Friendship in Epics

The world knows them as the Trinity of Hinduism. Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. They create, preserve and destroy together. Opposite in beliefs, yet their respect and friendship are immense. At Shiva's wedding, Brahma becomes the priest, and Vishnu is his brother-in-law for the rituals. Time and again, they stand together to save the world. Time and again, Vishnu tries to calm Shiva's Rudra Roop. Brahma is cursed by Shiva for being vain, but that does not make them enemies. Their better halves, Parvati, Laxmi and Saraswati, too, are often regarded as sisters, such was their friendship.

He left his own brother to join the man who wanted to save his wife. He gave him secret news of the skills from his home side, and in return, he was grateful. Such was his dedication towards their friendship that he asked his friend to use Brahmastra to kill his own son in the wars. In return, after the war, he was made king by the man who saved his wife. They were Vivishana and Shree Ram. Such was their friendship that Vivishana sacrificed the life of his own son in Rama's hands. Sometimes friendship is made out of deals. Rama helped Sugriva kill Bali; in return, he got an army of monkeys to attack Lanka, and thus began his friendship with Sugriva.

The Queen of Lanka knew the price she had to pay for her husband's sins. Yet, she became friends with the captive Princess of Janaka Nagar. She stood by the Princess through her difficult time and supported her against her husband's will. Although like a daughter, this Princess told her tales of the life of the Jungle. She was in awe of this beautiful princess who knew so much. They were Mandodari and Sita, foes turned friends. They cried and stayed together throughout the epic battle.

The Prince of Hastinapur watched his Guru humiliate their Charioteer's son. The Ambitious Young Teenager, slightly older than they all, has come to seek knowledge of the weapons. He was a self-taught Archer. He had challenged the Prince's cousin to a duel when their Guru interrupted. The Prince, who knew archery, and his Guru were too vain to display their skills in a fight with a Suta Putra. The Suta Putra was adamant to prove that he was better than the Kshatriya prince. His ambition and high dreams impressed the Prince of Hastinapur. He went up to the insulted Archer, who was fuming with rage.

" What is your name?"

" Vasusena, sir." He stood up. Tensed. He bowed to the Prince.
" No, no, don't bow to me, you are a great archer, warriors never bow." Suyodhan held his hand.
" Thank you for your appreciation. I am honoured that you saw beyond my Suta lineage."
" Call me Suyodhan, Mitra!"
" Mitra?"
" Why not? Come with me to the Palace, and I will arrange for your lessons."

The Suta Putra hugged the prince in joy. His tears would not stop. He had roamed from Guru to Guru and Royal to Royal, waiting for his chance, and this Prince came as an angel to him. Thus, at an early age, these two started the greatest of friendships the world had witnessed. Suyodhan stood with him against the world, and Vasusena with his friend. Suyodhan's urge made his Grandfather send Vasusena to Parasurama, who alone accepted Suta students. He learnt the use of Astra and Sastra. He came back stronger and again asked for a duel, which went undecided. Suyodhan made him king of Anga to uplift his status as a King. At Drupad Nagar, when the Princess was insulting Vasusena for coming to a Swayambhar despite his Suta lineage, Suyodhan, without any thought, protested. Time and again, they stood beside each other, in their own Dharma and Adharma. Such was the friendship that even after knowing that he was going to fight against his own Half Brothers, Vasusena did not leave his friend's side; he was the power on which his friend decided to fight wars. Today, the world knows them as Danveer Karna and Duryodhana, the greatest warrior and the greatest of villains.

She met him at her wedding preparations. He was called on by her father for advice. She was a princess, and he was the greatest politician. He knew what lay ahead, and she trusted him blindly. When the world played with her dignity, He stood by her when her own husbands stood shameful and speechless. He supported her and prepared her for the worst. He was there whenever she was in trouble, and she needed his help. Even when she lost her children, father, and brother in the war for her husband's throne, he was there to console her. He made her believe in the greater good. She was the cause of his tears. She was the reason that could fulfil his purpose in life on earth. He was Vishnu, She, his Laxmi. They were Vasudeva Krishna and Panchali Draupadi. The greatest friendship that could exist between a man and a woman.

All friendships are different, some purposeful, some innocent, some seeking help, others helping, yet each one is as important and dedicated as the others. These are the few examples of respect, support, and helpful friends we find in our Mythology, and yes, even today, their friendship is cherished and remembered and used as examples of great friendships.

