He looked around at his brothers, who refused to meet his accusing gaze. They all remained seated with their heads down, drowning in a sea of grief, and his worst fears were confirmed. ‘Is Abhimanyu dead? Did mighty warriors like my brothers, Dhrishtadyumna, and Satyaki, stand by while our enemies slaughtered him? Was there nothing they could have done? Or am I mistaken in thinking they are men when they are nothing more than disguised eunuchs who belong to a harem? What will I say to Subhadra or his young wife? He was Draupadi’s favourite! She always said that Abhimanyu was closest to me in spirit and looks, and for that reason she loved him as much as she loved me! How will I face her, having failed to protect Abhimanyu? Where in all the three worlds will I find comfort to offer them? Surely I am the most unfortunate man alive to outlive my own son!’
Krishna put a protective arm around his friend and said, ‘Do not grieve over him. He deserves far more than that. You should be proud of what he achieved on the battlefield today. No man can have a worthier son! Memories of him will abide as long as there is life in this world. I promise you that. Do not stare so accusingly at your brothers. They would rather die than have you blame them for the death of Abhimanyu. You know they would have all willingly given their lives in exchange. But death is a cruel master, and what happened was beyond anyone’s control.’
For a few moments there was profound silence. Nobody dared to say a word, for Arjuna was also Jishnu, and his rage was terrifying to behold. Then Arjuna spoke again, ‘I want to know exactly what happened. How could Abhimanyu die despite having at his back the Pandavas as well as the Panchalas? It appears I was mistaken in my belief that I was leaving him in safe hands. If I had known that my faith was misplaced, he would not have been out of my sight for even a second. Speak up brave warriors, and tell me exactly how this atrocity transpired.’
Yudhishthira spoke then and his voice was agonised: ‘I take full responsibility for what happened. Drona’s chakravyuha was laying our army to waste and he was drawing closer and closer to me. I became desperate and asked Abhimanyu to break the formation. He did not hesitate and rushed off to do as we asked. The plan was to follow at his heels with our men and force our way into the formation and smash it from within. But Jayadratha put paid to our efforts and successfully sealed the breach Abhimanyu had opened up. We fought long and hard, but to no avail. The lad was isolated from us and hemmed in on all sides. And then those soulless villains slew him.’
‘My Abhimanyu was all alone when he died! There is no way on earth he could have been defeated in straight combat so those scoundrels played foul! They would have had to surround him and disarm him before killing him. And he fought to his last breath and died far from all who loved him! My son was slaughtered! I cannot bear it! It is more than I can stand!’ And Arjuna fell to the ground in a dead swoon.
When he came to, a great struggle was going on within him. Deep grief and primordial rage were battling for mastery, and miraculously, the two were conjoined and burst out of him in an explosive rush. His voice came out in a towering crescendo as he roared, ‘I swear that by sunset tomorrow, Jayadratha, the dastardly villain who was responsible for the death of my son, shall be dead by my hand. All who stand between me and him shall perish. And if I fail to keep my word, this body of mine would have proved worthless and shall be consigned to flames. This oath I swear on everything I hold holy!’
Arjuna twanged his Gandeeva fiercely as he took his fearsome oath, while Krishna stood at his side and blew on the Panchajanya. The twang of that mighty bow and the blare of the famed conch wafted its way to the Kaurava camp and brought in its wake the chilly spectre of death. The dissolute celebrations that had been going on in full swing came to an abrupt halt as that blood-curdling sound resonated around the groups of huddled soldiers. The earth under their feet trembled as though Bhoomi Devi herself feared the wrath of Arjuna.
Jayadratha heard the ominous sound and he was more frightened than he had ever been. Spies came running in, bearing news about Arjuna’s oath, and the King of Sindhu knew with terrifying certainty that death was not far from him. His entire body shook like a leaf as panic sent shockwaves rippling through it. Shiva’s words came back to him with alarming clarity. The great Lord had warned him that he would never be able to stop Arjuna. Unwilling to die a horrible death at the hands of that mighty warrior, he decided that discretion was the better part of valour and he should flee to save his life.
