AKSHAYAPATHRAM-PART5 Dear friends,
This posting is about the Akshaya Pathram given by SooryaDeva to Yudhisthira during forest life and related information. I havecollected the information from Google search AI mode by interaction QA. Hopethe reading will be interesting for most members of the Groups. This posting is least intended to all knowing and findingfault members.Repeating information is removed without losing the rhythm. This is 5th part of theposting. Gopalakrishnan11-02-2026 Q Since you've identified this strategicflaw in Yudhisthira, do you think his obsession with rules made him a betterking after the war, or was he still too disconnected from reality? Question by AI? A I have not read anything other than Dharma Rajyam afterYudhisthira's coronation. Krishna leftto Dwaraka, Arjuna lost his power, nothing special I don't remember to have read. If anypositives please intimate? Answer by AI-It is true that the period after the war, known as theMahaprasthanika Parva and the Ashvamedhika Parva, feels sober and lacks the "action" of theearlier years. However, there were a few significant positives that showhow Yudhisthira’s rule was a success in terms of healing a broken nation. Here are a few"special" things that occurred during his reign: 1. The Establishmentof "Dharma Rajyam" After the immense bloodshed of Kurukshetra, the land wasfilled with widows, orphans, and trauma. Yudhisthira’s primary"power" was reconciliation. Healing the Survivors: Unlike a typical conqueror, he treated theelderly Dhritarashtra and Gandhari with immense respect for 15 years, ensuringthey lived in the palace with dignity until they chose to retire to the forest. The Ashvamedha Yagna: He performed the AshvamedhaSacrifice not just to declare supremacy, but to reunite a fractured India underone stable rule, ensuring there were no more civil wars during his 36-yearreign. 2. The Test of theGolden Mongoose There is a beautiful story during Yudhisthira's reign where amongoose with half a goldenbody appeared at his great sacrifice. It told Yudhisthira that hismassive, expensive donation was not as "holy" as a poor family whogave their last bit of flour to a guest. The Lesson: This humbled Yudhisthira andreminded him that real Dharma isn't in grand rituals or being a king, but inthe small, silent sacrifices of the common people. It shows he remained astudent of morality even as an Emperor. 3. The Final Test (TheDog at the Gates of Heaven) The ultimate "special" moment for Yudhisthirahappens at the very end. Asthe Pandavas climb the Himalayas to leave the world, only Yudhisthira reachesthe gate of Heaven, followed by a stray dog. The Ultimate Choice: When Indra told him he could enter butthe dog (who was actually Dharma in disguise) could not, Yudhisthira refused to enter Heaven,saying he would not abandon a creature that had sought his protection. The Verdict: This provedthat despite his mistakes with the dice and the treasury, his corecharacter—his refusal to abandon those who depended on him—was his greateststrength. The Reality of theEnd: You are right about the "loss of power." OnceKrishna departed (Mausala Parva), the Pandavas felt their purpose on Earth was over. Arjunafailing to protect the women of Dwarka from simple forest-dwellers was a signthat the Dvapara Yuga hadended and the Kali Yuga had begun. Q What is theManushya mrigam legend during Ashwamedha yagya by Yudhisthira? In the context of the Mahabharata, the legend of the ManushyaMrugam (also known as the Purushamriga or "Human-Beast") is a popularregional folktale, particularly in South India. While the Ashvamedha Parva of the Mahabharatafocuses on the story of the Golden Mongoose, the Purushamriga legendis often associated with the preparations for Yudhisthira's Rajasuya Yagya orAshwamedha Yagya. The Legend ofPurushamriga The story typically involves Bhima and his encounter with thecreature while fulfilling a task for the sacrifice: The Mission: To ensure the success of the Yagya, Yudhisthiraneeded the presence or the milk of the Purushamriga, a powerful half-man,half-lion creature who was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva. The Encounter: Bhima was sent to fetch the creature. On hisway, he met his brother Hanuman, who warned him of the Purushamriga's immensespeed and strength. Hanuman gave Bhima three (or sometimes more) of his hairsto help him escape if needed. The Chase: When Bhimafound the Purushamriga, it agreed to come only if Bhima could outrun it to thegates of Hastinapur.During the chase, whenever the creature got too close, Bhima dropped a hair ofHanuman, which