Mahabharat Simple Version

8/9/2019 Mahabharat Simple Version

1/53

We highly appreciate the efforts of all

School Principals and teachers who

have made this Ramayan Yojana

successful, Thanks to one and all.

* Writer : Kalyaniraman Bennurwar

* Publisher : Shri. Mohan SalekarSanskruti Samvardhan Pratishthan, Mumbai& : 2309 4306 / 6027, 2305 0393.

* All rights with the Publisher

* Published on :

1st Edition Guru Poornima Yugabdh 5107( 21st July 2005 )

2 nd Edition Guru Poornima Yugabdh 5108

( 11th July 2006 )

* Sahayogi Mulya Rs. 20/-

* Cover Design & Layouts : Kishore Patil

* Printed by :

* Editorial Board :

Dr. Manohar PingaleDr. Mrs. Kirtida MehtaShri. Jaganniwas IyyerShri. R. S. Pingale

KatharupKatharupKatharupKatharupKatharupMahabharatahabharatahabharatahabharatahabharat


2/53

P R E F A C E

Since time immemorial THE RAMAYAN has been accorded

“the undisputed status of the greatest ever epic” alongwith THE

MAHABHARAT It’s our proud heritage and national pride. Its

acceptance is of such a degree that the ideal Governance is termed

as THE RAMA RAJYA. People even greet one another in the name

of SHREE RAM, JAI SHREE RAM

Our history, culture, society and people’s lives have been

shaped by the ideals of the Ramayan. Even the most ignorant and

illiterate of our crores of villagers know the story of Shree Ram. A

child gets the first lesson of the Ramayan in the mother’s lap during

the infancy. While growing older, the knowledge expands. With each

reading of The Ramayan, understanding about life broadens,

becoming a better person and in the process, a better son, father,

husband, brother, citizen and so on.

Of Late, however, our educational system is getting more and

more away from our fundamental base of the ages. Added to that,

the electronic media, the print media and ever-increasing influenceand pressure of the western and outside world has slowly but surely

not only invaded our drawing room but pollutted and corrupted the

entire culture canvas. Leela, Jatras, Kathakali and other cultural

events do not find audiences. In the nuclear family set-up of today

the mother has to play the role of an economic earner also, affecting

child-rearing. The all important Grand-mother has also no place in

today’s nuclear family.

A child is brought up on the trash purveyed by the idiot box,

cheap paper-back novels and comic books. The child is more

conversant with Spiderman, The Popeye Cartoon Character than

with Shree Ram, or Mata Seeta, Shree Hanuman or Shree Krishna.Thus, the child’s value systems, character and personality are

shaped by the character he sees on the televisions than by the

noble traits of our real ideal Indian characters.

The English, the child picks up, lacks much in grammer, diction

and usage. It jeopardizes the future of our children. What kind of

citizens will they grow up to be ? What will be their value systems ?

Will their sense of identification and belonging to their motherland-

The Bharath Mata-be affected ? Will they have the knowledge of

and admiration for and committment to our ages-old culture and

traditions ? These and several other such questions loom large

before us.

But we do not wish to be pessimistic. All is not lost. We must

start in right earnest and work for a social cultural and intellectual

renaissance. Our efforts in this direction must start with our children.

Simply put, our motto should be, “Catch them Young” And what

better way to do this than by introducing to our young children THE

WORLD’S GREATEST EVER EPIC “ THE RAMAYAN & THEMAHABHARAT” The epic is the virtual encyclopaedia holding within

its pages our Ancient History, Culture, Geography and the

Philosophy. Above all, it contains examples of filial and fraternal

love and affection, love and affection, love of one’s Family, love of

one’s people, love of a ruler for his subjects and the subject’s

reciprocal love for their ruler, Tips on state-craft, Adherence to Truth,

Equality and Justice. In short, the Ramayan reflects all the various

aspects of life in its many splendoured facets.

We have presented “KATHARUP MAHABHARAT” in story

books form Illustrations have been put at appropriate places. The

book has been specially written for the nine - to twelve age groupand the 7th class in particular. The language has been kept simple,

sentences are short. Where ever necessary English meanings of

Sanskrit or use words have been given.

The children reading this “KATHARUP MAHABHARAT” will

need hand-holding to begin with. Parents and teachers may have

to sit down with children and explain certain situations and contexts

of that historical period. We do request you to encourage the

children to read the book aloud. This will help them in developing

feel for words and phrases. It will also enable them to dramatize the

narration.

Finally, we may add that, we are only a narrator of a great

epic written by the world’s greatest learned and eminent poet. It is,

therefore, natural that our narration may have several flaws which

we would like you to bring to our notice, We do certainly welcome

suggestions and comments for improvement.

Our heartfelt thanks to Shantilal Shanghavi Foundation.

Sanskriti Samvardhan Pratishthan, Mumbai

Shreemad Ramayan Parichay Yojana


3/53

I N D E X

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○


4/53

1. Preface

Our land of Bharat is timeless with a history whose antiquity

cannot be dated. Bharat is not only more ancient than any other

land but is also very holy, with innumerable illustrious sages, spiri-

tual leaders, learned souls and great kings and rulers having taken

birth in this nation of ours. There have been countless ruling dy-

nasties in this country. Of these, the great Kuru Dynasty ruled fora few thousand years and established its centralized rule over In-

dia. It was a very powerful and prosperous empire. The Kuru Dy-

nasty is also known as the Bharat Dynasty and later came to be

known as the Pandav Dynasty It naturally occupies a central place

in the study of India’s timeless history.

More than 5,000 years ago, many emperors belonging to the

Kuru Dynasty ruled a vast mass of land that stretched from present-

day Tibet across of the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean in the south

and from Central and West Asia in the west/north-west from

Turkasthan to Java and Sumatra (present-day Indonesia) in the east.Emperor Yudhishtir of the Kurus occupies a significant position

among such rulers. Our motherland was thus a mighty and unified

smoothly organized nation right from ancient times ruled by a unifary

empires.

The Mahabharat, which is the world’s longest and greatest

epic, contains the chronology of about fifty-five prominent kings from

Daksh Prajapati up to Janamejay the grandson of the Pandavas.

However, in this brief work we shall chiefly examine the events in the

lives of the Kauravs and the Pandavs as well as the great

Kurukshetra War that turned Indian society topsy-turvy like noother event had done before.

This Great War was not just a quarrel between brothers for

mere kingdom or property. Many eternal values and questions were

involved in it. Rare was the kingdom or royal dynasty that was able

to escape this great holocaust. It was just before the Kurukshetra

War that Bhagwan Shree Krishna imparted the divine wisdom of

the Geeta to Arjun. Thousands of years later, the philosophy of

the Bhagwad Geeta has proved immortal and timeless and contin-

ues to guide all humanity.

It is our pristine duty to study and thoroughly understand our

true history. It is for this reason that we shall try to understand this

great history of the Mahabharat.

2. Shantanu

In the Ikshwaaku, the most

ancient and powerful dynasties

there once ruled a king by the

name of Mahaabhish. Because

of his virtue and merit, he was

accorded a very high place in

heaven. and given the rare privi-

lege of being a member of thedivine assembly of Brahma, the

Creator.

Once, all the divine rivers

including Ganga came to

Brahma’s assembly in the form

of goddesses. Mahaabhish and

Ganga were smitten by each

other. Seeing this Brahma was

angered and cursed Mahaabhish to be reborn on earth, but also

said that Ganga would be his wife and he would be born in theglorious Kuru Dynasty.

The great and valourous king Hastin had built Hastinapur the

capital of the Kuru Dynasty. It was in this dynasty that Mahaabhish

was born. He was born as Shantanu. In due course of time, his

father king Prateep crowned him king and retired to the forests.

Once Shantanu was out hunting in the forests along the banks

Lotia Nathalal Amritlal, VileParle

Sri. Gunhari, Kurla

--c=_


5/53

of the Ganga. He happened to see a stunningly beautiful woman

and was smitten by her. When he expressed his desire to marry her,

the beautiful damsel put forth a condition: “O king! I shall become

your wife only on the condition that you wil l allow me to do whatever

I please without any question. If you break this condition, I shall

forsake you then and there.”

King Shantanu immediately agreed to her condition. They wereduly married and had a son in due time. Shantanu was extremely

happy, but his happiness was short lived. One midnight, Shantanu

was woken from his sleep when he saw his queen carrying the new-

born baby towards the river. Tiptoeing, Shantanu followed her. The

queen stood with the baby in her arms on the banks of the gushing

river for a while and saying, “I am only doing what you desire,” hurled

the infant right into the water. Seeing this Shantanu shook with hor-

ror and wanted to pounce on his wife. But in the nick of time, he

remembered her strange condition and stood stupefied. The queen

returned as if nothing had happened.

This bizarre episode was repeated seven times with

Shantanu’s queen throwing seven newborn babies into the Ganga.

Shantanu’s grief and horror only increased and when his wife was

about to throw the eighth child, he could tolerate it no longer and

stopped her. Upon this his wife calmly replied: “O king! I am god-

dess Ganga. I became your wife owing to Brahma’s curse and had

to relieve these Vasus of their curse. This eighth child of yours shall

live long and be renowned throughout humanity. But lord, you have

broken your promise and I shall now leave you.” Saying this, Ganga

vanished along with the eighth child.

