Sri Mahabharat
(The Immortal and Enchanting Epic of world)
Chapter 7 Drona Parva
Bhishma,
The Terrible. The Pure. The Perfect. Even as day dawned, crowds milled to have
a glimpse of the fallen hero. Soldiers paid their respects, women showered sandal
powder on him and ordinary citizens circumambulated him, weeping.
Pandavas
and Kauravas stood around him as he lay in the battlefield, their enmity
temporarily forgotten.
The old
hero said, “My throat has become dry. Let me have some water.” Water in
ornamental containers was rushed to him. He refused them all. “I shall have
none of these,” he said, and turned once again to Arjuna. The son of Pandu
struck an arrow to the ground from his Gandiva, causing a fountain to spring.
The water that gushed out gratified the fallen warrior.
Addressing
Arjuna, Bhishma said, “Those who know you know that you are the rishi Nara. With the god
Narayana by your side, is there anything you cannot achieve?” To Duryodhana he
said, “Even now it is not late. Make peace with the Pandavas. You cannot
vanquish them. You saw Arjuna’s feat. With Vasudeva by his side you can never
hope for victory against the Pandavas.”
The dying
man’s words were wasted on the Kaurava prince. Duryodhana said, “As a Kshatriya
it is my duty to fight, even if death is waiting for me. Permit me to fight,
grandsire.” Bhishma replied, “Resolved as you are to seek heaven through a
hero’s death by falling in the battlefield, I permit you to fight.” Duryodhana
departed with a sad heart.
Hearing about
the fall of Bhishma, Karna repaired to Duryodhana. Karna said, “O mighty king!
The lion among men has fallen. Him no human or celestial can defeat, now lies
brought down by Arjuna’s arrows. But you should not grieve. I am more than a
match to all the Pandavas. Because of Bhishma I have not fought these last ten
days. I shall now fight. Victory will be yours.”
Karna then
proceeded to where the grandsire was lying. He told Bhishma, “Without you, the
Kauravas are bereft of their most able hero and guide. But I assure you that I
shall endeavour my best to protect the Kauravas and fight till my last breadth
for their victory.” Bhishma appreciated Karna for his resolve and asked him to
look after the Kauravas as a father does his son.
When Karna
met Duryodhana again, the two discussed the question of who should be appointed
supreme commander, now that Bhishma was in his deathbed. Karna recommended
Drona for the office. Duryodhana agreed. Drona was sent for and invested with
the job of leading the Kaurava army.
Planning
the strategy to be adopted against the Pandavas, Duryodhana sought a boon from
Drona. When the preceptor agreed to give one, Duryodhana said, “I would want
you to capture Yudhishthira and bring him to me.”
Drona was
gladdened by this request. He asked the prince, “It is, no doubt, to conclude
peace with him that you want me to bring him to you alive. Are you planning to
return to them their kingdom?”
Duryodhana
answered, “If Yudhishthira is killed there are the other Pandava brothers. I
want Yudhishthira alive so that I can play dice with him again and deprive him
of everything.”
Pained
though he was by Duryodhana’s crooked thinking, Drona nevertheless said, “I
shall certainly try to fulfill your desire. However, I want to make it clear
that Yudhishthira cannot be captured as long as Arjuna is nearby to protect
him. Device a strategy to keep Arjuna away from his eldest brother. I shall
then capture the Pandava king.”
Yudhishthira
came to know of Duryodhana’s plan and he told his generals to provide him with
maximum protection. Arjuna swore that he would never let his king be captured
by Drona.
Drona
adopted the Cakata (cartwheel) formation as he led his forces into the field.
The Pandavas countered with the Krauncha (crane) formation. Drona started with
an offensive which took a heavy toll of the Pandava forces. Arjuna, Drupada,
Abhimanyu and a host of others turned their attention to Drona in order to
check him. Drona launched a fierce onslaught on the Pandavas. But he could not
reach Yudhishthira.
The day
passed in many individual encounters. But the Kaurava objective was to keep
Arjuna engaged so that Drona could capture Yudhishthira. This they failed to
do. Yudhishthira returned safely to his camp.
Drona was
crestfallen at his failure. As Duryodhana taunted him, Drona reiterated that as
long as the Pandava king was protected by Arjuna, he could not be captured. A
strategy had to be devised. Someone should challenge Arjuna for a fight and
engage him at another part of the battlefield.
The next
morning the Kauravas set the eldest of the Trigartas, Susarman of Prasthala,
with his followers, to challenge Arjuna to a fight. Honouring Kshatriya
traditions, Arjuna accepted the challenge. Arjuna knew that in his absence the
Kauravas would mount an attack on Yudhishthira. He detailed Satyajit of the
Panchalas, a capable general, to stay close to Yudhishthira.
Krishna took Arjuna to the quarter where Susarman was waiting with his
Trigarta and Samasapthaka (do-or-die) squads. Joining them was the host of
Narayanas, Krishna’s own force, now fighting
for the Kauravas. To cope with their numbers, Arjuna first blew his conch to
put fear in them. He then released a weapon, Tashtra, which was capable of
creating an illusion. The motley force saw innumerable Arjunas and Krishnas. Thoroughly confused, they started to kill each
other. Arjuna then used a weapon, Vayavya (wind), which created a terrific
storm that swept away the Samasapthakas along with their cars and animals.
Meanwhile,
Drona found his strategy working to his advantage. With Arjuna out of the way,
the Pandava defence buckled under Drona’s attack. Satyajit was killed in a
straight battle with Drona. Drona was now within hand’s reach of Yudhishthira.
But his prey still eluded him as the Pandavas, headed by Bhima, rushed to
rescue their king. The battle was now joined by warriors from both sides.
Arjuna was
aware of the siege his king was under. But he decided to stay and deal with the
Samasapthakas. In the end he used the highly potent Brahma weapon, which wiped
out most of the desperate fighters. His job done for the present, Arjuna rushed
to take Drona.
Arjuna was
now accosted by the spirited Kaurava general, Bhagadatta. After many exchanges
of arrows, Bhagadatta hurled at Arjuna his weapon called Vaishnava. Krishna quickly stepped across and received the weapon on
his chest. Puzzled by Krishna’s action, Arjuna
asked for an explanation. Krishna said, “This
Vaishnava weapon was given by me to Naraka Asura who passed it on to
Bhagadatta. It is capable of slaying even Indra and Rudra. It is to neutralize
it that I received it on my chest.” In the next few minutes Arjuna directed an
arrow at Bhagadatta which killed him.
Until
evening did Drona try to take Yudhishthira captive. But with Arjuna back and
Bhima fighting at his best, he had to retire with his vow unfulfilled.
Drona’s
repeated failure to capture Yudhishthira weighed heavily on the Kaurava forces.
Duryodhana was quick to point out to the preceptor that he had failed to keep
his promise. The Kaurava prince’s words were like dagger to Drona. He said,
“Where there is Arjuna and Krishna, no force
in the three worlds can win. This I have told you several times. I now vow that
in tomorrow’s battle I shall slay a very important Pandava.” This gave
Duryodhana some solace.
“If all the
best qualities of the five Pandava princes and that of Krishna are to be found
concentrated in one person, that person can easily be the prince Abhimanyu.”
Thus did Sanjaya describe Arjuna’s son to Dhritarashtra.
A
determined Drona entered the battlefield on the thirteenth day, his forces
arrayed in the Chakra (circular) formation. The formation dazzled as all the
kings supporting the Kaurava cause took their places, resplendent in their
glittering armours and ornaments.
In the
absence of Arjuna, Yudhishthira told Abhimanyu to keep Drona and his forces
under check. Arjuna had gone to take care of the unfinished job of the previous
day, to annihilate what was left of Susarman’s forces.
Yudhishthira
told Abhimanyu, “This Chakra array formed by Drona is impenetrable for all but
four persons. Three of them are Arjuna, Krishna
and his son Pradyumna. The fourth one is you. Since the other three are not
present here, it becomes your responsibility to tackle Drona and break his
cordon.”
Abhimanyu
replied, “That is true. But my father taught me only to break into the array.
Not to come out of it.”
Yudhishthira
said, “You break into the array. We shall all closely follow you inside. Once
inside, we shall tackle the enemy.” With great enthusiasm, Abhimanyu undertook
the task.
