Mahabharata War - 8th Day

The Story

The 8th day of the Mahabharata War began with fury. The Pandavas (in white) commanded 7 Akshauhinis (a military unit, consisting of 1 elephant, 1 chariot, 3 horsemen and 5 foot soldiers, multiplied by a factor of 21870) and the Kauravas (in black) had 11. 

• Bheeshma (the Kaurava Commander-in-chief) decided to employ the Koorma Vyuha or the defensive turtle formation, with himself at the forefront. Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava prince was placed at the center of the formation, surrounded by the other generals and warriors such as Bhoorisravas, Shalya, Bhagadatta, Susharman, Kripacharya, Shakuni, Kritavarman, Dusshasana, Jayadratha and Ashwatthama on all sides. Karna unfortunately had to sit out the battle at this point because Bheeshma refused to share the battlefield with him and Duryodhana, needing Bheeshma's support, had to yield.

• To circumvent his great grandfather Bheeshma’s battle prowess, Arjuna commanded the Pandava forces to form the Trishula Vyuha, or the tactical trident formation. Arjuna and his son Abhimanyu led one spike of the trident, backed up by Satyaki (of the Yadava Vrishni clan) and Virata (King of Matsya). Bheema and his son Gatotkacha led the other spike of the trident, backed up by Drupada (King of Panchala) and his son Shikandi. Drupada’s other son Drishtadyumna (also the Commander-in-chief of the Pandava forces) led the central spike, while also protecting King Yudhishtra (the eldest Pandava brother) and his youngest brothers Nakula and Sahadeva. By circumventing Bheeshma’s direct onslaught, the Pandava formation managed to wreak severe damage to the Kaurava forces.

Philosophy of the Formations

The Trident:

• In Greek mythology, the trident is the symbol of Poseidon, the god of the sea. It was forged by the cyclopses to aid in his battle against the titans, and is associated with hurricanes and earthquakes. In Ancient Greece, the trident was employed as a harpoon for spearing large fish.

• In Hindu mythology, the trident is the weapon of Shiva, the god of destruction. It is said to represent the three gunas of Sattvika, Rajas and Tams.

• These philosophies may reflect the mental state of the Pandavas in their desire to destroy parts of the Kaurava army while also avoiding the terrifying power of their great grandfather Bheeshma.

The Turtle:

• Turtles are often depicted in cultures as patient, and wise creatures. Due to their long lifespan, slow movement, and sturdiness, they represent longevity and stability in many cultures around the world.

• These philosophies reflect the mental state of Bheeshma who was always reluctant to directly cause harm to his Pandava great grandchildren, and has resorted to a defensive stance with the intent of wearing out the enemy army.

Map of the Battlefield

Mahabharata War - 17th Day

The Story

The 17th day of the Mahabharata War pushed forward with the remnant Pandava Akshauhinis (a military unit, consisting of 1 elephant, 1 chariot, 3 horsemen and 5 foot soldiers, multiplied by a factor of 21870) and the Kaurava army. 

• After the fall of Drona, Karna took over as the Kaurava Commander-in-chief. He decided to employ the Surya Vyuha or the sun formation, with himself at the forefront. Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava prince was placed at the center of the formation for his protection. He was surrounded by the other remaining warriors such as Shalya, Susharman, Kripacharya, Shakuni, Kritavarman and Ashwatthama.

• Arjuna commanded the Pandava forces to form the Mahisha Vyuha, or the Buffalo formation, with the soldiers stretched out into massive horns. Bheema (Arjuna’s older brother) and Drishtadyumna (who was also the Commander-in-chief of the Pandava forces) led each horn, with Arjuna spearheading the face of the formation that would break into the enemy army. Drishtadyumna’s brother Shikandi and Satyaki (Arjuna’s student from the Yadava Vrishni clan) supported each horn. At the center of the formation was the King Yudhishtra (the eldest Pandava brother) and his youngest brothers Nakula and Sahadeva. On this day, Arjuna faced off against Karna one last time and killed him after a fierce battle.

Philosophy of the Formations

The Buffalo:

• Horns function as an animal's weapon, and thus represent their strength and aggression. The durability of animal horns has long fascinated humans and has often stood as a symbol of salvation and immortality. The horns of an animal also represent protection and asylum when they protect their families from predators.

• On the flip side, the horn can also be associated with the madness and rage of a charging animal that is defending its territory.

• These philosophies reflect the mental state of the Pandavas in their desire to protect and regain the kingdom that they believe is rightfully theirs, but are also somewhat charging headlong into war without really thinking of the consequences of such an act (as is seen at the end of the battle, where their entire family is wiped out).

The Sun:

• Mythologies from all around the world considered the Sun as the giver of light and supporter of all light in the world, with sun deities being worshipped in various cultures across history.

• In culture and language, the Sun often symbolises enlightenment, life, power, positivity, truth and clarity of vision.

• These philosophies reflect the mental state of Karna, whose banner is the sun, and was said to be born due to the blessing of the sun god. Karna set aside all his fears and inhibitions one last time to fight with a pure heart and clear mind, even though he knew he faced his death.

Map of the Battlefield

Mahabharata War - 4th Day

The Story

The fourth day of the Mahabharata War began with roaring energy. The Pandavas commanded 7 Akshauhinis (a military unit, consisting of 1 elephant, 1 chariot, 3 horsemen and 5 foot soldiers, multiplied by a factor of 21870) and the Kauravas had 11. 

• Bheeshma (the Kaurava Commander-in-chief) decided to employ the Mandala Vyuha or the circle formation, with himself at the forefront. Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava prince was placed at the center of the formation, surrounded by the other generals and warriors such as Bhoorisravas, Shalya, Bhagadatta, Susharman, Kripacharya, Shakuni, Kritavarman, Dusshasana, Jayadratha and Ashwatthama on all sides. Karna unfortunately had to sit out the battle at this point because Bheeshma refused to share the battlefield with him and Duryodhana, needing Bheeshma's support, had to yield.

