The Puffin Book of Magical Indian Myths
Page 7
Sugriva waited outside the mouth of the cave. Some time later he heard Bali yelling, ‘Help! Help! I’m being killed!’ Then, to Sugriva’s horror, he saw a rivulet of blood flow out of the cave and knew that his brother had been vanquished. In anger and grief, he rolled a mighty rock and sealed the mouth of the cave. Then he went back to the kingdom and assumed the role of the king.
However, what had really happened was that the demon had realized he was about to die and in his final moments had played a trick. As he struggled, he called out in a voice like Bali’s and, when he saw Bali invoke a rivulet of milk, he conjured it to look like blood. Bali was unaware of the trick and set about beating the life out of Dundupi. After Bali killed the demon, he came to the mouth of the cave and found a huge rock blocking his way. He stared at the rock in surprise and then pushed it aside. ‘Where are you, Sugriva, my dear brother?’ he called. But Sugriva wasn’t there. Bali began to get anxious. He rushed to his palace and there he found his brother seated on the throne.
Bali thought his brother Sugriva had wanted to kill him and had sealed the mouth of the cave to ensure that. He stared at his brother angrily. ‘So this is what you wanted … all this while you were pretending to be a loving brother and in your head you were plotting my downfall. You are a traitor!’
When Sugriva saw his brother alive and well, he rushed towards him joyously. ‘I’m so happy to see you. We all thought you were dead!’
‘Stop pretending, Sugriva,’ Bali roared. ‘You mean you thought I was dead! You wanted me dead so you could be king. But you shall no longer be king!’
Sugriva tried to explain. ‘I never wanted to be king. But the ministers forced me to be one till your son was old enough to be the ruler. Please believe me, my dear brother!’
‘Don’t call me brother. If you truly were one, you would have waited for me till I returned,’ Bali said.
‘But I heard you scream that you were being killed and then I saw blood flow out,’ Sugriva said.
‘Did you think a demon was going to destroy me?’ Bali demanded.
And even though all his ministers tried to explain, Bali wouldn’t listen. He banished Sugriva from the kingdom and Sugriva went to the forest with a band of his faithful followers, which included Hanuman, the son of Vayu.
Later, when Rama and Lakshmana passed through the forests seeking Sita, they met Sugriva who told them the sad story of his banishment. He narrated how Bali had seized the throne back and, to make matters worse, had married Sugriva’s wife, thereby depriving him of his home and family.
‘Everything I have is yours. But I have nothing to offer you,’ Sugriva told Rama.
‘Do not lose heart. I shall ensure that you get justice,’ Rama said.
‘But no one can defeat Bali. He is so powerful,’ Sugriva said. ‘Besides, our father’s boon ensures that in a battle his opponent’s powers will be reduced by half.’
‘Listen to me. I have a plan. This will not be a battle in the conventional sense …’ Rama said.
So Sugriva went to the palace doors and roared, ‘Bali, come out! I challenge you to a battle!’
Bali looked up from what he was doing and wondered: ‘What is wrong with that fool, Sugriva? Has he gone mad? Does he think he can defeat me?’
‘Go away!’ Bali screamed.
But Sugriva continued to holler challenges. ‘Are you so scared that you are hiding behind the skirts of the women in the palace? Perhaps you too should begin to wear one!’ he taunted.
Bali lost his temper and stepped out of the palace and they began to wrestle. Rama, who was hiding behind a tree, shot an arrow which pierced Bali’s heart and killed him.
Thus Sugriva became king again and his monkey-army helped Rama in his battle against Ravana.
How Balarama Destroyed Two Mighty Asuras
Once again when the universe was ravaged by evil rakshasa kings and there was no one who could vanquish them, the time came for Vishnu to make his appearance. He took two hairs, one black and one white, and set them afloat. These became the children of Devaki. The dark one was Krishna and the fair one, Balarama. As soon as they were born, they were carried away to Gokula so that their uncle Kansa wouldn’t kill them.
