While stepping out of his pavilion after touching his feet I strongly felt that he had made only me wait. And since the last four days of war for the first time he had addressed me as ‘Sakha’. I convinced myself that it could be because I was the only senior Yadava at Kurukshetra who was close to him.
The sixth day of the dark fortnight of Margashirsha dawned. At the sound of Krishnadeva’s Panchjanya conch the hawk of our army collided against the crocodile of the Kaurava army, giving out loud war cries. Panchala son Shikhandi along with his akshauhini attacked Bhishmacharya and Chitrasena. At the centre of the army a fierce battle ensued between Aacharya Drona and his disciple master archer Arjuna. Arjuna’s quick movements got Guru Drona surrounded from all sides. So Kaurava commander Bhishma signalled Kalinga, Jayadratha and Shakuni with his conch to assault Arjuna with their armies. Bhima charged on Jayadratha. Yudhishthira began fighting with Madra king Shalya. From one wing of the hawk formation Sahadeva attacked Vikarna. From the other wing Dhrishtadyumna collided with the army of Kripacharya along with Nakula.
Along with my ten gallant sons, five on my right and five on my left I attacked Bhurishrava. His brothers Bhuri and Shala had protected him. This Bhurishrava was the son of Somadutta. He was the grandson of the great Kuru Balhika and putanya of grandsire Bhishma himself. He was a gutsy and invincible Kuru warrior in the duel of swords.
In the first assault, Bhurishrava vanquished my soldiers at the front with his potent Sarpamukha arrows. But my ten sons who were devoted to their father kept pushing forward while giving me protection. A tenacious bow and arrow fight ensued between them and Bhurishrava and his brothers. Keeping my chariot in the centre my ten sons kept fighting without getting tired for half an hour. Within moments they encircled Bhurishrava. My sons were determined to kill Bhurishrava by shooting arrows at him. But his skilled archer brothers Bhuri and Shala had given him a strong protective cover. After about an hour and a half, infuriated Bhurishrava commanded both his brothers to move aside and sprinted forward with his chariot like a crocodile springing out of the ocean. He was not only an invincible swordsman but also an expert archer well trained in Dhanurveda by Grandsire Bhishma himself. He acutely shot ten rapid-fire Sarpamukha arrows in quick succession at my ten sons. Those arrows pierced the chest of one, neck of another and directly pierced the heads of some. My ten obedient and valiant sons collapsed one by one. Some fell inside their chariots, some on the battleground. I was benumbed for a moment to witness that carnage. My heart, a father’s heart, was shattered into a hundred pieces.
Witnessing the death of ten valiant sons collapsing one after the other was like a jolt of lightning to me. I flared up with anger right from my toes to the crown on my head. I was not going to get any relief till I killed Bhurishrava myself now. Controlling the tears in my eyes I put down the head of my eldest son on the battleground. Around him the soldiers had arranged the heads of my nine dead sons in a circle. I looked at each son’s face for the last time. I intensely felt that at that moment I needed Srikrishnadeva, the Lord of Dwaraka, to console me. But he was at the other end on the other wing of the hawk, on the Nandighosha chariot of Arjuna who was fighting with Dronacharya.
“Bhurishrava, you scoundrel, this Yadava commander, Satyaka’s son Satyaki declares that I will not rest until I kill you on the battlefield today! Hail Idamata!”, shouting thus I held my bow and mounted my chariot. The silent cry of my infuriated heart burning with vengeance broke out – ‘Bhurishrava… Bhurishrava…!’
In a fit of fury, I collided my chariot with Bhurishrava’s and destroyed his chariot wheels first. His chariot broke. Thinking that as long as he was holding the bow and arrows in his hands, it was fair to hit him with an arrow as per the rules of war I told my charioteer to circle around his chariot. Bhurishrava realized my intention and immediately dropped down his bow. Holding a bare sword in his hand he jumped onto the battleground. Challenging me to a sword duel he said, “I have already killed your ten sons. You are the eleventh one, dear friend of the runaway leader of savage Yadavas, you coward who claims to be a gallant commander!”
Hearing those words my entire body seethed in anger. It didn’t bother me that he had called me a coward, it didn’t bother me that he called the Yadavas savage – I couldn’t stand the fact that he had called my beloved Krishnadeva a ‘runaway’.
