Dharmic Memes: Reading Notes: Week 9 Part A

YUDHISHTHIRA'S GAMBLING

Duryodhan, the eldest among the Kauravas was constantly meddled in jealousy towards his cousins- the Pandavas. He devised a plan with his uncle Shakuni, to destory the Pandavas. They challenged Yudhishtira to a game of dice and knew that he wouldn't refuse. Yudhishtira's pride and a curse from King Drupad drove him to lose stake after stake against the masterful gambler Shakuni. After losing everything, Shakuni aksed Yudhishtira to gamble his wife Draupadi. Yudhishtira lost again and Draupadi was summoned to the court. She pleaded to the king and begged to be free from slavery as promised to Duryodhan. Prince Dushasan tore off Draupadi's garments and tried to undress her. However, she folded her hands and started praying to Lord Krishna. As she was getting undressed, the lord clothed her and Dushasan ceased. Bhima now fueled with vengeance against his cousins, exclaims that he would drink the life-blood out of Dushasan and break Duryodhan's thighs in half. Even though King Dhritarashtra freed the Pandavas from slavery, they lost another round of gambling. They had to be exiled for 12 years and give away their kingdom to the Kauravas. When the events of the Kurukshetra war unfolded, Karma came full circle and Bhima slayed Dushasan and Duryodhan exactly like he claimed.

HIDIMBA AND BAKA

As the Pandavas were in exile, they constantly moved from place to place on foot and this was especially exhausting to Queen Kunti. She asked her son Bhima to find her water before she died of thirst. When Bhima returned, all his brothers and Queen Kunti were asleep. He guarded them from any wild animals or beasts. After a while, a young beautiful woman approaches him and introduces herself as Hidimbi. She claims that her brother had sent her to find the people who had ventured into his territory. She was smitten by Bhima's looks and fell in love with him. She warned Bhima of her brother and that he would slay all of them. When Hidimba tried to attack Bhima, he easily defeated the monster. Queen Kunti advised Bhima to go with Hidimbi and meet them later on. Bhima spends several days with Hidimbi but has to leave to continue his exile. Southward, in a town called Ekachakra, a monster Bakasura had gained control. He would order the town to send him a cart full of rice, two buffaloes and a man/woman every week. Queen Kunti, at the request of a Brahman asks Bhima to slay the demon. The next week, Bhima goes to the demon with the cart and starts eating the rice from it. Enraged, Bakasura attacks Bhima and meets the same fate as Hidimba. Throughout the Mahabharata, we see tales of Bhima slaying monsters as a feat of his strength.