Given his remarkable feats over the years, it was hardly surprising that both the Pandavas and Kauravas desired to have him fighting on their side, for it was well known that where Krishna went, victory was sure to follow. Arjuna and Duryodhana personally travelled to Dwaraka to enlist Krishna’s help. They both reached his chambers at the same time. Krishna was fast asleep. Without a word, Duryodhana seated himself on a richly wrought seat placed at the head of Krishna’s bed. Arjuna took up his position at the foot of the bed and stood there respectfully. Positioned thus, the cousins did a thorough job of pretending the other did not exist.
When Krishna woke, Duryodhana spoke up first. ‘Krishna! War is inevitable between us and our cousins. I have come to seek your help. And let me inform you that I was here first. You are related to us both and it behoves you not to show any prejudice or partiality in this matter. Therefore, knowing your greatness and unblemished conduct, I ask that you grant my request first.’
Krishna spoke softly. ‘Duryodhana, while it may be that you came first, the fact remains that I saw Arjuna first. Secondly, custom dictates that the youngest speak first, so I will have to allow him first choice. But you were correct in saying that I have to treat you both equally, so this is what I have decided. One of you can have the mighty Yadava army, while I offer only myself to the other. And I must inform you that I shall not pick up a weapon or take part in the actual fighting, as I refuse to fight those who are related to me by blood. Now the time has come for you to choose. Arjuna, you have the first choice.’
‘I choose you, Krishna,’ Arjuna said without the slightest hesitation.
Duryodhana’s face, which had been distorted with molten rage, turned gleeful. ‘And I choose your army!’ he said quickly.
Having received Krishna’s consent, he went to Balarama, his guru, to convey the happy tidings, convinced that he had got the better part of the bargain. Balarama was not so pleased with the turn of events and informed Duryodhana that he himself would not take sides in the battle and had decided to go on a pilgrimage instead. The eldest Kaurava shrugged, listened to the well meaning advice he was given with half an ear, and returned to his Kingdom in high spirits, contemplating his good fortune that Arjuna, for all his brilliance in warfare, was not blessed with a brain the way he himself was. Meanwhile, the object of his scornful thoughts was equally convinced that Duryodhana was a blundering fool for not realizing that the mightiest armies in all the three worlds would not be equal to even a tenth of Krishna.
Krishna himself wondered aloud if Arjuna had done the wise thing in choosing him over his army. ‘Are you absolutely sure that you made the right choice Arjuna?’
‘Without a doubt!’ came the sanguine reply. ‘With you on our side, there is no way we can lose. Duryodhana is a fool not to realize that. And since you will not be taking part in the actual fighting, will you consent to be my charioteer? It has long been a fond hope of mine.’
‘So be it! It will be as you wish.’ Replied Krishna, knowing that it was destined to be so.
‘The battle is already won! I can feel it in my bones!’ exclaimed Arjuna.
Krishna only smiled at his friend’s childlike exuberance, and was secretly sorry that he could not spare him the anguish that was to follow, as the price of victory.
But Arjuna was right about one thing. Krishna would have a pivotal role to play in the outcome of the battle of Kurukshetra, and it was he who controlled the ebb and flow of the war. Long before the battle commenced, Krishna began to set in motion events that were intended to influence the outcome of the battle in favour of the Pandavas. Bhoomi Devi had complained about the burden of sin she was carrying, and Lord Vishnu had agreed to take on the form of an avatar and walk on earth in order to offer her surcease from suffering. Thus, it was Krishna’s task to root out the evil that had become almost invincible, and thus ensure victory for the Pandavas, who represented all that was noble in this epic clash between good and evil.
Jarasandha, Shishupala, Ekalavya, and Ghatotkacha (the son of Bheema), among others, were those killed through the direct intervention of Krishna, or as a result of his stratagem, with someone else actually striking the killing blow. These men had to be killed as they would have otherwise fought on the side of the Kauravas under Duryodhana, and tilted the scale precariously in favour of the evil Kauravas; and they would have tormented the innocent if left alive.
