These early events made a deep impression on Arjuna. He was aware that despite Yudhishthira’s claim to the throne through the right of primogeniture, he and his brothers were at a practical disadvantage. The weak Dhritarashtra sat on the throne. Though outwardly caring and affectionate towards the Pandavas, he nursed a secret resentment that they were superior to his own sons in every conceivable way. Prince Duryodhana would do whatever it took to hurt the Pandavas and he had the ear of his father, King Dhritarashtra.
Bhishma, Vidura, and the other elders of the royal household, though fond of the sons of Pandu, owed allegiance to the throne and were bound to serve whoever sat on it. The five brothers, bereft of their father, were on their own, and their position was a precarious one indeed.
Things looked bleak for them and Arjuna swore he would even the odds. It was his fervent desire that he be the rock that sheltered his family from the violent storms that would unleash their fury on them. He would acquire the skills needed to protect his own by sheer dint of hard work and perseverance so that they might all emerge unscathed through the trials and tribulations that lay ahead of them. Thus self-motivated, Arjuna worked hard under the tutelage of the venerable tutor, Kripa, who had been assigned the task of training the Princes in martial arts, but all the while Arjuna looked for the right teacher who could tap his potential to the fullest and make him the finest warrior on earth.
3
Mentor Extraordinaire
Dronacharya came into Arjuna’s life at a critical juncture in both their lives. The latter had been looking for a great teacher who would harness his tremendous drive and potential and mould him into an all-conquering knight in shining armour, an invincible one-man army who could realize the cause of his brothers as well as cement his own claim to immortality. Drona, on the other hand, had recently suffered much humiliation and betrayal from a once close friend, and was on the lookout for able disciples who could avenge the insult inflicted on their master. Thus, the coming together of these two was in itself quite propitious. But before the consequences of this alliance are discussed, one needs to step back in time and trace the roots of the enigmatic Brahmin instructor, who gave the world one of its greatest warriors...
The birth of Drona, like much else in his extraordinary life, took place under exceptional circumstances. One day, the great seer Bharadwaja was engaged in his ablutions in the river Ganges, when he caught sight of the beautiful Apsara Ghritachi, taking a bath nearby. A sudden gust of wind caused the choppy river to carry away the only garment that draped her body, and the voluptuous sight caused Bharadwaja to ejaculate involuntarily. Aware of the potency of his seed, the seer collected it and preserved it in a vessel. From this, in due course, his son Drona emerged.
Drona grew up in his father’s gurukul, where he mastered the Vedas and martial arts. There he became fast friends with Drupada, heir to the throne of Panchala, who also took his lessons at the same gurukul. The two boys were inseparable and promised eternal loyalty to each other. Drupada, in particular, swore to his bosom friend on many occasions, ‘We will be friends forever. Everything I own is yours. When I come of age and am placed on the throne, I’ll give you an equal share of my kingdom.’ Drona always laughed at this and would reply, ‘Your friendship alone is more than enough for me.’
Soon the halcyon days of their childhood came to an end and life drew them along their predestined paths.
Drupada became the King of Panchala and Drona entered the second stage of life as a householder. He married the chaste Kripi, twin sister of Kripacharya; they had a son, Ashwatthama, who was the apple of his father’s eye. Drona busied himself with his studies and paid little attention to material gains. His wife never complained, although there were stray moments when she wished they could provide more comforts for their son. Presently Drona heard that the great warrior Parashurama, destroyer of Kshatriyas and the incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, was giving away all his possessions to worthy Brahmins, as his time on earth was drawing to an end. Therefore, Drona repaired post haste to the abode of the great sage. But he was too late. Parashurama had already given away all his worldly possessions.
Unwilling to send Drona back empty-handed, Parashurama gave him two options: ‘I do not wish you to leave here with nothing. You must choose from the only two things left to me in this world – my body or my weapons and the esoteric secrets of their application and withdrawal that will enable you to use them effectively’. Drona chose the latter and acquired the great warrior’s weapons and the deep secrets of their usage. He was well pleased with his acquisitions and returned home; but all his happiness evaporated at the sight that awaited him there.
