In the last class we learnt about the
trials and tribulations of the Pandavas in their 13th year of exile.
After an eventful span of 12 years in the forest, it is time for
the Pandavas to prepare for the last year of icognito. They take leave of the
Brahmins that are accompanying them and are blessed by Dhaumya, who gives them
his blessings for their one year of disguise. Later, the Pandavas go into a quiet part of the forest to plan for
this crucial year. Arjuna says they should choose Matsya kingdom, ruled by King
Virata, since he is a friend of the Pandavas and will not yield to Duryodhana’s
scheming tactics.
With a heavy heart, Yudhishtira asks his brothers and Draupadi
what kind of disguise each of them would like to take .He tells them that he
would put on the garb of a sanyasi and ask Virata for the position of the King’s
counseler and would call himself ‘Kanaka’.
Bhima, with his fondness for food opts to be ‘Valala’, the cook
in the royal kitchens who would cook delicacies for the king. He would also
engage in friendly wrestling matches but promises not to kill anybody.
Arjuna says that he would use the curse given to him by Urvashi
to his advantage and become a enuch,‘Brihanala’, music and dance teacher to
princess Uttara and her companions.
Nakula, with his gift of being good with horses chooses to
become the stable help, ‘Dharmagranthi’ and Sahadeva becomes the cowherd ‘
Tantripala’.
Draupadi graciously agrees to become the queen’s hairdresser and
companion ‘Sairandhri’.
King Virata employs all of them after learning that they had
worked earlier with the Pandavas.Thus the Pandavas start leading their lives disguised as the
following-
Yuddhistra- Kings counseler who is a Sanyasi (Kanaka)
Bhima- Cook and wrestler (Valala)
Arjuna- Dancer who teaches princess as a eunuch (Brihannala)
Nakula- Stable boy (Dharmagrandha)
Sahadeva- cow herd (Tantripala)
Draupadi- Princess’ companion and hairdresser (Sairandhri)
The Pandavas are advised by Dhaumya to be vigilant, give advice
only when asked, praise king when needed, be decent and courteous to women,not to
take gifts and not to reveal secrets.
King Virata’s powerful commander-in-chief,
Keechaka, was also his brother-in-law. He was the main force behind Virata’s
power and this made him vain and arrogant. One day when he visits his sister,
the queen, he sees ‘Sairandhri’ and is smitten by her beauty. He approaches her
and tries to entice her. However, she
resists his offer. When he persists she spreads a story that her husbands are
Gandharvas who would kill anyone who dishonors her. Keechaka continues to approach her, so
Draupadi complains to the queen.
Keechaka, then approaches his sister, the queen for help and
both of them conspire to trap Draupadi. They organize a feast at Keechaka’s
palace. The queen then tells Draupadi to
bring wine from Keechaka’s palace and despite Draupadi’s pleas to send someone
else, forces her to go there. As expected, Keechaka tries to hold Draupadi but somehow she escapes from there
and comes back to the courtroom where nobody helps her. Frustrated and
humiliated she goes to Bhima and tells him about Keechaka’s atrocities. An enraged Bhima
promises Draupadi that he would take revenge and kill Keechaka even though it
meant that he would be breaking his promise to Yudhishitira. The two of them
come up with a smart plan to kill Keechaka.
The next day, Keechaka tries to lure Draupadi and she agrees to meet him in the dance hall
at night when everyone is sleeping. Keechaka goes to the dance hall at night and finds a distant figure lying on a
couch. He assumes it is Draupadi and goes to her. Much to his surprise, the
person actually turns out to be Bhima, who wrestles and crushes Keechaka to
pulp in a bout of wrestling.
Word spreads like wildfire that Keechaka is killed and soon it reaches the ears of Duryodhna.
He has a suspicion that it is the
Pandavas who killed Keechaka. Bhima was the only one capable of killing someone
as powerful as Keechaka .Duryodhana plans
on invading Matsya kingdom so the
Pandavas are forced to fight back. He teams up with King Susarma to
attack Matsya kingdom from the south and
he decides to attack the north which
would be in a defenseless state . Susarma captures King Virata, since he is powerless
without Keechaka. Upon Yudhishtira’s request Bhima fights and brings King Virata back.
When Duryodhana attacks the northern part of Matsya, he takes
away all the cows from that area and the people run to prince, Uttara Kumara
for help, in the absence of King Virata and ask him for protection. Uttara
Kumara brags in front of the ladies that he could fight for them if only he had
a charioteer.
Draupadi is amused by his words and she suggests the name of
Brihanala as a charioteer and also tells them that he has learnt his skills
from Arjuna.
In order to keep his disguise, Arjuna pretends to be an amateur but
agrees to be a charioteer.
~Sahiti Sarma & Rohit Suresh
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