HOW GARUDA GOT HIS NAME

The sage Kashyapa had two wives, Kadru and Vinata. To Kadru was born the snakes of
the world and to Vinata was born a splendid kite. The bird was so enormous that as he
flew in the sky, the shadow from his wings engulfed wide areas in darkness. Through a
wager, Kadru tricked Vinata into becoming her slave. When the bird came to know of
this, he negotiated with the snakes to free his mother from bondage. The snakes agreed
to free her if the kite could bring to them the nectar which was churned from the milky
ocean but was now in the possession of the gods. Vinatas son immediately left on his
mission to obtain the nectar. He knew that this task required great strength. So he
swallowed 10,000 Nishadas (a tribe of hunters). Even then he felt that he lacked the
necessary strength. His father, Kashyapa, saw his plight and advised him as follows.
My son, do not despair. I shall show you a pond where there live a gigantic elephant
and an equally big tortoise. These two are in fact two brothers who were sages who had
fallen out with each other over a matter of property. They have turned into these animals
to try and kill each other. Catch these animals and eat them. You would become strong.
The bird followed his fathers directions. Catching the two animals by his claws he took
off to find a place where he could sit and eat them. He observed a big banyan tree and
descended towards it. But the flapping of his wings caused so much disturbance that a
big bough broke away from the tree. The bird quickly observed that there was a row of
sages, Valikhilyas, who were hanging upside down in the bough and performing
penance. Because of his great respect for ascetics, the bird caught the bough in his
beak and started flying. He now had an elephant and a tortoise hanging from his legs
while the bough with the sages was held by his beak. The sages observed this
admirable feat and told the bird, Thou art truly a great carrier of heavy weight, Garuda.
Garuda found a safe place to leave the bough with the sages and another place where
he could sit and eat the elephant and the tortoise.

Dronacharya

Drona belong to a poor Brahman family. He was the son and student of
Bharadwaj rishi. He and
his friend Drupada who was the prince of Panchala were among very good
students. In Ashram
Prince of Panchala promise him to be his friend always even though he will
become the king.
Drupada, in his boyish enthusiasm, used often to tell Drona that he would
give him half his
kingdom when he ascended the throne. After ashram life they got separate
and walked away on their respective path.
After completing his studies, Drona got married to Kripi, sister of
Kripacharya, the main Priest

and teacher for Hastinapur royal family. As Drona was always very ambitious
and energetic he
was never satisfied with ordinary jobs. Once he listened that Parasurama is
giving up his
belongings to other Brahman. He also rushed to him. But he was too late as
Parasurama had
already given away all his wealth and was about to retire to the forest.
Parasurama said "You are quite late. I already gave my all belongings except
these weapons which no Brahman wants to take". Responding to this Drona
said "I will be grateful to you if you give your weapons and
their working technique to me". Parasurama was happy to teach his and in
no time Drona became a great archer and unrivalled master of military art.
When he returned home, he saw his son crying and asking for milk. Kripi
gave him mixture of
rice powder and water. She was not able to provide normal milk to
Ashvatthama, her son.
Ashvatthama threw the pot and said that he wants the milk as all his friends
drink. Kripi was not
able to stop tears in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Drupada had ascended the throne of Panchala on the death of
his father.
Remembering their early intimacy and Dhrupads expressions of readiness to
serve him, even to
the extent of sharing his kingdom, Drona went to him in the confident hope
of being treated
generously. But he found the king very different from the student. When he
introduced himself
as an old friend, Drupada, far from being glad to see him, said "Who are
you. "I am your friend
Drona. We were in the same ashram under Bharadwaj rishi." Drona replied. "I
don't remember
you. How you can be my friend? I am a king, you are a poor man. Only a king
could be a friend
of a king. If you want some money, take and go away." Drupada said in very
insulting tone.
Drona felt very humiliated and said I will remember your words always. Next
time when we will
meet, we will be equal. Drona left the court in anger with a mental vow to
punish the arrogant
king for this insult and his repudiation of the sacred claims of early
friendship. His next move in
search of employment was to go to Hastinapur, where he spent a few days,
in retirement, in the house of his brother-in-law Kripacharya.

