Battle Beyond Kurukshetra | P.K. Balakrishnan

February 22, 2023Pandian Ramaiah Leave a comment

Writer Jayamohan has extensively discussed and written about the novel ‘Ini Njaan Urangatte’, including during a discussion about his Venmurasu novel series at Ang Mo Kio library in 2016.

I didn’t think twice before borrowing this novel from the reference section of the library, which is allowed to be borrowed.

Jayamohan states that this novel is a deep lament; an emptiness. The emptiness that came after a loathed war. After the fierce conflict between the brothers had taken away everyone from this beautiful planet, this tranquil emptiness was an expression of overwhelming feelings. Agony and distress everywhere.

Karna is the protagonist of this novel, which tells the story of the aftermath of his tragic death in the Mahabharata. Karna was known for his unparalleled physical and mental strength and his ability to win over everyone with his charm. Despite his immense power, he ultimately lost and died. This story evokes the fascination of readers due to the unique circumstances of Karna’s life: despite being born into a high-status family, he was raised as the son of a charioteer, was ridiculed and shamed as a ‘suda-putra‘, and yet managed to remain righteous in the face of adversity, even when faced with difficult decisions. Karna’s story is sure to captivate any reader.

The novel begins with the death of Duryodhana, and within the first two paragraphs, it immerses the reader in its world. It is as if a tornado has swept us up, as the intensity of the scene draws us in. The novel enthralls its audience with the tale of Yudhishthira’s fraternal love. He is eager to uncover the truth behind Karna’s death, and he is filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt, despite other Pandava-s’ rage.

They questioned Yudhishthira, “Abhimanyu and the wise teachers who taught him battle strategies have perished, and Bhishma has fallen on a bed of arrows. Yet, you have never expressed sorrow for them, so why do you now grieve for your opponent Karna?”.

This novel contains exquisite places that evoke strong emotions in the reader.

The way author narrates the Narada’s rebuttal with Yudhishthira about Karna’s battle and the justice and injustice behind the same.
Meeting between Karnan and Kunthi
Meeting between Karna and Krishna
The humiliation of Draupadi
The agony of Duryodhana
The assasscination of Karna

The banks of the Ganges, ravaged by war, are a macabre sight during funerary ceremonies.

Kunti’s anxious expression appears intermittently throughout the novel. Upon learning that Karna is Yudhishthira’s elder brother, Kunti reveals the truth of his birth and requests him to perform the funeral rites for Karna first. Draupadi, like us, has many questions.

Why didn’t you let us know he was your son, Mom? Would it have been possible to prevent this devastating destruction if we had known about his family ties to you?
-Draupadi

During the Pandavas and Kauravas’ training in arms, the Pandava clan and their teachers humiliated Karna due to his birth reasons. Kunti fainted from her intense distress, but did not make any attempt to rescue him. Draupadi wanted to ask Kunti if she would react in the same way to Arjuna.

Yudhisthira was so overwhelmed with his love for his brother that he lost his calm. He wanted to throw away his bow and arrow and go into the forest. On the other hand, Kunti was grief-stricken by the death of her eldest son. The other Pandavas were taken aback when Karna humiliated them during the battle, yet gave them a chance to live.

As the Pandavas grieved for Karna, Draupadi – who harbored an intense resentment towards him – felt isolated. With her sibling and father gone due to the war, she had no one. The compassion the Pandavas felt for Karna, despite his having laughed at her humiliation, seemed paradoxical to her. She wondered if the anguish, deceit and sleepless nights she had endured had any purpose.

Krishna and Kunti reveal the secret of Karna’s birth to him not out of sorrow or affection, but rather to prevent an impending war of annihilation by convincing him to switch sides from the Kaurava camp to the Pandava camp. The scenes of Krishna trying to change Karna’s opinion are captivating.

I wish I had the ability to paint, my friends! If I did, I would have created a beautiful painting of Draupadi with the six Pandavas!

Draupadi questions herself; as a woman, she has grievances about the wrongdoing of her unrighteous husbands. She wonders what kind of dharma they are protecting by making her a pawn in the Hastinapur palace or during their exile. Draupadi’s flustered questions embody the essence of feminism.

She sees Karna’s death as a punishment for his betrayal. Despite her victory in the battle, she felt desolate. She deludedly questioned whether this was what she had wanted. Furthermore, Draupadi lamented her inability to care for her children as a mother. These are the emotional threads of this novel.

Krishna arrived in Hastinapur as a messenger, but was unable to prevent war and returned without success. Before departing, he met with Karna to disclose the truth of his birth. He tried to persuade him to transfer to the Pandava camp and become king, with Draupadi as his queen. However, Karna firmly refused and maintained his loyalty to Duryodhana, who had defended his honor in the Hastinapur arms skill event. When Karna thought about his foster mother Radha, I was brought to tears. I had to put the book down and close my eyes before I could continue. Despite Krishna’s attempts, he was unable to make him change his mind and had to go back.

