Sri Mahabharat
(The Immortal and Enchanting Epic of world)
Chapter 1 Adiparva - Part 4
Nor was
Duryodhana unaffected by the fame of the Pandavas. This was a subject of
constant discussion between him and his associates - his brother Duscasana,
uncle Sakuni and friend Radheya. They decided that the only way to halt the
Pandavas and bring Duryodhana to prominence was to kill all five of them. A
plan was hatched for this purpose.
A Siva
festival was to be held in the nearby town of Varanavata. Dhritarashtra suggested to his
nephews to go on a holiday to the beautiful town and take part in the festival.
The five brothers agreed and left for Varanavata along with their mother,
Kunti.
Meanwhile,
Duryodhana had a castle built exclusively for the Pandavas’ stay at Varanavata.
He engaged Purochana from the Mleecha class, known for their lowness, to design
and build the spacious castle. On Duryodhana’s instruction, Purochana built the
entire structure with lac, a highly inflammable material. The furniture was
also of inflammable material. It was planned to burn the Pandavas alive when
they retired for the night.
Vidura, who
had spies everywhere, came to know about the conspiracy. He warned Yudhishthira
in advance about Duryodhana’s nefarious plot and took immediate steps to devise
an escape. A subterranean passage leading out of the death trap was secretly
dug for the Pandavas. The passage ended at the riverfront where a boat was
placed for them. It was decided that the Pandavas would set fire to the palace
and escape unharmed through the secret tunnel.
It so
happened that during the night, a tribal (Nishada) woman entered the castle
along with her five sons. Fully drunk, they all fell deep asleep in one of the
rooms. The architect Purochana himself was sleeping in another room. Bhima
chose this moment to set fire to the castle. In no time at all the pleasure
palace was engulfed in flames. The five brothers and Kunti escaped from the
blazing inferno through the secret tunnel.
Later,
observing the charred remains of Purochana in one room and that of the Nishada
woman and her sons in another, everyone, in great distress, believed that Kunti
and her five sons had perished in the fire along with the Mleecha architect.
News of the
disaster at Varanavata was received in Hastinapura with shock. Everyone, except
Vidura, was wailing at the fate of Kunti and her sons. Dhritarashtra ordered
that obsequies for the wife and children of his beloved brother be fittingly
performed.
The posse
of escapees from the burning lac house crossed the Ganga
in the dead of night and reached the opposite shore. Leaving the boat behind,
they made their way into the forest. Fatigue soon overtook them. Bhima alone
seemed to possess the strength to carry on. At Yudhishthira’s bidding, he
carried his mother and four brothers on his shoulders and wended southwards.
After some distance they stopped to have rest. They were all very thirsty.
Leaving the
others behind, Bhima set off to find a watering place. He soon found one nearby
where he quenched his thirst. He then went back to fetch the others.
On
returning, he found that his mother and brothers had gone to sleep in
exhaustion. He stood guard over them as he waited for them to rise. This part
of the forest was the haunt of a terrible demon, the rakshasa Hidimbva. He and
his sister, Hidimbvi, were cannibals, living on human beings who strayed into
their domain. Hidimbva’s nose picked up the scent of humans, and his appetite
was wetted.
“We have a
nice dinner coming our way,” Hidimbva told his sister. “I could smell humans in
that direction. You go and get them while I wait for you in the cave.”
Obeying his
orders, Hidimbvi reached the spot where the Pandavas were resting. On seeing
the handsome and well-built Bhima, Hidimbvi lost her heart to him. She wanted
to have him as her husband. Rakshasas knew magic and were masters of disguise.
Hidimbvi turned herself into a beautiful female and approached Bhima. She
declared her love to Bhima who found he had similar feelings for her.
“My lord,”
Hidimbvi told Bhima. “My brother would be getting impatient and is probably on
his way here. He is such a terrible monster that he would pounce on you and
kill you. It is better that we flee from here. I can carry you away on my
shoulders.”
Bhima did
not want to leave his mother and brothers behind. Infatuated by her though he
was, he refused to accompany her.
Even as
they were talking, Hidimbva, with a mighty roar, made his appearance. A terrible
fight ensued between the rakshasa and Bhima. The sleeping persons woke up to
see the strange spectacle. The mighty Pandava broke the Rakshasa’s back and
sent him packing to the next world.
Kunti and
Yudhishthira heard from Hidimbvi of her infatuation for Bhima. She told them,
“I yearn to have a son through this mighty human.” The elders advised Bhima to
marry Hidimbvi. Although at first he resisted, Bhima eventually agreed. He
however laid one condition: Hidimbvi should leave him as soon as a son was
born to them.
In a
reversal of roles, the bride lifted the groom and carried him to a distant spot
in the mountains for their honeymoon. Soon the couple was blessed with a mighty
rakshasa boy whom they named Ghatotkaja (one whose head was bald like a mud pot).
The god Indra gave a portion of himself to this son of Bhima, knowing that he
had an important role in the war that would one day take place. As was common
with rakshasas, Ghatotkaja was born the day he was conceived and immediately
attained maturity. Acting on her promise, Hidimbvi, along with her son, took
leave of the Pandavas, with Ghatotkaja assuring his father and uncles to return
whenever he was summoned.
The
Pandavas had no desire to return to Hastinapura in a hurry. They dressed as
ascetics and wandered from place to place, seeing many strange countries. After
a period they encountered their grandsire, Vyasa. The sage consoled them for
their misfortune but predicted that they would one day regain their lost
kingdom and rule the world. For the present, he said, he would take them to a
brahmin family in the town of Ekachakra.
The
Pandavas reached Ekachakra disguised as brahmins. The family with whom they
stayed consisted of husband, wife, a son and a daughter. Although poor, they
were kind and helpful to the Pandavas. The five brothers, adopting the brahmin
tradition, set out every morning and collected alms from far and wide. In the
evening they would pool the food and Kunti would divide it amongst them all. An
extra allowance was always made for the insatiable Bhima.
In that
region there lived a fierce rakshasa, Baka by name. He was a cannibal. Since
the local ruler was weak-kneed and could not control the predations of the
rakshasa, the town’s inhabitants had made an arrangement with him. Every day a
man was sent to him with a cartload of rice and two buffaloes. Baka would eat
all the food and, as a bonus, eat the human who brought it. In return, the
rakshasa left the inhabitants alone, and even protected them from any external
danger. Every family in the village sent a member to the cannibal by turn.
The turn of
the brahmin family soon arrived, and there was naturally wailing emanating from
their quarters. Kunti enquired and found out the reason. The brahmin told her
that from among the husband, wife, son and daughter, one of them had to go to
Baka as his food the next morning.
The brahmin
told Kunti, “We are in despair, with each insisting on going so that the others
could live. The only solution seems to be for all of us to go tomorrow and
offer ourselves to the rakshasa.”
Kunti
offered to help the brahmin by sending one of her sons to Baka. “I have five
sons,” she told the couple, “whereas you have only one. Besides, I know that
the son I intend sending would easily slay the rakshasa.” With great
reluctance, the brahmin family agreed to Kunti’s proposal. Yudhishthira
initially expressed to Kunti his misgivings on being involved in the whole
affair. But he yielded ultimately, and Bhima was chosen to go.
Bhima left
the next morning to the rakshasa’s abode, taking the rice and buffaloes with
him. Arriving at the forest, Bhima started to eat the food himself while
calling out for Baka. The rakshasa was enraged at Bhima’s conduct, and a fight
ensued between the two. In that fierce battle, Bhima killed the rakshasa and
threw him to the ground. Baka’s kinsmen who were watching the slaughter with
awe were warned not to harass human beings any more. Peace and happiness
returned to the region.
King
Drupada, who was humbled by Drona, was living in one half of his erstwhile
kingdom. The desire to take revenge on Drona was burning in Drupada’s heart.
But he realised that Kshatriya power alone was not enough to subdue Drona. He
needed brahmin power as well.
Drupada
approached the sages Yaja and Upayaja and with their help performed a sacrifice
for obtaining a son who would have the strength and knowledge to kill Drona.
Drupada was amply rewarded for his efforts. Out of the sacrificial fire came a
male and a female child. The male was born with an armour (dyumna) and looked
big and majestic. He was named Drishtadyumna. This prince, when he grew up,
ironically, learned weaponry from Drona himself, whom he was destined to slay.
The female
child was radiant, with big eyes, long hair and sharp features. Since she had a
dark complexion, she was named Krishna (dark).
Better known as Draupadi, the daughter of Drupada, this child grew up to be a
very accomplished princess. When she came of age, Drupada wanted to find a
suitable husband for her. He arranged a Swayamvara.
At
Ekachakra, a traveling mendicant stopped at the brahmin’s house where the
Pandavas were staying, and narrated his experiences during his wanderings. He
mentioned that in the Kingdom of Panchala, King Drupada was holding the Swayamvara of
his daughter, Krishna, to choose a husband for
her.
