#drupada

[sambhavami]

Hi,

I have been following your posts recently and loved the insights you offer.

Would really like to know your comments on these follow incidents

What was the relationship scenario btw Kuru and Panchala rivalry during the time of Drupad, there was Shikhandi aspiring to kill Bhishma, also parallely Drupad and Pandu were friends?

There is an interpretation of Ekalavya thumb incident, such that Dron did what he did because bitter relationship btw Kuru and magadh and nishada were there vasal, Mostly princes who belonged to kingdom that were in good ties with kuru studied in drona institute, but later we find Dury and co fighting with magadh and against Yadava, why do you think Pandavas didn't oppose that, as krishna sent akrur to support yudhishthir claim for throne, couldn't Pandavas not avoid kuru from aligning with Jarasandha as Yudhi was crown prince before varanvat

What's your opinion on krishna and Arjuna friendship, how did it start? What made Krishna like him ?

What do you think about Arjun accusation of being greedy when he made the half lie, although Krishna's intention behind the strategy was elimination of Drona was because of who ruthless the latter was turning into. What do you think about the psychology of Krishna, Yudhishthir, Arjun, Satyaki and Dhristadyumna towards this incident?

Did balaram being cousin to both Pandavas and Kauravas (Rohini) and Krishna being to only Pandavas affected their aligning

Thank you so much for the nice words and the lovely questions! <3

Kuru-Panchala were not fighting at that precise moment, when Drupada was king, primarily because everyone knew going up against Bheeshma was a bad idea. However, the enmity was still there, where Drupada kept Shikhandi [even after a 'divine' announcement that he'd kill Bheeshma] for the same reason that Bheeshma employed Drona [among other reasons]. A what-you-gonna-do-about-it, a kind of a non-violent escalation (especially after the Amba debacle where both parties considered themselves unfairly insulted). Also, I wouldn't call Drupada and Pandu friends, maybe they were civil in international settings, but they never would have set foot in each other's kingdom lest they set off a war. Also Pandu's death probably worsened their inter-kingdom situation, since neither Bheeshma nor Hotravahana (through Drupada) were ready to move on.

Actually, Kuru-Magadh relationships were downright cordial. Given Bheeshma and Jarasandha were, distant but still, cousins, they had an agreement: Magadh (Bihar-Chhattisgarh) will keep up the pressure on Panchala (Uttar Pradesh) alongside the Kurus (bits and pieces from Haryana to Bihar), and in return, Bheeshma will not get involved in any other expansionary efforts on King J's part (they even had agreed upon vassal turfs: this you can invade, this you can’t sort of). Personally, I think this is the reason why Bheeshma didn't intervene in Mathura etc. The Nishadas were not a single kingdom, but rather pockets of independent land that was not successfully colonized by the aryans. These communities then fought/allied with different kingdoms, as per their convenience. At this point, yes, Hiranyavarma and Ekalavya's tribe was allied with Jarasandha. In Drona's school, people from many places came, from Mathura, Anga, Magadh, and even Panchala. Neither Drona not Bheeshma had any issue with that. Hence, we can see that Ekalavya's case is purely one of caste-based discrimination since the hierarchy was that of {Devas > Brahmana > Kshatriya > Vaishya > Shoodra > Women of these castes > Nishadas (independent non-aryans) > Chandalas (hunters/butchers/cremation workers) Rakshasas (other tribes: mix of aryan/non-aryan) > Mlechhas (non-deva foreigners)}. We should remember that Drona was often accused of being a kshatropeta dvija (a brahmin pretending to be a kshatriya) due to his affinity for war and weaponry. Hence, he took special care to double down farther on other areas of caste-rigidity (maybe even to prove to himself that he is a true brahmin and therefore worthy of that respect). Drona refused Ekalavya because of this. What Drona did to his thumb was a different case. Many people blame Arjuna too, but I would differ on the grounds that Arjuna was still a child, and Drona, as the adult, had a greater responsibility which he grossly neglected. All Arjuna wanted was to learn the tricks (maybe from Ekalavya, with Drona’s approval), but his point came out wrong, and more accusatory than he had hoped. Also, seeing Ekalavya’s superior skill and fearing Bheeshma’s disappointment in him, Drona handicaps him. Even then, even four-fingered, Ekalavya became literally the stuff of Krishna’s nightmares (by his own admission too)! Since Jarasandha didn’t respect Krishna as an equal (since he was raised a cowherd), he earmarked Ekalavya-the-nishada, to finish off Krishna-the-aahira-gopa. On King J’s instruction, Ekalavya chased Krishna around the entire subcontinent, until finally Balarama was able to kill/chase him off to the Maldives. Even on the even of Kurukshetra, we see Krishna heave a sigh of relief because Ekalavya’s not there on the other side to exact his revenge on Arjuna. (b) When Duryodhana fights alongside Jarasandha, along with (in his generation) Karna, Shishupala, Dantavakra, Shalva, Jayadratha and Rukmi, he takes only a smaller portion of the army that is specifically allotted to him and his brothers. We see a similar arrangement in Dwarika, where none of Satyaki, Krishna or Kritavarma have to seek permission from their parliament before embarking on the war of Kurukshetra in any capacity, specifically because they only took ‘their’ portions of the army. It’s this same reason that the Pandavas have no say in what battles the Dhaartarashtras fight (so long as they’re not involving the entire army). Basically, the Pandavas (except Yudhishthira) all had their own ‘start-up’ conquests, while the Kauravas were basically all doing battle internships under the guidance of Jarasandha, Paundraka, Naraka, Shalva, Srigala etc. Also, Krishna didn’t send Akroora to support the Pandavas just then. Akroora was instructed only to reestablish a thread of communication with Kunti and her sons (on a personal capacity), and gather as much information about their situation as possible. Krishna didn’t lend his explicit support until Draupadi’s swayamvara, and Yadavas as a whole remained neutral throughout.

