Arjuna Vs Karna

Bros turned foes

Forget Rafa Vs Federer, Rajinikanth Vs Kamal Haasan, Ilayaraja Vs AR Rahman, Dindigul Biriyani Vs Sivakasi Parotta, Pizza Vs Pasta... The most intensely debated rivalry has to be Arjuna Vs Karna. Blood flowed freely in the family whatsapp group last night as too many had gone over to the dark side.

Folks keep refering to the Ekalavya incident when it comes to condemning Arjuna. All I can say is he was a minor at the time and all he did was complain to his Guru. It was Drona who demanded the poor chap's thumb. So if anybody was to blame, it was Drona. And FYI, Arjuna grew up to be a good man who respected women and treated fallen foes with respect, fairness and compassion. So it is about time we stopped judging him unfairly on the strength of his worst deed. 

As for Karna, while it is true that fortune spat on his face, I don't see how misfortune can excuse misconduct. It was not okay for him as a supposedly decent adult to suggest the disrobing of Draupadi or break Abhimanyu's bow from behind. Just inexcusable.That said, certain versions of the epic suggests that the spirit of Narakasura possessed Karna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra making him savage, bloodthirsty and bereft of pity which was at odds with the kindness and generosity that usually characterized his essentially noble nature (barring the times when he insisted on being a part of an unholy quartet committed to indulging Duryodhana when he was at his envious and intractable worst and instigating him towards greater heights of folly).

Ultimately I find there is much to admire about Karna but I still think Arjuna remains the best and greatest of them all.
Full disclaimer: In case you haven't figured it out already, I love Arjuna and am totally biased :)
Do watch episode 6 of #MahabharataWithAnuja for Karna's grand entry right here. Or this one, where he became mean to get even with Draupadi for rejecting him on account of his lowly birth, or episode 16 , where he played a dastardly role in the death of Abhimanyu, or this one where he is killed.

And you can buy my labour of love Arjuna: The Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince if you would rather read the much loved tales from the Mahabharata here.

Powerful Women from the Mahabharata: Hadimbaa

Bhima and Hadimbaa: The Lovebirds

One of the most charming stories in the Mahabharata is the love story between Bhima and Hadimbaa, a flesh eating rakshasi. Hadimbaa, fell in love with Bhima and chose to follow the dictates of her heart, even if it meant severing hitherto binding familial ties.Bound to her brother and used to following his orders, she nevertheless disobeyed him when he ordered her to kill Bhima and his family. Initially, Bhima did not really reciprocate her feelings even disdaining her offer to help rescue them but Hadimbaa appealed to Yudhistra and Kunti, beseeching them to unite her with Bhishma. Sometimes a gal has to make the first move and do what it takes to get what she wants :) 

Having sported with Bhima to her heart's content in all her favorite spots and borne him a son, Hadimbaa was also wise enough to know that all good things must come to an end. When her grand passion had run it course, she chose to let her lover go because their lives were meant to intersect only briefly. It is wonderful that the ancients were so pragmatic about these things. Moreover, a flesh - eating rakshasi with a voluptuous appetite is given the respect she deserves and is neither judged nor reviled for choosing to live her life as she saw fit.

This episode of #MahabharataWithAnuja  also features a dastardly plot to burn the Pandavas and their mother alive. They do manage to escape but only after making the horrifying decision to allow six innocents to die in their stead. Recently I got a lot of messages regarding the deaths of the Nishada woman and her five sons at Varanavata. This incident  is a chilling one.

While it is true that the Pandavas were under duress and had decided to use clever strategy to protect themselves from Duryodhana's jealousy and malevolence there is no justifying their actions when a poor family of six invited for a feast were drugged and then left to burn to death. It is horrifying to suggest that these lives mattered not at all in the grand scheme of things. The Pandavas definitely deserve blame for this and it is to their eternal shame that they killed those poor people. But I wouldn't go so far as to say that this evil deed made them evil people and therefore entirely unworthy of their reputation as noble heroes celebrated for their righteousness.

