The people were not sure who should be king. At first, they sided with Yudhishtira who was honest, nice and noble. Supporting him were four brothers, one strong, one skilled, one beautiful and one wise. What more did a kingdom want? But they also felt sorry for Duryodhana, son of a blind father and a blindfolded mother, whose friend Karna, treated so harshly by the Pandavas, was not only strong but also generous.
‘When they get married and women from other lands start entering this household, it will make matters worse,’ said Vidura to Dhritarashtra. ‘It makes sense therefore to build a separate house for the wife and sons of Pandu.’ Dhritarashtra agreed and ordered a palace to be built for Kunti and her sons in Varanavata.
When Vidura visited this palace, he was horrified to discover that the house was made of lac and all kinds of inflammable material.
Vidura went to Kunti and said, ‘My brother wishes to kill you and your sons. He will gift you a house—a gift you cannot refuse. Once you move in, he plans to burn it down. But fear not, you shall be safe. Below the house I have built a tunnel which leads to the forest. Accept the gift of the house to avoid suspicion and then escape through the tunnel. When you return, you will have a moral high ground that will go a long way in getting your children their rightful inheritance.’
Sure enough, the palace was given to the Pandavas and their mother and as soon as they moved in, on the first night itself it was set afire. The Pandavas escaped unhurt with their mother but they were shaken by the events. The family feud had suddenly taken a very serious turn.
When the flames died out, the charred remains of a woman and five young men were discovered. Everyone assumed these were the remains of Kunti and her sons. Dhritarashtra wept for them, Gandhari wept for them, Duryodhana and Dusshasana also wept for them. Bhishma and Drona were inconsolable in their grief.
Vidura pretended to mourn, for he knew the bodies were those of six people who had been drugged and left in the palace to burn in place of Kunti and her children. He kept wondering who in the household knew of this horrific plot. Whose tears were true and whose were false?
The story of rivalry over the elephants comes from an elephant festival in Karnataka. It shows that the rivalry was not limited to the sons; both Kunti and Gandhari were fiercely competitive and sought glory for their sons.
Much has been said about Kunti’s relationship with Vidura. Vidura is seen as a form of Yama, the first god called upon by Pandu to make Kunti pregnant. Yudhishtira thus is the son of Yama and finds a father figure in Vidura. Rationalists believe that Vidura perhaps, in his role as a younger brother, was the first one invited by Pandu to make his wife pregnant. This explains his soft corner for Kunti and her sons.
The story of the lac palace marks the Kauravas and their blind father as the villains of the epic. By this one shameful action, they lose all sympathy.
Barnawa, located in Meerut district, close to Hastina-puri, is identified as Varanavata, where the palace of wax was built for the Pandavas.
26
Killing Baka
‘Except Vidura, no one in the palace cares for us. Bhishma and Drona try not to take sides and Vidura cannot support us openly. We have to fend for ourselves. Let us not show ourselves till we have powerful allies of our own,’ said Kunti. The Pandavas agreed.
So, pretending to be impoverished Brahmans, the widow and her five sons took refuge in the forest, never stopping in any one place for long, wandering through the wilderness wondering what life had in store for them. Was this the life they were meant to live? Homeless, rootless, children of the gods. The Pandavas often found their mother sobbing. They wondered how they could bring a smile back to her face.
Sometimes, when walking became too tiresome for all, Bhima would carry his entire family in his arms: his mother on his back, Nakula and Sahadeva on his shoulders and Yudhishtira and Arjuna on his arms or hips. Passers-by who saw this were astonished not merely by his strength but also by his devotion to his family.
When wandering in the forest became unbearable, the Pandavas took shelter in villages but they never stayed there for long as they did not want to attract any unnecessary attention. Fear of discovery and death haunted them every moment.
The Pandavas foraged for food all day long while in the forest. In villages, they would go from house to house seeking alms. The food collected would be divided in the evening. Kunti would give half to Bhima and divide the rest equally among the rest. She ate the leftovers.