Chittorgarh: The First Jauhar

The concept of Jauhar holds a profound place in Rajputana history. It is a ritual where Rajput women willingly choose death by jumping into a fire altar, invoking the gods, and embracing honour rather than living under the humiliation of enemy conquest. Unlike Sati, Jauhar was never forced or compulsory; it was considered the most honourable death a Rajputani could choose when their men lost battles and the enemy laid siege. The Historical Setting: Jauhar Gate and Chittorgarh Fort Chittorgarh Fort once housed the palace of Rana Ratan Singh near the famed Vijay Stambh and his Jal Mahal at the fort’s main gate. When Alauddin Khilji invaded Chittor, much of this was destroyed. However, later ruler Rana Kumbha rebuilt the Jal Mahal and re-established the Jauhar Sthal to honour Queen Padmavati (also known as Padmini). Ratan Singh, who ruled Mewar during Khilji’s reign as Sultan of Delhi, was known to be a peace-loving monarch who enjoyed music and poetry. One of his court poets, Ragha...

Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

Many of you have read my fan fiction as well as historical representations of the life and times of Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar. I provided small details of his life in many articles. But never have I ever made a separate historical post on him. It is very difficult to put together his life without the help of folklore because historical evidence is scarce. This one was requested, and hence here it goes. Needless to say, this one is very special. This is a blend of history and folklore. Leave your love. ❤️ Background and Birth: The year was 1540. Mewar was under a cloud of uncertainty. Banbir, their ruler for four years now, was a very incompetent ruler who always spent his time in luxury, drinking and dancing with girls. The crown prince Udai Singh was rumoured to have been killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals, along with Kunwar Udai Singh, attacked Chittorgarh, taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon t...

Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538 - 1597)

I am back with another History post, this time it is on the wives and sons of Rana Udai Singh II of Mewar, his son and heir Maharana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh. This is a continuation of the Sisodia Family History I posted some time back. The information has been taken from Annals of Mewar by James Todd, Maharana Pratap by B.N. Rana, and Maharana Pratap by Rima Hooja. Udai Singh II was the son of Ranisa Karnawati and Rana Sangram Singh. He was born on 4th August 1 522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1 572 at Gogunda . He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 2 5 wives, apart from the many insignificant queens in his Rani Mahal. Here is a list of his main queens and their sons. Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara of Jalore was his chief queen and consort. Her son is Maharana Pratap. He was married to her before he went to war with Banbir, as her father, Akshayraj Rao, was a friend and ally of his father, Rana Sanga. Saj...

Haldighati: The Battlefield

The year was 1576 CE. Four years had passed since Maharana Pratap’s coronation as the ruler of Mewar in 1572 CE. In those years, the land simmered not just with heat but with tension. The Timurid emperor Akbar, determined to fulfil his imperial vision, had sent not one, but three peace emissaries with Man Singh and Bhagwan Das leading them, between 1573 and 1575 CE, offering reconciliation in carefully worded treaties. But the wounds of Chittorgarh’s fall in 1568 CE were fresh for Pratap. With the blood and tears of Jauhar and Saka still alive, with the thousands mercilessly killed, there would be no peace without freedom. Pratap was no ordinary king, to be driven just by his zeal. He was a strategist, steeped as much in statecraft as in pride. When Man Singh came in 1575 CE with yet another offer, he was quick to realise that Akbar was reluctant to an out-and-out battle with Mewar. Pratap chose not to appear himself, sending his heir, Amar Singh, instead, stating that kings met kings...

The Cortege That Shook The Raj: Kanailal Dutta

10th November, 1908 Around late morning, a procession of lacs made their way through the streets of Calcutta (Kolkata), India. Some were chanting “Vande Mataram”, others blew conch shells, and Ululation filled the air. Flowers were being showered from all directions, and garlands made their way through the crowd, being thrown at the procession in the middle. Bhagwat Gita and Ananda Math (Novel by Bamkim Chandra) were offered. No, this was no “ Sobha Jatra ” or celebration. There were no religious festivities either. That dawn, the Alipore Jail, which opened only two years back, witnessed the hanging of Kanailal Dutta, a twenty-year-old member of the “Jugantar Dol”, an anarchist group that was set up primarily by Aurobindo Ghosh (Later Rishi Aurobindo), his brother Barindra and their associates. Kanailal hailed from Chandannagore, and although he was not present in most of their meetings in Kolkata, he was still one of their early members from Chandannagore, then a French province. ...