Kunti encountered Karna while he was worshipping the Sun at midday and offering Dharma to those who are in need. She reiterated what Krishna had said.

It is a futile attempt to express longing for the dead by adorning the cremation bed with sandalwood. It is a senseless and cruel act of futility! Please let us finish this scene soon… What is your motivation for coming here? What should I do next? I am confident that I will agree with whatever you say, so please do not hesitate to provide me with your instructions and let us complete this quickly.
-Karna

The novel depicts Karnan conversing with her and holding back his anger with regret. Even though these are well-known stories, the way they are being narrated surprises the readers.

Karna is a Dharmavan, the elder Pandava and a responsible companion. But, he makes some mistakes. Due to unexpected situations, Draupadi has a grudge against him. She also refuses to marry him citing his birth. So, the deception on one side destroys the other!

As everyone was mourning the loss of Karna, Draupadi was in deep emotional distress, imagining an unexpected scene where she saw Karna seated on the throne and herself sitting by his side as his queen, surrounded by the other Pandavas, safe and secure. This vision occurred on the battlefield where so many had died, and the widows of the fallen were preparing their husbands’ funeral pyres. At one point, Draupadi felt as if she too was one of these widows. I was taken aback for a moment.

Let her rest with the worn-out deception and unfulfilled emotions. I will end my lament here!

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End of radiance – Karna’s end | Mahabharata Paintings

February 28, 2022Pandian Ramaiah 2 Comments

Karna took over as commander in chief of Kaurava army on the sixteenth day, after the fall of Drona. Kaurava army had much hope of recovery after the fall of their great chieftains, Bhishma, and Drona.

Kunti knew about the news. She understood that she could not prevent the clash between her sons. But she wanted to minimize the damage by meeting him. Maybe, I think she might have felt that discussing that with Yudhishthira would not earn her because he did not know the background. Some versions of Mahabharata say that it was Krishna who sent her to seek protection for Pandava-s.

It was early in the morning. Karna was in his morning prayers. Kunti came to meet him. Everybody knew that Karna would donate whatever had been asked. Karna understood her motive and asked her to express her wish in a grudge.

“சந்தனக்கட்டைகள் அடுக்கிய சிதையைக் காட்டி பிணங்களை ஆசை காட்டிடும் வீண்வேலை… அர்த்தமற்றதும் கொடூரமானதுமான வீண் உடற்பயிற்சி! விரைவில் நாமிந்த காட்சியை முடித்துக் கொள்வோம்… எந்த லட்சியம் கருதி நீ இங்கு வந்தாய் – என்பதைச் சொல். இனி நான் மேற்கொள்ள வேண்டிய செயல் என்னவென்பதையும் கூறிவிடு. அச்செயல் என்ன ஆயினும் நானதற்குப் பணிவேன் என்பதை நிச்சயமாக நம்பிக்கொண்டு, சொல்லவேண்டியதை விரைவில் சொல்லி முடித்துவிடு”

The futility of making a carcass happy by showing the pyre stacked with sandalwood. Meaningless and horrible futile exercise! We will finish this scene soon. Tell me what ambition you came here for. Please tell me, what you want me to do hereafter. Complete what you have to say as soon as possible, be confident that I will obey you no matter what.
Ini nan urangattum, BK Balakrishnan

Kunti requested him to come to Pandava‘s camp. Citing his bond with Duryodhana, Karna refused to oblige. She asked for the safety for Pandava-s. Karna assured her she will be known as mother of five sons even after the war, either with Arjuna or with him. Karna left to battlefield after that.

It was difficult for Pandava-s to fight with Karna. Kaurava‘s army had time to take breath after successive loses on the sixteenth day. There was a dispute between Yudhishthira and Arjuna about Arjuna’s failure in tackling Karna. All Pandava-s except Arjuna had fought with Karna and lost before this dispute. Though they lost, Karna did not kill then, as he promised to his mother. Unaware of the reality, poor Pandava-s felt humiliated by Karna.

Shalya – the Madra king and maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva – was appointed as Charioteer for Karna by Duryodhana. Krishna raged a psychological war against Karna with the help of Shalya. As directed by Krishna, Shalya was praising Arjuna often. He pointed to his low birth as well to irritate Karna while fighting.

Karna had a powerful astra (weapon) to kill Arjuna. It had the capacity to Kill Arjuna as well. But it can be used only once. Shayla advised Karna to focus on Arjuna’s chest. Karna was confident about this target, so he focused on Arjuna’s neck and shot it. Krishna pushed Arjuna’s chariot a few inches down. As Shalya expected, the astra missed its target and hit Arjuna’s crown.

