Guide: Tales of Arjuna

This is a guide to Tales of Arjuna: The Exploits of an Exceptional Warrior (Volume 525). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.525


See the detailed Reading Guide below.

Arjuna, The Monkey, and the Boy (pp. 1-8). When Arjuna comes to Rama's Bridge at Rameshwaram, he is surprised Rama used the help of monkeys instead of building a bridge of arrows. A monkey laughs and challenges Arjuna to build a bridge of arrows that will support his weight. With arrows from Agni's quiver, Arjuna builds the bridge, but it collapse when the monkey touches it. Arjuna tries again, and fails, so now he must immolate himself as promised. Just before Arjuna jumps into the flames, a mysterious boy appears on the scene who disputes the terms of the bet. The boy proposes to repeat the contest now with a witness, and this time the bridge holds, so the monkey makes himself gigantic, revealing himself as Hanuman. The bridge still holds, and Hanuman realizes the boy is Krishna in diguise; he and Arjuna both worship him as Vishnu. Vishnu explains that he wanted to teach them both a lesson about humility, and henceforth Arjuna will have Hanuman as the emblem on his flag.

Additional reading: You can learn more about Rameshwaram and its monuments at Wikipedia: Rameshwaram, and also in the article about Rama's Bridge, which is also known as Wikipedia: Adam's Bridge. Both Rama and Krishna are avatars of Vishnu; you can read more about Vishnu's avatars at Wikipedia: Dashavatara. Hanuman is indeed alive at the time of events of the Mahabharata; in a famous incident, Hanuman meets Bhima, too.

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Arjuna Defeats Indra (pp. 9-22). For twelve years, a king sacrifices to Agni, the fire god, pouring ghee (butter) into the sacrificial fire. All that butter makes Agni ill! Brahma tells him to go eat the Khandava forest to feel better. Indra is upset that Agni is burning the forest where Takshaka the king of the nagas lives, so Indra rains down on Agni. Brahma tells Agni to seek help from Arjuna and Krishna. Disguised as a brahmin, Agni asks them for help, and he summons Varuna to give the Gandiva bow and inexhaustible quiver to Arjuna, and the Sudarshana chakra to Krishna, along with a chariot. Krishna fights the forest dwellers, and Arjuna fights the gods, stopping Indra's rain with a canopy of arrows and rendering Indra powerless with the Vayavya, the weapon of Vayu, the wind god. Together, Krishna and Arjuna fight off all the gods, the nagas, and asuras. Indra hurls the peak of Mandara mountain at Arjuna, who shatters it with arrows. Indra is impressed, and when he learns Takshaka is safe, he yields. The Maya Asura seeks refuge with Arjuna, even as Agni keeps on burning. Indra bestows boons on Krishna and Arjuna, and Agni promises to help them at any time, and Maya promises to build a great palace for Yudhishthira, Arjuna's brother. This is the palace that drove Duryodhana, the elder of the Kaurava brothers, mad with envy, eventually leading to the Great War.

Additional reading: The famous burning of Khandava forest is an important event in the Mahabharata, and you can read more at Wikipedia: Khandava. For more about Takshaka, see this comic book: Parikshit (and Parikshit happens to be Arjuna's grandson).

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Arjuna Humbled (pp. 23-31). A brahmin who has lost nine sons already begs Arjuna for help, and Arjuna vows to protect the brahmin's tenth son, vowing to defeat even Yama, the god of death. When the son is born, Arjuna surrounds the brahmin's hut with arrows and stands outside to face Yama, yet the baby vanishes. Arjuna rides off in a celestial chariot to find the baby, but he fails. Now he must immolate himself as promised. Krishna intervenes, and he and Arjuna journey into the regions of night in the west, and finally they come to Vishnu's home. All the sons of the brahmin are there; Vishnu took them to get Arjuna's attention. Arjuna realizes that it is humility and faith that will be victorious, not vanity, and he takes the brahmin's ten sons back to their home.

Additional reading: This story forms the subject of a dance-drama from Kerala: "The progeny of Krishna" by the 18th-century poet Mandavappalli Ittiraricha Menon, based on a story in the Bhagavata Purana (X.89.22–66).

Guide: Mahiravana

This is a guide to Mahiravana: A Magician Outwitted (Volume 526). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.526

See the detailed Reading Guide below.

Mahiravana (pp. 1-6). Mahiravana, magician, king of the netherworld, senses that his father, Ravana, needs his help, so he goes to Lanka. Ravana has summoned him in desperation after the deaths of his brother Kumbhakarna and his son Indrajit in battle. Ravana tells Mahiravana about Rama, Sita, and Hanuman. Mahiravana promises to help Ravana defeat Rama.

Additional reading: The story of Mahiravana (Ahiravana) is not found in Valmiki's Ramayana. Instead, it is found in other versions of the Ramayana. Sometimes Mahiravana is the brother of Ravana, and sometimes his son. You can read another version of the story of Ahiravana at Wikipedia. (It is quite different from the version here in the comic book!)

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The Fortress (pp. 6-11). Ravana's brother Vibhishana (now loyal to Rama) takes the form of a bird to spy on Ravana. He tells Rama about Mahiravana. Stretching his tail, Hanuman builds a fortress to protect Rama and Lakshamana, with the discus Sudarshan on top of the fortress to keep watch while Hanuman stands guard on the ground.

Additional reading: You can read about the Sudarshana Chakra (discus) of the god Vishnu at Wikipedia.

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The Tunnel (pp. 12-19). Meanwhile, Mahiravana plans to kidnap Rama and Lakshmana and sacrifice them to the goddess Durga. Mahiravana disguises himself as King Dasharatha in order to enter the fortress, and then as Bharata. These tricks fails, but when he pretends to be Vibhishana, Hanuman lets him in. When the real Vibhishana shows up, they rush inside but it's too late: Mahiravana has taken Rama and Lakshmana out through a tunnel, while all the rest of the army is fast asleep.

Additional reading: You can read about the goddess Durga, one of the many manifestation of Devi (the goddess), at Wikipedia.

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Hanuman in the Nether World (pp. 19-23). Hanuman goes on a rescue mission, following the tunnel that Mahiravana used to get out of the fortress. Although Hanuman hides in a tree, two women see him and from their conversation he learns of a prophecy that says that the arrival of monkeys and men mean that Mahiravana is doomed. Hanuman also learns that the sacrifice to Durga is about to begin, so he finds the temple and enters, disguised as a fly.

Additional reading: You can find out more about Patala, the nether world, at Wikipedia.

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Victory (pp. 24-31). Rama and Lakshmana awake, and Hanuman then goes to get Durga to help them. The goddess tells Hanuman how to defeat Mahiravana. Mahiravana begins the sacrifice, but Rama and Lakshmana refuse to bow, saying they don't know how. They ask Mahiravana to show them, and when he bows before the altar, Hanuman attacks! Mahiravana is defeated, and Hanuman takes Rama and Lakshmana back up through the tunnel to safety.

Additional reading: The story of Mahiravana is usually connected with Hanuman Panchamukha, "Five-Faced Hanuman." You might want to read that story at Wikipedia. It is a very cool story about why Hanuman needed to assume his five-faced form to rescue Rama and Lakshmana from Mahiravana. You can also find the story told in the Wikipedia article about Anjaneri, Hanuman's birthplace.

Guide: Rama

This is a guide to Rama: Retold from the Ramayana (Volume 504). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.504

See the detailed reading guide below.

Young Rama (pp. 1-6). The story starts in the city of Ayodhya on the Sarayu River where Dasharatha is king. His sons are Rama, son of Queen Kaushalya; Bharata, son of Queen Kaikeyi; and Lakshmana and Shatrugha, sons of Queen Sumitra. Already a skilled archer as a young boy, Rama helps the sage Vishvamitra to kill the demoness Tataka. Vishwamitra then takes Rama and his brother Lakshmana to the court of King Janaka of Mithila. To win Janaka's daughter Sita in marriage, Rama not only lifted but snapped a mighty bow. Rama's father, King Dasharatha, comes to Mithila for the wedding of Rama and Sita.

