#arjun prince of bali

[kayetra-spade-queen]

You know what kinda bothers me after watching Arjun Prince of Bali for a while?

Throne of Bali depicting Arjun in a not so favorable light, despite the entire movie's whole purpose is to promote his then up and coming series.

And in the end, Bheem became the savior. Like, ok, it's originally a movie from Bheem's side of the series, but CB team making anyone else the hero instead of Bheem challenge (impossible).

Once again, I'm not here to bash on either shows; they're my favorite shows despite all things considered. It's just that I have to be in overanalyzing state at everything ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Arjun's Introductory

Arjun's introduction is anything but nice. First glance, he was depicted as an arrogant prince who thinks he doesn't need help from other people just because he's the prince.

And lo and behold, he softened up after half of the movie.

Idk if it's just me being biased. But if it were me, if I want to introduce a character that I wanted to make a whole series about, and the movie was my promotion tactic, I'd give him more character that still holds true when he had the series.

Like, ok, the series was like 3 years after Throne of Bali timeline-wise (Arjun being 8 at TOB, then 11 at APOB), so I get that he grew up and matured up. But god forbid introducing a character in such a way.

Tanya & Zimmbu's Absence

What kinda irks me is the fact that Tanya doesn't exist. So does Zimmbu, and they're supposed to be Arjun's little sister and pet respectively.

What I assume is that Arjun's story is still half-baked when Throne of Bali was up. So instead of fleshing out the story and characters first, they just decided to go with whatever they have, and went along with the movie's release anyways.

Which, I guess they're chasing a deadline, so I guess I should cut them some slack. But still, excluding very crucial people from Arjun's life other than his parents that make up for more than half of his character is a bit much, no?

Bheem Being the Story's 'Savior'

I get it, it's Bheem's movie originally, so I get why putting Bheem on a spotlight more. But again, it's Arjun's movie at the end of the day, shouldn't it be reasonable that Arjun be the ultimate savior?

He's the crown prince for crying out loud, why did it shift to Bheem being a prince??

Which, I supposed because Bheem was a well-known figure already, in which if he's not the main hero, less people would take interest in the series.

But then again, another solution is to make both of them the ultimate saviors. But hey, I'm no Green Gold.

Now, it's time for me to tackle on a bit of kinda like a rewrite but not really. I'm just gonna list out that what I would like to be changed in the movie.

Involving Tanya and Zimmbu

I think involving Arjun's closest person and animal is detrimental for his character overall. Despite his personality, Arjun is a caring older brother and would actually put his sister first before him (which, ik in some cases Tanya came second, but that's because she just wanted to do what her brother was doing, but my point still stands for overall reasons).

Arjun would still be hostile towards Bheem and his friends, which would make sense because he doesn't know them, despite being the people his uncle trusted. I'd replaced his arrogance to just focusing on keeping his sister from harm's way. He'd keep her close at all times during the span of the movie until Arjun could slowly trust Bheem.

Arjun's Personality

I get that he's made to be the type to enjoy attention and limelight, and also a bit of competitive. But how did it turned to complete arrogance??

In the series, as far as I know, the only times Arjun ever used his title against someone was towards villains who's making havoc towards the kingdom, and Arjun have to use his title to let the villains know that their actions are acknowledged by the order. Arjun might've still be only a prince, but he's the eventual ruler, so his words also holds power despite his current position.

Once again, I'm using Arjun's caring big bro personality at play here (Arjun acted the same way to Khojo, and sometimes even Sankat). Realistically, I don't think Arjun would've cared much about getting attention from his people while his home is literally being under attack. His main focus should be at making sure the people who's still unaffected by the curse remains safe.

Arjun would still kept his distance from the gang for safety measures; he still doesn't trust them in fear that they might've had some ulterior motives behind their help that Arjun knew nothing about. His hostile attitude towards them was to keep himself, and his sister and pet safe from potential danger.

Arjun would keep Tanya entertained and maybe comfort her when she's getting homesick. She and Zimmbu are his only family left at the time, so keeping them close to him at all times was an absolute need for not just for them, but also for himself.

I think Arjun would soften up when Tanya gets more close with the others. Arjun is still close Indumati and trusts her because she is family, but Tanya getting really friendly with everyone else was kinda like a stepping stone for him to loosen up.

As Arjun began to soften up and trusts them, he'll be more friendlier to them.

And trusting Tanya with the others was a huge step for him into completely trusting them. Regardless of everything, Tanya was at the top of his priority, so trusting his sister's safety with them was huge.

Ending

What irks me most was at the end of everything, Bheem was the ultimate savior. Hello, is this movie supposed to promote Arjun or not??

When Bheem fell into the cracks and into the lava, Arjun would be following him in an attempt to save him from falling into the lava, but both ended up falling in anyways, but was saved regardless.

Bheem would be told that he still have many lives to save in the future, while Arjun would be told that as the prince of Bali and the eventual ruler of the kingdom, Arjun have the utmost responsibility to keep the kingdom from harm, and possibly foreshadowing Bali's second calamity and his fight with Hiranya.

I think that's all I have to offer. If there's any more, I'd add it later.

[jasmine-hair-oil]

Fuck zodiac signs, who do you prefer, Chotta bheem or Arjun the prince of Bali??

[bowlersandtophats]

Arjun Prince of Bali

[skyland2703]

List the Top 5-10 Animated CHARACTERS you aspired to be like when you were under 15, then tag three people.

