#Sundaralekhan

[bishh-kanya]

Sundaralekhan Day -1

۞Kali maa

ॐ क्रीं क्रीं क्रीं हूं हूं ह्रीं ह्रीं दक्षिणे कालिके क्रीं क्रीं हूं हूं ह्रीं ह्रीं स्वाहा।

Kali (/ˈkɑːliː/; Sanskrit: काली, IAST: Kālī), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali and Kalika (Sanskrit: कालिका), is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time and change. She is considered as a ferocious form of goddess Durga[a], the supreme of all powers, or the ultimate reality. Kali's earliest appearance is when she emerged from Shiva. She is the ultimate manifestation of Shakti and the mother of all living beings. The goddess destroys evil in order to protect the innocent.

Kali maa has always been an idol to me , she is the memory of my childhood i have grown with , from having most fun during kali puja and always admiring her fierce form , i would like to be as fierce as her and destroy anything that exploits anyone , i have always found eternal joy and bliss, when i look at the idols during Kali Puja and when i look at maa's eyes i feel like crying, she is so beautiful, she just makes me feel so comfortable and at home.

•|जय माँ काली|•

[ramayantika]

Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum

Praise Krishna, the Guru of the Universe

Whenever, whoever understands you completely from every angle and every perspective, that day will be a golden day not only for Aaryavarta but for the entire world.’

~Yugandhar

When we hear the word Krishna, we see the lanes of Gokul and Vrindavan teeming with children and milkmaids with a beautiful boy wearing a peacock feather on his head. We see him being Yashoda's darling and the dark beloved of the Gopis.

Through centuries, we have been passed down with bhakti poetry and folk tales talking about the lover, the son and the friend, the Krishna from Vrindavan and Gokul. Seldom do we talk about the philosopher, the guide and the Guru, the Krishna of Dwarka, the Vishwaroopa from Kurukshetra who teaches Dharma whose teachings still teach us a lot in our present scenarios of life.

May his Song guide you through the river of Life.

May his Sudarshan chakra remind you of Dharma.

May his flute remind you of love and happiness that still exists in this world.

Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum 🙏

Sundaralekhan Day-1 (I forgot to add this 🤦‍♀️)

[khudrang]

Mirabai and Krishna

(click for better resolution)

Hark! The Dark One speaks of his most beloved:

O Meera! The bounty of love, the chalice of desire,

Why, pray, do you beg for the nectar from my lips?

Your words, through the centuries, have carried more nectar

Than could ever suffice inside this humble cowherd

Why then, must you await my footsteps

When your strains have brought milllions of them to my threshold?

O Devotee! Some may call you deranged, mistake your courtship for madness

But who else would give up the body adorned with jewels

Sitting on a throne, but the wisest of all?

Know this, Dear One,

that love that you wait on

the one needed to unfurl yourself,

is ever-present

sometimes beside you, sometimes inside you.

-destiny

edit and poem by me

(text at the bottom right reads:

mere toh giridhar gopal doosro na koi

jaake sir mor mukut mero pati soyi

mine is giridhar gopal, no other is mine,

the one who bears the peacock feather on his head is my husband)

[inc0rrectmyths]

Sundaralekhan ; Hindu Myth Event

Day - 3 : Favorite Other Character(s)

♛┈⛧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

The Apsaras of Heaven

The Apsaras are dancers and seductresses of the heavens. In Rig Veda, it's stated that there are 26 Apsaras. Each representing one form of dance. They are said to be so beautiful that even the gods can't resist their charm. They perform in the gods council to entertain the immortals. The 26 Apsaras according to sources are - Menaka, Rambha, Urvashi, Tilottama, Rohini, Ghritachi, Nanda, Purvachitti, Swayamprabha, Mirakeshi, Dandagauri, Varuthini, Sahajanya, Prajagara, Chitrasena, Chitralekha, Devasena, Madhuraswana, Gopali, Khumbhayoni, Manjukeshi, Saudamini, Sunanda, Manorama, Sulochana and Dhriti.

[blackknight-100]

Day 5: Pride

Shikhandi watches Bheeshma fall with no small amount of rage. He knows what happened was according to the plan. He knows, that to win, Bheeshma must have considered him a woman. It does not sting any less.

Long before he was a girl, before he was born, a lady had walked the Earth and cursed this warrior for spurning her after ruining her life. He should feel proud to have avenged her. He only feels shame. The cousins have gathered over Bheeshma’s gory body perforated with arrows like a pincushion. They weep together, bitter enmity forgotten over dying familial blood. He feels like an intruder.

He should be satisfied, that the one who refused to acknowledge his identity lies dead. He only feels used, like the incertitude of his gender was the only reason he had been selected for this unenvious destiny, and that his destiny was a direct catalyst for his identity. He stands apart, sorrowful and pitifully angry, like a bleating goat-kid protesting against the cruelty of the butcher’s knife. His father, however, is elated, and makes little pretense of joining the mourners, electing to pridefully gaze upon a son he had once scorned. Shikhandi has nothing to say. His existence has been rendered meaningless, and not because he has fulfilled his destiny. He is no more important in this war for the elephant throne (for no woman can be avenged by widowing a million more, Draupadi’s delusions be damned) and ready to be discarded. He hopes he would die soon. Krishna gives him a melancholy smile, like he knew what he was thinking. He probably did. Shikhandi cannot bear to stay there. He turns away, and begins the long trek to camp on foot. (If he spoke some kind words to a dying soldier because he had newfound realisations about the ‘pawns’ in this game, well then, it was not like there was anyone to tell the tale.)