Additional reading: The sage Vishvamitra was originally a king and only later became a sage. You can read his story in this comic book: Vishvamitra: The King Who Became an Ascetic.

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Rama's Exile (pp. 7-12). King Dasharatha decides to make Rama his successor but Manthara, maid of Queen Kaikeyi, persuades Kaikeyi to demand that Dasharatha exile Rama and make Kaikeyi's son, Bharata, king instead. Because of a promise he once made to Kaikeyi, Dasharatha has to agree, although he is grief-stricken. Rama obeys his father's wishes without question, and Sita and Lakshmana join Rama in his exile. Bharata had been away from home during these events and when he returns, he learns that his father has died after sending Rama into exile. Bharata seeks Rama in the forest, hoping to persuade him to return to Ayodhya, but Rama insists on carrying out Dashratha's commands. Bharata takes Rama's sandals and puts them in place of Rama on the throne.

Additional reading: You can read the sad story of Dasharatha's last days in this comic book: Dasharatha: The Story of Rama's Father.

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Shurpanakha (pp. 12-14). While Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana are living in the forest, a beautiful woman, Shurpanakha, sees Rama and falls in love with him. Rama explains that he is married and refers her to Lakshmana, while Lakshmana jokingly sends her back to Rama. Furious, Shurpanakha reveals her true form: she is a demoness. Lakshmana cuts off her nose and ears, and she runs screaming to her cousins, Khara and Dooshana, for help. Khara leads a demon army to attack Rama and Lakshmana, but Rama defeats the demons and kills both Khara and Dooshana. Shurpanakha goes to her brother, Ravana, the ten-headed king of the demons, and tells him what happened.

Additional reading: For more about Ravana and his family, see this comic book: The Lord of Lanka: The Rise and Fall of a Demon King.

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Ravana (pp. 15-18). Ravana summons his uncle, the demon Maricha, and tells him to take the form of a golden deer. Sita urges Rama to catch the deer for her. Rama chases the deer, who cries out in Rama's voice to Lakshmana. Sita forces Lakshmana to go after Rama, and when she is alone, a sanyasi approaches her, begging for food, but it is Ravana in disguise. He grabs her and takes her away in his chariot. The vulture Jatayu tries to stop Ravana, but Ravana is too strong. Rama and Lakshmana return to find Sita gone; Jatayu tells them that Ravana took her and went south before he dies.

Additional reading: The word "sanyasi" refers to someone who has renounced the material world and is living the life of an ascetic. You can find out more about the stage of life called sannyasa in this Wikipedia article. As that article explains, the literal meaning of the word "sannyasa" is to "put everything down," i.e. renunciation, to set aside the material world.

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Rama and the Monkeys (pp. 18-22). Heading south, Rama and Lakshmana meet Sugriva, brother Vali, king of the monkeys, and his friend Hanuman. They help Sugriva defeat Vali, and Sugriva becomes king. Rama gives Hanuman his ring and sends her in search of Sita. Hanuman and the monkeys go to the southern tip of India, and then Hanuman leaps to Lanka. He finds Sita there, being held prisoner. He gives her the ring and promises to take news of her to Rama. He fights with the demons and even kills Ravana's son, Akshaya Kumar. Ravana sends his son Meghanada to capture Hanuman. Meghanada brings Hanuman before Ravana, and Ravana sets Hanuman's tail on fire. Hanuman grows to a gigantic size, which allows him to set all of Lanka on fire. Hanuman then returns to Rama with news of Sita.

Additional reading: Meghanada is better know as Indrajit, the "Conqueror-of-Indra," because when Ravana attacked the gods in their heaven, Indrajit defeated Indra. You can read more about Indrajit (Meghanada) at Wikipedia; Meghanada is the Sanskrit form of the name, while Meghnad is a modern version (much like Rama is Ram, Lakshmana is Lakshman, etc.). There is also an article at Wikipedia about Akshayakumara, who was Ravana's youngest son. 

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Vibhishana (pp. 23-25). Rama leads his army of monkeys and bears to Lanka. Ravana's virtuous brother Vibhishana urges him to return Sita to Rama, but this infuriates Ravana. Vibhishana then goes over to Rama's side, and Rama accepts him as an ally. The monkeys build a bridge across the sea, and Rama then sends Vali's son Angada as an ambassador to Ravana, offering peace in exchange for Sita. Ravana refuses the peace offer.

Additional reading: There is also a detailed article at Wikipedia about Vibhishana, along with a great article about Rama's bridge to Lanka.

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The War (pp. 25-28). Meghanada wounds Lakshmana, and Hanuman brings the physician Sushena... and he brings Sushena's house too! Sushena says he needs the sanjeevani herb which grows on a far-away hill, so Hanuman flies away and brings back the hill itself so that Sushena can revive Lakshmana. Ravana's brother Kumbhakarna slaughters many of the monkeys before Rama is able to kill him, and then Lakshmana kills Meghanada. When Ravana hears his son is dead, he goes into battle himself.

Additional reading: You can read more about Hanuman and the Medicine Hill in this comic book: Hanuman to the Rescue: Hanuman Brings the Sanjeevani.

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Rama's Victory (pp. 28-32). Ravana uses all twenty of his arms to attack Rama and Lakshmana, while Rama rides out to challenge him in a chariot given to him by the god Indra. Ravana then uses his magical powers to conjure up more Ravanas. Rama slices off one head after another with his arrows, but Ravana keeps on fighting. Finally Vibhishana reveals that Ravana's nectar of life is in his navel, so Rama is able to kill Ravana by shooting an arrow into his navel. Rama makes Vibhishana king of Lanka, and he returns to Ayodhya with Sita, traveling in Pushpaka, the flying chariot, where he crowned king at last.

Additional reading: There is a detailed article at Wikipedia about the Pushpaka Vimana. For the story of how Ravana came into the possession of the Pushpaka, see this comic book:  Kubera: The Lord of Wealth.

Guide: Hanuman

This is a guide to Hanuman: The Epitome of Devotion and Courage (Volume 502). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.502

See the detailed Reading Guide below.

Hanuman and Rama (pp. 1-3). When he was little Hanuman grabbed at the sun, thinking it was a fruit to eat. He got stronger as he grew, and saved Sugriva from a wild elephant. When Sugriva had to flee his brother Vali by going into exile in the wilderness, Hanuman joined him. It was in the wilderness that Hanuman first met Rama and his brother Lakshmana; not sure who they were, Hanuman disguised himself as an ascetic. Overwhelmed by love for Rama, Hanuman then revealed who he was and carried Rama and Lakshmana on his shoulders to meet with Sugriva.

Additional reading: The usual version of the story is that Hanuman thought the sun was a mango; more about Hanuman's childhood at Wikipedia. Pavana is another name for Vayu, the god of wind. You can read more about Sugriva and his brother Vali at Wikipedia, and there is also an article about the vanaras, often translated "monkeys" in English.

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Sugriva and Vali (pp. 4-6). Sugriva tells Rama about how he had trapped his brother Vali in a cave, thinking he was dead, and how Vali emerged from the cave, furious to discover that Sugriva had taken the throne in Vali's absence. Rama agrees to help Vali defeat his brother. Sugriva then shows Rama the jewels that fell from the sky; Rama recognizes them as belonging to his wife Sita, who has been kidnapped by Ravana, king of the rakshasas. Sugriva duels with Vali, but Rama cannot tell who is who. The next time they fight, Sugriva wears a garland and this allows Rama to recognize Vali and kill him. Sugriva becomes king again, and Vali's son Angada is made crown prince.

Additional reading: You can read all about the conflict between Vali and Sugriva in this comic: Vali: The Downfall of an Arrogant King.