Ashwatthama, his beloved son, was crying for milk, which he had never tasted and with typically juvenile insensitivity, the local boys were milking the occasion for all its worth. They mixed some white powder with water and proffered it to the innocent child, who drank down the contents and leaped up and down with joy screaming, ‘I have tasted milk today and it is delicious’. Drona stood transfixed by sheer visceral pathos, shamed beyond measure at his failure to provide basic sustenance to his only son. At that moment, the hitherto contented Brahmin craved wealth, power and prestige for the sake of his innocent offspring, so that the latter would never know deprivation ever again.
Anxious to remedy his poverty-stricken state, he took his family to Panchala and sought an audience with his childhood friend, King Drupada, who had once promised to give him half his kingdom. However, he was in for a rude shock. Drupada refused to even recognise him, claiming, ‘Friendship can exist only among equals; it is presumptuous of a beggar to aspire to friendship with a King, based on some long-forgotten childhood acquaintance. How dare you claim to be a friend of mine? You are nothing but a worthless braggart who does not know his place.’
Having vented his spleen, King Drupada then spoke more calmly, ‘I see you have travelled a long way and can do with some food and drink. Never let it be said that Drupada turns away the needy.
Guards! See to it that this man is provided with food and a change of clothes! Then send him on his way.’
Drona was incensed at the cruel insult. Scornfully declining Drupada’s offer of hospitality, he departed, resolving to teach the arrogant monarch an appropriate lesson at the earliest moment.
In search of a calling suited to his exceptional abilities, Drona next made his way to Hastinapura, where his brother-in-law, Kripacharya, lived. Kripa and Kripi were the progeny of the great sage, Sharadwan. The sage was renowned for the control he had achieved over his senses and the austerities he was capable of performing which even the mightiest of rishis balked at. Lord Indra became worried about the great mastery of dhanurveda (skill with weaponry), that Sharadwan was gaining and so sent the nymph, Jaanapadi, to distract him with her beauty. Sharadwan’s mind was perhaps a little more under his control than his body, because he ejaculated at the sight of her. It was a momentary lapse which did not even register in his mind. But from this discharge that became divided in two after falling on a reed, the twins Kripa and Kripi, came into being.
King Shantanu found the babies and took them back with him to Hastinapura and raised them in the palace. Later, through yogic clairvoyance, Sharadwan realized what had happened and he claimed the twins as his own. The sage took over his son’s education and also trained him in the advanced skills of the warlike arts before sending him back to Hastinapura. Kripa personally made the match between his sister Kripi and Drona.
Both the Brahmins had an affinity for weapons and martial arts that set them apart from the rest of their race and drew them close together.
And so, when Drona made the decision to move to Hastinapura, Kripa could not have been happier. As the inheritor of Parashurama’s weapons, Drona had become one of the greatest warriors and even many among the Kshatriyas knew that they were not a match for the Brahmin warrior. Kripa knew that Drona was special and he was more than happy to include the family of three into his lonely household.
Kripa welcomed his sister’s husband warmly and attended to all his needs. The hospitality lavished on him cheered Drona considerably. Kripa doted on his sister and he loved Ashwatthama as though he were his own son. His kindness brought tears to Drona’s eyes and went a long way to alleviate the pain of Drupada’s betrayal. Under that hospitable roof, Drona made his future plans. His eyes alighted on the young Princes of the Kuru clan and he instinctively knew that he had found the mighty disciples he needed to exact his revenge on the arrogant Drupada. He bided his time and waited for the right moment to announce his presence.
One day, the young Princes were playing with a wooden ball and having a good time. But the game came to an abrupt halt when the ball fell into a well and none of them were able to retrieve it. As the boys crowded around the well trying to figure out what to do, a dark-skinned and grey-haired Brahmin appeared on the scene and commented with honeyed sarcasm, ‘It is a shame that the progeny of the Bharata clan are not up to the simple task of extricating a ball from the well. I could do it easily in exchange for a meal.’
The brash youngsters were quick to retort, ‘Who are you to criticise us in this manner? Since you talk so much, let us see what you can do.’