All of us are capable of evil - dark thoughts and darker deeds. But ultimately what matters is the sum total of our actions which include the good, bad and middling, our intentions as well as a commitment towards doing the right thing. The Pandavas and Kauravas did evil things for sure but ultimately both sides achieved great things as well. Their lives were ultimately rewarded when they were judged worthy to enter heaven. That is the point of the Mahabharata. By judging them harshly for individual misdeeds and dismissing the wonderful things they also did we are doing all those characters a great disservice. We aren't doing ourselves any favours either if we fail to emulate the best qualities of the Pandavas and Kauravas and learn to avoid the mistakes they were clearly guilty off.

For the juicy details, do watch episode 7 of Mahabharata with Anuja right here. 

Hated Characters from the Mahabharata: Shisupala, the Bull of Chedi

Shishupala's meets his end

Shishupala, the Bull of Chedi is a much loathed figure in the Mahabharata. A mortal enemy of Krishna, he was an abductor of women, stealer of cattle, and an arsonist among other things. A brute of a man, he also had a venomous tongue and a vile temper. At the Rajasuya, yagna performed by the Pandavas he abused Krishna and Bhishma in the most uncouth way possible. Krishna, having forgiven Shishupala a thousand times at the behest of the villain's mother who was his aunt, decapitated him at the yagna to the horror of all present.

Now, one of the interesting things about our epics is there are so many shades to these characters and nobody is unilaterally evil. Shishupala has a very interesting back story and if you acquaint yourself with it, you will realize that the heights of his hate and anger, came from the depths of the purest love and devotion. 

Jaya and Vijaya were the gatekeepers of Lord Vishnu. On one occasion they refused entry to the four Kumaras - pure minded souls who had the physical appearance of 5 year old boys. Angered by their ignorance and unwillingness to see past the obvious, the Kumaras cursed Jaya and Vijaya, condemning them to lose their status as celestials, take birth on Earth and live as mortals.

At Vishnu's request, the Kumaras softened the curse and gave the gatekeepers two options. They could either take birth as devotees of Vishnu for seven lifetimes or be born as his enemies for three lifetimes. Jaya and Vijaya did not hesitate. Unable to bear the thought of being separated from Vishnu for seven lifetimes, they chose to swim across an ocean of blood, battling the winds of extreme passion and violence over the course of three lifetimes in order to take their place as his gatekeepers again, as soon as possible.

In the Satya Yuga, Jaya and Vijaya were born as the asuras, Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu who were slain by Vishnu in his Varaha (boar) and Narasimha (man - lion) avatars. In the Treta yuga, they were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna. Both were killed by Rama. And in the Dvapara yuga, they were born as Shishupala and Dandavakra, both of whom met their end at the hands of Krishna. Having endured the terms of the curse, Jaya and Vijaya returned to their place at the feet of one they had loved enough to endure three lifetimes filled with hatred.

For the details of Shishupala's story and death, do check out episode 10 of #MahabharataWithAnuja right here.

Where I overcame my fear of getting crapped on for a shoot...

Some viewers have remarked that they loved the locations for the outdoor shoots and wanted to know why all the episodes were not shot like that. What can I say? Take episode 12 of #MahabharataWithAnuja for instance... I was seated under this big, leafy tree and the cameras were rolling when two birds alighted on one of the branches right above my head. No amount of shooing or loud pleading (shouting actually!) could get them to budge!

So we went ahead with the shoot, and a part of my brain couldn't help but attempt to send subliminal messages to the feathered trespassers (okay, perhaps I was the one trespassing) beseeching them not to poop on my head, even as I was narrating the story. I mean can you imagine the horror? There was this time, I fell out of the boat during a white water rafting expedition. My loving family and friends are still laughing themselves silly over my graceless tumble (which was captured on video) and if an even more embarrassing video of me with bird crap on my hair were to surface? Shudder!

