THE MAHABHARATA: A Modern Rendering, Vol 2 (5 page)

He saw Shalya flush. Yudhishtira looked at him curiously. Shalya took a deep breath and said, “Yudhishtira, I have promised Duryodhana I will fight the war on his side.” He told Yudhishtira how he had been enticed into making that promise.

As he spoke, he saw Yudhishtira’s eyes fill. When Shalya finished and lapsed into a sorry silence, the Pandava said gently, “I understand how it happened, my lord. Duryodhana planned the whole thing. But it pains me that we will have to fight our own uncle in this terrible war.”

Red-faced, Shalya mumbled, “Yudhishtira, you know how much I love you. Especially when I think of your exile, I could cut my tongue out for giving my word to Duryodhana. But having given it, I must keep it.”

Yudhishtira was thoughtful. Suddenly, he said, “I think I have a way in which we can turn this defeat into a victory. As a kshatriya, you must not break the word you gave Duryodhana. But you must make me also a promise.”

“I will do anything except break my word.”

“It is not an honorable thing I am going to ask you, but it is something that must be done. When I think of all the enemies ranged against us, I truly fear only one of them: Karna. Only he can kill Arjuna, the rest are no match for my brother. Perhaps Karna is not his equal either, but my heart tells me to beware of him.

Krishna will be Arjuna’s sarathy during the war and Karna will want a sarathy who is as good as Krishna. We all know you are the finest sarathy on earth, my lord. At some time, Duryodhana will ask you to drive Karna’s chariot. I am certain Arjuna and Karna will come face to face on the field and the duel between them shall decide the outcome of the war. Dharma is with us but, somehow, I fear that against Karna dharma alone won’t suffice.”

“What would you have me do?”

Now Yudhishtira spoke as if he was another man. He whispered, “Talk to Karna when he rides into battle. Dishearten him! Compare him to Arjuna. Extol my brother to the sky and make Karna believe he is inferior to him. Fill his heart with doubt. Tell him a sutaputra can never be the equal of a kshatriya and a Devaputra. I know it is base; but I fear the earth shall be lost to us, if Karna fights as he can. His inconfidence is his only weakness, we must take advantage of it.”

A grim smile touched Shalya’s face. “Perhaps it was a Godsend, after all, the rashness which made me commit myself to Duryodhana. It may be that I shall be a deadlier foe when I am near him. As you say, it is hardly what a kshatriya should do; but when I think of the thirteen years you spent in the wilderness and of Draupadi’s shame, my blood cries out for revenge. Yes, at the critical time, I will whisper doubt and fear into Karna’s soul. I bless you, Pandava. Victory shall be yours and you will rule the earth as you deserve to.”

More than a little ashamed, Yudhishtira said, “Of all of them it is only Karna I fear. I am not sure why.”

It was as if some part of his mind murmured to him, insistently, that Karna was not what he seemed. Yudhishtira could never quieten the niggling fear he had of that warrior, not though Arjuna had beaten him convincingly outside Virata. When it came to a duel to the death, Yudhishtira was afraid Karna would prove invincible.

Shalya left Upaplavya and marched to Hastinapura with his legion. Duryodhana welcomed him like a brother.

The first of Yudhishtira’s allies to arrive in Upaplavya was Satyaki, with his one aksauhini. Then, Dhrishtaketu, king of the Chedis, came with another aksauhini. Jarasandha’s son Jayatsena came from Magadha with a glittering legion and the five Kekaya brothers, with theirs. Drupada arrived with his army, with the brilliant Shikhandi, whose roots were deep and strange, the fire-born Dhrish-tadyumna and with Draupadi’s sons, the young tigers chafing to prove themselves worthy of their fathers in battle. Virata brought one aksauhini, as well, from his capital and came to Upaplavya with his sons and brothers and Uttara Kumara who was a celebrated kshatriya now! The Pandya king and Neela, king of Mahishmati, came with their legions.

Seven oceanic aksauhinis flowed across the earth, a tide of fighting men and swarmed around Upaplavya; and they were the Pandavas’ to command.

But if immense legions came together at Upaplavya, the legions that swelled the ranks of Duryodhana’s army in Hastinapura were vaster. Bhagadatta was the first to answer the Kaurava’s call and he brought an aksauhini. Then Shalya arrived with his army, as did Bhoorisravas. Kritavarman came from Dwaraka with the promised Yadava force. Jayadratha of Sindhu, Sudakshina of Kambhoja, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, all brought an aksauhini each. And there was a host of other, lesser kings of the earth, loyal to Duryodhana, who answered his summons to war and their combined forces amounted to another three aksauhinis.

