1051 (Part 1/of total 10 series) All the Kings of India might not have fought Kurukshetra War! Were Yadava Armies of Satyaki Black?

Picture and verses, kind courtesy: Geeta Press, Gorakhpur.
Question: What reasons prompt you to have a doubt that Satyaki's Yadava Armies brought to fight Kurukshetra War on behalf of Pandavas, might have been black? Ans: It may be too early to think that Satyaki's Yadava Armies were black or white or yellow or red. But a doubt has arisen. Readers will see the above Picture, which is courtesy Geeta Press, Gorakhpur. First, I shall give the Vyasa's Sanskrit Verse from Vol.5 , UdyOg Parva (Udyog means Efforts, Endeavors, contextually. Efforts to pool up Armies for the War). Chapter 19 of Udyog Parva of Vyasa Mahabharata gives a brief picture of the Contributions made by the Contemporary Kings, to the Pandava Armies and Kaurava Armies. Kings contributed 7 akshauhinis to Pandavas, and 11 akshauhinis to Kauravas. Verse No.5, of Chapter 19, Vol. 19 describes the one akshauhini strong army brought by Satyaki a Yadava Chieftain of Dwaraka. [This is in addition to the 20,000 soldiers caring name "Narayana" (nArAyaNAkhyas) given by Krishna to Duryodhana, when both Arjuna and Duryodhana sought Krishna's help, sitting-standing near his bed-side. In Telugu this scene of Krishna helping Arjuna and Duryodhana is called paDaka scene or "bed-side scene". ] We have to presume that Satyaki took Krishna's permision to send about 2,50,000 strong Army to support Pandavas. Of course, another Yadava Chieftain Kritavarma brought another akshauhini 2,50,000 army to fight on behalf of Duryodhana. There also, probably Kritavarma might have taken permission of Krishna, but I am not sure. Now, we shall see how Sage VyAsa described Satyaki's Army:--

Devanagari Script: तस्य मेघ प्रकाशस्य सौवर्णेः शोभितस्य च | बभूव रूपं सैन्यस्य मेघस्येव सविद्युतः ||

Roman Script: tasya mEgha prakASasya sauvarNEh SObhitasya ca |
babhUva rUpam sainyasya meghasyEva savidyutaha. ||

Telugu Script: తస్య మేేఘప్రకాశస్య సౌవర్ణేః శోభితస్య చ
బభూవ రూపం సైన్యస్య మేఘస్యేవ సవిద్యుతః .

Aprox. Engl. Translation by ybrao-a-donkey, of Hindi gist by Late Shri Ram Narayana Datta Sastry Pandeya Ram: That Army of Satyaki, (because of elephants wearing black liveries (cloth covers, seats etc. over their backs), were looking BLACK. But, as the soldiers were wearing gold ornaments, they were glowing like gold. They were looking as though they were CLOUDS WITH GOLD EDGES OF LIGHTNINGS.

వ్యాస భారతం, సంస్కృతం, శాంతి పర్వం, 181వ ఆధ్యాయం (ప్రతిని బట్టి స్వల్పంగా నంబర్ మారచ్చు), 5వ శ్లోకం. vyAsa mahAbhArata, Sanskrit language, Volume 12 Santi Parva, Chapter 181 AdhyAyam, Verse 005. This verse No. and chapter No. may vary depending on the edition and version of the book.

--Santi Parva 181 005 (bhrigu explained to bharadvAja):

brahmaNAnAm sito varNah
kshatriyANAm tu lohitah-
vaiSyAnAm pItako varNah
SUdrANAm asitas tathA

brahmins white color. kshatriyas red color. vaisyas yellow color. sUdras black color.

బ్రాహ్మణానాం సితో వర్ణః ब्राह्मणानां सितो वर्णः
క్షత్రియాణాం లోహితః क्षत्रियाणां लोहितः
వైశ్యానాం పీతకో वैश्यानां पीतको
శూద్రానాం అసితస్ తథా. शूद्रानां असितस तथा.

శ్లోకసారం: బ్రాహ్మణులది తెలుపు రంగు. క్షత్రియులది ఎరుపు రంగు. వైశ్యులది పసుపు రంగు. శూద్రులది నలుపు రంగు. श्लोक सारः - ब्राह्मणों के देह वर्ण सफेद। क्षत्रियों के शरीर वर्ण अरुण। वैश्यों के शरीर वर्ण हरा (पीतल) । शूद्रों के शरीर वर्ण श्याम (काला) ।

ybrao-a-donkey's personal views not intended to be imposed on others.

When we see the Mahabharata and Mahabhagavata keenly, we may get an impression that kshatriyas (Warrior Caste) of Pandava-Kaurava period, were sometimes, speaking somewhat derisively about Yadavas, as though they were not kshatriyas and kings.

