FAB FIVE PLUS ONE(I) - adi parva PALAHALLI VISHWANATH

FAB FIVE PLUS ONE STORIES -
MAHABHARATA STORIES

Adi parva

1) The epic begins - Ganesha
1A FATHERS AND soNS - gANESHA
2) THE EMPEROR'S LUST - BY SHANTANU
3) THE SCENT OF A WOMAN - SATYAVATI
4 ) AMBA, THE BOLD PRINCESS - BY AMBA
5) THE TIMID PRINCESSES – VIDURA’S MOTHER
6) MADRI - BY MADRI

Adi+Sabha Parva

7) Thubs Down - Ekalavya
8) WAX PALACE - BY KUNTI
9) FALL IN THE hALL - duRYODHANA

Aranya Parva

10) THE NYMPH'S CURSE - BY URVASHII
11PANDAVAS IN THE FOREST - BY ARJUN
12)The monkey's tail - BY BHEEMA
13 ) MY MOTHER’S GUESTS – DRAUPADI’S DAUGHTER

virata Parva

14 ) I CAN KILL IF NEED BE – Bheema
15 ) FIND US IF YOU CAN- Uttara

Udyoga Parva

16 APPOINTMENT WITH A MOTHER - BY KARNA

Yuddha parvas 

17 AN ELEPHANTINE LIE - BY YUDHISHTIR
18 THE LISTENER IN THE WOMB - Abhimanyu
19) THE 18TH DAY- by Sanjaya
20) THE GRAND OLD MAN DIES - BY BHEESHMA

Th Later Parvas

21) THE REVENGE OF THE SERPENT KING - BY TAKSHAKA
22 ) ) The Race Struggle - Astika
23) THE LAST HOURS OF KRISHNA - BY KRISHNA
24 )Sahadeva speaks - by Sahadeva
25) i call him but he does not come - kunti
26) The Prince of Gemtown - Babruvahana

AUXILIARY STORIES:

27 ) THE SPIRIT OF A WOMAN - SHAKUNTALA
28 ) MY SON IS SIMPLY THE BEST - YAYATI
29 ) DISPOSESSED DEMONS - Prahlada
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) The epic begins - Ganesha
1A FATHERS AND SONS  - gANESHA
-
(The first two stories are by Ganesha )
1) It is ' EPIC ' time on the mountain May 22 2007
There is this famous sage. Apart from being very holy, he is also a
bard. It seems he has a long story in his mind. He calls the story an epic.
Actually he calls it The Epic. He is looking for somebody to write it. He will
dictate the story and somebody has to write it down. So he came to father
to get his permission. Father asked me whether I can do it
I told the bard that there seems to be a mistake. I am a writer, yes,
but not that kind of a writer, He said that my handwriting is good. May be .
But I have my own stories to tell ! It is going to be totally boring to listen to
an old man and write whatever he says. I whispered in my father’s ear that I
cannot do it. But my father told me that it will be good for me to listen to
others. He said I can improve my style. He said that my vocabulary will also
grow. I think I do not want to adopt that old man’s style. It will cramp me.
But my father insisted and so did the sage. I said OK but I will do it under
one condition. The bard has to keep on dictating so that I keep on writing. If
he pauses I will stop this whole thing. After all, how long can this old man
keep talking? I wanted this to end fast. The sage agreed but put his own
condition. He said that I have to understand all that he says and only then
put it to writing. Big Deal ! I agreed. And I have started writing somebody
else’s book .
I told the sage that I will write only in the day time. The sage also
wanted a respite and has agreed. We have given him a hut at the base of
the mountain. He comes up In the morning and goes back in the evening. I
offered to go down everyday, but he says he wants to come up and see my
parents everyday.
My brother the Peacockrider wants to know what the major
characters in the story are doing . At the beginning it was only he that was
interested in knowing what was happening. Slowly the animals also
became curious . Soon mother was also asking about it. Even my father is
getting interested in knowing what is happening. Mother tells me that my
father is staying home in the evening just to listen to my story ( She says
that because of this there is less ash in the house now) . So, the whole
Snow mountain is looking forward to this story.
Everybody sits
around me in the night after dinner and I tell the story of the day.
I do not know whether I, a young boy, should be writing this book .
There is too much of man-woman stuff. I told my parents about it. They say
that it does not hurt to know things. And I can sense that there will be
too many wars and battles. Not really the stuff which young minds should
be poisoned with ! But my brother says that this is the fun stuff ! Anyway
the story seems to interest everybody here. So be it !
I like the name of the city in which the whole action takes place. The
elephant in me takes pride that the city is named after it ! The story starts
like many other stories: Once there was a king .......
(1a)Epic starts – Fathers and Sons Jun 12 2007
(As we wrote earlier, the Son from the Snow Mountain family has
taken upon the onerous task of listening to the Bard and writing it out. He,
however, has also his own audience on the Snow Mountain to whom he
talks about the epic once a week. We should note here that the Teller of the
epic may want to stress different aspects of the story to his home audience .
He may be brief at times. He may also just ramble! )
Most kings are not paragons of virtue. But they rule and everything
they do gets attention. The epic begins with such a king. The king of the
Elephant Country . He was a handsome man. His main interest in life
seemed to be women . He had two wives. . And he did not choose his
women wisely.
The first one put conditions for the marriage. You should not enquire
about my past. You should not object to what I do. Otherwise I will leave .
These are tough conditions when you live with somebody. But the king
agrees. He is so smitten by her that he will do anything for her. He will open
his mouth only to utter sweet nothings. What else can he do ? The lady
gets pregnant. The king looks forward to a possible heir for the kingdom.
The baby is born . It is a son. The king is jubilant. But his joy does not last
for a long time. Barely for hours . The queen picks up the baby she has
given birth to and walks up to the river. And keeps the infant on the flowing
river. And she lets it go . The king who is running behind herlooks at the
infant slowly sinking into the running waters. The king looks into his
wife’s face. The face is calm. There is no sadness. No remorse. And she
walks back. The king wants to ask her about her act. He wants to scream.
He wants to shout at her. But he looks at her . She is so beautiful. He is
reminded of the promises he made to her. And remains silent ! He wonders
how she can be so ruthless .
One does not know how the royal couple spent the next few days.
Even in the earlier days there was not much to talk between them except
for sweet nothings. But how can the king say now I love you or whatever
he was saying to this cruel lady. As we all know time heals all wounds. The
lady again got pregnant. She gave birth to a baby boy. The scene of one
year ago repeated. And repeated 7 times. The king finally had had enough.
When she was about to take the Eighth child also to the waters of the river,
the king stopped her. And asked several questions which were on his mind
all these years. And she came out with a long story.
It seems she is actually a river goddess (When I said this my
mother made a sound which could only be called a snort. I looked at ny
father and he averted my gaze. I looked at the Old Bull and he was smiling.
I learnt later that this river goddess and my father knew each other well in
the past. May be a story which I should tell some other time !) For some
reason, a group of eight minor gods were cursed to be born as human
beings. These minor gods were convinced that their lives would be
wretched ! And they made a pact with this river goddess: We will be born
in your womb but please see that our human life is brief . Very brief. One
does not know what she owed them but she did agree. The first seven had
brief lives. But now the Eighth minor god had to live on this earth as a
human being.
The beauty of the epics is that it does not revolve around just one
person. There are hoards of interesting people. This baby will play a major
role in the story( Another baby, also eighth in the family, will also control
the flow of events in the story). He grows up to be a young man full of
valour. Brave and courageous. All the qualities you would like in a king !
The king is still around. He has made this eighth son as the prince of the
state.
The king is actually getting old. He should anoint his son as the king.
But the king has a knack for getting into relationships with difficult
females. He goes on his usual hunt and sees a beautiful fisherwoman . The
sucker he is he falls for her. Wants to marry her. He does not even want to
ask his subjects or his son. He asks the damsel who does not mind but asks
him to talk to the father. Who wants a bright future for his daughter and
the children of the union. He said that they should inherit the kingdom.
How is it possible when there is already a prince? The king returns home.
And sulks.
The prince finds out the root of the problem. Goes to the fisherman
father . Tells him that he will not aspire for the throne. The fisherman is not
convinced. He asks the prince to take a vow that he will never aspire for the
kingdom. The prince takes that vow. But the father is still not willing to
hand over the daughter. He makes the prince also swear that he will never
marry . He will be celibate all his life. The fisherman is happy. When the
king comes to know about it he feels sorry. But does not fail to marry the
lady and beget children. And the epic is the story of those children. And
the children of that children.
It is strange what makes sons do all this for their fathers . There are
several stories where Fathers ask all types of sacrifices from their sons
.There was another king who was again involved with two women. He did
something wrong and this enraged one of his wives and most importantly
the father of the wife. The result is that the king was cursed to get old. The
shameless king goes to his children asking that one of them exchange
their youth for his old age. And the wonder of wonders is that the last son
does agree to exchange his dark mane for the silver hair of the old father .
Then there is another prince who is sent on a 14 years exile in the forest
by his father who had to bow to the demands of one of his three wives !
Glory l to these great sons ! !
The start of the epic has already showcased several characteristics
of human beings . There is love. Actually in excess . And yes there is lust.
There is cruelty. And cunning. All this would happen in any family . But
the great sacrifice of the prince makes the story different. It is he who
transforms an ordinary story into an epic !
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(2) Emperor’s Lust by Shantanu