On Krishna and Arjuna’s friendship I’ve written in length before, so I am not going into it in much detail here. You can find most of those posts here: (x). The start of Krishna’s interest in Arjuna (and his brothers) starts one night when a semi-drunk Vasudeva calls Krishna and Balarama to his room and sobs into their arms about how much of a failure of a brother he was- given he could do nothing for Kunti when she was sent away by their father (she was 11, he was 7, no one but Vasudeva blames Vasudeva), or that he couldn’t provide shelter for her kids when her husband died and they were mistreated by Dhritarashtra (he was literally being held captive, again, no one blames him but him). Krishna is deeply moved by this confession of his father, and promises that he will be there for the Pandavas hereafter, no matter what (that he will “subjugate the world and put it at his auntie Pritha’s feet”). Very soon after this only, he sends off Akroora on priority and deploys an elaborate network of spies to start tracking them (this, and his subsequent close ties with Vidura and Vyasa, is how he already knows that they didn’t die in Varanavat and that Vyasa is herding them off to Panchala to get married). What attracted Krishna to Arjuna specifically, is a mixture of things: (a) Arjuna looks exactly like him, (b) he is also an introvert (believe it or not, Krishna is too, at least with people he doesn’t really know very well, and actually Arjuna is so quiet that he makes Krishna look like an extrovert), (c) they both (and the other brothers too) grew up with a relatively simple lifestyle, as opposed to either of their cousins, (d) they were both passionate archers, (e) Arjuna’s only sixish-months younger than him (and yet Krishna makes him touch his feet at every opportunity he gets), and they can relate to each other very well, and lastly (f) Arjuna is near-equally intelligent, and he really gets Krishna, and can follow his logic two/three/four jumps later as well, no matter what topic they might be talking about (his suitability for listening to and understanding Geeta in about 1.5/2-ish hours, basically as soon as Krishna says the words out loud).