I was tagged by the ever so awesome @augment-techs :D SO HERE WE GOOOOOO (I may not have gotten the exact definition of ANIMATED, but like. all of this is 2-D animation so what do I say)

10. Dunno exactly why, but I was obsessed with him. So much so that I got the exact same haircut and used to wear green clothes all the time ALL THE TIME. (Arjun, the Prince of Bali. The movie came out when I was 9, never liked the series as muchhh)

9. I felt like a tigger, ngl. All I wanted, when I grew up, was a tail I could bounce on, and HE IS THE HAPPIEST TIGER IN THE WORLD.

8. This boy was my spirit animal when I was eight.

7. And then this guy one when I was nine. (Kemuzou Kemumaki, Ninja Hattori)

6. And then I learnt the literal definition of a girlboss........ (Viveca, Barbie and the Three Musketeers)

5. I got teased by the name Doraemon in school.... never really minded it tho... :)

4. I didn't wanna be the boy with the Magical monkey, that was also a schoolbag. I wanted to be the Magical Monkey that was also a schoolbag. simple logic :D (keymon ache)

3. Cue me being Sylvester for three years straight....

2. Fun fact, I LIKE IT MORE WHEN TOM AND JERRY ARE FRIENDS AND/OR WHEN JERRY BEATS THE SHIT OUT OF TOM (aka every episode) but the ones where they actually DO WORK TOGETHER are MY FAVORITES T_T I love Jerry. He's life goals.

1. I don't think I need to explain my #1 :D

Tagging (No pressure!) @reithewonderingwanderer @naraozublogs @nobodycallsmerae

[heavenwontbethe-same]

Do you remember the Crossover movie of Chotta Bheem and Arjun: Prince of Bali that was mainly to promote the latter show?

Yeah, Arjun and Bheem are g a y

Indumati: Can I get some dating advice?

Arjun: Just because I'm with Bheem doesn't mean I know how I did it.

I don't think I've seen it but I can definitely imagine bheem being gay

[ginazmemeoir]

Women in the Indian Epics

This post is in response to @hindumythologyevent (i won’t be able to write tomorrow)

Ramayana and Mahabharata, while being epics centred around Hinduism, are actually integral parts of Indian culture as a whole. Everyone in India has grown up knowing about these epics, but never about the women. I would like to take this moment to make people realize THESE. EPICS. WOULD. BE . NON. EXISTANT. WITHOUT WOMEN. HECK ALL OF US WOULD BE.

1. RAMAYANA: While there’ s no shift in the status of women chronologically, there definitely is a marked changed in the social status of women in the epic geographically.

  North - 

Kaushalya : Princess of Southern Kosala (modern day Bundelkhand in India), she had proposed her marriage to Dasharath, Ram’s father, to stop the war between their kingdoms. In the epics, she is shown as “virtuous” and “sacrificing”, and is Ram’s birth mother.

Kaikeyi : Princess of Kekaya (modern day Pakistan-Afghanistan border region), she had married Dasharatha of her own accord, on her own terms. She was a powerful woman, and a powerful warrior - she had saved Dasharath’s life in a war, and consequently Dasharatha had granted her two boons. She used these boons later to banish Ram to the forest for 14 years and make her son Bharata the heir. A figure of scorn in the epic, Kaikeyi was actually an independent woman, who knew her cards.

Sumitra : She just kind of exists we don’t know much about her, except that she’s the mother of the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna.

Sunaina : Queen of Videha (modern day Nepal), she was actually the one who ran the kingdom while her husband, Janak, looked after the “spiritual” nd “philosophical” aspects. Most people don’t even know about her.

Sita : The female protagonist, she is the Princess of Videha, and thus also called Vaidehi. In fact, there is a language in her honour called Maithili after her. She is actually quite passive in the epics, shown as yet again “virtuous” and blah blah blah. A few versions also say that she was actually Ravan’s daughter, or the reincarnation of a woman who Ravan had molested and so the woman vowed that she would be the cause of his death (mmm not so much I mean the dude was asking for it). FINALLY she does something after Ram banishes her cause people accuse her of Stockholm Syndrome WHILE SHE’S PREGNANT, and then tries to take her back once he gets to know that he’s a dad - twist, Sita has to prove she’s innocent by WALKING THROUGH FIRE AGAIN (she did it once after she escaped). So instead of doing this shitty thing again, she invoked the Earth Goddess (another legend says Sita is her daughter) and went away with her.

Manthara : Kaikeyi’s nanny, she came along with her after she married Dasharatha to take care of her children. Shown as a disfigured old hunchback, she is the one who had “instigated” Kaikeyi to banish Ram and make Bharata emperor. She’s one of the most hated characters in the Ramayana.

South - (FINALLY women don’t call their husbands ‘lord’ or ‘my king’)

Tara : The Monkey Empress, Tara was a powerful individual. After her husband Bali was killed by Rama, she ran the kingdom while her brother-in-law Sugreev whored away. Really wise, and commanded respect.

Mandodari : Daughter of the architect of Asuras Mayasur, Mandodari was another powerful woman. She was Ravan’s first wife, and is often seen speaking her opinions in the epics, reprimanding Ravan and genuinely being a boss-ass bitch, which as the epics state “was unusual”. Legend also states that Shiva had made her out of a frog (manduk in sanskrit), so that Ravan could stop pestering them.

Shurpanakha : Quite literally meaning “as sharp as nails), Shurpanakha was Ravan’s sister. Also known as Meenakshi, some hold her responsible for the annihilation of Ravan as her revenge for Ravan killing her husband. She had actually tried to seduce Ram and Lakshman while they were in the forest, but instead they pranked her, and not in the nice way (people, YOU DO NOT PRANK A DEMON PRINCESS). So when she saw Sita laughing, she thought it wa sher idea and attempted to kill her. Immediately, the “chivalrous” Lakshman ran to defend Sita and cut off “the evil temptress’” nose. So anywho Shurpanakha tells Ravan to avenge her, and later she goes to Ayodhya and spreads rumours about Sita’s affair with Ravan for revenge.