The same
thought, namely to win over Krishna as a
daughter-in-law for the family, passed the minds of the mother and five sons.
Kunti, not expressing her real intent, proposed that they travel to Panchala
where brahmins received much respect and alms. There was total agreement from
the brothers.
Coincidentally, Vyasa made one of his appearances in
their abode, and was received with great respect. Vyasa related to them the
story of a rishi’s daughter who observed a great penance honouring Lord Siva.
Pleased with her efforts, Siva appeared before her and asked her what she
wished.
The maiden
was overwhelmed by the god’s presence and nervously stuttered, five times, that
she wanted a husband possessing the best of qualities. Siva granted her the
boon and told her that since she had repeated her request five times, she would
get five husbands who would all of them become famous. For this, she would be
born in the sacrificial fire of King Drupada in Panchala. This was the origin
of Krishna’s birth. Vyasa advised the Pandava
brothers to proceed to Panchala and participate in the Swayamvara.
As the
mother and five sons were wending their way through the forest towards
Panchala, they reached the bank of the river Ganga.
A gandharva, Angararpana by name, stopped them and warned that the time was
reserved only for his kind to visit that spot. With disdain, Arjuna replied
that Ganga was everybody’s property and
challenged the gandharva from stopping him.
The
infuriated gandharva attacked the Pandavas. In the battle that ensued, Arjuna
humbled Angararpana whose life was spared only due to the pleas of the
gandharva’s wife. The gandharva himself was grateful to the Pandavas to be let
off alive. He bowed to them and offered to teach them the secret of seeing the
past and the future, a skill possessed by his tribe. He also gave the brothers
several thousand horses, which Arjuna assured, would be collected later.
Arjuna, in return, taught the gandharva the use of the celestial fire weapon. A
close friendship was forged between Angararpana and Arjuna.
Desiring to
have a family priest, Arjuna asked the gandharva to suggest a person.
Angararpana directed the Pandavas to a brahmin, well versed in the Vedas and
moral conduct, Dhaumya by name. When the Pandavas approached Dhaumya who was
living nearby, the latter agreed to become their adviser on religious matters
and accompanied them to Panchala. Arriving at Panchala, the group, still
dressed as brahmins, took residence at a potter’s house.
Draupadi’s
Swayamvara
Having
witnessed the beauty and valour of Arjuna when he fought on behalf of Drona,
Drupada was nurturing the desire that the prince who married his daughter would
stand up in comparison to the Pandava hero. To test the valour of the suitors,
an archery competition was devised for the Swayamvara. An elaborate machine was
installed in which there was a moving object. The aspiring prince should shoot
five arrows through an orifice and hit the object, a task which none inferior
to Arjuna could perform. The bow itself was so heavy that only an Arjuna could
lift it.
On the
appointed day the city was gaily decorated, even as hundreds of princes rode
into Panchala as participants or observers of the Swayamvara. The list of kings
read like a who-is-who of royalty of that period. Kalinga, Salya, Duryodhana
and his brothers, Sakhuni, Radheya, were all there. Even Balarama and Krishna, the illustrious sons of Vasudeva, turned up for
the event.
In the
crowd of spectators were the five Pandava brothers, disguised as brahmins. They
however did not escape being observed by Krishna
who whispered to Balarama, “Behold those five. They must be the Pandavas,
escaped from the house of lac.”
One by one
the suitors tried their hand at the bow. Amidst ‘hoos and haas’ from the crowd,
those who could lift the mighty bow, fixed the arrow and had a go at the
target. None succeeded in even clearing the orifice, and it looked as though
that Draupadi would have to spend the rest of her life as a maiden.
When
Radheya walked into the arena and stringed the bow, there was hope that he
would be successful. But the princess declared that she would not marry a
person of low class. Radheya had to leave the bow on the ground and withdraw.
When all
the assembled princes had failed in the contest, there emerged from among the
spectators a brahmin youth, tall, handsome and radiating brilliance. He boldly
stepped into the arena and offered to string the bow. There was mixed reaction
all around, some of those assembled ridiculing him and some encouraging him.
The young man, ignoring all comments, took his stand. Even as the entire assembly
watched him with bated breath, he performed the task of hitting the target with
consummate ease. And lo! A hero had emerged to claim Draupadi’s hand.
Drupada himself was gladdened by the brahmin’s feat and felt relieved that
someone in the assembly could pass the test and win Draupadi for his bride.
Yudhishthira
and the twins left the hall immediately to carry the happy news of Arjuna’s
success in the Swayamvara to their mother.
Krishna endorses the Swayamvara result
The feat of
the brahmin youth incensed the assembly of princes who felt dishonoured. They
accused Drupada of deliberately insulting them, and together they rose to
attack the hapless king. The two Pandava brothers who were present came to his
defence. Among the suitors who were foremost who took up arms against Drupada
were Radheya and Salya. Arjuna fought off Radheya with his arrows, while Bhima
viciously attacked Salya with his fists.
Observing
the fight, Krishna rose and announced to the
assembly that the brahmin had won the princess in a fair contest. The jilted
princes should therefore retire in good grace. His counsel was accepted.
One
bride and five grooms
Arjuna and
Bhima took Draupadi with them and caught up with Yudhishthira and the twins. On
reaching the potter’s house, they left Draupadi at the door and went inside.
They told Kunti that they had returned with the alms collected during the day.
The mother, as was usual, told them to enjoy the fruit equally. When Draupadi
was led in, Kunti was shocked to find that what was to be equally shared was a
wife. There ensued an argument amongst the mother and the brothers as to who
should marry the princess. They then recalled Vyasa’s words that the princess
was destined to have five husbands, and it was agreed that all five brothers
should marry Draupadi.
Krishna found out where the Pandavas were staying and reached there with
his consort Rukmini and brother Balarama. They were meeting their aunt and
cousins after a long period. Krishna expressed
his happiness in finding the Pandavas alive and well. Soon after, Krishna left
for his kingdom
of Dwaraka.
Draupadi’s
brother, Drishtyadumna, secretly followed the brahmins and the princess to the
potter’s hut. Spying on the Pandavas he discovered by their behaviour that they
were of high, royal lineage. He returned to his father and told of his
conviction that the brahmin youth was Arjuna and that the Pandavas who were
believed to have perished in a terrible fire were, in fact, alive.
The next
morning Drupada sent his high priest to escort the wedding party to the palace.
Yudhishthira revealed to the king their identity. The king became happy as he
pictured in his mind Arjuna marrying his daughter. It therefore came as a shock
to Drupada when Yudhishthira told him that Draupadi was to be married to all
the five Pandava brothers.
Seeing the
confusion Drupada was in, Yudhishthira narrated to him instances of polyandry
from mythology, justifying their proposed action. Drupada still believed that
it was sinful for one woman to marry many husbands.
It was at
moments like these that Vyasa, who watched everything through his insight,
stepped in to clarify matters. He appeared now on the scene. Taking Drupada
aside, Vyasa told him that the five brothers were parts of the god Indra.
Vyasa
explained to the king, “The present Indra and four of his predecessors had
offended the god Siva by their proud behaviour. As punishment, Siva wanted them
to be born as humans. On their pleading with the god, he made them a
concession. He blessed them with power and fame while they were humans. The
supreme goddess Sree (consort of Mahavishnu) would be born to become their
wife. Siva approached Vishnu and told him of these developments. Vishnu endorsed
Siva’s action.”
Vyasa also
told Drupada of Siva’s blessing to Draupadi in a previous birth, that she would
have five husbands. The five brothers were the Indras, while Draupadi was the
goddess Sree. Drupada was now satisfied and he felt happy at his good fortune.
He celebrated his daughter’s wedding with the Pandava brothers in pomp and
ceremony.
Chapter 1 Adiparva - Part 5
Kauravas’
reaction to Pandavas’ return
When
tidings reached Dhritarashtra that a prince from his family had won the hand of
the Panchala princess, the king felt elated. He assumed that the prince who was
talked about was his own son, Duryodhana. It was Vidura, who met the king soon
after, who pricked the bubble by telling him that the Pandavas were alive and
it was they who were successful in the Swayamvara.
Dhritarashtra
was disappointed at his son’s failure in the Swayamvara. Added to this was the
shock of knowing that the Pandavas were alive. Although he pretended to be
happy, his heart was festering with hatred for the Pandavas. As soon as Vidura
left, he sent for Duryodhana and Radheya. He told them that the Pandavas were
alive and would no doubt come back and claim the kingdom. Duryodhana strongly
represented to the king that the Pandava power should be broken by some intrigue
or internal dissension. Radheya pointed out that Pandava unity could not be
breached. He argued instead for the forceful elimination of the Pandavas by
attacking them immediately, when they were not backed with military might.