The Pandava
formation with Bhima at its head and the other warriors on either side, dashed
against the Kauravas like a giant wave against a rock.
There was a
churning of the forces as the Pandava and Kaurava hosts met, like a great river
mixing with the ocean. Abhimanyu took the lead and pierced the Kaurava defence.
He released arrows all around, causing immense loss to Duryodhana’s forces. The
Kaurava prince commanded all his men to concentrate on Abhimanyu. Even the
enemy had to admire the skill of Arjuna’s son as he scattered them at will.
The rest of
the Pandavas were quick to rush to Abhimanyu’s support. It was only Jayadratha,
Dhritarashtra’s son-in-law, who was able to check the Pandavas. For, it was
indeed Jayadratha’s day when he could keep all the Pandavas, excepting Arjuna,
at bay. During the exile of the Pandavas, the Sindhu prince misbehaved with
Draupadi when she was alone in her forest abode. Caught red handed by the
Pandavas, he was reprimanded by Bhima. Jayadratha felt deeply humiliated. He
returned home, licking his wounds.
“It is
because I am not strong enough that the Pandavas could treat me thus,” thought
Jayadratha. To gain strength he performed a penance to Lord Siva. The god was
pleased and gave him a boon that during the war, he would, for one day, hold
all Pandavas, excepting Arjuna, under check. That boon was now working.
Rukmartha,
the Madras prince, was in wrath at Abhimanyu’s onslaught. He got into a duel
with the Pandava prince who promptly dispatched him to the abode of Yama. Many
lesser-known princes followed Rukmartha’s path.
Karna made
several futile attempts to contain Abhimanyu. Every time he did so, he was
repelled. Driven to desperation, he rushed to Drona for advise. Drona told him,
“Arjuna’s son has mastered the art of protecting himself with his armour.
Further, as long as he moves in his chariot and wields his bow, he cannot be
checked. Concentrate on dispossessing him of his chariot.”
Karna and
the other Kaurava warriors struck at Abhimanyu’s charioteer and steeds, killing
them all. They then attacked the chariot and reduced it to pieces. Abhimanyu,
forced to abandon his chariot, rushed to the ground with a mace in hand. He
crushed with his mace whatever or whoever came in his way.
Duscasana
who was in the thick of the battle rushed at Abhimanyu with his mace. The two
traded blows and Abhimanyu fell down. The exertion of the last few hours was
telling on the Pandava prince. The leading Kaurava warriors closed in on him.
Thanks to Jayadratha, help from the Pandavas was not reaching him. Fatigue
caused him to slow down. Even as he was rising, Duscasana struck Abhimanyu on
the crown. The blow was decisive. The hero fell, having fought single-handed a
host of Kauravas including Drona and Kripa. Abhimanyu’s death brought him
kudos, but it also brought condemnation to those who dealt it to him. The
Pandavas had to retreat, leaving Abhimanyu behind.
After the
day’s war, the highly dispirited Pandavas returned to camp earlier than Arjuna
did. Lamenting the fact that he was responsible for sending Abhimanyu into the
trap laid by the Kauravas, Yudhishthira was distressed at the prospect of
having to break the news to Arjuna and Krishna.
Vyasa
arrived at this juncture. He gave a discourse to Yudhishthira on the
inevitability of death and on how illustrious fathers in the past had borne
their sons’ death. There is a tradition of listening to such discourses when
one is in grief. It is said to bring solace.
When Arjuna
returned to the camp after slaughtering the Samasapthakas, he was given a
detailed account of Abhimanyu’s death. Infuriated at the role of Jayadratha in
the killing, the wielder of Gandiva swore that before sunset next day he would
kill the Sindhu king. If he failed, Arjuna vowed, he would enter fire. In wrath
Krishna blew his Panchajanya and as the wind carried its sound to the Kaurava
camp, the heroes among them shivered like little animals.
Spies
brought to the Kaurava camp, news about Arjuna’s vow. Jayadratha ran to
Duryodhana, frightened for his life. He sought permission to return home in
order to escape Arjuna’s fury. Duryodhana advised him to stay, assuring that
Drona would give him all the protection that he needed.
Krishna was
troubled as he went to bed that night. He realized that killing Jayadratha
would be no easy task, with Drona protecting the Sindhu king. He called his
charioteer Daruka and ordered that his chariot and weapons be kept ready for
the next day and that he should follow Arjuna’s chariot.
Pacified by
the words of Krishna at Abhimanyu’s death, Arjuna was able to enter the world
of slumber. In his dream he was awakened by Krishna who told him, “Dhananjaya,
the challenge you have thrown for the ‘morrow is indeed difficult to achieve.
Now is the time to approach the god Rudra and obtain the Pasupata missile that
he promised to give you. Let us together proceed to his abode.”
So saying,
Krishna took Arjuna by his hand, and they were traveling at the speed of
thought. Reaching Siva’s abode in the Himalayas, they stood facing the hill and
prayed. The mountain god appeared before them and expressed his happiness to
see Nara and Narayana together.
When Arjuna
told him the purpose of their visit, Siva directed them to a lake. There they
found two serpents, each having a thousand heads, rising out to greet them. As
they came out, the serpents transformed themselves into a bow and arrow. Arjuna
reverentially picked them up and, with Krishna, he went back to Siva. From
Siva’s body, a form emerged which was tall, strong and beautiful. The form
taught Arjuna how to handle the weapon and the mantra which went with it.
Arjuna quickly grasped the procedures and memorized the mantra. He and Krishna
returned after paying their respects to Pasupati.
Part the
cartwheel formation of Cakata and part Circle was the plan that Drona devised
for the fourteenth day of battle, having foremost in his mind, the protection
of Jayadratha. Around Jayadratha, who was deep inside the Cakata, were posted
the best among the Kauravas including Karna, Aswatthama, Salya and Kripa. An
immense army was deployed around the Sindhu king. Drona himself stood at the
entrance of the Cakata.
As the
Pandava attack commenced, the sound of the conches Devadatta and Panchajanya
heralded the approach of Arjuna with his illustrious charioteer. The mercurial
warrior shattered the Kaurava defence, causing many kings to run for cover.
Duscasana who sought to check the flood, had to retreat with his force
depleted. Brushing aside all opposition, Arjuna was face to face with Drona.
After bowing to his preceptor, the favourite student commenced his attack.
Unable to
ward off Drona despite using the Brahma weapon, Arjuna changed his tactics. He
sidetracked the preceptor and penetrated into the Kaurava formation.
Srutayudha,
the mighty king, was the son of Varuna (rain god) of a river called Parnasa.
His mother prayed intensely for the invincibility of her son. She was rewarded
when Varuna gave Srutayudha a mace that could kill any foe. A condition
attached to the weapon was that if it is directed against an unarmed person, it
will return to kill its owner. When this king attacked Arjuna, he was
unfortunate to hurl the mace at Krishna who was unarmed. The mace returned and
killed the hurler.
Next to
fall while fighting against Arjuna was Sudhakshina, the prince of Kambhoja.
Many princes of diverse races, along with their forces, fell to Arjuna’s wrath.
In a panic Duryodhana approached Drona, appealing to him to neutralize Arjuna.
Drona told
him, “At this moment I see Yudhishthira isolated from Arjuna. I should
concentrate my efforts on him. You attack Arjuna.” Duryodhana confessed that it
was beyond his power to hold Arjuna. Drona then gave him an armour capable of
warding off attack from any power.
“This
armour was the one used by Indra to vanquish his foe, Vritra,” Drona explained
to Duryodhana. “It has come down through several sages to my teacher, Agnivesa,
who gave it to me. Wear it and you would be safe”
Drona’s
attempt to reach Yudhishthira turned out to be futile as the Pandava king had a
strong cordon around him. Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, Bhima, Virata and his sons
and others, despite having to face a formidable Drona, were successfully
protecting their king.
When Arjuna
and Krishna found Duryodhana giving them a chase, they wondered what his
inspiration was. They soon found that none of Arjuna’s arrows could penetrate
the Kaurava prince’s armour. Arjuna quickly recognized the armour and told
Krishna about it. Instead of directing his arrows on Duryodhana, Arjuna proceeded
to kill his charioteers and steeds and finally blew up his chariot. He then
sent a few arrows, which pierced Duryodhana’s palms, making him incapable of
using his bow. The Kaurava forces quickly rescued their king and bore him away.