Kaikesi : Ravan’s mother, Kaikesi was the original heir to Lanka before it was given to Kuber, the dwarf lord of wealth. She later married the monk Vishravas, and had almighty children (some say this is the only reason she married him). She was the one who created Mega Ravan after the war to avenge herslef.

Sulochana : The Naga Princess, Sulochana was the daughter of the snake king Vasuki. Not much is known about her, except that she committed suicide after her husband Meghnad (Ravan’s son) was killed.

other characters : Trijata - she was Sita’s bodyguard in Lanka, and also Ravan’s  niece. She was the one who consoled Sita and protected her from the other demons.

Lankini : The guardian of Lanka, she had been defeated by Hanuman.

Urmila : Sita’s younger sister, who was married to Lakshman. Later, she fell into a coma for 14 years, till the time all three of our protagonists returned.

Surasa : The Sea Dragon, she tested Hanuman’s strength on his way to Lanka by attempting to eat him.

Simhika : The Shadow monster, who ate creatures by grabbing their shadows. She was killed by Hanuman.

2. MAHABHARATA : Ok this epic is more recognized, and also the women here are SO much more badass. The Mahabharata represents a chronological change in women’s status in Indian society.

Urvashi : Queen of the nymphs (apsaras), Urvashi had married the mortal king Pururavas on the condition that nobody will hurt her pet lamb, and that nobody except Pururavas will see her naked. So the gods killed her lamb and “opened the doors with mighty winds” and “lit the skies with lightning” when Pururavas and Urvashi were having sex, so everyone could see Urvashi naked. She then left Pururavas, who grew mad. Later, she tried to seduce Arjun (Pururavas’ descendant) and when he refused, she cursed him to become a eunuch.

Ganga : The River Goddess, she married Shantanu only on the condition that he would never question her or her actions. Then, Ganga proceeded to drown all of her and Shantanu’s children. When Shantanu finally stopped her from drowning the eighth one, it was revealed that they were actually gods cursed as humans and Ganga was only doing this so that they could go back to being gods again. Anywho, since Shantanu had technically questioned her actions, she left him and took the child. This child was Bhishma.

Satyavati : She was born when a fish ingested a king’s sperm (LONG story), and the fish gave birth to her. She was known for her beauty that rivalled the gods, and also her fish stank. she had sex with the sage Parashara and gave birth on an island to Vyasa (the Mahabharata’s author). In return, Parashara granted her the boon of irresistible scent. Later, she married Shantanu on one condition - that only her lineage would rule the throne, which forced Bhishma to take his vow of celibacy. A woman of naked ambition, she made sure that it was her blood only that ruled the throne of Hastinapur.

Amba : The princess of Kashi (modern day Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh), she and her two sisters were abducted from their marriage by Bhishma on Satyavati’s order to be married to her son Vichitravirya. Amba escaped Bhishma, but her husband refused to accept as she “was now another man’s property” (BITCH). When she asked Bhishma to marry her, he refused because of his stupid vow. So she sought revenge on him and went to the warrior sage Parashuram. Parashuram was enraged at Amba’s condition, and invited Bhishma to a duel till death. However, he realized that their duel could actually end the world and stopped it. Angry, Amba burnt herself alive and promised to be reborn as Bhishma’s death. She was reborn as the transwoman Shikhandi, Draupadi’s sibling, and ultimately killed Bhishma. (more popular versions state that she actually stood in front of Arjuna, and since Bhishma couldn’t “raise a hand on a transwoman”, Arjuna could safely kill Bhishma from behind her.

Gandhari : Princess of Gandhara (modern day Afghanistan), Gandhari’s kingdom was destroyed by Bhishma and she was married to Dhritarashtra, the blind prince. To aid her husband, she also blinded herself for life by wearing a blindfold at all times. Mother of the hundred Kauravas, she had uttered that fateful curse which caused the destruction of Krishna and his empire.

Kunti : Princess of Mathura, she was adopted by king Kuntihoja. A resourceful and sharp woman, she had received a boon to have kids by any god she wanted. Out of curiosity, she tested the boon and got the son of the Sun god, Karna. Not ready to be a teen mom, she threw the baby in a river (the baby lived). Later she married Pandu, Dhritarashtra’s younger brother, and gave birth to Yudhishthir, Bhima and Arjuna from Yama (god of death and law), Vayu (god of wind) and Indra (indian zeus) respectively. She spent her entire life protecting Pandu’s five children after his death, even burning six people alive during the Varnavat incident.

Madri : Princess of Madradesh (present day Tamil Nadu, India), she was Pandu’s second wife and gave birth to the twins Nakul and Sahadeva from the Ashvini Twins (gods of healing and knowledge, she had used Kunti’s boon). She committed suicide after Pandu’s death.

Draupadi : Princess of Panchal (modern day Uttar Pradesh, India although some people say it could also be Punjab), she was born from fire. She and her brother were created to avenge their foster father Drupad. Married to all five Pandavas, she later became Empress of Indraprastha, and encouraged her husbands to fight for their rights. Molested and disrobed after the Gambling Hall incident, she vowed to destroy the Kuru dynasty - and that she would not wash her hair until they were washed with Dushasana’s blood, the man who had disrobed her. Krishna treated her like his own sister, and today she serves as an inspiration to all women.

There are a LOT more women in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, but i would have to write another separate 500 pager for that, and honestly i have run out of brain juice right now. so i leave you with this - STAY BADASS LADIES.

