Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas, is often relegated to the sidelines as an arrogant, prideful woman who expected her husbands to be at her beck and call. Vyasa Maharishi’s Draupadi is quite the opposite.

In the chapter named the Draupadi- Satyabhama samvaada, we have Krishna’s beloved wife Satya ask Draupadi how she manages to keep her husbands attracted to her, so to speak. Satya asks Draupadi to suggest some herb or magical mantra or viles that would help her do the same and keep Krishna besotted with herself.

Draupadi gently reprimands her friend and tells her that such methods are so vile that women of good character should not even think of them, let alone use them. The Pandava queen then proceeds to tell Satya what she does to ensure that her husbands never lose their affection for her. A lot of what she says may make modern-day feminists scream ‘patriarchy’ and ‘oppression’. But I trust my readers to be able to look beyond the words and understand how Draupadi was the lynchpin of the whole family and the administration as well.

Here are some highlights of Draupadi’s side of the conversation:

• She took care of her husbands and their other wives

• She ensured that not only her husbands but also who were in their service, the personal attendants, were fed comfortably before she ate

• She cooked, cleaned, managed the provision stores to ensure they never ran out of them

• She took care of Mother Kunti’s food, water and clothing herself

• For Kunti, she never chose articles that were of inferior quality to what she chose

• At Indraprastha, Yudishtira supported 8000 brahmanas who were served food in golden plates. Apart from this, 80,000 snataka brahmanas lived there supported by the king. 30 dasis were allocated to each. Similarly, 10,000 yatis also lived in Indraprastha. Draupadi was in charge of ensuring that they all received food and clothes and that they were revered as per norms

• The one lakh dasis who worked in the palace were also under Draupadi’s charge. She knew all of them by sight and by name and their eating and living needs too were addressed by the queen herself. The Queen took a personal interest in the dasis, in providing for them. But she was also the one keeping track of what tasks were allocated to each and whether it had been done or not.

• When the king went out on a yatra, 1 lakh horses and 1 lakh elephants went with him. It was the Queen who ensured provisions for the animals and who kept count of their horses and elephants too

• The sevaks in the palace as well as the ones in the private quarters (Antahpuri) and the cowherds and shepherds also had their work overseen by Draupadi

• Now, we get to the most interesting responsibilities of the Queen- she was the only one who knew about the personal income, expenditure and savings of all 5 Pandavas

• That was not all. Draupadi was the only one to be fully aware of the state of the treasury with its vast riches. She knew what was coming in and how much was going out. Remember, Indraprastha was a flourishing economy and the city’s coffers were filled with gold

Would it be appropriate to call Draupadi the finance minister of Indraprastha or at least a key minister of the Kingdom given all her responsibilities? You decide!

Dharmavyadha explains to Kaushika how Dharma is extremely nuanced and it must be understood correctly. The vedas say that speaking the truth (satya) is dharma BUT this is not always true.

When the truth can cause harm to someone or lead to death, satya becomes adharma. The Mahabharatha also has a story illustrating this point very clearly.

A brahmana named Kaushika had undertaken a vow of speaking nothing but the truth. As he sat meditating in his ashrama, a group of terrified traders ran in and seeing him, they begged shelter. “A group dacoits is after us,” they told him and they were desperately looking to hide. If the dacoits found them, they would be killed. The group quickly hid away inside the ashrama, relieved that they had found shelter.

A short while later, the dacoits burst in. They saw Kaushika and demanded to know if a group of traders had come that way. Kaushika thought of his vow to only speak the truth and he truthfully told the dacoits that the traders were hiding inside.The dacoits rushed in and killed the hidden group.

Kaushika had told the truth. He also followed his vow. But he went to Naraka because in that situation neither his vow nor the truth were important. Protecting innocent lives was Dharma and he had failed.

Myth 1: Duryodhana only followed norm when he claimed a right to throne as eldest son of Dritarashtra:

Duryodhana was not Dritarashtra’s eldest son. That was Yuyutsu. Since Yuyutsu was a Vaisya maid’s son, Dritarashtra and Duryodhana both denied his ‘right to throne as eldest son’.

Also, the Kuru clan skipped the eldest son several times- for example, Shantanu was not eldest son, nether was Yayati.