Anyways, it is the reason, I actually prefer shooting indoors in a controlled environment with the air-conditioning humming softly in the background. Do check out #Episode12 of #MahabharataWithAnuja There is plenty to like for those on team Arjuna as the great man outdoes himself even by his own impossible standards of excellence. Bhima and Hanuman have themselves a pissing contest and the whole thing is just too cool. Kindly watch and share people. This is the link.

P.S: For those who are wondering, my buddies of the avian variety were kind enough not to make a nasty mess on my head. Bless them and may their tribe increase!

Arjuna sets off on a quest to win the favour of Lord Shiva and put together a formidable arsenal. His mission is a great success. The celestials welcome him ...

Why are so many of our Gods and a certain celebrated beauty blue?

Draupadi: The Dusky Beauty

It has always bothered me that Rama, Krishna, and Draupadi are depicted as blue - skinned in countless paintings, illustrations, and other works of art. The mythological lore clearly states that Rama was dark even before he went into exile under an unforgiving sun and became deeply tanned. Ditto for Krishna who was always the dark lord, not like Voldemort with his preoccupation with the dark magic arts but on account of his complexion which has been likened to dark storm clouds and the night sky. Draupadi was a black beauty and the poets compare her skin to the rare blue lotus. Another name for the common wife of the Pandavas was Krishnaa, because of her dark and dusky complexion which was every bit as attractive and irresistible as Krishna's. So why then do we insist on using blue paint for their skin when black is readily available?

Of course, there will be folks who suggest that the 'blue' indicates a spiritual aura or the transcendental nature of their divine essence that magnified the allure of the likes of Rama, Krishna and Shiva. I am convinced that there is a more prosaic explanation. Could it be the annoying Indian obsession with fairness and a stubborn inability to acknowledge that black is beautiful? After all, it is this line of dubious thinking that has birthed the fairness cream industry which does a brisk business amounting to thousands of crores, by convincing folks who ought to know better with relentless advertising insisting that an unnatural alabaster - hued countenance is the only guarantor of finding success, fame, happiness and a suitable life partner or even the job of one's choice.

So many little girls and boys grow up thinking they are unattractive because those surrounding them force them to endure cruel barbs directed at their dusky skin tone and keep suggesting moronically that they use this fairness cream or that so that they can look like the Bollywood stars who are paid a fortune to peddle this garbage. They pay the exorbitant rates charged in parlors without demur and undergo painful procedures in the  foolish hope that their efforts will be rewarded and they will look like white people or at the very least like Michael Jackson at his creepiest. And we like to kid ourselves into thinking we are civilized, enlightened people who are not fixated on superficial things like the color of one's skin or inclined to judge a person's worth on the basis of their complexion.

This ridiculous bias that dark skin is inferior is so deep rooted that there is evidence of it everywhere. While working on the illustrations for #MahabharataWithAnuja, the original sketches of Draupadi depicted a typical babe with that improbable 'golden countenance' so beloved by artists. Had to talk them into using darker shades repeatedly till I was somewhat satisfied. However, for Krishna, that blasted blue shade was used and the recognition factor was cited. I gave in but it still irks me no end.

It is high time we celebrated the unsung glory of black and brown skin, and wear it with pride. I call upon all artists, painters and art lovers to create or share pics featuring all things dark and beautiful including Gods, Goddesses and dusky heroines minus that electrifying blue. As for the others who are unable to get over their fondness for all things milky white, I'll thank you to show some restraint and stop tsking over the complexions of the dark skinned. Maybe the next generation of kids will feel comfortable in their own skin and won't waste their time and money by slathering their mugs with dodgy products hawked by the unscrupulous who are too shallow to recognize that true beauty will never be skin deep. 

Powerful Women from the Mahabharata: Satyavati

A smitten Shantanu with Satyavati. 

Don't you just hate it when fairy tales feature helpless women who are fair and lovely but either sleep through their own life, remain locked up in a towers guarded by fire - breathing dragons and evil witches or take an ill - advised bite from a poisoned apple and become comatose, till a handsome Prince shows up on horseback to kiss their troubles away? Then they get married and live crappily ever after. Even as a kid, these stories did not really work for me. I prefer characters who take control of their own damn lives, messy though it may become and shape their legacy. And speaking of taking control, few ladies in the annals of mythology and literature have displayed the grit and gumption of Satyavati in her male dominated world.

