Tomorrow I die.
I hear you breathe softly beside me, Mohini. The camp is quiet, apart than the faint whispers of the sentries as they pass each other on their rounds. There is no trace of the festivities that heralded our entry into this decorated tent.
I hear a horse snort nervously and stamp its feet. The animals are surely as aware as the men that the battle begins tomorrow. Do the warriors sleep in peace, or do they toss and turn in anticipation and dread of what the day ahead is to bring?
At least I know for a fact what the fates hold in store for me.
Death.
Is this what you intended for me, Mother? To die fighting on the battlefield for my father’s cause - or to die even before a sword has been drawn, for the same cause?
A cool …show more content…
Did they tell you that tomorrow they take your prince away from you, that you are to become that most lost of souls – a widow?
Tomorrow I die.
The legend of Iravan
From the Indian Epic Mahabharata, the greatest story ever told
Uloopi, the Naga Princess, fell in love with Arjuna during his period of exile from the other Pandavas. He agreed to marry and stay with her for a year. Iravan was born out of this union.
Uloopi trained him to become the best of warriors, so that when the time came, he would be of help to his father. Following the request of the Pandavas for help in the War with the Kauravas, Iravan with his soldiers came to Kurukshetra.
In the Bhishmaparva, Iravan is said to have died on the 8th day of the war, after wreaking great havoc in the enemy forces, including massacring the brothers of Shakuni.
However, the legend that I have based this story upon is different – Before the battle begins, the priests insist that in order to be successful, the best warrior in the Pandava army should be sacrificed. The choice is between three – Arjuna, Abhimanyu and Iravan. Iravan is chosen, but he lays down a condition, that he must be married and know the pleasure of sex before he …show more content…
Krishna then takes the form of Mohini and marries Iravan, who goes to meet his death the next day.
An offshoot of this story is that Krishna also grants Iravan another boon – the ability to witness the battle even after his death. His head, after the sacrifice, continues to view the events unfolding at Kurukshetra till the end.
Iravan is worshipped by the Hijdas (Indian Transgenders) during their festivals as Aravan, with mock marriages commemorating his nuptials with Mohini and his head being carried around at the head of a procession.
My attempt was to capture the emotions of a young man on the eve of certain death, who goes to face it with the courage of
I hear you breathe softly beside me, Mohini. The camp is quiet, apart than the faint whispers of the sentries as they pass each other on their rounds. There is no trace of the festivities that heralded our entry into this decorated tent.
I hear a horse snort nervously and stamp its feet. The animals are surely as aware as the men that the battle begins tomorrow. Do the warriors sleep in peace, or do they toss and turn in anticipation and dread of what the day ahead is to bring?
At least I know for a fact what the fates hold in store for me.
Death.
Is this what you intended for me, Mother? To die fighting on the battlefield for my father’s cause - or to die even before a sword has been drawn, for the same cause?
A cool …show more content…
Did they tell you that tomorrow they take your prince away from you, that you are to become that most lost of souls – a widow?
Tomorrow I die.
The legend of Iravan
From the Indian Epic Mahabharata, the greatest story ever told
Uloopi, the Naga Princess, fell in love with Arjuna during his period of exile from the other Pandavas. He agreed to marry and stay with her for a year. Iravan was born out of this union.
Uloopi trained him to become the best of warriors, so that when the time came, he would be of help to his father. Following the request of the Pandavas for help in the War with the Kauravas, Iravan with his soldiers came to Kurukshetra.
In the Bhishmaparva, Iravan is said to have died on the 8th day of the war, after wreaking great havoc in the enemy forces, including massacring the brothers of Shakuni.
However, the legend that I have based this story upon is different – Before the battle begins, the priests insist that in order to be successful, the best warrior in the Pandava army should be sacrificed. The choice is between three – Arjuna, Abhimanyu and Iravan. Iravan is chosen, but he lays down a condition, that he must be married and know the pleasure of sex before he …show more content…
Krishna then takes the form of Mohini and marries Iravan, who goes to meet his death the next day.
An offshoot of this story is that Krishna also grants Iravan another boon – the ability to witness the battle even after his death. His head, after the sacrifice, continues to view the events unfolding at Kurukshetra till the end.
Iravan is worshipped by the Hijdas (Indian Transgenders) during their festivals as Aravan, with mock marriages commemorating his nuptials with Mohini and his head being carried around at the head of a procession.
My attempt was to capture the emotions of a young man on the eve of certain death, who goes to face it with the courage of