Arjuna

by Anuja Chandramouli

  ‘I am Arjuna, the Pandava. We chose your father’s Kingdom for the final year of our exile. Kanka is Yudhishthira, Ballava the cook is Bheema, Nakula and Sahadeva are Granthika and Tantipala. And the Queen’s sairandhri is Draupadi, our wife.’

  ‘That is impossible! Arjuna is my hero and I have dreamed of meeting him since I was a boy. How could I not recognise him? What you say befuddles the mind and confounds the senses. I will believe your tale only after you tell me the ten names of Arjuna and narrate the manner in which he earned them,’ challenged the Prince.

  ‘So be it. Listen carefully; I am called Arjuna because of my unblemished countenance; Partha, after my mother Pritha; Phalguna, as Phalguni is the star under which I was born; Kiriti, because Indra presented me with a golden diadem to commemorate my conquests against the enemies of the Gods; Swetavahana, since I rode a heavenly chariot, driven by white steeds, presented to me by Agni, when I helped him consume Khandava; Jishnu, because when provoked, my rage is dreadful to behold and I become the scourge of the three worlds. I have sworn to kill the man who injures my brother Yudhishthira and spills his blood, and it is on account of this oath that I was given this name. Bibhatsu was the name given to me because of my strict adherence to fairness and ethical conduct in battle; Vijaya, because I have not and never will, lose a battle; Savyasachi, because I am ambidextrous and can use my right and left hands with equal skill while wielding weapons.

  And finally, Dhananjaya, because I bring prosperity wherever I go. It was given to me when I singlehandedly filled our treasury to overflowing by my conquests, before Yudhishthira performed the Rajasuya sacrifice.’

  ‘I believe you!’ whispered the awed young Prince. ‘It is an honour to share space with you. I beg your forgiveness if you and your brothers have been slighted in any way during your stay.’

  ‘There is no need to apologise. We have been treated with nothing but kindness and respect,’ replied Arjuna gently.

  ‘Knowing who you are has instilled courage in me. It makes me ashamed of my abject display of cowardice earlier. I would give anything in the world to go back in time and behave like a man if only to earn the respect of the hero I have admired since boyhood,’ lamented Uttara.

  ‘Do not be too hard on yourself Prince. It is your first time in battle and braver men have faltered in similar situations. I know you to have the heart of a warrior. Have more faith in your ability – as I do. Now let us make haste. We have a battle to win!’

  Encouraged by Arjuna’s words, Uttara rode into battle, proud to be the charioteer of the world’s greatest warrior. Later, he would redeem himself in the great battle of Kurukshetra, where fighting with lion-hearted courage, he would go on to bring great honour to his family before attaining a warrior’s heaven, slain by Shalya.

  In the meantime, Drona had been pondering over the appearance of the Prince’s charioteer. Despite the strange apparel, the creature was the spitting image of Arjuna. He gazed worriedly at the sky above and the dire omens he saw convinced him that there was a bloodbath to be expected in the battle ahead.

  At that precise moment, the Prince and his charioteer were making their way back to the battlefield; only, now their roles were reversed. Drona’s suspicions were confirmed. Turning to Bhishma, he said, ‘I am convinced that it is Arjuna we are confronting. No one else would dare to fight us single-handedly.’

  ‘That is great news! It means we have smoked the Pandavas out of their hiding before their exile has ended! That means they will have to go back into exile!’ said an exultant Duryodhana, who had overheard Drona’s words.

  ‘Not quite...’ replied Bhishma quietly. ‘Their exile ended five months and twelve days ago.’

  ‘How can that be? If that were true, why are they still hiding? Why have they not crawled back to beg me for a share of my Kingdom?’ asked Duryodhana, his face flushed with scorn.

  ‘I think that for some strange reason, they are unwilling to take a chance where you are concerned,’ his Grandsire replied dryly. ‘According to the lunar calendar, their exile ended a few months ago. But they waited in case you chose to follow the solar calendar. And before you get excited, let me tell you that even by that reckoning, their exile ended six days ago. Arjuna is no fool. He knows this, which is why he has chosen to reveal himself. I suggest you take this opportunity to make your peace with him, let us avoid the bloodshed which is otherwise inevitable.’