I also challenged him fiercely, “You descendant of the Kuru dynasty – a cajoler of Duryodhana who gave the loathsome command of undressing a royal lady in her menses in a crowded hall, today with the corpses of the ten sons that you killed as my witnesses, I will teach you a lesson!”
A duel of swords took place between us, clanging our wide-bladed swords. It continued even when the end of the fourth prahar was approaching.
Bhurishrava was not retreating – I was not going to back off in any case. Suddenly from among the spectators, blood-soaked Bhimsena emerged holding his mace on his shoulder and stood between us like a mountain. Our duel came to a halt. I was not going to strike Bhimsena. He couldn’t strike Bhimsena as Bhimsena was holding a mace and both of them didn’t have the same weapon in their hands. Bhimsena patted my back saying, ‘Let’s go commander’. Bloody droplets of sweat flew from my sweaty back. Bhimsena took my sword in his hand and assisting me he took me in his chariot. The sun set. From the other end of the battleground, first the sound of the Panchjanya and then Ganganabha was heard declaring the end of the battle for the day.
While returning to my pavilion in Bhimsena’s chariot now I came to realize why Krishnadeva had told only me to wait last night. Why he had called me ‘Sakha’ with so much affection!
As I was mourning the deaths of my sons I did not attend the nightly meeting in Krishnadeva’s pavilion. Benumbed, I stayed in my pavilion. Around midnight Krishnadeva himself came to meet me in my pavilion along with a Yadava soldier holding a torch.
Seeing him in person my heart ached with the agony of the death of my sons. Yet, I stood in my place to show him respect.
Without saying a word, he came close to me in the light of the torch. He opened both his arms and held me in a deep embrace. The warm tears flowing from my eyes in the agony of the death of my sons went streaming down his back. The hand of a stable-minded father of eighty sons was consoling the back of a father grief-stricken by the death of his ten sons. Just the touch of his hand had gently calmed my heart.
On the seventh day of the dark fortnight of Margashirsha, the sixth day of the war, Kuru commander, grandsire, organized his army in the Krauncha - heron formation. In response to that Commander Dhrishtadyumna had arranged the Pandava army in the shape of an arrow with the assistance of Bhimsena. The moment the first rays of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun touched the horizon Krishnadeva blew his Panchjanya conch and grandsire blew his Ganganabha conch to commence the battle. Today Duryodhana was hell bent on destroying Bhimsena completely. Bhimsena had proved to be like a Kikar thorn in the foot of the Kuru army as he had killed more than twenty of Duryodhana’s brothers. Within moments, along with his ten brothers, he besieged the chariot of Bhimsena that his charioteer Vishoka had brought forward. Those included rathis like Dushasana, Durvishaha, Dusaha, Durmada, Jaya, Jayasena, Vikarna, Charumitra, Durdharsha, and Suvarma. Bhimsena who had consumed pots of Maireyaka wine in the moving chariot and who was possessed by the war spirit just jumped onto the battleground brandishing his huge mace with berry red eyes. More than the intoxication of the wine the sight of ten sons of Dhritarashtra made him go berserk. An exciting, thrilling group fight of maces began between him and the sons of Dhritarashtra.
Sleepless, I was awake throughout last night. In front of my open eyes the faces of my ten dead sons kept revolving one after the other. Many of their memories had flooded my heart.
At early dawn, I bathed in Brahma sarovar and directly went to the pavilion of Krishnadeva. Dressed in a charioteer’s costume, holding a whip in his hand Krishnadeva was about to leave his pavilion. As I was touching his feet he gently pulled me up and patting
my shoulders he said to me, “Sakha Satyaki, looks like you did not sleep at all last night. I know the pain in your heart. Do not worry.” By now I was quite used to reading between the lines of his speech. His words reassured me.
