By this time, the term of Arjuna’s exile was drawing to an end. Little did he realise that a most providential union with a special woman awaited him at this juncture. He continued his pilgrimage and reached Prabhasa, where he was met by Krishna. The two friends were happy to be reunited and Krishna convinced Arjuna to complete his exile in Dwaraka, the capital of the Yadavas. The two then proceeded to Dwaraka on Krishna’s chariot and Arjuna regaled his friend with a colourful account of his adventures during his exile. The citizens of Dwaraka had assembled on the streets to welcome the famous hero and there was much celebration in the city to mark the Arjuna’s arrival.
Arjuna had made the acquaintance of a number of Vrishni Princes in Drona’s gurukul and one among them, Gada, was a particularly close friend of his. Gada had told him much about Subhadra, Vasudeva’s daughter and Krishna’s sister. She was a special young lady and the pride of the Yadava clan as her beauty was matched only by her innate goodness. Arjuna had been captivated by the description and scanned the crowds eagerly hoping for a glimpse of the fabled beauty.
After making sure that Arjuna had settled down comfortably and refreshed himself, Krishna took him for a stroll and pointed out some of the attractions the city offered. He discoursed at length on their unique features despite being well aware that his friend’s thoughts lay elsewhere. Suddenly, Arjuna spotted Subhadra, talking and laughing with her companions. Kama, who had been a bosom companion of Arjuna’s during his exile, struck again with his dart of love and the smitten hero knew that he would know no peace till he had made the ravishing Subhadra his own.
While Arjuna struggled to compose his thoughts, Krishna remarked with smiling nonchalance, ‘Subhadra is a great favourite of my father’s. And I suspect she harbours similar thoughts towards you. Gada has not been miserly in lavishing praise upon you; especially as he has always found her to be particularly receptive on the subject.’
Arjuna flushed slightly, knowing that to Krishna he would always be an open book. ‘Tell me how I can make her mine. I will do whatever it takes,’ he told his friend with the single-minded determination that was so typical of him.
Krishna reflected for a minute and said thoughtfully, ‘The swayamvara is usually favoured by Kshatriyas but there is a lot of uncertainty involved in that method, as you know and as Karna found to his deep chagrin. Remember how Draupadi turned him down? I love and respect women but they tend to be flighty and it is hard to discern their thoughts. A valiant man should therefore take matters into his own hands and abduct the object of his desire instead of putting his faith on a woman’s whims.’
Arjuna was pleased with this answer as the course of action prescribed by Krishna suited him exactly. ‘Sounds like a good plan to me...and though I am sure she will choose me in a swayamvara, I think I will do the magnanimous thing and spare all of you the trouble and expense of organising one,’ he said, eyes sparkling with anticipation and barely concealed mischief.
Aided by his co-conspirator, Arjuna waited at the shrine in Raivataka, where he was informed Subhadra would be present to offer her prayers. Mounted on Krishna’s personal chariot and armed to the teeth, he stood in a fever of impatience. Yudhishthira had given his approval for the match and everything was going according to plan. Having completed her worship, which consisted mainly of entreaties to make Arjuna her husband, Subhadra stepped out of the shrine. Quick as a flash of lightning, Arjuna grabbed her by the waist and placed her firmly by his side in the chariot, and spurred the horses towards Indraprastha, noting with satisfaction that Subhadra had put up absolutely no resistance and had simply melted into his arms with a shy, adoring smile.
When the chief of the guards heard what had happened from Subhadra’s hysterical companions and personal bodyguard, he rushed to Balarama. The news of Subhadra’s abduction spread like wildfire and the Yadavas were furious. Led by Krishna’s hot-tempered brother, Balarama, they prepared to follow Arjuna and crush the life out of him. Balarama thundered, ‘Let us give him a taste of the Yadava might and show him what happens to those who are imprudent enough to snatch what rightfully belongs to their host and transgress the rules of hospitality!’ The Yadavas noisily sounded their assent and made ready to give chase.
As emotions became increasingly volatile, Balarama noticed that Krishna was singularly calm and did not seem in the least concerned. He addressed his brother with some asperity, ‘Krishna, how can you be so unconcerned, when that scoundrel has carried your beloved sister away? Is that how friends treat each other? Why do your hands not itch to strangle his impudent neck?’
