Barbarika
Encyclopedia
In the Mahābhārata
, Barbarika (IAST
Barbarīka) was the son of Ghatotkacha
and Maurvi (Ahilawati
), daughter of Muru, a Yadava
king.
Barbarika was originally a yaksha
, and was reborn as a man.
He wanted to fight on the side of the Pandavas, among whom his paternal grandfather Bhima
was the second one. However, he was bound by his principle of always fighting on the losing side, which led him to stand witness to the battle without taking part.
In Rajasthan
, he is worshipped as Khatushyamji
, and is believed to have been sacrificed before the Mahabharata war to ensure the victory of his grand-fathers, the Pandavas. In return for his sacrifice, he was deified by a boon given by Krishna
.
war began, Lord Krishna
asked all the pandavs how many days he would take to finish Mahabharata war alone. Bhishma
answered that he would take 20 days to finish the war. Dronacharya replied that it would take him 25 days. When Karna
was asked, he said he would take 24 days. Arjuna
told Krishna it would take 28 days for him to complete the battle by himself. In this manner, Lord Krishna asked each warrior and received an answer.
Finally, Lord Krishna asked Barbarika the question. Barbarika replied that he would take one hour. Krishna asked Barbarika to prove his claim: "If you can tie all the leaves of the peepal (sacred fig) tree, I will believe that you can finish the war in one hour," Krishna challenged.
Barbarika took one arrow from his quiver, put it to his forehead and chanted a mantra that would allow him to succeed in his task. Meanwhile, Krishna broke one leaf from the peepal tree and hid it beneath his foot. Barbarika shot the arrow, stringing every leaf of the tree with it. The strength of his meditation gave his arrow the power to find the single leaf Krishna had hidden to test Barbarika. Barbarika's arrow humbly circled around Krishna, and fell to his feet in reverence. Lord Krishna was pleased with Barbarika's ability and blessed him as the greatest living Kshatriya (warrior).
Then, Lord Krishna asked Barbarika on which side he would fight in the battle of Mahabharata. Barbarika told Krishna that he had pledged to always fight on the losing side. Krishna replied, "If you fight, the side against you will surely be the losing side. But you must decide which side you will fight on." Barbarika remained true to his promise, realizing that as the greatest warrior he could never be on the losing side and so must withdraw from the war.
Krishna finally asked Barbarika who he considered his teacher. Barbarika replied, "O supreme Lord, You are my teacher." Krishna asked the warrior to then give him his Gurudakshina (gift to teacher). Barbarika agreed to give Krishna whatever he asked for. Krishna said, "as an offering, I ask for your head." Barbarika obediently drew his sword and severed his head, gifting it to Krishna. Krishna was impressed with Barbarika's devotion and so told him to ask for a boon. Barbarika asked Krishna if he could watch the battle of Mahabharata take place. Krishna granted his wish, and placed his head on a nearby mountain from where Barbarika witnessed each moment of the whole battle.
At the end of the Mahabharata war, those who survived on the Pandava’s side claimed that it was their valor that led to winning the war. They began to quarrel, when Krishna decided that they ask Barbarika, as he had seen all the events as they happened. They all went to Barbarika and asked him who had truly won the war. To this Barbarika replied, "Lord Krishna, I had not seen anyone other than You doing anything in this war. Every move was yours, every action was yours. You have done everything."
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, Barbarika (IAST
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:...
Barbarīka) was the son of Ghatotkacha
Ghatotkacha
Ghatotkacha , is a character in the Mahabharata, the son of Bhima and the giantess Hidimbi . His maternal parentage made him half-rakshasa and gave him many magical powers that made him an important fighter in the Kurukshetra war, the climax of the epic...
and Maurvi (Ahilawati
Ahilawati
Ahilawati was a female character in the famous epic Mahābhārata. She was a Nag Kanya meaning a snake girl and was married to Bhima's son Ghatotkacha. Prior to her marriage she was referred to as Maurvi. She was won by Ghatotkacha after passing a difficult exam. She asked him various questions but...
