Aswamedha Episode and Jaimini Bharata in the Tradition of Mahabharata : Bengali, Assamese and Oriya Version

Orissa Review * April - 2010

Dr. Satyabrata Das Dr. U.N. Sahu

As the ancient tradition / heritage of balanced a character as Dharmaraj Yudhisthira Mahabharata shows, there is a special attraction was in no better frame of mind. Gloom and for the Aswamedha canto (the chapter dealing dejection hit one and all. Each of the Pandavas with the ritual done with great fan-fare and the was down with utter confusion and self-pity and concomitant show- down of valour and strength saw no way to come to terms with reality. At in the great Indian Epic) across the entire stretch moments they thought of renouncing the world or of Eastern India. Apart from the Mahabharata even committing suicide. It was a state of terrible being compared in different regional languages of crisis for the whole nation when it was barely out India, a plethora of precious creative pieces have of a disastrous war and with no one around in a come up in Assamese, Oriya, Bengali and sound frame of mind to lead the country out of Manipuri especially on the theme of Aswamedha turmoil. When the crisis deepened day by day Yajna. It is greatly interesting to observe that the and there was no sign of improvement, both great entire medieval royal culture and court tradition Vyasadev and Narada came to the rescue of was incomplete without this Aswamedha canto Dharmaraj Yudhisthira. As per their advice and being recited in the open Parliament to the king, counseling the Pandavas organized the grand the courtiers and the public. The reason is obvious. ritual of the Aswamedha Yajna to spiritually This chapter or canto of the Mahabharata gives counter-act the nagging remorse and gloom. And an exhaustive account of the tragic aftermath of indeed, they could fight out their dejection and the Great War and the noble intention of the disillusionment at last. virtuous Pandavas to atone for the loss of lives in On the other hand, the Aswamedha the process of the war before restoring normalcy Parva of the great Indian epic gives an elaborate in society. account of the political situation of India during Apart from the fact that the the period immediately following the Mahabharata war (or any other war for that Mahabharata war, the alignment of the royal matter) involved mass killings, it witnessed the houses, their powers and, above all, their attitude brutal killing of one¶s own kith and kin, first to the new order under the leadership of the cousins, nephews, mentors and friends. Hence, Pandavas. The war-sick and the war-ravaged the Pandavas were declared victorious at the end medieval kings of the Indian sub-continent thus of the day though, they were heavily shocked with found this chapter greatly soothing and grief and remorse and found it difficult to get over entertaining. Even the non-Hindu, foreign invaders them. As a matter of fact, even as wise and as like the Mughals patronized the poets to write on

72 Orissa Review * April - 2010 this theme of Aswamedha Yajna. This precisely which the three brothers were defeated. The next explains why the Aswamedha Parva proved itself point that the dark horse found itself on its journey as the most recited, discussed and sought-after was the Sindhu province which was being ruled part of the great Indian epic which passed through by Suratha, the able son of the deceased king innumerable poetic hands and appeared in Jayadratha. Both Suratha, the young king and his innumerable creative forms. It drew the attention mother, the widow of king Jayadratha (who and fired the imagination of both the sovereigns happened to be the sister of Duryodhana), got and the common; the old and the young; the panicked and sought shelter with Arjun. From the Hindus and the non-Hindus; the natives and the Sindhu province the horse proceeded to the foreigners. North-east province Manipur. Incidentally The earliest account of Aswamedha ritual Manipur was being ruled by Babruvahana, the we get from the Sanskrit Mahabharata son of Arjun and princess Chitrangada , which composed by Vyasadeva. Later Rishi Jaimini, a Arjun himself wasn¶t aware of. Although student of Vyasa, composed a long narrative called Babruvahana accorded the best of reception and Jaimini Bharata in which we find the ritual of honour to Arjun the