Drona made
good progress and was able to get Yudhishthira leave his car and stand on the
ground defenceless. But the Pandava forces quickly picked him up and took him
away to safety. A fierce battle took place between the two rakshasas,
Ghatotkacha and Alumbasa where Bhima’s son subdued his counterpart in the
Kaurava army.
Satyaki was
specifically instructed by Arjuna to stay with Yudhishthira and protect him.
But Yudhishthira was now confident that the other Pandava heroes could provide
him the necessary cover from Drona. He sent away Satyaki to assist Arjuna and
Krishna. Seeing Satyaki leave, Drona decided to give him a chase.
Satyaki’s
progress through the Kaurava defence was steady, as he felled many princes on
the way. He made Duscasana who attacked him, fly in fear. The Kaurava prince
was stopped by Drona who put some courage into his heart and sent him back to
face Satyaki. Satyaki was quick in disarming Duscasana who was rescued by his
forces.
There was
panic once again in Yudhishthira’s mind. Not knowing what was happening with
Arjuna, Krishna and Satyaki, he now sent Bhima to find out. Bhima’s entry into
the Kaurava formation was checked by Drona. Overcoming all opposition, Bhima
broke into the formation. He soon sighted Arjuna, Krishna and Satyaki fighting
with the Kauravas. He let out a huge roar, which Yudhishthira recognized as
signal that all was well.
The
strongest opposition that Bhima faced was from Karna. Karna was persistent, but
Bhima dispossessed him of his chariot several times. Two of Duryodhana’s
brothers who rushed to Karna’s help were promptly dispatched by Bhima to death.
Karna finally fled the field, unable to face the Pandava. Five more sons of
Dhritarashtra rushed to attack Bhima and all five lost their lives. This was
followed by six more brothers of Duryodhana, all of whom were dispatched by
Bhima to the next world.
Satyaki
came under severe attack from King Somadatta’s son, Bhurisravas. In the fight
when blows were exchanged freely by the two, Satyaki fell from his car.
Bhurisravas jumped after him and placed a foot on his face. He drew his sword
from his scabbard and was about to strike the fallen Vrishni hero when Krishna
drew Arjuna’s attention to Satyaki’s predicament. Arjuna quickly sent an arrow,
which cut off the hand holding the sword. Bhurisravas released his hold on
Satyaki and stood with one arm severed.
After
exchanging a few words with Arjuna, Bhurisravas sat down in prayer. Satyaki
brought down his sword on Bhurisravas, cutting his head off. To attack a
warrior who had laid down his arms and was praying, was strictly against the
code of fairness in warfare. Questioned on his role in Bhurisravas’
killing, Arjuna said, “As long as someone belonging to us is in danger, it is
my duty to save him if he is within the range of my arrow.”
The sun was
racing down the western horizon to disappear behind the Asta hill. The Kauravas
formed a very deep cordon around Jayadratha, making it impossible for Arjuna to
approach him. Duryodhana was already proclaiming that Arjuna was dead. “According
to his vow, if he is unable to slay Jayadratha before sunset, he would have to
walk into the fire. With Arjuna gone, the rest of the Pandavas will be crushed
by me. I can then rule the world,” he exulted.
Not knowing
how to reach Jayadratha, a desperate Arjuna turned to Krishna. Krishna
asked him to remain calm. He then created the illusion of darkness that is a
sign of sundown. A loud roar was heard from the Kauravas who concluded that the
sun had set. As they were jumping and dancing, Jayadratha, with a great sense
of relief, emerged from his hiding. Krishna wheeled Arjuna close to the Sindhu
king like a hunter approaching an animal.
As soon as
they were within the range for Arjuna to mark his arrow on Jayadratha, Krishna
said, “Wait. This Jayadratha is the son of the evil Vriddakshatra who is
powerful due to severe penances. He gave his son the boon – ‘Whoever causes
your head to fall on the ground while in battle, his head will crack into
pieces.’
“Installing
his son on the throne, Vriddakshatra retired to do penance. Right now he is
just outside this battlefield, observing penance. Use your skill, Partha, so
that your arrow would cause Jayadratha’s head to fall on his father’s lap.”
Arjuna
aimed his bow and did exactly as his mentor bid. His arrow carried Jayadratha’s
head and let it land on the lap of Vriddakshatra who was sitting in seclusion,
deep in meditation. When the sire stood up after the penance, the head fell on
the ground. Vriddakshatra’s head broke into pieces. He thus became a victim of
his own boon.
Krishna
then dispelled the illusion and the sun was seen once more just as its disc
touched the Asta hill. Thus did Arjuna, with the help of Krishna, outwit the
Kauravas, and fulfilled his vow of killing Jayadratha before sunset.
Satyaki who
had lost his car while fighting Bhurisravas, was standing helpless. Karna was
closing in on him. Observing this, Krishna blew his conch, signaling his car
driver, Daruka, to bring his car to the fore. Satyaki mounted Krishna’s car and
continued to fight.
In a
departure from practice, the battle continued after sunset.
In the
paleness of dusk, Duryodhana approached his Commander-in-chief, Drona, and
expressed his grave concern over the loss of Bhagadatta and Jayadratha. He
implied that Drona had not done his best to prevent Arjuna from entering the
Kaurava formation and reaching Jayadratha. Drona wondered whether it was the
Pandava’s arrows or Duryodhana’s words which were sharper.
Duryodhana
next had a hurried meeting with Kripa, Karna and Aswatthama. Karna boasted of
his own capability and his confidence to slay all the Pandavas. Kripa derided
him. “Show your skill in battle and not in words,” he said. Karna abused the
preceptor and warned that he would cut off Kripa’s tongue if he continued to
praise the Pandavas. Aswatthama was furious with Karna for insulting his uncle.
He drew his sword and tried to attack Karna. Kripa and Duryodhana restrained
him.
Encountering
Satyaki in the battlefield, Somadatta expressed his anger over the former’s
killing of his son Bhurisravas. In the fight that ensued, Satyaki took the
father’s life as well.
As the
skies became darker, thousands of torches were lit up. Both the antagonists
continued to fight as mangled bodies filled the battlefield. Karna was on the
rampage. To check him, Arjuna sent Ghatotkacha. The fierce looking rakshasa
sent the Kaurava army scampering as he approached Karna. The rakshasa force
that followed him threw stones and trees on the opposing soldiers. Illusion and
magic were freely used.
Alayudha, a
rakshasa, approached Duryodhana and asked for permission to attack Bhimasena.
The rakshasa was a kinsman of Baka, Kirmira and Hidimbva, All three had been
killed by Bhima, and Alayudha wanted revenge. Duryodhana gladly sent the rakshasa
to fight Bhima. Leaving Karna for the moment, Ghatotkacha rushed to his
father’s aid and killed Alayudha.
When
Bhima’s son returned, Karna found the rakshasa’s combination of magic and
warring ability a little too much for him. The Kaurava army was in tatters,
looking as though it would never survive the Ghatotkacha onslaught. Unable to
check him, Karna took out the weapon Indra had given him and used it on the
rakshasa. The rakshasa was shattered to death. The coveted weapon that could be
used only once, Karna’s only trump card against Arjuna, was spent.
The entire
Pandava camp was steeped in sorrow at the loss of the beloved son of Bhima. But
Krishna alone showed joy. He explained to Arjuna the reason for his happiness.
“Karna was born with ear rings and armour capable of protecting him from any
god or man. If he had them now, he would be unslayable by even you or me. He
lost those defences to Indra. In return Indra equipped him with his weapon,
which had the potential to kill you. But that weapon could be used only once.
Now that has also been wasted on Ghatotkacha. Karna is no more a god. He is a
man and could be killed by you. He is like an angry snake that has lost its
venom.
“O Partha.
The opportunity to kill Karna will soon come to you. When his chariot wheel is
broken and he is on the ground trying to fix it, that would be the time for you
to kill him. I would then make a sign with my hand.
“As regards
Ghatotkacha, his death was inevitable. If Karna had not killed him, I would
have had to kill him myself. He is guilty of the sin of brahmin slaughter.”
Meanwhile
Dhritarashtra asked Sanjaya a simple question. “My son and Karna knew that
Indra’s weapon could kill Arjuna. Why then did Karna not use it on Arjuna on
one of the many occasions the two confronted each other? Why was it used
against a straw like Ghatotkacha?”
