Krishnadeva crossed the threshold of the palace gate looking at the triangular royal pennant of Kurus on the dome of the royal palace, muttering something. Someone whispered in a low voice, ‘The royal palace is blessed today!’ I stared in that direction. It was the great Krishna devotee Mahatma Vidura.
Krishnadeva came into the great Kuru Dhritarashtra’s chamber with everybody. The blind Maharaja Dhritarashtra who approached the door to receive him said in a deceptive tone, “Welcome to Hastinapura, Lord of Dwaraka.”
Innately cultured and polite Krishnadeva touched his feet to offer obeisance. Holding both his hands the Lord of Dwaraka said, “Maharaj, I don’t wish to go anywhere else. Let’s go straight to the assembly hall.”
He also acceded to the request, saying, “Let’s go Yadavaraja.”
We left for the assembly hall with all Kuru warriors. While climbing the staircase in the grand royal palace of the Kurus he stopped on a step. I was standing right behind him. Unknowingly, I was counting every step. I strongly remembered the esteemed ‘Srisopana’ in Dwaraka. The step that he stopped on was the one hundred and fifth step. Krishnadeva momentarily waited on the step and smilingly glanced at Karna, the king of Anga standing next to grandsire Bhishma. Then he stepped on the last and one hundred and sixth step of the staircase.
As soon as he entered the assembly hall of the Kurus Krishnadeva bowed slightly and paid obeisance to the ancient renowned royal throne of the Kurus. He calmly took the seat shown by Vrishavarma, the Chief Minister of the Kurus. After him all the others took their seats. Maharaja Dhritarashtra and Maharani Gandharidevi sat on the royal throne. This was a conclusive, probably the last royal assembly.
Vrishavarma, the Chief Minister of the Kurus raised the royal sceptre and presented the agenda of the council. He welcomed Krishnadeva with his honeyed words and said, “Now Yadavaraja Bhagvan Srikrishna himself will share the purpose of his visit. All Kurus should think about it carefully. This is a very crucial time. It is going to be decisive!”
Krishnadeva calmly got up from his seat and gathered his shawl. Due to that small movement of his, the vermillion powder stuck in the folds of his shawl rolled down from his yellow dhoti onto the rug below. In his sharp, keen voice the asset of generations of Yadavas began speaking. His rosy lips quivered, keen eyes glanced over the assembly calmly. “Grandsire Bhishma, Maharaja Dhritarashtra, Maharani Gandharidevi, world conqueror Karna, Aacharya Drona – Kripa, Mahatma Vidura, aacharya’s son Ashwatthama, Gandhara king Shakuni, Chief Minister Vrishavarma, expert politician Kanaka, Dushasana and Duryodhana! All the Kuru warriors who are present here and the citizens of Hastinapura! Today I have not come to your city as a Yadavaraja. I have also not come as the mame bandhu of the Pandavas! And not at all as Srikrishna, the Lord of Dwaraka. I have come here today as a supporter of a fair party to seek justice from this ancient royal throne. Because the renown of this royal throne, prominently for meting out justice, is famous in the entire Aaryavarta.
“You have stretched the tolerance of the Pandavas beyond limits. Will the eldest Kaurava Duryodhana explain to me today who taught him the warfare of setting the Pandavas along with Rajmata Kuntidevi on fire in the lacquer house? Will Shakuni mama who offered the freakish kingdom of Khandavavana full of thick and thorny trees and creepers, echoing with the loud roars of wild animals to the Pandavas bereft of their father’s love, leave the royal capital of his Gandhara kingdom, go to the Dandakaranya and build a new royal city there if I offer it to him as his new kingdom? If I sit today to play the game of dice putting my Dwaraka at stake, would he play the game with me and put his Gandhara kingdom at stake? Would he put his wife at stake and after losing her in the game of dice, allow me to bring her in this assembly hall in front of all, even if she is in her menses? What if my commander Satyaki touches her vesture to remove it in this hall full of people? Would Shakunimama just watch along with Duryodhana and Dushasana? Would he endure thirteen years of forest life and incognito living? Would you accept it if the lakhs of Yadava warriors in Mathura and Dwaraka attack Hastinapura to seize your cows just like all of you Kuru warriors did? Each one of you possesses an eternal pure voice within you. With that voice as a witness, tell me honestly what justice have you offered to the Pandavas so far? Are you even aware today of what meting out justice means?