I met her first when I went to the banks of the river . There she was, a
beautiful maiden with a long oar in her hand. And her body exuded a sweet
smell . I am sure I had seen more beautiful women. But here was a mixture
of sight and smell. I was so smitten by her that I did not even know when
she stopped rowing. I just went on looking at her. I found out that she was
the daughter of the chief of the fisherfolk.
When I went back to the palace, I thought I would be able to forget
the fisher girl. Her name : Satyavatii, the truthful lady ! Rather a stern name
for a young beautiful girl ! At the same time, one can see the connection if
one goes back to the scriptures. Another name for truth is beauty !
Satyam Sundaram . Yes, she was beauty personified ! And that divine smell
!
I could not forget the girl and went back to see her several times.
My attention for her did not go unnoticed. The fisherfolk were very curious
as to what I wanted. Finally I told the maiden that I wanted to marry her.
She indicated that she also likes me but the permission has to come from
her father. When I met her father , he turned out to be a crafty old man.
And he laid conditions for the marriage. He stipulated that the children of
the union have to rule the kingdom. And I said NO !
It is true that like all fathers he wanted the best for his daughter. His
logic was simple. If she has to marry a king, her children should get the
throne. There was nothing wrong with it except that here was Devavrata,
my first born, who was already anointed as the future king . How could I
agree to the fisherman’s demands ? I returned to the palace crestfallen. I
was not used to people saying NO to my wishes and wants.
I tried hard to forget her but it was not to be. I made love to the
court dancer, a beautiful girl of eighteen. It did not help. Then I tried her
mother who was also the court dancer but in earlier times. In fact it was
this lady who had initiated me into mysteries of women. Yes, it was she
who had perfected the lover in me. This did not help me either. The
fisherwoman’s face and limbs haunted me even when I was in the hands
of these talented women of the court. The elder lady gave me a piece of
advice : Bump the father off and marry the girl ! No way ! Or should I ? But
what if the demands are really by the girl and not her father ?
I guess it started affecting my work. I must have taken some
bizarre decisions since I overheard my son Deva asking my Vaidya about
my health. It seems the cooks told him that I was not eating properly. He
really started worrying when they further told him that I had given up fish .
This really surprised Deva since my fondness for fish was known
throughout the kingdom. Yes, I had stopped eating fish after that young
fisher girl started coming in my dreams in the form of a mermaid !
This must be the time when Deva became very concerned about
me. He and I were very close regarding many things in life. We discussed
archery and we discussed the scriptures. We had gone to wars together.
But one of the very few subjects we had not ventured into was about
women. This was because women do not interest Deva. He is very virtuous.
He is already twenty one but he is still celibate. He does not even flirt with
the other sex. Many ladies of the court have tried to break into his personal
armory but have returned defeated ! He has no lust for women and it
worries me. Oh Ganga ! What is wrong with our son ? Does’nt the mother
in you want beautiful girls for your son ? Don’t you want him to taste the
pleasures of life ?
It is during these times that my mind goes back to my childhood.
That is when I started getting attracted to the river. I went every morning
and every evening to gaze at the fast flowing river. The sight of those swift
waters entranced me. As I grew up the river became more and more an
obsession. It was on one such evening a beautiful damsel appeared from
nowhere and introduced herself as the river goddess. She further told me
that she has marveled for years at my fascination for the river. Prince ! I
have been waiting for you to grow up. Tell me what you want from me . I
don’t know where I found the answer to her question but there it was ; a
simple statement of love and passion . I love you and want you as my wife.
She agreed but put some conditions . I should be free to do whatever I
want and I will go away if you ask me to stop . I did not waste much time
thinking about it and we were married.
It was all pleasure and pleasure till our first baby was born. I go to
the labour room to see the baby. But I find neither the baby nor the mother.
Where are they ? The maids tell me that the queen went towards the river. I
run to the river just in time to see my wife drowning the baby in the flowing
waters ! I was surprised and angry. And yes, I was sad. As I go near the
queen, she comes up from the river and gives me a smie. I want to ask her
the meaning of all this but I stop when I look at the smile. It was all
forgotten in our connubial bliss till she delivered another baby. I was faster
this time and did have a look at the baby. But the scene of a year earlier got
repeated. And I was numb with sorrow and my own helplessness. But it
did not stop me from enjoying her and begetting children. She did not stop
drowning the newborn babies either. When she became pregnant for the
eighth time , I decided that I better do something and stop this infanticide.
As soon as the baby was born, my wife took the baby and started walking
towards the river. This is when I said enough is enough. I asked her not to
drown the baby. She agreed but shed tears indicating that this was the end
of our marriage. She also told me that the children that she drowned were
actually heavenly beings who provoked some sages and thus were cursed
to lead lives on earth. They had requested her to make their lives very brief
and she just did what they asked As for the eighth , she said he was the
worst culprit and he had to live a full life. That is prince Devavarata ! Just to
imagine he was naughty in his previous life !
My mind was all taken up by the fisher girl when I realized that
Deva was absent from the court for almost a week. May be he is finally after
a woman ! When I ask my ministers I am told that he left for the forest few
days ago. Has he gone for hunt ? I should have known better than asking
tht question. Deva does not hunt . Yes, he does not do anything royal. No
hunts and no women. Coming to think of it, I don’t think he relishes the
role of a prince too. Once he told me that he does not think he is an astute
person and thus he would not make a good king. I got angry with him but
he makes such statements once in a while. I don’t think I have the proper
mental frame work to rule . Utter nonsense. On another occasion he blurted
out that he is born to take orders and not to give them . Oh Ganga ! Are you
not worried by your son ? Don’t you want him to rule ?
The guards announce that the prince has returned. I hug him
when he comes towards the throne. He always tries to bow down but I
prefer to hug him. He has grown so big . Oh Ganga ! Our son is so big and
handsome. And Valiant. But he does not smile often. Oh Deva’s mother !
Tell him to smile and laugh . And tell him about women.
Deva, Where were you ? We were all worried about you . Your
mother left you when you were an infant and I looked after you every single
day. It was I who fed you milk every morning. I learnt lullabies so that I
could put you to sleep. Even with my gruff voice, it must not have been
bad. Son, where were you last few days ?
Father Sir ! I have bought you a wife ! What is it that Deva is
saying ? He bought me a wife ? He keeps talking.. I realize what he has
done. He has gone to that greedy fisherman . And he has given away his
right to the throne. Yes, I promised the fisherman that I will not seek the
throne.
Oh God ! Deva ! Why ? Why ? You are saying that it is to
make me happy . Son ! how can I be happy to see you relinquish the
throne. Please don’t talk about the duties of sons . Don’t tell me about that
prince who went away to a forest for fourteen years just because his father
asked him. Deva, it is foolish of you. I did want that girl but not under these
terms. My feelings for that girl would have subsided with time. Your
problem is that you know nothing about women ! You denied yourself a
whole empire just to satisfy an old man’s lust ! Deva, don’t quote me
scriptures ! You should not have done it.
Deva, are you trying to tell me something more ? What ? NO ! You
promised you will be celibate and wont marry ! Why ? That fisherman felt
that your children and her grandchildren will fight for the throne . What
imagination ! Cousins fighting for the throne .So that greedy and smelly old
man wanted his dynasty to continue for ever and asked you not to marry !
And you promised him !
Oh Ganga ! Please do not blame me This is not what I wanted for
him. Dharma has its contexts. But our son goes by the letter of the
scriptures !He will have nothing pleasant in his life. He will always be
bound by duty . And he will perish by it. Yes, Ganga ! That is our legacy ! A
valiant prince who does not want to rule ! A handsome man that does not
want to procreate. An ascetic statesman he will be ! Never on the throne,
but on a lower seat nearby.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-) 3. THE SCENT OF A WOMAN - By Satyavati May 8 2011

