Srikandi is the second daughter of King Drupada. Even though she is a woman,
Srikandi really likes kanuragan (martial arts) and is known to have various skills in archery.
The visualization of Srikandi is often depicted complete with arrows, always a term for any woman
who then looks strong and independent.
Srikandi is not a story from the West and there are many traits that you can emulate from Srikandi.
To find out more about Srikandi, you can see this article till the end, Sinaumed’s.
About Heroine
Srikandi (Dewanagari: शिकण्ढी; IAST: Śikhaṇḍī ) is an androgynous character in the Indian epic
Mahabharata. In this story, she is the daughter of King Drupada and Persati of the Panchala
Kingdom.
In the Adiparwa and Udyogaparwa sections of the Mahabharata, it is explained that she is the reincarnation of a
Kasi royal princess named Amba, who died with a vengeful heart for Bisma, prince of the Kuru dynasty.
Later, Amba too was reborn as the daughter of Drupada. However, due to the word of the gods,
he was raised as a boy. Another version then tells that he changed sex with a yaksa or a
supernatural being.
In the Javanese wayang version that adapts the Mahabharata, there is also a story that is almost the same.
However, in this Javanese wayang it is told that Srikandi later married Arjuna and this is a very
big difference when compared to the Indian version of the Mahabharata story.
The etymology of the name Srikandi itself is the Indonesian version of Śikhaṇḍin in Sanskrit.
Moreover, it is the feminine form of Śikhaṇḍinī .
Literally, the word Śikhandin or Śikhandini means “having tassels” or “those with
crests”.
Previous Life
In the Mahabharata book itself, in a previous life, Srikandi was born as a woman
named Amba. This story about Amba is then published in the first volume of the Mahabharata,
namely Adiparwa, and in the fifth volume of the Mahabharata, Udyoga Parwa.
In this Adiparwa it is told that Bisma, as the prince of Hastinapura, the capital of the Kuru Kingdom, then
brought Amba from a competition in the Kasi Kingdom, to marry Wicitrawirya, his half sister.
Arriving in Hastinapura, Amba then confessed that he had chosen King Salwa as his future
husband.
Because Bhishma did not want Amba to marry forcefully, he then sent Amba back so he could marry King Salwa.
However, King Salwa, who felt his pride had been stepped on by Bisma, did not want to marry Amba.
Amba returns to Bisma’s residence to marry her, but Bhishma refuses because he has vowed to live
celibate forever.
Feeling humiliated, Amba then persuaded the knights in Bharatawarsha to help him subdue Bisma, but none of
the knights dared to do so. Amba then asked Parasurama, one of Bisma’s teachers, for
help.
However, Parasurama was unable to force Bisma to marry Amba, even though he resorted to violence.
Finally, Amba decided to pray to the gods so that they would find a way to kill Bhishma. It
was Begawan Narada who stopped the fight between Bisma and Parasurama, which was caused by Bhishma refusing
Parasurama’s request to marry Amba.
According to the Mahabharata which was rewritten by C. Rajagopalachari, Lord
Subramanya then gave him puspamala and said that anyone who wanted to use it would become the killer of
Bhishma. Amba is also looking for people who are willing to use it, but no one dares even
though there is a guarantee of success from the god.
After being rejected by various knights, finally Amba arrived at King Drupada’s palace, and got the same
result. Desperate, Amba then threw the puspamala over the palace gates and no one dared to
touch it. From Drupada’s palace, Amba then went and prayed to Lord Shiva with the wish to be
the cause of Bhishma’s death.
Amba’s request was granted by the god. However, as a woman who had never received military
training, Amba asked Lord Shiva about a way to kill Bisma. Lord Shiva replied that the killing
did not occur in Amba’s life at that time, but in Amba’s next life.
The god also said that Amba would then be reincarnated to be the one who caused Bhishma’s death.
After hearing the god’s answer, Amba confidently then took his own life. Amba was
reborn as Srikandi, daughter of King Drupada.
Gender
In the Mahabharata , Srikandi is also an androgynous
figure . The story of the determination of this gender occurs
in various versions. In one version it is said that when Srikandi was young, she then found
a puspamala (a gift from Amba) hanging above the gate of her palace.