Drona’s elimination was a matter of strategy, yes. Arjuna’s case is that for him, in the absence of his father (and the discouragement from Bheeshma), his entire father-worthy love had become concentrated on his flawed guru. He latches on to Drona in the same way as Yudhishthira does to Dhritarashtra. He had already forgiven all indiscretions, partiality, intentional sabotage- every such act that Drona had committed against him, and Arjuna still loved him like a father. It is therefore no surprise that he had also forgiven Drona for supporting the Kauravas and fighting tooth-and-nail on their behalf. The true reason why Arjuna couldn’t defeat Drona conclusively was not because Drona was better than him, but rather because from that very first moment, when Drona had pulled out their ball and his ring from a well with a trick of archery, before a 10/11 years old Arjuna, he pretty much worshipped the ground that Drona walked on- believing him to be, in the fatherly sense too, an infallible and  immovable rock. Hence, when Krishna suggests his trick, Arjuna, knowing Drona and Yudhishthira both, knew this would work. Krishna, in fact has to threaten to drive back (since it was nearabout a split-second decision on the battlefield) and leave him tied up in the tents if he didn’t get with the plan (Arjuna threatened that when Yudhishthira lied, he would just scream over his brother and broadcast the plan). Krishna has to simultaneously convince both Yudhishthira and Arjuna of the suitability (as you mentioned, the rapidly rising casualty figure) of this lie. Bheema, Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki are in favour, but they all still sort of afraid of Arjuna, because they know when it comes to Drona, Arjuna is not playing around. Finally, they lie and Drona basically k*lls himself, Dhrishtadyumna then severs his head (basically he desecrated his corpse, more out of a mechanical fulfilment of his proclaimed destiny than out of revenge for his father), and it is now that Arjuna actually loses it, and he lunges for Dhrishtadyumna. Arjuna would have legit murdered the guy with his bare hands right then if Bheema and Krishna hadn’t gotten in the middle (imagine, it took two of them to restrain Arjuna at that moment)! Later, at night, Ashwatthama says, frustrated with the Kauravas’ and Karna’s comabative and excusatory attitude, “No one but Arjuna is truly experiencing what I am, tonight.” And really, Arjuna, when he returns to the tent, he refuses to speak to even Krishna, or anyone else. I think he never even looks at Dhrishtadyumna again, as in his mind, somehow, Pandu and Drona having gotten mushed together, it's almost as if Dhrishtadyumna has murdered Pandu himself anew. Ashwatthama wants to go and grieve with Arjuna (maybe it would have averted all the mess later), but his attitude is more along the lines of, “How can I show him my face after the side that I’ve taken.” And this unfortunately gives Kauravas plenty of time to shift the narrative in his head wherein by the next couple of days, he fully believes that the Pandavas and Panchalas are the only ones to be blamed for his father’s death and not his lifelong Kaurava-association and their collective silence in the dyuta-sabha. For Yudhishthira, we know that story (most probably metaphorical), of how his chariot touches the ground post this lie. However, it was, in my opinion, not because of the lie, because even according to Yudhishthira’s own definition of dharma, it was the right thing to do, in order to save his sharanagata (under his refuge) soldiers’ lives. I believe, the chariot thing is in fact a manifestation of his own guilt, bubbling out of the love and respect that Yudhishthira has for his guru too (though nowhere near Arjuna’s level).

Yes, the two-way relationship (twice over, that too), is what kept Balarama neutral. Since Rohini is from the original 'biological' Kaurava lineage, Balarama doesn't think it approprieate for them to get involved in any havoc that the adopted ones wreak in Hastinapura.

[jacobpking]

The project keeps on. it’ll be my biggest artwork by far when it’s done

Up next is the intelligent commander in chief who leads from the front and takes no prisoners!

[friend-shaped-but]

[devahutii]

Inherited

King dhrupada's children

Knew not of play nor of rest;

All they knew was of rage.

They bore fury

upon their foreheads,

As if it were a family crest.

Their blood seethed,

It boiled with wrath,

Just as their father's.

Fire blazed through their veins,

Through their lungs and brain,

For they were born of it.

Indignation had been embossed

Upon their chests;

Burning through flesh and bone,

Enshrined within their marrow.

King dhrupada's children

Knew not of play nor of rest;

All they knew was of rage.

[h0bg0blin-meat]

Yall missin out on the fanfic potential Drona and Drupad's relationship has.

[oekakidogarchive]

You got your pieces by Drupada

[theramblergal]

The other sons mentioned in option 2 are called: Kumara, Vrika, Panchalya, Suratha, Shatrunjaya and Janmejaya - for anyone interested.

I personally lean to the first option, but then everyone's ideas vary.

[gaurish-akki-studio]

ಸಾವಿನ ಕೊನೆಕ್ಷಣದಲ್ಲೂ ಶತ್ರುಗಳ ಬೆವರಿಳಿಸಿದ ದ್ರೋಣರು!? | The Secrets of Mahabharata|

Dive deeper into the untold drama of Dronacharya’s fall in the Mahabharata—one of the epic’s most pivotal and psychologically charged moments. In this video, we peel back the layers of dharma, destiny, and the mind’s inner battlefield, exploring how a master warrior confronted not just arrows, but the weight of duty and divine intervention.

🔍 What you’ll discover:

The strategic mind games that led to Drona’s undoing

The cosmic laws of karma and free will at work

How the clash between personal honor and greater good shaped an age-old legend

Feeling intrigued by how a single moment can alter the course of history? Curious about the moral dilemmas that still resonate in today’s world? Join us for an immersive journey into the Secrets of the Mahabharata, where every decision carries the power to reshape fate itself.