‘Brother Balarama, when you let that famous temper of yours get the better of you, your thinking is impaired. He is our cousin and a great man. We will not find a better match in all the three worlds for Subhadra. A heroic Kshatriya will not wait for his bride to be handed over to him like a dole of alms, nor will he place his faith in the uncertain outcome of a swayamvara. He will do what Arjuna has just done, to sustain his honour. Besides, you talk of defeating him in battle! Personally I think that is laughable since only Shiva is his equal in battle. I suggest you do the sensible thing and bring him back in peace,’ his brother said consolingly.
Balarama was pacified by Krishna’s words of common sense, and he sent courtiers to escort the adventurous Pandava Prince to the capital. Arjuna and Subhadra were welcomed and given a grand wedding to sanctify their union. There was much rejoicing on the streets as Arjuna became a son-in-law of the illustrious Yadava clan and the people were anxious to claim him as their own.
When the term of his exile ended, Arjuna went to Indraprastha with his new bride. His brothers and Kunti were delighted to see the pair. They were much taken with the Yadava Princess, who was beautiful, charming and virtuous. Draupadi alone was less than thrilled with the arrival of her exquisite rival. She sulked moodily in her quarters and refused to come out. Arjuna went to visit her and was greeted coldly with the words, ‘Why have you come here? Go back to that Yadava filly. She will be waiting with her arms wide open. The flame of first love does not burn as brightly when a second makes its appearance. It loses its lustre and is eventually snuffed out. I wish you every happiness with your new wife, while I myself shall make a gracious exit, since my love for you has now become redundant.’
Arjuna was sorry to see her so miserable and tried to alleviate her pain, but Draupadi would not relent and continued to wallow in self-pity. In a bid to appease Draupadi, Arjuna ordered Subhadra to remove her fine clothes and dress in the homely apparel of a maid. Although the ordinary garments did little to disguise her beauty, she was told to present herself to Draupadi in this way. Subhadra walked tentatively into Draupadi’s inner apartments and fell at her feet, trembling with fear and said, ‘Sister, please accept me as your handmaid!’
This pathetic plea was enough to melt Draupadi’s heart. Besides, she could not stay angry with Arjuna or the ones he loved for long. She embraced Subhadra and blessed her saying, ‘May your husband be without a rival.’
Soon Subhadra gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He was named Abhimanyu. The little boy had inherited the best of his father and uncles and was everybody’s favourite. Blessed with a bright and cheery disposition as well as extraordinary good looks and talent, he spread happiness wherever he went. Abhimanyu would go on to bring much fame and honour to the family name, besides siring the lone successor to the Kuru throne. But in those halycon days, nobody knew that he would be snatched from their lives far too soon to enter the warrior’s heaven.
10
Feeding Agni
Agni, the God of Fire, woke one day feeling lackadaisical and somewhat diminished in lustre. He could not understand why he felt this way since it was his nature to be vigorous and fiery. The Fire God approached Brahma, the Creator, to ask if there was anything he could do to regain his former state of well-being. Addressing his concerns, Brahma said, ‘The innumerable sacrifices made to you on a daily basis over the years, especially the twelve-year-long sacrifice performed by King
Swetaki and presided over by Durvasa and the generous servings of ghee employed for the purpose, have slackened your digestive system, which in turn has sapped your vitality. In order to regain your lustre and strength, you must line your stomach with enough animal fat by consuming the whole forest of Khandava.’
Thanking the Creator for his counsel, Agni made his way purposefully towards Khandava. He fell on the forest like a ravenous beast, blazing forth with all his might. The inexorable flames consumed all in their path. But suddenly, dark rain-bearing clouds amassed in the skies above and let fall their watery burden on the forest below. To Agni’s dismay, the torrential sheets of water did not let up till the flames had been completely doused. Indra, Lord of the Heavens and wielder of the thunderbolt, had decided to intervene as his friend, Takshaka, King of the Serpents, dwelt in Khandava. Time and again, Agni was thwarted in his attempts to consume the forest and he became increasingly vexed. It was at this juncture that he was told by Brahma that Krishna and Arjuna had been espied relaxing on the banks of the Yamuna and he would do well to seek their help.
And so it came to be that Krishna and Arjuna were accosted by a fiery Brahmin who seemed to radiate heat from the very core of his being, while they were leisurely reminiscing about their adventures on the verdant banks of the Yamuna river. The two friends arose at once and paid obeisance to the Brahmin, offering their services to him.