We were told that the king would be arriving here soon. Father was
glad that we were asked to ferry the royalty. He said that I should
personally take care of the king. We live in the forest and do not know
much of what happens in the city. Still it was well known that King
Shantanu had the River Goddess Ganga as his wife. They lived together for
a decade. Eight children were born to them but only one survived. It all
happened about twenty years earlier. Today the child which survived has
become the prince of Kuru kingdom. People say that he , prince Devavrata,
has already become a model administrator.
The king arrives and father leads him to the boat. I bow down to him
and ask him to step into the boat. He looks at me and smiles. His
bodyguards want to come in too. He asks them to come later. Don’t worry, I
am safe with this beautiful girl. The king cannot take his eyes off me. And
he keeps breathing fast. I want to take this sweet smell in as much as
possible. How do you manage to exude such sweet smell ? The scent of
flowers pale beside your fragrance! I smile again and point heavenwards.
And he utters that it is true and only God can create such sweet scents !
When he asks me my name, I tell him that I am called Yojanagandhi – the
one whose fragrance reaches far - even beyond distances of yojanas ! He
smiles and says that it is an apt name and he did get the whiff of this
fragrance even before he came anywhere near the waters .

As such the river is wide and the rains have made it wider. As I ferry
him across the wide waters I tremble a little. How do I tell this great king
that it was not God who gave me such fragrant skin ? Dare I utter these
words : No, King ! Just a few years ago I was called Matsyagandhi – the
one who smells of fish. After all what else would a fisherwoman smell of ?
If you had come then, you would not even have stepped into this boat. And
then a sage came here and it all changed . He wanted me so much that he
did a miracle and the odor of fish went away. A sweet fragrance enveloped
me never to leave. The result of it was a male child whom the sage took
away to his place. My son Krishna Dwaipayana is growing up in the sage’s
hermitage. I am told he is already a fountain of wisdom.

As I was having these thoughts , I see that the king has not taken his
eyes off me. He is infatuated with me ! I blush . When we reach the banks,
he gets off the boat and looks back at me. I bow my head again and he is
gone ! In the coming days I kept thinking about the way he was looking at
me. I liked it but this happens with many men whom I ferry. But I was not
to slowly forget my brief encounter with the king ! The king came again and
told father that he wants to marry me !
The king wants to marry me ! I am indeed flattered. But father, we
have to discuss this ! The king already has a successor in Prince
Devavrata. I do not want a marriage where my children cannot inherit the
father’s throne. I did like him too but Icannot agree to this marriage.
Please tell the king that it is not possible.
My father tried to dissuade me but I remained steadfast, No way I
agree to this ! The king went back dejected. I felt sorry for him but wanted
the best for my children. I thought that was the end of it. And so did the
other fisherfolk who wanted one of their kind in the Hastinapur palace.
However, we were all surprised to hear that prince Devavrata would
visit us soon. Is he coming to see that his father’s wishes are fulfilled ? Is
he going to threaten us into submission? Everybody knew that he was
very well known as a great warrior.
When he came to talk to us, it surprised us to see a gentle young man.
Unlike the king who talked only with my father, the prince insisted that I
also be present. At first he tried to tell us that we and our people could be
rich way beyond or means. We did not relent. If you still insist, I will not
stake my claim to the throne. What ? Is it the crown prince Devavrata
talking ? When he saw the doubt in our eyes, he repeated it. Yes, I
renounce all my claim to the throne of Hastinapur. So the prince has
decided to step aside so that his father can marry me ! I could not believe
it.
I wanted to savour the moment. It was not just that I was going to be a
queen. It was more for the admiration I felt for the prince. And the way he
said it. It was a moment of destiny but he was making it look like it was
just another tick of time. I consented and the prince started talking to my
father about the dates for the wedding.
A new doubt started bothering me as I was going back to my hut. It is
good that the prince has renounced his claim. But what if his children stake
a claim at a later date ? These things are known to happen with royalty.
No, I should take care to see this does not happen. Therefore I have to go
back to discuss this with the prince. The prince was again matter of fact.
Madam, I take a vow to remain celibate. The way he said it was again very
casual. Here I was wrecking his whole life and the youth acts as though it
does not matter all that much ! I did feel terrible but there are things one
has to do for one’s children !
( This is a new and another PRELUDE tale of Mahabharata. King
Shantanu marries Satyavati, also known as Yojanagandhi, an erstwhile
fisherwoman. Prince Devavrata, later to be known as Bhishma, renounces
the claim to the throne and also vows to be a celibate in his life. The story
is told by Satyavati. Pl see the last post for the other PRELUDE tales.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Amba, the bold princess by Amba