Myth 2: Duryodhana voiced a stand against caste discrimination by supporting the ‘charioteer- class’ Karna:

Duryodhana murdered Bheema’s charioteer by strangling him with bare hands.

Karna was an Anga royal and hence ‘giving’ Anga to him was more show than substance. Duryodhana also declared at Rangabhoomi, where he ‘gave Anga’, that Karna was of divine birth and could certainly not be Adiratha- Radha’s son.

Myth 3: Duryodhana respected women because he did not stake his wife like Yudisthira did:

The princess Duryodhana married had rejected him at her swayamvara. Incensed with the rejection, Duryodhana, with Karna’s help, carried her away forcibly.

Myth 4: Duryodhana was a wonderful king and the praja loved him:

Hastinapura’s praja lamented about the Pandavas being killed at Varnavarta, openly accusing Duryodhana, Dritarashtra and others of murder.

When the Pandavas were exiled after dyuta, they wailed that they would be left to the mercy of evil, unscrupulous Duryodhana and his cronies (despite the fact that the Pandavas had already moved to Indraprastha by then. Clearly, they still believed that they would rescue them at Hastinapura if Duryodhana overstepped).

Now, the question of being a charioteer and whether this was a role looked down upon.

The answer is an emphatic NO.

Because All warriors were trained to be charioteers too.

We see that:

Arjuna charioteered Uttar

Prince Uttar then charioteered Arjuna during the Matsya war

Krishna drove Arjuna’s chariot

King Shalya drove Karna’s

Clearly, they were all trained charioteers too.

Charioteering was pretty normal for warriors and not at all what it is made out to be these days.

Here is an excerpt from the Markandeya samasya parva showng how the Upapandavas were trained in chariot driving by Abhimanyu. Context: Krishna is talking to Pandavas, 12th yr of exile.

“Karna said, O Keshava! I have no doubt that you are affectionately

speaking to me as a well-wisher. O Varshneya! As a friend, you wish for

my welfare. I also know everything about my being Pandu’s son under

the norms of dharma. O Krishna! These are the instructions of the sacred

texts of dharma, as you have interpreted them. O Janardana! As a

maiden, she conceived me in her womb through the sun. Once I was

born, she abandoned me on the instructions of the sun. O Krishna! I was

born in this way, Pandu’s son under the norms of dharma.”

-Karna Upanivada Parva (Kunti came to him AFTER this happened)

Karna bore enmity with Pandavas since gurukul days and his enmity did not go away with his knowledge that he was their elder brother so no, Kunti could not have changed a thing with this info.

The Kuru did not strictly follow the ‘eldest son is king’ rule.

The Pandava/ Kauravas are themselves descendants of Puru- the YOUNGEST son of Yayati.

Shantanu himself was the third born. Devapi and Bahlika were his older brothers.

In Yudisthira’s case, it was not only because of his age but becasue of his qualities and competence that the ministers, elders adn praja dearly wished for him to become king.

Dhritarashtra, the blind king, pointed this out to his son, in a rare moment of judicious sense. He told Duryodhana that the kingdom belonged to Bhishma, the eldest son of Shantanu. It was Bhishma who had chosen to give it away to Satyavati’s sons and through them it had come to the next generation- Dhritarashtra and Pandu. So, it was up to Bhishma to decide if Pandu was king and his heirs had a right or Dhritarashtra and his sons did.

The blind king’s words had no effect on his son, of course. But the fact remains that the Kuru clan had seen a younger son come to throne instead of his elder brother many times. In fact, in the case of Bharata, his adopted son son, Bharadwaja came to throne, not even his own sons.

Drishtadyumna was the commander of the Pandava army and above him was Arjuna. The Pandava strategy was very smartly thought out- the commanders were their biggest allies, in-laws in many cases, who were shown due honour and trust by being given this position.

At the same time, Arjuna, who was an one man army, did not hv to stay in one location and overlook the entire operation. Instead, he had the freedom to quickly move to whichever sector needed the most effective and the fastest support. So the pandavas had one well strucured, well organized army under the leadership of ppl who were loyal and had a personal stake in the victory (thru relations). They were given due respect and appointed in positions of power, giving them the clear message that they were highly trusted by the Pandavas, which cemented their loyalty more.

And their most devastating warrior, Arjuna, was not tied down to one place so he cud swoop in and change the tide of the battle towards the pandavas at literally any point. THIS is what Drona realized and tried to counter later with the Samsaptakas.