Having made up his mind and anxious to put as much distance between him and Arjuna as possible, he repaired post haste to Duryodhana’s tent to announce his departure. ‘Arjuna has vowed to kill me tomorrow. I have no wish to die at his hands and so it is best that I return to my Kingdom,’ he informed Duryodhana.
‘You are overwrought, so you do not see that his oath is actually a blessing for all of us!’ said Duryodhana, smiling with satisfaction. Seeing his brother-in-law was in a pathetic state and staring uncomprehendingly at him, he continued, ‘Arjuna has rashly sworn to enter the sacred fire if he fails to kill you. Now, all we have to do is make sure you are safe, and then we will be rid of that braggart with more brawn than brain. His brothers will lose heart without him and then we can help them out by mercifully dispatching the rest of that accursed lot to the nether regions to keep him company. This whole ugly business will be over by tomorrow!’
‘But they say he is the best warrior in the three worlds and there is none who can conquer him! And no one can deny that he has remained undefeated in battle,’ said Jayadratha doubtfully, though Duryodhana’s confident words had cheered him somewhat.
‘That is nonsense!’ scoffed Duryodhana. ‘Karna can take care of him in a minute. Besides, we have other mighty warriors on our side like Drona, Kripa, Ashwatthama, Duhshasana, Chitrasena, Shalya and Bhurishrava, who will all be entrusted with the responsibility of keeping you safe tomorrow. Moreover, you are a great warrior yourself; did you not stop the supposedly invincible Pandavas today and prevent them from breaking into the chakravyuha? You have just won the war for us! If you don’t believe me, ask Drona.’
The two men went to Drona’s tent, to talk about Arjuna’s oath and how they could turn it to their advantage. The Acharya spoke kindly to Jayadratha and told him to be brave even in the face of death, as it was not something that was in the hands of mortals. He then assured the two men that he himself would protect Jayadratha from Arjuna. His confidence restored, Jayadratha shrugged away his despondency and promised he would stay and see things through.
Meanwhile, Krishna was not too happy about his friend’s reckless oath. He drew him aside to remonstrate with him. ‘You have behaved in a rash and foolhardy manner. It would have been wiser for you to talk things over with me first. Since you have given the Kauravas ample warning, they will go all out to stop you from achieving your objective. Drona plans to arrange the army in yet another complex formation called the chakra-shakat vyuha or ‘carriage-wheel’. As you know, it is notoriously difficult to penetrate. To make matters worse, he has added a few elaborate enhancements, complicating things a hundredfold. It will resemble a wheel from the front and have an inner sanctum in a lotus sub-formation at its back. The lotus conceals a needle-like suchi-vyuha and Jayadratha will be safely ensconced within, protected by every maharathi on their side. You have jeopardised your life and risked making us look like fools!’
‘It does not matter. Their combined strength will not be enough to stop me. Clever strategy and strength of numbers will do them little good. They killed my son; nay, they slaughtered him, and they will pay a heavy price for it! His passing has left a void that nothing but blood can fill. They can throw every little thing they have in their possession at me! I am Arjuna, the invincible Pandava, the best among the best. All else are like dust when compared to me. With you by my side I will not fail in this task I have undertaken. Tomorrow, I will sever Jayadratha’s head, even as Drona and the rest of the warriors watch hamstrung by their impotence. Abhimanyu will be avenged; of that I am certain. As certain a
s I am about my own noble destiny.’
‘I entertain no doubts about what you are capable of doing, Arjuna, but even then it is not wise to tempt providence. Calm yourself and pray to Lord Shiva before you retire for the night. God knows we can use his help on the morrow!’
The two men sat rigidly overcome with emotional strain and tension. Their breathing was laboured and grave thoughts swirled round and round their heads in a dizzying flurry, like the spokes on chariot wheels. Finally, with a great effort, Arjuna calmed down and spoke to Krishna. ‘I cannot bring myself to face Subhadra and Uttara. The sight of their suffering will kill me quicker than any missile. Will you please go to them and comfort them?’ His friend acceded to this request and went to the bereaved women at once.
