The Story of Garuda and Galava – Stories from Udyoga Parva

Despite multiple rounds of advice, Duryodhana didn’t change his mind. Instead, he slapped his thigh to show he was capable of defeating anyone. To this, Narada said that it was rare for people to listen to well-wishers and their meaningful advice. He gave the example of how Galava faced defeat due to obstinacy. 

garuda-galava

A long time ago, Dharma wanted to test Rishi Vishwamitra. He took the form of Rishi Vashishta and went to Kaushika ashram, where Vishwamitra lived. He said he was extremely hungry and needed some food to eat. Vishwamitra cooked charu (rice with milk and honey, like a form of porridge) with a lot of care. This meant he couldn’t provide other offerings to the guest, and he also spent extra time on the dish. In the meantime, Dharma in Vashishta’s disguise consumed the food offered by other rishis. When Vishwamitra came with the bowl of porridge, he said he had eaten from others and asked the rishi to stay there. Then, Dharma left the ashram. 

Vishwamitra stayed there, standing like a statue with the bowl in his hands. Years passed, but he didn’t move. Dharma arrived again after a hundred years and saw Vishwamitra in the same position. The porridge in the bowl was still warm and fresh, as if it had been made a few minutes ago. Dharma smiled and said that he was pleased with the rishi’s dedication and consumed the porridge. 

This made Vishwamitra immensely happy. He had become a Brahmin with his tapasya, though he was born a Kshatriya. The rishi had a disciple named Galava, who served him for many years. Vishwamitra said to his disciple that he had achieved the goal of staying in the ashram and was free to go wherever he wanted. 

However, Galava said he wanted to give guru dakshina to the rishi before he left. Vishwamitra said he had already paid the debts of learning through his service, so there was no need for anything else. However, Galava was adamant. The rishi asked to leave, but the disciple wouldn’t. At last, an irritated Vishwamitra told Galava to bring eight hundred white horses that had one black ear each. 

Galava was delighted and excited to find what his guru wanted, only to realize it wasn’t an easy task. Pure white horses with a single black ear were rare and highly expensive. He began to worry so much that he stopped eating and became thin like a skeleton. He thought of himself as grateful for not being able to fulfill his guru’s wish and decided to take his own life. When he thought of giving up life to go to Vishnu’s abode, Garuda appeared in front of Galava. Garuda was the disciple’s friend and inquired about his troubles. When Galava shared his plight, Garuda promised to help him.

Garuda asked Galava to decide the direction in which they would travel first to find the horses. He then provided detailed information about the east (the gods, the events, origin, etc.). Galava asked to take him there. Garuda told his friend to sit on him, and they flew eastwards. Galava was terrified at the speed and requested Garuda to slow down. He continued to worry about the horses. 

Garuda said the disciple didn’t seem wise if he thought he could die when he chose, and assured him that they would do their best to find the horses. They flew to Mount Rishabha, where a lady was performing tapasya. She was Shadili, a rishini. She welcomed them and gave them food to eat. Garuda and Galava felt sleepy and fell asleep. When they woke up, Garuda was shocked to see his wings gone. Galava asked if Garuda had any ill intentions. 

Garuda said he thought he could take Shadili to Brahma’s abode, but not out of disrespect. He said it was due to his respect for her that he felt it might be a good move. He apologized to her and asked for forgiveness. Shadili told him that she knew what she wanted (which was why she lived alone on the mountain) and didn’t like being slighted by him (Garuda thought she was weaker and needed his help, which she didn’t). She advised Garuda not to censure a woman. Garuda’s wings reappeared as he bowed to her. 

On their return journey, Galava and Garuda saw Vishwamitra. He reminded his disciple about the guru dakshina and said he would wait a little longer since he could see the disciple trying hard. This made Galava anxious and stressed. 

Garuda thought about it and said he would take Galava to a king who was a friend. The king was rich and was likely to own such horses. Garuda took Galava to Yayati, the son of Nahusha. Galava agreed. They quickly flew to Yayati’s kingdom and met the king. 

After the initial greeting, Garuda placed his request. Yayati thought he had to fulfill it in any way he could. However, his kingdom was as rich as before, and he didn’t have enough wealth or the kind of horses they wanted. Yayati conveyed the same to Garuda and instead offered his daughter Madhavi as a gift. He said the kings would be willing to pay a hefty bride price for her. In return, he wanted his daughter to have sons so that he could have some grandkids. Garuda told Galava to take Madhavi to the richest king on earth and make a deal. 

galava-horses

Galava and Madhavi travelled to Haryashva Ikshvaku of Ayodhya. The Brahmin gave the king an offer of marriage in exchange for eight hundred white horses with one black ear each. Haryavarsha thought about the offer. He had no children and needed an heir. However, he also didn’t have as many horses as Galava wanted. So, he made a deal. He would give two hundred horses in exchange for marrying Madhavi and having a son through her. 

Galava wasn’t sure, but Madhavi assured him to agree. She said she had a boon to become a virgin after giving birth, so he could take her to more kings afterward. The deal was made. Madhavi gave birth to Haryvarsha’s son, Vasumana. A while later, Galava came to take her to another king.  

They went to Divodasa, the king of Kashi, and asked for six hundred horses in exchange for marrying Madhavi. However, the king also had only two hundred such horses. They made the same deal. Madhavi gave birth to Pratardana. 

Galava visited them again so that he could take Madhavi to another king. This time, they went to Bhoja to meet King Ushinara. The Brahmin said the king could have two sons through her if he gave four horses. However, Ushinara also had only two hundred white horses with one black ear each. So, a similar deal was made. Madhavi gave birth to Shibi. 

Galava then collected Madhavi and went to meet Garuda. He said he still needed another two hundred horses. Garuda told him to stop trying and said he wouldn’t be successful since there were no more such horses left on the earth. He advised Galava to take the horses and Madhavi to Vishwamitra. Garuda even accompanied them. 

They went to Vishwamitra and gave him six hundred horses and Madhavi. The rishi accepted her. Madhavi gave birth to Ashtaka. Then, Galava came to take her back to Yayati and thanked Garuda for his help. He also thanked Madhavi and said her sons would one day save four kings and himself (Galava). 

When Madhavi returned, Yayati planned a swayamwara for her, but she wasn’t interested. She decided to become a rishini and left for the forests to do tapasya. Yayati requested his daughter to reconsider her decision, but she refused. 

Years later, when Yayati fell from his position in heaven for being arrogant about his tapasya, it was these four grandsons who caught him in their chariot and gave up their places in heaven so that he could regain his lost position and live in heaven forever. 

Yayati was grateful for their selfless gesture and wanted to know who their mother was. He was delighted to see his daughter Madhavi as their mother. Even Galava reached the spot and gave one-eighth of the power of austerities for Yayati to go back to heaven (as a thank you for his help earlier). Back in heaven, Brahma Deva said Yayati had to fall due to his insolence and advised him not to repeat the mistake. 

Concluding the story, Narada told Duryodhana that Galava and Yayati suffered due to their arrogance and obstinacy. 

Of course, it did not affect Duryodhana.

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How Matali Found a Groom for His Daughter – Stories from Udyoga Parva

After Parasurama completed the story of King Dhambhodbhava, Rishi Kanva spoke about the greatness of Narayana. He told Duryodhana not to think he was the strongest of everyone and that the Pandavas were superior since they had other capabilities too. He narrated how Matali, Indra’s charioteer, found a worthy groom for his daughter and achieved the task with help from Narada, Indra, and Narayana. 

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Matali was Indra’s charioteer. He had a beautiful and well-mannered daughter named Gunakeshi. She was a kind, soft-spoken, and lovely girl. When Gunakeshi attained a marriageable age, Matali and his wife, Sudharma, wanted to find the most suitable groom for her. Since she was their only child, they didn’t want to rush and decided to take time to explore multiple options. He set high standards and wasn’t willing to budge. Matali knew his quest was difficult, but he would do it for his daughter’s future.

After much discussion, Matali and his wife felt there was none among the devas and humans to meet their requirements. They hoped to find a groom among the nagas. Matali told his wife he would start his search the next day.

As planned, Matali was traveling across heaven when he came face to face with Narada Muni, the celestial nomadic rishi. When asked, Matali told Narada that he was going to meet Varuna. Since Narada was traveling the same way, they went together. 

Narada wanted to know the reason for the visit, and Matali replied that he was searching for a suitable groom for Gunakeshi and finalized the nagas. Narada immediately offered help and said he would take Matali to various naga kingdoms in the underworld. After all, it was good to have a few options. Matali was happy with the suggestion. 

They first went to Varuna’s kingdom. Narada described the beauty of the place and praised Varuna and his qualities. Varuna’s son Pushkara was married to Soma’s daughter Jyotsnakali, who chose him as her husband. 

Narada and Matali walk by Varuna’s lake, where the divine weapons, including Krishna’s Chakra and Arjuna’s Gandiva, were created. They moved on and went to Patala, a city located in the center of the earth (underground) and frequented by daityas and danavas. Narada praised the region and listed the good qualities of the place. He told Matali to look around and see if anyone caught his eye. 

Matali didn’t see anyone worthy of his daughter and told Narada the same. They proceeded to Hiranyapura of the daityas, a city known for its maya. In fact, one could find hundreds of types of maya in this city. Hiranyapura was designed by Maya in his mind, and Vishwamarka executed the plan to build it. The city was located in the nether regions of Patala. Narada described its advantages and told Matali to see if he could find someone who might be suited as his son-in-law. 

Once again, Matali said no one caught his eye and he wanted to visit another city. Moreover, the danavas and devas were constantly fighting each other, so he didn’t want a groom from the other side. So, Narada took Matali to Surparna, the city of Garudas. The lineage of these citizens came from Vinata’s six sons – Sumukha, Sunamna, Sunetra, Suvarchasa, Surupa, and Subala. Narada said they bore the Srivatsa sign and were loyal to Vishnu. Being fearsome birds, they feasted on the nagas. Narada also listed a few famous descendants of Garuda to nudge Matali into choosing a groom from one of them. 

However, Matali wasn’t impressed. Seeing this, Narada finally took him to the seventh kingdom of Patala. It was called Rasatala and belonged to Surabhi (the mother of cows). The supreme sages lived in this city alongside Surabbi’s descendants and other celestial animals. Narada said living in Rasatala gave more happiness than living in the world of garudas or nagas. Yet, Matali wanted to see more. 

Narada then took the charioteer to the city of Bhogavati, owned by Vasuki, the naga. He said the city was as beautiful as Amaravathi and was the same place where Sesha (the naga who performed austerities and carried the earth on his hood) resided. As with other cities, Narada highlighted the beauty of Bhogavati and listed the names of famous nagas. 

This time, Matali was attentive (he wanted a naga son-in-law, after all!) and was observing a particular young naga. When Narada asked if he had found anyone, Matali pointed out the naga standing in front of Aryaka. Matali wanted to know who that young naga was and who his parents were. Matali said the naga had the right age, build, and energy to suit his daughter.