Satyavati's origins could not have been humbler. Raised by the chief of fishermen, as a youngster she ferried passengers across the river Yamuna, on her small boat. Naturally, she smelled fishy and that is not a scent people seek to bottle and sell for a small fortune, nor does such powerful bodily odours win the heart of Kings. However, her luck changed when she crossed paths with Sage Parashara. The ascetic was smitten and confessed his feelings for her. The prepossessing young girl was coy though and not quite willing to give herself to the sage. Parashara, cajoled her into obliging, by granting her two boons - her maidenhood would remain intact after she bore him a son and her fishy odour would be replaced by the fragrant scent of musk. Satyavati conceded and delivered none other than Veda Vyasa who promised to be there for his mother whenever she needed him. All she had to do when she required his presence was to think of him! (For obvious reasons, a story like this stretches the rules of logic in favor of narrative convenience but then the reader must remember that most stories are best enjoyed with a dash of salt, pepper, or your favorite seasoning including the ones carried in Newspapers and Whatsapp University which are supposed to be 'true facts'.)

The best of sons, Veda Vyasa proceeded to give his mother an exotic origin story (which tests the demands of rationale to breaking point). He writes of a great King named Uparichara Vasu, who married the lovely and virtuous Girika. This dutiful wife on discovering that she was ovulating sent a message to her husband and prepared to receive him. However, the King's ancestors made an inopportune demand and insisted that he hunt deer  and offer the venison to them as sraddha. Immediately, Uparichara Vasu set aside all thoughts of concupiscent bliss and took off to the forest to do his duty by is forefathers. However, his thoughts were on Girika, so he shed his seed and entrusted it to a helpful eagle, asking the bird to carry it to his wife.

A less helpful eagle attacked the seed bearing one en route, with the unfortunate but predictable result of the royal burden being dropped. The stuff landed in a river with quite the plop and was promptly swallowed by a fish. Naturally, this was no ordinary fish, but an apsara named Adrika, who was cursed to remain in that state till she delivered human children. Adrika delivered twins and took off immediately after the curse was lifted (Interestingly, the ancients were most insistent that women bear children but did not seem to mind when they did not hang around to do the actual mothering. They believed that a child's optimum development was aided if parents maintained a healthy distance and left the child to the care of a suitable Guru). The King was duly informed and he made the callous decision, to take the baby boy who was named Matsya while Satyavati was given to the chief of fishermen.

Yet, it was the girl he abandoned, who would go on to achieve great things. Satyavati, blessed with the irresistible fragrance bestowed upon her by Parashara would go on to win the heart of King Shantanu, prompting the great Bhishma to take the Bhramachari oath to unite his father and the fisher chief's daughter. It was also thanks to her efforts, that the Kuru lineage was perpetuated. But that is a story for another day, about the Niyoga tradition that was an ancient version of sperm donation. (If you want the details be sure to check out episode 3 ,  4, of Mahabharata with Anuja).

As for Satyavati herself, she remains an inspiration to all who seek to brave less than favorable odds and unfortunate circumstances to make what they will of themselves. It is a harsh truth, but the world never has been a fair place and I daresay, it never will be. But the encouraging thing is that not all who are blessed with privilege and opportunities galore succeed and not all who have been robbed of favor or chances succumb to failure. There are plenty of real life Satyavatis out there who offer proof if any were needed, that all it takes to achieve more than you dared dream possible, is to take your courage in your hands and make the most of what you have. Even if it appears to be nothing (and reeks of smelly fish). 

Angry women from the Mahabharata: Amba

The story of Amba in the Mahabharata is a heart - rending one. A Princess of Kasi, she was abducted by Bhishma against her wishes at her swayamvara along with her sisters, Ambika and Ambalika. She had chosen King Shalva as her husband and he reciprocated her feelings. Shalva gave chase but he was outclassed by Bhishma in a fierce clash and would have lost his life if Amba had not intervened and begged Bhishma to spare him. Later, Amba approached Queen Satyavati and Bhishma, informing them that she had intended to garland Shalva at the swayamvara and it behooved them to escort her back to her chosen one.