King Kansa had deposed his father, Ugrasena, as the ruler of Mathura. One day, he was told that his nephews would destroy him and so he murdered each one of Devaki’s children. However, both Balarama and Krishna were smuggled away to Gokula soon after they were born, where Rohini looked after Balarama and Yashodhara, Krishna.
Krishna and Balarama were completely unlike each other not only in looks but in their behaviour too. But that didn’t stop them from being the best of friends and together they had many adventures.
Just as Krishna killed many demons, Balarama too had his share of victories. When Balarama was a young boy, an asura tried to carry him off. The asura had disguised himself as a cowherd and so for a while Balarama sat on his shoulders quite happily. ‘Where are we going, Uncle?’ he asked.
‘Your father wanted me to take you to see the new calf which was born yesterday,’ the asura said.
Balarama began to feel something was not quite right. He was familiar with every cow and calf in the place and knew that no calf had been born the day before. But he kept quiet. Soon he saw that the asura was walking in the wrong direction from where the cows grazed and he asked, ‘Where are you going? This is not the way.’
The asura laughed. ‘This is the right way. The way to your death.’
But Balarama was not going to give up without a fight. So he began to beat the demon’s head. His hands were so strong that his blows cracked the demon’s head and he fell to the ground dead.
Some days later, as Balarama was crossing a narrow bridge, at the other end stood an ass, which refused to budge. It was the great demon Dhenuka in disguise, and his plan was to kick Balarama to death. ‘He is a little boy and one kick will be enough,’ the demon thought.
Balarama looked at the ass that was blocking his path and said politely, ‘I have come all this way. All you need to do is to step a few feet back. Please let me pass.’
Again and again, Balarama appealed to the ass. But the ass brayed and refused to move. So Balarama slapped it on its rump to make it run away. The ass rolled its eyes, snorted and raised its leg to kick Balarama. But the boy was very nimble on his feet and jumped out of the way in time.
Balarama, unlike Krishna, had a quick temper and he lost it now. He also realized that the ass was no ordinary animal. So Balarama seized the ass and began whirling it around by one of its legs till the creature was dead and then he flung the carcass. It landed on a tree and the disguise fell off. Now everyone knew that Balarama had killed the wicked demon Dhenuka.
What Happened When Balarama Wielded the Plough
When Balarama was a young man, he accompanied Krishna to Mathura and helped him destroy Kansa, their wicked uncle.
Away from the simple life of Gokula, both Krishna and Balarama discovered the pleasures of royal living. Balarama developed a fondness for wine and sometimes went on drinking bouts.
Once when Balarama had drunk several glasses of wine, he decided to have a bath. After the attendants prepared the bath, he refused to bathe in the palace and said he would like to bathe in the waters of the Yamuna.
‘But, Your Highness, the river is far away and you are in no condition to walk or ride to the riverbank,’ the attendants said bewildered.
Balarama lolled back on the cushions and said, ‘Why should I go to the river? The river will come here. All I need to do is call it.’
The attendants tried to hide their smiles. ‘He is so drunk that he doesn’t know what he is saying,’ they thought. Balarama saw their smiles and snorted. ‘You don’t believe me, is that it? Just watch. Yamuna, hey you river, come to me. I would like to bathe in your waters,’ he said loudly.
But the river didn’t appear. Balarama called again but the river didn’t heed his command. Balarama began to get angry. ‘How dare you be so �
�� so …’ Balarama spluttered in rage, unable to find words.
He then rose from his seat, grabbed the plough that was his favourite weapon, and stalked to the riverbank. He plunged the plough into the waters and dragged it this way and that. ‘You wouldn’t come to me. Now you have to go everywhere that I do. Do you understand?’ he muttered.
Balarama walked first to the east, then to the south, then to the north and to the west and then again to the north. All the while he held his plough in the water and the river was dragged after him.
The river began to feel dizzy with the constant change in direction. Yamuna assumed a human form and appeared before Balarama, begging for forgiveness. His pride satisfied, Balarama let it go.