• Though his great grandfather Bheeshma seemed invincible, Arjuna commanded the Pandava forces to form the Sringataka Vyuha, or the Horn formation. Virata (King of Matsya) and Abhimanyu (Arjuna’s son) together with Arjuna formed the head of the formation that would break into the enemy army. Drupada (the Panchala King) and his son Drishtadhumna (who was also the Commander-in-chief of the Pandava forces) formed the right flank, and Drupada’s other son Shikandi and Satyaki (of the Yadava Vrishni clan) formed the left flank. At the center of the formation was the King Yudhishtra (the eldest Pandava brother) and his youngest brothers Nakula and Sahadeva. Bheema and his son Gatotkacha brought up the rear of the formation. Through sheer force of will, the Pandava formation pierced through the circle formation of the Kauravas and wrought severe damage to their forces.

Philosophy of the Formations

The Horn:

• Horns function as an animal's weapon, and thus represent their strength and aggression. The durability of animal horns has long fascinated humans and has often stood as a symbol of salvation and immortality. The horns of an animal also represent protection and asylum when they protect their families from predators.

• On the flip side, the horn can also be associated with the madness and rage of a charging animal that is defending its territory.

• These philosophies reflect the mental state of the Pandavas in their desire to protect and regain the kingdom that they believe is rightfully theirs, but are also somewhat charging headlong into war without really thinking of the consequences of such an act (as is seen at the end of the battle, where their entire family is wiped out).

The Circle:

• The Ouroboros in greek mythology was a circle formed by a snake swallowing its own tail, representing regeneration, rebirth, completion and eternity.

• The Enso is a Japanese symbol that resembles an incomplete circle, representing enlightenment, elegance, perfection and strength.

• These philosophies reflect the mental state of the Kauravas, as they believe that everything is as it should be, with the rightful rulers already on the throne, as well as their supreme confidence that they will emerge the victors in this conflict.

Map of the Battlefield



Mahabharata War - 1st Day

The Story

The first day of the Mahabharata War began with hesitation and concern. The Pandavas commanded 7 Akshauhinis (a military unit, consisting of 1 elephant, 1 chariot, 3 horsemen and 5 foot soldiers, multiplied by a factor of 21870) and the Kauravas had 11. Despite the odds stacked against them, Arjuna of the Pandavas did not doubt his fighting skills. However, facing him were his own kith and kin, the grandfather upon whose lap he had played as a child, the cousins he had trained with, the teachers who had taught him everything. Sensing his doubt, Krishna reassured him that his reason for fighting was righteous and he was facing those who had abandoned their duty.

• Strengthening his resolve, Arjuna commanded the Pandava forces to form the Vajra Vyuha, or the Diamond formation. Virata (King of Matsya) and Abhimanyu (Arjuna’s son) together with Arjuna formed the head of the formation that would break into the enemy army. Drupada (the Panchala King) and his son Drishtadhumna (who was also the Commander-in-chief of the Pandava forces) formed the right flank, and Drupada’s other son Shikandi and Satyaki (of the Yadava Vrishni clan) formed the left flank. At the center of the formation was the King Yudhishtra (the eldest Pandava brother) and his youngest brothers Nakula and Sahadeva. Bheema and his son Gatotkacha brought up the rear of the formation.

• Bheeshma (the Kaurava Commander-in-chief) decided to also employ the Sarvatomukhi Danda vyuha or the head of a mace, with himself at the forefront. Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava prince was placed at the center of the formation, surrounded by the other generals and warriors such as Bhoorisravas, Shalya, Bhagadatta, Susharman, Kripacharya, Shakuni, Kritavarman, Dusshasana, Jayadratha and Ashwatthama on all sides. Karna unfortunately had to sit out the battle at this point because Bheeshma refused to share the battlefield with him and Duryodhana, needing Bheeshma's support, had to yield.

Philosophy of the Formations

The Diamond:

• Due to their indestructible nature, diamonds are often associated with strength, love and health. For the Pandavas, this formation can be seen to represent the strength of their brotherly bond, as well as the purity and clarity of their intent behind this battle.

• The oldest dated printed book in the world is called the Diamond Sutra, an ancient Chinese text, which refers to a 'diamond blade that will cut through worldly illusion to illuminate what is real and everlasting'. This symbology parallels the illusion of attachment that the Pandavas wish to cut through in the name of upholding their duty.

The Mace Head:

• The ceremonial symbol of royal power in Britain’s Parliament is the mace. Even William Shakespeare mentions the mace as part of the regalia of royalty in Henry V: “the balm, the scepter, and the ball / The sword, the mace, the crown imperial.” Neither the House of Lords nor the House of Commons may sit without the mace present even though it plays no actual role in their function. In this context, the mace represents the authority of the rulership of the Kauravas, as well as their philosophy of ‘Might makes right’.

• The Senate Mace of the Canadian Parliament represents the authority of the Senate granted by the Crown to meet and pass laws. Considering this context of authority through royal lineages, the authority of the Kaurava prince Duryodhana is one that is inherited from his ancestry and not earned. His followers don’t follow him because they respect him or because he is right, but simply because they believe he has the authority to command them.

Map of the Battlefield



For Want Of A Pin, A Wonder Was Found

I loved reading comics from Amar Chitra Katha as a kid, featuring several  characters from Indian Mythology, revered for their unending courage, determination and never-say-die attitude even in the face of impossible obstacles. They all approached their lives with an innocent and positive attitude, representing the philosophy, "Find your purpose and go after it with all your heart."  