The
indecisive monarch summoned the elders for advice. Bhishma and Drona declared
that their love for the Pandavas was no less than their love for
Dhritarashtra’s sons. Discouraging the king from any thought of attacking the
Pandavas, they pointed to the invincibility of the Pandavas in battle. They
derided the ‘low born’ Radheya for giving pernicious advice to the king. Vidura
forcefully endorsed their views. The king had to bow to superior counsel.
Dhritarashtra
sent Vidura to Panchala to fetch Kunti and her sons back to Hastinapura. When
the Pandavas arrived, they were given a rousing reception by the gentry, while
the elders in the palace embraced them in happiness. There was much rejoicing
all around over the family reunion.
Dhritarashtra
proposed that the Pandavas be given half the kingdom, with their capital
located in Khandavaprastha. The region allotted to them was wild and backward,
partly desert and partly forest. But the Pandavas accepted the proposal and
immediately moved to their new habitation.
Vyasa paid
a brief visit to the Pandavas at Khandavaprastha and blessed them. Krishna visited them and helped them to settle down. With
their blessings and encouragement, the Pandavas transformed the desert into a garden.
Innumerable trees of different kinds were planted, several lakes were dug and
in a very short time, Khandavaprastha became like a paradise. A variety of
animals migrated into that area. Brahmins took residence to receive benefits
from the Pandavas. Vaisyas set up flourishing trade. A mighty fortification
with wide trenches and high walls was built around the town. The new city was named
Indraprastha, a city fit for gods. Neighbouring kings became vassals, some
willingly and some being forced to. Seeing his cousins well settled, Krishna returned to his capital, Dwaraka.
The divine
sage Narada, always a well-wisher of the Pandavas, made a visit to bless the
new king and offer him advise on various matters. A subject he touched upon was
that of family harmony. Pointing out, with appropriate instances in mythology,
to the likely unpleasant situations that might arise when a woman had more than
one husband, Narada made a suggestion. At any time, when Draupadi was with one
of the brothers, the others should stay away from the couple’s apartment. If
anyone breached this understanding, he should observe celibacy and depart from
the kingdom for twelve years. Yudhishthira and his brothers agreed to follow
the advise of Narada.
One day a
brahmin came running to Arjuna, wailing that his belongings had been robbed and
that the robbers were fleeing. He appealed to Arjuna to give them a chase. It
so happened that all the Pandava arms were stored in the quarter occupied by
Yudhishthira who was then in the company of Draupadi. Since he was called upon
to help a person in distress, Arjuna dashed into Yudhishthira’s apartment,
disregarding the consequences. Picking his weapons, Arjuna chased the robbers
and brought them to justice.
Returning
to the palace, Arjuna approached Yudhishthira and told him that he had breached
the understanding the brothers had. The punishment agreed upon, namely exile,
should be imposed on Arjuna.
Despite
Yudhishthira’s arguments to dissuade Arjuna, the latter was determined to
banish himself from Indraprastha for twelve years.
A host of
brahmins followed Arjuna as he set out from Indraprastha. They chanted hymns
from the Vedas, and Arjuna distributed food, kind and cattle liberally to them.
They entered the region at the foot of the Himalayas where Ganga
made her descent into the plains. There they camped and performed sacrifices.
One day,
when Arjuna was bathing in the river, he was dragged to the bottom by Ulupi,
the daughter of the Naga king. On reaching the snakeworld, she expressed her
desire for union with the Pandava hero. When Arjuna told her of his celibacy
vow, Ulipi said she knew all about it. But the vow, she explained, pertained
only to Draupadi and did not prohibit Arjuna from having relations with other
women. Satisfied with her argument, Arjuna acceded to her request.
Ulipi later
took Arjuna to their king, Kauravya. The king was pleased with the Pandava
prince and treated him warmly. The Nagas taught Arjuna the art of staying
inside water for a long time. They also made him invincible when attacked by an
amphibian. A few strong snakes were sent along with Arjuna to escort him to the
riverbank.
Travelling
northwards, Arjuna ascended the peak
of Vasishta in the Himalayas.
From there he traversed the rich, green forests of Naimisha, reaching the gate
of the Kingdom of
Kalinga in the East. Here
the brahmins took leave of their benefactor. Arjuna crossed the Kalinga country
and arrived at the Mahendra
Mountains. Along the
Himalayas he traversed to Manipura in Northeast India.
Manipura
was ruled by King Chitravahana whose daughter, the princess Chitrangada, was a
great beauty. The king welcomed Arjuna and treated him as his guest.
While
walking in the garden one day, Arjuna happened to see the princess. The god of
love, ever ready with his bow, aimed a few darts at Arjuna’s heart. Arjuna
approached Chitravahana and asked for the princess’ hand. Chitravahana was
pleased with Arjuna.
The king,
however, had this to say, “Due to a curse on one of my ancestors, every
succeeding king could have not more than one child. Hitherto only sons were
born in the family, and the dynasty continued without a hitch. I have, however,
been blessed with a daughter. You could marry my daughter only if you promise
to leave behind your wife and progeny in Manipura, so that the dynasty could
continue.”
Arjuna
agreed to Chitravahana’s condition. He took Chitrangada for his wife. When
he left Manipura three years later, Arjuna had given Chitrangada a bonny son
who resembled his father in his splendid appearanc .
The son was named Babruvahana.
Arjuna
redeems five Apsaras
Travelling
South, Arjuna reached the shores of the ocean. He arrived at a place having
five regions inhabited by ascetics. Each of these regions had a sacred watering
place. But the ascetics were afraid of stepping into these waters as a
ferocious crocodile lived in each of the five watering places. Hearing about
this, Arjuna resolved to destroy those creatures and make the waters safe for
the ascetics.
When Arjuna
stepped into one of these holy waters, a crocodile tried to drag him in. Arjuna
grabbed the reptile and pulled it out of the water. The crocodile immediately
turned into an apsara. She bowed to the prince and told him that she was
grateful to him for releasing her from a terrible curse.
The apsara
related to Arjuna how a sage had cursed her and four of her companions when they
disturbed him while he was in penance. They would all become crocodiles for a
hundred years, the sage had pronounced. When the apsaras pleaded with the sage
to forgive them, he told them that their deliverance would come when one day a
hero of great fame would pull them out of the waters and set them free. The
apsara asked Arjuna to help her companions also to regain their previous form.
Arjuna obliged her. The five spots where the apsaras were redeemed from their
curse acquired the name, Narithirthas (the holy waters of the nymphs).
Travelling
West, Vibhatsu (which was one of Arjuna’s names) reached the holy sea shore of Prabhasa in the vicinity of Dwaraka.
Krishna who lived in Dwaraka among the Yadavas, heard about Arjuna’s arrival
and rushed to meet his alter ego. For indeed, Arjuna and Krishna were the sages
Nara and
Narayana of yore. Together they had performed great deeds in the past,
cleansing the world of evil forces. Krishna
escorted Arjuna to Dwaraka where a great welcome had been arranged for the
Pandava hero. Arjuna paid his respects to Krishna’s
father Vasudeva, mother Devaki and elder brother Balarama. There was feasting
and rejoicing.
Arjuna
decided to stay as the Yadavas’ guest for a few months. When Arjuna was one day
strolling in the company of Krishna, he spied
a maiden of divine beauty, elegant in walk, with eyes like a doe’s. Arjuna was
smitten with desire.
Sizing the
situation, Krishna explained to Arjuna, “The
maiden you just saw is none other than my sister Subhadra. I could see from
your look that you would like to win her. You have my consent to marry her.”
Describing
the various ways a man could obtain a bride, Krishna
listed abduction as one of them, sanctioned by Kshatriya code. Subhadra also
gave her consent for the proposal, having been similarly afflicted in her heart
on seeing Arjuna. Krishna sent a fast
messenger to Yudhishthira and obtained his permission for the union.
A grand
festival was at that time being held at the nearby Raivataka Mountain
where the entire royal family, nobility and common people had assembled.
Krishna chose this moment for Arjuna to abduct the princess, providing a
chariot for the purpose.
As Arjuna
swept the princess in his chariot and was about to leave, bystanders observed
the act and raised a cry. The chariot was stopped and both Balarama and
Vasudeva were about to attack Arjuna. But seeing Krishna
calmly watching the proceedings with a smile on his face, Balarama realized
that it was all his younger brother’s machination. He called off the attack and
consent was given for the wedding. The marriage was duly sanctified, and all
the elders joined in blessing the couple.
After a
year of bliss at Dwaraka, Arjuna spent the last year of his exile with Subhadra
in the holy town of Prabhasa.
Kunti and
the other members of the family gave Arjuna and his bride a warm welcome when
they finally reached Indraprastha. Closely following this, Krishna
and his family members, along with their close relatives, arrived at the
Pandava capital, bringing with them a handsome dowry. It consisted of a
thousand cars having gold frills, each with four steeds and a charioteer, ten
thousand of the best Mathura cows, a thousand mares, a thousand mules, a
thousand attending maids, hundreds and thousands of draught horses, ten carrier
loads of gold, a thousand elephants, gems and rich clothing.