Shantanu was heart-broken. He found his life totally empty of

any joy after Ganga left him, but continued to rule Hastinapur in a

virtuous and wise manner. Once, he ventured into the forest to the

very spot where he had first met Ganga and stood there for a while.

Shantanu then noticed that the river’s flow kept decreasing. Intrigued

by this, Shantanu went in the upward direction of the flow and saw a

young strong lad, displaying stupendous skill by showering the ar-

rows obstructing the river’s flow. The boy vanished upon seeing the

king, leaving Shantanu speechless with astonishment. He called out

aloud, “Jaahnavi, where are you? Who is this illustrious boy and

how did he become so powerful?” Ganga soon appeared before

him holding the boy by hand. She then addressed Shantanu say-

ing, “Lord, this is your eighth son. His name is Devavrat. I have

ensured that he has learnt all that a kshatriya must learn. This boy

is well versed in all branches of knowledge including the Vedas and

the Vedangas, all the Shastras and the science of warfare. He is

supreme in the science of archery and is invincible in war. He shall

bring everlasting renown to your dynasty. Do take charge of your

great son, O king.” Handing over Devavrat to Shantanu, Ganga

then disappeared.

Shantanu was overjoyed upon receiving his son and took him

to Hastinapur. He then entrusted the responsibilities of the kingdom’s

administration to his son. Devavrat proved himself a worthy leader

and came to be loved and respected by the people of Hastinapur.

3. Bheeshma’s vow

On the banks of the river Yamuna lived the community of fisher

folk. Their ruler was known as Dheevarraj. Once, he found a girl

child in the river and took her home to raise her as her own daugh-

ter. He named her Satyavati, but the strong odour of fish emanating

from her body led her to be called Matsyagandha (smelling of fish).

When Satyavati reached teen age, she used to ferry people acrossthe Yamuna in a boat free of charge.

On one particular day, the stars foretold a different fortune

for the young girl. The great sage Maharshi Parashar boarded

Satyavati’s boat one afternoon. The rishi saw that the girl bore signs

of becoming the mother of a very great soul. He told Satyavati what

the gods had ordained and gave birth to a divine son through her.

Offset Printers, Sewree (w) Sri. Rajendra R. Hedaoo, Mulund


6/53

This boy later became the great Bhagwan Ved Vyas and was re-

nowned throughout the three worlds for his austerity, penance and

supreme knowledge of all things material and spiritual.

Shantanu meanwhile, had still not gotten over his yearning

for Ganga and used to wander the forest indulging in his favourite

pastime of hunting. On one such occasion, he glimpsed Satyavati

and was smitten by her. He approached her saying, “O beautifulone, you seem to be a damsel of divine birth. Will you marry me?”

“O king, I am the daughter of Dheevarraj, ruler of the fisher

folk. You must approach my father in this regard.”

Shantanu approached Dheevarraj asking for Satyavati’s hand

but he put forth one condition, Dheevarraj said, “Only if you agree

to make Satyavati’s son the king of Hastinapur after you, will I agree

to fulfil your demand.” Shantanu was stunned into silence.

How could Shantanu even think of depriving his son Devavrat

of his natural right? The king returned dejected but could not ban-

ish Satyavati from his heart. Devavrat did not fail to notice his father’smental condition and asked him the reason, but Shantanu avoided

giving a straight answer. Devavrat, extremely attached to his father,

found out the real reason after enquiries with the ministers, atten-

dants and the king’s charioteer. He came to know of the entire epi-

sode.

Devavrat then took a few ministers and a small retinue and

set out from Hastinapur to the banks of the Yamuna and met

Dheevarraj. With due respect the prince said, “On behalf of my fa-

ther, I have come to ask your daughter’s hand.”

“O prince, I have no objection whatsoever. But my conditionstands that my grandson alone must become the king.”

Devavrat replied calmly but firmly, “Rest assured. In the pres-

ence of all these Kaurav elders, I promise that I have forsaken my

right to the throne of Hastinapur from this very instant. Your

daughter’s son alone will be the future king.” Everyone was shocked

into silence when they heard Prince Devavrat’s promise.

But Satyavati’s father was not easily convinced. He said, “O

prince, you are truly a great soul to forsake such power without a

second thought. I have no doubt that you shall live up to your prom-

ise. But if your sons refuse to respect your promise, this will lead to

conflict in the family. What is the guarantee that this shall not hap-

pen?”

When Devavrat heard these words, he stood up and ad-dressed Satyavati’s father and everyone else: “Listen Dheevarraj, I

shall set at rest all your doubts and anxieties once and for all. I shall

also fulfil my father ’s wishes. Holding my mother the divine Jaahnavi

(Ganga) who flows through the three worlds as witness, holding all

the Devas (the gods), goddesses, the five elements, Gandharvas,

Apsaras, the Mother Earth, the rivers and the mountains, the sun,

moon and the stars, all these venerable elders worthy of worship,

as witnesses, I, Devavrat, the son of King Shantanu and Ganga do

solemnly swear that I shall be a celibate as long as I live on this

earth. The mountains may leave their place and the oceans may

dry up but I shall never swerve from my oath.”

Terrifying thunder and lightning erupted as soon as Prince

Devavrat uttered these words. The earth shook and the heavens

gasped. The gods from the heavens showered flowers on Devavrat

and spoke in one voice: “Bheeshma! Bheeshma! This one is

Bheeshma.” (Bheeshma means one who adopts a terrible vow and

lives up to it).

Bheeshma turned to Satyavati and said, “Mother, let’s pro-

ceed to our home.”

Hastinapur gave Satyavati a grand welcome. Shantanu wasproud when he heard of his son’s great deed and blessed him say-

ing, “Son, what you have done for me today has never been done

by any son for his father before. I give you a boon whereby you will

die as per your wish only.”

“Father, I consider it my supreme duty to be the guardian and

protector of our Kuru Dynasty and Hastinapur. I shall leave no stone

Ankit Prajapati, Kurla Gupta Chay Bhandar, Kurla


7/53

unturned to ensure that Hastinapur is not only safe and secure but

also becomes the most powerful empire. Till such time, I shall not

even think of departing from this world.”

Thus, Devavrat came to be known in this world as Bheeshma.

Vedic Brahmins and learned persons also referred to him as

Bheeshmacharya.

4. Dhritrashtra and Pandu

Shantanu and Satyavati spent their days happily. In due course

of time, they had two children, Chitrangad and Vichitraveerya.

Shantanu, returned to heaven as ordained by Brahma. Bheeshma

crowned the young Chitrangad as the king of Hastinapur. Chitrangad,

aggressive and violent by nature, was extremely proud of his ability

as a warrior and began challenging anyone and everyone. In one

such duet he was slain by his namesake Gandharva.

Chitrangad was not married and had died without leaving anyheir to the throne. Bheeshma was forced to make Vichitraveerya

the king after consulting Satyavati and the ministers. Vichitraveerya

was too young so Bheeshma assisted him at every step.

As the new king came of age, the question of his marriage

came to the fore. Word went around that the king of Kashi had

arranged the Swayamvar of his three daughters. There was no con-

dition to be fulfilled. The three princesses were free to choose the

husbands of their choice. After consulting Satyavati, Bheeshma pro-

ceeded to Kashi with an army.

Bheeshma forced the three princesses of Kashi to board hischariot and then made off, announcing that he was abducting them

for the king of Hastinapur. This enraged the assembled kings, who

pursued Bheeshma and fought. But none could withstand the mighty

Bheeshma’s prowess.

Bheeshma had to send Amba back to Shalva when she told

him that she had already given her heart to Shalva and was to choose

him as her husband.

The two younger princesses, Ambika and Ambalika were

married to Vichitraveerya. Upon obtaining such beautiful wives,

Vichitraveerya’s self-control gave away. He indulged in unrestrained

self-gratification, which led to a breakdown of his physical health.

Very soon, without leaving behind any progeny, Vichitraveerya

passed away.The Kuru Dynasty was well and truly in a deep crisis. Both

Satyavati’s sons had died without leaving behind any heir to the

Kuru throne. The queen was sunk in grief. She turned to her eldest

foster son Bheeshma and said, “A throne without a king invites an-

archy. Therefore, you must crown yourself the king and marry in

order to beget progeny. The reason for which you gave my father a

promise years ago has ceased to exist. I therefore free you from

that promise.”

Bheeshma was steadfast in his refusal. He said, “Mother, I

have willingly forsaken my right to the throne and have also vowedto remain unmarried throughout my life. I shall never forsake my

vow, truth and dharma. We must therefore try and ascertain any

other means to overcome this crisis.”

Seeing Bheeshma’s resolve Satyavati was quiet for a while.

Then she slowly confided, “Son, before my marriage to your father,

I happened to be blessed by the great sage Maharshi Parashar

whose grace bestowed upon me a divine son called Vyas. Vyas’s

power of tapasya can certainly beget progeny for our daughters-in-

law. But do you consent to this?”

