Jaimineya Mahabharatha- Ashwamedhika Parva - Page 3

Vrish

@Vr15h

Viewbie

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

I'm surprised that Yudhisthir sent Bhima, rather than Arjun, to Dwarka to invite Ugrasena, Vasudev, et al. For one, Arjun was almost considered one of the Yadavas, thanks to his spending a good portion of his exile in Dwarka, and also, his marriage to Subhadra. Before the war, it was Arjun who had been sent by Yudhisthir to solicit Krishna's support, but this time, Yudhisthir sent Bhima instead?

I'd be interested to know what interactions, if any, Bhima had w/ Balarama. In the Vyasa MB, after Krishna had dissuaded Balarama from punishing Bhima for hitting Duryodhan on his thighs, Balarama noted that he'd always remember Duryodhan w/ pride, and be embarrassed about Bhima. Indeed, in MB, IIRC, no mention is made of Balarama's activities during the yagna - when Krishna visited Hastinapur and saved Parikshit, Balarama seemed conspicuous by his absence. I would guess that he bore a grudge against Bhima and therefore refused to have anything to do w/ the Pandavas.

Therefore, Bhima's interaction w/ Balarama would be interesting to read.

So Vrishaketu was given the duties of protecting the horse? Actually, in that case, Vrishaketu alone could have accompanied the horse, and if he was as able as Arjun (since the latter had trained him).

Forgot to ask you - does Jaimineya's work only have the Ashwamedhika parva, or do the next 4 parvas - Ashramavas parva, Mausala Parva and the rest also get included?

3

Reply

Quote

varaali

@varaali

IF-Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 12 years ago

KRISHNA'S LUNCH DESCRIBED ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

The Golden plate of the Lord had sixty four cups into which different preparations were poured.

First Mother Devaki served:

Payasa with sugar white like the moon

Rice - the colour of which was like Kumuda flower

Moong Dal

Three different kinds of rice dishes flavoured with ginger, lemon juice and fruits

Different kinds of vegetables

Chutneys spiced with black pepper, long pepper and ginger

Then Yashoda- yes- Yashoda is mentioned here- serves her son

Milk with sugar

Ghee with sugar

Other milk dishes

Then the Lord was served (most probably by his wives):

Puris

Mridvika ( a kind of red grapes), Simsupa (as pickles possibly)

Curries flavoured with black pepper, long pepper and cardamom

Rotis, round and looking like the moon, accompanied by

Honey and ghee in golden cups

Now comes the dessert

Sohalas,Puri Satachidra, Jalebis, Pupas along with Milk and curd

Mani, Sutra , Samgha, Malati and Kusuma

( These, I presume, are names of sweets- I am unable to find their modern day names)

The Lord was also eating (Jaimini notes)

Papad made of Pumpkin seeds and grams

Vadas- of nine different types- Plain, i.e fried in oil,

Soaked in curd (orginal dahi vada)

Mixed with the juice of Tamarind and raw mango

Soaked in grape juice

Soaked in mustard water or in Sugar

Mixed with asafoetida, cumin black pepper and ginger, etc

Pickles which had been prepared in pure mustard oil mixed with salt and kept in jars for a minimum of three years

Is any meal complete without sweets?

Kanakas (burfis, I think) shaped like diamonds containing coconut pieces and cloves

Phenikas made of milk ghee and sugar

Pedas

Modaka ,(several varieties)

Ladoos (Nine different types)

Then the digestives:

Cucumber,

Sweet neem

Cloves,

Fresh Kayaphala

Surana

Sindhuwara (orange)

Grapes

Jack fruit

Almond

Plantain

(Whew ! What a meal !!!!! Your comments please before I proceed further)

Edited by varaali - 12 years ago

4

Reply

Quote

Vrish

@Vr15h

Viewbie

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

Gee, wonder whether he ever had any cholesterol problems? Poor Bhima seems starved by contrast - no wonder that in DBSK, Krishna told Bhima that he looked famished 😆 Please tell me that Bhima joined him in this meal and had the lion's share, 😈😆 since Bhima definitely seemed to on average have a good workout in comparison to Krishna.

Also, wouldn't one have the sweets @ the end? I typically don't have any milk based sweets, and rarely have chutneys @ the end of a meal, but if someone asked me to have cucumbers or neem after having that, I'd be worse than a pre-teen w/ tantrums 😈

Rotis w/ honey? Ghee w/ sugar? 😲 Sounds pretty conspicuously like a Gujarati dish to me (I was struck by how many regular food items, like rice, were sweet during the few months that I lived in Baroda years ago)

3

Reply

Quote

varaali

@varaali

IF-Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 12 years ago

Originally posted by: .Vrish.
Also, wouldn't one have the sweets @ the end?

Serving / Eating sweets at the end is (I think) a western phenomenon. In a typical Indian feast, the first thing to be served is the Payasam / Kheer . I wonder if there are regional variations.

Amongst South Indians (Tamils- to be specific) a small quantity of Kheer / Payasam is dropped on the plate / banana leaf before being followed by other items. Of course greater quantity of the same is served later on

I typically don't have any milk based sweets, and rarely have chutneys @ the end of a meal, but if someone asked me to have cucumbers or neem after having that, I'd be worse than a pre-teen w/ tantrums 😈

I don't think chutneys came at the end of Krishna's meal. They were served right at the begining. Cucumbers, etc (look at the rest of the items) were supposed to be digestives. Some of the items are still used even today to prepare herbal concoctions.

