Trivakra was a hunchback whose work was to take sweet-smelling ointments (angaraga) for Kamsa to smear on his body. Once, as she was going to the palace, she met Krishna and Balarama. Krishna’s presence filled her with love and she offered the angaraga to him. Krishna anointed himself and then holding her by the chin, stepped on her feet and straightened her back. Trivakra was cured of her hunch.

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Did you know that the Mahabharata ends with a dog? (It also starts with one, but that story is for another day.) 

After years of prosperous rule, the Pandavas and Draupadi renounced the throne and embarked on their last great adventure. They crossed land and sea and came to a winding mountain, where a dog joined them. As they climbed higher, one by one they began to die, but the dog followed at Yudhisthira’s heels like a silent shadow. When the two finally reached heaven, Yudhishthira refused to enter unless his faithful companion was also allowed inside. 

This story is not unusual. In world mythologies, dogs have often been associated with death.  

Hunting parties led by kings always included hounds to fetch the fallen kill. A dog’s howl, especially in the middle of war, was considered an ill omen. And the gates of Yama’s realm, the Underworld, are guarded by two dogs—Shyama and Sabala.  

Shyama (meaning ‘dark’) and Sabala (meaning ‘spotted’) can be described as dusk and dawn. Only one of them can see at a time, so they each have two pairs of eyes. 

In some stories, they are kind—messengers sent by Yama to collect the souls of the dead and guide them through the afterlife. In other stories, they are fierce—standing watch over the gates that all must pass through to reach the hall of judgement.  

The origins of Shyama and Sabala are uncertain. One version says they are from a group of asuras, called Kalakanjas, who were building a stairway to heaven. As the structure grew taller and taller, Indra pulled out one of the bricks. The whole thing fell apart, sending the asuras tumbling down. Most of them turned into spiders, landing safely. However, the two asuras at the top turned into dogs and were cursed to guard Yama’s kingdom forever. Another version calls them ‘Sarameya’ or the children of Sarama, Indra’s dog, who is considered the goddess of intuition and the mother of wild animals.  

Wherever they may come from, Shyama and Sabala still hold a place in our rituals. They are given offerings of rice-balls and mentioned in prayers to Yama, dating as far back as the Rigveda, where a seer says: 

The legend of these dogs has crossed the borders of India with Tihar, a five-day Nepalese Hindu festival, to honour creatures associated with Yama. On the second day, Kukur Tihar, dogs are worshipped. 

Shyama and Sabala are also significant in astronomy, representing the Canis Minor and Canis Major constellations respectively. The Kailasanathar Temple at Kanchipuram includes two dogs in a depiction of Shiva bringing the river Ganga down to earth. This could be hinting at the Akasha Ganga (Milky Way) and its Canis constellations—Yama’s two watchdogs, eternally gracing the night sky. 

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It is a well-known fact that Surya was the father of Karna. But did you know that Surya also helped the Pandavas in their times of distress? Read more to know how the Sun God played a vital role in shaping the Mahabharata.

The Divine Gift 

Princess Kunti was the adopted daughter of King Kuntibhoja. Upon her father’s orders, Kunti diligently served Sage Durvasa for a year. Pleased with her service, Durvasa gave Kunti a boon. According to that boon, Kunti could summon any god of her choice and would be blessed with a son from that god. As soon as Durvasa left, the young princess decided to test the boon and summoned Surya. But when Surya said she would get a son as she desired, Kunti panicked. She was unmarried and requested Surya to return to his abode. But Surya would bound by the power of the boon and could not return. He blessed Kunti with a son, Karna. The Sun God also gave divine gifts to Karna in the form of kavacha (armour) and kundala (earrings).  

The Akshaya Patra 

The Pandavas and their wife, Draupadi, were worried about feeding the sages who accompanied them during their twelve-year exile. Sage Dhaumya suggested to Yudhishthira that he pray to Surya, as he was the provider of food for all creatures. Heeding this advice, Yudhishthira stood in the waters of Ganga, facing the sun, and prayed to Surya, consuming nothing but air for several days. He prayed for Surya to bestow food upon them all. Pleased by his devotion, Surya appeared before him and gave Yudhishthira the Akshaya Patra. The Akshaya Patra, a copper plate, was an inexhaustible source of food. According to Surya’s boon, it would remain full of food until Draupadi ate from it. Surya also blessed Yudhishthira, assuring him that his kingdom would be restored to him at the end of his exile. With Surya’s gift, the Pandavas and Draupadi were able to provide food to their guests for years without any hurdles. 