The pyre is getting ready. In a few moments I will leap into the fire and
end my existence. I have been humiliated. I have been kicked from pillar to
post. I will be reborn soon and my life will have only one purpose. And that
is to take revenge on that ageing Son of Ganga. I have to depart now but
there is still some time to tell my story. Yes, my life as seen by me and not
by any scribe!
As the eldest princess I had a nice time growing up. Kasi is a fabled
city. A young girl there could learn to paint from master painters. The
same with sculpture , music, dance and all the other arts. I also learnt the
martial arts. My parents were not happy with it but they gave in after I
persisted. I reached an age when they started thinking about marrying me
off. It was around that time there was the annual archery contest in the
city. I had gone there without telling my parents. I had to dress as a boy . I
decided to jump in to the contest. Contestants were grouped according to
their age. I was in the youngest category. There were about ten in that
group. After several rounds, only two people remained: a handsome youth
and I. We came out equal in all contests and the judges decided to give the
award to both of us. As I started talking to him, I learnt he was also from a
royal family. He turned out to be the prince of kingdom of Salwa. We liked
each other very much. He stayed in Kasi for some more time. I met him
several times clandestinely. He professed his love for me . I replied by
giving him a kiss. We knew that there would be a swayamvar soon . He
said he would come there and we could get married. We exchanged letters
through couriers. I don’t know whether our parents knew about it but they
kept quiet anyway. Yes, I was looking forward to my life with the Salwa
prince.
This was when the hurricane struck us. Hurricane ? What else but
that ? Many princes from all over the Bhartavarsha have come and the
swayamvar is about to start. It was not just my swayamvar since my two
younger sisters were also expected to look for husbands. Our parents were
getting old and probably wanted all of us out of their home . As the
proceedings were about to start, a middle aged person walks in to the big
courtyard of the palace. He is quite handsome, but is also fully armored.
When all the others have come in their finest clothes, this man walks with a
battle dress and yes, very dusty too. Everybody becomes quiet. Who is this
person? Somebody says that this is the Hero of Hastinapur. He is called
the Fierce One ! He is called Gangaputa Bhishma and he has come
uninvited to the swayamvar. Before anybody could say anything, this man
announces in a regal voice that he has come to get wives for his young
brother. I am going to take away all the three princesses. And if anybody
thinks it is wrong he should fight me.
It is wrong ! There are ways to do things and this is certainly not it. He
could have brought his brother. But why does not anybody say it and stop
this hero or whatever of Hastinapur. I look at my parents. My father is
scared and his face is pale. Nobody wants to fight this man. Should I wear
my armour ? As I keep thinking, I see my beloved prince of Salwa get up
from the assembly. He tells the Kuru prince that what he is doing is wrong.
But the Kuru prince laughs and calls him for a combat. The two go outside
the fort and do battle. It does not go on for a long time. My young Salwa
price is no match for this fearsome Kuru prince.
All the three of us are taken away to Hastinapur. Before boarding the
chariot I tell him that I am in love with somebody else. But he does not
seem to listen to me. The younger two sisters are already scared (yes, they
scare easily) . I keep crying throughout the journey. After we reach
Hastinapur, I go to the regent ( the king’s mother ) and tell her that I cannot
marry her son since I am already in love with somebody else. After some
deliberation they sent me to Saubal, the capital of the Salwa kingdom.
As I go to Salwa, I am happy. I already think of myself as the Salwa
queen. Yes, Amba your woes are over. I guess I was a total fool since my
Salwa prince refused to take me in and marry me. He said I was Bhishma’s
woman and he had nothing to do with me. I tried arguing with him but it did
not help. He was a defeated king . And all because of me ! I try to ask him
why he should hold me responsible for his infamy. He asked me to go away
since he has to make preparations for his marriage. The royal house of
Ujjaini has come forward for an alliance. He and his ego ! I fumed out of his
palace . I took the nearest horse and sped back to Hastianpur.
Yes, I had to go back to Hastinapur. I had no other choice. I go
straight to this Kuru Prince - this Gangaputra Bhishma - and tell him that
he has to marry me. I tell him what happened with Salwa. He replies saying
that after all it was my decision and he had set me free to go to Salwa. I
tell him that he has ruined me and I have no other choice except to turn to
him. I cannot go back to Kasi. My parents will never take me back. They
will quote the code: After a girl leaves home , we don’t worry about her
anymore ; It is her problem . So YOU HAVE TO MARRY ME NOW.
He gives me an incredulous look . I have to marry you, Why? I tell
him that neither I nor he has any choice. After all he has brought me all
the way from Kasi. He says that there is no way that he can marry me. You
do know about me, Is’nt it ? I did not understand him. He raises his voice
and says that the whole of Bharatavarsha knows his two vows – he will
never aspire to be the king and he will never marry. He says that he made
these two vows so as to keep his father happy. There is great pride in his
voice when he talks about what he sees as his sacrifices. I tell him that I am
not impressed and anyway, that was all in the past. His lecherous father is
no more . He retorts that he has principles. Ha ! Principles ! What about
kidnapping young girls ? One more man with a giant ego ! Yes, the world is
full of such people !
I want to see whether I can appeal to his senses. Don’t I please you
? He does not understand the question. I rephrase the question. Don’t
you find me attractive ? He says that he does not know what it means. I
tease him. So, women don’t interest you ! There is a vacant gaze. I get
annoyed since I am going nowhere with him I ask him for the last time .
Will you marry me ? His answer comes out clear. NO! I cannot marry you .
I scream at him . They call him Bhishma, the fierce one. Yes, nothing
gentle or kind about him !
I get the advice that guru Parashurama will help me. He is the one
who has lived on and on. When the kings of Bharatavarsha had become
arrogant and misbehaved with people , this great Brahmin warrior went
around and decimated all the evil kings. I am told up that he will certainly
take up an anti Kshatriya cause. I am hesitant since he is such a legend .
Further his short temper was also well known. However when I meet him
he is all smiles. He says that at times these kshatriyas are too stubborn( I
did now know whether he was referring to me or to that aging prince of
Hastinapur). He tells me jubilantly to set a marriage date. He asks the Kuru
Prince to come to his ashram in the forest.
When the prince came to the ashram the guru hugs him. After all