Tagging @sundaralekhan

[teaah-art]

@sundaralekhan Day 5 : Pride - Vishvaroop

Vishvaroop (alt: Visvarupa/Vishwarup) is a concept usually found in Vaishnavism where the God with a captial G is depicted as a being with infinite limbs and infinite heads. Since Vaishnavism's patron deity is Vishnu, it assumes that this ultimate form is the Narayan or Vishnu himself. While the Vishvaroop iconography is unique to Vaishnavism, other sects do also acknowledge the existence of an overarching deity/spiritual energy and conflate the identity of the said deity with the patron deities of their sect - Shaivism assumes this to be Shiva, Shaktism assumes this to be Shakti, etc. But the idea remains the same - there exists an ultimate spiritual energy/form that has no identity, is formless, is senseless, and yet, contains all identities, all forms, all senses and all that there is in this world.

And so here is my version of a Pride Vishvaroop - a symbolic culmination of all gender and sexual identities. The body, limbs, and faces are all either canon LGBTQ+ rep within Hinduism or queer coded characters and people I find representation in as a queer South Asian/Hindu myself. Hinduism is full of queer rep. But I didn't know all that or realize this until a little while ago and I wish I did know about it growing up! I wish I knew how the amount of gender nonconformity, sexual fluidity, or simply a disregard for the gender binary my own culture holds. A lot of it actually lies in plain sight but colonization of the culture paired with heteronormativity, allonormativity, and amatonormativity all shroud the stories in thick smoke. Regardless, we are queer, we have always been here and will always be here! Happy Sundaralekhan Pride Day!

An elaborate list of which characters/stories/people went into the Pride Vishvaroop under the cut because this post is already too long smh. Believe it or not, this is still after a significant amount of editing so if you have any questions regarding any of the stories, feel free to pop in my ask box!

Body

Ardhanareeshwar : Unlike making the prime face of my Vishvaroop as Vishnu, I chose Ardhanareeshwar as my front/body. Ardhanareeshwar is the combined form of both masculine and feminine energies. The term is a compound Sanskrit word which loosely translates to Half Woman (Male) God (Ardh/अर्ध : Half, Nari/नारी : Woman, Eeshwar/ईश्वर : God (masc form)). Ardhanareeshwar is traditionally shown as a fusion of Shiv as the male/masc half and Shakti in the form of Parvati, Shiva’s consort, as the fem/female half. I retained Shiva as the masc half, but the female half here is Bahuchara Mata - the patron deity of certain third gender communities in South Asia (details in point 3). Ardhanareeshwar signifies that feminine and masculine energy are inseparable. That they are two sides of the same coin. Ardhanareeshwar isn't 'part male, part female', they contain all gender identities and none at the same time.

Shiv/Shiva - The Masc Half : Shiv is the epitome of manliness/masc energy in Hinduism. However, my reasons for retaining him in my Ardhanareeshwar goes beyond that. Shiv usually stays loyal to his prime consort, Shakti, with one known exception - Mohini. Mohini is the feminine form of Vishnu, a canonically male god. While most Shiv-Mohini escapades happen when Vishnu is in Mohini form, there are instances where Shiv-Vishnu relationship may have happened while Vishnu retained his masc form (See Mohini and Ayyappan sections below).

Bahuchara Mata - The Fem Half : Bahuchara Mata is the patron deity of a majority of Third Gender communities in western India. All Hindu goddesses are derivatives of Shakti - the feminine spiritual energy and Bahuchara Mata is no exception. Bahuchara Mata may have first emerged as a folk deity. Tales vary, but she is known to have castrated and turned AMAB folk into women. And so, various sects of Third Gender community - a gender nonconforming community of South Asia which has a majority of AMAB folk sees her as their patron deity. Bahuchara Mata (and Iravan, see below) are here as a shoutout to the Third Gender community which have been at the frontlines of queer activism in South Asia and are a marginalized group of people. From undoing systemic gender oppression with roots in British colonialism to getting homosexuality decriminalized in independent India, Third Gender communities have always been and continue to speak up for the right to gender freely and love whoever and however one wants.

I couldn't have possibly drawn infinite limbs and faces, but try to give the impression that they do exist here. The hands that are well drawn

Faces

Note : Fem/Masc in the caption below are simply identifiers for the sides. The faces aren't constrained to the gender binary, regardless of which side they were drawn on.