On the kaurava side, Duryodhana constantly berated and suspected his main commanders- Bhishma and Drona. He continuously wailed and whined and told them they were not performing well, that they were sabotaging his chances deliberately, that they were out to get him.

There’s a fabulous leadership lesson here. Which team do you think is going to succeed?

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Looking forward to having a wonderful time discovering the Mahabharatha with you all.

Myth 1: Adiratha was a poor charioteer who eked out a miserable existence by repairing chariot wheels

Myth 2: Adiratha was Dhritarashtra’s loyal charioteer

Myth 3: Karna’s sons were denied of their rightful throne at Hastinapur post Kurukshetra since Karna was Kunti’s eldest and so his sons should have become kings

Myth 4: Karna’s grandson/ son (both versions are told and are equally ridiculous) was trained by Arjuna post-war bcos Arjuna felt guilty about killing Karna

Anyway, most of these myths can be dismantled with a simple look at Karna’s lineage through his adoptive father and a few other simple facts.

Let’s start from the last.

• Myth 4: Karna’s grandson/ son (both versions are told and are equally ridiculous) was trained by Arjuna post-war bcos Arjuna felt guilty about killing Karna (What on earth for? Karna never felt guilty for shooting out Abhimanyu’s bow from behind despite knowing that was his nephew.)

The cremation/ funerary rites of the dead all happened collectively post-war. Karna’s wives (multiple) are mentioned crying over his body and over Vrishasena’s (eldest son) body. Other sons are not mentioned by name here but during the war, we see Sushena, Prasena, Bhanusena, Chitrasena killed by various people. These were all Karna’s sons. Karna also ahd grandsons as he mentions in the text.

Now, how do we interpret that no son/ grandson survived? There was no male heir available to do his final rites. Finally, Yudisthira did them.

No Pandava trained any son of Karna’s post or pre or during any war. No son/ grandson is mentioned surviving the war. The facts as per text indicate there weren’t any survivors of his direct line.

• Myth 3: Karna’s sons were denied of their rightful (???) throne at Hastinapur post Kurukshetra since Karna was Kunti’s eldest and so his sons should have become kings (What????)

KUNTI’s eldest does not translate into Pandu’s eldest (Eldest son did not always rule anyway). Karna had zero connection to the Kuru line. Did Dhritarashtra secretly adopt him or Duryodhana declare him a brother? Why would a non-Kuru become heir to a Kuru throne?

One utterly ridiculous serial showed Krishna graciously inviting a son of Karna’s to sit on the throne. Such god-awful serials must be banned and the makers tarred and feathered. Why will Krishna decide who sits on Kuru throne? Why will some random chap from a different lineage be asked to sit on it when Yudisthira, who won the war, a Kuru, is very much alive and kicking? Conclusion: serial makers and those who believe them smoke high quality weed.

• Myth 2: Adiratha was Dhritarashtra’s loyal charioteer

Adiratah may have been A charioteer, like so many other warriors (Krishna, Shalya, Arjuna, Abhimanyu are all described as charioteers at some point). He is never mentioned as Dhritarashtra’s charioteer. However, he IS mentioned as Dhritarashtra’s FRIEND. Sutas were charioteers, bards, kings, military commanders etc.

• Myth 1: Adiratha was a poor charioteer who eked out a miserable existence by repairing chariot wheels (Highly contributed to by idiotic TV serials)

Now we come to the root of all the trouble. Who exactly was Adiratha? He was NOT a poverty stricken chariot wheel repairing elderly gentleman dressed in tatters as serials love to portray. He was a member of the Anga ROYAL FAMILY, if not king.

HOW????!!!!

Let’s pick up one purana as starters. I like Srimad Bhagavad Puran. This is the lineage of Adiratha given there:

Starting with Yayati- You can see that Yayati’s descendants include some very well know people.

From Yayati, this is how the lineage winds its way to Adiratha (as per BHAGVAD PURANA):

As you can see, Anga was the name of a KING who ruled a city named after him. Obviously, this is a lineage of kings. So, Adiratha belonged to the Anga royal clan.

The VISHNU PURANA has this lineage (Link: https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp111.htm)

Incidentally, the Romapada (in bold) adopted Sri Rama’s elder sister Shantha. Again, Karna is clearly mentioned as a king.