After much
merriment, the bride’s party of Vrishnis, Andhakas and Bhojas, all of the
Yadava tribe, returned to Dwaraka. Krishna
alone stayed back to spend some time with Arjuna.
To Arjuna
and Subhadra was born a son, Abhimanyu. And Panchali bore a son to each of the
five brothers, in intervals of one year. They were Prativindhya of
Yudhishthira, Sutasoma of Bhima, Srutakarman of Arjuna, Satanika of Nakula and
Srutasena of Sahadeva.
Arjuna
gets his Gandiva and Krishna his Chakra
During
Krishna’s stay with the Pandavas, Arjuna proposed to Krishna that they spend a
day at the Yamuna
River. Accordingly, they
reached the banks of the river early in the morning accompanied by a retinue.
Arjuna and Krishna then ventured alone into
the woods known as Khandava forest. They were suddenly confronted by a brahmin
who appeared to be hungry and wanted food. The royal visitors promised to satisfy
the brahmin.
The brahmin
who was in disguise, took his real form and introduced himself as the god Agni
(Fire). He narrated to them a strange story.
There once
lived a famous king, Swetaki by name. He was fond of performing sacrifices
where sages chanted Vedas, sitting around a huge fire. The incessant and
unbroken performance of sacrifices left the sages rubbing their eyes in pain,
irritated as they were by the smoke.
There soon
came a stage when the sages would no more cooperate with the king in carrying
out his sacrifice. After the sages left, a desperate Swetaki undertook a severe
penance, concentrating his thought on the god Siva. Mightily pleased with his
devotee, the great god appeared before the king and asked what he desired. The
king told him his story and asked the god himself to be the officiating priest
in the sacrifice.
Mahadeva
told Swetaki that he would assist the king if he satisfied a condition. For
twelve years, Swetaki should lead the life of a celibate. During this period, he
should continuously pour libation in the sacrificial fire. Swetaki fulfilled
this condition and prayed to Siva again.
Siva once
again appeared before him. Satisfied with Swetaki, he deputed the sage Durvasa
to assist in his sacrifice.
The god of
Fire, Agni, is the receiver of all sacrificial libation. The twelve years of
continuous offering of clarified butter by Swetaki, led to Agni becoming
satiated. The overdose of libation made him sick and pale.
In despair,
Agni approached the supreme lord, Brahman, and sought his help. Brahman advised
that the cure for his surfeit lay in his destroying the entire forest known as
Khandava, and eating the fat of all who lived there. The forest was populated
by creatures hostile to god.
Agni
followed Brahman’s advise, but every time he spread his ferocious flame in the
forest, the inhabitants found ways of quelling the fire. The elephants splashed
water from their trunks and the serpents snuffed the fire with their hoods. In
addition, Indra kept striking with his thunderbolt, causing rain. His interest
was to protect his friend, the serpent Takshaka, who lived in that forest.
Seven times
Agni tried; and seven times he failed to destroy the forest. He rushed to
Brahman and once again poured his woe unto him. Brahman told him, “Do not
despair. The great sages Nara and Narayana have
become incarnate on earth as Arjuna and Krishna
in order to fight evil forces. Even now they are in the Khandava forest. Seek
their help in consuming the forest.”
Arjuna and Krishna expressed their willingness to help Agni but
pointed out that they did not possess the necessary weapons to carry out such a
massive operation. Agni, with Varuna’s help, immediately provided Arjuna with a
divine bow, Gandiva by name, and a splendid car with the celestial ape in its
flag. The bow was endowed with great power, and even its twang could bring
death to enemies through the fear it inspired. Along with the bow came two
quivers, which were inexhaustible. These were the weapons that the god Soma had
used to vanquish the demonic Danavas.
As for Krishna, Agni gave him a disc endowed with the power to
destroy any enemy and return to the owner after the deed was done. He also gave
Krishna a mace of immense prowess, the
Kaumudaki. Armed with these weapons, the two brave princes fought the forces
opposing Agni.
With the
protection given by Nara
and Narayana, Agni was able to consume the entire forest. Indra tried his best
to thwart Agni, but failed in the face of Arjuna’s arrows. Takshaka, the
serpent king, being away at Kurukshetra, escaped. His son Aswasena was caught
in the fire along with his mother. Aswasena escaped by deceiving Arjuna with
Indra’s help, but his mother was killed by Arjuna’s arrows. Arjuna, Krishna and
Agni cursed Aswasena for his deceit, “You shall never become famous.”
The fire
raged for fifteen days. Only five other creatures, besides Aswasena, escaped
death as the forest was destroyed, the Danava demon Maya who pleaded for mercy,
and four birds called Sarangakas. These birds were in fact the sons of the sage
Mandapala who met Agni when the latter was proceeding towards Khandava. Knowing
his mission, Mandapala appealed to Agni to spare his sons. Agni acquiesced.
Strangely,
the destruction of the Khandava forest that harboured the enemies of god
pleased Indra immensely despite his earlier opposition to Agni. He asked the
two defenders of truth to seek boons from him. Arjuna sought the famous weapons
of Indra, which were of immense power. Indra promised to oblige when the
appropriate time came. Krishna’s wish was that
the friendship between him and Arjuna should endure forever. The boon was
given. He also gave them the boon that they could go to any region, nether,
earth or ether, at will.
Soon after
their return to the palace Krishna left for
Dwaraka.
Chapter 2 Sabha Parva - Part 1
The Danava
demon, Maya, whose life was spared during the exhumation of the Khandava
forest, felt grateful to Arjuna. He wanted an opportunity to return the favour.
Maya was the son of the foremost asura, Diti, and was renowned for his skill in
architecture.
Maya told
Arjuna, “For the mercy you showed me when you burnt down the Khandava forest,
the least I can do in return would be to build for you a hall in Indraprastha,
where I can show my skill as an architect.”
Arjuna
accepted Maya’s offer. Over a period of fourteen months, the Danava put up a
hall of great majesty in Indraparastha, lavishly decorated by gems, and
comparable to the god Indra’s assembly hall. The huge amphitheatre was admired
by one and all as an architectural marvel.
As the
Pandava fame spread far and wide, many kings and celestials visited
Yudhishthira’s court where they were received with the courtesy and honour due
to them. The divine sage Narada was one such visitor. After his feet were
washed by the king and the symbolic Arghya grass was offered to him, the sage
expressed his happiness at the courtesy shown to him.
When
Yudhshthira showed Narada around the newly built hall of Maya, the sage
expressed his admiration for its architectural brilliance. “This is easily one
of the best I have seen,” the sage said. He then described to Yudhishthira the
halls of the various gods.
Narada
said, “By gradation, they start with the hall of Yama, God of Death, at the
lower end, and progress to that of the Supreme Brahman. But the most
prestigious is the Indrasabha, the Hall of Indra. This houses a conclave which
is limited to the most outstanding of kings and sages.”
Yudhishthira
asked Narada eagerly, “Surely, my father, the incomparable Pandu, should be
occupying a prominent place there.”
Narada
replied, “Alas, I regret to say that your father, for all the fame he enjoyed
on earth, has not been admitted to Indrasabha. For a king to enter the Hall, he
should have at least one of three qualifications. While on earth, he should
have performed the Rajasuya (assertion of omnipotence) sacrifice, he should
have lost his life in battle or he should have performed severe penance. Since
your father had done none of the above, he is not to be found in Indra’s
company.”
Narada
continued, “I met your illustrious father while I was on my way to earth. When
he heard that I was visiting your court, he wanted me to convey to you his
desire that you hold a Rajasuya sacrifice where you could establish your
supremacy over all the kings of the earth. Your father would get the benefit of
such a sacrifice and would qualify for admission into Indra’s court.” Narada
then took leave of the king.
Yudhishthira
felt deeply saddened that his father did no find a place in Indra’s court.
Fired by Narada’s words, Yudhishthira consulted the elders and his brothers and
decided to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice. The Rajasuya was of a rigorous nature
when all other kings on earth were made to acknowledge voluntarily or through
force, the superiority of the performer. It was well known that the demons
known as Brahma Rakshas would try all they could to disturb and destroy the
sacrifice. The king performing the sacrifice had therefore to be very powerful.
He should also be virtuous, just and charitable.
All those
around Yudhishthira eulogized him and urged him to embark on the Rajasuya
sacrifice. But Yudhishthira would not take a final decision without consulting
the knower of all things, Krishna. He sent a
messenger to Dwaraka, seeking Krishna’s
advise. Krishna took the opportunity to visit Indraprastha where he could meet
his cousins, aunt and sister. He proceeded in his celestial chariot that
traveled like a ray of the sun.
On reaching
Indraprastha, Krishna paid his regards to
Yudhishthira and Kunti, affectionately embraced his other cousins and blessed
his sister Subhadra. He then sat down to answer the king’s query about his
eligibility to perform the Rajasuya.
