MAARKANDEYA presents MAHAABHAARATHAM

( The Y in this name is a consonant and it is pronounced like 'y' in you. The D is pronounced like 'th' in 'brother'. The 'th' is pronounced like 'th' in 'thing'. In the alternative name, the Y is a vowel pronounced like 'y' in 'my'. The 'DH' is pronounced like a hardened sound of 'th' in brother.)

Jayadratha, also known as Syndhava (= of Sindhu land) was the king of Sindhu lands, hence the second name.

He was son of Sindhu king Vriddhakshathra. when he was born, the divine voice from the heaven said that he would be killed unawares. Soon, his father spelt out a curse that the head of his son's killer would break into a hundred pieces.

Jayadratha married Dussala, the younger sister of the Kouravas. When the Paandavas were living in the forest during their exile, he happened to pass past their abode where Droupadi was alone in the absence of her husbands. Jayadratha tried to take her away forcibly with him. The Paandavas chased him and caught. Bheema beat him black and blue and shaved his head into five plaits. Thus insulted , he meditated on lord Shiva and got a boon from him that he could one day resist four of the five Paandavas barring Arjuna . He made use of this boon on the thirteenth day of the war when Arjuna was decoyed away by the Samshapthakas and Drona formed the Padmavyooha.This resulted in the klling of Arjuna's son Abhimanyu. That made Arjuna indignant and he vowed to kill Jayadratha before sun set the next day.All the mighty warriors on the Kouravas side tried their best till just before sun set to save him from Arjuna but Krishna's tricky strategy made Arjuna's vow fulfilled. Krishna covered the Sun with his disc and made all the people in the battle field feel that the Sun had actually set. Jayadratha was joyful that he was saved and he let himself absorbed in looking at the westward Son to confirm sun-set. Thus, while he was unaware, his head was cut by Arjuna by the divine asthra Paashupatha at his disposal. But Krishna advised Arjuna that the head should not touch the ground but should be thrown into the hands of Jayadratha's father Vriddhakshathra who by that time got retired to forests. The divine arrow dropped the head straight into the hands of Vriddhakshathra who was offering evening prayers to the Sun God. He was embarassed by the bizarie occurance .In the abhorrance of the sight of the ghastly object, he threw it off onto the ground invoulantarily. Soon his head broke off into pieces as was his own ordeal.

A few years after the great war was over, Arjuna took up a campaighn in connection with their Asvamedha sacrifice, going around countries. Jayadratha's son heard of Arjuna's coming to his provinces and he soon died of fear and terror of the great hero.

"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."