Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata

  Arjuna picked up his bow and shot arrows at the hunter. The hunter responded calmly by shooting arrows that struck Arjuna’s arrows midair. Arjuna grudgingly had to accept that the hunter was indeed a skilled archer. When his quiver got empty, he picked up a sword and started fighting with the hunter. When the sword broke, a hand-to-hand combat followed. Arjuna found that the hunter was not only skilled but also very strong; he overpowered Arjuna effortlessly.

  Angry, desperate, stripped of all confidence, Arjuna went back to the linga of Shiva and offered it flowers. When he opened his eyes, he found the hunter sitting in front of him, smiling tenderly, covered with the same flowers that he had just offered the linga.

  It dawned on Arjuna that the hunter was none other than God himself. ‘I wanted to see how determined you are for the weapons. You don’t give up, do you?’ said Shiva, his voice booming across the forest. Arjuna realized the hunter’s wife was the goddess Shakti. The boar with the two arrows was actually their sacred bull, Nandi, pretending to be dead.

  Arjuna prostrated himself before God. ‘Here,’ said Shiva, ‘take the Pashupat. Use it wisely.’

  Arjuna then had a vision of Shiva’s true form. His hair was matted and his body smeared with ash. He had wrapped himself in the hide of a lion and a tiger and he held in his hand a trident, a rattle-drum and a skull as a begging bowl. Round his neck was a string of Rudraksha beads and a hooded serpent. He sat on a great white bull with his wife beside him. She was dressed in the sixteen love-charms of marriage—a red sari, flowers in her hair, betel leaf in her mouth, bangles, armlets, anklets, bracelets, toe rings, rings on her nose and ears, necklaces and bejewelled belts around her waist. The divine couple, embodiments of the soul and the flesh, raised their hands and blessed Arjuna.

  Arjuna performs a puja, a ritual quite different from the yagna, the primary ritual prescribed in Vedic scriptures. Puja involves adoration of a deity represented by an image with offerings of flower, food, perfumes and water. Pu means flowers in Tamil—an ancient language with roots different from those of the Vedic Sanskrit, suggesting that puja was a ritual of non-Vedic tribes, a people who were probably less nomadic and more rooted to the earth.

  The notion of the measuring scale is critical in Hindu thought. The value of an object depends on the scale being followed. And since all scales are man-made, all values are artificial. Thus all opinions ultimately are delusions, based on man-made measuring scales. According to one scale followed by Arjuna, a prince is superior to a forest dweller. According to another, followed by the Kirat, he who wins in a duel is superior. The world that is perceived through any measuring scale is called maya.

  Arjuna’s tryst with Shiva is not just about obtaining the Pashupat; it is also about learning a lesson in humility. Arjuna cannot bear the thought of being trounced by a forest dweller, who he considers socially inferior.

  Vyasa portrays Arjuna as an arrogant prince with a fierce competitive spirit. While competition is a powerful tool to excel, Vyasa warns us not to make it an exercise to dominate others. Domination through display of prowess is the way of the beast, not the way of the civilized man.

  In Garhwal region is found the Pandava Leela that retells the legend of Kalia Lohar, the blacksmith who helped forge weapons for the Pandavas in exile. Some say that the blacksmith was a form of Shiva, hence is worshipped locally as a deity.

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  Arjuna in Amravati

  Arjuna then climbed the snow-clad mountains known as the Himalayas. On the way, he saw the sky was overcast with dark clouds. Then he saw a flash of thunderbolts. It was his father, Indra, god of the sky, making his presence felt.

  Arjuna saw a chariot descend from the skies. It was Indra’s chariot. The charioteer, Matali, invited Arjuna to come to Swarga and join his father. ‘Why does my father call me?’

  ‘He needs your help. He is troubled by Asuras and feels you can defeat them more easily than any Deva, with your knowledge of Pashupat.’

  Arjuna beamed at this recognition of his skills. ‘I shall surely help my father. I shall raise my bow and defeat the Asuras who trouble him.’

  Arjuna fought alongside the Devas and defeated many Asuras including the ones known as Kalakeyas and Nivatakavachas. Indra hugged his son and welcomed him to Swarga. ‘Enjoy the pleasures of paradise, my son. All that you wish will be yours.’

