127
Yudhishthira says, “He cannot get Krishna as the holder of the reins of his chariot; thus, he asked Salya to be his charioteer. He also demanded that several carts decked with long shafts, lances, arrows, maces and other universal weapons should follow him at all times in the battlefield. He mentioned that Salya is superior to Krishna in steed lore and Karna is stronger than Arjuna; therefore, if Salya agrees to drive his chariot, he, the wielder of Vijaya, can eradicate any number of forces on the field. And in the end, he mentioned that even Devas and Asuras affright before the prowess and intelligence of Karna, then, where do mere mortal Pandavas stand?”
Yudhishthira smiles after sharing the message given by the spy. Arjuna speaks nothing but Krishna smiles back at Yudhishthira. I am equally amused, as the other fellow warriors in the camp. No wonder Karna possesses the unparalleled skills and his knowledge about arms is astounding. He knows when to pick which arrow among the countless arrows in his quiver. But Salya is also a strong ruler. He is a possessor of thousands of weapons, which he earned with his dedication and determi- nation. He owns heavy bows, virulent arrows and maces twined with hempen chords. The two massive arms of Salya are cer- tainly not to pull the reins of yoked steeds. He is present on the battlefield to prove his supremacy over other warriors.
“Why would anyone want Salya to leave the combat and become the charioteer. Isn’t it a humiliation of a reckoned war- rior? Salya doesn’t deserve to be the charioteer. He is a king, and unlike Krishna, he didn’t express to be a puller of reins tied to the strong steeds. It is a blunder.” I told Yudhishthira after everyone left the place.
128
Beholding my belligerence, Yudhishthira smiles and says, “Yuyutsu, this is a blessing for us. King Salya had promised me before the war that if given an opportunity, he would always discourage Karna with his taunts and won’t mind tormenting his plans. Karna never participated in the battle for the first ten days, and the next five days, he was fighting under the com- mands of Guru. Now, when he is the commander, he can decide his antagonist and, I am sure, Salya will fulfil his promise.”
“This is deceitful.”
“One can never win a war without deceit. Moreover, Salya becoming Karna’s charioteer is the result of his guilt and misjudgement. I am not forcing king Salya to do anything against his will. It is acceptance of his own mistake of bless- ing Duryodhana with his entire army without realizing the clever intentions of Duryodhana. Yuyutsu! Remember no war, in history, is won without deceiving the foes. Even the Devas, when fought against the Asuras, had many times followed the path of deceitfulness. For the larger good, smaller sacrifices are inevitable. The strength of fighting over injustice allows the warriors to deceive their foes when needed. The warrior becomes victorious when he carries his strength in the bag of his weaknesses. The opponent only sees the weakness but the warrior attacks with the hidden strength.” I had never seen this side of Yudhishthira. I have seen his strength, I have seen his calmness, but today, I see a clever king inside Yudhishthira. I smile and walk towards my chariot. Yudhishthira knows he was talking to a half-Kaurava, but his trust in me allows him to speak his mind.
129
Arjuna prepares his chariot. The ape-bannered pennant is flying high on his chariot. Krishna is ready to pull the reins of chariot once again. Arjuna is a proud man with sub- stance. His weapons strike deep, his aims are flawless, and he can target the foes even without looking at them. His ambidexterity is known to the world. He had gathered sev- eral powerful weapons with the years of devotion and pen- ance. The son of Indra, blessed with the power of Rudra, he can remove any hurdle on the battlefield. As the fuel can’t extinguish the fire or the wind can’t be seized with human might; likewise, Arjuna can’t be captivated or conquered in the battle.
“Has Karna invited his mortification?” I ask Sudasa. He looks at me and smiles back but remains silent. A chari- oteer can judge the strengths of the warriors better than the warriors themselves. Sudasa commands the steeds towards the field as I signal him to move. Yudhishthira has already shared the day’s strategy, and each key warrior has a designated antagonist he must slay. But I couldn’t under- stand when he asked Arjuna to stay away from Karna till the second half of the day. A king knows the right time to show his strength, and when I asked him about this strat- egy, he said, “By the second half, if Karna is not able to locate Arjuna, he will probably become frustrated and make mis- takes. That will be time for Arjuna to pounce on his antago- nist.” Clever judgement!