Narada replied that the young naga was Sumukha, the king of nagas, belonging to the Airavata lineage. He was the grandson of Aryaka and took Matali to meet Aryaka so they could discuss the match right away. Matali was satisfied and went along. He was sure he had found the perfect match for Gunakeshi. 

Narada and Matali greeted Aryaka with respect. They exchanged introductions and pleasantries. Narada got down to business by listing the positives of Matali and his daughter. Then, he shared their intentions of asking for Sumukha as a groom for Gunakeshi. However, Aryaka was saddened by the developments. Though he was delighted to get a match from Indra’s charioteer, he also knew things were complex. 

He sighed with a heavy heart and explained that Sumukha indeed had all the qualities of a worthy groom but was destined to die soon. Garuda killed and ate Sumukha’s father (Aryaka’s son). Garuda had threatened to eat Sumuhka in a month, which was almost over. Aryaka asked how he could agree to the match knowing his grandson was bound to die in a few days. 

Matali was determined. He said that he decided Sumukha would be his son-in-law, and he would do everything to make it happen. Matali promised to speak to Indra and seek his protection to save Sumukha from Garuda. He said he wanted his daughter to live with her life partner for a long time and would do anything for it. Arayaka trusted Matali’s words and gave his acceptance to the match. He said that if Sumukha’s life wasn’t under threat, he had no objection to the wedding and would happily accept Gunakshi as his granddaughter-in-law. 

Thus settled, Narada and Matali went straight to heaven to meet Indra, taking Sumukha with them. Indra was with Vishnu, so Narada told them about Matali’s desire to make Sumukha his son-in-law and the threat on the young naga’s life from Garuda. Vishnu told Indra to make Sumukha immortal by giving him amrita. Indra asked Vishnu to do the honors and give Sumukha a boon to live a long life. However, Vishnu told Indra that he too had the power to grant such a boon and said no one would stop him from doing so. Indra took Vishnu’s advice and blessed Sumukha to have a healthy and long life. The young naga glowed from Indra’s boon. He was no longer worried about the impending doom. 

The matter settled, Indra and Vishnu blessed Sumukha and Gunakeshi when they got married in a happy ceremony. Everyone was satisfied with the results. However, Garuda was furious. After all, he couldn’t keep his vow of eating Sumukha. Garuda went to Indra (who was his friend) and said it was unfair of him to protect Sumukha. He said that it was Indra himself who gave Garuda a boon to eat as many snakes has e wanted to satisfy his hunger, and now Indra countered that boon by blessing the young naga with a long lifespan. Garuda first said he would give up his life and then reminded Indra that he could carry the king of heaven on a single feather (and subtly threatened that he was the stronger of the two).

Vishnu reached the spot and overheard Garuda’s boasts. He told the bird not to be proud of his strength and said he was actually weak. To demonstrate, Vishnu asked Garuda to bear the weight of his right arm. Garuda thought he could hold it easily. However, Vishnu’s arm was so heavy that the mighty bird fell faint from the weight on his wings. When he woke up, he bowed to Vishnu and apologized for his actions. 

Vishnu smiled affectionately at Garuda and pardoned him. He advised that Garuda didn’t have to eat all the nagas and should spare Sumukha. Vishnu made Garuda and Smukuha become friends with each other. 

Matali found a groom he wanted, Sumukha’s life was spared, Garuda was humbled, and no one had to die. 

Concluding the story, Rishi Kanva advised Duryodhana not to act like Garuda but to realize that Krishna was Vishnu and do the right thing by adhering to the terms of the dice game (and returning Indraprastha to the Pandavas).

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The Account of Dhundhumara – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

After listening to the story of Indradyumna, Yudhistira asked Rishi Markandeya to tell him about Dhundhumara and why Kuvalashva of the Ikshvaku lineage changed his name to Dhundhumara. 

The rishi obliged. 

Account-of-Dhundhumara

Once upon a time, there lived a rishi named Utanka. He was a devotee of Hari and performed a tapasya to see the god. When Hari appeared, Utanka was delighted to see him in person. Hari offered a boon and insisted that Utanka ask for one. Utanka only wanted to follow his dharma and ensure that he stayed on the righteous path. Hari granted him the boon and also gave him another. He said Utanka would play a role and help a certain king named Kuvalashva kill an asura named Dhundhu. This would happen a few decades later. 

Rishi Markandeya first gave a quick summary of the Ikshvaku family tree. 

After Ikshvaku’s death, Shashada became the king. He was followed his son, Kakutstha. His son Anenas came to the throne and handed it over to his son Prithu. Prithu’s son was Vishvagashva, and Vishvagashva’s son was Ardra. Ardra’s son Yuvanashva had Shravasta, who built Shravasti (currently in Uttar Pradesh). Shravasta’s son was Brihadashva. His son was Kuvalashva, and the king Utanka had to help. 

When Brihadshava was old, he handed over the kingdom to his son and went to the forest to perform austerities. Utanka heard of this news and went to meet Brihadshava in the forest. He asked the king not to retire and to take care of his subjects. Utanka said he wouldn’t be able to perform his tapasya in peace since there was a desert region near his ashram, an ocean of sand named Ujjanaka. An extremely powerful asura named Dhundhu lived here. 

Dhundhu was the son of Madhu and Kaithbha (both were killed by Vishnu). Utanka implored the king to first kill the asura and then retire to the forest. Otherwise, the asura would destroy all three worlds and even harm the gods. Utanka said the king would have the blessings and energy of Vishnu to achieve this feat. 

However, Brihadshava said that his son Kuvalashva would do the needful since he was a powerful and valiant warrior. The old king said that he had already discarded his weapons, and hence his son was the right person to fight the asura.