“Mother, I can think of no one more suitable throughout thethree worlds for this noble task.”

Bhagwan Ved Vyas appeared before Satyavati as soon as

she remembered him. She told him about the grave crisis confront-

ing the royal family. Although not completely willing, Vyas agreed to

help considering the fact that this was an emergency. Satyavati first

sent her elder daughter-in-law to the sage to obtain his grace. Ambika

was frightened out of her wits when she saw Bhagwan Vyas, whose

Sachin More, LIC Agent, Kurla Chandrakant Belapurkar, Kurla


8/53

physical appearance was indeed terrible to behold. She shut her

eyes in sheer fright unable to bear the illustrious form of Vyas. As a

result, the son born to her was blind from birth. Satyavati then forced

Ambalika, the younger one to approach Vyas for his blessings. When

Ambalika saw the huge rishi, with hair tied in matted locks, a huge

flowing beard and eyes that shone like the sun, she went pale with

terror. Thus the son born to Ambalika was also pale and afflicted.

Satyavati was angry and vexed upon learning of this. She

once again forced Ambika to approach Vyas. Ambika was too ter-

ror-stricken to do so but did not dare disobey her mother-in-law.

She however, employed a trick; she sent her maidservant in her

place to Bhagwan Vyas. The maid approached Maharshi Vyas calmly

and without fear and was blessed with a normal, intelligent and pi-

ous son.

Ambika’s blind son was named Dhritarashtra. Ambalika gave

birth to a son called Pandu while Ambika’s maidservant begot a son

called Vidur. Bheeshma personally looked after these kids like afather and arranged for their education in the Vedas, the science of

warfare and statecraft, befitting Kshatriya princes. Although blind,

Dhritarashtra possessed an extremely powerful physique. Pandu

was incomparable in statecraft as well as archery. Vidur’s nature

lent him to study all the shastras and sacred texts. He became wise,

god-fearing and a steady follower of Dharma.

Though he was the eldest of the brothers, Dhritarashtra could

not be crowned king because of his blindness. Vidur too could not

be made king on account of his being the son of a maidservant.

Bheeshma therefore crowned Pandu the king of Hastinapur as soon

as he came of age. Pandu was unmatched in valour and also very

popular among the citizens. He conquered kings and territories for

Hastinapur and his sound and just administration made the people

of Hastinapur look up to him with respect and affection. Under Pandu’s

rule Hastinapur became a prosperous and happy empire.

5. Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidur are married

Bhishma was now thinking of getting Dhritarashtra, Pandu and

Vidhur married. The kingdom of Gandhar was ruled by king Subal.

His daughter Gandhari worshipped Lord Shiva. Pleased with her

devotion, Shiva granted her the boon of having a hundred sons.

He first proceeded to Gandhar and made a formal demand of

Gandhari’s hand for Dhritarashtra. King Subal was reluctant to givehis daughter in marriage to a blind person? But the Gandhar king-

dom was too small and weak to stand up to the Kurus. Keeping the

interests and security of his small kingdom in mind, Subal finally

submitted to Bheeshma’s demand.

When Gandhari learnt that she was to be married to

Dhritarashtra who was blind from birth, she did not say a word in

opposition. In fact, she accepted her father’s decision calmly. Not

only that, Gandhari also blindfolded her eyes with a piece of cloth

and thereby shut out vision from her own eyes as a mark of solidar-

ity with her future husband. King Subal gave her away as brideaccompanied by many gifts. Subal’s son and Gandhari’s brother,

Shakuni, loved his sister and doted on her. It was Shakuni who ac-

companied her all the way to Hastinapur, staying there for the rest

of his life. Dhritarashtra was duly married to Gandhari. Pandu at-

tended the Swayamvar of Princess Kunti, daughter of King Kuntibhoj.

Many kings and princes attended this event to try and win Kunti’s

hand. But it was Pandu’s personality that drew Kunti like a magnet.

Before she realized it, she had placed her garland around Pandu’s

neck.

But Bheeshma was not satisfied with Pandu having only onewife. He had decided on yet another alliance for him. Princess Madri,

the younger sister of King Shalya of the kingdom of Madra was

famed for her extraordinary beauty. Bheeshma traveled to Madra

and met Shalya to ask Madri’s hand for Pandu. Shalya was pleased

and Madri became Pandu’s second wife. Bheeshma approached

one of the vassal kings of the Kuru Empire for his daughter’s hand

for Vidur. This virtuous lady called Paaransawi became Vidur’s wife.

Kumar Atharva Seshnath Prabhu, Kurla Smt. Malan J. Shinde, Navi Mumbai


9/53

6. The birth of Karna

King Shoorsen of Yadavas was a just and god-fearing ruler.

His first cousin King Kuntibhoj was childless. Shoorsen promised to

grant him his first-born child and in keeping with his promise gave

his daughter Pritha, when she was five years of age to Raja Kuntibhoj.

The latter showered all his affection on Pritha, bringing her up as

his own daughter. In course of time, her original name was forgottenand she came to be known as Kunti.

Kunti grew up in her foster father’s kingdom in great care and

affection. When she had barely attained adolescence, her father

entrusted her the responsibility of welcoming royal guests and look-

ing after their needs. The soft spoken and kind natured Kunti was

able to win the approval and good will of all those who visited her

father’s kingdom. Once, Maharshi Durvasa happened to visit

Kuntibhoj’s capital. He wished to stay there for a few days to per-

form some esoteric yadnya. The rishi was feared throughout the

three worlds for his fiery temper and awesome power. Raja Kuntibhojtherefore entrusted the difficult and delicate task of keeping Durvasa

happy to his daughter. But Kunti was able to win the quick-tem-

pered rishi’s approval with ease.

After Durvasa’s yadnya was over, he told Kunti, “Dear child, I

am extremely pleased with you and wish to bless you with a divine

boon. I am giving you a secret mantra whereby you can summon

any Deva (celestial). This mantra will make them bless you with a

son. You may use this when you need it.” So saying, Durvasa left.

Kunti had hardly stepped into adolescence. Naturally she was

curious to ascertain the power of this divine mantra. In her child-likecuriosity one early morning, she stood near the window of her pal-

ace, watching the early morning sun rising, invoking the secret mantra

Durvasa had given her. Lo and behold! The sun-deity Soorya ap-

peared before her in a resplendent form.

Kunti was frightened. She prostrated to Soorya with folded

hands and said, “Lord, forgive me. I remembered you only out of my

child-like curiosity to test the mantra’s power. I am an unmarried

maiden and cannot accept the progeny you may give me.”

Soorya said, “Kunti, the power of your mantra will force me to

bestow a son upon you who will be very valourous, chivalrous and

renowned. He shall have divine earrings and armour. But he shall

also be of a conceited and spiteful nature and shall fall into the

company of the wicked, doing misdeeds and courting adharma. Thisshall lead to his downfall.

In due time, Kunti gave birth to a boy whose body had armour

and sparkling earrings. But Kunti had to conceal this fact out of fear

of social disapproval. With her heart heavy with grief, she placed

her new born infant in a box and dispatched in the river. The box

flowing through many rivers ultimately reached the Ganga and was

found by Dhritarashtra’s charioteer Adhirath. Adhirath had no chil-

dren of his own and was overjoyed to find this infant. He took the

baby home to his wife Radha and the couple raised this child as

their own, naming him Vasusen. However, he was known more as

Karna or Radheya.

7. The Birth of the Kauravs and Pandavs

King Pandu wished to set out to conquer new territories for

the Kuru Empire and thereby establish his valour and prowess. He

expressed his desire to his uncle Bheeshma who readily agreed.

Pandu then set out with Hastinapur’s vast army, complete with in-

fantry, cavalry, chariots, elephants and supplies.

In the course of his victorious campaign, Pandu defeated manykings and conquered them. He brought unprecedented wealth to

Hastinapur. After returning to his capital, he performed a grand

Ashwamedh yadnya.

A few years passed after the completion of Pandu’s yadnya.

He grew bored of his daily administrative routine and decided to

escape to the forests along with his two queens and indulge in his

Sau. Aparna Arun Nabar, Dadar Sarvesh D. Shanbhag, Bhandup


10/53

favourite pastime of hunting. Accordingly, Pandu, Kunti and Madri

set out accompanied by a small retinue.

One day, having ventured deep into the forests, Pandu spot-

ted a pair of deer indulging in lovemaking. Without a second thought,

Pandu dispatched from his bow two arrows that hit both the deers

simultaneously. Alas! They turned out to be rishis, both husband

and wife who had assumed the form of deer for gratifying their de-sire. While the female succumbed instantly, the dying rishi cursed

Pandu in a human voice. I am Rishi Kindam. You have killed my

consort and me while we were enjoying privacy. You shall suffer for

this act of yours. You shall die the moment you touch your wife.”

Cursing Pandu thus, the rishi expired.

The powerful kindam rishi’s curse was bound to take effect.