King Jarasandha, the mighty Emperor of Magadha, was a force to be reckoned with in those days. His valour and courage were extraordinary and his achievements legendary. He had given his beloved daughters, Asti and Prapti, in marriage to Kamsa, Krishna’s maternal uncle, who was notorious for his cruelty and tyranny. He was furious with Krishna for widowing his daughters and never forgave him or his people. To his dying breath, he sought to destroy them.
The Emperor attacked Mathura seventeen times and each time he was repulsed by Krishna, who destroyed his vast armies to a man on each occasion, sparing only his life. When he returned for the eighteenth time, Krishna also had to contend with a threat from a deadly warrior named Kalayavana. He knew that while he was engaged with the fearsome warrior and his soldiers, Jarasandha would swoop down on his people like a hawk upon fledglings, and kill them without mercy.
In order to protect the citizens of Mathura, Krishna conjured up an impenetrable fortress, said to have been ninety-six miles long, from the bottom of the sea. Within, nestled like a pearl within the protective confines of an oyster, lay a delightful Kingdom that had been crafted to perfection, with beautifully wrought homes for the populace and marvellous buildings. Pillars of sheer gold dazzled the eye as they caught the rays of the sun and outshone it in magnificence. Precious gems adorned the various edifices in the Kingdom, lending considerable allure to the surroundings. Gorgeous flowers and tall trees bloomed everywhere, making the place appear radiant and green. The treasury was filled to overflowing, thanks to the munificence of the great Lord. The whole place embodied prosperity and blessed were the people who had been chosen to live within its hallowed walls.
When the fortress was ready for human inhabitation, Krishna transferred the citizens of Mathura with their belongings and cattle, to the newly founded Kingdom of Dwaraka on the sea, with his yogic powers. Ensuring his people were safely ensconced within, Krishna and Balarama went to take care of Kalayavana. The former led his antagonist to a cave where Muchukunda reposed in deep slumber, having won a boon from the devas for his services. Kalayavana, thinking he was Krishna, kicked the saintly man savagely and woke him. When Muchukunda opened his eyes to see who had thus disturned his sleep so rudely, Kalayavana was burnt to ashes.
Having thus disposed of one threat, Krishna and Balarama turned their attention to Jarasandha. They tricked the King into believing they were fleeing; scaled a mountain, and returned to Dwaraka. In so doing, they freed themselves and their people from Jarasandha’s grasp forever. Later, Krishna engineered a wrestling bout between Bheema and Jarasandha and helped the valiant Pandava to emerge victorious.
Krishna himself narrated the story of Jarasandha’s miraculous birth to Yudhishthira and his brothers, while they were contemplating the performance of the Rajasuya yajna. ‘The terrible King of Magadha, who is famed for his strength, believed to be equivalent to a thousand elephants, was born to King Vrihadratha and his twin wives. Vrihadratha had promised to treat his wives equally and always endeavoured to do so. Preoccupied with the duties of governing a Kingdom and carrying out religious rites and rituals that demanded abstinence and fasting, the King allowed many years to elapse without producing an heir. Anxious for a son, he consulted wise men everywhere and tried everything they recommended in order to impregnate his wives, but met with no success.
Finally, he went to the sage Chandakaushika and begged for his help. Moved by his plight, the sage meditated briefly and lo! A perfectly formed mango appeared out of nowhere onto his lap. He gifted it to the King and told him to give it to his wife immediately to eat. The King hastened back to his
palace filled with hope, and gave the mango to his two wives.
The sisters cut the mango in half and consumed it. Soon, they conceived and delivered their babies at exactly the same time. However, both delivered half a baby. They were horrified. Filled with revulsion and superstitious dread, they ordered the midwives to discard the malformed pieces of flesh.
As the two halves lay alone and unwanted, by the providence of fate, a rakshasi by the name of Jara, happened to find them. Delighted with the choice morsels of human flesh that would no doubt prove to be a most satisfactory repast, she greedily scooped up the two pieces and without further ado proceeded to join them in order to make it a less cumbersome load.
As soon as she had done so, the monstrous pieces of flesh became a baby boy that was flawless in all respects. Angered at the disrespectful handling of his person, the infant began squalling and the sound shook the mountains. His parents came rushing out on hearing the noise and saw the boy made whole. Jara graciously decided to forego her meal and instead, revealed all that had happened and presented the baby boy to his proud parents. And so he came to be called Jarasandha in her honour.’
