In our nightly meeting, there was a long discussion about doing something before the eleventh day broke out and Karna entered the battlefield. Everybody gave their own suggestions. The Lord of Dwaraka heard all of them without saying anything. He let everybody take his leave after the meeting. As usual to make me stay behind he said, “Sakha Satyaki, you stay here.” I obeyed his command. I started wondering what my next responsibility was going to be.
I was standing in front of him. He was sitting on his seat. Quite some time passed by like this. Then making a firm decision he said, “Commander, take Daruka and the Nandighosha chariot with you and go to the Pandava royal ladies’ camp. You have to fetch Kunti aatya urgently, get her in the chariot and bring her here along with you!”
‘Yes Sire’ I said and left the pavilion. A strange thought came to my mind and I was baffled. Is Krishnadeva going to put Kuntidevi in Arjuna’s chariot and in front of Karna like he put Shikhandi today in front of Bhishma? In spite of being so close to him for so many days I couldn’t figure out what he was going to do.
Ruminating on many such thoughts and trying to guess I went to the Pandava royal ladies’ camp. I paid obeisance to Kuntidevi and brought her in the Nandighosha chariot to Krishnadeva’s pavilion.
The Pandavas’ mother was just as confused as I was. As soon as she came she said to her favourite bhacha, “Krishna, how come my valiant sons need me today when you are present here in person? Is everything okay?” Hearing that, Hrishikesha smiled and said, “What is the use of my being here? I cannot be somebody’s mother! All your sons are safe so far. I wish they remain so in future. Therefore, you have to carry out an important task which will change the course of this battle.
“Tomorrow your firstborn son Karna, the king of Anga is entering the battlefield for the first time. You know as well as I that including Bhima and Arjuna not a single one of your five sons would be able to survive in front of his accumulated valour.
“He has taken a vow to kill Arjuna. Will you or I be able to live without Arjuna? That is why you have to make your heart stronger and do one thing leaving the pride of a Kshatriya lady aside.”
“What should I do?” Kuntidevi stuttered while staring at her bhacha with dilated eyes.
“Karna has left Kurukshetra already to bathe in Ganga for the last time. You will have to catch up with him on the banks of Ganga before he returns after offering the Arghya, as a common supplicant– for that you have to leave right away with Satyaki towards the banks of Ganga!”
Perplexed Rajmata Kuntidevi kept staring at her bhacha. She couldn’t help but ask, “I have to go to my son as a supplicant?”
“Yes…! If you want your five sons including Arjuna alive then you have to go as a supplicant. To the munificent Karna! Right now!”
Kuntidevi was lost in thought for some time. Then she made up her mind and looking at me she said, “Come Yadava commander, I am ready to go with you!”
I left Rajmata Kuntidevi in her pavilion after she got the promise as decided from munificent Karna to spare the lives of at least four of her sons except Arjuna and entered the battlefield.
Aacharya Drona who was appointed as the new commander during the night mounted his chariot on the eleventh day. Duryodhana who had entered his pavilion at night after meeting grandsire had said, “Oh aacharya! You are Dhanurveda incarnate. You are the possessor of qualities such as carefulness, gratitude, success and indomitable valour. You are like Kapali among the Rudras, Pavaka among the Vasus. In Yajna you can be compared to only Kubera. You are just like Indra among immortal kings. You are as erudite as Vasishtha among the Vipras. You are as respected as Shukracharya among the Daityas and YamaDharma among the Pitaras!” Duryodhana did not leave a single adjective of praise for his commander and aacharya Guru Drona.
In the end, he joined both his palms, leaned forward and with mock humility said only one thing, “Aacharya, I wish to see Yudhishthira, who claims to be the Prince of the Kurus and therefore demands his right over the thrones of Hastinapura and Indraprastha, captured alive and brought in front of me tomorrow!
“He should not be killed. It will infuriate Bhima and Arjuna uncontrollably. Even the rest of the Kaurava army would not be able to survive in front of them then.”
Gandhara king Shakuni standing behind Duryodhana fixed his sharp, light brown eyes on Drona and said, “Commander should capture the eldest Pandava alive and present him to us. I will vex and compel him to play the game of dice again. We will win everything that is his and send him to the forest again!”
Guru Drona couldn’t bear Shakuni’s senseless rambling and simply ignored him. He reassured Duryodhana by saying, “Duryodhanaa, when Arjuna won’t be with him I will grab that opportunity and capture Yudhishthira alive.”