🎬 Don’t miss out—hit Play now, subscribe for more deep dives, and share your thoughts in the comments below!

[friend-shaped-but]

I feel like they try to make drupad cruel to paint Drona in a better light. They take the "I can't be friends with you bcos you're POOR" incident be the whole thesis of Drupad's character.

Of course, Drona isn't a saint, and Drupad isn't satan incarnate like starbharat thinks, but that warrants a whole other post. Right now, I want to get into the specific episode you're talking about.

I LOVE that they made ARJUN the sexy lamp, the philosophical one, the mama's boy, the- (what starbharat made him outnumbers his actual names and also the previous sentence was all sarcastic. He has so much main character energy and NOT in a good way.)

Honestly, with Kunti's speech in that episode, I wanted there to be a difference of opinion between the pandavas. Let them have a Dialogue on doing what's Comfortable vs doing what is Right. It is actually one of the FEW moments where I sympathise with this serial's iteration of Kunti. She has an ADORABLE baby face which sometimes works for getting me to like her a little bit. But wise, shrewd, matriarch, strong Kunti isn't seen here, which is something I prefer. Also I cannot get over the ageism of starbharat in casting someone younger than the pandava actors to play Kunti. Like none of the women in the older gen are actually old like WTF bro.

But no, we gotta do the brotherly highfive tunnel digging sequences which gives us (mostly) ripped men covered in dirt. The two wolves inside me begin fighting at around this moment and do not stop until we get to slightly dilfy drupad and fem shikhandi.

@preyasi this is reminding me of your bheeshma video.

I wanted starbharat to do a very bold thing and show the pandavas chill and comfortable in the forest while they are uncomfortable in the palace. But ig that's too much to hope for.

NOW, coming to my favourite part: Drupad(And also why my pfp is Asshole Starbharat Drupad and not Good Dad BRC Drupad)

First of all, in my opinion, Starbharat doesn't take into account that all of the major families(Especially Panchal, Drupad was boutta make the homemade fucking kauravas with how many sons he had) in the epic are really complex joint families. Same with the yadavas, don't really show anyone except for the main 3 siblings(SATYAKI IS NOT THERE. KRISHNA'S OTHER WIVES ARE NOT THERE) and wtf was going on with rukmini being reduced to a 2d crybaby??? (I love the rukmini haran episode tho for the krishnarjun moments and it is so terrible it makes my day better with how camp it is if my day has been especially terrible)

Second of all, WHERE IS MY BOY SATYAJIT??? WHERE ARE MY TALENTED BABIES YUDHAMANYU AND UTTAMAUJAS?? WHERE ARE MY DARLING KUMARA-PANCHALYA?? WHERE ARE HIS KIDS YOU COWARD STARBHARAT?? (they are alone enough to squash the "Drupad can't have sons" thing he has going on)

Third of all, I hate what they have done to shikhandi. I do Not Like It. As the resident shikhandi obsessed person on this website(can be corroborated by many ppl who knew me b4 I started this blog) but that is again, a separate post where I rank all shikhandis across all adaptations and it's a Big Thing. anyways, back to this post.

this is why I loved workshopping and writing Drupad. Yes, he is a selfish, territorial asshole, he is awkward and cannot understand his kids despite being responsible for the messiness of his family, but he is also a deeply flawed character. my pfp is starbharat drupad because he looks exactly like I imagined him as a kid and also because looking at him every day fills me with a visceral anger what star plus did to him and my desire to make him a proper 3-dimensional character. He hate-motivates me.

But yes I love the banter between the pandavas when they sit down to eat. I just- it's one of the things this adaptation does well. Although I did NOT like the random south american fruits showing up.

OOPS- sorry for the long post

Re-watching Mahabharat (8/?)

Guess who has returned. Anyways, to refresh y'all's memories, this starts after the episode where Arjun discovers that the building is made of lac. So basically lakshagriha timeeee

NAURRR MOMMY DEAREST IS ABOUT TO EAT POISONED KHEER

Someone pls tell me if these ppl only eat kheer and sweets. pls. I hate sweets, ughhh.

LOL Kunti is about to eat poisoned kheer, and the cameraman is busy giving a sexy shot of Arjun. Priorities.

Yudi bro dropping the bomb, while Kunti gasps in surprise. Like really? Y'all are surprised? this is the same person who poisoned lil Bhima.

BBG Nakul complaining to Mommy how his pet died. uwu.

