Lakshagriha

In every way they could, the Kauravas tried to prevent the Pandavas from attaining power and any control over the kingdom. 

One such conspiracy was the Lakshagriha or the Lacquer-house.

What is Lakshagriha?

Lacquer is a highly flammable material. 

A palace was built using lacquer as the primary material at Varanavata. 

Dhritarashtra asked the Pandavas to move there with their mother Kunti.

Click below to watch video - पांडव को मारने के लिए लाक्षाग्रह की साज़िश  

The conspiracy

Purochana, a confidant of the Kauravas, was appointed caretaker of the Lakshagriha.

 He was supposed to set fire to the Lakshagriha and kill the Pandavas and their mother.

He should do so only after the Pandavas settled down and became comfortable there. 

It should look like an accident.

Vidura cautions the Pandavas

Vidura was the paternal uncle of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. 

As soon as he learned about the Kauravas' plot, he dispatched a messenger to inform the Pandavas. 

The same messenger would also secretly build a tunnel.

 Through this tunnel, the Pandavas can escape from the Lakshagriha. 

In one year, the tunnel was completed. 

This was unknown to Purochana.

Who set fire to the Lakshagriha?

The Pandavas wanted to be in control of the situation. 

So they waited for an opportunity. 

A drunken huntress and her five sons visited the Lakshagriha one day. 

The huntress was so drunk that they slept there. 

Bhima took advantage of the opportunity and set fire to the Lakshagriha. 

The Pandavas and Kunti escaped through the tunnel. 

People saw the charred bodies of a woman and five men. 

They thought it must be the Pandavas and their mother. 

Purochana was also burned to death. (Mahabharata.Adiparva.Ch.147)

What happened afterwards?

The Pandavas wanted the Kauravas to believe that they had perished in the fire. 

So they stayed in disguise. 

As soon as they came out of the tunnel, they moved into the forest. 

Then they kept on moving from place to place. 

Their identities were revealed only after Draupadi's swayamvara.

Knowledge Bank

Who are the parents of Rishi Bharadwaja?

Brihaspati and Mamata.

Rishis could curse even the Devas

You must be familiar with the story of Ahalya. Ahalya was the wife of Sage Gowthama. Indra was interested in Ahalya even before her marriage to the Sage. Once, when the Sage was away, Indra came to the Ashrama disguised as the Sage himself and this ended up in their physical union. Gowthama came back and saw them together. He told Ahalya that she would become invisible. She would observe tapas staying without food till the time Lord Rama gave her back her form. This was to purify herself. The Sage cursed Indra severely - 1 Indra developed 1000 vaginas all over his body which later Durga Devi turned into 1000 eyes. 2. Due to Gowthama's curse, Indra's testicles fell to the ground and he became impotent. 3. The invincible Indra suffered defeat several times. 4. Indra had to suffer the consequences of half of the sins committed by humans on earth.