The journey of Horse completed - Page 4

Originally posted by: Chandraketu

Rajnish

There are a bunch of questions here:

1. Pushkal was the younger son of Mandavi, so even if one assumes that Kush, Luv, and the older sons of LBS Chandraketu, Taksha and Subahu were born, they'd just have been 12. Nothing is said or known about the other 3 sisters having twins, so Pushkal must have been 10 or 9? The only way Pushkal can be the age shown is if Bharat and Shatrughan had their kids during Rama's vanvas. In that case, assuming Taksha was born say year 2 of vanvas and Pushkal year 4, Pushkal would have been ~22 at the time of this yagna, in which case he could have been married, and a commander. Still begs the question - how was Pushkal chosen for this assignment?

At the time of war lav was 16. Puskal might be around this age. At those time 16 age is considered legal for marriage and in this age princess were trained enough to be send to war. Abhimanyu, son of Arjun is best example for this. Don't know about others , they might be in the kingdom during yagna with bharat , lakshman e.t.c

And Puskal not choosen by anyone he himself took this responsibility After instructing Shatrughn when Raam said to his army - "See, My brother is going as the guard of this horse. Who will back him up? Who thinks himself worthy of this, take this betel leaf from my palm." Hearing this Bharat's son Pushkal picked that betel leaf and said - "I will back him up."

Originally posted by: Chandraketu

2. In all the accounts of Janak I've read, he and his brother are son-less, and unlike Dasharath, he never strove for any sons. Then how does he have a son here,

No king Janak has son(son's ) too. It is clearly mentioned in Vishnu puran chaturth ansa, there king Janak son name is given Bhanumaan. Might be Lakshminidhi is another son of Janak or son of other Janak. I want to mention here that Janak is not one i.e sita father but Janak is class of people( do not confuse here with class of people concept i had written for vyasha) Every rular of Vidheha kingdom is Known as janak This dynasty was founded by Nimi, a son Ikshwaku whose son mithi was founder of mithila and known as first Janak after him whoever ruled mithila were known as Janak. The most pupolar among them is Seeradhwaja - Father of Sita. Seeradhwaja after becoming king of mithila became Seeradhwaja Janak who is popularly known as king Janak. his son Bhanumaan then ascended the thrown and became Bhanumaan janak. so Janak is not one and possinility is there that Lakshminidhi is son of other Janak or another son of Seeradhwaja janak and brother of sita.

Originally posted by: Chandraketu

and why would he continue to act like a vassal of Rama despite Sita's exile? Sure, Rama did rajdharm for Ayodhya, but Mithila isn't obligated to continue to be a vassal of Ayodhya since the basis of this alliance - Sita being maharani - is no longer valid.

As lalitha di said Urmila, other doughter of Janak and Mandivi and Shrutkiriti doughter of Janak brother Kushadwaj is still reason for Mithila obligation towards ayodhya.

One other reason is Seeradhwaj Janak nature itself. King Janak as Promised Dashrath to be his friend and would be there with Ayoudhya in all its progreess and downfall he would follow it despite of the fact as her doughter had been banished. He is more near to truth and beyond the feeling of anger, hatred e.t.c as he had became Rajarshi (A Rajarshi is a king who turned into a sage, or rishi he still be ruling the kingdom but has reached a state of rishi and have attained self realization.) In bhagwat Gita , Krishna cites Seeradhwaj Janaka as an illustrious example of the Karma yogi.

Originally posted by: Chandraketu

3. In both the Valmiki and other accounts of the yagna, Rama's army (irrespective of who led it) went unchallenged throughout the yagna. In Valmiki, even Luv & Kush didn't accost it. In the other accounts, they did. But in this account of yours, just about everybody wants to stop/steal this horse.

Valmiki Account is somewhat different I admit, there is bunch of difference like in Valmiki Ramayan Lakshman went with the horse but here Satrughna.But there is no mentioning of What happened during the journey. If something is not mentioned then it is wrong to say it doesn't occurred at all. If say in some account the Virath incident is not given then its wrong to say the it don't occurred at all. In valmiki Ramayan the horse was set free and it wondered for 1 year and after that Lav and kush was mentioned visiting ayodhya and reciting Ramayana. No were it is mentioned that it went unchallenged

Originally posted by: Chandraketu

4. Pushkal actually gets killed during this expedition? (Even if he's revived later?) Also, what were the other brothers - Taksha, Chandraketu, Subahu, Angad et al doing?

Yes he was killed but Hanumaan revived him through Sanjeevni booti.