[ambidextrousarcher]

Sarcastic StarBharat Reviews: Episode 17: In which Kunti gets an unwanted child

I DISTINCTLY remember posting this and the next episode on my blog, but the posts have gone AWOL, so reposting, so that I can make the links on my List page for this series work. 

Everything is under the cut. I’m not tagging anyone, because this is a repost.

Potential triggers ahead, if you’re a Karn fan, so please be careful.

The episode begins at the scene the last one ended at, ie: Surya making an entry and promising a bright and famous son to Kunti. (He was famous, sure, but bright? Huh? Crap, #glitterwashalert) He says that he cannot stop the boon. Nope, canon fail #28. Surya could stop it, he didn’t want to, fearing ridicule from the Gods. Kunti did not want a baby, I’m not sure she knew canonically that the boon involves a baby beforehand, but she DID NOT want one. (Please note that here, Surya is much, much worse than the Gods that come in the future, who do what they do with her CONSENT. Yes, that includes Indra. Next time y’all want to lambast Arjun like ‘he’s Indra’s son’, please remember this part, which is actually canon. Kunti begs Surya to let her go. He doesn’t. The conclusion is obvious regarding Mr. Glitterwash.) Kunti pleads to be let go. (Please remember that Kunti is a CHILD.) She says that her father, her family are innocent. He promises her that she will be a virgin once more after the baby is born. As if that magically makes everything alright. (Consent issues, people. Major consent issues, issues that are never addressed, because y’all just want to roast Arjun.) She’s literally crying when Surya 3D-prints the baby onto her. Canon fail #29: Kunti’s pregnancies are all natural, according to canon.

Scene cuts to Kunti cradling a baby in her hands, singing the song Suryadev Sogaye… (It’s a beautiful song, really, catches Kunti’s emotions really well, but…sigh.) She’s packing a basket with lotuses, IDK what for. It’s canon that she packed it with jewels. She lets the basket with the baby float away. “Forgive me, my son,” she says tearfully. “I cannot make my father bear the fruit of my sins…” She asks Surya to protect his son, at which the Kavach-Kundal make their appearance. Canon fail #30. Kunti canonically demands the Kavach-Kundal before she agrees to sleep with Surya for the sake of her father and her people. Kunti is the reason he gets that, not Surya’s divine mercy or something like that. “Do not worry about my son, Kunti, he has my protection,” says Surya. Canon fail #31. Surya does nothing of that sort. Kunti is the one who canonically keeps tabs on Karna. Surya names him Karna. Canon fail #32. Karna is an epithet he gets after he exchanges the Kavach-Kundal from Indra for Vasavi Shakti. It is not donation borne out of generosity, in spite of his Asur vow, it is an exchange. No more.

His original name is Vasusen. But this can be pardoned, as he is always referred to in the epic as Karna. (This guy has just been born, and he already has canon fails galore.)

Kunti pushes the basket away and collapses in tears. “Karn!” she yells at the end. “Forget the past, Princess,” says Priyamvadha, her friend. “How can I forget? He is definitely alive somewhere, he is not my past until he lives.” “It is better to keep this a secret, Princess” “From whom? My would be-husband? Betrayal cannot be the basis of a marriage,” “But Princess,” says Priyamvadha, “who will marry you after he comes to know of this?” “Someone would be there,” says Kunti. “Someone who will not consider my mistake my identity, someone who will accept me with my truth…” The camera pans away from Kunti.

Scene switches to Hastina. “Pranipaat Bhabhishree,” says Honey Boy to Ms. Always Patnidharma. “Enter, Maharaj,” “Have I disturbed you?” She shakes her head. “I came here to ask of your blessings before leaving for Kuntibhoj,” “Always remain victorious, Maharaj, may your fame reach all over the world,” “Can you not call me Pandu?” Aw, Honey Boy, you’re actually sweet sometimes. “Calling a king by name is offence, Maharaj,” “But it hurts if you call me that! I feel guilty. This throne belonged to elder brother and his…” “No! If the throne was his, he would have gotten it. If he has not gotten it, it means that it is yours. You just need to become worthy of it.” “You came here to become the Queen, and…” “No, I came here to become your elder brother’s wife, and I am that. If I had come to become the Queen, I’d have married the throne,” She laughs. Ah, such a sweet scene. Shame it’s an extension of a canon fail.

“How can you be so generous?” “Because a sister-in-law is in the place of a mother, isn’t she? And a mother has only one wish. That her child should be happy, that he should get everything. I feel like I’ve gotten the boon of not 100 but 102 sons.” “Promise me, Bhabhishree, that you will call me Maharaj only when I am on the throne. Otherwise, consider me your son and call me by my name.” “Then I’ll call your wife by her name, too! Now, go to Kuntibhoj and bring my sister-in-law. I’ve never seen you, but I can say that any beauty in this world will not be able to refuse you.” “I have your blessings, so I am confident, but I don’t begin anything without the blessings of Jyeshth Bhraata.” Aaah. Such syrupy sweetness. I can’t stomach this. (I actually couldn’t, I closed the episode and came back two days later). “These blessings are from his side too, Pandu. His heart is still warring with itself, but he still loves you as much as he did before.” Did he ever love Honey Boy in this version? I kind of doubt it. “I have faith, Bhabhi. And my own devotion has not lessened. I promise you that I and my wife will always serve you and Jyeshth.” He falls at her feet. “Vijayi Bhav,” He leaves.

Camera focuses on the Kunti Swayamvar. Kuntibhoj gives a speech on how honored he is to host all these Kings. He requests them to respect Kunti’s choice and bless the newly-wed couple at the end. He calls Kunti forward. “I am not going to introduce you to these Kings because you’re going to choose your fate today” Huh? Where does that make sense? IDK where, except StarBharat writers.

