Yuyutsu - Rise of the last Kaurava Read online

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  future of the country defines the prudence of the king. And the willingness to devote the faculties for the future of the nation denotes his intelligence. Shrewd decisions at the right time produce positive results. But sometimes they are mixed with selfish desires to protect your family at the loss of others. But I shan’t be judging what is right or wrong. Yudhishthira undoubtedly is on the precipice. And his decisions in this battle will decide the future of Hastinapur.

  I come forward and ask Satyaki if he wants me to join. Satyaki smiles and politely refuses. Maybe he wants to get into the array all alone to prove his prowess. But somewhere in my heart, I know, I don’t want to join him and see Jayadratha dying. I have no courage to witness the demise of the husband of a girl who is remotely unrelated to anything happening on this bat- tlefield. I am burdened heavily in my heart, with the allegations of Duryodhana, and with the deaths of my brothers. Satyaki takes Yudhishthira’s permission and drives away. With his keen shafts, he starts striking the opponents and in no time makes way for himself clearing the outer layer of the array.

  Satyaki will soon be facing Drona. The Guru must be angry seeing Arjuna, successfully making way for himself. He will not accept anybody else from our army to pass through his carefully crafted array. It might be a heavy blow to his ego. The attacks start increasing towards us as Satyaki advances towards the foes. And while the Vrishni hero makes way for himself, a troop of other brothers of Duryodhana advance towards us with the hope of startling the king. I get ready to counter the attacks.

  I look at Bhima’s furious face and his reddened eyes. His anger is no less than an erupting volcano. The mountainous

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  built Bhima licks his lips and roars like an angry lion. His roar trembles the opponent soldiers and affrights the animals. He jumps off his chariot with the spiked mace in his hand and starts crushing the skulls of anyone coming in his way. I take charge to cover him, and like a lightning strike, I release mul- tiple shafts towards the army coming towards us. This war has seen my strengths in all these days, and undoubtedly the future will see my skills too.

  Bhima is continuously butchering his antagonists ruthlessly. The souls find their way towards Yama’s region with every strike of Bhima. He is merciless in the war. I see a large group of Kaurava brothers including Durmukha, Durjaya, Dussaha, Durmata, Durdhara, Chitra, Jaya, and Shatrunjaya rushing towards Bhima. A group of three and twenty Kaurava brothers surround Bhima. But controlling an erupting volcano is impos- sible. The clangs of the metals, and the whiz of the swords, mix with the cries of the dying brothers. Bhima breaks hundreds of bones and crushed tens of skulls. The gang of Kaurava brothers is no more in no time. All the brothers who came on the com- mand of the preceptor have reached their final destination. Bhima has sent the souls of all my young brothers to Yama’s abode. Amidst the cries of pain, the leonine roar of Bhima pen- etrates the eardrums. The victor cleans his bloodied face. He is standing in the middle of a pool of blood which can affright any soul on this planet. But he is unperturbed! Bhima, the ruthless slayer, is fulfilling his oath. For the past fourteen days, his only target is to slay brothers of Duryodhana.

  I look at the sky. The sun is not too far from resting in the west. The last few hours of the day are left before today’s war

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  call off. Still, there is no sign of Arjuna’s return. Far away, the twang of Gandiva is audible. But breeching miles long array formed by Drona is next to impossible and that in a stipulated time. It is every warrior’s dream to become credible and breach Guru’s array. And I too am not spared from it. During our gurukul days, Guru used to throw unimaginable war-arrays at us to break the layers. Albeit formed using mud statues, breaking them was no easy feat. Only a few of us could manage to judge the science behind those unconquerable arrays.

  I am standing close to Bhima averting any unprecedented attack on the king from one side; and the twin brothers, Nakul and Sahadeva, with the commander Dhrishtadyumna, cover from the other side. While we control the attacks, a deep shrill enters my ears. I know this sound. The sound in Rishabh Shruti is from Krishna’s conch. Verily the earth beneath my feet sinks. My heart comes to my mouth. The last conversation between Krishna and his charioteer Daruka flashes through my mind once again. I can sense each word of Krishna waving through my ears. Has Krishna decided to call Daruka? Has he decided to lift the weapon? Is Arjuna not able to reach the feat he decided? Uncountable questions flash in my mind when I see Daruka following the commands of his master rushing towards the direction of the sound.

