‘Good food and plenty of fighting! It is sure to keep you happy, given the circumstances...’ Arjuna said to his brother, with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
‘Try to keep the extent of your physical prowess under wraps, otherwise people will talk and the resultant publicity could help our enemies discover us,’ cautioned Yudhishthira.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll be gentler than Draupadi here,’ said Bheema, ignoring the snorts of disbelief that accompanied this assertion. Instead, he asked, ‘What about Arjuna?’
‘Urvashi’s curse will come into effect in the thirteenth year. So I will go as the eunuch Brihannala and teach music and dancing – which I learnt from Chitrasena – to the young Princess, Uttara,’ said Arjuna. Something in his tone made his brothers refrain from uttering any witticisms.
‘I have decided to call myself Granthika, and offer my services in the royal stables,’ Nakula said. ‘King Virata will soon have some well-trained horses.’
‘The handsomest trainer in his Kingdom no doubt!’ said Bheema jovially, slapping his younger brother on the shoulder. ‘I hope the women in his land are less fervent in their admiration than the women in ours!’
‘Not to worry brother, women admire the hired help a lot less than they do royalty!’ said Sahadeva. ‘The cattle herds are an immense source of wealth in Matsya. Since I have a knack for making cows yield more milk, I shall seek employment in the royal cowsheds under the name Tantipala.’
Yudhishthira looked sorrowful when he heard this. ‘You are mother Kunti’s favourite and the family baby. How our mothers would weep to see you employed as a cowherd!’
‘Do not feel unhappy on my account brother! Even Lord Krishna was a cowherd. If the protector of the universe can do it, why can’t I?’ replied Sahadeva with his usual cool logic.
‘I wish all of did not have to suffer in this manner,’ said Yudhishthira broodingly. ‘And what about Draupadi? How can we hide our shining star in all its brilliance at Matsya?’
‘It will not be too much trouble. I have been thinking about it and have decided to work for the Queen as a sairandhri, since I can braid hair beautifully, make garlands, and help her enhance her looks by the skilful application of cosmetics,’ said Draupadi.
The brothers looked at the Princess of Panchala and then down in shame as they remembered what she had suffered on their account. They sat in silence for a few moments and then Bheema said bracingly, ‘We have Dharma’s boon and that will allow us to escape detection in Virata’s Kingdom. It is only for a year and when it ends, our enemies will have to answer for all their heinous sins against us with their blood.’
‘If they do not return what is rightfully ours, I will destroy them. Yudhishthira will then sit on the Kuru throne with Draupadi at his side and prosperity will once again be ours!’ vowed Arjuna.
Having made their plans, the Pandavas made ready for their departure. Sage Dhaumya offered prayers to propitiate the Gods to watch over their endeavours and protect them from harm. He instructed the brothers on how to avoid detection while at Matsya. The Pandavas were grateful for his advice and thanked him with heartfelt gratitude. Yudhishthira then turned and requested his small band of followers to travel on to Panchala, where they would be safe. Thanking them for the good wishes and companionship they had provided, the Pandavas bid them farewell before turning towards Matsya.
After a long and uneventful journey, the Pandavas and Draupadi approached Matsya. The Kingdom was skirted by a dense forest which they traversed under cover of darkness. Arjuna had thought of a clever ruse to hide their weapons. He knew of an ancient cremation ground in the forest, which had not been used in a long time. There was a huge Shamee tree there, which would be the ideal hiding place for their tell-tale weapons. The brothers quickly repaired to this location and divested themselves of their weapons, which they then wrapped in white cloth to give the appearance of a corpse. Nakula scaled the tree and tied the ‘corpse’ to one of the uppermost branches. As a further precaution, they tied a foul-smelling carcass to one of the branches to ward off nosy travellers. Having performed this task, the brothers proceeded towards Matsya.
Before entering the city, the Pandava brothers and Draupadi sought the blessings of Goddess Durga. Pleased with their collective devotion, she appeared before them and promised them her protection. She assured them that the bad times were drawing to an end and with her blessings, their enemies would be crushed. The Goddess also assured them that she would guard the boundaries of the Kingdom and repel the spies who would be scouring the world for them. The Pandavas fell at her feet and thanked her for the blessings they had received.