Today a really close fight took place between Aacharya Drona and Panchala king Drupada. Dhrishtadyumna approached Bhimsena in his chariot to support him while skilfully avoiding the carcasses of elephants on his way. Bhimsena was surrounded by the sons of Dhritarashtra. He was unwaveringly fighting the mace war. Realizing that Duryodhana’s brothers, like outraged red ants, were going to kill Bhimsena, Dhrishtadyumna used an astra called Sammohanastra for the first time in the war. The arrows he shot released such torrents of smoke that after inhaling it the sons of Dhritarashtra lost their consciousness and collapsed one after the other. They lay motionless. Dronacharya came to their assistance in his tall embellished chariot. Launching Prajnastra with the first set of arrows he dissipated the smoke of Dhrishtadyumna’s Sammohanastra. With the next set of Agnibana arrows he dispersed a fragrance of divine herbs and brought the brothers of Duryodhana lying motionless, back to consciousness. Today Dronacharya had become uncontrollable, being possessed by the war spirit. Even mighty powerful mace warrior Bhima and Pandava commander Dhrishtadyumna couldn’t face him for long. They blew specific tunes of their conches and called Arjuna’s young son Abhimanyu for help. Subhadra’s son Abhimanyu surrounded by twelve rathis came to assist them. First, valiant Abhimanyu climbed down on the battleground and managed to get Bhima into his chariot by pleading and praying. Other rathis helped Dhrishtadyumna get into another chariot. The evening was approaching now.
Today Bhurishrava and I fought many duels with a variety of weapons. Seeing that the evening was approaching Bhurishrava caught hold of a wide-bladed bare sword and got down from his chariot. Throwing me a challenge of a sword duel he shouted, “You, so called Yadava commander who is a runaway coward like Krishna, you were saved yesterday because of Bhimsena. Let me see who comes to save you today!” Hearing the electrifying sounds of the clanging of our swords the soldiers around us stopped fighting and assumed the role of spectators. Shouting ‘Hail Goddess Ida’, I resolutely began fighting with Bhurishrava. Neither one of us was surrendering or backing off. Both our bodies were bathed in blood due to the strikes of swords on each other. Neither one of us was aware that our blood mixed with our sweat was getting offered like oblations on the battleground of Kurukshetra. And a moment came when severely wounded I knelt down on the battleground. My sword had slipped out of my hands and fallen at a distance. Quickly grabbing this opportunity Bhurishrava raised his blood soaked wide-bladed sword to behead unarmed me. I realized what was going to happen the next moment. Closing my eyes, from the bottom of my heart I remembered Krishnadeva whom I had followed like a shadow and served my whole life. Now the next moment Bhurishrava’s sword was going to fall upon my neck and cut my head off. In front of my closed but alert eyes was only charioteer Krishnadeva, holding the whip in his hands.
That moment passed by, the next and the next moment also passed by. I heard a loud thud on the ground and opened my eyes at once. Krishnadeva himself was standing in front of me in the Nandighosha chariot holding the whip in his hand just the way I had envisioned him. In the back of the Nandighosha chariot Arjuna holding his Gandiva bow stood smiling at me. The Kapi on the pennant of his chariot was fluttering on the wind in the soaring position. Krishnasakha Arjuna had shot a potent Chandramukha arrow and cut off Bhurishrava’s raised arm holding the sword with which he was about to cut off my head! That day I returned to my pavilion in the Nandighosha chariot itself. Before Bhurishrava could break the rule of engagement Arjuna had cut off his hand on the prompt signal given by Krishnadeva.
In our nightly meeting, we heard the news from the Kuru camp that in their nightly meeting which had taken place under the leadership of Grandsire Bhishma, Duryodhana had created a big scene. He had raised an objection that Arjuna who called himself a master archer had broken a rule of engagement by shooting an arrow at Bhurishrava from behind. He wanted a royal envoy to be promptly dispatched to the Pandava camp and wanted severe action to be taken in case of Arjuna, forcing him to retire from the war.
The experienced and senior Kuru commander grandsire listened to his tantrums calmly for a long time and then answered, “When ten sons of Dhritarashtra first surrounded Bhimsena who was alone and started the group war of mace, that itself was against the rules of engagement. You yourself led that attack Duryodhana. Would you be the first one to retire from the war? Besides, Bhurishrava was going to kill unarmed Satyaki. Didn’t Arjuna stop him from breaking that rule?” Hearing that, an upset Duryodhana had left the meeting in frustration. Hearing that news, a fleeting smile flashed on Krishnadeva’s face.
Yudhishthira organized our army in the Vajra formation with the assistance of Dhrishtadyumna on the seventh day of war. This formation was in the shape of the well-known Vajra weapon of Indra, the king of Gods. In response to that grandsire had arranged the Kuru army in a Mandal formation – the shape of a circle.