These kids really arent letting Mommy Kunti process the news, eh?

Kunti: *is confused and scared*. meanwhile Arjun: *proceeds to be sexy.*

Bhishma is also showing that smolder. Dude, your grandsons are about to die, ffs.

I see. Arjun hasn't entered his "i can't kill my relatives" phase yet.

LOL Kunti, won't it be better to have Duryodhan's crimes out in the public so that the court can literally remove him out of the line of succession or smth, instead of just asking your sons to give their right on the throne? Krishna is prolly banging his head in Dvaraka rn.

Kunti is not wrong. Dhritrashtra is really bad uncle. And in canon, he was a bad father too. He had an affair with a maid for a year because Gandhari couldn't physically intimate with him due to her pregnancy. That's how Yuyutsu was born. It wasn't a one time thing.

Is Arjun the only kid who can have heart-to-heart convos with his elders?

#seddramaticeffects

Another Krishna flashback, yayyyy

Arjun: idk what to doooo oh godddd. Le the God: here, have a flashback bestie!

If I had a coin for each time Arjun says "Mata saraswati" then I would have 3 coins, which is not too much, but well-

Arjun: i have to sacrifice myselfffff

Not the Pandavas playing passing the parcel with Kunti XDD

Y'all, he won't die. He is Arjun. He won't die till Krishna wants him to die which is never.

If I had a coin for each time Arjun says "Jyesth Bhrata jaiye-"

See what you have done Dhritrashtra. My poor Pandavas are now doing majdoori.

Kunti really wants to become tandoori kabab, doesn't she?

Everytime Gandivadhari Arjun plays, I'm reminded how he doesn't have the gandiva yet.

Bhishma: *moans sadly*

This scene with the praja of Hastinapur is both emotional and extremely funny at the same time for me.

Stop moping, Karna. You chose mitrata over humanity.

Karna is that friend who is equally into the bs the rest of the group does, but still has the gall to act as if he is disgusted.

Kripacharya(?) dropping the scroll as if it is the sindoor ki thali from Ekta Kapoor's daily soaps.

Bhishma, after finding out that the Pandavas are alive: me happy :>

Krishna going on a beach date with Rukmini AWWWWW

Okay but Drupad wasn't this huge of a POS in canon. Why is he downright cruel

Also you are so sexist, Drupad. It's YOUR chromosomes which didn't allow you to have a son.

erm...Daksh Prajapati had SONS too...BUT THE POINT IS NICE!

Poor Droupadi is already Drupad's unwanted kid, isn't she?

Bhima's personality is just eating and yelling at ppl out of anger. OH GOD.

Not Kunti crying over the food. Ma'am, the quantity is def enough for all of your sons. Also, they have eaten this type of food for 75% of their lives.

SERVE YOURSELF FOOD YOURSELF, ARJUN-

Bhima embodying "Dil to baccha hai ji"

Drou and Dhri about to be born yayyyyy

[yumjum414]

Stillness in his Power

Duryodhana’s pov

He had thought it was a game.

Gurukul had made warriors of them, yes, but not men. Not yet. It had taught them forms and stances, respect and rivalry. It had forged bonds and bruises both. But now, Drona had called in his price

Bring me Drupad, Drona had said, voice quiet as stone. And lay him at my feet.

Duryodhana had gone first, proud and full of heat. He had taken his brothers with him- ninety-nine strong, well-trained, carrying the legacy of a kingdom.

And still, they had failed.

The Panchala forces had scattered them like dust. Drupada himself had not even drawn his sword. The Kauravas had come back beaten and limping, their pride cracked open like a fruit, and now stood on the ridges of the battlefield, watching the second half of this farce unfold.

And yet, what emerged from the Pandava camp was not a warband. It was a storm.

Duryodhana watched from the edge of the battlefield. Armor dented. Lips split, with blood drying on his neck.

Five brothers. That was all.

No army. No fanfare. No backup.

Yudhishthira walked at the front, calm as dusk. He carried no weapon that could inspire fear, just a spear and the weight of a crown not yet placed on his brow. He didn’t look like a warrior. He looked like a man who would speak before killing you.

Bhima beside him, massive, breathing like an ox before the charge, iron mace slung over his shoulder like it weighed nothing. His steps cracked stones and bones of those who dared to stop him.

The twins moved like dancers, too fast and too graceful to be trusted. Sahadeva’s eyes were cold, calculating; Nakula smiled like he was already writing this battle into legend.

And at the center, between them all, was Arjuna.