latter looked at such Aswamedha yajna receiving the prime focus and hospitality as a mark of cowardice and unheroic all possible grandeur and significance. Next disposition. Arjun was really harsh and offensive follows a phase of history when the great Indian to Babruvahana and in fact provoked him to a epic takes multiple regional forms, each varying fight. This tense situation was further aggravated from the Sanskrit source and from each other as by Ullupi, the Nagakanya (snake-princess) from well in their thrust and approach. An interesting the nether-world. Then a terrible fight ensued pattern, however, emerges in all their differences between Arjun and Babruvahana in which the and varieties. Across Eastern India, the earliest latter killed the former. After Arjun got killed both attempt is found to be made to compose the Ullupi and Chitrangada arrived on the spot. Mahabharata in the regional language. And Chitrangada was crest-fallen to see Arjun dead curiously, all these poets focus on the Aswamedha and appealed to Ullupi to bring him back to life. Parva primarily to entertain the kings and chieftains On the other hand, Babruvahana (who too had who mostly patronized such talents. lost his senses) on his recovery felt miserable and was filled with a terrible sense of guilt and remorse Let us first examine this great event as it for being the cause of his own father¶s death. is portrayed in the Sanskrit version of the epic. However, Ullupi, on the pitiful persuation of As the events proceed in the Sanskrit Chitrangada, used Sanjeevani to bring the dead Mahabharata, after the disastrous war and the Arjun back to life. After this high drama was over pyrrhic victory of the Pandavas in the great war Ullupi revealed the whole mystery how Arjun was Vyasadeva proposed king-designate Dharmaraj cursed by the Astavasus for his unethical act of Yudhisthir to organize the Aswamedha Yajna putting Shikhandi on the front and killing Bhisma (primarily to counter-act the deep-seated gloom who was without arm. The Astavasus had got and dejection from their mind ) with two horses, the approval of mother Ganga before cursing one white the other dark. Arjun rode the white Arjun. Somehow the Naga-princess Ullupi could one following the dark one on its trail. First, the know this well in advance and had approached dark steed got into the territory of Trigarta and its her father, the king of the Nagas (Cobras), Ananta. king Suryavarma held up the horse. As a result, The Naga king Ananta, however, had fervently Arjun had a fight with king Suryavarma and his requested the Astavasus to call back the curse two brothers, Ketuvarma and Dhritavarma, in they had inflicted upon Arjun. The Vasus had

73 Orissa Review * April - 2010 complied with Nagaraj¶s request in a way by that the son of the couple would succeed to the designing the killing of Arjun by his own son throne of Manipur, not Hastinapur. As per this (Babruvahana) at Manipur and again getting back condition Babrunvahana became the king of to life after his liberation from the impact of the Manipur and Chitrangada stayed back in Manipur curse. This whole trend and mystery was to aid and advise her son like a regent(4). In the wonderfully narrated by Ullupi to Arjun which course of the Aswamedha yajna after the fight made him feel so happy. Then Arjun embraced between Arjun and Babruvahana and the former¶s and caressed his son Babruvahana and invited defeat and death and again his getting back to him to come to Hastinapur with both his mothers, life and his reunion with his son and two wives Chitrangada and Ullupi. (Chitrangada and Ullupi) Arjun directed Babruvahana to go to Hastinapur with his two After this high drama in Manipur the mothers. As the Sanskrit Mahabharata further sacred horse entered the territory of Magadha mentions, while Babruvahana finally leaves where Arjun defeated the young king Hastinapur after his sojourn king Yudhisthira gives Meghasandhi, the grandson of Jarasandha. In the him a lot of wealth and gifts.(5) south Arjun defeated Sharabha, the son of Shisupal ,in Shaktipur of the Chedis. In the same In the Ashramika Parva of the Sanskrit row Arjun went on defeating the Mlechha kings Mahabharata it figures that while Gandhari with of Banga, Pundra and Koshala. Similarly, along all the Kuru widows were leaving Hastinapur on the Coromandal and the Kankon coast Arjun their Vanaprastha (retirement to forest, the last fought and defeated the Dravidas, the Andhra, phase of Vedic life) Chitrangada was very much the Mahashika and the Kollwapineyas. Of course, present there.