A good interpretation of Mahabharata

Sanjaya was finally there at Kurukshetra, the hallowed ground where the great war of Mahabharata happened.

He wondered if the war had any real purpose. He also knew that he would not have the answer till he went to the spot where the greatest war took place.

It was said in the texts that eighty percent of the fighting male population of the civilization was wiped out in the eighteen days of the war.

He looked around and wondered if the war really happened, if the ground beneath him had soaked all that blood, if the great Pandavas and Lord Krishna stood where he stood.

“You will never know the truth about that!” said an aging soft voice.

Sanjaya turned around to find an Old man in saffron robes appearing out of a column of dust.

“I know you are here to find out about the Kurukshetra war, but you cannot know about that war till you know what the real war is about.” the Old man said enigmatically.

“What do you mean?”

Sanjaya instantly knew that he was in the presence of someone who knew more about the war than any living person he had ever met.

“The Mahabharata is an Epic, a ballad, perhaps a reality but definitely a philosophy.”

The Old man smiled luring Sanjaya into more questions.

“Can you tell me what the philosophy is then?” Sanjay requested.

“Sure. Here goes,” began the Old man.

“The Pandavas are nothing but your five senses, sight, smell, taste, touch and sound and do you know what the Kauravas are?” he asked narrowing his eyes.

Sanjaya shook his head.

“The Kauravas are the hundred vices that attack your senses everyday but you can overpower them. Do you know how?”

Sanjaya shook his head again.

“When Krishna is your charioteer”. The Old man smiled brighter and Sanjaya gasped at that gem of an insight.

“Krishna is your inner voice, your soul, your guiding light and if you put your life in His hands you have nothing to worry.”

Sanjaya was stupefied but came around quickly with another question. “Then why are good people like Dronacharya and Bhishma fighting for the Kauravas, if they are vices?”

The Old man nodded, sadder for the question.

“It just means that as you grow up, you realize that the elders who you thought were perfect in your growing up years are not all that perfect. They have faults. And one day you will have to decide if they are for your good or your bad. Then you may also realize that you may have to fight them for the good. It is the hardest part of growing up and that is why the BhagvatGita is important.”

Sanjaya slumped down on the ground, not because he was tired but because he was struck by the enormity of it all.

“What about Karna?” he whispered.

“Ah!” said the Old man. “You have saved the best question for the last. Karna is the brother to your senses, he is Desire. He is a part of you but stands with the vices. He feels wronged and makes excuses for being with the vices, as your desire does all the time. Does your desire not give you excuses to embrace vices?”

Sanjay nodded silently. He looked at the ground, consumed with a million thoughts, trying to put everything together and then when he looked up the Old man was gone.

He seemed to have disappeared in the column of dust……… Leaving behind the great philosophy of Life.

Mahabharata is the inner war in each one of us. Once we are aware of our shortcomings, vices etc we must start working on it to improve ourselves; with the help of our inner voice i.e ‘Krishna’ within us. 

Why read Bhagvat Gita?

An old sage lived in an ashram in the mountains with his young disciple. Each morning the sage was up early sitting outside the ashram reading Bhagavad Gita. His disciple wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.

One day the disciple asked, “O revered guru! I try to read the Bhagavad Gita just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bhagavad Gita do?”

The sage quietly turned and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” The disciple did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house.

The sage laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home.

Out of breath, he told his guru that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old sage said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his guru that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his guru the basket was again empty.

Out of breath, he said, “See, it’s useless!” “So you think it is useless?” The old sage said, “Look at the basket.”The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

“Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bhagavad Gita. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Lord Krishna in our lives!”

Barbarika - The Warrior who could have ended Mahabharata war in a Minute.

Barbarika was the son of Ghatotkacha and Ahilawati (Mauravi) and the grandson of Bheema and Hidimba.

