#Chakravyuh meaning

[ishuess]

You know what..I am gonna say it

I don't know how everytime Ishan makes it to the trending page on Twitter, some negative PR pops up.

Also people who are saying that him training with Hardik Pandya is ass licking. Then where are these people when Surya and Bumrah show support to Rohit. Surya's love for Rohit is considered loyalty but Ishan's love for Hardik would be considered ass licking. Such hypocrites.

Also Ishan had made it clear very early on that the Hardik took him under his wing pretty early on. So it is rather Ishan is very loyal to Hardik despite Hardik getting so much hate. Also people saying Ishan should spend more time with Rohit instead of Pandya speaks so much about the obvious favouritism in Indian Cricket Team.

Also I want to just say, I personally consider IPL as a cricket fest. Players come together to enjoy cricket for once and here our Indian team is fighting like cats and dogs for a mere IPL team captaincy. I mean Rohit should understand he is the captain of the Indian Team and this childishness of following-unfollowing is just kind of pointless. I never see Virat doing so. And I AM A ROHIT SHARMA FAN TOO. He was the reason I am part of MI Paltan.

Calling Hardik Pandya 'chappri' and 'disloyal' and what not for franchise cricket when he has given a lot to the National Team is so toxic of the fans. Why do we forget that before IPL...WE ARE THE INDIAN NATIONAL TEAM.

Pulling in a youngster, a 25 year old in this fight is almost like pulling in Abhimanyu in the Chakravyuh and ruthlessly killing him. That kid has always been humble and never failed to praise Rohit's captaincy. But now when he chose to train with his family in cricket...He is being brashly hated for it. That kid has performed whenever he got a chance yet he is being played around like a toy. Even Sunil Gavaskar considers him a "a rare talent".

WHY ARE WE LETTING AN IPL CAPTAINCY BREAK DOWN ICT WHICH IS LIKE A FAMILY. THIS TOXIC INDIVIDUAL PLAYER SUPPORTING FANDOM HAS BEVER BROUGHT GOOD TO THE GAME.

So I think Ishan is absolutely right for training with Hardik because he never wanted this war and he never wanted to pick sides. He is being caught in the crossfire and people telling him to side Rohit for a place in team actually speak a lot about favouritism.

THAT WAS ALL FROM MY SIDE AND THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION. PEACE OUT✌️

Hoping Ishan come back stronger than ever and God is with him🧿🧿🧿🔱🔱🔱

[blessed1neha]

How was Chakravyuha Rachna in (Mahabharata)?

First off, it is difficult to imagine the scale of this formation. The Mahabharat was one of the largest wars ever fought, and armies used a scale of measure known as Akshauhini to measure strength. As single Akshauhini consisted of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants; 65,610 cavalry and 109,350 infantry[1]. Now, it is said that over the course of the war, 18-20 Akshauhini senas (armies) were killed. I do not have to do the calculations for you to figure out how huge the armies actually were. And this in a concentrated around the Kurukshetra, which is roughly 48 x 128 Km in area[2]. That makes a very dense war.

So I imagine that there were enough men to spare for a formation like the Chakravyuha, more so when:

It was designed by Drona, one of the smartest tactician on the side of the Kauravas

The prize was (originally) Yudhisthira, who was the leader of the Pandavas

The formation was designed as a spinning wheel (hence the "chakra" in the name) and a puzzle (hence the "vyuh"), with the formation in a constant state of rotation.... the rotation may be seen as the motion of the helix of a screw. The formation was also called Padmavyuh (or the Lotus formation)[3]. Also, the inner layers were made of of soldiers, each stronger than the ones on the immediate outer layer. Let us use a gaming terminology and call the warriors as levels. Level 7 being the strongest, and lower level warriors at the outside. Here is what would happen to anyone entering through the mouth (now imagine the same thing happening DURING WAR)....

And remember, this doesn't mean the person who entered ran around the maze. The maze engulfed him.. yeah, imagine that:

Think about it... the warrior is in a constant state of battle while the formation circles around him. He keeps getting tired, while the further inside he goes, the less worn out fighters he meets! Both physically and mentally, this makes it difficult for the warrior who has entered.

Now, the Chakravyuh was a brilliant military tactic. Basically it was a juggernaut. The whole formation continuously spun across the battlefield, continuously fighting, and the moment one member of the formation was killed, there was a sliding motion that propagated from the position held by the killed man, right upto the center of the formation, thus ensuring that at all times, there existed a continuous maze.

At last fighting with the opponent soldiers, one reached to the centre of the Chakravyuh that is shown as a ‘point’ in the above figure. This was the time when one was surrounded by the most ferocious of soldiers.

Indeed, it was not easy to reach to the centre and definitely very hard to come out of the ‘Vyuh Rachna’!

It is the evidence of how efficient and tactful our ancient Indian cavalry was!

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshauhini [2] http://www.dharmakshetra.com/holy%20land/kurukshetra.html [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmavyuha

[sanatancharacters]

Chakravyuh | Padmavyuha The Biggest Secrets

Chakravyuh | Padmavyuha The Biggest Secrets: chakravyuh” is one of the most difficult war strategies used in the MAHABHARATA

In order to assassinate the pandavas, Dronacharya utilizes all the knowledge… He garnered through his experience to plot chakravyuh..

Although chakravyuh plotted to excite pandavas, Abhimanyu gets caught in it, fights courageously and dies …

Many of us know just about chakravyuh in kurukshetra

Apart from that how many other war strategies are there ?

Read More

[ambidextrousarcher]

Parallels between the characters of Mahabharata and Baahubali

A conversation I had with @carminavulcana yesterday inspired this post, which might be a highly cliched post, but it’s my first post for the Baahubali fandom and it’s more of a self reference post than anything else. (Also, di I’m sure you’d disagree with many of my headcanons, but then I hope you still like this post).

Okay, so I’ll start off with the Baahubali character I like least, and then proceed up to the character I like best.

1. Bijjaladeva- The worst parts of Dhritrashtra and Shakuni; bitter, cunning, manipulative, the father who does whatever his son wants, and the parallel of the disability apparently costing both of them the throne.