Fem Side :

Abhijeet-Chandra-Shravan : An interesting thing about Hinduism is that everything in nature is a god - unlike Greek myths where gods are in-charge of things in nature. And so, moon is also a god and his name is Chandra/Chandr/Som. An interesting thing about Sanskrit is that everything has a gender - animate or inanimate, living or non-living, concrete or abstract. And so, Chandra is a male. Chandra also has 27 consorts which is also not unusual for Hinduism since examples of polygamy are abundant. These 27 partners of the moon are 27 stars (nakshatras) which play a role in timekeeping in the Hindu calendar and act as a Zodiac equivalent for the luni-solar calendar that Hindu Astrology follows. What is interesting though, is that if you look at the names of all the 27 nakshatras, you will find some undoubtedly male names (again, things are very gendered in Sanskrit so it is easy to infer gender info from just the name). Take Shravan for instance. Shravan is one of the 27 children of Daksha who married Chandra and is the one after whom the month of Shraavan/Saavan is name (currently ongoing!). Shravan is actually three stars in the Aquila constellation - Altair, Beta Aquilae, and Gamma Aquilae. Shravan is undisputedly a male name, the female equivalent is 'Shravani' (Srabani, a Bengali female Shravan equivalent is a very common female name!). And yet, most contemporary interpretation on the matter doesn't really address this and keeps referring the nakshatras as Chandra's 27 'wives'. This is highly likely because of the increasing dominance of Hindu Astrology in dictating modern narratives re:iconography of celestial objects and the fact that Shravan's original symbolic purpose has been watered down to mere divination and timekeeping only for the said divination. But things get more complicated if you look at Abhijeet. Abhijeet (the star Vega) was used in the Hindu Lunar calendar as a buffer to account for things like leap years. It's purpose became obsolete after the Greek Zodiac merged with the Lunar calendar to form a Lunisolar calendar. With it's lost purpose in both timekeeping and divination, Abhijeet's stories also became obsolete. But Abhijeet was (is?) indeed Chandra's partner, though it is unclear if they were ever married or if Abhijeet is also Daksha's child. And so, Abhijeet (blue face, Vega is a blue star), Chandra (white face), and Shravan (orange-bluish face also symbolic of the star colours) are up here.

Shikhandi : Shikhandi was the prince of the Panchal kingdom in Mahabharat. He was the reincarnation of Amba, a Kashi princess who died swearing vengeance on Bhishm, the prince of the Hastinapur kingdom at the time. But we are not talking about Amba here, we are talking about Shikhandi. Shikhandi was born AFAB and transitioned into a man later in life. While the reason for Shikhandi's transitioning is often conflated with Amba's revenge - that Amba could only fight in a battle and kill Bhishm if she was born as a man, there are also tales that the sole reason Amba reincarnated into Panchal was because Panchal did not discriminate on the basis of gender when teaching how to fight, unlike Amba's home kingdom of Kashi. So I do like to think that Shikhandi's transition was a decision he made because he wanted to. He did become the reason for Bhishm's demise btw! Truly lived his life to the fullest.

Draupadi : In a culture full of stories of polygyny (men marrying multiple wives), Draupadi-Pandava marriage is a rare example of polyandry (woman married to multiple husbands). Modern Mahabharat retellings almost always try to play this off as Draupadi's "suffering" or that she had no choice but to. But what if she wasn't forced to? What if she was happy with her five husbands? What if she was also okay with her husband having other consensual partners? There is nothing wrong with that just like there is nothing wrong or forced about all those polygyny stories! Draupadi was one hell of a woman and when a certain someone did humiliate her, she pledged to never tie her hair again until she acquires the blood from the certain someone's thighs to wash her hair with. She was more than capable and self reliant to not be fooled or coerced or live a life of 'continued suffering'. (Side note : Draupadi and Shikhandi are siblings)

Bhagirath : Bhagirath's claim to fame is probably from his successful efforts to bring Ganga (Ganges deification) to Earth from the Heavens. But that is not why he is here. A number of Bengali scriptures mention Bhagirath as the child of two mothers, the most prominent source being the Krittivasi Ramayan from the 15th Century CE. And this isn't a case of foster parents btw! Bhagirath's lineage, the Ishvaku dynasty, was prophesied to be Ram's lineage - the hero of Ramayan and an incarnation of Vishnu. In the Krittivasi Ramayan, Dilip, king of the Ishvaku dynasty and Bhagirath's predecessor dies without an heir. But having an heir was important for the prophecy of Ram's birth to be fulfilled! And so, Shiv orders two of Bhagirath's widows to have sex and bear a child, which is how Bhagirath is born. This version came about in the 15th Century, much later than the Valmiki Ramayan. There is no way to confirm authenticity of it - the 16th century Tulsidas Ramayan is deemed 'authentic' enough to be read during prayers so why not the Krittivasi Ramayan which is one century older? Krittivasi Ramayan may have also absorbed folk beliefs leading to deviations from Valmiki Ramayan but I do see Bhagirath and his parentage as valid queer rep.

Iravan/Aravan : Draupadi and the Pandavas had a setup where another Pandav should not intrude when one brother is spending time with Draupadi. Arjun broke the rule and barged into Yudhishthir's quality Draupadi time. As an act of penance, Arjun exiled himself to a year of celibacy and left the palace..... though he didn't quite remain celibate. He met the Nag princess Ulupi and had a child with her. Iravan was this child. Versions differ but Iravan died as a sacrifice in a ritual to guarantee the Pandavas victory in the Kurukshetra War. Iravan's wish was to marry a woman before he dies but no woman would marry a dying man. And so, as a reward for his sacrifice and to honour his last wish, Krishna turned into Mohini (Vishnu's fem form, see below) and married Iravan. Iravan became a folk deity in South India and the patron deity of the South Indian Third Gender Community, the Alis or Aravanis (please correct me if I'm using a slur and you find it offensive). In the 18 day festival of Koovagam in Tamil Nadu, Third Gender folks re-enact Krishna/Mohini's marriage to Iravan.