(6) there were many (such as Saurashtra, As such, in view of the above discussion Gokarnadesha, Dwaravati Nagari, Panchanada we reasonably assume that Vyasadev has given Pradesh and Gandhara desha) who humbly special attention and importance to the entire accepted the sovereignty of the Pandavas and Aswamedha parva in general and to Arjun- were invited to the Aswamedha Yajna. As the holy Chitrangada affair in particular. The histrionics of horse returned to Hastinapur after its long and the situation and the excitement of winning war eventful journey the Yajna was formally treated might have impressed the later kings and emperors as over and then preparation was in full swing for who might be drawing ample vicarious pleasure the journey of the Pandavas to the Heaven from the fast-track dramatic sequence of events (Swargarohana)(1) . of the Aswamedha Parva. That partly explains In Sanskrit Mahabharata the love why Jaimini Rishi claimed himself as a disciple of episode of Chitrangada and Arjun, their marriage Vyasadev and composed Jaimini Bharata in the and the birth of their son Babrunbahana , figure in style of the Aswamedha Parva of Vyasa¶s sanskrit the Adi Parva(2). Further ,in the course of the Mahabharata. In the entire stretch of Eastern Rajasuya Yajna Arjuna¶s reunion with Chitrangada India Jaimini Bharata became greatly popular in Manipur again and the former¶s invitation to especially in the courts of kings and chieftains. Babruvahana to the Yajna is elaborately portrayed On closer examination we notice a few in the Sanskrit Mahabharata(3). Yet another deviations in Jaimini Bharata from Vyasa¶s relevant point mentioned in the Adi Parva of the sanskrit Mahabharata. For example, Vyasa Sanskrit Mahabharata is that Chitrabahana, the mentions two holy horses (one white, the other king of Manipur, had kept a condition before he dark) while Jaimini has only one white horse in agreed on the issue of Arjun-Chitrangada marriage his story. Further, as per the latter, this holy white

74 Orissa Review * April - 2010 horse was recovered by Bhimasen defeating king power and made Sudhanwa free. Suratha too was Juvanaswa of Bhadravatipur( 7). killed by a salvo from Arjun. At last, Hansadhwaja escorted the holy horse back to Hastinapur (10). Again, on the advice of Vyasadev Yudhisthir sent Bhimasen to invite and bring forth After this dramatic journey the Yajna Sri Krsna and all his Astapatavansis. Sri Krsna¶s horse enters the Pramila kingdom. That is a cursed presence at Hastinapur made the Yajna smooth land. It was Goddess Parvati who had crused and easy(8). her to be deprived of male companionship. The moment they saw Nara Narayan Arjun she was Another deviation from Jaimini free from the curse instantly. On the counselling Bharata is the abduction of the holy horse by of Sri Krsna Arjun sent Pramila away to Anuswala, demon Salwa¶s brother, at the time of Hastinapur with his promise to marry her ( 11). the initial ritual (Vandapana) before releasing the animal. Then the horse gets into the land of the terrible demon (Ugra Rakshas). That is a strange A new addition to the story-line by Jaimini country where human beings appear like fruits on is Sri Krsna¶s fight with the abductor Anuswala trees in the noon hours and the carnivorous and His deliberate act of getting defeated and demons eat them. By the grace of Goddess losing His senses. When Anuswala was begging Saraswati Arjun was successful in killing that apology for his insolence at the feet of Sri Krsna terrible demon and could make the horse free(12). the latter revealed His Chaturdha Murati and Anuswala gave the holy Yajna horse back and Yet again, as Jaimini Bharata has it, on sought shelter at His feet (9). getting the news that the yajna horse has entered the borders of Manipur Babruvahana seeks the In the sequence of events as we see in advice of his mother Chitrangada. As she suggests Jaimini Bharata, the holy horse first enters the Babruvahana advances to receive his father territory of king Neeladhwaja of Mahesmatipur. (Arjun) with a rich array of gifts along with the On the wise counsel of Agni, the