The Lady Sultan

Indian History, or subcontinental History, is incomplete without speaking of the women who left a mark in their own significant ways. The first woman who comes to mind is perhaps the only woman Sultan to rule Delhi, Raziya (Razia). It’s been over a year since I had been trying to read and understand the mystery of Raziya Bint Iltutmish . Attributed as the only Woman Muslim Monarch of India, she is a name of many assumptions, imagination and speculations. The few books that have been written on her or the historical accounts of the Slave Dynasty mentioning her have always been about the turbulence of the government and the various rebels and uprisings that took place among the prominent chiefs of Iltutmish, who wanted to rise in power. No documentation or portrayal is found about her look, character or early days from her contemporary times. The only relevant historical book I found solely on her was by Dr Karunapada Dutta, while she finds a chapter in Heroines by Ira Mukhoty or Th...

The Suta Putra

He was born as the eldest son of the Princess of Kuntibhoj. She was unmarried and had a bright future ahead of her. She did not want to sabotage her life and future for the unwanted child. She wrapped him in a blanket and decided to float him on the River, hoping the Mother Goddess would safely deliver him to someone. His father, the Sun God himself, was sympathetic to her plight and, for the safety of his son, provided him with a set of golden Kavach and Kundal (A set of earrings and a locket/beads/armour) to protect him. These were powerful enough to save him from any weapon. The currents took the baby far away to the land of Hastinapur. The royal charioteer Adhirath and his wife Radha were bathing there and praying to the Sun God for a child. A basket floated past them with a baby in it. They picked the baby up and decided to call him their son. Growing up, he wanted to learn archery and train as a Kshatriya, much to the objection of his parents. He went to Parasurama, the teacher o...

Rani Padmini: The Valiant Queen

This story is a retelling of some parts of Malik Mohammad Jayasi's Padmavat, which was a historical fiction poem written in 1540, about 200 years after the siege of Chittorgarh by Allauddin Khilji. Historically, the Rajputs of Mewar didn't keep accounts of their queens, even by name, so the name Padmini or Padmavati was made up by Jayasi to represent the women of Chittor who chose the Jauhar. Historically speaking, Allauddin Khilji wanted the trade route to Surat for himself, which went through Mewar and Rana Ratan Singh, a patron of art, was not known for his military skills. So when Khilji surrounded the fort, the only way out was the Saka and Jauhar. Rani Padmini's Jauhar, as it is now popularly called, is also not the first Jauhar Khilji witnessed. The Jauhars of Ranthambore and Jaisalmer happened before he attacked Chittorgarh. Also, the act of Jauhar happened as early as the Greek invasions of Porus's state, when it is described as the "Mass immolation of Sat...

Mewar: Origin of Guhilots

Origin: Lord Rama had two sons, Labh and Kush . The Ranas of Mewar are descendants of the former. Labh had built his capital at Lah-Kot (Lahore) , and the branch from which the Mewar blue blood arrives resided there until Kanaksen (Often traced as the founder)moved to Dwarika, Saurashtra. "Sen" was used as a title term for many decades by this Suryavanshi clan until it later changed to "Dit" or "Aditya", names of the Sun. Aditya was changed to Guhilot permanently after the expulsion from Saurashtra when they settled in the Ahar valleys (Aravallis). The Sisodia clan sprang from a Prince of Chittoor who had killed a hard chase hare (sissoo in local dialect). The branch often used " Ranawat ", meaning "Royal Blood", as a title, but over time, Sisodia emerged as the retained branch name. Kanaksen wrestled dominance of the Parmar race and founded Birnagar in AD 144. Four generations hence, Vijay Sen ...

Chawand: The Maharana's Capital

The road from Udaipur quickly fades into quiet countryside as you head toward Jaisamand Lake and Chavand, a journey that few package tours offer, but one that is forever imprinted on my memory. Just shy of an hour and 59km from the city bustle, you reach Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake), the “Ocean of Victory,” sprawling as Asia’s once-largest man-made lake . Built in 1685 by Maharana Jai Singh, who followed his father’s legendary tradition of dam-building, this vast sheet of water shimmers in the sunlight. I watched local ferries pass, and marble stairs dip into blue shallows, imagining bygone queens slipping into cooling water beneath the massive embankment. Even today, friendly boatmen linger, eager to usher you onto the lake for a breezy ride. They tell you stories of how once a Maharana roamed these dense forests in search of freedom. Do pause here and soak in the peaceful air before venturing further southwest, toward the forgotten echoes of Mewar’s pride. The drive to Chavand, ...

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