Mahabharata period seems to be an "intermediate age" of assimilation of White Aryans into Native yellow-red-brown-black Indians. While some kshatriyas who maintained their purity of 'varna' might have behaved like True White Racialists of 21st Century, some others like Arjuna (Arjuna literally means White person) might have reformed themselves to accommodate black-red-yellow-mixed Natives as friends, wives, relatives.

Though Arjuna was accommodative to all colors, his own self-image can be seen from his own self-description:--

Volume 4, Chapter 43, Verse 33. VyAsa mahAbhArata Sanskrit, virATa parva, AdhyAya 43, SlOka 33.
పృథివ్యాం సాగరాంతాయాం पृथ्वियां सागरांतां
వర్ణో మే దుర్లభః సమః वर्णो मे दुर्लभः समः
శుద్ధత్వాద్రూపవత్త్వాచ్చ తేన शुध्धत्वाद द्रूपवत्तात च तेन
మామార్జునం విదుః माम अर्जुनं विदुः ॥ 4-43-33

Roman Script: prithivyAm sAgarAmtAyAm
varNO mE durlabhaha samaha
SudhdhatvA drUpavat tvAcatEna mAm arjunam viduhu.

English gist: Till the horizon, till the end of the boundaries of oceans, nobody exists who is equal in 'color' to me; in purity (of body color, obviously) or in handsomeness. Hence, I am known as Arjuna.

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We should also not forget that before Lord Krishna taught him Bhagavad Gita, in its first Chapter Arjuna vishAda yOga (Path of Arjuna's Disillusionment), Arjuna was much worried about "varNa sankara" (Pollution of color or , pollution of caste whatever it might have meant).

Question: How will you justify your doubt that very few kings sent Armies to Pandavas and Kauravas?

First, I shall give the verses which show how the 7 akshaunis of Pandavas, and 11 akshaunis of Kauravas got pooled:

Pandava Army 7 akshauhini details

1. Satyaki : 1 akshauni.
2. Verse No. 8: Magadha Jarasandha's son Jayatsena: 1 akshauni.
3. Verse No. 7: Chedi Sisupala's son Dhrishtaketu: 1 akshauni
4. Rulers of KEkaya, (brothers): 2 akshaunis
5. Panchala ruler Drupada's Army: 1 akshauni.
6. Verse 9: Pandya -coastal ruler: 1 akshauni.

Total 7 akshauhinis.

There are some minor variances between the Vyasa's Sanskrit verses, and the Telugu verses of Tikkana. Usually, Poet Tikkana, abridges and condenses details. But, in this paricular instances, he has quantified some akshauhinis not mentioned by Vyasa. Those variations, I shall deal in a separate blog post, when I find time.

In the meantime, we can say that Mountainous Kings too came with good Armies. We can also add that Matsya Ruler Virata's Army too contributed to-in the above seven akshauhinis.

Details of Kaurava Army's 11 akshauhinis

1. Bhagadatta with Kirata and Kancha armies: 1 akshauni.
2. Bhurisravas & Salya: 1 akshauhini <
3. Kambhoja Ruler Yavana Sudakshina : 1 akshauhini.
4. Jayadhratha etc. Sindhu, Sauvira Kings: 1 akshauhini
5. Mahishmati Ruler, Nila: 1 akshauhini
6. Yadava Chieftain Kritavarma: 1 akshauhini
7. Avanti Ruler Vinda: 1 akshauhin
8. Avanti Ruler brother Anuvinda: 1 akshauhini.
9. Armies from all sides: 3 akshauhinis.

Total : 11 akshauhinis.

Some numbers are to be rechecked. But, primarily we can find that most of the Armies of both Pandavas and Kauravas were contributed by 18 or 20 Kingdoms, whereas according to some historians, there were about 56 Aryan Kingdoms (Settlements?) in Ancestral India, till Magadha Nandas started dominating.

There was a verse somewhere in Vyasa Mahabharata, that Andhras, Pulindas, Abhiras etc. lowly Tribes fought on behalf of Kauravas. That verse I have already quoted in a separate post at this blog. I shall quote it again here, to make this narration more complete.

Probably, some kings like Andhras, Pulindas, Abhiras might have fought the Battles with small Armies, which were included in the item 9 above i.e. 3 akshauhinis Miscellaneous Contributions.
What I wish to highlight, though at this moment, only as a doubt: 1. All the Kings did not participate. Reasons for Yadava King Balarama, Vidarbha King Rukmi (Rukmini's brother) not participating, we can get from Mahabharata. Still, the participants do not total up to 56. In Telugu we call this "chappannAru" (Hindi chappan=56). 2. Some were white, some were brown, some were black.

Incomplete. Will be completed today, or in a few days.