The Celestial Weapons

Hanuman holds the mountain and a gada.

Terracotta sculpture (n.d.).

Once upon a time, the great warrior-prince Rama defeated an enormous horde of rakshasas, led by Subahu and Maricha. The battle was fierce, but with the help of celestial weapons called down by the sage Vishwamitra, Rama vanquished the demons. Rama soon faced another problem, one that was more suitable to a king: jealousy and intrigue.

Once they had returned to their celestial sphere, the weapons rejoiced at the victory over the rakshasas. They hadn’t seen a battle in a thousand years. They were glad to finally defeat evil beings and to serve a great warrior. That is, most of them rejoiced. Several of them felt as though Rama hadn’t given them enough credit for their valor. The most vocal among these was the chakram, a circular blade who could cut through anything. Rama had used him during most of the battle and this weapon was jealous when he saw the other weapons praising Rama only. He took some of his closest friends to a private spot and told them his concerns. He spoke to them of how he had risked being captured or shattered by the rakshasas.

"Every time Rama threw me at those demons,” the chakram explained, “I was risking my own death and destruction.”

The other weapons were wary at first but, after a persuasive speech, they began to agree with the chakram’s point: that Rama hadn’t given them as much credit as they deserved for helping to defeat the rakshasas.

The chakram called together a meeting of all of the weapons. They were confused as to why the chakram would call a meeting. He was generally standoffish and rarely spoke to any who wasn’t his friend. Even then, he spoke without manners and was wont to use uncouth words.

The chakram rattled himself against his best friend the gada, a mace of immense weight, and so called the meeting to order.

"I have some serious concerns about how Rama is treating us. To put it bluntly, I'm not sure he's giving us the proper credit for our bravery. We were actually the ones who killed the rakshasas. Rama only aimed us. He only pointed us in the direction of the rakshasas."

The bichuwa, a dagger so sharp it could cut mountains in half, grumbled at this. He replied, "But Rama is a brave and clever warrior. Surely we must give him most of the credit. We are, as we promised him, but tools to defeat evil. Are you not happy, O chakram, about our destroying evil, or would you rather have rakshasas overrunning every place on earth?”

This infuriated the chakram, who replied, "I never said that I wanted the rakshasas to overrun the world. You’re putting words in my mouth. Of course I'm happy that there are fewer rakshasas.” The chakram spent a minute or so regaining his composure. Resuming his speech, he said, "What we are discussing is whether Rama deserves all this praise. Metaphorically speaking, I believe that he is simply the ship at sea, while we are the wind that pushes him. Without us, Rama wouldn’t go anywhere."

From the crowd, the pasha, a lasso as strong as diamond and as flexible as a snake, shouted, "But where would the wind be without the ship? It wouldn’t have anyone to help. All it would do is stir up the ocean. How useless the wind would be!"

The gada, who stood beside the chakram, said, "It would help birds fly!" The gada struggled to make itself heard above an audience which was growing increasingly restless.

After some time, the chakram managed to gain control of the meeting. "Let's get back on track. When has Rama ever thanked us for saving his life? When has he ever acknowledged how vital we are to his mission?"

The pasha said, "Why should he thank us? If anything, it is us who should be thanking him! Without Rama, we would never achieve glory in battle. Without Rama, we could never help create history!"

The chakram, infuriated, said, “Let’s go ask Rama what he thinks. If you think he’s so great, he should be able to provide the correct answer to this problem.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

All of the weapons rushed down to earth. Rama had only just woken up and was confused to see all of the weapons gathered around him. I must have summoned them in my sleep, he thought.

“Glorious Rama,” said the bichuwa, “we have come to ask you an important question about yesterday’s battle: Who deserves the glory of having defeated so many rakshasas?”

Rama replied succinctly. “Everyone.”

“Everyone?” asked the chakram.

Rama responded, facing each weapon in turn, “I could not have won without you, my strong celestial weapons. We all played a vital role in defeating that horde of rakshasas. We each have our place; we do not have a choice in our position. Dharma is not to be changed by man or weapon. We must accept it as it is. Be happy that you and I have been granted such esteemed roles.”

