Bhima’s Brush with Death: The Aghori’s Plot.In Bhima’s Brush with Death: The Aghori’s Plot, discover how the mighty Pandava warrior Bhima confronts a deadly threat. When a mysterious aghori (mystic) performs a ritual to ensure Bhima’s demise, Bhima stumbles upon the plot and takes matters into his own hands. Will Bhima overcome the dark magic and survive? Dive into this thrilling tale of intrigue and action.
Duryodhana’s Resistance
Duryodhana exploded with fury upon hearing the news. He stormed to his father’s chambers, fuming, “Father, you raised me to be king! Now you expect me to bow to these Pandavas, these jungle dwellers? To take orders from them, especially Bhima? He’ll humiliate me every chance he gets! I can’t bear such disgrace! Death is preferable!”
Yudhishthira Crowned King by Bhishma
Duryodhana flew into a rage. “Suicide!” he threatened his father. “I won’t be subservient to those Pandavas, those forest dwellers! Especially Bhima, who’ll relish humiliating me! Death is better!”
Bhishma, the revered elder, regent, and warrior, intervened. “Yudhishthira shall be king,” he declared firmly. “The nation’s well-being demands it.”
Dhritarashtra, the powerless king, disliked this but had no choice. Blind, he relied on others for action. Bhishma, wielding real authority, made the call.
Duryodhana continued to torment his father, refusing to back down. “Never! I’ll take my own life!” His brothers echoed his defiance, threatening to retreat to their mother’s homeland in the mountains.
Torn, Dhritarashtra yearned for his sons to rule but lacked the power. Tradition dictated Yudhishthira, the eldest, as king. With Bhishma’s firm backing, that’s how it would be.
Yudhishthira’s Devotion to Dharma
The coronation day neared. Yudhishthira, having spent years immersed in scriptures and teachings of sages, was deeply guided by principles of dharma (righteousness) and karma (cause and effect). He valued truth, justice, and fairness above all else.
As Bhishma announced Yudhishthira’s kingship amidst celebratory cheers, the prince rose and addressed the court. “I accept the responsibility bestowed upon me,” he declared. “However, as long as Dhritarashtra remains alive, let him continue as king. I will serve him and acknowledge Duryodhana as co-ruler, for he is my brother after all.”
A Twist of Fate: Yudhishthira’s Unexpected Decision
Duryodhana and his brothers stared, jaws agape. “What? Did he just say that?” They couldn’t believe it. All that struggle, all that anger, only for Yudhishthira to propose sharing the throne! In his mind, this was the righteous path.
Bhishma, the long-suffering leader for three generations, sank his head in his hands. A life devoted to duty, never a king himself, he’d shouldered the burden without the joys of family. Now, on the cusp of finally establishing a capable ruler, things were tangled once more.
The Kaurava brothers seethed. They’d sworn an oath at their father’s deathbed to obey Yudhishthira as their eldest. Tradition dictated sons follow their father’s word, a power dynamic usually tilted towards the elder generation (like with Puru and Shantanu). In their case, Duryodhana defied it, but with Yudhishthira, they saw a father figure.
Except for Bhima. This was too much. After all their struggle, their chance at power, Yudhishthira offered it up on a platter. Bhima couldn’t voice his dissent, couldn’t fight his brother. Disgusted, he stormed out of the court.
True to form, Bhima sought solace in two things: a massive meal and a good brawl. His seemingly endless energy demanded both. It was during this time that he encountered a woman known as Jalandhara.
A Royal Scandal: Bhima’s Forbidden Love and a Spy’s Revelation
Jalandhara, incidentally, was the sister of Duryodhana’s wife, Bhanumati. This connection was bound to cause problems.
The story dives into Bhima’s love affair with Jalandhara. One instance involved him wanting to meet her in secret. Unable to arrange a meeting in the palace, he sent her a note requesting a rendezvous at the gymnasium, his usual haunt for workouts and mace practice.
Sneaking into the palace at night, Jalandhara met Bhima in Bhallaladeva’s gymnasium. Bhallaladeva, a legendary wrestler over a century old, was the father of Someshwar, who oversaw the royal clan’s training.
After escorting Jalandhara back, Bhima noticed a spy trailing him. He apprehended the man, ready to crush his skull. Begging for mercy, the spy offered valuable information. “Spare me,” he pleaded, “and I’ll reveal something that interests you.” Bhima, gripping the man’s throat, demanded, “Speak quickly! What is it?”
The spy revealed a sinister plot. “Across the river,” he gasped, “an aghori performs a ritual to ensure your death within a month. Duryodhana and Shakuni are behind it. I can take you there.”
The Strange Aghori
Bhima and the spy stole across the river by boat, arriving at a ramshackle hut. It belonged to an aghori, a sect of mystics known for their extreme practices.
Bhima and the spy crept behind the aghori’s hut, observing the scene through a crack. Dusshasana and Shakuni sat by a crackling fire while the aghori chanted cryptic mantras in a trance. After a series of incantations, a powerful, fierce form of Devi materialized. The aghori, still in a trance, asked the men their wish.
“Bhishma!” roared Dusshasana. “We want him dead!”
Devi’s voice boomed, “Impossible. He chooses his own demise.”
Shakuni chimed in, “Then Krishna! Kill him!”
“Fools!” Devi boomed again. “He’s an avatar, bound by his own destiny.”
These were the linchpins – their deaths would clear the path. Frustrated, they muttered, “Bhima. Kill him.”
Before the aghori could begin the ritual, Bhima with a mighty roar shattered the hut’s roof. The dry straw rained down, igniting the fire and engulfing the ceremony. The aghori himself, caught in the inferno, sat down calmly in a cross-legged position, his eyes wide open. Without a sound, his body turned to ash.
The sight was horrifying. Even Bhima felt a surge of terror. Dusshasana and Shakuni, equally terrified, fled the scene.
Back on the boat, Bhima, fearing the spy’s loose lips, silenced him permanently by throwing him into the river. The incident further destabilized Hastinapur. Yudhishthira, technically the king, deferred to Dhritarashtra and shared power with Duryodhana, creating an untenable stalemate.
