~~OM~~

Draupadi found a lotus, it was a mountain lotus that we call Pahari lotus, (Pahari Pomo) and they grow up above the snow line. She said, “Bhima, I love this lotus, could you go up in the mountains and see if there are any more. Go find me some lotuses. I want to offer them in Puja.”

Bhima went off into the mountains, and he started climbing higher, and higher and higher, and he came to a place where there was an old monkey sitting on the side of the path with his tail lying across the path. And he didn’t want to insult or offend anyone by stepping over the tail. So he said, “Mr. Monkey, please, move your tail.” The monkey said to him, “You see I’m an old monkey, and I just came to a lonely place where I could take a little rest by myself. So if the tail is bothering you, you please just move it yourself.”

Bhima said, “Wait a minute, you have to understand, I’m Bhima, I’m one of the Pancha Pandavas. I am the son of the King. I have the strength of a hundred elephants. Your tail is across the path, and it’s not appropriate, move your tail.” And this old monkey said to him, “Hey, sing the name of Ram. Ram Naam Gao Bhai! (That’s comparable to, hey, go chant the name of God, buzz off!) Leave me alone, I’m an old monkey, I came up here in the lonely place on the side of a mountain, there’s nobody around for thousands of miles, I just want to rest.”

And Bhima said, “Hey, if you don’t move that tail right now, I’m going to pick it up and move it myself!” And the Monkey said, “As you like, whatever you like to do, you do. I’m just resting. When I’m through resting I’ll move the tail myself. But if you can’t wait, go ahead and move it.” So Bhima went down, and he bent down and he tried to pick up the tail, and he tried to pick up the tail, and he struggled to pick up the tail; and he grunted and he groaned and he tried to pick up the tail and he couldn’t budge it. And he said, “You are no ordinary monkey, how did you get a tail that heavy to this place? You can’t be an ordinary monkey, show me your real form.”

And Hanuman said, “I told you to sing the name of Ram.” And showed him his form.

Now Hanuman was born from the wind, and Bhima was formed from the wind as well. And they were both sons of the Wind God. And Bhima said, “My brother, we’re about to fight this humongous war, please come and lead our armies to victory.” And Hanuman said, “You know my time of fighting is passed, I’m an old monkey now, and I’m just engaged in monkey business. So, I’ll give you a blessing, I will come on your flag, and I will lead your army to victory from the flag.

And so Arjuna had a monkey on his flag, and he raised his bow.