As an Illustrator who loves mythologies from all around the world, I’ve always been fascinated by all the wonderful enamel pin projects on kickstarter (having backed a few) and have always wanted to see my designs as enamel pins. Outside of art prints, people often asked me about whether I made badges, patches or pins. 

After a lot of thought and deliberation, I picked out three characters who were really close to my heart. Taking inspiration from the iconic heraldic shields designs of medieval Europe and the battle flags of warriors from Indian mythology, I set out to make my first set of Enamel Pins from Indian Mythology!

Ganesha

Ganesha is the elephant-headed god, responsible for good beginnings, taking care of the small problems that would upset our life (represented by the mouse at his feet) . He is revered as the foremost amongst the Gods, and is always offered the first worship. Featured in the pin is Ganesha enjoying a delicious meal of sweets and giving his blessings to all!

Ganesha!

Hanuman

Hanuman is the monkey god of strength and courage. Featured in the pin is a scene from Hanuman’s story, where he was sent to the Himalayas to retrieve a magical herb. Upon reaching the sacred mountain peak, he found that he could not find the herb in time. As a solution, he grew to a giant size, uprooted the entire mountain and flew back with it. 

Hanuman!

Garuda

Garuda is the eagle god of the skies. Pictured here is a scene from Garuda’s story, where he was tasked to travel to the realm of the Gods and retrieve the nectar of immortality in order to liberate his mother from slavery, which was guarded by a fiery wheel and two poisonous snakes. 

Garuda!

Kickstarter

Initially, I researched several UK based pin manufacturers who could make the pins, the backing cards and the plastic sleeves. However, I found all of these to be very cost prohibitive. 

After a lot of asking around, I started researching enamel pin manufacturers on Alibaba and found several really good ones from China, who were all very professional in their setup and process. I shortlisted five based on the quality of pictures they had posted and sent them my designs, asking for a cost/time estimate. Out of all that responded, I went with the one who had the cheapest quote and responded the fastest. This turned out to be the best decision ever, as the pins were all perfectly made with no flaws in any of them! 

The Kickstarter project was a very magical experience. It was wonderful seeing so many people, both friends and strangers, come forward to support my little project and help get these enamel pins made! Their heartwarming love and generosity encourages me want to do more and more things that delight me and others like me!

I made a lot of friends in the industry, all of whom were running similar enamel pin projects on kickstarter at the same time, by trading and exchanging my creations with them.

The Design Process

The design process from rough sketch to vectorizing in Illustrator to final pin production

Mahabharata War - 10th Day

Story

On the 10th day of the Mahabharata War, the Pandavas came to sad conclusion that unless they killed their grandfather Bheeshma, there would be no end to the battle. Knowing that Bheeshma had vowed to never take up arms against a woman, they had Shikandi lead their battle formation. Shikandi was viewed as either the reincarnation of Amba, whom Bheeshma had grievously wronged, or as a man who had been born as a woman, with both of these scenarios giving him an advantage against Bheeshma. 

Yudhishtra formed the sacred Deva Vyuha, the formation of the gods. Behind Shikhandi were Arjuna and Bheema. Supporting them were Abhimanyu and Gatotkacha. Satyaki, Dhristadyumna, Virata and Drupada flanked them. Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva lined up behind them, at the heart of the formation.

The Kauravas assembled their legions in the Asura Vyuha, the demon formation. Bheeshma stood at the forefront of the army with Drona at his side, and Duryodhana, Ashwathama, Bhagadatta, Kritavarma and Kripacharya following him. 

This would be the day that saw the end of Bheeshma, as well as the beginning of the end of the great war. 

Philosophy of the Formations

Nothing much to say here. They formed the Angel and Demon battle formations. Good vs Evil. Righteous vs Unrighteous. Can't get more obvious symbolism than that. 

Map of the Battlefield

Mahabharata War - 2nd Day

The Story

The second day of the Mahabharata War began with great zest and fervor. The Pandavas command 7 Akshauhinis (a military unit, consisting of 1 elephant, 1 chariot, 3 horsemen and 5 foot soldiers, multiplied by a factor of 21870) and the Kauravas have 11. 

• The Pandava forces employed the Krauncha Vyuha, or the Crane Strategy. Drupada (the Panchala King) and his aksauhini formed the vyuha's head. Virata (King of Matsya) and Shikandi (Virata's son) were its eyes. Satyaki (of the Yadava Vrishni clan) and his men formed the throat. At its wings were Bheema and Dhrishtadyumna (Virata's son and the Commander-in-chief of the Pandava forces). At the Krauncha's tail was Yudhishtra himself, with the other Pandavas in between.

• Bheeshma (the Kaurava Commander-in-chief) decided to also employ the Kraucha vyuha, with himself at the beak. Bheeshma positioned Bhoorisravas and Shalya at the left wing, and Bhagadatta and Susharman (of the Trigartas) at the right wing. Kripacharya, Shakuni and Kritavarman were at the bird's tail. Duryodhana, Dusshasana and Jayadratha were at the heart of the formation. Karna unfortunately had to sit out the battle at this point because Bheeshma refused to share the battlefield with him and Duryodhana, needing Bheeshma's support, had to yield. 

Philosophy of the Formations

The crane is a majestic bird that is often the subject of many ancient paintings and poetic works.

In the Japanese culture, they have a saying which translates as, “one word from the crane’, implying the “voice of authority” or the one who has the final unchallenged word. That is how high the crane is regarded, no one questions his opinions. There is also a more recent tradition of folding 1000 paper cranes as a symbol of health, happiness and peace. The crane is also viewed as a symbol of loyalty (since it mates for life) and strength (since it can tirelessly fly over great distances), which is why it's the symbol of the Japanese Airlines. 