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Leap to Lanka (pp. 4-9). Sugriva then sends Hanuman and the other monkeys to search for Sita. When Hanuman, Angada, and Jambavan, king of the bears, reach the southern shore, Sampati the vulture king tells them Sita is in Lanka. Hanuman leaps all the way to Lanka. Along the way he rests on Mount Mainaka, who is a friend of Hanuman's father, and he also battles with the monster Surasa.

Additional reading: There are some wonderful illustrations of this episode in the Wikipedia article about the monster Surasa. Valmiki's Ramayana tells the story of Mount Mainaka in detail: Mount Mainaka was hiding under the water to escape from the god Indra who wanted to cut off the wings of all the mountains; Vayu, Hanuman's father had rescued the mountain by blowing it into the ocean. After Mainaka helped Hanuman, Indra was so impressed that he then came to see the mountain and promised not to cut off Mainaka's wings, so Mainaka is the only winged mountain left in the world.

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Hanuman and Sita (pp. 10-13). Hanuman looks everywhere in Lanka for Sita. He sees Ravana's many wives in the palace, and he sees Ravana himself. At first the thinks Mandodari, Ravana's wife, might be Sita, but he realizes Sita would never give herself to Ravana. Finally he finds Sita in the ashoka garden. Hanuman hides and listens as Ravana tries to seduce Sita. He then hears the rakshasis teasing Sita. When Sita is alone at last, Hanuman goes to her and gives her Rama's ring. He offers to take Sita away, but Sita decides to stay so that Rama will come and defeat Ravana once and for all.

Additional reading: What the comic book does not explain was that Ravana could not force Sita because of a curse resulting from his rape of the apsara Rambha; you can read more about Rambha at Wikipedia.

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Fire in Lanka (pp. 13-17). Hanuman then starts uprooting the trees and attacking the rakshasas, who are terrified of him. Indrajit, Ravana's son, then used his snake-arrows to capture Hanuman. Ravana wants to execute Hanuman, but his virtuous brother Vibhishana urges him to treat Rama's messenger with respect. Ravana decides to set Hanuman's tail on fire, but Hanuman's tail grows so large that they run out of oil. When they set the fail on fire, Hanuman runs through the streets and sets all of Lanka on fire, and then plunges his tail in the ocean before leaping back to India.

Additional reading: Indrajit's weapon is called a nagastra or a nagapasha in Sanskrit; you can read more about this weapons and other supernatural weapons in the Astras article at Wikipedia, and there is also a detailed article about Indrajit.

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March to Lanka (pp. 17-21). When Hanuman returns, Rama raises an army of monkeys and bears to march on Lanka. The monkey engineer Nala builds a bridge so that they can cross the ocean. Ravana's brother Vibhishana decides to ally himself with Rama. On the way to Lanka, Hanuman carries Rama on his shoulders and Angada carries Lakshmana.

Additional reading: There is a fascinating article about the Rama Setu, or Rama's Bridge, at Wikipedia. The title of the article is Adam's Bridge because of an Islamic tradition that associates Sri Lanka with Adam (see the article Adam's Peak), so when a British mapmaker drew the bridge on a map in 1804, he used the name "Adam's Bridge."

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The Battle Rages (pp. 22-24). When Hanuman and Vibhishana capture some rakshasa spies, Rama sends them back to Ravana to warn him. Ravana is not afraid, and vows to destroy Rama and all his allies. The rakshasa general Jambumali fights with Hanuman, but Hanuman smashes his chariot and lifts up Rama and Lakshmana so they can rain down arrows on their enemies. Hanuman slays the rakshasa general Dhumraksha, and he crushes the giant Akampana with a tree.

Additional reading: According to some versions of the story, Dhumraksha and Akampana were both sons of Sumali, Ravana's grandfather. You can find out more about Sumali and the history of Ravana's family in this comic book: Kubera, The Lord of Wealth.

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Hanuman and the Mountain (pp. 24-27). Using his power of invisibility, Indrajit manages to shoot Lakshmana. The physician Sushena says he needs the sanjeevani plant to heal Lakshmana, so Hanuman flies to Mount Gandhamandan to look for the plant; unable to find the plant, he brings the whole mountain back with him. The plant cures Lakshmana and brings thousands of monkeys back to life.

Additional reading: You can read all about this episode in a different comic book: Hanuman to the Rescue: Hanuman Brings the Sanjeevani.

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Victory for Rama (pp. 27-32). With Hanuman's help, Rama destroys Ravana's chariot, but he lets Ravana go rather than kill an unarmed enemy. In desperation, Ravana decides to wake up his brother Kumbhakarna. Although Kumbhakarna is a fierce warrior, Rama defeats him. Meanwhile, Lakshmana interrupted Indrajit during a prayer that would have made him invincible, killing him with an arrow. Ravana rides out on the battlefield again, and Rama finally defeats him. Vibhishana becomes king, Rama and Sita are reunited, and Hanuman takes the news of victory to Ayodhya, announcing Rama's return. When Rama sends all his other allies back home, Hanuman will not leave, vowing to stay with Rama forever.

Additional reading: You can read more about the defeat of Kumbhakarna in this comic book: Kumbhakarna: The Sleeping 
Giant. Hanuman's absolute devotion to Rama and Sita is often represented in visual form by having Hanuman open up his heart to show that Rama and Sita are there inside, as you can see in these images of Hanuman.

Guide: Dasharatha

This is a guide to Dasharatha: The Story of Rama's Father (Volume 570). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.570

See the detailed Reading Guide below.

The Hunting Accident (pp. 1-4). The young Dasharatha accidentally kills a young boy while hunting in the dark and must tell the boy's old, blind parents what happened. The old man curses Dasharatha: "Your son too shall be parted from you, and you shall die grieving for him."

Additional reading: In other accounts this boy is named Shravan; you can learn more at Wikipedia.

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Queen Kaikeyi (pp. 4-8). Dasharatha also married three women: Kaushalya, Kaikeyi (promising Kaikeyi's father Ashwapati that her son would be heir to the throne), and Sumitra, but none of them bore him a son. The god Indra had sought Dasharatha's help in the war between the gods (devas) and demons (asuras), and Kaikeyi rode with Dasharatha when he went to help Indra battle the asura Shambara. She saved his life on the battlefield, and he granted her two wishes whenever she wanted them.

Additional reading: You can read more both about the god Indra and the asura Shambara at Wikipedia.

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The Sons of Dasharatha (pp. 8-10). Dasharatha decides to perform a sacrifice to the gods so that they will grant him a son. A celestial being emerged from the sacrificial fire for payasa (rice pudding); he told Dasharatha that if his wives ate the payasa, they would have sons. Kaushalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikeyi to Bharata, and Sumitra to Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Rama was everyone's favorite; even Kaikeyi agreed that Rama would be the best king to rule after Dasharatha, although there was a rivalry between Kaushalya and Kaikeyi.

Additional reading: Another name for this rice pudding, called payasa in the comic book, is kheer. You can read more about it at Wikipedia.

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Vishvamitra (pp. 11-15). Vishvamitra asks for Rama's help in doing battle with the rakshasas who disturb his sacrifices. Dasharatha reluctantly agrees to send Rama and Lakshmana. News then comes that Rama has won Sita, the daughter of King Janaka, as his bride, and Janaka offers his daughter Urmila as a bride for Lakshmana and his nieces as brides for Bharata and Shatrughna.

Additional reading: Vishvamitra is one of the most famous of the Indian sages, and he is involved in many adventures beyond the stories recounted in the Ramayana. You can read more about Vishvamitra at Wikipedia.

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Dasharatha's Plans (pp. 15-19). Bharata's uncle, Yudhajit, has taken him to visit his grandfather, Ashwapati. Dasharatha decides to name Rama as "yuvarajah," or crown prince, the heir apparent. Rama is surprised that he will be made king while Bharata is away, but he agrees to his father's wishes. Kaikeyi's servant Manthara, eavesdropping, finds out what is happening and informs Kaikeyi.