Originally posted by: Vibhishna

Thank you so much Ananya. The book I read just had the stories. Hence, I did not know the Puranas have Kandas. Thank you for the explanaitons too.

I searched and found another book. It was a brief account of the Padma Purana. I read the story of Luv Kush capturing the horse but nothing else was mentioned in it.

I was thinking that perhaps these stories were from a later Ashwamedha Yagna done by Ram, though it still does not clarify how Pushkal was chosen for the assignment. 😕

Pushkal got surprised to hear this, so as he got ready to shoot arrow that Lav shot an arrow and broke his bow, then he broke his chariot too. Then he shot another arrow and made Pushkal unconscious. Hanumaan lifted Pushkal and brought him to Shatrughn. Hanumaan himself went to fight with Lav and tied him with his tail. Seeing this Lav remembered his mother and hit Hanumaan's tail with his fist. At this Hanumaan freed Lav. Lav shot many arrows at Hanumaan and he fell down unconscious."

Shatrughn got worried hearing the news of Hanumaan's fall, and he himself came to the field. Seeing Lav, he thought, "surely he is the son of Raam".

So he asked the child - "Who are you who is felling all our soldiers? Who are your parents? You are very lucky, because you have got victory in this battle. I wish to know your name."

Lav said - "What you have to do with my name, family, father etc. If you are a brave soldier, then start fighting and take your horse."

And he started shooting thousands of arrows at Shatrughn. Shatrughn got very surprised to see so many arrows from a child's bow. Then Lav shot an arrow at his chest and he fell down unconscious in his chariot only.

Seeing Shatrughn unconscious, other soldiers proceeded towards Lav and started fighting with him, but Lav killed many, wounded many and pushed back many. In the meantime Shatrughn awoke and came to fight with him again. He took an arrow by which he killed Lavanaasur and shot it at Lav's chest. It made him unconscious. Seeing this Shatrughn thought to take him from the field. The Aashram children got very sad to see their friend in trouble, so they ran to Sita and said to Her - "Maa, Your son has kidnapped the horse of some king. When the army came to fight with him, he fought with bravery and killed many, but in the last he fell unconscious."

Sita said - "Oh, How cruel is that king who fights with a child. His mind has got polluted with ADharm. Tell me how he felled my child and where he will go now?"

Sita was talking to children like this, that Kush also came there and seeing his mother sad asked about the reason of being sad and Lav.

Sita said - "My son, Some king has caught Lav. He alone fought with the King's army, still he defeated it, but in the last that King made him unconscious and tied him. It is good that you have come in time, go and get him freed from the King."

Kush said - "Don't worry Maa, I am just go there and bring him back. Being unconscious in the battlefield is the sign of fame for a Kshatriya, and running away from there is the sign of being a coward."

Sita got very happy to hear Kush, She gave all kinds of weapons to him and blessed him for his victory. Kush came to the field where he saw Lav lying in the chariot tied, but he was awake. Seeing Kush coming Lav got courage, he freed himself from the chariot and came to the field to fight. Both started fighting. All soldiers started running away here and there.

Originally posted by: Rajnish_Kumar

Thanks ananya for explaining 👏
@ vibhision- you should refer to this link which contains Padm puran translation of Gita press, gorakhpur, The one I am refering-
http://www.geocities.com/hindupuraan/2padm/index.htm
In this site you would find other Puranas too but it is under construction and only few puranas is complete.

Originally posted by: ananyacool

You're Welcome, Rajnish

Thanks for the link 😳

All the sources on the lineage of Janakas do mention one 'Bhanuman' or Bhanumant as an immediate successor of SIradhwaj Janak, father of Sitaji, its strange that it goes unmentionedin Valmiki Ramayan 😕

The only mention of a Bhanuman or a Bhanumant in Valmiki is 1-13-26, and the person in question is the ruler of Kosala - the kingdom that Kaushalya-mata was from. This Kosala wasn't the same as Ayodhya - it was called Dakshin Kosala, and seems to be located in present day Chattisgarh.

I had actually read everywhere that Siridhwaj Janak only had his daughters and no sons. But would any ruler continue with a matrimonial alliance if the main symbol of that alliance - the queen of the allied country - was exiled? Was it implicit that he thought that UMS would be ill treated if Mithila broke its allegence to Ayodhya?

Another small annoyance I have, particularly with the serial, is how it keeps emphasizing Mandavi & Srutakirti as daughters of Siridhwaj, when they were actually daughters of Kushadhwaj, and from a different kingdom than Mithila.