THE MAHABHARATAM: (in 18 Episodes) - PRELUDE to the Bhagavad Geeta : Episode 15 :

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Tuesday, April 25, 2023. 08:00.

How the Writing Began :

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Episode 15: The Thirteenth Year Incognito 

With a month remaining before the thirteenth year was to begin, the Pandavas had 

begun to think of where to hide. Where would an elephant hide in a small hut? All the 

Pandavas and Draupadi herself were superhumans – how were they going to remain 

incognito?

One day the Pandavas were very thirsty. Nakula climbed a tree to spy some water. 

He went there to drink. A voice from the sky told him to answer his questions before 

drinking. Nakula ignored it and drank. He dropped dead. One after the other the Pandavas 

met the same fate, until it was Yudhishthira’s turn. He humbly obeyed the voice and 

answered all the questions. The voice then revealed its identity. “I am Yama Dharmaraj. I 

was testing your humility. You need to be very humble if you wish to remain incognito. You 

have learned the lesson. Ask me any boon.”

Yudhishthira asked for Nakula to be revived. Lord Yama asked why him. Yudhishthira 

said because then there will be a son surviving from each of their two mothers, Kunti and 

Madri. This was Yudhishthira’s sense of fairness at work. Lord Yama was very pleased. He 

brought to life all the brothers, and blessed them that they will go through the year 

unrecognized, as long as they remained humble.

King Virat Gives Them Refuge: Yudhishthira wished to select a virtuous king with 

whom to spend the last year. They decided to go to King Virat of the Matsya kingdom.

All the Pandavas took various jobs in the palace of the King. Yudhishthira himself 

became the courtier in the palace. “I will help to relax the King and play games with him.”

Bhima said, “I am good at cooking. I will ask for work as the cook. My name will be 

Balal.”

Arjuna had a problem. He had been converted to a eunuch due to a curse. He said, “I 

will be in the inner apartments of the Princess. I will teach Uttara Kumar singing and 

dancing.”

Nakula said, “I will serve at the horse stables.”

Sahadev said, “I will serve at the Goshala (cowshed).

Draupadi said, “I will be safe where I will not be seen by men. (This was because she 

was exceptionally beautiful, and that may cause problems if men came to trouble her.) I will 

serve the Queen herself.

King Virat consented to all these newcomers and their roles. 

Draupadi in Trouble: Things were going quite well until Kechaka, Virat’s brother-inlaw, the Queen’s brother, one day saw Draupadi and at once got attracted by her beauty

and wished to marry her. Draupadi warned him, “Look, I have five strong husbands. They 

are Gandharvas and very powerful.” She also told the Queen to ask Kechaka to keep away 

from her.

One day Kechaka went to his sister and said, “If I do not get your handmaid, my 

heart will break. Draupadi sternly replied, “I warn you again, this is a dangerous request. 

Give it up.” Draupadi sought Bhima’s help. Bhima disguised himself as a woman and slept in 

Draupadi’s apartment. Kechaka came there that night, inflamed with desire for Draupadi. In 

the dark, he placed his hand on ‘Draupadi’s body’. Bhima jumped up at once and fought 

with Kechaka. He smashed him into pulp.

News went to Duryodhana of the killng of Kechaka. Duryodhana knew that only 

Bhima could kill the mighty Kechaka and only the beauty of a Draupadi would have charmed 

him. He suspected that the Pandavas were in hiding in the palace of the Matsya kingdom. 

There was now under a month to go before the incognito period was to end.

Were the Pandavas going to survive the hunt which Duryodhana was organizing, 

unknown to them?

Duryodhana Attacks Matsya: Duryodhana lost no time. He obtained the help of a 

friendly neighbouring King, asking him to attack Matsya from the south entrance. King Virat 

would be drawn to defend the south. Then he will attack the north entrance easily. If the 

Pandavas are there, they are sure to protect the country. They will then be discovered.

King Virat was alerted to these developments. He asked for advice from his courtier. 

Yudhishthira was ready with the right kind of help. He informed the cook, the stable-boy, 

and the cow-tender and took them with him to accompany the King to the southern gate. 

Arjuna, who was called Brihannala, could not be taken as he was now a ‘woman’.

While this group went to protect the south, news came to Prince Uttara that the 

north was being attacked by Duryodhana. Uttara was boasting in front of the ladies that he 

could handle the north himself but did not have a charioteer. Draupadi told Uttara Kumar, 

“Your dance teacher is a very good charioteer. Ask her to help you.” Brihannala was 

approached and accepted the duty.

Uttara’s boast back-fired on him; he now became scared. He tried to avoid the 

battle. Brihannala would have none of it. She grabbed Uttara and placed him into the

chariot and rode off to the north. The real Arjuna then spoke to Uttara, “Our thirteen years 

incognito exile ended yesterday. Uttara, do you know who I am?” Arjuna revealed his 

identity. “Climb up that tree. You will find all my weapons in that cloth bundle hanging from 

it. Go and fetch it.”

Thus, with his weapons, Arjuna single-handedly rode out to defend the north gate, 

with an assured Uttara beside him. When he saw Bhishma and Drona also stationed there, 

he shot arrows which fell at their feet in prostration to them. He then routed Duryodhana’s 

army alone. Arjuna asked Uttara to collect the clothes of the unconscious soldiers as his 

trophy and proof of victory.

Then he returned with a stunned Uttara. The cry was raised by King Virat when they 

returned, “Victory to Uttara Kumara! Victory to Uttara Kumara!”

Thus the 13 years of exile ended successfully, with an exciting battle in the bargain!

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Next
Episode 16:
Krishna’s Peace Mission :
To be continued

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