son-in-law of holy horse. But Arjun offends Babruvahana calling king Neela Dhwaja, his son Pravira honorably him ³the son of a harlot´ that provokes the latter returned the holy horse to the Pandavas as they to go for a fight. As Jaimini relates, at the command were the committed followers of Bhagawan Sri of Sri Krsna, mother Ganga sits at the throat of Krsna. A series of interesting, yet complex chain Arjun and prevents him from recognizing his own of events are mentioned here in Jaimini son. Again, the same mother Ganga prevails upon Mahabharata how the daughter of king Chitrangada that enrages her and becomes Neeladhwaja and Queen Jwalavati were getting revengeful against her husband Arjun. Moreover, married to Agni, his wife getting turned into a piece she blesses her son Babruvahana that turns his of stone being cursed by a Rishi along the Ganga, body as strong as thunder. On the other hand, Sri the holy Yajna horse getting stuck to that stone, Krsna eludes Arjun whenever he tries to on the touch of Arjun the horse being free and the remember him before paying his obeisance to cursed character (Chandi was her name) getting mother Ganga. As a result, Babruvahana, on the liberated simultaneously and so on and so forth. advice of Ullipi, begs the ³power´ from mother Next, the horse enters the Champak province. Ganga and with that kills Arjun. Then both Ullupi Here we get the story of Indumati and Sudhanwa. and Chitrangada arrive on the spot that gives a Sudhanwa got a protective ring (Kavacha) from turn to the tragic sequence. Ullupi somehow Ganga with the help of Indumati. Finally, at the realizes the blunder and sends Babruvahana to direction of Sri Krsna Arjun applied his Baishnavi the nether- world where he had to fight and defeat

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Dhrutarashtra (the minister of Nagaraj Ananta) But when Arjun failed to defeat the king Vira and got the Sanjeevani. Varma, Sri Krsna despatched Hanuman to tackle the situation. At last, the king took shelter at the Sri Krsna too arrives just on time. He feet of Sri Krsna and the lord was pleased to comes with the severed head of Arjun which is reveal His original form (Chaturdha Murati) to stolen away by Dhritarastra (Nagaraj Ananta¶s king Vira Varma. The high drama ended peacefully Minister), and with the touch of the Sanjeevani as the king returned the Yajna horse and accepted Arjun gets back his life. Brother Bhimasen and the lord¶s sovereignty(15). mother Kunti too arrive there. This part of the story is not there in Vyasa¶s Sanskrit The Yajna horse entered king Mahabharata. It is a wonderful family reunion. Chandrahasa¶s territory of Kontala. He was the Both Ullipi and Chitrangada are cordially invited worthy son of king Sudhanya, His father had a to Hastinapur. As the mystery slowly unfolds itself, notorious minister called Dhritabuddhi who had all such complications and tragedy happen due killed the king and forcibly occupied the throne. to mother Ganga¶s curse. This secret was known He too had tortured the prince and the king to Ullipi alone. Hence she had advised apparent, Chandrahasa. But at every point of his Babruvahana to worship mother Ganga and seek crisis Sri Krsna had come to his rescue. At last her favour. both Sri Krsna and Arjun were bound by a lasting friendship with Chandrahasa instead of fighting The holy horse of the Pandavas got into over the yajna horse. King Chandrahasa rather the city of Kantavati in the country of took it as a great privilege to hand over the holy Shubhravativan on the borders of Manipur. The animal to the Pandavas and got the rare favour of righteous king of that country Sikhidhwaja had in lord Sri Krsna¶s darshan and blessings(16). his life-time already performed seven Aswamedha Yajnas. Tamradhwaja was his eldest son. Both In the course of its long journey the yajna the father and son were committed/ avowed horse reached the holy ashram of Rishi Bakadanta Vaisnavas. In the fight Tamradhwaja had defeated in an oceanic island. Both Sri Krsna and Arjun both Sri Krsna and Arjun and was carrying them had given their darshan to Rishi Bakadanta earlier. on his shoulders to his father when both feigned In the next leg of the horse¶s journey, it entered unconscious. And both Sri Krsna and Arjun got Sindhu Desa where Suratha, the son of into disguise and approached king