Bheema Sena (continued)
This is an article series. Please read all previous articles before reading this article. The URLs for all previous articles are located in the SPECIAL THOUGHTS section.
Let’s continue to ponder over this really amazing Avataara of Shree Mukhya Praana Devata, namely Bheema Sena.
9. Slaying of Keechaka
As you may be familiar… Yudhishtira, the eldest Paandava, lost the game of dice to the cheating ways of Shakuni and Duryodhana. To avoid further conflict, Yudhishtira accepted Vana Vaasa (to stay forest-bound) for 12 years and Ajnyaata Vaasa (to live incognito) for 1 year… failing which, they’d have to repeat the whole 12 years of Vana Vaasa and 1 year of Ajnyaata Vaasa. These rules were all specifically tailor-made to suit Duryodhana. How so? This is because… even to this day, the accepted stipulation in society is that if someone older than 24 years is not seen by his family for over 13 years… then such a person can be declared dead. Paandava brothers were all older than 24 when they started their Vana Vaasa. By the way, for those younger than 24 years… the above stipulation is 14 years instead of 13. This includes 1 year to travel to a Gurukula in a far-off place + 12 years of Vedic studies + 1 year to return home, thus totaling to 1+12+1 = 14 years. This is why Kaikeyi urged that Shree Raama be sent for Vana Vaasa for 14 years… but Duryodhana found it adequate to drive the Paandava-s away into the forest for only 13 years. Duryodhana’s plan was such that… if he discovers the Paandava-s during their Ajnyaata Vaasa, then they lose… and if he doesn’t discover the Paandava-s, they he can declare the Paandava-s as dead and usurp the Paandava kingdom. So, the bet in the game of dice was a proverbial “double-edged sword” designed and tailor-made specifically to ensure that Duryodhana wins no matter what! And Yudhishtira had agreed to all this just to avoid conflict and bloodshed.
Yudhishtira was advised that he need not accept the outcome of the game of dice and, for the wellbeing of his citizens in Indraprasta, go for a battle with Duryodhana right away. This does make sense because, at that time, Duryodhana did not have the backing of any other kingdoms and their armies. The Paandava brothers would’ve had to face only Bheeshma, Drona and Karna. Yudhishtira adhered to his definition of Dharma, against the advice of many including Krishna, Bheema Sena, Draupadi and several powerful allies. His adherence only allowed ample time and opportunity for Duryodhana to go ahead with his nefarious means and become far more powerful and well prepared for any battle. In general, this is what most of us do in our lives too. We often don’t address problems when are still budding, hoping that it will go away. And often, the end result is that the problems grow much bigger. For example, we hear about Prithviraj Chauhan’s reluctance to put an end to an evil Muhamed of Ghor immediately despite being advised to do so by all his councilors. Prithviraj Chauhan too adhered to his own definition of Dharma and the outcome devastated Bhaarat. People of Bhaarat are suffering the result of this bad decision for nearly 1000 years now, including the partition of Bhaarat in 1947 to carve out the evil state of Pakistan… and later Bangladesh. It is also noteworthy that the same pattern of flawed decision-making repeated when the British exited Bhaarat, ultimately resulting in the partition of Bhaarat and complete collapse of Dharma in Pakistan and eventually in Bangladesh.
Point I’m trying to make is that… all the valor of Bheema Sena explained until now was part of the Paandava brothers’ Vana Vaasa. Now comes the Ajnyaata Vaasa taken up by the Paandava brothers and their common consort Draupadi. Yudhishtira disguised as a renounced ascetic by name Kanka. The mighty Bheema Sena disguised as a cook by the name of Ballava. And Draupadi disguised as Sairandhri, a hair stylist for Sudeshnaa, the queen of Matsya Desha. She told the queen that she was married to 5 Gandharva-s so as to avoid undesirable advances from pleasure-seeking men in and around the palace and the kingdom.
Though the disguise was working, a moment arrived when a wrestler, by name Jeemoota, came to Matsya Desha and challenged all the wrestlers of the kingdom to hand-to-hand combat. Knowing the challenger’s strength quite well… all the wrestlers avoided hand-to-hand combat with him. This is when Kanka (Yudhishtira in disguise) recommended to the King that he should summon the cook Ballava (Bheema Sena in disguise). For Bheema Sena, who had decimated giants such as Hidimba, Bakaasura, and Kirmeera… Jeemoota was the equivalent of an annoying microbe that caused the skin to itch. Jeemoota was smashed and extinguished in a few seconds. But that one incident caught the attention of everyone in the kingdom, especially the womenfolk. From then on, Bheema Sena became the one to drool on for all the women. They’d ask him to duel with wrestlers in the kingdom and watch him to entertain themselves. Draupadi is said to have rued watching her consort with galactic strength become a mere object of amusement for womenfolk. And then, when no wrestler was coming forward to battle with Bheema Sena, he would be asked to duel with elephants, lions and other wild animals in the inner quarters of the palace, for pleasure and amusement of royal ladies. But all these seemingly silly incidents too demonstrate to the entire universe that Mukhya Praana is firmly connected with Paramaatma, without which it’s literally impossible to assent to such acts. In other words, for the observant, these silly acts too demonstrate Bheema Sena’s Bhakti (devotion) and Virakti (renounced state of mind).