Let’s see what VAYU PURANA has to say. (Link: https://archive.org/details/VayuPuranaG.V.TagarePart2/page/n348/mode/1up?view=theater&q=arjuna)

Here the discussion is preceeded by a very direct question:

The answer to the question is given as follows:

110. King Brhanmana. was born as the son of Brhadbhanu (earlier he was mentioned as Brhadratha) . He had two wives. Both of them were the daughters of Caidya.

111. They were Yasodevi and Satya. The race is bifurcated on account of these two wives. Jayadratha otherwise known as Rajendra was born of Yasodevi.

112. (Defective verse) Satya gave birth to the famous Vijaya who was of mixed Brahmana-Ksatriya caste (?) Vijaya’s son was Dhrti and his son was Dhrtavrata.

113* Dhrtavrata’s son was Satyakarma of great fame. Satyakarma’s son was Adhiratha, the charioteer.

114. He adopted and looked after Karna. Hence Karna was known as the son of a charioteer. Thus everything that had been asked about Karna has been mentioned to you.

115. Thus all the kings in the family of Anga have been recounted by me. (End excerpt)

Clearly, the family is one of kings so why is Adiratha called a charioteer? Maybe he was a super skilled charioteer, maybe he was charioteer to an elder in the family. Whatever it may be, the fact is clear that the Angas were royals too.

The AGNI PURANA also gives us Karna’s lineage through Adiratha. He is a descendet of Druhyu instead of Anu here.

From the King Anga, this is how it goes:

Anga- Dadhivaahan- Diviratha- Dharmaratha- Chitraratha- Satyaratha-Lomapada- Chaturanga-Pruthulaaksha- Champ-Haryanga-Bhadraratha-Bruhatkarma- Bhruhadbhanu- Buhaatmavaan- Jayadrtaha-Brihadratha- Vishvajith- Karna- Vrushasena- Prithusen

Since we do not have Adiratha mentioned by name, there are 2 possibilities- 1) Adiratha was a younger prince (as is commonly believed) and his elder brother ruled before Karna was made king by Duryodhana. 2) Adiratha had two names.

Different puranas often have different names of the descendants. Mainly this is because kings did have more than one name very commonly. There are also missed generations in the puranas but the one thing that is undeniable from all the puranas here is that the Angas were rulers.

I have no doubt that these myths will continue to flourish and perpetuate but I do hope that this post will help dispel some of these rubbish notions and portrayals at the very least.

It is believed that it was on Vijayadashami day that Arjuna/ Brihannala gained his resounding victory over Kaurava forces at Matsya for King Virat. It was one lone warrior aganint the entire Kaurava plus Trigartha forces. All the top line Kaurava warriors were present- Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Ashwattama, Karna, Duryodhana and his brothers. There was nothing they could do to stop Arjuna’s rampage despite the fact that he was neither on his own chariot, nor had his own charioteer, Puru, with him. There were no Pandava brothers or SriKrishna either and yet, the victory was absolute- a defining moment- IF Duryodhana had seen it for the warning it was. (contd.)

Fittingly, Arjuna did not take the lives of any of the chiefs despite having several opportunities to do so. But, Duryodhana did not see sense and Kurukshetra witnessed a war 6 months later.

Happy Vijayadashami- May you gain victory over challenges that prevent you from dharma, may you conquer the adharma in your life on this auspicious day with confidence and calm like Arjuna trounced the Kaurava host.

The Triumph of Brihannala is my story recounting the battle between Arjuna and the kauravas at Matsya. I plan to take this story down really soon and publish as a book on Kindle but you can read it here for now for free until then😊

My answer:

Who said Pasupaata was inferior?

Here’s what the Pasupata was: (Excerpts from Vana Parva- Kairata Parva of KMG)

1) A weapon used for destruction of the world at pralaya time:

"Arjuna said, 'O illustrious god having the bull for thy sign, if thou wilt grant me my desire, I ask of thee, O lord that fierce celestial weapon wielded by thee and called Brahmasira --that weapon of terrific prowess which destroyeth, at the end of the Yuga the entire universe…-

2) A weapon that neither gods nor manavas (except Arjuna) had and could wield:

Bhava replied, 'O powerful one. I will give to thee that favourite weapon of mine called the Pasuputa. O son of Pandu, thou art capable of holding, hurling, and withdrawing it. Neither the chief himself of the gods, nor Yama, nor the king of the Yakshas, nor Varuna, nor Vayu, knoweth it. How could men know anything of it?