Drawing them to his chest like a mother would her wounded children, Krishna soothed them with tender words that lanced the misery from the grave wound inflicted on them and left something closer to acceptance in their bosoms. He then returned to his chambers, but he continued to worry about Arjuna. He marvelled at the supreme power of fate over which even the Gods had little control. Summoning his charioteer, Daruka, to his side, he gave him an order. ‘Ready my chariot and have my weapons placed within. If you hear the hrishabha (bull) note issuing from my conch tomorrow, you will know that I want you to rush to my side. Be prepared! If Arjuna decides to end his life, then the world will also come to an end! I will make sure of it.’
Meanwhile, Arjuna, who had cried himself into a disturbed slumber, had a strange dream. He had been brimming over with the recklessness and confidence spawned by ravaging rage during his heated discussion with Krishna, but sleep brought with it a few stray tendrils of anxiety. However, he remembered Krishna’s advice and murmured Shiva’s name intermittently, begging the great Lord to help him avenge his son.
Transported to the drowsy realm of dreams where anything is possible, Arjuna found himself confessing his innermost fears to Krishna. Just saying the words aloud to a trusted friend made him feel immeasurably relieved. Krishna took his hand gently in his and suddenly they were soaring through the skies. They traversed great distances within seconds and it was as if Lord Vishnu’s mount, Garuda, had lent them its wings. Finally, they arrived at Lord Shiva’s abode, on the snowy heights of the Himalayas.
The three-eyed Lord sat with his consort Parvati, surrounded by his companions and devotees. The rarified, mountain air reverberated to the sound of their worship. The two friends performed their obeisance before the holy couple. Shiva smiled at the duo and they found their cares leaving them, to be replaced with a sense of abiding peace. Krishna and Arjuna were told to fetch a bow and arrow from a celestial lake close by. These were in the guise of fanged serpents but the two experienced little difficulty in retrieving them. Then Shiva personally gave Arjuna a lesson on the use of his weapon of choice, the famed Paashupata missile. Thus armed with the weapon of the Destroyer God himself, and feeling incredibly blessed with the favour shown by the Lord, Krishna and Arjuna returned to camp, finally confident of taking on the onerous task that had to be accomplished by sundown the next day.
The next day dawned to a heavy sense of apprehension in both camps. The Pandava camp was subdued, with everyone going about their business determined not to think of what would happen if Arjuna were to fail. Tension ran high and all eyes were on the third Pandava brother. Arjuna seemed calm, as if this day were no different from any other. With Krishna by his side, he gave crisp orders before departing. He entrusted Satyaki with the task of protecting Yudhishthira from Drona. He embraced his brothers briefly, refusing to acknowledge the fear in their eyes, and urged Krishna to proceed to the battlefield. It was time to act upon his oath and he was ready. Today, he would avenge what had happened to his son.
The Kauravas had also prepared themselves under the expert guidance of the Acharya. Drona, determined not to have anyone accuse him of letting down the Kauravas and favouring the Pandavas, spared no effort towards protecting the King of Sindhu from Arjuna. He positioned himself in the vanguard of his formidable battle formation and stood with his troops like an impenetrable rock between Arjuna, his former pupil, and Jayadratha. Arjuna coolly surveyed the battlefield and his keen eyes immediately caught the weak spot in this death trap. He asked Krishna to drive towards Durmarsana, who stood with an elephant battalion, on Drona’s flank.
Arrows flew from the Gandeeva like a veritable torrent and annihilated Durmarsana’s men in seconds. Duhshasana saw what had happened and rushed to give aid to his brother. But soon he himself was in grave need of help, and he fled towards Drona for protection. Krishna had been chasing down the hapless Kuru Prince and he reined in the horses when he saw the Acharya. Arjuna, respectful as always, looked at his beloved guru and bringing his palms together, he sought his blessings for the successful accomplishment of his oath. Drona smiled at his student and assured Arjuna that though he wished him well, he would have to conquer him, Drona, before killing Jayadratha.
An almighty clash commenced between the two warriors. The conflict raged back and forth with neither gaining the upper hand. ‘You know very well that the two of you can keep at this all day, given that neither of you wishes to slay the other. We have wasted enough time already. Let us depart without further delay!’ Krishna urged Arjuna impatiently. Finally Arjuna concurred and the two friends made to break away.
