Grandsire Bhishma had very skilfully arranged the eleven akshauhini well-equipped soldiers of the Kuru army. His army included proficient Maharathis such as Drona, Kripa, Jayadratha, Shakuni, Ashwatthama, Duryodhana, Dushasana, Shalya, Vivinshati, Bhagadutta, Bhurishrava, Susharma, Vikarna, Chitrasena, Dusaha, Purumitra, Satyavrata, and Jaya. Dressed up in war costumes, well equipped with weaponry they were all leading their own divisions of chariots, their chests puffed with pride and looking in the direction of their commander grandsire Bhishma for the signal to attack. Their chariots were filled to the capacity with various weapons such as many quivers full of a variety of arrows and bows, maces, swords, pestles, spears, chakras and Agnikankanas.
Some of the chariots had installed huge catapults like Bhrushundi and Shataghni for propelling stones and were filled with a variety of stones. Some chariots were harnessed with thirteen horses, some with eleven, some with nine, seven, four and a minimum of two horses. Precaution was taken to make sure that all the horses of a chariot would be of equal height. Some chariots had ten, some had eight, some six, four and some had two huge Kikarwood wheels of equal height. Separate troops were assigned for the maintenance of the chariot wheels of Maharathis. Grandsire Bhishma’s Gangaugha chariot had ten wheels and eight pure white horses of Kamboja. The Taladhwaja pennant fluttered proudly atop his chariot.
The grandsire had positioned adorned elephants of his mammoth elephant regiment one after the other in front of the right and left wings of his army thus strengthening them and making them impenetrable. The howdahs on the backs of the elephants were also full of various weapons. Commander Bhishma himself stood at the mouth of the crocodile-shaped formation of the Kaurava army bearing his bow on his shoulder. His thick, white beard was flowing gently on the wind. On his right, many pugnacious warriors like Drona, Duryodhana, Dushasana, Shakuni, all brothers and sons of Karna were ready in their own chariots and on his left were Kripa, Ashwatthama, Kritavarma, Jayadratha, and Shalya. Sanshaptaka Susharma from the Trigarta kingdom was in the line behind him. On both his sides were his renowned Sanshaptaka brothers – Satyaratha, Satyadharmana, Satyavarmana, Satyakarmana, and Satyeshu. These Sanshaptakas and their followers were famous for destroying an entire troop or a single warrior on oath.
Behind all of them Grandsire had positioned his mammoth camel and cavalry unit in the shape of a crocodile’s midriff. The infantry unit and a few single horse riders were positioned at the tail end of the crocodile.
Grandsire had taken the utmost precaution to make sure that the Kaurava army was indestructible from any side by planting atirathis like Kshemadhurti, Vinda-Anuvinda, Aparajita, Ulooka, Sahadeva, Bhagadutta, and Lakshmana, ardharathis like Kuhara, Karkasha, Gavaksha, Kratha, Ambashtaka, and Aarjava and great warriors like Brihadbala of the Kosala kingdom, Kalinga king Bhanumana and his son Shakradeva, Nishadha king Ketumana, Shrutayu and Sudakshina together in various places of his army.
Kaurava commander Grandsire Bhishma had woken up at Brahma Muhurta today and bathed in Surya sarovar. With the assistance of his regular attendants he had put on the iron armour on his chest, and bore many weapons all over his body. A knee-long white flower garland around his neck suited him well. Except for the white beard resting on his iron armour no sign of his old age was apparent anywhere at all. As per the instruction of the Kuru priest he had worshiped the holy land of Kurukshetra with formal rituals.
Our Pandava army had also gotten ready under the guidance of Panchala prince Dhrishtadyumna. All five regiment leaders including myself had taken their places in the army. The yajna pit formation of our seven akshauhini army was in position. On the right of our commander stood Panchala king Drupada, Matsya king Virata, Chekitana, Shikhandi, along with the Pandava army Bhima and his three brothers Yudhishthira, Nakula and Sahadeva mounted on their own chariots. Behind us were Panchala princes Vyaghradutta, Sihasena, Satyajita, and Virata’s sons Shatanika, Vasudana, Uttara and Shweta in their chariots. Behind them were kings like Paurava, Malava, and Sudarshana, Drupada’s sons Sumitra, Priyadarshana, Chitraketu, Suketu, Dhwajaketu, Viraketu, Suartha and Shatrunjaya in their chariots.