As Krishna concluded his story, Yudhishthira broke the hush that had fallen over the little group. ‘Despite the wondrous events surrounding his birth, I find it hard to believe that he has dared to make an enemy of you, continues to defy you, and still has breath left in his body!’
‘His death will not be by my hand. But that is not to say that I will have no part in it...’ Krishna replied and smiled rather enigmatically before continuing. ‘It will be impossible to perform the sacrifice with him alive as he will never submit to you. But there is no cause for worry, as we can defeat him easily using clever strategy. I need your permission to take Arjuna and Bheema with me to Magadha, where we will defeat him using a plan that has been formulated by me. If you have faith in me, send your brothers along on this mission, and you will have helped rid the world of a heartless despot.’
‘You don’t need to ask my permission. I would trust you with my life. By all means take them along and if it is not asking too much, please keep Bheema from getting into one of his infamous brawls.’
‘Don’t worry Yudhishthira, I am sure Krishna will ensure Bheema’s fighting instincts are channelised in the right direction,’ said Arjuna, his eyes twinkling.
‘And for my part, I’ll try to protect Krishna and Arjuna from the love-struck women who are always luring them into romantic escapades and keep them focused solely on the task at hand,’ said Bheema affably, cheered immeasurably by the prospect of a fresh, violent conflict.
The trio set off for Magadha, disguised as Brahmins. Jarasandha welcomed them warmly although their attire, somewhat at odds with their warlike demeanour, aroused his suspicions. Also, they refused to enter through the city gate, choosing instead to make a more ominous entrance by obliterating the mountain peak, Chaityaka, one of the natural fortifications of Magadha, nor would they partake of food that contained salt.
Having catered to their unusual demands, Jarasandha began questioning them. Krishna then revealed their identities and the purpose of their visit.
‘So you are not just a lowly cowherd but a despicable coward as well! Why am I not surprised Krishna? I suppose it is because this is precisely the kind of dishonourable behaviour I can expect from someone of your lowly standing!’ Jarasandha bellowed at Krishna, galled by the sheer audacity of the trio.
‘I don’t see how you are qualified to talk about honour, given the many atrocities you have committed, oh King of Magadha. Innocent people have been senselessly slaughtered because of your arrogance, and what of the Kings you have captured and imprisoned, who are to be sacrificed to Lord Shiva?’ Krishna replied in a low voice that was as even in its tone as it was deadly.
‘I suppose you would be less aggrieved if I were to sacrifice those Kings to Vishnu instead?’ came the snide rejoinder from Jarasandha, to the accusations that were being hurled thick and fast at him.
‘Neither Shiva nor Vishnu would condone such inhuman practices, oh King! And the time for discussing the ethics behind your actions is long past. Today, you shall answer for your sins!’ answered Krishna, as implacable as a stone pillar.
‘We will see about that Krishna... what is it be? Do I have to fight the three of you single-handedly, or do I have to face your armies? It hardly matters to me, as I will make mincemeat out of whatever or whomever you throw my way!’ said Jarasandha, his voice like a trumpet call.
A moment of utter silence followed his words, then Krishna spoke with cool detachment: ‘We challenge you to single combat with any one of us. The choice is yours!’
‘So be it! I will not even consider fighting with a cowherd who has the bad taste to appear uninvited before those who are his superiors. Such an act would be beneath me. And Jarasandha, famed for possessing the strength of a thousand elephants, does not fight little boys, even if they are considered fine warriors by those who do not know better. I choose Bheema, because he alone can match my physical strength.’
Hasty preparations were made for combat, which was to be a fight to the finish. The two behemoths faced each other in the arena erected specially for them, and lunged at each other with an almighty roar. The contest raged for fourteen days, with neither fighter pausing for even a bite of food. Both fought with the grim intent to kill and employed every trick they had ever learned to gain the upper hand. They fought with gigantic maces, and when those deadly weapons were smashed to smithereens ,unable to withstand the repeated blows against their agate-like bodies, the two fought with their bare fists, which were far deadlier. They wrestled with the implacable ferocity of wild beasts and the ground shook under their feet. A huge crowd had gathered to watch and they exhorted the participants to further exertions, revelling in the terrible violence that was unfolding before their bloodthirsty eyes.