As a child, Barbarika was very bright and a brave warrior. He was made ready for warfare by his mother. He also mastered the shashtra. He once asked his mother about the goal of a follower of dharma. Ahilyawati explained him about the cycles of birth, the path of dharma and what it takes to receive Moksha. That was a long path and Barbarika wanted to know if there was any faster way to reach Moksha. She responded that if one gets killed by Narayana himself, one gets liberated from the cycles of life and be part of God himself. Barbarika made up his mind to get himself killed by Vasudeva Krishna. But he had to do perform some action to provoke Vasudeva Krishna to kill him.

Barbarika did penances and Lord Shiva, pleased with him, gave him three infallible arrows (Teen Baan). Since he is the bearer of these three powerful arrows, he came to be known as “Teen Baandhaari”, the Bearer of three arrows. Also, Agni (God of Fire) gave him the bow that makes him invincible in the three worlds.

When he heard about the inevitable war of Kurukshetra, he wanted to witness the Great War. This was the war between Kauravas and Pandavas. All options to avoid the war were lost. Barbarika promised his mother that if he had the need to participate in the war, he will join the losing side. He rode to the war carrying his bow and three arrows.

The war was inevitable and great armies and warriors were getting ready for the war. Lord Krishna went to all the great warriors from both sides to ask how many days they would take to finish the war themselves. Bhishma said he would take 20 days, Drona said he would take 25 days, Karna said he would take 24 days, Arjuna said he would take 28 days. Lord Krishna met and got an answer from all the other warriors.

Lord Krishna, the all-knowing, was worried of the lone warrior riding towards Kurukshetra on his blue horse, Barbarika.

Lord Krishna disguised as a Brahmin, met Barbarika on his way. Brahmin asked Barbarika who he was. “I am the son of Ghatotkacha and Ahilyavati (Maurvi) and the grandson of Bheema and Hidimba and I am the most powerful warrior in the world,” answered Barbarika.

The Brahmin asked why he was riding alone and without an army. Barbarika responded that he had come to see the Great War, and that he alone is enough for an outcome and does not need an army.

The Brahmin asked how many days he would take to finish the war alone. Barbarika answered that he could finish it in one minute. The Brahmin then asked Barbarika how he'd finish the great battle with just three arrows in his arsenal.

Barbarika replied that he uses the first arrow to mark all the things (or opponents) that he wants to destroy. Then, using the second arrow, he marks all the things, he wanted to save. Now the third arrow will destroy everyone that is not marked and then return to his quiver. After their work, all the arrows would return to his quiver.

To test Barbarika’s power and to verify that whatever he is saying is true, Lord Krishna challenged him to destroy all the leaves of the Peepal tree under which he was standing, using his arrows.

Barbarika, agreed to the challenge, pulled out an arrow from his quiver and closed his eyes to call out a mantra. The Brahmin quietly plucked a leaf from the tree and hid it under his foot. When Barbarika releases his arrow, it marked all the leaves of the tree and finally started hovering around the leg of the Brahmin. The Brahmin asked Barbarika why the arrow was hovering over his foot. He replied that there must be a leaf beneath your foot and advises him to lift his foot, otherwise, the arrow will pierce it to mark the leaf.

This incident of the hovering arrow of Barbarika was the cause of Krishna’s death later. The foot below which he hid the leaf becomes a weak spot of Krishna. Much later after the Great War, a hunter by name Jara, hit Krishna's foot with arrows, mistaking him for a deer. This led to the death of Lord Krishna.

Brahmin then asked Barbarika from whom side will he participate in the war? Without any thought, Barbarika answered, “I have promised my Mother that I will support the weak side. As the Pandavas have only seven Akshauhini armies compared to the eleven of the Kauravas, I will fight for the Pandavas.”

Krishna after hearing this realises that Barbarika does not understand the complexity of the promise he gave to his mother of always fighting on the losing side. In order to make him understand, Krishna told him:

Whichever side you are going to support will win the battle. But the problem is that if you fight on the side of Pandavas, then Kauravas will becomes weak. And if you fights on the side of Kauravas, then Pandavas side becomes weak. Therefore you have to constantly switch sides to support the other side that has become weaker because of the promise you made to your mother. In this way, you will keep oscillating between Pandavas and Kauravas & ends up destroying armies on both sides. Thus none of the sides became victorious and you would be the lone survivor of the war.

