1166 Mahabharata times - body colors. Dhrishtadyumna Telugu: Mahabharatam kAlamlO body

.
Post No.1166.  Body color was very important for Aryans in the early days of their arrival into India. 

DhrishTadyumna's birth in a sacrifice.  Img courtesy: Wikipedia. 


APOLOGIES
First : My apologies to my readers .  
Reason : I could not write much here after 2010 .  During the period I was nursing my 95 your old father , who was bed-ridden. To supplement some medical expenses , I was doing some EHT legal translations .   He passed away in 2022 .  My mother  passed away in Feb. 2020, due to comorbidities . Now I am about 73.  Faculties have slowed down .  Still, I have some grit, left in me. 

Now :-- Now , I have some material for various subjects, which has accumulated in my mind bursting at its seams .  I shall try .  As usual , your comments , including harsh comments , are welcome . 

Subject : Body color of DhrishTadyumna, son of Panchala (Punjab) king Drupada.  Brother-in-law of pAnDavas.  brother of Draupadi, the shared wife of pAnDavas. 

References : Vyasa MahAbhArata (about 1,15,000 Sanskrit verses).  Book 5, Udyoga Parva (Book of Endeavours for War).
Telugu Translation , by kavi trayam (three poets)-- Nannaya, Tikkana, Yerrana.  Present context: Book 5 , Udyoga Parva (The Volume of Endeavours (for War).  

Telugu Quote: 
వ. అని నిర్ణయించి నారాయణుఁడు నిజనివాసంబునకుం జనియె; ధర్మతనయుండు దమ్ములుం దానును బ్రియంబంది యారాత్రి సుఖనిద్ర సేసిరి; రేపకడయ పాండవాగ్రజుం డనుజతనుజ దనుజాంతక సామంత మంత్రి పురోహిత సహితంబుగాఁ బేరోలగంబున నుండి సమస్త పరివారంబును వినఁ గార్యంబు నిశ్చయంబుఁ దెలియంబలికి, తగువారలతో సముచిత సంభాషణంబులు సేసి, మహనీయ మహిమ వెలయం బుండరీకాక్షుండు పనిచినట్ల పాంచాలనాథ ప్రముఖుల నక్షౌహిణులకు నధిపతులుగా వేఱువేఱ యభిషేకించి, శ్వేతవంశజాతుం డగుటంజేసి శ్వేతుండనం బ్రఖ్యాతుం డగు ధృష్టద్యుమ్నునకు నుత్కృష్ట ప్రకారంబున నభిషేకం బొనర్చి సర్వసేనాధిపత్యంబునకుం బట్టంబుగట్టి, యయ్యెనమండ్రను దక్కటి దొరలను గనుంగొని మధురవాక్యంబుల నగ్గించి కౌరవులతోడి కయ్యంబునకుం గురుక్షేత్రంబునకు విడియం బోద’మని చెప్పి వారినెల్ల ధనంజయునకుం జూపి.  Verse 113 [Tikkana Bharatam Udyoga Parvam తిక్కన భారతం ఉద్యోగ పర్వం]

Romanizing: 
"Prose, 113: ani nirNayinci, nArAyana , nija nivAsambunakun janiye.  dharma tanayunDu, tammulum, A rAtri sukha nidra cEsiri.  rEpa kaDaya pAnDavAgrajudu anuja tanuja tanujAmtaka sAmanta  mantri purOhita sahitambugA, pErOlagambuna nunDi, samasta parivArambunu vina kAryambu nischayambu teliyan baliki, tagu vAralatO samuchita sambhAshaNambu cEsi, mahanIya mahima veliyan, punDarIkAkshunDu panichinaTla, pAnchAlanAtha pramukhulanu akshauhiNulaku adhipatulugA vEru vEra abhishEkinci, sVeta vamsa jAtunDaguta cEsi,  svEtunDanan prakhyAtunDagu dhrishTadyumnunaku pattambu kaTTi, ayyenamanDranu, takkaTi doralanu kanungoni, madhura vAkyambula nagginci, kauravula tOTi kayyamunakun, kurukshEtramunakun viDiyam bOdamani cheppi .."