At this point, Yudhistira asked Rishi Markandeya to tell him more about Dhundhu, the asura. 

A long time ago, Vishnu was sleeping in the ocean, lying on Sesha. When he was asleep, a lotus sprouted from his navel and glowed like the sun. From this lotus emerged Brahma, the creator of the universe. Once the two asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha, saw Vishnu sleeping on Sesha and shook the lotus stem to scare Brahma sitting inside it. This woke up Vishnu, who smiled at them and told them to ask him a boon. The asuras laughed at him and said he should ask them for a boon instead, and added that they weren’t joking. They said that a great calamity awaited them and wanted to overcome it. The asuras wanted Vishnu to kill them in a spot that was completely uncovered by water so that they would be born as his sons. 

Vishnu agreed and gave them the boon. He saw that the only uncovered parts (not immersed in water) were his thighs. He sliced their heads there using the chakra. 

The two asuras had a son called Dhundhu who performed severe austerities and got a boon from Brahma that he wouldn’t be killed by gods, danavas, yakshas, nagas, gandharvas, and rakshasas. Dhundhu then went to harass the gods and Vishnu. He went to Ujjanaka and made it his kingdom. There, he stayed underground and continued to do tapasya to increase his strength and destroy the world. Utanka’s ashram was to the north of this region. 

 Kuvalashva, now the king, went to meet Utanka and was accompanied by his twenty-one sons. Here, Utanka invoked Vishnu/ Hari, who infused his powers in the king to make him capable of killing the asura Dhundhu. The gods cheered and showered flowers on him as he went towards Ujjanaka.

The king had the sand dug up to expose the asura. Dhundhu was asleep, so the king asked his sons to wake him. When the asura woke up, a fierce battle took place between him and Kuvalashva. When Dhundhu let out a gust of fire from his mouth, a rush of water flowed from the king’s body to douse it. Then the king burned down the asura using the Brahmastra. The gods cheered for him. 

Since he was successful in killing Dhundhu, Kuvalashva became popular as Dhundhumara, the one who killed Dhundhu. When the gods offered him a boon, the king asked that he always be a good man who gave donations to the Brahmins, stayed a good friend of Vishnu, and never exhibited enmity towards anyone. Dhundhumara wanted to be devoted to dharma and find a place in heaven after his demise. The gods granted him the boon. Only three sons (Dhridhashva, Kapilashva, and Chandrashva) of the king were left alive, and they continued the Ikshvaku lineage. 

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Parikshit of the Ikshvaku Lineage – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

Yudhistira continued to ask Rishi Markandeya to tell them more stories. This time, the rishi spoke about a king named Parikshit of the Ikshvaku lineage from the older days. 

vamadeva-from-story-of-parikshit-of-ikshvaku

One day, King Parikshit went on a hunt in a forest. He found some deer and pursued them on his horse. The herd scattered, and the king was exhausted. Seeing a dark cluster of trees, he went to explore the region and found a beautiful pond in the center. He jumped inside to take a bath and washed his horse. He played with the lotus flowers and stems for a while, relaxing in the refreshing space. 

Just then, he heard a melodious voice singing a song. Parikshit looked around, wondering who that voice belonged to. A beautiful woman walked that way, singing and picking flowers. The king called out to her and asked who she was, and said he was in love with her. She replied that she could be his only if he made a promise. The king asked what it was. The woman told him he should never show her water. He agreed. They sat there for a while when his soldiers arrived. 

The king returned to his city with the woman and married her. Parikshit then ordered his prime minister to build a place where water wouldn’t reach. The prime minister got a grove constructed with flowers, plants, and trees, but without water. Once it was ready, the king and his wife spent their time there. 

However, one day, the king saw a pond hidden in the grove and sat beside it with his queen. Forgetting her previous words, he suggested that they get into the pond and have some fun. The woman agreed. The king realized that he couldn’t find his wife anywhere in the pond. There were only a bunch of frogs. The angry king ordered all frogs to be killed and said anyone who wished to see him should bring a dead frog as tribute. 

As people began killing the frogs, the king of the frogs went to Parikshit in the guise of an ascetic. He recited two shlokas and asked him not to kill innocent animals in anger, and asked what purpose the killing served. 

The king replied that he could not forgive the frogs since they killed his beloved queen and deserved to die. The Brahmin said that he was Ayu, the king of frogs, and Parikshit’s wife was his daughter Sushobana. He explained that his daughter had a habit of deceiving kings this way, and Parikshit wasn’t her first victim. 

Parikshit said that he still wanted her. So, Ayu brought his daughter to him and handed her over to her husband. He then cursed her for her falsehood and deceit that her sons would be the haters of Brahmins. Parikshit was happy to get back the woman he loved and thanked Ayu. 

Sometime later, they had three sons – Shala, Dala, and Bala. When the king became old, he installed his oldest, Shala, on the throne and went into the forest to spend the rest of his life. 

Shala ruled for a few years. 

One day, he went on a hunt and was pursuing a deer. His charioteer said they should stop since the horses on the chariot weren’t capable of catching the deer, and only the Vamya horses could do that. Shala asked the charioteer to tell him about the Vamya horses and threatened to kill him otherwise. The charioteer replied that the Vamya horses belonged to Vamadeva. Shala ordered him to drive to Vamadeva’s ashram. The charioteer did so. 

Shala asked Vamadeva for the Vamya horses to chase the deer he hit with the arrow. Vamadeva agreed, but on the condition that the horses should be returned after catching the deer. Shala accepted the terms to take the horses but didn’t want to return them. So, he rode back to the kingdom with the Vamya horses. 

