Who was the greatest warrior in Kurukshetra?

Mahabharata describes so many great warriors like Arjun, Bhima, Karan, Bhishma Pitama, Drona etc etc.

But there is one unsung hero who was supposedly the greatest warrior in the epic who could have ended the war in 1 minute. 

It was before the war of Mahabharata had begun when Barbarik grandson of Bhima and son of Ghatotkach expressed his desire to participate in the war to his mother. His mother asked him which side he wanted to fight for, to which he replied "I will fight only for whichever side is weaker. Right now Kauravas have bigger army than Pandavas so I will fight from Pandavas side." Promising this to his mother he marched towards war camps.

When Krishna heard about Barbarik, he went to meet him. He asked Barbarik, "what do you think if you were to fight alone in how many days you can finish this war?" to this he replied "I can finish this war in 1 minute." Krishna was amazed with his reply and asked him how he plans to do this?

Barbarik explained he has three arrows which he has received from Lord Shiva as boon. Special power of this arrows were that:

1. First arrow would mark all the target that he wanted to destroy.

2. Second arrow would mark all the target he wanted to save.

3. Third arrow would destroy the marked target or save the marked target destroying everything else.

Krishna asked him to show how it works, he asked Barbarik to treat all leaves on a near by Banyan tree as enemy and make a hole on all the leaves. Barbarik immediately pulled his arrow and started invoking his power through meditation, in the meantime Krishna pluck a leave from tree and placed it under his foot.

Barbarik marked all the leaves on tree with his first arrow, marked all other things that he wanted to save and then released third arrow to make hole on leaves, thats when third arrow started hovering near Krishna's foot. Krishna asked Barbarik, why arrow is hovering near his foot to which he replied there must be a leaf under your foot. Krishna lift his foot and arrow pierced hole in that leaf.

Krishna was impressed with his powers and asked him whose side he was planning to fight. He told him about his promise that he would fight from weaker side. Krishna immediately realized that if he participated in the war then on first day he will kill everyone on Kaurava side making them weaker and then he will be forced to join Kaurava next day. Thus he will keep oscillating between the two sides until everyone is killed except himself.

He explained it to Barbarik and asked him to sacrifice his head to avoid the consequences of his powerful arrows. Barbarik agreed but expressed his desire to witness the war. Krishna promised him that even after his head is severed from his body his head will remain in a conscious state and that it would be placed on a hilltop overlooking entire battlefield so that he can witness the war.

After the war was over, one fine day Pandavas started arguing who was the greatest warrior in Kurukshetra? They then decided to approach Barbarik and ask him who was the greatest warrior as he was a neutral witness of the entire war. To this Barbarik replied " I saw only Sudarshan Chakra of Lord Krishna killing unrighteous kings on both sides, it was Krishna and only Krishna on the battlefield."

Life of Panchali!!

Every Indian would agree that one of the greatest epic of all time is "Mahabharat" by Vedvyas. I don't know whether it is mythology? Or it is fact?Or our history? Or it is just a fiction story? but whatever it is, It is simply brilliant. The great author and sage Vyas has placed  every event in Mahabharat so beautifully and strategically that it leaves pervasive influence on us.

Everyone who knows the story of Mahabharat would not stop praising the Pandavas for their victory in the legendary war and their dedication to protect "dharma". Apart from them one would also praise Lord Shri Krishna, the mastermind, the support system of Pandavas, without whom winning this war would have been just a dream for Pandavas.

But I want to write about someone else over here. No one but common wife of Pandavas "Draupadi".After learning the entire episode of "Mahabharat" I was very impressed by the strong personality of "Draupadi".