The weapons were all impressed by Rama. He wasn’t yet king, but he was already wise. Having realized the importance of their positions and having learned of Rama’s gratitude, the weapons returned to their celestial sphere. They rejoiced in their victory over the rakshasas and in their high positions.

Author's Note

In this story, I sought to provide the perspective of some characters who didn’t consider Rama in a perfectly positive light. The likelihood that every good person would exalt Rama is unlikely. There are probably a few moral people (in other words, people who aren’t rakshasas) who have some reasonable issues with him. By using celestial weapons as those characters who weren’t entirely enthusiastic about Rama, I was able to show how beings of all ranks and positions could have conflicting opinions.

In addition, I wanted to present a story that wouldn’t receive any attention otherwise. While Rama is certainly the main character of the Ramayana, he isn’t the only one with a complex life. Those he happens to meet or work with for a short time have lives of their own (sometimes thousands of years long).

In the most recent revision, I elaborated somewhat on the exact issues that the chakram has with Rama. The chakram is doing more than whining. He actually went through dangerous circumstances in order to help defeat the rakshasas. I also added a part about how those who opposed chakram’s view talked among themselves and came to reconcile their own opinions with his. In this way, the weapons have a more complex debate. They reason their way towards a compromise between the weapons’ varying views.

Bibliography

Various authors. Ramayana (public domain).

Wikipedia. “Bichuwa.”

Wikipedia. “Chakram.”

Wikipedia. “Dharma.”

Wikipedia. “Gada.”

Wikipedia. “Pasha.”

Story: Hanuman's and the Curse

Statue of Hanuman in Haladiagada, Kendrapada, Orissa, India.

Photograph taken by Sujit Kumar (2007). Source.

When Hanuman promised to remain on earth so long as the story of Rama was told, he didn’t expect it to be told and retold as long as it was. He soon figured that the Ramayana would be told long after the Himalayas had crumbled into dust and the Indian subcontinent had split off from Asia. Needless to say, he wasn’t entirely enthusiastic about this. He enjoyed life, for the most part, but one can only eat so many fruit before one gets sick of them. After several centuries, having exhausted whatever pleasures he could gain from food, he moved onto pranks and tricks. To those wanderers who passed by his little hut, he would throw berries and other fruits.

One day, while he was napping on a tree branch, Hanuman heard something farther down the path. It sounded like footsteps, but they were incredibly slow. He listened for a few minutes but the sound remained distant. He soon fell back asleep. He woke again to the sound of these footsteps. This time, he spied, through the foliage, a hunched figure making its way down the path. The figure was muttering some prayer. Hanuman thought for a moment and decided that, yes, he would like to pelt this traveler with fruit. Taking up an apple, he aimed it at the figure’s hood and released it with as much strength as he could muster (which was quite a lot).

The apple hit its mark and the figure began to shout a series of expletives. When it turned to face the direction of the thrower, Hanuman saw that this figure was an old man with a long, gray beard. The monkey felt some remorse at his actions. Had he known the passer-by was a decrepit old man, he would have thrown something smaller. Hanuman leapt down from the tree branch and went up to the man to apologize.

Before the monkey could say anything, the man said to him, “Why in the world would you hit me in the head with an apple?”

Hanuman replied, “I was bored. Living out here can get mighty dull.”

“Only a boring monkey can be bored,” the man said, angrily.

“Boring? I’m not boring.”

“No, not after I place this curse on you: As you may have heard, there are brothers by the name of Pandava who have been wandering these parts for several years. You will remain on this very spot in the road until you have told the story of Rama to one of these brothers.”

“Really?” replied Hanuman. “I also have to stay here on earth until the story of Rama is no longer told.”

“Rama? You must be Hanuman! I’d love to hear of Rama and his great deeds.”

“I will, but only if you break your curse once I’m done telling it to you.”

So Hanuman began to tell the old man the story of Rama. He was just to the part about Jatayu’s death when an enormous rakshasa ran into the clearing. It roared and Hanuman was frightened. The old man, far from being a celestial being like Hanuman had suspected, was but a simple villager, and was nearly powerless against the demon. The rakshasa picked this old man up and swallowed him whole. Hanuman could hear the old man’s cries from inside the demon’s stomach.

“Help me! Help me!” the man cried.