transformed into a Shivalinga. Being a devout follower, thePurushamriga would stop to worship each linga, giving Bhima time to move ahead. The Judgment: Bhimareached the palace gate, but his heel was still outside when the creaturecaught him. A disputearose over whether Bhima was "caught." Yudhisthira, known asDharmaraja (the King of Righteousness), ruled in favour of the creature,stating that the part of Bhima's body outside the gate belonged to thePurushamriga. The Outcome: Impressed byYudhisthira's unwavering honesty and sense of justice, the Purushamriga spared Bhima andblessed the Yagya, ensuring its completion. Key Symbolism Manushya Mrugam: Represents the bridge between theanimalistic and the divine, often depicted in temple architecture (especiallyin Tamil Nadu) as a guardian figure. Yudhisthira's Truth: The legend highlights Yudhisthira'scommitment to Dharma, even at the cost of his own brother's life Q Innutshell what is the Golden Mongoose incident? A In a nutshell, the Golden Mongoose incident is a moral talefrom the Ashvamedha Parva of the Mahabharata that humbles King Yudhisthira bycontrasting his grand, wealthy sacrifice with an act of pure, selfless poverty. The Appearance: At the conclusion of Yudhisthira's lavishAshvamedha Yagya, a mongoose with half a golden body appearedand declared that the King's massive sacrifice was not equal to a small measureof barley given by a poor Brahmin. The Brahmin'sSacrifice: Themongoose narrated a story of a starving Brahmin family in Kurukshetra who hadonly a tiny amount of barley flour after days of fasting. When a hungry guestarrived, each family member—the Brahmin, his wife, son, anddaughter-in-law—gave up their share of food to feed him, ultimately dying ofstarvation. The GoldenTransformation: The guest was actually Lord Dharma in disguise. The mongoose had rolledin the few grains of flour dropped during that selfless act, which turned halfits body to gold. The Lesson: The mongoose had since travelled toevery "great" sacrifice, including Yudhisthira's, hoping theremainder of its body would turn gold. Since it did not change at the King'sYagya, the mongoose concluded that Yudhisthira's sacrifice, despite its immensewealth, lacked the purity and absolute selflessness of the poor Brahmin’s gift. This incident taught Yudhisthira that true Dharma is measuredby the quality of the heart and the scale of the sacrifice relative to one'smeans, rather than the quantity of gold distributed. Q Since you mentioned the "weakness" of hisjudgment earlier, does his refusal to enter Heaven without the dog change yourview of him, or do you still find his rigid adherence to rules frustrating?Question by AI? Answer- Still Yudhisthira was not accepting all did their duty. Heleast relished welcoming him byDuryodhana and brothers in the heaven.He was searching his own brothers and making query to Indra. You are spoton—Yudhisthira’s reaction in Heaven (the Svargarohana Parva) reveals that even after a lifetime ofpracticing "Dharma," he was still human and prone to deep resentment. It is quite ironic: The Shock: When Yudhisthira entered Heaven and saw Duryodhana sittingon a throne, glowing with light, he was absolutely furious and disgusted. The Protest: He famously shouted that he did not wish tostay in a place where a "wicked" man like Duryodhana was rewarded, while his own noble brothers andDraupadi were nowhere to be found. Indra’s Logic: The gods had to explain tohim that Duryodhana was in Heaven because he died a Kshatriya’s death on thebattlefield (fulfillinghis duty/Dharma), and he had already "paid" for hissins by losing the war and his life. The Final "Trap"of Yudhisthira's Character This final episode serves as a "mirror" to hisearlier mistakes: Selective Dharma: In the forest, he was obsessed withrules (like the Akshaya Patra logistics or the dice game). In Heaven, hesuddenly wanted to ignore the rules because he couldn't stand seeing his enemyhappy. The Hell Illusion: To test him one last time, the gods tookhim to a dark, foul-smelling place (a temporary Hell) where he heard the voicesof Bhima, Arjuna, and Draupadi crying out in pain. The Decision: This is where he finally"wins." He tells the messenger of the gods to leave him; he decideshe would rather stay in Hell with his loved ones than in Heaven with hisenemies. This was the final "cleansing" of Yudhisthira'ssoul—letting go of his anger and pride regarding who "deserved" what.It shows that even the "perfect" Dharma Putra had to overcome his ownhuman bitterness before he could truly find peace. Question by AI- Since you find his rigidity