Lesmana Mandrakumara - (Wayang Kulit)

Title	Lesmana Mandrakumara - (Raden) - Mahabharata
Other names	Murdaka, Sarajakusuma
Size	50 cm
Personal data	Lesmana Mandrakumara is the eldest son of Prabu Suyudana/Duryudana, king of the Astina country with his consort Dewi Banowati, daughter of Prabu Salya with Dewi Pujawati/Setyawati from the Mandaraka country. Lesmana Mandrakumara has a younger sister named Dewi Lesmanawati, who became the wife of Arya Warsakapura, the second son of Adipati Karna with Dewi Surtikanti from the Awangga country. Raden Lesmana Mandra Kumara was a very spoiled young prince who did not have any skills and was also mentally handicapped. He was a great knight who would later replace king Astina. But he has no supernatural powers at all, so his life is always humiliated. He has never married.
Appearance	Raden Lesmana Mandrakumara had tinsel-eyed eyes, berjamang with a large garuda on the back and a large waderan with his back hair flowing udalan (untied). Hanging around. Wristed, pontohed, and croaking. Fully clothed and wearing jeans. This similar body shape indicates that the person is weak and saggy. The shape of his face is calm, but calmly stretched out (Javanese: pecicilan).
Collection	Private collection

Lesmana Mandrakumara – (Raden) – Mahabharata

Lesmana Mandrakumara is the Crown Prince of the Astina Kingdom from Prabu Duryudana and Empress Banowati, but... actually Lesmana is not Duryodana's biological child because when Banowati was pregnant, Duryodana suspected that there must be something going on. The reason is that even though Banowati is married, it turns out that she still opened her heart, clothes and bra to her ex "Arjuna" until she became pregnant, the fruit of her lust for Arjuna.
Duryudana said that if the child born later was a girl, it would be Arjuna's daughter and Banowati will be expelled from Astia. And if the child born is a boy, then it is his son (Duryudana).

The newborn was a girl and Banowati panicked, afraid of being thrown out. She then asked Krishna for help by exchanging her baby with Genderuwo's child whose face was changed to become human. At almost the same time, one of Arjuna's wives, Dewi Manuhara, gave birth to a daughter named Endang Periwa. Krishna gave Banowati's child to Manuhara so that it would be recognized as her twin. Banowati's child was named Endang Periwati.

What a scandal, Banowati. Genderuwo's tukeran child was named Lesmana Mandrakumara, his character was a crybaby and an idiot, looser was the main thing. He had a neighbor of less than an ounce, his job was to hang out in broad daylight, eat, smoke, look for monitor lizards, ask for marriage.

Lesmana is also famous for stories of failed love.
Once he was going to be married to Dewi Titisari, the daughter of Prabu Kresna, but when the bride and groom were to be met, he was mocked and the marriage was cancelled. Dewi Titisare married Irawan.
He wanted to marry princess Siti Sundari, who was one of King Kresna daughters, but she was already married to Raden Abimanyu, Arjuna’s son.
Lesmana Mandra Kumara also failed to marry Pregiwa (Pergiwati) because she was already married to Gathutkaca, Bima’s son.

In the Bharatayuda war, King Duryudana kept his son Lesmana Mandra Kumara safe from the war. If he went to battle, he had to be protected by hundred soldiers or by the king himself.

In the story of Abimanyu gugur (the death of Abimanyu) Abimanyu was trapped inside the Korawa soldiers during the Bharatayuda war, because he opened the way for Pandhawa to escape from being killed. All of the Korawa and their soldiers shot their arrows at Abimanyu after they killed his faithful horse Kyai Ciptawilaha. So many arrows were fired at Abimanyu that his whole body was eventually covered with them (this story also called Ranjaban). Lesmana Mandra Kumara was among the Korawa who saw Abimanyu’s body covered in arrows, but when he realized that Abimanyu was not dead he decided that he would finish him with his kris. Lesmana Mandra Kumara approached Abimanyu and stabbed Abimanyu with his kris. At the same time, Abimanyu with his last breath and pulse of energy, pulled out his Pulanggeni keris, and stabbed Lesmana. At the end of the story of Ranjaban, both characters died.

When King Duryudana found out about the death of his only son he became very angry, but on the other hand, the five Pandhawa brothers were very sad that they had lost Abimanyu as their future king. Arjuna, Abimanyu’s father, was so mournful that he did not want to continue the Bharatayuda war.

When the puppeteer is telling the story of Arjuna’s mourning, they should use the puppet form of Arjuna with wanda Linglung (confused form of Arjuna; skinny with long neck looking down).

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Source: History of Wayang Purwa - Hardjowirogo - PN Balai Pustaka - 1982