Ayyappan: Also known as Hariharasudan, Ayyappa is the progeny of Shiv and Vishnu in his Mohini form. However, Ayyapa's name(s) reiterate him having two fathers - Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Shiv). The term 'Ayyappa' can also be broken into Ayyan - a Malyali word for 'father', and Appa - the Tamil word for 'father', reinstating the '2 fathers' parentage. Whether or not Vishnu was Mohini at the time of Ayyappa's conception or birth is unclear but there are definitely indications of an mlm relationship. Remember, modern labels don't travel well in time or across cultures so fitting 'Harihara'/Shiv-Mohini union may be difficult but it was certainly non heteronormative.

Masc Side :

Krishna : Which is gayer? All of LGBTQ+ community or whatever Krishna has going on? Tbh, I'm only half joking. Krishna is the 8th incarnation of Vishnu and gets Vishnu's 'I turn into Mohini sometimes' power. Krishna is famously poly and a womanizer but there are also many openly mlm and queer coded relationships that Krishna is shown to be in (See Uddhav below, Iravan above). Krishna truly personifies (deifies?) the fluidity of gender and sexuality.

Uddhav : Uddhav is often written as Krishna's "best friend". Heavy double quotes there. Uddhav was of the same clan as Krishna and was with Krishna at the time of his death. Krishna left his dying message and a prophecy for the fall of their clan with Uddhav and tasked Uddhav to take to news to the Gopis of Gokul - Krishna's other "female best friends" (girlfriends.....?) from a young age. Uddhav bears Krishna's message and has a dialogue with the Gopis about how their love for his Madhav is different from his love for Madhav. The message and the dialogue are recorded in the Uddhav Gita which is a part of the Bhaagvat Puran.

Brihannala/Arjun : I mean, Krishna and Arjun definitely had something going on. But they were also technically cousins and their relationship is the most discussed queer Hindu relationship so I'll skip that. Instead, let's talk about Brihannala. The Pandavas were spent 1 year in anonymity as a penalty for losing a game of old timey chess to the Kauravas. They took up different identities and Arjun chose to live as a woman by the name of Brihannala. Brihannala taught dance to the princess of the Matsya kingdom, Uttara. At the end of his 1 year anonymity period as Brihannala, Arjun is offered Uttara’s hand which he turns down and accepts her as his daughter in-law instead.

Narsimha : The demon Hiranyakashyapu was granted a boon that he cannot be killed by any man or animal created by god, not outside or inside, not during the day or at night, not on land or water or sky, not by any weapon. In his pride over his invincibility, Hiranyakashyapu felt offended when he finds his son pray to Vishnu instead of his own father. Child abuse ensues and Vishnu saves the son every time. Hiranyakashyap is ultimately killed by Vishnu's incarnation Narsimha - half man/half lion (neither man not animal) who emerged out of a pillar (not created by god), at the threshold/doorstep (not inside or outside) at dusk (not day or night) and placed Hiranyakashyapu on it's thighs (not land or sky) and kills him with his nails (not weapon). Narsimha sure is something but isn't something you can constrict in any binary, much less the gender binary. It/It's pronouns?

Meerabai : The Bhakti movement of the 15th Century CE, which emerged in parallel to the Islamic Sufi tradition, perceives god as a friend and a partner - someone you can be with for life. Meera was a product of this period. She was married to the King of the Mewar kingdom but renounced any sexual or romantic relationship with her 'husband' and instead devoted herself to Krishna. This was by no means normative for her status quo and her in-laws tried to poison her multiple times for being who she was. Meera didn't stop and is believed to have lived her life as an ascetic in a warrior household, solely devoted to her Krishna. Meera wasn't the only one. The Bhakti movement saw many like Meera who willingly renounce allonormative and amatonormative constructs for spiritual 'love' - sometimes living their lives without religious affiliations (eg: Sant Kabir). As an aspec/arospec person, I find this whole deal very fascinating and empowering!

Mohini : Oh how many times have we talked about Mohini already? Mohini shows up many many times in Hindu stories with her first mentions dating back to about 5th Century BCE in the tale of Samudramanthan, where she seduces the demons into giving her the elixir of immortality. Her initial mentions elude to her as an 'illusion' implying that Vishnu stays male while other's perception of 'him' changes. Later legends flesh her out more and she starts being referred to as a woman and not just an illusion. Again, labels are hard to translate across cultures and time and nuance gets lost in the process, but I must say, the whole thing is fairly genderfluid of Vishnu! Mohini is shown almost always having male partners whereas Vishnu is written in both mlm and heterosexual relationships. Do what you will with that info.

The empty blank faces are representative of the numerous unnamed queer folk that have always been here and still do but go unacknowledged, stay in the closet/are afraid to come out, or don't live their lives to the fullest due to the steady stigmatization of queerness for an assortment of reasons. Note: heads of the gods have a crown.

Limbs

I couldn't have possibly drawn infinite limbs and faces, but try to give the impression that they do exist here. The hands that are well drawn are holding things the gods in the list above usually hold in their typical iconography.