As Krishna steered the chariot in another direction, the Acharya called out to Arjuna, ‘It is said that Arjuna never leaves without defeating his enemy. How is it that you are retreating today?’
‘The answer is simple. You are not my enemy but my teacher! Moreover, you cannot be conquered in battle,’ replied Arjuna, impatient to reach his quarry. Watching his retreating form, Drona smiled despite himself.
Anxious to make up for lost time, Arjuna ploughed through the Kaurava ranks, scattering all who had the misguided gumption to stand in his way. Kritavarma, King of the Bhojas, made a valiant attempt to impede his progress and was rewarded for his efforts with an embarrassing defeat in an insultingly short time. Arjuna’s chariot weaved its way through the battlefield under the skilful hands of Krishna, leaving in its wake corpses piled as high as mountains. The Kaurava soldiers could not withstand this furious onslaught and fled helter-skelter in all directions.
Srutayudha, King of Kalinga, challenged Arjuna to combat. They fought briefly and the King was a fine opponent and proved that he truly deserved his reputation as a warrior who had never suffered defeat. But on that day, no man could hold his own against Arjuna. Rather than engage in prolonged combat, Arjuna made short work of Srutayudha’s horses and instantly gained the upper hand. Srutayudha was stupefied for a second and then outraged. His reputation was on the line and it looked like Arjuna might kill him if he did not give way. Determined not to retreat and deciding to emulate his opponent, he hurled his mace at Krishna. The missile flew faster than thought and Arjuna could only watch in horror as it found its mark on Krishna’s sturdy shoulder. Hardly daring to breathe, he looked down to see the extent of damage suffered by his best friend. Krishna met his terrified gaze with a cheeky smile. He was completely unharmed. Not so the man who had flung the mace at him, for it had rebounded and struck the thrower in his chest, killing him instantly. ‘I’ll explain what happened while driving,’ Krishna said to a gaping Arjuna. ‘Jayadratha is still too far away for my liking.’
‘Srutayudha was the son of Varuna, Lord of the Waters and the gentle River Goddess, Parnasa. On his birth, the Goddess feared for her son as he was to lead a mortal’s life on earth. Since she could not bear the thought of her precious offspring coming to harm, she begged Varuna to give him a boon that would make him invincible. The Lord of the Waters agreed to present him with a mace that would render him unconquerable in battle, but warned that there was a caveat. Should the mace be used against an unarmed individual, it would recoil and kill the person who had thrown it. In the heat of battle, Srutayudha forgot this crucial injunction and paid for it with his life.’
/> Seeing the miraculous way in which Srutayudha’s end had come about, the Kaurava soldiers lost heart. Taking advantage of this, Arjuna forged his way deeper into Drona’s chakra-shakat vyuha, trying to reach Jayadratha. King Sudakshina fell while bravely trying to salvage the situation for the Kauravas. These fierce battles had taken their toll on Arjuna and he was bleeding from the many wounds he had received. For a brief moment his strength flagged and he leaned against the flagstaff for support. Without turning his head, Krishna spoke to him softly. His words were gentle and encouraging. Listening to that soothing voice, Arjuna’s felt his strength returning as if he had imbibed the essence of a dozen elephants. The two of them were ready to do battle again, side by side, the way they always had over the years.
Duryodhana watched with mounting rage as Arjuna cut his army to pieces. The foul scavengers that had descended en masse on the battlefield had embarrassingly congregated on the Kaurava side of the army. It was as if the gluttonous feeders on death and destruction were convinced that all they had to do was follow Arjuna’s chariot if they hoped to fill their guts to overflowing. He turned on Drona with a vengeance: ‘You have let me down yet again. Arjuna has penetrated your formation and is on his way to Jayadratha. The King of Sindhu wished to leave on hearing of the oath, but I stopped him and we decided to place our trust in you. Apparently that was a gross error in judgement! You fight on our side but you harbour traitorous thoughts and that is evident in your actions!’
‘I will not hold your harsh words against you. Instead I shall forgive your impertinence in the manner of a father forgiving an errant son. Despite my great age, I fight with every fibre of my being to ensure victory for the Kauravas,’ replied Drona with great dignity.
Arjuna Page 19