‘If you are as good as your words, we will give you the best meal you have ever had!’ Yudhishthira added with a smile.
Drona smiled at the precocious youths and said, ‘Not only can I retrieve your ball, but I can do the same with my ring as well, which I am going to throw in after your ball. Now lend me a bow and some arrows.’
As the boys watched with bated breath, he picked up a blade of stiff grass, chanted a mantra to infuse it with power and using it like a projectile, he hurled it into the well. The blade attached itself to the ball firmly. Drona repeated this process, hurling blades of grass into the well in rapid succession until a chain was formed, using which, he gently drew out the ball. Then he shot a lone arrow into the well with such force that it went clean into the ring. He repeated the earlier process with several arrows to retrieve the ring from the well.
The young Princes were astounded at this masterly display and crowded around him in admiration. ‘Who are you? Where did you learn to shoot like that?’ they demanded in unison.
‘Go to your Grandsire Bhishma, and report what happened just now. He will tell you the rest,’ Drona replied.
The Princes ran to do his bidding. Bhishma heard the account of the boys and knew the truth at once. He rushed out to meet the great master. ‘O Acharya! You have done us a great honour by coming to Hastinapura. I have been searching for a preceptor to train the Kuru Princes in the advanced levels of martial arts and your coming is most fortuitous. It would please me greatly if you agree to take up their training.’
Drona accepted happily. The fame of his gurukul spread rapidly and Princes from far and wide came to him, begging to be his pupils. Drona was delighted with his pupils but one distinguished himself from the outset and became his favourite. He was none other than the immensely gifted Arjuna.
4
The Honour Student
Before commencing lessons, Drona sent for his pupils and had them assemble before him. He looked at them all in turn with his keen eyes and addressed them with solemn gravity: ‘I have taken up the task of training you to excel in the art of war and I will not rest till I have successfully made great warriors out of all of you. In return I expect a special Gurudakshina. Who among you will pledge to give me whatever I ask for at the end of his training?’ For a split second there was silence as the princes were hesitant to make a solemn commitment to their Guru without knowing what it was they would be committing to. Then a lone figure stepped forward, majestic purpose writ large on his youthful features, ‘I am Arjuna, the Pandava. I swear to you that at the end of my training, I will fulfil whatever it is you desire.’ Drona looked into those intent eyes and was pleased with what he saw. Placing his hands on his pupil’s shoulders he drew him close and weeping with joy said, ‘I will make you the greatest warrior on Earth. There will be none to equal you.’
Drona’s instruction of his pupils began in earnest. Bheema and Duryodhana showed an aptitude for handling the mace. Ashwatthama was skilled in the esoteric arts and the arcane lore associated with such skills. Yudhishthira was a proficient charioteer. Nakula showed talent in the equestrian arts and Sahadeva was a brilliant swordsman. But Arjuna was by far the best student as he excelled in every aspect of the science of arms. The sheer passion and dedication he brought to his lessons was unequalled. He absorbed every word Dronacharya uttered and his appetite for knowledge was unceasing. And so it was that Arjuna soon emerged as Drona’s star pupil.
Drona was the best of Gurus but there were times when Drona, the father took precedence over Drona, the teacher. He could not help showing a little partiality to his son, Ashwatthama. The boys would be given mugs to bring water and Ashwatthama alone would be given a larger vessel that would enable him to return earlier with the required quantity of water, and Drona would use the extra time to slip him precious nuggets of information that was designed to give him an edge over the others. Arjuna became wise to this scheme at once, and with the help of a special missile of Varuna, the god of waters, he made sure that he returned with his due quota of water at the same time as Ashwatthama so that he would not miss out on anything.
Drona, despite being outmanoeuvred, was amused with his pupil’s tactics to ensure that he became the best and was genuinely proud of Arjuna’s dedication. But he could not help noticing that Duryodhana had befriended his son and it became increasingly evident that the latter was devoted to the Kaurava prince. This meant that Ashwatthama and Arjuna would be in opposing camps for the rest of their lives and at some point might even have to pit their skills against each other. Therefore, Drona watched the rapid strides made by his pupil with a mixture of pleasure and some unease.