Vamadeva realized the truth and sent his disciple to Shala, who said rich kings should possess such horses and not Brahmins, so he wouldn’t give them back. Vamadeva was furious. He personally went to Shala, who refused to return the horses and instead offered bulls, donkeys, and another breed of horses. Vamadeva finally decided he had enough. He announced that his tapasya powers would create a rakshasa that would pierce the king with long spears and kill him. Shala didn’t yield. Even when a rakshasa appeared out of nowhere and rushed at him, Shala yelled that he wouldn’t return the horses, not even if all his ancestors ordered him to do so. However, the rakshasa lunged and killed him. 

With Shala dead, they made Dala the king. Vamadeva went to Dala to get back his horses. However, he was no different from his brother. In fact, he was worse. Dala ordered his men to bring poisoned arrows to kill Vamadeva for asking him to return the horses. Vamadeva told Dala that he would end up killing his own ten-year-old son with those arrows. As cursed, the men bringing the arrows tried it inside the palace and accidentally killed the king’s son. Dala asked for more arrows as he was determined to kill Vamadeva. 

Vamadeva calmly said that Dala wouldn’t be able to release the arrow, though he had it aimed. No matter how much he tried, Dala couldn’t release the arrow. At last, he gave up. Satisfied, Vamadeva told the king to touch his queen with the arrow to revive his son. The queen rushed to Vamadeva to take his blessings. He offered her a boon. She asked for her husband to be freed from the sin and for them to have many children and grandchildren. 

Vamadeva gave her the boon. Thankful for this gesture, Dala returned the Vamya horses to their rightful owner and learned his lesson.

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The Story of Mount Rishaba – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

When the Pandavas reached Mount Hemakuta on their pilgrimage, they saw many inexplicable sights. Rishi Lomasa narrated the story of an ascetic named Rishaba who lived on a mountain that became known as Mount Rishaba. 

mount-rishaba-rishi

Rishaba was an old rishi who liked to live alone and was prone to anger. He instructed the mountain to shower stones on anyone who spoke a word in that region. He summoned the wind and ordered that a single word shouldn’t be uttered. Anyone who spoke would be blocked by the clouds, and the path would become inaccessible. 

Similarly, back in the past when the gods came to stay at River Nanda, humans began to queue up to meet them. However, Indra wasn’t interested. He caused the mountains to grow so high that it blocked the path and prevented human entry. Since then, people couldn’t even look at the mountain, let alone climb it. 

Nevertheless, ascetics and those who performed the necessary austerities were granted permission. Rishi Lomasa advised the Pandavas to control their speech and respect the land. If they adhered to the rules at Mount Rishaba, they could proceed without difficulty.

After all, many great rishis and gods have performed yagnas, and the signs were still visible. The Pandavas followed the rishi’s advice. They took a bath in the river and offered their prayers before moving on to the next pilgrim site. 

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King Sagara’s Sons Dig an Ocean – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

Rishi Agastya drank the ocean water, and the gods killed the Kelakeyas. The massive empty space continued to be a sore sight but there wasn’t anything the gods could do. Brahma Deva informed the gods that they had to wait a few generations for the dried-up ocean to refill. King Sagara’s sons would play a role but it was a long wait!

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A few years later, King Sagara of the Ikshvaku dynasty was on the throne. He conquered many lands and ruled a large region. However, the king had no heir. Despite having two wives, the king couldn’t have a son. The trio performed many yagnas and sacrifices but there was no result. 

They went to perform tapasya on Mount Kailasa, hoping to please Shiva and get a boon from him. As expected, their devotion pleased Shiva, who appeared to grant them a boon. When the king asked for a son, Shiva granted him sixty thousand sons to one wife and one son to another. While the sixty thousand sons would perish, the only son of another wife would give him an heir to take the throne.

Sagara’s wives, Vaidarbhi and Shaibya soon conceived. While Vaidarbhi gave birth to a gourd, Shaibya gave birth to a handsome child, Asamanja. The king asked the servants to throw away the gourd but the voice from heaven warned him not to do that. The king was ordered to extract the seeds from the vegetable and soak them in ghee-filled pots (this is similar to how Vyasa helped Gandhari give birth to a hundred Kauravas and one daughter). In due time, the king noticed that he had sixty thousand sons from the seeds. 

While King Sagara’s sons were powerful, they were also cruel. They traveled through different regions and entered the other worlds, creating trouble wherever they went. Once again, the gods went to Brahma Deva for help. He asked them to be patient as their deeds would result in their deaths.

More time passed. King Sagara planned the Ashwamedha yagna. His evil sons followed the horse around the world. However, the horse disappeared when they reached the empty ocean. When they informed him about the missing horse, the angry king told his sons not to return unless they found the sacrificial horse. 

 Not knowing what to do, the sixty thousand sons began to dig up the empty ocean. This hurt Varuna a lot as his sides were being ripped apart by shovels and spades. The creatures living there cried in anguish as the princes killed them. The princes continued to dig in the northeast direction and reached the other end. Finally, at last, they saw the sacrificial horse in Rishi Kapila’s ashram. 

Eager to grab the horse, the evil princes disrespected the rishi. Angered by their attitude, Kalipa opened his eyes to glare at them. The power from his eyes burned the sixty thousand princes and turned them into ashes. 

When King Sagara heard of this from Narada, he remembered the words of Shiva. He calmly sent his good-hearted grandson, Anshuman, and asked him to bring the horse. Asamanja, his son was as cruel as the others, which made the king exile him. However, the king kept his grandson with him. Anshuman went to Rishi Kapila’s ashram and paid his respects to the great rishi. Pleased, the rishi told him to ask for a boon. 