he was his teacher. They talk about old times. I have to cough several
times to remind the guru of my presence. The teacher tells the student that
this girl ( that is I, Amba) has suffered a lot and he should make her happy
by marrying her. The Kuru prince says he cannot do it and reminds the
teacher about his two great vows. The teacher remembers it after the
prince recounts the whole story. I am very proud to have such a noble
man like you for a student. But past is past and now, You, the Kuru
prince should marry Amba, the Kasi princess. The teacher also reminds
the prince that the scriptures deem guru to be few notches higher than
father and mother. When the prince respectfully disagrees, the guru calls
him to battle. If you lose, you should marry Amba ! Yes, the battle
between the teacher and the student goes on for a long time. I , no novice
myself in matters of bow and arrows, marvel at the skill of these two
archers. For a moment I forget myself and clap when the Kuru prince
sends an arrow which takes away a good part of his teacher’s tuft ! The
battle has gone on for many days and nobody has won. But I do see that
the older man, the teacher who has lived on for centuries, is tired. May be
both were tired since they decide to stop. The guru wishes me well and
says that he is sorry that he is not able to convince the Kuru prince. As the
last resort, I ask the prince to fight me with bow and arrows. He frowns and
walks away.
There was nothing else I could do in this birth, at least not as a
woman. I pray to Lord Shiva that I be born as a man in the next birth . Yes,
I am young. But I have to die now. This is the only choice I have. The fire
has started in full earnest. And it is time for me to jump into it . Yes, Death
to Bhishma !
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
)5) THE TIMID SISTERS by Vidura's mother
 Apr 28 2010 |
***** * I come from a line of maid servants (Dasis) . I was sent to the palace
as a handmaiden to the princesses of Kashi. Since there was already a
maid for the eldest princess , I became the sole maid for the two younger
girls . I was about ten years old when I started working in the palace. The
younger princesses were about three. I used to play with them. They call
me Didi. They were very free with me. They would hug and kiss me at
times and yes, used to hit me too . It has not changed in all these years.
They still kiss me when they like what I do for them . And they still hit me
when they get angry with somebody. But now they are all grown up and
when they hit it hurts me. When I tell my mother, she says it is our lot and
nothing can be done about it.
************ The princesses have all grown to be beautiful girls. The first one
has a stubborn streak in her. It makes her look slightly harsh. The two
younger ones are less bold . In fact I would call them rather timid. The
elder one got trained in martial arts but these two would go nowhere near a
sword. The elder one played with tiger cubs but these two would not even
go near puppies. However they are more playful than their elder sister.
They kid me and I kid them. Our talk is all about young men. In fact, young
princes ! The first one already has decided whom to marry. The other two
don’t know what they will do. They are all looking forward to the
Swayamvara which is supposed to take place soon. The eldest is sure that
her beau will come and claim her.
********** This is a very important day in my life. I am going away to
Hastinapur with the two princesses. It all happened so fast. On the day of
swaymavara many princes came to see our princesses. The town of Kashi
was all decorated to welcome these princes. But, all of a sudden, a middle
aged person came and claimed all the three of them. He said he had come
there to seek brides for his young brother. There was commotion
everywhere. Everybody uttered the word with fear: THE FIERCE ONE
(Bhishma). Yes, it was the same youth who had taken those difficult vows
to satisfy a father’s passion. Most princes did not want to fight him and left
the scene . Some did oppose him but were soundly defeated. He took away
the princesses with him. I had to accompany them and so , here I am in
Hastinapur . I had heard about him before. Who knew that fate would take
me near this great man ?
*********** The young prince , Raja Vichitra Virya married my two
princesses. They are still close to me. They take me in confidence and talk
about their husband. Sometimes their talk would veer towards intimate
aspects. They would compare notes of how the king performed in bed. I
would be embarrassed and try to go away but they would make me sit and
listen to the whole thing. They were quite naughty about it all. Once they
even tried to put me in their bed in the night. I barely escaped their
husband’s advances.
******** It is very sad. The young king, the husband of my two princesses ,is
dead. I feel bad for these girls. They had just begun to share the pleasures
of life. Now they have to live out their lives without a husband, It is
unfortunate that the two will not have any children either. Neither of them
became pregnant. It had been rumored that the dead king was not
endowed well. I am sure it did not lessen the happiness of the princesses.
But it is also true that he had not impregnated them.
******** There are lot of rumours floating round in the palace. But to know
what is really happening I go to my friend who works in the queen
Mother’s palace.. She keeps me informed about what happens there and I
feed her back any information she may want from my side. She is actually a
much older lady but likes me. She is the source for whatever I may say
here about the queen mother and other happenings in the palace,
According to her, the queen mother is very unhappy that there are no
children to continue the great Kuru dynasty. She feels that she is getting
old and wants to see grandchildren before her death. She has called
learned men from various places to see how the dynasty could be
continued.
.........Today was a very big day in the queen mother’s palace. Many
learned men have come from all over the country to counsel her. My
friend tells me that there were long discussions.
It seems there are
several methods for continuing the dynasty is such cases are stipulated in
the ancient books. One of he ways is that the dynasty can continue if the
dead man’s wife can spend one night with one of the husband’s relatives.
Finally all the learned people agreed that it was the best method possible
under the circumstances. They were all unanimous to who that husband’s
relative ought to be. They opined the best would be the husband’s brother.
This decision did not surprise me at all because this is what happens in
my village too. Of course, we don’t consult scholars about such things.
This is just the done thing.
When the scholars pronounced their panacea , all eyes turned
towards Prince Deva , the man known as the Fierce One. Upon this
unexpected course of the discussion, the prince became visibly
uncomfortable and left the room. The queen mother summoned him later
in private. She told him that he has to take this initiative now to continue
the Kuru clan. When he reminded her of his vows, she told him that he