2. Bhalladeva- Duryodhana, I think? He’s really strong, mace fighter, and seriously hates his adopted (cousin) brother. But Duryodhana lost to the Pandavas, and Bhalla killed Baahu, so that’s a foil.

3. Sethupathy- This guy reminds me of Dusshasana. Yes man and his brother’s (here, his king’s) henchman with a lewd, disgusting mind.

4. Avanthika- This warrior lady reminds me of Shikandini. She’s also single minded, and really committed to her goal.

5. Jeyasena- Amba. Very sincerely questing for justice that was denied.

6. Sanga- Radha, Adiratha’s wife. She too took a child found floating in the river and gave him her heart.

7. Vikramadeva- King Pandu. Consummate warrior, crowned instead of his brother, early death, so...

8. Mahendra- Parikshit. The ray of hope after the darkness that was Bhalla’s reign, like Parikshit was for the Kurukshetra war. Also Karna regarding the secret royal identity, although Mahendra is nowhere near as horrible as Karna.

9. Kumara Varma- Uttar. The guy who was all boasting and no fight, and he met the greatest warrior in Mahishmati and Aryavrata respectively, got a pep talk and immediately realised his potential.

10. Sivagami- Mostly Kunti, but also Gandhari, a little. Like Kunti, she adopted her sister’s (sister-wife in Kunti’s case) child after death, treated him the same as her son, was politically shrewd. However, she had the same blind spot that Gandhari had. Her son.

11. Devasena- Draupadi. Fiery, independent, not afraid to speak her mind, the Princess Devasena really does remind me of Yagnaseni Draupadi. The years of captivity she had at Bhalla’s hands are reminiscent of Draupadi’s cheerharan to me. She too meets her grown son after years of exile.

12. Kattappa- A mix of Drona and Bhishma- Tied to Mahishmati by his oath like the both of them, a grandfatherly as well as a mentor figure to Baahu, the father he had lost, like Bhishma had been for Arjuna,  inspiring utter trust and devotion from the younger man. The scene where he stabs Baahu reminds me of Drona using the Chakravyuh to kill Abhimanyu. (I headcanon that he does feel regret over that. Drona, that is. Kattappa’s regret is obvious in the movies.)

13. Amarendra- Oh, Baahu. Where do I begin? This might be the most biased headcanon yet. But Baahu’s life gives me vibes of Arjuna, his death of Abhimanyu/Arjuna both. The devotion he shows Kattappa parallels the devotion Arjuna shows to Drona and Bhishma. (Yes, he does kill the latter, but he does it with Bhishma’s own blessings). Baahu’s saving Kattappa from the fire is like Arjuna saving Drona from the crocodile. In canon, Arjuna is known to be the best at all weapons, much as Baahu is. According to KMG, Draupadi is the love of Arjuna’s life, much as Devasena is Baahu’s. In the defense of his wife, Baahu is one over Arjuna. But the “Dandalayya” sequence (the song where he’s in exile and doing little things for the people REALLY gives me Arjuna vibes, because hey, Arjuna’s the sort of person who risked a 12-year exile for a random Brahmin’s cows, do you think that he wouldn’t do little things for people like that when he’s in exile?) And that scene where he teaches Devasena archery neatly ties into my headcanon of Arjuna teaching Draupadi archery. Oh, Baahu’s death basically gives me Abhimanyu vibes for the most part, because Abhimanyu had almost won over the Chakravyuha but died at the last moment before he could, but the fact that it’s Kattappa stabbing him reminds me of Arjuna. I mean, how would Arjuna have felt knowing that his teacher, his Gurudeva, had played an active part in killing his child? Gosh, the guilt! 

So, yeah, here concludes my little parallel post, feel free to add any I have missed.

[avani008]

Make Me Choose: Abhimanyu’s death or Amarendra’s death 

(for @worddiva179!)

When Abhimanyu is very young, Uncle (who knows the best stories, who speaks as though he had walked with gods and kings and long-dead heroes himself) tells him of the moon’s grief for his son. Abhimanyu, who grows up loved and knows very little of loss, thinks it rather too much fuss to make over a single soul; and Uncle’s eyes are tired and old and sad when he murmurs: “Maybe.”

Years later, after his bowstring is cut, after Sumitra is murdered, after the wheel breaks, Abhimanyu looks up with the last of his strength to see the moon out in midday: and now, mourning a child he will never know with his dying breath, understands for the first time the god’s regret. 

(What a tough choice! I mean, seriously, these two are equal, whether in terms of death scenes I always fast-forward through, or unborn sons and tragic wives left behind--I mean, one could argue that Amarendra’s is sadder by dint of being completely voluntary and unexpected, along with being betrayed by his entire family; but Abhimanyu is sixteen and a kid who essentially knows he’s going to die from the instant the Chakravyuh closes back up behind him. In the end, I opted for the original heartbreak, but....it could have as easily gone the other way.)

[kailasalondon]

In the great Mahabharata war, which lasted for 18 days, Arjuna’s son, Abhimanyu was fighting alongside his father. On the 13th day of the war, the Kauravas came together and formed the Chakravyuh - a military formation used to surround enemies. Chakra means spinning wheel, and Vyuh means formation. Young Abhimanyu was able to enter the Chakravyuh, but was unable to exit. Herein, he was slain all alone. On the walls of the Halebidu Temple, a 12th Century temple dedicated to Shiva, in Karnataka, we can see the intricate carving of this chakravyuh, on the walls of the temple, and Abhimanyu fighting the war that ultimately led to his death. Picture via @Laxmisha5 on Twitter

[theincorrigiblemagpie]

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh - The Mother of All Recaps

Ugh so as some of you may have guessed, I stopped watching for a bit. This had nothing to do with the show going drastically downhill *cough*like-some-others-I-could-mention*cough* and everything to do with my life suddenly becoming a little too stressful to keep up with a convoluted daily soap like RKC.

Luckily, my faithful friend Juhi whom I had corralled into watching with me, and who is more dedicated than I am, kept up and also gave me regular text updates. And today, after having missed about 40-ish episodes, I finally sat down and watched bits and pieces and all of the last week’s episodes and can return to business.

