KumaravyasaBharata : Viraata Parva - Part 1
1) Viraata Parva details the last year of living in disguise for each of 5 pandavas and Draupadi. Viraata is the name of the King who helps them during this year.
2) Duryodhana and Kaurava army schemed to destroy Pandavas, Insult Draupadi, during their 12 year vanavasa, when they are weaponless, but fail miserably from gandharvas, Bheema and Arjuna and return defeated. When they were almost at the completion of 12th year and worried about the last year, 4 brothers of Pandavas except Yudhistira go into near death experience from a unknown yaksha and demand yudhistira to answer his 122 questions to save his brothers from death. Yudhistira is blessed with Dharma deva on his answers and saves his brothers.
3) Pandavas perform Homa, seek blessings of Agni deva, Kula purohitas, Rishis and rest of the crew and gives them a send off before departing to their year in disguise. In Our Puranas, Agni is seen as a very Prominent Devatha in all subha karyas. Since Agni is Urdhva Mukha (upward facing), he is seen as the responsible person who takes all our wishes to required devathas (who reside above Bhooloka) through Havissu (sacrifice). Panadvas pray for Siri, Kingdom & Arogya during their Homa.
4) Yudhistira debates with Arjuna (who is well travelled) on a suitable place to go in disguise. North is under Kauravas, East Kings are Kauravas friends, In South, Pandavas are seen and popular and some of south kings are more gossipping while West Kings are very weak in strength. Arjuna responds humbly that Matsya kingdom's ruler Viraata is strong and his wife Sudeshna's brother Keechaka is Kauravas enemy. Keechaka is also the Rakshana Pade head and doesnt care strongest people like Karna. Yudhistira acknowledges his choice by adding Viraata is also Dharma Nishta, Strong and Wealthy. They all further discuss on their disguises and choose below:
Yudhistira : Says he likes gambling (Pagade Aaata), hence will go in as a *Brahmana* who has taken sanyasa vratha under the name 'Kanka'
Bheema : Says he likes food and will go as a *Cook* under the name 'Vallala'
Arjuna : Says he will go in as a *Dance Teacher* in the name of 'Bruhannale'
Nakula : Says he is expert in Horses and will go in as *Ashwapaala* under the name 'Granthika'
Sahadeva : Says he is expert in Cows and will go in as *Cowherd* under the name of 'Tantipala'
Draupadi : Says she will go in as a helper to queen to do her kesha sringaara, flower beautification etc under the disguise of 'Sairandhri'.
5) They decide to reshuffle their properties as below before their departure:
* Yagnashaala and Paakashala properties are to go to Father in law Drupada Kingdom along with Dhowmya Rishi
* Chariots to go to Dwaraka along with Indrasena and his followers
* Draupadi's maids to go to Panchala kingdom too and keep mum on us.
* Hide their weaponary in a cemetery near the border of Matsya kingdom over a Banni tree (Prosopis cineraria) in animal skin bags hanging high in the form of dead bodies. The tree was amidst cemetry, surrounded by wild animals and snakes. They even scare some cowherds and shepherds who come around the cemetery saying its the dead bodies of their 180 year old mother and are hanging her so as per their ritual and warns them not to open the bags. Yudhistira does his last prayer to Surendra, Yama and Varuna (the dikpalakas) saying Bheema is strong but is crass and short tempered so please they ensure that these weapons dont go in hands of Bheema and not to give them to anyone but just him and Arjuna alone! Bheema rages at Yudhistiras this prayer screaming at him. Yudhistira pleads him to calm down and dont rage at this minute of separation and explains his reasonings.
6) Yudhistira dresses up as Brahmin and looked like Bruhspati who visits Indira in Swarga, walking like a glowing Lion. Viraata King is mind blown at his appearance and approaches himself to bow down to Kanka. He introduces himself as a Dwija (twice born), back then dear friend of Yudhistira, now tapswi, vyaghrapada gotra brahmana, named Kanka, visiting him to fend his daily needs of hunger. He continues saying he follows a strict vratha where in he eats only Yagna prasada, Sleep only on floor at night, no anger anytime, and follows this for a year in your kingdom after which he will go away. Asks the king if he wills to give him shelter. King obliges heartfully.
7) After 3 to 4 days, a scary looking monkey-like person, with a ladle in his hand comes and visits king. He says he has come seeking job and is from Shudra caste, knows to cook and had cooked in Bheemasena's house, and can play Kusti and Malla Yuddha. Viraats king says he has Vishnu's essence in him and cant believe what he says, but agrees to his request to be head chef in his kitchen department. Next day, as an eunuch, Arjuna comes to Viraat kingdom, and introduces himself as Dance teacher. Without a second thought, Viraata King accepts him and reconfirms secretly that he is really a eunuch before employing him. After 2 days to this, Nakula and Sahadeva gets employed as Aswapaala and Gopaalakas.