Telugu to English translation : 

(Prose) Thus deciding Narayana (Krishna) left to his home .  Joyful, the YudhishThira and his brothers , that night , had a good sleep .   In the morning , YudhishThira invited his younger brothers , sons , demon-killers (may be tribes akin to RAkshasas-killing), sitting in an assembly along feudates, ministers , priests , making sure all those present to hear, explained the decided goals .  Then , after making appropriate discussions with appropriate persons , in an appropriate manner , as gracefully divinely decided by Lotus-eyed Krishna, anointed the Panchala King etc. seven important persons individdually-separately , as Commanding-Heads of the seven akshauhinis (a military Unit like Battalion, Brigade etc.--for details you can Google.) .  

Then, YudhishThira selected the eighth person DhrishTadyumna son of Panchala King drupada , as the Supreme Commander of the entire army .  Here, poet Tikkana gave explanation-reason for YudhishThira's decision :-- 
sVeta vamsa jAtunDaguta cEsi,  svEtunDanan prakhyAtunDagu dhrishTadyumnunaku pattambu kaTTi

Meaning: As he was born in white-clan (dynasty), as he happns to be famous as SVEtunDu "White-person (or Whiteman"), he anointed the DhrishTadyumna. 


ybrao-a-donkey's inference from this : Panchala dynasty, i.e. the dynasty which ruled the Five-Rivers (Indus and its tributaries, present day Punjab, Haryana) must have been white .In other words the White Aryans who emigrated from Baltics / Iran /CentralAsia to India .

Comparison to the Sanskrit Version: "5" is Volume 5 of Vyasa MahAbhArata .  151 is Chapter number .  19 is verse number . 36967 is Sanskrit verse No. from the beginning of Vyasa MahAbhArata .

Context, 3rd brother Arjuna is recriminating DhrishTadyumna's name for the supreme Commander's job .


36967.  యోయం తపఃప్రభావేన ఋషిసంతోషణేన చ ।
దివ్యః పురుష ఉత్పన్నో జ్వాలావర్ణో మహాభుజః .||5-151-19. 

Devanagari Script (Hindi script)
योऽयं तपःप्रभावेन ऋषिसन्तोषणेन च |
दिव्यः पुरुष उत्पन्नो ज्वालावर्णो महाबलः ||१९|| 
(Chapter number is 149 instead of 151.  Not a serious difference .)

Similar Sanskrit Verse in 5-161-10.  Nos. may slightly vary, depending on Bombay / Southern / Bengal /Pune versions.
एवं विभज्य योधांस्तान्पृथक्च सह चैव ह |
ज्वालावर्णो महेष्वासो द्रोणमंशमकल्पयत् ||१०||


Romanizing: 
YOyam tapah prabhAvEna rishi santOshaNEna |
divyaha purusha utpannO jvAla varNo mahAbhujaha.  ||5.151.19.

Approximate Engl. Gist by ybrao-a-donkey
By virtue of the penance of Drupada, by the kindness of the Sage, a divine person arose (was borne).  Jvala varnaha=Fire-colored i.e. Red-colored.  mahAbhuja=strong and wide shouldered.


Additional reference: 
//http://mahabharatayb.blogspot.com/2013/12/57-were-aryans-as-much-enamoured-as.html
--Santi Parva 181 005 (bhrigu explained to bharadvAja):
brahmaNAnAm sito varNah kshatriyANAm tu lohitah-
vaiSyAnAm pItako varNah SUdrANAm asitas. 

For any reason if the above link fails : you can type in the address box: http://mahabharatayb.blogspot.com.

English gist: brahmins have white color. kshatriyas have red color. vaisyas have yellow color. sUdras have black color. 

For any reason , if the above link fails, you can type in the address box http://mahabharatayb.blogspot.com and after the main page opens, at the bottom, you will see link to post No. 57.  Or try this link:

http://mahabharatayb.blogspot.com/search/label/057.

This entire post, is to be edited further, after taking into consideration comments, and discovery of additional evidence(s).

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.

.
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.