Flute (Masc side) - Representative of Krishna

Claws (Fem side) - Representative of Narsimha

Mace (Masc side) - Representative of Narsimha

Battleaxe/Parashu, Kapala/Skull Cup (Masc side) - Canonically held by Masc side of Ardhanareeshwar

Bow+arrow (Masc side) - Held by Ayyappan

Trident/Trishul, Scriptures, Sword, Blessing hand gesture/Abhayamudra (Fem Side) - Four limbs of Bahuchara Mata

Blue Lotus/Neelkamal (Fem Side) - Canonically held by Fem side of Ardhanareeshwar

[niharikaaa2]

Sundaralekhan: Day 10

Creator's choice

।। Draupadi and Subhadra ।।

The bards say that the two women's relationship was strenuous. And why shouldn't it be? They were two women who loved the same man, two women who were vastly different in terms of personality and background. They were two women torn apart by the thorns of politics, diplomacy and love. It is said that when Subhadra entered the palace of Indraprastha, the proud empress turned away and rejected her presence.

But, little is known of the two queens everlasting friendship and solidarity. You see, that doesn't make for good poems, that simply doesn't make for good tales that would grab people's interests. After all, the world is quite fond of making enemies out of two women.

Draupadi first saw Subhadra when she came to visit Panchal with her Sakha. She was his little sister, the light of his life. Draupadi was delighted. The walls of her father's fort was suffocating with no one to talk to. Dhri was busy with his princely duties and Krishna hardly ever visited, when he did, he spent most of his time discussing affairs of the state with her father, and she was not allowed to enter those conversations. She had her own frustrations. She didn't like a lot of things about her father's reign. She had ideas and plans to improve the matters of state, but no one really ever took her ideas seriously. But Subhadra did.

At first, Draupadi thought Subhadra to be shy. But, as she became more comfortable in her presence, Subhadra's wit and personality began to shine through. She did not dismiss Draupadi's ideas, rather she listened and analysed them, sometimes pointing out flaws. She had her own ideas that she shared with Draupadi, she gave her books and scriptures she ought to read. The week that Subhadra stayed in Panchal was the best week Draupadi had. The two princesses were inseparable, they could often be found in palace wings talking excitedly to each other or laughing. Subhadra had taken to calling her didi and Draupadi was immensely fond of her new sister. The day of Subhadra's departure, Draupadi was found looking at the best jewellery Panchal had to offer to gift Subhadra. As she had come to find out, Subhadra was fond of thin bangles that would jingle when she wore them. Krishna came to visit her when she was choosing among the many sets of bangles the jeweller had produced.

"I see you two have grown quite close."

He said.

"Your sister is a much more interesting companion than you. If we were to run an empire, we would do a much better job than you and Balram tau."

"Remember your own words, Panchali, when you meet her again."

"What do you mean by that? Why would I need to remember that?"

"You would. Now listen, Your father is arranging a Swayamvar for you. Princes and kings and warriors of all kind will be invited. Your father has devised quite a plan."

"....."

"He has a challenge for your suitors. It's immensely difficult and can only be bested by the greatest warrior on earth."

Draupadi's throat felt dry. She knew this day would come. Yet she didn't quite grasp it. She thought she had more time.

"And who is the greatest warrior on earth?"

"How would I know Krishnaa?! We will find out at the swayamvar."

With that, he left. Draupadi was left puzzled by his cryptic words.

Many years later, when she stood at the entrance of Indraprastha, waiting to welcome the new bride and groom, she remembered Krishna's words.

"remember your own words"

She certainly did. She felt a pang in her heart. She would have ignored any other consort, but Subhadra felt like a betrayal. She knew of her marriage, then why did she not reject the proposal?!

That night, Subhadra came to her chambers.

"Didi..."

"Do not call me that Princess Subhadra. And do not enter my chambers unannounced."

"My apologies your majesty, I have only come to seek your blessings."

Her blessings?! Draupadi's heart boiled with anger, but she also had the urge to laugh. This girl....she had some audacity.

"I realise how ridiculous that sounds, but I assure you, this was not my choice"

"...."

"I liked Prince Arjuna, I did wish to be his consort, but I knew he was married to you, and I could not do that to you. But my brothers insisted. They said that I could solidify the allyship between Dwarka and Indraprastha. They also said that Prince Duryodhana wished to have me as his bride. He was pressuring Balram tau. It came down to marrying Duryodhana or Arjuna."

Draupadi kept quiet, urging her to continue.

"I still did not wish it, although I liked the prince very much, and he liked me, I did not wish to betray you. But it was clear that Hastinapur was increasing its pressure and tau was close to giving in. I chose to go with Arjun, on one condition. I would only live with Arjun as his wife of we have your blessings. Otherwise, I would return to Dwarka, my marriage only being a formal one."

Subhadra took a deep breath. Draupadi sighed. A cool breeze was wafting through the open window. Politics and powers, those were all that mattered. It was always about forming allies and gaining authority. The illusion of choice was all people were offered.

"Did Arjuna want you? Or was he convinced by your brother? Did he also do this for diplomacy?"