The thing is, SO MUCH happens in any single given episode, it’s next to impossible to catch up completely if you fall too far behind. I’m going to do a listicle of important things that happened and ofc, my unsolicited opinions on them, and take it from here. This isn’t strictly chronological because a lot of the points happen at the same time and overlap back and forth, but this is roughly the order of things. I think I may not be able to keep up with daily recaps because I’m not sure I have the time and energy but I’ll do my best.

Just to give you some idea, I stopped watching around episode 24 and we’re on episode 72 now so in everything that follows has happened in 42 episodes (about a month and 3/4). 

1. There is a court order for a DNA test to conclusively deal with the matter of whether Anami is Baldev’s daughter or not. Anami AND Pujan try to fudge the test and end up cancelling each other’s fudging-efforts out and the court declares Anami to be Baldev’s legitimate daughter. (So much for Adhiraj’s “security” which was just Ila in disguise means demote this clodpole right away.)

2. Post-test Gayatri and Satarupa are obviously ecstatic but Vikram is unwilling to declare Anami heir because he’s a chauvinist pig and Baldev also refuses to acknowledge her because he’s useless like that. For some odd reason, Adhiraj also feels betrayed? Don’t ask me to explain the inner workings of men’s minds.

3. Anami decides to run away and makes a plan with the Pathaks and everything for all of them to leave North India altogether (a wise decision-- no good comes of living in N India, full offense to people who like living there). They hope to escape Lal Mahal’s sphere of influence. But then Anami discovers that Vatsalya was her twin brother, the same one she met on the ghats and saved, who later died in an accident. She’s devastated that she lost her twin before she had a chance to know him and decides that running away won’t give her closure or answers and she must stay and fight.

4. Gayatri and Satarupa team up to get acceptance for Anami but Vikram tries to thwart them every step of the way. On the other hand, Narottam manipulates Anami into sympathizing with him by showing himself as the unwanted, mistreated outsider of Lal Mahal. He IS nutty Sudha’s son and he’s effeminate because after birth he was given to a group of kinnars to bring up? And Sudha is locked in an asylum of some kind.

5. Satarupa, who hasn’t learned a jot about how to handle Anami, tries warning her against Narottam with the opposite result of Anami befriending both Narottam and sneaking off to meet Sudha and hang out with her. Narottam, as you may have guessed, is in league with Sudha to take over Lal Mahal and Royal Steel, which they see as THEIR inheritance and right.

6. Adhiraj and Anami have formed an alliance that was initially shaky with Adhiraj’s feeling of betrayal over the truth of Anami’s DNA test and also the fact that Adhiraj ordered a second DNA test secretly which Anami finds out about from jealous Ila. They decide to work together anyway to find out what happened to Vatsalya and keep Anami safe but they become actual friends and there is the whole creepy romance angle again. 🙄

*sigh*

7. Satarupa next bullies Anami into taking admission into the fanciest college in the city and attending classes there. Anami keeps showing up everyone who underestimates her from the Principal to snooty rich kids who are friends of Avdhoot’s. And in the process, becomes BFFs with Tanya who also attends the same college.

8. There is one very annoying side plot involving Tanya and Avdhoot who deliberately manipulates his way into her good graces and charms her because he knows she’s Dheeru’s daughter.

9. Dheeren Pandey aka Dheeru is Adhiraj and Tanya’s dad who has his own agenda against Lal Mahal (obv attuned to Adhiraj’s vengeful feelings). He used to be an employee of Royal Steel until something mysterious happened that he was made to take the fall for. We have flashbacks of him being dragged away by the cops while a smol Adhiraj and Tanya watch and sob. Presumably also related to the mother’s death.

10. With the lack of faith in Vikram and the future, the Royal Steel board was going to allow a hostile takeover by a third party but Dheeru who has somehow acquired 25% shares offers to bail out Vikram if he’s made a 50-50 partner. Satarupa backs him and forces Pujan, Kamini and Vikram to also.

11.That’s why Avdhoot is interested in Tanya. Even Pujan and Kamini think that if Avdhoot marries Dheeru’s daughter, his road to inheriting will become even smoother. I don’t believe anyone at Lal Mahal knows that the son is Adhiraj although Anami finds out that Tanya and Adhiraj are siblings (but she doesn’t know the Dheeru angle).

*takes a deep breath and continues*

12. Pujan and Avdhoot try to get rid of Anami by poisoning her and having her kidnapped but Adhiraj saves her at the last minute. He brings her home and also gets a court order saying that if there are further threats to Anami’s life at Lal Mahal and if she feels unsafe at all, the court will assume custody of her. They just make up any laws they like in this show.

13. Not only Satarupa and Gayatri but also Sudha and Narottam don’t want this. Sudha and Narottam see Anami as their ticket to the Lal Mahal throne. They believe that her do-gooding crusader side will make her fight tooth and nail for their haq and establish them at Lal Mahal.

14. Vikram keeps undermining Anami at every meeting and family thing and brings up Avdhoot as heir. He makes Avdhoot sit in on company meetings and tries to train him in business matters but Avdhoot is a right nincompoop and it FINALLY starts giving him second thoughts. Especially when Anami steps up to all occasions whether asked to or not, shows wisdom beyond her years, and generally is more competent.

15. Nervous about this, Satarupa and Gayatri plot to first get Anami interested in the business by using Vatsalya’s diaries and books and making it a mission of sorts for her, and then roping in Dheeru to train her. She sees through some of it and refuses to meet Dheeru but voluntarily starts reading Vatsalya’s business books and diaries. Just a side note to say Vatsalya had the makings of a good socialist and was just one step away from writing ‘Sieze the means of production!’ wrt to the Royal Steel workers. I’m on board for an Anami-led revolution where Baldev is guillotined FIRST.

16. Ofc she meets Dheeru anyway on the road where he saves a blind man from being run over by a bike and she teaches the biker a lesson about thinking of others. They both come away favourably impressed with one another.