Rotis w/ honey? Ghee w/ sugar? 😲 Sounds pretty conspicuously like a Gujarati dish to me (I was struck by how many regular food items, like rice, were sweet during the few months that I lived in Baroda years ago)

You 're saying this Vrish?😲 Even Bengalis like to sweeten everything. 😆 During my days in Kolkata, they could never fathom how we South Indians ate plain curd . It would always be Misti Doi for them. 😆

3

Reply

Quote

varaali

@varaali

IF-Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 12 years ago

While Krishna is having is meal, Bhima's arrival is announced. Krishna hastens to receive him and after embracing his cousin invites him to eat with him. Bhima formally presents Yudhishthira's invitation and immediately Krishna asks all the leading Yadavas, including his son Pradyumna and all the ladies of his household to start preparing for their journey to Hastinapur.

Krishna (perhaps sensing that Balarama might not be too keen to visit Hastinapur) suggests that he and Vasudeva should remain behind to safeguard Dwaraka.

At noon Krishna, mounted on a white horse came out of the city and pointed his whip towards the path of Hastinapur. Every body followed him. He was accompanied not only by his family members and kinsmen but even all the citizens of Dwaraka.

3

Reply

Quote

Vrish

@Vr15h

Viewbie

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

Did Bhima invite Ugrasena to Hastinapur as well, and did the latter attend? B'cos in KMG, it's mentioned that near Dwarka, some of the Yadavas did capture the horse, and Arjun got Vasudev & Ugrasena to intervene so that he didn't have to go to war w/ them.

One would have thought that Ugrasena's attendance would have been necessary to indicate Dwarka's acceptance of Yudhisthir's overlordship, even if Ugrasena was known to be more of a de-jure king, and that Krishna was the one who mattered.

3

Reply

Quote

varaali

@varaali

IF-Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 12 years ago

^^^^ Bhima must have presented the formal invitation to Ugrasena, but no, he is not mentioned as accompanying Krishna. It is Krishna who is the eldest in the party heading towards Hastinapur.

2

Reply

Quote

varaali

@varaali

IF-Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 12 years ago

As the Yadavas journey towards Hastinapuram, the common folk are thrilled to be able to see and interact with Krishna easily. A woman selling flowers comes and offers him a garland of rare and fragrant flowers, while another old lady comes with a jar of oil for Krishna so that he may be relieved from the pain caused by constantly being mounted on horseback. In each case Krishna, very graciously, gets down from his horse and accepts their offerings.

Bhima who is observing all this, cannot contain himself anymore. Bursting into laughter he says "Oh mighty armed Krishna, it appears to me that you are the only husband for all this womenfolk. The ladies whether making garlands, or carrying oils, barber women or messenger women - all regard you more than their own husbands." Bhima continues to laugh at his own joke.

Krishna, giving it back to Bhima, says " If you have virility enough, take all of them." Turning to an old toothless woman Krishna says "It appears that my brother Bhimasena is jealous of me. Oh beautiful woman, better you go to his house."

Bhima laughing even more uproariously answers "In my house there is a demoness wife who will expel her her out of the house - or worse eat her up. So it is better all the toothless women be your share. Your queens such as Rukmini have only you in their mind. Therefore there is no room for jealously among them. Jambhavanti and others too are free from malice. So please,- do one thing- take these women as well."

3

Reply

Quote

Vrish

@Vr15h

Viewbie

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

Why did Krishna ride a horse? Assuming that he had all his 16,108 wives and 161,080 sons w/ him, they could have come on more comfortable transport, such as chariots (w/ seats) or elephants.

Another thing - I know Balarama had his misgivings @ Bhima for the way Duryodhan was killed, but did he have any enmity w/ the rest of the Pandava clan? Even then, he could have gone to Hastinapur and stayed exclusively w/ Dhritarashtra & Gandhari.

Bhima's joke about Hidimbi driving them out - I thought that Hidimbi never lived w/ Bhima in either Indraprastha nor Hastinapur. Or else, she'd have prevented Draupadi from... oh, never mind! 😈

1

Reply

Quote

varaali

@varaali

IF-Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 12 years ago

My replies in Blue

Originally posted by: .Vrish.

Why did Krishna ride a horse? Assuming that he had all his 16,108 wives and 161,080 sons w/ him, they could have come on more comfortable transport, such as chariots (w/ seats) or elephants.

No idea. You see, I was not present there and it is slightly too late to ask Jaimini himself. 😛

Another thing - I know Balarama had his misgivings @ Bhima for the way Duryodhan was killed, but did he have any enmity w/ the rest of the Pandava clan? Even then, he could have gone to Hastinapur and stayed exclusively w/ Dhritarashtra & Gandhari.

Well, it not written explicitly that Balarama was cross with the rest of the Pandavas. Staying exclusively with D & G would not have been feasible. Yudhishthira would have felt offended, even rebuked and it would not have looked nice on Balarama's part either. Some tact is required when dealing with relations.

Bhima's joke about Hidimbi driving them out - I thought that Hidimbi never lived w/ Bhima in either Indraprastha nor Hastinapur. Or else, she'd have prevented Draupadi from... oh, never mind! 😈

That's what it exactly was - joke. Such interactions help us get an idea how the cousins interacted. Bhima never let Krishna forget that, as an elder brother he could pull Krishna's leg. Arjuna's behaviour towards Krishna, -as we will see later - was very deferential and respectful.

Edited by varaali - 12 years ago