Krishna
told the mighty Pandava monarch, “Narada’s advice is worthy of being followed.
I, however, have a concern. A survey of the kings in the country shows that you
are superior to all of them. There is, however, one exception. And that is the Magadha king,
Jarasandha. This evil oppressor of mankind is so powerful that even I had to
abandon my capital, Mathura,
for fear of him, and flee to the Western coast.
“We had to
build a very strong fort at Dwaraka so that my people and I could live free of
Jarasandha’s attacks. Jarasandha carries a grouse against us because I killed
the evil king Kamsa who was married to two of his daughters. All kings have
become Jarasandha’s vassals, and those who resist him are imprisoned in a fort.
He has so far imprisoned eighty-six kings. After capturing fourteen more, he
intends to offer them one by one as sacrifice to the god Rudra. He will surely
not accept you as superior to him, and would do all he could to obstruct the
sacrifice. He would seek eternal fame by defeating you.”
“What makes
him so invincible?” Yudhishthira asked Krishna.
Krishna related Jarasandha’s story to the king.
Brihadratha,
the mighty king of Magadha, married the twins of the Kasi ruler, both endowed
with beauty and intelligence. The two wives gave him great happiness but failed
to provide a son to carry on the dynasty. One day, he heard that a sage,
Chandakausika, was camping at the outskirts of his capital. Thither the king
went with his wives.
Brihadratha
pleased the rishi by worshipping him and offering him valuable presents. When
the king told the sage of his desire to have a son, the rishi blessed him and
said, so be it. Just then a mango from the tree under which they were sitting,
fell on the lap of Chandakausika. The holy man handed over the fruit to the
king and asked him to give it to his wives. The sage left after assuring the
king that he would get a son who would be a mighty monarch.
Being equally
fond of both his wives, Brihadratha divided the fruit between them. Both of
them conceived. When they delivered, each wife had half of a baby, having one
arm, one leg, half a head and half a torso. The disappointed queens disposed of
the sundered baby through a maid who threw the parts out through the backdoor
of the palace.
A rakshasa
woman, Jara by name, who lived on flesh, was foraging in the garbage for food.
She found the two halves of the baby thrown by the maid. Fate playing a part,
she joined the two symmetrical pieces together. A healthy baby was formed which
started to howl in a thunderous voice. It was so large and heavy that Jara
could not carry it away. The inmates of the palace came running to find out
what the commotion was about. Jara handed over the baby to them and ran away.
When the queens recognised the baby, they were overjoyed. The baby was given
the name Jarasandha, joined together by Jara.
Some time
later, the rishi Chandakausika again visited Magadha. King Brihadrada received
him with great respect and worshipped him. The learned one predicted to the
king that the child born to him would grow in strength and conquer the whole
world. All the kings of the earth would tremble before his might. After making
this prediction, the sage went away to attend to his business. When Jarasandha
came of age, Brihadrada retired to the forest, installing his son as ruler.
In time
Jarasandha grew into a fearsome king. Being a friend of Kamsa whom I slew,
Jarasandha drove our tribe of Vrishnis along with our cousins, the Kukuras and
the Andhakas, out of Mathura.
I recognized that Jarasandha was invincible and his death was not yet due, and
to keep out of his way, I moved to Dwaraka.
Krishna told Yudhishthira that he would not be able to perform his
Rajasuya unless Jarasandha was eliminated. This could be achieved only if
Jarasandha was engaged in a personal combat, as the Magadha king was incapable of being
vanquished in the battlefield. It was decided that Arjuna and Bhima, along with
Krishna, should proceed to Magadha
to put an end to this oppressor of kings.
On arriving
at Magadha, Arjuna, Bhima
and Krishna gained entry into the city
disguised as brahmins. They did not want to be recognized as princes. Soon they
were in the presence of Jarasandha.
Once they
reached Jarasandha’s presence, they revealed their identity to him. Krishna demanded that all the kings that Jarasandha had
imprisoned should be released.
Jarasandha
scornfully replied that he would add these three to those imprisoned.
“But,” he said, “I always defeat my foe in war before killing or
imprisoning him. In your case, since you are without an army, I am prepared to
fight you individually.”
It was
decided that a combat between the king and one of the three visitors should be
held. When asked to select his opponent, the proud Jarasandha pointed to Bhima,
the one who looked the biggest and strongest.
Jarasandha
took the precaution of installing his son Sahadeva as king before the battle
started, in the unlikely event of his being killed in the fight.
What
followed was a war between two mountains. Bhima and Jarasandha were engaged in
personal combat for fourteen days even as the earth shook under them. They
clashed like elephants and let out roars that sent fear in the spines of those
who heard them. Finally, Bhima overwhelmed Jarasandha who lay down exhausted.
Jarasandha appealed to Bhima to give him time to recover. But Krishna prompted
the mighty Pandava to put an end to the Magadha king. Bhima lifted his
opponent and dashed him to the ground. He then broke Jarasandha’s back with his
knee. There was a great roar from Jarasandha as he met his death.
Krishna released all the kings imprisoned by Jarasandha in the hill
fortress known as Girivraja. The liberated kings worshipped Krishna
and asked what command he had for them. Krishna
told them that they were free to return to their kingdoms.
“You have
Bhima to thank for your liberation,” Krishna
told the kings. “He is the brother of the great king, Yudhishthira, who is
holding a Rajasuya sacrifice. You should all assist the Pandava king in his
Rajasuya.” The kings agreed in one voice.
The new
king of Maghada, Sahadeva, sought Krishna’s
blessings and commenced his beneficial rule.
The
victorious three were given a rousing welcome when they returned to
Indraparastha. Krishna took leave of the Pandavas and left for Dwaraka, having
accomplished his objective of eliminating Jarasandha.
With the
one big obstacle in performing the Rajasuya removed, Yudhishthira, his brothers
and their counselors met to plan for the sacrifice. An event of this size and
importance, they realized, would cost enormous money, what with hosting
innumerable kings and providing presents to an ocean of brahmins
and others who would turn up on the occasion. The Pandava coffers just did not
have enough gold to meet these expenses.
It was
therefore decided that the four brothers of Yudhishthira would undertake a tour
of conquest and extract money from the various kings of the country.
Accordingly, Arjuna went North, Bhima went East, Nakula went West and Sahadeva
went South. The Pandava brothers marched fearlessly in the four directions.
Most kings acknowledged Yudhishthira’s suzerainty and paid generously. Those
who hesitated were brought to their knees.
The princes
met with resistance only once, when Sahadeva had an encounter with Agni, the
god of fire, in the city of Mahishmati.
The ruler of the city, Nila, was protected by Agni. Agni had been enamoured of
the daughter of Nila whose hand he sought. Nila agreed for the marriage on
condition that Agni would always protect his city.
Sahadeva
was unable to defeat Agni. He bowed to the god and prayed to him. Agni was
pleased by the prayer and bade Nila to accept Pandava superiority and pay
tribute.
When they
returned, the four brothers had brought enough wealth for the Pandava treasury
to overflow.
Nakula was
chosen as Yudhishthira’s ambassador to Dhritarashtra’s court to invite the king
for the sacrifice. He repaired to Hastinapura where, after paying his respect
to his grandsire, uncles and preceptors, he told them, “My brother, the King of
Khandavaprastha, by your leave, desires to hold the Rajasuya sacrifice. He
seeks your blessings and encouragement to do so.”
“I am proud
that Yudhishthira is taking this step,” Dhritarashtra said. “We are all behind
this enterprise and shall attend the sacrifice and personally give him our
blessings.”
Sahadeva
also called on Duryodhana and his brothers and invited to grace the function.
On the day
of the sacrifice, hundreds of Kshatriya kings, in addition to those he had
invited at Hastinapura, turned up for the grand sacrifice. Sakuni, Radheya,
Jayadratha, Drupada and Salya were all present. The illustrious princes of the
Yadava race, Balarama and Krishna, came well
ahead to help in the preparations. People of all four classes flowed into
Indraprastha.
Those that
were near and dear to Yudhishthira were given various offices. Duryodhana was
the receiver of gifts and tributes from the kings. Duscasana took charge of the
kitchen. Aswatthama attended to the comfort of the brahmins. Kripa handled the
gifts to those brahmins. Sanjaya recieved the kings. Vidura was the disburser
of funds. Krishna himself went around washing
the feet of brahmins.
The
sacrifice was planned fully observing the established rules, and in a manner
that pleased both those on earth and those above. The sage Narada appeared and
was pleased to observe the grand event. Being a god, he could foresee the
future. Narada was struck by the thought that very soon this august assembly of
Kshatriyas would be divided into two camps and would battle each other till
they were all effaced from the earth. He knew that Lord Narayana who had
already incarnated himself on earth as Krishna
would take away all these whom he had caused to be born from the gods.