17. Adhiraj catches on to Anami sneaking out at night all the time with Narottam and warns her to be careful. They concoct a story about Narottam seeing a psychiatrist at night and he appears to buy it. 🤦🏿‍♀️

18. Sudha and Narottam plant Naina in Lal Mahal by sending her to Satarupa with information about the dude who’d tried to kidnap Anami. Satarupa trusts Naina immediately (umm WHY) and when she asks for a job, assigns her as Anami’s security detail (what the actual fuck). Satarupa tries to torture the dude into revealing info about his master but he knows nothing as he was an anonymously hired mercenary. (Satarupa plays a frighteningly good mob boss in these scenes, as I’ve mentioned before.) Luckily, the paanwala-informer clues Adhiraj into Naina’s role and tendency to let Anami slip out so there is that.

*getting so tired*

19. Anami says she wants a Durga Puja at home and Vikram initially refuses because apparently there is a curse and every time they’d tries to do Durga Puja, something or the other has gone wrong. Satarupa and Baldev also do not want this because of Vatsalya’s recent demise. But Anami and Gayatri convince everyone and they decide to do the Puja dhoom-dhaam se. Anami claims all responsibility for the puja.

20. The upcoming puja appears to bring everyone closer and they’re all vaguely happy preparing for it. Ofc Pujan tries to sabotage it by loosening the screws of the palanquin that is to bring the idol in so that it falls and breaks. I’m reasonably certain that Anami will stop this somehow. Anyhoo, Dheeru is also invited. (I like how Vikram and Gayatri pretend absolutely NOTHING is wrong with Dheeru. Like they didn’t see him arrested, dragged forcibly from Lal Mahal years ago. Dheeru ofc has reason to appear pleasant. Baldev is upfront about his hostility and Satarupa is equally upfront about the fact that she doesn’t particularly like him but the compromise was necessary to keep Royal Steel intact and with them.)

21. One annoying cousin of Avdhoot’s appears from “Europe” or “America” (I’m vague on this) on the day of the puja and he’s basically a lecherous and aiyaash version of NK from IPKKND. He starts harassing Poonam right away. My god, literally all the men in this show are trash except for cinnamon roll, Vatsalya.

22. Dheeru, Adhiraj, Tanya are set to appear at Lal Mahal for the first time together. Both Poonam and Tanya ship Adhiraj-Anami and since it would be very OOC for either Anami or Adhiraj to daydream about one another, Poonam does the dreaming on their behalf like a dazed Gul-Khan-show-shipper. I see you, makers, I see you.

*falls down dead*

[101percentindia]

I Binge-Watched Sacred Games Forsaking The FIFA World Cup Match

There are no spoilers here, so read on.

There have been many novels on Mumbai - her colours, her colourful nights and her many poisoned tongues. But what makes Vikram Chandra’s Sacred Games unique is that it does not pander to the white man. It wears its lingo like a lungi - tight and snug - not once bothering to explain to the goras what the words mean. There have been many novels that claim to be ‘of Bombay’ and ‘by Bombay’, but Chandra’s novel is truly ‘for Bombay’.

Adapting a novel into an engaging screenplay is difficult, more so if it is a 900-page epic that needs to be adapted for a generation with no patience for opening credits and intros. Add to it the fact that we Indians do not really understand binge-watching.

A few local series launched with a new episode every week, and others like Inside Edge could force you to get a brain MRI done. Despite all our cultural heterogeneity, we haven’t been able to come up with engaging, meme worthy content. For me, Sacred Games changes all that.

I kept my Friday completely free – canceling all appointments and sacrificing the FIFA World Cup match. It must be said here that I possess all the focal abilities of a cockroach, which is why I was skeptical. Will it retain my interest? By the end of episode 1, I was rolling a J and ready to go to the second. By the end of the series, I had a sore throat, and ONE disappointment – that the show wasn’t longer!

Writers Smita Singh, Vasanth Nath and Varun Grover do an enviable job at skimming without skimping. But the real hero of the series is Kashyap’s editor Aarti Bajaj. Having edited all his work from Paanch to Mukkabaaz, Bajaj ensures that the series feels both monumental and binge-worthy. Like its source material, the show does not once pause to take a shortcut, nor does it make it easy for you to catch up.

We arrive on the scene as Sartaj Singh - a Sikh police officer too honest for his own good - gets a call from gangster Ganesh Gaitonde. These are two unlikely souls to connect, in a world where happiness is one twist away from cruelty and pain.

But why Sartaj? Why would an upright cop get a call from Gaitonde - a man whose many tentacles are spread deep into the heart of the city - its veins the large pipes, its arteries the thin by lanes.

Saif’s scenes have been directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, and Nawaz’s scenes by Anurag Kashyap. This works wonderfully, as Motwane lends Saif a brooding exterior, and Kashyap makes Nawaz simmer. The two characters are starkly different, Saif plunges into the Chakravyuh like Abhimanyu – noble and virtuous. Nawaz is part-Shakuni, part-Bheeshma.

This heady concoction of shared responsibilities is what gives Sacred Games its freshness. We have seen Kashyap depict gangsters, and Motwane depict sons under mighty fathers. But instead of diverging, the two tracks meet for a thrilling ride. TV shows and web-series hinge largely on the performances, and the director duo bring out the best from an already dependable cast.

Luke Kenny turns macabre, Marathi actor Jitendra Joshi is in top form, as are Girish Kulkarni and Rajshri Deshpande. And in a surprising case, the stars of the film bring their best to the table.

Credit to Saif Ali Khan for putting his money where his balls are. While other superstars are surviving on patriotism or cocaine, Saif Ali Khan is exploring new territories, risking it all with every new venture (ignoring the Airbnb ads).

Radhika Apte has now become predictably good with every project. Kubra Sait shines in what will go down as the cameo of the year. But the series rests firmly on the frail, drooping shoulders of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Constantly saddled with dark shades, Nawaz comes up with a new bag of tricks every single time. The absolute authority with which he plays Gaitonde - a man whose destiny is written with a rusty razor - is commendable. The violence tires him and turns him on. It represents who he is, and yet Gaitonde isn’t the violence. It is heartening to see Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s success. In the cesspool that is Bollywood, he is the only one who seems worthy of rooting for.