Sanjaya
answered in one word, “Fate.” He must have recollected Bhishma’s advise to
Duryodhana that Ghatotkacha should be tackled by a low ranking warrior.
The
Pandavas were by now exhausted after hours of battling in the night. Arjuna
called aloud, asking the troops to rest till the early rays of the sun
dispelled darkness. The Kauravas also lay in the field and snatched some badly
needed rest.
Duryodhana
alone regretted that the Pandavas were not slain, as they lay exhausted. He had
reason to be peeved. He had, that day, lost seventeen of his brothers and quite
a few other generals.
Fighting
resumed as the moon paled against the coppery rays of the rising sun.
Day 15 ofBattle – The prince of
truth utters a lie
As the
early morning sun bathed the glittering armour and chariots with its rays, the
warriors got ready to fight. They picked up where they left off a few hours
earlier. The clutter and dust reached a pitch when the warriors flung their
weapons at one another as they entered the fifteenth day of battle.
The
Pandavas were aware that their success depended on eliminating Drona. To that
end they concentrated their energies. Drona was surrounded by a number of
Pandava heroes. But the able brahmin treated them with ease. In the fracas, two
prominent kings of the Pandava camp met their end. Those were the venerable
Drupada and Virata, both falling to Drona’s arrows.
Thereafter,
the antagonists were locked in a one-to-one fight. The preceptor and
favourite pupil were soon facing each other. Drona and Arjuna traded all the
weapons known to man and god. But each knew how to counter the other. They
seemed to be equally matched. Those observing them felt that either there would
be no result or both would perish.
Drona and
Arjuna soon received support from their respective camps. Krishna told Arjuna
to concentrate on the Kauravas surrounding Drona in order to make the preceptor
vulnerable. When Arjuna left him, Drona turned on the Pandava forces, causing
large damage to them.
Krishna
told Arjuna, “Look at Drona assaulting our forces. He should be killed by any
means. Let someone tell him that Aswatthama has been killed. In grief, he would
lay down his bow.”
Krishna’s
counsel was hotly debated upon by the Pandavas. Arjuna, in particular, was
against uttering such a blatant falsehood. But he was eventually convinced.
Yudhishthira, keen to stop the massive killing by Drona, agreed to the
suggestion, a deeply painful action for the upholder of truth.
Bhimasena,
by a mighty blow of his mace, killed an elephant, Aswatthama by name, belonging
to Indravarman of the Pandava force. He then drove to Drona and cried out,
“Aswatthama is dead. Lay down your arms.”
Drona at first
disregarded Bhima’s words. But his mind was filled with doubt. He thought that
the only person who would tell the truth was Yudhishthira. To him he went and
asked, “Is Bhima telling the truth? Is Aswatthama really dead?” Urged by
Krishna, the personification of truth confirmed, “Aswatthama the elephant
is dead.” The words the elephant were said indistinctly, so that Drona
could not hear him. Until then Yudhishthira’s chariot and horses were four
inches above the ground. Now they dropped that height and were planted to the
earth.
Unable to
bear the news about his son’s death and exhausted by four days of continuous
fighting, Drona dropped his bow. He sat on the platform of his chariot and
closed his eyes in meditation. Drishtadyumna, to fulfill his destiny, veered
his chariot towards Drona. He jumped out and got into Drona’s chariot. Catching
the old man by his hair, the Panchala prince dragged him across. He then took
his sword and with one stroke severed Drona’s head.
Sanjaya
told Dhritarashtra that Drona’s soul gently floated to heaven. Only a few could
see this phenomenon – Krishna, Yudhishthira and Sanjaya himself amongst them.
The Kaurava
army, observing their leader killed, scattered in panic. Even Duryodhana was so
frightened that he fled the scene.
Aswatthama
who was fighting at a different place, observed the flight of the mighty
Kaurava warriors. He approached Kripa and asked him what the reason was for the
panic. Kripa described to him the fall of Drona in the hands of Drishtadyumna.
Like an enraged lion, Aswatthama flung himself at the Pandavas, in rage over
his father’s death.
The fury of
Aswatthama was such that all the Pandava warriors, excepting Arjuna with his
charioteer, Krishna, were running for their lives. A fierce battle took place
between those two excellent disciples of Drona. Aswatthama used the most
powerful weapons against Arjuna, but the latter countered him at every stage.
Aswatthama then took out his most potent weapon, the Narayana.
As soon as
Krishna saw the Narayana being used by Drona’s son, he shouted out to all the
Pandava fighters to throw down their weapons. All of them obeyed, excepting
Bhima who wanted to attack the celestial shaft. As Bhima defied it, the weapon
became blazing hot and the entire atmosphere was lit up by its energy. Arjuna
and Krishna ran to Bhima and forced him to disarm. The Narayana made a round
and then fell down ineffectively. There was relief in all the three worlds, and
a cool breeze set in.
Seeing the
Pandava forces standing deprived of their arms, Duryodhana urged Aswatthama to
use the Narayana again. Aswatthama said, “Alas, this weapon can be used only
once. Once released, it should not be recalled. If it is recalled, it would
kill the person who recalls it. It does not attack unarmed persons. Since the
Pandavas have laid down their arms, it has not killed any of them. The
all-knowing Krishna has made the weapon ineffective.”
Aswatthama
continued to fight with the other weapons that he was carrying. When he used
the Agneya weapon which his father had taught him, it spread fire over a vast
area. But Arjuna quickly used the Brahma weapon to neutralize it.
Baffled by
the ineffectiveness of his best weapons, the dispirited Aswatthama threw his
bow and ran away. While running, he met Vyasa whom he asked, “Respected sage.
Why have all my weapons failed me?”
Vyasa told
Aswatthama, “Those you are fighting, Arjuna and Krishna, are Nara and Narayana,
the ancient sages, older than the oldest of gods, who visit the earth in every
Yuga to establish truth. They are blessed by the greatest of gods, Mahadeva,
and are unconquerable. Although you also have the aspect of Mahadeva, you
should recognize that they are far superior to you.”
Arjuna who
later met Vyasa asked, “While I was fighting Drona’s son, there was a shadow in
front of me that was protecting me. Who was it?”
“It was
none other than Mahadeva himself,” the sage answered.
Chapter 8 Karna Parva
Day 16 of Battle – Kauravas’ new
general
After
Drona’s death, the choice of leadership of the Kaurava army fell on Karna.
Aswatthama proposed his name and Duryodhana heartily endorsed it. Such was his
confidence in Karna that the Kaurava prince thought that with his friend’s
appointment as Commander-in-chief, the war was already won.
Karna
started in his new office with several disadvantages. Indra had deprived him of
his ear-rings and armour, and without those, Karna had lost his invincibility.
The weapon he had received from Indra in return carried the condition that it
could be used only once. And once it had already been used on Ghatotkacha. His
promise to Kunti stood in his way of killing the four Pandava brothers, other
than Arjuna. The Kaurava army was depleted, with most of its frontline warriors
dead. To be added to this list were two curses he had received.
One was
from Parasurama, the son of the sage Jamadagni, who had vowed to destroy all
Kshatriyas in revenge for their cruelty to his father. The Kshatriyas lived in
fear of him, especially because there was none who could excel him in the use
of the bow and arrow as well as the axe.
Karna and
Arjuna were both disciples of Drona. When their training was over, they were
asked to demonstrate their skills to Bhishma and the other elders. Arjuna
refused to match his skill with Karna because of the latter’s inferior social
status. It was then that Duryodhana made Karna the king of Anga. Karna vowed to
excel Arjuna with the bow and approached Parasurama for lessons. Karna knew
that Parasurama would reject him if he knew his antecedents. He therefore lied
to Parasurama that he was a brahmin. The old warrior took Karna as his student.
Parasurama
was very generous to Karna and he taught him several potent weapons. But the
deadliest of them all was the Brahmastra.
During
Karna’s stay with Parasurama, an incident took place which gave Karna away.
Parasurama was one day reclining with his head on Karna’s lap, fast asleep. An
insect, Indra in disguise, pierced the pupil’s lap. Even as blood flowed, Karna
bore the pain of it, not wishing to disturb his teacher. When Parasurama woke
up and noticed this, he asked Karna, “Tell me the truth about yourself. You
cannot be a brahmin. Only a Kshatriya can bear such pain without moving an
iota. Who are you?”