Hanuman was frightened. He tried to leap back into his tree but the old man’s curse held and he couldn’t move off the road. He thought he would die. However, he soon realized the implications of his promise. If he was to remain on earth until the Ramayana was no longer told, he likely couldn’t be killed. He gathered up some of his rocks and began to toss them at the rakshasa. The demon seemed annoyed, but it didn’t go away. Hanuman realized that he may have to fight the demon barehanded. He fought bravely against the rakshasa but was soon swallowed.

The inside of the rakshasa’s stomach smelled of putrid meats of unknown origin.

“Disgusting!” cried Hanuman. He nearly retched.

From somewhere else in the stomach, he heard the old man cry, “Hanuman, is that you?”

“Old man? It is. I was swallowed, too.”

“From what I could hear, you fought very bravely.”

“Thank you. But the fight isn’t over.”

The rakshasa tried to run back into the jungle but it felt an enormous weight in its stomach stopping it. To add to its troubles, Hanuman began to tear, scrape, and bite at the rakshasa’s stomach. The monster made a horrible cry. Hanuman was soon able to tear a hole in the rakshasa’s stomach and all of its contents spilled out.

The old man thanked Hanuman profusely. He said to the monkey, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes, lift this curse.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, but a curse can’t be lifted by the person who cast. It will only be lifted until its terms have been fulfilled.”

“Great. Well, thanks. I guess you can go now.”

“I will still do something for you. I am a carpenter. I will build you a great house and there you will be able to move about as you wish.”

Hanuman lived in this house for several more years. He was lonely and bored and longed for the day when one of the Pandavas should meet him. One day, while he was sitting in the middle of the road, contemplating all that had happened in his life, he felt a tugging at his tail.

Author’s Note

Like several of my other stories, I chose to provide the story of one of the more minor characters. In this case, the main character is only minor relative to the other characters. Hanuman plays an essential role in the Ramayana, having gathered magic herbs that healed Rama’s soldiers and allowed him to defeat Ravana. In the Mahabharata, Hanuman seems to take on the role of mentor more than he does the role of a soldier. Hanuman is an interesting connection between the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I thought my story would be able to provide a tighter connection between the two epics.

Bibliography

Various authors. The Mahabharata (public domain). Source.

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata (Part D)

Yudhishthira ascends to heaven.

Artist unknown (n.d.). Source.

1. Although Abhimanyu dies, his death is given valiant descriptions. What happens to him after he dies?
2. Arjuna’s promise will come true. Only bad things happen to those who break their vows.
3. Arjuna’s anger may get him into trouble. Right now, he seems as though he’s doing pretty well in battle.
4. Arjuna does fulfill his vow. While he attempts to fulfill it, Krishna uses his powers to help Arjuna. He still needs celestial assistance to win.
5. Duryodhana is a dastardly and sinister character. He would rather kill his opponents in their sleep than follow through on promises or fight honorably.
6. Drona sees just how terrible and just Duryodhana’s fate will be.
7. Karna probably wasted that dart. He’ll likely suffer for a lack of it.
8. Drona has seemingly lost his will to live. Will he return in some other form? He doesn’t seem to have been killed in an honorable way.
9. Bhima is pretty intense about his vows.
10. Karna end is just. He is also a hypocrite, in that he attacks dishonorably but wants others to treat him honorably.
11. Duryodhana seems incapable of accepting fate. How would he have been treated if he faced the Pandavas himself?
12. Will such an act of war be punished by something more?
13. All of this sorrow and bloodshed seems like it could have been avoided. What would have happened if there had been a peaceful solution before the battle or shortly after it had begun?
14. Krishna helps Ganga to accept the fate of her son. Acceptance of fate and predetermined position continues to be one of the most important virtues.
15. Given how many ceremonies they perform and how many sacrifices they make, this will likely prove a good reign.
16. They don’t just ignore the mongoose. Paying attention to talking animals (such as Hanuman) is an important virtue.
17. Maybe that reign won’t turn out well. At least, the enemies that attack them will be overwhelmingly strong.
18. The Pandavas return to their status as hermits. Perhaps this suggests that each person will be made humble in the end, no matter their social status.
19. Yudhishthira is extremely devoted to his family, even though it means facing horrific places.

