tragedies culminating in the virtual destruction of the entire race of the Kurus. The pious lady lived through all that. Now, finally on the battle field, the good Gandhari saw with her own eyes the trail of destruction, of all her children and of so many other great heroes.

The pious lady turned to her companion and saw in him the man who could have prevented the disaster. Krishna, certainly, could have found a way out, if he so wished. Did he try hard enough? Or did he want events to turn this way for some reason?

The Kaurava queen was overwhelmed with sorrow and anger. She turned to Krishna and said. “Krishna, you were quite capable of preventing this tragedy. Why did you abandon the Kauravas and the Pandavas who were your kinsmen? You surely will have to suffer for this. With all the power I must have acquired through my single minded devotion to my husband I put this curse on you. At the end of thirty six years from now the Yadava women will be in the same situation as the ladies in Hastinapura are currently in. Yes, the Yadavas will perish by fighting among themselves. You, after the death of all your own people, shall also meet your death at the hands of a hunter!”

Krishna did not lose his composure even when he heard the hard hitting words of Gandhari. He replied. “I already have anticipated this. In a way I do not entirely resent this. No other human race, not even the gods will be capable of bringing down the Yadava race. They will destroy themselves by mutual fighting.”

The Pandavas were shocked to hear the curse and Krishna’s response to it. The death of so many of their dear and near ones had already saddened the hearts of the Pandavas. It is said that they felt even more dejected with life as a result.

The chapter of the wailing women ends here.

The next chapter, on “performing the last rites (Sraaddha parvam)”, starts with Krishna’s words. He asks Gandhari not to lose heart from grief. Krishna said. “Get up, Gandhari, reign in your grief. You have to blame yourself for the death of all these great warriors, because you failed to control your own son who was jealous towards the Pandavas. Why do you blame me for your failure? You end up with a second tragedy when you unduly grieve on account of the dead or what is lost”. Krishna’s words had the desired effect on the Kaurava queen and she controlled her emotions with great effort.

We get an insight into the profundity of Krishna’s character from the above. Let us remember that these words came from him immediately after Gandhari put a devastating curse on Krishna and his clan.

To the question of Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira gave an account of the dead and those who went missing. The Pandava, further, described the fate of the dead. All had reached heaven. But, the type of heaven (the abode of Brahma, Indra, Gandharavas, etc.) depended on the courage shown on the battle field. Yudhishthira had acquired this knowledge from sage Lomasa (“lomaSa”) during the thirteen years of stay in forest.

Then, as asked by the blind king, Yudhishthira got the last rites performed for the dead.

In the next episode we enter the twelfth and the biggest book of Mahabharatam called the “Book of Peace”. It contains the codes of conduct for kings as instructed by sage Vyasa, and Bhishma from his death bed, to Yudhishthira.

The ladies in the battle field

The new chapter “of the wailing women (stree vilaapa parvam)” starts with the ladies of Hastinapuram moving to the battle field in search of their dear ones. Krishna blessed Gandhari with sight to see the dead heroes even without removing her blindfold. With that she moved into the field in search of her sons killed in the recent war.

The battle scene

What the Kaurava ladies saw was highly distressing. Thousands of bodies lay scattered all over with limbs and hair separated. Those who were killed fighting were believed to attain heaven reserved for the heroes (“veera swargam”). They were not given the usual cremation meant to ensure that the departed soul reaches the world above without delay. That may be the reason why the dead were left unattended in the battle field. The result was that it became the feeding ground for an army of carnivorous birds and animals. That was an unforgettable sight for Gandhari , Kunti and others in the group.

As the ladies drove in on chariots they saw jackals and eagles pulling on dead bodies. The sight was so shocking that many fell down from the chariots. Some lost consciousness altogether.