This war and its challenges have made Yudhishthira a key strategist, or maybe he always was very sharp but never revealed it to the world. Duryodhana always felt that it would be easier for him to captivate Yudhishthira. But he forgot that he is a person of wisdom.
130
“Unfavourable situations show the rescue path too, one must keep the eyes open”, I remember he told me this during our gurukul days.
Blares of conches signal the start of another day. It is the start of the seventeenth day of the battle. Our wounds are the witness of our viciousness and the countless dead bodies testify the carnage of the past sixteen days. The same fierce combat starts once again. The foot soldiers against their coun- terparts, the charioteers counter their antagonists, and the ele- phant warriors fight with the ones on elephants. The grunt of elephants, the shriek of horses, and the cries of humans; there is no difference if I compare today with the past sixteen days.
Meanwhile, Karna enters the field with his two sons protect- ing his chariot from left and right. He releases multiple arrows from his mighty bow as he cruises on the battlefield. Verily, his eyes look for Arjuna, but there is no Arjuna present. Karna shouts aiming our army, “The one who points me towards the wielder of Gandiva, that high-souled warrior with white steeds, I will reward him with whatever wealth he desires. I will give a cartload of jewels and gems, hundreds of kine, carts loaded with silver and gold pulled by the bulls with the strength of elephants. I will make him the owner of a hundred villages and give thousands of damsels decked with ornaments accomplished in various arts. I will give high breed and docile steeds. And I will….” He keeps on increasing the reward, but there is nobody on the field who can locate Arjuna or wants to search Arjuna. Not because of fear but because they trust their leader and the king. Allegiance is tested best amidst the adver- saries, and commitment is evaluated best against the avarice.
131
When Karna gets no answer, he starts advancing towards Yudhishthira. He knows if he traps the king, Arjuna will surely come out to rescue Yudhishthira.
The three Akshauhini army of Kauravas follows Karna. A large cavalry abounding with thousands of soldiers from both the groups follow their commanders in predefined formations. The arrows, the lances, the swords, and the spears, every weapon is ready to suck out the last drop of life from all the living beings present on the battlefield. Karna comes closer to the group covering the king. We are ready for any unpre- dicted move from Karna, and we are confident that Arjuna will never let Karna take the king hostage. I ask Sudasa to move closer to the king. While I move towards Yudhishthira, Satyaki advances towards Karna. Arjuna is on the other part of the battlefield countering with troops of Ashwatthama following Yudhishthira’s advice in the morning.
Karna’s strikes become fiercer as the day advances. His wrath on the field topples the strategy of Yudhishthira. The son of Adhiratha and disciple of Parashuram is proving his worth. He is repaying the trust that Duryodhana had on him always. The tornado of Karna wrecks the array formed by Dhrishtadyumna. The soldiers run for their lives, and the twang of Vijaya resonates with the twang of Gandiva, albeit at different parts of the field. The two tigers are yet not facing each other, but their fierceness has already robbed innumerable souls.
“Karna is the possessor of might, and conversant with all modes of warfare. His energy is like fire, and his speed is like the impetuous wind. His skill is no less than Arjuna’s, and
132
his st
rength equates Bhima. He is strong and clever, a skilled warrior in totality. He is the fiercest combatant of Kaurava army, who is proving his worth today, possibly the first time in his life. His dexterity of handling weapons and speed of strik- ing foes reflects the multiple years of dedication. This man is today dispelling the fear of Duryodhana”, Sudasa gladly shares his admiration for Karna. Who can better judge the might of a warrior in battle than a charioteer! Whatever he mentioned is enough to affright any soldier present on the field.
