AJAYA I -- Roll of the Dice

by Unknown

  By evening, Arjuna's victorious army entered Hastinapura and the people thronged the Royal highway to see the captured Panchala King and heap abuse on him. They hailed Arjuna and his brave brothers, who had accomplished what the Crown Prince had failed to do. The greatest archer in the world had saved the honour of the kingdom and was dragging their enemy through the streets. The citizens felt proud. Some expressed it by rushing to the captured foes and spitting in their faces, others by flinging abuse. A few bold ones managed to punch the captives. The procession swelled with dancing young men, drummers, and a group of Brahmins hailing the victory of dharma and shouting slogans in favour of Arjuna and Yudhishtra.

  Drona stood on the veranda near the main entrance of the palace. On the grand steps leading to the lawn and garden, stood more Brahmins, holding flowers and scented water. As Arjuna and his brothers dismounted and walked towards their Guru, they chanted holy mantras and showered them with petals. Yudhishtra fell at Guru Drona's feet, and then at Dhaumya's.

  Choked with emotion, Drona was unable to utter a single word. He hugged Arjuna. "My beloved disciple, what more can a Guru ask?" he kept repeating, as his tears of joy wet Arjuna's broad shoulders.

  Dhaumya raised his hands and the drumming stopped. The Brahmins gulped on their unfinished mantras. "This is a proud moment in the history of Hastinapura. Today, our boys have proved to the world that our kingdom will not tolerate any insult to Brahmins. Prince Yudhishtra here has taken his first step towards upholding our eternal dharma. He is not a mere Prince; he is the embodiment of dharma. From today, let him be known as Dharmaputra Yudhishtra, Son of Dharma."

  Dhaumya raised his hands and the holy mantras resumed as the eldest Pandava bowed his head in humility. The crowd gave a huge cheer and someone cried out: Jaya Jaya Dharmaputra Yudhishtra. The words echoed from thousands of throats. The drums began beating again. Dowager Kunti came running from her chamber and edged her way towards her sons. She turned to wave to the crowd, who roared back.

  "Where is that evil man who dared insult our Guru?" asked Dhaumya.

  Arjuna and Bhima rushed to the cart where the bound Dhrupada sat. Bhima grabbed the defeated King of Panchala by the throat, and with Arjuna leading the way, he pulled and shoved him towards Drona. Nakula and Sahadeva dragged Dhristadyumna and Shikandi in similar fashion. The Priests spat on the captives as they passed them on the steps. Bhima threw the Panchala King at Guru Drona's feet.

  The Guru laughed loudly, slapping his thigh. As his old classmate and friend fell on his face, the Guru kicked him. The crowd cheered. "Ha ha... now who is at whose feet, you arrogant Kshatriya? Who is the supplicant and who the benefactor? You rogue... remember the day I came to you for help and how you treated me? This kick is for your arrogance and this one is for your pride..."

  Suyodhana and his friends finally broke through the ranks of the Priests and reached the Guru just as the horns sounded in the familiar blast announcing the arrival of the Grand Regent. The chariot carrying Bhishma and the Prime Minister entered the palace gates and the crowd grew silent. People moved to make way and the Grand Regent ascended the steps quickly. He stopped near the Panchala King, coiled into a foetal position to protect himself from Drona's vicious kicks. Drona paled when he saw Bhishma's rigid face and burning eyes.

  The Grand Regent lifted the fallen man and was shocked to see it was Dhrupada, one of their prominent vassal Kings. "Can anyone explain what is going on here?" Bhishma asked, his voice cold with contempt. Everyone trembled in fear. No one wished to face the Grand Regent when he was angry.

  Dhaumya knew the responsibility for an explanation had fallen onto his shoulders since Drona showed no inclination to speak. He moved forward. "Your Excellency, this man insulted a Brahmin, and we are meting out just punishment."

  "Insulted a Brahmin? Do you know who this man is? He is the King of Panchala, and you are treating him like a criminal. Who did he insult and when?" No one dared answer. Bhishma drew his sword and cut the ropes binding the King. He ordered the eunuch and the Prince of Panchala be freed as well. Then he turned to Dhaumya. "Tell me who insulted whom? When and how?"