Behind Bhimsena the second line of Pandavas, comprised of Yudhishthira’s son Prativindhya, Bhima’s sons Sutasoma and Ghatotkacha, Arjuna’s sons Shrutakirti, Iravana and Babhruvahana, Nakula’s son Shatanika and Sahadeva’s son Shrutasena mounted their chariots.
Our commander Dhrishtadyumna also worshiped the holy land of Kurukshetra with formal rituals under the guidance of Dhaumya rishi. Now two gigantic, continuously roaring oceans of Kaurava and Pandava armies stood facing each other for a bloodthirsty war. The scene looked like two lions with thick manes from the valleys of Giranar standing against each other, roaring constantly at each other, assessing the power of their rival for a lethal fight.
Millions of combative, armed warriors from both sides were awaiting Krishnadeva – the host of his great yajna of the Great War and his best disciple Arjuna and his Nandighosha chariot.
Today Krishnadeva woke up at Brahma Muhurta as usual. Along with Arjuna and his regular loyal attendants he went to the nearby Jyoti sarovar. Taking a dip in the lake, he offered Arghya to the Sun god, about to rise, with his eyes closed. After bathing he returned to his pavilion and performed his morning rituals. While doing that, he got engrossed in his meditation of Shiva like never before. That was the reason it took him so long to come to the battleground.
As soon as the tiny spot of the Kapidhwaja pennant of Arjuna’s Nandighosha chariot came into sight from a distance, a wave of energy arose in our Pandava army.
At the mouth of Bhimsena’s akshauhini the space for Arjuna’s Nandighosha chariot was vacant. To take that space the Nandighosha chariot with four white horses was approaching us. I recognized those horses unmistakably.
Krishnadeva brought Nandighosha with Arjuna and his weaponry assistants in the Pandava army. As he tugged at the reins in his hands, the four horses responded by raising their front hooves high and neighed loudly. Within a trice Krishnadeva took in his hands his big, auspicious Panchjanya conch tied in his shawl. We got gooseflesh in anticipation of his blowing the conch with all his might raising his head high towards the sky. Everyone brandished their weapons like bows, maces and swords. From the Nandighosha chariot, master archer Dhananjaya moved his glance over the twenty-five-lakhs army that stood in front. And who knows what happened, but I saw the Gandiva bow literally slipping out of his hands! Not only that, the next moment with his left hand he stopped Krishnadeva from blowing the Panchjanya conch and shaking his head in negation, saying something like ‘No…. no… I can’t fight’ he just sat down at once.
Everyone could see that valiant Arjuna was nervous and was literally sitting in the back of the Nandighosha chariot. He was constantly moving his head in negation and saying something to Krishnadeva. He was seen bringing his palms together in request and pleading. Nobody could understand what kind of drama was unfolding in the Nandighosha. Forty lakh armed warriors from both armies were restlessly waiting. Everyone saw Krishnadeva dropping down the reins of his horses. Now he had turned towards dejected and dispirited Arjuna. He had focused his all-encompassing eyes on Arjuna’s distressed, teary eyes. He always used to tell me, ‘I could never forget the way Aacharya Sandipani fixed his eyes on mine and gave me incredible blessings by transferring his powers to me in his aashrama.’ Probably something similar was going on right now.
Krishnadeva was occasionally patting Arjuna’s strong shoulders covered with iron armour with his blue, lean-fingered palm of his knee-long arms. At times, he was pointing his index finger towards him and speaking something rapidly.
Almost ten-fifteen minutes had passed by. Lakhs of pugnacious armed warriors on both sides for whom the war fever had become unbearable, started getting more anxious. The horses became uncontrollable and started neighing. The elephants swaying back and forth in their places began making trumpeting sounds. Nobody could understand the sudden cessation of war movements!
Krishna
deva was exhausted trying to boost Arjuna’s morale. It had been almost half an hour. He had turned towards the horses again and picked up the reins in his hands. A heart-wrenching suspicion tormented me. Was he going to steer Nandighosha out of the battleground now? I frantically leaped out of my chariot, and ran towards Nandighosha. As I approached Nandighosha Krishnadeva’s determined words fell on my ears –
‘Keep your mind focused on me. Be my devotee. Bow down only to me. I will emancipate you from every kind of sin!’