This Puspamala is a gift from the gods which then makes the wearer the cause of Bisma’s destruction.
Srikandi, who still remembers her reincarnation, wears the puspamala around her neck.
Seeing this, Drupada was worried that Srikandi would later become Bisma’s enemy, so he expelled Srikandi so
that his kingdom would not become Bisma’s enemy. In the middle of the forest, Srikandi then
prays and changes gender to male.
According to another version, he then ran away from Pancala, then met a yaksa who then changed his gender
to Srikandi. It is said that before being blessed with offspring, King Drupada wandered into
the forest. There he later found a baby girl.
When he was picked up, a magical voice echoed from the sky ordering Drupada to take care of the baby like a man.
The child was also given the name Srikandi. As an adult, Srikandi was then married to Raja
Dasharna’s daughter. However, the princess complained to her father that the Srikandi she
married was a woman. When the king acts to confirm the truth, Srikandi panics and flees into
the forest.
There, he met a yaksa who was willing to change sex with him. The Yaksa king also knew this,
then he cursed that the yaksa would remain a woman until finally Srikandi died.
Death
In this epic Mahabharata it is told that Srikandi continued to survive until the war
ended on the 18th day, which was then marked by the defeat of Duryodhana in a duel against Bima.
Before he died, Duryodhana then appointed Aswatama as the leader of the rest of the Korawa
warriors, and then launched a revenge attack on the Pandawa camp.
In this Sauptikaparwa book it is also told that Aswatama carried out his guerrillas
when the Pandawa army was sleeping, and succeeded in killing many knights. After
Drestadyumna, Yudhamanyu, Utamoja, and Draupadi’s five sons were killed, Srikandi then attacked Aswatama
with arrows. However, Aswatama, who was given strength by Shiva, was then able to
counterattack, and cut Srikandi’s body into two parts with his sword. According to one
version, after his death his masculinity was then returned to the ogre.
Javanese wayang
Srikandi as a wayang character in Javanese. In the Javanese wayang play that adapted the
Mahabharata script , it is also told that Srikandi was born because her
parents, namely Prabu Drupada and Dewi Gandawati, wanted a normal child to be born. Her two
older siblings, Dewi Draupadi and Drestadyumna, were born through meditation puja.
Draupadi who was born from the embers of worship, while the smoke from the fire then transformed into
Drestadyumna. Dewi Srikandi is very fond of soldiering and is proficient in using arrows.
She got this skill when she studied with Arjuna, who later became her husband.
In this marriage, he did not have a son. Dewi Srikandi later became a role model for female
warriors. He acts as the responsible safety and security kesatrian Madukara with everything in
it.
In the Bharatayudha war, Dewi Srikandi also appeared as the commander of the Pandawa war who replaced Resi Seta,
the warrior Virata who had fallen in the face of Bisma, the great senapati of the Kaurava army.
With Hrusangkali’s arrow, Dewi Srikandi was also able to kill Bisma, in accordance with the curse of Dewi
Amba, the daughter of Prabu Darmahambara, the king of Giyantipura, who then took revenge on Bisma.
At the end of Dewi Srikandi’s history, it is told that she was later killed by Aswatama who
smuggled into the Astina palace after the end of the Bharatayuddha war.
Srikandi’s example
Maybe you know more about Wonder Woman than Heroine. Srikandi is the second daughter of King
Drupada. Even though she is a woman, Srikandi really likes martial arts and is also an expert
in archery.
Meanwhile, Srikandi is described as a woman who looks strong and brave in facing anything, especially to make her
wish come true.
Heroine is also not a story from the West and this is a trait that you can emulate from it.
Here are some examples of Heroine or what is called Wonder Woman Indonesia that you need to
know.
Performing Best in Fields Mastered by Men
Warrior skills are almost never taught to women like Srikandi but her enthusiasm for learning proves that
Srikandi’s archery skills are very difficult to match by anyone. In fact, he is also believed
to be responsible for the safety and security of the Madukara kingdom and everything in it.
He also proved his skill by killing Bhishma. Even though sometimes a field is more entrusted
to men, it doesn’t mean you women have to immediately back down. If indeed your ability is
there then prove it by giving your best.
Teaches Us to be Firm and Courageous
in All Things
Wayang Srikandi is depicted with an upturned figure, thus indicating that he is a firm and brave person.