The above continued for over 11 months. Though Jeemoota was a very agile adversary, he was not such a big deal that his slaying would catch the attention of Duryodhana… neither did all the battling with wild animals. What became a big deal is what followed. The King of Matsya Desha was basically happy because his brother-in-law (his wife Sudeshna’s brother) Keechaka returned to the kingdom after some conquest. Keechaka was the reason why the King was still seated on the throne. Upon his arrival, he came to meet his sister Sudeshna and therein, he saw his sister’s new assistant Draupadi disguised as Sairandhri. Taken aback by her beauty, Keechaka had to have her. He was willing to make all his other concubines her servants, and even went to the extent of offering to dethrone the King and become the King himself and make Sairandhri the Queen… talk about workplace sexual harassment. Keechaka’s advances were open and shameless. He even chased her around the palace to the point that Sairandhri had to run into the King’s august court hall and beg for protection from this sexual predator… only to see all her 5 husbands (who were also present at the court hall at that time) swallow their rage, stand still and avoid any physical reaction. All others, including the King, bent their head down in shame as they clearly knew that they were no match for Keechaka in any combat.
Kanka (Yudhishtira) admonished Draupadi and reminded her that she is a mere servant and shouldn’t show her emotions openly in front of the King. However, he added a coded warning that Sairandhri’s Gandharva husbands would act when the time is appropriate. Sairandhri decided to approach her consorts for help secretly. Bruhannalaa (Arjuna in a gender-neutral state) could only advise patience. But when she approached Ballava (Bheema Sena), it is said that this fearless warrior of galactic strength wept profusely. This shows the concern Shree Mukhya Praana Devata has for his eternal consort. Unable to take it any further, Draupadi gave an ultimatum that it would be either her or Keechaka who would see the sunrise the next morning… and that if Keechaka lives till next morning, then she would consume poison and end her life. On hearing this, Bheema Sena advises Draupadi to send word to Keechaka to come to the wrestling house, alone and without any lamps.
Overcharged with libido, Keechaka threw caution to the wind and arrived at the wrestling house. That was it… Bheema Sena’s fury towards a lascivious Keechaka who had messed with his eternal consort – someone who, in her original form, is regarded as Jaganmaataa (Matriarch of the entire universe) – blew out so violently that history does not record any slaying so gruesome. Keechaka’s head, both hands, and both legs had been so-so violently smashed into his torso that his dead body looked like a huge meatball. If we think about it… we may’ve heard of or seen people being killed through stabbing, gunshot, hanging, beheading and so on… but to the best of my knowledge, this is the only incident where someone was killed by smashing his head into his chest… then stuffing his arms into his chest and the legs into his torso. It is unheard of and unthinkable. And that is why Keechaka’s brothers thought that he had been killed by Gandharva-s. They decided to teach Sairandhri a lesson by tying her to Keechaka’s dead body and burning her alive. Once again, Bheema Sena unleashed his fury and killed all 105 brothers of Keechaka.
What I hadn’t said before was why Keechaka’s slaying became such a big deal. Keechaka was so powerful that even Bheeshma had kept a distance from him on the understanding that they won’t attack each other. Therefore, the news of his death spread like wildfire… and eventually reached Duryodhana. His reaction upon hearing this news speaks volumes:
bheemashcha bala-bhadrashcha
madra raajashcha veeryavaan |
chaturtham keechaka: teshaam
panchamam naanu shushruma ||
Taking the names of those stupendously agile warriors, the first name Duryodhana utters is that of Bheema Sena. The second most stupendously agile warrior, according to Duryodhana, was Bala Bhadra (Balaraama from whom both Bheema Sena and Duryodhana had learnt warfare), third was Madra Raaja (Shalya, uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva) and the fourth was Keechaka. Duryodhana goes to the extent of saying that he hasn’t heard of a fifth such individual who can match the aforesaid. He doesn’t even take his own name in the above. One may recall that Jaraasandha would’ve been the so-called “World Number 4” in Duryodhana’s “World Wrestling Federation Ranking”. But he had already been slayed by none other than Bheema Sena. So, with Jaraasandha gone, Keechaka got a “Walkover” to the “World Number 4” position. Such a so-called “World Number 4 Stupendously Agile Warrior” by name Keechaka was merely a mosquito for Bheema Sena.
It is quite amazing to note that, as I conclude this article, I’m realizing that the article ended up being on the topic of Ajnyaata Vaasa of the great Paandava-s… and is being published on the auspicious occasion of Aayudha Pooja, which marks the anniversary of the conclusion of Ajnyaata Vaasa of the great Paandava-s. The timing couldn’t have been this perfect, no matter how hard we mere mortals tried. Hopefully, this can be considered divine will.
Let me conclude by seeking the grace of Bheema Sena the Great on this auspicious occasion of Aayudha Pooja and Vijaya Dashami.