Gandhari called Krishna to her side and spoke. “Krishna, look at these daughters-in-law of mine who have lost their husbands. See, how they are crying like birds in distress. They find the bodies of their dear ones being pecked and pulled by eagles with golden wings. See how great warriors like Drona, Karna and your own nephew, Abhimanyu have become feed for these carnivores. These great warriors and princes should have been sleeping comfortably on silken beds at this time. Instead, they lay on the bare ground. They were used to be woken up in the morning by the song of court musicians. Instead, they lay drowned by the cry of wild birds. Meanwhile jackals and wolves pull on their golden ornaments in an effort to tear the flesh off their body”.

“My daughters-in-law are overwhelmed by the sight. Many beat on their chest and forehead in grief. Often they find the body of their dear ones with the head nowhere in sight. Many are looking for the body after getting hold of the head. A few of them try desperately to place the detached limbs back on the body (as though they hope to bring life back to it)”.

“I must have sinned greatly in my past lives that I have to watch this terrible scene today”.

Near the body of Duryodhana

Soon Gandhari reached the body of her first born. In spite of the best of her resolve to be brave she fell down unconscious at the sight of her beloved son. She embraced the body and started repeating the word “my son!” again and again. She then spoke to Krishna who was by her side. “See, Krishna, how my son lies in the bed (of soil) meant for the heroes. He appears like an elephant that was killed by a lion. Beautiful ladies of the harem attended on him in the past. Now, herds of jackals scavenge on his body. His dear wife is at his side wailing uncontrollably. She is wiping the blood off his body and beating on her head out of grief. I am surprised that my head does not break up into thousand pieces even after watching this pitiable scene”.

Gandhari, accompanied by Krishna and the rest, went to the body of all her other sons. The sight of each of her sons increased her sorrow in leaps and bounds.

The sight of the valerous Abhimanyu

The group of mourners moved on and reached the place where Abhimanyu lay killed on the thirteenth day of the war. His wife, Uttara, was already at his side wailing uncontrollably. The princess of Matsya was heard talking to her dead husband and wailing at the same time. Gandhari narrated the scene to Krishna. She said. “Krishna, it appears that the glow has not yet disappeared from the handsome body of your dear nephew even after death. See, how Uttara is trying to remove the blood soaked armour from his body. She, then, is stroking all over his body and crying pitiably. She also embraces him and even kisses his face as though she feels that her husband is still alive. See how the beautiful wife of Abhimanyu is looking at you and at the lotus like eyes of her husband which are closed for ever. Finding the resemblance she gets into deeper and deeper sorrow. No wonder that she must be finding your resemblance in him not only in appearance but also in his valour. Can you hear what Uttara says?”

The old Kaurava queen then repeated the words of Uttara addressed to Abhimanyu. “Are you not hurt lying down on this bare ground? You have spread your arms, resembling the trunk of an elephant, as though you are relaxing after doing some physical exercises. Why are you not speaking to me, though I have not done anything wrong to you? Where are you gone leaving your parents and me behind?”

Uttara could be seen shifting the head of Abhimanyu to her lap and continuing with her wailing. “Who could have dared to kill you, the son of Arjuna and the nephew of Krishna? How can I pardon the veteran Drona, Karna and other Kauravas for attacking you from all around in the most cowardly manner? I cannot even excuse my own people, the Matsyas and the Pandavas, to let you all alone in the midst of the mammoth Kaurava army. How can Arjuna continue to live even after seeing that you have been killed?”

Uttara continued. “My dear husband, when you enjoy yourself in heaven in the company of beautiful Apsara girls, will you think of me? It is my fate that I was given only six months of your company. Then, here you lie killed in battle”.

Ladies of the Matsya kingdom tried then to take Uttara away in an effort to pacify her. They, then, moved to the place where their king, Virata lay killed by the arrow of Drona.

(To be continued)

In the presence of the Kaurava queen

The Pandavas went next to Gandhari with the blessings of Dhritarashtra. The Kaurava queen was a living example for an ideal wife totally devoted to her husband. She had blindfolded herself the day she heard of her betrothal to the blind king. From that day the noble Gandhari lived a life of purity performing austerities as prescribed for a queen.