Hearing those words of Vaasudeva Arjuna’s face had lit up like before. His face was again overflowing with the passion of a valiant archer. I clearly heard him saying with resolve while picking up the Gandiva bow –
“Oh Achyuta, your advice has removed all my attachment now. I have become aware of my duty again. Now that all doubts are removed from my mind I will certainly fight the war as per your wish!” As Krishnadeva heard these words befitting a warrior, his face brightened in such a way that I had never seen before.
He signalled me to get into my chariot. Then he determinedly cupped his hands around the big, auspicious Panchjanya conch tied in his shimmering blue shawl wrapped over his lustrous yellow dhoti and blew it with ultimate resolve and all his might!
The resonating sound was so inspirational that the lakhs of horses in both armies puffed their tails and pricked their ears. The elephants raised their trunks high like war horns and trumpeted excitedly. Whosoever heard that sound of the Panchjanya got gooseflesh. By this time the Sun god had ascended in the sky. Srikrishnadeva picked up the reins of Nandighosha – as an unarmed charioteer!
As soon as he heard the sound of the Panchjanya, grandsire also blew his Ganganabha conch with equal profoundness. In response to that our commander Dhrishtadyumna blew his Yajnadutta conch. Following that Arjuna blew his Devadutta conch, Yudhishthira blew his Anantvijaya conch, Bhima the Paundra conch, Nakula the Sughosha conch and Sahadeva his Manipushpaka conch. Following this rhythm of the peals of the conches, the regiment leaders in both armies blew various conches charging their armies with war spirit. Thereafter the bands of war instruments positioned at various places in the army raised a cacophony of various war instruments like
kettle drums, war tabors, and war horns. Hearing that
sound the already neighing horses, trumpeting elephants and grunting camels screamed with more excitement. The roaring war slogans of ‘Ready, Onward, Charge’ excitedly given by the soldiers of various kingdoms blended with it. The clanging and banging sounds of various weapons of forty lakh soldiers while attacking each other fused with the war slogans and filled the atmosphere.
An uproar of mixed sounds of the soldiers’ sky-rending peals, weapons, war drums, slogans and animal shouts permeated the atmosphere of Kurukshetra.
The chariots of commander grandsire Bhishma and Dhrishtadyumna raced forward with the flags fluttering atop them.
On the holy land of Kurukshetra, the inferno of an unprecedented great yajna of the Great War enkindled by Krishnadeva flared up passionately, that was going to evaluate justice and injustice, and bring mankind face to face with Truth and Untruth.
Only Krishnadeva knew how the war was going to end and what its outcome was going to be. And only Bhagvan Vaasudeva knew what principles of life were going to emerge from this war for the human race which were going to be worth preserving for future generations. But every single being, whether big
or small, fighting in this war had come to know for sure that this Great War was not just a war between Kauravas and Pandavas for the sake of a kingdom or for the honour of a lady or for
the destruction of sinful people. It was so much more than
that!
Like two catastrophic, hideous and roaring dark clouds dashing against each other, both well-equipped armies finally fell upon each other. Even in such a tumult of war I could clearly hear the penetrating roar that Bhimsena gave while wielding his heavy mace in the air of Kurukshetra. The first shock of it was so unbearable that his own charioteer Vishoka got startled! His whole body trembled for a moment. In that fit itself he propelled Bhimsena’s well-equipped chariot with seven horses in front of everybody else.
First of all, a fierce battle eclipsing the sun took place with bow and arrows, between him and Duryodhana on their chariots.
Now Draupadidevi’s five youthful sons who had had no opportunity to showcase their valour so far started fiercely wedging through the Kaurava army. A flank of five sons of the Pandavas, namely Dharma’s son Prativindhya, Bhima’s son Sutasoma, Arjuna’s son Shrutakirti, Nakula and Sahadeva’s sons Shatanika and Shrutasena, like five mountain ranges, marched forward, protecting each other, slicing the heads of the enemy soldiers and shouting inspirational war slogans. Sutasoma was holding a heavy mace in his hands like his father’s. No one could contain him in mace fight. Shrutakirti was beautifully handling the bow and arrows, just by the touch of his fingers he was recognizing various arrows promptly and his ability to shoot five arrows at the same time, was simply incomprehensible. Facing one side he was even shooting arrows to the opposite side, hitting his target unerringly.