should let bygones be bygones. She even told him that she would bear
upon herself any sin involved in his renunciation of his vows. But the
prince is adamant. The queen is worried. However she feels that finally the
prince may give in.
******* Next day the queen mother sent for the princesses. I accompanied
them to the palace. They were told that it is important that the throne of
Hastinapur gets heirs . She stressed that the most important thing is the
dynasty (VAMSH) and it has to continue. And in the end she told the elder
one that her brother in law will visit her on a particular night and she has
to make the best of it. The younger one’s turn would come later. The
queen mother did not say anything more. The princesses were afraid to
ask for more details. Who is it going to be ? Of course, the Fierce One !
The princesses were not sure how they were supposed to react.
I feel they were happy that they would get to be intimate again with a man .
They started fantasizing about how it would be .Prince Deva is not very
young, but he is still handsome . Women still swoon over him. I teased the
princesses about him. May be he would be fierce with them too ! The two
royal ladies just giggled.
The queen mother called me later in the week and told me to
decorate a room in her palace for the coming night. I was asked to bring
the elder princess in the evening itself and deck her in all finery. I did so
and the princess looked very beautiful. When I left the princess in the
room in the night, she implored me not to go. She looked frightened but
there was not much I could do. The maids had already been ordered to
leave the palace and retire to the servants’ quarters.
When I went in the morning to see the elder princess, I expected to
see a young lady satiated with love. May be she will tell me that she wants
to sleep for some more time. But when I went in what I saw was surprising.
Yes, she seemed to be sleeping but I heard her call me. Is it you Didi?
Yes, Rajkumari ? I looked at her. Her eyes were still closed. Has he left?
Who? He.. He ? Your...?Yes, has he gone ? Rajkumari, there is nobody else
except me . Come near me, Didi and hold me . What happened? No, just
hold me... I will open my eyes now. Then the tears started coming down.
“I did not know who he was. I was in the room for some time when
the door opened. You do know whom I was expecting. No, it was not he. It
was ..was.. an ugly black monster. A lean man with matted hair and a long
dirty beard. He just said that he is my brother in law . Before I could
scream , he closed my mouth with his palm and then he took me to bed. I
did not open my eyes at all. “
I took the princess back to her palace. The queen mother
summoned me again and wanted to know what happened. When I told her
that the princess had closed her eyes , the queen mother smiled and said
that it happens when there is too much pleasure. I don’t’ think there was
any pleasure for the princess but I did not want to interfere in these royal
maters. Meanwhile we were all curious about the person who visited the
princess in the night. All we knew was that it certainly was not Prince Deva.
What does it mean ? Is there another brother ? If so who could it be ?
Whoever it was, he had done his job well. The elder princess did
get pregnant and nine months later she gave birth to a big baby boy. Both
the princess and the queen mother were very happy . However their
happiness did not last long. They found that the baby was born blind.
Some of us who knew what had happened felt that this was because the
princess had kept her eyes tightly closed through out the night. Whatever
the reason, the queen mother was unhappy. She told that it had to be done
again and anyway this was the turn of the younger princess.
The story repeated with the younger princess. While the elder
one had closed her eyes at the sight of the visitor, the younger was so
aghast that she went totally pale. All these princesses are very fair, but
when I saw her in the morning her face, well this was beyond pale, this was
white . So much was her fear ! I wondered who that visitor must be to
scare these two ladies so much. It is true that these two get scared easily
but can one be so timid ? They told me that he was jet black, and this is
one thing they cannot handle. They are just not willing to consider that
black could be beautiful ! Well, the result of this union was a healthy baby
alright , but totally white. I should admit it was kind of a sickening white.
This also did not bring any cheer to the queen mother. She wanted
to give it one more try. She told the elder princess that her brother in law
would visit her again and this time it better be alright. She warned her : I
want a proper boy this time. But the princesses were not about to do the
bidding of the older lady. They called me and told me that I should go
instead of the princess. I wondered whether they were kidding me. They
said that I have no choice but to go and submit to that hideous man’s
lovemaking. Initially I said no but I could not refuse when they said it was
an order and not a request.
Yes, the person who came in to the bedroom at night was black. I
had no problem with it . After all we maids are also not any fair creatures.
We could be called kind of dark. Yes, he had matted hair and his beard was
unkempt. And he was dusty. He looked quite young. I suggested to him
that he could bathe first. He agreed and when he came out after his bath ( it
did take some time) was by no means hideous as the princesses had
described. And when I really looked at this face I was wonderstruck. It was
certainly not a handsome face. But there was some strange attraction in his
eyes and when he beckoned to me I willingly went. There was a shine of
wisdom in those eyes And here was one who knew how to be with women.
I think the princesses did really miss out on all the ecstasy. Finally when
he was about to leave in the dawn I told him that I wanted to know about
him. He told me that he is the first son of the queen mother. He was born
when a great Rishi was entranced by the young fisherwoman who ferried
him across the river. It is not talked about much now but the queen
mother indeed was a fisherwoman before king Shantanu married her.
When the queen mother learnt of the deceit by the princesses, she
was very angry. But she also realized that the princesses would not submit
anymore to her orders. As for me, I got a baby boy after nine months. He
was perfect. His eyes already shone with the wisdom of his father.
The names of these three baby boys : Dhritarashtra ( strong but
blind), Pandu ( extremely pale) and Vidura. Even the queen mother likes
my son. She is fond of all the three children . Their ‘ father’ comes once
in a while to meet the queen mother. On those occasions I always go there
to get his blessings. He blesses me and yes, he also smiles at me.
( The story teller here is the maid of the princesses of Kashi,
Ambika and Ambalika. She is the one who gives birth to Vidura. The name
of the ‘ father ‘ of these three children is Vyasa, Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa.
He is the son of Sage Parashara and Satyavati, the erstwhile fisherwoman)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
6. MADRI - The complete story - by MadriJune 12 ,2011

