While all five of us mothers were engrossed in nurturing our children, important news reached the Sudharma royal council. The infamous, gluttonous and hideous demon named ‘Bakasura’ in a jungle called Vetravan in the Panchala kingdom near the Ekachakra city had been emphatically killed by a Brahmin boy just as huge as him.’ While delivering this news Daruka also told me a subtle thing that he noticed. He said, “As soon as Sri heard this news his face had illuminated brightly. He had called for the surveillance chief and ordered him to dispatch a pair of expert spies to Vetravan immediately.” I was not surprised that Sri’s face got illuminated after hearing the news. He always liked it when the annoying harassments of the Asuras, Danavas, Barbaras, Rakshasas and Mlenchchhas were reduced. But I didn’t understand why he immediately sent spies so far away for such news. A lot of his dealings were incomprehensible even to dada, both the matas,baba and me, in spite of being his first wife. There was no chance of others understanding it.
Due to dada and Sri the Dwaraka kingdom had now achieved a respectable status in the Kshatriya circle. Because of that and because the Panchalas had good relations with Aacharya Sandipani and Sri, a significant invitation had arrived in the Sudharma royal council of the Yadavas. It was for the Swayamwar of Panchala king Drupada’s daughter Yajnasena, also known as Draupadi!
I had heard a lot about this Yajnasena and her Yajna brother Dhrishtadyumna. A word was that the Yajnadeva who himself manifested from the fire of the ‘yajna’ pit had offered both these children to King Drupada and his wife Sautramani! They also had a son named Shikhandi, born before the ‘yajna’ and eight more sons born afterwards – Sumitra, Priyadarshana, Chitraketu, Dhwajaketu, Suketu, Viraketu, Suratha and Shantrunjaya. The glory of Draupadi’s dark complexioned, fragrant beauty and luxuriant hair had spread in the entire Aaryavarta.
The Yadavas were getting ready to go to the Panchala princess’ Swayamwar along with the army. Located beyond the Yamuna, the Panchala kingdom was enormous. For the sake of convenience in governing, it was divided into two parts – southern Panchala and northern Panchala. The royal capital of the northern Panchalas was Ahichchhatra. The boundary of this kingdom had extended through Brahmavarta on the north and directly touched the boundary of the Hastinapura city of the Kurus. The royal capital of southern Panchal was Kampilyanagar. That was where this Swayamwar of Draupadi was going to take place. This Swayamwar was going to drastically change the destiny of the entire Aaryavarta. Many kings of Madhyadesha didn’t know it then, but an intense desire for the elegant and fragrant Draupadi had taken hold of the heart of every king participating in the Swayamwar. It would have been a wonder if the Yadavas didn’t try their best to win such a lady! Balaramadada, both the commanders, Uddhavabhauji, many Yadav warriors and yes, Sri himself were excited to leave for Kampilyanagar. While all this was happening, a completely unexpected and unimaginable event took place, which filled Dwaraka with euphoria.
One day, unexpectedly, my first son who had been abducted many years ago, stood at the Shuddhaksha gate of Dwaraka! He had many Asura warriors with him. He had come from Yadava’s original kingdom, the Shursena kingdom, from the thick forests of Mount Govardhan. Holding some kind of a grudge in his mind Shambarasura had abducted my newborn son on the sixth day of his birth many years before. Shambarasura and his wife Mayavati had vigilantly brought him up while instilling the Asura values in him. They had taken thorough precaution to not let him remember the Yadava family.
But all their efforts had failed. The moment he came to know that he was a Yadava from Dwaraka and the son of Sri himself, his Yadava blood got the better of him! He had fought a fierce battle with Shambara and had come only after killing him. He had left Mayavati, and taking a few loyal Asuras with him directly reached Dwaraka. He had dispatched his Asura emissary to inform us in Dwaraka.
This son of mine had been very attractive since birth. Madan incarnate! As he had grown up in the carefree atmosphere of the forest of Govardhan he looked exceptionally tall, healthy and so handsome that he could become anybody’s envy. Sri himself went with dada to the Shuddhaksha gate and welcomed him. He held his strong, broad shoulders tightly, stared deep into his blue eyes, regarded him with a scrutinizing eye and only then took him in a deep embrace. All four of my sisters,Vasudevababa and both matas and I stood next to them. I was completely baffled when after so many years my firstborn son bowed down to take my blessings. I couldn’t believe that he was my own son. If he wouldn’t have cautiously sent an informer ahead and if Sri wouldn’t have embraced him then indeed I would have been totally in doubt accepting him in spite of actually being his mother.