When Karna
confessed to Parasurama that he was the son of a charioteer, the warrior-sage
became furious at being deceived. He cursed that, when he needed it most, Karna
would be unable to use the Brahmastra. He would forget the invocatory mantra.
On another
occasion, while practicing with his bow Vijaya, Karna accidentally killed a
calf belonging to a brahmin. The brahmin cursed him, “You killed my holy calf.
For this you would be punished. When you are fighting a war, your chariot wheel
would sink into the ground. You would be stranded and left at the mercy of your
foe.”
But now
during the Great War, Karna’s spirit was very high when he led his forces into
the field. Adopting the Makara formation, he himself occupied the front
position. The Pandavas adopted the half moon formation to counter him. When the
two armies met, it was like the clash of two huge clouds resulting in a
reverberating thunder.
The day’s
battle was marked by several fierce encounters. Satyaki routed the Kaikeyas and
killed the two Avanti princes, Vinda and Anuvinda. Kshemadurthi of the Kulatas
was killed by Bhima, while the Magadha king, Dandadhara, was killed by Arjuna.
The Pandyan king, Malayadwaja, who had come all the way from the South to fight
for the Pandavas, lost his life to Aswatthama after a spirited fight. In an
encounter between Arjuna and Aswatthama, the latter had to seek refuge behind
Karna.
Karna’s
onslaught on the Pandava army was heavy. In a fight with Nakula, he disarmed
the youngest of the Pandava brothers. But he spared the prince’s life due to his
promise to Kunti not to kill any of the Pandava brothers, excepting Arjuna.
In a
similar situation, Yudhishthira was in a position to kill Duryodhana but spared
him. Duryodhana was marked by the Pandavas for Bhima to kill.
A whole
range of weapons was used in the various engagements. Among the arms in use
were bows and arrows, spiked clubs, swords, lances, axes, short clubs, darts,
rapiers and battle-axes. Bhima’s bare hands were equally effective in dealing
with the enemies.
Day 17 of Battle – The tragedy
that was Karna
Early in
the morning of the seventeenth day, Karna counseled with Duryodhana. The
Commander-in-chief was still breathing confidence when he said, “I might have
lost the weapon Indra gave me. But I still have the bow Vijaya, which is equal
to the Gandiva. Vijaya was given to me by Parasurama who got it from his
ancestor Bhirgu who himself received it from Indra. I vow that today I shall
kill Arjuna or I would not return alive.”
Planning
his strategy, Karna told Duryodhana that he needed the most competent
charioteer to counter Arjuna who had Krishna to steer him. Karna chose the
Madri king Salya for the purpose. The proud Salya refused, saying that he would
not be charioteer to a person of low class. When Duryodhana flattered him by
comparing him to Krishna, the king of the Madras agreed. But he laid down one
condition. “I shall say anything I please at any time while fighting. Karna
should not object to it.” Karna agreed
As Karna
set out with Salya as his charioteer, he announced to his soldiers, “I have
vowed to kill Arjuna today. Whoever points him out to me shall be rewarded with
immense wealth.”
Salya felt
offended by Karna’s words. He said, “I am your charioteer. I shall take you to
Arjuna. Besides, you need not seek Arjuna. He shall seek you.”
Salya’s
tirade against Karna had started. He continued, “You desire to fight someone
you could never vanquish in battle. A hare cannot challenge a mighty elephant.
A fox cannot overthrow lions. A tiger is not affected by a dog barking at him.
Truth is like a rock and deceit cannot triumph over it.”
Karna was
quick in returning the abuses. He said, “You are a coward and unfit to be a
Kshatriya. You do not know my strength. You do not realize that I can slay all
the Pandavas. You are a foe, pretending to be a friend. You Madrakas are a
degenerate race. You are lustful and have no character. Each one of you is of
doubtful parentage. The only reason I have not taken your life for your
offensive words is because you are fighting for Duryodhana.”
Salya
countered, “A crow cannot be a swan. That you are a coward has been proved by
many instances in the past.” True to his word to Yudhishthira before the war
commenced, Salya continued to rant, praising Arjuna and Krishna, while rebuking
Karna. Karna found it hard to ignore him and concentrate on the fight.
In a direct
encounter, Karna inflicted several wounds on the Pandava king who had to
retreat to his tent. Arjuna and Krishna, when they heard of the injury to
Yudhishthira, rushed to meet him. Yudhishthira rebuked Arjuna for abandoning
the battlefield and coming back to the camp. “If you cannot use the Gandiva,”
he said, “Give it to someone else.” A furious Arjuna was about to hit his
brother with his sword, when Krishna intervened. The two brothers apologized to
each other, and Arjuna returned to fight.
Several of
Duryodhana’s brothers, including Duscasana, attacked Bhima. In the fight that
followed, Duscasana lost his weapons and fell exhausted from his chariot. As he
lay trembling on the ground, Bhima jumped down and, rushing to the Kaurava
prince, struck him with his sword, severing his head. In fulfillment of the vow
he had made after the dice game, Bhima quaffed the blood of the slain brother
of Duryodhana. Many including Duryodhana and Karna, watched the scene, terror
written on their faces.
Following
this, Bhima dispatched ten more brothers of Duryodhana to the other world.
The battle
between Karna and Arjuna drew everybody’s attention. The gods, the rishis, the
asuras and humans, all sensed that a great event was taking place. Indra prayed
to Brahman for his son’s victory. Brahman told him, “This is a fight between
the forces of the gods and those of the demons. Arjuna represents the gods and
would surely win.”
Overawed by
the clash of the two, Aswatthama appealed to Duryodhana to call off the war and
make peace with the Pandavas. But Duryodhana was full of confidence that Karna
will slay Arjuna.
Arjuna
showered his arrows on the Kaurava forces, making them scatter. Soon Karna was
standing alone and resisting Arjuna. Karna released a deadly snake-mouthed
arrow on Arjuna. The arrow careered straight towards Arjuna’s head. Krishna
quickly pressed Arjuna’s chariot into the earth. The arrow flew past Arjuna’s
head, knocking off his headgear. It then returned to Karna, not finding its
target.
Karna heard
a voice, “See me well. Use the arrow again. This time Arjuna will not escape.”
Karna asked, “Who are you?” The voice replied, “I am Aswasena, the snake in
your arrow. You used me without seeing me. If you see me well and shoot me
again I shall kill Arjuna. I have been wronged by Arjuna when he burned the
Khandava forest and I desire to take my revenge.”
The proud
Karna told the snake, “I never use the same arrow twice. Besides, I do not rely
on another to slay my foe. I depend on my own strength. Go away.”
The snake
attacked Arjuna on its own, in the form of an arrow. Without any effort, Arjuna
felled it with several arrows. Krishna reminded Arjuna of the snake whose
mother he had killed while destroying the Khandava forest. That snake was now
trying to avenge his mother’s death.
Karna
struggled. His shafts, aimed at Arjuna, failed to reach their target. He was
himself peppered by Arjuna’s arrows.
He pulled
out his Brahmastra. But try as he did, he failed to remember the chant needed
to launch the supreme weapon. Now he found that the left wheel of his chariot
was sinking into the ground. He jumped out of the chariot and tried to lift the
wheel free. Unsuccessful in his attempt, he appealed to Arjuna to give him
time. “It is but virtue that you should not attack a person who is in my
state,” he said.
Krishna
asked him, “Where was your virtue when you caused the Panchali princess to be
brutalized after the dice game?”
Urged by
Krishna, Arjuna closed in on his kill. He took out a deadly arrow, Anjalika,
from his quiver and aimed it at Karna. The shaft flew straight and took Karna’s
head. The mighty son of Surya, the pillar on which Duryodhana’s dreams were
built, fell dead.
Karna’s
fall left the remnants of the Kaurava forces in a state of shock. Duryodhana
kept wailing, “O Karna.” But he quickly collected himself and rallied his
forces that were flying in all directions. ”Wherever you run,” he told them,
“the Pandavas will pursue you and kill you. It is therefore better to stay here
and fight.”
Arjuna and
Krishna returned to their camp to a tumultuous welcome. Yudhishthira was
overjoyed at the fall of a powerful foe.