  Arjuna indulged in the joys of paradise, sorely missing his brothers and his wife. He took special interest in learning dancing from the Gandharvas. As his warrior body moved to the tunes of the flute, the Apsaras realized how beautiful his human body, covered with sweat, was.

  One day, the Apsara known as Urvashi approached Arjuna dressed in her finest garments, and said, ‘I want you to be my lover.’

  ‘How is that possible?’ said Arjuna, ‘You were wife of my ancestor, Pururava. You are therefore like a mother to me.’

  ‘Rules of mortals do not apply to immortals.’

  ‘But they apply to me. I cannot touch you. Or even think of you in the way you want me to.’

  ‘You reject me, you mortal! You reject me?’ said Urvashi furiously. ‘You are nothing but a eunuch. May you lose your manhood instantly.’

  ‘But…’

  Urvashi walked away in a huff. Arjuna ran to his father hoping he could get rid of the curse but Indra could only modify it, ‘You will have to lose your manhood but only for a year. You choose which year it shall be.’

  ‘I am so unfortunate,’ moaned Arjuna.

  ‘Turn this curse into an opportunity,’ said the king of the Devas. ‘Use it in the thirteenth year of your exile when you are expected to live in hiding.’

  The Devas ride on vimanas or flying chariots. This has led to speculation that Mahabharata refers to flying saucers. There are many who believe that in Vedic times, people had the knowledge of aerodynamics and had actually built planes. Rationalists, however, consider reference to flying chariots of the gods as poetic flights of fancy.

  Urvashi’s values are different from Arjuna’s. She is nature; in nature, desire is not contained by morality and ethics. He is, however, a creature of human society where desire is contained by morality and ethics. Unlike Shantanu and Yayati before him who could not contain their desire, this episode shows Arjuna triumphing over his desires. The exile has made him a stronger man.

  The lifespan of an Apsara and a Deva is different from the lifespan of a Manava. Their values are different too. What is mere passion and pleasure for Urvashi is incest for Arjuna. Vyasa thus shows how confrontation and conflict does not necessarily happen when one is right and the other is wrong; it can happen simply because two people follow different value systems.

  The Mahabharata identifies the Himalayas as the stairway to the paradise of the gods because their peaks touch the sky.

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  A journey full of tales

  While Arjuna was enjoying the comforts of Amravati, he was worried about his wife and brothers. So Indra sent the Rishi Lomasha to earth to inquire about their well-being and to direct them to the hermitage of Nara and Narayana atop the snow-clad peaks of the Himalayan range. ‘Tell them that Arjuna will meet them there after he has spent time with his father,’ said Indra.

  When Lomasha met the Pandavas, he found they sorely missed Arjuna and were eager to hear of his well-being. ‘He enjoys the company of his father. Indra advises you to spend your days in exile travelling, visiting places on river banks, atop hills, in caves, scattered across the rose-apple continent of Jambudvipa. Spend time with sages, hear stories, learn new skills and gain wisdom. Twelve years is less than a blink of Indra’s eyes; it shall pass quickly. When you return, you will be better rulers of the earth.’

  And so began the great pilgrimage of the Pandavas. Accompanied by many sages including Dhaumya, Narada, Parvata and Lomasha, they went south, then east, then west. They bathed in the confluence of holy rivers and dipped in lakes guarded by ancient deities. They meditated in caves and saw the sun rise from sacred mountain tops. The journe
y gave them a fresh perspective on life.

  During this journey, they also met many great Rishis such as Vrihadashwa and Arshitsena who told them many stories and discussed many philosophies. All this greatly enriched Yudhishtira. He did not have material wealth but certainly he had no dearth of spiritual wealth.

  The Rishis told Yudhishtira the importance of balancing spiritual pursuits with material needs. They equated extreme monasticism with sterility. ‘Once, there was a sage called Vibhandaka who refused to teach his son, Rishyashringa, anything about women. As a result, the region where Rishyashringa dwelt suffered from a long spell of drought. The drought ended and rains came only when Shanta, daughter of the local king, Lompada, succeeded in seducing Rishyashringa and teaching him the pleasures of the flesh.’

