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During the Ashwameg Yagna, Arjun with an army has followed the scared horse to Trambavati ( Copper ) Nagari ( city ). The King of Trambavati nagari is Mayurdhwaj ( Peacock flag ) . Mayurdhwaj is a great Satya man along with his son Tambradhwaj. Just like the Pandavs, Mayurdhwaj has also started Ashwameg Yagna and has released a scared horse with Tambradhwaj following it. 

Outside the Nagari, both horses met and started to fight with one another. Tambradhwaj arrived and stopped both horses from fighting. Tambradhwaj also read the copper board placed on the Pandav horse’s head. The board read ” Accept Maharaj Yudhisteer as the Emperor or if you are a great Kshtria, give us a battle “. Tambradhwaj thought that I am a Kshtria warrior and it is my duty to fight and protect my Nagari so he captured Pandav horse.

All of a sudden Pandav army came following the horse and saw Tambradhwaj capturing the horse. Pandav army asked Tambradhwaj to release the horse.

Tambradhwaj – I am not going to give the horse back. I am ready for battle so fight and defeat me in order to take the horse.

All the Pandav warriors became angry at Tambradhwaj and started to fight against him. In Pandav army there are warriors such as Arjun, Babruvahan, Vrisketu, Hansdhwaj, Nildhwaj, Megvarna, Yamunaswa and Suveth. Baghwan Krishna himself is driving the chariot of Arjun. All the Pandav warriors together attacked Tambradhwaj but none of them can defeat him. Any weapons that Pandav warriors shoot, Tambradhwaj is countering it. Even the agnito mantra arrows shot by Pandav warriors are all broken by Tambradhwaj’s arrows. After battling for a while, Tambradhwaj took an arrow and placed Mohestra mantra on it along with agnito mantra and shot it on the Pandav army. The arrow multiplied into many arrows and collapsed every single person along with animals.

Baghwan Krishna, on purpose became unconscious. Tambradhwaj took both horses and went back to Tambavati nagari. Tambradhwaj gave both horses to his father Mayurdhwaj.

Tambradhwaj – Father, I have defeated the Pandav warriors along with Krishna.

Mayurdhwaj – Son, what have you done? We are performing this Yagna to receive Lord’s blessings and you have harmed him.

Mayurdhwaj is very upset because of this incident. On the battlefield, Pandav army has now just waken from unconsciousness.

Arjun – Krishna, what can we do? Tambradhwaj is too powerful for us to defeat.

Krishna – If you fight him, you cannot defeat him. But, I have another idea of how you can make him your ally. Come with me.

Krishna changed his form into an older Brahmin and made Arjun a disciple. They made Babruvahan in charge of the army and went to Tambavati Nagari, all the way to the Royal Palace. Mayurdhwaj saw both of them and got up to greet them properly. Mayurdhwaj made them sit on a great ashan and gave them food.

Mayurdhwaj – Welcome to my Kingdom, great one. What can I do for you?

Krishna – I have come to you seeking help. I had one son. We were going on a yatra, where we came up on a jungle. There an Agori captured my son and said that bring right half part of Mayurdhwaj’s body in order to get your son back. This is the reason I have come to you, please do not disappoint me and save my son.

Mayurdhwaj – Great one, my body is very lucky to perform such a wonderful task. How would you like my right side of the body.

Krishna – The Agori has said that your wife and your son should cut the body. While both of them are cutting your body, you should not scream or no tear should come out of your eye.

Mayurdhwaj called his wife and his son to explain all the situations.

Mayurdhwaj – Do not worry about me. The brahmin needs help so I must help him.

Mayurdhwaj had a table brought and lay on it. His wife and son started to cut him from bottom to up with a great saw. Even though, Mayurdhwaj felt great pain, he kept on praying to the Lord and does not scream. The saw went up to the belly button, and out of Mayurdhwaj’s left eye, tears started to come out.

Baghwan Krishna got up and started to walk away seeing the tears.

Krishna – Now, your half of the body is useless.