The Warning 

During the exile of the Pandavas, Indra became worried about the safety of his son, Arjuna. If Duryodhana refused to give the Pandavas their kingdom after the exile, a war seemed inevitable. This meant that Arjuna would have to face Karna, who had protection from his divine armour and earrings. He devised a plan to deprive Karna of his protection. Surya came to know about Indra’s plan and warned his son, Karna about Indra’s intentions, in his dream. Surya cautioned Karna that Indra would try to take advantage of his generosity to try to get him to part with his gifts. 

The next day, Indra approached Karna in disguise as a poor Brahmin. Indra told Karna that he had come to ask for the latter’s kavacha and kundalas, since he was known for never refusing someone in need.  Despite Surya’s warning, Karna donated his kavacha and kundalas to Indra. However, he told Indra that he was aware of the god’s plan and disguise. But he would never refuse anyone even if it ended up costing him his life. Pleased by his generosity, Indra gifted Karna a powerful weapon, Shakti, but added that it could only be used once.  

To the Rescue of Draupadi 

During their thirteenth and last year of exile, the Pandavas and Draupadi secured places in the palace of King Virata, in their respective disguises. Draupadi, under the name Sairandhri, entered into the service of Queen Sudeshna. One day, Keechaka, the queen’s brother, saw Draupadi and was immediately smitten by her. He approached Draupadi and said that he would be her slave if she agreed to be with him. Draupadi rejected his proposal and replied that she was married to five mighty Gandharvas, who would kill him if they knew about his inappropriate proposal.  Despite her rejection, Keechaka went to his sister and asked for her help in convincing Sairandhri. After a lot of persuasion, Sudeshna agreed to help him.

The next day, Sudeshna sent Draupadi to fetch wine from Keechaka, despite her protests. Draupadi prayed to Lord Surya for protection. Lord Surya immediately sent a rakshasa and ordered him to protect Draupadi invisibly all the time. When Draupadi entered Keechaka’s chambers, he tried to hold her hand by force. Draupadi pushed him to the ground and rushed to Virata’s court. Keechaka came after her and kicked Draupadi in anger in the presence of all. Immediately, the invisible rakshasa, appointed by Surya, gave Keechaka a mighty blow and he fell down unconscious. Surya thus protected Draupadi during her time of distress during her exile. 

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When we think of The Mahabharata, we think of the Pandavas as its heroes. We follow their journey, from riches to rags to riches again, with bated breath.  

But how well do we know its “villains”, the Kauravas? Their tumultuous lives — filled with what they stood to gain and everything they lost along the way — is a footnote in this great epic.  

The Kauravas were a hundred and counting, in number, but can we name any of them beyond Duryodhana and Dushasana? It’s time to brush the dust off these forgotten lives.  

Here’s an introduction to three lesser-known Kauravas. 

Vikarna

As the third Kaurava brother, Vikarna could have followed in the footsteps of his siblings. But his passion for dharma burnt bright.  

During the game of dice, where his brothers taunted Draupadi while the Kuru elders looked away, it was Vikarna who stood up for his sister-in-law. When she argued that Yudhisthira could not stake her after losing himself and implored the elders to step in, Vikarna echoed her sentiments. His concern was dismissed but it still showed his strength of character.  

Eventually, he was slain in the Battle of Kurukshetra. His death was mourned by the Pandavas and Kauravas alike.
 

Did you know? 

Vikarna’s equivalent in the Ramayana is Kumbhakarna. Both of them were dutiful brothers who played out the roles ordained for them by destiny. 

Yuyutsu

Yuyutsu was also Dhritarashtra’s son but his mother was Sughada, Gandhari’s personal attendant. This made him a lifelong target of his jeering half-brothers — something he shared in common with the Pandavas. They struck up an easy friendship that remained steadfast through the years. He even sent them warnings about Duryodhana’s schemes — one of which saved Bheema’s life.  

It should come as no surprise that Yuyutsu was the only Kaurava to fight for the Pandavas, during the Battle of Kurukshetra.

Did you know? 

Yuyutsu’s equivalent in the Ramayana is Vibhishana. Both of them defected before their respective wars, pledging alliance to the other side. 

Dushala

Dhritarashtra and Gandhari had a hundred sons. But their final child — the 101st — was a daughter named Dushala. 

Growing up, she was doted on by her brothers and treated by the Pandavas as their own sister. But all was not idyllic for Dushala. She was married off to Jayadratha, the haughty king of Sindhu, and their marriage was riddled with unhappiness. Dushala was widowed in the war and lost her son, Suratha, some years later.  

When the Pandavas were conducting a yagna to become the ultimate rulers of the land, Dushala brought her grandson to them. The innocence in the child’s eyes moved Arjuna to crown him the king of Sindhu.

Would you agree? 

Dushala’s tale shows that it may take 105 men to wage a war, but one woman to restore peace. 