As the
sacrifice commenced, Bhishma told Yudhishthira that it was necessary to first
honour the distinguished guests by offering them the Arghya (holy grass,
symbolic of respect). The foremost among the guests should be offered the
Arghya first. Bhishma named Krishna as best
suited to receive the honour.
In that
great assembly was present Sisupala, the King of Chedi. When Bhishma suggested Krishna’s name, Sisupala stood up and protested loudly.
Sisupala
said, “To propose Krishna for the honour is an
insult to many of the eminent kings who are assembled here. I am myself much
superior to Krishna in valour and strength. My
own claim should be met first.”
Sisupala
then went on to heap insults on Krishna. “This
Krishna is a mere cowherd. He uses magic to
meet his ends. He tricked other princes and abducted Rukmini, much against the
wishes of her family.” And so on.
A few other
kings joined Sisupala in a chorus. When Yudhishthira did not accede to
Sisupala’s demands, the Chedi King prepared to walk out of the hall.
Yudhishthira ran after him, trying to conciliate him. An angry Bhishma asked
the Pandava king to desist, and declared, “Those who know not the nature of Krishna do not deserve to be conciliated.”
Sahadeva
stood up and warned that anyone trying to obstruct Krishna
being honoured would have his head ground by his foot. On behalf of his king,
he proceeded to wash Krishna’s feet and
offered him the Arghya.
Sisupala
and his followers rose in arms, aiming to disrupt the sacrifice. When Bhima
prepared to meet their attack, Bhishma restrained him saying, “Fear not,
prince. The lion would know how to deal with the dogs.” He then related to the
assembly, the story of Sisupala. Bhishma said,
This
Sisupala was born to the King of Chedi with three eyes and four hands. He
brayed like a donkey when he was born. The Chedi king and the queen, who was
the Yadava Vasudeva’s sister, frightened by the child’s appearance and
behaviour, wanted to destroy him. A voice from the heavens told them that this
child was destined to become a great king. Although his exterminator was
already born, his time to die was not now. The king asked who his killer would
be. The voice said, ‘The person by whose presence the third eye and the two
extra arms would get detached and fall off would be the person to kill
Sisupala.’
Many
monarchs visiting Chedi were shown the baby with the hope that his would-be
killer be identified. Balarama and Krishna
heard about the happenings in Chedi and made a visit to their aunt. The child
was shown to the brothers. When Krishna lifted
the baby and put him on his lap, its extra eye and extra hands fell to the
ground.
The
frightened aunt appealed to Krishna to show
mercy on her child and asked for a boon. “Please do not kill my son, even
if he offended you.” she pleaded. Krishna agreed, adding that he would forgive
Sisupala if he offended him, not once, but a hundred times.
In time
Sisupala became a cruel and wicked monarch, causing distress to his subjects
and other kings. The fool does not realize that destiny is beckoning him, and
he is insulting none other than his deliverer.
Bhishma’s
words only incensed Sisupala further. He continued to mount insult upon insult
on Krishna. Krishna told the assembly that the
low minded Sisupala coveted his own aunt, the wife of Akrura, and was even
claiming the hand of Rukmini, Krishna’s
consort. Sisupala continued to challenge Krishna, mounting abuse upon abuse on
him. Krishna said that in keeping with his promise to his aunt, he had
patiently listened to a hundred insults from the wretch, but now the time had
come to show Sisupala the way. So saying, he released his disc, which, with a
great blaze, flew at Sisupala and dismembered his head.
With all
impediments removed, the sacrifice was carried to a successful conclusion.
After receiving as much gifts as they could carry, the kings and commoners who
had converged in Indraprastha started to leave. Krishna, satisfied at the
success of the sacrifice, left for Dwaraka.
Vyasa
informed Yudhishthira that he was leaving. The king bowed to the illustrious
sage and asked a question. “Whenever a sacrifice of the dimension of Rajasuya
is performed, there may be a terrible fallout, like an earthquake or flood. Is
this condition satisfied with the death of Sisupala?”
Vyasa
replied, “I see terrible times in the next thirteen years, and you,
Yudhishthira, would be in the eye of the storm. As a portend, the mighty god
Siva might appear in your dream.” With this, the dark one left.
Rattled by
Vyasa’s words, Yudhishthira became so remorseful that he wanted to end his life
rather than live and cause misery to the world. His brothers consoled him and
asked him to meet the coming events with the fortitude he was famous for.
Yudhishthira resolved that he would, from that day, observe the strictest
self-discipline. He would not offend anyone by word or deed and would preserve
his equanimity in the most trying conditions.
After the
departure of all the guests, Duryodhana and Sakuni alone remained in
Indraprastha to enjoy the hospitality of the Pandavas. It happened that
Duryodhana was one day strolling inside the famous assembly hall built by the
asura Maya. The crystal floor and the doors had a magical quality about them.
Where there appeared to be a pool, there was none, and where it looked like
solid ground there was water. Where there appeared to be a door, there was a
wall, and where there was a door, one could not see it. All this confused
Duryodhana to no end. He kept falling into the pool and dashing against the
wall. Yudhishthira was engaged in matters of state. But the other four Pandava
brothers who were watching Duryodhana, were greatly amused and were ridiculing
their cousin. Duryodhana flushed with shame.
On their
way home from Indraprastha, Duryodhana, in his misery, expressed to his uncle
Sakuni that he would like to end his life, being unable to endure the Pandavas’
prosperity. Sakuni talked to him encouragingly.
The
scheming uncle of Duryodhana said, “Where the might of arms cannot win, cunning
could. I have a plan precisely for this. I know that Yudhishthira loves to
gamble with the dice but possesses poor skill in that game. I am a past master
in rolling the dice and could outwit any opponent.”
By the time
they reached Hastinapura, the idea of inviting Yudhishthira for a game of dice
had taken deep root in Duryodhana’s mind.
Duryodhana
was raving with hatred and jealousy for the Pandavas as he reached Hastinapura.
He declared to his father that he could not continue living, after seeing the
fame and prosperity of the Pandavas. Having been the treasurer at the Rajasuya,
he was witness to the enormous wealth that came pouring in from kings all over
the world. “When would I ever become as wealthy as the Pandavas?” he asked
Dhritarashtra. His father tried to console him.
Dhritarashtra
told his son, “You are in no way inferior to the Pandavas. You are equally
wealthy and your kingdom extends far and wide. You have all the pleasures of
life at your beck and call.”
With
gnawing jealousy Duryodhana responded that he would rather die than continue
with this wretched existence.
Sakuni, who
was with the father and son, intervened and said that Duryodhana’s woes could
end if the Pandava king be brought to Indraprastha for a game of dice. Sakuni
knew all about how to call the right number as well as to play any number he
wanted.
“With the
dice as my bow and the numbers as my arrows,” the son of Suvala declared, “I
shall defeat the Pandavas. Yuthishthira is fond of the game but is very poor in
play. If thou, O King, invited the Pandavas for a friendly game, they would
respond without demurring.”
The
irresolute king consulted Kshatta (as his brother Vidura was known) who stoutly
opposed Sakuni’s idea of inviting Yuthishthira to gamble. When the king showed
no inclination to listen to good counsel, Vidura realised that the Kauravas
were heading towards their own destruction. Kali, the age of decay, has
started, he grimly reflected. Not only was his opposition to the dice game
ignored, the king sent Vidura himself to Indraprastha to invite Yudhishthira.
Meanwhile,
an enormous hall with thousand pillars, walls studded with gems, was specially
constructed and furnished lavishly in preparation for the game.
Arriving at
Indraprastha, Vidura was received with all honours by his nephews. After
exchanging pleasantries, Vidura conveyed to Yudhishthira, Dhritarashtra’s
invitation to the Pandavas to see the newly constructed palace at Hastinapura
and compare it with the famous hall at Indraprastha.
“Incidentally,”
Vidura said, “You could participate in a game of dice. Many eminent dice
players, including Sakuni, have been invited, and an exciting fare is in the
offing.”
Yudhishthira
clearly expressed his disinclination to engage in a dice game, which, he said,
might lead to enmity within the family. Vidura agreed with him but pleaded
helplessness in the face of Dhritarashtra’s insistence to hold the game.
Resigning
to fate, and duly honouring the king’s invitation, Yudhishthira set out to
Hastinapura in the company of his wife and brothers.
Chapter 2 Sabha Parva - Part 2
At
Hastinapura, the gamblers and those close to the two families had already
gathered at the new pleasure palace. When the Pandavas arrived, Dhritarashtra
welcomed them and smelt each on his head out of affection. They were then shown
to their magnificent apartment, and the night was spent in sport and joy.
The next
morning all the guests assembled in the game hall. Without wasting time, Sakuni
stood up and invited Yudhishthira for the dice game.
The great
defender of truth said, “O son of Suvala. Deceitful gambling is contrary to the
code of Kshatriyas. Wealth should be won in fair battle and wealth so won
should be distributed to the brahmins. However, having been invited by the
king, I would play. We shall accept whatever destiny has in store for us.”