Arjuna, freshly out of gurukul, with no dust on his boots, no scars yet weathered deep. The boy with the clearest eyes Duryodhana had ever seen.

There was something strange about him, even now. His presence didn’t demand attention, it drew it. Quietly. Like gravity. Like the way still water dares you to disturb it.

Then the Panchala archers fired.

And Arjuna moved. He did not duck. He did not flinch. He stepped through the hail of arrows as if walking through a dream, fingers a blur on the string of his bow.

The arrows he returned were not just fast: they were exact. One bent the arc of an incoming shot midair. Another snapped the shaft of a spear mid-throw. A third struck the mouth of a war-horn before the sound could rise.

Duryodhana blinked. No wasted movement. No errant gestures. Every draw, every shot, every breath flowed into the next like a river that had learned the battlefield’s shape.

And then Arjuna ran.

Gods, he ran like the wind had chosen a body.

He didn’t march into formations; he slid through them. Turned side-on to narrow his profile, loosed shots without looking, twisted low to avoid blade and axe, then sprang up, letting arrows fly in pairs. Always circling. Always flowing.

The Panchala lines fell apart not from fear- but from the realization that nothing they tried mattered.

They couldn't touch him.

Bhima smashed the front line open with terrifying ease. Nakula and Sahadeva struck like fangs on either flank. Yudhishthira offered no mercy, but no cruelty either- he moved with the justice of a mountain.

But Arjuna? He turned the tide.

And when finally, the Panchala troops broke, leaving their king exposed, Arjuna strode toward Drupad with the calm of someone who had been there before, even if this was his first true battle.

Duryodhana leaned forward, blood still ringing in his ears.

Finish him, he thought. Make it humiliating. Let him crawl. Let him beg like he made us beg.

Drupad was on his knees now- his crown lost, cheek split, armor unfastened and scorched. Arjuna stood before him like he’d only just stepped into the field, unbothered by blood or dust or the hundred men he’d dropped like a summer storm snapping trees.

Duryodhana’s fists clenched at his sides. If there will be one thing that stands after my defeat, he thought, it will be the Kuru honor standing tall over theirs. Make him beg. Drag him across the field to our Guru’s feet.

But Arjuna didn’t sneer. Didn’t gloat. He didn’t even raise his voice.

He joined his hands into a greeting- a clean, crisp warrior’s introduction, as if Drupad didn’t already know his name. Not to show submission, but to mark the gravity of the moment.

As if to say: I have defeated you. Yet you remain a king. And I will not become less by forgetting that.

It was unbearable.

Duryodhana ground his teeth, rage and confusion twisting inside him. Why do you fight like that? Why do you win like that? What are you trying to prove-  to him? To Drona? To me?

Drupad rose slowly, gripping Arjuna’s forearm. His face was hard, unreadable. But his nod… it was not one given to a child.

Duryodhana’s jaw tightened. The wind blew hot across the battlefield, stirring the broken banners of his side. The third Pandava had just won their guru’s vengeance. Yet somehow, he still looked like he was offering mercy.

Stillness and steel, in a single breath.

Drona watched with pride in his eyes. Duryodhana turned away.

There was nothing left to watch.

That day had never left him.

Not the humiliation. Not the sight of Drupad bowing his head- not to Drona, but to Arjuna.

Not the way the younger boy had stood, calm and infuriating, like he could afford to be merciful.

Duryodhana remembered the sting of his broken pride every time he saw him now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here he was again.

The courtyard of Indraprastha shimmered under the afternoon sun. Soldiers moved in loose formations, leather sandals scraping against packed earth, as training dummies spun on iron pivots. The clatter of wooden swords rang like drumbeats.

Yet over it all, the air hummed with the presence of one man.

Arjuna.

Older now, broader at the shoulders, the elegant lines of youth hardened into something leaner, quieter. His hair had grown long again, streaked with silver, tied back in a looped knot. A thin scar split his left brow, fading into the curve of his cheekbone. His gaze, still that amber-gold, seemed even harder to meet now, not because it burned, but because it saw.

Duryodhana watched from beneath the stone pavilion, arms folded, shadowed by his own guards. He had come under the pretense of reviewing the soldiers, because at the end of the day, Indraprastha will always be a part of Hastinapur.

But he had come to see him.

Arjuna stood in the middle of a circle of recruits. His sandals were dusty, his training staff resting loosely in one hand. The soldiers surrounded him like orbiting moons. And like gravity, he held them without force.