It is very important for the Kshatriya that is the warrior clan to be proficient
in archery and sword fencing. We already know that the Pandav and the
Kaurava were being and brought up together by Bhishma. He always showed
keen interest in their education and proficiency in warfare. He therefore
wanted the best among the tutors to train Pandav and Kaurava in archery
and sword fighting.
One day all the princes were playing the ball game together and the ball as
well as
Yudhishthiras ring fell into a broken well. How to take out the ball and the
ring was their
problem. Just at that time, they spotted a Brahman. He was a thin person but
his bright eyes and the glow on his face indicated a brilliant man. The
Brahman listened to the children and said in a teasing voice, you are from a
warrior race and still you do not know how to take out the ball from the well!"
The children were surprised. What is the relationship between the ball and
the warrior race, they wondered. They raised this doubt with the Brahman.
He replied, "Let me show you."
The Brahman was not an ordinary person. He pulled out a blade of grass and
after chanting a
mantra, threw it into the well. The grass hit the ball with lot of force and the
ball bounced out of the well. The princes realized that he was an
extraordinary man. They wanted to know his name. But Brahman smiled and
said "Go to your grandfather Bhishma and narrate this incident to him. He
will know who I am".
From the description given by the princes, Bhishma knew that the Brahmin
was none other than the famous master Drona. He decided that Drona was
the fittest person to impart further
instruction to the Pandavas and the Kauravas. So, Bhishma received him with
special honor and
employed him to instruct the princes in the use of arms. All the princes felt
happy and proud that they were Dronacharya's disciples.
Among all the princes, Arjuna was Dronacharya's favorite disciple. Arjuna
always aimed his
bow very well. He always respected his Guru. And though the other princes
received good
training from their master, it was Arjuna who excelled himself in archery.
Dronacharya thoroughly taught all of them. He never forgot the incident
happened in Dhrupads court. Ever science this incident, Drona waited for an
opportunity to teach lesson for Dhrupads arrogance. With brave Arjuna and
Duryodhana who was good at the mace, with the powerful Bhima and with

courageous Yudhishthir as students, Drona felt that the time was right for
him to seek his revenge against Drupada. So, first of all, he ordered
Duryodhana to wage a war against the Panchala king. But Duryodhana was
no match for Drupada and was easily defeated by him. Disappointed Drona
entrusted this task to Arjuna.
It did not take long for Arjuna to defeat Drupada. Since Drupada was
defeated in the war, Drona had the right to claim the entire kingdom as his
own. But he was an unselfish person. So he told Drupada "My friend, let one
half of the kingdom is with you. I will retain the other half so that both of us
can be equals. Then you will have no hesitation in accepting me as your
friend."
This generous attitude of Drona made Drupada feel all the more humiliated.
But instead of being grateful to him, a feeling of revenge grew strong in
Drupada.

Story-1: Amba and Bhishma

Chitrangada, the son of Satyavati, was killed in battle with a Gandharva. As
he died childless, his
brother, Vichitravirya, was the rightful heir and was duly crowned king at a
very younger age.
Bhishma governed the kingdom in his name till Vichitravirya came to age.
When Vichitravirya
became adolescence, Bhishma started to think about his marriage and
began to look around for
suitable bride. Soon he heard that the king of Kashi was holding a
swayamvara for his three
daughters. Since Vichitravirya himself was too young and weak to stand any
chance of being
chosen by the young women, Bhishma raided the swayamvara and forcibly
abducted the three
brides Amba, Ambika and Ambalika, against their will and set out for
Hastinapur.
But before he had gone far, Salva, the king of the Saubala country who was
attached to Amba,
stopped and opposed him. For that princess had mentally chosen Salva as
her husband. After a
bitter fight Salva accepted defeat. On the request of Amba, Bhishma spared
his life and returned to Hastinapur with the three princesses. Arriving in
Hastinapur with the princesses, Bhishma made preparations for their
marriage to Vichitravirya. When all were assembled for the marriage, Amba
smiled at Bhishma and said At heart I had chosen the king of Saubala for my
husband. He had, in his heart, accepted me for his wife. This was also
approved by my father. At the self- choice ceremony also I would have
chosen him as my lord. Knowing all this, do as you like. Bhishma admitted
the force of her objection and sent her to Salva with proper escort. The
marriage of Ambika and Ambalika, the two younger sisters, with Vichitravirya
was duly performed.
Amba went to Salva and narrated the complete episode and said I have
mentally chosen you as my husband from the very start. Bhishma has sent
me to you. Marry me according to the
sastras". Salva however rejected her because of his humiliation in defeat to
Bhishma and told her Go back to Bhishma and do as he commands. Amba
returned to Hastinapur and narrated her predicament to Bhishma who then
asked Vichitravirya to marry the third sister Amba too. But Vichitravirya
roundly refused to marry a woman whose heart had already been given to
another. Amba attacked Bhishma rebuking him that he and his offensive