Additional reading: You can learn more about Kaikeyi and her family in the article about Kaikeyi at Wikipedia.

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Manthara and Kaikeyi (pp. 19-22). Kaikeyi is at first delighted to hear the news about Rama from Manthara, but Manthara then turns her heart against Rama, and she persuades Kaikeyi to ask for her two wishes from Dasharatha: to make Bharata king and to send Rama into exile.

Additional reading: In some versions of the story, Manthara has hated Rama ever since he was a small boy. You can read about that at Wikipedia.

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Kaikeyi and Dasharatha (pp. 23-27). Despite Dasharatha's desperate protests, Kaikeyi insists that he honor his promise and grant her wish that Bharata be made king and Rama go into exile for fourteen years.

Additional reading: The place where Kaikeyi awaits Dasharatha is the kopa gruha (or kopa bhavan, kopa mandir), the "anger room." 

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Dasharatha's End (pp. 28-32). Rama learns of the change in plans and obeys without question, and departs into exile with Lakshmana and Sita. Dasharatha rejects Kaikeyi and spends his last days with Kaushalya. On the sixth night of Rama's exile, he remembers the old curse and dies. Bharata, however, will not rule in Rama's stead; he refuses to be crowned king and places Rama's sandals on the throne.

Additional reading: The Sanskrit term for these slippers or sandals is paduka; you can read more at Wikipedia.

Guide: Vishvamitra

This is a guide to Vishvamitra: The King Who Became an Ascetic (Volume 599). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.599

See the detailed Reading Guide below.

Vishvamitra and Vasishtha (pp. 1-4). As the story begins, note that Vishvamitra is a king. He is impressed by the lifestyle of the sage Vashishtha. Vishvamitra is also amazed by Vashishtha's cow Kamadhenu, but Vashishtha refuses to sell him the cow at any price.

Additional reading: You can read about these two very famous figures at Wikipedia: Vishvamitra and Vashishtha. There is also an article about Kamadhenu!

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Stealing Kamadhenu (pp. 4-7). Unable to buy the cow, King Vishvamitra steals her. Kamadhenu escapes back to Vashishtha and complains. She then conjures up an army to fight Vishvamitra's soldiers. Vashishtha then burns Vishvamitra's sons and horses to ashes.

Additional reading: The power of the sages often manifests in the form of heat. For more about the "heat" of spiritual practices, see this article about tapas at Wikipedia.

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Vishvamitra's New Powers (pp. 8-13). Vishvamitra bestows the kingdom on his one remaining son and goes to the Himalayas to practice austerities. Shiva rewards him with a knowledge of weapons and warfare, and Vishvamitra then challenges Vashishtha. Vashishtha halted all of his weapons, even the Brahmastra. Vishvamitra vows to become a great sage, a brahmarshi, like Vashishtha. Vishvamitra takes his queen to live with him in a hermitage, and she gives birth to more sons there. The god Brahma recognizes Vishvamitra as a rajarshi, "king-become-rishi."

Additional reading: The supernatural Brahmastra weapon also has an article at Wikipedia. You can also read about rishis at Wikipedia, and there is also an article about brahmarshis and about rajarshis.

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Trishanku's Wish (pp. 13-18). While Vishvamitra is becoming a sage in his own right, King Trishanku seeks Vashishta's help to visit heaven because Vashishtha is his guru. When Vashishtha refuses him, he goes to Vashishtha's sons for help. They are outraged and curse him to become a chandala (lower caste or outcaste). In desperation, Trishanku goes to Vishvamitra, and Vishvamitra agrees to help him. The devas (gods), however, do not respond to Vishvamitra's sacrifice.

Additional reading: You can read more about Trishanku at Wikipedia. There is also an article about chandalas, and you can also learn about gurus there.

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Trishanku's Fate (pp. 18-21). Vishvamitra then uses his own powers to cause Trishanku to ascend to heaven, but the gods push him back. Vishvamitra creates a new heaven in the sky for Trishanku, and vows to make Trishanku king of the gods. The gods agree to let Trishanku remain in heaven as a constellation, head down, and now they fear Vishvamitra's powers.

Additional reading: The constellation associated with Trishanku in the Indian tradition is the one that is called "The Southern Cross" in the European tradition. You can read more about that constellation at Wikipedia.

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Ambarisha (pp. 21-24). Ambarisha, the king of Ayodhya, has lost his sacrificial animal. In fact, the god Indra has stolen it. Seeking a human sacrifice, Ambarisha goes to the sage Richika and asks him for his son. Richika refuses, but his son Shunahshepa volunteers. On their way back to Ayodhya, they pass by the hermitage of Shunahshepa's uncle: Vishvamitra! None of Vishvamitra's sons will take Shunahshepa's place, so Vishvamitra curses his sons and then teaches Shunahshepa powerful mantras to use for protection. Hearing the mantras, Indra spares Shunahshepa from the sacrifice.

Additional reading: You can read more about the god Indra at Wikipedia. There are is also an article about Ambarisha. You can also learn about the power of mantras.

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Menaka (pp. 25-27). While practicing his spiritual discipline, Vishvamitra sees the sage Menaka and falls in love with her. Only later, he realizes the gods sent her to entrap him. He sends Menaka away, returns to his spiritual practices, and finally Brahma recognizes him as a maharshi (great-rishi), but Vishvamitra still wants to be a brahmarshi and practices even greater austerities.

Additional reading: There are articles at Wikipedia about Menaka and about the other heavenly nymphs called apsaras in Sanskrit.

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Rambha (pp. 28-32). The god Indra decides to tempt Vishvamitra again, this time with the apsara named Rambha. She is frightened and refuses, but Indra promises to protect her, disguising himself as a cuckoo. Vishvamitra sees through the trick and curses Rambha to turn into a rock. Indra tries again to trick Vishvamitra, but Vishvamitra keeps getting stronger and stronger. Brahma finally makes Vishvamitra a brahmarshi, and Vashishtha salutes him.

Additional reading: You can read more about Rambha at Wikipedia; she plays an important role in Ravana's life story!

Guide: Vali

This is a guide to Vali: The Downfall of an Arrogant King (Volume 546). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.546



See the detailed Reading Guide below.

Dundubhi (pp. 1-7). When Vali was king of Kishkindha, a mighty rakshasa named Dundubhi roamed the world. After terrifying the Ocean, Dundubhi went to do battle with Himavan (the Himalayas). Himavan tells Dundubhi that Vali would make a worthy opponent. Dundhubi turned himself into a water buffalo and went to Kishkindha. Vali defeated Dundhubi and threw his carcass on Rishyamuka mountain, near the hermitage of the rishi Matanga, and for this the rishi cursed Vali: if he set foot on the mountain, he would die.

Additional reading: As you can see, Vali has extraordinary powers. You can read more about the legend of Vali's super-strength at Wikipedia.

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Mayavi (pp. 7-12). Next, Dundubhi's son Mayavi came to challenge Vali. Vali's brother, Sugriva, also joins in the chase. Mayavi runs into a cave. Vali goes into the cave and tells Sugriva to wait outside. Days pass. When Sugriva hears a loud roar and sees blood flowing out of the cave, he concludes that Vali is dead. To trap Mayavi inside, he seals up the cave with a giant boulder. But Vali was alive, and found himself trapped in the cave.

Additional reading: In other versions of the story, Mayavi is not Dundubhi's son but his brother. In that version they are the children of the divine architect Maya and the apsara Hema, which makes them brothers of Mandodari, who will later be the wife of Ravana; this version of the story appears in the Uttara Kanda section of Valmiki's Ramayana.

