The Yadavas left for Panchanada fully prepared. Warriors like dada, Uddhavabhauji, both commanders, Kritavarman, Inshumana, Bhankara, and Devavata accompanied Sri during this journey. The disciplined fourfold army also accompanied. Sri had especially taken minister Vipruthu along with him on this journey. He had appointed young Pradyumna in his place and had instructed him to faithfully follow the advice of aacharya and the royal priest along with me, Vasudevababa and all the elderly people.
He bade farewell to all and left through the Shuddhaksha gate. Sri crossed the creek of original Dwaraka with huge ships. He began his journey in his grand Garudadhwaja chariot with the saffron-coloured, golden-bordered Yadava pennant fluttering in the air, with the disciplined Yadava army following him.
He reached the base of Mount Arbuda after taking many sojourns along the base of Mount Raivataka. This was the border of the Matsya kingdom. Their royal capital Viratnagar was located within a few yojanas from here. Matsya leader Virata was the king here. Till today Sri had travelled from Karvir and Gomanta in the south to the Pragjyotishapura of Kamarupa in the east to the Himalayas. He had also visited Kampilyanagar. Hearing his acclaim as the ‘Lord of Dwaraka’ many kings on the way had offered him plenty of gifts wherever he reached and welcomed him joyfully. Everyone longed for Sri’s unconditional love.
But in the Matsya kingdom the exact opposite happened. Through Uddhavabhauji Sri summoned the minister in his tent and instructed him, “Uddhava, you go with the minister to Viratanagar with two gift platters. Offer one to the Matsya king Virata and send the second with the minister as a gift to his commander Kichaka. You yourself talk to Virata and tell him, ‘I am Uddhava, brother of Srikrishna, the Lord of Dwaraka. Consider that it’s not me but Lord Srikrishna himself has come here, and accept the gift. Always keep the cordial relations of the Matsyas strong with the Yadavas of Dwaraka.’
He instructed the minister, “You should offer the second platter as a gift to commander Kichaka, and talk to him yourself. In your communication with him mention the numbers of elephants, horses, camels and infantry and don’t forget to tell that the gift is from the entire Yadava army!”
Both of them returned completing their tasks successfully. The Yadava army reached the banks of river Saraswati after crossing river Yamuna twice. This river was as divine as the divine land of Kurukshetra in which it flowed. The three brothers bathed in the holy bed of her crystal-clear waters, and gave away charities. The mammoth Yadava army now descended in the Mattamayura kingdom. They rested there for two-three days after a long stretch of travel. In the end, crossing river Vipasha, along with Sri, the triumphant, invincible Yadava army reached the Vahika kingdom. This was the beginning of the Panchanada region. This is where Sri began executing his agile, diplomatic military strategy. He dispatched various competent emissaries with missives of cordial relations and platters full of valuable gifts to the royal capitals of Ambashtha, Trigarta, Audumbara, Kulinda, Madra and Kekeya. The most proficient emissary went to Brihatsena’s Shakalanagar. Minister Vipruthu himself went to Kekeya king Dhrishtaketu. He presented gifts to Sri’s aatya Shrutakirtidevi and her husband Dhrishtaketu in the name of Vasudevababa and Devakimata. He didn’t forget to deliver the message, ‘Lord of Dwaraka will come to visit in person’.
The main emissary who returned from Shakalanagar gave detailed information to Sri, ‘Preparations are going on in full swing for Madra daughter Lakshmanaa’s Swayamwar. Magadha king Jarasandha is coming to participate in this Swayamwar along with the king of Ambashtha. Master archer Arjuna is also coming with his four brothers who have left from Viratanagar and are travelling to Hastinapura.’
Hearing that news Sri smiled mischievously as usual, and naughtily said to Uddhavabhauji, “He won’t be participating in the Swayamwar. He won’t get that chance. I will be the very first one to participate. If at all the Madra bow falls on my chest he will come forward to pick it up, and free me from it!”
Uddhavabhauji was such a mind reader that from that sojourn itself, he dispatched a carrier with a message for me, ‘Honourable vahini, Madra daughter Lakshmanaadevi is coming as one more sister of yours. Be prepared to welcome her!’
