Agsthya and the Vindya, Cauvery river.

Once the Mountain  Vindya  started to grow high thinking that it could overtake mount Meru. Then Devendra was worried by its growth which would make some parts of the world dark and  found that only sage Agsthya could do something to stop the growth of Vindya so he requested Agasthya to help to stop the growth of Vindya.

Agasthya came from the north and had to cross the Vindya to come to the south of India. So he went to Vindya and said “Oh great Vindya please give me way to go to the south to do some job so please stop growing till I finish my job in the south and return. Please remain as you are now till I come back and then you can grow to any height you want.”

Vindya mountain had lot of respect for Saint Agasthya and readily agreed to his request and remained dormant.

Agasthya came down to south and remained in the south and did develop grammar for the Tamil languages from there and he remained in the ‘Pothigai' mountains.

Once sage Agasthya got annoyed with river Cauvery and took her in his ‘kamandala’ (jar) and the river was imprisoned for ever. Then Devendra came in the guise of a crow when Agsthya had gone for a bath and pushed the Kamandala and the river was released.

Sage Agsthya's marriage to Lobamudra

Sage Agasthya

Sage Agasthya was a very powerful saint and had performed so many remarkable feats. He was very short and highly talented. Once Saint Agsthya while going through a forest saw many of his forefathers hanging head down from trees and went and asked them why they were hanging upside down?

They told him “son we are your fore fathers and are doing this as you have not married and produced a heir who would have given us food and performed our last rites. If you marry  and produce a heir then we could escape this condition.”

Agasthya then decided to marry. He went to the kingdom of ‘Vidarba’ whose king was his friend. The ‘Vidarba ‘king was not having any children and did so many penances to get some children but none has helped him and was in deep sorrow.

Agasthya came to him and agreed to help him to have  a daughter to him by his divine power but made a condition that the girl should be given to him in marriage. The king of ‘Vidarba’  agreed to this condition  and Saint Agasthya gave him the boon to become the father of a very beautiful daughter.

The queen became pregnant and in due course delivered an extremely beautiful girl and this girl was named as  Lobamudra. The girl grew up and attained the age of marriage. Agasthya came to the king and asked her hand in marriage to him. Even though the King was unwilling to marry the so beautiful girl to this ugly Saint Agasthya but could not refuse his demand remembering his supreme power and also his help in getting him his daughter born.

Lobamudra  on her part consoled her father  and agreed to marry him. King married her to Agasthya as per all the norms and practices. Agasthya asked her to remove all her expensive ornaments, dress etc and come in simple dress suitable for a life of a poor Brahmin. Lobamudra agreed to his command and did as  she was told and followed him to the forest.

She did all his daily chores perfectly and earned his love and affection.  One day  Agasthya was impressed by  her devotion and love and called her to come and share his love and become the mother of his child.

But  Lobamudra  told him that she is bound to make him happy and bear a child to him but he also should satisfy her one desire or interest. Saint agreed and asked her what was her desire? She said when she comes to share his bed she should wear all the  jewelleries  and costly and expensive dresses she once wore or liked.

Agasthya told her that being a poor Brahmin he does not have the means and ways to buy them. But Lobamudra told him that being a very powerful saint and influential sage he could go and ask the kings for these gifts.

Agsthya told her if he did what she told him to do then he would lose his power of penances which he did all these years. But she asked him humbly for these gifts.

Agasthya went to a king and asked him for the gifts. The king opened his treasury and showed him that what he collected  from the people went for the welfare of the people and hence he do not have anything to spare. Then Agasthya went to another king and there also the same thing happened. Which showed  that those kings were ruling just for the welfare of the people and not for themselves unlike the present day rulers.

Finally Agasthya came to a ‘rakshasa ‘ who  was very rich and had amassed wealth beyond anybody else. His name was’ Ilvalan’ and had a brother called ‘Vathabi’. These brothers had a terrible hatred towards all Brahmins and used to invite the Brahmins for a feast. There the elder brother Ilvalan used to kill his brother and cook him and serve the food to the invited Brahmin. Once the Brahmin  had eaten the food Ilvalan would call “Vathabi come out.” And the Vathabi would cut open the stomach of the Brahmin and come out and both brothers would eat the Brahmin.

When Agasthya came to them,  Ilvalan as usual killed Vathabi and fed a feast to Agasthya. Once Agasthya ate the food, Ilvalan  called out “Vathabi come out.”  But knowing their way of treachery Agasthya put his hand on his stomach and said “Vathabi on digestion”, there by digesting him instantly.

Ilvalan went on calling for his brother but Agasthya told him that Vathabi was digested. Ilvalan understood the greatness of Agasthya  and gave him all the riches and other things the sage has asked.

