Following is the KMG translation of Adi Parva which provides a very strange list of people who were present in Draupadi swayamvar (Dhrishtdhyumna even says a step ahead that they all came for Draupadi - a statement if generalized, produces very weird and strange conclusions). My question is - What was the age of Arjun/Krishna, all Krishna's famous sons (2-3 of them) and Aniruddha at the time of Draupadi swayamvar, Dhyutkrida and Kurukshetra war or such major events? How older Uttar was than Uttaraa (Shankh and Uttar are mentioned but 3rd brother Shwet is not mentioned here)? How much elder Krishna was than Subhadra? In BRC MB, Uttar is shown younger than Uttaraa.
(Swayamvara Parva continued)
"Dhrishtadyumna said, 'Duryodhana, Durvisaha, Durmukha and Dushpradharshana, Vivinsati, Vikarna, Saha, and Duhsasana; Yuyutsu and Vayuvega and Bhimavegarava; Ugrayudha, Valaki, Kanakayu, and Virochana, Sukundala, Chitrasena, Suvarcha, and Kanakadhwaja; Nandaka, and Vahusali, and Tuhunda, and Vikata; these, O sister, and many other mighty sons of Dhritarashtra--all heroes--accompanied by Karna, have come for thy hand. Innumerable other illustrious monarchs all bulls among Kshatriyas--have also come for thee. Sakuni, Sauvala, Vrisaka, and Vrihadvala,--these sons of the king Gandhara--have also come. Foremost of all wielders of weapons--the illustrious Aswatthaman and Bhoja, adorned with every ornament have also come for thee. Vrihanta, Manimana, Dandadhara, Sahadeva, Jayatsena, Meghasandhi, Virata with his two sons Sankha and Uttara, Vardhakshemi, Susarma, Senavindu, Suketu with his two sons Sunama and Suvarcha, Suchitra, Sukumara, Vrika, Satyadhriti, Suryadhwaja, Rochamana, Nila, Chitrayudha, Agsuman, Chekitana, the mighty Sreniman, Chandrasena the mighty son of Samudrasena, Jarasandha, Vidanda, and Danda--the father and son, Paundraka Vasudeva, Bhagadatta endued with great energy, Kalinga, Tamralipta, the king of Pattana, the mighty car-warrior Salya, the king of Madra, with his son, the heroic Rukmangada, Rukmaratha, Somadatta of the Kuru race with his three sons, all mighty chariot-fighters and heroes, viz., Bhuri, Bhurisrava, and Sala, Sudakshina, Kamvoja of the Puru race, Vrihadvala, Sushena, Sivi, the son of Usinara, Patcharanihanta, the king of Karusha, Sankarshana (Valadeva), Vasudeva (Krishna), the mighty son of Rukmini, Samva, Charudeshna, the son of Pradyumna with Gada, Akrura, Satyaki, the high-souled Uddhava, Kritavarman, the son of Hridika, Prithu, Viprithu, Viduratha, Kanka, Sanku with Gaveshana, Asavaha, Aniruddha, Samika, Sarimejaya, the heroic Vatapi Jhilli Pindaraka, the powerful Usinara, all these of the Vrishni race, Bhagiratha, Vrihatkshatra, Jayadratha the son of Sindhu, Vrihadratha, Valhika, the mighty charioteer Srutayu, Uluka, Kaitava, Chitrangada and Suvangada, the highly intelligent Vatsaraja, the king of Kosala, Sisupala and the powerful Jarasandha, these and many other great kings--all Kshatriyas celebrated throughout the world--have come, O blessed one, for thee. Endued with prowess, these will shoot the mark. And thou shalt choose him for thy husband who amongst these will shoot the mark."
As per the following research, Arjun was of the age of 37 years at the time of Draupadi Swayamvar (Point 24 - 44th Vedic calendar year Sadharna) and Pandavas stayed in Hidimbvan (Western India) + Ekchakra nagari (Northern/Central India more towards east - Kashi-Magadh) for 2-3 years (Keelak to Sadharna). And Arjun's age was 58 years (Pramodhoota) when Abhimanyu was born and 87 years old when Abhimanyu married to Uttaraa and Kurukshetra war took place (as per the link below).