Our commander Dhrishtadyumna came to know about Dronacharya’s vow. He became alert. During the night, we had decided in Krishnadeva’s pavilion that all of us will guard Yudhishthira with our lives. He had entrusted the main responsibility of this to me with the support of Virata, Drupada, Kekaya, Vyaghradutta and Sinhasena.
The eleventh day of war dawned. To lead the Kaurava army Guru Drona stood in front of us determinedly with the triangular saffron pennant of the Kurus. Drona! He was indeed a master of all shastras and astras. The Kuru army that was shattered due to Bhishma’s fall on the tenth day again became combative to see Drona assuming the position of the commander and vehemently began shouting war cries.
For the first time, today, Karna had entered the battlefield as the head of the chariot regiment under the leadership of Drona. As he was the tallest of all he looked splendid like the soaring peak of the Himalayan Mount Kailasa, in his shining pure golden Jaitra chariot embellished with vines and creepers. His fine saffron royal pennant with the emblem of an elephant’s chain was fluttering on the wind.
Today the Kuru commander Aacharya Drona fell upon Yudhishthira first. As per Krishnadeva’s instruction I went to assist him along with the strong file of Virata, Drupada, Kekaya, Vyaghradutta and Sinhasena. But Drona was indeed uncontrollable today. With two precise Bhalla arrows he tossed the heads of Vyaghradutta and Sinhasena in the sky. Like the God of Death himself Drona stood in front of Yudhishthira’s chariot. The Pandava soldiers around him who had heard of his vow were terrified to see the intensity of his war fever and started screaming, “Eldest Pandava Dharmaraja is surrounded. He is going to be captured now! Drona is going to kill him! Run…help…!”
Hearing their loud bawling valiant Arjuna pleaded with Krishnadeva to protect his elder brother, “Madhava, take the Nandighosha chariot in front of Aacharya Drona first.”
On hearing that, our Lord of Dwaraka who was his unarmed charioteer smiled wholeheartedly. During the course of the war so far, for the first time today Arjuna had unknowingly commanded his charioteer how to steer the chariot! Krishnadeva had smilingly obeyed his command as a charioteer.
Not just today but so long as Karna with his potent valour like a latent volcano was going to move unobstructed in the battlefield, it was dangerous to take Arjuna in front of him. That is why through me he had instructed Bhimsena to strike Karna. It was while witnessing the relentless battle between the two of them that the eleventh day of the war ended.
On the twelfth day, the Sanshaptakas who had vowed to kill or be killed, besieged Arjuna. As I was going towards him with my Yadava army to help, he himself imploringly signalled me to go and protect Dharma. As I knew about the vow of the Sanshaptakas I began looking at his Nandighosha chariot in confusion. Immediately I came to know that the signal was inspired by Krishnadeva. He was pointing the whip in his hand towards Yudhishthira and ordering me to go there.
Along with Panchala warrior Satyajita, and Virata’s sons Shatanika and Vasudana I began fighting with all my might to protect Yudhishthira from Drona. But today Drona was indeed so uncontainable that nobody could stop him. Within moments he had beheaded all three of them in front of my eyes.
At that time Bhimsena had fallen upon the elephantry regiment of the Ku
rus which was under the leadership of Karna. He hysterically struck many elephants with his heavy mace one after the other and smashed their heads. He actually exhibited the power of a thousand elephants in his arms. The collapsing, roaring elephants raised clouds of dust.
Arjuna fought with the Sanshaptakas ferociously. Proving their vow void, first he killed Sudhanwa. Then he beheaded Susharma along with his five brothers.
Krishnadeva was overjoyed with Arjuna’s valiant feat and rushed the Nandighosha chariot towards Yudhishthira for his protection. Here Narakasura’s son Bhagadutta had surrounded Yudhishthira and confined him from all sides.
Bhagadutta was an Asura. His thick, long eyebrows would actually hang over his eyelashes covering his eyes. To curb that obstruction in his vision he had tied his eyebrows with a strip of cloth around his forehead.