"He visited me often and talked to me. He listened with interest the tales of our friendship. He listened to my ideas. It was clear he respected and liked me. The feeling was mutual, but neither of us truly wished to be married. I told him of my reservations. He said he understood. But he also said that my brother was right, and Indraprastha could not afford to lose Dwarka as its ally. "

Draupadi nodded.

"Do you love him?"

"Not yet."

"Do you see yourself loving him? Do you wish to stay here?"

"I do."

Draupadi was silent for a long time. She kept going back to her conversation with Madhav. Did he plan this? Did he know this would happen? Did he know that Subhi and his sakhi would be used as mere pawns in the games of politics? Did he know how they both felt about him? Did he know that when this conversation would happen, she would not be able to turn her sister away?

She looked up at the moon and smiled faintly.

"Then come. We have an empire to build."

@sundaralekhan

[herawell]

Hello there! I saw you hosted the Sundaralekhan event sometime back and I really want to express my appreciation for it. It was sooo nice to find so many posts about Hindu Mythology, and on so many different topic as well!

Will you be conducting any more in the future? Once again, I just wanted you to know how much I love your doing this. I wish you a very good day/evening ❤❤

Hi!!! Thank you so much, lovely anon, I’ve been in a bit of a creative dry spell for a while now, so it means a lot to know people appreciate my fannish efforts <3 <3 <3

I am currently busy with work and life, so I’m not sure when I’ll have the time and energy to host another event, but I’d certainly love to at some point!

[ilmacore]

Im so late with this! But I want to do it too because it seems fun!

Day 1 Favourite God: Shiva.

(my partner saw this first👉👈)

Anyways...My relationship with this God has been growing exponentially over time,At first I was very scared, because I come from a Messianic Jewish family! they usually speak disparagingly of other divine figures that are not Jehovah himself, badly... One day some time ago and this is an experience that I will only tell today I went to sleep, it is very difficult for me to fall asleep.

My house is a mess and normally I used to be very stressed and very scared. In that dream there was only a big tree, a plain and the mountains in the background... Meditative was there, Shiva, for some reason I repeated that act but I moved away a little, a natural tendency in me is not to disturb the tranquility of others, and I meditated without making noise.

After hours, he got up and began to dance with joy, I continued meditating, I did not want to interrupt his dance.He looked at me and quietly said "are you listening to me?" and I replied in a similar way "I always listen to someone who has something to say to me",I opened my eyes and saw a sincere smile, we began to talk, to talk about many things... "I don't know what to do, God always judges me for everything I do, I feel locked up, oppressed by the laws written since the time of Moses" I said,"I am not judging you now, I have even invited you to talk to me, we have laughed, we have reached deep conclusions because of your curiosity and above all, because you listened carefully to my words", he said with that pacifying aura. At that moment, I really met God,in that form, and wept with joy.

"How can I follow in your footsteps? My family would do terrible things to me! I have not asked you for anything, I would never ask you for anything material or another thing! please Shiva, the only thing I ask of you and I will ask of you is this advice, being certain that it surely is, I will I will continue in silence or in joy, in all possible ways you will always be in my mind" I implored for an answer from this great guru.

He looked at the sky, with a clear answer, "I am not bound by the same laws as others, your duty as a son is to obey your parents... But when the time comes, like the birds, you will have to leave the nest, each day that passes you are a new person, live with this in mind,I know that you respect your family a lot, even if they have done horrible things to you, one day that blind devotion will bear fruit, do not turn pale, with time you will make a way, and as we have already spoken and you have shown me you are aware of many things, you will find the way , with time and following the right steps, you know what to do at the right time and it will help you, I trust it". Pleased and finding what I needed over time made me closer to him.

I have not asked him for anything else, and it is a promise that I will always keep, a promise that is not broken. Perhaps it was a stupid dream for some, especially for my family... But, when his name comes to mind in the worst moments, I feel relieved! When I finish meditating I feel an unimaginable joy and start to dance nonchalantly! my life changed completely after that night, and... I am happy, very happy because my needs are no longer physical, they have been destroyed over time....But something beautiful has been born, and it is something that I will always carry with me.

I was so afraid of hell that they had always preached to me, without love, without understanding for just being who I am... He saved me.The thought I have when I wake up and when I go to sleep is him. Obviously I do other things, but I keep what I promise... I am happy after this meeting and I will always be very grateful, thanks for reading it!

Tags: @sundaralekhan @browsing-my-favourite-fandoms @allegoriesinmediasres

I don't know who tag... So sorry I don't want to disturb!

[bishh-kanya]

Sundaralekhen Day 1

❀Devi Aditi❀

On the navel of the earth I place thee!' And further, 'In the lap of Aditi (the boundless or inviolable earth)!' for when people guard anything very carefully, they commonly say that 'they, as it were, carried it in their lap;' and this is the reason why he says, 'In the lap of Aditi!'

— Satapatha Bramanda

Aditi (Sanskrit: अदिति, lit. 'boundless' or 'limitless'or 'innocence. She is the personification of the sprawling infinite and vast cosmos. She is the goddess of motherhood, unconsciousness, the past, the future and fertility.As celestial mother of numerous beings, the synthesis of all things, she is associated with space (akasa) and with mystic speech (Vāc).