Pandu lost his desire to go back to Hastinapur and donned an

ascetic’s robe, shedding his royal insignia. Kunti and Madri too were

firm in their resolve to stay back with their husband. Pandu had

decided to do penance in the forest. The kings’ ministers and atten-

dants went back to Hastinapur with this sad news. Bheeshma was

thus forced to put Dhritarashra on the throne. Vidur was made

Dhritarashtra’s minister to assist him.

In the forest, Pandu, Kunti and Madri started living a life of

penance. Both the queens were extremely devoted to their hus-

band. Pandu too was affectionate towards them but was sad that he

had no progeny. He expressed his grief repeatedly to Kunti.

One day, when Pandu and Kunti were alone, Kunti revealed

to her husband about rishi Durvasa’s blessings and the secret man-

tra for progeny. Pandu was overjoyed when he heard this. He com-manded Kunti to ascertain the auspicious dates and time and ap-

pease the Devas (celestials) for obtaining progeny. Kunti then wor-

shipped God Yama, God Yayu and God Indra with the Abhisaar

Mantra and she was blessed with Yudhisthir, Bheema and Arjun

respectively. All three babies were very handsome, healthy and en-

dowed with signs of greatness and virtue. Good omens and heav-

enly voices of blessings manifested themselves on their birth.

Upon seeing Kunti’s good fortune, Madri too, wished to be a

mother. She asked Pandu to convince Kunti to give her also, the

secret mantra to fulfil her desire for children. Kunti agreed on the

condition that Madri should use the mantra only once. Madri wor-

shipped the Ashwini Kumars (twin celestials who were the divine

physicians of the Devas) and thus two very handsome children Nakul

and Sahadev were born to her.

Meanwhile, Gandhari had not begotten any children for two

years. News then reached Hastinapur that Kunti had given birth to

children. Gandhari burned with jealousy and anger.

During this time, Maharshi Vyas happened to visit Hastinapur.

Gandhari vented her grief to the sage who said that she would be-

get a hundred sons. and what he has said will come true.

Gandhari was pregnant afterwards. But even after nine months

had passed, she did not conceive. She started experiencing severe

pains and had great difficulty in breathing. Her condition worsened,

causing great tension to the royal family. Luckily, Bhagwan Ved Vyasarrived at Hastinapur in the nick of time. With the sage’s mantras

and Ayurvedic knowledge and assistance Gandhari gave birth to a

hundred sons, one after another. The eldest son was Duryodhan

followed by Dushashan, Dussaha, Vikarna and others. A daughter

called Dushshala was also born.

Upon Duryodhan’s birth, metors burned and fell from the skies

and many bad omens presented themselves. The newborn baby

itself brayed like a donkey and gave out shrill cries. The worried

Dhritarashtra consulted astrologers who after studying the time of

Duryodhan’s birth bluntly told the king: “Maharaj, these are evil signs.This boy will one day bring about the destruction of the Kuru Dy-

nasty. You must forsake him at once. After all, you still have ninety-

nine sons left.”

But Dhritarashtra was blind not only in sight but also in his

attachment to his first-born child. He refused to heed their sound

advice. On the contrary, he began to dote on his first son. These

were but the earliest signs of the events to follow.

Mrs. Reshma R. Chemburkar, Chembur Sau. Vaishali Prakash Ketkar, Opera house


11/53


12/53

deep sleep.

Vasudev put his newborn baby in a basket. He tiptoed out of

the cell and was able to leave without anyone noticing him escape.

He went in the direction of the river Yamuna. The rain and storm

had turned the Yamuna into a raging torrent. Vasudev stepped into

the river as if in a daze. The waters rushed up to his head and

looked like drowning him. But lo and behold! As soon as the waterstouched the feet of the newborn baby they began subsiding. Mi-

raculously, a thin path right in the middle of the river became visible

even in that dark and stormy night. Vasudev stumbled along the

gushing river. Huge walls of water rose on both his sides, roaring

and gushing in the rain and wind. But the thin path miraculously

created guided him on his onward journey. Vasudev was barely con-

scious of anything as he went on. Neither could he see a huge five-

headed serpent Shielding the baby from the fierce downpour.

Vasudev managed to reach Gokul, across the banks of the

Yamuna. He proceeded straight to the house of his friend Nand, the

chieftain of the Gop community. Gokul was silent and still. Vasudev

entered Nand’s house and very quickly told him everything. Nand’s

wife Yashoda was asleep, having just given birth to a baby girl. Nand

placed Devaki’s newborn baby in the cradle beside Yashoda and

gave him the baby girl. Vasudev placed her in his basket and hur-

ried back to Mathura, crossing the flooded Yamuna once again. He

had to get back before dawn and before Kans would reach the cell.

No sooner Vasudev reached his prison chamber than the chains

fastened themselves to his feet. The prison doors closed automati-

cally. As soon as the baby girl was placed beside Devaki, she be-

gan crying loudly. The guards were awoken; their master had to be

alerted at once.

In a short while, Kans stormed into the prison chamber. Ignor-

ing Devaki’s cries for mercy, he snatched her baby girl and was

about to dash it against a wall. But in a flash, the infant slipped out

of his hands and assumed her original form of a goddess. She

laughed in scorn at Kans and said: “Vile rascal! Your sins are now

going to bear fruit. Your destroyer has been born and is alive.” So

saying the goddess vanished in a flash of blinding light.

The fierce rains and storm came to halt in the morning. Gokul

woke up to the cries of a newly born baby. The entire village came

to Nand’s house to have a look at his just-born child. His radiant

form and enchanting smile captivated one and all. Priests named

him Krishna after consulting the horoscope.Kans learnt that his enemy was in Gokul after a frantic search

to find out his destroyer. He then sent many demons to kill Shree

Krishna. But Krishna and Balaram slew them all. Kans’ panic and

anxiety grew with each passing day. When the boys reached ado-

lescence, Kans employed a different strategy. He organized a grand

festival at Mathura. He sent a special emissary to invite Krishna and

Balaram to Mathura with the intent of treacherously killing them.

Shree Krishna and Balaram reached Mathura for this festival. Kans

ordered them to wrestle with his giant wrestlers, Chaanoor and

Mushtik. Balaram killed Mushtik while Shree Krishna took on

Chaanoor and slew him. After finishing Chaanoor, Krishna leapt upon

Kans and threw him down. He then sat on the tyrant’s chest and

crushed his chest, thus slaying Kans and fulfilling the divine proph-

ecy. Mathura, freed from the tyranny of the evil Kans, resounded

with praises of Shree Krishna and Balaram.

Shree Krishna then freed his parents Vasudev and Devaki

from prison.

9. The childhood of the Kauravs and PandavsKing Pandu of Hastinapur was forced to spend his days in the

Himalayan forests doing penance following Rishi Kindam’s curse.

But due to Kunti’s mantra obtained from sage Durvasa years ago,

he was able to obtain five divine children. His two wives and their

children gave Pandu more contentment than he could ever wish for.

He now became a full-fledged ascetic. Pandu, Kunti and Madri spent

Alankar Restaurent, Worli Parmeshwarsingh Shekhawat, Worli


13/53

their forest life in happiness, content to watch their five children

grow up. But it was not to last.

One afternoon, Madri was busy drawing water from the river

in the forest. While trying to help her, Pandu accidentally touched

her. The rishi’s curse took immediate effect and Pandu collapsed

upon the ground in great agony. Madri cried out in fright. Kunti rushed

to the spot on hearing her cries. But it was too late. Pandu hadbreathed his last. Both Kunti and Madri began weeping over the

body of their husband.

The rishis and ascetics of the ashram reached the spot. They

duly performed the last rites of the departed king of Hastinapur.

When the funeral pyre was lit, Madri, resolving to join her husband,

jumped into the fire and became a sati. Kunti’s grief was tremen-

dous but she had to get a hold on herself for the sake of her very

young children.

After three days, the sages of the ashram put the ashes of

Pandu and Madri in two earthen pots. An old sage then addressedKunti: “Dear child. You must now look to the future of your five chil-

dren. Take them to your home. The wise Bheeshma will see that

these children inherit their father’s kingdom that is theirs by right.

We shall accompany you and the children to Hastinapur and shall

explain the identity of these children to Bheeshma and Dhritrashtra.”

The rishis and munis of the Himalayan forests then set out

with Kunti and her young children, carrying the urns that contained

the ashes of the late Pandu and Madri. They reached Hastinapur

and met Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Vidur along with their minis-

ters and attendants. The rishis submitted the ashes of the late kingof Hastinapur to Bheeshma and also briefly narrated to him the story

of the Pandavs’ birth. Thereafter, Kunti stepped forward along with

her five sons and touched the feet of the grandsire. Bheeshma took

her and the five kids to Pandu’s palace.