 |(In the original Mahabharata ,Madri, the wife of Pandu and the mother of
Nakula and sahadeva , is a very minor character. I have tried to see what it
would be to be in her shoes. The story has been told in 4 parts. If you have
read the first three, please go to the last part. If not, please try to read
them all. )
Part I
------------In a few minutes, I am going to join my Lord and Master on the
funeral pyre. Sister says I don’t have to do it. But it is I who was
responsible for his death. Yes, It is I who has to go. And I know she will
look after the children much better than me. She will do justice even to my
children who are after all only step children for her. In a few minutes I will
lie with my husband for the last time.
When was the first time ? Of course , on our wedding night! My brother
Shalya had this visitor from Hastinapur. Red carpet was laid out for this
man – King Pandu. Brother and he were friends from long time. I saw the
king from the windows of the palace. He was tall and handsome. Brother
called me in the night and asked me whether I would agree to marry him. I
laughed .
Brother, he is too pale for my taste, I like them tall, dark and handsome !
Sister Madri, think of some better excuse !
Brother, he already has a wife
Yes, Madri, he is married to Lady Kunti.
You know that and you still want me to marry him !
Sister, Queen Kunti is a nice lady
Brother, it does not mean..
Sister, he is a nice man and he is my friend.
Ok, brother ! you can marry him
Maadri, stop it ! He is the most powerful king of us all. It is good for us to
be related to such a person.. Do you seriously object to this alliance?
I had to agree. He was not loathsome or anything like that. It is just that
I did not want to play second fiddle to anyone in my life. But one learns to
adjust to realities of life. We were married and yes, that was the first time
he lay with me. The morning saw two extremely satiated people. As we set
out for Hastinapur, I was apprehensive about how I would be received by
his first wife.
However, Lady Kunti was very dignified . She welcomed me with a
smile. It was not a gracious smile. The lips were barely open and the eyes
steely. After all she was welcoming a rival. From then on my life went in a
way basically decided by those two.
For my husband, she was the
queen and I was the wife.
It was she who went with him to various functions of the state. It
was she who would be called upon to open an orphanage. And I think she
did her job vey well. She very rarely smiled and was the epitomy of
discipline. She was intimate with him very rarely. It had to be a festival or
something like that for them to sleep together. She was the queen !
I was the opposite of her in every aspect. I was a playful girl even from
my childhood. I was given to giggling all the time. I abhorred discipline.
And I loved pleasure, yes, all types of pleasure. The affairs of the state kept
the king, my husband, busy through out the day. But , come evening , he
was mine. He came to me almost every evening. He used to say it was very
relaxing. I would kiss his worries away. And later in the night we would
enjoy each other. Yes, I was the wife.
I do not know much about my husband’s relatives. His elder brother
was blind and I was told that was the main reason for my husband
becoming the king. He had married a lady from Gandhara, not too far from
my home. She did something strange when she got married. Since her
husband was blind, she decided that she also does not want to see. And
she tied a piece of cloth around her eyes. I have wondered at times whether
she closes her eyes when the cloth has to be changed . Also does she keep
her eyes closed even behind the piece of cloth ! Anyway I think it is kind of
silly. Instead she should have helped him by seeing things which he could
not. It would have helped him more. The result is that both of them keep
bumping against the furniture when they are moving around.
And then there are the older ladies of the palace , the mothers and
the grandmother who is the supreme authority in the palace. Everybody
seems to have adjusted to a life where everything is done according to the
orders of the grandmother. She was supposed to have been very beautiful
in her youth. Yes, she retains that beuty even now and one can see what
made the emperor fall for her.
But the one man who is omnipresent in Hastinapur is the man whom
my father calls Uncle. He is the one whom the grandmother calls Deva.
Yes, Devavrata was his given name but it is almost totally forgotten now.
He is Bheeshma who made those two great sacrifices for the sake of his
father and the kingdom. I knew about him much earlier. I knew all his
exploits including the one where he single handedly brought three
princesses all the way from Kashi as brides for his brothers. I was scared
the first time I had to meet him. But I found him to be a very kind elderly
person. He addressed me as child and gave me sweets.
Then a tragedy struck which was going to devastate all our lives...
--------------------------------------------Part 2-----------------------------------------------
I hope you do remember that I was going to talk about the tragedy that
struck our family . It was all going quite well to be of any interest, isn’t it ?
It would have been boring if it had gone on like that The story of this
family has been quite eventful. Well, I can assure you it will continue to be
so !
When we were making love last night, my husband told me that he would
be going on a big hunt. Get me a big deer. As I told you earlier , I look after
ALL of his physical appetites. I am the one who rules the palace kitchens.
Lady Kunti had told me at the very beginning that these matters do not
interest her. After he left for the hunt, I saw to it that the spices were
ground up and all we were looking forward to us was the deer meat.
He did not come back that night . We started to worry and lady Kunti sent
some people to look for him in the forest. Finally he returned after almost a
week. We were aghast when we saw him. My husband, as his name
implied, was pale; you could spell it with a big P and yes, the other letters
in big too. But the man whom we saw now was beyond pale. His face was
totally white. And there was fear in his eyes ( I was reminded of how he was
conceived. His mother had gone totally pale at the sight of the man who
had come to impregnate her). There were tears in his eyes too as he
hugged us.
Lady Kunti told me to take him to my quarters and pacify him. I gave him a
good hot water bath. He was still very upset. I decided to pacify him in a
manner that would banish all his tears. But he held my hand and said
Don't ! It surprised me. He was never the one to reject such pacifying
measures. He said I cannot and burst into tears.
t was only next morning he regained part of his composure. He called
both of us to his quarters and talked about what happened during the hurt.
He started by saying that he wished he had been deaf. I did not understand
now his ears could have played an important role in whatever happened,
but I did not interrupt.
"If I had not heard them making sounds, it would not have happened !"
When he saw two deer in the forest he sent an arrow in the direction, it
killed both the animals.
"And when I walked towards the animals, imagine my surprise at seeing a
man and a woman. In fact, that was a Rishi and his wife"
Lady Kunti said she does not understand. He said he too did not
understand it at first. He explained that when those two got an urge to
make love , they would take the form of deer and do it. It was natural to
fantasize but this was weird ! Why did not they think big ? They could have
become elephants instead of donning the form of deer ! Then they would
have escaped death . The king continued.
" I expressed my regret but the sage was angry, He placed a curse on me :
You will die the moment you make love to a woman"
Oh Lord ! Both lady Kunti and I started crying when we heard it. However
she wiped her eyes soon. She said the world would not come to an end if
the king did not make love. Of course, she could say things like that. But
imagine me and the king. How could we live without making love ? Love
defined our relationship. And he needed it . But his queen thinks the world
would not come to an end ! And then she looks at me.
"It is you I am worried about. You entice him to bed all the time. "
I tried to interrupt her but she shot back .
You are a shameless woman and what else can he do . This has to change
now. It is better you go back to your country.
I started crying and said that I don’t want to go back to Madra Desha.
"You should mend your ways. See that he is not attracted to you. Don’t
wear all that enticing clothes ! No flowers in the hair too ! "
That is how we fared for sometime before the king decided to abdicate and
go away to the forest. His blind brother became the new king of
Hastinapura. And we two accompanied our husband to the forest. She took
command of the kitchen too and managed his diet such that it slowly killed
all his desires. We wore white like other Rishi ladies. And no flowers in the
hair. I had always loved flowers and the forest was full of flowers. But I
could only admire them from a distance.
All the three of us got used to this routine. Lady Kunti and I got closer to
each other. There were also less of those palace intrigues which had kept
us apart. I went back to calling her Sister. I was always the jolly one and
made them laugh at times. But there was one thing that was bothering ius.
We had no children. The king worried about it more than us. And then it
happened . Sister became pregnant................
Part 3
How did it happen ? Our lord and master- king Pandu - is still alive. If it
were him, he should have been killed by the effect of the curse. So I asked
her
Sister, is there anything you want to tell me ?
Not really ..You are curious , isn’t it ?
There was a smile on her face – a rarity.
Of course, who was he ?
Madri ! what do you man, who was he ?
Don’t tell me that it was our husband ?
Of course, it was he... You better believe it ! It is a long story and I better
tell you. Otherwise you will imagine something else and spread gossip
And she told me the whole story. Some of it was difficult for me to believe.
The story starts from the time she was a little girl. ( I wondered whether she
was a model of discipline even at that time. Did she play hide and seek like
us ? Did she play skip rope ? ). A famous sage came to her father’s place.