He brought these gifts to Lobamudra. He waited for Lobamudra to commence his married life but was shocked to see her coming in dimple dress. Agasthiya asked her why she did not wear any of the jewels & dresses she wanted. She replied that she demanded those gifts just to test his love for her. Very much pleased Agasthiya  asked her whether she wanted ten sons of fame or one son who could defeat ten warriors? Lobamudra wanted one great son only and got the same in due course.

Arjun Gets Pasupathasthra

When the Pandavas were in the Jungle as per the directions of Duryodhana after their defeat in the Sadhuranga gamble they were planning  many ways of attacking and subduing the Kauravas, headed by Duryodhana. Then  Sage Vyasa came to their hut in the Jungle one day and the Pandavas treated  him very obediently and asked him about the war.

 Sage Vyasa advised Arjun to go and get sacred weapons so that he would be invincible in the war and hence Arjun went to a secluded area in the forest  where he met his father Devendra who advised him to worship and pray to Lord Shiva to get  holy armaments. So Arjun went on  to pray to Lord Shiva. He continued to do meditation and penance towards Lord Shiva for so many years.

Lord Shiva got pity on him and was impressed by the devotion of Arjun towards him and hence came to the forest in the disguise of a Hunter with his wife Parvati. Then a wild boar came and charged at Arjun who was in deep meditation. Both Arjun and Lord Shiva shot it with arrows and it was killed. Both Arjun and Shiva claimed that they had killed the boar. They argued and then both got wild and Shiva asked Arjun  to fight with him and then claim victory. Arjun sent many arrows on Shiva but all of them changed into garlands and fell on Shiva. After the arrows were finished Arjun started hitting Shive with his bow which Shiva took and broke. After this both fought with each other by wrestling and the Hunter, Shiva just hugged Arjun to him so tight , Arjun could not move and was defeated.  Then he realized that he was fighting with the Lord Shiva himself and fell on his feet and asked for his pardon. 

Smilingly Shiva pardoned him and gave him Pasupathasthram which was so powerful and could defeat anybody with it.

Because he was hugged by Shiva Arjun’s  powers have multiplied and his body shone with the recently acquired prowess and strength.

Yudhistra Plays the SADHURANGA game and loses.

After visiting and participating in the Rajasooya yaga of Yudhishtra, Duryodhana was crest fallen with jealousy as he had seen the huge accumulation of wealth, assets, ornaments, jeweleries  etc of the Pandavas and the respect they have from other kings and the number of friends they had. So he was sad and worried and sat brooding over it.

His uncle Sakuni came to console him to whom Duryodhana expressed his fears of the Pandavas becoming extremely powerful and rule the world. Sakuni consoled him saying that he need not worry as he had the support and help of Drona, Aswathama, Bheeshma, Kirupar and other relatives including himself and hence he was not to worry. He also told him that if not by force the Pandavas could be defeated by deceit  and could be driven out of Indraprastha and it could be taken over by Duryodhana without any war.

Listening to this Duryodhana was impresses and with ecstasy asked Sakuni how this could be achieved?

Sakuni replied that Yudhistra did not know to play  ‘Sadhuranga’ and Sakuni was an expert in it. So they could call Ydhishtra for playing  Sadhuranga betting all his wealth and state and even his brothers and wife. Sakuni offered to play the game for Duryodhana.

So both uncle and nephew went to Dhirdhrashtra and apprised him about the plan of calling the Pandavas for a gamble play. Initially Dhirdhrashtra was not willing to agree for such low and unjustified plan but he finally agreed after Sakuni and Duryodhana persuaded him after their assurance of fair play in the game. Finally Dhirdhrashtra agreed to their plan and invite the Pandava yudhishtra for playing the Sadhuranga game.

Vidhura objected to this and protested against this to Dhirdhrashtra but as usual his protest was ignored.  Vidhura was asked to go to Yudhishtra to invite him to play Sadhuranga game , representing Dhirdhrashtra.

 Vidhura was received  with all respects he was due and given a high seat and after he has taken rest Yudhishtra asked him whether all the relatives and others in Hastinapuram  were keeping good health. Vidhura said they were all fine and that he had come to invite Yudhishtra for a game of Sadhranga. Even though Yudhishtra was concerned about playing such a game, it was not proper to refuse a call from one King to another one and as such accepted  to play. So he and his brothers with all their ministerial paraphernalia went to Hastinapuram. They were received by Sakuni and Duryodhana and given all facilities to rest and enjoy their stay. Later Yudhishtra was called by Sakuni to play the game as everything was kept ready for playing.