I held him in a deep embrace. The tears that I had restrained for twelve years flowed effortlessly. Exactly at that time Sri’s visionary, prudent words fell on my ears, “First of all it is difficult to be a mother. On top of that being a good mother is as tough as practicing Premayoga! Rukmini, you have to follow the toughest task of wiping out the Asura sanskaras on his mind from today itself. Just like you transformed Jambavati into a Yadava royal lady, with her assistance transform this son of yours into a Yadav Maharathi.”
The royal priest of the kingdom performed a formal naming ceremony for our first son who had arrived. In everybody’s presence he was named ‘Pradyumna’ just as we had planned before. Shambarasura had actually named him as ‘Shaambara’! The Yadavas left for Kampilyanagar along with the fourfold army for Panchali’s Swayamwar after having the satisfying delicious ceremonial lunch.
The young, handsome Pradyumna was a new addition to the already selected Yadava team. Sri had purposefully taken him along. The intention was to show him the Kshatriya tradition of Swayamwar in person. But that circulated a rumour among the Yadavas in Dwaraka and other kings around that it was for his firstborn son Pradyumna that the Lord of Dwaraka was going to Kampilyanagar. However, while leaving he clearly told me. “The Panchala invitation is for the Lord of Dwaraka! Who knows I might have to step in to fulfil the condition of the Swayamwar! The condition is also very bizarre. It is going to thoroughly test one’s skills of archery.”
After hearing that I said, “I am all ready to welcome the Panchala daughter as the fifth sister! But what is that test of archery that even Sri finds tough?” Sri usually didn’t utter words like impossible and difficult. I had experienced it myself that many times he had quickly, easily and neatly handled the situations which others deemed as hard and difficult. My curiosity was awakened.
Sri presented a detailed picture of the Swayamwar pandal and the condition to be fulfilled, set by Drupada and Dhrishtadyumna as if the pandal of Panchali’s Swayamwar was right in front of his eyes. While coming closer to me, in his own Krishna style, he rotated his right index finger and said, “The Panchalas have erected a spacious, neat circular stone pond in the centre of the pandal. It is filled to the brim with the water of seven holy rivers. A narrow path going east-west leads to the centre of the pond. A round seat for the archer is located at the point where it begins. Adjacent to the seat is the groove for the huge Shiva-bow that the Panchalas worship, adorned with garlands. Near that is the seat for quivers. Many quivers full of Suchi arrows would be placed there. Shooting only five of these arrows the archer has to pierce the eye of the fish rotating in a device near the roof. With only five arrows!” I kept circling my eyes with the movement of his finger. He slowly pointed his finger towards the roof, and while listening to him I naively kept looking at the roof. With wide eyes, I was trying to find the rotating eye of the rapidly rotating fish in my imagination. I muttered unknowingly, “Indeed it is very difficult to fulfil this condition. It is hard to even catch a moving fish; then how can one precisely catch its eye? That too with a single arrow out of five!”
At that moment with his other hand Sri turned my neck downwards and with his innate mischievousness pointing to the rotating reflection in the pond with the same rotating finger he said, “The eye has to be pierced indeed. That too with one out of five arrows only, not by looking directly up at t
he rotating fish, but by looking at its reflection rotating in the pond, looking downwards, neck bent down, piercing the eye up, by showing such unparalleled expertise of skills!”
Seeing my confusion, smiling mischievously, Sri further said, “At least for now only one warrior of Hastinapura has such skills. Karna – the charioteer’s son. Karna had performed all the feats that Arjuna performed in the spring contest organized by Guru Drona, and had also challenged him for a duel.
“Frankly, only Arjuna had the capacity to fulfil this condition. But... but...” His big, smooth forehead wrinkled momentarily which happened rarely while solving a complicated problem. Then he directly bid farewell to me saying ‘Goodbye’. He went to Kampilyanagar along with the Yadava team. But he left one question hanging in my mind. He had mentioned the names of two archers who had the ability to pierce the fish-eye. But he hadn’t mentioned himself as the first one. However, I was fully confident that no matter how hard it was, Sri was the one who was going to fulfil the condition! The sixth palace on the island of Queens’ mansions was going to belong only to the Panchala daughter!