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The battle of Mahabharata is regarded as the greatest war. The strategies that were adopted to win the war changed the way they were fought forever. One of these indigenous battle strategies was the ‘Chakrayvuha’. This was a wheel-shaped labyrinth designed in such a complex way that only one with knowledge of the formation could break in and break out of it. On the thirteenth day of battle, Drona, as the commander, called for the formation of the Chakravyuha.

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The only ones with the knowledge of penetrating the formation were Krishna, Arjuna, Pradyumna and Abhimanyu. With Arjuna and Krishna away responding to a challenge to combat, and Pradyumna not participating in the war, Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s son, was the only one present in the Pandava camp who could enter the Chakravyuha. However, he only knew how to penetrate the formation and not how to find a way out. Having no choice, Yudhishthira promised Abhimanyu that the bravest Pandava warriors would follow his lead and break in with him, and would ensure his safe exit. 

Convinced, Abhimanyu entered the Chakravyuha and tried to lead the Pandavas through it. But that day, Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu, invoked a boon he had received from Lord Shiva. This boon gave him the power to oppose the Pandavas in warfare, thus he was able to hold them off from entering the Chakravyuha. Meanwhile, Abhimanyu was trapped inside the Chakravyuha and with no backup, he was killed after fighting the unfair attack from all sides.

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Arjuna was devastated when he learnt of his son’s death. He blamed Jayadratha for this and vowed that he would kill him before the next day’s sunset.  If he failed to do so, he vowed to give up his life by jumping into a burning pyre. However, when Jayadratha was born, a sage had approached his father, King Vriddhakshatra. The sage had predicted that Jayadratha would be killed in a great war. Saddened by hearing this, Vriddhakshatra uttered a curse saying,

“Whoever is responsible for my son’s head to touch the ground, will instantly be blown to pieces.”   

The next day, after learning Arjuna’s intentions, Dronacharya had three military formations in place to protect Jayadratha from Arjuna. But Bheema and Arjuna annihilated all three military formations. They seemed to be on a demonic rampage, driven completely by revenge. However, when dusk was nearing, the warriors stationed to protect Jaydratha had still not been defeated. To get Jaydratha exposed from their protection, Krishna used his yogic powers to create an illusion that the sun was about to set. Immediately, the Kauravas started to rejoice, knowing Arjuna’s oath. Just then, Jayadratha came out of hiding, and upon seeing him, Krishna dispelled the illusion. The sun rays again fell on the battlefield and Krishna pointed at Jayadratha. Rage took over Arjuna as he furiously readied his arrow, but Krishna advised Arjuna.

“Severe his head and make it land on his father’s lap.”

Arjuna nodded and took aim. He left an arrow that went whirling towards Jayadratha at lightning speed. 

Vriddhakshatra was meditating and offering his evening prayers in the woods nearby when suddenly his son’s head came shooting from the sky and fell on his lap. Unaware of this, when he got up after his prayers, the head fell from his lap and onto the ground. In that instant, Vriddhakshatra was blown to pieces, as he fell victim to his own curse.   

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When the Kauravas and Pandavas stood opposite each other on the battlefield at Kurukshetra, Arjuna hesitated. He could not bring himself to lift his bow, the Gandiva, against his own cousins and uncles. It was to clear this doubt in Arjuna’s heart that Krishna the delivered the message of the Bhagavad Gita. Through the Gita, Krishna showed Arjuna how taking the right action was more important than anything else. He taught Arjuna the importance of dharma over karma.

People believe that Mokshada Ekadashi marks the day that Krishna narrated the Bhagavad Gita. People pray to Krishna on this day. They believe that with true devotion, they can free their ancestors’ souls from Yamalok and help them attain moksha.

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The Mahabharata, the timeless epic of dharma, is filled with stories of treachery, deceit, and revenge. One such story of revenge was between the guru Dronacharya and king Drupada, father to Draupadi. Their story not only shows the vicious cycle of revenge, but also portraits the extent a vengeful soul can go to achieve its motive. Interestingly, this story of revenge started with a deep bond of friendship. 

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Childhood buddies 

Drona’s father, Bharadwaja, was a sage whereas Drupada’s father, Prishata, was the king of Panchala. The two were dear friends. When Drona and Drupada grew up, they began their studies under the guidance of Bharadwaj. The two boys followed their fathers’ footsteps, a strong friendship blossoming between them. Later, they started studying the science of arms from Rishi Agnivesha. Over the years, they helped each other with their studies and daily routines. Their friendship grew stronger. So deep was their bond that Drupada promised Drona that once he becomes the king, his palace will be Drona’s home and the two will be together forever. Drona felt blessed to have a friend like Drupada and more than his promise, he appreciated his generosity. After their studies, they both parted ways and moved on to have families of their own. 