Barbarika remembers his vow to participate in the war so he cannot step back. He asked Brahmin to guide him. He asked Brahmin to guide him. The disguised Lord Krishna sought charity from Barbarika. Barbarika promised to give anything he wants. Then Lord Krishna asked for the head of Barbarika. Hearing this, Barbarika knew the Brahmin was not mere Brahmin and asked him to reveal his true identity.

The Brahmin appeared in his divine form. Lord Krishna showed Barbarika a vision of His Divine Form as Narayana (Lord Vishnu), and thus blessed him.

Before giving your head in charity, ask for anything you want”, proposed Lord Krishna. Barbarika touched his feet and asked him that he wish to see the forthcoming battle of Kurukshetra to which Krishna agreed.

He placed Barbarika’s head on top of a hill overlooking the battlefield. From the hill, the head of Barbarika watched the entire battle of Mahabharata.

After the battle ended, Pandavas starts arguing that who is the greatest warrior among themselves. And who is responsible for their victory against Kauravas.

Lord Krishna suggested Pandavas to ask Barbarika’s head that who is responsible for their victory. Barbarika is the best person to judge since he has witnessed the complete war.

When Pandavas asked him about the same, he said he saw only two great warriors.

All I could see were two things. One, a divine chakra spinning all around the battlefield, killing all those who were not on the side of Dharma. The other was Mata Draupadi as Goddess Mahakali, who spread out her tongue on the battlefield and consumed all the sinners as her sacrifice.

Listening to this, the Pandavas realized that it was Lord Narayana and Goddess Parvati (Mahakali) who actually cleaned up the world from adharma, and the Pandavas were mere instruments in this Divine Play of God.

Pandava’s after the end of war questioned Lord Krishna why he asked for Barbarika’s head? There could have been another way.

Lord Krishna explained, “In Barbarika’s previous birth, he was a Yaksha. When the Adharma went par the limits on earth, Devas came to seek the help of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu told the Devas that he will soon be incarnated on Earth as a human being and destroy all the evil forces.

Meanwhile, a Yaksha told the Devas there is no need for Lord Vishnu to descend to earth. As he is himself capable of eliminating all the evil elements on the Earth alone.

Lord Brahma witnessing his arrogance cursed this Yaksha that whenever the time comes to eliminate all the evil forces on Earth, then Lord Vishnu will first kill him.

Basically, he means that Yaksha will not get a chance to kill evil elements. As he will get killed by the incarnation of Lord Vishnu first.

This is what happened when Yaksha takes birth as Barbarika, Lord Vishnu in the form of Lord Krishna seeks his head in charity as a result of the curse.

Kaliyuga is coming

After the Kurukshetra war when Yudhisthira was ruling, Bhima used to help in solving problems of people, hence people who ever has any questions/problems would come to Bhima and ask him for help.

One day, one citizen came and asked Bhima that he noticed a strange thing that day that his fence is moving into other’s place and he is wondering why it happened like that. Bhima can help if a demon is troubling but not these kind of puzzles so he asked him to approach Yudhisthira.

On the same day, another citizen came and told that he came across with a strange thing that he had a big pot with full of water, he poured that water into small pots then he poured back from the small pots to big pot but surprisingly only half is filling into that big pot. Bhima not knowing what to say, he asked them to contact Yudhisthira.

Another person came to Bhima and said that he saw a strange thing that a big elephant is passing through from a needle hole but surprisingly it’s tail got stuck in that hole. Bhima again referred him to Yudhisthira.

Another person came and said that he saw big rock in the street and big big personalities are not able to move but a sadhu came and by waving his stick, it moved. Bhima thinking that it’s bad day for him and all are coming with these strange questions which he can’t help, so he referred them to Yudhisthira.

