Shrutakarma - Arjunas Forgotten Son

Dadi: "Guddu, you know about Arjuna's famous son Abhimanyu, don't you?"

Guddu: "Yes! The brave boy who entered the Chakravyuha!"

Dadi: "But did you know Arjuna had another son - one who is often forgotten in the great stories?"

Guddu: "A forgotten son? That sounds sad."

Dadi: "His name was Shrutakarma, and he was Arjuna's son with Draupadi. His name means 'one whose deeds are famous' - but ironically, his story is rarely told."

Guddu: "Why is he forgotten when Abhimanyu is so remembered?"

Dadi: "That's the heart of this story, beta. You see, Draupadi had five sons, one from each Pandava brother. These five were called the Upapandavas. Shrutakarma was Arjuna's contribution to that group."

Guddu: "So Arjuna had sons from different wives?"

Dadi: "Four sons in total. Shrutakarma from Draupadi. Iravan from the Naga princess Ulupi. Babruvahana from Princess Chitrangada. And Abhimanyu from Subhadra, Krishna's sister."

Guddu: "That's a lot of brothers!"

Dadi: "Yet when people talk about Arjuna's sons, they only remember Abhimanyu. The great warrior who learned battle formations from inside his mother's womb. The sixteen-year-old who fought alone against seven maharathis. The hero who broke the Chakravyuha but couldn't find his way out."

Guddu: "His death was so tragic."

Dadi: "It was. And because Abhimanyu's story is so dramatic, Shrutakarma faded into the background. Some old stories even suggest that Draupadi would complain that Arjuna loved Abhimanyu more than Shrutakarma."

Guddu: "Was it true?"

Dadi: "Who knows? But think about it from Shrutakarma's perspective. His father was the greatest archer in the world. His half-brother was a legendary hero. Everywhere Shrutakarma went, people would ask about Abhimanyu, talk about Abhimanyu, praise Abhimanyu."

Guddu: "That would feel terrible. Like being invisible."

Dadi: "Yet Shrutakarma was no weakling. He was classified as an Ekarathi - a warrior capable of fighting alone against multiple enemies. His war horses were the color of kingfishers - a beautiful blue-green. He fought bravely in the Kurukshetra war."

Guddu: "Did he do anything important?"

Dadi: "He fought against Dushasana, one of the wicked Kauravas. He battled Ashwatthama, the son of Drona. On the sixteenth day of war, he killed King Chitrasena. He was a real warrior, beta - not a legend, but a solid, brave soldier."

Guddu: "So why don't we hear about him?"

Dadi: "Because history loves drama. Abhimanyu's death was dramatic - alone, surrounded, killed unfairly by multiple warriors breaking the rules. Shrutakarma's battles were... normal. Brave, yes. But not unusual enough to make the legends."

Guddu: "How did Shrutakarma die?"

Dadi: "*voice growing sad* In the most unfair way possible. After the war ended - after the Pandavas had won - everyone went to sleep, exhausted. That night, Ashwatthama, consumed by rage over his father's death, attacked the sleeping Pandava camp."

Guddu: "That's against all rules!"

Dadi: "He didn't care about rules anymore. In that terrible night raid, Ashwatthama killed all five of Draupadi's sons - including Shrutakarma. They died in their sleep, not in glorious battle. They never had a chance to fight back."

Guddu: "*voice small* That's so unfair. He survived the whole war and then..."

Dadi: "Was killed like that. When Draupadi discovered what happened the next morning, her grief was bottomless. Five sons, all gone. And among them, Shrutakarma - the son who had always lived in Abhimanyu's shadow, who finally had a chance to shine after the war... killed before he could."

Guddu: "Dadi, this is a very sad story."

Dadi: "It is, beta. But it teaches us something important."

Guddu: "What?"

Dadi: "That not everyone becomes famous. Not every hero gets remembered. But that doesn't mean their lives didn't matter. Shrutakarma fought his battles. He did his duty. He loved his family. The fact that history forgot him doesn't erase what he did."

Guddu: "He was still a good person even if no one remembers."

Dadi: "Exactly. And here's the other lesson - we should notice the Shrutakarmas around us. The people who work hard but don't get praised. The siblings who live in their brother's or sister's shadow. The quiet ones doing their duty without applause."

Guddu: "I'll try to notice them, Dadi."

Dadi: "And appreciate them. Sometimes being noticed is the greatest gift we can give someone. Now sleep, and tomorrow, look around for the forgotten heroes in your own life."

Guddu: "Goodnight, Dadi. May all the forgotten sons be remembered."

Dadi: "May we be the ones who remember them. Goodnight, my thoughtful boy."