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/mahabharat/mahab_patnaik.html
Now I can't imagine Pradhyumn's son even born when Arjun didn't marry even Draupadi so someone could just help me compiling these different sources of knowledge. The above references lead us to conclude that Krishna was grandfather at the age of 37. He already had gone through the kand of Syamantak mani, kidnapping of Pradhyumn and fight with Narkasur-Mur (not just his marriages with Rukmini, Jambuvati and Satyabhama). Notice that Bhagdatta's name is also mentioned above in the list but not Narkasur. Krishna killed Kans at the age somewhere between 11 to 15 let's say and then immediately went to Sandipani. And then everything happened (Jarasandh wars and Dwarika nirman and marriages) happened during 20-25 years only. Now let's Krishna married to Rukmini at the age of 18-20; and even if there is just the difference of 2 years between marriage of Krishna-Rukmini and marriage of Pradhyumn (As he was straightaway made young through Sanjeevani vidhya and supposedly became very much of the same age as that of Krishna), then only Aniruddha (And Saamb) could be of the age around 15 at the time of Draupadi swayamvar. But now this is to analyse Saamb's age (which can even be less than Aniruddha) from Anushasan Parva:
"Vasudeva said, 'Hear, ye foremost of Brahmana's and thou Yudhishthira also, O sire, and hear thou too, O Ganga's son, the names that are applied unto Kaparddin. Hear ye, how in former days, I obtained a sight, so difficult to obtain, (of that great god), for the sake of Samva. Verily, in those days was the illustrious deity seen by me in consequence of Yoga-abstraction.[36] After twelve years had expired from the time when Pradyumna, the son of Rukmini, who is endued with great intelligence, slew the Asura Samvara in days of yore, my spouse Jamvavati addressed me. Indeed, beholding Pradyumna and Charudeshna and other sons born of Rukmini, Jamvavati, desirous of a son, said these words unto me, O Yudhishthira,--Grant me, O thou of unfading glory, a son endued with heroism, the foremost of mighty men, possessed of the most agreeable features, sinless in conduct, and like unto thyself. And O, let there be no delay on thy part in granting this prayer of mine. There is nothing in the three worlds that is unattainable by thee, O perpetuator of Yadu's race, thou canst create other worlds if only thou wishest it. Observing a vow for twelve years and purifying thyself, thou hadst adored the Lord of all creatures (viz., Mahadeva) and then begot upon Rukmini the sons that she has obtained from thee, viz., Charudeshna and Sucharu and Charuvesa and Yasodhana and Charusravas and Charuyasas and Pradyumna and Sambhu. O slayer of Madhu, do thou grant to me a son like unto those of great powers whom thou hast begotten upon Rukmini?
Now the above paragraph indicates that Pradhyumn was born at least after 12 years of Krishna's marriage with Rukmini (so my earlier assumption above of 2 years difference is wrong), and at least after 12 years from Pradhyumn, Krishna started the penance for Saamb and adding another 12 years presumingly (I didn't try to read the part far further down after not finding it nearby), it makes 36 years of difference itself between Rukmini's marriage and Saamb's birth. So it is not possible that Krishna's age was just 37 at the time of Draupadi's swayamvar. Now the two paragraphs which I posted are from the same source (Mahabharat KMG translation). Krishna's childhood and Pandava's childhood were similar (in Vraj and in forest without education) with Krishna's childhood likely to be a bit longer and Krishna's education is likely to be quick and faster than Pandavas. Pandavas then went on vijay yatra during the years between Rangbhoomi (episodes around Gurudakshina given to Sandipani and Dron in BRC MB) and Lakshagruh. These were probably the years during which many of Krishna's independent stories of Harivansh and Shrimad Bhaagwat (And MahaBharat flashback stories) took place.
Another point is that Paundrak was there in Draupadi swayamvar and he also met Hanumanji as per the story shown in R SK (Hanumanji met Bheem and Arjun in Vanparva - I don't know why in SK they have shown both Arjun and Bheem meeting Hanumanji in get up with crown unlike MB) so he was killed by Krishna after even Dhyutkrida (Just after the war with Shaalva) and Draupadi vastraharan (It is worth checking Paundrak's name in Rajsuya yagna parva) but Narkaasur, Shambharasur and Shrungalav were killed before Draupadi swayamvar (And Shrungalav even before Rukmini's marriage). So clearly with that (apart from Geography and dynasty logic), Shrungalav is different from Paundrak if we compile various sources together (SB, MB and Harivansh with former 2 having reference of Paundrak and latter having reference of Shrungalav). Also it seems clear that Paundrak was there along with Krishna at a common public place and occasion and was also there part of Jarasandh's alliance army (As per SB) whereas Shrungalav impliedly or secretly supported Jarasandh in Gomantak by not giving shelter to Krishna in Karveerpur (Possibly never met Krishna before but may have heard about his charisma and influence over people). One can say that they had seen Krishna and people's fanism, faith and devotion for him at common public places and out of great jealousy, they initiated the same within their limited circle of countrymen (both Paundrak and Shrungalav did the same thing or followed the same psychology or behaviour of imitating Krishna).
Edited by ShivangBuch - 13 years ago