In Chinese cultures, the crane is a symbol of immortality and is said to carry the spirits of the departed to heaven. Of course, there is also an entire style of Shaolin Kung Fu inspired by the movements of the crane. 

In Roman cultures, it was believed that cranes had sentries standing guard while others slept. The sentry would hold a stone in its claw, so that if it fell asleep it would drop the stone and awaken. A crane holding a stone in its claw is a popular heraldic symbol, and is known as a crane in its vigilance.

To the Greeks, the crane was an ominous bird who avenged the death of the post Ibycus when he was murdered by thieves.

The Indian Yogi Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is said to have had his first spiritual experience at the age of six, when he was walking along the paddy fields and saw a flock of white cranes flying against dark thunder clouds.

If we apply all of this cultural and mythological influence into the battle formations that both armies take, we get some interesting interpretations. 

• Bheeshma is best symbolized by the crane formation. He is a strong and proud warrior, trying to protect his family and legacy. He is immortal, in the sense of being able to choose his time of death. He is a master of the martial arts and is able to tirelessly battle the enemy forces. He is one of the strongest voices of authority in the battlefield and no one dares to question his commands, especially because he places himself and the most powerful warriors at the forefront of the formation, enforcing a central leadership and forging ahead without consulting anyone or desiring anyone's cooperation. 

• The Pandavas on the other hand, observe different qualities of the crane, such as loyalty, grace, strength of character, protection, compassion, and above all: a desire for peace. They have a more distributed leadership style in their army, appointing leaders for each section to function independently. Their crane formation is more balanced with powerful warriors at the wings and center instead.

Map of the Battlefield

Mahabharata War - 16th Day

The Story

On the 16th Day of the Mahabharata War, Karna took up the leadership of the Kaurava Army.

The previous day, their former commander-in-chief, the invincible Dronacharya, had been struck down by cunning and deceit. Bheema had killed an elephant named Ashwatthama and proclaimed his achievement to Drona, that "Ashwatthama was dead". Drona, mistaking it for his own son, went to confirm this with Yudhistira, who was known for his truthfulness. 

Knowing that there was no other way to defeat the mighty Dronacharya, Yudhistira lied that this was indeed true. Losing the will to live, Dronacharya discarded his weapons and sat down in meditation. Seizing this opportunity, Drishtadyumna, the fire-born prince of the Panchala kingdom, beheaded Dronacharya, ending his unstoppable rampage. 

Karna knew that the Kaurava forces were severely demotivated after this. He rallied the army under his banner in the form of the Makaravyuha (crocodile formation), with himself at the snout, Shakuni and Bhagadatta at the eyes, Ashwatthama at the crown of the head, Dusshasana at the neck and Duryodhana at it’s heart. The forelegs were formed by Kritavarma and Kripacharya, the hindlegs by Susharman and Shalya. 

The Pandavas on the other side, formed the Chandrakalavyuha (pale crescent moon), which was very thin indeed, owing to their now depleted forces. Bheema lead the left tip, Drishtadyumna led the right tip and at the heart of the vyuha was Arjuna with Yudhistira, Nakula and Sahadeva. 

The battlefield itself was littered with cracks and craters after the impact of various celestial weapons. 

Philosophy of the Formations

• The Moon has very many symbolic meanings in different cultures of the world. The Waning Moon represents surrender, contemplation and meditation. The New Moon represents new beginnings and rebirth. The Waxing Moon represents growth and manifestation. The Full Moon represents clarity and fulfillment. 
  
  In this case, the Pandava formation is a Waning Moon, one that has diminished even further from the earlier crescent moon formations used, which could indicate that they grow weary of the chaotic battle and all of the monstrous atrocities that were carried out in the name of Dharma, leading the heroes to contemplate the real meaning behind any victory that could be achieved at this point after the severe loss of lives on both sides. 
   

• The crocodile on the other hand, is a more complex creature. The ancient Egyptians worshipped it in the form of Sobek, which represented the fertility of the Nile and military prowess. Due to their observed behavior of taking care of their young, the ancient Egyptians believed that the Crocodiles could protect humanity from the dangers posed by the Nile. Many stories from Indian mythology refer to crocodiles as prisons for wicked souls, a punishment for former bad karma, to remain trapped and to suffer in that form until liberated by some savior. 
  
  The Kaurava battle formation of the Crocodile led by Karna, could represent his desire to protect what is left of his shattered and hope-starved army as they face annihilation at the hands of the Pandavas. It could also represent Karna's regret at the odd way his life has panned out upto this point, starting from his abandonment at birth, his celestial gifts, his intense rivalry with Arjuna, his friendship with Duryodhana, his discovery that he is the eldest brother of the Pandavas and the promise he made to his birth mother to spare four of his brothers (except Arjuna of course), all leading him to perhaps believe that he was leading a cursed life as punishment for some past misdeed. 

Map of the Battlefield

Mahabharata War - 14th Night

The Story

The battle raged on at Kurukshetra on the 14th night of the Mahabharata War. 

Jayadratha, the Sindhu King had just been killed by Arjuna at the exact moment before sunset, thereby fulfilling his vow. The soldiers lit torches and continued fighting. Gatotkacha's forces were getting stronger at night and were attacking the Kaurava armies with renewed vigor, forming a Demon-Head formation. Desperate, the Kaurava heroes turned to Karna for aid. 

Karna had obtained a celestial weapon from Indra called the 'Shakti', but this could only be used once. He had been saving this weapon to use against Arjuna. But desperate times called for desperate measures. 

Taking on the Astra formation, he attacked the Pandava's Demon-Head formation head-on. Karna invoked the celestial weapon and the battlefield filled with radiant light. Without hesitation, he held the weapon aloft and fired it. 