“கர்ணா, சிரசினை குறிவைத்து அந்த அஸ்திரம் நீ தொடுக்காதே. குறி தவறிவிடும்…” அதற்குக் கர்ணன் சொல்வான்: “மத்ரேசா உனது கூற்றின் பொருள் எனக்குப் புரிகிறது. ஆனால் லட்சியம் குறிவைத்து தொடுத்திட்ட சரம் தனை மாற்றி தொடுப்பது தர்ம நீதிக்கு உகந்ததல்ல. தொடுத்த அம்பினை கர்ணன் திருப்பி வைப்பதில்லை என்பதை நீ அறியவும்…”

“Karna, do not aim at the neck and shoot that arrow. ” To which Karna will say: “Madresa, I understand the meaning of your statement. But it is not in the interest of moral justice to change the string of my target. Know that Karna will not revoke the his arrow.
Ini nan urangattum, BK Balakrishnan

Unfortunately, the wheel of his chariot got stuck inside the pit. He sought help from Shalya to release it. He refused to help and started abusing Karna’s caste.

Karna highlighted the rules of war and asked Arjuna to hold for some time until he releases his wheel from the pit. While Karna was busy releasing his wheel by showing his back to Arjuna, Krishna asked Arjuna to shoot his arrow to kill Karna. Arjuna refused as Karna was armless. Krishna countered him by saying that poor Draupadi had not shown such dharma when she was disrobed in court. Outraged Arjuna shot his arrow at Karna, which pierced his heart (or beheaded him).

The beautiful and mighty warrior was born in right place at wrong time, faced humiliation allover, did not take anything from this world but donated a lot, ended his life in the battlefield miserably.

Arjuna Slays Karna, page from a copy of the Razmnama, Mughal period

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The lie that killed Drona | Mahabharata Paintings

February 27, 2022Pandian Ramaiah 2 Comments

It was the fifteenth day of war. Drona was unstoppable after he took over as commander-in-chief position after Bhishma. Being his teacher, Arjuna could not raise his bow against him. The cruel killing of the unarmed Abhimanyu changed his mindset. But he could not control his teacher and the cost of lives he imposed on Pandava army.

Krishna suggested a deceptive plan to eliminate Drona. Drona had immense affection for his son Ashwatthama. But he could not be won as he was an immortal warrior. If he died, Drona would lose his will power on the battle field. Krishna suggested to them to make some plan so that he would hear these words.

Bhishma killed an elephant by the name of Ashwatthama on the fifteenth day of war. Drona was surrounded by Pandava-s. They told Drona that Ashwatthama was killed. Drona did not trust their word. He verified with Yudhishthira, who was the Dharma raja among the warriors. Yudhishthira said ‘Yes’ loudly and murmured that he did not know if it was a man or an elephant, so that Drona would not be able to hear it.

Drona felt helpless. The man who killed a number of people during the war, became wordless for those deceitful words. He put his weapons down, sat down, and practiced penance.

Krishna asked Pandava-s to kill him. No one was ready, as Drona was not only a Brahmin but also their teacher. Krishna convinced them that he lived like a kshatriya (warrior), even though he was born as Brahmin. He further affirmed that Drona should die as Kshatriya as well. Dhrishtadyumna – Drupada’s son and commander-in-chief of Pandava’s army – took his sword out of his scabbard. He beheaded Drona to take revenge for his father’s death.

A lie killed Drona – who had an enormous amount of vengeance on his friend, who took Ekalavya’s thumb as tuition fee, and who trained the Kuru princess.

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Rules broken to kill Bhurishravas | Mahabharata Paintings

February 26, 2022Pandian Ramaiah Leave a comment

When Arjuna was in search of Jayadratha, he was hiding behind the Kaurava army. Arjuna got frustrated. Out of incapacity, Arjuna was a bit moody that day.

Bhurishravas was a prince of a Himalayan kingdom. He was part of the Kurukshetra war. He was ferociously fighting with Satyaki, Krishna’s follower. Satyaki’s sons were killed by Bhurishravas in the war field earlier. So as a father, his fatherly love pressured him to avenge Bhurishravas.

Bhurishravas and Satyaki were in a duel that day. Both of them lost their weapons during the scuffle. Later they started fighting with their hands. Bhurishravas hit Satyaki with his fist and dragged him inside the battle ground.

Alerted by Krishna, Arjuna – out of anger, and frustration – shot an arrow at Bhurishravas, which cut his arm. It was a worse violation of war rules to attack him when he is involved in duals that too, from his back. Arjuna should have been given a red card and pushed out of Kurukshetra.

Bhurishravas condemned Arjuna’s malpractice. He sat on the war field to perform Yoga. Satyaki made use of this moment and cut his head – another misconduct from Pandava side.

A prince from a faraway kingdom, fell prey to malpractice of Dharma and died on the red soil of Kurukshetra.

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Jayadratha’s head blown off | Mahabharata Paintings

February 25, 2022Pandian Ramaiah Leave a comment

Pandava-s were unable to save Abhimanyu. The teenage boy was cruelly killed by Kaurava warriors. Yudhishthira tried to save Abhimanyu. But Jayadratha blocked his way. In a way, he wanted to take revenge for his humiliation by Pandava-s, when he wanted to abduct their wife, Draupadi. Arjuna was far away from the location. Finally, no one could save Arjuna’s son. Pandava-s believed Jayadratha should be avenged.