  ‘I will do no such thing!’ exclaimed Duryodhana angrily. ‘We shall fight him today when he is alone and unaccompanied by the rest of that brood, especially that brute, Bheema. He shall be killed today and his brothers can weep for him and themselves when I send them packing, yet again.’

  ‘It is impossible to defeat Arjuna in battle. His skill is extraordinary. This world has never seen a warrior like him and never will again,’ cautioned Drona.

  ‘Why is it that Drona, Bhishma, and Kripa, insist on singing Arjuna’s praises in this biased manner?’ burst out Karna, incensed as always to hear words of praise spoken about his rival. ‘You are all scared of him! Flee, if you wish. I will destroy him for Duryodhana!’

  ‘Karna! This is neither the time nor the place for your senseless swaggering! Only a fool would think he can fight and win against Arjuna all by himself. All the forces of the three worlds combined would be insufficient to destroy him in combat!’ said Kripa, with great feeling.

  ‘I suppose this is the perfect time and place to wax eloquent about Arjuna’s greatly exaggerated skill? Our troops need the encouragement after all! You Brahmins should content yourselves with chanting mantras and leave the fighting to true warriors,’ Karna replied, scorn and sarcasm dripping from every word he uttered.

  ‘How dare you!’ Drona’s son Ashwatthama, snarled at him, angered by the blatant disrespect Karna had shown his revered uncle and beloved father. ‘Do you realize that you have achieved nothing that gives you the right to have such an inflated opinion of yourself? As I recall, you had to flee from the gandharva Chitrasena, when he attacked us in the forest. It was Arjuna who rescued the lot of you. Where was your vaunted valour then? And you talk about defeating the mighty warrior coming towards us without the help of my father, uncle, and the Grandsire!’

  ‘Silence!’ Bhishma bellowed. ‘This is not the time for petty squabbles. When Arjuna drives into battle, Yama’s presence can be felt in the opposing camp. I can sense the dark Lord even as I speak. Arjuna will try to capture Duryodhana; therefore the King must be protected at all cost. I suggest he take half the army and head towards Hastinapura. In the meantime, the rest of us will hold Arjuna in check.’

  The Kurus did exactly as Bhishma suggested. In terms of experience, wisdom, and strategic planning, there was none to equal him. With the great man at the helm to guide them, they braced themselves for the storm that threatened to burst over their heads in the form of Arjuna.

  Meanwhile, the lone warrior approached the Kuru forces. One look at the soldiers arrayed in battle formation convinced him that it was Bhishma who had devised the strategy to repel him. He saluted the Kuru elders in true warrior style, sending two arrows each to the feet of Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa, to pay homage. Then he turned and gave his instructions to Uttara. ‘The Grandsire hopes to engage me while Duryodhana makes off with the cows and his cowardly self. Turn the chariot towards Hastinapura, and I shall teach him what happens to thieves and scoundrels.’

  Uttara obediently guided the horses while Arjuna mowed down the Kuru defence. Freeing the cattle, he sent them in the direction of Matsya. Duryodhana fled towards the main body of the army.

  Bhishma, Karna, Drona, Kripa, and the others, intervened to save their King and launched a savage attack against Arjuna. But Arjuna was invincible; he unleashed wave upon wave of arrows, repulsing the Kurus time and again. Bhishma, Drona, and Karna were forced to retreat on more than one occasion. As they regrouped en masse and attempted another attack, Arjuna released the Sammohana (hypnotising) missile, and they all fell to the ground, curled in the f
oetal position, asleep as if in their mothers’ womb.

  Uttara screamed with excitement and high spirits, delighted that he had actually been a part of the pulverising attack that had crippled the mighty Kurus. Arjuna, basking in the glow of the young Pince’s adulation, smiled indulgently and said, ‘We must not forget our promise to the Princess. Collect the garments of the slumbering warriors. Make haste, we do not wish to delay your triumphant return to Matsya.’

  ‘You are being kind, but I cannot take credit for your victory,’ said Uttara humbly.

  ‘I ask it as a favour of you as we’d like to keep our identity a secret for a little bit longer,’ said Arjuna to the young Prince.