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King Sugriva (pp. 13-17). In Vali's absence, Sugriva becomes king, with Hanuman as his minister. But Vali finally pushes aside the boulder. He returns home and accuse Sugriva of having trapped him on purpose. Sugriva had to leave the kingdom, but Vali took his wife, Ruma, for himself. Hanuman and Sugriva went to Rishyamuka where Vali could not follow them.

Additional reading: You can read more about Vali's main wife Tara at Wikipedia, and there is also a brief article about Ruma, who is Sugriva's main wife. In some versions of the story, Tara is not a monkey but is instead an apsara, a celestial being.

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Rama and Lakshmana (pp. 18-24). When Sugriva sees Rama and Lakshmana in the forest, he suspects they are Vali's agents. He sends Hanuman, in disguise, to investigate. Rama explains that he is seeking Sugriva to ask for his help in rescuing Sita. Hanuman carries them on his shoulders to meet Sugriva. Rama and Sugriva vow to help each other. Rama proves his strength by kicking aside Dundhubi's skeleton. He also does better than Vali once did in a test of archery.

Additional reading: Hanuman has many supernatural powers, including the ability to change his shape and his size, along with the ability to fly. For more about Hanuman, see the detailed Wikipedia article.

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Sugriva Fights Vali (pp. 25-29). Sugriva calls Vali out to fight with him but runs away when Vali gets the upper hand. Rama explains that he could not tell one brother from another, so he was not able to intervene. Rama gives Sugriva a garland to wear around his neck. Again, Sugriva challenges Vali. From his hiding place, Rama shoots an arrow at Vali.

Additional reading: The fact that Rama killed Vali in such an apparently dishonorable way has provoked much discussion, with different storytellers and commentators finding ingenious ways in which to justify Rama's actions. There is a nice discussion of this in Stuart Blackburn's Inside the Drama House, which you can read online here: Rama's Confession.

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Vali's Death (pp. 29-31). Vali protests that what Rama did was not right, and Rama justifies himself. Vali tells his wife Tara and his son Angada to trust Rama, and Vali entrusts his wife and son to Sugriva, bestowing on Sugriva his golden chain.

Additional reading: Other versions of the story tell us that this golden chain was a gift to Vali from the god Indra, his father. In some versions, this chain is what gives him the supernatural ability to take half of the strength of his opponents. 

Guide: Ancestors of Rama

This is a guide to Ancestors of Rama: A Noble Inheritance (Volume 572). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.572

See the detailed Reading Guide below.

King Dilipa (pp. 1-6). King Dilipa, Rama's great-great-grandfather, and his wife Sudakshina had no children. He consults the sage Vashishtha who explains that the divine cow, Surabhi, planned to bless Dilipa with many children, but because Dilipa was flirting with his young bride, he did not pay attention to Surabhi, so the blessing became a curse. They need to atone by honoring Nandini, Surabhi's daughter.

Additional reading: You can read about both Surabhi, also known as Kamadhenu, at Wikipedia. Nandini means "she who brings joy," and it thus also means "daughter."

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Nandini (pp. 6-10). Nandini decides to test Dilipa's valor. When Dilipa sees her seized by a lion, he is ready to fight the lion, but finds he is paralyzed. The lion explains why he is going to kill the cow, and Dilipa offers his life in her place. Nandini created the illusion to test him, and now she grants his wish for a son. His name is Raghu.

Additional reading: You can read more about Raghu at Wikipedia. This entire dynasty was often referred to as the "Raghu Dynasty," or Raghuvamsha. The poem by the classical Sanskrit poet Kalidasa with that title — Raghuvamsha — is the source for the stories in this comic book. Here is an English translation of the poem.

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Raghu (pp. 11-16). When Raghu is a young prince, Dilipa assigns him to guard the horse in an Ashwamedha, a horse sacrifice. Raghu thus defeats many kings, but some of them vow revenge. The god Indra is also angry at Raghu's ambitions. Even though Indra makes himself invisible, Raghu sees him take the horse and attacks Indra. Indra finally hurls his vajra weapon at Raghu, but Raghu survives and Indra rewards him. Dilipa then crowns Raghu as king.

Additional reading: You can read more about the horse sacrifice, Ashwamedha, at Wikipedia.

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Raghu and Kubera (pp. 17-21). When the vengeful kings defy him, Raghu vows to conquer the whole world. He succeeds, and then he distributes all the wealth to the kings and his subjects. A sage arrives after the wealth has been distributed to ask for as massive sum to pay his teacher. Raghu realizes he will have to get the wealth from Kubera, the god of wealth, himself. Kubera, fearing Raghu's arrival, sends a shower of gold into the palace. The sage blesses Raghu, promising him a great son. This son is Aja.

Additional reading: The god Kubera once ruled Lanka, but when Ravana took over Lanka, Kubera went to live in the mythical city of Alaka in the Himalayas, which is where he is living during the time of this story. You can find out more about Kubera at Wikipedia.

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Aja and the Elephant (pp. 21-23). Aja is a virtuous prince, and Raghu sends him to Vidarbha to compete for the hand of Indumati, daughter of King Bhoja in a swayamara. On the way, an elephant attacks Aja; when he spears the elephant, it transforms into a gandharva, a celestial musician, who gives Aja a magical spear.

Additional reading: For more about the celestial gandharvas, see Wikipedia. For the tradition of bride-choice (literally, self-choice), see the Wikipedia article about the swayamvara.

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Indumati's Swayamvara (pp. 24-31). The other princes are intimidated by Aja's arrival at the swayamara. Princess Indumati inspects the competitors and chooses Aja, as Ganga joins the ocean. The rivals plan to attack the happy couple on their way home to Ayodhya. In the battle, Aja uses his magic spear, putting his enemies to sleep. Raghu then makes Aja king and Aja's son will be King Dasharatha, Rama's father.

Additional reading: You have now see the chain, starting with Dilipa (Rama's great-great-grandfather), his son Raghu (Rama's great-grandfather), Aja (Rama's grandfather), and you already know Dasharatha (Rama's father).

Guide: The Lord of Lanka

This is a guide to The Lord of Lanka: The Rise and Fall of a Demon King (Volume 541). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.541

See the detailed Reading Guide below.

Sumali (pp. 1-4). The story begins with Sumali, ancient king of the rakshasas, and his daughter Kaikesi. While searching for a husband for her among men, he sees the great wealth of Kubera, king of Lanka and son of the sage Vishrava. He urges Kaikesi to seduce Vishrava. He marries her and they have four rakshasa children: Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Surpanakha, and Vibhishana.

Additional reading: You can read more about Sumali the asura and Vishrava the sage at Wikipedia. There is also a long article about Kubera.

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Ravana's Sacrifice (pp. 4-7). The young Ravana is jealous of his half-brother Kubera's great wealth. He goes with his sister and two brothers to Gokarna to perform sacrifices. Ravana cuts off nine of his heads, casting them into the sacrificial fire. As he is about to cut off the last one, Brahma appears and grants him a boon. Brahma refuses to give him immortality but Ravana cannot die at the hand of a god, demon, rakshasa, serpent or spirit.

Additional reading: You can read more about the sacred city of Gokarna at Wikipedia.

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Ravana Takes Lanka (pp. 7-10). Sumali urges Ravana to go capture Lanka from Kubera. Vishrava urges Kubera to go to Mount Kailash in the Himalayas, ceding Lanka to Ravana. Kubera was later distressed to hear of Ravana's wicked deeds. Ravana rides out to attack Kubera.

Additional reading: The sacred peak of Mount Kailash is famous for being the home of the god Shiva, as you will see in the next episode.

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Ravana and Shiva (pp. 11-15). Ravana defeats Kubera in battle and seizes the Pushpaka chariot. Despite a warning not to disturb Shiva, Ravana lifts up Mount Kailash. The mighty Shiva traps Ravana beneath the mountain, so Ravana begins to sing, beginning Shiva to release him. Pleased, Shiva releases Ravana and gives him a sword.