3) It was itself a brahmashira class weapon of the higest order (Excerpt 1)

4) NO ONE could withstand or counter it:

In the three worlds with all their mobile and immobile creatures, there is none who is incapable of being slain by this weapon. And it may be hurled by the mind, by the eye, by words, and by the bow.'"

5) It was not even supposed to be used against weaker beings, which is why Arjuna NEVER used it in his entire lifetime:

But, O son of Pritha, this weapon should not be hurled without adequate cause; for if hurled at any foe of little might it may destroy the whole universe.

An unnatural silence prevailed over the seaside campsite that lay cloaked by the deepening dusk. The waves lapped at the beach at a funerary pace, soundless, in complete divergence from all laws of nature. The coppery stench of freshly spilled blood hung in the air. Darkness slowly crept in, concealing the hundreds of corpses littering the sandy expanse.

In the middle of the carnage, head bowed low, knelt a solitary figure.

Krishna…. Vasudev Krishna….Enigmatic, mystical Krishna who knew all….

For thirty- six long years he had known this day would come. Mata Gandhari’s curse had finally come true. The invincible warriors of Dvaraka all lay dead around him.

As he cradled Pradyumna¹’s crimson soaked body, a memory came to life in Krishna’s mind. Young Abhimanyu, lying dead in the arms of a devastated Arjuna. The memory flickered and it was Subhadra he saw. The light had died out of her eyes. But even with her heart tearing apart, she had silently enveloped Uttaraa in her arms and rocked her, as the newly widowed young princess screamed her grief aloud.

Yes, Subhadra had grieved too.

But she had not broken…

Krishna straightened up, loosening his grasp upon his son’s body. “Subhadra….,” he whispered, pulling his senses slowly back under control. “It is time, my sister…”

The dying sun bathed the gory sights on the beach in the last embers of light before it was consumed by the unending sea.

The sun had set…

.

.

.

Far away, in the silver palace of Hastinapur, the voice echoed in Subhadra’s subconscious as she slept. ‘It is time, my sister…’. The princess of Dvaraka sat up instantly, her light grey eyes wide with shock. Confused, she looked around, eyes straining in the subdued light of the dozen oil lamps.

She was alone. But that much- loved voice that she had heard….?

As the remnants of sleep left her, Subhadra felt the unease solidify into stark terror. Her people…. It was the thirty sixth year... The curse…

No, NO! No one had brought any news. She was imagining things… Wasn’t she? But then why was a deep, debilitating grief settling in her very bones?

Subhadra stumbled out of bed and took hurried strides towards the doorway. Her husband, Krishna’s inseparable friend. He too would have sensed it if her worst fear had indeed come true. She had to see him…

Subhadra paused mid- step, breath held captive by emotions, as footsteps echoed in the silence of the night right outside her room. The dim glow of lamps framed Arjuna’s silhouette in her doorway. As he stepped forward into the circle of soft light thrown out by the fire sconces, Subhadra searched her husband’s eyes. His deep grey orbs held both uncertainty and fear but they could not entirely cloak a deep grief that mirrored her own.

A silent conversation ensued that left nothing unsaid. Then, Subhadra stepped into Arjuna’s protective embrace, her slight form sagging against his adamantine frame. And the tears finally came.

No words broke the silence that enveloped them. None would suffice...

(Note: This is an excerpt from my story on Subhadra in the anthology ‘Aryaa’. The book is available here: https://www.amazon.in/Aryaa-Anthology-Vedic-Shivakumar-GV/dp/B0BSHYLRVV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DE68ZWQ7OQ3P&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tYOZCnyVoPmvf9gR1ky_kw.Nv0S4ulFuGy9gXrdhWw2lI6qjxs-rw9wSdculjdC8Y0&dib_tag=se&keywords=aryaa+an+anthology+of+vedic+women&qid=1741413400&sprefix=aryaa%2Caps%2C410&sr=8-1)

Here are some excerpts from various parts of the Mahabharatha indicating what the praja felt and said about Yudishtira and the Pandavas as rulers vs Duryodhana as king.