But more than anything else, Sacred Games is a victory for Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. For years, they have been fighting an impotent Censor Board and inane public taste. In a space free of government disclaimers every time a character farts, where you need to prove your patriotism at the beginning, where the government peeks into the screen every few seconds - the duo paint the canvas with bold, bright and stark colours.

It has shades of Breaking Bad, but there’s no real ‘breaking’ to be done here. They have all broken bad, it’s just a matter of when you see their ugly insides. What the series demands is fascination, of the morbid variety. It doesn’t allow you to invest emotionally or ‘like’ any character - it is too cool for that. Characters are cut to size just as they begin to seem heroic. And that works just fine for me. I’m too cynical to like anyone anyway.

Related: Dinner With The Dons

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are independent views solely of the author(s) expressed in their private capacity and do not in any way represent or reflect the views of 101india.com

By Hriday Ranjan Cover photo credit: hamariweb.com

[macs39]

Chakra-vyuh mein ghusne se pehle, kaun tha main... aur kaisa tha? yeh mujhe yaad hi na rahega?

Chakravyuh mein ghusne ke baad, mere aur chakravyuh ke beech, sirf ek jaanleva nikat’ta thi.. Iska mujhe pata hi na chalega?

Chakravyuh se nikalne ke baad, main mukt ho jaoon bhale hi.. phir bhi chakravyuh ki rachna mein farq hi na padega..?

Marun.. ya maarun.. Maara diya jaoon ya jaan se maardun.? Iska faisla kabhi na ho paayega..

Soya hua aadmi jab neend se uthkar chalna shuru karta hai, tab sapnon ka sansar usey, dobara dikh hi na paayega?

Us roshni mein.. jo nirnay ki roshni hai sab kuchh samaan hoga kya?

Ek palde mein Napunsakta.. Ek palde mein Paurush.. aur theek taraazu ke kaante par,

Ardh Satya.

(by Dilip Chitre.)

Chakra ( Spiral) vyuh ( formation) is a kind of war maze that's almost impossible to break down. The actual mention is in the Mahabharata, the Indian epic. In that book there's this young guy (Abhimanyu) who enters the maze with only half the  knowledge about this war maze. He knew how to enter and a bit of how to combat but not how to get out of it. Not relevant here, but only 2 people knew in totality how to beat that battle formation. But duty, love and honor beckoned and he entered the impossible maze with his half a knowledge ( half truth aka ardh satya? ). The poem reflects just that. But it isn't just about the epic or that young boy. The poem itself is about the war maze and the implications if one choses to enter..so I think one should have a clear understanding of its meaning. It has no english word or synonym.

It's like a situation that occurs when life tests us - when one can't think right, for we all face this Chakravyuh or war maze multiple times in our lives. To fight against the very fabric and structure of society isn't easy. On one hand it loves to breed corruption, violence, hatred,  disparity and segregation but on the other it also gives us the sense of security, unity, hope and belief. What would you do to a father who raised you with all the love and care but who could only do so by destroying the lives of thousands around him? What would you do once you know it? Or what would you not do? That is Chakravyuh. Some will never give it a thought as for them life will forever be a bed of roses.. Some give in merely at the thought of entering the maze..that is- do something about it with a false reassurance to self that everything that ever happened was meant to happen.. but very few chose morality and duty over personal losses..they will chose to fight..and those very few are still inside of the chakravyuh fighting. But has anyone beaten it? And if they have ..has it changed anything? I think there are a few. That was just an example.

The english translation follows: ( not the best )

Before I entered the war maze: Who was I and how did I look.. Will I remember not even that?

After entering the war maze: Between me and the maze, there will be nothing but a deadly proximity. Will I realize not even that?

After exiting the war maze: Even if I manage to get my freedom. The structure of the maze, ( that i fought against) Will it still remain completely unchanged?

(Shall I) Kill myself or kill them.. Get myself killed or get them killed..? The verdict on this.. will it never be decided?

The dreamy man who actually starts to walk after a long long sleep, His sweet land of dreams ( that he dreamt of while asleep ).. Will he never be able to see it again?

In the light..that is to be the luminance of my decision Will everything appear to be equal and just?

On one end of the scale is my impotency ( weakness). On the other -masculinity (Courage). And right there (balancing the two ends) the needle of the scale points to -The half truth.

(Ardh Satya)

Thanks.

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[ypsilon2007]

Theatre Review: Chakravyuh

Saturday evening saw us trooping to see the play Chakravyuh at Rang Sharda Mandir.

If you know your Mahabharat I don’t have to go into a ‘Ramayan’ about the meaning and significance of Chakravyuh.  For the uninitiated, the Mahabharat is one of India’s two great epics and Chakravyuh is one of the war stratagems employed (albeit dishonestly) in the great war between the cousins.

Now to the play.

Ch…

[avani008]

For one character meme: Abhimanyu (daemon fusion au)

one lie she/he told

“Oh–no, Uncle Balarama,” Abhimanyu says, voice steady, “I’ve yet to see Uncle Krishna today–but should I come across him, I’ll let him know of your concerns.”

“Do that,” grunts Uncle Balarama, no less frightening when his anger is directed towards another; and Abhimanyu does not dare move or speak until he is safely out of earshot.

“Well done,” says Uncle Krishna serenely, slipping out from the alcove; and then it is all worth it. 

two prayers/requests he/she made, and to whom

He prays to Mother Durga, as all warriors must, for the usual things: fame, strength, victory. But under the heat of the sun, surrounded by the enemy, he thinks only of his beloved uncle and wishes only this: don’t let me disappoint you, please–

three ways in which history/legend is mistaken about her/him

He might have been his father’s favorite son, but Uttara is dearer by far to Arjuna than he ever could be. It puzzles Abhimanyu sometimes, who had always supposed that excellence at archery was the only way to win his father’s love, but Uttara, only an enthusiastic but unskilled dancer, might not have earned Arjuna’s affection, but enjoys it anyway. 

