Mahabaratha The origin of ROFL

Did you know that ‘ROFL’ dates back to an episode in the Mahabaratha!!!

 Yudhistra Installed Idol at Thondanur

Once the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas and Yudishtra was crowned King, he performed an aswamedha yagna. It was customary for everyone to be invited to this Great Horse Sacrifice. A weasel, half in gold, appeared at the venue and after 'Rolling on the Floor' burst out into laughter. 

The Weasel then narrated the story of the 'ROFL' to the large audience starting almost in a derogatory manner “There was once a poor brahmana in Kurukshetra who gifted a ‘flour’. This great horse sacrifice of Yudhistra pales into insignificance when compared to that simple gift of flour of the brahmana.’

Rajaji explains this episode right at the end in his book ‘Mahabaratha’ under the title ‘Pound of Flour’.

This brahmana lived his life by gleaning in the fields. When the family did not find the grain, they would fast until the next day. When drought struck the area, they were left starving for many days. And finally when they managed to find a small quantity and were all set to eat, a guest arrived. Playing the role of a true host, he handed his share of the flour to the guest but his hunger did not subside. And as great hosts, the wife, the son and the daughter in law too presented their little share of the flour to the guest

The Guest remarked that even the pious when suffering the pangs of hunger, lose their steadfastness' but you have placed dharma above all else. And they were taken directly to Vaikuntam.'

Rolled on the Flour on the Floor

The Weasel who rolled on the flour that was on the floor of that brahmana’s house found one side of the body turning into gold. Unfortunately there was no more flour left in that house and thus just the one side stayed golden.

Since then the Weasel, in an effort to turn its other side into gold, had been rolling on the floor where great sacrifices had been conducted but even at Yudhistra’s Yagna when the Weasel rolled on the floor to see if the other side turned into gold, it was disappointed that this sacrifice too did not match the one of the Kurukshetra Brahmana from the past. 

And hence the reason for the Weasel’s sarcastic 'Rolling on the Floor (Flour) Laughter' (ROFL) in front of the huge audience present at Yudhistra’s Ashwamedha Yagna.