Duryodhana,
instead of himself playing, nominated Sakuni to play on his behalf, contrary to
established practice. Here again Yudhishthira acquiesced and the game
commenced.
For the
first throw of the dice by Sakuni, Yudhishthira pledged some costly jewelry.
The dice rolled and Sakuni called it right. “Hurrah! I have won,” he cried.
Yudhishthira
next pledged his royal car, known for its splendour. Adopting unfair means,
Sakuni once again won. “Hurrah! I have won,” he exclaimed.
A hundred
thousand girls and a thousand soldiers were staked by Yudhishthira. The result
was the same and so was Sakuni’s refrain, “Hurrah! I have won.”
The stakes
kept mounting. Elephants, steeds, chariots, draught animals. The dice decided
their fate and every time it was in Sakuni’s favour. “Hurrah! I have won.” The
shrill voice of the villain rent the air again and again.
As the game
progressed inexorably in favour of the plotters, the elders sat with their
heads hanging, unable to intervene. Vidura however got up and addressed the
king, warning him against the perilous direction in which events were
unfolding. “Call off the game and save the Kuru race,” he urged Dhritarashtra.
“This son of yours would be the cause of the destruction of our entire race.”
Stung to
the quick, Duryodhana flared like a hooded snake. “Eating my salt, you show no
loyalty to me,” he told Vidura. “You pretend to know everything, but do not
understand that you are only the son of a menial and have not the status to
advise me. Treachery comes to you easily and you are known to always favour my
enemy. If you do not approve of the goings on here, you should walk out.”
Ignoring
Duryodhana’s outburst, Vidura addressed Dhritarashtra again. “Do not encourage
this evil. This son of yours is blinded by rage. Call off the game. Remember
how the Andhakas, the Yadavas and the Bhojas united to put an end to Kamsa. It
is time now to put an end to Duryodhana. Let Arjuna kill your evil son. Destroy
him before he destroys your race. Keep the Pandavas with you. To save the
peacocks, a crow may be sacrificed. To save the tigers, a jackal may be
sacrificed. Further than this, I have nothing to say.” So saying, Vidura sat
down. Dhritarashtra was unmoved.
All his
personal wealth lost in wager, Yuthishthira started setting parts of his
kingdom on the dice floor. In no time Sakuni, through his skilful
manipulations, won all of it. Soon there was nothing left with Yudhishthira to
play with.
“My
brothers are my wealth,” Yudhishthira declared. Nakula was offered and lost.
The dice favoured its master, Sakuni. It was Sahadeva next, and he too was
lost.
The cunning
Sakuni taunted Yudhishthira. “These are after all Madri’s sons. But Bhimasena
and Arjuna are dear to you, being born to Kunti along with you,” the Gandhari
king said. “You wretch,” Yudhishthira snapped, “you are trying to sow the seed
of disunion amongst us. Here, I offer Arjuna”.
“My lucky
dice,” Sakuni whispered to the contrivance in his hand and let it roll. And
Arjuna was lost. Bhima followed. Yudhishthira had now only himself to offer.
Once more
the dice rolled and he too was lost.
“Do not
despair,” Sakuni told Yudhishthira. “I shall give you one more chance to regain
all that you have lost. Bring the beautiful daughter of Panchala. With her as
stake you may still regain all that you have lost.”
As if
possessed, Yudhishthira accepted the challenge and announced that he was
wagering what was nearest to his heart, his queen, the faultless Draupadi.
Hardly
waiting for the dice to roll, Dhritarashtra impatiently enquired, “Has the
wager been won?” Radheya and Duscasana were clapping their hands and laughing.
Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa were staring at the floor, covered with perspiration,
despair written on their faces. Vidura sat with his hands holding his head.
Sakuni,
savouring the situation, took his time, knowing fully well that the dice would
obey his command. He kissed the contraption and threw it on the ground. After
rolling for a few fearful moments, the dice settled down. Exactly as Sakuni had
called. “Hurrah! I have won,” he cried out in triumph.
Duryodhana
jumped up in joy and commanded Vidura to fetch Draupadi. “The Pandavas are all
my slaves,” he said. “And so is Draupadi. Her quarters from now should be with
the servants and not where the queens and princesses live.” Vidura stood up and
angrily rebuked Duryodhana for the insults he was heaping on the Pandava
brothers and their faultless wife. “The consequences are going to be serious
and the destruction of the Kurus is sure to follow,” he warned.
“Fie unto
you Kshatta,” cried Duryodhana, intoxicated with Sakuni’s success. He called a
Pratikamin (attendant) standing nearby. He commanded the servant to seek
Draupadi and fetch her to the hall. The Pratikamin went to where the royal
ladies were resting and told Draupadi that her lord had lost everything in the
gamble, including his queen. At his master’s command, the Pratikamin continued,
he had come to take her to the gambling hall. A shocked and distraught Draupadi
sent back the attendant saying, “Go find out first whether my lord lost me
before he lost himself or after.”
The
Paratikamin returned to the hall and repeated Draupadi’s words to those
present. He looked at Yudhishthira for an answer. Yudhishthira sat grimly,
without uttering a word. Nor did any of the elders speak. It was Duryodhana who
burst out. “Let the Panchali princess come hither and put the question to her
husband so that the entire assembly can hear the answer. Go and fetch her
hither.” he commanded the attendant.
Yudhishthira
managed to send a message secretly to Draupadi, asking her to come, scantily
dressed though she was due to her season, and appeal to the king.
Meanwhile,
the impatient Duryodhana howled once again at the attendant to carry out his
command. The Pratikamin stood terrified at the prospect of having to face
Draupadi again. “What should I tell her?” he stuttered.
“This fool
is possessed of fear,” Duryodhana shouted to his brother Duscasana. “You go and
fetch her. If necessary, by force.” Duscasana, with his eyes red, went to where
Draupadi was. On seeing him Draupadi tried to run to the interior, but the evil
brother of Duryodhana chased her and caught her. Disregarding her protests and
pleas he dragged her by her tresses to the assembly. The Panchali princess
looked up and prayed, “Krishna, thou very
incarnation of the supreme god Narayana, I look to thee alone to protect me.”
As she was
dragged to the gambling hall, Draupadi appealed to the elders who were seated
frozen in silence. “Do not let this wretch abuse me,” she cried. She
turned to her husbands and her fiery glance seemed to scorch them. Witnessing
her misery, Duscasana kept calling her “Slave”. He received applause from his
brother and the vicious Radheya and Sakuni. All the others in that great
assembly sat benumbed, as if hit by a thunderbolt.
Draupadi
turned to the grandsire and pleaded, “Have I been won?” Looking at the floor,
Bhishma said, “Lo! What can I say? Indeed, morality is subtle.
Yudhishthira himself is silent. I do not know if I can justifiably intervene.”
Duscasana
continued to mouth profanities, pulling at Draupadi’s clothes. Inflamed though
they were, the Pandava brothers sat as if their hands were tied. Bhima however
could no longer bear to witness the abuses suffered by their queen. Looking at
Yudhishthira’s hands he swore, “All this misery is due to those hands. Let me
burn them.” Arjuna remained self-possessed and he pacified his brother, “Be not
angry with our venerable elder brother. He has done nothing wrong. He has
followed truth. Have faith in him.” Bhima remained silent.
From the
shocked and confused assembly of kings there arose one voice defending
Draupadi. It was that of Vikarna, one of Dhritarashtra’s sons. “Draupadi has
not been won,” he declared. “She was not the wife of Yudhishthira alone.
Besides, there was deceit practiced by Sakuni. He made Yudhishthira gamble her
away. Yudhishthira had no right to stake her when he himself had been won. Why
are the great Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Vidura silent when such a travesty of
justice is taking place?” So argued Vikarna, the only one of the hundred
brothers who showed sympathy for the Pandavas.
It was
Radheya who spoke now, ridiculing Vikarna as immature and ill informed. “When
her own husbands are not defending her, it is obvious that Draupadi has been
lost by them in a fair game. She is a slave. Strip her of her clothes.”
screamed to Duscasana. “What is the impropriety in this action on a woman who
could submit herself to five husbands? Take off her husbands’ clothes as well.”
Thus did Radheya spew poison.
The Pandava
brothers removed their upper garments and sat with their heads dropped.
Duscasana caught one end of the cloth Draupadi was draped in and started to
pull at it. Closing her eyes, her palms joined in prayer, Draupadi cried, “Hey Krishna, thou protector of the weak and the faithful, see
thou not the well into which we have fallen? See thou not how the Kauravas are
humiliating us? Thou art our only salvation.” And Krishna
heard her voice. Appearing in the scene but invisible to everyone, he covered
his faithful devotee with many layers of clothes of different colours.