“Pitashree,” says Kunti. “I’d like to ask a question to all the Princes present here. I will make my decision on the basis of their answers to the question, if you grant me permission,” “Of course, any girl has the right to ask questions in her Swayamvar. Kings and Princes present here, my daughter wants an answer to a dilemma in her mind. The man whose answer strikes her as right, will be her husband. I hope that causes no one any issues.” “The Prince of Ashwa may have problems, King Bhoj, where there’s a question of wit, the men of his family all fail.” Laughter ensues. A guy looks here and there. I’m nearly certain that no shit like this ever happens in canon. But I have no canon record of Kunti’s swayamvar, so I’ll count it as a fail later. Both the Princes nearly cross swords when they are stopped by someone, who’s obviously Honey Boy. “Do not disrespect the laws of the Swayamvar, Kumar. “Who are you?” “I am the King of Hastinapur, son of Kuruvansh, Pandu” This pompous statement echoes. “I request you to return to your places.” He turns to Kunti. “And I request you to ask the question.” “Maharishi Gautam’s wife, Ahalya had carnal relations with Lord Indra. Why had Lord Ram relieved her of that punishment? Did he not set a bad example for the future with that?” Okay, this is definitely canon fail #33. I am completely sure this wank DID not happen. “The answer to this is easy. A God can forgive any offender.” Says one of the two fighting Princes. IDK which one, and honestly I don’t care. Kunti looks down. Clearly she’s not pleased. “Then why weren’t Ravan and Bali pardoned? That’s partiality!” “Fine. Answer yourself then.” These two guys are fighting again, I see. “The answer is that perhaps He felt Ahalya should be free of it.” “But I think” says another Prince “that Ahalya, as a statue must have regretted what she did.” “No.” This is Pandu. “The truth is that Ahalya did what she did with Indra thinking that he was her husband” (Really? Seems Indra got better, at least a little, with time, unlike..) “Rama was a King, unlike the Rishi and a King needs to know if the offence was an offence or merely a mistake. Whether the intention behind it was wrong or not. If the intention was innocent, then regret and corrective answers are enough. Punishment is not needed. Thinking this, Rama must have pardoned Ahalya.” Melodious music plays as Kunti lifts her eyes, the garland and slowly walks towards Honey Boy, garlanding him, to the sound of conches and the beginning of ‘Mangalam Bhagavan Vishnu…’

Precap: “Where would my son be?” asks Kunti. Uh-oh. I’m already scared. A horse neighs and a boy rushes forward in a chariot. “Where would he be sheltered? Where would my son be? My child, my Karn?” Officially, I’m naming this Kunti Ms. Melodrama, I’d say. Please comment any alternative names. The boy jumps like a very large bat.

[buzz-london]

Yuga Dharma of Yuga Purusha ((Horses for courses!) (my essay for 'Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies') 

Ramayan and Mahabharata have Vishnu playing the central role of Yug-Purush – man-of-the-hour who decides the fate of the world, formulates history and decides the course of the future.

Yet, Vishnu-avatar in Ramayan is very different to the Vishnu-avatar in the Mahabharata.  Both itihases (histories) record how ‘god-incarnate’ behaves in a totally diametrically opposed manner.  One has to wonder why!

In fact when we examine the 24 avatars of Vishnu, each one seems to be very different!  Their ways of establishing Dharma seem to very widely.  For example, Parashuram, Varah and Narsimha are exceptionally fierce where as Rushabh and Nara-Narayan are exceptionally placid.

Why is God not behaving in a consistent manner?   Why are God’s actions not predictable? Why is God not behaving like GOD?

For the purposes of this essay, we will mainly look at Ramavatar and Krushnavatar, discussing other avatars to understand what is means to be a Yug-Purusha and uphold Yug-Dharma.  

Shri Rama of Ramayan is very ‘human’.  In Valmiki Ramayan, Rama rages, cries, despairs and even blames his father’s lust for the miseries visited upon him.  Rama’s resolve to fight Ravana is unswerving, but his despondence during setbacks in his life are endearingly ‘human’.  His rejection of Sita is shockingly melodramatic and his desperate desire to please-everyone-all-the-time is achingly admirable – though frustratingly impossible!  Rama is admired as the son, brother, leader, friend everyone wants.  Yet, his behavior as a husband, father and king leaves us aghast.  

By contrast, Shri Krushna of Mahabharata is rarely despondent.  His relatives are far more troublesome than those of Rama, and yet he rarely gets upsets or admonishes them for their lack of propriety.  He weaves through the quagmire of complex relationships with hundreds of characters in the epic.  He adheres to rules, bends them, breaks them and makes them up as he goes through life.  His focus on establishing a ‘Dharma-Rajya’ in Arya-vart is unwavering and despite setbacks, he marches forward with this singular aim.  Though incredibly complex, Krushna remains the most enigmatic and interesting of all the Vishnu avatars.      

Establishing Dharma is the key to all avatars of Vishu.  But what we have to ask is, What is dharma?   Whose dharma? Which dharma?

Does the Yuga Purusha determine what the Yuga-Dharma should me? Does the Yuga Dharma determine what the Yuga-Purusha should establish as the law of the land?

Rama was the latter – he followed the Yuga-Dharma to the letter. Krushna was the former – he decided what the Yuga-Dharma was and made sure others helped him establish it!

In the SMB Gita, chapter IV, shloak 7, Shri Krushna states, ‘Yada yada he Dharmasya, glanir-bhavati Bharata, abhyuthanama dharmasy, tadatmanum srujamyahum’.  This can be paraphrased as ‘Oh Arjun, whenever Dharma is impacted, I come to its rescue.’  