Paternal concern prompted Drona to call the servants aside and give them some precise orders, ‘Make sure that Arjuna never eats in the dark. A lamp must always remain lighted for him when he takes his evening meal.’ Bemused, the servants obeyed his instructions and made sure the lamps were lit before serving the prince his repast. One day, while Arjuna was dining, a particularly strong gust of wind put out the flames in the lamps and the place was shrouded in darkness. Arjuna continued eating in the dark without interruption as his practised fingers expertly scooped up the food and raised it to his lips automatically out of habit. And then in a moment of insight he realised that with similar practice his skills as an archer could be improved a hundred fold and he would not have to rely on his eyes to find his mark. ‘What an advantage it will give me over my opponents!’ he thought gleefully.
Excited with his new theory, Arjuna decided to test it at once. He began a rigorous routine that would be performed every single day with his bow and arrow after darkness fell. And sure enough his already formidable skill as an archer was considerably enhanced. On one such night, Drona heard the twang of the bowstring and rushed out to investigate. When he saw Arjuna, his heart filled with immense pride. Brushing his concerns about the future aside, he blessed the sterling warrior who stood in front of him and left. He felt at once humbled and vindicated by the brilliant display of talent he had witnessed and was thankful that he had been given the opportunity to nurture it.
Drona noticed that his charges had gained sufficient proficiency in the science of arms and decided it was time to test them. He had a clay pigeon installed in the uppermost branch of a tree and summoned the princes. When they had all assembled in front of him, he gave them the following instructions, ‘Your task today is to sever the head of the bird on my command. As I call out your name you will pick up your bow, select an arrow, take your position and await my command’.
Yudhishthira, as the eldest was called first. As he took his stance, Drona addressed him thus: ‘Tell me exactly what you see.’
‘I see you, my brothers, my cousins, the tree, and the bird’, replied the prince.
‘Step back. You will not hit the target’, snapped Drona in a voice of steel.
The other princes were summoned one by one and Drona asked them all the same question, received similar answers, and ordered them to step back.
Finally, it was Arjuna’s turn. He took his position, pulled back the bowstring and waited. When Drona asked him to tell what he saw, the prince replied, ‘I see the head of the bird and nothing else.’ His teacher’s face lit up on hearing this answer and on his command, Arjuna’s arrow whizzed through the air, straight and true, and buried itself in the head of the bird, bringing it down with a heavy thud. Drona embraced his pupil and applauded his superior skill. His four brothers cheered him lustily. As expected, Duryodhana gritted his teeth and stormed off, accompanied by his brothers muttering under his breath about the supposed inanity of Drona’s test.
On another occasion, Drona accompanied the princes as they frolicked in the river Ganga. Suddenly, a massive crocodile fastened its serrated teeth on his leg. The great man could have freed himself in an instant but he pretended to be helpless and called out to the princes to rescue him. The youngsters watched the spectacle in mute terror and stood rooted to the spot. Arjuna alone rose to the occasion. Moving like greased lightning, he unloosed five arrows that flew with deadly precision and lodged themselves in the crocodile’s jaws prying it open, releasing Drona, and killing the reptile instantly. Drona emerged from the water and spoke to the princes in scathing tones, ‘The skills I have taught you will be useless if you don’t keep your wits about you. Arjuna is the only one who has prodigious skill as well as a quick wit. And still you wonder why I praise him all the time!’
Drona then drew Arjuna aside and told him, ‘I will teach you how to release and withdraw the powerful Brahmashira missile. It has terrible power and can burn the entire world to cinders. As such it should not be used against humans although it may be used against Asuras and others of their ilk. The wielder must possess great physical as well as mental control. You have displayed your mastery in archery today and proved your mental strength as well. I believe you are worthy of learning the secret of this supremely destructive astra and I trust you to use it wisely.’ Thus Arjuna added the first of many celestial weapons to what was destined to become the most formidable arsenal in the world.
Arjuna Page 3