The Shakti tore trough the veil of night and streaked towards its target. Gatotkacha watched this unfailing divine weapon coming towards him and realized what was about to pass. Gracefully accepting his fate, he grew to a giant size in an instant. The Shakti crashed into his enormous body, flashing like lightning and echoing through the battlefield like thunder. The mountain then falls over on top of the Kaurava army, crushing thousands of soldiers underneath. 

Map of the Battlefield

Mahabharata War - The 14th Day

The Story

The 13th day of battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas in the epic Mahabharata has just come to an end. While Arjuna was distracted on the far side of the battlefield, the Kaurava forces lured his son Abhimanyu into their Chakravyuha (Wheel-Formation) and brutally killed him. The Pandava forces were unable to follow Abhimanyu into the formation due to the insurmountable defense of the Sindhu King Jayadratha. 

Burning with rage, Arjuna makes a terrible promise: To kill Jayadratha before sunset the next day or to kill himself. This sets the stage for the most epic battle of the entire war: The 14th Day. 

The Kaurava Commander-in-Chief Dronacharya has assembled his forces into three battle formations. First is the square and solid Shakatavyuha (Cart Phalanx). Behind this is the Padmavyuha (Lotus-Formation), positioning himself at its head. Lastly, near the base of the lotus, he arranges the most powerful Kaurava warriors straight as a needle (Suchivyuha) with the precious Jayadratha at the eye of the needle. 

15 Kilometers separate Arjuna from his target: A hundred thousand horsemen, Sixty thousand chariots, three million foot soldiers, fourteen thousand elephants, and then six supreme warriors.

And so begins Arjuna’s glorious and terrible quest. With his golden chariot and four white horses ready, Krishna takes their chariot forward into the enemy’s cart formation. Warriors attack him from all directions but Arjuna has no patience for them. He draws his bow and waves of enemy warriors fall. 

Taking apart the cart formation, their chariot storms the edge of the lotus formation, where they encounter Dronacharya. They duel for hours with no end in sight, so Krishna quickly takes their chariot around and avoid further confrontation with the Acharya. 

They forge ahead deeper into the lotus formation, encountering Kritavarma, Duryodhana and many other Kaurava warriors. But today, Arjuna appears to be the God of Death incarnate and smashes through the last petals of the lotus formation, breaking it apart entirely. 

The powerful warriors of the needle formation surround Arjuna. Bhoorisravas, Karna, Ashwatthama, Kripacharya, Shalya and others attack Arjuna simultaneously. 

In the mean time, Dronacharya tries to capture Yudhistira. His efforts are thwarted by Bheema and Satyaki. 

Fending off several attacks, Krishna expertly guides Arjuna through the sea of enemy warriors. His eyes are constantly watching the west and Arjuna catches the message that there is little time to waste. 

Then suddenly, darkness sets across the battlefield. The enemy warriors start cheering at their victory and let down their guard. Krishna assures Arjuna that this is an illusion and instructs him to act. Arjuna invokes the power bestowed by Shiva and fires a flaming arrow from his bow, beheading Jayadratha in one swift strike. 

Before the enemy forces could protest at this treachery, the clouds part and the last rays of the blood-red sun bathe the battlefield. 

Arjuna has fulfilled his vow. 

The battle however did not stop at sunset as it had on the previous days. Under the blanket of night, the soldiers lit torches and continued fighting. Being of Rakshasa descent, Bheema’s young son Gatotkacha becomes more powerful under the cover of darkness and rains terror upon the enemy forces. 

Desperate to curb the violent destruction of their army, the Kaurava warrior Karna invokes his divine Shakti weapon, which he had been saving to use exclusively against Arjuna, and hurls it with all his might at Gatotkacha. Realizing what is about to happen, Gatotkacha grows to an enormous size. The Shakti lights up the night sky and crashes into the giant Gatotkacha. He falls upon the Kaurava army like a mountain and crushes thousands of them underneath. 

And so ends the 14th day of the Mahabharata battle. 

Philosophy of the Formations

• In direct contrast to the Crescent Moon formation used by the Pandavas on the previous day, the 14th day channels the anger and rage of Arjuna into the laser sharp focus of the Eagle formation as it hunts for its prey, powerfully tearing through all obstacles and challenges in its path and keeping its eye only on its intended target. 
  In various mythologies, Eagles were often depicted as being very old and wise creatures, such as in the tales of Garuda or in Celtic folktales. They are also strong allies in The Lord of the Rings, rescuing Gandalf from his prison atop Isengard and later coming to the aid of Frodo and Sam when all hope seems lost. Eagle feathers represent courage and bravery in various cultures, where they are used to adorn clothing or headgear. The symbols of the Roman and German empires were both eagles. The eagle is also now prominently featured in the American iconography. 
• The Kauravas on the other hand, try a combination of three different formations: The Cart, the Lotus and the Needle. 
  Carts in mythology take many interesting forms. The Gordian knot was a chariot in ancient Greece tied to a post with an impossible knot, which Alexander the great undid by simply cutting through the rope, foretelling his ability to find innovative solutions to complex problems. 
  The lotus on the other hand, represented the Sun and rebirth in ancient Egyptian cultures, owing to its behavior of closing up at night and almost receding into the water. In buddhism, the lotus represents spiritual awakening, owing to its ability to repel the marshy waters in which it grows and remain clean. In Hindu philosophy, the primordial lotus grows from Vishnu's navel and represents the birth of time and the creation of the universe. Greek mythology had an island of lotus-eaters who would consume a narcotic and remain in a state of apathy to the rest of the world. 
  And lastly the needle, which has an odd place in mythology. The spinning needle curses a princess to sleep for an eternity when she accidentally pricks herself in the story of Sleeping Beauty. The needle and spinner are also used by Rumplestiltzkin to spin straw into gold for the princess in exchange for her firstborn child. 
  Taking all of this symbolism into account, we could form an image in our minds of the Kauravas making a desperate promise to protect Jayadratha, trying to throw out seemingly impossible challenges at Arjuna and trying to keep him distracted and away from his true goal. 

