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STORIES · THE MAHĀBHĀRATA · Tamil · regional retelling

Villiputhurar: Krishna offers himself first, elephant sacrifice

Variant

In the best-known Tamil Mahabharata Krishna volunteers to be the victim.

In Villiputuralvar's 14th-century Tamil Makaparatam the pre-war sacrifice is reframed: Krishna first offers himself, and Aravan volunteers to replace him. An elephant sacrifice complements Aravan's.

Who: Krishna, Aravan

Bound to

Aravan's three boons and the Kali sacrifice same-story-other-version

Arjuna and Duryodhana choose between Kṛṣṇa and his army mirror

Places: Tamil Nadu

Where this comes from

• regional-literary · Wikipedia: Iravan summary of Makaparatam Makaparatam, 14th c.

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