Mahabharata: Two Stories

By Indrajit Bandyopadhyay

Two stories on Mahabharata. The first 'Khandavadahana' is an interpretative story on why and how Krishna and Arjuna burnt the Khandava forest, and its political significance. The story attempts to interpret Mahabharata rationally by extracting 'history' from Myth. The story also attempts to portray Krishna and Arjuna's characters from 'modern' perspective. The second story is about the next generation Pandavas, i.e. the sons of the Pandavas, and their thoughts and anguishes about the coming Kurukshetra war. The story attempts to portray the 'marginalised' characters of Mahabharata.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781105091049

Book preview

Mahabharata: Two Stories

Mahabharata: Two Stories

Indrajit Bandyopadhyay

© 2011 Indrajit Bandyopadhyay. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-105-09104-9

Contents

1   Khandavadahana

2   The Rebels: The Next Generation Pandavas

Khandavadahana

Dhritarashtra said to Yudhishthira, 'Listen my son to what this old man says. Go to Khandavaprastha. Let no difference arise again between you and your cousins; rule Khandavaprashtha virtuously.’

Duryodhana, Shakuni, Duhshashana, and Karna conspired to burn the Pandavas alive in the Palace of lac in Varnavata. It was part of a political game. The Pandavas, on Krishna’s advice, chose not to remember that any more.

After their escape from death, during the first year of their exile, Bhima killed Hidimba, co-habited with his sister Hirimbaa with Kunti’s approval, and gave birth to a son. The Pandavas named him Ghatothkacha.

Kunti’s act did not go well with the Vedic orthodoxy represented and dominated by the Bharadwaja and Gautama Angirasas. First, she had approved a younger brother’s unconventional marriage with a Rakshasa woman in violation of Dharmashashtric injunctions; secondly, she had declared Ghatothkacha to be the eldest of the next generation of the Pandavas; which, the Brahmin ministers of Dhritarashtra viewed as Kunti’s attempt to foil Duryodhana’s chance to produce the eldest son of the next generation. Indeed, one reason why Dhritarashtra sent the Pandavas to Varnavata was to enable Duryodhana marry before the Pandavas.

The Pandavas spent six years in the forests and lesser-known Janapadas studying Vedas and learning forest warfare under the auspices of Dwaipayana, Narada and their disciples. They lived among common people like common people.

Dwaipayana would say, ‘The future Emperor of Bharatavarsha must have first-hand knowledge of subjects’ lives…and frist-hand experience into the life of the four Varnas. And the future Emperor must lead an eleemosynary life too to have first-hand experience of the life of those living outside the fringes of the society.’

In the sixth year, during their stay at Ekachakra, Bhima killed Vaka, head of a cannibalistic tribe, and came to be regarded the beloved of the common people. Narada and his disciples took care that every exploit of the Pandavas became folklores far and wide.

On the seventh year of their exile, following Dwaipayana’s advice, the Pandavas went to South Panchala ruled by Drupada.

Arjuna won Draupadi in the archery contest.

As wished by Dwaipayana and approved by Kunti, the Pandavas married Draupadi.

The polyandrous marriage sent another shiver of distaste down the spine of Vedic orthodoxy, and their representatives in Hastinapura swore never to allow the Pandava’s re-entry in Hastinapura.

Dwaipayana was now openly considered a threat to Vedic culture and civilization. However, the Vedic orthodoxy had their taste of helplessness given that their chief patron in Hastinapura carried Dwaipayana’s blood, and as such was much revered by Bhisma.

Drupada and Pandu had been great friends, and years back, they had promised to establish matrimonial ties to eternalize the bond of friendship.

After Pandu’s death, Hastnapura’s policy towards Panchala had changed. Bhisma had approved the breaking of the Panchala nation at Drona’s behest, to appease the Bharadwaja Angiras, keeping in mind the new emerging political scenario with Jarasandha’s assuming the title of Chakravorty Emperor.

Jarasandha was the jewel of the crown of Vedic orthodoxy, and unable to withhold the pressure of Angira ministers, Bhisma had to forge subsidiary alliance with Jarasandha. With a weak and blind king on the throne, troubled more by personal agenda, and having Vidura only on his side, Bhisma, in fact, had no other option.