  They told him the value of marriage. ‘Rishi Agastya was tormented by his ancestors who appeared in his dreams. They hung upside down over a bottomless pit and moaned that they would never be able to escape their miserable fate unless they were reborn. And the only way they could be reborn was if their descendant married and produced children. In deference to the wishes of his ancestors, Agastya married Lopamudra, a princess, and had children by her. Thus did he repay his debt to his ancestors and facilitated their rebirth.’

  They told him the value of sons. ‘Once, a man called Kahoda was incensed when his understanding of the Veda was corrected by his own unborn son. He cursed the child that he would suffer from eight physical defects at birth. Later, this very same son, born with eight defects, hence called Ashtavakra, defeated a scholar called Bandi in an intellectual debate. Bandi had earlier humiliated Kahoda in a gathering of Rishis. Thus the son, though cursed by the father, ended up avenging his father’s insult.’

  They told him the importance of keeping one’s word. ‘King Sala borrowed the swift Vami horses belonging to Vamadeva for a month, but then refused to return them incurring the wrath of Vamadeva who by his austerities had the king killed by invoking demons. Sala’s brother, Dala, also refused to part with the horses; he raised an arrow at Vamadeva but the arrow ended up striking his own son. Dala’s queen then begged Vamadeva to forgive her husband and forced Dala to return the horses that rightfully belonged to the sage.’

  They told the king tales that showed the importance of worldly responsibilities. ‘Kaushika abandoned his old parents to become a hermit, undergo spiritual practices and accumulate magical powers. But while these powers enabled him to kill a bird with the mere glance of his eyes, it did not give him any peace of mind. From a housewife and then from a butcher, he learnt that peace of mind does not come from renouncing worldly life; it comes from knowledge of the soul and a true understanding of the world as it is. With this knowledge in one’s heart, one can carry on doing one’s worldly duties. One must accept that one’s life is the result of past karmas and that one has the power to choose one’s response to every situation. Realizing that the truth resides not in the forest but in one’s heart, Kaushika returned home and took care of his old parents. More than magical powers, it was a true insight into the workings of the world that gave Kaushika peace of mind.’

  They told him tales of greed. ‘King Somaka was punished by the gods for killing his only son, Jantu, with the intention of having a hundred more sons like him.’

  They also told him tales of forgiveness. ‘A Rishi called Raibhya found his daughter-in-law in the arms of a youth called Yavakri. Enraged, he killed Yavakri. Yavakri’s father, Bharadvaj, cursed Raibhya that he would die at the hands of Paravasu, the son whose wife, he claimed, had seduced Yavakri. The curse realized itself a few days later. Paravasu killed Raibhya mistaking him for a wild animal. To save himself, Paravasu accused his younger brother, Aravasu, of the crime. Aravasu protested his innocence but nobody believed him. In disgust and anger, Aravasu went to the forest and performed terrible austerities intent on gaining occult powers with which he could teach his elder brother a lesson and clear his soiled reputation. As the days passed, Aravasu’s mind was illuminated by the spiritual fire known as tapa. In its light and warmth he was filled with wisdom. Wisdom took away all desire for vengeance and filled him with peace. Instead of punishing his brother, he realized there was greater joy in forgiving him.’

  They also told Yudhishtira tales of leaving behind a legacy through generosity. ‘After spending centuries in the paradise of Indra, Indradyumna was cast out and told to return only if people on earth still remembered his meritorious deeds. Indradyumna first went to Markandeya, the sage who had lived longer than most humans. Markandeya, however, did not remember him and took him to meet an owl who had lived longer than him. The owl did not remember him either. He directed Indradyumna to a stork. Unfortunately, even the stork did not remember Indradyumna. The stork directed the old king to Akupara, a turtle. The turtle who lived longer than most animals remembered Indradyumna as the king who had built the lake in which he lived. But Indradyumna did not remember ever building a lake. The turtle explained that Indradyumna did not plan to build a lake, but it happened as a result of his generosity. The king gave away so many cows that the cows he gave away kicked up enough dust while leaving their sheds to create a depression that turned into a lake following the rains. That lake later became home to many fishes and turtles and serpents and birds. Thus Indradyumna could never be forgotten—there were many on earth that benefited either directly or indirectly from his good deeds. This knowledge enabled Indradyumna to rise to Swarga and take residence beside the gods once again.’

