Uddhavadeva smiled and said, “Okay, okay, I will tell you everything at leisure. But I see that all of you have not been keeping good health during this period of living in the forest. Look after your health first. I am here in Badri-Kedara as per my dada’s instructions. I relinquished the royal attire of Dwaraka’s Yadavas in the Ganga when I first saw her on my way here. For many years – since the time we spent at the aashrama of Aacharya Sandipani – only one thought has been lingering in my mind, to find the meaning of human life. I took this decision as I thought that I would never be able to do it while living in puissant Dwaraka and carrying weapons.
Dada probably has plans to construct something here in Badri-Kedara. Therefore, he had sent me here to survey this area thoroughly. He has counted the years of your forest stay precisely. He knows that you were on Mount Gandhamandana. I think from here you should directly go to the Kamyakavana. Dada will meet you there, and tell you the further plan.”
Uddhavadeva’s visit left us feeling much gratified. He stayed with us for two days. Then we bade farewell to him and left for the Kamyakavana. This was the third time we were going to that forest. As soon as we reached the Kamyakavana Bhimsena surveyed the forest and selected a beautiful area near Trinabindu sarovar for our stay. This was our last halt of our forest stay. This was the twelfth year of forest living. Here too we erected a capacious colony of huts.
Our daily routine in the forest began. During this last year of our forest stay some significant events took place.
One such event was when Durvasa rishi came to the Kamyaka vana along with a large number of disciples to test Draupadi’s mettle. How was Draupadi going to feed so many guests? She was going to fail as a dutiful hostess. Short-tempered Durvasa was then going to curse her for insulting a guest.
But this cunning plan of Duryodhana and Shakuni did not succeed. Draupadi’s acclaim as a dutiful hostess remained intact due to the copper platter that Yudhishthira had obtained from the Sun god by performing penance.
Around the same time a messenger that Srikrishna had sent brought some very significant news. It was with reference to Karna who had begun a charity session in Hastinapura. He had offered his impenetrable Kavacha-kundala to a Brahmin mendicant, who had asked for it. The mendicant was not a Brahmin. He was Indra, the king of Gods. I had tremendous respect in my heart for the gods and their king Indra. The gods always fought for justice like our Srikrishna. The respect for them was due to their ideology of life. For some reason, I did not like Indra’s act of disguising as a Brahmin mendicant and rob Karna of his Kavacha-kundala by deception. In spite of the fact that Karna who had disgraced Draupadi in the crowded gambling hall was my prime enemy!
The second event was that of Kauravas’ Ghoshayatra. During the Ghoshayatra Bhimsena and I fought valiantly to rescue Duryodhana, Dushasana and Karna who were captured by Chitrasena Gandharva. We spared their lives and sent them back to Hastinapura.
The most significant event that took place here was our last meeting with Srikrishna in the Kamyakavana. When he met us with select Yadava leaders on the banks of Trinabindu sarovar, the weariness which had come upon us due to living in the forest vanished into thin air. The unbearable tension in our minds was released instantly.
After welcoming him heartily, the meeting of the six of us headed by him on the banks of Trinabindu sarovar, was crucial. He presented to us a detailed picture of his meticulous plan of how and where we should spend the entire year of living incognito. After all he was an ingenious executor who had raised Dwaraka from nothing. It was highly impossible for him to miss even a tiniest place that was unsafe.
Srikrishna left for Dwaraka after repeating the details with all the subtleties of how we should behave during the period of living incognito. Now for an entire year we were not going to see him at all. As per Sriekrishna’s instructions we had to go to Viratanagar for the incognito life. The whole year of living incognito in Viratanagar was one which I could never forget out of all the events in my life.
As per the condition of living incognito I had to get out of my warrior’s attire. I had to wear the dress of a female dance teacher. I had to wear a bodice on my chest in place of an iron armour which I always used to put on. It was most painful when I had to hand over my cherished Gandiva bow to Bhima for hiding it on the Shami tree. Even more painful was the realization that for the sake of safety my beloved best friend Srikrishna was not going to meet us even once.
