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Introduction; This post of mine is dedicated to the character of a kshatriya warrior monarch called "Pandya" but he had a nickname "Malaydhwaj" which i liked better since it helps a reader tell the difference in identity crisis between him & the pandavas. Malaydhwaj is a name likely created based on the flag/insignia of his vehicle.
He also had another name Sarangdhwaj but i thought their are enough MB characters whose names begin with S (sutasoma, srutakarman, satanika, suvajra, suvraja, satyaki, suyodhan, sakuni and srutarvan) so no point in him having a name like that.
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What Sanjaya believed is witnessed by Krishna:
"And while returning (from the field to their camp), they heard a loud noise in the army of Duryodhana. Indeed the uproar that was heard consisted of the blare of conchs and the beat of cymbals and drums and Patahas and the clatter of car wheels, the neighing of steeds, the grunt of elephants, and the fierce clash of weapons. Penetrating into that force by the aid of his steeds possessing the fleetness of the wind, Krishna became filled with wonder upon beholding the army grinded by Pandya. Like Yama himself slaying creatures whose lives have run out, Pandya, that foremost of warriors skilled in shafts and weapons, was destroying crowds of foes by means of diverse kinds of shafts. Piercing the bodies of the elephants and steeds and men with sharp shafts, that foremost of smiters overthrew and deprived them of life. Cutting off with his own shafts the diverse weapons hurled at him by many foremost of foes, Pandya slew his enemies like Sakra destroying the Danavas."
Logic - him being "filled with wonder" show's that even krishna felt surprised seeing the man's power, he held Pandya in high regard. Even if the krishna here was actually Arjuna & not Vasudeva's son then it still counts as a worthy achievement.
Actions of Malaydhwaj;
"Even such was Pandya, that foremost of kings, that first of wielder of weapons. Filled with rage like the Destroyer himself, Pandya at the time was slaughtering the army of Karna. That force, swelling with cars and steeds and teeming with foremost of foot-soldiers, struck by Pandya, began to turn round like the potter's wheel. Like the wind dispersing a mass of congregated clouds, Pandya, with his well shot arrows, began to disperse that force, destroying its steeds and drivers and standards and cars and causing its weapons and elephants to fall down."
What Karna did while Malaydhwaj is killing his warrior's:
[quoTe]
"Meanwhile Karna rushed against the large elephant force of the Pandavas and began to rout and destroy it."
[End]
Note - this took place when a kourav warrior under karna (ashwathama was ranked below him despite being a better fighter) got surrounded by Malaydhwaj & 6 of his assistants it was a group attack, yet instead of defending his best ally Karna decided to attack nameless elephantine rider's.
Ashwathama's line:
"O king, O thou with eyes like the petals of the lotus, thy birth is noble and learning great. Of celebrated might and prowess, thou resemblest Indra himself. Stretching with thy two massive arms the bow held by thee and whose large string is attached to thy grasp, thou lookest beautiful like a mass of congregated clouds as thou pourest over thy foes thick showers of impetuous shafts. I do not see anybody save myself that can be a match for thee in battle."
"Alone thou crushest numerous cars and elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds, like the fearless lion of terrible might crushing herds of deer in the forest. Making the welkin and the Earth resound with the loud clatter of thy car-wheels thou lookest resplendent, O king, like a crop-destroying autumnal cloud of loud roars. Taking out of thy quiver and shooting thy keen shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison fight with myself only, like (the asura) Andhaka fighting with the three-eyed deity."
Thus addressed, Pandya answered, "So be it." Then Drona's son, telling him "Strike," assailed him with vigour. In return, Malayadhwaja pierced the son of Drona with a barbed arrow.
Possible scenario - like jayadrath saved karna from Satyaki (on day 12) so did Ashwathama save karna from Sarangdhwaj at day 16. Obviously the biggest point here is that Ashwathama claims nobody in the kourav army could check Malaydhwaj or be a challenge (match) for Malaydhwaj. That might be a clue that he did fight karna or atleast injure him.
Yudisther's quote indicates Pandya might be alive on day 17.
[Start]
"Pandya against the son of Drona. I myself will fight with Kripa. Let the sons of Draupadi with Shikhandi amongst them, proceed against the rest of the Dhartarashtras."