The Swayamwar took place in Shakalanagar located on the banks of river Chandrabhaga. Most of the kings who were present for Draupadi’s Swayamwar were also present for this Swayamwar. Arjuna had also come along with his brothers. New kings from Panchanada region like Ambashtha, Trigarta, and Audumbara were also present. Major amongst them were kings like Jarasandha, Chekitana, Paundraka, Jayadratha, Dantavakra, Bhagdutta and Bhurishrava. No one had arrived from Hastinapura of the Kurus. The reason for their absence was unknown. As a matter of fact, the Kurus of Hastinapura, especially Duryodhana and his brothers, Shakuni and his brothers would never decline such a challenging invitation. The blind king Dhritarashtra looked after the kingdom of Hastinapura as the king. The eldest Kaurava, Duryodhana had become extremely insolent, arrogant, and deceitfully ambitious. He hungered for the kingdom and the power, and hence didn’t respect anybody. He was turning a deaf ear to the affectionate and valuable advice of his own mother, Rajmata Gandharidevi who had chosen to blindfold herself for the sake of her husband. He was also disregarding the valiant, sacrificing, noble, and virtuous grandsire Bhishma who was the last Kuru. He was not paying attention to the austere, pious, and duteous Mahatma Vidura. He didn’t even take notice of Gurudeva Dronacharya – the master of Dhanurveda, and the senior family priest Kripacharya. Like an insolent bull he was discarding the cautious warnings and advice given by all repeatedly. His mama Shakuni’s word was the final word for him in every aspect of life including politics, warfare, justice and family disputes.
Shakuni had held this live ember called Duryodhana of the Kuru dynasty in his fist so skilfully that it was out of sight of others. But he made sure to be able to bring it into the open or keep his fist closed whenever and wherever it suited him. Once its unbearable heat turned the surroundings to ashes, he should be able to hold it back in his fist. And for that reason, the highly crafty Shakuni had pulled an invisible thick skin over his palms before holding this live ember in his hand! It was of the complex and delicate relation of a mama and bhacha.
King Brihatsena welcomed all the kings invited for Swayamwar and on the Muhurta he ordered the craftsmen to turn the fish device on. Madra daughter Lakshmanaa modestly stood next to her mother and father, holding the Swayamwar garland in her hands. In this Swayamwar, Sri didn’t give any opportunity to anybody to raise any objections at all.
The Swayamwar pandal raised in the Madra royal palace in Shakalanagar was completely occupied with the invitees. Sri was the first one who began walking towards the pond of water in the pandal for fulfilling the Swayamwar condition. At that point, river Chandrabhaga flowing nearby also felt excited with the continuous applause and cheers of victory from the invitees and the Yadavas.
Sri picked up the Madra bow easily. He took the eye-catching pose of Virasana near the edge of the pond, his neck as graceful as that of a pigeon. He mounted the Suchi arrow on the bow string and pulled it. This was the very first arrow. The eyes of hundreds and thousands of people of Panchanada kept shunting up and down between the tip of the arrow and the eye of the fish rotating rapidly on the roof. All invitees held their breath, eagerly waiting to watch the unerring shot that would pierce the eye of the fish. And for some reason Sri gently lowered the bow! This caused the people in the pandal to release their breaths. A murmur spread among the invitees. Master archer Dhananjaya who was sitting in the company of his brothers stood up at once as if lightning had struck. The Madra king Brihatsena moved a few steps forward with a face full of anxiety. Madra daughter Lakshmanaa forgot that she was the bride and raising her head she glanced questioningly at the fish device, Sri and the Madra bow.
Only Uddhavabhauji was lost in looking at the palm-length peacock feather in Sri’s shining, golden crown. Even at that moment Sri looked at only two people in the pandal with a smile. First, at Uddhavabhauji then at Arjuna. Then he smi
led gently as usual. Uddhavabhauji had also stood up like Arjuna. Sri signalled both of them with his eyes, ‘to sit down quietly.’ Both of them sat down obediently following the signal.
Sri gently put the Madra bow down. He took off the golden crown on his head, and momentarily put it in his lap. He gently removed his beloved peacock feather out of the groove in his crown. He eyed it with a smile once, and put it gently on the edge of the pond. He placed his crown back on his head again, and picked up the Madra bow as easily as before. He took the elegant Virasana pose again. After that nobody knew when he twanged the bowstring and mounted the Suchi arrow on it, when he filled his chest with a deep breath, when he shot the Suchi arrow and how and when he pierced the eye of the fish!
A big round of applause followed when the fish device stopped. After that a round of victorious acclaim echoed, ‘Victory to the invincible, master archer of Aaryavarta, Sharangadhar, Lord of Dwaraka, and groom of Madra daughter Lakshmanaa, Maharaja Srikrishna …! Victory to him ... victory! Tossing their shawls in the air, and raising their hands high many citizens of Madra hurried towards the pond to offer their congratulations.