Bheeshma then duly arranged for the Vedic sanskars of the

five Pandavs that included their Upanayan (thread ceremony) and

their education in statecraft and warfare. The Pandavs now began

to grow up in Hastinapur. They soon earned the affection and re-

spect of all. Their truthful and sincere speech, humble and courte-

ous behaviour towards one and all made them popular. But these

very qualities of theirs also aroused the anxiety of Dhritarashtra

and the envy and hatred of his eldest son, Duryodhan. Dhritarashtra

was worried for good reason. His younger brother Pandu after all

had been the legitimate king of Hastinapur. It was only due to Pandu’s

untimely departure that Dhritarashtra was made the interim ruler of

the Kurus. Pandu as king had been loved and respected by all the

people and it was natural that people would consider only Pandu’s

eldest son as their next king. Duryodhan, for his part, never liked

the Pandavs coming to Hastinapur and residing in Pandu’s palace

right from day one. He made no efforts to conceal his jealousy and

hatred towards his cousins. His younger brother Dushasan, his fast

friend and the son of the charioteer Adhirath, i.e. Karna only added

fuel to this fire. Duryodhan’s maternal uncle Shakuni not only en-

couraged him in his enmity with the Pandavs but was also the mas-termind of many evil plots against them.

The Kauravs and the Pandavs started growing up together

and undergoing their learning. But the five Pandavs soon excelled

the rest of their hundred cousins in every branch of learning. Their

progress in the science of warfare only made Duryodhan’s heart

burn even more with jealousy and anger. Adding to his envy and

hatred was the fact that Bheem, the second among the Pandavs

was growing into a superhuman with each passing day. Bheem’s

physical strength was simply incomparable. In his playfulness, Bheem

used to wrestle with the Kaurav brothers, drag them by their hair,swim underwater for long holding many of them under his arms,

shake trees on whose branches Duryodhan’s brothers sat, causing

them to fall down and indulged in many such other childlike pranks.

Although Bheem really meant no harm to anyone, his huge size and

amazing strength soon made him a terror for Duryodhan and his

brothers. Duryodhan clearly saw that the strength and the ability of

Siddhi Sharma, Lokhandwala Bhardwaj M. S., Santacruz


14/53

the Pandavs, especially Bheem was going to become a threat to his

plans one day. Arjun was proving superior in archery, while Yudhishtir,

Nakul and Sahadev too stood out in all aspects. Duryodhan now

began to plot to somehow remove the Pandavs from his path. He

wanted to finish Bheem.

One day Duryodhan approached his father Dhritarashtra and

obtained permission to go on a picnic. All princes went to a nearbyresort situated alongside the banks of the Ganga. They indulged in

games and fun throughout the day and were very tired towards the

later part of the afternoon. Bheem in particular was dying of hunger.

The princes sat down to eat and after their meals, Duryodhan re-

quested everyone to have a swim in the Ganga to get refreshed.

All the princes ate to their stomach’s content. To everyone’s

surprise, Duryodhan had arranged special dishes for Bheem, who

was more than pleased to find his favourite dishes and sweetmeats

ready for him. As usual, Bheem was the last to get up after finishing

his food. Strangely, when he got up, he started feeling drowsy.

Duryodhan had mixed deadly poison in his food. Yudhishtir and his

brothers were kept busy in games by the other Kauravs and were

unaware of the evil play that was in progress. Seizing this opportu-

nity Duryodhan, Dushasan and their brothers tied the sleeping

Bheem tightly with ropes and dragged him to the banks of the river

and threw him into the water. They then cited the pretext of ap-

proaching darkness and asked everyone to return to the capital.

Yudhishtir, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev, not finding Bheem anywhere,

started looking for him. Duryodhan lied to them that Bheem, having

eaten more than others was feeling sleepy and hence returned

before others. But when the four Pandavs returned to their dwellingat Hastinapur, they could not find Bheem at home. Kunti, upon see-

ing them return without Bheem, was seized with worry and fear. She

blamed Yudhishtir for having left Bheem alone. The Pandavs and

their mother called Vidur and narrated the incident to him. It was

becoming clear that there was some foul play.

Meanwhile, Bheem, who was poisoned through food and

bound by ropes to be thrown into the Ganga, landed in the world of

the Nagas (serpents). On his way down, venomous serpents in the

water attacked and bit him. But this proved to be a blessing in dis-

guise for Bheem, because the venom of the snakes was the perfect

antidote for the poison that had entered his body. Bheem regained

consciousness even as he fell deeper and deeper. Using his super-

human strength, he easily broke the bonds that Duryodhan and his

evil brothers had tied him with. Vasuki, the king of serpents, accom-

panied by a very old Naga named Aryak reached there. Aryak rec-

ognized Bheem and told him that he was his great-great maternal

grandfather.” He was overjoyed at seeing his descendant. He then

told Vasuki: “O king of Nagas. Give our divine nectar to Bheem.”

Accordingly, Vasuki ordered for the serpents’ divine nectar,

which was brought forth in huge drums. Bheem gulped down eight

of these very big drums. He then slept soundly for eight days. After

he awoke, Vasuki told him, “Bheem, you are indeed fortunate to

have consumed divine nectar that is not available for the humans.

You now possess the strength of ten thousand elephants. No one

can ever equal you in physical might.” Duryodhan’s evil plot against

Bheem thus proved a boon for the latter. The serpent poison wiped

out the food poison in Bheem’s internal organs and made him stron-

ger than before. The divine nectar consumed by him made Bheem

powerful beyond imagination.

Vasuki arranged for Bheem to be taken to the very spot from

where Bheem was thrown into the Ganga. Bheem then found his

way back to Hastinapur, meeting his mother and brothers, who were

fearing the worst. Their joy knew no bounds when they saw Bheemreturn alive. Kunti clasped him tightly to her bosom and shed tears

of relief and joy. Bheem too embraced his brothers and told them all

that had happened. Vidur also had reached the Pandavs’ palace,

Yudhshtir said, “This is just the beginning. There will be many more

such attempts. We must remain ever cautious, alert and united in

all circumstances.”

Sri. Yogesh P. Prabhu, Thane Sri. Ulhas Sreepad Desai, Mulund


15/53

Thus, the struggle of the Pandavs for survival and honour

began right from their childhood.

10. The princes’ student life

Bheeshma, the grandfather wanted to make the Kaurav and

Pandav princes incomparable warriors. He therefore wished thatthey should undergo such education and training that would sharpen

their skills. The guru best suited for this purpose was Dronacharya.

Bheeshma went to meet him. The eldest among the Kurus then

formally requested him to take over the education and training of

the princes of the Kuru Dynasty. Dronacharya accepted this offer

with delight.

The student life of the Kauravs and the Pandavs now began

in earnest under the watchful eye of Guru Dronacharya. They used

to wake two hours before sunrise to begin their daily routine of learn-

ing the Vedas, saying their morning prayers, physical exercise, les-sons in the use of various shastras and astras , mounting elephants,

horses and chariots. The life was indeed intense, disciplined and

strenuous.

One night at mealtime, a strong gust of wind blew out the

lamps. It became pitch dark. Arjun was sitting alone in a corner of

the ashram, eating in silence. He suddenly realized that the morsel

in his hands went automatically to his mouth even though it was

dark and he could not see his hands or the food. All of a sudden, an

idea flashed in his mind. He left his food, washed his hands and

picked up his bow and arrows to practice even in the dark hour.Arjun made this a part of his daily routine and soon became an

archer who could hit his target accurately by mere sound.

After a period of time had passed, Guru Dronacharya wished

to test all his disciples. He got an image of vulture in wood placed

upon the branch of a very tall tree. He then summoned all his stu-

dents to that spot and made them stand in a row. The students had

to hit the eye of the bird with their arrow. Dronacharya then ordered

all his disciples to be ready with their bow and arrow. Beginning with

Yudhishtir, each disciple was summoned one by one. Dronacharya

asked each one of them: “Look carefully and tell me what you see.”

“Gurudev, I can see the tree, the attendant standing below,

the river flowing behind him, the hills beyond and also the bird in the

branches.” All students answered likewise.

Dronacharya was disappointed and said to each of them. “Do

not discharge your arrow. Go

back to your place.”

All the princes were

asked the same question and

everyone’s answer disap-

pointed the guru. Finally, Arjun

stepped ahead. Dronacharya

asked him to be ready with his

bow and arrow and then askedhim, “What do you see?”

“Gurudev, I can see only

the bird swaying among the

branches.”

“Arjun, look carefully and

then tell me.”

“Gurudev, I can now see

only the head of that bird.”

“Look carefully, very

carefully.”“Gurudev, I now see only the eye of the bird.”

“Shoot!”

In an instant, the arrow flew from Arjun’s bow and pierced the

eye of the wooden vulture. Dronacharya’s joy was boundless. He

embraced Arjun and said, “Arjun, I consider myself fortunate that I

have a disciple like you. You are my best and most beloved disciple.

Vaishanavi Consultant, Thane J. K. Shinde, Navi mumbai


16/53

I shall impart you such knowledge that there will be no bowman like

you throughout the three worlds.”

11. The arena of competition

The matchless knowledge and training imparted by Guru

Dronacharya to the Kuru princes turned them into warriors of re-pute. They had grown up into adolscence and their period of edu-

cation was now coming to a close. Dronacharya decided to display

to Dhritarashtra how much his and Pandu’s sons had learnt under

his care, supervision and watchful eye. He issued orders for an

arena to be constructed which would be well equipped in all re-

spects for a display of the martial skills. This huge arena was similar

in facilities and equipment even when compared to the mega sports

stadiums of today’s modern age which host world events. The day

and purpose of event was announced throughout Hastinapur.