I felt the same agonizing pain while putting on a woman’s dress that Draupadi must have felt when her saree was being pulled. None of my brothers ever had to face the harrowing situation of dressing up like a woman that I had to, in spite of being a warrior and the master of Pashupatastra. It always came to my mind that Srikrishna also never had to face it. We came to know about the nature of the Matsya people because Srikrishna had maintained friendly relations with them since a long time while travelling back and forth to Indraprastha and as he used to discuss them with us from time to time. For one year, we lived in Viratanagar safely.
The ruler of this city, King Virata, Maharani Sudeshna, Uttaraa who later became my daughter-in-law and her brother Uttara also entered my emotional circle. Uttaraa became dear to me like a daughter, just as Srikrishna’s daughter Charumati.
I felt that I had changed considerably since obtaining the mantras of the Pashupatastra. Whenever the mantras echoed in my mind I strongly remembered Shiva whom I had seen in the form of a Kirata. But this Shiva would be dressed like Srikrishna and be in Srikrishna’s form which we usually saw. Only that, in this form I could feel his already blue throat to be even darker.
After our period of living incognito was over things moved with much speed. Like that of Srikrishna’s Sudarshan chakra which rarely manifested.
It was confirmed that many of the problems between the Kauravas and us were not going to be resolved without a war on the battlefield. I had been to Dwaraka and met Srikrishna. To his seemingly difficult question, ‘Do you want the armed Yadava army or unarmed me?’ I had instantly and clearly answered, “It is You that we want, as is! Kuntimata, all my brothers and I along with Draupadi want Srikrishna and his invaluable blessings.”
He had given detailed information to Duryodhana about the exact numbers of the rathis - maharathis, chariot warriors, infantry and horse riders of the Yadava army. He had completely convinced him and sent him back to Hastinapura with a smiling face. He took only Yadava commander Satyaki and select warriors with him and left Dwaraka along with me. We came to Upaplavya.
As soon as we came to Upaplavya he turned the wheels with his ingenious intellect. He tried his best to avoid the catastrophic war between the Kauravas and us. As the first attempt, he told my father-in-law Drupada to send the family priest of the Panchalas to Hastinapura for negotiations of compromise with Maharaja Dhritarashtra and grandsire Bhishma. He came back unsuccessful.
Knowing that Kaurava minister Sanjaya is one of the Sakhas of Srikrishna, Duryodhana, Shakuni and Kanaka sent him for negotiations on behalf of the Kauravas to our encampment in Upaplavya. Minister Sanjaya presented the message of the Kauravas which he personally disapproved, to Srikrishna in my presence. It was not a message of compromise at all. It was a crooked denial in a hypocritical message. Sanjaya said to Srikrishna, the Lord of Dwaraka, “Maharaja Dhritarashtra sends you a message that instead of putting the lives of lakhs of valiant warriors at stake in a great war, Yudhishthira and his brothers should go and live in another forest like Khandavavana that they have loved since their childhood. With the help of their well-wishers they will easily be able to erect another kingdom like Indraprastha in that forest as well. If that doesn’t materialize and Dharmaraja, who is pious by nature lives on alms along with his brothers, then that too is approved by the Shastras!”
Sanjaya had to deliver that spiteful royal message to Srikrishna because it was his duty, but was extremely overcome with emotion after doing so and fell at Srikrishna’s feet. The saviour of the Pandavas patted him, pulled him
up while smiling and holding him in an affectionate embrace said, “Sanjayaa, be calm. Control yourself. You have done your duty. You are not at fault at all. This does not change my love for you even a slightest bit. You delivered your Maharaja’s message to me as a minister. As a friend convey my message to your Maharaja. Tell him that the Pandavas have endured a lot. As a caretaker, make a conciliatory move and return the kingdom to them that their father Maharaja Pandu had won. As they have precisely fulfilled all the conditions of the game of dice, at least return the kingdom of Indraprastha to them. Let him also know that to settle this matter, I am coming to Hastinapura in person as a mediator.”
Sanjaya went back to Hastinapura. He delivered the exact message of the Lord of Dwaraka to the Kaurava Maharaja. We all waited for some time expecting some response from Hastinapura. Nothing happened. Finally, all of us along with Draupadi had a last meeting in Upaplavya under Srikrishna’s leadership. It was unanimously decided that Srikrishna should go as a mediator to negotiate the dispute about the division of the kingdom between the Kaurava-Pandava brothers.