Transl: Where this king (Yudishtira) whose glory illuminates 10 directions takes charge, from cowherds to brahmanas, all citizens love him like they would their own parents. (Sabha parva- Rajasuya aarambha parva)

• After Draupadi swayamvara: (Adi parva- Viduragamana rajyalabhaparva)

Transl: Shakuni says: If Vrishnis and Chedis arrive here (Hastinapura) and the citizens here too take up arms in rebellion against us (and for Pandavas), we will find ourselves in trouble.

Transl: Vidura says: Citizens are eager to see Pandavas after hearing that they are alive.

• When Pandavas return post Lakshagruh and Draupadi swayamvar to Hastinapura:

Transl: Citizens said- That best among men, Yudishtira, who looks after us like he does his sons, is returning.

It appears as if beloved Maharaj Pandu has returned.

If Kunti’s brave sons return to the city, all our desires will be fulfilled.

If we have carried out daana and homa, by that merit, let the pandavas stay here for a 100 years.

Transl: His (Yudishtira) behaviour was such that the entire world loved him like a son loves his father. No one hated Yudishtira and hence he was called Ajatashatru. (Sabha parva- Rajasuya parva)

• The prosperity of Indraprastha under Yudishtira’s rule

Transl: Owing to appropriate and correct taxes, the kingdom got rains on time and in measure. In this way, Yudishtira’s kingdom prospered.

Protection of cattle, farming, business- all flourished. In particular, because of the king’s correct provisions and actions, everything was being done in the best way. (Sabha parva- Rajasuya parva)

• Post Dyuta, when the citizens came to know Pandavas had been exiled

Transl: The city dwellers were terribly sad and they lamented loudly- “Our masters, the pandavas are going away! See the childsh behaviour of the Kuru elders. Fie on them! Provoked by greed, these Kauravas have exiled Pandu’s sons. We shall be orphaned without the Pandavas. How can we love the greedy and stubborn Kauravas?’

Transl: Our clan and our homes and amilies are no more safe. The sinner Duryodhana, nourished by Shakuni, with the approval of karna and Dushasana, wishes to rule this land.

Where, with the help of sinners, a sinner wishes to rule, there our kula, achaara, dharma, artha cannot exist. How then can happpiness/ prosperity exist there?

People of Kurujangala lament to Yudisthira, beginning of exile, in the forest:

Transl: Fie on cruel Duryodhana! Fie on Subala’s son Shakuni and Karna, the one who harbours sinful thoughts, the sinners who wished to deal such unfairness to you who follow dharma.

Where is Yudisthira, who established the Kailasa-like Indraprastha, go now leaving his kingdom?

Remember, neither Dharma incarnate Yudisthira got the Upadesh nor the greatest warrior of all, the 8th Vasu Bhishma. Also, the dharma rajya established was ruled by the heirs of the Nara Narayana pair, not Yudishtira or Draupadi’s heirs. Parikshit- bloodline of Nara and Yadava kanya Subhadra at Hastinapura, and Vajra- Bloodline of Narayan and Maa Lakshmi at Indraprastha.

The lore followed in South India, esp Tamil Nadu, is that the Pandavas and Kauravas had to sacrifice a man to assure victory in the war (in Vyasa Bharata, there is neither such a requirement nor any human sacrifice at any other time).

There were only 3 ppl who qualifed for sacrifice because they had all the qualities required - Arjuna, Krishna and Iravan. Iravan offered himself selflessly. Krishna asked him if he had any wishes and he said that he wished to experience married life.

Since Iravan was going to be sacrificed the next morning no one would wed their daughter to him. So Krishna himself turned into Mohini and married Iravan. The next day Mohini became a widow as Iravan cut off all his limbs before finally offering his head himself to Goddess Kali.

There are slightly different versions of the same story too. In one, Iravan asks for two boons of Krishna. One is his marriage, which Krishna fulfills as Mohini. The other boon is that Iravan should be able to contribute to the Dharma yuddha. So Krishna gives him his chance on Day 8, when he fights a glorious battle before attaining the warrior’s death upon the battlefield.

A third version of the story is also very interesting. Krishna marries Iravan to a girl, Annaraki, whose horoscope indicates that she would be a bride for just one day.