“Still, I consider the Kauravas and Pandavas as equal, as two sides of the same royal seal. I consider all of you as Kurus of the Chandravansha. That is why I am ready to forget all the bitter events in the past and tell you this Maharaja Dhritarashtra! Give half of the kingdom to the Pandavas which is rightfully theirs and put out the mammoth inferno of destruction that is looming on the future! In fact, Maharaja Pandu appointed you as the trustee of the kingdom for its protection, and so you should return the entire kingdom as it is to his sons. So, tell me,
are you ready to do justice in this matter?” The entire assembly hall was filled with terrifying silence with his sharp words
like the cracking of a whiplash. Maharaja Dhritarashtra was not ready to give him an answer. So many great men were sitting in the assembly hall but no one dared to utter a single word. Breaking that silence Krishnadeva’s words roared again, “Come on, any one of you stand up and tell me what your final decision is!” His eyes kept moving rapidly through the entire assembly hall.
The members of the assembly were unnerved to hear his sharp words and the harsh truth that left them nonplussed. A stunned silence enveloped the assembly hall. “I will do that. Once and for all I will tell you the final decision of all the Kuru warriors who are benumbed by your preposterous speech here. The Pandavas will not get even half of the kingdom!” Duryodhana stood at once and spoke raising his eyebrows. He waved his short and stubby fingers in the air in negation.
“Why not?” the question arose in response with equal resolve leaving the assembly hall rattled. Now Krishnadeva stared only at Duryodhana with his fish-shaped eyes.
“They have nothing to do with this kingdom. Not even if they are the sons of Maharaja Pandu! Dividing the kingdom today will break it into a hundred pieces tomorrow and a thousand pieces later. Do the Pandavas think of the kingdom as a coconut that ten aashrama disciples can share among themselves?” Duryodhana was also hell-bent on being stubborn today. His reddish eyes moved quickly over his brothers sitting in the assembly hall.
“If not half the kingdom would you at least return the Indraprastha kingdom that they raised and brought to prosperity in Khandavavana as per the conditions of the second gambling game? Duryodhana, do not shut out justice and truth with your arrogance!” Krishnadeva said in a very persuasive tone.
Duryodhana discarded his entreaty arrogantly and said, “No! They have lost the kingdom in the game of dice. They haven’t completed the year of their incognito life. There are still two more days of the year remaining. They have come out in the open before that!”
“No! They have completed the incognito life. You have made a mistake with the time calculation. You didn’t take into consideration the extra lunar month Duryodhana, return the Indraprastha to the Pandavas!” Krishnadeva was not going to let him get away with any excuse today.
“No!” The already stubborn son of Dhritarashtra was not going to give in today.
“Why not?” The great Yadava asked him in minimal words precisely.
“They are not the sons of our Maharaja Pandu! They may be the sons of Kunti and the sons of Madri but they are not Pandavas.”
These ultimate and heart breaking detestable words of Duryodhana caused a commotion in the ancient royal assembly of the Kurus. Duryodhana was thoughtlessly trying to tarnish the esteemed character of Kuntidevi openly and without any shame.
Now grandsire Bhishma stood up at once. Tightly holding the shawl resting on his chest he roared, “Reckless Duryodhana, shut your mouth. I know exactly what you want to say. You know nothing about politics and ethics. It was impossible for Maharaj Pandu to bear a son in the forest due to the curse of Kindama rishi. Ashamed Pand
u who couldn’t bear the thought of an emperor dying without bearing a son shared his pain with wife Kuntidevi. To save him from going to hell, Kunti as a dutiful wife agreed to bear him a son by way of Niyoga. Both of them sent such a message to us with Maharishi Vyasa. After receiving that message Maharaja Dhritarashtra, Vidura and I held an urgent meeting. We sent them our approval for the Niyoga. Pandavas are the sons of Maharaja Pandu borne by way of Niyoga and which is approved by Dharma. They belong to the Kuru dynasty. They are the rightful heirs of this kingdom!”