[End]
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Malaydhwaj vs Ashwathama:
"Drona's son, that best of preceptors, smiling the while, struck Pandya with some fierce arrows, capable of penetrating into the very vitals and resembling flames of fire. Then Ashvatthama once more sped at his foe some other large arrows equipped with keen points and capable of piercing the very vitals, causing them to course through the welkin with the ten different kinds of motion. Pandya, however, with nine shafts of his cut off all those arrows of his antagonist. With four other shafts he afflicted the four steeds of his foe, at which they speedily expired. Having then, with his sharp shafts, cut off the arrows of Drona's son, Pandya then cut off the stretched bow-string of Ashvatthama, endued with the splendour of the sun. Then Drona's son, that slayer of foes, stringing his unstringed bow, and seeing that his men had meanwhile speedily yoked other excellent steeds unto his car, sped thousands of arrows (at his foe). By this, that regenerate one filled the entire welkin and the ten points of the compass with his arrows. Although knowing that those shafts of the high-souled son of Drona employed in shooting were really inexhaustible, yet Pandya, that bull among men, cut them all into pieces."
Note; It appears that Malaydhwaj has the upper hand here, Ashwathama's attacks failed.
"The antagonist of Ashvatthama, carefully cutting off all those shafts shot by the latter, then slew with his own keen shafts the two protectors of the latter's car wheels in that encounter. Beholding the lightness of hand displayed by his foe, Drona's son, drawing his bow to a circle, began to shoot his arrows like a mass of clouds pouring torrents of rain. During that space of time, O sire, which consisted only of the eighth part of a day, the son of Drona shot as many arrows as were carried on eight carts each drawn by eight bullocks."
Analysis; 1/8th of a day would realistically mean 3 hours but if they meant 1/8th of the time the sun shines on the world then its different. In a winter day one eighth would about 63 minutes.
"Almost all those men that then beheld Ashvatthama, who at the time looked like the Destroyer himself filled with rage, or rather the Destroyer of the Destroyer, lost their senses. Like a mass of clouds at the close of summer drenching with torrents of rain, the Earth with her mountains and trees, the preceptor's son poured on that hostile force his arrowy shower. Baffling with the Vayavya weapon that unbearable shower of arrows shot by the Ashvatthama-cloud, the Pandya-wind, filled with joy, uttered loud roars. Then Drona's son cutting off the standard, smeared with sandal-paste and other perfumed unguents and bearing the device of the Malaya mountain on it, of the roaring Pandya, slew the four steeds of the latter. Slaying then his foe's driver with a single shaft, and cutting off with a crescent-shaped arrow the bow also of that warrior whose twang resembled the roar of the clouds, Ashvatthama cut off his enemy's car into minute fragments. Checking with the weapons those of his enemy, and cutting off all the weapons of the latter, Drona's son, although he obtained the opportunity to do his enemy the crowning evil, still slew him not, from desire of battling with him for some time more.
Note; this's an obvious exaggeration made by Sanjaya cause Malaydhwaj did not lose his senses but if he did lose senses then that means king Malaydhwaj has a valid excuse for being defeated, cause he was in a vulnerable position. And Ashwathama clearly had to rely on the vayavy astra & a intimidation factor but Malaydhwaj had not relied on any such tool for fighting.
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Battle continued:
That mighty bowman, the son of Drona, although he had made Pandya, that slayer of foes and foremost of car-warriors, carless, yet he did not slay him from desire of fight. At that time a huge riderless elephant with large tusks, well-equipped with all utensils of war, treading with speed, endued with great might, quick to proceed against any enemy, struck with Ashvatthama's shafts, advanced towards the direction of Pandya with great impetuosity, roaring against a hostile compeer. Beholding that prince of elephants, looking like a cloven mountain summit, Pandya, who was well acquainted with the method of fighting from the neck of an elephant, quickly ascended that beast like a lion springing with a loud roar to the top of a mountain summit.
Then that lord of the prince of mountains, striking the elephant with the hook, and inspired with rage, and with that cool care for which he was distinguished in hurling weapons with great force, quickly sped a lance, bright as Surya's rays, at the preceptor's son and uttered a loud shout. Repeatedly shouting in joy, "Thou art slain, Thou art slain!" Pandya (with that lance) crushed to pieces the diadem of Drona's son adorned with foremost of jewels and diamonds of the first water and the very best kind of gold and excellent cloth and strings of pearls. That diadem possessed of the splendour of the Sun, the Moon, the planets, or the fire, in consequence of the violence of the stroke, fell down, split into fragments, like a mountain summit riven by Indra's thunder, falling down on the Earth with great noise."
Explanation: if this diadem is the same gem which the pandavas try to take from him in Souptika Parva then this appears to be a clerical error in Mahabharat or it is possible that the diadem here was just a jewel that decorated his golden helmet not the one for his forehead.
End of Malaydhwaj.