Jayadratha humiliates Draupadi - Raja Ravi Varma — Jayadratha humiliates Draupadi – Raja Ravi Varma

Arjuna took it more personally. He vowed to kill Jayadratha before the end of the fourteenth day war. Otherwise, he would kill himself. (Iravan/Aravan was also his son. He has been killed as well. Arjuna took it for granted. What a partiality!)

Knowing this, the Pandava’s army came with moral power to slash Kaurava-s. But Drona did the trick. He injected the complete Kaurava force between Jayadratha and Arjuna to keep both of them at a safer distance. His plan was to hide Jayadratha until the sun went down so that Arjuna would commit suicide as per his vow. It worked until darkness spread all over.

Arjuna was unable to find Jayadratha. He was frustrated. He had gone insane. He lamented to Krishna. Krishna asked him to calm down and listen to Jayadratha’s exultation in darkness carefully. He asked Arjuna to shoot his arrow in that direction. He also told him that it was not the end of the day as the solar eclipse occurred at that time.

Arjuna shot his arrow. Jayadratha was killed! He was beheaded, Arjuna shot arrow after arrow so that his head would be pushed high and fell on the hands of Jayadratha’s father before it fell down on the ground. As per his own boon, the head of Jayadratha’s father broke into thousands of pieces. Both Jayadratha and his father dead on the same day!

Jayadratha's head falls in his father's lap — Jayadratha’s head falls in his father’s lap

Why did Arjuna take Abhimanyu’s death seriously, while he took Aravan’s death for granted? It is an open question!

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The mutilated Abhimanyu | Mahabharata Paintings

February 24, 2022Pandian Ramaiah Leave a comment

After the fall of Bhishma, Drona became the commander-in-chief of Kaurava army. Though he was a skilled Archer, teacher and master of war tactics, he could not get an opportunity to slay any of the Pandava-s to take revenge for Bhishma’s fall. Karna – who had vowed not to come to the battlefield under the leadership of Bhishma – had joined the army already. Krishna kept Arjuna at a distance from him, as Karna had the weapon to kill him.

As Kaurava-s did not get notable victory for Bhishma’s fall to Pandava’s foul play, Drona was under pressure when he came to battlefield on thirteenth day.

He formed a chakra-vyuga, a circular maze to trap Pandava-s. Yudhishthira fell as a prey. He got stuck inside the chakra-vyuga. Krishna, who was at far-away distance, blew his conch to seek help to save Yudhishthira from other Pandava-s. No one was able to help him. This is when the young upapandava Abhimanyu got into action.

Abhimanyu battling alone in the Chakravyuha

The chakra-vyuga intrigued him. His maternal uncle – Krishna – taught to him on how to save others from this round maze. But he did not teach him about how to eject oneself safely.

So he successfully broke the chakra-vyuga, scattered the warriors in the maze wall, and saved Yudhishthira. Before he accomplished his notable victory, he was surrounded and attacked by the brave warriors of Kaurava army, who were his own relatives.

Karna, Duryodhana, Drona were in front of Abhimanyu. His chariot, bows, sword and spheres were broken. Jeyamohan had portrayed this scene painfully in his novel kaar-kadal of Venmurasu novel series.

தந்தையே, மைந்தனென உங்களிடம் நான் கோருவது ஒன்றுதான். ஒரு தேர்! ஒரு வில்! ஓர் ஆவநாழி! #அபிமன்யு #துரியோதனன் #கார்கடல் #வெண்முரசு #venmurasu #jeyamohan #mahabharat
— pandian ramaiah (@pandianr79) February 23, 2022

An unarmed teenage boy, fought bravely with a wheel of a chariot in his hand. He killed Laxmana Kumara – son of Duryodhana. Angered by this, Duryodhana asked Drona to move the target of Chakra-vyuga from Yudhishthira to Abhimanyu.

Arrows from Drona, Shakuni, Karna, Duryodhana stitched Abhimanyu and cut him into pieces. A brave boy – who fathered the next generation of Kuru clan – was killed tragically. Yudhishthira must have suffered the same fate instead of Abhimanyu. Dharma raja Yudhishthira got a life at the cost of his nephew!

The illustrated Mahabharata, Dorling Kindersley India, Penguin Random House, 1st Ed. 2017
The Mahabharata Set Of 10 Volumes, Bibek Debroy
Kaar kadal / Venmurasu by Jeyamohan

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A excruciating war starts | Mahabharata Paintings

February 22, 2022Pandian Ramaiah Leave a comment

Pandava finished their exile life

Pandava-s sought refuge at Virata's palace — Pandava-s sought refuge at Virata’s palace and completed their incognito life

Gaurava-s sniffed about Pandava-s hiding in Virata. They attacked Virata without giving any opportunity for Pandava-s. There was a small war in which Arjuna fount as Brihannala. Virata-s won the war to save their kingdom with Brihannala/Arjuna’s help. With that, the 13 years of exile life came to an end!