The Pandava army numbered seven aksauhinis and Dhritarashtra’s son had eleven to call his own. Duryodhana kept his legions on the banks of the Ganga and employed another army of servants to cater to the soldiers’ every need. The Kaurava was lord of the earth. After the years of the Pandavas’ exile, his coffers overflowed with their wealth and his own. Duryodhana’s army camped outside Has-tinapura was well cared for.

FIVE
THE MESSENGERS 

Meanwhile, the brahmana from Drupada’s court arrived in Hastinapura and was shown into Dhrit-arashtra’s palace. He was an imposing figure, with clear, sage eyes. When Bheeshma, Dhritarashtra and Vidura heard the Pandavas had sent him, they received him with honor. When the brahmana’s comfort had been seen to, the blind king called a council to hear what he had come to say.

When all the royal and powerful in Hastinapura filled the Kuru sabha, Dhritarashtra said, “The Pandavas have sent this good brahmana from Drupada’s court as their emissary. Let us hear what he has to say.”

The brahmana had been well looked after and perhaps they hoped to hear words of conciliation from him. He rose and a bright and imposing figure he was, that old man. He began, “This is an ancient house in which I am honored to speak today. My lord, yours is a noble line and all your ancestors who sat before you on the Kuru throne were men of dharma. Which is why the House of Kuru has lasted so long upon the face of the earth and its glory did not diminish.”

The brahmana looked around him leisurely; he was at his ease.

“Yes, this is an august sabha into which I am privileged to bear my message. You all know, far better than I, the dharma that a kshatriya is sworn to. Dhritarashtra and Pandu are sons of the same father; no one doubts that. The world knows that Pandu conquered most of the present Kuru kingdom. Thus that kingdom belongs equally to the sons of Dhritarashtra and the sons of Pandu.”

The brahmana lowered his voice, to make his point better. “The sons of Dhritarashtra have a kingdom to rule today. Why is it the sons of Pandu do not? The kingdom you bequeathed to them, Dhritarashtra, the wilderness that flowered when Yudhishtira sat on his throne in Indraprastha. In this house of dharma, time and again, Dhritarashtra’s sons have tried to be rid of their cousins; even to kill them. Force was of no avail and Duryodhana and his uncle Shakuni resorted to deceit.

They took Yudhishtira’s kingdom from him at a game of dice. The world knows that Shakuni is not only a master player, but also a master of cheating. It was not as if the elders of this sabha did not know Shakuni was using loaded dice when he played Yudhishtira. Yet, the Kuru elders sat and watched, as Shakuni took everything Yudhishtira owned from him. Was this the dharma of one of the noblest houses on earth? Was this how Pandu’s sons should have been treated in Pandu’s brother’s court?”

He paused and a hush had fallen on the council in Hastinapura. From the brahmana’s tone, it was abundantly clear the Pandavas were not offering any compromises.

“But the Pandavas do not want revenge for all they have suffered. They only want back what is theirs by right. They want half the Kuru kingdom, which Dhritarashtra himself once gave them. I have come here to ask the Kuru elders to give back what belongs to Yudhishtira, what was to be returned to him once his exile had been served. Yudhishtira is a man of peace. He does not want a war in which kshatriya kind itself will be destroyed.

But if his kingdom is not returned honorably, he will have no choice left except to fight. Let this august sabha know that the sons of Pandu are far from helpless. Seven aksauhinis have gathered at Upaplavya. If Duryodhana does not put his greed behind him and relent, there will be a war like the world has never seen. Kshatriya blood will fall upon the earth like crimson rain!

When Satyaki, Bheema, Nakula, Sahadeva and Yudhishtira take arms against you, how will you resist them? When Indra’s son Arjuna, with Krishna as his sarathy, blows at you like a gale of death, how will you contain him? O Bheeshma, Dhritarashtra, Vidura, you are all wise and experienced men. Kuru elders, I have come to ask you to persuade Duryodhana to relent. Do as I ask, I beg you; or the House of Kuru will be destroyed and with it, the very race of kings.”

Having delivered his message, the brahmana sat down.

Bheeshma responded to him. “I am pleased to hear the Pandavas are well, that Krishna is with them and they have no wish to leave the path of dharma, though they have an army of seven aksauhinis. Yet you bring a haughty message from my grandsons, Brahmana and your tongue is sharp.