Krishnadeva was the only one who knew this weakness of that asura. He told Arjuna to tear off that strip of cloth first. Arjuna succeeded in doing that with just one arrow. As the strip of cloth was torn off, his thick eyebrows fell upon Bhagdutta’s eyes. It made Kurukshetra barely visible for him as if he was looking at it through the strip of cloth. He got distracted. He couldn’t figure out how to control his bow and brows both at the same time. Meanwhile Dhananjaya shot a crescent moon-shaped arrow at the temple of his elephant. The mammoth elephant collapsed. Then Bhagadutta who had fallen on the ground got up and started running while holding the bow in his hands. After the killing of Narakasura, Krishnadeva had offered him the kingdom of Pragjyotishapura and had requested him to assist the Pandavas at the right time. He had forgotten that.
Arjuna shot one more Chandramukha arrow and beheaded him. Seeing that, Shakuni was furious and charged at Arjuna along with his staunch Gandhara soldiers. Arjuna launched an Astra for the first time today. He launched the Aditya Astra and chased away Shakuni along with his Gandhara army. In a raging battle Ashwatthama killed King Neela.
Around the time when evening was approaching Karna’s Jaitra chariot came in front of Arjuna for the first time today. Both of them barely got a chance to shoot arrows at each other. On the holy land of Kurukshetra from the Nandighosha chariot itself Krishnadeva joined his hands and looking at the setting sun with a smile he chanted the Savitru mantra. At the same time, Karna, a devotee of the Sun was also chanting the same Savitru mantra on his Jaitra chariot with his hands joined in prayer and eyes closed. The lord of the sky, the Sun god set after accepting both prayers.
At night, the usual meeting of all regiment leaders took place in Krishnadeva’s capacious pavilion in the light of burning torches. Everyone was extremely worried. The news that our surveillance chief had gathered from the Kuru camp was indeed alarming. In the Kuru commander’s pavilion Duryodhana had admonished Commander Drona in front of all, discarding all the proprieties of their sacred relationship “Within twelve days we have lost twelve lakh soldiers, and yet not a single Pandava is dead! More than half of brothers have been killed but not a single Pandava has got even a scratch! You made me a promise that you will capture Yudhishthira alive. Then what is going on? Is this a war or a feast for Vishnuyaga yajna? Oh, Guru Drona… if your bow is incapable of slaying the Pandavas then hand over the royal pennant on your royal chariot to Karna tomorrow! We will fight the war in our own way!”
Guru Drona who could not bear the harsh words of ignominy got up from his seat and took a solemn vow – “I will prove it to Duryodhana who is imprudently doubting my prowess that tomorrow the sun will not set until it witnesses the body of at least one of the Pandavas lying lifeless inside the Chakravyuha – wheel formation!”
Krishnadeva sat quiet in the meeting for a long time, hearing all the suggestions of the worried Pandavas about the situation. The question was how to break open the extremely complex wavy circles of the wheel formation!
That is why all were distraught and silent. After some time with a solemn face the great Yadava ordered me, “Commander, summon valiant Abhimanyu here!”
Saying ‘As you wish great Yadava’ I caught up with maharathi Abhimanyu in his pavilion. He had just removed his attire and was resting while talking to his attendants. I hesitated even while giving the message to that sixteen-year-old young warrior. ‘Your mama has summoned you’, as soon as he heard my words he promptly left saying ‘Let’s go commander’.
As soon as he entered the pavilion Krishnadeva called him in a hoarse voice drenched in love, ‘Come Abhi…!’ I had never heard Krishnadeva speak in such a hoarse voice before.
That perceptive son of Arjuna also instantly realized that his mama had called him ‘Abhi’ today instead of ‘Abhimanyu’ like usual. He moved forward with a smile saying, ‘Yes mama…!’ He touched the feet of his venerable mama and then holding his hands together he stood politely with a smile. For a moment, I was startled to see his pure white teeth shining like the meteors even in the dim light of the burning torches. Just one year back the young son of Arjuna had got married. His pregnant, virtuous, beautiful wife Uttaraa was staying in the ladies’ camp.
Noting everyone sitting in silence the son of Arjuna himself asked, “Why are you all so quiet? So tense?”
Krishnadeva got up from his elevated seat, went near him and putting his right arm on his muscular shoulders he said, “Guru Drona is going to arrange his army in the complicated Chakravyuha tomorrow. The mission of breaking it open…” even Krishnadeva couldn’t say anything further!
“It would be my honour if that responsibility falls on my shoulders. With blessings from all of you I will be glad to accept it!” The son of Subhadra paid obeisance to all humbly, and immediately left the pavilion graciously as he did not have the immodesty of taking a seat among his elders and seniors.
