Week Five Storytelling: Yudhistira

"Why is there blood everywhere?" Yudhistira thought.

Yudhistira ran to the river trying to rinse his bloody hands.  The more he washed them, it seemed like more blood reappeared.  He looked down to see his reflection, but only saw the moon with a red tint.  Scared that the gods were showing him a sign, he looked up to the sky and saw that the moon was still white. Yudhistira looked at his clothing and jumped inside of the river believing that it would cleanse his whole body.

Man Bathing in Buriganga River

“It won't come off!” he shouted in his mind.

Frantic and panicking while dousing his face with water, he stopped.  He heard heavy breathing and the crackling sound of leaves near him. Wiping his eyes, Yudhistira turned around looking to see if there was anyone behind him. Bringing his hands together underneath the water gently and quietly, Yudhistira collected water in his palms to cleanse his face.

“You have awakened me, Yudhistira.” It was a voice of a woman.

“Who’s there?”

“Why worry who I am when it is you who wants me to wash away you bloody hands?  Do you want to know why the blood remains on your clothing?”

Yudhistira slowly walked near the shore of the river and was stopped before he could step out.  Wondering what was tugging on the back of pants, he turned and saw the woman standing behind him.

“I’ve watched you since you were a little boy, and I often wondered when you would come back.  It has been years since you last bathed in my waters. Your brothers, your cousins…”

“Who are you?”

“Why ask me who I am, when you can tell me why you have blood on your body?”

“I know nothing of what you speak, and I ask for you to let me go.”

The woman walked away from Yudhistira and began to submerge half of her body beneath the water.  She bent her back fluidly and began to float. As she hummed a song that he once heard his mother sing, Yudhistira became enchanted by the woman’s hymns.  She was beautiful he thought.  She was mysterious in a weird and creepy way, but beautiful nonetheless.

“Who are you?”

“Answer my question first,” the woman said while floating past Yudhistira.

“I was in trouble.  My brothers and cousins have fought since we were children.  My brothers and I believed that it was innocent play until we became older.  It was always a competition between us, and then we were sentenced to exile.  My addiction to gambling was exposed in front of everyone in Hastinapura. I wanted to confront my uncle Dhritarashtra, so I sneaked away from my brothers and wife and left for Hasptinapura.  When I went into the palace, I saw who I believed to be my uncle walking in his room. When I tried to confront him, it turned out not to be him.  Duryodhana, my cousin was dressed in my uncle’s evening robe and there was blood everywhere on the marble floor.  When I questioned Duryodhana we started to tussle and I rolled in the blood.  The palace guards heard our struggles, and Duryodhana screamed as if I stabbed him and I ran off.”

“Yudhistira, Duryodhana planned the death of his father when he was a child. He will harm himself and blame you for it.  Go back into exile and serve your sentence.  You must not speak of this to anyone including your brothers.  We will meet again.”

Author's Note: This story was inspired by the epic tale, “The Mahabharata.”  In the beginning of the epic, a backstory is told involving the river goddess Ganga and King Santanu.  Ganga drowns seven of  her children, and when confronted by King Santanu, she frees their eight son, Bhishma who plays a large part in the tale.  When Bhishma is older, he takes on a vow of celibacy and helps his father's second wife find a woman to help bear children in order to take King Santanu's place on the throne.  In later years, there is a division that is seen in the family. Competitions become a way of life between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.  Throughout their childhood and adulthood, jealousy and hatred brews amongst the Kaurava brothers towards their cousins the Pandavas.

In my version of the story, I wanted to highlight the character Yudhistira who is a Pandava.  Yudhistira displays some of the qualities that the character Rama did in “The Ramayana.”  Yudhistira is confident, complex, and obedient.  Although he is a character that is many admire, his flaws are never brought to attention by those who are close to him.  Moreover in Yudhistira's case, his cousin Duryodhana uses his weakness of gambling in order to gain his kingdom and to place Yudhistira and his brothers into exile.  I wanted Yudhistira to speak up for himself and talk to his uncle who is a fickle character that wants to please son Duryodhana. Duryodhana's depravity is expressed throughout the story, and I wanted to show a side of him that seems to be true to his character.  Although he did not kill his father in the original tale, I thought it would be great to a twist. 

Bibliography: "The Mahabharata" written by R.K. Narayan (1978)