Mayurdhwaj ( while dying ) – Wait great one, hear why the left side is crying. The left side is thinking that I will be wasted, while the right side will perform a great deed by being donated for a great cause. This is the reason, why the left side is crying.

Baghwan Krishna was glad and turned into his original form. Krishna showed Mayurdhwaj the Virat Swaroop and healed him. Mayurdhwaj invited the Pandav army and made them stay at his Nagari for five days. After five days, Mayurdhwaj accepted Yudhisteer as the Emperor and handed his own horse to the Pandavs. Mayurdhwaj made Tambradhwaj the King of Tambavati and joined with the Pandavs on their quest for Ashwemeg Yagna.

another version better explained.

Mayuura Dhvaja

Knowing that Mayuura Dhvaja caught the divya-ashvam of Yudhishthira who was doing Ashwamedha-yaagam, Krishna-Arjuna reached his Kingdom. Shri Krishna told Arjuna that Mayuura Dhvaja is a Dharmaatma and one of His greatest Bhaktas. So They must be careful while fighting Mayuura Dhvaja. Even Arjuna was not able to handle Mayuura Dhvaja in the Yuddham!! Shri Krishna then Himself came for help.

Mayuura Dhvaja didnt want to fight the Paramaatma, Shri Krishna, but didnt step back from the Yuddham, following Kshatriya-dharmam. So for every arrow he put, he did Shri Krishna naama smarana. Since Bhagavaan always likes getting defeated in the hands of His Bhaktas, Shri Krishna Himself could not stand the arrows of Mayuura Dhvaja!!! When Arjuna asked Shri Krishna said “neither your Gaandeevam nor My sudarshana-chakram can harm this Mahaa-bhakta”. Shri Krishna wanted to show everyone the greatness of Mayuura Dhvaja. The next day Shri Krishna and Arjuna went to Mayuura Dhvaja in disguise of Vipras.

Seeing the Vipras, Mayuura Dhvaja said “O Svaami! Please accept my aatithyam and bless me”. Shri Krishna replied “Raaja! We dont have time for that. There is a big problem. After solving that only We can think about other things”. Mayuura Dhvaja replied “Svaami! Please tell me what is Your difficulty. I will try my best to solve it. If required I am ready to give away my life”. Shri Krishna, who was in Vipra-vesham, replied “Raaja! When We were coming through a forest, a tiger caught My son and ate him. After it ate half, aakaasha-vaani said that if I get half shariiram of Mayuura Dhvaja and give it to the tiger, then I will get back My child. So I came here to ask you to give Me putra-bhiksha”.

“Aaha! I became a dhanya. My body is being used to save the life of a small baby. What more do I want? Aarya! please dont think. Cut me into two and give half of my body to the tiger”, pleaded Mayuura Dhvaja! He at once called his Bhaarya and putra and asked them to cut him into two and give hald body to the Vipras. Though they didnt want to, but knowing that the King ordered in order to do a Divya-kaaryam, they started to cut his body.

Krishna-Arjuna became animishas (without flapping eyes) and saw. They saw water-drops falling from the left eye of Mayuura Dhvaja. Just to show the greatness of Mayuura Dhvaja to others, the Sarvagnya, Shri Krishna said “Raaja! One who gives with 100% manastrupti and santosham then only it is called Tyaagam. If you are sad then you need not give. If you shed tears by seeing the pain of others it is Divyatvam; whereas if you shed tears seeing yourself it is Naichyam. Moham is the reason for this. So dont do if you dont like”.

Mayuura Dhvaja, the maha-bhakta of Shri Krishna, replied “Arya! I am not feeling sad to give my body. If really I was feeling sad for that both my eyes will shed tears. My right half of body is only being used for aarta-rakshana; and the left is not. This part is going waste not being of any use to others. Hence the left-eye is shedding tears“.

Shri Krishna then showed His nija-ruupam, gave aashiirvaadam to Mayuura Dhvaja and returned his previous form. Mayuura Dhvaja did saashtaanga-pranaamam aand returned the Yagnya-ashvam.

Mayuura Dhvaja showed us the perfect nirvachanam for the suukti “Paropakaaraartham idam shariiram”.