"At this, Ashvatthama blazed up with exceeding rage like a prince of snakes struck with the foot, and took up four and ten shafts capable of inflicting great pain upon foes and each resembling the Destroyer's rod. With five of those shafts he cut off the four feet and the trunk of his adversary's elephant, and with three the two arms and the head of the king, and with six he slew the six mighty car-warriors, endued with great effulgence, that followed king Pandya. Those long and well-rounded arms of the king, smeared with excellent sandal-paste, and adorned with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds falling upon the Earth, began to writhe like a couple of snakes slain by Garuda. That head also, graced with a face bright as the full Moon, having a prominent nose and a pair of large eyes, red as copper with rage, adorned with earrings, falling on the ground, looked resplendent like the Moon himself between two bright constellations."
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Details about king Malaydhwaj's background, his life before getting into the war, who his predecessor is (the previous ruler/monarch of his country).
How his father dies.
[quote]
"It was he that slew king Pandya by striking his breast against his, and moved down the Kalingas in battle."
[end]
Sarangdhwaj's dad (original king of the pandya state).
Quote:
"The king of the Pandyas, on steeds of the hue of the moon's rays and decked with armour set with stones of lapis lazuli, advanced upon Drona, stretching his excellent bow. His country having been invaded and his kinsmen having fled, his father had been slain by Krishna in battle."
"He then desired to destroy the city of Dwaraka and subjugate the whole world. Wise friends, however, from desire of doing him good, counselled him against that course. Giving up all thoughts of revenge, he is now ruling his own dominions."
"Steeds that were all of the hue of the Atrusa flower bore a hundred and forty thousand principle car-warriors that followed that Sarangadhwaja, the king of the Pandyas."
Analysis: here it's made clear that even though krishna was god the aggressor in the situation was krishna himself, he choose to invade the land of Sarangdhwaja's father. How can a invasion with loss of lives be justified?
But the 2nd quote shows that Sarangdhwaj brought at minimum 140,000 soldiers to the pandav army so he controls a big chunk of their men.
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Whether he fought Karna or not?
In chapter 8019 it should be understood that Sanjaya said it was the army of Duryodhana (not karna) which made a noise loud enough to get attention from Krishna so that leads me to believe king Malaydhwaj attacked Suyodhana's legion instead not Karna's. Though it is possible that 'duryodhan's army' is a term used for the full kourav army (whose leader is Karna today) theirs also a chance that is not its meaning.
In the next one (chapter 8020) it is made obvious by Sanjaya that it was Karna's army which Malaydhwaj was harassing, killing, injuring etc. No retaliation from Karna is mentioned but Sanjaya does hold a firm belief that Malaydhwaj is equal as a warrior to Karna. And Ashwathama himself stated that he thinks nobody besides himself on the kourav army could beat Malaydhwaj.
Karna only chooses to rush to attack pandav elephants after its been confirmed that ashwathama is busy dueling Malaydhwaj. But during the rampage of Malaydhwaj he is not mentioned trying to stop him at all.
Quote.
"Filled with rage like the Destroyer himself, Pandya at the time was slaughtering the army of Karna. That force, swelling with cars and steeds and teeming with foremost of foot-soldiers, struck by Pandya, began to turn round like the potter's wheel. Like the wind dispersing a mass of congregated clouds, Pandya, with his well shot arrows, began to disperse that force, destroying its steeds and drivers and standards and cars and causing its weapons and elephants to fall down."
"Like the splitter of mountains striking down mountains with his thunder, Pandya overthrew elephants with their riders, having previously cut down the standards and banners and weapons with which they were armed, as also the foot-soldiers that protected those beasts. And he cut down horses, and horsemen with their darts and lances and quivers."
End.
CONCLUSION; Even if karna did not fight him its implied that Malaydhwaj was either above karna or equal to him. That is as long as no bhargavastra is used.
He was another student Parshuram had who is not a brahmin.
"Obtaining weapons then from Bhishma and Drona, Rama and Kripa, prince Sarangadhwaja became, in weapons, the equal of Rukmi and Karna and Arjuna and Achyuta."
Comment; So even Kripa, Drona & Bhishma taught him not just Parshuram.
Accolade given by Bhishma;
"Devoted to the Pandavas and endued with great bravery, there is another great Ratha of the Pandavas, king Pandya, that bowman of mighty energy."
Other;
"And there hath come Pandya also, who, hardly inferior to Indra on the field of battle, is followed when he fights by numberless warriors of great courage. Remarkably heroic and endued with prowess and energy that have no parallel, he is devoted to the Pandava cause."
Sanjaya said this's what he saw himself as;
[begin]
"Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son and Karna and Arjuna and Janardana, those thorough masters of the science of weapons, are regarded by thee as the foremost of car-warriors. Know, however, that Pandya regarded himself superior to all these foremost of car-warriors in energy. Indeed he never regarded any one amongst the kings as equal to himself. He never admitted his equality with Karna and Bhishma. Nor did he admit within his heart that he was inferior in any respect to Vasudeva or Arjuna. Even such was Pandya, that foremost of kings, that first of wielder of weapons."
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