They exposed themselves to Virata. Virata apologized for treating them as servants. In turn, Virata offered his daughter Uttara to get married to Arjuna. As Uttara was the taught by Brihannala, Arjuna said he could not marry her. But he would accept her as his daughter-in-law. Uttara married Abhimanyu later.

The messengers

Pandava-s took temporary shelter. They sent messengers to Hastinapur to ask Duryodhana to return Hastinapur. Duryodhana refused. Messengers came back empty handed. Krishna felt it was the final chance to avoid war. He himself went to Hastinapur as a messenger carrying Yudhishthira’s message.

Krishna meets Duryodhana

Duryodhana understood about Krishna’s arrival. He arranged for food and shelter on his way. But Krishna refused to enjoy his hospitality. Even after Hastinapur, he refused to stay at the palace. He stayed at Vidura’s house.

The negotiation started. Duryodhana was adamant in his claims. He was a good ruler. He rules both Hastinapur and Indraprastha without any concerns. He asked Krishna, why should he return his kingdom, while he offered good governance.

Krishna made it clear that he did discuss the good or bad governance there. The discussion is about his promise to give back Indraprastha after Pandava’s exile. It was a failed negotiation. Krishna asked for five villages, then five houses. Duryodhana refused to give even five inches of land. Krishna warned him not to pave the way for the destruction of families on both sides. It looked trivial argument to Duryodhana. Krishna then warned him that Pandava-s would meet them in Kurukshetra. Let that red soil decide who holds the dharma. Being angry at his statement, Duryodhana ordered his squad to arrest Krishna.

Krishna as messenger. Duryodhana issue orders to arrest Krishna. Satyaki protests. Image (c) Raja Ravi Varma

Krishna asked him, what did he think about him. Krishna transformed himself into Vishvarupa. The kings assembled over there were spellbound.

Dhritarashtra asked Sanjaya what the kings saw there? As there was no reply, He asked Krishna himself if he could get vision to see him. He had been gifted with vision to see the Vishvarupa. He thought he did not want to see anything else with his eyes there after. He continued to be blind as usual. Kings saw Brahma, the creator god, Lord Shiva, the destroyer in Krishna’s Vishvarupa. The eyes, mouth and ears were fuming. They saw all the creatures inside. That was the end of negotiations. The kings dispersed from the negotiation hall one by one.

Krishna meets Karna

Krishna met Karna before he left Hastinapur. As a great warrior, Karna added an enormous amount of power to Kaurava-s. Krishna wanted to divide and rule Kaurava-s. He asked Karna, why did he support Duryodhana, even if he knows his way is against the Dharma. Karna asserted his commitment to Duryodhana, his friend.

Krishna told him the secret of his birth, the information he wanted to know, the information that will bring him out of his low-birth complaint. Krishna told him that he is the ender son of Kunti. By law, he came the son of Pandu, Hence he is the elder Pandava. He can be the emperor supported by all Pandava-s and Kaurava-s. Draupadi will accept to accept to him as well.

Karna was spellbound. But he recalled Duryodhana’s recognition since the day he appeared against Arjuna during a skill display ceremony. It was due to Duryodhana, he had been crowned as King, that helped him to come out of the low-caste derision. Even with that offer, Karna refused to change his camp.

Duryodhana was confident of his success in war because of Karna, Bhishma, Drona, and himself. Krishna’s effort to stop the war (or divide and rule) did not work out.

Krishna meets Kunti

Krishna met Kunti to ask her, if she had anything to inform his sons. She asked them to fight abiding by the law of war.

Kings taking sides

Both parties have started to finalize their alliance with friendly countries. Yadava army joined Kaurava-s. Krishna joined Pandava-s with a condition that he would not fight. Balarama did not join the war. Rukmi was rejected by both parties. The final collection of troops traveled to Kurukshetra.

Aravan kalapali

Both parties looked for an auspicious time to start the war. It was decided as well. Kaurava-s army has more akshauhini-s than those of Pandava-s. So there was a widespread demotivation among the Pandava army. To motivate the force, troop leaders a self-sacrifice to Kali, the goddess of war.

Self-sacrifice is a cruel form of killing a human being and offering him to God. All humans cannot do this. A man with a predefined set of anatomy would be chosen for this. Among the troops there were three persons with such body features – Krishna, Arjuna, and Iravan/Aravan. Krishna and Arjuna cannot be lost. So Aravan became the natural choice.

Aravan was the son of Arjuna through Ulupi, a Nagini during his visit to north eastern part of Bharatha khanda. Arjuna asked if he is ready to do a self sacrifice. He asked for three boons. To make him as a war warrior; to make arrangement so that he can view the war completely; To find a wife to cry after his death.

First option was agreed.