Sikhadhwaja Jayadratha and his mother Dushila (Jayadratha¶s as two Brahmins. Sri Krsna, finally, was merciful widow and the sister of Duryodhan), surrendered gracefully at the feet of Sri Krsna and Arjun(17). enough to reveal Himself (in his Chaturdha Murati) Then the great ritual of Aswamedha yajna came before king Sikhadhwaja. After this obviously, the to an end and the Pandavas set out on their king and his retinue fell prostrate at the feet of the journey to the Heaven (Swargarohana) entrusting lord and returned the holy horse with profuse the throne to Parikshit. apology(14). The Mahabharata in Bengali shows The next destination of the Yajna horse many a deviation both from Vyasadev¶s Sanskrit was Ratnapur which was being ruled by an able Mahabharata and Jaimini Bharata as well. king Vira Varma. The five able sons of the king Let us briefly examine the highlights of the (Sulola, Suloka, Neela, Nakula etc.) launched an Aswamedha Parva of the Bengali Mahabharata attack on Arjun and his army. Arjun, however, with its similarities and departures. could make them flat and unconscious. After this Arjun had a fierce fight with the king¶s son-in-law As we go along the Aswamedha Yajna Yamaraj. The latter too collapsed unconscious. episode in the Bengali Mahabharata we observe

76 Orissa Review * April - 2010 a striking similarity with the account given in entered Maheswatipur, the territory of king Jaimini Bharata. The only remarkable Neeladhwaja. The only point both the accounts difference is found in the complexion of the holy differ is on the name of the queen horse. The horse in Bengali Mahabharata is dark (Neeladhwaja¶s). While the Bengali and its tail yellow(18). Mahabharata calls her Janaa Jaimini Bharata While retrieving the yajna horse from calls her as Jwala (22 ).Similarly, in Bengali Yuvanaswapur, its king was defeated who handed Mahabharata the name of the queen of prince over the horse at Hastinapur where he availed Pravira is Madana Manjari( 23); whereas in himself the darshan of Sri Krsna. On his return to Jaimini Bharata it is Prabhavati (24). his kingdom the king proposed his old mother to The wedding of the daughter of king avail the rare opportunity of the darshan of Sri Neeladhwaja and queen Jwala receives different Krsna which she turned down. Her son, the king illustration in both the texts. In Bengali (as the Bengali Mahabharata portrays), forcibly Mahabharata we get an elaborate account of put her in the chariot and took her to Hastinapur the background and mystery of the wedding of for a darshan of Sri Krsna which comes rarely in Princess Swaha (the daughter of king a life-time. This anecdote is the only deviation in Neeladhwaja) with Agni. It depicts the fascinating the Bengali Mahabharata from the Jaimini account of how mother Vasumati felt jealous of Bharata. The rest remains largely same, Laxmi as all the time she was sitting on the lap of identical(19). Sri Narayana. That enraged the latter who cursed According to the Bengali Mahabharata Vasumati to take her birth as a mortal on earth. In only three persons (Sri Krsna, Uddhava and Krita turn Vasumati too cursed Laxmi for which Sri Varma) had come from Dwarakapur in response Narayan was forced to take incarnations on earth. to the invitation of king Yudhisthira to attend the This anecdote is only found in the Aswamedha Aswamedha Yajna(20). Whereas in Jaimini Parva of the Bengali Mahabharata(25). Bharata Sri Balaram and Sri Vasudeva too were Both the texts, however, give an identical in the company of Sri Krsna and others who came approach to the holy horse¶s entry into the to Hastinapur. Champak province of Karnataka. The only As Jaimini Bharata puts it Anusalwa variation is marked on the matter of Indumati- had abducted the Yajna horse only to get the Sudhanya affair which Bengali Mahabharata darshan of Sri Krsna while fighting with him. This doesn¶t have ( 26 ).As Jaimini Bharata is well in consonance with the attitude and narrates, Surasen, the king of Karnataka, had a approach of the demons in Hindu myths and beautiful daughter called Indumati. She scriptures. They believe more in challenges than worshipped lord Viswanath with faith and surrender even if it involves their matter of spiritual devotion to get a very good husband. By the grace liberation. of lord Viswanath Indumati, on her way back from the