It doesn’t matter to men or to each other, Srikandi is also known to always be firm and brave in
all things like Wonder Woman Indonesia.
Becoming an Independent Woman Begins with
Learning
Heroine can be that strong not without effort, everyone knows that Srikandi’s skill in archery is the
result of her timeless learning. She studied with Arjuna who later made her fall in love and
they eventually married even though they were not blessed with sons.
Even though “Strong” Heroine
Can Still Look Beautiful as a Woman
Dewi Wara Srikandi in the appearance of the shadow puppets is then described as very beautiful with
beautiful eyes and a sharp nose and a sexy mouth. She is also decorated with a crown and
princess clothes complete with accessories. Evidence that Srikandi appears as a strong figure
and she also maintains her beauty, so that she is known to be very elegant and pleasing to the eye.
Related Books
The Psychology of Raos in Wayang
There are many secrets related to raos in wayang characters. Wayang is a representation of
raos psychology. Raos, can be divided into two groups, namely raos njaba and raos njero.
Raos njaba is physical, bodily, which has physical demands. In wayang plays, there are
often state struggles, weapons, revelations, and wars. As if to say that the wayang play builds
conflict. Meanwhile, raos njero is more mystical in nature, has spiritualistic demands.
This kind of raos is manifested by the actions of wayang characters who want to be perfect, meaning they
are trying to find the essence of life. For example, the character Abimanyu studied
spiritualism with Begawan Abiyasa. Speeches in wayang, such as Begawan Wisrawa’s Literary
Jendra Hayuningrat, a gift from the gods, also embodies the raos njero direction. From
Kumbakarna, the son of Begawan Wisrawa and Dewi Sukesi, we can learn that there are giants who are virtuous.
Meanwhile, the lessons we can take from the figures of Begawan Wisrawa and Dewi Sukesi are not to
give up trying, to be willing to be concerned, to meditate and meditate to atone for sins, so that the fruit
of their patience is born, namely the perfect Gunawan Wibisana.
Catholic Puppet: A Smart Way to Art
Wayang Catholic or Wayang Wahyu has been around since 1960, but not many people know about it.
Indeed, there have been several people who have written about it, but only limited to schools and
universities as papers, theses, and theses. This book is an attempt to introduce Wayang Wahyu
to the wider community.
Recently, Wayang Wahyu has also been introduced and republished via the internet, newspapers, radio,
television, and others, but as a reference, no one has heard of it being opened. That is
another reason for writing this book about Wayang Wahyu. Hopefully this book will be useful for
readers, especially for the development and preservation of Indonesian culture. For Catholics
themselves, I hope this book will set an example of how to catechize intelligently through local
culture.
Dhalang, Wayang, and Gamelan
Dhalang, Wayang and Gamelan In ancient times, the role of dalang was very important in social life.
The puppeteers are not only seen as teachers or community educators, but also as ‘ old
people ‘. That’s why he is highly respected and glorified by the
community.
According to Seno Sastroamidjojo (1964), a good puppeteer is required to have expertise in five things:
- Gendhing (mastering gendhing lesagoning )
- Gandheng (able to gerong or kur choir in accompaniment of gendhing and able to
protect) - Confident (confident)
- Gendeng (‘crazy’; self-righteous)
- Gandhang (cetha lan exclamation, wijang wijiling speech ; his voice is clear and good)
One of the symbols in wayang that is known by ‘Javanese people’ from generation to generation until now is
the lesson of monotheism. The puppeteer is a symbol of God, while the wayang represents all
mankind. In this life, humans -as wayang- are expected not to disobey God’s commands, meaning,
from this point of view, the role of dalang, wayang, and gamelan actually implies the concept of
‘Manunggaling kawula-Gusti’.
Conclusion
Many people then admire Srikandi and want to emulate her in various ways, regarding her independence and
beauty at the same time. She has also succeeded in becoming a role model not only for women but
also for men, on how to be strong and gentle at the same time, and to be independent but also
respectful.
Of course, some of the Indonesian Heroines or Wonder Woman examples above can be role models for you!
So you don’t have to be oriented towards Western women to be independent. That’s all
for reviews about Srikandi, I hope all the discussion above is useful!
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