Thursday, March 22, 2018

Yudhishthira's Companion

PHOTO PROMPT © Björn Rudberg

In the end only Yudhisthira and the dog remained from the journey begun when Yudhishthira, his brothers and Draupadi renounced their kingdom and the world.  Their only travelling companion was a stray dog.

The beauteous Draupadi was the first to pass away.  Then Sahadeva the wise, followed by the righteous Nakula.  The archer Arjuna slipped away before the mighty Bhima.

All seemed lost when Indra’s chariot appeared.  But only he was permitted to board alone.

Yudhishthira declined to abandon the faithful canine.  Instantly the dog transformed to the deity of Righteousness. 


Yudhishthira had passed the test to enter paradise.

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Written for Friday Fictioneers Word Count : 100.

To read the other sign writers this week click here

It is hard to take stories from ancient literature and condense to one hundred words.  The story for this week comes from the ancient Indian Epic Mahabharata, which is the longest epic poem known.  This particular one is from the seventeenth book, Mahaprasthanika Parva, which is the shortest book in the epic.

This is another two for one week, You can read my other entry here -> Chip Monks

I'd love read what you think about this post...

32 comments :

  1. Anonymous2:01 am

    we've both ransacked mythology this week

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    1. Thanks Neil. So many stories to ransack, so little time ;-)

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  2. Nice abridged version, Subroto. The whole journey of the Pandavas is a fascinating tale.

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    1. Thanks Varad. It is fascinating indeed, I am glad you liked my abridged tale.

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  3. Anonymous6:21 am

    Lovely take.

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  4. Good story, tough place to get into!

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    1. Thanks CE, I hear the other place has faster access.

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  5. Wonderful fable, nicely done.

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  6. Aww, that was lovely!

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  7. Excellent condensation of the journey.

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  8. Can never go wrong with the Mahabharata :)

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    1. Never! It is such a gold mine of stories.

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  9. Dear Subroto,

    Lovely piece. I so enjoyed it.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    1. Thanks Rochelle, I am glad you liked it.

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  10. I wasn't expecting a happy ending, so this was a very nice surprise :)

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    1. Yes after all those deaths on the way it was looking gloomy. Thanks for reading and commenting Linda.

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  11. Anonymous12:06 am

    Great work, Subroto. I am reading out stories from the great epics to my daughter now, and they are still as fascinating as they were in my childhood days. Really enjoyed your take on the prompt.
    Best wishes
    Moon

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    1. There is something for every age in it. Thanks for your comments Moon.

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  12. Wow, Subroto,
    Congrats on bringing forth such a story. I loved it. Proof loyalty pays in the long run.

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    1. Thanks Dale. It was a bit hard condensing it in 100 words but I think I got there.

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  13. There is always a test in the end... love the myth, it has something to learn us.

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    1. The original story does have a few more tests before he gets to this final one. Thanks for reading and commenting Björn.

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  14. Great piece and the dog is great.

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    1. Thank you Lisa, I am glad you liked it.

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  15. Faithfulness reaped its reward. Lovely tale

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    1. It did indeed and that was probably the moral behind it. Thanks for your comments Lynn.

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  16. Anonymous2:02 am

    You did your condensing so well. I come new to this story and appreciated yours before the explanation. So well done, and to Yudhishthira for his long, and ultimately rewarding, journey.

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    1. Thank you Sarah, yes I am pleased I was able to get the essence of the story within the limit of a hundred words.

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