MAARKANDEYA presents MAHAABHAARATHAM

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W E L C O M E

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

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA

KALINGA

(The L in this name is hard and is pronounced like 'l' in 'girl'. The N is pronounced like 'n' in 'pin'. If an s is added at the end it shows plural number, meaning the terriotary and its people too.)

Kalinga is the name of one of the many provinces in ancient India. It roughly corresponds to present Orissa. A city named Raajapuram of this province is mentioned in Shaanthi parva.

As was the custom in Samskritham, contry names are given by the people that inhabitted it and the name is always in plural. Kalingas means the provinces of the Kalinga or its people or its kings or its fighters or its army. The king of a country derives his name by the country he ruled. E.g. Paanchaala is the ruler of the country Panchaalam, Chaidya is the ruler of the country Chedi, Maagadha was the ruler of the country Magadha etc. Similarly, Kaalinga is the ruler of Kalinga provinces.

During the Mahaabhaaratham period, Kalinga was ruled by Bhaanumaan. The Kalingas fought on the Kouravas side in the Mahaabhaaratham war.

In Shaanthi parva, a story about Duryodhana's abducting Kalinga princess from the Kalinga city of Raajapuram is described. He attended the svayamvara of the princess with Karna beside him. As the princess did not choose him and passed beyond him, he forcibly took her with him challenging all the other suitors. Naturally, the remaining suitors attacked him but Karna defeated them all. It was then that Jaraasandha fought with Karna hand-to-hand and lost. As a token of his pleasure about Karna's strength, Jaraasandha gave the city of Maalini in anga provinces to Karna. Karna was already ruler of the city of Champa in Anga provinces, eversince he was made a king by Duryodhana.

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

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA