The Evil Ansh

The King of Devas and Devguru Brihaspati were travelling to Kailash to meet the holy Lord. On the way to the Jungle, they met a naked man deep in meditation. The vain King asked the man the way. The man was so deep in his meditation that he did not reply. Fierce at this kind of humiliation, the God of Thunderstruck the man with it. The man opened his hand and neutralised the bolt. His third eye opened in rage, paralysing the King of Devas. However, he controlled his anger, and instead of turning the King to ashes, the energy from his third eye met the Oceans.

" Prabhu? Forgive Indra, for he did not know who you were." Brihaspati pleaded.

" DevGuru. This is my Kailash, where no man is greater than the other. He is not the king here. He should treat a man like he wants to be treated."

" Please forgive him, My Lord."

The ever-forgiving Bholenath smiled.

Miles away from the God of the Oceans, Samudradev found a baby. His wails were disturbingly loud. It did not have the sweetness of a baby. The Devas pressed their hands against their ears. The helpless Samudra Dev took the abandoned child to the Creator, Brahma. Brahma took the child in his lap, and the child caught his neck so hard he could hardly breathe. Letting go was not easy. Tears came in pain. Finally, Samudra Dev placed the child on his lap, and Brahma read his future.

" This child would be a brave warrior. He will rule Heaven, the Earth and the Patal Lok. Hand him over to Sukracharya. Tell him I named this child Jalandhar. He was born of Shiva's rage. However, this child should not know this, that would make it difficult for him to live among commoners."

A happy Samudra Dev handed the child to Sukracharya, the teacher of the Asuras. The child stayed under the care of one of the Asura women. He grew up to be a handsome young man just like the lord himself. Sukracharya taught him and made him king of the Asuras.

Vrinda was the daughter of Asura Kalanemi. Due to her devotion to Lord Vishnu, she was given a boon by the Lord that her husband would be alive as long as her chastity remained intact. She was an intelligent medical woman. As the King of the Asuras, Jalandhara set up a capital at present-day Jalandhar in Punjab. He married Vrinda as per Sukracharya's wishes to save his life from enemies. On coming to know of the events of Samudra Manthan, he realised how the Asuras were deprived, and he sent a message to Indra.

I, Jaladhar, am the son of Samudra Deva. I have heard that there are some possessions of his at your disposal, which you acquired through Samudra Manthan. I request that you return my father's property to me, or else I will take it from you.

Not paying any heed to the threat, Indra and the Devas were easily defeated and caught by the Lord's son. They went to Vishnu with the request to kill Jalandhar. Laxmi, his consort, who emerged out of the Oceans, said to her husband, " My Lord, you will fight Jalandhar. He emerged out of the Oceans like me, hence he is my brother. I know he can not defeat you, but promise me you won't kill him, for my sake."

The ever-smiling Vishnu replied, " Yes, my Laxmi, as you wish it shall be."

The war continued for days, and neither side won nor lost. Impressed with his warrior skills, Vishnu offered a boon. Jalandhar promptly replied, " I want you to make Kheeradsagar your home and honour the oceans. Let Mata Laxmi stay where she belongs."

" Tathasthu."

Soon, Jalandhar became king of the three worlds. He was the emperor. One day Narad Muni came for a visit and told him tales of the greatest man, Shiva, and his most beautiful wife, Parvati. The vain Emperor replied, much to everyone's horror, " Who is this Shiva? I have never heard of him. And if he is the greatest, I will defeat him and be the greatest, and his beautiful wife will be mine."

Sukracharya knew that Shiva was his father, but he had promised Samudra Dev not to speak of it. Jalandhar send a messenger, Rahu, to Kailash. The furious Shiva forgave his son for his silly attempts and ignored the invitation for a duel.

Meanwhile, Indra came to know of Vrinda's boon and rushed to Vishnu, " My Lord, do something. Jalandhar is becoming violent, and not even the Lord Mahadev can kill him because Vrinda will not give up her chastity willingly."