The Map of the Battlefield

Mahabharata War - The 13th Day

Inspiration

It has been a long-time dream of mine to illustrate some part of the great Kurukshetra war features so prominently in the Indian epic Mahabharata. 

The war, which takes place over a span of 18 days, covers nearly one-third of the entire epic and yields in-depth details about the preparations for the war, the big players, the battle formations and the epic encounters. 

Chief amongst my fascinations were the banners that flew atop each hero's chariot, sort of like a pirate ship or naval armada flying their colors of allegiance.

The second angle of my fascination comes from my love of strategy videogames such as Age of Empires 2, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and Warcraft 3, which represent giant armies from a top-down view.

The third inspiration came from the descriptions of the armies in the Mahabharata. The text goes into detail explaining that the units of warfare such as the Footman (Padha), Horseman (Ashwa), Chariot (Ratha) and Elephant (Gaja) formed the foundation of the strategy game Chaturanga which later evolved into the modern game of Chess. 

The last part of my inspiration came from a visit to the German History Museum here in Berlin, where I saw a shield that was presented to the King, painted with the various sigils of the houses that stood in support of his rule. 

And with this final piece of inspiration in hand, I set off with my drawing. 

Research

I spent a lot of time researching the heroes, their banners, their armies and the various battle formations they employed. There were some cases where I just wasn't able to find any specifics and had to take a bit of artistic license in interpreting the information. Here's what I found:

• The Kurukshetra war was fought between the forces of the Pandavas (5 brothers, sons of Pandu) and the Kauravas (100 brothers, sons of Dritharashtra) over a dispute of who had the right to rule the kingdom. 

• The sizes of the armies were measured in a unit called an Akshauhini, which consisted of a combination of forces in the ratio 1 Elephant: 1 Chariot: 3 Horsemen: 5 Footmen multiplied by a factor of 21870

• The skill level of a warrior was scaled as follows: Rathi (capable of fighting 5000 warriors at once), Athirathi (capable of fighting 12 Rathis or 60000 warriors), Maharathi (capable of fighting 12 Athirathis or 720000 warriors)

• The Pandava army was composed of 7 Akshauhinis

• The Kaurava army was composed of 11 Akshauhinis

The Story

Despite being massively outnumbered, the Pandava army has a secret weapon who goes by the name of Arjuna. This Pandava warrior is clearly the hero of the war. He features prominently in a vast portion of the battles and rallies everyone behind him with his feats of skill in warfare. 

After 12 days of intense bloodshed, the realize that the best way to end the war swiftly is to distract Arjuna and capture the eldest Pandava brother Yudhistira. And so they enlist the aid of the Samsapthaka armies of Trigartha and the Narayani Sena of the Yadavas to challenge Arjuna and drag him out to a remote part of the battlefield. The Kaurava commander-in-chief Dronacharya, then employs the Chakravyuha or the Wheel battle formation, since it was rumored that only Arjuna knew the secret of entering and breaking it. 

The confounded and desperate Pandava forces first try a counter-attack through the Crescent Moon formation but then turn to Arjuna's young son Abhimanyu, who knew the secret of entering the Chakravyuha but knew not how to exit or break the formation. With strong reassurances from the other Pandava heroes that they would follow him and give him support, Abhimanyu set forth entering the maze-like rotating wheel formation. 

However, the Pandava forces are halted by the insurmountable defense of Jayadratha, the king from Sindh, and are unable to follow the young prince. 

Trapped away from his army and with no escape route in sight, Abhimanyu strengthens his resolve and goes on a rampage, defeating many enemy heroes and decimating a vast array of Kaurava forces. In the end, feeling like they set a trap for a kitten and caught a lion instead, the desperate Kaurava forces surround Abhimanyu on all sides, abandon all rules of chivalrous warfare and succeed in killing him. 

There are three direct consequences to this:
- All the rules of chivalry and ethics of warfare are completely abandoned
- The death of Abhimanyu spurs the noble Pandavas onward to finish the fight by any means necessary
- It sets up an even more epic 14th day of battle, with Arjuna swearing a terrible oath to kill Jayadratha or end his own life

Philosophy of the Formations

• The Moon has very many symbolic meanings in different cultures of the world. The Waning Moon represents surrender, contemplation and meditation. The New Moon represents new beginnings and rebirth. The Waxing Moon represents growth and manifestation. The Full Moon represents clarity and fulfillment. 
  In this case, the crescent moon takes on a very special meaning. Having two tips, it could represent for the Pandavas, a lack of desire to tackle their problem head-on and instead trying to circumvent it somehow. They were always hesitant about fighting with their cousins, relatives and teachers, and constantly doubting whether they were doing the right thing. This strong desire to avoid the primary conflict led to the death of Abhimanyu, which in turn had a dramatic impact on the course of the battle as well as the formation used by the Pandavas the very next day. 
   

• The Kauravas on the other hand, utilized the Chakravyuha or an ever-twisting snake-like circular maze formation. The ancient Egyptian and Greek philosophers viewed the world as a constant cycle of life-death, creation-destruction and imagined it as an Ouroboros, the snake swallowing its own tail. In Alchemy, the Ouroboros is associated with the Philosopher's Stone, which is said to hold the secret to immortal life. In Norse mythology, this takes the form of the world-snake Jörmungandr, which grew so large that it could encircle the entire world and hold its tail between its teeth. Jörmungandr was also foretold to bring about Ragnorok, or the end of the world and the destruction of the Gods. In Vedic philosophies, it is believed that the power of the Kundalini lies coiled like a snake holding its own tail. 
  This symbolism could be taken to imply that the Kauravas strongly believed that they were going to bring about the destruction of the God-like Pandavas and award themselves eternal glory by winning this battle. 

