Tags
arjuna, Arjuna wives, folklore, indonesian, javanese, Mahabharata, mahabharata versions, permadi, shikhandi, srikandi, supraba, supraba nymph, variations
Pan-Indian Arjun, Indonesian Arjun, Bengali Arjun, Tamil Arjun.
Zapped? Don’t be!
Indonesia, with its huge Buddhist & Hinduist influences has its own Mahabharat. Variations between ‘our’ MB & ‘their’ MB – some quirky, some weird, some hilarious, some disgusting, some beyond imagination.
P.S – As in Vyas’s MB, many facts are probably expanded/ diluted/ masala-fied by interpolations via folklore, literature and poetic license. So PLEASE take these spin-offs with a pinch of salt.
Read on for ‘twists’ in Indonesian Arjun aka Permadi (Hmm 11th name?)…
1. Arjun, Bheem & Yudhi are biological sons of PANDU, while the demi-Gods are their spiritual fathers.
2. Other than Draupadi (aka Drupadi), Subadra and Ulupi, his other wives include Supraba and Srikandi. Hooked your interest? Here goes …
a] Supraba is a heavenly nymph or Goddess.
She initially tries to seduce Arjun in order to interrupt his penance, but fails to shatter his concentration. Then follows a fierce duel between Arjun & Kilatnwarna , very similar to the duel with Shiva. Arjun gets Pasupati weapon as his reward.
Thereafter, Arjun learns that Supraba is propositioned by Niwatkavacha, the ogre. The Gods seek Arjun’s help to combat the ogre. On Arjun’s victory, Heaven gifts him Supraba as wife.
b] Srikandi is Draupadi’s sister. She desperately falls in love with Arjun (to the utter disapproval of Draupadi, as expected!). To win his heart, she becomes Arjun’s disciple in archery. As Gurudakshina, she declares that if any woman can defeat her in archery, she would marry Arjun. Srikandi then deliberately loses to opponent Larasati, thus gaining Arjun as husband (Haar ke jeetnewale ko ….Baazigar aka Srikandi kehte hain!) 
Srikandi is the warrior-wife who accompanies Arjun on military as well as hunting expeditions. She is portrayed as a go-getter, brave and skilled Amazonian … until our super masculine hero awakens the softer side of her.
c] Subadra is Krishn’s (aka Kreshna) twin sister. There is no thrilling, action packed Subhadra –haran. Vasudeva and Pandu (YES, Pandu is still alive!) make it an arranged marriage.
3. KANGSA (aka Kamsa) is killed by Arjun.
4. BALADEWA (aka Balram) seeks assistance from Arjun to win Eravati (aka Revati) as wife. BTW, Eravati is Shalya’s daughter!
5. Shalya ‘s children are all knotted into weird criss-cross ties with Arjun. Apart from Eravati, he has two more daughters. They are married to Dury & Karna, although both daughters are in love with Arjun. Shalya’s son is infatuated with Subhadra and even tries to abduct her(unsuccessfully).
6. Abhimanyu marries Krishn’s daughter Siti Sundari. Also her sister Titisari marries Iravan. Thus, another heartfelt bond is added to Krishn-Arjun relation!
7. Arjun’s twin daughters are married to GHATOTKACH!
P.S – So, Abhimanyu is Krishn’s nephew & son-in-law; while Ghatotkach is Arjun’s nephew & son-in-law! Speak of COMPLEXITY.
8. Arjun’s disciple Satyaki is younger brother of Satyabhama.
Is your HEAD SPINNING? Had enough of twists & turns? Well, one last punch –
9. Abhimanyu-Siti’s marriage is disrupted by a lady warrior named Suprabawati. To counter her on battlefield, all Arjun’s WIVES (led by Srikandi) fight against the invaders … and win, of course!
SOURCES: Indrajit Bandyopadhyaya (Indonesian MB)
Impractical Dreamer 
Interesting! Though I know some of the twists 🙂
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As per the author/source, Indonesian MB pre-dates Indian MB. So, did we twist their MB or they twisted ours … is open to debate. Would love to read their full MB, wish it was available as a translation.
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Wowow. .. This seems like a pure Bollywood masala stuff..
Mythology is myth hence too many variations and as the stories spread so did the twist. .
It’s same as you whisper a line to someone and ask them to whisper to another and so on..by the time 10th person hears it that whisper completely changes the meaning..
Lost in translation. ..:)
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Gained in translation is more likely.