Dharma’s principles may be eternal, but its application in the here-and-now is fluid.  Each Yuga has its own version of what is the ideal way to practice dharma.  Dharma, as interpreted by rishis, kings and citizens seems to be different.  If we look superficially, with the change of a Yuga, dharma seems to change. God’s own enforcement of Dharma seems to changes.  These enforcements are sometimes violent, sometimes peaceful, sometimes mysterious.  But each and every time, the result is the same.  Dharma and order are re-established.  This can be succinctly described by the English term, ‘horses for courses’.  God does whatever is required to establish Dharma.

Everytime Yuga-Purusha comes, ALL sections of society are forced to confront their excesses, account for it, repent and re-establish social-order by leading a balanced life in accordance with Dharma. *The intellectuals have to climb down from their ivory towers and engage with the wider community. *The ruling class has to restrain itself from excessive use of its powers and let the citizens lead a fulfilled life.   *The entrepreneurs and businessmen have to rein in their relentless pursuit of profit and realise that anything other than a fair-deal is robbery by any other name.   *The working class have to realise the value of their work and relish ‘work’ rather than see it just as a toil of a mindless automaton.  

No one is above Dharma.  As part of the rituals of coronation of ancient Indian kings, after he receives the sword-of-state and the royal crown, the king proclaims, “A-dandyosmi!” (I am now above all reproach / oversight / punishment).  The Raj-Guru gently taps the crown three times and reminds him, “Dharma dandosi, dharma dandosi, dharma dandosi!” (Dharma can still punish you!)  In English courts, we use a similar maxim, written by Dr Thomas Fuller in 1733, “Be you never so high, the law is above you!”  Even the law makers are not above the law!  Recently, in the British Parliament, the government and the Priminister had to be reminded that they are not above the law – ‘Dharma dandosi’ enacted in 2019!

Only when every section of society benefits and progresses, can Dharma (in its widest sense) be truly established.  God does not work for one side or another.  God has no ‘favourites’.  God favours equilibrium.  Hence, to establish Dharma, is to establish balance.  Dharma is impartial.  God is impartial.  When required, God comes as an axe-yielding ParashuRama and when required, he comes as a peaceful preacher – Horses for Courses.  

No one lives in isolation.  We all live in symbiosis.  When one party tries to rise at the expense of others, crushes the rights of others to benefit itself, they disturb the delicate balance of Dharma.  When that ‘balance’ swings too far to one side, it results in oppression of the ‘powerful’ over the ‘powerless’.  Who is ‘powerful’ verses who is ‘powerless’, changes from one Yuga to another, one place to another.  Everyone has the chance to become ‘powerful’ at one time or another.  Not just China or Russia, even nations as small as Britain and Japan have had the chance to occupy center stage in world history.  What they do with their power determines their legacy.  History will record if they were benevolent or malevolent ;  cruel or kind ; progressive or regressive ; dharmic or adharmic while they ruled.

Just as too much sunshine can wither the crops and too much rain can drown it, even excess of ‘goodness’ can unbalance the universe.  For example, Vishnu comes as Vamana to gently curb the ‘goodness’ of Bali and re-establish the power-balance between good and evil in the universe.  To the casual observer, robbing Bali of his empire and pushing him in the Patala seems like an ‘own-goal’ by God!  Here was an honest Danava, devoted to dharma and dedicated to the welfare of his subjects.  Why remove him from power?  But God wants to make sure everyone has their due and no one is deprived of their fair share.  As stepbrothers, Devas and Danavas are both given fecund kingdoms to enjoy.  Both places are equally good and they both reflect the characteristics of the people who were suppose to occupy them.  But, when Patal tries to dominate Swarga or when Swarga tries to dominate Patal, universe becomes unbalanced.  Through his avatars, God works hard to make sure no one is bullied into submission and everyone has the chance to enjoy their ‘place-in-the-sun’.            

Changes in interpretation, and application, of Dharma are reflected with the symbolic ‘colours’ given to each avatar.  *1 In Sat Yuga, the character of the avatar is described as ‘White’.  In Treta Yuga, the avatar’s character is ascribed the colours Red and Yellow and by end of Dwapar Yuga, the avatar is described as ‘Dark (blue)’.  

The White colour of the avatar symbolically reflects the simple, straight forward ideas and applications of Dharma in Sat / Kruta Yuga.  Matsya, Hansa, Varah etc reflect the straightforward efforts God takes to establish of dharma.  

In Treta Yuga, attributes of Vishnu’s avatars are described by colours Red and Yellow.  At the start of the Treta Yuga, Vishnu has to be aggressive in forcefully applying Yuga Dharma – hence Red.  ParashuRama is the angry version of God’s ‘justice’.   Those who are found wanting, are judged and punished without waiting for lengthy ‘due process’.  However, by the end of Treta Yuga, requirements from the avatar have changed and this is symbolically reflected by the colour ‘Yellow’. The ‘golden Avatar’ of Rama has regal poise.  Rama patiently suffers ‘due process’ to establish Dharma-Rajya at great personal cost.  He waits 14 long, lonely, arduous, years in the forest to sit on the throne and rule as Dharma-Raj.  To the ‘golden avatar’, personal privations were nothing in comparison to ‘peace’ achieved during Rama-Rajya for the entire society.  As a result, till date, Rama-Rajya is synonymous with Dharma-Rajya in South-East Asia.  Hence, from North India to Cambodia, there are several cities with the name ‘Ayodhya’ and countless rulers with the name ‘Rama’.