All sat down to play and then Duryodhana said that he would not play and for him Sakuni would play on his behalf. Initially Yudhishtra was taken aback by this announcement but finally agreed to play. 

They started playing and Yudhishtra was loosing his jewels, diamonds, horses, palaces etc and finally lost all his belongings. Then he pledged Bheem, Arjun, and Nakul and Sahadev. He lost them also. He lost himself. Finally he had nothing to pledge but Duryodhana told him to pledge Panchali or Draupathi and lost her also. Duryodhana asked Vidhura to go and bring Draupadi to the hall. But Vidhura was so angry he scolded   Duryodhana that he was doing a great sin and that Yudhishtra had no right to pledge Draupadi as he had become a slave of Duryodhana and he had lost his right to pledge her.  Then Duryodhana asked his charioteer  Prathikami to go and bring Draupadi to the court of the King Dhirdhrashtra. Prathikami went to Draupadi and asked her to come to the court explaining her the reason for that.

Then Draupadi asked him to go ask her Husband Yudhistra  ‘whether he  pledged himself or his wife Draupadi first?

Prathikami went back to the court and asked yudhishtra the question Draupadi asked him to ask Yudhishtra. Yudhishtra did not reply. Then Duryodhana asked him to go back to Draupadi and asked her to come to the court.

When Prathikami said that Yudhishtra had not replied Draupadi asked him to go back to the court and ask the members of the court the same question. So he went back to the court and asked that question. Duryodhana got angry and scolded him and told his brother Duchchadhana to go and bring Draupadi to the court. Duchchadhana went to her and caught her hair and dragged her to the court inspite of Draupadi telling him that she could not enter the court as she was on her monthly periods.

Draupadi looked at all the great ministers, teachers and others and demanded to know how she could be pledged by Yudhishtra when he himself was pledged and defeated in the game.Vikarnan, a brother of Duryodhana was the only one to get up and support her but was silenced by Karna.  Duryodhana  shouted at her to come and sit on his lap. Listening to this Bheem swore in a loud voice thet he would kill Duryodhana by hitting at his thighs. Duchchdhana started pulling her saree with which she was draped. Draupadi prayed to Lord Krishna to save her from this insult and shame and wonder of wonder the saree Duchchadhana was pulling out of her was coming endlessly still covering Draupadi. Duchchadhana became tired pulling her saree as it was coming out endlessly and became weak and left it and sat down. Bheem got up and swore again that he would kill Duchchadhana  that he would tear his heart away after killing him and drink his blood.

Hearing all this Dhirdhrashtra was terrified and knew that his family and sons were going to be killed and destroyed by the Pandavas returned all that Sakuni won back to Yudhishtra. But the Pandavas did not accept it and again wanted to play in spite of all the people present there except the Kauravas and played the game again on the condition that ‘the defeated should leave the state and had to live in the jungles for twelve years and one year incognito. Yudhishtra again played and lost and had to leave everything except his brothers and wife and had to be away for thirteen  years.

They left for the Jungles with people going after them crying and cursing the Kauravas.

Arjun shows his archery skills

Bheeshma had asked Dronachchariar to teach the Kaurava and pandava children the nuances of archery and war after knowing that Dronachchariar was living at Kirupar's house who was his brother-in-law. As Dronachchariar was not having any job and also was having no income he readily accepted the post.

Dronachchariar was insulted by his bosom friend Dirubadan who promised him half his country when he ascended the throne but refused it and insulted Dronachchariar when he went to claim it.

The boys of Kauravas and Pandavas were well trained by Dronachchariar in every field of armaments and archery and war games to make them experts in fighting and war.

One day Dronachchariar was teaching the boys  archery and one by one he called them to shoot arrow at a parrot he has ties at the top of a tree.

He called Duryodhana and asked him to point the arrow at the eye of the parrot and shoot. But before the shooting he asked him what he saw. Duryodhana said he saw the parrot, bird, his brothers and others.

One by one all of them said the same. None of them could shoot the bird.

Finally Dronachchariar called Arjun to shoot the parrot and asked him the same question.

But Arjun replied that he saw only the eye of the parrot and nothing else. He shot the arrow and it hit the eye of the parrot and brought it down. 

This shows the concentration and attention to the work bring results.

And he asked Arjun to go and attack Drupadan and bring him to the Guru. Arjun went & defeated Drupadan and brought him tied. Dronachchariar pardoned him and gave his country back to him as he was His friend and avenged his insult.

Drupadan was ashamed and went to forest and did penance to Lord Shiva to give him a son to kill Dronachchariar and a daughter to marry Arjun.

Lord gave the boon he had asked.