When
Sanjaya conveyed the news of Karna’s death to Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, they
both fell down in a swoon.
After the
day’s battle was over, the Kauravas shifted their camp to a spot two Yojanas
away, to a beautiful tableland at the foot of the Himavat hills, on the banks
of Saraswati River.
On the
recommendation of Aswatthama, Duryodhana appointed Salya as his next
Commander-in-chief.
Chapter 9 Salya Parva
Day 18 of Battle – The sun sets
on the Great War
In the
daily briefing prior to embarking on the battle on the eighteenth day, Krishna
counseled Yudhishthira to lead the attack and have as his personal target,
Salya.
On the
Kaurava side, it was decided that the entire army, or what was left of it,
would fight in a closely-knit formation, presenting a solid front to the
Pandavas.
Both sides
entered the field with their forces much depleted after seventeen days of
fierce fighting. Yet they continued to fight.
Salya
showed high spirit in attacking the Pandavas. He had to be checked by Bhima who
caused him to fall on the platform of his chariot. Kripa came in and rescued
the beleaguered Commander. But the Madras king was soon back in action, causing
heavy damage to the Pandava army. Bhima, Satyaki and several others closed in
on him, greatly afflicting him.
The
appointed hour of Salya’s death had however come. Yudhishthira came within
range of firing at the brave king. He fixed a special arrow on his bow, an
arrow made of gold with gems studded. After an invocatory hymn he released it
at Salya. The shaft flew straight and pierced the Commander-in-chief on his
broad chest. Salya fell on the ground dead.
Observing
Salya fall, his deputies rushed to attack Yudhishthira. But they were also
consumed by the Pandava chief’s arrows.
The
immediate reaction to these events was that the Kaurava forces turned their
backs and started to run in fear. Duryodhana and Sakuni kept their feet planted
and resisted the Pandavas. The frightened soldiers drew courage from observing
their king fight. They slowly started to return to the scene.
Of the
hundred sons of Gandhari, only two were left, namely, Duryodhana and Sudarsana.
Bhima had killed all the rest. But that number shrank to one, as Bhima took the
life of Sudarsana.
Sahadeva
and Arjuna were holding Sakuni and his forces. In the apportioning of their
prey by the Pandavas, Sakuni was allotted to Sahadeva. With a shining, golden
arrow, Sahadeva severed Sakuni’s head. The gambler had lasted till the last day
of the war.
Duryodhana
was now left alone in the field. All his generals, all his troops had been consumed
by the Pandavas’ might. There were only three other survivors of the Kaurava
forces, Kripa, Aswatthama and Kritavarman, the Bhoja king. They had already
fled. All the eleven Akshauhinis of the Kauravas had been destroyed. The dazed
Duryodhana staggered until he reached a lake, Dwaipayana.
Sanjaya who
was in the battlefield, was caught by Satyaki. The Vrishni chief was about to
kill him when Vyasa appeared on the scene and ordered his release. On his way
back, Sanjaya met the lonely Duryodhana who was incoherent. Sanjaya observed
the fallen hero entering the lake where, through his powers of illusion, he
made a space for himself at the bottom.
Further in
his path, Sanjaya met the retreating trio of Kripa, Aswatthama and Kritavarman,
to whom he passed on information about Duryodhana’s whereabouts.
The sun was
racing to the west, to set on the great, eighteen-day war.
The Kaurava
forces had been completely destroyed. Duryodhana was missing. Yuyutsu, the
Vaisya son of Dhritarashtra, approached Yudhishthira and asked for permission
to take the ladies belonging to the Kaurava Royal family who were camping with
their husbands, to Hastinapura. Escorting the wailing women, he reached the
city. Vidura who received them at the city gate remembered Draupadi’s action as
she dragged herself out of Hastinapura fourteen years earlier, disgraced and
humiliated.
Even as the
light was fading, the Pandavas spread out in all directions, mounting a hunt
for Duryodhana. Meanwhile, the three warriors, Kripa, Aswatthama and
Kritavarman stealthily reached the lake where Duryodhana had taken refuge. They
urged their king to come out of the lake. But the fallen king had no desire to
do so.
While the
three warriors were thus conversing with Duryodhana, a few hunters came to the
lake to slake their thirst. Observing the scene there, they reported to the
Pandavas that the Kaurava king was hiding in the lake. The hunters were amply
rewarded for giving this intelligence.
Very soon
the Pandavas with Krishna and other close associates reached the lake. Krishna
caused Duryodhana to become visible. Yudhishthira rebuked his cousin for
running away for his life and hiding in the water.
“I am here
not to hide from you,” Duryodhana said. “I have lost everything in the battle,
even my chariot and my horses. Being alone, without an army, I cannot fight
you. I have taken refuge in this lake in order to rest. Moreover, I have no
desire to fight for my kingdom anymore. You may take it and be happy.”
Yudhishthira
said, “We have reduced you to this unenviable position in battle. We do not
want your kingdom as a piece of charity. We would complete our conquest over
you and take the kingdom. Respect Kshatriya rules and come out and fight.”
Duryodhana
replied, “Without my troops I can only fight you individually. We have seen
many beautiful encounters while fighting from our cars. We can now fight with
our maces, on the ground. I am confident to take any one of you at a time.”
Yudhishthira
made a sporting offer. He told the Kaurava king, “We accept your challenge. If
you are able to defeat any one of us in a combat, you may have your kingdom
restored to you. This is more than what you did when so many of you surrounded
Abhimanyu and killed the innocent prince.”
Krishna
expressed his anxiety and chided Yudhishthira for making such an offer. He
thought that none of the Pandavas was a match to Duryodhana in a fight with the
mace, not even Bhima. While Bhima possessed might, Duryodhana possessed skill.
In a straight fight, skill would always triumph.
Bhima
talked with assurance to Vasudeva and it was decided that he would battle
Duryodhana in a single-combat with the mace.
Duryodhana
rose out of the water and the fierce battle between the Kaurava and Pandava
princes was set to commence.
Just as the
combat between Duryodhana and Bhima was about to commence, Balarama, Krishna’s
brother, arrived at the scene after his forty-two days of pilgrimage. He was
very sad at the events that had taken place during his absence, but was
consoled to be back in time to witness his two favourite pupils in fight. He
proposed that they all proceed to a holy spot of Kurukshetra called
Samantapanchaka, where the fight could take place.
In the
fierce fight that took place, both combatants seemed to be equally matched. But
just as Krishna had warned, Duryodhana was slowly getting the upper hand.
Krishna
told Arjuna, “In this battle, Bhima can never win if he fights fairly. Let him
adopt deception and win. What you fought for and have already won is at stake.
Even the gods sometime adopt deception in their fight against the asuras.
“After the
dice game, Bhima swore that he would break Duryodhana’s thigh. Let him do it
now.”
According
to the rules of fighting with the mace, no blow should be dealt below the
opponent’s navel. Arjuna slapped his thigh, indicating to Bhima what he should
do. Bhima quickly understood the signal. Waiting for an opportune moment, he
dealt a mighty blow to Duryodhana’s thighs. The Kaurava prince fell, his thighs
broken by the impact.
With
Duryodhana lying prostrate before him, Bhima placed his foot on the head of the
fallen man. He cried in frenzy that he had avenged Duryodhana for his wrong
doings in the manner he had sworn. Yudhishthira restrained him, reminding him
that with all his faults, Duryodhana was a king and a kinsman.
Balarama
who was furious at Bhima’s flagrant violation of the code, stepped forward to
hit him with his plough, the weapon he was known to wield with effect. Krishna
pulled him back and tried to justify to him Bhima’s action. Balarama was
unconvinced. He mounted his chariot and left for Dwaraka in anger.
Duryodhana accuses Krishna
Duryodhana,
completely disabled, raised the upper portion of his body and addressed
Krishna. “You have been the cause of all the unfair practices pursued by the
Pandavas in this war. Through Arjuna you signaled to Bhima to break the code
and hit me on my thighs. You caused Sikhandin to be brought before Bhishma and
that led the grandsire to his fall. You were responsible for Indra depriving
Karna of his earrings and armour as also for the Anga king wasting the weapon
Indra gave him. Drona and Bhurisravas were both killed when unarmed, due to
your counsel. You frustrated us by making many of our weapons ineffective. This
war has been won by you by unfair means.”