Bhishma complied with her wishes. But Shalva was a sore loser and rejected her, saying that her face would remind him of the defeat he had suffered on her account. Poor Amba returned to Hastinapura, where she was rejected by Vichitravirya, the weakling Prince who counted on Bhishma to fight his battles and win his brides. Then, she swallowed her pride and begged Bhishma to marry her himself but that he could not do. That was when her broken heart hardened with anger and she decided that Bhishma would pay the price for ruining her life and dreams.

Amba's hatred of Bhishma would propel her every action and deed for the rest of her life and the next one too. She received a boon from Shiva that she would be the instrument of Bhishma's death and was re - born as King Drupada's daughter. Determined to see her vendetta through to the bitter end, she defied censure and traditional gender assignment to bring about the grandsire's downfall.

How could even Shikandhin derive any satisfaction from this heartbreaking sight?

While I sympathize with Amba, I have always wondered if as Shikandhin, she was genuinely happy or satisfied to see Bhishma laid low on a bed of arrows, afloat on an ocean of pain. After all, the noble soul knew the truth about her past, and had steadfastly refused to fight her, not because he was trans-phobic or thought of her as unworthy but because he would not hurt her any more than he already had.

 Moreover, the great man was beloved and highly respected by all who fought on the battlefield of Kurukshetra and otherwise. His fall was not celebrated by a single warrior on either side and they all shed tears over his loss. Arjuna who shielded by Shikandhin had taken down the mighty warrior was distraught with grief and even Bhishma comforted him, insisting that he be the one to provide a fitting pillow for his hanging head and quench his thirst as a mark of his high regard and as a sign of his forgiveness. Shikhandin on the other hand was universally reviled for his role in this affair, and it was a continuation of the rejection and hate he had endured all his life unlike the love that was showered on his popular siblings, Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna, who were jointly exalted as the jewel and pride of Panchala.

There was worse in store for Shikhandin. At the end of the war, he found himself on the winning side but even this victory was short-lived. Ashwathamma knifed him down while he was sleeping off the effects of the revels. An ignominious end to two lifetimes consumed by rage and bitter hate. How could Amba or Shikandhin be gratified by any of it? This always tore at my heart, so I dug around for more on the fate of Amba and found something heartening or at least I insist on seeing it that way.

You can check out my book, Ganga: The Constant Goddess for the details. Ganga was heartsick that there was somebody in the world who hated her son more than all those who loved him to pieces. She chided Bhishma for what he had done to Amba but softened when she realized he was sorrier than he could bear, especially since he was unable to make amends. But as Ganga says, 'She (Amba) may have been wronged but by choosing to carry nothing but hatred and anger in her heart, she has wronged herself even more.' Having failed to dissuade Amba from her chosen path, Ganga gathered together the remains of the poor girl after she had relegated her body to the flames along with all the hopes, aspirations, dreams for a beautiful life that were lost and preserved them as a frozen river of placid beauty, a tributary of her own self. And when the thaw began, in the rush of that crystal cascade, the beautiful river Amba thrives between the glistening rocks, past the twisting path of tall trees in a merry dance of liberation, every one of her troubles forgotten and entirely at peace with herself.
Isn't that much better?

Don't forget to check out #MahabharataWithAnuja and Episode 3 for the tale of Amba, the wronged woman who became a man, and then so much more! 

This is not a rant...

Arjuna and Krishna rock! Absolutely nuts about this duo!

This is not a rant... But maybe it is. I love hearing back from viewers and readers. It is always lovely when people engage with you through their response to your art and it helps sustains the lonely artiste given to grappling with the solitude that is the result of spending too much time wandering around your own head. Unanimous love or hate for anything put up on the public sphere is rare and it is weird how the exact same things can provoke vehement, polar opposite reactions in individuals. For my series on Youtube, #MahabharataWithAnuja the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and I am more thankful than can be adequately expressed. But of course there is bound to be criticism - constructive as well as the other icky kind.