ways were the cause of all her troubles. ``Marry me,'' she said, ``set things
right.'' Bhishma, of course, had taken the vow of Brahmacharya and insisted
on preserving his celibacy intact. He told her there was no way left to her but
to go again to Salva and seek to persuade him. After staying for a long time
in Hastinapur, Amba went to Salva in mere hope of acceptance but Salva
refused her. She spent the next six years in baffled hope and bitter rage
towards Bhishma.
Amba went from warrior to warrior, seeking someone who would fight
Bhishma on her behalf.
None came forward; such was the fear that Bhishma evoked in the minds of
men. At last, she
resorted to hard austerities to get the grace of Lord Subrahmanya. He
appeared before her and
gave her a garland of fresh flowers, saying that he wearer of the garland will
become enemy of
Bhishma. She again went from warrior to warrior with the garland, but no one
had the courage to accept it and fight for her against Bhishma. Finally, she
went to King Drupada who also refused to grant her prayer. She then hung
the garland at Drupada's palace gate and went away to the forest. Some
ascetics whom she met in the forest heard her dreadful tale and suggested
her to meet Parasurama for help. She followed their advice and went to
Parasurama. After hearing her story Parasurama was moved and asked her
What do you want? He said he can ask Salva to marry if she wanted. Amba
no longer had the desire to marry Salva; she only wanted revenge on
Bhishma.
Parasurama was moved with her pain and fought against Bhishma. The fight
continued for a long time but at last Parasurama accepted the defeat. He
said to Amba that it is all he could do for her, now she must obey Bhishma.
Filled with grief and rage for Bhishma, she started worshiping lord Shiva.
Shiva appeared before her and granted her a boon, that in her next birth she
would kill Bhishma. She was impatient for rebirth and wanted to satisfy her
thirst for revenge quickly, so she made a pyre and plunged into the fire.
By the grace of Lord Siva, Amba was born as the daughter of King Drupada.
A few years after
her birth, she saw the garland of never-fading flowers that still hung at the
palace gate and had
remained there untouched by anyone through fear. She put it round her
neck. Her father Drupada feared that temerity of her daughter against
Bhishma can become a cause for suffering. So he sent her daughter in exile
out of the capital to forests. She practiced austerities in the forest and in
time was transformed into a male and became known as the warrior
Sikhandin.

With Sikhandin as his charioteer, Arjuna attacked Bhishma on the battlefield

of Kurukshetra.
Bhishma knew that Sikhandin was born as female, and true to his code of
chivalry he would not
fight him under any circumstance. So it meant that Arjuna could fight
screened by Sikhandin and conquer Bhishma.
On the other side at Hastinapur, Ambika and Ambalika were married to
Vichitravirya. However,
soon after the marriage, Vichitravirya died, producing no heir to the throne.
Hastinapur was left
with two widowed queens, a widowed queen mother and a regent; but no
king. Hence Satyavati asked Bhishma to break his vow of chastity and accept
the widow queens, but Bhishma refused. Therefore, Vyasa, the son born to
the queen-mother out of wedlock, was summoned to father sons from out of
the widowed queens. Pandu and Dhritarashtra were born of that loveless
copulation - one was pale with anemia and the other was born blind.
References
[1] C.RajGopalachari, Mahabharata
[2] Iravati Karve, Yuganta
[3] http://mahabharataonline.com