They all went to Yudhistara and asked about these questions, then Yudhisthira said that, all these qualities shows that Kali yuga is coming and he explains …

The first symptom is one of the citizen’s fence is moving into other’s area shows that people are interested in what other’s have and feel unhappy why they don’t have, then think a way to aquire them either hook or crook.

The second symptom is the big pot with full of water when it is poured into small pots and pour back into big pot, he noticed only half only, which means that one can expect 50% love/affection/help from others compared what you did to the same person.

The third symptom is big elephant is going through a needle but the tail is stuck, it means that people are ready to spend a huge chunk of their income/strength/resource for the sense satisfaction of thier family, friends and love(Personal sense gratification) but when it comes to God and Bhagavatha seva they are not ready to spend a little bit also.

The fourth symptom is, big rock not moved by persons who are having lot of strength but a sadhu moved that rock just by waving his stick, which means that one can get rid of all their unlimited sins, just by performing Namasankirtanam.

Though there are so many faults in this Kaliyuga, the good thing is, just by chanting the holy names of the lord, one can get upto the highest benefit of liberation . Simply by chanting the name of Lord Krishna, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom of Vaikunta.

When Arjuna tried to kill Yudhisthira

On the 17th day of the Kurukshetra battle, which is called the deadliest battle of all times, Karna and Duryodhana were only left from Kauravas side. Soon after the death of Guru Dronacharya, Karna was the head of Kaurava's army.

When Yudhisthira and Karna entered in a duel, Karna defeated Yudhisthira and injured him badly as he had learned his warriors skills from Sage Parashurama, one of the most powerful scholar of weapon.

The only reason he didn’t kill Yudhisthira was because of his promise he made to his mother Kunti that he won’t kill her sons.  Yudhisthira withdrew as he was unable to withstand Karna’s powers and was totally embarrassed by this defeat. An injured Yudhisthira was taken to his tent by the twin brothers Nakula and Sahdeva.

The two other brothers Bhima and Arjuna were still fighting in the battlefield. Arjuna was worried as he noticed Yudhisthira was missing from the battlefield. He approached Bhima and inquired about him.

Bhima mentioned how Karna injured their elder brother badly. Arjuna wanted Bhima to be with Yudhisthira but Bhima denied as it was against his principle to leave the battlefield in between a fight. Bhima then instructed Arjuna to be with Yudhisthira.

When Arjuna heard about Yudhisthira's condition, he was deeply saddened and wanted to see him. Yudhisthira was suffering from the pain in his several parts of the body however he managed to keep his breath and survived.

When fully wounded Yudhisthira sees Arjuna besides him, he presumes victory of Arjuna over Karna. He thinks that Arjuna took his revenge by killing Karna. So, he mistakenly assumes that Arjuna is in the camp only to deliver this auspicious news to him.

However, Arjuna confirms he came to meet Yudhisthira because he was worried about him and wanted to check on him. At that very moment, Arjuna told Yudhisthira that he did not kill Karna yet and wanted him to be there too so that they both can witness Karna’s death.

Yudhisthira became furious that Arjuna had still not killed Karna. Disappointed and frustrated, Yudhisthira vents out all his anger on Arjuna. He said: ‘Arjuna you are worthless and afraid of Karna. I will ask Krishna or Bhima to kill Karna.’

In the heat of this moment, he even yells at Arjuna telling him to give up his Gandiva. (Bow given to Arjuna by God Varuna).  Please throw away your Gandiva, as you do not deserve that bow. Seems your Gandiva has no power to kill Karna.

Arjuna remains all quiet, but the moment he hears Yudhisthira insulting his priceless weapon “Gandiva” , he picked up his sword to kill Yudhisthira.

At once Krishna comes and asks him the reason of such a strange behavior. Arjuna tells Krishna about his secret vow – The vow to kill anybody who insults his Gandiva. Since, vow should never be broken he insists that he will have to kill his own brother even if he doesn’t wish to.