During the of Rama-avatar, ParashuRama symbolically passes the mantel of Yuga-Purusha to Rama by handing over his bow to Rama.  The Red, angry Avatar of Vishnu, who as a Rishi’s aggrieved son had decimated Kshatriya clans 21 times over, hands over the job of maintaining Dharma to a Golden Kshatriya prince!  It is a dramatic, diametric change.  From Rishi-Putra killing Kshatriyas to forcefully establish dharma, to a Kshtriya killing a Rishi-Putra (Ravan) to reluctantly establish dharma.  From an extrovert, dynamic avatar who imposes his will on the people, to an avatar who is painfully introverted, who tries desperately to establish dharma through consensus.  They both cause a lot of bloodshed, but one relishes the bloodletting, while the other abhors it.  ParashuRama feels that violence is the only way to keep the ruling class in check, while Rama seems to reserve violence as the last option to check unruly rulers (eg Vali and Ravana).

In Dwarpar Yuga, God’s enigmatic application of Dharma has literally become ‘dark’, impenetrable!  By the time of Krushna, cycle of Yuga has marched on. God incarnate has to use multiple approaches to bring peace in society.  Though not exclusively, this does include using a great amount of violence to establish Dharma.  Shri Krushna uses the full range of Sama, Dama, Danda and Bheda to reestablish Yuga Dharma.  By using diplomacy, economic pressure, army and ‘intrigue’, he manipulates the political environment of the era to bring about peace.  Though he never sits on any throne or claims any crown, he is openly acknowledged as the king-maker of the epoch.  

While ParashuRama is an outsider, forcing the rulers to bend to his will, Rama is an insider, coaxing fellow rulers to his will.  Both feel the process changes them.  They start out enthusiastically, but end up bitterly ruing their role in bringing order to the world.  Krushna however works as a catalyst, working tirelessly to ferment change without changing himself.  Even as empires rise and fall around him, Shri Krushna smiles knowingly, always enchanting everyone around him.  God’s singular purpose of coming as an Avatar is to liberate all the souls that come within his / her ambit.  Through wise words and wars, God aims to cut karmic bondage of any and all those who meet them.  

How is the use of violence justified for establishing Dharma by Yuga purusha?  How can a dharma-avatar use something so adharmic as violence to establish dharma?  Is everything fair in love, war and establishment of dharma?

God is compassionate.  When God kills, s/he liberates the souls s/he kills.  God removes the karmic bonds of those who die in his presence.  Thus they are freed from the need to be reborn.  Just as fire reduces everything to ash – burning sandalwood and a thorn bush with equal vigour, dying in God’s presence helps sever the good and bad karmas of the soul.  Unfettered by their karmas, souls that die in the presence of God attain moksha.  This reduces the number of souls who ‘burden’ Mother Earth.  This helps achieve the goal of any avatar.  Even Buddha-Avatar’s goal was to release souls from the samsara and lead them to nirvana.    

Taking his cue from Rama and Krushna, both warriors par-excellence, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi renounced violence and defeated the biggest empire the world has ever seen with ‘non-violence’!  Taking account of ground realities, though he invokes the ancient avatars of Vishnu, he used different tactics to establish order and Yuga-Dharma in Kali Yuga.  Taking inspiration from Vishnu, the sustainer of the universe, Gandhiji helped re-establish dharma, bring back balance, humble and empower the ruler and the ruled alike, and establish a level playing field for both.  Man became a Mahatma, creating a new definition of Yuga-Dharma.  

In each Yuga, the subtle application of dharma changes.  Yuga-Avatar establishes Yuga-Dharma and releases the maximum number of souls it can during its ‘karya-kala’ (time while the Avatar is active on Earth) from their karmic bondage.  Shri Rama and Shri Krushna, along with other avatars of Vishnu, have helped re-balance the universe, bring peace and establish Dharma.  How they did this (abhyuthanama dharmasy) was unique to each of them.

[zeherili-ankhein]

Arjun: close your eyes bro

Bheem: alright bro

Arjun: what do you see bro?

Bheem: nothing bro

Arjun: that is my life without you, bro

Bheem, holding back tears: bro...

Arjun: bro

[kayetra-spade-queen]

Time for another ramble.

This time, it's about Arjun, Prince of Bali. Some things that bothered me as an Indo.

Look, I know the show had long ended (with only 3 years of runtime and it has been 7 years since it had ended), but the show is surprisingly underwhelming, and I'm saying this as someone who used to watch some of the episodes that showed on TV (dubbed in Indo obv) when I was younger, and also as someone who's taken the time to watch the episodes in order or not.

Keep in mind, I'm not here to bash the show. I liked this show, because it's actually interesting if you actually took the time to enjoy it. It's just that my overanalyzing ass couldn't stfu, so that's why I'm whipping this up out of my ass. It's my job dawg- ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Names

They lack Indo names. Like, ok. Aci and Ayu are there, and ig Wangi is also there. But like how their names are pronounced are butchered, especially the twins, they're so Americanized in terms of their name pronunciation.

Tanya is questionable cuz that's not even an Indo name. Tanya in Indo means question, and idk wtf came over the king and queen's head thinking naming their child Question is a good idea.

Everyone else had Hindi names.

I'd propose alternative names for Wangi and Tanya (personally, the name Wangi, wrongly pronounced or otherwise is weird, just saying-).

Funnily enough, I've searched up Balinese names, and I read names are supposed to be given depending on their birth order.

Meaning, if Arjun isn't name the way he is, his name could be Wayan due to being a firstborn child.

Tanya could be named Ni Luh, as a firstborn daughter. Yes, she's a second born, which also give her the option of Ni Made. Honestly it depends, it could be either of them, but my point still stands.

And for Wangi, I'd give her the name Bunga instead, meaning flower.

Lack of Indo Language Overall

Look, I know it's an Indian cartoon, but if you're going to put a set in other places other than India, might as well do proper research.