In the village of Ekachakra, Kunti and her sons were given shelter by a young Brahman couple. One night, they overheard the wife cry, ‘I know it is our turn to feed that monster. But if you go, he will surely eat you and I will be left a widow, with no means of supporting either myself or our daughter, left to the mercy of the world.’
Feeling sorry for her kind hosts, Kunti asked the Brahman what the problem was. She learnt that the village lived in the shadow of fear. A Rakshasa called Baka lived nearby and every time he was hungry he would raid the village, destroy property and kill all those who came in his path. To minimize the damage, the villagers came to an agreement with the Rakshasa: instead of him raiding the village randomly and spreading mayhem, they would every fortnight, send him a cartload of food. He could eat the food as well as the bullocks as well as the man, or woman, who delivered the food. Every family in the village had to take turns providing the Rakshasa his fortnightly food. Thus the suffering was distributed equally among all the villagers. It was now the turn of the Brahman couple.
‘Fear not,’ said Kunti to the Brahman couple, ‘This house has given us shelter. The least we can do is save this household. One of my sons shall go in place of your husband. I have five sons; I can afford to sacrifice one.’
The Brahman couple protested, ‘But you are our guests.’ But Kunti’s mind was made up. She ordered Bhima to deliver the cartload of food to Baka. The Brahman couple were touched by Kunti’s sacrifice. As Kunti bid Bhima farewell, the other Pandavas smiled. Their mother had, in one masterly stroke, taken steps to rid the village of the Rakshasa menace while ensuring her hungry son had ample to eat, after days of frugal meals.
No sooner did Bhima enter the forest than he stopped the cart and began eating the food meant for the Rakshasa. When Baka heard the sound of slurping and burping, he was furious. He approached the cart and saw what Bhima was up to. Furious, he attacked Bhima but Bhima caught him by his neck and pinned him to the cart with one hand while continuing to eat with the other. When he finished his meal, Bhima smiled with satisfaction and then turned his attention to Baka.
The two fought like wild bulls. The earth shook and the trees trembled as they showered blows on each other. After a prolonged fight, Bhima managed to break Baka’s neck.
The next day, the villagers saw the cart carrying Baka’s body entering the village. There was no sign of the widow’s son. In fact, there was no trace of the widow and her other sons. The villagers thanked the mysterious strangers for delivering them from their misery. ‘They must be Kshatriyas in disguise. For is it not the dharma of warriors to protect the weak without seeking either reward or recognition?’
In the rural hinterland of India, in tribal communities and even in South East Asia where the Mahabharata plays a central cultural role, the mace-wielding Bhima is the most popular Pandava. He is the great warrior who defeated many Rakshasa warriors and made the world a safer place. Perhaps the village folk were drawn by his straightforwardness. He was a passionate simpleton who could be provoked easily. He loved his food and enjoyed fighting demons. He was a hero of commoners, unlike the focused and highly insecure Arjuna who was the hero of the bow-wielding elite.
Among many tribes of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, such as the Konds, Bhima is seen as the one who brought civilization to earth. He is worshipped as a deity under a tree that is considered to be his wife, a tribal princess.
Baka uses his might to subdue the weak villagers. He represents matsya nyaya or the law of the fishes, which is an Indian metaphor for
the law of the jungle. In the jungle, might is right. Such laws are unacceptable in civilized society. That is why Baka is a barbarian in the eyes of Vedic scholars. For them, he who helps the helpless is a true Arya or noble being. That is why they extol the virtues of Bhima.
27
Hidimba and Hidimbi
Back in the forest after killing Baka, the Pandavas and their mother decided to rest in a clearing in the woods. There they were attacked by a Rakshasa called Hidimba, brother of Baka, who recognized Bhima as the killer of his brother.