Additional reading: For a different version of this episode, see Ravana Humbled. See also the Wikipedia article which lists even more versions of the Ravananugraha.

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Vedavati-Sita (pp. 15-18). Ravana finds the beautiful Vedavati meditating in the jungle. She rejects Ravana's advances and throws herself into the fire, vowing she will be reborn to destroy him. Ravana later found a beautiful baby inside a lotus, but his ministers predicted she would cause his death, so he cast her into the river. By a miracle she appeared before King Janaka, who adopted her as his own daughter. By breaking Shiva's bow, Rama won Sita as his wife.

Additional reading: You can read more about the famous legend of Vedavati at Wikipedia. Like Sita, she is an avatar of the goddess Lakshmi.

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Rambha (pp. 21-23). Ravana happened to see the beautiful Rambha on Mount Kailash. She explains that she is going to marry Nalakubera, son of Kubera, Ravana's half-brother and rival. Ravana attempted to take Rambha for himself, and Nalakubera cursed him: if Ravana ever married a woman against her will, his heads will explode.

Additional reading: Rambha is an apsara; you can read more about her at Wikipedia.

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Sita and Ravana (pp. 24-30). Ravana finds Sita in Dandaka forest and abducts her. Rama marches on Lanka with an army to rescue Sita. Vibhishana urges Ravana to return Sita and, when Ravana refuses, Vibhishana joins Rama's side. Ravana show Sita the head of Rama, and she faints, thinking he is dead. Later, the illusion vanishes.

Additional reading: The comic book does not name the friend who consoles Sita when she fears Rama is dead. That friend is Sarama, sometimes considered to be the wife of Vibhishana.

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Ravana's Downfall (pp. 31-32). Rama defeats Ravana in battle and makes Vibhishana the new king of Lanka.

Additional reading: You can read more about Vibhishana at Wikipedia. He is considered one of the immortals known as Chiranjivis.

Guide: Kubera

This is a guide to Kubera: The Lord of Wealth (Volume 839). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.839

See the detailed Reading Guide below.

Kubera's Birth (pp. 1-5). The sage Pulastya, son of the god Brahma, comes to the ashram of sage Trinabindu, and he marries Trinabindu's daughter. Their child is Vishrava. When the virtuous Vishrava grows up, sage Bharadwaja arranges for Vishrava to marry his daughter, and their child is Vaisravana, also known as Kubera. Thanks to his austerities, Kubera impresses his great-grandfather Brahma. Kubera asks to be a lokapala, a guardian of the world. Brahma makes Kubera the guardian of wealth and he gives him the flying Pushpaka chariot, made by Vishvakarma, architect of the gods. Vishravan then advises his son to go live in Lanka.

Additional reading: There is a detailed article about Kubera at Wikipedia, and you can also learn more there about the lokapalas. There's an article about the Pushpaka Vimana too!

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The Story of Lanka (pp. 5-7). Vayu the wind god and Vasuki the cosmic serpent once had a contest to see who was strongest. Vasuki wrapped around Mount Meru while Vayu tried to blow the mountain away. Vishnu ordered them to stop and when Vasuki let go, Vayu's breath blew the peak of Trikuta off the mountain. It landed in the sea, and that was the origin of Lanka, which would later be the home of the rakshasas.

Additional reading: You can read about Mount Meru at Wikipedia, which is a sacred mountain in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain religions, and there is also an article about peak Trikuta. You can learn more about Vayu and Vasuki too!

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Rakshasas in Lanka (pp. 7-10). When reciting the Vedas, the god Brahma felt hungry and his hunger gave birth to Praheti, a yaksha, and Heti, a rakshasa. Heti's son married Bhaya, sister of the god Yama, and their son Vidyutkesa had a son with the giantess Salakantaka, but the abandoned the baby. Shiva and Parvati rescued the child, who was named Sukesa. Parvati commanded that all rakshasas be born as adults, and so able to care for themselves, and Shiva bestowed great wealth on Sukesa. With a gandharva wife Sukesa had three sons: Malyavan, Sumali and Mali, but they used their powers for wicked purposes. They went to Lanka, living in a city built of solid gold by the divine architect Vishvakarma.

Additional reading: See Wikipedia for more about the rakshasas and yakshas. You can also learn more there about Vishvakarma, the divine architect and engineer. There is also a special section in that article about the construction of Lanka. 

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Kubera in Lanka (pp. 10-13). Malyavan, Sumali, and Mali challenged the gods, and the gods went to Vishnu for help. Vishnu led an attack, riding on Garuda, and he killed Mali with the Sudarshan chakra. Malyavan and Sumali retreated to Lanka, but Vishnu vowed to destroy them even there, so the rakshasas then fled to Patala, the underworld, abandoning Lanka. Kubera now goes to live in Lanka, ruling over the yakshas as their king.

Additional reading: You can read more about Vishnu and his Sudarshan weapon at Wikipedia, and also about Garuda, who is Vishnu's vahana (vehicle). There is an article about Patala too!

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Dashagriva, Son of Vishrava (pp. 14-18). When Sumali seeks Kubera's wealth, he decides to make his daughter Kaikesi the wife of Vishrava, the father of Kubera. Vishrava predicts that all their children, with one exception, will be wicked. They had four children: one daughter Shurpanakha and three sons — the ten-headed Dashagriva, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana. Vibhishana was the virtuous one of the four. When Kubera comes to visit his father, Kaikesi urges Dashagriva to make himself greater than Kubera. To gain power, Dashagriva cuts off his heads, one by one, and his brothers also do penances. Brahma grants them boons: Vibhishana asks to always be virtuous, and, thanks to a trick of the goddess Saraswati, Kumbhakarna asks to sleep for ages. Dashagriva asks for immortality, but Brahma refuses, so Dashagriva asks to be invincible, protected against other powerful beings, but he omits humans from the long list of beings.

Additional reading: Of course, Dashagriva is Ravana; he will gain that name later, but Dashagriva is his birth name. You can read about all four of the rakshasas at Wikipedia: Ravana, Shurpanakha, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana.

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Kubera Leaves Lanka (pp. 18-23). Sumali urges his grandson Dashagriva to take Lanka back from Kubera. At first Dashagriva is reluctant to fight his brother (half-brother). When he thinks about how the devas (gods) and the daityas are brother races (again, half-brothers) who are at war with one another, he changes his mind. Dashgriva demands that Kubera return Lanka to the Sumali and the rakshasas. Kubera agrees, but their father Vishrava urges Kubera to escape to the Himalayas, and there Kubera builds the city of Alakapuri.

Additional reading: There is an article at Wikipedia about Alakapuri, along with an article about Mount Kailash, which is the sacred abode of the god Shiva also — and remember that Shiva played an important role in this story, too, rescuing the infant Sukesa, the father of Sumali, Ravana's maternal grandfather.

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Dashagriva Attacks Kubera (pp. 24-29). King Dashagriva now leads the rakshasas into a war with all the three worlds, including devaloka, the home of the gods. Kubera asks Dashagriva to cease his attacks. Dashagriva is enraged and decides the time has come to attack Kubera's stronghold of Alakapuri. Although the yakshas are strong and possess magical powers, the rakshasa army defeats them. Even Manibhadra, Kubera's minister, falls in battle. Kubera then duels with Dashagriva. Kubera uses an Angeyastra (an Agni-weapon of fire), which Dashagriva answers with a Varunastra (a Varuna-weapon of water). Although Kubera cannot be killed, Dashagriva overwhelms him completely and steals the Pushpaka.

Additional reading: There is a long article at Wikipedia about the divine weapons called astras. An Agneyastra is a weapon of the fire god Agni, while a Varunastra is a weapon of the ocean god Varuna. 

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Rama Defeats Dashagriva (pp. 29-30). Years later, Rama, an avatar of Vishnu, builds a bridge to Lanka and defeats Dashagriva, now called Ravana, in battle, killing him at last. He makes Ravana's virtuous brother, Vibhishana, the king of Lanka. Rama flies the Pushpaka back to Ayodhya, and then returns the flying chariot to its rightful owner: Kubera.