The stranger said, ‘I am ravenously hungy. Will you promise to assuage the pangs that are gnawing my insides?’
‘You have my word. Tell me what kind of food you wish to eat and I shall procure it for you immediately,’ Arjuna replied.
‘I am Agni, the God of Fire, and I do not partake of the food of mortals. It is my desire to burn down the Khandava forest and devour its denizens. It is essential I do this for my well-being, but Indra is bent on preventing me from achieving my purpose as his friend Takshaka lives there with his family. I need the two of you to fight off the thousand-eyed God and his watery missiles while I go about my business, and also to prevent the creatures of the forest from escaping,’ said Agni.
‘We will be honoured to serve you, Lord of the flames,’ responded Arjuna, pleased as always at the prospect of a new adventure. ‘But we will need your help as our adversaries are celestial beings. I have many divine missiles at my disposal but my bow is not strong enough to withstand their power and neither is my chariot.
Therefore, I request you to provide me with a suitable bow, chariot, and an inexhaustible quiver of arrows. Krishna will also need a weapon that can match his supreme prowess. We have what it takes to carry out the arduous task you have assigned us but we need to be outfitted with the proper equipment in order to withstand the mighty Lord of the heavens and his fellow celestials.’
Agni closed his eyes and meditated on Varuna, the God of Water and a guardian of the universe. When the deity appeared before him, he gave him some instructions: ‘Hurry to your abode and fetch me the Gandeeva bow, the two inexhaustible quivers, and the chariot drawn by swift steeds which has been emblazoned with the emblem of the ape. I know King Soma has given them to you but Arjuna is destined to have them as he will achieve mighty deeds with them. Fetch the celestial discus for Krishna as he is its rightful owner and it will serve him best.’
Varuna hastened to do Agni’s bidding and soon Arjuna became the proud owner of the Gandeeva bow, the most coveted of all weapons, covered with the finest gold, and truly a thing of great beauty. It had been wrought by Brahma in days of yore for the sole purpose of ridding Mother Earth from the burden of evil she was forced to carry periodically and only a truly great man could own and use it for the purpose for which it was created. The Creator had wielded it for a thousand years before handing it over to Prajapati. Others who had the honour of wielding the divine bow were Indra (Shakra), King Soma, and Varuna. This fabled bow had rare powers and blessed was the man who had the good fortune to wield it. Arjuna loved it like a wife and was seldom seen without it.
Once, Yudhishthira was defeated soundly by Karna on the battlefield and driven all the way back to his quarters in the army camp. Arjuna came to check on his brother and Yudhishthira, thinking Karna had been killed, smiled with pleasure. But on discovering that Karna still lived, he lost his temper and berated Arjuna saying he was not worthy of the Gandeeva. The wielder of the Gandeeva was furious at the insult and whipped out his sword to decapitate his brother in order to fulfil a vow he had taken to kill any man who called him unworthy of his great bow. Krishna had to step between the feuding brothers to prevent his bosom friend from carrying out this threat. Such was the love Arjuna had for the Gandeeva. He carried it all his life and performed great deeds with it. And it was only towards the very end of his life that he returned it to Varuna at the behest of Agni, on the banks of the river Brahmaputra.
In addition to the Gandeeva, Arjuna was also given the inexhaustible quivers and a fully equipped chariot to which were yoked the fleetest steeds in the universe. Agni presented Krishna with the formidable Sudarshana chakra and Kaumodaki mace. The two heroes were thus equipped and rendered invincible in battle.
Arjuna climbed into his chariot and twanged his great bow. The dreadful sound that emanated from it chilled with fear the hearts of all who heard. Krishna held up the wonder discus on his finger. The two warriors were ready to do battle and they charged off in opposing directions. Arjuna would take on Indra while Krishna would prevent the inhabitants of the forest from escaping Agni’s hunger.
Assured of protection, Agni conjured up raging flames that licked the edges of the forest. The fiery tendrils became fiercer as they made their foray inwards. Soon the entire forest was consumed by towering walls of thick flame. The heat that emanated from Khandava was so overpowering that it threatened to scorch the very heavens. Water bodies in the forest boiled over, killing the creatures that lived within, while those near Khandava evaporated completely. This awesome spectacle was reported to the Lord of Heaven and Indra was annoyed. He made ready to foil Agni’s efforts yet again.