The orthodox Angira Brahmins wanted the revival of Vedic Dharma – a Dharma based on rituals and worship of Indra and Agni, a Dharma that would hold the society together within the rigid frames of a birth-based and hereditary Varna system. As Drupada patronized the Kashyapas and Vashishthas, he had already become an eyesore of the Angirasas.

The emergence of Drona, a Bharadwaja Angira, as one with Kshatra excellence breathed fresh air in the orthodox Angira hopes. At first they sent him to Drupada with the hope that Drona would have easy access there as Drupada’s childhood mate. Once Drona became a minister, it would be easier for the orthodoxy to thwart the Kashyapas and Vashishthas. However, that hope dashed to the ground when Drupada, in adherence to Vashishtha policy of appointing ministers, turned Drona away.

Drona returned with promise of vengeance. The Panchala hope gone, Drona was now sent to Hastinapura with the mission to revive fading Angira glory.

When the Pandavas were considered dead, Hastinapura again thought of revising its Panchala policy, the concern of Jarasandha’s growing prowess being one major factor. Bhisma and Vidura managed to convince Dhritarashtra that without new alliances, Hastinapura stood every chance of being devoured by Magadha glory.

Hoping a matrimonial alliance with Panchala, yet cautious not to appear stooping for an alliance, Bhisma sent the Kuru princes to Draupadi’s Swayamvara.

Destiny had something else in mind.

The Kuru princes won the Swamvara, but not the way Hastinapura could have imagined.

The grudge that Drupada bore towards Bhisma and Drona was now fuelled again, now that his cherished desire to have Arjuna as his son-in-law was fulfilled by a queer stroke of destiny. His fear for Jarasandha gone, he did not think necessary to pretend anymore that he had forgotten his previous wounds.

It became a matter of public discussion that Drupada had sent Shikhandi and Dhristadumnya to Drona’s tutelage to have them trained to kill Bhisma and Drona one day.

The whole Bharatavarsha rose up in wonder and astonishment to the fact that the Pandavas were alive and married a single woman.

Polyandry was in vogue once, sanctioned by Vedas and other ancient scriptures, and practised by willing women. However, with the increasing tilt of the Vedic Dharma towards a patriarchal frame, and growing dependence of the Brahmana-Kshatriyas and Vaishyas on males for running the Rashtra and Varna-system, the orthodoxy claimimg descendance from the Sage Uddalaka and Sage Gautama, had debarred women from marrying more than one man during an existing bond of marriage.

The Pandavas’ marriage with Draupadi marked their reentry on the stage of Bharatavarsha’s political and Dharmic theatre with a shock whose tremors were felt more intensely by the orthodox Vedic Institution.

Overnight Arjuna became renowned as the greatest archer in Bharatavarsha. Bhima’s magnificent feats like the killing of Hirimba and Vaka and also his tossing the great Shalya headlong in Drupada’s open assembly made him a living legend and he came to be regarded as the strongest man living.

The name and fame of the Pandavas spread far and wide like forest fire aided by Vayu.

Krishna too earned fame as a peacemaker, for it was his timely intervention in the Swayamvara Sabha that prevented the tussle between the frustrated Kshatriyas and Drupada from turning into a full-fledged war.

Above all, it was Dwaipayana’s name that spread like fire the length and breadth of Bharatavarsha for his reviving the ancient custom of polyandry through his grandsons. Dwaipayana had his traditional advantage. The Rig Vedas say his ancestor Vashishtha was born of a polyandrous marriage of Mitra-Varuna with Urvashi.

The patriarchal Vedic orthodoxy marked Dwaipayana as a destroyer of Vedic civilization and regarded him as anti-Vedic.

Had he not been the son of a great Maharishi and had he not enjoyed the support of the powerful Kanvas, Vashishthas and Bhrugus, he would have been made an outcaste.

Dwaipayana was a Vashishtha by birth and the son of the great sage Parashara.

Parashara was famous for his failed ambitious project of collecting the Vedas in one book in written form.

Parashara’s project had also been viewed with suspicion by the Vedic orthodoxy and his untimely death was a relief to them.