Lord Krishna knew there had to be a way out of this dilemma. Lord Krishna knew that a vow cannot be broken, so he made Arjuna realize that this is not his war, the bigger war in Kurukshetra battlefield is his war.

He assured Arjuna that his oath will not go waste and simultaneously he will also ensure that Yudhisthira stays alive.

Lord Krishna suggested him that as long as a person who deserves respect, keep getting respect, one is said to be alive. However, when such a person receives disrespect, he is said to be dead though alive.

Yudhisthira is your eldest brother and like your father so just say some insulting words, as insulting a respected person is just like killing him/her. And the best way to kill anyone is by Words and not by Sword. You can later apologise for your behaviour and tell him the reason behind your offence. He will definitely understand your condition.

So Arjuna gathered all the abuses he could, and lashed out on Yudhisthira. Arjuna started to insult Yudhisthira in order to save his life. He had called Yudhisthira ‘incapable’ and ‘root cause’ for what his family suffered.

But soon after the non-virtuous act, Arjuna felt ashamed of himself. He felt bad that he insulted his own brother and he quickly removed his sword again, but this time to behead himself.

Lord Krishna stopped him from committing suicide and came up with another solution. He said that as per Dharma, self praising and boasting in public is a sin which is also equivalent to one’s own death. To kill oneself, is equivalent to praising self.

So, Krishna instructs Arjuna to boast about himself in public which would not just fulfill his desire to commit suicide, but also keep his vow intact.

Arjuna then touched his head to Yudhisthira's feet and asked for forgiveness. Yudhisthira also forgives Arjuna as he was unaware of his secret vow and both headed to the battlefield to kill Karna.

In this way, Lord Krishna helps Arjun from killing Yudhishthira and then Arjun himself although both being alive.

Yuyutsu - The only Kaurava who fought for the Pandavas.

Yuyutsu is derived from two Sanskrit words “Yudh” and “Utsukt”. The word means “The one who is curious to fight”.

You will be surprised to know that the fact of “100 sons of Dhritarashtra” is a myth. Yes contrary to your belief, he had 101 sons and 102 children in all, including 100 Kauravas sons and one daughter, Dhusala from Gandhaari, his wedded wife and a son named “Yuyutsu” from a maid.

Facing problems with Gandhari’s pregnancy for two years even after Sage Vyasa’s boon, Dhritarashtra lost his hopes that Gandhari can give him a worthy heir. Meanwhile, Kunti was blessed with Yudhishtir which made Dhritarashtra impatient. Hence to overcome the fear he bore a son to one of his Dasi(maid).

Sugadha was a maid who used to attend Dhritarashtra and take care of other household things. She was not a Kshatriya instead belonged to Vaishya class. Yuyutsu was the son of Dhritarashtra and Sugadha also known as Sauvali.

Yuyutsu was born on the same day as Duryodhana. It is stated that Yuyutsu was the second oldest Kaurava after Duryodhana but elder to all his other 99 brothers and one sister. Being a Dasi-putra he was never accepted by his brothers and was treated rudely.

Since his childhood, Yuyutsu was neglected and sidelined by Duryodhana and the other Kauravas. Hence, when the Pandavas arrived at Hastinapura, he befriended them. He became especially close to Bhima.

While there were a handful of Kauravas who were aware of the evil brewing on their side; in the name of dharma, friendships, and favours, they didn’t act on their inner calling. Yuyutsu, however, was a little different.

Since Mahabharata was called the righteous war, both sides (Pandavas and Kauravas) were given absolute freedom to choose any side they wished. Yuyutsu could see Kauravas going down. He didn’t turn a blind eye towards the fraudulent and evil practices of Duryodhana. He, very smartly, did what had to be done. He knew siding with Lord Krishna and the Pandavas was the right thing to do. He had the courage to oppose his brothers.