  The Rishis also told Yudhishtira of his great ancestor Kuru, after whom the land around Hastina-puri came to be known as Kuru-kshetra. ‘Kuru kept tilling the earth using his flesh as seed and blood as water until an exasperated Indra asked him what he sought. Kuru wanted nothing for himself. His only wish was that those who die on the land tilled by him would ascend to paradise instantly. Indra agreed but on one condition. It was not enough to die in Kuru-kshetra; the manner of death mattered too: either death by renunciation or death in war.’

  In the twelve-year exile the Pandavas and their wife were never alone. They were constantly accompanied by their family priest Dhaumya and many Rishis who took them to holy spots and told them sacred stories. Both travelling to holy spots and listening to sacred stories are believed to reduce the burden of karmic debts and increase the load of karmic equity. The unlucky Pandavas thus use their long period of exile to clean up their fate.

  Pilgrimage is an important part of Hindu spiritual practice. The Mahabharata uses every occasion to list the sacred spots of India and the stories connected with each one. These narrations fired the imagination of settled communities, inspiring them Exile to go on a pilgrimage sometime in life. Travel, realized the wise men, was an important way to widen the outlook of otherwise inward-looking communities.

  In Hindu tradition, telling and listening to stories are critical as they are vehicles of profound truths; they shape a person’s understanding of the world.

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  Tryst with Rakshasas

  Eleven years passed. After visiting holy spots associated with various gods and goddesses, the Pandavas finally decided to move north, in the direction of the Pole Star towards the snow-clad Himalayas. Rishi Lomasha had informed them that Arjuna would meet them there after descending from Amravati.

  Among the many Rishis who accompanied the Pandavas on their journey to the Himalayas, there was one who was no Rishi but a Rakshasa in disguise. His name was Jata.

  One day, while the entire group was resting and Bhima was away hunting and the Rishis were busy collecting flowers, Jata revealed his true form. Turning into a giant, he caught hold of Yudhishtira, Nakula, Sahadeva and Draupadi in his two hands and began running into the woods. He wanted to eat the three Pandavas and ravish their wife.

  ‘Help, help,’ cried Sahadeva, alerting Bhima, who immediately turned around and ran in the direction of the sound.

  Yudhishtira meanwhile told Jata, ‘You fool. This action of yours will earn you no merit. What hope you ha
ve of being reborn as a human or even a god is lost because of the demerit earned by killing us and ravishing our wife. You are making matters worse for yourself. You, who have hope of becoming a higher being, may turn into an animal, or vegetable, or worse, a stone, in your next life.’

  Yudhishtira’s words set Jata thinking. As he thought, he slowed down. He started walking rather than running. Bhima was able to catch up with him and strike him down with a mace. Yudhishtira, Nakula, Sahadeva and Draupadi escaped and Bhima punched him on his face repeatedly till he was dead.

  After their encounter with Jata, the Pandavas continued on their journey north. While the sight of the slopes and the view from the many peaks of the Himalayas was breathtaking, the climb was steep and dangerous. Sometimes, the wind blew violently and pushed the Pandavas back. Sometimes, the chill caused their joints to freeze forcing them to stop and rest in a cave. Yudhishtira soon found himself breathless and Draupadi fainted, unable to bear the strain. Nakula and Sahadeva rushed to her side, rubbed her limbs and comforted her with soothing words.

  They had to continue climbing. On top, they would finally be reunited with Arjuna.

  The days spent by the Pandavas in the Himalayas had a profound impact on the local people. Rivers, passes, mountain peaks and caves are associated with various events and characters mentioned in the epic. Even today, the Pandava Leela recounting the heroic deeds of the Pandavas is an integral part of the culture of the Garhwal region.

  Every time the Pandavas enter the forest, they have violent encounters with many Rakshasa warriors such as Hidimba, Baka, Kirmira and Jata. These were perhaps hostile non-Vedic tribes, some of whom like Ghatotkacha who finally did befriend the Pandavas.