I didn't know about Goddess Aditi up until this year , Vedic gods are very interesting and very underrated, please you should literally search their mythology, The story of Aditi and how she was born from Daksha and gave birth to Daksha was very enthralling to me , i have forever found eternal solace in the skies and it has always been my comfort, she being the goddess of cosmos makes me her devotee , and being a student of vedic astrology, she is the deity of my Nakshatra Punarvasu and it's by her Grace i have always managed to bounce back no matter how bad my fall was . Eternally love, Adore and devote to her 🌸

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

[lemonade-of-gods]

@sundaralekhan day 1: favourite god: Shiva

mano buddhi ahankara chittani naaham I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego or the memory

na cha shrotravjihve na cha ghraana netre I am not the ears, the skin, the nose or the eyes

na cha vyoma bhumir na tejo na vaayuhu I am not space, not earth, not fire, water or wind

chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am the eternal Shiva...

[khudrang]

(click for better resolution)

They call it a tale of brothers

But not a tale soaked in the fraternal blood

They call it a tale of familial love and rivalry

But not a skeletal view of sanguine bonds

Was it a war, or was it a claw?

Was it about the victorious righteousness, or its inherent desolation?

(ask the man who made it to the top of the mountain)

Was it the slip of a domino, or the dictate of a feather-crowned being?

When they say that words have a power of their own,

They whisper that the victors renamed their rivals.

Who, then, called it an epic, something so grand it cannot be contained,

when it is contained within each one of us?

-destiny

Sundaralekhan Day 9: Mahabharata @sundaralekhan

tagging me mates: @hindumyththoughts @ambidextrousarcher @kiriti-savyasachin

and event mod @allegoriesinmediasres

edit and poem by me

[inc0rrectmyths]

Sundaralekhan ; Hindu Myth Event

Day - 8 : Ramayan

♛┈⛧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

We always talk about Ram and Sita's love. Laxman's loyalty. And Hanuman's devotion. But there's so much more to this Hindu epic.

The four Princes of the mighty kingdom of Ayodhya -

Ram, Bharat, Laxman and Shatrughan

[blackknight-100]

Day 6: Alternate Universe: Sita does not go to the forest.

Tagging @sundaralekhan

1.

Dasaratha’s decree brings great outcry in the Royal Palace, and Rama faces the herculean task of convincing his newlywed wife to stay at home while he braved the harrowing forests of Aryavart. She has clearly been brought up with good morals, not that they are helping Rama’s cause now. “Stay, sweet one,” he says, soft and tender, for no one can do otherwise with her. “Stay, the fourteen years will pass in the blink of an eye.”

“But you are my eyes, Rama,” she replies, calm and rational, the true daughter of Janak, and he sighs.

In the end, against his wishes, he invokes his status as husband and tells her, “Look after my mother.”

He thinks Sita would be furious, but she smiles serenely as ever, bows, and glides away. Even after all this time, Rama has not managed to truly know his wife.

2.

Somehow, even though he managed to deny Sita, Rama loses to his brother. Urmila seems as eager to get Lakshmana out as he is to go, and he wonders if they’ve conspired behind closed doors. Or maybe they fought again. It is difficult to know with those two.

In any case, he lands in the middle of forest with his brother in tow, feeling more useless than ever. Lakshmana refuses to let him do anything. When Bharata comes and Lakshmana’s rage lights up in flames, Rama wishes Sita were there to help him cool his brother down. Lakshmana curses and Bharata cries, and by the time they find out the reason Bharata came, Rama has no energy to spare. He comforts Mother Kaikeyi as best he can, before Lakshmana, ever watchful whisks her away. Bharata begs him to come back, and it hurts him to refuse, but he does so nonetheless. He chances a glance at Sita, who stands beside her sister and Lakshmana, and is relieved to see her proud.

3.

Rama has never been approached by a woman. He startles at Surpanakha’s flirting and mumbles about having a wife. She raises a skeptical eyebrow and peers theatrically at the empty hut. Rama wishes Sita were here. As Lakshmana rounds from the backyard with the day’s bundle of firewood Rama sees her eyes widen. “You can ask my brother,” he offers, then cringes at the petty words. But Shurpanakha trots towards Lakshmana and he only feels relief.

His brother brushes her off with aloof politeness, perfected from years of gently disappointing the courtiers’ daughters. Ordinarily, all they do is pout and strut away, but Shurpanakha rounds on him with rage in her eyes.

“You sent me here to be spurned,” she accuses, and Lakshmana rolls his eyes behind her. Rama stutters out an apology that she barely seems to register. As he gazes at her retreating back, he wishes he acted differently. Lakshmana gives him a fond clap on the shoulder. “By Ikshvaku,” he teases, “look at you fret. Relax, nothing will happen.”

4.

Rama wakes up troubled. Lakshmana is already pottering around, sweeping the yard and rolling the mats. Rama aches for the days when his brother was little, and he had to coax a sleepy Lakshmana to get up. He makes to help, but one unimpressed glare cows him. Foreboding builds in him as the day rolls towards noon, and by the time lunch has been laid out, he is antsy beyond comprehension. When he sees the deer, so bright it is almost golden, he tells his brother, “I’m going after that, it might make a good pet.” Lakshmana protests aloud, but Rama is already gone.

When he returns, lunch is strewn over the grass, the hut is empty, and his brother’s bow lies broken. Rama falls on his knees and howls.