), daughter of Muru, a Yadava
Yadu
Yadu is one of the five Indo-Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda . The Mahabharata, the Harivamsha and the Puranas mention Yadu as the eldest son of king Yayati and his queen Devayani. The prince of King Yayati, Yadu was a self-respecting and a very established ruler...
king.
Barbarika was originally a yaksha
Yaksha
Yaksha is the name of a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree roots. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology. The feminine form of the word is ' or Yakshini .In Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mythology,...
, and was reborn as a man.
He wanted to fight on the side of the Pandavas, among whom his paternal grandfather Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
was the second one. However, he was bound by his principle of always fighting on the losing side, which led him to stand witness to the battle without taking part.
In Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, he is worshipped as Khatushyamji
Khatushyamji
In Hinduism, Khatushyamji is a name and manifestation of Barbarika, son of Ghatotkacha. This manifestation is especially popular in the Indian state of Rajasthan...
, and is believed to have been sacrificed before the Mahabharata war to ensure the victory of his grand-fathers, the Pandavas. In return for his sacrifice, he was deified by a boon given by Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
.
Barbarika(Belarsen) and his dialog with Krishna
Before the MahabharataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
war began, Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
asked all the pandavs how many days he would take to finish Mahabharata war alone. Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
answered that he would take 20 days to finish the war. Dronacharya replied that it would take him 25 days. When Karna
Karna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
was asked, he said he would take 24 days. Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
told Krishna it would take 28 days for him to complete the battle by himself. In this manner, Lord Krishna asked each warrior and received an answer.
Finally, Lord Krishna asked Barbarika the question. Barbarika replied that he would take one hour. Krishna asked Barbarika to prove his claim: "If you can tie all the leaves of the peepal (sacred fig) tree, I will believe that you can finish the war in one hour," Krishna challenged.
Barbarika took one arrow from his quiver, put it to his forehead and chanted a mantra that would allow him to succeed in his task. Meanwhile, Krishna broke one leaf from the peepal tree and hid it beneath his foot. Barbarika shot the arrow, stringing every leaf of the tree with it. The strength of his meditation gave his arrow the power to find the single leaf Krishna had hidden to test Barbarika. Barbarika's arrow humbly circled around Krishna, and fell to his feet in reverence. Lord Krishna was pleased with Barbarika's ability and blessed him as the greatest living Kshatriya (warrior).
Then, Lord Krishna asked Barbarika on which side he would fight in the battle of Mahabharata. Barbarika told Krishna that he had pledged to always fight on the losing side. Krishna replied, "If you fight, the side against you will surely be the losing side. But you must decide which side you will fight on." Barbarika remained true to his promise, realizing that as the greatest warrior he could never be on the losing side and so must withdraw from the war.
Krishna finally asked Barbarika who he considered his teacher. Barbarika replied, "O supreme Lord, You are my teacher." Krishna asked the warrior to then give him his Gurudakshina (gift to teacher). Barbarika agreed to give Krishna whatever he asked for. Krishna said, "as an offering, I ask for your head." Barbarika obediently drew his sword and severed his head, gifting it to Krishna. Krishna was impressed with Barbarika's devotion and so told him to ask for a boon. Barbarika asked Krishna if he could watch the battle of Mahabharata take place. Krishna granted his wish, and placed his head on a nearby mountain from where Barbarika witnessed each moment of the whole battle.
At the end of the Mahabharata war, those who survived on the Pandava’s side claimed that it was their valor that led to winning the war. They began to quarrel, when Krishna decided that they ask Barbarika, as he had seen all the events as they happened. They all went to Barbarika and asked him who had truly won the war. To this Barbarika replied, "Lord Krishna, I had not seen anyone other than You doing anything in this war. Every move was yours, every action was yours. You have done everything."