Over the years it hasn't become any easier to deal with the bouquets or brickbats, vulgar dms and other mixed responses. Which is why sometimes, I put up a blog post and get it out of my system. A recent trend has been the resurgence in the popularity of Indian mythology. I am not complaining since I have written a few books in the genre and I am happy that so many love the ancient texts as much as I do. As a counter response, there has been a wave of bitter criticism against the misogyny, casteism, etc. which are admittedly present in mythology when viewed from a certain angle. The liberal left can be particularly vicious and unforgiving when it comes to anything that 'glorifies' Indian culture and tradition with the view to strengthen the so - called 'Hindutva' narrative that is supposedly being foisted on us. In other words, folks like me tend to get accused of being little more than foot soldiers in the Bhakt/Sanghi army (as someone, whose Hindi vocab is limited to a few words, I am not even sure what Sanghi means. I am pretty sure it has nothing to do with Ashwin Sanghi or does it?) and pandering to the whims of those who would try and rob India of its secular character.

To these people, all I can say is that India is a proudly secular nation and there is nothing wrong with her Hindu citizens being proud of and embracing their religious roots in the same manner as their brothers and sisters who worship other Gods. It is not done to attack the religious beliefs of those belonging to other faiths or calling out their God without proper context. In the same way, it is not okay to keep attacking Hindu Gods and accusing them and their worshipers of all manner of morally dubious conduct. It is definitely not done to call Rama a chauvinist and a cheater or accuse Krishna of womanizing and villainy. Seriously, please quit it. Every once in a while do make the attempt to recognize that other people's beliefs and feelings are every bit as important as your own. Pretty please!

As for the hot - headed right wingers, a blind belief in our glorious culcher and tradision without any nuance or proper understanding of the essence that may or may not be contained in our scriptures is foolish and dangerous when taken too far. There are certain evils like the caste system which have been deeply ingrained in the lore that has been passed down to us thanks to the vested interests of an elite few and it sucks that so many were and continue to be denied quality education and opportunities for advancement on the basis of their birth or gender. Please don't bother sending me lengthy comments or emails justifying such awful practices based on your personal take of the ancient texts. You are not going to convince me that only 'the deserving' ought to get an education or that the caste system has any merit. We ought to hang our heads down in shame for having failed to surgically extract it from our identity as Indians. But I will not stop dreaming of a future when no one in this country is required to own a community certificate. For it is a beautiful dream and one worth striving tirelessly towards to make it our collective reality.

Then there are those who call me out for my Arjuna bias. That is cool. But the thing is, I have never hidden the fact that I love Arjuna. Krishna is another favorite as well. I certainly am not blind to some of the unethical stunts they have both pulled but that does not mean I am ever going to like them less. It is fine to agree or disagree with someone about various aspects of a beloved epic like the Mahabharata and I have nothing against people who love Karna and Duryodhana. To each their own. However, it sucks when people point out a certain flaw in a beloved character, cherry pick ugly episodes and then use it as an opportunity to diss the great epics and all of Indian mythology while insisting that those who peddle these myths and sharing these dearly beloved stories are corrupting the youth, supporting sexism, perpetuating hatred, throwing in their lot with the jingoistic, fanatical brigade and the rest of that rigmarole. Please people! Be reasonable! Why insist on throwing out the baby with the bath water? And why hate those who do not subscribe to the same viewpoint as you do?

There, I am done with my rant which is not actually a rant right? I am merely pointing out the obvious. For those who feel I am being unnecessarily defensive, you may be right but I am extremely proud and protective of Indian mythology and no, I refuse to feel bad about it. Thank you for understanding. And if you don't, that is fine too... as long as you don't flood me with hate mail, or cuss me out in a dm.

P.S: Are you watching #MahabharataWithAnuja ? If you haven't watched it yet, please do check it out right here.  And be sure to tell me what you think! Even if it is to make your case for why you think I haven't a clue :)