The seed of revenge

Drona got married and had a son whom he named Ashwathama. He cared deeply about his wife and son. So attached he was to them that he would do anything for their wellbeing. Even though he did not have any materialistic urges, he tried to acquire wealth for them. It was then that he learned about Parashurama, a brahman warrior who was also the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, distributing his wealth among the brahmans. Unfortunately, by the time Drona arrived, Parashurama had already given away all his wealth and was to retire to the forest. Yet Parashurama did not want Drona to go back empty-handed. He offered him the choice of his body and his divine weapons, the only things left with him. Drona opted for the weapons along with the mantras to use them. He was extremely happy and felt blessed to receive it from the great Parashurama himself. Unfortunately, this did not help his financial condition. 

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Around the same time, Drupada had ascended the throne and was now the king of Panchala. On recalling the bond that Drupada and he had shared, Drona approached him for help with great confidence in his friend’s generosity. He assumed that Drupada would welcome his family and be willing to share his newfound wealth. When Drona reached the kingdom of Panchala, things had completely changed. It seemed power and pride had gone to Drupada’s head, who feigned ignorance at their childhood friendship. “How can there ever be a friendship between a king and a wandering beggar? Leave at once.” Hearing these harsh words Drona was heartbroken. He vowed revenge on Drupada and left the palace in anger. 

Drona gets his revenge

Drona’s vow had made him determined to earn fame and fortune and use his skills to prove his worth to the world. He cultivated a tremendous longing to acquire wealth and prove himself to Drupada. Soon, on the bases of his knowledge and fame, Drona became the guru of the cousin clans, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, but only on the condition that his students would avenge his insult as his fee. 

Years passed by. It was soon time for his students to make good on their promise to him. Both the clans attacked the Panchala kingdom, but the Kauravas fled the battlefield fearing the powers of the Panchala army. Meanwhile, the Pandavas fought the army fearlessly, with the Pandava prince Arjuna managing to capture Drupada for his guru with his Gandiva. This was the moment Drona had been waiting for all his life. He said,

“Drupada, you broke your promise and insulted me. Look, my students captured you fulfilling my revenge. Now your entire kingdom belongs to me. I do not wish to live in enmity. Let’s revive our friendship. I will return you half of your kingdom. You need not be ashamed to owe me now because I am a king too.”

Hearing this, Drupada smiled and folded his hands in gratitude. He thanked his friend for being so kind and forgiving. 

Little did Drona know that Drupada’s smile was a mask, one he wore to cover his vindictive motives. In the same breath he ‘thanked’ his erstwhile classmate, he vowed to himself that he would avenge Drona’s affront.

Drupada Retaliates 

Drupada desired a son whose sole purpose in life would be to slay Drona. He sought the blessings of a sage who advised him to perform a Yagya, a sacrificial ritual in front of a sacred fire. Out of the flames rose a young boy followed by a young girl. The brahmans named them Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi, also revered as Draupada and Panchali, respectively. 

In the great war of Mahabharata, which was fought for eighteen days, Drona fought for the Kauravas and Drupada and Dhrishtadyumna fought for the Pandavas. On the fourteenth day, Drona killed Drupada. Grief-stricken by his father’s death, Dhristadyumna pledged to kill Drona at the earliest, eventually slaying the mighty guru while he was meditating, something that was technically against the established rules of war at the time. Unfortunately for Dhristadyumna, Drona’s son, Ashwathama, felt the same way about his father’s death, tracking down Dhristadyumna on the 18th night of the great war, and slaying him, showing no mercy. Thus ended the blood feud between Drona and Drupada, a bloody cycle of violence because of one man’s haughtiness and another man’s pride.

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Everyone knows Bheema was the strongest of the Pandavas but did you know his immense strength was gifted to him?

Back when they were kids, Bheema’s cousin Duryodhana, who was jealous of him, poisoned his food in a bid to get rid of him. Unaware, Bheema ate the food and fell unconscious. Duryodhana then tied him up with a rope and threw him into the waters of the Ganga. Bheema sank down to the river bed and reached the kingdom of the Nagas.

Seeing the boy, the Nagas immediately attacked him. Thankfully for Bheema, their poison acted as an antidote, waking him up and giving him the energy to repel their attack. Flummoxed by the young Pandava beating back his armies, the Naga king, Vasuki, decided to end Bheema once and for all. Thankfully, Kunti’s grandfather, Aryaka, who served in Vasuki’s army, recognized his great grandson and stopped Vasuki from finishing him off. On learning Bheema’s parentage, Vasuki blessed him with the strength of a thousand elephants.

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