Earlier Dwaipayana gained prominence as the one who breathed life into the almost extinct Bharata dynasty. His help to the Yadus, fleeing from Jarasandha’s onslaught, in building the fortress at Dwarka was also well known. He was also known as the one pursuing his father’s failed project by collecting the Vedic mantras prevalent since remote past in different parts of the land. Indeed he travelled far and wide with his disciples in search of Vedic mantras that were no more used in social rituals.

Now after he had successfully advocated Draupadi’s marriage with the five brothers, extreme opinions could be heard about him.

His admirers started regarding him as a Yugapurusha. And his devotees worshipped him as incarnation of Vishnu.

The liberal Vedic Institution regarded Dwaipayana and his disciples as the Neo-Vashishthas.

Much to the chagrin of the Bharadwaja-Gautama Angirasas of Hastinapur-Panchala-Magadha-Vaishali, Dwaipayana’s disciples comprised of Brahmanas of all Gotras selected on the basis of Gunas. Dwaipayana selected Kshatriya, Vasihya and Sudras with Brahmanic Guna and having academic and spiritual bent of mind, cosmopolitan outlook and the desire to serve selflessly for others.

The Vedic orthodoxy hated him even more for taking even Sudra disciples in his project.

The Neo-Vashishthas proclaimed that any disciple could inherit Gotra from his or her Guru; and denounced Gotra by birth.

Dhritarashtra’s good name and fame took nose-dive as the conspiracy and failure of Duryodhana et al to kill the Pandavas became a matter of much public discussion and folklore. Even Bhisma, the great benevolent patriarch, could not escape his share of infamy.

Bards sang Pandava-gatha everywhere in Hastinapura, and composed parodies deriding Dhritarashtra and his sons.

The common people of all Varnas of Hastinapura burst out into open protest against Dhritarashtra and Bhisma.

Dhritarashtra had no other way but to call back the Pandavas to Hastinapura on Bhisma and Vidura’s advice.

Bhisma saw the irony of a newly emerged Panchala-Pandava alliance. He had always had much difference in opinion with Pandu regarding Panchala policy.

Vidura was sent to Panchala to bring home Kunti and the Pandavas with Draupadi.

The Pandavas returned to Hastinapura with Draupadi amidst ecstatic reception from the people of Hastinapura. Krishna accompanied them.

This was the first time that Hastinapura saw this now famous Kamsa nemesis.

The common people fell in love with Krishna immediately.

His exploits in war and love, his revolutionary act of abolishing Indra-worship, and his free mixing with common people made him a cherished jewel in the eyes of common people.

It became very difficult for Duryodhana to swallow the double insult. The common people openly jeered at him on two counts – his failure to kill the Pandavas, and his failure to win Draupadi.

As he sat at a dark corner in his palace unable to bear the common people’s ecstasy with the Pandavas and Krishna, Duhshashana and Karna consoled him with pale faces, and Shakuni roamed about in the room restlessly. ‘Time will come, Duryodhana, time will come’, muttered Shakuni; and Karna thundered, ‘Time will never come sitting idly, Mamashri, we need to capture time and make it prostrate before us.’

The question of legacy to the Hastinapura throne became a matter of public debate once again with a huge sympathy wave in favour of the Pandavas threatening to smash all their adversaries to the shore of hatred had Dhritarashtra not settled matters immediately with the true spirit of atonement.

Old representatives of towns and villages in Dhritarashtra’s Assembly demanded that Yudhishthira be declared Yuvaraja without any loss of time.

Hastinapura was simmering on the verge of a public revolt against the royalty. People openly taunted kuru-loyal Officials.

The powerful Angira ministers led by Kanika were strongly against reinstalling Yudhishthira as crown prince of Hastinapura, but decided to keep mum in the face of intense public sentiment of hatred against them.

The long sidelined Bhisma and Vidura gained some importance for the moment.

In long meetings continuing for five days and nights, it was decided that a proposal would be given to Yudhishthira.

It would be proposed to him to take half of the Kingdom as his share and become King, instead of becoming crown prince. That way common people would be appeased and Duryodhana’s obstacle would be removed.

The Angira ministers led by Kunika initiated the proposal.

Bhisma’s concern was the security of the Pandavas and a stable and sustainable solution to the problem of inheritance. He consulted with Vidura in secret, and Vidura consulted with Krishna in secret over the matter.

Thus, the Angira ministers and Bhisma-Vidura arrived at the same solution with different intentions.

It was yet another irony