Duryodhana had already surmised that during this assembly of Krishnadeva for the mediation, the grandsire was going to attack him and would create a problem for him. He wanted to spit out his deep-rooted hatred for the Pandavas in front of all the people in the assembly. He threw his stubby finger in the air again and standing up he said, “Then what status do me and my brothers hold in Hastinapura? Grandsire should clearly tell the assembly what is our status as Kurus after all.” Now the assembly hall started buzzing with whispers. It had to be curbed immediately. Aged grandsire stood up again. In words raging with the fire of penance and determination he said, “Duryodhanaa, indeed you are quite ignorant. You Kauravas and Pandavas – none of you are born in the Kuru dynasty!” This was the second powerful shock of astonishment for the royal assembly of the Kurus. Now a buzz of whispers started in the Kaurava section among Duryodhana, Dushasana, Shakuni mama, their brothers, and Karna, the king of Anga. Some decision was finalized in low voices. With that as support Gandhara king Shakuni arose and said, “The Maharaja’s sons Duryodhana and his brothers are not Kurus. Yudhishthir and his brothers born by way of Niyoga are also not Kurus. Then who are Kurus after all? Who does this kingdom belong to?” His sly words pierced through the hearts of the members of the assembly.
Grandsire Bhishma stood up again with resolve and said firmly, “I am that last Kuru! The son of Shantanu, Gangeya Bhishma! Long ago the Kuru dynasty had adapted the Niyoga system with the permission of my mother Satyavatidevi to avoid its extinction. Maharaja Dhritarashtra, Maharaja Pandu and Mahatma Vidura are all sons of Vyasa by way of Niyoga which is sanctioned by Dharma. So, I am the last and only Kuru. I earnestly request you Kauravas and Pandavas that you should not let a single word of Srikrishna go unheeded. At this moment, it will be an unforgivable Himalayan blunder that can never be fixed. You Kauravas and Pandavas are fortunate enough that he has come in person in this assembly hall today to mediate between you. I earnestly feel that you should not disrespect his words.”
Absolute silence spread in the assembly hall now. Taking advantage of the atmosphere that was routed back by Bhishma, Krishnadeva said, “Kauravaa – Duryodhanaa, if not the kingdom of Hastinapura and not the kingdom of Indraprastha, then where should your brothers go? Are you at least ready to give five towns of this kingdom like Avisthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata and such to the five brothers just for shelter?” It broke the hearts of all the warrior members to hear that desperate appeal.
There were whispers. Today Duryodhana was not at all ready to let the buzz spread. It was as if Kali had entered his mind today. He instantly discarded Krishnadeva’s proposal with arrogance and said, “No! No! No! Never ever. We are not the heirs of this Kuru kingdom. Because we are not Kurus! The Pandavas borne by way of Niyoga also are not the heirs. They are also not Kurus. Grandsire Bhishma is the only Kuru! But he has taken the vow of lifelong celibacy! Then should this ancient throne of the Kurus be left without any heir? Only the battlefield will now decide who is going to inherit the kingdom on the basis of strength.
Forget five towns, without a battle the Pandavas won’t get even the tiniest dust particle trembling on the tip of a needle!!”
Now Duryodhana who was trembling with rage fixed his angry, fire-breathing eyes only on Krishnadeva. With extreme disrespect, rejecting Krishnadeva’s authority as the esteemed Vaasudeva he insanely raved, “Not only that but I would have even told my servants to wipe the dust particles sticking to your feet when you go back with this denial so that they wouldn’t fall in the hands of the Pandavas. But even for that I wouldn’t want my servants to touch your dirty feet smeared in cow dung! Go, wrap these tatters of your deal of compromise around yourself and leave the borders of Hastinapura as soon as possible! Or else –”
“Duryo…dha…na!!” Krishnadeva’s lips quivered with rage now. His fish-shaped eyes became blood red! I stood up at once as if struck by lightning. My whole body was trembling with rage. I didn’t even know when my hands clasped the scabbard of my sword tied around my waist. Shouting loudly ‘insolent scoundrel…’ I promptly pulled the sword out! Ninety-nine brothers of Duryodhana and all the brothers of Shakuni were also standing now. Duryodhana raved deliriously, “Karna, the king of Anga, I am going to capture this cowherd today who is the reason of all this chaos! This cowherd born in the prison of Mathura should perish in the darkness of the prison of Hastinapura! That is the place he deserves!!”
His words entered my ears like molten iron. They began stinging my brain like a lethal slithering serpent. So, this insolent Duryodhana was about to imprison my Krishnadeva! A lightning of thought flashed instantly through my mind. Now I clearly understood why the Lord of Dwaraka instructed me like never before to take the escorts with us for this mission.
Without thinking about anybody or anything, I walked urgently out of the hall holding the scabbard of my sword tightly in my fist – to command the escorts to encircle Deva. Suddenly I could hear the same unclear mixed sounds that I had heard in the Rajasuya yajna – those of various musical instruments. After that, the last fleeting words of the Lord of Dwaraka fell on my ears –
“Oh Karna, the king of Anga, tell him that I dare him to gather all the chains that he has in his kingdom and detain me if he can!”