As decided, Srikrishna left Upaplavya for the mediation along with Satyaki and select warriors in the month of Kartika on the MaitraMuhurta while the moon was in the Revati constellation. He left with Daruka, in his Garudadhwaja chariot.
One evening he reached a small town called Vrikasthala near Hastinapura. He camped there for one night along with all the others. The next morning after performing the morning rituals, the ‘Sandhya’, and after offering charities he went to the borders of Hastinapura along with Satyaki. As Kuru minister Sanjaya had informed about his arrival, flocks of men and women who were eager to see Srikrishna, arrived at the city borders.
On reaching Hastinapura, first, Srikrishna observed the formalities of meeting the elders like Grandsire Bhishma and Dhritarashtra and inquired about their wellbeing. Mahatma Vidura who had come to receive him at the borders was with him. As per his request Srikrishna went to his residence located at the other end of Hastinapura and had lunch there. He rested there for some time and met Kuntimata in the evening. He shared the wellbeing of Vasudevababa, both Rajmatas and all others in Dwaraka. He explained to her that he had come on behalf of her sons with a proposal of peaceful negotiations.
In the evening, he told Daruka to steer the Garudadhwaja chariot towards Duryodhana’s chamber in the royal palace of the Kurus. Duryodhana-Shakuni had no idea that he was coming to meet them. At first both the cunning diplomats got flustered. This was Srikrishna’s special quality indeed that no one around him could anticipate when and what he would do and how he would behave. Duryodhana-Shakuni welcomed him with an awkward smile. To make up for the mistake that he did not go to the city borders to receive Srikrishna, Duryodhana requested him repeatedly to have dinner with them. The scene was indeed unprecedented – the arrogant prince of the Kurus pleading with a lowlife cowherd, joining his palms in request. Srikrishna also joined his palms in the same manner and repeatedly denied the request politely. He had his dinner also at Vidura’s residence. After dinner, he discussed matters with Mahatma Vidura till late in the night. During that discussion, he picked up clues about the views of Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana, Shakuni and chief minister Vrishavarma on the matter. As per the information given by Vidura he strongly realized that Grandsire Bhishma was frustrated with the father-son duo of Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana.
The very next day the procession for the peace negotiations began. Taking Satyaki with him our saviour Srikrishna left the residence of Vidura in the Garudadhwaja chariot harnessed with four white horses, steered by Daruka. His acclaim had reached such a zenith that we had no doubt in our minds that he would return successful. The citizens of Hastinapura were already aware of his arrival in the city. They cleaned and decorated their yards and the entire royal city with Rangoli designs. At many places arches decorated with fragrant flowers were erected. It took
him quite some time to reach the royal assembly of the Kurus from the residence of Vidura. Women were putting auspicious vermillion tilak on his forehead and performing Aukshan
for him with lamps of Karanjel oil and tearful eyes. At many places fistfuls of flowers were showered on him from the balconies.
Grandsire Bhishma, Mahatma Vidura and Chief Minister Vrishavarma stood respectfully at the gates of the ancient royal assembly of the Kurus and welcomed him. They seated him on the high seat arranged especially for him in the assembly hall. Satyaki and select armed Yadava-Pandava warriors were behind him. Daruka stayed back in the chariot. In that ancient royal assembly, full of people, Srikrishna spoke for the sake of us Pandavas. Only Satyaki from among us was fortunate enough to hear that exquisite speech. I remained athirst for the rest of my life as I didn’t get a chance to hear his words, my mind always felt restless for that.
But his words had no impact whatsoever on Maharaja Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana, and Shakuni. They rebuffed his peace proposal. Duryodhana spoke like a demented person, “Pandavas will not get even a smallest particle of dust that could rest on the tip of a needle, without war. Not only that, I am going to imprison this lowlife cowherd who is the basic cause of this dispute! That will solve all the problems.” That demented soul who had reached the peak of arrogance blurted weirdly. Exactly like Shishupala!