Pandava Forces

Yudhistira - Crescent Moon with 5 Planets

Bheema - Golden Lion with Sapphire Eyes

Arjuna - Hanuman

Nakula - Red Antelope

Sahadeva - White Swan

Satyaki - Yali

Ghatotkacha - Wheel

Krishna - Garuda

Drishtadyumna - Fire Altar

Shikandi - Flower

Drupada - Vajra

Virata - Matsya Fish

Abhimanyu - Golden Karnikara Tree

Pandava Tent

Hastinapur

Ashwa

Gaja

Padha

Ratha

Kaurava Forces

Bheeshma - Palm Tree with 5 Stars

Drona - Beggar Bowl & Bow

Karna - Sun

Kripa - Bull

Dusshasana - Mace

Duryodhana - Cobra

Ashwatthama - Lion Tail

Shalya - Spears

Bhagadatta - Elephant

Bhurisravas - Lotus

Shakuni - Owl with Dice

Jayadratha - Horse

Kritavarma - Helmet

Susharman - Pearl

Kaurava Tent

Ashwa

Gaja

Padha

Ratha

The End Result

How Ravana Got His Name

The Character

Ravana is one of the most polarizing characters in Indian Mythology, attributed with some of the best and worst qualities of humanity at the same time! But he wasn't always called Ravana. He was originally called Dasagriva or Dasamukha, due to having ten heads. 

The Story

Having come into possession of the Pushpaka Vimana (flying contraption), he loved travelling around and exploring new places. Once he flew far to the north, towards the Himalayas when his flying machine came to an abrupt stop before Mount Kailash. The mighty king urged his metal bird forward but it refused to budge. Irritated by this impediment, he decided that the whole mountain had to go. Setting down at the base of the mountain, he started uprooting the colossal peak. 

Unbeknownst to him, Mount Kailash was home to the family of Shiva and Parvati and just in that instant, Parvati, after having an argument with Shiva, started walking away from him furiously. Just then, the whole peak started to quake and in shock, Parvati ran back to Shiva's loving embrace. After calming her down, Shiva pressed down on the peak with his toe, causing the whole mountain to come crashing down on the angry king below. The trapped king roared and screamed violently and was thus named Ravana (loud roarer). Having realized that a greater being lived atop Mount Kailash, in a bid to atone for his mistake, Ravana created the Rudra Veena out of one of his own heads and veins and is said to have sung songs of devotion. 

In the end, a pleased Shiva blessed him with the divine sword Chandrahasa (smile of the crescent moon) and sent him on his way home. 

The Art

Ravana has always been a very visually interesting characters, with his ten heads, and I've always been wanting to illustrate a different take on his character, deconstructing his qualities and reconstructing it into a new form. There are lots of interpretations of Ravana's ten heads. Some say he never had ten actual heads and that it just represented his mastery of the 6 Shastras and 4 Vedas (books of knowledge). Some say he had conquered ten kingdoms and thus as their ruler had ten crowns. He is also said to be a master of music, astrology, medicine, warfare and political science. 

For this rendering of Ravana, I was inspired by the Navarasa or the 9 states of human emotion that are central to Indian classical music, drama and literature. I was also able to find an alternate list which had an extra item, rounding off my list to ten. They are:
Shanta (peace)
Sringara (love)
Hasya (joy)
Bibhatsa (disgust)
Vira (pride)
Adbutha (surprise)
Matsarya (jealousy)
Raudra (anger)
Bhayanaka (fear)
Karunya (compassion or sadness)
There was one more interesting rasa Bhakti (devotion) but I decided to exclude it since I was having a hard time figuring out how best to represent it. 

My idea here was that instead of showing Ravana with ten heads, I would show him wearing a 9 faceted helmet representing all of the rasas, as well as putting him in a situation where he would end up expressing all of them. Having always been fascinated by the Greek titan Atlas (and having drawn Hanuman and Garuda in their own Atlas inspired poses), I decided to show Ravana in a similar pose, trying to carry the mountain peak on his back. Can you identify which face shows which emotion?

When it came to showing Shiva and Parvati, I decided to go away from the traditional approach of showing them as two entities and instead fused them into their combined form of Ardhanareeshwara, dancing atop Mount Kailasha, invoking imagery very similar to when the young Krishna dances atop the Kaliya snake.

Inferences

Ravana being the great-grandson of Brahma, had immense gifts and powers bestowed upon him. The stories go as far as stating that he was only one of two individuals to have masters all 64 classical arts of the ancient world, even having command of the rising and setting of the sun (very poetic, yes). Having described just his characteristics and abilities without the context of the story of the Ramayana, it would seem as if he was the hero of the story (spoiler alert: he's the main villain). Some stories have explained that Ravana was actually a good ruler and that the people of Lanka were very rich and happy under his rule. Additional stories have tried to paint him in a more sympathetic light, that he grew up watching his mother crying all the time regarding the miserable state of their clan and that this spurred him on to a conquering spree, giving him a general hatred for all of the Gods who were unfair to his family. But there are equally interesting stories of other characters being put through worse miseries who come out on top in the end after having changed for the better.

So in the end, whose fault is it that Ravana is the villain of the tale? Is it just the choice of the author in creating a villain so gifted and accomplished so as to be an incredible challenge for the hero of the story to overcome? After all, we wouldn't care about Ravana if he was a puny weakling. Or is it to highlight the immense tragedy of his fall from grace, where we are asked to feel sad for the loss of someone so talented? Or has the author succeeded in creating a complex character who is a victim of circumstance and fate? Or is it just bad luck that Ravana was portrayed as the bad guy because he lost in the end? Or is Ravana evil because of the kind of decisions he makes? As Dumbledore famously quotes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." 