   

Draupadi was daughter of Drupad, king of "Panchal". She was also known as "Panchali"(Princess of Panchal). She was not an ordinary female. Just like her, her birth story is also not ordinary. Her father had an old rivalry with Dronacharya (Teacher of Pandavas). Drupad performed rigourous yagna to have a son who could fight with Dronacharya and take his revenge. As a result of this yagna, he was blessed with twin children. Extra ordinary thing here is both children emerged from fire(I am still wondering how can this happen). First emerged a male child who was named "Dhristadhyumna" and second one was "Draupadi". Another thing to be noted here is she wasn't born from a mother's womb but from fire that's why she was also called "Yagnaseni". It is said that she was very beautiful. We get to know about her beauty at different stages of this great epic where different people gets attracted to her at different stage of her life. She wasn't just beautiful but very strong minded person also, she was known for speaking out her mind in the world of men(Incident where she questions everyone in the court when she was dragged with her hair to courtroom). 

I guess Draupadi is the only female in our mythology who was married to five husbands. Polygamy is very common in our mythology but this must be only example of polyandry. It is said that in her earlier life Lord Shiva was pleased by her devotion and gave her a boon. She asked Lord Shiva to give her husband who is symbol of dharma, who is very powerful like Hanuman, who is greatest archer of all time, who is very handsome, who is very intelligent. Lord shiva said that it's impossible to have all these qualities in one man hence she would have five husbands.

One would say that wife of such mighty husbands would have led a happy and safe life. But that was not so. She was treated like an object from the day she got married. Arjun, who won the archer's contest held at Panchal was supposed to be her husband but Pandava's mother Kunti ordered her sons to divide whatever they have got home among themselves without even looking at her. Was Draupadi an object to be divided amongst brothers? That was not enough, her husband Yudhishtir lost everything including his brothers and wife Draupadi in a game of gambling at Hastinapur. I ask again was Draupadi an object to be bet in a game. I think even in Kaliyug no gambler must be betting his wife in game, how Yudhistir gambled his wife in that era of "Dharma". What happened with Draupadi after that in that courtroom does not need a mention. It was for Lord Krishna that Draupadi was saved in that royal courtroom which consisted of King Dhritrashtra, Bheesma pitama, Drona, Kripacharya and Vidur. 

As I have mentioned Krishna already, Lets look at the relationship of Krishna and Draupadi. They were Sakhi-Sakha (Friends). I admire Krishna as perfect package, who knows how to love, how to be a true friend, how to be a brother, how to be ideal son, the perfect strategist. Draupadi's life was full of hardships in-spite of being queen of Indraprasth and wife of five mighty husbands. In her hardships of life Krishna played the role of true friend and rescued her time to time.There goes an incident where Durvasa Rishi was about to visit Draupadi's cottage for lunch while they were in exile for 12 years. When Draupadi came to know about his visit with 7 other rishis, she got tensed because she was left with only one grain of rice. Krishna reached Pandavas cottage at correct time and asked Draupadi to feed him that one grain of rice. As soon as Krishna eats that grain of rice, automatically Durvasa Rishi and his fellow rishis suddenly felt that their hunger has disappeared. Not only that, they felt as if they have just finished a heavy lunch and can't eat even a grain. Thus they cancel their plan of having lunch. This shows us what actually a bond of true friendship is all about, how to keep the promise of being there for your friend when needed. Krishna stood by Draupadi as a true friend in all her hard times.

I mentioned that Draupadi was a very strong minded person, I said so because I was fascinated by the fact that she didn't tie her long beautiful hair after she was dragged with hair by Dushasan till  she washed her hair with his blood. She made it a point that her husbands take revenge of her insults (Draupadi Vastraharan, Jayadrath scene and Keechak scene). She was full of kindness and affection too. In-spite of fact that when Dushasan pulled off her saree, both Dhritrashtra and Gandhari didn't say a word. But still after the war she took care of Gandhari with all respect like she did for Kunti. 

Overall I would say a lady who was princess of Panchal, daughter of King Drupad, wife of five extra ordinary husbands, Queen of Indraprasth and friend of Lord Krishna himself had to face all sort of problems. Right from humiliation in courtroom, hardships of living in jungle for 12 years, living as a slave of a queen for one year and at the end losing all five sons. Who would say a lady with such high status and connections will have to go through all these things. She was feminine, generous  to the right ones while she would create havoc on the wrong ones. Definitely she is most interesting and complicated character of all in the greatest epic Mahabharat.