After a fierce duel, Bhima managed to overpower and kill Hidimba. Hiding in the bushes was Hidimba’s sister, Hidimbi. She saw her brother being killed but rather than getting angry, she was drawn by Bhima’s strength and power. She decided to make Bhima her husband. Using her magical powers, she took Bhima’s mother and brothers to a wonderful place and provided them with food, clothing and shelter. Impressed by this hospitality, Kunti accepted Hidimbi as her daughter-in-law.
In due course, Hidimbi gave birth to Bhima’s son, Ghatotkacha.
Kunti watched her second son enjoying the company of his wife and child. She feared this attachment would distance him from his brothers. So, one day, she summoned Bhima and said, ‘Our destiny lies elsewhere. Not with Rakshasas. It is time to go,’ she said.
Bhima nodded his head and with a heavy heart bid farewell to his wife and son. As they were leaving, Hidimbi’s son, though an infant, spoke like a grown man, ‘Should you ever need my help, father, just think of me and I shall come.’ Bhima smiled, touched his son’s cheek one last time, gave a tender look at his wife, and then followed his mother and brothers out of the Rakshasa settlement.
In Himachal Pradesh there is a village goddess identified as Hidimbi, suggesting that the Rakshasas were probably forest tribes who did not follow the Vedic way, hence were looked down upon as barbarians. They were also considered barbarians because they lived by brute force and admired strength over intelligence or wit. By becoming the wife of Bhima, Hidimbi perhaps gave up her Rakshasa ways and became worthy of worship.
Although the words Rakshasa and Asura are used interchangeably, they need to be distinguished. Rakshasas reside in the forest while Asuras reside under the ground. In mythology, the Asuras fight the Devas while the Rakshasas harass humans.
That Hidimbi accepts her brother’s killer as her husband indicates that the Rakshasas respected the law of the jungle that might is right.
Kunti is uncomfortable with Bhima’s relationship with the Rakshasa woman. She tolerates it to a point but then encourages her son to ove on as his destiny lay in the palace, not in the forest. She fears Bhima’s domestication by Hidimbi will not be good for the family.
28
A Gandharva called Angaraparna
One day, while collecting water from a lake, the Pandavas were attacked by a Gandharva called Angaraparna. He claimed the lake belonged to him. A fierce fight followed during which Arjuna was forced to release his arrow charged with the power of Agni, the fire-god. The arrow set the Gandharva’s chariot aflame. Before long, Angaraparna was unconscious and Arjuna’s captive.
The Gandharva’s wife, Kumbhinasi, begged Arjuna to release him. ‘Let him go,’ said Yudhishtira. Arjuna obeyed.
In gratitude, the Gandharva gifted the Pandavas a hundred horses. He also told them many stories.
One of the stories told was that of Shaktri, son of Rishi Vasishtha. One day, Shaktri found his way on a narrow bridge blocked by a king called Kalmashpada. Angry because the king refused to give him right of passage, he cursed the king to turn into a Rakshasa. The curse came into effect instantly, but it ended up hurting Shaktri the most. As a Rakshasa, Kalmashpada developed an appetite for human flesh. He pounced on Shaktri and devoured him. On learning of his son’s death, Vasishtha was so overwhelmed by grief that he tried to kill himself by jumping into fire, off a cliff and into a river. But neither the fire nor the hard ground nor the waters were willing to harm Vasishtha. ‘Live,’ said the elements to the sage. ‘Live for your grandson who lies unborn in his mother’s womb.’ In due course, Vasishtha’s widowed daughter-in-law gave birth to Parasara, who became Vasishtha’s reason for living. When Parasara grew up, he decided to perform a yagna which would destroy all the man-eating Rakshasas of the world, including his father’s killer, Kalmashpada. ‘Stop,’ said Vasishtha. ‘Forgive. Your father’s outrage made him curse a king and that curse ended up hurting none other than your father the most. In the same way, your act of vengeance will achieve nothing but create a spiral of vendetta. Find it in your heart to forgive. Let the Rakshasas be at peace. And may you find peace too.’