From Bhishma’s Gangaugha chariot hundreds of arrows started swiftly swooshing from his flower-bedecked bow that was as tall as him. Their only target was Pandava warrior master archer Arjuna. First, Arjuna greeted him with a humble bow from a distance. Then he brandished his auspicious, invincible Gandiva bow bedecked with white flower garlands in his hands. He twanged its taut bow string once. It dispersed far away like the continuous roar of the ocean surrounding Dwaraka. While doing all this, he had skilfully dodged Bhishma’s arrows by turning his neck around. As if he was respectfully paying homage to the initial eight-ten arrows shot by venerable grandsire Bhishma, with whom he had played in his childhood. He was indeed Arjuna! He had also acquired the noble virtue of humility. He was a grandson that befitted grandsire Bhishma.
Now the invincible Gandiva bow in his hands was not going to rest till a clear result was in sight. For the first half an hour, he simply blocked Bhishma’s various nonstop arrows and rendered them ineffective.
My troop and I had the primary responsibility of protecting the wheels of Arjuna’s Nandighosha chariot. Therefore, my chariot was constantly going to be moving around keeping a keen eye on the pennant of the Nandighosha chariot which Krishnadeva was steering. I was going to get the opportunity to closely watch all his subtle movements on the battleground. So far, I had closely observed many of his qualities on life’s battlefield. At times, I was amazed at his sky-high intellectual genius. I was bedazzled.
On the very first day of the Great War in Kurukshetra when the sun was shining atop our heads I resolved in my mind to carefully watch and fiercely protect the wheels of master archer Arjuna’s chariot and observe the wheel of Krishnadeva’s ingenious intellect by keeping my brain alert, without saying a word. It was indeed going to be useful for me in future.
Our own maharathi Kritavarma was the first one to attack Nandighosha. I blocked him moving forward with my chariot troop. Though we both originally belonged to Dwaraka, and both were from the Yadu dynasty a fierce fight took place between us.
Duryodhana attacked Bhimsena with years of pent-up rage. Bhimsena overthrew his assault within a short time just like the ocean in high tide repels the incoming water of a stream. Arjuna’s son young Abhimanyu began fighting tenaciously with the experienced Kosala king. Dushasana hounded our handsome Nakula with his arrows. Nakula’s body, bloody with Dushasana’s arrows, started looking like a blooming Palash tree during summer. Krishnadeva deftly steered the Nandighosha chariot within his vicinity. Making wounded Nakula aware of his self, Krishnadeva said from the Nandighosha chariot itself, “Nakula… you are looking as your name suggests! Like a Nakula – a Mongoose that has just bitten a snake! That snake called Dushasana is also biting you like he bit Draupadi. Don’t be afraid!” Those words of Krishnadeva worked like magic. Injured Nakula prepared his bow and within moments with his arrow he hurled Dushasana’s crow
n into the air and tossed it on the ground.
Pandava commander Dhrishtadyumna aggressively charged at Drona’s akshauhini with the support of combative Panchalas. Drona who was enraged by the past insult by Dhrishtadyumna’s father Drupada due to his poverty, broke his bow into pieces. Maharathi Shishupala’s son Dhrishtaketu had attacked Balhika. Shouting war slogans loudly like his father, Bhima’s son Ghatotkacha assailed Alambusha. Shikhandi and Ashwatthama, Virata and Bhagadutta, Drupada and Jayadratha were engaged in vicious fights. Gandhara king Shakuni attacked Yudhishthira’s son Prativindhya along with his ten brothers.
The afternoon of the first day was now on the decline. Commander grandsire Bhishma who had the powerful support of five Kaurava warriors – Kritavarma, Kripa, Durmukha, Shalya and Vivinshati – began damaging the Pandava army irreparably in front of our eyes. Like the gusty winds of the Mriga constellation thrashing a sprawling mango tree, instantly knocking down hundreds of mangoes, infuriated grandsire Bhishma started knocking down Pandava soldiers by his unerring arrows. Just as its name denoted his Gangaugha chariot began moving amidst our Pandava army like the torrent of Ganga’s waters flowing unrestricted through the valleys and mountains of the Himalaya. Abhimanyu, who was enraged to see that, moved forward. With a single arrow, he broke the pennant of the chariot of Kritavarma who was covering grandsire Bhishma. He restrained Shalya with five arrows. Shooting a Sannathparva arrow he cut off the head of Durmukha’s charioteer. He shot a Jidma arrow and broke Kripacharya’s bow unerringly. That broke the wall of protection around grandsire.
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 84