The very next moment, hailing Krishnadeva, ‘Hail Lord of Dwaraka Vaasudeva Krishna, Hail Idamata!’ I dashed into the assembly hall with the armed escorts of Yadava warriors standing outside the assembly hall. The armed warriors in the escort troop burst into the assembly hall, brandishing their naked weapons, hailing the name of Goddess Ida. They surrounded Krishnadeva from all sides like the waves of Yamuna’s flooding waters surrounding an island. Fortunately, the Sudarshan was not launched today. Whose luck was that? Only Krishnadeva knew it. Brandishing the bare sword in my hand, moving around Krishnadeva like a whirligig, I brought Krishnadeva safely out of the assembly hall with the assistance of the escort troop.
He walked briskly and mounted the Garudadhwaja chariot that Daruka had brought to the front. There were a few warriors who followed him as if dragged behind him with a bond through ages. Among them were a few chosen ones like grandsire Bhishma, Mahatma Vidura, Karna, the king of Anga and Sanjaya. Krishnadeva accepted all their salutations and saying only to Karna, ‘Come king of Anga, there is something I have to tell you!’ he gently pulled Karna into his chariot with a smile. Daruka steered the chariot. We also got into our chariots. A line of chariots followed the Garudadhwaja towards the border of Hastinapura. Krishnadeva’s mediation was over!
That day under a sprawling banyan tree on the border of Hastinapura, Karna and Krishnadeva discussed something of utmost importance for half an hour on the shores of river Ganga. It was only between the two of them and completely confidential. I waited under a tree along with the escort troops near Daruka’s Garudadhwaja chariot until the discussion between the two warriors was over. After some time both the great warriors returned. Saying ‘let me take your leave’ Karna bowed respectfully and bade farewell to Krishnadeva. He took that munificent son of a charioteer in a deep embrace. Krishnadeva mounted the chariot. Daruka steered the chariot. Our chariots also followed it. I looked back with curiosity. Karna’s contour with its back to us could be seen getting tinier and disappearing towards Hastinapura. Alone and lonely! Krishnadeva was standing in front of me in the Garudadhwaja chariot holding the rails of the chariot. Oh, how tall he looked – like the sky – limitless!
We came to Upaplavya. The very nex
t day a messenger of Kuru’s Chief Minister Vrishavarma came to Upaplavya. A special meeting was arranged on the holy land of Kurukshetra. This special meeting was organized to decide the date and the rules of engagement between both parties for the inevitable war betweenthe Kauravas and Pandavas. In this meeting grandsire Bhishma, Aacharya Drona, Kripa, Ashwatthama, Duryodhana and Karna were going to represent the Kauravas and Krishnadeva, Virata, King Drupada and his son prince Dhrishtadyumna and I were going to represent the Pandavas.
We left for Kurukshetra on the decided day. The Kaurava representatives came directly to Kurukshetra. The meeting began in a very solemn atmosphere. All the charge of this meeting was with grandsire Bhishma on behalf of the Kauravas and with Krishnadeva on behalf of the Pandavas. Chief Minister Vrishavarma announced the purpose of the council to commence it.
Grandsire announced the first rule of engagement – “Every day the war will commence exactly at sunrise.”
“And will end exactly at sunset.” Krishnadeva completed the rule.
“The entire war will be fought in the form of a duel.” Grandsire started speaking – “It means an elephant rider will fight another elephant rider, cavalry with cavalry, a camel rider with a camel rider, and a foot soldier with a foot soldier. A chariot hero will fight a chariot hero. It will be a chariot duel. Foot soldiers combating on the ground will fight with the same kind of weapon in their hands. A swordsman will fight with a swordsman, a mace wielder with mace wielder, a chakra wielder with a chakra wielder, and a pestle holder with pestle holder.” Hearing that, Krishnadeva nodded in approval and said, “Nobody will attack an unarmed warrior or charioteer with any weapon or astra!” After hearing this rule told by Krishnadeva grandsire Bhishma laughed and was about to say something when Aacharya Drona said, “The group wars should also be defined in this council itself.” I said, “Where many warriors are fighting with same kind of weapon it will be considered a group war for that particular weapon. Where a group of chariots of one party are fighting another group of chariots it would be considered a group war of chariots. Similarly, a battle between cavalries will be a cavalry war. The group wars of maces,
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 81