temple, saw Sudhanya, the handsome and Whereas in Bengali Mahabharata we virtuous son of king Hansadhwaja. At first sight get some other explanation. As it goes, Sri Krsna Indumati was drawn to him and courted the Prince was under moral pressure and duress (as he was as her desired person. As Sudhanya was already cursed by Garga Muni) to go for a fight with married he turned down the offer but Indumati Anusalwa and to court defeat (21). was committed to him all her life by not marrying Both the Bengali Mahabharata and any one else and keeping herself by Sudhanya¶s Jaimini Bharata mention that the holy horse first side on the war field assisting and encouraging

77 Orissa Review * April - 2010 her lover all the while. At last Indumati felt Parvati (Hara-Gouri). Similarly, in Jaimini completely overwhelmed when she saw Bharata the land of the demons is called Ugra Bhagawan Sri Krsna with her lover Sudhanya ( Desha while in Bengali Mahabharata it is called 27 ). Vrukshadesha (32). The rest, however, remains Next, the Yajna horse entered the territory same. of Pramila (a land of women only). There was According to Bengali Mahabharata not a single male in the country. And the land was when Babruvahana had been to the Nether world ruled by the female ruler called Pramila. Arjun to get the Sanjeevani, Dhrutarashtra (the minister considered it both delicate and embarrassing to of Naga king Ananta) refused to give him. It was fight with a woman. So he prayed Sri Krsna. As because he happened to be a good friend of blind a result Pramila got infatuated with Arjun and king Dhrutarashtra of Hastinapur. In Jaimini wished to marry him. On Sri Krsna¶s advice Arjun Bharata, on the other hand, it is mentioned that married Pramila in accordance with the Gandharva in the great fire of Khandava all the kith and kin ritual and sent her to Hastinapur. She was of Dhrutarashtra (a cobra) were killed for which accompanied by other women to Hastinapur he wanted to take revenge on Arjun. So he too(28). Each woman of this Pramila kingdom refused to give the Amritamani or Sanjeevani was a cursed one (by Parvati) and was forbidden whatsoever. Apart from this minor variation both to meet any male companion. Arjun, being verily the Bengali Mahabharata and the Jaimini a Nara Narayana (God in mortal form), liberated Bharata are nearly identical in their approach and them from their state of curse and despondency (29 ). presentation (33). The same Pramila anecdote appears in Again, while in Jaimini Bharata the city the Bengali Mahabharata in a slightly different of Sikhidhwaja king is mentioned as Kantavatipur, manner. As it puts it, Pramila was drawn to Arjun in Bengali Mahabharata it is named as as he was accompanied by Kamadev or Cupid, Ratnavatipur. Further, the Brahmin(in disguise) the God of love. All those cursed women were, refused to take the sacrifice from the king as tears in their previous life, the children of king Dilip. rolled down his left eye when he gave away his Parvati¶s curse sent them down as women. When right limbs. As the Jaimini Bharata narrates, Arjun asked Pramila she gave him the entire queen Kumudavati made humble request to the account. She entreated the former to marry her. Brahmin-in-disguise to accept the dana (sacrifice) Arjun promised her to marry and left for ; whereas in the Bengali Mahabharata it is Hastinapur (30 ). mentioned that the Brahmin-in-disguise was humbly requested to accept the half-detached Then the holy horse entered the Ugra head of king Sikhidhwaja as sacrifice(34). The province. It was a forbidden land of deadly demons surrounded by tall mountains and deep rest of the narration remains mostly identical in forest. There was a strange country where human theme and approach. beings appeared on trees like fruits which the The entry of the yajna horse in Ratnapur ferocious cannibals ate. Arjun, however, could kill and the capture of the same by Vir Varma remain those demons and retrieve the horse(31). While same both in the Bengali Mahabharata and the in Jaimini Bharata it is mentioned that those Jaimini Bharata though, they only differ in the demons were patronized by the demon-king name of the Rishi concerned. While the former Sadasiva ; in Bengali Mahabharata they had calls the Rishi Vakadalavya, the latter calls him the blessing and support of both Shiva and Vakadanta (35).