Parasara saw sense in these words of his grandfather and abandoned his ritual that sought to destroy the Rakshasas. This Parasara was the father of Vyasa, who was the father of Pandu.
The Pandavas realized that the Gandharva had told them this story because he sensed rage in their hearts against their cousins.
‘We are the Pandavas,’ they revealed to the Gandharva, ‘much wronged by the Kauravas.’ They told the Gandharva everything from their father’s death to their uncle’s treachery. ‘It is difficult to forgive when one has suffered so.’
‘Shed anger. Make your own fortune instead,’ said the Gandharva. ‘You have now my horses. Now get yourself a priest. And a wife. Then land. Establish your own kingdom. Make yourselves kings.’
The Gandharvas, like the Rakshasas, are forest-dwelling creatures. But they seem to be more sophisticated, travelling in flying chariots and using bows. Perhaps the non-Vedic tribes were classified into gods or demigods if they were found admirable, and demons if they were found to be abhorrent.
In the epic, Angaraparna says that the main reason why he was able to attack the Pandavas is because the Pandavas had completed one stage of life, that of being students, but had not yet entered the next stage of life, that of being a husband and householder. Thus Vyasa draws attention to the importance of marriage. In Vedic times, as per ashrama-dharma, a man’s student days came to an end with marriage while his householder days came to an end when his son bore a child.
The story of Vasishtha and Parasara is consciously placed at this juncture. The Gandharva knows and does not approve of the Pandavas’ anger, howsoever justified, against the Kauravas. This anger will yield nothing but more pain and suffering.
The motif of two men on a narrow bridge and who will give the right of passage to whom provides a setting to explain the generosity that is the essence of dharma and the stubbornness which is the essence of adharma.
The horse is not a native animal of the Indian subcontinent. That the Gandharva gives horses to the Pandavas suggests they took refuge in the North West Frontier through which traders brought stallions of Central Asia and Arabia to India.
Book Six
Marriage
‘Janamejaya, in your family, a mother asked her sons to share a wife.’
29
Children from Shiva
Directed by the Gandharva, the Pandavas went to the forest outside Panchala where they came upon a sage called Dhaumya, who on learning of their identity was more than happy to serve them as guru.
‘The household of Kunti is incomplete without a daughter-in-law,’ was Dhaumya’s first advice. ‘Let us find one. Let us go to the court of Drupada where an archery contest is being held. The prize is his daughter, Draupadi.’
Dhaumya then proceeded to tell how Drupada came to be the father of Draupadi.
Burning with humiliation after his defeat by the students of Drona, Drupada invoked Shiva, the destructive form of God, and sought a way to destroy not just Drona but also his patrons, the Kuru clan. ‘A son to kill Drona. A son to kill Bhishma. A daughter who will marry into the Kuru household and divide it,’ he cried.
‘So be it,’ said Shiva.
In due course, Drupada’s wife gave birth to a daughter. The oracles said she would acquire a male body in due course. ‘It will be a gender transformation like that of Manu’s son, Sudyumna, wh
o became the woman, Ila. Thus will she be the cause of Bhishma’s death,’ said the oracles, who also divined that Drupada’s daughter was Amba reborn.
Drupada was not satisfied with this child. So he sought the help of the Rishis, Yaja and Upayaja, who knew the secret art of creating a magic potion which when consumed could give women children. The two sages performed a great yagna. But when it was time to give the magic potion to Drupada’s queen, she was busy bathing. Yaja and Upayaja refused to wait for her and threw the magic potion into the fire-pit.
From the flames emerged two children: a man called Dhrishtadyumna who would kill Drona and a woman called Draupadi who would marry into the Kuru household and divide it.
Shiva thus gave Drupada three children. A daughter who would become a son, followed by twins, a son who was all man and a daughter who was all woman. The first was destined to kill Bhishma, the second was destined to kill Drona and the third was destined to cause a rift in the Kuru household.
Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata Page 8