Rajasooya yagna and the killing of Jarasanthan

When Dhiruthrashtra came to know that The Pandavas had married Draupadi,  he knew that the support of Drupadha, the father of Draupadi with his powerful army and other kings on the side of Pandavas would have problems for his son Duryodhana who could not get Draupadi as his wife in the Swayamvaram.  Dhiruthrashtra called the Pandavas and offered them felicitations and their share of the kingdom and christened it as Indraprastha.

Udhistra established Indraprasta as the country of Pandavas and started to rule it as the king, with the support of his brothers and ruled it so well, people became very happy with his rule and were looked after well with all facilities. 

Udhishtra also did RAJASOOYA Yaga ( A penance of utmost importance to get super powers which was done only by the King of Kings and by one who is of good virtues and who looks after his subjects  properly and is feared by all his enemies.) Krishna was called to come and participate in this Yaga in which all kings who were invited, participated. But there was one problem as the King Jarasanthan was the reigning  King of Kings and once he was dethroned, then only Udhistra could become the King of Kings and hence Jarasanthan had to be defeated. Jarasanthan had arrested and defeated  eighty six kings and held them prisoners.
 

 “So we have to release them also. He has planned to kill them as cows for his yaga and hence we had to protect them and I, Arjun and Bheem would go to him and defeat him,” said Lord Krishna.

Pirukrathan, the father of Jarasanthan,  was ruling Magatha kingdom and had married the twin daughters of the King of Kasi. He did not have any children and went and asked a sage called Sanda Kausika  for helping him to get a son. The sage gave him a divine mango and asked him to give it to his wife. Since Pirukrathan had two wives he gave the fruit to his wives to take it and they cut it into two and ate it. Both became pregnant and delivered after some time but the babies born were of two halves of a full baby, one each to  each wife. They had one eye, one ear, one leg, one hand and a truncated other parts. The king was pained to have such a baby as his son and asked his servants to throw the babies which were alive with  to throw it away. The servants also threw them away. A Rakshsa ( These Rakshasas are people of extreme strength and power and have more animal habits then humans)  woman who was in hungry saw the two parts of the baby and took it and joint it to eat when the two bodies became one. She took it to the king, told about it joining into one and gave it to the King.

Pirukrathan was happy to have his son and the King gave the child to his wives who were happy to have their son and brought it up.  This child was named as Jarasanthan. Since the two parts  joined into one it has the capacity to split again and join again.

Killing Jarasanthan with powerful armies could not be defeated in a war  so Krishna wanted to kill him in single combat and He, Arjun and Bheem went to him disguised as Brahmins and asked him to fight any one of  them  and told him to select himself any one of them to fight. Jarasanthan told them since Krishna was a shepherd he could not fight him, Arjun very young and hence  he would select Bheem and fight with him.

They, Jarasanthan and Bheem  had agreed to wrestle without any weapons and started wrestling and went on wrestling. As both were equal they fight was quite powerful and lasted for thirteen days. They fought without food or water and both became tired. On the Fourteenth day Jarasanthan became very weak and Krishna  told Bheem to kill him immediately as he had become weak and tired. Bheem took Jarasanthan, rolled him over his head hundred times and tore his body into two. Immediately the two parts joined together and Jarasanthan came back to life and again fought Bheem. Bheem was frustrated and then Krishna took a piece of grass and tore it into two pieces but put them in opposite directions. Bheem understood it and again took Jarasanthan  by his legs and tore him into two pieces and put the two parts of bodies in opposite directions and this time the bodies could not join together and he died.

After his death Krishna and friends released the jailed Kings and came to Indraprastha and celebrated the Raja Sooya Yagam and ruled happily there after.

When the Rajasooya yagnam was celebrated all kings were called and on that occasion the most favoured king was to be selected to preside over the function and the Pandavas had  selected Krishna to preside.

This was resented by Sisubala, another king and the cousin of Krishna who went on abusing Krishna and insulted him even after Krishna told him that he would allow him to insult only one hundred times and when he exceeded that he would be killed.

On this occasion Sisubala, the cousin of Krishna was killed by Krishna as he abused Krishna continuously over 100 times  even though Krishna had warned him that he would be killed if he abuse and insult him one hundred times as Krishna had promised Sisubala’s mother who was Krishna’s aunt that he would not harm Sisubala till he abuse and insult him hundred times.

Sisubala’s mother knew of the curse that Krishna would kill her son  when they were very young. So she went and asked Krishna not to harm Sisubala. Krishna agreed to this request but told his aunt that by fate he had to ill Sisubala but he would give him time till he abuse and insult him one hundred times and when he exceeded this he would kill him.