The Kurukshetra war was a war that lasted 18 days. It had millions of warriors that fought every day tirelessly. While it is really easy to know and remember who the warriors were and how valiantly they fought, it is also important to know how the logistics of the war were managed. One of the most important aspects of any living being is food. The Kurukshetra war was massive. It included some of the most valiant warriors and their diets were as humongous as one can imagine. Let us see how King Udipi managed food management during the war.
It all started when all the kings of the country were selecting sides. They had the option to choose from Pandavas with Lord Krishna or Kauravas with a mighty army. Each king chose one or the other side. However, King Udipi came to the battlefield and had to choose either of the sides. He saw all the strategies and battle ideas of both. He and his army were not ready to choose any of them and they were not at all keen to fight the war. A reluctant and scared King Udipi went to Lord Krishna and said,
“Oh Vasudeva, I am in a mighty dilemma. Both sides are equally strong and attractive. Neither do I have the courage to fight against any nor do I have the skills to help them. What shall I do? I and my army shall perish if we join either of the sides. We want to remain neutral and not be a part of the war. Please help us.“
Lord Krishna understood the dilemma and figured out a solution for King Udipi. He replied,
“King Udipi, it is very natural to feel the dilemma that you are in and as anyone would want, your idea to remain neutral also sounds wise and practical. I have considered your plea and I have figured out a way in which you can remain neutral yet contribute to the war. You shall be in charge of managing the food for all the warriors that participate in the war. This is the only choice that you have.“
King Udipi agreed happily to this suggestion and went ahead to make arrangements for the food of the soldiers.
After a few days, everyone was curious as to how King Udipi managed to cater for the exact amount of people without even the slightest of waste and no one facing any kind of shortage of food or water. They asked King Udipi the secret of these calculations and exact serving. King Udipi said,
“It is with the help of Lord Krishna that I am able to predict and calculate the exact amount of food and water for the warriors. The idea is simple. Every night, I would peel peanuts and offer them to Krishna. The number of peanuts that he would eat would give me an idea of the number of soldiers that would die in the war. If he eats 5 peanuts, it means that 5000 soldiers would lose their lives in the war and so on.“
This is the story of King Udipi. Udipi has become a name that stands for food and nourishment even today.
Can you please let me know the source of King Udupi story you have updated?
I donot find this in the original Vyasa Maha Bharatham sanskrit.