Additional reading: Rama's defeat of Ravana is the subject of the epic Ramayana of course!

Guide: Monkey Stories

This is a guide to Monkey Stories: Jataka Tales of Wile and Wisdom (Volume 543). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.543

See the detailed reading guide below.

THE MONKEY KING'S SACRIFICE. This is a story about what happens to the monkeys who live in a mango grove when people discover the delicious mango fruit.

Additional Reading. This story is based on the Maha Kapi Jataka. You can read an English translation of the ancient Pali version at Sacred Texts. Here is how the Buddha explains the birth at the end of his telling of the story: After the lesson, the Master declared the Truths and identified the Birth: "At that time the king was Ānanda, the monkey's retinue the assembly, and the monkey-king myself."

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THE STUPID CROCODILE AND THE MONKEY. Notice how Mrs. Crocodile tries to dissuade Mr. Crocodile from hunting the monkey: "Oh please! Not again. We've tried it too many times before." But Mr. Crocodile, naturally, does not heed her good advice.

Additional Reading. This story is based on the Vanarinda Jataka. You can read an English translation of the ancient Pali version at Sacred Texts. Here is how the Buddha explains the birth at the end of his telling of the story: "Devadatta was the crocodile of those days, the brahmin-girl Ciñcā was the crocodile's wife, and I myself the Monkey-King."

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THE DEMON OUTWITTED. The motif of the "footsteps leading in but not out" might remind you of the Aesop's fable about the fox and lion's den.

Additional Reading. This story is based on the Nalapana Jataka. You can read an English translation of the ancient Pali version at Sacred Texts. Here is how the Buddha explains the birth at the end of his telling of the story: "Devadatta was the water-ogre of those days; my disciples were the eighty thousand monkeys; and I was the monkey-king, so fertile in resource."

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THE MONKEY'S HEART. This is one of the most famous of the jatakas! You can read a collection of versions of this story from different countries here: Ashliman's Folktales of AT Type 91.

Additional Reading. This story is based on the Sumsumara Jataka. You can read an English translation of the ancient Pali version at Sacred Texts. Here is how the Buddha explains the birth at the end of his telling of the story: "In those days Devadatta was the Crocodile, the lady Ciñcā was his mate, and I was the Monkey." In addition to the comic-book version and the Buddhist version, please also read the folklore parallel collected by Dan Ashliman: Brother Rabbit and the Gizzard-Eater. 

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THE MONKEYS AND THE GARDENER. You can decide who is more foolish: the monkeys, or the gardener who trusted them?

Additional Reading. This story is based on the Aramadusaka Jataka. You can read an English translation of the ancient Pali version at Sacred Texts. Here is how the Buddha explains the birth at the end of his telling of the story: "The village lad who spoiled this pleasaunce was the king of the monkeys in those days, and I was myself the wise and good man."

Guide: Ghatotkacha

This is a guide to Ghatotkacha: The Chivalrous Demon (Volume 592). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.592

See the detailed Reading Guide below.

Bhima and the Pandavas (pp. 1-3). The story begins with the sons of King Pandu, the Pandavas, growing up with their cousins, the Kauravas, who are jealous of the Pandavas' popularity. Duroyodhana, eldest of the Kaurava brothers, plots the death of the Pandavas, but the Pandavas escape and flee with their mother into the forest. Bhima, the strongest of the five Pandava brothers, carries the family on his shoulders.

Additional reading: You can read more about Kunti and the Pandava brothers at Wikipedia, with separate articles about each brother. The most important for this story are Bhima and Arjuna.

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Bhima's rakshasa wife and son (pp. 3-6). In that same forest live a rakshasa brother and sister, Hidimba and Hidimbaa. They like to eat humans! When Hidimbaa sees Bhima, she falls in love and changes herself into a beautiful woman. Her brother sees this and attacks Bhima. Bhima's mother and brothers hear what is happening and come watch the fight. Bhima kills Hidimba, and then Hidimbaa (still in her human form) asks to marry Bhima. Bhima and Hidimbaa have a son: Ghatotkacha. As a rakshasa, he is full-grown at birth and he has magical powers. He promises to come whenever his father needs him. The Pandavas continue their journey in exile, leaving Hidimbaa and Ghatotkacha in the forest.

Additional reading: The spelling "aa" is used here to convey the long vowel in Sanskrit. In Sanskrit there is a long "a" letter ("ah") and a short "a" ("uh") letter, but in English, we have only one letter "a," which can lead to some confusion with transliterated Sanskrit names. Hidimba (short a) is the masculine name, and Hidimbā (Hidimbaa, long a) is the feminine form. She is also called Hidimbi. You can read more about rakshasas at Wikipedia. This comic book explains the story of why they are born full-grown: Kubera (see the section about "Rakshasas in Lanka").

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Abhimanyu and Vatsala (pp. 7-9). The Pandavas gain a kingdom and build a beautiful palace, making the Kauravas even more jealous. They lure the eldest Pandava, Yudhishthira, into a game of dice and he loses everything. The Pandavas go into the forest as exiles, this time with their shared wife, Draupadi. The great Pandava archer, Arjuna, leaves his wife, Subhadra (Krishna's sister), and son, Abhimanyu, behind; Subhadra and Abhimanyu go to Dwaraka, Subhadra's family home. Abhimanyu is engaged to Vatsala (the daughter of Balarama, Krishna's brother), but Balarama decides to marry Vatsala to Lakshmana, Duryodhana's son instead. As Subhadra and Abhimanyu cross the forest, a rakshasa attacks them: it is Bhima's son, Ghatotkacha, Abhimanyu's cousin.

Additional reading: This wonderful story about Vatsala is not part of the traditional Mahabharata, but it is a famous folktale. You can learn more at these Wikipedia pages: Revati (she is Vatsala's mother) and Lakshmana Kumara. You can learn more about Abhimanyu in this comic book: Abhimanyu.

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Ghatotkacha and the wedding (pp. 10-15). Ghatotkacha agrees to help Abhimanyu. The rakshasas go to Dwaraka and, disguised as humans, buy up the shops and offer new clothes for old. The Kauravas, who have come for the wedding of Vatsala and Lakshmana, are delighted. Ghatotkacha then carries Vatsala away to Abhimanyu. Next, he transforms himself to look like Vatsala. During the wedding ceremony, Lakshmana is surprised by how tight the bride's grip is; Ghatotkacha squeezes Lakshmana's hand so tight that he faints. The rakshasas all fly away, as do the new clothes, leaving the Kauravas naked and helpless. Abhimanyu then comes to Dwaraka with Vatsala and they live happily there.

Additional reading: This story about Ghatotkacha in disguise might remind you of the story about the Norse god Thor disguised as a bride. 

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The war (pp. 16-21). When the Pandavas and Kauravas finally go to war, Bhima summons Ghatotkacha, and he arrives with his rakshasa warriors. Ghatotkacha rescues his father when King Bhagadatta attacks him, and the next day Ghatotkacha uses illusions to terrify the Kauravas. When Abhimanyu is killed in battle, Arjuna vows to avenge his death by killing Jayadratha, and when Arjuna manages to kill Jayadratha, the Kauravas vow to avenge his death. The Pandavas call on Ghatotkacha to defeat Karna, one of the greatest of the Kaurava warriors.

Additional reading: Arjuna eventually slays Bhagadatta; you can read about that confrontation at Wikipedia.

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Ghatotkacha and Karna (pp. 22-27). Ghatotkacha throws a chakrayudha (disc) at Karna, but Karna smashes it with his arrows. Ghatotkacha creates a mountain that pours forth weapons, but Karna destroys it with a Vajra Astra, the thunderbolt weapon. Ghatotkacha conjures up a cloud that rains stones, but Karna counters with a Vayu Astra, a wind weapon. Ghatotkacha hurls trees at Karna, but he snaps them with arrows. Ghatotkacha multiplies himself, but Karna shoots arrows at all the Ghatotkachas, and then Ghatotkacha swallows the arrows.

