The Kurukshetra war, though it was a fight for throne
between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, the allies, trusty kings and friends did
participate in the war. Duryodhana took all the lower kingdoms and his allies
under his army and so the Pandavas were left with less choice. The mother of
all battles made sure that no one can remain neutral. But still, there were
also kingdoms which played neutral side in the war.
Vidarbha
The
Kingdom of Vidarbha, with its King Rukmi remained neutral in the war. King
Rukmi, brother-in-law of Krishna wanted to join the war. Rukmi was rejected in
the Pandavas camp by Arjuna as he was not able to tolerate Rukmi’s
self-boasting speech and insulting Dronacharya, Bheeshma and about the Kuru
dynasty. In the Kauravas camp, Rukmi self-boasted saying that he is the
mightiest warrior ever to lead the Kauravas to victory. Duryodhana too rejected
Rukmi saying that he himself is a great warrior than Rukmi and he have Bhisma,
Dronacharya and Karna by his side and so he doesn’t need Rukmi.
Udupi
The Udupi
King was the only one King who remained neutral on the acceptance from both the
Pandavas and the Kauravas. Though it was like the whole of Bharat is supposed
to participate in war, The Udupi King was not ready to fight for any side. But
he did participate in the Kurukshetra war - as a cook.
When the
King was called by Krishna for talks, the King said, “Krishna, I don’t find any
use in participating in this war. It’s not going to bring any change in the
lives of the people of my Kingdom other than making it worse. But since, as I
cannot avoid the war, kindly allow us to be the cook. My people will cook and
serve food for all the soldiers and everyone in the battle field. Someone has
to prepare food for the ones who have gathered in greater number. Kindly allow
me and my people to do the favor of providing food.”
“Fine...
Someone has to cook. Let it be you!”-Krishna too agreed to the words of King of
Udupi.
 |
| Cooking camp in Kurukshetra |
Though
it sounds easy to cook for millions gathered to battle, it was not easy to
prepare food without going waste. But amazingly every day, the food was well
quantified for everyone. The food was never cooked in surplus or inadequate.
The battle held for 18 days and thousands and thousands of people died each
day. Each day it was never the same
quantity of food needed to be prepared. But King Udupi carried out the catering
services exquisitely that not a single day it was surplus or scarce. Everyone
were admired and astounded at the catering of King Udupi.
The Pandavas went to the King and asked-“How is it you
are able to cook the exact quantity daily? By the time your people go and take
count of soldiers in the battlefield and return, the death counts would have
increased. None knows how many will die each day. But how is it that you are
able to cook and serve for the exact number of soldiers?”
King Udupi
smiled and replied-“Every night, after having dinner, Krishna likes to have a
bowl full of boiled peanuts. So, I peel the peanuts, count how many are there
and place the bowl in his tent. After he has done eating, the bowl will come
back to my tent. I count how many he has eaten. If he has eaten ten peanuts, it
means 10,000 will die tomorrow. So the quantity of food to be prepared next day
will be for 10,000 people less. Every day I count the peanuts and prepare as
per the calculation. And never it has gone wrong and hence there’s no wastage
of food too!”
Balram, King of Dwaraka
 |
| Balram |
Balram,
Krishna’s elder brother too remained neutral in the Kurukshetra war. He said
that he won’t participate in the war because the fault was on both the sides
and also, he has trained both Bhīma and Duryodhana. Since both the Pandavas and the
Kauravas are his relatives, he made sure that he’ll stay out of this war.
He and Krishna also advised and
insisted that other than Satyaki and Kritavarman other Yadava Athirathas and
Maharathas should not participate in the war. They were also restrained from entering
Kurukshetra.
Vidhura
Vidhura,
the younger brother of King Drithirashtra and Pandu, did not participate in the
war. Though he had the Vishnu Dhanush and is also considered as the best
battle strategist, he vowed to not participate in the war and battle with
Duryodhana and also broke the Vishnu Dhanush as a result of tricks
played by Krishna.
Magadha
After
the death of Jarasandha, his grandsons split the kingdom of Magadha. So, most
of the Magadhas fought for the Kauravas while only a few joined the Pandavas.
Kalingas
The Kalingas formed the sea shore
of Orissa and Andhra region up to river Godavari of current Indian political
map. Prince of Hastinapur, Duryodhana’s wife was from Kalinga. The Kalingas
sided with the Kauravas in the war. Kalinga’s mighty King Srutayudha or
Srutayush was one of the generals in the Kauravas army. After his death,
Kalinga forces were led by another Kalinga ruler. The entire Kalinga army was
wiped out from the face of the Kurukshetra war by Bhīma.