Maharaja Brihatsena brought Lakshmanaa near the pond where she put the white Swayamwar garland around Sri’s neck. Ecstatic Uddhavabhauji rushed towards his dear brother and embraced him tightly. Then he softly picked up the peacock feather from the edge of the pond, wiped it delicately once and tucked it again in the groove of his brother’s crown. Arjuna also approached Sri along with his brothers. Sri bent down to pay obeisance to the elder Pandava Yudhishthira, but Yudhishthira didn’t allow him to do so. In the meantime, Arjuna who was innately polite had already touched Sri’s feet and paid obeisance. Even in that hubbub Sri sincerely inquired about Kunti aatya and friend Draupadi. All of them were leaving for Hastinapura. Sri instructed them to meet him in his pavilion on the border of Shakalanagar.
Uddhavabhauji was done with the account of Lakshmanaa’s Swayamwar with all its details. But my inane mind was still lingering there, caught in the riddle of the peacock feather which Sri had removed in the middle of the event. I couldn’t stop myself and asked Uddhavabhauji, “All this is just fine. But why did Sri put down the already raised bow and remove the peacock feather in his crown and put it aside?”
Uddhavabhauji teased me with a smile and said, “Didn’t you get it vahini?! How did you become dada’s favourite wife? The Yadava Maharani! Now one of the new vahinis should be offered your place indeed!”, he said playfully.
Giving him a mock angry look I said, “This kind of naughtiness suits only Sri, and not you Uddhavabhauji! You better tell me, or should I leave now?” By this time in my life Uddhavabhauji had already acquired the place of my brother whom I had lost forever.
When I said this, he himself took the Virasana pose and demonstrated with gestures why Sri put down the peacock feather at the last moment. He said, “No one in the pandal understood that the peacock feather was keeping dada from piercing the eye of the fish unerringly. The reflection of that peacock feather fluttering on the cool breezes of Chandrabhaga, wobbling continuously over the reflection of the fish device was obstructing the view! Even that small peacock feather was distracting his concentration! That is why he removed it first.”
With those words, I let out a sigh, and unknowingly said, “A mere peacock feather obstructed Sri. Didn’t it?”
Immediately correcting me bhauji said, “Yes vahini, a peacock feather indeed, but not any ordinary peacock feather! It is from dada’s crown!”
The Madra son-in-law stayed in Shakalanagar along with the army, for one week. Maharaja Brihatsena showered generous hospitality in Panchanada style on everyone.
Sri left to keep his promise given to the senior Pandava Yudhishthira in the Swayamwar pandal. He arrived at the Pandava base on the border of Shakalanagar to meet aatya Kuntidevi. Yadava warriors such as Balaramadada, bhauji, both commanders, royal minister, Inshumana, Bhankara, and Devavata accompanied him.
Aatya Kuntidevi herself came along with her new daughter-in-law Draupadi to welcome Sri. The five Pandavas stood behind them. Sri inquired about aaya’s health and touched her feet to pay obeisance. Draupadi who had met Sri for the first time after Kampilyanagar, also bowed down to pay obeisance to Sri. At that time Sri insisted, “Draupadi, I call and consider you as a ‘Sakhi’, my dear friend. You need not follow these formalities every time we meet. You should always talk and behave freely with me, just like Subhadra.”
Then, at the base on the shores of Madra’s Chandrabhaga Sri had a special council with the Pandavas, their mother and Sakhi. The main topic of the discussion was the justified right of the Pandavas over the Kuru kingdom of Hastinapura!
Maharaja Pandu had inherited the kingdom of Hastinapura. Due to a curse inflicted by a sage named Kindam, Maharaja Pandu had to renounce the kingdom and go to a forest. Since his elder brother Dhritarashtra was blind from birth, the royal ministry of the Kurus had disqualified him from inheriting the royal throne before.
Maharaja Pandu went to the forest. The royal ministry was left with no choice but to request blind Dhritarashtra to take charge of the Hastinapura kingdom as a guardian. Grandsire Bhishma who was selfless, veracious, and a celibate for his life, was actually the last scion of the Kuru dynasty. He had to hand over the royal authority to blind Dhritarashtra according to Mahamantri Vidura’s advice.