Overwhelmed, I kept staring at his disappearing figure with thick, curly hair hanging down his shoulders.
He was indeed a gallant bhacha befitting his legendary mama – the Lord of Dwaraka!
The thirteenth day of war became memorable due to the indomitable, sky-high prowess of Abhimanyu. To break open the Chakravyuha that Drona had arranged today Abhimanyu entered the Kaurava army along with Bhimsena. Breaking open circle after circle of the enemy he directly went to the centre of the wheel formation. There a violent mace fight took place between him and Duryodhana’s son Lakshmana. Both of them fell unconscious at the same time. Lakshmana who regained consciousness first, killed unconscious Abhimanyu with a strike of his mace. Insolent Jayadratha literally kicked dead Abhimanyu to roll over his body that was face down. As Arjuna heard about the disgraceful treatment for his dear son he took a vow – ‘To kill Jayadratha by the end of the next day! Or else, he would enter the sandalwood funeral pyre himself!’
On the fourteenth day Kuru commander Drona organized his army in a Shakata or bullock cart formation. Dronacharya who had worn white armour, dress and headgear entered the battlefield while blowing his conch with a terrifying sound. Krishnadeva brought the Nandighosha chariot of Arjuna who had taken a solemn vow of killing Jayadratha in front of him and blew his Panchjanya conch. The Kurus had taken thorough precautions today to not bring the Sindhu king Jayadratha on the battlefield at all.
Arjuna, enraged with the grief of losing his son, was lamenting irately ‘Show me Jayadratha! Where is Jayadratha?’ His unarmed charioteer steered his chariot all over the battlefield throughout the day. But in vain! As hour after hour passed by and he couldn’t find Jayadratha anywhere, exasperated Arjuna slew the brothers Vinda-Anuvinda of Avanti who attacked him in the meanwhile.
In the evening, according to his solemn vow Arjuna ascended the sandalwood funeral pyre and taking advantage of the clearing of the eclipse, looking precisely in the direction that Krishnadeva pointed his forefinger he shot a Chandramukhi Jidma arrow and beheaded insolent Jayadratha. Watching that chilling event the remaining few lakh soldiers from both armies were horrified. The Pandava soldiers ecstatically gave out continuous war slogans of ‘Hail Narayana Srikrishna – son of Yashoda, son of Devaki. Hail invincible, master archer, greatest
of men Arjuna – son of Kunti.’ Even as those thrilling war slogans were being shouted the sun of the fourteenth day set.
Due to the unanticipated killing of Jayadratha all Kuru warriors including Drona, Kripa, Karna, Ashwatthama and Duryodhana got furious. Since then the night war began as never before. In the light of hundreds of torches Guru Drona fell upon King Shibi.
Somadutta and I fought a fierce night war. Guru Drona who had slain Shibi and Balhika began slaying the Pandava army. Karna who was surrounded by all five Pandavas from all sides began showering them with a rain of arrows. Yudhishthira who had been defeated and chased away by him stood in front of Drona. Nakula faced Shakuni. Arjuna and Karna came face to face for the first time today – that too in the night war!
Karna was familiar with night war also. He shot at Arjuna over and over again. In his form a big river of molten iron began flowing unhindered among the Pandava army. His Jaitra chariot moved freely, trampling many troops of the Kekeyas, Panchalas, and Maharathas. Like a turbulent hurricane churning the ocean, he stirred up any Pandava regiment that came face to face with him. Bhima, Arjuna, Yudhishthira, Dhrishtadyumna and I, none of us could hold ground in front of him. Terrified Yudhishthira was asking every warrior, ‘Is this Radheya going to spare any of our army till morning or not? Or is he going to turn it into a silent river full of blood like river Drishadwati?’ It was such a tough time that if Karna was not stopped the Pandava army wouldn’t be able to see the next day.
Dhrishtadyumna and I along with the four Pandavas approached Arjuna’s Nandighosha chariot. Joining our hands together we pleaded charioteer Krishnadeva, “Oh Yogayogeshwara, do whatever is required but please stop Karna!”
From amongst us he called only Bhimsena near Nandighosha. As we were engaged in a night war there was no time for any secret meeting also. Controlling the reins of the Nandighosha chariot in his hands the Lord of Dwaraka spoke loudly today for the first time and said to Bhimsena, “Tell your son Ghatotkacha to confront Karna with his Rakshasa army!”
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 89