All the kings and mighty heroes of the Kalingas were killed by Bhīma
while they were trying to protect Dronacharya from Bhīma.
Kauravas’ army general and King
Srutayudha of Kalinga with his army and the Nishada army surrounded Bhīma
when he was attacking Dronacharya. The Chedis who came to rescue Bhīma
turned their backs unable to handle the fierce battling techniques of the
Kalingas. Bhīma encountered the forces with his single mace by
standing on his chariot whose stallions were slayed. The battle was ferocious and brutal. Bhīma threw
his iron mace at Sakradeva, son of King Srutayudha and killed him. Bhīma
assassinated many princes and sons of the rulers of Kalinga by standing on a
grounded chariot. He killed Bhanumat, the prince of Kalinga by ascending the
back of Bhanumat’s elephant and cutting his body with sword. Bhīma
then encountered King Srutayudha and after a long battle, he killed him by
shooting seven iron arrows using his bow. Bhīma also
assassinated Satyadeva and Satya, the defenders of King Srutayudha. Srutayudha’s
brothers Kalinga and Vrishaka too were exterminated by Bhīma.
Chedi
Chedi Kingdom was ruled by the Paurava Kings. It
covers the regions of Madhya Pradesh that lies to the south of river Yamuna and
along the river Vetravati of current Indian political map. Chedi Kingdom was
ruled with Suktimati as the capital. Chedi was ruled by King Sisubala, an ally
to Duryodhana. Krishna was King Sisubala’s uncle’s (Prince Vasudev) son. King Sisubala
was killed by Krishna during Indraprastha’s Rajasuya Yaga. After the
death of Sisubala, Dhrishtaketu the elder son of King Sisubala became the King
of Chedi. Karenumati, Princess of Chedi was married to Prince Nakula of the Pandavas
and they had a son named Narimitra. King Dhrishtaketu of Chedi Kingdom accompanied
by an Akshauhini, fought for the Pandavas. Dhrishtaketu was the army general for
his Akshauhini with a Maharatha in the army of Pandavas. His talents and
battling techniques and the way he commanded the forces under him was highly
appreciated by Pithamaha Bhisma. He led the armies of the Chedis, the
Kasis and the Karushas.
Other prominent
Chedi Kings who joined the Pandavas’ army were King Damaghosha, King Suvahu, King
Uparichara Vasu and his sons and King Sahaja.
Dhrishtaketu was slayed by
Dronacharya. Dronacharya also killed the sons of Dhrishtaketu and his younger
brother Suketu, a prince of Chedi. Another prince of Chedi was killed by Aswathama.
Kamboja
Also called as Kamedia, the Kamboja army fought for
the Kauravas. The kingdom shared its boundaries with Gandhara. The king of
Kamboja, Sudakshina was also a Maharatha in the Kauravas army. The
Kamboja rulers were the descendants of Rishi Kondilya. Karna during his Digvijaya
conquered Kamboja and so, Sudakshina was under Duryodhana’s territory.
Sudakshina was a noble King who felt mortified to fight for Duryodhana. King
Sudakshina died at the hands of Arjuna on the 14th day of war. In spite of knowing that the
Pandavas had dharma on
their side, he fought for Duryodhana.
Gandhara
Led by
King Saguni, Dhritarashtra’s wife Gandhari is from Gandhara. Gandhari is King
Saguni’s younger sister. Gandhara Kingdom was the key ally in the war for the
Kauravas. Gandhara is the old kingdom of Peshawar and the Persian inscriptions say that Gandhara
included Afghanistan too. King Saguni spent most of his life in the courts of
Hastinapur than in Gandhara. It was King Saguni’s words and tactics that led
the Kauravas to fight against the Pandavas. The destiny of Hastinapur,
especially the destiny of Duryodhana was more decided and guided by King Saguni.
He was the mastermind behind the Kurukshetra war. Saguni
had two sons named Uluka and Vrikasur. Saguni vowed to
avenge Pithamaha Bhisma, by destroying his clan and Hastinapur for
Bhisma insisted on Gandhari’s marriage to blind man Dhritarashtra.
Pragjyotisha
 |
| Krishna taking King Bhagadatta's Vaishnavastra |
Pragjyotisha Kingdom, also named as
Kamapura Kingdom hails from Assam in current political map of India. It was
accompanied by the Mlechcha tribe. The Kingdom was ruled by King Bhagadatta,
the foremost warrior in his period skilled in fighting from the elephant. He
fought on the side of the Kauravas. Predominant elephant warriors of the
Kauravas’ army were King Bhagadatta’s elephant warriors. He fired Vaishnavastra
on Arjuna but Krishna saved Arjuna by taking the weapon on his chest which
turned into a garland.