Actually all of mythology is not fantasy. Like, for example, Shivaji Maharaj escaped Agra prison is a fact – but whether he escaped by hiding within fruit caskets or disguised as a pall bearer is open to fantasy & folklore.
But yes, Chinese whispers is a good comparison.
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There is a lot of difference between history and mythology
I don’t think Chatrapati Shivaji is myth.. it is history. .
So the two can’t be compared. .
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I firmly believe our epics are History. There are recent evidences pointing out the same about Dwarka, atom bomb aka Brahmastra, etc. Even Chanakya mentions the epics as ‘Itihaas’ (history) in his Arthshastra.
The epics are temporally far removed from us, whilst Shivaji Maharaj’s history is more recent and better documented in times & place. But many hundred years down the line, if we don’t retain the records, even Maharaj will become a mythical creature.
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This is pretty interesting. Makes one wonder how Arjuna could devote time to all of them. Of course this holds true for all kings who had n number of wives.
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Of course, most of them are folklores. Many recent kings, esp Mughals too had harems multi-fold larger.
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Yes I have seen at Agra Fort & Red Fort… separate quarters for numerous queens…and read about the machinations that ensued within. Complex.
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Yes, must have involved a myriad of emotions, jealousies, games of lust and power.
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The twists and complications in relationships are equally baffling.
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I know, our cultures are so rich in their diversity and lend themselves to variations. Will we ever know the actual truth? I heard a Japanese inventor is trying to recreate Mahabharata events based on sonic vibrations. I’ll be the happiest when I get to experience it.
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That sounds like science fiction as of now. Nonetheless the mix of facts and myths, though subject to interpretation, give us invaluable insights into the human psyche.
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Yes, exactly. Even if disregard the demigods and divine interventions, the curses and miracles, what remains relevant is the interplay of human emotions. That’s what makes our epics so timeless, that we can relate and identify even after 5000 years.
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True….even today the interplay of emotions dictate all major decisions.
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Much as we try to use mind over heart, I’m sure heart rules. Its the exceptional ones like Chanakya who can be all brain, all mind, all unemotional in their decisions.
What about you? Mind over heart or vice versa?
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As part of a lecture given by U.R. ANANTHAMOORTHY I’ve came across two great stories about the diversity in our myths and the countless versions of epics we have. One is when Sri ram looses his ring and the same slips into pathala, hanuman ventures into pathala: the territory of pathalaravana. Hanuman meets him and narrates why he is here. The king points to a locked room and tells hanuman that the ring is inside the room. Hanuman, happy that he could get back the ring without breaking a sweat unlocks the room and finds to his astonishment thousands and thousands of rings of the same kind which were identical to Sri rams. He asks:where is my prabhus ring? Pathalaravana replies: Well, I dont know it may be somewhere inside that heap. Every single day one monkey like you approaches me to take home his master’s ring!! In one version of ramayana an unending argument ensues between Sita and ram about Sita coming along to the forest with him. Ram staunchly says no despite her reasoned arguments. At the end she says something which clinches the deal: In every other version of ramayans around I accompany to the forest alongside you finally. So I too am coming along !!!! This post was interesting since I never knew Mahabharata too had version coz I still remember the controversy behind 300 ramayanas by k.m. panikkar. Good post.
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Thank you. Variations do make for interesting reads. Even today, an event witnessed by a crowd will hardly ever have 2 people agreeing upon what they saw. Perceptions change.
Recently, there was viral video about a dress, which some insisted was black and others insisted was ?silver? blue. That was a mere visual perception, but then all other senses too are equally susceptible.
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Can’t you write about Atkins and ekalavya? The latter is a martyr who made way for Arjuna by sacrificing his thumb to drona. This being interpreted as favouritism for the upper caste by compromising the Lowe caste. Had ekalavya been from a better background or had he not sacrificed his thumb he would have given arjun a run for his money. Likewise karna too was denied by draupadi since karma was from the stables. The same prejudices exist today in contemporary india while choosing relationships. I Would love it if you try to find connections between the myths of today and what’s happening in the country now not he socially domain especially.I always think of writing such posts but my knowledge is meagre in areas of mythology and may even end up receiving flak. U seem the chosen one.
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Thank you for mentioning these 2 incidents. It gives me room to clarify these common misconceptions.