Duryodhana, the eldest of the hundred sons, Dushasana who was like his shadow, Durmarsha and his many brothers, his wicked, conniving mama Shakuni and his eleven brothers who always supported him and obeyed his every word – all had joined hands. Destiny had brought together minister Kanaka and valiant Karna who had become Duryodhana’s friend after he was made the king of Anga kingdom on the occasion of the Vasant Paurnima contest. On the strength of all these, blind Dhritarashtra had grown a hundred eyes dreaming of making the impossible possible. Due to that blind Dhritarashta’s psyche had become chaotic and complicated. Valiant Bhishma and Mahatma Vidura were gradually being sidelined in Hastinapura.
Sri had regularly picked up detailed information about this truth in Hastinapura from his sharp informers. It was not easy to help the virtuous, valiant and noble Pandavas who were suffering due to the circumstances, to acquire their fair right over the kingdom. Keeping that in mind Sri cautiously started taking measures. He commenced the current meeting saying, “Kekeya king Maharaja Dhrishtaketu is my aatya’s husband. He has earnestly invited me to his royal capital Girjaka, along with the army. Therefore, I will be going there.
“Yudhishthira, you brothers are also his bhache. But the Kekeyas have no idea that you have come here. The news about the Swayamwar in Kampilyanagar must have of course reached them. You will have to gather support from all big and small powers to protect your rights in Hastinapura. I propose that you also come along with me to Kekeya’s royal capital Girjaka to visit aatya and the Kekeya king and obtain their blessings even though you are not officially invited.”
Then throughout the night a lot of deliberations took place. The Pandavas had never disobeyed their mother Kuntidevi’s word. She concluded the council with a single sentence, “My sons and their wife will obey Srikrishna. We will leave for Girjaka along with the Yadavas tomorrow.”
While taking leave of the Madras, Sri gave a confusing instruction to Uddhavabhauji. “Uddhava, as per your habit, send your special messenger to Dwaraka from here itself. Give a message to your dear vahini, that two more guests of yours are coming! Get ready to welcome them.” Bhauji respectfully replied, “Yes, I will send such a messenger today itself.”
The Madras had gifted their son-in-law animals, birds, sacks full of food grains, vestures, jewellery and hundreds of embellished, broad-backed, pure white, brown and black horses that were available only in their kingdom. Along with those they sent a messenger to Dwaraka with the news of Lakshmanaa’s arrival.
Accordingly, two special people arrived in Dwaraka eventually. But they were not Sri and Madra daughter Lakshmanaa as we had imagined.
In addition to Sri two more special guests were there! Kekeya daughter Bhadra arrived in Dwaraka as Sri’s wife following Lakshmanaa!
Aatya Shrutakirtidevi was overjoyed when Sri arrived in Girjaka along with Pandavas. She was expecting to see only the bhache from the Yadava side of the family. But Pandavas, her bhache from the Kuru side of the family also stood in front of her. She welcomed her sister Kuntidevi along with everybody else. She talked with Sri, her dear bhacha, and convinced him in her own Yadava style, “Srikrishna, your Dwaraka kingdom is new. Our Panchanada kingdom has more manpower. We have formed strong familial relations with every neighbouring kingdom here. If Dwaraka also forms such a bond with us, the entire Panchanada region will automatically support Dwaraka.”
Sri heard aatya’s whole plan of domestic diplomacy quietly with a smile. He very well understood her intention, but pretended as if he hadn’t. Sri casually drew her attention to her Kuru bhache, the Pandavas who had come along with him, and asked his dear aatya, “What you are saying is true. You are a true politician, more than Maharaja Dhrishtaketu! Just say what your wish and order is for me, for all this. I will do it. You should also do one thing for me.” He just left it at that.
At that the prudent Maharani of the Kekeyas moved forward and patting Sri’s shoulder she said, “Srikrishna, why don’t you become the son-in-law of the Kekeyas! Then automatically you will be the son-in-law of the entire Panchanada! I want to get our daughter Bhadra married to you. Tell me clearly, what you think about it. Don’t put forth any political hitchin front of me like others!”
Sri lovingly held both hands of his dear aatya and patted them. Giving her the respect due to her seniority Sri still put forth a political deal unbeknown to her. He said, “Aatya, your wish is my command as I am younger to you. I will do as you say. I will become the son-in-law of the Kekeyas. Now I understand why you urgently sent a special messenger to Vasudevababa in Dwaraka when you came to know that we are going to visit Panchanada! And why he told me to visit you in any case! So, your wish and his command will prove beneficial for the Dwaraka kingdom. I am usually a mere excuse! I will be one this time too!”
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 35