Pandyas
The Pandyas from the south fought
alongside with the Pandavas. Pandya King Darshak’s warrior skills were
appreciated while opposing the Kaurava army fearlessly. The Pandya kings packed
with heroic energy, skills in weapons and talents were the foremost warriors of
the Pandavas side.
Pandya
King Sarangadhwaja fought against Aswathama. His main opponent was Aswathama
and Bhisma rated the King’s battling talents as a great Ratha, referring
highest grade in chariot warriors. King Sarangadhwaja destroyed the army of
Aswathama with different battling tactics and shafts. His shafts even pierced
the skin of the elephants. He slayed the enemies using his sharp pointy arrows
and his diversified knowledge in weapon usage slewed most of the soldiers who
were trying to stop him. He was killed by Aswathama.
OTHER TRIBES AND KINGS
The
smaller kingdoms and tribes accompanied Duryodhana and his army. The smaller
Kingdoms include:
§
Anga
Kingdom (Led by Karna) - Includes Anga, Vanga, Suhma, Kalinga and Pundra.
§
Andhaka
(led by Kritavarma) – A branch of the Yadava alliance.
§
Andhra
– Also called as Dasyus. (Associated with Pulinda, Khasa and Nishada army)
§
Abhisara
– territory in the hill states of Rajapuri. (Most of them joined the Kauravas)
§
Ambastha
– Also referred as Ambastai (from lower Chenab, Punjab).
§
Avanti
(From Western Malwa).
§
Aśvātaka.
§
Ajāneya – Part of Gandhara Kingdom.
§
Abhīra
(Hailed from Punjab and Mathura region)
§
Aratta
(Part of Kritavarman’s tribe)
§Karṇaprāvaraṇa (A
Vindhya tribe, paid tribute to the Pandavas)
§
Kitava
(Led by King Uluka, Son of Saguni) – Ancient Makran tribe. (Paid
tribute to the Pandavas)
§
Kukura
- Branch of Yadava confederacy.
§
Kasapaundras
§
Kuntala
(Southern Kuntalas fought for Kauravas)
§
Kuluta
§
Kosala
– A Solar Dynasty, led by King Brahadvala. (Ramayan era tribe)
§
Kaṣudraka
§
Karashakas
§
Mahishakas
§
Keralas
§
Karkotakas
§
Virakas
§
Mālava
§
Khaśa (
tribe in Nepal and southwest Kashmir)
§
Govāsana
(Paid tribute to the Pandavas)
§ Chichchhila(Joint army with the army of
Mekala and Traipura)
§
Chīnā
(North-western tribe linked with the Kiratas.)
§
Cūcupa
§
Tuṣāra
§
Tuṇḍikera
(From parts of Madhya Pradesh)
§
Trigata
§
Darvīka
§
Dasameya
§
Narayaia (nārāyaṇa) –
Also called as the Gopala, the cowherd tribe, personal army of Sri Krishna.
Warriors from Anarta.
§
Pañcanada
§
Pahlava
§
Pāṇibhadraka
§
Pārada
(from west of river Indus)
§
Pulinda
(A Vindhya tribe)
§
Prasthala
(Branch of Trigarta tribe)
§
Bhoja
- Descendants
of Yayati's son Druhyu
§
Māhiṣmatī
(Ruled by King Nila)
§
Muṇḍa
§
Mekala
§
Naimishas
§
Lalittha
§
Vaṅga
(Paid tribute to the Pandavas)
§
Vanāyu – Special force under
General King Saguni. (Hailed from the Wana valley, Pakistan)
§
Vasāti
(Tribe from Baluchistan)
§
Vāṭadhāna
(from Varana near Kurukshetra)
§
Vikarṇa
§
Vikuñja
§
Veṇika
§
Sālva
§
Sūrā
§
Sūrasena
§
Samsthana
§
Siṃghala
§
Sindhu-suvīra
(Led by Jayadratha) –Kingdom
from Sindh
§
Surāṣṭra
§
Haṃsamārga
The Kingdoms
and tribes who fought for the Pandavas are:
§
The
Chedis.
§
The
Yadavas.
§
The
Kasayas.
§
The
Matsyas.
§
The
Srinjayas.
§
The
Kasis.
§
The
Kuntalas. (North)
§
The
Panchalas.
§
The
Abhisaras (few joined the Pandavas)
§
The
Kekayas.
§
The
Pandyas.
§
The
Karushas.
§
The
Pauravas.
§
The
Kurushas.
§
The
Kosalas.
§
The
Kaikeyas.
§
The
Somakas.
§
The
Prabhadrakas.