Anshuman asked him permission to take the horse back and also for water to purify his fathers. Rishi Kapila blessed him and said that Anshuman’s grandson would bring the scared waters down to the earth to purify the souls of King Sagara’s sons. 

Anshuman thanked the rishi and respectfully took the horse to his grandfather. The Ashwamedha yagna was complete. He ruled for a few more years and handed the kingdom to Anshuman. 

Anshuman ruled for a long time. His son, Dilipa was also a pious and dharma-following king. Dilipa performed a tapasya to bring Ganga to the earth but wasn’t successful. He handed over the responsibility to Baghiratha. 

Read here to know the story of Gangavataranam. 

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Churning the Milky Ocean – Stories from Adi Parva

The churning of the milky ocean for amrita is one of the popular stories from the Puranas. Rishi Sauti narrated it in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata. 

churning-the-milky-ocean

A long time ago, the devas met on the mystical Meru Mountain. The repeated wars with asuras were affecting them. Many devas were being injured or killed. Though Mount Meru had many magical herbs, they wanted a better solution, something like a one-time drink to make sure the injured healed automatically and made them immortal. After the meeting, they went to Brahma Deva with their request. He took them to Narayana who advised that they churn the milky ocean to obtain amrita. Drinking the nectar of immortality would solve their problems. 

Narayana also advised the devas to convince the asuras to join them in the process, as it was laborious. He assured them that he would ensure the amrita wouldn’t be misused. The devas first went to the milky ocean and asked permission to churn it. With advice from Narayana, they requested Sesha (Ananta) to uproot and bring the Mandara Mountain for churning. To prevent the setup from sinking, they asked Akupara, the king of tortoises for help. The majestic tortoise carried the weight of the mountain on his back. Sesha wrapped around the mountain. The devas held his tail while the asuras held his head. 

The churning began. Sesha hissed venom in the process, but the asuras could handle it. However, both sides were soon exhausted. Narayana used his powers to shower them with endless energy until they achieved the task. Slowly, different items began to rise from the milky ocean. 

The moon arose, full, bright, and soothing. Goddess Lakshmi came out sitting in a lotus flower and married Narayana. The goddess of wine, Sura Deva, rose with a jar in hand. Then rose the white horse, Ucchaihshravas. A large red ruby named Kaustubha rose and adorned Narayana’s chest. Dhanvantri, the healer of the devas, rose from the milky ocean with a pot in hand. He brought the amrita to the surface. The asuras stole the pot from him. 

As the devas were dejected, Narayani transformed into Mohini, a beautiful young woman. Mohini went in search of the asuras and tricked them into giving the pot of amrita to her. Back in heaven, Narayana distributed the amrita to the gods. However, a danava followed Mohini to heaven and licked a drop of the amrita by hiding behind some devas. Surya Deva and Soma Deva saw this and informed Narayana, who sliced the danava’s head with his chakra. However, the amrita made him immortal. The danava became two beings – Rahu, the head, and Ketu, the body. They swore revenge on the sun and moon and tried to swallow them whenever possible. However, they couldn’t hold on for long and would eventually release them. 

In the next war with the asuras, the devas could win without casualties. They asked Narayana to keep the amrita safe. He helped Indra, the ruler of heaven, safeguard the amrita with various security measures.

The wish-fulling cow, Surabhi/ Kamadhenu, the parijata tree, Airavata, a four-tusked white elephant, and the deadliest poison, Kalakuta, also rose from the milky ocean during the churning. The cow was gifted to the rishis. Indra kept Airavata, and his wife, Sachi, asked for the parijata tree. The white-winged horse was gifted to Bali. Shiva collected the poison and held it in his throat to prevent the destruction of the world. 

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Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa’s Birth

Painting in Angkor Wat of Vyasa narrating the Mahabharata to Sri Ganesha (contributed by By Janice)

Table of Contents (The Complete Condensed Mahabharata in Simple English)

Previous Post: Satyavati’s Birth

Satyavati grew up into a virtuous and beautiful young woman, and because she was around fisherfolk all the time, her body smelled of fish. This young maiden ferried a boat across the Yamuna River to help her foster family.

One day, Rishi Parashar saw Satyavati when he happened to pass through that region. He became so enamoured by her beauty that a strong desire to unite with this young woman arose in him. 

He approached Satyavati and said, “Accept my embrace, O blessed one.”

Satyavati replied, “O holy one, there are rishis standing on both the banks of the Yamuna. How can I grant you this wish when they can see us clearly?”

Hearing Satyavati’s words, Rishi Parashar created a fog that enveloped that entire region in darkness. Satyavati was filled with wonder when she witnessed this feat of the rishi, and she blushed as soon as she realised the implication of the fog. Feeling shy and embarrassed she said, “O holy one, I am a maiden who lives in her father’s house. I will lose my virginity if I accept your embrace. O sinless one, how will I return home? Think about this O holy one and then do what is correct.”

The noble rishi was pleased by her words. He replied, “O beautiful maiden, you will remain a virgin even if you grant my wish. O maiden with a beautiful smile, ask me for a boon. My words have always come true.”

Satyavati asked the rishi to remove the swell of fish that emanated from her body and replace it with a sweet fragrance. Rishi Parashar immediately granted her wish.

Pleased that her wish was fulfilled, Satyavati’s body immediately manifested its fertile season and she accepted the embrace of the rishi.

After this event, Satyavati always emitted a sweet and beautiful fragrance wherever she went. She became known as Gandhavati and Yojanagandha because her sweet smell left its mark for the distance of one yojana.