Krishna
replied, “You have no claim to talk about the methods we adopted to baffle you.
You have been responsible for innumerable crimes committed against the
Pandavas. You tried to kill them by several means. You abused their queen,
Panchali, in your court. You cheated them out of their kingdom through Sakuni’s
dice play. You refused to yield to their just demand when they returned from
their exile. You killed an innocent lad, Abhimanyu, in an unfair fight. You
claim to be purified by your charity to brahmins. But that is offset by your
insolence towards your elders. It is because of these various crimes that you
are now reduced to this. To defeat you, adopting any means was fair.”
Duryodhana
said, “I do not regret my actions. I have enjoyed the earth as its monarch. I
now die as a brave Kshatriya with my place in heaven assured.” When he spoke
these words, flowers were showered over him from above by the Gandharvas and
other celestial beings.
As they
were returning to their tents, the Pandavas were pondering over Duryodhana’s
words. Krishna lifted their spirits by pointing out to them that warriors like
Bhishma, Drona and Karna were unassailable in the normal course. Without
adopting the strategies that he had recommended, the Pandavas could not have
won the war.
On reaching
their camp, Krishna asked Arjuna to alight from the chariot Indra had given
him. As soon as Arjuna complied, the ape in his banner disappeared. The
chariot, with all the arms and weapons in it, went up in flames. Krishna
explained to Arjuna, “As long as I was sitting in the chariot, nothing could
harm it. It bore the brunt of all kinds of weapons. Now that I have left it, it
is reduced to ashes.”
Krishna
then proposed that, as an act of propitiation, they leave the camp and spend
the night on the banks of River Oghavati. After they had moved to the sacred
place, Krishna left for Hastinapura. He told Yuthishthira, “I shall go to
Hastinapura and break the news of Duryodhana’s fall to the king and queen. This
will soften them, especially Gandhari whose sons have all been killed. She is
so pure that by an angry look she can burn anyone in front of her. Let her
anger diminish before you call on her.”
Krishna’s
mission was made easy by the presence of Vyasa in Hastinapura.
Meanwhile,
Kripa, Aswatthama and Kritavarman, the sole survivors in the Kaurava camp, met
Duryodhana who was lying in the battlefield, wounded and immobile. The three of
them heard an account of the battle between their king and Bhima, and were
incensed at the foul play that had taken place. They swore to take revenge on
the Pandavas.
Duryodhana
told Aswatthama, “The mantle of Commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army now
falls on you.”
Chapter 10 Sauptika Parva
The three
Kaurava warriors, Kripa, Aswatthama and Kritavarman, took refuge under a huge
banyan tree in a nearby forest to spend the night. While Kripa and the Bhoja
king slept out of fatigue, Aswatthama kept awake. The deep vaults of his mind
were filled with rage to destroy the Panchalas as revenge for the dastardly
killing of his father by their king Dhrishtadyumna.
On a nearby
tree Aswatthama observed an owl attacking a crow’s nest. In a matter of
minutes, the predator reduced his prey to shreds. This gave Drona’s son the
idea that he should attack his enemies, particularly the Panchalas, when they
were sleeping.
Aswatthama
yoked his chariot and started towards the Pandava camp. His companions who had
woken up asked him where he was going. Learning his intentions, they tried to
dissuade him. Finding Aswatthama insistent, they decided to follow him. When
they reached the Panchala quarters of the Pandava camp, Aswatthama left the
other two at the gate, and proceeded inside by foot, alone.
As he
entered the camp, he was accosted by a terrifying figure of huge proportions,
breathing fire, which seemed to be guarding the entrance. Aswatthama attacked
the figure with his arrows, his scimitar and his mace. Nothing had any effect
on the apparition. Thoroughly frustrated, he sat down and prayed intensely to
the god Siva. The Mountain God appeared before him.
“I know for
what purpose you are praying to me,” the god told Drona’s son. “Due to my
promise to Krishna, it is I who have been protecting the Panchala princes. Now
that the purpose of their birth has been fulfilled, and the time for their
death has arrived, I shall grant you your wish.” The god infused his own energy
into Aswatthama and gave him a sword.
Aswatthama
went to his companions and asked them to kill anyone who tried to leave the
camp. Entering the quarters, this time unopposed, he descended on the sleeping
Panchalas like a tornado. He appeared dark and fierce as he started to kill
anyone who came in his way. He first sought Dhrishtadyumna, the slayer of
Drona. Placing his foot on the prince’s chest, he drove his sword into him. His
next target was the five sons of Draupadi who were rudely awakened by the
commotion. Aswatthama killed all of them, some with his sword and some with his
arrows.
Sikhandin
mustered his men and attacked the raging lion. In no time all of them, including
Sikhandin, were slaughtered. Aswatthama then went about mercilessly killing all
the other inmates of the Panchala camp. Those who tried to run away were taken
care of by Kripa and his companion outside. The three of them set the tents on
fire and left the scene of crime.
Mission accomplished, Aswatthama reports to dying Duryodhana
Having
accomplished their dark deed, Aswatthama and his two companions went to
Duryodhana and informed him of their act. The Kaurava prince, struggling as he
was for his life, expressed his happiness, saying, “What the great Bhishma,
Drona and Karna could not accomplish, you have. I die happily. We shall meet in
heaven.” He then closed his eyes.
It was
morning by now. The only survivor of the carnage in the Panchala camp was the
charioteer of Dhrishtadyumna. He rushed to the River where the Pandava brothers
were camping. The news of the tragedy was received by them with profound shock.
Draupadi was sent for and told about the death of her sons. She was struck with
grief. She demanded of the Pandava brothers that they kill Aswatthama and bring
to her the diadem on his head. “I would not rest until that diadem is placed on
the head of the Pandava king,” she said.
Bhima
rushed to find Aswatthama and slay him. Krishna, who had by now returned from
Hastinapura, told Arjuna, “We should follow Bhima. Aswatthama is now endowed
with immense strength and only you can kill him. The son of Drona is evil,
having dishonourable intentions. Earlier, having obtained the Brahmasira weapon
from his father, he approached me. He begged me to trade his formidable weapon
for my celestial disc. I agreed and laid the disc on the ground. He tried to
lift it with one hand. He found it too heavy. He then tried to lift it with
both his hands. He failed again. When he ceased his effort, I asked him why he
wanted my disc. To use it against you, he said, and then to conquer the world.
He is indeed a wicked and restless soul.”
The four
brothers, whom Bhima left behind, and Krishna, mounted a chariot and followed
the prince’s trial. Bhima reached the hermitage of Vyasa where he found
Aswatthama sitting by the side of the illustrious sage. They caught up with
Bhima, and Aswatthama saw all of them approaching him together. He thought his
end was near, and in desperation, he took out the supreme Brahmastra weapon in
his possession. Even as Bhima started to shower his arrows on him, Aswatthama,
after performing the necessary prayers, released his deadly weapon.
Arjuna had
been taught the same weapon by Drona. Krishna asked him to counter Aswatthama
and neutralize the deadly weapon. Arjuna also launched his weapon.
The sages
Narada and Vyasa who were witness to the battle that was brewing, became
alarmed. They knew that the Brahma weapon was not meant to be used against
humans, and that if the two weapons met, there would be disastrous results on
earth. They stood in between the two warriors, and holding the rival weapons in
the air, appealed to both the antagonists to withdraw. Arjuna had the knowledge
to withdraw his arrow, and he complied. Aswatthama did not know the art of
withdrawing the weapon. It was in the nature of the weapon that if a proper
target were not assigned, it would return and kill the person who invoked it.
Aswatthama had to find a target for the weapon. He let it go with instruction
that it should destroy the children in the womb of every Pandava woman.
Due to
their respect for their teacher, Drona, the Pandavas spared Aswatthama’s life.
He was however compelled to give up his diadem in return. Without the diadem,
Aswatthama was shorn of all courage and became incapable of fighting.
Krishna
told Aswatthama, “Your weapon will no doubt kill the foetus in every Pandava
womb. But I shall revive the son that is developing in the womb of Abhimanyu’s
wife, Uttara. That son would bear the torch of the Kuru race and bring glory to
it. As for you, for your evil deed, you shall roam the world for three thousand
years without a companion. You will be shunned by all, and people would forsake
your company.”