Like, I get it, Balinese is especially a difficult language, and I understand as a Javanese and Maduranese who doesn't understand squat of Java at the slightest.

But at the very least, you could use normal Indo. But then again, I think they'll butcher pronunciation regardless if they did or not, looking how they ruined Aci and Ayu's name.

All I'm saying is that, yes, although the overall language use is Hindi, at the very least, use some Indo words in there, even if it's just a little bit. Music, clothing, and architecture isn't the only thing that should be shown, our language, the local or the country-wide one should be represented as well. But I guess it's hard given that there's literally no Indo person in their team.

I get that Arjun and Tanya are biracial, and Hindi also had the right to be represented even if the setting isn't at India. But my point still stands.

Arjun's Lack of Hair Care

Listen, Arjun probably had the most flawless hair known to mankind, and I think he knows it, so that's why he's embracing it. But the point is, similar way of how Bheem's dhoti never got in the way of his fighting, Arjun's hair also never got in the way of training and fighting.

Realistically, he'd tie it up so his hair won't block his view. But god forbid that times of he did get his eyes blocked from view, it won't because of his hair, more like it's from other things like blowing leaves and flying papers.

I would personally love to see more of Arjun looking like this more.

That hairstyle is equally gorgeous as his free hair. He'd still look girly either way lmfao.

Khojo

Look, he deserve his own column due to reasons.

First and foremost; he's a ginger, so are his father. Having a hair color other than black and brown in Asia is rather unusual unless his father had like a foreign lineage. Not to mention they're weirdly pale as well. I have red on my hair naturally, but he's literally just straight up ginger dawg-

And what is this obsession over getting rid of Arjun so Khojo could become prince instead? Like, I get that Arjun is an heir, but isn't usually if the heir couldn't take over or just no more at all, shouldn't the other borns took over instead? If in the events Arjun is to be eliminated, Tanya would be successor instead. Why would a Minister's kid be appointed as prince instead? Like, I don't know if it works like in other countries (I'm not familiar with Indo royal hierarchy system, much less Bali), but just saying that appointing someone who's not even part of the family as an heir when there's clearly someone else other than the initial heir who could take over and is part of the family.

Take is from Bheem for example; sure, he's not royalty and not even part of the royal family. But he was appointed as a substitute king for a while because both the king and the princess are absent. Bheem is appointed to be king because he's trusted and can protect the kingdom just fine.

Khojo is different, and even if scenario plays in a similar manner but still differs; like if the king and queen ceased to exist anymore, Arjun would assume the throne from the get-go despite how still very young he is. If Arjun is also ceased to exist, Tanya would assume the throne. There's literally no place for Khojo at all, and even if Tanya is also gone, I don't think Khojo or even any of the Ministers are gonna assume the throne regardless, especially Khojo's father. Khojo's father literally once planned of Arjun and Zimmbu's kidnapping and tiger-napping all for the sake of getting his son to the seat of prince, yet that is literally not how it works. Who would even trust the throne to him dawg?? Arjun isn't the only child royalty in the family, Tanya is still there. If Arjun is killed after he got kidnapped, she'll assume to be heir right away.

Oh, and he's trying so hard for Tanya, even though she's not interested. He's so desperate for what?

Now I'm moving onto something I don't really wanna bitch off of, just wanted to point things out and maybe throw some scenarios here and there because I think it's neat.

Arjun As A Girl In Disguise

Tell me if you see this pic out of context, you'd tell me whether this kid is a girl or a boy;

Anyways, my point is, if you give him more feminine clothes and he wears it, 100% he'd be mistaken as a girl. And if situation requires it, he'd effortlessly lie that he is a girl, and no one will suspect shit.

He's not even just androgynous anymore, he's straight up feminine, and I liked it that not all men should all look broad and jacked. They could be feminine asf and still look badass.

Both Arjun and Tanya Represents Arjuna of Mahabarata

Now, what do I mean by that?

We all know Arjuna's personality. Arjun had the exact same personality as Arjuna (hence literally being a spinoff version of Arjuna himself). From enjoying attention, how girls fall for them, even as wielding the same weapons (bow and arrow). I think Arjun represents Arjuna in the warfare aspect.

And where do Tanya fit into this?

See, Tanya is more artistic; she danced and done more things in the arts compared to when she actually did anything relating with combat (mentioning the times she once did archery and another episode where broke into Arjun's room with Wangi to get his weapons to train while Arjun is away). Tanya represents Arjuna who were taught and enjoys dancing and music aspect during the exile.

Now I just want answers to my questions;

Who tf is Sankat? Ik he's also a prince, but I can't tell if he's related to Arjun in some way (I don't understand Hindi)

Why is Wangi even in the forest?

Why is Wangi blue?

That's probably all. If there's more I want to talk about, I'll add it in a reblog.

[jasmine-hair-oil]

Is there indumati x bheem, bheem x chutki and chutki x arjun, the prince of bali fanfic based on Heather (conan gray) or should I take one more responsibility?????????

[dil-na-jaaneya]

That KID is a inter-galactial superhero. Fought supervillains alongside Krishna and Ganesha! Was more worthy than Prince Arjun himself for saving his (Arjun's) hometown Bali!

How can he be a normal kid!?!

Bheem, Bheem, Bheem chhota Bheem, chhota Bheem

I demand justice for bhutki

[zeherili-ankhein]

Indumati: Are you high?

Arjun: Am I what?

Indumati: high

Arjun: hello

[zeherili-ankhein]

Bheem: This is so stupid, Arjun doesn’t have a crush on me

Chutki: Yes he does

Raju: Yes he does

Kalia: Yes he does

Indumati: Yes he does

Arjun: Yes I do