In this version, Iravan also asks for the boon that when he cuts away his limbs, instead of the stench of blood, fragrance must fill the environs. Also, that when his head is cut off from his body in Day 8 of battle, it must roll back to the temple where he sacrificed himself and remain there, facing the battlefield with his eyes filled with eternal life to witness Mother Draupadi wash her tresses with the blood of Dushasana (another story that is NOT part of Vyasa MB).

This Iravan/ Aravaan is usually found in Draupadi Amman temples. His eyes are always wide open, witnessing the Kurukshetra war, as per his boon. His head faces Kurukshetra too. A side story goes on abt how Duryodhan tried to sacrifice Iravan for HIS victory on Amavasya but Krishna pipped him by getting Surya- Chandra together the previous day thus 'creating' Amavasya and clearing the way for the Pandavas to sacrifice Iravan.

Iravaan/ Aravaan’s great sacrifice is marked by the transgender community in the Koovagam Koothandavar temple in TN with an 18 day festival in Apr/ May. The presiding deity is, of course, Iravan or Aravaan or Nallaravar as he is called here. The transgender community weds Iravan symbolically, dressed in bridal finery.

Pic credit: Indian Express

Then the next day when the deity is ‘sacrificed’, they go thru the rituals of widowhood and mourn his death like widows do. From the name Aravaan comes the term Aravaani, which is a term used for transgender folk in TamilNadu.

Pic credit: Indian Express

At the beginning of the Koothandavar festival, flags are erected in the temple to signify the beginning of the war with Aravaan supreme sacrifice. At the end of 18th day, they are taken in procession along with Aravan's 'head' accompanied by crowds of his 'brides' mourning and wailing. Do note that NONE of this happens in Vyasa MB where Iravan battles from Day 1, dies after a glorious magical battle on Day 8.

My first published story ‘The Fall of the First Son’ was on Iravan, in the anthology “Unsung Valour”. Link: https://www.amazon.in/Unsung-Valour-Forgotten-Warriors-Kurukshetra/dp/9390358353

Pics: Kothandavar festival, Koovagam

Credit: https://www.newindianexpress.com/galleries/nation/2018/May/02/villupurams-koovagam-festival-in-pictures-a-celebration-of-transgender-identity-101474.html

Pic credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Aravan_head.jpg

This is all you will generally find of Koothandavar. I believe the rest of his body is made out of straw and then the cutting of limbs depicted using them before the head alone is carried in procession.

Shloka 4:13 of the Geeta:

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः।

तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम्।।4.13।।

The four varnas system was created by Me (Krishna), in accordance with the guna and karma of the jivatmas. I am the creator yet I am a non-agent.

The shloka lays out the principle rather clearly- the varna system of four varnas is created on basis of the Sattva, Rajas, Tamas guna combination of the respective jivatmas and the varna they attain in a birth can be attributed to the balance of these gunas in them. But that is not all, the varna is also dependent on the karma accumulated by the jivatma.

Okay, this is all well and good when we talk philosophy but what did the society actually believe and follow? Whose words shall we trust?

When it comes to the Mahabharatha, the one known and hailed as Dharmaraja by Krishna, is Yudisthira. He is believed to have studied the nuances of dharma. So let’s see what Yudishtira believes Dharma says about the varnas and how one is categorised as belonging to a particular varna.

A very interesting conversation takes place between Yudisthira and the earlier Indra, Nahusha, who has been flung to earth as a snake for a transgression. The conversation takes place in the Ajagara Parva (within Aranyaka parva).

Nahusha, the giant snake, has captured Bhima and Yudishtira has to answer his questions correctly to rescue his brother.

Nahusha’s first question is: Who is Brahmana?

Yudishtira replies that a man who exhibits the following qualities is a Brahmana: truthfulness, charity, forgiveness, good conduct, lack of cruelty, self-control and compassion can be seen.

He goes on to say that a Brahmana has the knowledge of the Brahman and this knowledge places him above the pull of happiness and unhappiness.

Note how there is no mention at all of the person’s birth or lineage.

Nahusha’s next question is a very significant one. He challenges that these qualities may be found in one belonging to any of the 4 varnas. A shudra may exhibit the qualities of truthfulness, charity, lack of anger, lack of cruelty, non-violence and compassion.