“You are to inherit Indraprastha one day,” Mother Draupadi promises him, and Abhimanyu frowns. Try as he might, he cannot picture himself doing such a thing and–and–Dwaraka is home, shameful though that might be. He does not want ever to leave it. He fidgets and fumbles, and if he could know cousin Vajra would have it instead someday, he would be all the happier for it.

They slander Mother, accusing her of sleeping too soon, but here is the truth: Abhimanyu intentionally puts all thoughts of the chakravyuh from his mind and refuses to learn it because he is tired of knowing so much of battle before he’s had a chance to participate in it, because the damage that breaking the formation would cost a thousand men’s lives, because–

Because it is boring, being perfect. 

four figures he/she admired

Uncle Krishna is clever and kind and even when he does not realize it, Abhimanyu copies his mannerisms without fail. 

Mother Draupadi is little more than a memory, but one upright and unbending. Abhimanyu is proud to defend her honor, even it means his life. 

Mother herself is stubborn and strong and never scared of anything–and in his last moments, it’s her example Abhimanyu turns to. 

Always, bright and blazing from afar, there is Father: and Abhimanyu will do whatever it takes to worship at his altar.  

five sentences from a fusion AU 

“A bear!”

Mother, to her credit, does her best to smother most of her laughter, but Chandra and Abhimanyu give her identical looks of reproach nonetheless. The V at Chandra’s neck is a shadow of Abhimanyu’s own royal collar; and the sleepy-eyed expression they usually wear the same. It is only–not the most flattering of comparisons for the son of a hero, who had desperately wanted to settle into a fierce eagle or lion or noble steed. 

“Don’t despair,” says Uncle Krishna, “they’re much fiercer than they seem. I think we can expect greatness of you yet.”

And Abhimanyu, resigned, contents himself with that much. 

[theincorrigiblemagpie]

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh (Episodes 65, 66) - Can we calm down with the Bollywood music?

October 23 & 24, 2017

Listen, all I want to do is keep up with my daily dose of Anami and Satarupa. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR.

Anyway, we’re doing 2 episodes together, cos whattodo about my asli dunya.

Right off the bat, fucken Harry, nincompoop cousin of the nincompoop Avdhoot, shows his kameenapan by grabbing Poonam with 2 of Avdhoot’s lame friends and trying to rape her in a billiards room.

Hereon, if there was ANY doubt about how they’re subverting (admittedly hamhandedly but I’ll take it) the traditional hero-heroine roles in a desi soap, may they be forever laid to rest.

Anami A) finds Poonam’s bracelet that she’d given her on the floor outside the billiard room.

B) bursts into the room in silent, shaking rage and a teary Poonam runs to her and hugs her for comfort.

C) after the two chelas run away, knowing what’s good for them, thrashes Harry within an inch of his life.

D) grabs a reluctant Poonam’s hand and drags them in front of everyone and makes Harry apologise to Poonam.

(LMAO that girl in blue at the back is the same Mean Girl who’d picked on Anami on her first day of college and later claimed to have befriended her. Good to see we invite friends and not complete randos.)

Ofc Kamini plays the typical upper caste/class bitchy slut-shaming aunty and humiliates Poonam and tries to blame it on her. Anami tries to talk sense into her but Kamini threatens to blow it out of proportion. And THEN.

Everyone’s Godmother Satarupa steps in. She gives Kamini false hope by saying, yes, it was Poonam’s fault.

And then finishes the sentence with “it was her fault ki Poonam didn’t give him a tight slap the very first time Harry tried to molest her and that she didn’t do what Anami did.” (Which is a very problematic thing to say, but very dramatically effective.)

Man, she put the fear of GOD in Harry by stalking toward him. Matlab, I could momentarily SEE a genetic resemblance between Narayani Shastri and Mahima Makwana, I tell you. What powerhouses.

She finished the whole scene by telling Kamini that she should thank her lucky stars Anami found Harry and not Satarupa herself because...

She literally leaves off there and we must infer that Kamini knows about Satarupa’s tendency to quietly get people who sneeze wrong bumped off.

Ofc Pujan tries to smooth things over while Kamini leaves with Harry. Ngl Kamini is a real babe and deserves better than to be married to this useless scheming Pujan and have a useless grown ass son and nephew. She shoulda gotten herself a sugar daddy instead.

Pujan promises deep vengeance (ofc because the Durga idol falling and breaking will be the ultimate apshakun and hence, revenge). Rolled my eyes so hard, they almost fell out of their sockets.

So, we have full band baaja and they’re bringing the idol in with shots that have come out of a white person’s wet dream of colourful, exotic Incredible India.

And OMG IT HAS A HALF OF A SECOND EXPRESSION ON ITS FACE. I mean the very pointless Baldev ofc.

Anami, our local Spiderman, notices a thorn stuck in one of the palanquin bearers feet amid all the chaos and bends to pick it out. Giving herself the perfect vantage point to also hear the loosened screw drop out and immediately dive under the palanquin to save the idol.

After a moment of panic, everyone is reassured as she emulates the Flavour of the Season, Baahubali.

No, seriously.

Like, people don’t even TRY to help this skinny SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD girl who has been FASTING all day to carry this massive idol that probably weighs more than her for the first 5 minutes. For show.

Then, we get Baldev grabbing one end and Satarupa grabbing the other end and Dadaji Vikram clearing the dropped embers in her path with his stick.

Not before he’s had time to process the whole thing and question his entire life and worldview, though.

How Hum Saath Saath Hai. If it was made by Ram Gopal Verma.

This is the face of a man who has messed up very badly all his life and only the tip of the iceberg has become visible to him and he suspects the presence of the Titanic wrecking monster below the surface.

Gayatri makes obvious statements about Anami being deviroop and being sent to protect Lal Mahal etc etc. Lady, I don’t think it’s quite going to pan out like that.

Anami places the idol in its spot and when the pandit wants her to start the pooja, Vikram is all “no, Avdhoot must do the puja.”

Once a chauvinist piece of trash, always a chauvinist piece of trash.