The child conceived from her union with Rishi Parashar was born that day itself on an island in the Yamuna. This child was gifted with immense energy. As soon as he was born, he asked for his mother’s permission to practise asceticism and left the island saying that he would appear before her as soon as she thought of him.

This child was called Krishna-Dwaipayana. ‘Krishna’ because he had a dark complexion, and ‘Dwaipayana’ because he was born on an island.

After leaving the island where he was born, the learned Dwaipayana saw, through his inner vision, that virtue and the strength of humans and their lifespan diminishes with the passing of every yuga. 

Motivated by the desire to obtain the favour of Brahman Deva and the brahmanas, Rishi Dwaipayana, organised and classified the four Vedas and was thereafter known as Vyasa. Sometime after that, he composed the Mahabharata which is also known as the fifth Veda.

He taught all these works to Sumanta, Jaimini, Paila, his son Suka, and Vaishampayana.

Next Post: A Summary of the Birth of the Main Characters in the Mahabharata

Click on the image below to check out the book — Namaha.

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A Summary of the Karna Parva

Note: The 8th parva of the Mahabharata is the Karna Parva. This parva deals with two and a half days of the war when Karna was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army after Drona’s death.

This parva contains 4964 shlokas divided into 69 sections.

The Karna Parva begins with the appointment of Karna as the commander and Salya (king of Madra) as his charioteer.

Next is narrated the story of how the asura, Tripura was vanquished.

This parva contains the quarrel between Karna and his charioter, Salya, where they insulted each other with words and parables. 

The high-souled son of Drona, Ashwattham, slayed a warrior called Pandya in this parva.

Other warriors who met their end in this parva were Dandasena and Darda.

After that, Yudhishthira and Karna engaged in a one-on-one combat. This move was very risky for Yudhishthira.

Then came the quarrel between Yudhishthira and Arjuna in which Arjuna was pacified by Krishna.

The next incident in this parva was the battle between Bhima and Dussasana. Bhima vanquished Dussasana and ripped open his chest to drink blood from Dussasana’s heart to fulfil his vow to Draupadi.

The Karna Parva ends with the death of Karna at the hands of Arjuna.

Table of Contents

Previous: A Summary of the Drona Parva

Next: A Summary of the Shalya Parva

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How was the Grandeur of Draupadi’s Swayamvara Described in the Mahabharata?

Drupadi’s father, King Drupada, was a generous king, so it’s not surprising that he had made lavish and extravagant preparations for his daughter’s swayamvara.

The swayamvara was to be conducted in a large amphitheater built in an auspicious location, on level ground. It was situated in the north-east direction of the Panchala capital. This large amphitheater was covered with a canopy of various colors and was scented with black aloes and water made from sandalwood paste. The entire space was decorated with beautiful flowers of many varieties and it resounded with the notes of a thousand trumpets.

Beautiful mansions circled the amphitheater and the entire complex was protected by a high wall that had several arched doorways and a moat.

The mansions surrounding the amphitheater were built as residences for the kings and princes who would come from kingdoms all over Bharatvarsha to the swayamvara. These mansions were pure-white 7-storeyed buildings. Their color is compared to the Himalayas by Ved Vyasa in the Mahabharata.

The windows of these mansions were covered with networks of gold and the walls were studded with diamonds and other precious stones. Comfortable and exquisitely decorated beds were made for the royals and the floor was further decorated with lovely carpets.

The inner and outer walls of the mansions were adorned with garlands of flowers and were scented with excellent aloes such that their fragrance would be perceived from a distance of one yojana (eight miles).

All mansions were 7-storeyed but their widths varied. The larger mansions were assigned to more powerful kings. Many of these mansions were large enough to accommodate a hundred doors.

The entire event lasted for sixteen days. The guests included people from all strata of society. They came from all over Drupada’s kingdom, neighboring kingdoms, and then, of course, there were the kings and princes who had come to participate in the swayamvar. The kings came from near and distant kingdoms. They had all heard of Draupadi’s beauty and each one carried a wish in his heart to be the chosen one.

King Drupada entered the amphitheater from the north-eastern gate.

The first fifteen of the sixteen days were filled with performances and entertainment by actors, dancers, athletes, and performers of various arts. The entire amphitheater was filled with people who had come to partake in the celebrations while the kings and princes watched the performances from the balconies of their mansions. The Pandavas sat with their brahmana friends and other regular folks in the amphitheater. For these fifteen days, the amphitheater resounded with applause from the audience and generous gifts were bestowed by the visiting kings to the performers.

During these first 16 days, various actors, dancers, and performers made their performances and were handsomely rewarded by the kings who were present.

In the center of the amphitheater was an apparatus (Ved Vyasa describes it as machinery) that contained a target and on the ground, near the apparatus was a stiff bow. The target and the bow were part of a challenge designed by King Drupada, however, they would be used only on the sixteenth day when Draupadi entered the amphitheater.

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How did Kunti Respond When she Realized her Mistake of Asking Her Sons to Share Draupadi?

Image of Kunti apologizing in front of Draupadi, and her son, Yudhishthira

After the swayamvara, Druapadi, Arjuna, and Bhima walked to the potter’s house where the Pandavas and their mother, Kunti, were staying disguised as brahmanas.

Upon entering the cottage, Arjuna did not tell his mother about what had transpired at the swayamvara. He did not tell her that he had fulfilled the challenge designed by King Drupada and that Draupadi had chosen him as her husband. He did not tell his mother that he had returned home accompanied by Draupadi (also known as Yajnaseni) herself.

He simply told his mother, perhaps as he had been doing every day after they started staying at the potter’s house, that he had bought home alms. Here are the exact words used in the unabridged Mahabharata.

We don’t know why Arjuna said “alms” instead of Draupadi. It’s possible he wanted to surprise his mother, but that’s just my extrapolation. However, what we do know is what Kunti said next and how she responded when she realized she had made a mistake.

Kunti, without seeing Arjuna, simply said: “Enjoy ye all.” A moment after that, Kunti saw Draupadi (also known as Krishna) and she immediately realized her mistake and exclaimed, “Oh, what have I said?” Quoting the exact passage below.


Upon realizing her mistake, she took Draupadi gently by her hand and went to her eldest son Yudhishthira, who was well-known for his wisdom and knowledge of dharma, to ask him for a solution. Presenting a passage from the Mahabharata.

The passage above clearly shows that the Pandavas did not marry Draupadi simply because their mother said so. In fact, Kunti, herself, confessed that she had uttered those words out of ignorance. She wanted to find a solution that fulfilled three criteria:

  1. Her speech should not become untrue.
  2. Draupadi should remain without sin (as a result of the solution).
  3. Draupadi should not be uncomfortable with the solution.

Modern readers might be surprised about Kunti’s concern for her speech not becoming untrue. We might think all she had to do was take back her words, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. In those times, words, once spoken, had a certain power. They could not be recalled or gone back upon with the same ease with which we do so in modern times.

We have to understand the mindset of people who followed the dharma during those times. They gave a lot of importance to truth and purity of speech. Words were not uttered frivolously, and a noble person would think a hundred times before uttering even half a lie. Thoughts and words were treated with reverence. From that perspective, it is not very difficult to understand why Kunti was concerned about her words becoming untrue. However, she did not want Draupadi to bear the consequence of the mistake she’d made out of ignorance. She made that very clear when she said that Draupadi should remain without sin and should not be uncomfortable with the solution.

So, Kunti’s response upon realizing her mistake was to explore a solution that was correct and in accordance with the dharma. In those times, when faced with a dilemma, people of a noble disposition tried to find a solution that was aligned with the dharma and also correctly balanced all the issues involved.

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Did the Pandavas Know They Were Destined to Marry Draupadi?

Did you know the Pandava brothers were told about Draupadi’s destiny to marry all of them even before they went to her swayamvara? Did you know that all the five Pandava brothers were smitten by Draupadi when they heard about her the first time?

These stories are not commonly narrated, so there is a good chance you haven’t heard of these events.

Let’s backtrack to the unabridged Mahabharata, translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, to find out what the Pandava brothers knew before they went to Panchala to participate in Draupadi’s swayamvara.

What a Learned Brahmana Tells the Pandavas About Draupadi

The location in Ekachakra village (West Bengal) where the Pandavas are said to have stayed after escaping from the house of lac

After escaping unhurt from the highly-inflammable house of lac at Varanavata, the Pandavas were convinced that Duryodhana and his supporters would go to any length to remove the Pandavas from their path and ensure that Duryodhan ascends the throne of Hastinapura — even if it meant slaying the Pandavas.

Duryodhana not only had powerful supporters but also had an army at his disposal. The Pandavas, on the other hand, had only each other. In such a situation, they had no option but to remain undercover until a solution presented itself. Therefore, the Pandavas and their mother, Kunti, disguised themselves as brahmanas and took up residence as guests at a brahmana’s house in a village called Ekachakra.

It was while they were in Ekachakra that another wise brahmana came to stay with their host for a few days. As was the custom, everyone worshipped the learned guest and requested him to narrate stories of his experiences while wandering in different lands. After telling them stories about various countries, kings, rivers, and shrines, the brahmana told them about Draupadi, the princess of Panchala. He told them the story of her birth — how she was born from the fire during a great sacrifice conducted by her father, Drupada. He then went on to describe her beauty and told the Pandavas that Draupadi’s father, King Drupada, was hosting a swayamvara (self-choice ceremony) in the coming days for his daughter to choose a husband.

According to Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s translation of the epic, the Pandava brothers went into a daze after hearing about Draupadi and her beauty. Here are the exact words used by Kisari Mohan Ganguli in the Adi Parva (Chaitraratha Parva subsection):

Quote from Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s translation describing how the Pandavas reacted after hearing the brahmana speak about Draupadi.

This quote shows that all five brothers were smitten by Draupadi. But there’s more.

What Ved Vyasa Tells the Pandavas About Draupadi’s Destiny

Soon after the learned brahmana left, Ved Vyasa visited the Pandavas in Ekachakra.

Ved Vyasa also spoke to them about Draupadi. He told them the story of how a maiden had received a boon from Lord Shiva that she would have five husbands in a future life. Ved Vyasa went on to tell the Pandavas that the maiden had been born as King Drupada’s daughter, Draupadi, and she was destined to have all the five Pandava brothers as her husbands.

Quoting Kisari Mohan Ganguli from the Adi Parva (Chaitraratha Parva subsection) verse CLXXI:

Ved Yasa’s words to the Pandavas at the brahmana’s house in Ekachakra

The Pandavas left for Panchala after hearing Ved Vyasa’s counsel.

The unabridged Mahabharata makes it clear that not only were all the Pandavas smitten by Draupadi, but were also informed by Ved Vyasa about their destiny to marry her, and that the marriage would bring them great happiness.

I find these stories interesting because they show us how the threads of destiny come together. They show us how the marriage was fated and how two brahmanas arrived as messengers of destiny to ensure that the Pandavas were in the right place at the right time for the fated event to occur.

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