One significant way he helped them definitely had to be saving Bhima’s life. One of the many Duryodhana’s evil plans included poisoning of water to kill Bhima; but their plan failed as Pandavas were alarmed by Yuyutsu. They were grateful to Yuyutsu for this.

He was one of the two Kauravas (other being Vikarna) who questioned the humiliation of Draupadi after Pandavas lost her in a game of dice to Duryodhana.

Yuyutsu was aware of the evil plans of the Kauravas. He used to provide substantial information centering around Duryodhana’s cunning plotting schemes thereby helping Pandavas substantially and thus became their informant.

Possessing the ability to fight 60,000 warriors simultaneously, he was one of the Atirathis among the Kauravas. But, he chose to fight for the right, with the right, and hence took part in the Kurukshetra war from the Pandavas’ side.

During the Mahabharata war, Yuyutsu was the only Kaurava who sided with the Pandavas. Yuyutsu was a brave and valiant warrior. On the twelfth day, he fought Bhagadatta and his elephant Supratika. He also fought Uluka, the son of Shakuni. He was also one of the only warriors from Kauravas side who survived the war.

Years after the war and prior to the Yadava crisis, Yuyutsu found the city falling apart. The citizens would pick up fights with each other and live in depravity.

When Yuyutsu desired to know the cause, they would hurl abuses at him and call him a traitor and a Kinslayer. But, who said the right path was easy anyway?

At the start of Kali Yuga, when the Pandavas chose to retire and Krishna departed; Yudhishthira, the lead Pandava and a former king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapur, handed over the charge of supervising the kingdom of Hastinapur to Yuyutsu. Parikshit, the grandson of Arjuna, on the other hand, was made the King.

Yuyutsu is a perfect example of a virtuous man. He gives a lesson of making a wise choice. It's upon us, who do we choose, the good or the evil. He left behind an epic example of morals and righteousness through the world of mythology.

The sacrifice of Iravan- The son of Arjun

War was imminent between the Pandavas and Kauravas. There was no way that a war could be averted, thus saving millions of innocent human lives. Krishna, as the protector of the universe, was worried about the outcome of the war. It was true that he could intervene with his divine powers and avert catastrophe, but humans are required to decide their own fates. That’s what the Vedas and Shastras say.

But still, Krishna wanted the Pandavas to win the war, for he was on their side and their doings were just and moral. This would be the ultimate “Good wins over Bad” story if it had gone along as he desired. Having no choice, Krishna goes to Sahadeva, who is blessed with the talent of accurately forecasting the future and reading horoscopes. Sahadeva rolls his shozhi (kaudi or the small conch shells used to help in predictions) and after several calculations, looked up and said something that increased Krishna’s anxiousness by manifold.

Sahadeva answered Krishna, “To attain victory in the upcoming war, you need to sacrifice a man filled with all the good qualities of valour, strength, bravery, beauty and such, to the goddess of war, Kali. He who first performs this sacrifice will gain the blessings of Kali and win the war”.

All along the way back, Krishna’s mind was filled with a single thought, “Is there anyone... anyone else, other than Arjuna, who can match the requirements of sacrifice? Anyone at all?” He pleaded, only to be met by a stunning silence. Krishna’s heart shattered at the thought of losing a dear friend. He felt light-headed and started to sway with dizziness, when a voice cut through his haziness.

“Am I eligible to be sacrificed?” the voice asked. Krishna’s eyes land on a very handsome man, dressed as a warrior and bearing resemblance to Arjuna. “Who are you, may I know?” questioned Krishna, as hope revived in his heart. “I am Iravan, the son of Arjuna and Naga princess Ulupi, through an illicit wedlock. I have come here to help bring victory to my father. And if I can, indeed, help them win by sacrificing myself, then I am ready to die!” he proclaimed.

Krishna is flooded with relief. Using his divine powers, he comes to know that Iravan is indeed a warrior par excellence, full of good qualities and excellent character. “He would make the perfect sacrifice to Kali”, Krishna thought, and he beckoned Iravan to come with him. He introduced Iravan to the Pandavas including to Arjuna, his father (How tragic!!!) and praised the sacrificial qualities of Iravan.