The daughter of the Gandhara king stood for truth and righteousness in all her thoughts and deeds. She held herself high above board even in the quarrel between her sons and their cousins, the Pandavas. Yet, the death of all her hundred sons was too much for the mother in her to overcome. Hence, when the arrival of the Pandavas was announced her mind went out of control for a moment. Her immediate impulse was to punish them with a curse for the death of her sons.

Vyasa to the rescue

Sage Veda Vyasa could sense the mood of his daughter-in-law in time. He promptly arrived on the scene speaking words to calm down the Kaurava mother. Vyasa said. “The daughter of Ganfdhara, do not vent your anger on the Pandavas. Your son had approached you eighteen days ago (at the start of the war) for your blessings. Did you not say at that time that victory will be where there is righteousness (Dharma)? The Pandavas have won because truth was on their side. If you curse them now for it, it will be highly an unrighteous act. You are an embodiment of patience. It befits your character to forgive the Pandavas for their righteous acts”

Gadhari was pacified by the words of the sage. She replied. “I do not envy the Pandavas nor do I want to see their destruction. My mind went astray because of my pain from the death of my children. I know that the fault was on the side of my children. I agree that Bhima, Arjuna and the other Pandavas were not wrong in killing them. But, why did Bhima have to hit my son below the navel with his mace, that too, while Krishna stood watching? Will honourable men abandon codes of conduct and try to win war at any cost?”

Bhima’s defense

Bhima got somewhat scared of the fury of his aunt. He lamely replied. “I was worried about my own life and acted without thinking what was right or wrong. I confess that I could not have defeated your son without employing tricks that were forbidden. Please forgive me for that. All the injustice committed by your son on us blew up the rage in me like wild fire. Mother, your son’s acts made him our enemy deserving to be punished with death at all costs”.

Gandhari agreed that Bhima had every right to take revenge on her son. But, she asked. “But then, why did you drink the blood of my other son, Dussasana, something which is unheard of as ever committed by any honourable men?”

Bhima tried to defend himself to that by saying that he actually did not drink the blood. He had promised Draupadi of revenge with the blood of Dussasana. That was all that he had done.

Even letting that lame excuse of Bhima to pass, Gandhari finally asked. “Why did you not spare at least one of my hundred sons to support the blind parents in their old age?” There was no reply to that from any who stood around

Gandhari’s wrath

The noble queen then asked for Yudhishthira. The eldest of the Pandavas presented himself before the blind folded queen with trembling and folded hands. Gandhari did not speak anything to her nephew and tried to turn her face down to control her anger that was still raging in her. But, the sight of her burning eyes escaped through the gap of her blind fold and fell on the toe nail of the Pandava. It is said that that part of Yudhishthira was charred to black immediately. Arjuna was awe struck observing the tragedy and hid behind Krishna to save himself.

The gentle Gandhari soon recollected herself and blessed the Pandavas with prosperity.

With Kunti

The Pandavas next went to their mother. Kunti was overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of her sons after such a long time. She had suffered so much during the past thirteen years and more. She had also lost all of her grand children in the war. She covered her face with her upper garment and wept silently. She then embraced her children one by one. Their bodies were still sore with all the wounds they had received from the heavily fought war. Kunti stroked her hands gently over the wounds and blessed them with long life.

With Draupadi

While all this took place, the normally brave Draupadi was weeping uncontrollably lying down on the ground. She had lost all her sons and brothers. The Pandavas and their mother tried to console her. She addressed Kunti and said. “What use is for me with the kingdom that was won at the cost of my sons’ life?” Kunti tried to console her with wise words. “Daughter, do not torment yourself in this manner. We are all equally affected by this tragedy. Think that it is fate that has taken the lives of our dear ones. Let us console ourselves that those who die fighting a war are not to be mourned. (They have gone to heaven).”

With this ends the chapter, “Paying the last tributes (jala praadaanika parvam)”. The word “jala praadaanika” means giving water as part of the last funeral rites. But, it may be noted that there is no mention of that in this chapter. There is a later chapter which covers that aspect.