  Possibilities of Arjuna getting hurt and Krishna lifting weapons engulf my thoughts. An oath should be a reflection of strengths and not the mirror of emotions. Did Arjuna over judge the gravity before diving into the furrow of his vow? All these speculations shroud me. I can no longer concentrate on the battle, and suddenly an arrow pierces my left shoul- der. It pains, but the pain is lesser than the thought of seeing this earth bereft of Arjuna. The pain is less than the fact that

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  Krishna is going to pick the weapons. I am too lost in thoughts of sadness to react to the blood oozing out from my shoulder. If Krishna lifts his Sudarshan, nobody will be able to counter him. The thoughts are vulnerable, and so is the warrior within me. There will be nobody to control the wrath of Krishna on this battlefield. Many dreams will crush by the end of the day. Krishna will not let Arjuna’s vow go in vain. In turn, he will deprive the earth of her mighty sons. Mother nature will be unable to hold the burden of thousands of deaths on her lap. Beads of sweat start trickling from my forehead, and my mouth dries. Is it the fear of death, or is it the fear of witnessing the deaths? There is no end to agonies and Krishna calling Daruka is taking my scepticism to the horizon.

  The sun reaches near the horizon, and there is no sign of Arjuna’s return. Daruka has entered the lotus array and is heading towards Krishna, as his chariot has no warrior hence nobody attacks him. But Satyaki’s whereabouts are unknown. The clangs of swords and twang of bows are gradually diminishing with the softening sunrays. I can see the tensed faces of Pandu sons. With no Arjuna, their wish of winning their prestige back will shatter. The hopes of thousands of soldiers and warriors, fighting for the prestige of Yudhishthira, rely on the presence of Arjuna on the battleground. My heartbeat grows faster, and the tension rises. Silence gradually is prevailing at Pandavas side. And the demonian laughter of victory surrounds the Kauravas side. With the gradual setting of the sun, my anxiety increases. The arrows not only pierce the flesh of warriors but also the dreams of victors.

  This side of the army continues struggling with Drona’s army covering the outer layer of his array. We can save the king for the day. But if Arjuna can’t kill Jayadratha, the hopes will

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  burn in the pyre with him tonight. Amidst all these thoughts and uncontrolled emotions oozing out of my heart, I witness the sun disappearing. It is, not just the setting of the sun on the horizon but also the collapse of dreams. It is the shattering of hopes, and this is probably the end of this war too. Nobody else in the field will be able to control the wrath of Drona and Karna. They will end the war in no time. I am unable to stand. I gulp my saliva to quench the dried throat but in vain. I look at Yudhishthira, I look at sons of mother Madri, and I see the burly Bhima. The sign of pessimism is visible. I hear the vilified laughter of Kauravas and their troops. I witness the dreadful death of hope on our side.

  I put down my bow and walk towards the king. He is not ready to accept that the sun has disappeared and Arjuna is neither back, nor the sign of his return is visible. What hap- pened to Arjuna? What did Krishna do after calling Daruka? Where is Satyaki? There are many more unanswered ques- tions in all of our minds. Amid all these confusions and emo- tions, I suddenly see the crimson sky far at the place where the earth and sky meet. A cheer comes to the thoughts. Was it not the complete sunset? Was it an illusion? Who was the creator of this mystery? The mind never rests. A moment ago, the enigmas
of hopelessness blanketed the peace of mind. And now, with the presence of crimson rays in the firmament, another set of questions arose. This mind is a fathomless vessel with unending puzzles brimming it every moment.

