Bharatayuddha


Bharatayuddha or Bharat Yudha is a term used in Indonesia for the Kurukshetra War, and to describe the Javanese translation and interpretation of the Mahabharata. The Mahabharata was translated into Javanese under the reign of king Dharmawangsa of Medang. The current poem was started by Sedah in 1157, and finished by mpu Panuluh. Mpu Panuluh also wrote the Kakawin Hariwangsa.
According to the Javanese tradition, the war between descendants of emperor Bharata was already destined by the gods long before the Pandavas and Kauravas were born. The tradition also maintained that the Kurukshetra battlefield is not located in the present-day Haryana state of India, but rather in Dieng Plateau, Central Java. Therefore, the Javanese considered the Mahabharata epic happened in Java and not in India.

Overview

In indonesian version the Kings and Queens were the descendant of Gods. The story begins at Betara Guru, who became the first king of the kingdom of 'Medang Kamulang'. It is often portrayed through the form of Javanese Wayang. A characteristic feature of the Indonesian Mahabharata is that it gives more autonomy to other characters apart from the main characters - Krishna, Arjuna, Bhisma, Duryodhana. In the Indonesian version of Mahabharata more is said about the character of Shalya etc.
The main characters and places are:
  1. Bisma Who is the great grandfather of the Pandawas and Kurawas.
  2. King Pandu Dewanata Father of the five Pandawas.
  3. Destarata Eldest brother of King Pandu Dewanata who is blind and fathers 100 Kurawa brothers.
  4. Dewi Kunti Mother of Yudistira, Bima and Arjuna and wife of Pandu
  5. Gendari Mother of Kauravas.
  6. Madrim Mother of the ashwin twins Nakula and Sadewa and wife of Pandu
  7. Karna The son of Kunti and the God Surya himself. He was faithful friend of Duryudana.
  8. Durna The great teacher and mahaguru to both the Kurawas and Pandawas. He was the father of Ashwatthama.
  9. Duryudana Eldest Kurawa brother who wants to be the king and hates the Pandavas. He was a great warrior and a great friend.
  10. Sangkuni King of Gandhar, most skilled Player of Dice game, uncle and well wisher of the Kurwas.
  11. Arjuna Third Pandawa brother born of Indra. He was the greatest Archer of the epic. Arjuna was also the greatest and invincible warrior. Krishna was his best friend. Favourite of Bhisma and Drona.
  12. Yudistira Eldest Pandawa brother, a great king, patient and non violent by nature. Despite Kauravas hated him, he loved them and always wanted end the rivalry.
  13. Bima Second Pandawa brother born of the Wind God, a very strong man with strength of thousands of elephants, a giant.
  14. Srikandi elder sister of Draupadi, a warrior princess and a skilled archer, she becomes a man by exchanging her feminity with a yaksha to kill bhisma unfairly as Bhishma denied to use weapons against an enuch Shikhandi.
  15. Dropadi Younger sister of Srikandi, in Indonesian version, she is married to only Yudisthir after an archery competition won by Bhima for his elder brother; and heroine of the Mahabharata.
  16. Hastinapura Original kingdom of Kurus.
  17. Amarta New kingdom made by the Pandawas by Maya who was the only creature whom Arjuna spared when he burnt entire Khandava forest.
  18. Mt Indrakila: The place where Arjuna goes to meditate before the 'Bharata Yudha' or 'War of India' and where he receives many divine arrows.