He does look shifty while saying it, though so Gayatri swoops in and tells him that this puja wouldn’t even be happening if not for Anami so he can stop being  a jackass. And also tells Pujan to shut it when he tries to intervene. With the happy result that Anami gets to do the puja. Which we’re made to suffer through with dramatic intercuts of Sudha wild-dancing with dhunuchi at her asylum all set to Jai Maa Kali from Karan Arjun.

I wish I was making this bit up.

Just going to leave these screencaps here because truly what cinematography but what jaatra-level writing, shyah.

(Note that Baldev has reverted to his usual stony glum-face. Like, why do they even pay an actor for his role.)

Dheeru makes a lone entry and skulks around. He joins the family conclave that forms after the puja where the adults talk about the future of Lal Mahal. Gayatri, Satarupa and Dheeru are all heavily and vocally pro-Anami and want Vikram to change his mind about Avdhoot. They use major puja metaphors to make their point. Pujan is stuck because he doesn’t want to be seen rooting for his son for selfish reasons while no one cares about what Baldev has to say (nothing), as usual. The man is an irritating cardboard cutout.

But THEN, I am reminded of why I fucken love this show and am still surprised by it when they tone it all the fuck down and VIKRAM makes the most logical point of all.

He points out that he’s willing to back down from all his prejudices and accept Anami as heir. But that will not change that Anami will not accept this family as her own. Royal Steel and Lal Mahal need stability which she will not provide because she has been uprooted from the only place she considers home (Benaras) and she will leave the moment she is legally able to. They need to accept that.

Yeah, Gayatri, even I hate it when chauvinist men make sorta vaguely legitimate points.

But then, Dheeru points out that he hasn’t given Anami that chance even. He’s sentenced her without allowing her the slightest room to prove herself.

AND THEN, Vikram finally relents because “Dheeru has never made a wrong decision for Royal Steel.” Whoa I think he’s referring even to the unexplained fall Dheeru took and went to jail for.

He says ki since Avdhoot has been given a chance to prove himself (LOL WHAT WHEN DID HE PROVE HIMSELF HE’S LITERALLY DONE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF PROVING HIMSELF ALL THROUGH GODDAMN SAVARNA PATRIARCHS), Anami should also.

Vikram will personally test the two of them and judge based on their capability (sure) and not their gender and take it from there. I can’t explain how much all this talk of (fake) meritocracy and inheritance gives me intense michmichi.

But it does lead to this hilarious scene which explains exactly how the two main interested parents feel about this situation.

Satarupa is like “I’ve already fucking won this just give Anami the crown and don’t go through this farce.” And Pujan is like “GOD FUCK ME SIDEWAYS.”

Oh btw, while this intense conversation is happening, Adhiraj and Tanya have arrived and all the kids start dancing to Nagada Sang Dhol (INCLUDING ADHIRAJ which is EXACTLY as awkward as you imagine it is). Can’t even screencap, I’m telling you. Avdhoot is genuinely at least in lust with Tanya? (YUCK) Harry is giving him advice upar se! Matlab MEN ARE TRASH. He was beaten up not 4 hours ago for being an almost-rapist. I hope Adhiraj beats both Avdhoot and Harry up solid (I won’t even consider it police brutality). Where is Ila, man? Why is she missing the awkward fun?

Also, I was mistaken. Everyone is aware of everyone’s identities, it seems. There is no surprise at Adhiraj’s appearance and Avdhoot clearly knows Tanya is his sister so they know he’s Dheeru’s son? Dheeru also had figured out that the girl he met on the road is Anami of Lal Mahal. I dunno, I may have missed stuff when I tried to catch up on 40 episodes together. But then why were Pujan and Baldev treating Adhiraj as just a CBI officer when he brought Anami home after the chemistry lab accident? Surely they should’ve brought up his connection to Dheeru to taunt him better?

Possible continuity errors, methinks. ANyWay, tomorrow we have nutty Sudha’s desperate bid to force Anami’s hand and come to Lal Mahal by trying to commit fake suicide. Fun. Not. Honestly, Sudha and Baldev deserve each other and Satarupa needs an intense, powerful, interesting man who has some conflict of interest with her but is also drawn to her. And while we deserve decent women friendships, I also am teetering on shipping Anami and Poonam because that was some relationship-y symbolism in the beginning. 

Whatevs man, just give me Satarupa and Anami (and Gayatri) dealing sick burns to the men and I don’t care about anything else.

[theincorrigiblemagpie]

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh (Episode 19) - 20 Questions

Aug 28, 2017

Sorry, I didn’t screencap today because I was frankly too caught up in the drama. Toh aaj dialogue se hi kaam chala lete hain.

Adhiraj and Ila have a typed up sheet of questions on Ila’s tablet to ask each Singh. Adhiraj, Ila, have you two ever considered graduate school? I feel like you’d really fit in.

They begin their pooch-taach and predictably, everyone gets upset and starts threatening to call random ministers. In an absolute first in my experience, Adhiraj only preempts Avdhoot and calls the Home Minister who very kindly tells Avdhoot that Adhiraj doesn’t even report directly to him so he can’t do anything. LMAO Avdhoot, kabhi kabhi thoda research will save the day. One quick Google search woulda told you that the CBI actually reports to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Don’t worry, that is how I learned also.

So the questions they ask everyone that gets their backs up are--

1) To Dadaji-- were you really not aware that you had a granddaughter or was this a plan of some kind?

Dadaji is all “how dare you, shareefon ke ghar mein aake?” To which Adhiraj says “if you were THAT shareef, even the regular cops wouldn’t bother you, forget the CBI.” I tittered heavily.

2) To Baldev-- did you also not know that you have a daughter? REALLY really? and word on the street is that Narottam is your by-blow? (why hello, welcome back, Narottam)

At this Baldev roars, “HAAN JUDGE SAAB” and admits that Narottam is his and that he has no clue about anything and is still searching for the truth. LMAO Baldev, face it, your dad didn’t disinherit you because of an affair, he disinherited you because you’re a GFNF. He wants to walk off tashan-mein but Adhiraj pours water on that too and asks him to stick around for the rest.