  A smile, on the faces of our valiant soldiers, flashes. It was not the end of the day. It certainly was not. And then in the cloud of dirt and dusk, a sound of victory blares. It is the sound of Arjuna’s Devadatta. The warrior has completed his vow. The rattle of his chariot through the pool of blood and dead flesh is

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  audible and growing louder and louder. The puissant is return- ing after fulfilling his vow. Arjuna is coming back after slaying Jayadratha. The drumbeats confirm his victory. And finally, the sun settles on the horizon; this time for real, marking the end of today’s battle.

  “Welcome back, O valiant Arjuna!” shouts the eldest of the Pandavas at the sight of the approaching hero. The messen- gers had already shared the news moments ago, and the conch blare affirmed that Arjuna is once again victorious. We keenly want to know what happened miles deeper into the field. We are all enthusiastic but confused too. Victory doesn’t fall in the hands; the victors have to earn it. And precisely, Arjuna has earned it today. But the world never comes to know about the hidden secrets of the hunter, if the prey is not alive. Krishna and Satyaki had witnessed the winning of Arjuna, and along with the king. I too want to know what has caused Krishna to blare his conch to signal the king. Was Krishna frightened of Drona’s fury or was he not sure about Arjuna’s prowess? No matter what the reason is, Arjuna bequeathed one more victory to Pandavas. I know Duryodhana will not sit calmly now. Like me, for him also, the loss is not Jayadratha only. His heart must have shattered thinking about Dussala. The lady, the sister, the honour of our family, Dussala. I know that Duryodhana did not leave any stone unturned to defeat Arjuna, but alas he lost yet again. He must have provoked the preceptor with the power of his speeches, he must have urged Karna to cover Jayadratha, and he must have commanded the other brothers to protect the ruler, but success writes its destiny. It was not favouring Duryodhana today.

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  Entire Pandava camp fills with panegyrics of mighty Arjuna. The battle of day fourteen finishes with the fulfilment of Arjuna’s vow. But the question, what happened in the middle of the field and how Arjuna managed to return victorious, hovers in my mind. I know there is only one person who can answer my quests, Krishna.

  I could not stay longer without knowing what happened deep into the array. Thus, I politely ask Krishna about the events that occurred inside the lotus and needle array, and how Arjuna won his vow. Beholding my curiosity and understanding my emotions, Krishna speaks, “O son of Dhritarashtra! You deserve to know the truth. Not because you favoured Pandavas, not because you are a born Kaurava but because you are standing on the edge of a sword, like me, and maintaining the balance. You are the one who is the epitome of strength and knowledge with complete lack of arrogance and with boundless humility.” Though I am elated to hear praises from Krishna, my question is still unanswered. My ears wriggle to hear more.

  He continues, “When we first cleared the outer layer of the array, Drona welcomed us with his strong army. We were surrounded, and the duel between Drona and Arjuna seemed eternal. We didn’t want to end the day fighting with Drona, and thus Arjuna decided to move away from Drona. We knew if we walked away from him and avoided attacking at him, he would not retaliate. Drona would never attack anyone without warning. So Arjuna bowed down before the Guru and entered the second layer. The next layer was governed by Karna, Duryodhana, Shakuni, Salya and other key warriors. It was difficult for us to penetrate the array and reach Jayadratha. Fighting with Drona already had killed more than half of the day and thousands of soldiers along with it. Arjuna was getting

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  out of the weapons, and the attack of the foes was uncontrolla- ble. And that was the time I signalled the king to send support. Acknowledging my signal, Yudhishthira sent Satyaki to support Arjuna. Satyaki fought valiantly and killed thousands of sol- diers of Drona’s troop. His combat with Drona continued for long, and Drona with the other warriors managed to shatter the chariot of Satyaki. Satyaki was chariot-less, and he had to be on the field as a foot soldier for a long time. I knew that he couldn’t survive the battle without his chariot. And the wicked desires of Duryodhana would never allow his soul to stay in his body for longer. He was surrounded by the troops and was managing the combat with his sword and mace all alone while Arjuna was busy combating with other warriors to penetrate the last layer of Guru’s array. Satyaki, an ambidextrous warrior was ducking the attacks, but the exhaustion was taking over him. The sun was setting, and there was no end to the enemies of Arjuna. The location of Jayadratha was far, and he was also hiding behind many warriors. The selected combatants were positioned to protect him, and there was no possible space to penetrate the array and reach Jayadratha.”