  "Sir, he insulted our Raja Guru Drona."

  "When?"

  Dhaumya looked at Drona, who finally came forward. "Your Excellency, he insulted me seventeen years ago, when I went to beg for his aid."

  "What! Guru, is this is a joke? He insulted you seventeen years ago and now you capture him using the Hastinapura army and destroy our relationship with a vassal state? Who ordered the attack on a friendly State without my permission? You have many questions to answer, Drona."

  Dhrupada laughed loudly at hearing this, which further provoked the Brahmins. "Adharma! Adharma! Does the pride of a Brahmin have no value in this land? Shame on Hastinapura," they chorused, gaining courage in the anonymity of the crowd.

  Bhishma ignored them and moved menacingly close to Drona. The Guru unsheathed his sword, ready to take on the Grand Regent and become a martyr to dharma.

  Kunti ran between the two men. "Pitamaha, why are you ruining my sons' reputation like this? Is it because they have done what the Crown Prince could not?"

  There were many retorts the Grand Regent could have made but he was a gentleman. Kunti was aware he would never address a woman rudely in public or in private. Bhishma shook his head in despair. Grabbing the King of Panchala's hands, he said, "Your Highness, accept my apologies for what has transpired. I have no words to express my regret and sorrow. Please accompany me to the sabha. Let me see what I can do to right this wrong committed by Hastinapura."

  With a heavy heart, Bhishma walked to the sabha, followed by the others. The showdown began. Drona offered his resignation. Bhishma angrily responded saying he would have been fired anyhow. The entire assembly of nobles rose in protest, as an amused Dhrupada and his sons watched how Government was run in Hastinapura, the de-facto capital of India. Prince Suyodhana was summoned and given a public tongue-lashing by the Grand Regent, for forgetting his raja dharma in leading their forces against a vassal state without provocation. When the Prince tried to defend himself saying he had orders from King Dhritarashtra, the Grand Regent turned to look at the monarch in disbelief. Bhishma asked the Prince where his common sense had gone, reminding him that he was duty bound to disobey orders if they went against what was right. Suyodhana remained silent. In the depths of his heart, he believed he should have refused to follow the Guru's orders in the first instance. He accepted he had made an error of judgement.

  But Drona refused to be cowed. When he found he had the support of the Brahmins, he remained defiant and stubborn, refusing to apologize. The most he would say was that he would consider Dhrupada a friend again, now that he had been paid back in his own coin. The incident was best forgotten.

  Bhishma then summoned Prince Yudhishtra, who calmly maintained that he had followed dharma and done his duty without worrying about the results. When asked, Arjuna said the same thing. He added, that as a disciple of Drona, his first duty was towards his respected teacher and what was due to him. The nobles received the statements of both Pandava Princes with applause.

  Bhishma looked helplessly at Dhrupada. A mocking smile played on the Panchala King's lips. Bhishma knew he looked foolish. He enquired about the gifts the Panchala King had sent Drona, and ordered them returned immediately. Dhaumya interjected to say that gifts given to a Brahmin could not be taken back. However, Drona could distribute them among the Brahmins present since he was an ascetic and did not care for material things. Bhishma exploded in rage, banging his clenched fist on the armrest of his chair. The situation was turning ugly.

  Then King Dhrupada stood up to say he would not take back anything he had gifted. The Brahmins accepted his statement with loud cheers and praised the generous King of Panchala. Dhrupada folded his hands and bowed to the Brahmins who had spat on him just a short while ago. They blessed him with long life.

  Bhishma felt sickened by the farce playing out before him. He dismissed the sabha an
d walked tiredly back to his chamber. He did not wait to see Drona approach Dhrupada and hug him. As Bhishma walked past, Shikandi drew an imaginary line across his throat and smirked. Immersed in his own thoughts, the Grand Regent did not see the gesture, but Vidhura saw the hatred in those glassy eyes and shuddered. He placed himself protectively between the eunuch and the Grand Regent, and breathed a sigh of relief when Bhishma was safely past Shikandi. The Grand Regent was tired and heartsick. Hanging his head in defeat, he entered his chambers and waited for Vidhura to close the heavy doors.