  Uttara finally acquiesced and proceeded to relieve the defeated warriors of their cumbersome upper garments and heavy jewellery. Working to the discordant rhythm of thousands of rumbling snores, he completed his task and loaded the booty onto his chariot. Arjuna, as Brihannala again, took up the reins of the chariot and pausing only to return the weapons to their place on the Shamee tree, the incongruous duo quickly made their way back to Matsya.

  While the young Prince was thus making the transition to manhood, King Virata had returned to the Kingdom in buoyant spirits. However, on hearing that Prince Uttara had rushed away to do battle with the Kauravas, with none but a eunuch for company, his happiness vanished in a trice, to be replaced by a gnawing anxiety for his youngest son. Sensing his worry, Yudhishthira hastened to reassure him. ‘Set your mind at rest, my King! The Prince will be safe if Brihannala is with him.’

  At that moment, a messenger rushed in, bearing glad tidings about the Prince’s triumph over the foes of Matsya. The old King was overcome with filial pride and relief. He gave orders that Uttara and his charioteer be welcomed with all the pomp and splendour due to conquering heroes. Barely able to sit still while he waited for his son to return, the King ordered a game of dice be set up, despite Yudhishthira’s weak protests that gambling in such an emotionally turbulent state could lead to nothing but trouble.

  With the game underway, Virata began praising the valour of his young son profusely. He continued while Yudhishthira reiterated that he had foreseen just such an outcome, since Brihannala had ridden out with the Prince. The old King bristled with anger on hearing that the approbation in the Brahmin’s voice was for the lowly eunuch and not for his heroic son. Enraged, he flung the dice at the offender so hard that he drew blood. Draupadi, who had been watching quietly, rushed forward with a golden dish and collected the blood before it could touch the ground. Having done this, she retreated as quickly as she had come.

  Virata was bemused at this display, but some inner instinct for survival warned him to let the matter rest. On hearing the heralds announce the arrival of Prince Uttara, he sprang to his feet. His son entered the room, his face alight with the warm welcome and praise the citizens of Matsya had showered on him. But seeing the wound inflicted on Yudhishthira, he froze in his tracks. Great agitation stole over his features as his eyes swept the scene, taking in the telltale evidence of his father’s temper and foolhardiness. In a voice shaking with terror, he demanded to know why the Brahmin had been hurt. On hearing his father’s account, Uttara was inconsolable. ‘Father! You know not what you have done! You must beg Kanka for forgiveness. Do as I say without asking any questions. Otherwise a great calamity will befall us all!’

  The King was flummoxed, but sensing the urgency in his son’s voice, he acquiesced, albeit grudgingly. Yudhishthira, gracious as ever, told the King that he had already been forgiven and there were no hard feelings.

  Brihannala came in at that moment and paid obeisance to the King. Yudhishthira’s brow had stopped bleeding, so Arjuna did not notice anything amiss. Uttara let out his breath slowly, glad that a disaster had been averted. To his father’s many queries about the details of his victory, he said only that the son of a God had saved him and Matsya, and that he was not at liberty to divulge his name but that all would be clear soon. Virata was bursting with curiosity, but he decided to let the matter rest since, under the circumstances, everything had gone smoothly and his Kingdom and his sons were safe from harm.

  A couple of days later, the aged monarch stepped into his courtroom. To his surprise and indignation, he found Kanka comfortably ensconced in the seat meant for visiting Kings!

  ‘How dare you sit on that seat, which is meant for royalty? I will have you whipped for your insolence!’ shouted the stunned King.

  ‘Your Majesty! He deserves to occupy the throne of Indra, for he is none other than the greatest ruler this world has seen – my brother, King Yudhishthira, the mighty Pandava!’ Arjuna intervened gently.

  ‘But that can’t be! If what you say is true, where are his other valiant brothers, and where is Draupadi?’ asked the stupefied monarch.

  Arjuna introduced the remaining Pandavas and their wife to the King, stripping away the disguises they had adopted. The old King was overcome with emotion, and filled with remorse for his treatment of Yudhishthira. Prince Uttara stepped forward and said, indicating Arjuna, ‘This is the deity who rescued me from the Kurus. I owe my life to him.’

  ‘The Gods have been kind to me and to this Kingdom. We must have done something wonderful in our former lives to deserve this honour. I must repay the favour somehow! And I know what to do...my daughter, Princess Uttara, the jewel of Matsya, shall be given to Arjuna in marriage.’