" Do not worry, Indra, for I will dress as Jalandhar and break her chastity."
"But my Lord, I am your wife, how can you bed somebody else's wife? Will that not be immoral?"
" Priye, when am Parasu you are my mother, when am Ram you, my Sita, when am Krishna you are my Radha, the Gopis, the wives, they are nobody yet they love me. Does that make Krishna there? Listen, my lady, whenever I go to earth, you will always accompany me as Panchali, Radha, Sita or Varahi... I am going to Vrinda as an obligation to my duties and not for love, cause Krishna is Radha's Ram Sita's, and I only yours..." Disguised as Jalandhara Vishnu, took Vrinda to her chambers. Knowing his true identity and realising it was too late, Vrinda cursed her worshipped Lord, " I curse you, my Aradhya, you will be born a human, and you will suffer from questions regarding your wife's chastity, and you will lose her." She committed suicide.

A fierce, angry Jalandhar kidnapped Parvati. He held her, wanting to marry her. Shiva's Ganas were at war with the Asuras. Shiva raised his Trident at his son. Before killing him, Shiva enlightened him with the truth about his birth. Shiva, who killed Jalandhar, is worshipped as Panchanan, the five-headed angry avatar of the otherwise peaceful Lord.

Jalandhar died a hero, blinded by his vain overconfidence in his powers and lack of knowledge. Otherwise, like all the other sons of the Lord, he was a great warrior, a perfect husband and a good ruler of the Asuras. His causes were genuine, and his thoughts were right. He is thus immortal through the city he built in India.

DAMODAR GANGADHAR RAO : The Ill Fated Heir

In the shadowed halls of Jhansi's royal palace, a nine-year-old boy named Ananda Rao stepped into a destiny of struggle he was not born into. Born in 1848 to Vasudeo Rao and his wife, Ananda Rao was surrendered to the childless King Gangadhar Rao and his fierce young queen, Manikarnika (Manu), better known as Rani Laxmi Bai. It was November 19, 1853, on the king's deathbed, amid whispers of adoption rites that bound the boy to a throne teetering on the edge of empire. Queen Laxmi Bai was just nine when she married the 29-year-old widower Gangadhar. She had already endured heartbreak. Her biological son, Damodar Rao, arrived in 1851 but slipped away after three short months. With Gangadhar's death in 1853, Vasudeo, a distant royal relative, was instructed to hand over Ananda's adoption papers. Renamed Damodar Rao, the boy became Jhansi's last hope. But hope was fragile under British eyes. Enter the Doctrine of Lapse, Lord Dalhousie’s ruthless policy that devoured pri...

The Warrior and Princess

Dasharatha was very protective of his sons. He had got them after almost a lifetime of waiting and yajnas, so they were his lifeline. Ram, the eldest, won hearts with his humble, generous ways. Bharata, the second, was his favourite queen's brave son, and Laxman and Shatrughan were the twins to the lesser queen, who followed their brothers like shadows. They were a peaceful, happy family. Sage Vasistha was their Kulaguru, teaching them the Vedic hymns and the righteous ways of life. The Princes grew up in the luxurious, protected premises of the palace. The King of Mithila, too, was childless. Mother Earth granted him a daughter. Sita grew up learning and curious, followed by the king's second daughter, Urmila and their cousins Mandavi and Shrutakirti. They grew up knowing the natural ways of life, and their father took them to learn from men to know more about man and his natural instincts. The princesses were curious and always questioning the traditions, and the Princes lear...

The Festival of Bengal: Days and Rituals

This article is partly featured in The Statesman Festival 2024 Magazine. In Bengal, Durga Puja is not only a religious tradition, but it is also a festival. It is called “ Bangalir Shreshto Utsab ” or the greatest festival of Bengalis. This is because, although it started as a religious festival, as we have discussed in the previous blogs, it turned out to be a representation of cultural unity and the freedom movement, as well as seeing her as the daughter returning home with her children. It is called a " Sarbojonin " Utsab, or a festival meant for all and sundry. Durga Puja is inclusive of caste, creed, religion, as well as gender identities and professions. Thus, it is more than just a Puja . The traditions, rituals and ways of Durga Puja are hence very different from Navratri, which is observed in individual homes. Let's find out how. The Pandals and idol: As per Hindu tradition, four things are important when the idol of Maa Durga is prepared. These include clay f...