3) To Satarupa-- how many kids you got? and how many kids would you have claimed to have 2 months ago? did Guruji seriously suggest this outrageous plan that you went along with? and FINALLY, why did you give your daughter away and not your son? did you love your daughter less?

Unfortunately, before Satarupa can answer this, Anami enters and tells him not to bother asking about “love” and emotions like that around here because all anyone cares about is competing and most of all her matlabi Maataji. Adhiraj and Anami go on to have a cryptic tashan-filled conversation about aggression and respect and whatnot as he questions her about her upbringing. Listen, writers, Anami sassing a grown-ass cop isn’t going to make this relationship less creepy.

4) Then he asks Narottam why he ran away a couple of days ago and where he was going, to which Narottam smartly says that he didn’t know Adhiraj was a plainclothes cop and was scared he was some random thug. And that he left the house for a breath of air because he misses Vatsalya so much. Adhiraj buys this and even expresses some subtle sympathy, and you can tell Anami does too. Fuck, Narottam is GOOD. Like, he’s twisted and has his own motives too but he knows how to play.

5) Finally, while questioning Avdhoot, Pujan, who managed to give the men tailing him the slip via the age-old burkha-method, appears and refuses all knowledge of supaari-killer-Bala whom they have evidence was present at Lal Mahal shortly after Vatsalya’s death (remember the Press conference?) BUT Adhiraj’s question plants the first seed of doubt in Satarupa’s head regarding Pujan. Oooh beta, teri khair nahi if she finds out the truth.

OK, Imma stop here and wonder for exactly 5 seconds what this adventure of Pujan’s accomplished. He returned in RECORD time to Lal Mahal only so wtf did he and the corrupt cop sort out in like 10 minutes?

Anyway, having exhibited his daily swag quota, Adhiraj decides to leave but promises to be back. Anami stops him with a muhavra that I fully didn’t understand and he responds with warnings of a coming storm. I do believe inn sab ka khana hazam nahi hota, without speaking in unnecessary dramatic metaphors.

As the evening progresses, Poonam goes to Satarupa to tell her that Anami hasn’t had a bite to eat in all the while she’s been here, which is close to 48 hours now. Satarupa makes Damo carry a plate of food to her (of course) and coaxes her in various ways but Anami refuses to eat saying her stomach is filled with the ongoing tamasha. Anami is so rude with such sweet, smooth insolence, it really warms my heart.

Uffff Satarupa, at least tempt her with GOOD food. She takes roti-sabzi-dal out to her. I mean however fancy you cook it, it’s still roti-sabzi-dal. Fucken’ get pooris and halwa, samosas, jalebi etc? And this is generic stuff I thought of randomly that sanskaari vegetarian North Indians probably like eating. I’m sure you know better.

And Anami, gurllll, Pagli Panditayin is going to be SO MAD if she finds out that you’ve been starving yourself. This is not a sustainable plan physically or emotionally, says the person who legit gets rage-y and teary if hungry for too long.

Tomorrow-- Pujan instigates Dadaji and Baldev some more against Satarupa and Anami and Baldev is all “iss ghar mein woh dono rahenge ya main.”  Please feel free to leave, Baldev, no one give a fuck.

[theincorrigiblemagpie]

Rishton Ka Chakravyuh (Episode 15) - Everyone’s Wearing a #SatarupaSux Badge

Aug 23, 2017

Imma make this super quick because frankly not a lot happens.

Baldev goes to his room to brood about this dhamaka and when Satarupa goes to enlist his support, he’s a passive-aggressive jerk to her, as usual. Ok get this, first, he’s unwilling to admit Anami could be any child of theirs and that Satarupa hired her randomly to play daughter. Then, when Satarupa insists that she gave birth to Anami, he’s like “ok then she’s your illegitimate daughter like Narottam is my illegitimate son.” This is not how illegitimacy works, Baldev. Your wife did not necessarily have an affair too just because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.

Satarupa, ofc, gets progressively angrier until she’s just “Fuck off, I’m done explaining shit to you. Anami will stay here EVERY DAY and I’d like to see what anyone does about it.”

She does raise a very valid point ki she’d assumed Baldev would be mad at her for hiding Anami’s existence for 17 years, not refuse to acknowledge Anami altogether.

I think Baldev’s main problem is that Anami is a “junglee jatadhaari ladki” (his words) more than anything else. Uff so glad I can hate Baldev with abandon. God forbid, I had to deal with his awkward bonding attempts.

Turns out Gayatri was never #TeamSatarupa to begin with and she’s indulging in a hearty bout of I-told-you-so with Dadaji. Dadaji is also all “insaan pehchaanne mein galati ho gayi.” That toh I can see all the time, you old moron. They conveniently write off Damo’s words because she’s Satarupa’s chamchi and Guruji’s too because “he’s getting old.”

And what are you two? Spring chickens?

They’re worried about what to do now because if they publicly refuse to recognize Anami as heir, “khandaan ki badnaami hogi” but if they do, a stranger will inherit everything.

Ok, wait. SURELY, this medieval family has heard of something called DNA testing? If you’ve all decided in the course of one hour that Satarupa is crazed and drunk on power and lying, what could be easier than getting Anami’s DNA tested and sending her AND Satarupa away if she’s not your kin?

For such a smartly written show, what an odd slip-up.

So turns out that younger help girl, Poonam, is assigned to be Anami’s “parchhai.” All of the royals have one, apparently. Uff, so much natak. But she seems like a sweet girl and Anami is not mean to her, only a little teasing. Anami seems to have regained her good mood and refuses to sleep in her gilt-edged room. She prances around Lal Mahal, breaking stuff, having rude run-ins with Baldev and her grandparents. 

Adhiraj is also aware of everything and the paanwala-turned-informer gives him the dirt on Anami’s background, when they notice Narottam sneaking out of the house and riding off on a bike. They try to tail him but Narottam manages to lose them. Adhiraj, a little less time working out and making ppts and a little more time on the field, I think.

Tomorrow, Pujan instigates Dadaji to shoot Anami which he actually goes to do. Uff I have so little patience for stupidity like this.