  ‘Your benevolence is boundless, your Majesty, but since I have been your daughter’s teacher for a year, it will go against the creed of dharma if I were to take her as my wife. I shall accept her for my son Abhimanyu, instead,’ replied Arjuna.

  ‘So be it!’ said Virata, his eyes filling with tears of joy.

  The Pandavas took up residence in the town of Upaplavya in Matsya, and sent word to their kinsmen, while King Virata began preparations for a grand wedding. The Pandavas were thankful that their arduous exile was finally over. Arjuna was doubly thankful as his manhood had been restored, just as Indra had predicted. The irrepressible Bheema patted him on his shoulder and said, ‘Brihannala was talented no doubt, but I am glad Arjuna is back. I was afraid we would be forced to make you dance for Duryodhana on the battlefield and hope he laughs himself to death.’

  ‘It would be simpler to have an eating competition between the two of you. Everybody knows that when it comes to gluttony, you are unbeatable,’Arjuna retorted.

  Nakula and Sahadeva laughed with gay abandon at the japery of their elder brothers, while Yudhishthira watched them all fondly, even as his heart grew heavy contemplating the battle ahead and the suffering they still had to endure.

  Abhimanyu, Krishna, Dhrishtadyumna, and many others, arrived to show their support, glad that the Pandavas had not only survived their terrible ordeal but emerged stronger than before. And so, gathering their allies close to them, the brothers waited, hoping against hope that Duryodhana would come to his senses and avert the pointless violence and destruction that lay ahead.

  13

  Arjuna’s Charioteer

  The years in exile had made the Pandavas all too familiar with great suffering and privation. They had lost their father at a young age and endured countless hardships – they had fought to stay alive; roamed the land as poverty-stricken Brahmins; lost their hard-earned kingdom to Duryodhana; and been exiled for thirteen years. The brothers therefore decided that it would be in the best interests of all to sue for peace as war would bring in its wake death, destruction, and misery for both the victor and the vanquished.

  Yudhishthira and his brothers did all in their power to bring about a peaceful resolution to the problems between the cousins. They were even willing to give up Indraprastha, which was their’s by right, and settle for five villages instead. Peace envoys attested to the same when they spoke on behalf of the Pandavas, at the court of Hastinapura. Sanjaya, Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Gandhari, did their utmost to make Duryodhana do the right thing by his cousins. But the Kuru Prince, encouraged by cronies like Karna, Shakun
i and Duhshasana, remained as obstinate as ever and refused to part with even an iota of his ill-gotten gains.

  As a last resort, Krishna went to speak to the Kauravas, though he knew the great battle was preordained and fate would run its irrevocable course. And sure enough, his mission was unsuccessful, as Duryodhana famously declared he would not surrender to his cousins even as much land as could be covered by the tip of a needle.

  The Pandavas had no alternative but to reclaim their Kingdom by force. Preparations for war had been going on covertly on both sides since the Pandavas had come out of hiding but now these assumed battle urgency as both sides attempted to strengthen their positions before the conflict that had been brewing for so long and which had finally come to boil. The warring factions attempted to bring over prospective allies to their respective sides. Krishna was by far the most sought after.

  It was a blessed era and those who lived in those times were fortunate, as Lord Vishnu had taken the form of an avatar and graced the earth as Krishna. He was without doubt, the most redoubtable being in existence. Even as a mere lad, he had performed miracles – killing demons like Putana, Keshin, the evil Kamsa, and the wrestler Chanura. He had lifted Mount Govardhana with his little finger, in order to protect his people; and tamed the great serpent Kaliya, and made the waters of the river Yamuna fit to drink again. With great nobility for one so young, he had turned down the throne of Mathura and restored it to the aged Ugrasena.

  As an adult, he continued to perform marvellous feats. The demon Narakasura, was slain by him and the beautiful women the demon had enslaved, were rescued and taken under his wing. Krishna also went to Draupadi’s aid when the odious Duhshasana attempted to disrobe her after the dice games. He protected his people from the powerful king of Magadha, Jarasandha, and had them removed miraculously to Dwaraka, to keep them safe from his savagery.