Considering
that it was the preceptor’s son and sufficient punishment had been meted out to
him, Draupadi reconciled herself to Aswatthama’s life being spared.
Chapter 11 Stree Parva
With the
conclusion of the war on the eighteenth day, there was nothing for Sanjaya to
report to the blind king. The boon granted to him by Vyasa, to be able to see
and hear the happenings in the battle field, became ineffective.
Vyasa
called on Dhritarashtra to console him for his loss. The sage was aware that
Gandhari, due to her austerities, had the power to curse the Pandavas and bring
disaster to them. He therefore advised her to get over her grief and think of
the Pandavas as her own children.
Dhritarashtra
assembled all the royal ladies and together they proceeded to the battlefield.
He was received by Yudhishthira and his brothers with respect. The king
expressed his desire to embrace each one of the five brothers. He first
embraced Yudhishthira. Next on line was Bhima. Krishna knew that the king was
harbouring intense hatred for Bhima since he it was that killed all his hundred
sons. Being the well-wisher of the Pandavas, he drew away Bhima and instead,
pushed an iron image of Bhima towards Dhritarashtra. The blind man, in his
embrace, crushed the image and let the mangled remains fall on the earth. He
then asked if Bhima was killed.
Krishna
told Dhritarashtra, “Bhima is alive and well. What you crushed is only an image
of Bhima. It is not proper that you should hate the Pandavas for what happened.
But for your encouraging your wicked son, there would have been no war and the
near total destruction of the Kshatriyas could have been avoided. The Pandavas
still consider you as their father, and you should consider them as your sons.”
Dhritarashtra
overcame his hatred for the Pandavas and embraced them one by one, this time
with affection.
Gandhari curses Krishna
Leaving the
old king, the Pandava brothers and Krishna went to meet Gandhari and the other
ladies of the Kuru family. Despite Vyasa’s advise the queen had not got over
her anger at the destroyers of her near and dear ones. Her eyes were hooded,
but through the lower portion of her blindfold, her glance fell on
Yudhishthira’s toe as the prince bowed to her. The toenail was instantly burnt.
Such was her wrath. She called Bhima heartless for having drunk her son’s
blood. Bhima denied that he actually drank Duscasana’s blood, but only smeared
it on his mouth.
Krishna
advised Gandhari to bury her hatred and receive the Pandavas with love.
Gandhari’s attitude towards the Pandavas changed and she blessed them. Her
anger at Krishna was however not abated. She said, “Krishna, you were in the
middle of this great war. You could have prevented the massacre of my hundred
sons and the killing of the innumerable Kshatriya princes. Instead, you
encouraged the Pandavas and even helped them to adopt unfair means in the war.
Bear this in mind. Just as these Kshatriyas slew one another, thirty-six years
from now so would your Yadava race perish, killing one another. As for you, you
would meet with an inglorious end in the wilderness. This is my curse on you.”
Krishna
replied, “Your curse will certainly take its course since you are endowed with
great virtue. Indeed the Yadava race will be wiped out due to infighting, since
none outside could kill them.”
Dhritarashtra
asked Yudhishthira, “You are an ocean of knowledge. Could you tell me how many
Kshatriyas lost their lives in the war, and how many survived?”
Yudhishthira
told the king, “The number of those who perished is one billion six hundred
sixty million and twenty thousand. Those who survived were twenty four thousand
one hundred and sixty five.”
The funeral
rites were arranged for all those slain in the battle. It was then that Kunti
revealed to the Pandava brothers that Karna was the firstborn son of hers. The
truth about Karna’s birth added to the agony of Yudhishthira who wanted to
renounce his newly won kingdom and take to the woods. Vyasa advised him against
it, reminding him of his duties as king.
Chapter 12 Santhi Parva
Even as
arrangements were made for his coronation, Yudhishthira spent long hours with
Bhishma who was lying in his bed of arrows, waiting for the right moment to
meet his death. The king sat at the sage’s feet, listening to his discourse on
a wide range of subjects – from creation to death, from social organization to
religious observances, from the king’s duties to individual behaviour. Some of
Bhishma’s observations were:
On
creation: The primeval being was known as Manasa (Mind). He is without
beginning or end. All creatures are born through him and die through him.
Manasa created the divine being known as Mahat (Great). Mahat created
consciousness and Space. From Space was born Water, from Water, Fire and Wind.
With the union of Fire and Wind was born the earth. Manasa then created the
divine lotus from which sprang Brahman. It is Brahman who created all living
things.
The five
elements are the constituents of all creatures. Ear is of space, nose is of
earth, tongue is of water, touch is of wind and eyes are of light.
Five kinds
of wind are essential for life. Prana enables movement. Vyana gives strength
for movement. Apana is gravity. Samana is the heart. Udana controls the flow of
wind, which gives speech.
On Soul: It
is the occupation of the soul in the body that gives life. It is a
manifestation of Brahman. Soul is consciousness. The soul continues to live
after the body dies.
On Truth: Truth
is Brahman. Truth is Light. Untruth is Darkness. All conduct is divided between
the two. The opposition of these two extremes is the essence of life.
On Mind:
Mind is the sixth sense. It gives understanding. It crystallizes the three
qualities of Darkness, Passion and Goodness.
On
Emancipation: Emancipation is freedom from the extremes. He who is emancipated
is free from the influence of the five organs. He feels no heat or cold, no
misery or happiness. He feels no scent. His mind is stable in respect of things
that are unstable.
On Yoga:
Yoga is the means of emancipation. All the five senses are fixed when in
meditation. The sixth sense, mind, is the means by which the other five senses
are controlled.
On Brahman:
The attainment of Brahman or supreme consciousness is the soul’s ultimate
objective. With such attainment, there is no rebirth. Brahman can neither be
seen nor touched. It can only be felt.
On
Brahmacharya: It is the religion of abstention. It is freedom from all senses.
Its true practice is the way to attain Brahman. Yoga is the vehicle of
Brahmacharya.
On Dreams:
Dreams arise from desire. Passion and Darkness take over. Dreams occur when
asleep. True Yogis therefore always remain awake. However, he who has
self-restraint sleeps without dreaming.
On
Fortitude: When distress strikes, only fortitude can overcome it. One who has
developed fortitude will have both physical and mental strength to meet
disaster.
On Time:
Time assails everyone equally. Many, who had conquered the three worlds, had
performed a hundred sacrifices and had sought to live forever, have been
consumed by Time. Time is the creator and the destroyer. What existed yesterday
is swept away today by Time. Changes wrought by Time are irreversible.
On
Measuring Time: Fifteen winks of the eye make a Kastha. Thirty Kasthas make a
Kala. Thirty and one-tenth Kala make a Muhurta. Thirty Muhurtas make one day
and night. Thirty days make a month. Twelve months make a year. A year is made
of two solstices of the sun, southern and northern, known as Ayanas.
On Years of
the Deities: For the deities, the day consists of one solstice. Night consists
of the other.
On Yugas:
There are four Yugas – the Krita, the Treta, the Dwapara and the Kali, in that
order of occurrence. In terms of the years of the deities, Krita has four
thousand and eight hundred years. Treta has three thousand six hundred years.
Dwapara has two thousand four hundred years. Kali has one thousand two hundred
years.
On
Brahman’s Day: A thousand Yugas of twelve thousand years each, constitutes a
day.
A similar
period constitutes the night. During the night, Brahman sleeps. On waking up,
he starts creation afresh.
On the Yuga
Cycle: Krita starts with the initial creation when life is pure and
righteousness rules. Dilution of truth takes place in the successive eras,
Treta and Dwapara. It reaches the low point in the Kali Yuga. Time facilitates
this passage.
Destruction:
The process of destruction at the end of Brahman’s day is exactly in the
reverse direction of creation. In the ultimate step, Consciousness, Space and
Time are swallowed by Brahman.
On the
King’s Duty: The severity with which a king should rule depends on the Yuga. In
Krita, there is total absence of severity. In Treta, it should be of one-fourth
degree. In Dwapara, it increases to three-fourths. In Kali, it reaches almost
the full degree.
On what
benefits the Un-learned: These are three; worship of the preceptor, reverence
to elders and listening to the scriptures.
Yudhishthira
: Tell me, O great one, the thousand names that glorify Lord Vishnu.
Bhishma :
Sukhlam Bharatharam Vishnum…………
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
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