Karna attacks Bhima and pierces his body in many places. Arrows from the bow of Karna seems like a virulent serpent hissing at the man and impeding his strength. Bhima strikes back, but for a moment, his concentration dwindles before the keen and belligerent attack of Karna. Karna, an absolute opportunist, grabs the moment and strikes at Yudhishthira. And before any of us could realize, his venomous arrows strike Yudhishthira. He didn’t get a chance to safeguard himself; even the shield held by his charioteer couldn’t protect the torrent of arrows. And one of the keen shafts pierces the king. Yudhishthira swoons with that dreadful strike of Karna. Bhima rushes towards him, blocks the attacks of Karna by positioning his chariot in front of Yudhishthira’s chariot. I run towards the king, and as I reach, Bhima asks me to take Yudhishthira to our camp for immediate aid. I mount on Yudhishthira’s chariot and guarding him against further attacks, career towards our medical tent.
The physicians present in the camp immediately attend the king. The arrow which has pierced his flesh is taken out carefully, and the wounds are cleaned. The head medico applies salve on his wounds. The king is out of danger but needs rest.
133
I come out of the tent while waiting for him to regain senses. “Why is Arjuna not countering Karna? What is stopping him from facing Karna now? Yudhishthira had a close encounter with his end. Fortunately, Bhima was quick in responding to Karna’s attack.”
I was engrossed in my thoughts of evaluating the strategy of the king, and his maestro warrior when I heard the hooves of horses racing towards the camp. I rush towards the direction of the sound of chariot’s rattle to check for any threat to Yudhishthira.
The chariot stops in front of me while I am ready to strike out any consequence. “Krishna and Arjuna”, I exclaim. I join my hands and greet Krishna. I see a tensed smile on his face. Arjuna is restless. He passes me and without acknowledg- ing my presence enters the tent. Krishna and I follow him. Yudhishthira is stable but still resting with his eyes closed. The younger brother touches the feet of his elder and checks with physicians about his condition. Fresh blood is still rinsing from the wounds. Arjuna inspects the injury of his elder with moist eyes. They undermined Karna while strategizing. Blunder! They shouldn’t have given reign to Karna, to reach that near to the king. Arjuna looks at us. The million hidden questions in his mind are no less than a flagellation for him. He closes his eyes, and a tiny drop trickles down from his right eye. His heavy breathing is audible. His love for his elder is dripping out through his eyes. I smile within and think what kind of brother am I? “Did I malign the relations by switching the side? My brother calls me a traitor and here the two brothers have an inseparable bond”, I speak within.
In the middle of this hatred, the infinite love of a brother for his elder soothes the heart. Yudhishthira opens his eyes. He is
134
still panting in pain. The lotion on the wounds is working, but slowly. He is out of danger. He looks at us, his eyes glimmer. “I am a proud brother today. Karna is dead, and there is no more threat to us. Karna was the biggest hurdle in our journey of victory. But you have destroyed that hurdle today. You have proved why the world shivers before your strength.” Arjuna seems bewildered, and Krishna stunned as if they couldn’t understand the words of Yudhishthira.
Flabbergasted! Arjuna joins his hands and asks, “Why, O elder, you speak like this. Who told you the news of Karna’s death? That son of Suta and favourite of Duryodhana is still alive on the battlefield. After demolishing Ashwatthama’s army when I came back, Bhima told me about this incident. I asked Bhima to come and check for your wellness, but he refused, making me come here. I am pleased that the arrow pierced your body didn’t harm you much and you recovered faster.”
