Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Mahabharata Quiz - 52

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Question – 52

How long did it take for Krishna to travel from Upaplavya to Hastinapura? Any specific events on the way?

Answer:

After leaving Upaplavya on the morning of Revati, Krishna had to travel the whole day to reach a place called Vrikasthala for his night-stay. Only on the second day did he reach Hastinapura. From this one can gauge the distance between Upaplavya and Hastinapura.

When Vaisampayana narrated that Krishna had started off from Upaplavya, king Janamejaya asked him whether any nimitta-s were seen on the way. On the first day, soon after he started off on his journey in the star Revati, some strange nimitta-s were seen in the route of Krishna and also in Hastinapura.  While the nimitta-s on the way of Krishna were more of auspicious nature, those witnessed in Hastinapura could not be said so. Such descriptions cannot be dismissed as the poet’s imagination because the text was not composed to state what has not happened; secondly, the positive signs on the way of Krishna did not ensure success for the mission of Krishna. There is something more than just auspiciousness or inauspiciousness in the events narrated.

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