The much-awaited day arrived. The sporting arena was packedto capacity. The citizens of Hastinapur had begun arriving early to

occupy seats before they were filled up. The royalty, i.e. Bheeshma,

Vidur, Dhritrashtra and other members of the royal family arrived

later in their chariots. Kunti and Gandhari occupied separate boxes

for royal ladies.

The display of the princes’ skills in warfare and the use of

weapons began. In the beginning, there was a general display of

skills. After that, the princes showed their hand in the use of the

bow, sword, spear and other weapons. They also displayed their

skills in riding horses elephants, chariots fighting atop an elephant,etc. Some entertained the crowd by engaging in wrestling, while

others staged mock fights in attacking and warding off attacks. The

contest was getting more and more interesting. Bheem and

Duryodhan engaged each other in a display of the gada (mace).

Although this was meant to be only a contest, seeing the mutual

hatred these two had for each other, Guru Dronacharya stopped

them before things got out of hand.

Arjun was the last to enter the arena. He gave a stunning

display of both weapons and warfare. He rode an elephant, slid

down its trunk onto the back of a horse in motion, jumped from its

back safely to the ground and yet used his weapons flawlessly while

in motion. Arjun’s expertise in hitting moving targets while seated on

moving horses, elephants or a chariot was simply awesome. He could

hit the most difficult of targets at first attempt. His capability to hit

targets by mere sound had the crowd roaring in approval. All

Hastinapur was lost in admiration upon seeing this heroic display by

their prince and Kunti’s son. It was becoming clear that Arjun’s ca-

pability as a warrior was indeed unmatchable.

However, even before the cheers had died down, a young

man arose and stood before Dhritrashtra, slapping his arms. In a

loud voice, he asked for consent to display his skills in the arena.

On behalf of Dhritrashtra, Vidur nodded in consent. The young man,

whose complexion was very fair, then proceeded to display almost

all the feats that Arjun had performed. But his behaviour clearly

carried the stamp of arrogance and disrespect for elders. He barely

glanced at Dronacharya and just gave him a formal salute. He then

announced in an arrogant tone, “O people of Hastinapur! My name

is Karna. I wish to now challenge Arjun to a duel.”

Guru Kripacharya, explaining the rules said, “Only princes of

royal lineage can engage in duels. This young man is Arjun, son of

the Hastinapur’s late King Pandu and Queen Kunti. Now please

reveal your identity.” When Karna heard these words of Kripacharya,

he had to hang his head.

But Duryodhan stepped forward and announced, “Birth alone

is not enough for greatness, Gurudev. A man’s worth is decided by

his capability. I hereby crown Karna the king of Anga, which is part

of the Kuru Empire. I am also going to perform his coronation right

now.” Priests were then summoned to chant mantras to complete

Karna’s coronation. Karna was extremely touched by Duryodhan’s

Sri. Anant Kashinath Ghanekar, Vile Parle Smt. Vidya A. Prabhu, Vile Parle


17/53

gesture and became grateful to him. In fact, he became Duryodhan’s

lifelong friend.

Karna, completely won over Duryodhan’s friendship, prom-

ised him, “Dear friend, from this moment, my life is in your hands.

Till I live, I shall be loyal to you alone.”

12. Arjun gives his Gurudakshina

The formal training of the Kuru princes was now over. Guru

Dronacharya was satisfied after seeing their display of martial skills.

One morning, after their prayers were over, he summoned the

princes together and announced: “The debt that any student owes

to a guru cannot be discharged without the payment of gurudakshina

Today, you all are grown up and quite capable. I can now demand

my fee from you without hesitation.”

Dronacharya then proceeded to narrate his life-story in brief.

“I lack nothing today. But in our earlier days, we were very poor.Yagyasen Drupad, the king of the Panchal kingdom was my child-

hood friend, we being classmates at my father’s ashram. Once in

our childhood days, he had promised me that half of whatever he

possessed would be mine. After becoming a householder, I reminded

Drupad of his promise made during childhood. But Drupad was now

a king. Far from honouring his words, he replied arrogantly, ‘O Drona!

What one says during childhood does not necessarily become a

promise. It is true that we were classmates once upon a time, but

lasting friendship can only be between equals. Everyday, I distrib-

ute considerable wealth to the needy. You too may state your needand I shall only be too happy to fulfil your wish.’ These words of

Drupad caused me humiliation in public. I then resolved that I would

prepare such pupils who would demolish Drupad’s pride. You all

must therefore defeat Drupad in battle and produce him before me.

This is the gurudakshina I expect from you.”

According to their guru’s wishes, the Kuru princes set out from

Hastinapur towards the kingdom of Panchal. But here, there were

two distinct groups. Duryodhan, his brothers and Karna formed one

group. Duryodhan wanted to corner the entire glory of capturing

Drupad and fulfilling the gurudakshina all for himself. He was sure

that defeating Drupad would be an easy job. For their part, the five

Pandav brothers under the leadership of Yudhishtir rode separately

in their chariots. The Kaurav army marched behind, accompanied

by Drona.

As they neared the borders of the Panchal kingdom, Arjun

slowed down and said to Yudhishtir, “It will be impossible for the

Duryodhan and his brothers to defeat the mighty Panchal king and

his army. They will certainly fail. Let them march ahead and do what

they want first. When they get a beating, we shall then enter the

fray and take care of Drupad.” This advice appealed to Yudhishtir.

He instructed his battalion to stay away form the initial conflict.

Duryodhan’s group rushed at and fell upon the Panchal army.

There was little discipline or plan in their attack. The response of

the Panchals was so severe that the Kaurav army was badly beaten

back and began to flee. Then the mighty warrior Drupad himself

entered the fray. The Kaurav princes could only retreat; Duryodhan

was beaten while Karna was badly defeated. Panchal soldiers soon

surrounded both of them. The attack thus ended in a complete di-

saster for the Kauravs.

Arjun had clearly anticipated all this. Under his instructions,

the five Pandav brothers now moved ahead. They ordered the flee-

ing Kaurav soldiers to regroup and come back into the fray. Bheem

with his gada , and Arjun with his mighty bow now proved unstop-

pable. Nakul and Sahadev also moved ahead protecting Yudhishtir.

Very soon, Arjun demolished Drupad’s bow, shot down his flag, killed

his horses and smashed his chariot. He then leapt forward and took

Drupad captive, bringing him to his Guru Dronacharya.

Drona ordered Drupad’s release and spoke to him: “ Dear

friend Yagyasen, today my disciples have defeated you in battle.

A. S. Prabhu, Vile Parle

Smt. Suman S. Gulvady, Mahim


18/53

not openly voice his intent. Duryodhan took his father’s silence to

be his consent and began implementing his foul plan. He summoned

his trusted minister, Purochan and asked him to construct a grand

palace in a town called Varnavat, which was some distance away

from Hastinapur. This palace was to have only one door for entry.

Purochan implemented his master’s order to the letter. A grand

palace soon came into being at Varnavat. But it was constructed of

lac, wax, wood, oil, ghee, fat and other highly combustible materi-

als. Duryodhan then ordered Purochan to proceed to Varnavat and

await the arrival of the Pandavs. He told Purochan, “Win the trust of

the Pandavs and at the opportune moment set fire to the palace

while they are asleep in it.”

Meanwhile, Dhritarashtra’s ministers had started praising

Varnavat’s beauty and its festivals in Yudhishtir’s presence.

Dhritarashtra too suggested that the Pandavs along with their mother

Kunti should visit Varnavat for “a change of atmosphere.” Yudhishtir

and his brothers immediately understood that the Kauravs wanted

them out of the way. But they decided to go along with the plan to

uncover the real intentions of the Kauravs. Vidur too, sensed that

another sinister plot was afoot. When the Pandavs set out from

Hastinapur, Vidur warned Yudhishtir in coded language to be care-

ful. Vidur also sent his own spies to Varnavat and came to know

what was being plotted.

The Pandavs reached Varnavat and met all the citizens of

that town. They then closely inspected the palace of wax that had

been specially built for them. It was apparent to Yudhishtir and his

brothers that this was Duryodhan’s trap to murder them all. The

Pandavs decided to implement their own strategy. Under the pre-text of hunting, they ventured deep inside the forest and secretly

memorized all the paths. Bheem in particular, was extra vigilant.

Purochan was pleased that his plan was working.

One evening, Kunti and her sons were engaged in private

conversation when an unknown person approached Yudhishtir and

said, “Mahatma Vidur has sent me. His suspicions about the plot

Your kingdom, army, wealth and prosperity are all mine now. I hope

that you shall have no objection to having me as your friend since

according to you; only a king can be a friend of another king. How-

ever, I shall return half your kingdom to you and keep the other half

with me. The areas to the north of the Ganga will be mine while you

can rule over the remaining southern part. My foremost pupil Arjun

has today fulfilled his gurudakshina and I now release all my dis-

ciples from Guru’s debt.” Drupad hung his head and was forced to

accept this humiliation.