There were many times that Balarama wielded his plough to deadly effect. When Duryodhana, the Kaurava prince, kidnapped and imprisoned Balarama’s nephew Samba, and kept him as a prisoner, Balarama asked for his release. Duryodhana laughed scornfully and refused. Balarama thrust his plough under the ramparts of Hastinapura and began to shake it. The city trembled and seemed in imminent danger of collapsing, so finally Duryodhana was forced to release Samba.
Dwivida, a demon in the form of a great ape, longed to get his hands on Balarama’s plough. With the plough he would be invincible, he thought. So he stole the plough and began to taunt Balarama. ‘Let us see how strong you are without your plough.’
Balarama grunted in reply and grabbed the great ape and began whirling it in the air till blood spewed from its eyes, nostrils, ears and mouth. Then he hurled it on to the ground. The ape fell on the crest of a mountain and such was the weight of its body and the force of the throw that the mountain splintered into a hundred pieces.
Meanwhile King Raivata, who had a very beautiful daughter called Revati, was looking for a husband for her. Since she was as strong as she was beautiful, he thought he would have to consult with Brahma on who would be worthy of her. Brahma suggested that he choose Balarama and so King Raivata went to Balarama and gave him Revati as his wife.
Balarama looked at Revati carefully. ‘She is very beautiful,’ he said, ‘but she is much too tall and I don’t want my wife to be taller than I am.’
So he shortened her with the end of his plough and then married her. Revati might thus have lost a few inches but she didn’t lose her incredible stamina. When she discovered Balarama’s fondness for wine, she began to join him in his drinking bouts. That way he didn’t get drunk and, since she had a strong head, she was not affected no matter how much she drank. They lived very happily together and had two sons.
How Krishna Taught Indra a Lesson
The people of Vraja, near Mathura, lived off the land. They grazed the cows on the grass that grew abundantly and bathed the cattle in the waters of the Yamuna. The cows produced so much milk and of such wonderful quality that their milk, curds and butter were much sought after. To thank Indra for giving the region plenty of rain, the people of Vraja offered a grand yagna to him every year.
One year, when Krishna was a young lad, he questioned the elders of the community, ‘Why do you offer prayers to Indra? It isn’t as if he’s doing anything extraordinary. It is his business to provide rain.’
‘Don’t speak like that, Krishna,’ they cautioned. ‘If Indra gets angry, he’ll trouble us with too little rain or too much. Besides, conducting a sacrifice is a tradition. Everyone here has a good time.’
‘I’m not saying that we shouldn’t conduct a sacrifice. All I’m saying is why do it in honour of Indra?’ Krishna said.
‘Then who shall we do it for?’ the older men asked.
‘How about the mountain Govardhan? Don’t our cows graze on its slopes? Don’t we collect firewood from its trees? Don’t we drink the water from its streams? Don’t we live on its sides? And have we ever thought of saying thanks to the mountain that is part of our lives in so many ways?’ Krishna spoke with a smile.
When Krishna smiled and spoke so sweetly, no one could resist him. That year the sacrifice was conducted in honour of the great mountain Govardhan.
Indra was furious when he found out that the people of Vraja had offered a sacrifice to the mountain instead of him. ‘How dare they?’ he fumed. ‘I’ll teach them such a lesson that they will come begging to me and will never dare risk my displeasure.’
So Indra sent a storm towards Vraja and for many days the rain came pouring down. Lightning criss-crossed the skies and thunder rumbled ominously, making cows low and babies cry and old people take shelter under their beds. Everything was sodden and the level of the river began to rise. Soon it had risen beyond the banks and still the rains didn’t stop. ‘Let me see what Krishna and his mountain-friend can do to save them,’ Indra laughed.
Krishna realized that Indra was punishing the villagers. This angered him and he decided to teach Indra a lesson. ‘Come with me,’ he said to the villagers. ‘I will take you to a place where you will be dry and safe. Indra won’t be able to harm you with his rains or thunderbolts.’