After he did self-sacrifice, his head would be kept in a place, from where the whole war field could be observed from a bird’s- eye perspective. So the second request was also agreed.

The third option was difficult. To find a bride for Aravan, that too in a war field, is not possible. As per the stories, Vishnu took Mohini form and married him. As per Jeyamohan’s Venmurasu, she was assumed as a third gender, and came with troops. The marriage was conducted. Aravan was given as a sacrifice to Kali by beheading him. The transgender woman cried out loud about her husband. This is celebrated as Aravan Kalappali festival in Tamilnadu, Sri Lanka and Singapore.

The war starts

Pandavas headed by Yudhistira and accompanied by Krishna ask Bhishma permission to start the war

The great war of Mahabharata began at Kurukshetra after blowing the conch Panchajanya by Krishna.

References / Gratitude:

The illustrated Mahabharata, Dorling Kindersley India, Penguin Random House, 1st Ed. 2017
The Mahabharata Set Of 10 Volumes, Bibek Debroy
Senna Vengai / Venmurasu by Jeyamohan

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Eliminating Kshatrias | Jarasandha & Shishupala | Mahabharata Paintings

February 18, 2022Pandian Ramaiah Leave a comment

The Rajasuya Yagna (ceremony) was not that simple to Yudhishthira. It is an ancient process of make all other kings of Bharathakanda to agree that someone is their equal. Not an easy job for Yudhishthira. He want to coronate himself with the support of rest of his Pandava-s, wealth from Panchala, Hastinapur and Dwaraka. In addition, he need a supreme diplomat – Krishna – to make Yudhishthira’s claim uncontested.

Jarasandha

Obviously the mighty king with powerful army – Jarasandha, the king of Magadha – will not agree. His relationship with Yadava-s was not positive, as he wanted revenge for the death of his friend Kamsa – the maternal uncle of Krishna, who killed his own uncle.

Yadava-s had worst experience with Jarasandha earlier. Being scared of him, they moved from Gokulam to Dwaraka, which is far away from rest of the countries.

Jara merges two parts of Jarasandha. Picture (c) Wikipedia

It is impossible to kill Jarasandha. May be, Bhima can fight. Still it will be a fight between two equal wrestlers. Hence Krishna made a conspiracy.

The Brahman-s (priests) had rights to ask Kings for gifts. Kings will not refuse. Jarasandha was not an exception too. Krishna made use of this. Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima disguised themselves as priests. When Jarasandha asked for their plea, Krishna asked him to wrestle with one of them until death.

Bhima fights Jarasandha. Picture (c) Wikipedia

The great warrior Jarasandha chose Bhima as other two were not his match. The fight went on for long time. Krishna suggested Bhima to tear Jarasandha into two parts. After a long fight, Bhima did it. Before he tastes his victory, the body parts joined together.

Bhima and Jarasandha Wrestling - Picture (c) Unknown — Bhima and Jarasandha Wrestling – Picture (c) Unknown

Bhima looked at Krishna confusingly. Krishna showed him a gesture by tearing the a stick and place the pieces in inverted directions. The long fight started again even more ferociously. Finally Bhima teared Jarasandha and broke the two body parts in two different directions in inverted manner. The mighty king Jarasandha was killed. His son was coronated as a puppet ruler, supporting Pandava-s.

Bhima Slays Jarasandha. Image (c) prabhupadabooks

Bhima Slays Jarasandha - Picture (d) Wikipedia — Bhima Slays Jarasandha – Picture (d) Wikipedia

Shishupala

Shishupala and Krishna were cousin. Astrologers predicted that he will be killed by Krishna. Hence Shishupala’s mother requested Krishna not to do so if her son abuses him. Krishna promised her that he will tolerate one hundred times. When it is breached, he said, he will retaliate.

During Yudhishthira’s coronation ceremony, he selected Krishna as the guest of honor. Rest of the kshatriya-s were not happy. Then king of Chedi kingdom, Shishupala, jumped angrily from his seat to object this. He started abusing Krishna one after another a cowherd like Krishna to take supreme seat in the presence of Kshatria-s.

O Madhava! If the Kounteyas are scared and if they have become mean as a consequence of their asceticism, surely you could have enlightened them about what kind of honour you deserve. O Janardana! If in their meanness they offered you a homage that you are not worthy of, why did you accept it? Though undeserving, you set great store on this homage, like a dog that has found an offering of sacrificial ghee and consumes it in private. O Janardana! This is not only an insult to the Indras among kings. The Kurus have also brought out your true nature. O Madhusudana! You are not a king and this royal homage to you is like a wife to the impotent or a beautiful sight to the blind.
Shishupala to Krishna – The Mahabharata Set Of 10 Volumes

When he reached the 100th time, Krishna warned him that he is about to cross the limit of Krishna’s promise to Shishupala’s mother. He did not mind. He resumed his abuse 101th time. Krishna took his Sudarshan chakra – the sharp discus – and beheaded him.