“You flinch before the strike,” Arjuna said, pointing at one of the younger men with the tip of his staff. “That is not cowardice. Its calculation born of fear. But you cannot calculate what you do not see. Watch the shoulders. The breath. Every weapon speaks before it sings.”

The recruit swallowed and nodded, wide-eyed.

Duryodhana's fingers twitched. Same tone. Same cursed calm. Not a hint of performance. Arjuna had never raised his voice to claim authority. He didn't need to. People listened because he was precise. Because he never postured. Because he had never learned how to lose.

The training resumed. Three soldiers lunged at once. Arjuna turned, pivoted. He ducked under one staff, caught another with his forearm, let the third scrape harmlessly against his shoulder as he twisted into a clean sweep. One down. Two more. He moved like water bending around rocks. Unhurried. Exact.

Not a single soldier landed a blow.

Duryodhana’s jaw clenched. How many men had he fought alongside who blustered, shouted, roared like beasts to mask uncertainty? And this one- this maddening, silent bastard- made dominance look effortless.

A veteran captain, older than most, lunged suddenly, perhaps hoping to test the legend. Arjuna met his charge. Their staffs cracked together once. Twice. Then a blur- too fast to follow- and Arjuna disarmed him with a twist that spun the man halfway around before he caught his footing.

No smile. No mockery. Just a quiet, “Good.”

The captain nodded, chest heaving. He bowed, not with embarrassment, but with respect.

Duryodhana could feel it again. That knot in his chest. That same feeling from the field of Panchala. Of watching himself be forgotten while he- the third-born, the quiet one- redefined the terms of victory.

Across the yard, Arjuna’s eyes lifted and met his own.

A nod and a bow. Just a calm acknowledgment. The kind given from one equal to another. Or worse, from someone who had forgotten why they were ever enemies.

That stung more than any insult.

Duryodhana turned on his heel, the hem of his silks brushing the dust. He didn’t stop walking until the sounds of the courtyard faded behind him: until the ring of staffs on wood, the thud of boots against packed earth, and the quiet, rapt voices of soldiers faded into the hush of palace corridors.

His pulse didn’t slow.

The knot in his chest stayed where it was, old and familiar, like a stone lodged beneath the skin.

Third-born. Quiet one. Beloved of the Gods.

It should have been Yudhishthira he hated. The crown-chaser. The one whose throne clawed at Duryodhana’s future. It should have been Bhima- the brute who mocked him openly, who made no secret of his disdain. But it was always him. Always him.

Arjuna.

Because Arjuna didn’t hate him. Not openly. Not loudly. Not like the others.

And that was worse.

Because when Arjuna fought him, it wasn’t personal.

When Arjuna defeated him, it wasn’t about him.

He walked like a storm that forgot to name the villages it drowned.

And what do you do, Duryodhana thought, when the one thing you cannot defeat... refuses to see you as an enemy?

Now, in this new Indraprastha with its marble courtyards and its silver-plated gates, Duryodhana watched the world shifting around Arjuna, gravitating toward him again. Still. Even now.

A warrior with no crown. Yet every man followed him as if he bore the seal of the gods on his brow.

What power was that?

Duryodhana paused in the shadowed hallway, one hand resting on a carved pillar. The air was cool here, scented with jasmine and sandalwood, but it did little to soothe him.

Was it charisma? Luck? Magic?

Or was it that Arjuna had never needed to declare himself to be great?

He simply was. A quiet, lethal certainty.

And that was power.

Note: Hey hey! Still alive, I promise- college just has me in a chokehold right now. 😅 Wrote this little piece to clear my head, just a quick one. Let me know if you spot any mistakes! Also, where is the option for underline in Tumblr??? My mind is swimming in coffee and so is my common sense I'm afraid.

[sambhavami]

Women in Mahabharata - Prishati

Her real name is unfortunately not recorded in the epic. She is conventionally referred to as Prishati, though her marital name can also be written as Draupadini/Paarshatini.

When Shikhandi is born as a girl to her, she lies to the public, with only her husband in confidence, that she has given birth to a boy. She hides the secret all the way up until it comes out, rather dramatically, after Shikhandi is married to the princess of Dasarna.

She is late to the alter of the yajna that Drupada performs in order to get a son that would slay Drona, and the twins Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi 'pop out of the fire' itself. She requests Yaja, the ritwika of the yajna, to issue a mandate that the twins must address her as their mother thereafter.

She also has other sons such as Satyajita, Uttamauja, Yudhamanyu etc.