  I listen to the words of Krishna calmly. I know the end of the story. But I want to hear every bit of the incident. There is a vast distance between what one plans and what comes in reality. I look at Krishna with continued inquisitiveness.

  Krishna speaks further, “When Satyaki was deprived of his chariot and was on the ground, finding no alternative, I sig- nalled Daruka to bring my chariot onto the field. The chariot which I asked Daruka to deck with the weapons and pulled by strongest steeds. Receiving my signal, Daruka entered the field, and Satyaki quickly climbed up the chariot. He then used the weapons in the chariot to counter the foes. Unfortunately,

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  the sun had already started to move towards the western horizon. I understood that the sunset was not far, and I didn’t want Arjuna to walk into the fire. But Jayadratha was still far. I knew it was time for me to act. I rose, leaving the reins tied to steeds, joined my hands before the Sun God and called my Sudarshan. And to everyone’s surprise, something unex- pected happened that very moment. A shadow dimmed the brightness of the sun making the mortals feel that the sun got set. The Kauravas laughed like demons thinking that was the end of Arjuna. Jayadratha treated this as his victory and joy- fully jumped out of his chariot and came out of the array. He along with other Kauravas started celebrating. But the cel- ebration sublimated when the shadow over the sun started diminishing gradually. And that was the time for Arjuna to shoot the victory shot. Arjuna was waiting for that unblem- ished opportunity.”

  “Was that your Maya?” I express my inquisitiveness inter- rupting him. Krishna looks at me with a smirk on his face. “Some things are better left unrevealed,” he replies to my con- fusion. I wish I could decipher his words. I smile at my dwarfed intelligence and request him to continue.

  “He picked Pashupatastra, mounted it on his Gandiva and as Jayadratha came into the line of sight, Arjuna released that mighty arrow. The fiery effulgence from the arrow took away Jayadratha’s soul. Arjuna achieved what he vowed. Meantime the planetary position changed, and the sun shone again. The events were too swift and before anybody could have realized the mighty weapon of Arjuna already beheaded the ruler of Sindhu. Arjuna’s oath fulfilled, and the wicked-souled Jayadratha’s headless body landed on the earth.”, concludes Krishna.

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  A tiny drop of tear rolled down my cheeks listening to the dreadful end of Jayadratha. He deserved to die, but this disheart- ening feeling is not for him but my sister. My heart wrenched, and the emotions sank into a fathomless pit. The cauldron of grief was brimmed thinking of Dussala. Krishna notices my grieving expressions but says nothing. I can visualize every bit Krishna shared. Sorrow prowls in my heart, and my lips waver. Words don’t reach my mouth. I close my eyes, join my hands, and in a hoarse voice, I ask Krishna about Duryodhana’s efforts to protect Jayadratha. I know Duryodhana mustn’t have given up so easily.

  Beholding my utter dismay and unending emotions Krishna says, “Yuyutsu, I know why you want to know about Duryodhana. To your surprise, for the first time in the war, I observed the unparalleled valour of Duryodhana. When
Arjuna with the blazing shafts sucked the lives of the warriors of foes army, when Arjuna with his undefeated strikes filled the earth with the fathomless terror and when the attacks of Arjuna had no fitting responses, Duryodhana came forward. With the leonine shouts, he filled the three worlds and marked his presence on the field. For the first time, he didn’t ask anyone to counter Arjuna, but himself lifted his bow to counter the strikes of Arjuna. He fought valiantly to control the strikes of Arjuna and tried to stop us till the last hours of the day. The prowess of the eldest Kaurava was at its peak today. But preventing Arjuna from reaching his target is never easy. Duryodhana couldn’t stand before Arjuna’s attacks for long, and Arjuna got his way ahead.”