Massive clouds covered the sky and heavy rain lashed down on Khandava. But it was not enough to stop Agni, and the water dried in mid-air. Undaunted, Indra sent forth more clouds which had drawn their moisture from the great oceans and Khandava was buffeted on all sides by torrential sheets of water. Thick black smoke rose up and hung over the forest like a pall. Arjuna sprang into action. Arrows flowed ceaselessly from his great bow and formed a sheet against the downpour. This protective shield prevented a single drop of water from reaching the burning forest and also sealed off all escape routes for its creatures.
As it happened, Takshaka was not in the forest that day, but his wife and son Ashwasena, were there. Indra whipped up a ferocious storm in the vicinity of Arjuna’s chariot, which the hero had to contend with; and simultaneously, Ashwasena’s mother swallowed her son and made an abortive attempt to escape. But Arjuna saw her and pierced her head with a well placed arrow, killing her instantly. Furious, Indra conjured up a gale to throw Arjuna off balance. It was at this moment that Ashwasena made good his escape from his refuge within his dead mother. Arjuna was furious that the wily serpent had used his mother’s love to escape and pronounced a curse, ‘O Ashwasena! Coward that you are, nobody will ever speak well of you.’ Krishna and Agni also made their displeasure towards Ashwasena clear.
After this incident, Ashwasena bore an abiding hatred for Arjuna and waited in patience to avenge his mother’s death. When the battle of Kurukshetra had been in progress for many days, Arjuna and Karna met in fierce combat. Sensing an opportunity, the wily Naga assumed the shape of an arrow and snuck into Karna’s quiver. Unaware of its presence, Karna aimed that terrible arrow at Arjuna. The deadly missile flew towards its target unerringly, poisoned with the venomous malice of the serpent. Krishna, sensing its presence, pressed down hard on the chariot so that it would sink into the earth. The thwarted arrow barely missed its mark, piercing the golden diadem that had been given to Arjuna by his heavenly father in
stead. So potent was the poison that it scorched the diadem before sending it plummeting to the earth.
The disgruntled Naga then returned to Karna and said, ‘I would have slain our mutual foe if you had only aimed straight! Make haste and use me again and this time we shall not fail!’
‘Who are you?’ a bemused Karna queried.
‘I am King Takshaka’s son, Ashwasena. My mother was murdered by that brute of a man who stands yonder, and I am determined to avenge her death. So make haste and make sure that your aim is true this time.’
But Karna spoke with lofty disdain saying, ‘Karna does not depend on others to win his battles for him. Go from here for I have no need of your services. I am more than capable of destroying Arjuna unaided.’
Inflamed by Karna’s rejection, Ashwasena reverted to his own shape and loomed large over Arjuna’s chariot, determined to kill him before Karna did. Krishna warned Arjuna of the origins of the loathsome creature that stood before them. Remembering the coward from Khandava, Arjuna sent six sharp arrows zooming into the sky in rapid succession and cut the great serpent to pieces.
But these events were obscured by the mists of time and in the meantime, Arjuna, engrossed in the task entrusted him by Agni, rued the manner in which Ashwasena had escaped. He vented his feelings by turning his wrath on Indra. Unloosing the Vayavya missile, he effectively scattered the clouds, allowing the sun to beam down on the forest and complement the efforts of Agni. Krishna had also been busy – his discus ruthlessly mowing down all who sought to escape the fiery appetite of Agni. Indra looked down and was pleased with the valour exhibited by his son but even as he marvelled at Arjuna’s prodigious skill, he made plans to take the fight to Arjuna.
Accompanied by the celestials, Indra decided to confront Arjuna and Krishna in direct battle. A deadly encounter followed with Arjuna and Krishna holding their ground and repulsing the celestial onslaught time and again. Indra and his Gods were soon wearied as they had never encountered warriors of this calibre before. Suddenly a divine voice rang out, ‘Khandava is fated to be destroyed in this manner. Know that Krishna and Arjuna cannot be defeated in battle. Retreat gracefully.’ On hearing this, the celestials returned to their abodes and Krishna and Arjuna blew on their conches triumphantly. Agni was jubilant and blazed on for an entire fortnight, thriving in the furnace of his own making as he felt his lost vigour returning to him in full measure.
Arjuna Page 9