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The Bengali Mahabharata mentions the there have been changes and variations now and holy horse entering Sindhudesha which was being then in the Assamese version. The original ruled by the son of Jayadratha and his widow compositon of poet Rama Saraswati¶s was later Dushila (Duryodhan¶s sister). It further mentions re-composted by three poets (Ganga Dasa, the name of their son as Manibhadra. But this Subuddhi Ray and Bhabani Dasa) on a son¶s name doesn¶t figure in Jaimini Bharata. collaborative basis. They have mainly focused on And as per the account of Jaimini Bharata the the Aswamedha parva and achieved their King Manibhadra died of shock when he heard imaginative and stylistic excellence(40). the coming of Arjun. But in BengaliMahabharata it is mentioned that king Manibhadra ran away The ancient long narrative called Lang when he heard that Arjun was approaching. The Goi Sagol Thaba that exists in Manipuri literature rest, however, remains same (36 ).Then the Yajna focuses on a horse that is meant to be sacrificed came to an end and the Pandavas set out on their in a ritual (Aswamedha). That was composed in journey to Heaven (Swargarohana). the manner of the Bengali Mahabharata written by poet Gangadas Sen, especially its fourth th Towards the end of 13 century, a poet chapter narrating the Aswamedha Yajna. In called Hari Hara Bipra wrote a book entitled Manipuri dialect, the Aswamedha parva was Babruvahana Yuddha (in the shadow of Jaimini composed in 1724 by Langjam Prasuram¶s son Bharata) under the patronage of King Durlava Langjam Chandrashyam and his disciples(41). In Narayana in Assam. This book had six hundred this Manipuri version, we find the entire focus on couplets(37). According to this book (of poet Hari the fight between Arjun and Babruvahana. When Hara) the Yajna Horse first entered the territory son Babruvahana comes with gifts and the yajna of Mainpur. When Babruvahana, the king of horse to receive his father Arjun, the latter turns Manipur, knew from his mother that Arjun was harsh to him and abuses him calling him the son his own father he wanted to return the horse with of a harlot. Babruvahana swallows everything as gifts and apology. But, ironically, Arjun had a son, but such horrific aspersion on his mother completely forgotten about his marriage with Princess Chitrangada. So he was harsh and (Chitrangada) brings him to his elements who offensive to Babruvahana and also cast aspersions challenges Arjun and beheads him at the end. on his mother¶s (Chitrangada¶s) character. Thus Babruvahana¶s step-mother Ullupi, the daughter provoked Babrubahana, under the circumstances, of the snake-king Ananta, had sent Pundariksha was compelled to fight. And the fight was to the nether-world to fetch the life-giving GEM. disastrous as Arjun got killed. Here lord Krsna While the snake-king Ananta was too willing to Himself came to the spot and gave life to Arjun part with the GEM for the sake of his son-in- and reminded him that he had married princess law( Arjun), his own minister and people were Chitrangada in the course of his tour across opposed to it. Incidentally, Babruvahana launched Manipur. Then followed the exciting reunion of an offensive on the Nether-world and realized the Arjun with his son Babruvahana and wife GEM. But in the meantime yet another conspiracy Chitrangada (38). This episode with the emotion- was hatched by the minister of snake-king Ananta. packed reunion of the father and son duo (Arjun He had stolen the severed head of Arjun without and Babruvahana) is elaborately drawn in the which the revival of life was not possible. Aswamedha parva of the Assamese However, the crisis was soon resolved as Mahabharata (39). The Assamese version of Bhagawan Sri Krsna arrived on the wings of the great Indian Epic is not a literal translation of Garuda over there in Manipur and the high drama the Sanskrit Mahabharata. Though the main ended with Arjun getting back to life and united story line and the basic structure is maintained, with his son(42).