Bibliography

Various authors. Mahabharata (public domain). Source.

Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata (Part C)

Duryodhana presents his soldiers to Drona.

Artist unknown (n.d.). Source. 

1. All will be righted with the gods’ help. Immense suffering often seems, in these epics, to be temporary. Few, if any, good people are permanently made to suffer.
2. Yudhishthira is devoted to oaths and promises. He would make an excellent sage, should he choose to remain in exile.
3. Arjuna is rather hot-headed. However, once he calms down, he’s rewarded for his devotion. Even bad actions can be forgiven in some way.
4. Even a punishment is a blessing in disguise. Although Arjuna suffers, he does so in order to help others.
5. The brothers’ exile is not simply an exile. While separated from their world or society, they receive lessons that improve them as people. What could one of the sages who visited them teach the brothers?
6. Why does Hanuman say nothing of Shudra? What could Hanuman have been doing during the years between the events of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata? How could he skew the story of the Ramayana in order to make himself seem like the main hero?
7. Duryodhana will probably be punished for breaking his vow to starve to death.
8. The Pandavas help those who need it, not just those they like.
9. Karna has likely made a huge mistake. He’s given up invincibility in order to kill one being. Defense is probably more virtuous than killing.
10. The Rajah of Sindhu gets off rather easily. Perhaps they don’t want to start a war.
11. Wisdom and cleverness ultimately save the brothers, rather than sheer physical strength. How would they have handled the riddles?
12. Anger and covetousness, like the riddle says, leads to the prince’s death. Losing one’s temper and greed often have deadly consequences.
13. Arjuna didn’t really need the weapons. What he needed were the help of the gods and mercifulness.
14. Diplomacy and the peaceful resolution of conflict are stressed in this epic. Those who seek war first are treated in a more negative light than those who use nonviolent means to end conflicts.
15. Duryodhana seems intent on what’s probably suicide. How could he remain defiant before a god? Does Duryodhana have some underlying problems with him? What previous episode could have caused this defiance?
16. Even nature seems to be waging a war itself.
17. The battle is back and forth for a while. There doesn’t seem to be a clear victor.
18. Duryodhana is arrogant. Despite the advice of Bhishma, he continues the battle.

Bibliography

Various authors. Mahabharata (public domain). Source.

The Celestial Weapons

Hanuman holds the mountain and a gada.

Terra cotta sculpture (n.d.). Source.

Once upon a time, the great warrior-prince Rama defeated an enormous horde of rakshasas, led by Subahu and Maricha. The battle was fierce, but with the help of celestial weapons called down by the sage Vishwamitra, Rama defeat the demons. However, despite this victory in battle, he had another problem, one that was more suitable to a king: the jealousies and intrigues of his subjects.

Once they had returned to their celestial sphere, the weapons rejoiced at the victory over the rakshasas. They hadn’t seen a battle a thousand years and they were glad to finally defeat evil and to serve a great warrior. That is, most of them rejoiced. Several of them felt as though they hadn’t received enough credit for their valor. The most vocal among these was the chakram. Rama had used him during most of the battle and this weapon was jealous when he saw the other weapons praising Rama. He took some of his closest friends to a private spot and told them his concerns. He told them of all the dangers he had faced, of how he had risked being captured or shattered by the rakshasa.

“Every time Rama threw me at the rakshasas,” he explained, “I was risking my own death and destruction.”

The other weapons were wary at first but, after a persuasive speech, they began to agree with the chakram’s point: that Rama hadn’t given them as much credit as they deserved for helping to defeat the rakshasas.

The chakram called together a meeting of all of the weapons. They were confused as to why the chakram would call a meeting. He was generally standoffish and rarely spoke to any who wasn’t his friend. Even then, he spoke without manners and was wont to use uncouth words.

The chakram rattled himself against his best friend, the gada and so called the meeting to order.

"I’m sure you’re wondering why I, the chakram, would bring together a meeting. I assure you that it is a most important topic. I'm not sure Rama is giving us the proper credit for our bravery. We were actually the ones who killed the rakshasas. Rama only aimed us. He only pointed us in the direction of the rakshasas."