However, what you have said is not false and I honor your words. It is true the Pandavas have suffered as kings of the earth hardly do. They and their queen were forced to live like hermits in the prime of their lives. It is true that they, too, have an equal right to this kingdom of their fathers. And it also true there is no kshatriya in the world like Arjuna and any army will find it hard to contain him. Yes, all of us here know these things well.”

Bheeshma had not finished, when Karna jumped up and cried, “Is there no end to this? We hear the same things repeated in this sabha. Brahmana, you have said nothing new or very wise. Yes, we all know Yudhishtira lost a game of dice to Shakuni and he gambled away everything he owned, including his freedom. We know that without your telling us, messenger. But now Yudhishtira dares send you here to threaten the Kuru sovereign! Because he has Drupada’s support? And old Virata’s? Has Yudhishtira lost his wits in the forest, that he thinks he can threaten Duryodhana? Listen to me, Brahmana, Duryodhana will not give Yudhishtira a foot of land out of fear. But if it is for dharma, he will give away his entire kingdom! Have the Pandavas forgotten the real conditions of their exile? That if any of them was seen during the ajnatavasa, they would all go back to the forest for another twelve years. Yudhishtira himself agreed to this condition.

All of us here, why, the Kuru army saw Arjuna in the Matsya kingdom. Dharma demands the Pandavas live in the jungle for another twelve years. But the noble Duryodhana does not insist they do so. He is prepared to receive them here and have them live among us as his cousins and dependents.

It is not Duryodhana, but Yudhishtira who must leave the path he treads, which leads straight to disaster.”

Duryodhana smiled to hear his fierce, loyal Karna. The Kaurava nodded to agree with what his friend said and in appreciation of the manner in which he chose to say it.

Bheeshma was outraged. “Enough! I have heard enough of your brashness in this court, Karna. You speak too loudly for one who fled the field when you faced Arjuna in battle. Six renowned warriors from this sabha, I among them, could not contain Arjuna though he fought alone, with just a boy for his sarathy. Can you imagine what a force he will be with Krishna at his chariot-head? Just as surely as Karna ran for his life a few days ago, Duryodhana and all of us will die, if we are foolish enough to fight a war against the Pandavas.

It is not only that they are greater kshatriyas than we are and Bheema and Arjuna are a match for ten Duryodhanas and Karnas. No, eternal dharma is on their side and Krishna is Arjuna’s sarathy! Many of you may be too young to realize what this means. But I have no doubt in my mind that, if we don’t give back what is theirs to the sons of Pandu, we will lose everything, our lives as well. Doom is what awaits us and all kshatriya kind, if we don’t stop this careen into madness on which Duryodhana leads us!”

Shaking, livid at Karna, Bheeshma sat down. Now Dhritarashtra said, “I agree with Pitama Bheeshma. He speaks for the good of both the Kauravas and the Pandavas and from his love for us all. When this good brahmana brings a message of peace, Karna, how dare you speak arrogantly to him? We must not have this war, at any cost, or there will be bloodshed as not the eldest among us can imagine.

Brahmana, go back to my brother’s sons. Tell them I will consider every aspect of this grave and perilous circumstance in which we find ourselves and I will send Sanjaya shortly to Upaplavya to tell Yudhishtira what we have decided. I must sit in careful consultation with my sabha before we arrive at a conclusion. Tell my son Yudhishtira he will hear from me soon. And I thank you, good Brahmana, for coming here on a mission of peace.”

The brahmana bowed and went back to Upaplavya, where he conveyed all that had transpired in the Kuru sabha to Yudhishtira and his brothers, to Krishna and Drupada and the Pandavas’ other allies. Now began the anxious wait for Sanjaya.

In Hastinapura, the king called for Sanjaya. This courtier, who was also the king’s sarathy, was one of the few men alive with whom Dhritarashtra shared any of his true feelings. Since he heard how Arjuna routed the Kurus in the Matsya kingdom, Dhritarashtra had been terrified.

Now he said to Sanjaya, “Old friend, go as my ambassador to the Pandavas. Say I asked after their wellbeing, not only now, but also through their thirteen years of exile. Tell them I was never their enemy and I am pleased their ordeal is over. I have watched Yudhishtira since the day he first came to Hastinapura, when he was just a boy. I have never known a character so lofty and pure. I doubt the earth has seen many men to equal him in all her ages.”