Thus, barely into their adolescence, the Pandavs won a ma-

jor military victory against a powerful kingdom like Panchal. They

also proved their clear ascendancy over their cousins, i.e. the sons

of Dhritarashtra.

13. The Varnavat Conspiracy

The power of the Pandavs as well as their popularity amongthe people of Hastinapur was increasing with each passing day.

Dhritrashtra was forced to make Yudhishtir the crown prince. After

all, he was the late King Pandu’s eldest son and had the legitimate

right to sit on the throne after his father. While this made Duryodhan

burn with jealousy and hatred, Dhritarashtra too worried about his

sons’ future. Already blind with attachment for his wicked son,

Dhritarashtra made no attempt to stop Duryodhan from doing evil.

None of Duryodhan’s plots to get rid of the Pandavs had

worked. Repeated failures only made him more frustrated. The evil

foursome i.e. Duryodhan, Dushasan, Karna and Shakuni now de-cided that the Pandavs had to be finished for good, somehow, any-

how. They also wanted to ensure that the Pandavs should be sent

away from the capital so that their uncle Vidur would not be able to

come to their aid.

Duryodhan guardedly revealed his intentions to his father.

Dhritarashtra too desired the exit of his late brother’s sons, but dared

Smt. Kanchan Mohan Honawar, Mahim Shri. Satyaprakash Gupta, Dadar


19/53

being hatched by Duryodhan are true. Purochan plans to set fire to

this palace after a grand ceremony on the Trayodashi (thirteenth

day) of the dark half of this month. I am an expert in digging tunnels.

I shall dig a secret tunnel in the jungle and connect it to one of your

inner rooms in this palace through which you all must make good

your escape. Mahatma Vidur has asked you all to be very alert and

vigilant now as the time approaches. At the appointed hour, you

shall also find a boat waiting for you on the banks of the Ganga.”

Vidur’s secret emissary left hurriedly to begin his work. The

Pandav brothers immediately decided, “We will set fire to this house

a few days before Purochan’s planned day and escape through the

underground tunnel. The problem is to arrange for six burnt human

bodies to convince Duryodhan of our death, but we shall leave this

to fate.”

Vidur’s agent did his job expertly and at a fast pace. The

secret tunnel opened beneath the floor of one of the inner rooms of

the palace in such a way that it was not visible. Purochan could not

suspect anything. Bheem was supervising their escape plan and

once again made sure of the paths in the jungle.

The Pandavs organized a feast three days before Trayodashi,

the night Purochan intended to carry out his evil plot. All Varnavat

was invited and thousands of citizens arrived at the wax palace to

partake in sumptuous food being served by Kunti and her sons. As

luck would have it, a Shabar (a forest tribal community) woman and

her five sons also arrived to have a free meal. Not only did they stuff

themselves to their stomach’s content, but they also had brought

their own wine with them, which they gulped down after the feast.

The Shabar woman and her five sons had drunk so much that theycould not get up from their seats. They soon fell unconscious where

they were seated. Purochan too, was completely drunk and was

fast asleep in another room.

The sun had now set and it was night. The last guests had

left. There was an eerie silence. Purochan was snoring aloud. The

Pandavs and their mother had to move fast. Kunti, followed by

Sahadev, Nakul, Arjun and Yudhishtir opened the door of the secret

tunnel and stepped down. Bheem stayed back. As soon as his mother

and brothers had reached the other end of the tunnel, he first set

fire to the room where Purochan was asleep. Bheem lit the room

from all four sides. The mighty son of Vaayu then proceeded to set

fire to the entire palace, which burst into flames immediately. Be-

cause of the combustible materials. In no time at all, the palace

became a raging inferno. Then Bheem hurriedly entered the secret

tunnel, shut the door firmly and raced away to join his brothers and

mother. Above, the palace burnt ferociously. There was no escape

for Purochan. He had planned to kill the Pandavs and make it look

like an accident, but was trapped in his own plot and died a horrify-

ing death.

The Pandavs emerged deep inside the forest. All their efforts

at familiarizing themselves with the forest and its ways now paid off.

Vidur had arranged for another of his agents to ferry them across

the Ganga by a powerful boat. This agent took Kunti and her sons

across the river and returned to Hastinapur secretly. The Pandavsthen went into a much deeper and more dangerous forest. They

were walking very fast. They wanted to be completely safe from

Duryodhan or his spies.

Meanwhile, all of Varnavat suddenly awoke at midnight to see

the Pandav dwelling on fire. The citizens rushed to spot wailing and

screaming. Many tried to put out the fire by trying to pour water into

the flames, but it was to no avail. The flames were so huge and

spread such tremendous heat that no one could even venture near.

The fire raged all night and reduced the Lakshagriha (wax palace)

to a heap of ashes. It was only at dawn that the last of the flamesslowly died out, leaving behind a mountain of red-hot ashes and

charred remains.

After the fire died out, people started searching for the

Pandavs. Vidur’s agent, the tunnel digger too joined in the search

and very cleverly, blocked the tunnel entrance with mud and ashes

so that no one could even guess what might have taken place. The

Shri. Kolhatkar, Dadar Daksha Narendra Chitroda, VileParle


20/53

people saw that the fire had destroyed everything. All that remained

were seven burnt bodies. One was Purochan’s and as for the oth-

ers, people could only identify them as a lady and five males. Kunti

and her sons were thus assumed to have perished in the fire. The

grieving citizens openly accused Duryodhan and Dhritrashtra for

murdering the Pandavs and their mother.

Hastinapur reacted as if struck by lightning when this griev-

ous news reached the capital. Hastinapur loved the Pandavs dearly;

people openly accused Duryodhan of conspiring to kill his cousins.

The entire kingdom wept for Kunti and her sons. Bheeshma’s grief

was beyond bounds. Dhritrashtra was secretly relieved that the chief

obstacle to his own son’s ambitions had perished. But he made a

big drama of being sad at the demise of the Pandavs. Duryodhan,

Dushasan, Karna and Shakuni were of course, simply overjoyed.

They could not even hide their elation. Dhritrashtra carried out all

the traditional rituals for the Pandavs and gave away alms on this

occasion. Only Vidur knew the truth. But he too joined in all the

rituals and show of grief so as not to arouse anyone’s suspicions.

14. Ghatotkach is bornThe Pandavs meanwhile had penetrated deep into the for-

ests. This was an area where no human being dared venture. These

jungles were the homes of ferocious beasts and Rakshasas (de-

mons). Yet the Pandavs just kept going deeper and deeper into the

woods. They wanted to be as far away as possible from Hastinapur.

Yudhishtir said to Bheem, “Bheem, you are the mightiest amongst

us. Your speed rivals that of the wind. Do therefore carry us on your

shoulders.”

Bheem placed Kunti on his shoulders and clasped Nakul and

Sahadev to his sides. Yudhishtir and Arjun firmly clung to his mighty

thighs. The powerful son of Vayu now stormed ahead into the for-

est. His speed was like that of the wind itself. Tree branches and

trunks collapsed at the touch of his body, making way for them.

Bheem strode ahead in this manner for two full days. He strength

knew no fatigue, but his mother and brothers were now at the end

of their endurance. They had not eaten or even slept for days to-

gether now. Finally, they rested under a huge tree deep somewhere

in the forest. As soon as they set foot upon the ground, they dropped

off to sleep, unable to control their fatigue any longer.

A ferocious man-eating Rakshas called Hidimb ruled this par-

ticular part of the forest. His sense of smell detected the arrival of

humans into his domain. He ordered his sister Hidimbaa to find out

where these human beings were, kill them and bring their flesh to

him. Hidimbaa was just like her brother and quickly reached the

spot where Kunti and her sons were asleep. Bheem stood guard

over them. Hidimbaa was smitten by Bheem’s personality. His tall

and huge frame, broad shoulders and rippling muscular structure

and his handsome appearance captured her heart, She wanted to

marry Bheem. So, Hidimbaa assumed the form of a beautiful dam-

sel and approached Bheem and pleaded with him in a sweet voice,“O handsome one! My brother Hidimb, who is the master of this

forest wishes to make a meal of you all. But I have surrendered my

heart to you after setting eyes on you. My demonic nature has dis-

appeared. Marry me and accept me as your wife. I shall guide you

and your mother to safety.”

Meanwhile, Hidimb, who wanted to feast on human flesh, was

getting irritated at his sister’s delay in returning. He decided to go

and find out for himself as to what the matter was. When he saw

Hidimbaa in the guise of a beautiful woman engaged in sweet talk

with Bheem, he understood what the matter was. Roaring loudly, herushed at Bheem, who caught hold of the Rakshas by one hand

and dragged him to another spot so as not to disturb his brothers

and mother as they slept.

Bheem and the Rakshas Hidimb were now locked in a deadly

duel. Their roars shook the forest and also woke up the Pandavs.

They were surprised and disturbed at not finding Bheem there, but

Shri. Kamalsibhai Makwana, VileParle Mr. P. Solanki, Dahisar


21/53

a beautiful lady instead. Hidimbaa briefly explained to them what

was happening, and all of them rushed to the spot where Bheem

and Hidimb were locked in combat.