After this divine reassurance, the Pandavas hugged each other before taking it in turns to present themselves to King Virata and offering their services in the capacities they had discussed. The old King thus hired a Brahmin skilled in dice, a cook who doubled as a professional wrestler, a eunuch with expertise in dance and music, a trainer for his horses and a keeper for his cows.
Not surprisingly, the Pandavas excelled in the services they had undertaken and Virata was pleased with them. In particular, he took to Yudhishthira, and came to rely heavily on him for advice on matters concerning the governance of his Kingdom. The King insisted his courtiers treat the Brahmin with the same respect they accorded him. Bheema, as Ballava the cook, catered admirably to the King’s hearty appetite for rich food and wrestling bouts, winning his affection in the process. Princess Uttara and her companions delighted Virata, Queen Sudheshna, and the courtiers, with their charming dance performances and musical shows choreographed to perfection by Brihannala. Regular inspections of the royal stables proved that the horses were superbly trained and Granthika was suitably rewarded. Tantipala’s contribution was invaluable as the cattle were in fact the source of wealth in Matsya. Their yield had never been better.
In this manner, the Pandavas settled down comfortably in Virata’s Kingdom. Draupadi, however, had a tougher time of it. Queen Sudheshna had been reluctant to hire her as she felt threatened by her impeccable beauty. Draupadi had reassured the Queen, telling her there was no need to worry as she already had five jealous husbands among the gandharvas. They were on an important mission and could not take her with them. If the Queen offered her protection, her husbands would be grateful and return the favour many times over. Sudheshna was persuaded on hearing her entreaties and accepted Draupadi as a sairandhri, albeit with a touch of misgiving, as there was something about the beautiful young woman that spelt trouble.
Sure enough, Draupadi was soon in distress as Keechaka, the commander of Virata’s forces and Queen Sudheshna’s brother, became attracted to her. He pursued her relentlessly, ignoring her protests that she was a married woman. Keechaka wielded a lot of power and influence in the Matsya kingdom and was unused to women fleeing from him and his ardent proclamations of love and offers of rich presents. Draupadi’s refusal goaded him beyond endurance and he begged his sister to help him out.
Remembering her initial nervousness on hearing about the sairandhri’s powerful gandharva husbands, with their penchant for violence, Sudheshna tried to dissuade her brother. But he refused to listen. Insisting that he was more of a man than the five husbands put together, he continued pestering both Draupadi and his sister. The Queen yielded first and promised her assistance.
Draupadi was ordered to fetch some wine for the Queen from Keechaka’s palace. Tremulously, the unhappy Panchala Princess requested that someone else be sent as the Commander was making improper advances towards her. Her protests were brushed aside and she found herself making her way unwillingly to the man who was making her life so unpleasant. True to form, Keechaka resumed his overzealous and unwelcome courting as soon as he got Draupadi to himself. Her steadfast refusal yet again, pushed him over the edge and he made a grab for her.
Struggling free from Keechaka’s embrace, Draupadi fled. She ran to the King, knowing that Yudhishthira would be with him. Keechaka caught up with her as she ran and kick
ed her, sending her sprawling across the floor. Her desperate pleas for help went unheeded as Virata dithered, refusing to pull up his powerful Commander, and Yudhishthira signalled that she should not make a scene and blow their cover.
An infuriated Draupadi decided that she had had enough of being molested by men while her supposedly great husbands did nothing to protect her. She turned her feminine charm and artful ways on Bheema, who could never resist her. Angered by her tears, the mighty Pandava decided to punish Keechaka. On Draupadi’s suggestion, it was decided that it was time to rid the world of Keechaka.
As per the plan, Draupadi pretended to be willing at last to surrender to Keechaka and arranged a liaison with him at a secluded spot. When the lusty Commander turned up for the rendezvous, his heady anticipation clouding his better judgement, Bheema was waiting. Like a maddened tiger, he fell on Keechaka and mauled him to death, leaving his mangled carcass to rot.