[jacobpking]

Guy with the worst epithet (morally) I've ever heard. It made designing him So much better though

[friend-shaped-but]

Pride Art Series: Drupad

Shoutout to the man who was in a situationship before they even existed. Buddy, there is no straight explanation for half of what you do.

[pandavapanchaliweek]

Day 1: Yudhishthira and Draupadi

To the Samrat and Samrajni!

The eldest son of Pandu and the youngest daughter of Drupada are a formidable couple, being the rulers of Indraprastha, and later Hastinapura. Their relationship is also one of the most fraught, with mistakes and betrayals, but also with trust and faith. They are the balance to each other's temperament.

What about this couple intrigues you? How does Draupadi work with her first husband? How does she manage to forgive him for his wrongs against her? Does she? How do they rule a kingdom together? How does their relationship develop through the long years of their marriage?

Day 1 of the event is here! I'm so excited to see what everyone has. Let's celebrate our lovely darlings.

[evolvingmonkey]

Shikhandi: The Gender-Defying Hero of the Mahabharata

Hindu philosophy holds a simple yet profound belief: within each person resides an everlasting atman (spirit or soul) that exists independently from the physical body, surpassing characteristics such as race, gender, and sexual orientation. Stemming from a common divine origin, every atman forms a spiritual kinship, deserving of love, reverence, and fair treatment.

In the epic Mahabharata, there is a captivating tale that revolves around Bhishma's commitment to celibacy, which leads to a grand swayamvara (a ceremony or event where a bride chooses her husband from a gathering of suitors). This ceremony is where Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika are given the opportunity to choose their life partners. However, Bhishma's interference in Amba's love life sets off a series of events that ultimately culminate in her tragic destiny.

Amba's heartbreak is twofold - first, her intended husband Shalva rejects her, and then Bhishma, bound by his vow of celibacy, refuses to marry her. This leaves Amba in a state of despair, fueling her desire for revenge against Bhishma. Determined to seek justice, she pleads to the mighty god Shiva for assistance in her quest to end Bhishma's life. Miraculously, Shiva grants her wish, but tragically, Amba chooses to take her own life to expedite her ultimate goal.

There are various versions of the next part of the tale. According to certain narratives, Amba is born as the daughter of King Drupada. Upon learning from Shiva that she will eventually undergo a transformation into a man, Drupada names her Shikhandi and raises her as a boy. In this particular version, a formidable entity residing in the forest indeed bestows upon her the transformation into a man. However, in alternative accounts, Shikhandi is born as a male but develops a trans-identity due to Shiva granting them the ability to recollect their previous life.

As the Mahabharata unfolds, Shikhandi emerges as a formidable warrior who defies societal expectations of gender. Their participation in the battle of Kurukshetra serves as a powerful symbol of authenticity, challenging the conventional gender roles imposed on individuals. Shikhandi's strength goes beyond mere physical abilities; it stands as a testament to the immense power that comes from embracing one's true identity.

Shikhandi's character is truly captivating because of their personal quest for self-discovery. They challenge societal expectations of gender and proudly embrace a non-binary identity. This exploration of identity is a key theme, showcasing the intricate and ever-changing nature of being human.

As we come to the end of our journey through Shikhandi's story in the Mahabharata, we honor a figure whose legacy surpasses time, defies conventions, and forever marks the intricate fabric of mythology. Shikhandi, the ageless fighter, still instills bravery and self-exploration in the souls of those who come across their legend.

[gitaiskcon]

Duryodhana Describes the Battlefield Situation to Dronacharya Duryodhana said, "O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pāṇḍu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple the son of Drupada. Here in this army are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhīma and Arjuna: great fighters like Yuyudhāna, Virāṭa and Drupada.There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhṛṣṭaketu, Cekitāna, Kāśirāja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Śaibya. There are the mighty Yudhāmanyu, the very powerful Uttamaujā, the son of Subhadrā and the sons of Draupadī. All these warriors are great chariot fighters. But for your information, O best of the brāhmaṇas, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force. There are personalities like you, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa and the son of Somadatta called Bhūriśravā, who are always victorious in battle. There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science. Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhīṣma, whereas the strength of the Pāṇḍavas, carefully protected by Bhīma, is limited. All of you must now give full support to Grandfather Bhīṣma, as you stand at your respective strategic points of entrance into the phalanx of the army #gita #bhagavadgita #gitaiskcon #krishna #devotion #bhakti #iskcon #vaishnav