To this, the bichuwa, who held the chakram in low esteem, replied, "But Rama is a brave and clever warrior. Surely we must give him most of the credit. We are, as we promised him, but tools to defeat evil. Are you not happy, O chakram, about our destroying evil, or would you rather have rakshasas overrunning every place on earth?”

This infuriated the chakram, who replied, "I never said that I wanted the rakshasas to overrun the world. You’re putting words in my mouth. Of course I'm happy that there are fewer rakshasas.”

"What we are discussing,” the chakram said, “is whether Rama deserves all this praise. Metaphorically speaking, I believe that he is simply the ship at sea, while we are the wind that pushes him. Without us, Rama wouldn’t go anywhere."

"Yes," shouted the pasha from the crowd, "but where would the wind be without the ship? It wouldn’t have anyone to help. All it would do is brush against trees and bushes. How useless the wind would be!"

The gada, who stood beside the chakram, said, "It would scatter the seeds of plants and help to grow forests!" The gada struggled to make itself heard above an audience which was growing increasingly restless.

After some time, the chakram managed to gain control of the meeting. "Let's get back on track. When has Rama ever thanked us for saving his life? When has he ever acknowledged how vital we are to his mission?"

The pasha said, "Why should he thank us? If anything, it is us who should be thanking him! Without Rama, we would never achieve glory in battle. Without Rama, we could never help create history!"

The gada whispered to the chakram, "He's right, chakram. Without Rama, we couldn't even consider ourselves true warriors. We would have just sat here as we’ve done for a thousand years.”

The chakram reluctantly agreed. He knew that, if it weren't for Rama, nothing would have happened.

The chakram turned to the crowd and said grudgingly, "What my friend the gada says is true: We need Rama in order to gain glory."

While the chakram and the gada discussed this, the weapons opposing them held their own conversation. They began to see the reason behind his argument.

Turning around from this group, the gada said, “And Rama needs us. Neither we nor Rama can work alone. We are both great, but a warrior without a weapon is like a man without a house: open and exposed to the elements. A weapon without a warrior is like a house without any inhabitants: useless.”

The weapons decided to send an envoy, the gada, to Earth. There, it spoke to Rama.

"Blessed Rama, we wish to thank you for helping us achieve glory in both worlds. You are a courageous fighter and we are proud of having helped you to slay so many rakshasas."

Rama, courteous and honest as ever, replied, "I could not have won without you, my strong celestial weapons. We have all played a vital role in defeating the horde of rakshasas. We each have our place, We do not have a choice in our position. Dharma is not to be changed by man or weapon. We must accept it as it is. Be happy that you, the weapons, and I have been granted such esteemed roles.”

The envoy returned to his fellow celestial weapons and told them what Rama had said. The weapons rejoiced in the knowledge that, not only had they played an essential role in the battle, but that Rama, prince and future king, had praised them so highly. They recognized the role of dharma in their lives and were glad to be placed so high. They eagerly awaited their next battle.

Author's Note

In this story, I sought to provide the perspective of some characters who didn’t consider Rama in a perfectly positive light. The likelihood that every good person would exalt Rama is unlikely. There are probably a few moral people (in other words, people who aren’t rakshasas) who have some reasonable issues with him. By using celestial weapons as those characters who weren’t entirely enthusiastic about Rama, I was able to show how beings of all ranks and positions could have conflicting opinions.

In addition, I wanted to present a story that wouldn’t receive any attention otherwise. While Rama is certainly the main character of the Ramayana, he isn’t the only one with a complex life. Those he happens to meet or work with for a short time have lives of their own (sometimes thousands of years long).

In the most recent revision, I elaborated somewhat on the exact issues that the chakram has with Rama. Chakram is doing more than whining. He actually went through dangerous circumstances in order to help defeat the rakshasas. I also added a part about how those who opposed chakram’s view talked among themselves and came to reconcile their own opinions with his. In this way, the weapons have a richer experience. Their change of opinion is more than spontaneous.

Bibliography

Various authors. Ramayana (public domain).

Wikipedia. “Bichuwa.”

Wikipedia. “Chakram.”

Wikipedia. “Gada.”

Wikipedia. “Pasha.”