After a while, Bheem easily lifted the huge Rakshas and whirl-

ing him above his head, dashed him to the ground with great force.

Bheem then twisted Hidimb’s neck. Yelling loudly and vomiting blood,

the demon perished.

Seeing Hidimbaa’s affection towards Bheem, Kunti consented

to their marriage. She also imposed a condition that Bheem would

spend half his time with her, as the Pandavs needed him. In due

course of time, Hidimbaa and Bheem gave birth to an extremely

powerful son. His head was smooth without a single hair on it. He

was named Ghatotkach. The Pandavs rejoiced at his birth.

After Ghatotkach’s birth, it was time for the Pandavs to move

ahead. Bheem took leave of his beloved Hidimbaa with a very heavy

heart, promising to meet her once again. The Pandavs and their

mother proceeded ahead on their journey to safety.

15. Bheem slays Bakasur

The five Pandavs and Mother Kunti entered a village called

Ekchakranagari and took shelter in the house of a Brahmin. The

Pandavs too assumed the guise of Brahmins and wandered the

village, begging for their daily food. While four brothers spent the

day out, one bother would remain in the house to safeguard Kunti.

The brothers took turns in this routine. One day, while it was Bheem’s

turn to stay at home with Kunti, both heard the sound of loud wailingand sobs. It appeared that their hosts were in some deep trouble.

Kunti stood by the adjoining room’s door to try to hear what

was being spoken. At the opportune moment, she stepped forward

to ask them what the matter was, but the hosts were reluctant to

reveal anything. When Kunti persisted, the brahmin replied, sob-

bing, “O virtuous lady! Ekchakranagari is a cursed place. A terrible

Rakshas called Bakasur rules this small town. Earlier, he used to

enter the village anytime he pleased, raiding and plundering, carry-

ing away people to eat them alive. Unable to withstand his atroci-

ties, the people of this town made an agreement with this Rakshas

whereby everyday, a buffalo cart full of food driven by one human

being would be sent to his cave to be devoured. In return, the

Rakshas promised not to enter the town and cause wanton destruc-

tion. Each family has to send one of its members by turn to the

Rakshas. According to this agreement, tomorrow is our family’s turn.

One of us will have to die at the hands of Bakasur tomorrow.”

When Kunti heard this she said, “Do not worry in the least.

Tomorrow, it will be my second son who will take food to the cave of

this Rakshas. Make arrangements for the buffalo cart and the food.

My mighty son is not only an expert in wrestling but has also mas-

tered many divine powers. He can easily defeat any demon, howso-

ever powerful he may be. He will soon free this town from its peril.”

The next day, late in the afternoon Bheem set out with the

buffalo cart full of foodstuff, with the blessings of his mother and the

Brahmin couple. After reaching

a spot outside Bakasur’s hide-

out, Bheem began consuming

the food himself. As usual, his

great appetite more than did jus-

tice to the foodstuff.

Bakasur smelt the arrival

of a human being and under-

stood that the day’s quota had

arrived. But when he came out

and saw Bheem merrily eating

the food meant for him, his an-

ger, already inflamed because of

his hunger became uncontrol-

lable. He rushed forward and de-

livered a mighty kick on Bheem’s

Shri. Anirudha Parmar, Dahisar Mrs. Nikita Parmar, Dahisar


22/53

back. It did not have any effect on Bheem. Bakasur now started

raining blow after blow upon Bheem, who held Bakasur down firmly

with his left hand and continued eating with his right hand. After

completely finishing the food, Bheem finally got up. He had decided

it was time to finish the Rakshas as well.

It was no contest at all. Bakasur, yelling and roaring, was hop-

ing for an easy victim but soon found out that this newcomer was far

different from the helpless humans he had devoured earlier. Bheem

played with the Rakshas for a while and finally lifted him above his

head and brought him crashing to the ground. The fight had gone

out of the demon. Bheem broke his back and put an end to the life

of the Rakshas who had terrorized the innocent for long. He then

put his corpse in the cart and reaching the village’s outskirts, placed

Bakasur’s body at the gates. Bheem quietly entered the house and

narrated everything to his mother and brothers and the worried Brah-

min family before going off to sleep.

In the morning, all of Ekchakranagari was simply stunned to

see the dead body of Bakasur, beaten out of shape. People gath-

ered in crowds to see this miracle, scarcely believing that their small

town was at last freed from the Rakshasa’s reign of terror. They

started making enquiries as to who was their saviour. In order not to

become the focus of attraction of people, Kunti and the five Pandavs

hurriedly quit Ekchakranagari. They could not afford to be recog-

nized by anyone.

16. The Swayamwar of Draupadi

After leaving Ekchakranagari following the slaying of Bakasur

by Bheemsen, the Pandavs reached Utkochak Teerth, which was a

more secluded place. Very few people came there. Maharshi

Dhaumya, a leading disciple of Bhagwan Vyas met them there and

informed them that according to Ved Vyas’ instructions, he (Dhaumya)

was to be their chief priest. Acting according to his advice, the

Pandavs proceeded to the city of Kampilya, which was the capital of

the kingdom of Panchal, ruled by Drupad. They took shelter in a

potter’s house and stayed there in the guise of Brahmins, begging

for their food.

King Drupad of Panchal had been defeated and humiliated

by Dronacharya and deprived of half his kingdom. In order to take

revenge on Drona, Drupad had performed a powerful yadnya to

beget a mighty son who would be able to slay Drona. Out of Drupad’s

yadnya were born the valourous Dhrishtadyumna and the beautiful

Draupadi. When the Pandavs reached Kampilya, Drupad was busy

in preparations for Draupadi’s Swayamwar.

The place where the Swayamwar was to be held was splen-

didly decorated. King Drupad sat on a resplendent throne, accom-

panied by his ministers, courtiers and army. Separate arrangements

were made for guest kings and princes and for the citizens. The

Pandavs, in the guise of Brahmins, arrived and took places where

most priests and rishis were seated. Kshatriya kings from all over

India had been invited for the Swayamwar and they too occupied

their royal seats. Hastinapur’s prineces, including Duryodhan and

his brothers plus Karna, had also arrived. Among the other guests

were Shree Krishna and his elder brother Balaram, who immedi-

ately recognized the Pandavs from afar. Krishna knew that the

Pandavs had escaped the attempt on their lives at Varnavat and

were safe.

The Swayamwar hall had a pond placed in the middle, with a

pole erected in its middle. The pole had a rotating wheel on top of it

and above the wheel was the image of a fish. The condition of the

Swayamwar was that anyone wishing to win Princess Draupadi’s

hand had to hit the eye of the fish by looking at its reflection in the

water.

Crown prince Dhrishtadyumna led his beloved sister Draupadi

by hand to the Swayamwar hall. She was bedecked in bridal finery

and her beauty outshone that of even apsaras (heavenly damsels).

She held a fragrant garland in her hands. Dhrishtadyumna welcomed

Mrs. Prabhavati Rathod, Pune Shubhachintak, Dahisar


23/53

the assembly of kings and princes and announced the Swayamwar’s

condition.

Many kings and Kshatriya noblemen stepped forward to try

their fortune but none could fulfil the near-impossible test. Many of

them could not even lift the heavy bow; the few who could manage

to do so could not string it. Drupad’s brow grew dark with worry;

Draupadi’s brothers Shikhandi and Dhrishtadyumna grew anxious

by the hour.

Duryodhan too was among the grand failures. After his hu-

miliating exit, Karna got up and went near the bow. He picked up the

bow, strung it and was about to step forward to aim at his target,

when Draupadi’s razor-sharp voice rang out in the hall: “I shall not

marry a sootputra (son of a charioteer).”

Draupadi’s declaration stopped Karna in his tracks. He looked

up at the sky and then with an angry stare, threw down the bow and

went back to his place.

A hushed silence descended on the hall. No Kshatriya king orprince was able to fulfil the Swayamwar’s condition. Finally, a youth

from the ranks of the Brahmins stepped forward. It was none other

than Arjun in Brahmin guise. He politely asked for permission to try

his hand with the bow, which was granted by Dhrishtadyumna. He

then picked up the mighty bow with ease and strung it without much

effort. Arjun then concentrated all his physical and mental energies

on the target looking at its reflection in the water. The next instant,

the arrow flew upwards from his bow and lo and behold! It was a

perfect hit! The eye of the fish above the rotating wheel was pierced.

The hall resounded to deafening cheers from Kampilya’s citizens.

Draupadi, blushing repeatedly, garlanded him.

The assembled Kshatriyas could not tolerate an unknown Brah-

min winning a Kshatriya princess, especially when all of them had

proven miserable failures. They rushed forward with their weapons

to fight Arjun. But Arjun was more than a match for all of them. Using

the same bow, he dispatched showers of arrows on them, forcing

them to beat a hasty retreat. The mighty Bheem also played his

part, uprooting a huge pole and scattering the attacking kings and

their guards like flies. Nakul, Sahadev and Yudhishtir safely escorted

Draupadi home. Karna, who had been rejected by Draupadi, fought

Arjun mos

Documents

Mahabharat Simple Version