Arjuna was not sure. Krishna said, 'You have seven armies. The Kauravas has eleven. You need as many warriors as you can get. Acknowledge him as your son, even if you don't remember his mother. Hug him. Bind him. Don't let him go. When the Pandavas agreed to sacrifice Iravan, he realized his father did not love him as he loved his father. No one in the battlefield really cared for him. He mattered only because he was a perfect offering to the goddess.

But the sacrifice had to be done. “We can only sacrifice you if you are willing,” said Krishna. “I am willing. I want to be remembered as a hero who sacrificed himself for his father,” answered Iravan. Arjuna felt guilty. But there was no turning back. “So you will be sacrificed to the Goddess at the dawn of war tomorrow. Purify yourself mentally and physically and prepare for the day. Long live your sacrifice! Do you have a last wish?” asked Krishna.

"Nobody here cares for me. My mother told me not to go. She told me that if I died, only she would cry. I defied her. Told her there would be others who loved me. I want that to happen. I want someone to cry for me. A widow who beats her chest and unbinds her hair and rolls in mud in my memory. One who breaks her bangles to mourn for me. Give me a wife, Krishna. Tell the Pandavas to find me a wife,” demanded Iravan.

“No woman will marry a man doomed to die at daybreak. A bride of a night and a widow for eternity. Who will seal their daughter's fate thus?” asked Bhima. Krishna knew this was true. But the war had to be won. The boy had to be sacrificed. And he had to go to the altar willingly. We will manage that,” he assured Iravan. “Anything else?”

“Yes! I would like to witness the entire war in my physical body and fight on the Pandava side.” Krishna knew that Iravan was an excellent warrior and if he was allowed to fight, there would be no need of any of the Pandavas or Krishna himself. He said, “What is ‘three weeks’ to a man like you? You can fight for three and a two-third minute.” Iravan agreed, charmed by Krishna’s flattery!

Krishna said, “'Cover your eyes, cousins,' he said. 'Let me do tonight what must be done. Few will understand this. Fewer still will accept this. A temple needs to be built in memory of this event. For, no society will ever enshrine it.” Krishna then did the unbelievable. He transformed himself into Mohini, a form so beautiful that even Shiva had fallen for it, and in the presence of the elders, married Iravan. That night Iravan got his first wish fulfilled.

All through the night, Iravan was confused if he was with a man or woman. The smell of butter and milk reminded him of Krishna, but at the same time he couldn’t come out of Mohini’s clutches. The night passed and the day of the war dawned. Iravan was taken to the battlefield where he tore off the skin from his arms and offered them to Kali. Kali gave her blessings to Pandavas. Then, the war began!

Over the course of the 18 days, Iravan kept Kali satisfied. On the final day, when his allotted 3 and two-third minutes of time came up, he realized that he had been tricked. He just had his head and his skeleton intact. A fat lot of use they would come to. Contemplating, he assumed his Vishwaroopa form and with his head as a large stone, he rolled over the enemy forces, killing millions and badly hurting himself. The war was over!

The Pandavas had won and the cause for it all, Iravan, was lying, all alone on the Kurukshetra field. During his final moments on earth, when his life was ebbing away, he heard the high-pitched wail of a woman. Turning towards the source of the wail, he sees Krishna, as Mohini, beating her chest and wailing, the very picture of a widowed woman grieving her husband. With that final sight, his spirit soared heavenwards and joined the other immortal heroes!

Mohini’s wail was so loud, so desperate, so heart-wrenching, it moistened the eyes of the entire camp. Mohini wiped away her sindoor, slashed her wrists whilst breaking her bangles. She threw away her jewels. Flowers that had adorned her hair, licked mud. Her red bridal silk gave way to the white of widowhood. Mohini cried, shrieked, wept, and wailed for Iravan. Her eyes were bloodshot and voice hoarse from hours of grief. No widow had ever cried for her dead husband as Mohini had for Iravan.

