Recorded LIVE at Convergence in Minneapolis, MN on July 3, 2026.

Friends, we were really lucky to do a live recording of this episode at Convergence 2026 in front of an audience!

#CVG2026

We do apologize for the background sound that was outside of our control for this episode. The running theory is that it was the Reverend Matt Kessen causing a ruckus in the neighboring room.

Fellow podcaster and friend, Aaron King, joins us we go back to the moment when Shiva opens up his third eye and turns the god of love into ash- but this time we follow the story of the ash, the birth of a three world conquering demon, and we learn about the wonder that is Lalita Tripura Sundari, who is certainly the greatest entity we have run across in our podcast. Lalita IS the universe, and from her she spawns legions of women warriors and other amazing goddesses as her generals.

Even for an epic podcast- this is pretty epic!

An audience member asked about my Mahabharata reading list. Here are the books I generally read in preparation for an episode. Sometimes I find tangents and corroboration online.

Ramesh Menon's Mahabharata

Amar Chitra Katha Mahabharata

Devdutt Pattanaik's Mahabharata

Amit Majmudar's The Mahabharata trilogy

Satyarth Nayak's Mahagatha

S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow. He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects.

spjayaraj.com

Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor.

Aaron King is a game designer, editor and collage editor, and cohost of the podcast ‘Read The F****** Manual’ where they and their cohost read and review Roleplaying Game Manuals. They're also the co-host of Nighcrawler is My Boyfriend. A podcast where two game designers read classic X-Men comics on a quest to make the perfect X-Men RPG!
Hosted by Aaron King (Patchwork World, SpeedRune, RTFM Podcast) and Caleb Zane Huett (Triangle Agency).

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Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

Another long time friend Dr. Victoria Peterson-Hilleque joins us as messengers go back and forth between the two sides to prevent war.

First, the Pandavas send their envoy to let the Kauravas know their terms for peace- carefully laying out the history of injustices and how they will still settle for half what was promised to them to prevent war. Then, Dhritarashtra sends his envoy to carry his message word for word. The Pandava court is flabbergasted by Dhritarashtra's message, which also triggers some rageful healthy discussion between the three of us.

S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow. He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects.

spjayaraj.com

Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor.

Dr. Victoria Peterson-Hilleque is a practicing psychologist as well as a poet. Purchase her poetry collection, Letters to Minnehaha Creek: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Minnehaha-Creek-Victoria-Lin/dp/1950730433

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Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

Long time friend Peter Stein joins us as the Pandavas announce their return through a royal wedding.

The Pandavas exile is finally over, although Duryodhana tries to convince them to stay in exile, the Pandavas are not having it as they celebrate the wedding of Arjuna's son Abhinmayu. The Pandavas allies also discuss how to deliver their stance to Hastinapur to let them know firmly that they want what is owed to them after sticking to the terms of the dice roll 13 years ago. Then, Arjuna and Duryodhana go to see Krishna to try and get him to join their side in the upcoming war.

S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow. He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects.

spjayaraj.com

Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor.

Peter Stein is a poet and a photographer. Find out more at https://www.steinography.com

Support the show

Have an imaginative day.


Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

We meet five of the ten forms of Shakti known as the Mahavidyas.

Craig Hewitt comes by fresh from seeing Satish tell stories of Shiva and Shakti. A couple internet binges later, Satish has some complementary stories that focus largely on the ten forms of Shakti- stories that seem to be lesser known despite being awesome.

S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow. He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects.

spjayaraj.com

Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor.

Support the show

Support the show

Have an imaginative day.


Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

Jeenee Lee couldn't stay away. She needed to know how the battle played out and who can blame her.

After laughing from seeing the eunuch and teenage boy running away from them, the mighty Kaurava army now see the odd pair coming back and waving the Hanuman banner- Arjuna is no longer hiding.

Yet, things have changed drastically. Drona of the Kauravas is seeing the signs of their defeat, but in sharing them, it leads to a chain reaction of mass squabbling between them. They don't have a chance to fully get over it before Arjuna relishes using his Gandiva bow that he hasn't used in over a year.

it's an epic battle of Arjuna vs all his rivals and teachers.

Then, when he returns, Yudhishthira is careful to keep an injury he suffered from Arjuna, or risk greater calamity.

S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow. He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects.

spjayaraj.com

Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor.

Support the show

Have an imaginative day.


Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

We welcome Jeenee Lee for to tell her the exciting story of the Kauravas figuring it out. After not being able to find the Pandavas for most of the year, which means Duryhodan will be obliged to give everything back, he figures out that they've been in the Matsya kingdom the whole time. Now he needs to rout them out by sending his allies to attack the southern side of the kingdom, while he prepares his own forces to attack them from the north.

Because all the Matsya generals were secretly killed by Bheema (listen to the last episode because it was a real killer.) It's up to 4 of the Pandavas to protect the southern border and battle like they never have before- yet still need to maintain their disguises.

Then, for the north battle, the young prince of the Matsya kingdom talks tough because there is no charioteer to actually drive him into battle, that is until Brihanalla the 'eunuch' shares her skills with Draupadi, forcing the naive prince to live up to his bragging.

It's part 1 of 2 of an epic end to the the Pandavas exile, one way or the other.

S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow. He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects.

spjayaraj.com

Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor.

Support the show

Have an imaginative day.


Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

Alyssa Costopoulos returns for a tale of a chauvinist army picking on the wrong woman, despite some very STRONG evidence that they shouldn't. They're just not the smartest breed.

All is going well for the Pandavas and Draupadi while they are in their year of hiding, that is until the general Keechaka returns and sets his sights on Draupadi. Despite her warnings of having five powerful husbands who will kill him, Keechaka makes his move. He fails right in front of two of her secret husbands, and Bhima's heart boils for blood. They still need to stay in hiding, so Bhima and Draupadi hatch up a scheme that is oh so, so, so, brutal!

S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow. He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects.

spjayaraj.com

Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor.

Alyssa Costopolous paints, loves horror, sci-fi and fantasy, does property management during the day, and is overall a fun person to be around.

Support the show

Have an imaginative day.


Artwork and music by Azure Anderson

Christine Mounts joins us for... a Karna mid-redemption story?

Every day, after his morning prayers to the Sun god Surya (also his dad though he doesn't know it,) Karna will give anything asked of him to brahmanas. Knowing his intentions to kill his son Arjuna, Indra decides to take advantage of this by disguising himself and asking Karna for his golden skin/armor and earrings that make him invincible. But Surya sees all and decides to warn Karna- but will it make a difference?

Also, how does one even 'remove' ones golden skin armor anyway? We discuss various options- each more frightful than the last.

S.P. Jayaraj is the creator of the mythic world of Adijari that is the setting of his two novels, The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons and Legacy of the Crow. He is also a Creative Life Coach through his business Imagination Life Coaching. The Mahabharata and other global mythology inspires him in all his projects.

spjayaraj.com

Azure Anderson-Jayaraj is a musician, a maker, a cat mom, an arts administrator and now a podcast editor.

Christine Mounts is the co-founder of the American School of Storytelling in Minneapolis. She is a writer and poet who loves to support the art of storytelling through her devotion to the American School of Storytelling- a program of classes, performances, and resources dedicated to oral storytelling and other narrative art forms.

https://americanschoolofstorytelling.com/

Support the show

Have an imaginative day.


Artwork and music by Azure Anderson