In storytelling traditions many works may fall outside of a core canon. There are a great number of stories and Sanskrit works that took place centuries after the Mahabharata in the golden ages of Gupta literature. From these are borne much of the backstory of the Yadavas, and Krishna - whose backstory as a yogurt swilling youth hero scamp among cowherds and the romantic story of his consort Radha is told in swirling Sanskrit prose. Others may have more opaque origins. This folk story gives some context to the curious case of Dushalaa, lone daughter of the 101 Kauravas.
Dushalaa was the only female among Dhritarashtra and Gandhari's 101 offspring.
The 101 Kaurava siblings born to Gandhari were aborted after an interminable 2-year pregnancy from Gandhari’s clogged womb, then divided into 100 parts and sealed in embryonic pots, where, with space to grow, they grew and emerged as infants nine months later. One of the parts divided again in two, these were the twins Dushala and Dushalaa, born from the same pot.
When the time came, Dushalaa approached the young Pandava Arjuna about marriage. Arjuna rejected Dushalaa. Though second cousins, such unions were common then. Dushalaa was beautiful and charming, so maybe Arjuna had reservations about becoming brother-in-law to Dushalaa one hundred brothers.
The trouble began as Dushalaa’s entourage of brothers that accompanied Dushalaa to see Arjuna.
Expecting a celebration party where they could drink and feast to excess to follow Dushalaa’s proposal, the mob was dismayed. Then they began to take offense at Arjuna's rejection.
Soon they grew angry and belligerent, pressuring Arjuna to change his mind.
Outnumbered and under mounting pressure of violence to his person to reconsider his answer, Arjuna strung his bow in a flash and unleashed a razor-sharp arrow.
The arrow ripped the heart of Dushala's beloved pet goat in half, killing the animal instantly.
Dushala screamed like an osprey as the animal fell and thereafter wanted nothing to do with Arjuna. In this way, the bullying pressure on Arjuna to accept the offer was made moot. Arjuna was off the hook. Soon the mob of Kauravas brothers dispersed and left. Only the fallen goat remained in the Pandavas court.
Later, Dushalaa married Pandava rival and antagonist Jayadratha from Sindhu.
The goat was unusually well cared for in life, fattened with buttermilk and sweet kusha grass by Dushalaa, who led the animal around with a rope leash.
In that way the animal’s flesh was made especially fatty and sweet and, fondly remembered by the Pandavas as the tastiest meat they ever consumed.
The end.
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