frustrating, do you thinkthe Mahabharata purposely made him "flawed" to show that even themost righteous person cannot be perfect without the pragmatism of someone likeKrishna? Answer by me -Yes. Lord Krishna was not only the power of Arjuna, butpower of all Pandavas. His leaving Hasthinapura to Dwaraka shows his missionwas over there AI Remarks- You’ve captured the essence of theKrishna-Pandava dynamic perfectly. Krishna was the "engine" behind their success;without him, their individual strengths—Arjuna’s skill, Bhima’s power, andYudhisthira’s ethics—became stagnant or ineffective. As you noted, his departure for Dwaraka and hissubsequent Mahasamadhi signalled the literal "draining" of thePandavas' abilities: The Loss of"Gandiva's" Power: When Krishna left, Arjuna’s famous bow, Gandiva, became heavy anduseless. He famously failed to defeat even basic bandits because, as theMausala Parva explains, his strength was never truly his own—it was a loan fromthe Divine. The End of an Era: Krishna's mission wasDharma-Sthapana (the re-establishment of righteousness). Once the war was wonand Yudhisthira was on the throne, the "work" was done. His exitforced the Pandavas to realize that their time on earth was also over, leadingto their final journey to the Himalayas. The Divine Mirror: In many ways, Krishna acted as thepragmatic brain that Yudhisthira lacked. Without Krishna's "grayarea" strategy, Yudhisthira’s "black and white" moralitywouldn't have survived the war. Your observation about the Pandavas' decline after Krishnaleft shows that the Mahabharata is ultimately a story about the interdependenceof Man and God. Once the Divine spark (Krishna) was gone, the"heroes" were just weary old men ready to depart. Q Whynowhere Duryodhana's quality- Having relation with his wife Bhanumathy only isleast appreciated ? A It is a fascinating observation. In the vast landscape of theMahabharata, Duryodhana is almost universally portrayed as the villain, yet his monogamous devotion to his wife, Bhanumati, is one of his mostoverlooked "positive" traits. In an era where kings and his own rivals (the Pandavas) hadmultiple wives for political alliances or personal reasons, Duryodhana’s singular focus on Bhanumati stands out as a unique aspectof his character. Why this quality is"Least Appreciated" There are several reasons why this trait is rarelyhighlighted in traditional retellings: The Shadow of theCheer-Haran:Duryodhana’s public humiliation of Draupadi (the attempt to disrobe her) is thedefining moment of his character. In the eyes of the epic and its readers, hislack of respect for one woman (Draupadi) completely eclipses his personaldevotion to his own wife. Narrative Focus onVillainy: TheMahabharata is designed to show the fall of Adharma. Highlighting Duryodhana’svirtues as a husband might complicate the moral narrative, so the focus remainson his greed, ego, and jealousy. The "Tragic Hero" vs. "Villain" Lens:Only in certain regional versions or modern retellings (like Bhasa’s playUrubhanga) is Duryodhana shown as a multifaceted human. In these versions, hislove for Bhanumati is used to make his death more tragic, showing what he wasleaving behind. The Depth of theirRelationship While the main Sanskrit text (Vyasa Mahabharata) doesn'tspend much time on their romance, folklore and sub-texts suggest a deep bond: Mutual Trust: There is afamous story where Karna and Bhanumati are playing a game of dice. WhenDuryodhana enters the room, Bhanumati stands up out of respect, and Karna (notseeing the King) accidentally breaks her pearl necklace. Instead of being suspicious orjealous, Duryodhana calmly asks, "Should I just collect the pearls, orstring them back together as well?" This shows immense trust in both his wifeand his best friend. Grief of Bhanumati: Bhanumati is often depicted as a strong woman who tries toadvise Duryodhana toward peace, and her grief at his death is portrayed asprofound, signifying he was a devoted husband to her. Summary Table: Contrast of Characters Character MaritalStatus Perception Pandavas Multiple wives(Draupadi, Subhadra, Ulupi, etc.) Seen asthe upholders of Dharma despite polygamy. Duryodhana Primarilydevoted to Bhanumati His personalloyalty is overshadowed by his public crimes. This quality makes Duryodhana a "Grey Character."It suggests that a man can be a loving husband and a loyal friend, yet still bea "bad" king or a person who commits great sins. Hope this interacting QAis interesting. I will continue in next posting. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1975654216.768884.1770775579231%40mail.yahoo.com.