  ***

  In the sabha, the Panchala King accepted Drona's invitation and everyone proceeded towards the banqueting hall to eat and drink in the name of friendship rediscovered. Suyodhana and his friends were standing near the doorway, animatedly discussing the turn of events, when someone tapped Aswathama on the shoulder. The young Brahmin turned to see the burning eyes of Dhristadyumna staring into his own. With all the venom he could muster, Dhristadyumna hissed, "You untrustworthy Brahmin! For a while, I thought you were my friend. See how you have treated my father. We trusted you and gave you gifts to avoid a war, and you repaid our hospitality by dragging us like criminals in chains through the streets. Mark my words you cowards, you and your great Guru will pay dearly for this. Ask the old nut to check his throat every day. One morning he will have no head."

  Aswathama grabbed the Panchala Prince by the throat. "Another word about my father and you are a dead man, you bastard."

  Dhristadyumna's hands wrapped themselves round Aswathama's throat in reply. The two young warriors struggled to choke each other to death. Suyodhana and Karna rushed between them, struggling to push the duo apart.

  "My apologies, my friend. Let the past remain in the past," Suyodhana said to Dhristadyumna.

  In reply, the Panchala Prince spat viciously on the floor and walked away. Aswathama tried to follow him with his sword drawn, but the strong arms of Karna restrained him. Shikandi stood behind them, watching the drama with a leer on his face. Once Dhristadyumna had walked away, the eunuch went up to Suyodhana. In an effeminate manner, Shikandi touched the Crown Prince. "Prince, my brother wants Drona. But whom does this beautiful lady want? Tell me, my handsome Prince. You do not know? How unfortunate. Well, I want your Granduncle. I am in love with the most eligible bachelor in India. Wait till I get Bhishma," Shikandi said in a high-pitched voice, imitating a coy woman. Then he walked away, blowing a kiss towards Suyodhana and caressing Karna's cheek in passing. Karna shuddered at the touch. Suyodhana shook his head in dismay. The circle of hatred was growing bigger and bigger around them.

  ***

  Inside the Grand Regent's chambers, two worried men discussed the future course of action. Bhishma wished Kunti and her sons to leave Hastinapura. He was angry about what had happened in his absence and all Vidhura's attempts to pacify the Grand Regent were in vain. He said, Vidhura did not understand the consequences of Drona's folly; that Hastinapura was fortunate the Southern Confederate was still incapacitated without Parashurama, or else the act of insulting a powerful vassal State would have given them an excellent opportunity to move in. He was sad about the way caste was slowly creeping back into the northern kingdoms and wanted to cut down Dhaumya's influence. Kunti and the Pandavas had become a rallying point for the conservatives and to break this dangerous trend, they had to go.

  When the old man's anger had cooled a little, Vidhura put forward his idea. He suggested the Pandavas and their mother could be moved to the village of Varanavata, which was sufficiently far away from the capital. Bhishma agreed and asked the Prime Minister to arrange it. Vidhura reminded him the village was backward and did not have suitable dwellings for the members of the Royal family.

  "Spare no expense, Vidhura, else Kunti will be telling everyone I have treated her badly. Build a palace but do it quickly. Who can you get to do the job efficiently?"

  "Sir, I have a man in mind. He is efficient and fast, but..."

  "But what? Call him and start," Bhishma ordered impatiently.

  "Sir, he is very corrupt and..."

  "Bah! Corrupt... who is not corrupt in this land? Let him skim some money and get fat, but let the work start today. Go on, call him!" Bhishma snapped his fingers.

  Vidhura bowed and went to do the Grand Regent's bidding.

  ***

  "I am sure she is behind it, Krishna," Kunti said, handing a tumbler of buttermilk to her nephew. "The King is not that evil. But for her manipulations, he would not have asked us to move to Varanavata. Neither would Pitamaha. She and her brother are determined to ruin our country."

  "Do not blame Gandhari for everything that happens to you, Aunt. About Shakuni though, I agree." Krishna was sitting on the windowsill, his fingers drumming in tune to some song in his head.