Bodhayana Amavasya

The war was inevitable. The huge armies were being prepared for the war. Seniors took their decisions about the sides that they would take in the war. Duryodhan who was the prime cause behind the war, had a meeting with Dronacharya, Bheeshma, Karna and with other seniors. As Duryodhan wanted to do everything possible to win the war that was based on his greed, he looked into all factors that would help him achieve his goal. He asked his teacher Dronacharya for an auspicious day and time to perform a Durga Puja and to begin the war.

Dronacharya asked Duryodhan to contact Sahadev. He said that Sahadev was an astrologer and that he would be the right person to consult. Duryodhan was surprised and he asked Dronacharya how he could ask his enemy for an auspicious date for him to perform a Durga Puja to win the war. Dronacharya said that Sahadev would never refuse if Duryodhan approached him just after Sahadev’s bath and morning Puja. The teacher also told Duryodhan that Sahadev spoke the truth always and that Duryodhan could trust everything that Sahadev said.

The following morning, Duryodhan went to meet Sahadev just after Sahadev had finished his Puja. He said to Sahadev although they were foes, he trusted Sahadev to be a man of Dharma and that he would perform his duty as an astrologer by speaking the truth. Duryodhan asked Sahadev to consult the almanac and specify the right time to start the war in order to ensure victory for the Kauravas. Sahadev readily looked into the almanac, made some calculations and gave his predictions to Duryodhan. He said that the following Amavaasya (New Moon) which fell two days later, was an auspicious time to perform the Durga Puja and to commence the war, as that would guarantee Duryodhan victory. Duryodhan was very pleased and after thanking Sahadev, he returned to his own army command centre.

Krishna heard this conversation too and He was upset with Sahadev for aiding the enemy. Sahadev defended himself by saying that he had to help anyone who came to him after his morning Puja and that his Dharma prevented him from giving wrong advice to others. Krishna walked away in a pensive mood as He was trying to think of something to circumvent the serious problem caused by Sahadev’s advice to the enemy. Duryodhan was sure to win if he started the war on Amavaasya.

He went to the camp of the Pandavas and informed them of Sahadev’s advice to the enemy. This shocked rest of the Pandav’s but they were not particularly upset with Sahadev. They very well knew about Duryodhan’s treacherous qualities and Sahadev’s character of being true to his Jyotish Shastra or knowledge of Astrology. The Pandav’s, however, were sure that Krishna would come up with a brilliant solution to the grave problem that they were in. After a while, Krishna smiled and with a twinkle in His eyes, said that He had thought of something. Krishna shared his plans with Pandav’s and informed them not to disclose the plan with Sahadev.

The following morning, Krishna, led the Pandavs apart from Sahadev to the riverside in order to perform Tarpan to their forefathers. Yudhishtir was surprised and asked Krishna why he wanted them to perform the ritual a day before Amavaasya or New Moon. Krishna asked the Pandavas to trust Him and to follow His commands. The Pandavs started performing the Tarpan for their father and ancestors and this perplexed the Gods in Heaven. The Gods discussed amongst themselves trying to figure what was going on earth. The two main Gods involved in an Amavaasya, namely Surya Bhagavan and Chandra Bhagavan, rushed to Krishna to ask Him what was happening.

They asked Krishna why the Pandavs were performing Tarpan when it was not Amavaasya. Krishna, again with a twinkle in His eyes, said that it certainly wasn’t Amavaasya before Surya Bhagavan and Chandra Bhagavan appeared before Him to ask him that question. But since the two appeared together with each other before Him, they were conjunct, and it was Amavaasya!

On the very day, Amavaasya was declared, and the war was started. Krishna cleverly ensured that Sahadev did not go against his Dharma of being an honest astrologer and yet started the war at a time that was inauspicious for the Kauravas!

The Bodhayana Amavasya is an extra new Moon that occurs on Chaturdashi or a day before the actual New Moon.