Sishupala Insulted Krishna Picture (c) WebHR art-ma

The count started from here. More and more kings were eliminated both morally and immorally!

Jai Yudhishthira Maharaj!

References / Gratitude:

The illustrated Mahabharata, Dorling Kindersley India, Penguin Random House, 1st Ed. 2017
The Mahabharata Set Of 10 Volumes, Bibek Debroy
Panniru padaikalam, Jeyamohan

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Varanavata palace | Mahabharata paintings

February 13, 2022Pandian Ramaiah Leave a comment

The feud between Pandava-s and Kaurava-s reached a stage where both will not gel any longer. Duryodhana did his best to justify his right over the throne. Vidura justified the right of Yudhishthira on the same. To stop any further escalation, Dhritarashtra suggested building a dedicated palace for Kunti and her sons.

He discussed this with Vidura. He agreed as well. The palace is built at Varanavata, which is far away from Hastinapur. It was near to forest and river Ganga. But the palace was made of lacquer, which is an inflammable material. Vidura understood the conspiracy behind the kind gestures of Kaurava-s.

O scorcher of enemies! From the smell of fat and ghee mixed with lac, it is clear that this house is made of inflammable materials. The evil Purochana has used trusted and well-skilled artisans to build a house with straw, bark and cane, sprinkled all over with ghee. After winning my confidence, he wishes to burn me to death. O Partha! This is the danger that the immensely intelligent Vidura foresaw and warned me about earlier.

எதிரிகளை எரிப்பவர்களே! கொழுப்பும், நெய்யும் கலந்த அரக்கு வாசனையிலிருந்து, இந்த வீடு தீப்பற்றக்கூடிய பொருட்களால் ஆனது என்பது தெளிவாகிறது. பொல்லாத புரோச்சனன், நம்பகமான மற்றும் திறமையான கைவினைஞர்களைப் பயன்படுத்தி வைக்கோல், பட்டை மற்றும் கரும்பு ஆகியவற்றைக் கொண்டு, நெய்யைத் தெளித்து ஒரு வீட்டைக் கட்டியிருக்கிறான். என் நம்பிக்கையைப் பெற்ற பிறகு, அவன் என்னை எரித்து கொல்ல விரும்புகிறான். ஓ பார்த்தனே! வெகு அறிவாளியான விதுரர் முன்னரே முன்னறிவித்து எச்சரித்த ஆபத்து இது.
–Yudhishthira to Bhima, The Mahabharata Set Of 10 Volumes

Vidura warned Kunti about this. He asked them to escape through a tunnel, which connects the house of Lac to the nearby forest. It was built by Vidura to save Pandava-s. Kunti accepted the gift from Dhritarashtra as planned. As expected, the palace was burst into fire as soon as Kunti moved in with Pandava-s.

The tunnel – built by Vidura – saved Pandava-s. As per Vidura’s plan, five men and one woman were thrown inside the fire (Does dharma accept it?!).

Escape of Pandavas from Fire accident — Escape of *Pandava*-s from Fire accident

(c) The Illustrated Mahabharata – https://blog.abhinavagarwal.net

Hastinapur mourned the death of Kunti and Pandava-s. Kaurava-s relieved from their worries, unaware of the survival of their cousins.

References / Gratitude:

The illustrated Mahabharata, Dorling Kindersley India, Penguin Random House, 1st Ed. 2017
The Mahabharata Set Of 10 Volumes, Bibek Debroy

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The serpent’s nectar [short story]

February 12, 2022Pandian Ramaiah Leave a comment

There was a flash of a huge stream of water coming inside a pot hole in the bank of the Ganges. A young Naga, Loban – who was sleeping inside it – awoke in such sudden current of flashing water. ‘Why is the water so fast? Is it the good olden banyan tree with tentacles that fell into the river?’. It had been a few months since Loban was born. He had great pleasure in hunting for tadpoles. Only then did he enter into the worldly life of searching for food and sleeping after food!

He came out of the pool and turned his head to look at both sides. ‘That’s it. This is not wood. Something like a big serpent.’ He bent his body left and right to swim towards it. Not one. Is there a great pair of Naga-s? Not at all. They are human hands. He is human; he may be a monster’.

The monster-like human, who fell into the water, was drowning very fast. Through the opening of his mouth, which was slightly open, air bubbles split his lips and drained his life out bit by bit.

“O Loban! Vrikodara is his name. You don’t have time, my dear little Naga! Inform Aryaka immediately. It is not the right age to take his last breath. He should live.” the Ganges ordered Loban. “At your behest, my holy mother!” Loban bowed his head. He swiftly swam into the darkness of the depths of the Ganges.

***

Vrikodara was lying like a crushed fruit. He slowly opened his eyes. His chest and stomach were burning. Thanks to the poisoned sweets, the taste of the desired dessert was still left in his throat. He started to cough continuously and tried to clear his throat. Finally, he was able to sit upright with tears in his eyes.