Plastercast Museum, Berlin

I visited the Plastercast Museum in Berlin along with a sketching club event and encountered a bevy of beautiful casts of very famous sculptures from around the world. We had 2 hours to go around, pick the ones we liked and sketch them. These were the three that I was able to cover in that time. 

Hercules!

Zeus with his mother, Rhea

Durga

The Character

For #internationalwomensday, I was inspired to  draw one of the most kick-ass and independent women in Indian Mythology, the magnificent Durga. 

The Story

Legends tell us that when the demon Mahishasura unleashed a reign of terror on Earth, the deities were all powerless to stop him. And so they combined all of their powers together and from that combined energy emerged the Goddess Durga. Armed with celestial weapons and divine armor, she rode into battle atop a fierce lion and destroyed the evil demon and his entire demonic horde.

The Art

Most drawings of her just have her in a red saree which I felt wasn't practical for a Goddess leading armies into battle, so I added a set of golden plate armor. I wanted to draw her with a lot more arms, each independently fighting off demons (such as actually shooting something with a bow and arrow or deflecting a blade with a shield or crushing something with a mace or stabbing something with her trident) but realized how complex this would get and in the end settled on just 4 arms, standing triumphant. Perhaps some day I will expand on this further :-)

I finished the piece off with Durga holding the head of the demon in his half-buffalo form, conclusively showing to all around her that the battle was won and that evil had been conquered. 

Karthikeya Goes Around The World

The Story

Mythology tells us that in the lofty peaks of Mt.Kailas, the divine family of Shiva and Parvati with their children Ganesha and Karthikeya reside. All is tranquil and quiet. All desire has been conquered and there is peace. 

All of that changes when the sage Narada brings a mango called the fruit of knowledge and offers it to the best between the sons of Shiva. Suddenly there is competition and a desire to best the other and obtain this rare fruit. The contest is to circle the world three times and the first person to complete it would be awarded the prize. Karthikeya immediately hops aboard his magical peacock and takes off on his flight around the world. Ganesha in the mean time, ponders the meaning of the contest. He realizes that he can never be as fast as Karthikeya, but then also realizes that his parents are his whole world. He then proceeds to go around his parents thrice, explains his logic and claims the prize. 

The Art

Having encountered a few beautiful peacocks in Berlin and seeing the beauty of their wings when in flight, I was inspired to draw a scene from the above story, with Karthikeya effortlessly soaring through the cosmic empyrean around the world on his magnificent peacock. Previously, when I had drawn Karthikeya just riding the peacock, I realized that it would be impractical to do so on a normal sized peacock and enlarged the size and proportions of animal to an ostrich size. Now I realized that in order to fly with a human sized passenger, the peacock would need to be enlarged to the size of a dragon, ala 'How to train your dragon'!  

Choosing the colors was also a very difficult task. I read a few scientific papers that the peacock feathers have unique prismatic properties that give them a multi-shaded shimmer when looked at from different angles and this would be impossible to convey in a simple drawing. In the end I chose on a few shades of blues, oranges and greens that worked well together.

The next part seen is the Earth, typically represented as the female Bhooma-devi and the Moon, typically represented as the male Chandra. I chose to show them both as tiny orbs compared to the giant peacock and its rider, to highlight the contrast in size. 

The last part was the empyrean or starscape. The name Karthikeya means the child of the Krittikas which are the stars of the Pleidas cluster, literally giving his name the meaning 'Star Child'. I took inspiration from the air spirits of the original Hans Christian Anderson version of 'The Little Mermaid' for their hybrid fish/spirit look, as they watch over their ward. I finished this out with some more stars connected together as a sort of network mesh to form constellations. 

Hope you like it!

Garuda's Life

The Character

Garuda is the great eagle mount of Vishnu. His name means one he is capable of lifting great weights and moving very fast. He is named thus by hermits who are hanging upside down on a tree branch. When the great winged deity sat on the branch to eat a elephant and tortoise, the branch broke, but Garuda quickly snatched the branch from the air despite already carrying a heavy load.

The Story

After defeating the devas and taking their divine nectar, the mighty bird Garuda doesn't taste even a drop of it, because he's trying to use it to buy his mother's freedom from the nagas. An amazed Indra (King of the Devas) goes to Garuda, asks to be his friend and enquires about the extent of his strength.

To this, Garuda narrates his story. The sage Kashyapa had two wives, Vinata and Kadru, daughters of Daksha Prajapati, who was the son of Brahma. Through divine boons, Kadru asked for a thousand snakes for children and Vinata asked for just two, who would surpass all others in their glory. Kadru's snakes were born quickly. In her impatience, Vinata broke open one of her eggs to reveal a half-formed child who later became Aruna, the charioteer of Surya. Vinata then lost a foolish bet with Kadru and thus became her slave. It was then that Garuda burst forth from his egg with divine splendor. Learning of his mother's fate, he made a deal with the nagas to bring back the nectar of immortality from the heavens where the Devas guarded it fiercely. He defeated their entire army, quenched a wall of raging flames, surpassed an ever-spinning bladed discus, fought off poisonous serpents and retrieved the nectar. 

He then explains that on each of his feathers he could carry the entire Earth with all of its contents and Indra himself on top of it.

The Art

The part of the story where Garuda explains his strength to Indra always fascinated me in an Atlas sort of fashion (except that Atlas carries the heavens and not the Earth). This inspired me to show Garuda in the place of Atlas, shouldering a globe which contained in it his entire life story. 

Hope you like it!

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