The messy death of Keechaka stunned everyone and there was a deadly backlash that almost caused the undoing of the Pandavas. Draupadi was found at the scene of the crime when Keechaka’s desperate relatives came looking for him. Their horror was replaced by fury when Draupadi proudly informed the onlookers that her husbands were responsible for what had happened and anyone who dared to misbehave with her would receive similar treatment. Her dumbstruck audience decided she was a witch and carried her away forcibly to be burnt on Keechaka’s funeral pyre. Bheema rescued her from this hideous fate but their position remained delicate.
The King and Queen were shaken by the loss of a stalwart of the Matsya Kingdom and tended to look upon Draupadi with ill favour. The Queen suggested that Draupadi leave as her presence was noxious and had brought calamity in its wake. However, as Draupadi pleaded with her and assured Sudheshna that it was only for a little bit longer, she relented and agreed.
Eventually the news of Keechaka’s death reached the Kauravas. The Commander of Matsya was a man famed for his iron physique and fighting skills. Crushing such a man to death in a deathly embrace and leaving nothing but grisly pulp behind, was no mean feat. Duryodhana felt that Bheema alone was capable of such brutality, guessing correctly that Draupadi would have been the cause of the upheaval at Matsya.
At that juncture, King Susharma of Trigarta, suggested that the time was right to invade Virata’s Kingdom as their formidable Commander lay dead. Duryodhana agreed enthusiastically, saying that it would give them a chance to sniff out the Pandavas while helping themselves to the prodigious wealth of Matsya. Battle plans were drawn up and it was decided that Susharma would attack the Kingdom and lead the cattle away, drawing the main army, while the Kauravas would then swoop down on the unprotected Kingdom and move in for the kill.
While the battle plan of Duryodhana was being put into effect, King Virata was blissfully unaware of the impending menace. After the death of Keechaka, he found himself leaning on the capable shoulders of Yudhishthira for support. The latter was pleased to help their benefactor in any way he could. So when the cowherds brought news of Susharma’s attack, Virata, accompanied by his sons, readied his forces, giving positions of great responsibility to the Pandava brothers, with the exception of Arjuna. It was a wise decision. They vanquished Susharma’s army after a tough fight and forced the aggressor into admitting defeat.
Meanwhile, the Kauravas attacked from the north and took possession of the cattle that were the pride of the Kingdom. Panicky messengers appealed to Uttara, King Virata’s son, begging him to intervene. The old King loved to brag about the great valour of his son even though the young Prince had led a cosseted life and was better with words than weapons.
The young Prince, sitting with his sister and her companions, was flattered to have all the attention focused on him. As the King’s youngest son, he tended to be overlooked more often than not. Pleased that everyone was looking to him for protection and rather puffed up with self-importance, he said, ‘It is unfortunate that such a thing has happened. I would like nothing better than to ride out after those thieves and give them a taste of my sword. But unfortunately, I do not have a skilled charioteer to guide my horses, so my hands are tied. It is too bad, as otherwise those scoundrels would be writhing under my victorious feet and begging for their cowardly lives. I would have been the very epitome of destruction and my enemies would have taken me for Arjuna, the greatest warrior of the age. He is my hero, although I could teach even him a thing or two about warfare!’
‘You should not let a small thing like the absence of a charioteer stand in the way of personal glory,’ Draupadi told the Prince, barely able to repress her laughter. ‘Brihannala was the charioteer of the great man you mentioned and has even been coached by him in archery. Therefore, Brihannala’s skill with the bow is considerable. You will be able to do battle with the Kauravas with this warrior by your side.’
‘Brihannala? It takes more than grace, a perfect sense of rhythm, and an extraordinary ability to wiggle the hips, to drive a chariot and wield a bow,’ the Prince said, looking doubtfully at the eunuch who was cowering in a rather exaggerated manner in a remote corner.
‘I speak the truth when I say Brihannala has driven Arjuna’s chariot and that matchless warrior never had any cause for complaint. If he were here he would confirm it himself,’ Draupadi persisted, turning away to hide a smile.