Jahanara Begum Sahib: The Sufi Princess

Shah Jahan's quarters flanked on either side by identical bungalows for Jahanara and Roshanara. Background: The Timurid Dynasty, better (and wrongly) known as the Mughal Empire, ruled the Subcontinent from 1526 C.E. till the time the British East India Company successfully captured Delhi from Bahadur Shah II in 1857 C.E. (The size of the empire obviously varied). Hence, a large part of medieval Indian history revolves around the characters of this dynasty. Due to the extensive amount of contemporary records right from Babur, the founder of the empire, writing his own memoirs in “ Babar Nama ” to the accounts of court poets like Abu Talim and the extensive details of Abul Fazl, one has a clear idea about the functioning of the Timurid empire as well as the Harem involving the royal ladies of the dynasty. Almost nothing is left to the imagination when it comes to the lives of the first six and most famous and successful Timurid emperors, namely Babar, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir...

Asuras are not Demons

Demons in the Abrahamic religions are not the same as Asuras of Hinduism. Originally deities of Iranian origin, they were seen in the tribal context as no different from Devas, but as counterparts to maintain balance. In early epics and Puranas, asura meant a chosen leader of great capacity. Only later, perhaps due to the Iranian link, their image declined. It was with the Brahmanas that the sharp divide appeared: devas as divine, asuras as evil. Puranic myths demonised them mainly to assert the superiority and immortality of devas, while asuras were cast as symbols of the "other." Since Tribes still worshipped them and embraced their power of negativity, being important to balance, they soon became synonymous with tribes, which was not the case mythologically. There are instances of Bali or Ravana being Kshatriya or Brahmin Asuras and competent kings. Indian demonology itself is vast and layered, shaped by surviving tribes, each with unique myths. Celestial, aerial, and terr...

The Timurid Empress

Ruqaiya Sultana Begum was born to Babur's second surviving son, Hindal Mirza, and his wife, Sultanam Begum, in 1542 C.E., merely a few months after Hamida Banu gave birth to the heir Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar. She was well-versed in Persian, Urdu and Arabic and was attracted to poetry and music. Being a proud descendant of the Timurid clan, most of Rukaiya's childhood was spent in Kabul, near the Bagh E Babur, built by Babur himself. From early childhood, she had seen the struggle of her family to regain their lost power in Hind. Miniature of Rukaiya Begum as Empress In 1551 C.E., just after her father died young at a battle for Humayun, leaving her and her mother in the harem of the emperor, it was Hamida Banu who wanted the marriage of Rukaiya to her first cousin, Akbar. Theirs was the first in-house marriage of the Mughals, soon to be followed by many more in the generations to come. At the mere age of nine, she had married the crown prince, and when Humayun won back Lahore...

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...

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 First King of Kali

He grew up in the care of his grandparents, being the sole heir to the throne. He was a great warrior, skilled with the Bow like his grandfather , Arjun and the sword like his father, Abhimanyu . The Raaj Guru Kripacharya trained him in warfare. His mother, Uttara, told him stories of the father he never knew, how valiant a warrior he was and how their struggle for this kingdom was the greatest battle ever fought. He loved to hunt and often indulged in hunting expeditions encouraged by his grandparents. At 35, he was made the king while his Grandfather and his brothers retired from the cycle of responsibilities and decided to live in a hermitage. His mother and grandmother stayed back to help him rule the vast kingdom. The first king of the new era was thus crowned. As king, he started his peaceful reign. He called upon the sages and the Kul Guru Vyas Dev to start the new yug with something very important. " Guruji, I want you to rea...

Uttara

She knew him as Brihannala, her dance teacher. She learned the skills of graceful dancing from him. He turned out to be Arjun, the greatest of warriors. She still could not believe that the lady who did her mother's makeup was, in fact, Samragni Draupadi. Her twin brother Uttar was quite excited to know that Maharathi Arjun would teach him archery at their palace. She was sitting in the Palace Gardens with her brother when a guard came in. " Princess of Matsya, your father has called you to the Chambers. It is urgent." Both the twins made their way to the chambers where their parents sat with the Pandavas. Their father announced to " It was a pleasure having you people at the Palace of Matsya. I proposed the marriage of my daughter to Maharathi Arjun. He accepted it for his son. Next week, we will send a letter to Dwarka asking Vasudeva to arrive with the groom and Subhadra ."She was surprised. Marriage to her teacher's son? Who was he? She sat in her chamb...

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