8) Next day, Wearing an old pale saree, dressed up in a sympathetic look, Sairandhri in seen in streets of Viraata kingom asking maid job and she is summoned by Queen Sudeshna herself after hearing about her beauty. When queen enquires if she is any vanadevathe, mesmerized by her beauty, Draupadi introduces herself as Sairandhri, married to 5 strong gandharvas, who had a fight with her husbands and in an anger she separates herself from them for a year and is looking for a job for this year. She says she served Rukmini, Satyabhama and Draupadi too and they all sued to call her 'Malini'. Sudheshna talks to Draupadi in a one-to-one matter of fact saying, her beauty is so mesmerizing that the queen cannot help herself falling for it, and fears her king might fall for it too and hence says she will be a threat to Sudeshna herself if she is employed. Draupadi, taken aback at the unexpected answer, fears for a while but convinces Sudeshna that her 5 gandharva husbands are always around her and are protecting her and she is a patrivarathe and no one's ill looks can fall on her.
Yudhistira : Says he likes gambling (Pagade Aaata), hence will go in as a *Brahmana* who has taken sanyasa vratha under the name 'Kanka'
Bheema : Says he likes food and will go as a *Cook* under the name 'Vallala'
Arjuna : Says he will go in as a *Dance Teacher* in the name of 'Bruhannale'
Nakula : Says he is expert in Horses and will go in as *Ashwapaala* under the name 'Granthika'
Sahadeva : Says he is expert in Cows and will go in as *Cowherd* under the name of 'Tantipala'
Draupadi : Says she will go in as a helper to queen to do her kesha sringaara, flower beautification etc under the disguise of 'Sairandhri'.
5) They decide to reshuffle their properties as below before their departure:
* Yagnashaala and Paakashala properties are to go to Father in law Drupada Kingdom along with Dhowmya Rishi
* Chariots to go to Dwaraka along with Indrasena and his followers
* Draupadi's maids to go to Panchala kingdom too and keep mum on us.
* Hide their weaponary in a cemetery near the border of Matsya kingdom over a Banni tree (Prosopis cineraria) in animal skin bags hanging high in the form of dead bodies. The tree was amidst cemetry, surrounded by wild animals and snakes. They even scare some cowherds and shepherds who come around the cemetery saying its the dead bodies of their 180 year old mother and are hanging her so as per their ritual and warns them not to open the bags. Yudhistira does his last prayer to Surendra, Yama and Varuna (the dikpalakas) saying Bheema is strong but is crass and short tempered so please they ensure that these weapons dont go in hands of Bheema and not to give them to anyone but just him and Arjuna alone! Bheema rages at Yudhistiras this prayer screaming at him. Yudhistira pleads him to calm down and dont rage at this minute of separation and explains his reasonings.
6) Yudhistira dresses up as Brahmin and looked like Bruhspati who visits Indira in Swarga, walking like a glowing Lion. Viraata King is mind blown at his appearance and approaches himself to bow down to Kanka. He introduces himself as a Dwija (twice born), back then dear friend of Yudhistira, now tapswi, vyaghrapada gotra brahmana, named Kanka, visiting him to fend his daily needs of hunger. He continues saying he follows a strict vratha where in he eats only Yagna prasada, Sleep only on floor at night, no anger anytime, and follows this for a year in your kingdom after which he will go away. Asks the king if he wills to give him shelter. King obliges heartfully.
7) After 3 to 4 days, a scary looking monkey-like person, with a ladle in his hand comes and visits king. He says he has come seeking job and is from Shudra caste, knows to cook and had cooked in Bheemasena's house, and can play Kusti and Malla Yuddha. Viraats king says he has Vishnu's essence in him and cant believe what he says, but agrees to his request to be head chef in his kitchen department. Next day, as an eunuch, Arjuna comes to Viraat kingdom, and introduces himself as Dance teacher. Without a second thought, Viraata King accepts him and reconfirms secretly that he is really a eunuch before employing him. After 2 days to this, Nakula and Sahadeva gets employed as Aswapaala and Gopaalakas.
8) Next day, Wearing an old pale saree, dressed up in a sympathetic look, Sairandhri in seen in streets of Viraata kingom asking maid job and she is summoned by Queen Sudeshna herself after hearing about her beauty. When queen enquires if she is any vanadevathe, mesmerized by her beauty, Draupadi introduces herself as Sairandhri, married to 5 strong gandharvas, who had a fight with her husbands and in an anger she separates herself from them for a year and is looking for a job for this year. She says she served Rukmini, Satyabhama and Draupadi too and they all sued to call her 'Malini'. Sudheshna talks to Draupadi in a one-to-one matter of fact saying, her beauty is so mesmerizing that the queen cannot help herself falling for it, and fears her king might fall for it too and hence says she will be a threat to Sudeshna herself if she is employed. Draupadi, taken aback at the unexpected answer, fears for a while but convinces Sudeshna that her 5 gandharva husbands are always around her and are protecting her and she is a patrivarathe and no one's ill looks can fall on her.
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