Krishna led them to the foot of the mountain Govardhan and asked the mountain for permission to move it. When the mountain agreed, Krishna lifted it with his little finger and beneath it all the villagers huddled together.
For seven days, Krishna held the mountain aloft. Finally, Indra knew there was nothing more to be done. He went to Krishna and offered his homage. ‘Forgive me for my pride,’ he said. ‘I shall never harm these people again.’
Krishna put back the mountain and the people returned to their homes. From then on, every year, both the mountain and Indra were venerated.
Why the Parijata Tree Came Down to Earth
During the churning of the ocean, the Parijata tree rose to the surface. The tree was unlike anything the gods or demons had ever seen. With exquisitely shaped leaves and curving boughs, the tree was beautiful to look at. As for its tiny star-shaped blossoms, they emitted a fragrance that perfumed the world. The Parijata tree mesmerized anyone who looked at it.
Indra had seen the tree emerge from the ocean and had claimed it for his own. He said, ‘This will delight the nymphs and gods with its beauty and perfume the world of the mortals. So it should be nurtured in my garden in the skies so that all three realms might benefit from it.’
The other gods sighed. Sometimes, they thought, Indra behaved like a spoilt child—demanding favours all the time and sulking if he didn’t have his way. Except that if Indra sulked, there would be no rains or he would go to the other extreme and send so much rain that there would be a flood.
So the tree was taken to Indra’s garden. Indra’s wife, Sachi, looked after the tree as though it were a baby. All the guests were taken by her to look at the tree and breathe in its fragrance that filled the heart with peace and joy.
Once when Krishna went to visit Indra, he took his wife Satyabhama along. Sachi and Indra received them affectionately. Sachi took them on a routine tour of the garden and showed them the Parijata tree. Krishna, who had seen the tree many times, took a deep breath of its fragrance and walked on. But Satyabhama was seized by a great desire to have the tree for her own, and she was reluctant to move away from the tree. Sachi sensed that her guest was much too enchanted by the tree and tried to hasten her away. But Satyabhama refused to stir and Krishna had to forcibly lead her away. Back in the guest chambers, Satyabhama wouldn’t eat or sleep. ‘What is wrong with you?’ Krishna pleaded with her.
‘I can’t do anything till I have the tree in my garden,’ Satyabhama told him.
‘Indra will never give it up. The only way we can take it is by stealing it,’ Krishna said.
Satyabhama tossed her hair and snorted, ‘So when did you begin having scruples about stealing things? Didn’t you steal butter when you were a baby? Didn’t you steal the gopikas’ clothes when they were bathing?’
‘But this is different,’ Krishna said.
‘I don’t think this is different at all. Besides, you are more powerful than Indra and you should own the tree, not him,’ Satyabhama added.
When Indra discovered the theft, he was furious and led his army against Krishna. There was a fierce battle and Indra was defeated. As Indra, humiliated, turned to go back without the Parijata tree, Krishna said, ‘The tree will be with me as long as I am alive. After that, you can choose to take it back if you want.’
The Parijata tree stayed in Dwaraka. And on the seventh day after Krishna’s death, as the city began to be submerged by the ocean, Indra swooped down and took the Parijata tree back to his palace garden.
How the Kauravas Were Born
Gandhari was the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara. She was to be married to Dhritarashtra, the king of Hastinapura. She was a good woman, kind and generous.
At the wedding, Gandhari discovered that her husband had been born blind. Gandhari decided that she didn’t want to see a world that had been denied to her husband. So she wore a blindfold over her eyes for the rest of her life.
One night Gandhari had a dream that she would give birth to a son who would almost entirely destroy the human race. She woke up shuddering and telling herself that it was only a dream. Soon she forgot about it.
A few weeks later, the sage Vyasa visited the palace and Gandhari, instead of letting the attendants take care of the sage’s needs, did everything herself: from cooking his food to getting his bath ready to washing his clothes to pressing his feet to organizing the ingredients for his daily sacrifice. Vyasa was so pleased by her devotion that he asked her, ‘What would you like?’