He even gave commands to his various troop leaders in the assembly hall. At that time, he and the royal members of the Kuru assembly were forced to view a scene just like how Shishupala had been forced to see. Srikrishna had closed his eyes and incanted the divine mantras of the Sudarshan. With each mantra that he incanted, an instrumental sound which the Kurus had never heard before started reverberating in the hall, making it tremble. It was so piercing that every single person in the assembly hall got terrified and stood up. Initially, only three people kept sitting. Maharaja Dhritarashtra, Maharani Gandharimata as they were unable to see and Grandsire Bhishma. The Sudarshan chakra with twelve spokes had manifested on Srikrishna’s right index finger which he had raised. The waves of its bright light had dazzled everyone in the assembly hall. Not a single person had the strength to bear the blinding light. Eventually Maharaja Dhritarashtra and Rajmata also stood up. Maharaja had joined his palms and moving his neck around, disoriented, he was pleading in a faint voice, “Oh Lord of Dwaraka, please forgive, my son is not in his senses.”
Only Grandsire Bhishma who continued to be seated had brought his palms together and was whispering some mantras.
He let the Kurus see him in this divine form only for a few moments. He spoke very little, “Duryodhanaa…!! I dare you to bring all the ropes in your kingdom, arrest me with all your armed soldiers and imprison me!!” Then he walked out of the hall, planting every step with determination. The Sudarshan chakra which had appeared gradually disappeared. Duryodhana had collapsed in his seat helplessly when Srikrishna left the assembly hall with Satyaki.
To Daruka, who was standing in front of the assembly gates with the Garudadhwaja chariot, he seemed like his usual self. But this time he had planted every step with full determination.
Insolent Duryodhana had rebuffed Srikrishna’s prudent peace proposal. The Great War was inevitable now. It was in no one’s control to stop it now. I was fully confident that it was only Srikrishna who would control the way in which it would be fought. When he returned to Upaplavya he had transformed inside out. After meeting him only one thought was confirmed in everyone’s mind – ‘war, a desperate, unprecedented war which will set the final judgment of justice and injustice’. I asked Yudhishthira who always spoke religiously and philosophically over and over again as he was the eldest, “Brother, what is your final decision?” He held his neck straight and answered, “The Great War!”
We all were in the encampment on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Srikrishna was in Upaplavya. He confirmed the date of the commencement of the Great War in a meeting with Dhaumya rishi of the Pandavas, Gargamuni of the Yadavas, Yaaja-Upayaaja of the Panchalas and many more experienced sages. The date confirmed was the second day of the
dark fortnight of the month of Margashirsha. It is essential to seek the blessings of the elders to face a vital truth like a war. But all my venerable elders were in Hastinapura. Therefore, two days before the war I came to Hastinapura along with all my brothers. First, we visited Kuntimata and Mahatma Vidura. When I humbly put my head at the feet of Kuntimata my heart became completely fearless. She also pulled me up and embraced me, and though she was aged she said to me like the noble Kshatriya lady that she was, “Put up a fight that will make the Kuru dynasty proud. Never disobey Krishna’s word. Remember he is not a mere charioteer. Don’t forget to put your head at his feet and seek his blessings every day before entering the battlefield. Make all your brothers also do the same. It is your invincible valour on which the Pandavas are relying the most. Go, may you have a long life, be victorious, and earn acclaim.” In her bright eyes I could clearly see a brilliance of the Kshatriyas like never before.
All of us took the blessings of Vidura. We went to meet Grandsire Bhishma. I didn’t feel like lifting up my head that I had put on his feet. He realized it and immediately pulled me up. That towering Deodara tree of the Kuru dynasty trembled. Moved by emotions grandsire said to me, “Arjuna… son, do as Srikrishna says! May you live long! May you be victorious! As the last Kuru, I give my blessings to you as you are the most virtuous of the next generation!”
All of us also sought the blessings of Guru Dronacharya, Kripacharya, Maharaja Dhritarashtra and Maharani Gandharidevi. When we returned to Kurukshetra from Hastinapura, my mind was ready to go to war and determined. This war was no longer a battle between the cousins and only for the sake of ruling a kingdom. It was going to be a historical battle between Truth and Untruth to be remembered by generations. A great part of its responsibility lay with me. My role was going to be crucial.
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 74