Sweat ran in rivulets down the straining bodies of the two combatants and their eyes were red with fury. The fight went on and on...with neither combatant gaining the upper hand, though it was not for want of trying. On the fourteenth day, Jarasandha began to tire but he fought harder than ever, knowing that his life would be forfeit if he slowed down. Sensing the end was near one way or the other, Bheema shot a glance at Krishna, hoping for some guidance; and the latter, prepared for this precise moment, held up a twig and split it in two before throwing it aside. Bheema understood at once what he needed to do.
Lifting up the gigantic body of Jarasandha, Bheema spun him around before hurling him to the ground. Grabbing hold of his ankles, he tore the prostate body in two and hurled the pieces away in opposite directions, thereby emerging the victor in the deadliest fight he had ever been in. The crowd around him looked on in fearful silence. Bheema was a frightening apparition indeed, covered in the dead man’s blood and bone fragments.
Having accomplished what they had set out to do, Krishna, Arjuna and Bheema, acted quickly. They dragged Jarasandha’s body to the entrance of the Kingdom ,to serve as a warning to the citizens, in case anyone had the foolishness to think of putting up a fight. The imprisoned Kings were released next and they were only too pleased to promise fealty to King Yudhishthira, before returning thankfully to their domains. Finally, having crowned Jarasandha’s son, the noble Sahadeva, as King, the trio departed.
Arjuna looked at his brother admiringly, marvelling at his great strength and feeling extremely proud of him. Seeing the look on his face, Bheema said, ‘It was a good fight. Despite his many flaws, that man was no coward and he fought most heroically.’
‘He had to die Bheema. There was no other way...’ Krishna said, looking ahead as though he could see something in the perpetually shifting haze of the future, which the others could not.
‘I am relieved he is no longer around. Somehow it makes me feel easier in my mind. Did he hurt you badly Bheema?’ Arjuna asked.
‘Now there is no need to be insulting Arjuna! Of course I am none the worse for wear. However, I would have been
happier if Jara had done the sensible thing and gobbled up those two pieces of flesh instead of joining them up and inflicting Jarasandha on a hapless world!’ answered Bheema with his usual insousience.
With Jarasandha out of the way, preparations for the Rajasuya Yajna began. The Pandavas worked hard to ensure that everything went smoothly. Invitations were sent to rulers and wise men all over the world and every single one of them attended, to honour Yudhishthira. The great sacrifice commenced with Veda Vyasa himself taking on the duties of head priest. The yajna was carried out without a hitch and declared a tremendous success. When it was time to distribute the sacrificial libations to the honoured guests, Yudhishthira asked Grandsire Bhisma to choose the person, the foremost of the gathering, who deserved to be honoured first. Without hesitation, Bhishma declared Krishna as the one most deserving to receive the sanctified offering first. Immeasurably pleased with the Grandsire’s words, Yudhishthira agreed that Krishna was indeed the best of them all. Sahadeva, as the youngest, carried the ritual offering to Krishna, who accepted it with his inherent grace.
The entire gathering broke into spontaneous applause in approbation of Bhishma’s choice; but there was one in the prestigious crowd who was far from happy. It was Shishupala, the famed King of the Chedis. He voiced his disapproval in strident tones. ‘Yudhishthira! Have you taken leave of your senses?’ he said, shaking with fury. ‘You are still young in years so your gross error in judgment is understandable. But Bhishma should know better, given his famed knowledge and wisdom. I realize now that his reputation is ill-deserved. And as for Krishna, it is disgraceful that he accepted the first offering knowing well that there were others in this assembly far more deserving of the honour. King Ugrasena is seated here along with his father Vasudeva, and the cowherd deems himself more worthy than his elders? Drupada, Drona, Kripa and Bhishma himself, should have been considered. Yudhishthira! I came here not because I fear you but from respect. However, it would appear that I overestimated your judgment and integrity.’
Arjuna Page 15