‘O brother, do borrow Brihannala to be your charioteer today,’ Princess Uttara said enthusiastically. ‘Thrash our enemies in battle and bring back their colourful garments as tokens of your stupendous victory. I will dress my dolls with their clothes.’
Caught up in the moment, Prince Uttara rose to the occasion magnificently. He ordered his weapons and armour be brought to him and a chariot readied. He even helped Brihannala put on the armour, when the task seemed too much for the eunuch. After making a pretty speech on his own formidable heart and might, while his sister and her companions cheered him on, he ordered the eunuch to drive him into battle.
As the fleet steeds closed the gap between him and the Kauravas under the expert hands of the charioteer, Uttara found his courage draining as he realized this was no longer a game. His stomach began to churn when he saw the hardened Kaurava veterans like Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and Karna, all of whom Brihannala helpfully pointed out to him with a stirring monologue on their achievements, and the Prince almost threw up in sheer terror. Hurriedly swallowing the foul effluence that rose thickly in his throat, he said shrilly, ‘Brihannala, I want you to turn back at once. I am too young to die a painful death at the hands of these mighty warriors. Let us get out of here while we still can.’
‘I hope you speak in jest Prince! You are a scion of a mighty race and you cannot possibly be considering flight,’ said Brihannala.
‘Of course, I am deadly serious. Take a look at the battle-hardened warriors before you! I will be crushed like an insect under their feet. For pity’s sake! Turn back immediately!’ yelled Uttara.
‘You mean you are going to flee in terror like a woman and go back to the ladies you were boasting to not so long ago? They will laugh at you!’ said Brihannala in utter disbelief.
‘I don’t care!’ shouted the terrified Prince. ‘The laughter of women cannot inflict grievous injury on my person. How can anybody expect me to fight this formidable army all by myself and unaided by my valiant father and brothers? I order you to turn back!’
But Brihannala was implacable. ‘I will do no such thing. If you flee from the foes who are threatening you and your own, great infamy will be your lot. You will be laughed at, reviled and despised universally. Your family will be shamed and rue the day you were born. Fighting bravely against great odds and dying while trying to protect those who depend on you, is infinitely preferable to running like a coward. Now be a man and fight!’
‘This is madness! I don’t have to listen to a eunuch. You can stay here and do as you please. I will not stay a moment longer!’ So saying, Uttara jumped down from the chariot and ran away as fast as his puny legs and unbearable terror
would allow. Brihannala brought the chariot to a halt and ran in pursuit of the Prince in flight. The gathered Kaurava forces watched in amazement as a lone warrior made a hasty exit from the battlefield while a strange creature dressed in flowing skirts and armour chased him, hair billowing wildly. Then they burst into raucous laughter, pointing at the absurd spectacle and roaring with uncontrollable mirth.
Brihannala caught up with the errant Prince and grabbed him by the shoulder. Uttara tried to free himself from the iron grip of the eunuch but met with little success. Trying a different tack, he said desperately, ‘Let me go Brihannala, I will give you more wealth than you dared dream of!’
‘My honour means more to me than all the wealth in the world,’ replied the eunuch. ‘Take heart Prince! The sairandhri did not exaggerate when she praised me to high heaven. Take the reins of the chariot. I shall fight and win back the stolen cows. However, the weapons you have brought are inadequate for the task at hand. But I know just how to get my hands on what we need. I happen to know where the Pandavas have hidden their weapons.’
‘This is against my better judgement, but for some strange reason I am drawn to you and feel compelled to do as you say,’ said Uttara, as bewildered as he was terrified.
The Prince, guided by Brihannala, reached the Shamee tree where the Pandavas had stashed their weapons for safekeeping. Initially, Uttara was unwilling to scale the tree and retrieve the weapons as he believed he would be damned for all eternity if he polluted his person by touching a corpse. But soon he was persuaded to do as asked. As he undid the shroud, an impressive heap of battle paraphernalia lay before his amazed eyes. He looked up at the enigmatic person before him and asked, ‘Who are you? How could you possibly know about these weapons? It is obvious that the Pandavas went to great lengths to keep them hidden. Aren’t they in exile? What do you know of them?’
Arjuna Page 13