“Do not be afraid anymore. You are fine. ” Bhima looked at him. “I am the commander of the Naga-s. My name is Aryaka” he told Bhima. His unblinking and gem like eyes surprised Bhima. It was a vast underworld space filled with the roar of waves. The sand bed sediment of alluvium and clay had accumulated under his feet. “O! the one—with strong hands like a root of the thick wood—you have come to Naga’s kingdom. You have been poisoned. Your hands and feet bound by creepers and vines, you were pushed into the Ganges. Mother Ganga – who graces us – is kind enough to bring you here. ” Aryaka’s voice mixed with the ground water and sounded like a voice from the sky. “Yes.. that’s I.. me.. Mother Ganga told me only..” Loban groaned in a bored and low hissing voice. “Nothing to be concerned about. No poison can transcend us, except for the vengeance that is ingrained in the soul of man! ” Aryaka smiled.

Child bhima fight with Nagas. Image (c) Unknown — Child bhima fight with *Naga*-s. Image (c) Unknown

“O the naga with the graceful eyes! My life belongs to my brother, Yudhishthira. My life was about to be sacrificed in the fire of jealousy. You guarded me. Please accept my thanks. ” Bhimasena clasped his hands and bowed his head. “The hostile enmity that is accumulated in someone’s mind is powerful. It made my cousin feed me poison without consideration. It made him tie my limbs and push me into the river. O naga!—the one who carries rare medicines—though you are a stranger, you not only saved me but also helped me regain the responsibility of protecting Pandava-s from the fore-coming violation of morality. We, the Pandava-s, will be grateful. “

“Kaundeya Bhima! Whom do you call a stranger? ” In an echoing voice, the great serpent – the one with shiny scales on a plump charcoal body, with burning red eyes and sword-like poisonous fangs that gleamed in the light, as well as its brick red tongue dripping out – which flowed into the room to join their conversation.

Bhima poisoned Duryodana. Image (c) Unknown

“Hail the Naga emperor!” Aryaka turned his head and bowed. Aryaka told Bhima, “Vasuki is the king of serpents. You are his guest” . “I – the son of emperor Pandu, the second of the Pandava-s – Bhimasena, I adore and worship the great leader of the Naga-s” Bhima greeted Vasuki. Bhima told the emperor, “I have become forever bound to your mercy, my lord.”

“Kaunteya, I knew that you were pushed into the water. I realized who you are. Your mother is a descendant of Emperor Yadu. Yadu’s wife, Thumravarna, is a Nagini from our clan. Oh the one with the hot blood that swells in your veins! your blood contains Naga’s blood too, my dear son. I am your great grandfather. My clan continued to grow and branch so much to yield you. I am happy. My mind is full of love and affection for you. Come and touch my feet. May I have the pleasure of blessing you, my child! ” Bhima respected Vasuki’s kind words. Bhima is the one with an ever loving childish mind, though he is a nightmare for his cousins. “Bless me, my great father. I was glad to see you. ” the child Bhima bowed at Vasuki’s feet. “God bless you. Let victory and fame be with you always. ” Vasuki blessed him by touching his head and stretched his hand to Loban.

Vasuki received a vase from Loban and gave it to Bhima. “Your visit immerses the city of Bogawati in cheer. You need to stay here as our guest for some time as well, my son. The period ahead is not easy. The seed of the catastrophe has sprouted. Dharma should be guaranteed to win. Let your shoulder have the strength to allow the right Dharma to triumph. I am sure that my clan will thrive. I want to offer you a gift. Here is Nagamirtha (nectar) in this vessel. It is a sweet-smelling drink, but bitter in taste. After you consume it, no poison will harm you in your lifetime. You will get the strength of thousands of elephant, in addition. O the one with the wide chest! This is essential for the path you are going to take. “, said Vasuki.

Bhima is the one who was bitten away by the serpents; he is the one who was fed poisoned sweets. Who else can better realize the importance of nectar than him? Without thinking of anything, Bhima bought it and drank it in one gulp. The Nagamirtha, which went into his food pipe like a stinging liquid, turned violent and made his blood inside his veins turbulent. The chest and stomach burning, caused by the poisoned food, disappeared.

“Thank you for the grace of my forefather, who rescued me from the pain of poison. Your role will be in my success forever. My mother and my brothers will regret not seeing me. I need your permission and blessing to return. ” Bhima requested Vasuki.

Vasuki thought for a moment. After meditating for a while, he said, “All watery elements are different forms of mother Ganga. Vrikodara! She can take the form of milk, aushadhi (tincture), or poison. If it feeds, it is milk. When it saves, it is an aushadhi. When it destroys, however, it is poison. Oh, son of a broad minded mother! May you always be the milk that protects virtue and dharma. Good bye ” He touched Bhima’s head once again and blessed him. Loban stared at Bhima with his unblinking eyes

I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

-A Poison Tree, William Blake

This is an inspiration from epic Mahabharata. This blog post is a part of Blogchatter’s WRITE A PAGE A DAY campaign.