I was actually sentimental and credulous, how much ever he himself called me an intelligent Maharani, I was in fact very naive. I kept thinking. How did Panchala’s fragrant Yajna daughter Draupadi look like in person? I had heard of the fragrant Brahmakamala as in the description of Sri’s travel to the Himavanta. Word is that she is fragrant too! What would this fragrant lotus of a lady look like? It is said that she is very proud. This sister of Dhrishtadyumna – Yajnasena – Shyama! How would she treat me? Like Bhama or Jambavati? The number of Panchalas at her parental home alone would be equivalent to the manpower of my four sisters’ parental homes put together. The other four arrived after me. They respected and treated me as the Maharani from the bottom of their hearts. Would she behave similarly? Or would she overpower me?
Who knows, maybe eventually she herself will become the Maharani of the millions of Yadavas! As it is she is extremely beautiful, statuesque, with long and thick hair! To top that fragrant like the Champaka flower, a Kshtriya lady born out of yajna! She must be brilliant as she was born out of the yajna. Could she be more intelligent than me? Sri has bluish-dark complexion, she is dark complexioned, both are brilliant – seems like a perfect match!
A month passed by. The Lord of Dwaraka returned along with dada and Uddhavabhauji. They had returned just as they had left. Panchala daughter Draupadi had not accompanied them as I had surmised. What accompanied them were the ample gifts her father had given to the Yadavas. How did this happen? I was extremely curious. To verify it I caught Sri in his chamber while he was alone.
As he saw me he scurried forward and exuberantly holding both my arms tightly he said, “Rukmini, Maharani of Yadavas, the Pandavas are alive! Virtuous, serene-faced Yudhishthira, his incomparable, muscular, wrestler of a brother Bhima, the winner of the Swayamwar, invincible archer Arjuna, our Pradyumna’s lookalike - Nakula, the horse expert Sahadeva, who reminds me of Daruka... all the Pandavas are alive. I have returned after meeting them along with Kunti aatya and Draupadi too at a potter’s house in Kampilyanagar. Maharani, Arjuna is alive. Many of my resolutions will be accomplished.
“Dear Rukmini, keep it in mind and understand well that a new chapter in my life has begun because of this Swayamwar. Your dear Uddhavabhauji will provide you all the details of the happenings in Kampilyanagar.”
That night Uddhavabhauji came to pay obeisance to me and put forth each small detail of the Draupadi Swayamwar as if drawing a picture of the whole event in its entirety. I too noticed the same subtle details in it that he had noticed. He said, “Among those present to fulfil the Swayamwar condition Duryodhana had come along with his brothers such as Dushasana, Durmarsha, and Dussaha. To compete in the Swayamwar on his behalf, Karna the king of Anga had come along with brother Shona and son Sudamana. Gandhara king Shakuni, his eleven brothers, Magadha king Jarasandha, Shishupala, Dantavakra, and Paundraka who identified himself as the real Vaasudeva, Shalya, the king of Madra, Saindhawa king Jayadratha, Balhika and Chitrangada were also present. We Yadavas, dada, Balaramadada, both commanders, Akrura, Chief Minister and Pradyumna were also there. About one hundred kings had gathered in Kampilyanagar for the Swayamwar.
“On behalf of the Panchalas Prince Dhrishtadyumna welcomed all the kings along with their commanders and armies. He vividly described his sister’s beauty and merits and presented the purpose of the Swayamwar. He explained the necessary details and rules that demanded the fulfilment of the difficult condition. The fish device was activated on the holy Muhurta recommended by the priests after paying obeisance to the family deity of the Panchalas and the Yajna goddess. After that Shiva’s bow was brought in by many Panchala warriors. The luck of many valiant kings of Aaryavarta also began to rotate rapidly along with the fish rapidly rotating parallel to the roof!
“Along with the fish its reflection also began rotating rapidly in the serene water of the pond. Many kings came forward puffing their chests proudly, accepting Dhrishtadyumna’s challenge. Some failed to pick up the heavy Shiva-bow of the Panchalas, some picked it up but were unsuccessful while tying the bowstring to it. Many had already caved in. Hours passed by. Even Madra king Shalya and Jayadratha were unsuccessful. Whispers started spreading in the pandal. Following that one could hear the words ‘Magadha emperor Jarasandha!’ At that point weighty, muscular Magadha emperor Jarasandha rose from his seat. The golden, royal medallions and laurels on the royal attire on his muscular chest were shining. With a loud round of applause, his Chedi and Magadha supporters in the pandal gave out continuous ecstatic cries of ‘Hail invincible Magadha emperor Maharaja Jarasandha... victory.... victory! King of Girivraja, invincible wrestler, master of archery, Emperor Maharaja Jarasandha, victory to him!’ A few impatient Magadha citizens also pushed in the joyous cries of ‘Hail Magadha Queen Yajnasenadevi!’