Additional reading: You can read more about the battle chakrams and supernatural astra weapons at Wikipedia, including a specific article about the god Indra's Vajra. Many of the astras are associated with specific gods; the Vayu Astra is named for Vayu, the god of wind.

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Ghatotkacha falls (pp. 27-31). When Ghatotkacha shrinks and becomes invisible, shooting forth weapons of fire, the terrified Kaurava warriors beg Karna to use the Shakti weapon of Indra, which can only be used once. Karna wants to save that weapon for Arjuna, but he realizes he must save the Kaurava warriors, so he launches the weapon at Ghatotkacha. As Ghatotkacha is dying, he makes his body into a gigantic size and falls on a Kaurava regiment, crushing them to death beneath his corpse. The Pandavas mourn Ghatotkacha, and Krishna explains that his death has saved Arjuna's life and guaranteed a Pandava victory in the end.

Additional reading: The rivalry between Arjuna and Karna is one of the main themes of the Mahabharata, and this comic book explains how Karna came to possess the Shakti weapon: Karna. 

Guide: Karna

This is a guide to Karna: Brave, Generous, Ill-Fated Prince (Volume 531). You can find it at Amazon.

Bizzell Reserves call number: PN 6790 .I443 A437 v.531

See the detailed reading guide below.

Kunti and Surya (pp. 1-3). King Kuntibhoja adopts his niece Pritha as his own daughter, giving her the name Kunti. When the sage Durvasa, renowned for his bad temper, stays with the king for a year, Kunti's gracious behavior impresses him and he gives her a mantra that allows her to invoke a god and bear that god's son. She tries out the mantra by calling on Surya, the sun-god, just out of curiosity to test the mantra. Kunti doesn't want a son, but the power of the mantra cannot be stopped, and she gives birth to a baby, Karna, who has kavacha (armor) and kundalas (earrings) from the Sun, his father.

Additional reading: The word "kundala" means "coil," and you can see the same root in the word kundalini, the energy "coil" in the spine according to yoga theory. You can read more about the irascible sage Durvasa at Wikipedia: Durvasa; it is Durvasa who is responsible for Lakshmana's death in the Ramayana: Durvasa, Rama, and Lakshmana.

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The Young Karna (pp. 4-7). Kunti sets the baby adrift in a basket in the river and a charioteer named Adhiratha, finds him. He brings the baby home to his wife, Radha, and they call him Radheya, the son of Radha. Meanwhile, Kunti, now the co-wife of King Pandu along with his other wife, Madri, uses the mantra so that the childless Pandu can have sons. Kunti has three sons (Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna), and Madri has twins (Nakula and Sahadeva). After Pandu dies, Madri casts herself on his funeral pyre, and Kunti is left to raise all five boys. The sons of Pandu, the Pandavas, are rivals of their cousins, the Kauravas, and young Karna often sees them fighting. Drona taught the Pandava boys and the Kauravas, and he was also Karna's teacher, but his favorite pupil was Arjuna.

Additional reading: The rivalry between Karna and Arjuna is one of the most important themes of the whole epic; you can read more about Arjuna at Wikipedia: Arjuna.

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Curses (pp. 8-15). When Drona refuses to teach Karna the Brahmastra weapon because Karna is not a kshatriya (warrior) but only the son of a charioteer, he goes to the great guru Parashurama to learn the secret. Parashurama hates the kshatriya (warrior) class and accepts only brahmins (priests) as his pupils, so Karna disguises himself as a brahmin. Parahsurama becomes Karna's teacher. One day, Karna allows an insect to dig a hole in his flesh rather than disturb his guru. Parashurama realizes that the boy must be a kshatriya and curses him so that his knowledge of weapons will fail him when he most needs it. Karna accidentally shoots a brahmin's cow, and he is cursed again: Karna will be killed like that cow, unable to defend himself.

Additional reading: The Brahmastra is one of the most powerful of the supernatural weapons called astras. Parashurama (Rama-with-an-axe) is considered to be one of the avatars of Vishnu, and you can read about his epic hatred of the kshatriya class at Wikipedia: Vengeance Against the Kshatriyas.

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Prince of Anga (pp. 11-16). Karna returns to live with his mother. He hears about a tournament and wants to compete. Arjuna seems to be the winner, but then Karna comes on to the field and accomplishes all the same feats as Arjuna. Duryodhana is thrilled to find someone with skills to match those of his hated cousin. Karna wants to duel with Arjuna, but another of the royal gurus, Kripa, insists on knowing Karna's lineage. Karna does not know what to say, but Duryodhana declares him to be Prince of Anga. At that moment, Adhiratha the charioteer enters and embraces Karna. Bhima is outraged and mocks Karna for being the son of a charioteer, but Duryodhana embraces and comforts him, and Karna is absolutely loyal to Duryodhana in the years to come when they prepare for war with the Pandavas.

Additional reading: You can read more about Duryodhana, the oldest of the Kaurava brothers, at Wikipedia: Duryodhana. 

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Before the War (pp. 17-20). The god Indra, Arjuna's father, is worried about the threat that Karna poses and plans to deprive Karna of his armor and earrings. Surya, the sun god, warns Karna in a dream, but when Indra, disguised as a brahmin, asks Karna for alms, Karna gives in because of his generous nature. Indra is impressed and gives Karna the Shakti weapon, but on condition that he can only use it once. Krishna, meanwhile, decides it is time for Karna to learn the trust of his birth. Krishna urges him to come over to the side of the Pandavas, but Karna is loyal to Duryodhana. He asks Krishna to keep the secret of Karna's birth until he dies. Kunti also speaks with Karna, hoping to prevent the war. He still remains loyal to Duryodhana but promises that, of the Pandavas, he will kill only Karna so that, no matter what, Kunti will have five sons.

Additional reading: Indra's weapon is also known as the Vasava Shakti (the Shakti of Indra, Lord of the Vasus = Vasava), and the word Shakti itself means "power." Shakti is also used as the name for the divine feminine force; you can read more about the goddess dimension of Shakti at Wikipedia.

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The War (pp. 20-24). Karna, angry that Bhishma is leading Duryodhana's army, refuses to fight at first, but when Bhishma falls on the tenth day of battle, Karna seeks and receives Bhishma's blessing. Bhishma also knows the secret of Karna's birth, but he acknowledges that it is Karna's Dharma to be loyal to Duryodhana. Karna agrees that Drona should be general. As the battle rages, Karna has the chance to kill Bhima, but he spares him because of the promise he made to their mother. At night, Bhima's rakshasa son Ghatotkacha comes out to fight. Without thinking, Karna uses the Shakti weapon to slay Ghatotkacha, instead of reserving it for Arjuna.

Additional reading: You can find out more about Kunti's son Bhima, his rakshasi wife Hidimbi, their son Ghatotkacha at Wikipedia.

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General Karna (pp. 25-32). When Drona falls on the fifteenth day, Karna becomes general. He has the chance to kill Nakula in battle but again lets him go. He asks Duryodhana to appoint Shalya as his charioteer so that he can confront Arjuna, whose charioteer is Krishna. On the next day Karna spares Yudhishthira's life, but he still plans to kill Arjuna. Karna's wheel gets stuck in the mud, and then he cannot remember how to use his powerful mantras. He jumps down to release the wheel from the mud, and Arjuna kills him. The curses of Parashurama and the brahmin thus both come true. Kunti reveals the secret of Karna's birth to the Pandavas after the battle. The Pandavas are deeply moved and arrange for Karna's funeral as one of their kinsmen.

Additional reading: To find out more about the life of Karna and his role in the Mahabharata, see Wikipedia: Karna.