5.

Lakshmana hates Lanka, with its gilded cages and lustful King. Ravana makes him uncomfortable, and he is yet to understand why he is in a room with a downy bed and silken sheets instead of the prison. But Lakshmana is Ikshvaku’s descendant, and bears Raghu’s blood in his veins, so he proudly glares at Ravana when the latter comes to taunt him. Let it never be said that Lakshmana was a coward. Had Ravana not tricked him, he would never have been here.

The door opens a second time after the ten-headed demon leaves, and a handsome man comes strutting in. “Meghnad, Crown Prince of Lanka, Conqueror of Indra, Ravana’s son; pleasure to see you,” he says in one breath, cocky grin firmly in place, and Lakshmana spits, “Not a pleasure to see you.” Meghnad only laughs.

Lakshmana debates the merits of storming through the palace and killing everyone around. But there is the ocean – blue and vast in the view from the window – to reckon with, and he has no certitude in his ability to fly the Pushpaka Vimana. Besides, Rama would not like him massacring a whole city. In any case, the Crown Prince of Lanka was good entertainment – witty and bold, if a little obnoxious. Better to stay put then. Patience was not one of his virtues, but it was time to learn.

+1

Lakshmana is maybe a little overwhelmed by the fact that his brother has managed to rally up an army to rescue him. But really, it is Meghnad who surprises him by arguing with his father. Nothing comes out of it, though. Meghnad stomps his foot and pouts like a brat and joins him in his room while everyone else fights. When Lakshmana wears the carpet down with his nervous pacing, the demon prince rolls his eyes, pulls out a set of dice seemingly out of thin air and says, “Your brother will win. Now come play.”

“Aren’t you concerned about your father?”

“Bleh, he is mean to Maa. Besides,” Meghnad winks daringly at him, “if he dies, I get to be King.”

Indeed, Ravana dies and Rama cries and Lakshmana goes back to Ayodhya with Meghnad – newly crowned King of Lanka – and his wife Sulochona in tow. He is a little apprehensive of introducing them to his wife, but as it turns out, Sulochana and Urmila are related by a complicated set of uncles and mothers and sisters, and they get along like a house on fire.

That is how, fifteen years later, Shatrughan – the brat – smirks at their children and says, “And that was how Brother Lakshmana got kidnapped, brought the two nations together, and befriended a bunch of demons on the way. Have fun, boys.”

[teaah-art]

@sundaralekhan Day 6 : Alternate Universe - MDZS Crossover AU

If I'm being honest, summoning Krishna's spirit is impossible because Krishna attained moksha/broke the reincarnation cycle but if anyone could do it it would be Wei Wuxian of course! Right? Right? Well....

To be even more honest, ^ occured to me when I was almost halfway done drawing this. Here was my actual train of thought -

WWX plays the flute, Krishna plays the flute. WWX is a flirt, Krishna is a flirt. WWX had a foster family, Krishna had a foster family. WWX had a two parter life (Part 1 as himself, part 2 as MXY), Krishna had a two parter life....of sorts (Part 1 fulfilling the Akashvani, Part 2 Mahabharat). WWX loved to stir shit up, Krishna loved to stir shit up.... well you see where I'm going with this?

Also, I read somewhere that MXTX had a dream where a guy playing the flute was coming out of a forest and that became the initial inspiration for WWX. Could it have just been Krishna popping into MXTX's dream..? 👀 Anyone else thinks that? No? Just me? Ok then...

BTW, I have some other AU ideas to dump for this prompt. Stay tuned for more!

[niharikaaa2]

Sundaralekhan Day 9: Mahabharat

Padmalochona : Eyes like lotus petals

Draupadi had eyes that could say a million different things with just one look. She had eyes that were as fiery as the fire she was born from. She had eyes that were as beautiful as the lotus flowers that bloomed in her father's garden, as black as the kajal that adorned the eyes of her father's consorts. She had eyes that drew the attention of many suitors in her swayamvar, eyes that kept them up at night, even in the months following her marriage.

She had eyes that reflected her emotions in them. She had eyes that betrayed her true feelings to those who could read them. She had eyes that could reduce anyone to Ash. Her eyes like coals that burnt in the royal kitchens. These were the eyes that filled with rage and disappointment and sorrow that fateful day in court, the eyes that berated the Pandavas, the embers that kept the fire in their hearts burning. The fire in those eyes lit the flame of vengeance in the hearts of her husbands and children, and in consequence, these fiery eyes also lit the all consuming flames of war.

Later in her life, Panchali would reflect on the powers of her eyes. Lying in the cold, soft bed of snow, she thought of the destructive power that they held, and wondered if, in a different life, her eyes would be softer, more nurturing and playful. She wondered if the tales of her beauty ever included any descriptions of her eyes, if poets found them too harsh to romanticise. Padmalochona, her Dhai-ma liked to call her. Eyes like a lotus flower, she had said. She had failed to mention the flames, the burning coals of her pupils, their ability to make or break an empire. She had failed to mention how it would feel when the fire that resided in them was close to dying out. She looked up at the sky for one last time. Her lashes felt uncomfortably heavy covered in snow. And at last, she allowed to the flames to slowly flicker away.

@sundaralekhan