“The moment he got up the first thing that Magadha emperor did was to throw a contemptuous glance only at dada, the Lord of Dwaraka! As if he was there not to wed the sister of Dhrishtadyumna but the sister of Srikrishna, the Lord of Dwaraka! And he wanted to tell him silently – you, runaway coward of Mathura, a cowherd, I will put Draupadi on my shoulders and take her to Girivraja in front of your eyes! You escaped from the inferno of Mount Gomanta. But after this Swayamwar I am going to strap you with a rope and take you too to Girivraja!”
Jarasandha reached the Shiva-bow stomping his feet on the narrow path with his chest puffed up with pride. He sat in the Virasana pose near the Shiva-bow and holding the bow at midpoint he picked up the heavy bow. So far nobody had succeeded in doing that before him. Therefore, Magadhas got excited and the Panchala pandal reverberated with their ecstatic shouts. ‘Victory... victory!’ Sitting in the Virasana pose itself Jarasandha pulled an arrow from the quiver and touched it to his forehead. He remembered the family deity of the Magadhas and was about to mount it on the bow string when he lost his balance and with a loud thud collapsed from his seat. The entire pandal stood at once in shock. The spectators, who were anxiously waiting to watch Jarasandha win Panchali’s Swayamwar, helplessly watched him trapped and struggling under the heavy Shiva bow. That powerful, tyrant emperor who kept more than eighty kings confined in his prison was himself confined, weighed down by the heavy Shiva-bow. A desperate moment came when Jarasandha was about to die struggling.
“As Karna, the king of Anga stood up at that moment, dada looked at Pradyumna sitting next to me and smiled. They both looked so similar! Karna smiled at Duryodhana and slowly walked to the Shiva-bow. He also sat in the Virasana pose. He picked up the Shiva-bow very skilfully just like he would pick up his Vijay bow. Jarasandha was free. He picked up the Magadha crown that had tumbled down, put it on his head, went back to his seat fretting and fuming and sat down quietly. The moment Karna picked up the Shiva-bow the pandal reverberated with victorious cries in his name ‘Hail Karna the king of Anga! Victory victory!’ I kept staring at him. He looked exquisitely hand
some just like our Pradyumna. Maybe I was hallucinating. Even in that pose he was staring only at dada’s feet.
“He easily mounted the arrow in his hand on the bow. He gracefully turned his neck like a pigeon and began searching for the fish eye in the pond. The entire Swayamwar pandal held its breath and waited for him to pierce his target. Just then Draupadi, who had her head turned down till then and was holding the white lotus Swayamwar garland in her hands, raised her head for the first time. The scathing, determined words of a Kshatriya lady tartly resonated like lightning leaving the pandal atremble, ‘Wait …! You cannot participate in this Swayamwar! I will not be a wife or a daughter-in-law of a charioteer. Never!’
“The Shiva-bow held high in Karna’s muscular hands trembled momentarily. His Virasana pose broke in an instant. At once the arrow mounted on the bow string was shot. Taking many twists and turns it pierced dada’s big toe. Dada still smiled and pulled it out. Karna laughed out loudly, raising his neck towards the sky. The kings in the pandal got terrified even by his laugh following the words of Draupadi. The next moment he violently threw the bow down and went back to his seat next to Duryodhana.
“Yajnasena Panchali again started looking down like a cultured lady. The one who talked was Yajnasena Draupadi and the one who listened was the Sun god’s devotee Karna, hence the kings in the pandal felt numb now. They began whispering among themselves. The fish in the device kept revolving, provocatively teasing all macho Kshatriyas. The atmosphere in the pandal was extremely tense now. Dhrishtadyumna, the yajna-son, got up again. Glancing at all the assembled kings he roared, ‘Am I to take it that not a single eminent king of Aaryavarta possesses the strength to win my Yajna-born sister? Is it that all archers here are devoid of valour? Is the elegant, virtuous Draupadi, dear daughter of the Panchalas not going to have a suitable match in her life? Why have all these kings gathered here? Is it for the Kumbha mela or for the chariot race? Are they here to surrender in front of a mere fish device? Shame on the Kshatriyas of Aaryavarta who boast of their sky-high gallantry! Shame on those who claim to be the descendants of the Suryavansha and Chandravansha!’ Indeed, these were no simple words of Dhrishtadyumna but were the fiery sparks from a blazing Yajna pit. Hearing these words some of the kings actually covered their ears with hands. Some felt so insulted that they were about to draw their weapons out.
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 33
