M for Matali, The Charioteer of Indra - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaste, 

Charioteers have a special role in Mahabharata. Krishna was Arjuna’s charioteer in the Kurukshetra War. Daruka was Krishna’s trusted charioteer. Visoka was Bhima’s charioteer. King Shalya of Madra became a charioteer for Karna on day 17 of the war. 

Matali was the charioteer for Indra (the King of Heaven). He was first mentioned in Aranyaka Parva when Indra met Arjuna on the Himalayan peak after performing tapasya. When it was time, he said Matali would arrive to take Arjuna to heaven for training in the use of celestial weapons. The chariot was pulled by ten thousand horses and had magical properties. It was invisible to most and carried the Vaijayanthi flag on a golden flagstaff. 

Matali appeared again when Arjuna was gifted the celestial weapons and was sent to kill the Nivatakavacas hidden in the ocean’s womb. He gave timely advice to Arjuna in defeating the daityas (demons/ anti-gods). 

Next in Udogya Parva, Rishi Kanva narrated the story of how Matali found a groom for his daughter with Narada’s help. 

The story goes that Matali wanted a suitable husband for his lovely daughter Gunakesi. He discussed the issue with his wife, Sudharma, and decided to go to the Naga world to look for a groom. He met Narada en route the next day. Narada offered help and accompanied Matali to many kingdoms, singing praises and revealing the flaws of the prospective grooms. They went to Patala (underworld) and checked out the various kingdoms in it - Hiranyapura, Rasatala, and Bhogavati. 

Finally, Matali saw a young and handsome Naga prince and wanted to know his details. Narada said it was Sumukha from the Airavata family, Aryaka’s grandson and Cikura’s son. They met Aryaka with the proposal, but he refused, saying Garuda had killed Cikura and promised to kill Sumukha soon. How could he knowingly get the boy married in such instances? 

Narada and Matali convinced Aryaka that they would ensure Sumukha’s safety. Aryaka agreed to the wedding. Next, Matali and Narada went to Indra with their problem. Indra was pleased to know that they found a suitable groom for young Gunakesi. He happily granted a long life to Sumukha. 

Garuda got to know of this and was upset as it nullified his vow to kill Sumukha. He considered Indra a friend and disliked this decision. Garuda was boastful of his powers when Maha Vishnu intervened and placed an arm on his shoulder. The majestic Garuda couldn’t bear the weight of Vishnu’s arm and fell unconscious. He regained consciousness a while later and asked for forgiveness for being arrogant. Vishnu then flicked Sumukha onto Garuda’s chest and made them befriend each other. 

Thus, Matali got his daughter married to a Naga as he and his wife planned and also made sure his son-in-law had a long life. Of course, Mahamuni Narada had a vital role in this story. 

Matali doesn't have much role but manages to make his presence felt. 

I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z.

The AI images are made on Bing.