Barbareek's Sacrifice

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Most of the great scholars of Gita may not have heard of the great

Barbareek, the son of Ghatotkachch, grandson of Bheema. This

brilliant child Barbareek, the grandson of the Bheema, the second

eldest among the Pandavas, was born to Hidamba, the wife of

Ghatotkachch. He had a lot of hair on his head, like a lion, so he

was called Barbareek.

 

By the grace of Lord krishna,the stage for an important event

(Mahabharata) is often set much in advance. So it was with

Barbareek's sacrifice.

 

Barbareek wanted to gain all the best knowledge in military science

as well as spiritual science. He was sent to serve a learned

Brahmana who had acquired lots of knowledge, and was harassed by

demons. Barbareek spent his time protecting the brahmana from the

demons, and eventually he completed his learning and returned with

blessings and supreme knowledge, back to his mother.

Then he heard of the battle of Mahabharata which was about to begin,

and consoling his mother, convincing her of his capability, he went

away towards the battlefield. Lord Krishna knew that if Barbareek

saw the battlefield, he would take the side of the losing forces.

Knowing this, he disguised as a brahmana and approached Barbareek on

his way.Barbareek had already met Bheema, his grandfather, when he

set off on the journey, and was also blessed by Lord Siva as he went

ahead. When he met Lord Krishna in the guise of a Brahmana, Lord

Krishna asked him to prove to him his capabilities first. He had

three great arrows, mystical in nature, with which he could destroy

everyone in the battlefield. Lord Krishna said to Barbareek to show

his powers, by piercing all the leaves of a tree, and he hid one

leaf under His Lotus feet. When Barbareek shot the arrow, it pierced

all the leaves of the tree except the one under Lord Krishna's feet,

and the arrow came to rest at the feet of Lord Krishna. The Lord

Krishna explained to Barbareek, that if he by chance took the side

of the Kauravas, the efforts of the Pandavas would go in vain.

Barbareek understood, and offered his own head as sacrifice to Lord

Krishna, in order to make sure that Pandavas won the war, and thus

his sacrifice has been known as the first beginning of the

Mahabharata, which ensured that pandavas would win. Without such a

sacrifice, it would have been very difficult for the Pandavas to win

the mercy of the Lord. Thus the Lord accepted the head of Barbareek,

and placed it on a mountain top, to view the battle. For 18 days,

this head of Barbareek saw the war, and after the war was over, Lord

Krishna then brought all the victorious Pandavas and their friends

to see Barbarek's head, which was kept alive by the mystical pwers

of the Lord. Thus Barbareek spoke in detail about the battle, and

declared that had it not been for Sudarshana Chakra of the Lord, the

Pandavas would have lost. All the killing was actually done by the

Sudarshana Chakra! The pandavas thus lost their arrogance and they

together took Barbareek's head to his mother, who heard the story of

the battle of Mahabharata from the mouth of Barbareek himself! Only

after that, Barbareek's head was entombed sacredly, according to

vedic rituals.

The blessing given to Barbareek by Lord Krishna was that he would be

called with the name of Krishna itself (Shyam) and the place where

he was entombed is called Khatu Shyam, where the temple of Barbareek

still stands and is worshipped by all as the one of the closest

associates of Lord Krishna, although unknown to many. Those who

remember this sacrifice of Barbareek, they will always be at peace,

for having known the reason due to which Pandavas won the war

against the Kauravas. Had the Lord not been merciful because of

Barbareek's Sacrifice, the Pandavas may not have won. Thus the stage

for the victory of the Pandavas was set by the Lord through the

sacrifice of Barbareek.