Suddenly, the gleeful eyes of Yudhishthira turn rageful. With reddened eyes like an erupting volcano, he gets up from his bed and yells at Arjuna, “It’s a sheer untruth that you came here to check my health. You have left Bhima on the field to fight with Karna knowingly. You are fearful. You have forgotten all the promises you made during our exile. Destitute of your strength and petrified with fear of Karna’s wrath, you bereft Bhima on the battlefield and come here to hide in the camp. You didn’t come here to check if I were alive or dead, but you came here because you got affrighted beholding Karna’s supremacy on the field today. He is impetuously making this earth deprived of brave soldiers and warriors. Observing your end in the hands of Karna, you ran away from the battlefield. You have maligned today the womb of that mother who believed that you are the strongest warrior on this planet. Having promised
135
the slaughter of Karna in the woods, why did you break it? We have always blessed you and cherished your feats. We always believed you as our saviour, and now amid this war, you have betrayed us. You have betrayed your brothers, and you have betrayed Draupadi. Our hopes are shattered today, and my heart feels guilty for putting the lives of thousands of soldiers at stake, just by believing in you. I have never imagined that once again, I will be periled before Duryodhana. You have the mightiest sword, the twang of your Gandiva shivers even the firmament, and your chariot is protected by Krishna himself. Even then out of fear of Karna, you ran away. Fie on your Gandiva, fie on your prowess, fie on your intellect, and fie on your feats. O Arjuna! Throw this Gandiva and retire to a forest. Instead of living a life of a slave, I will either kill myself or live like an ascetic in deep woods.” Saying this Yudhishthira turns his back on Arjuna.
Astounded! I couldn’t believe what I just heard. Nobody has seen the anger of calm Yudhishthira. All his life, he remained patient and lived with the hunger of learning. The result of the dice game didn’t move the firm and calm mind of the king. Whatever happened today have left us staggered. I look at Arjuna. For a moment, he couldn’t react as if he couldn’t believe what he heard. Krishna also looks surprised listening to these cruel words of Yudhishthira.
“Is it the effect of wounds? Why has the king lost confidence in the efficacy of Arjuna?” I looked at Krishna and spoke.
Krishna listens to everything silently while Arjuna’s breath- ing gets heavier as if every word of Yudhishthira has released its venom in Arjuna’s heart. The wielder of Gandiva pants like an impatient young lad. Words are mightier than swords.
136
Arjuna looks around, walking impatiently with no sense of what to do. Yudhishthira is still facing the other side. While Krishna tries to control the boiling emotions of Arjuna the latter picks out his sword from the sheath. The glimmering silver sword with sharp end has the strength to cut even strong trees in a single strike. The gnashing warrior moves towards Yudhishthira holding his sword high. Time seems to have paused. I can’t witness what is happening in front of my eyes. Seems, the body is losing its senses. Arjuna’s mind has become a slave of his emotions. “Is he going to kill his elder, O Krishna?” I remark.
Krishna looked at me, and before Arjuna could reach his elder, he shouts, “Arjuna! Stop there. Don’t move an inch”.
Arjuna stops and looks back.
Krishna speaks again, “O greatest of all warriors! What are you planning to do today? Why did you pick your sword? It is not a battlefield. We came here to check for the wellness of our king. He is healthy; he is recovering. You should rejoice knowing it, then why you took out your sword. What’s pro- voked you to commit such a heinous act of picking out the sword before your brother?”
Arjuna realizes what he was trying to do. His breaths soothe, and the anger melts out through his
eyes. He speaks, “Krishna! The mettle of eternal peace, you tell me, what shall I do? I gave my entire life for the betterment of the kingdom. I lived in penance, learnt the skills, attained the weapons, and like an ascetic, I renounced everything to stay focused towards one goal. But today, my own elder brother doubts my potential. For him, the strength of Karna becomes more affrighting than
137
his trust in the skills of his brother. I have proved my supe- riority while demolishing Khandava forest, while in a battle with Gandharvas; and while saving the wealth of Matsyas. I have proved my focus while being in Gurukul, and while being in the courtroom of my father Indra. My Gurus call me the warrior who never diverted from the path of commitment. But today, my elder tells me to give away the Gandiva to someone superior to me.”
“O, my dear friend! You tell me to whom the king is referring while yelling those cruel words on me. I came here to check for his wellness. But he, instead of cherishing my love for him, quills me with his harsh words. I know slaying anyone outside the battlefield is a sin, and I became a sinner today with just thinking about killing my blood. I have abstained from morality and refrained from the aid of scriptures. My morality, wisdom, strength, and my intelligence will always be questioned for this irresponsible act of mine.”
Yuyutsu - Rise of the last Kaurava Page 12