1] Eklavya was a Nishadh prince and ally to Magadha, thus an enemy of Hastinapur. Drona had tasted abject poverty before he got a job as royal preceptor. He was bound by money & loyalty to Hastinapur. His livelihood came from Hastinapur coffers, thus from Dhritarashtra or Bhishma. Arjun was NOT his provider at any level.
What Drona did to Eklavya was his duty to Hastinapur, by rejecting to teach Hastinapur’s enemy.
Now, question – what if Arjun’s right thumb was cut off? Does life end at adversity? Or does one overcome adversity? Isnt it possible that for Ashwatthama or at Duryodhan/Dhritarashtra’s insistence, Drona would have hacked off Arjun’s thumb?
AND, perhaps instinctively guessing such a possibility, Arjun trained himself to be SAVYASACHI – the ambidextrous archer. Perhaps, deep somewhere, Arjun knew Drona was capable of doing anything for Hastinapur. Even to Arjun.
You want proof? – Remember that this is the same Drona who cold-bloodedly plotted with his team how to kill Arjun’s son Abhimanyu. This , again was Drona acting out of loyalty to Hastinapur.
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As for Draupadi’s mythical refusal, I’ve given a detailed explanation with evidences in chp 9 and chp 27 of my book. Suffice to say, this ‘rejection’ finds no place in BORI, Neelkanth or Geeta press translations. It finds place (along with its own contradictory statement) in KM Ganguli’s version, in TV serials and fiction books. It is an excuse for karna’s failure at Draupadi swayamwar.
I cannot give more spoilers here from my book, but I hope you find occasion to read it in detail.
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My head is spinning!
That’s the thing about Mythology, no matter how much you know, it still feels less.
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Truly! Ye dil maange more and more.
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mahabharat is truely complicated..read so many versions but cant seem to remember the relations and destinies..
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haha, destinies are easy enough. But relations get murkier when other regional versions kick in. AFtre a time, it is beter to stick to Indian version. We’ve heard it since childhood, so it makes more sense and is more relatable.
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It’s amazing to know such twists and turns. Even within India there are so many twists in MB AND RAMAYAN BOTH.
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Very true. North, South India and and Bengali versions all vary in their details. Makes me itch to get my hands on the REAL truth. Wish I had a time machine at my disposal. Would have solved so many of my questions.
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if I had the time machine, I would go to my childhood ….. 🙂
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Memories, photos, and cousin-gossip can replicate childhood to a large extent. I escape into my joyous childhood memories anytime I wish.
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I also do that a lot, but still I would like to go back again and live it again. I have lost contact with most of my childhood freinds and I never visited my cousin’s place in my childhood. Most of my childhood was spent in hostels and I cannot go there again.
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Lost contact? What else is Facebook for but to trace long lost ones?
Yes, childhood is the most beautiful phase for most of us. Especially people of my generation had the best of both worlds – we did all the muddy games, field games, brawls, scratches. None of those video games and couch potato edited versions.
How was yours?
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I am not on facebook and any other social networking site.
My childhood was strange but lovely.
I studied from 14 different schools with hostels. My father was in CRPF and used to get transferred regularly due to his moral stubbornness. We had no place of our own (permanent residence )so we lived with him wherever he went. I was sent to hostel to bring somewhat continuity in studies as mid year transfers were very problematic.
I studied across india in hostels located in city/state where my family was.
We used to go to national parks, camping, trekking , swimming and all other activities freely available in hilly states. Most of the time aas spent in north eastern states , himachal, j&k, west coast , jharkhand and other tribal areas where crpf is generally located.
I don’t remember names,of many freinds and those whom I remember, I cannot recognise them after so many years. Facebook is useless in finding them. Nobody writes from where they did their kindergaten, primary schooling. People write only high school onwards. I can never find them.
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Sounds very interesting. A nomadic life! You should make a blogpost about it – all multiple experiences.
Well, if you were on FB, maybe the friends would have come seeking you out. It doesn’t always have to be you doing the search work. If one link works, it can kickstart the chain.
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I was on FB till 2012, then due to some compulsions I deactivated my account. Would activate it in future. I am still nomadic of sorts. I cook my own food, travel a lot on foot, still do trekking whenver I get opportunity, like being lost in my thoughts with none to disturb.
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Yes, social networking should be neither compulsion nor addiction. It should be only used like the commodity it is.
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Different, but very interesting, variations.
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Oh, yes. Seems sometimes like the world is one stage and all ‘our’ epics belong really to the whole world.
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