  "When you sent for me, I came rushing from Dwaraka, fearing something terrible. But it is better for everyone if you and your sons move away for a while. The Grand Regent is right in sending you to Varanavata."

  "I smell a conspiracy, Krishna and I am afraid. I have no one to turn to except you. Even Arjuna has fallen out of favour with Pitamaha after conquering Panchala. Someone is poisoning Pitamaha's mind; maybe that Vidhura."

  "Vidhura is nobody's enemy, nor is he anyone's friend. He is the only man without any selfish interests." Krishna smiled at Kunti.

  "Then why does he not tell Pitamaha that Arjuna was only doing his duty to his Guru?"

  Krishna took a sip from the tumbler and put it back on the sill carefully. He smiled at Kunti and said, "Arjuna always does his duty. That is what I like about him."

  "I have not brought up my sons like Gandhari. Duryodhana used to be a sweet child, but just see what he has grown up to become - no respect for his elders, no respect for the scriptures, and no respect for traditions. What can we expect from the sons of a foreign woman?"

  "Aunt, strategically, you made a mistake by allowing that Suta boy to drift towards Duryodhana. The Crown Prince has become a hero now. Either that boy should have been captured and handed over to the Confederate or he should have been brought over to our side on the day of the Grand Ceremony. Before I could do anything, Karna had become King of Anga. I never expected Duryodhana to be so cunning. I have to admit it was a master stroke." Krishna looked out of the window. He remained silent for some time, immersed in his thoughts. Then he turned back to face his aunt. "Are you feeling well, Aunt? Why do you look so pale? Are you alright?"

  "Nothing... nothing... It is just the weather," Kunti said, fanning her flushed face with a palm fan.

  "That Suta is going to be trouble," Krishna said, peering at his aunt intently. Kunti moved to pick up the tumbler, avoiding Krishna's eyes. "Do not worry, Aunt. Nothing will happen to your sons. I will always be there for them. There is no one dearer to me than Arjuna. When the time comes, I will steady his hands. The way Duryodhana is behaving, I am sure we will be dragged into a war soon."

  "I hate the idea of war. If only..."

  "A war is necessary. Not that I am a warmonger or unaware of its terrible consequences. But the very structure of society is being shaken by Duryodhana and his friends. There is nothing noble about the caste system, yet chaturvarna is something that gives our society strength. What Duryodhana proposes will lead to chaos. There will be no specialists left if anyone can become anything. Society will become weak. People will not know what their duties are and there will be unhealthy competition. It will become a dog-eat-dog world. I believe I have been born with a purpose - to preserve our social order."

  "Krishna, I do not have the wisdom to understand your thoughts. I can only request you for one thing. My sons and I are alone in the world. Our enemies are powerful. The King and the Queen hate us and Duryodhana will stoop to any level to eliminate us. I want my son to sit on the throne of Hastinapura at any cost. Will you help me achieve that? More importantly, I do not want any of Gandhari's sons to rule while I am alive. I have suffered enough."

  Krishna stood up to leave. "I have to leave now,
Aunt. I must pay my respects to the Grand Regent and be off to Dwaraka early tomorrow morning. It is better you accept the King's offer and move to Varanavata. I do not rule out the possibility of a conspiracy to get rid of you, but we will find a way out. To fight Duryodhana you need powerful friends. Unfortunately, Arjuna has made Dhrupada an enemy for Guru Drona's sake. Let me see whether something can be done there. I will drop in at Panchala on my way back and try to make amends. Go to Varanavata. Play the game. Be ruthless in your execution. Do not hesitate. Survival is the biggest dharma. The scriptures say, nothing is a sin during danger. It is called apat dharma. Think and you will find a way out."

  "Be with us, Krishna. We do not have anyone else."

  "Of course, Aunt. I will be with you and your five sons to the last." Krishna touched his aunt's feet and moved towards the door.

  "Krishna, I have... No, it is nothing..."

  Krishna bowed and went away. Somehow, Krishna's promise that he would protect her five sons failed to calm Kunti's turbulent mind.