The sage was famous for his rage. Almost anything would upset him. Even
the gods were afraid of him. Little Kunti looked after him so well that he
was very pleased.
I will give you a boon – Pray to any god you want and he will give you a
child.
Strange boon to give to a little girl. Yes, that is what she also felt. When
she did ask the sage about it, it seems he said that she may need it later in
life !
Since our husband was so worried about not having children, I told him
about this boon. He readily agreed. We discussed whom to call. We agreed
on the very first name.
. Who was it ?
The Lord of Righteousness
You mean god Yamadharma.. why why.. of all gods/
We had erred ,you know
We ?
...I meant the king. He had killed this sage couple, Isn’t it ? To offset all that
in the past, we called upon the God of Dharma
Talk of this Dharma and all was too serious for me. And little frightening
too. I thought I would liven up the situation
How fast did he come ? After all his buffalo ..?
Madri ! Don’t joke about him !
Sorry sister ! Then how did IT happen ?
What IT ?
You know .. did he visit you in the night ?
NO ! He actually visited our Lord... When I prayed to him, he appeared. I
did request him for a child. He said yes. And when I was wondering how it
would happen, he said that he will come to me in the form of my husband. I
understood what he meant only much later. He visited my husband in the
night ..
You mean ..
Yes, he entered my husband’s body
So as to enter you ?.. Sorry Sister. I did not mean it that way
It is alright , Madri.. Anyway, that is what happened.
And you are now pregnant.. I am glad .. And nothing happened to our
husband ! The curse did not work
Yes, Madri ! Since he was really not King Pandu when he.. was with me.
I thought that it was strange that God of Death was being called upon to
begin a new life ! Anyway we were all happy. My husband and I looked
after the pregnant lady with all care. All her life she was lean. And now she
filled out. Her face looked peaceful – yes, all the early tension had given
way to peace. When the baby was born, it also had a peaceful face. We
called him Dharmaraja. Yudhishtira was another name given to him. He
never cried !
Some months later Sister came to me saying that they were thinking of
another child. I was very happy since I thought she might ask me to be the
mother. But she had other things on her mind. She wanted my opinion on
the god that should be called to father her child. I looked around and saw
the bright rays from the sun. And I said it should be the Sun God. Even
before I could finish the sentence, sister screamed . No, Not him, not him at
all. I don’t know why she was so vehement, but I let it pass. I told her that
she should think of some powerful god. Yudhi will need somebody
powerful to help him. She agreed. As we were talking a gusty wind blew
threatening to sweep us away. We looked at each other and said in unison.
Yes, It should be god Vayu, the Lord of the winds !
This time she informed me before the coming of the god. I gave her a nice
bath and decked her in fine clothes. Yes, she can be beautiful if she tries.
And when I went to wake her up in the morning, she smiled and said she
was totally worn out. Beside her, our husband was snoring away. This. time
she ballooned up very fast. And she became very heavy. I teased her that
the god must have really done his duty well. The baby when it came out
was very big. Real Huge ! And we called him Bheema.
I wondered whether I should ask her to give me one of her boons. I was not
sure whether such things could be transferred. I went to my husband and
asked his opinion. He said that I should wait. Wait for what ? I soon knew
since she came to me again saying she wanted my opinion. This was
getting to be irritating but I did not want to show it. I should keep her in
good humour, Isn’t it ? It did not need much discussion. The skies opened
up. There was lightning and thunder. And finally it poured and we got
drenched. It had to be Indra, the Lord of rain. And yes, he was the chief of
gods too ! The result this time was a beautiful boy. We called him Partha,
and also, Arjuna.
What is it to be next. Will she keep on making babies while I enact the role
of maid and midwife ? Or will she condescend and transfer me a boon ? I
started building castles in the air. Let us say she does give me the boon.
Which god should I call ? We already have three boys in the family. I think
that is enough. Yes, what I want is a little girl, a beautiful little girl !...
Part 4
Madri, It is just not possible
As I was telling you, I waited for Lady Kunti to come to me with her boon.
She was not willing to give it to me at first. Our husband went on
requesting her. She finally yielded and came to tell me what to do. I
expressed my desire to have a girl child.
Madri ! you must be kidding
No sister ! I really want to have a sweet little girl
I think it is totally wrong for you to want that
Why, sister , why ! What is wrong with it.
Madri, Don’t you know the news from Hastinapur? About Gandhari !
Yes, sister !She has two children . Suyodhana is of the same age as our
Bheema. And Susshasana of Partha.
Mafri, it seems Gandhari is giving birth to more children, they say there
may be about hundred. You should keep your eyes on such matters !
Sister, don’t listen to rumours. This must be her brother Shakuni’s idea to
have many heirs. I am sure they are adopting children from all over.
Madri, could be ! Whatever it is, we have only three here. We need more
sons for King pandu
So, sister ?
Therefore give up the idea of having a girl child. And I am not even sure it
will work. Say we pray to some goddess and she agrees to give us a child.
And then she will have to enter our husband’s body. How will he perform
then ? No Madri, this wont work.. I don’t want my boon wasted.
Today she talked like a queen. Her imperious ways are returning. So I
started thinking of the god whom I could call upon to give me a child. Again
I thought of Sun god but gave it up remembering the vehement disapproval
sister had for him. Whom should I call upon ? We already had propitiated
three major gods. I should think of somebody else. Somebody
handsome ? .... What about Ashwini Devas ? Yes, they are reputed to be
handsome with power of horses . They are supposed to be sons of the Sun
God too. And they are the doctors of heaven. Something tells me that the
times will be such that we need people to heal the wounds , both of mind
and body. What else do I need ? I went to Lady Kunti and told her of my
choice. She admonished me. Why did’nt you get Agni or Varuna ? Anyway
she said it is my choice and left it at that.
With the onset of night, I waited for the gods. I was curious. Would they
arrive together or what? But more than anything what I was looking
forward to was the union with my husband. It had been ages since we were
together. The gods did come in sequence. It seems that they drew lots
on who should be the first. I was blessed twice and the night was long !
Nine months later I gave birth to twins. Sister did not like the fact that I
scored two with just one boon from her. But even she said that the babies
were really beautiful. We called them Nakula and Sahadeva. The elder
brothers fawned on the two infants. I did not know what would happen
when they all grow up. Kunti’s children are already showing signs of
becoming bosses. May be my two children will have to play second fiddle
to the other three. Well, let me not worry about it now. What will be , will
be.
We have all gotten fond of our children. We call them the Fabulous Five !
And fabulous they are!
Yes, the flames on the funeral pyre are leaping to the skies. I have to join
my lord and master on the pyre. I better come to the end of my story.
When I woke up yesterday, it was as though it was a new day. I felt very
joyful . I always sing for some time in the mornings but yesterday I just
went on. Then a fragrant breeze wafted in. May be it came from a flower I
had not seen before. When I went in the direction of the flower, it took me
deep into the woods. And when I found it, I plucked it. Then an urge came
on me to put it in my hair. Yes, Lady Kunti had forbidden it but the urge
was too much. As I put it in my hair, I felt two arms encircling me. When I
looked back, it was my husband, King Pandu.
No Dear, we should not do it
It is alright Madri. I am not myself anymore. When I see you I feel like I am
Lord kama and you Rati Devi
Dear Husband, I am afraid....
Dear Madri, Don’t you remember that it was alright when a god had entered
me ..
Yes, dear ! But that was the result of a boon
It is also a boon now and Lord Kama has entered me..
I could not resist him anymore. It was alright in the beginning. But soon
he was more of a man and less of a god. I think he started feeling that he
was doing wrong. The Curse took effect and he died. I sat there crying.
Soon Sister Kunti came to the scene and started berating me
You, hussy ! You are the reason for all this ! remove those flowers from
your hair.
She also started crying. And when the tears ran out, we just sat dazed.
Then she drew me aside and told me that she will sit on the funeral pyre
with our husband..
Madri, you have to carry on from now. I think you should take the children
to Hastinapur....
Sister, I should be the one to accompany our husband on the funeral pyre.
He died because of me and it is only right that I be there with him. More
important is that these five boys need a mother who will be a mentor for
them in the art of statecraft. They need somebody who can give advice on
many matters. Sister, I am not fit for all that. You are the one who should be
with them from now on..
Madri, let me be the one........
No, sister Kunti, I am very certain that it is you who has to carry on with
these children. I know you will be good with my children also. Let me bid
goodbye To all of you
I went to each one of the boys and hugged them. I did tarry with my
children little longer. And then I went in the direction of the funeral
pyre..........
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________
 --------------------------------------------------77777&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&










(two women - from Laxman Aele




3
e
THE TAINTED JUDGE ( FUNBLOG)
THE GAMES WE PLAY (HUMOUR)
I TOO WAS NOT INVITED FOR CLINTON'S WEDDING
WHO WANTS FLOWER POTS ?
IS BANGALORE JINXED ?
© palahali., all rights reserved.
Advertisement