As the
miscreant Duscasana tried to remove her scanty dress, Draupadi found herself
draped once again in a different apparel. Once more Duscasana pulled and yet
again a new apparel appeared on her. Soon there was a hillock of clothing as
Duscasana, his energy giving way, continued in his attempt to disrobe the
Panchali princess. Like a river flowing from its source, the clothing kept
coming. Until Duscasana fell on the ground, exhausted and numb.
His eyes
fiery and his countenance terrible, Bhima swore, “I shall one day kill this
Duscasana who has caused blemish to the Bharata race. I shall tear his breast
and drink his blood. If this happens not, let me not deserve to join my
ancestors when I am dead.”
Radheya
urged Duscasana to drag the dishonoured princess away to where the workingwomen
were lodged. He tauntingly told Draupadi that she should abandon her husbands
and marry someone who would give her freedom and not gamble her away again.
Draupadi stood up and turning to the elders, demanded of them an answer to her
question, whether she was won by the Kauravas or not.
Bhishma
squirmed in his seat and repeated what he had said before. He confessed that he
did not know what was right and what was wrong.
Draupadi’s
question went a-begging. Vidura repeated that having himself become a slave,
Yudhishthira had no authority to stake his wife.
Duryodhana
jeered at Yudhishthira. “You who are knowledgeable in all departments, you tell
the assembly that you have lost Panchali to me.” But Yudhishthira uttered not a
word. Baring his left lap and showing it to Panchali, the wicked Duryodhana
said that since Yudhishthira had failed to give an answer, let the other four
answer the question.
Inflamed at
Duryodhana’s gesture in showing his bare lap, the angry Bhima flared up once
again and swore to the assembly, “When the great fight comes, I would break
that offending thigh. If I failed to do so, may I not deserve salvation.”
When
Duryodhana taunted the four brothers again to answer Draupadi’s question,
Arjuna said that before the game started they were under the sway of
Yudhishthira. Now that they have all become slaves, it was for the Kauravas and
their king to decide. As he said this, the shrieking whine of a jackal issued
from the king’s prayer room. Donkeys brayed and birds shrieked from all sides.
Vidura, as well as Gandhari, read the omen very well. This was the signal that
the Kauravas were on their way to doom, they thought.
Gloating
over their success, Duryodhana and his friends left the hall.
Fear
gripped the heart of Dhritarashtra as he heard these noises. He swore at
Duryodhana for having brought about the ruin of the Kauravas. Turning to
Draupadi, he told her in a conciliatory tone that he would grant her a boon.
Draupadi
asked the king, “Let my husband Yudhishthira, the personification of truth, be
freed from his bondage,” The king granted her wish and told Draupadi to
seek a second boon. Draupadi desired her other four husbands should be freed
from slavery as well. “Granted,” said Dhritarashtra, urging Draupadi to ask for
a third boon. Draupadi declined. There was no need for a third boon. She said
that her husbands could get back to their old glory, now that they were
free.
Dhritarshtra
told Yudhishthira, “You are now a free man. Go to Khandavaprastha and rule over
your kingdom in peace. Forgive Duryodhana for his rashness. Let brotherly love
be restored between you and your cousins.”
Having been
freed by Dhritarashtra, the Pandavas with Draupadi bowed to the king and the
elders, and left for Indraprastha. Duryodhana and his confederates who had left
the hall were unaware of the boons granted to Draupadi by Dhritarashtra. It was
Duscasana who learnt about it, and he ran to Duryodhana, wailing that the
foolish king had caused all that was won, to be lost.
Duryodhana,
along with Duscasana, Sakuni and Radheya, rushed to Dhritarashtra. “What a
folly this,” he cried at the king. “We made the Pandavas our slaves, and now
you have let them off. They are mighty and the insults they have suffered would
be rankling in their minds. They would certainly wreak vengeance on us. Lo, we
are all lost.”
“We can
still save the situation,” Duryodhana continued, “Let us bring them back and
make them play the dice game once again. We shall play for a specific stake. If
the Pandavas lose, they should don deerskins and retire to the forest for
twelve years. After the twelfth year ended, they should spend the thirteenth
year in disguise at an inhabitable place. If detected in the thirteenth year,
they should spend another twelve years in the forest.
“In the
event the Pandavas won, the Kauravas would spend twelve years in the forest and
one year incognito,. After the period is successfully completed, both would
have their original kingdoms restored to them.”
Bhishma,
Drona and Vidura in one voice advised the king not to entertain this plan.
Gandhari who heard of it, pleaded with her husband not to listen to Duryodhana
any more. In fact, she said, they should have followed Vidura’s advice and
killed their first son as soon as he was born. The path he was pursuing would
only lead to the wiping out of the Kauravas.
The king,
however, would not listen to them. To satisfy Duryodhana seemed to be the only
thought in his mind. “If, as a consequence, my race would face extinction, let
it happen,” he said. He commanded a messenger to be sent to intercept the
Pandavas and bring them back for one last dice game.
The
Pandavas had gone some distance when the messenger caught up with them and
conveyed the king’s command. Yudhishthira’s brothers were not in favour of
entertaining the invitation, knowing that this was another plot of Duryodhana.
Yudhishthira said, “I know fully well what is to follow. Would Rama not have
known that there could be no deer made of gold? Yet he pursued it for that was
ordained by fate. Besides, we have to honour the king’s command.” With his
brothers and Draupadi he turned back to Hastinapura.
As
Yudhishthira reached the gambling hall, the assembly was already full. Sakuni
started the proceedings and described the wager to Yudhishthira. Yudhishthira
agreed to the terms and the dice rolled once again. The inevitable happened.
Sakuni called right. The Pandava brothers, along with Draupadi, were now
condemned to spend the next twelve years in the forest and a thirteenth year
incognito.
Whispers of
“Fie unto Dhritarashtra’s sons” were heard. But Duryodhana and his intimates
made no secret of their joy. The Pandava brothers removed their regalia and
dressed themselves in deerskin, preparing to go to the forest.
Duscasana
addressed the Panchali princess, “Pity unto Drupada who sacrificed his daughter
to the worthless Pandavas. Now they are condemned to a miserable life. But
thou, Panchali, need not follow them. Choose from those present here, a husband.”
Hearing
these words of his cousin, an inflamed Bhima rose and reiterated his vow. “You
wretch, riding as you do on the success of Sakuni, you are piercing our hearts
with boastful words. I would soon pierce your heart in battle and drink your blood.
May entry into my ancestors’ abode be denied to me if this vow is not
fulfilled.”
As the
Pandavas started leaving the hall, Duryodhana walked with a swaying gait, in
imitation of Bhima. Noticing this, Bhima roared at the Kaurava prince, “Bide
your time you wretch. The day is not far off when, with my mace, I would make
you prostrate before me and place my foot on your head.”
Arjuna
said, “As does my powerful brother, so do I swear to kill Radheya in the great
battle.” And Sahadeva said, “This Sakuni will fall unto my blows.”
Vidura,
after blessing the Pandavas, asked Yudhishthira to leave his mother, the
venerable Kunti, in his care, till the period of exile was over. Yudhishthira
bowed to his uncle’s wish.
After the
Pandavas and Draupadi had left, the blind Dhritarashtra called Vidura and asked
him to describe their departure. This is what Vidura had to say.
The crowds
on the way shout, ‘cursed are Dhritarashtra’s sons for bringing about this
calamity to the faultless Pandavas’. Yudhishthira has his head covered, lest
his angry glance may burn the people. Bhima is stretching his arms as if to
say, these are ready to soon show their worth against the Kauravas. Arjuna goes
scattering grains all around, indicating that his arrows will soon fly
everywhere, seeking the Kauravas. The handsome Nakula has covered himself with
dust so that the women may not look at him and sigh. Sahadeva has also
besmeared himself, not desiring to be recognized on this day of his misfortune.
As for the princess, she goes with only a piece of cloth covering her, as
though to tell the women, in fourteen years so would you enter Hastinapura,
weeping and wailing for your husbands dead in battle. The priest Dhaumya utters
verses from Sama Veda relating to Yama, the Lord of Death.
While the
king and Vidura were talking thus, the celestial Narada appeared before them
and warned them that fourteen years hence would see their entire clan being
wiped out. He left immediately. The whining of jackals and the braying of asses
was once again heard from inside the palace. The sky was dark but for flashes
of lightning.
Frightened
by these omen, Duryodhana and his brothers prayed to Drona to protect them in
the coming days. Drona assured them that he would, but added that the Pandavas
were gods, and humans cannot kill them.
“In the
next thirteen years,” Drona told Duryodhana, “the Pandavas would adopt strict
celibacy, perform penance and seek more education. They would have become more
formidable when they come back. My own death has been sealed with the birth of
a son from the sacrificial fire of Drupada. Do what good you can during the
period till the Pandvas return.”
A
distraught Dhritarashtra bade his attendant Sanjay recall the Pandavas. But
before Sanjay could react, that wavering moment passed, and the king was caught
once again in the web of his love for his first-born. He sighed and retired.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
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