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This text, however, makes a point that References : mother Chitrangada was quite unhappy with her 1. Sanskrit Mahabharata (Aswamedha Parva) son Babruvahana¶s impulsive decision to fight with 2. Ibid, Adi Parva PP.214-17 his father Arjun without consulting her. At the 3. Ibid. Adi Parva PP. 216, 23, 34 happy ending and reunion of Arjun with his heroic 4. Ibid. PP. 214 son Babruvahana and both his loyal and committed 5. Ibid. Aswamedha Parva, 89/64 6. Ibid. Ashramika 15/10 wives (Chitrangada and Ullupi) he made a fervent 7. Jaimini Bharata. PP. 73-86 request to both Chitrangada and Ullupi to spend 8. Ibid. PP. 87-99 the rest of their lives at Hastinapur. 9. Ibid. PP. 99-106 In the Bengali Mahabharata there is a 10. Ibid. PP.117-46 11. Ibid. PP. 146-55 minor variation of the story which mentions that 12. Ibid .PP. 155-63 Bhima, Kunti, Yashoda and Devaki too had 13. Ibid .PP. 166-233 accompanied Sri Krsna to Manipur when Arjun 14. Ibid .PP. 262-69 was reported lying dead over there. The Manipuri 15. Ibid. PP. 269-75 version of the Aswamedha Parva, however, 16. Ibid. PP. 275-88 mentions about Sri Krsna going alone to Manipur 17. Ibid. PP. 291 on the wings of Garuda. Sarala Mahabharata 18. Bengali Mahabharata. PP. 1001-17 19. Ibid .PP. 1020 in Oriya simply mentions Sri Krsna¶s act of reviving 20. Ibid . PP. 1026-30 Arjun from death. In the Jaimini Mahabharata 21. Ibid. PP. 1031-34 there are elaborate accounts of Babruvahana¶s 22. Ibid. PP. 1038-40 offensive in the Naga Loka (Nether-world) the 23. Ibid. PP. 1036-37 possession of the life-giving GEM from there and 24. Jaimini Bharata .PP. 107-112 finally bringing Arjun back to life. As we see, the 25. Bengali Mahabharata. PP. 1045 Aswamedha Parva of the Bengali, Manipuri and 26. Ibid. PP. 1048-1061 27. Jaimini Bharata . PP. 117-46 the Assamese Mahabharata was largely 28. Ibid. PP. 146-50 influenced by the Jaimini Mahabharata. In the 29. Ibid .PP. 151-55 Bengali version of the epic composed by poet 30. Bengali Mahabharata . PP. 1063-65 Parameswar Das (under the patronage of Pargal 31. Jaimini Bharata PP. 155-63 Khan) there is a brief description of the 32. Bengali Mahabharata. PP. 1065-68 Aswamedha Parva(43). Here we notice a 33. Ibid .PP. 1068-80 perceptible influence of the Sanskrit 34. Ibid. PP. 1080-87 35. Ibid . PP. 1097-98 Mahabharata. On the other hand, poet Srikar 36. Ibid. PP. 1098 Nandy¶s Bengali version was heavily influenced 37. The History of Assamese Literature (B. K. Barua) by the Sanskrit Jaimini Bharata. Similarly, poet 38. Ibid . PP. 10-11 Kasiram Das¶s Mahabharata (the Aswamedha 39. Assamese Mahabharata. Part ± II (Ed. H.N. Dutta Parva in particular) was composed visibly in the Barua) shadow of the Sanskrit Jaimini Bharata(44). 40. The Hist. of Assamese Litt. (B. K. Barua) PP. 52 41. A History of Manipuri Litt. (Ch. Manihar Singh) In the Oriya Mahabharata of Sarala Dasa, PP. 140 however, there is only a passing reference to the 42. Ibid. PP. 141 Aswamedha Parva. While in all other versions of 43. A History of Bengali Litt. (Sukumar Sen) PP. 85 the great Indian epic across the eastern and north- 44. Ibid. PP. 86 eastern Indian peninsula we notice a massive thrust on the Aswamedha Parva, Sarala Dasa Dr. Satyabrata Das, Reader and Head, Department of doesn¶t seem to subscribe to it. This is yet another English, Ekamra College, Bhubaneswar Dr. U.N. Sahu, Reader and Head, Department of Oriya, original deviation of this great genius. S.C.S. Autonomous College, Puri.