Yudisthira promptly replies that if these traits are seen in a shudra, he is not a shudra. If these traits are not found in a brahmana, then he is a shudra. (He clarifies) one in whom these traits are found is a brahmana. One in whom these traits are not found, is marked as a shudra.

So, from Yudishtira’s words, we know that conduct is paramount in determining varna. But do we have examples in the Mahabharatha too?

Vidura was the son of a Shudra woman and he was given royal respect and treated with affection and regard by the Pandavas. Even Dhritarashtra respected Vidura and was quite scared that Vidura would abandon his side.

Yuyutsu, the son of a Vaishya maid, was made the mentor of the Pandava heir Parikshit. He was a trained warrior who fought on the pandava side.

Kripa, Drona, Ashwattama- all brahmanas, were not protected by the ‘never harm a brahmana‘ rule. At Kurukshetra, they were all treated as Kshatriyas since they chose this way of life.

Several Sutas, meaning the child of a Brahmana mother- kshatriya father mixed parentage, held kingships, military positions and advisory positions in the palace. For example, Karna was king of Anga (so was his uncle), Keechaka was the military commander of Matsya, Sanjaya was the most trusted advisor of Dhritarashtra.

The Pandavas not only married the daughter of Suta queen Sudeshna to Abhimanyu but also made her son their heir.

The Bhagavad Purana also has interesting insights on the Varna question. From the same ancestor, we have all 4 varnas arising in a single lineage:

Vaisvaswatha Manu lineage has all four Varna originating from same point as follows:

His eldest son is Ikshvaaku, who is kshatriya as we know and the ancestor of SriRama.

His son Drishta’s progeny are brahmanas called Dhraashtas.

His son Dishta’s son Nabhaaga becomes a Vaishya.

And his son Prishadra becomes a Shudra for failing to protect the sacred cow under his protection.

The Bhagavad Purana also lays out norms for varna changes.

In short, Varna is neither birth based, nor is it a fixed and unchanging. Varna is not the equivalent of the caste system that the non-Indians followed.

The Pandavas ask Krishna to make every effort to avert war before he leaves for Hastinapura as peace messenger. Despite Krishna’s best efforts, Duryodhana refuses to return Indraprastha. He also refuses Yudishthira’s offer to settle for just 5 villages and says that he won’t give even a needle point of territory.

Krishna leaves Hastinapura but he meets Karna and has a conversation with him. He tells Karna that he is Kunti putra and he can avert the war that is sure to kill large numbers of people. Krishna asks Karna to join his brothers, the Pandavas. He promises that, as the eldest of Kunti’s sons, he will be given the kingdom by Yudishthira. This is Krishna’s final bid to stop the destructive war coming up. Without Karna supporting him, Duryodhana will not go to war.

But Karna tells Krishna that he already knows about being Kunti’s son but he still won’t leave Duryodhana’s side. He also admits that he knows Duryodhana will lose both the war and his life and so will all of those who support the Kauravas. Yet, he says, he cannot leave Duryodhana’s side at this crucial time.

Just as Karna predicts, all the Kauravas meet with defeat at Kurukshetra and as feared by the Pandavas, enormous destruction does take place despite their best efforts to avert it. While Karna knows even before Krishna’s peace treaty and before Kunti’s visit that he is Kunti-putra, when do the Pandavas know? Find out in my next blog post. 

There they have a very interesting conversation. Karna introduces himself as Radha’s son to the dying Bhishma, who corrects him and says that he is Kunti’s son. Bhishma explains that Devarishi Narada and Vyasa rishi have already told him this.  He does not say how long he’s known this.

But the Pitamaha does explain to Karna that it was not out of hate that he spoke harshly to him. He wished to avoid the battle between brothers, which was happening now. He says that Karna’s pride and his association with Duryodhana always made him choose adharma. He requests Karna to cast aside enmity now at least and make peace with the Pandavas.

Karna refuses and admits that he has offended the Pandavas always with Duryodhana and that what will happen is unavoidable. But he still cannot go over to the Pandava side since he cannot stop hating them and also, he has enjoyed the ‘wealth of Duryodhana’.

He seeks permission from Bhishma to fight and Bhishma tells him to put his pride aside and go into battle.

So, Bhishma knew about Karna’s birth from Kunti, but when did Karna know? The common belief is that he knew when Kunti came to him right before war. But no, that is not true at all. More in the next blog post.