At the frontal serrated sharp edge of our Vajra formation Bhimsena’s son Ghatotkacha and I stood guard today. Behind us, in the central part of the Vajra, Matsya king Virata and Panchalaa king Drupad stood guard with Arjuna and the army. The tail end of the Vajra was occupied by warriors such as Arjuna’s son Iravana, Chekitana, Nakula and Sahadeva. Today Bhimsena was going to guard the edges of the Vajra moving throughout the army, roaring loudly in his chariot with seven copper coloured swift horses, with the assistance of charioteer Vishoka.
Our army’s serrated sharp-edged Vajra fell upon grandsire’s army standing in a circle, with a roaring sound. From amongst the leading Kauravas Bakasura’s brother, Rakshasa Alambusha collided with me and Ghatotkacha. Alambusha was proficient in the deceptive war technique of the Rakshasas. In a moment, he was seen along with his chariot on the east side and the next moment he would appear on the west side of the army. He would run his chariot from south to north while fighting. The fight between Alambusha and me went on resolutely till noon. Skilfully breaking my protective cover given by the army of Ghatotkacha, Alambusha pushed him in front of Bhagadutta.
At the centre of both the armies, ferocious fights between Drona and Virata, Vinda-Anuvinda and Iravana, grandsire Bhishma and Bhima-Arjuna took place. Realizing that the tenacious fighter, Narakasura’s son Bhagadutta, was getting out of control, Ghatotkacha shot a Mayavee Shakti at him. Asura son Bhagadutta broke it into three pieces and dropped them on the battlefield. Seeing that Ghatotkacha got terrified and leaving the battlefield started running towards the camp. Narakasura’s son Bhagadutta had forgotten the favour that Krishnadeva had done him in the past and had participated in the war from the Kauravas’ side. The sun of the seventh day set, witnessing Bhima’s son running away from the battlefield. The war stopped.
So far, this Great War had taken place on different battlefields of Kurukshetra. The detailed information of the daily encounters on the different battlefields during the last seven days was being reported daily to Hastinapura, Dwaraka, and also to the royal cities of other kingdoms nearby through informers. In Hastinapura, first of all it was conveyed to Kuru minister Sanjaya – the charioteer chief. He would then convey it to his blind Maharaj Dhritarashtra and Gandharidevi with detailed description. So far about forty sons of Dhritarashtra had been killed. Most of them were killed by Bhimsena alone. While hearing their names and the news of their death blind Maharaj Dhritarashtra would get furious with Bhima and tremble with anger.
The eighth and ninth day of war witnessed sky-high valour of Bhishma alone. On the eighth day, he arranged his army in a Mahavyuha formation. Our commander Dhrishtadyumna responded to that by an intricate Shringataka-horn formation. During the first prahar of the eighth day itself Bhimsena killed Duryodhana’s brothers Sunabha, Aadityaketu, Panditaka, Mahodara, Aparajita, Vishalaksha, Bavhashi and such whom he had sent to protect grandsire Bhishma with their lives. Uloopi and Arjuna’s son I
ravana proved his grit on the eighth day.
On the ninth day, the Kuroo commander, grandsire Bhishma, organized his army in the Sarvatobhadra formation and standing at the front line of his army he blew his divine Ganganabha conch. He had performed incredible feats of valour during the last eight days destroying three akshauhini army of the Pandavas. But except for the death of Virata’s sons Uttara and Shweta on the first day not a single one of the prominent Pandava warriors was killed. That is why Bhishma himself was dissatisfied with his performance as the commander, and therefore the sound of his conch was so terrifying today that just by hearing it Krishnadeva surmised that no one will be able to control grandsire today. And that is exactly what happened. In just one day by evening along with maharathees like Dronacharya, Duryodhan, Susharma and Bhagadutt, grandsire slaughtered one akshauhini army of the Pandavas. Terrified by the thought that if grandsire isn’t controlled the Pandava army will be completely annihilated, all four brothers of Arjuna gathered around his Nandighosha chariot. I also took my chariot closer to Nandighosha. Great Pandava Yudhishthira put his
bow down and joining both his hands pleaded to Krishnadeva, “Oh Great Yadavaa, now only you can save the Pandava
army.”
Seeing that Pandava commander Dhrishtadyumna who was terrified of grandsire Bhishma’s valour in the battlefield was also approaching the Nandighosha chariot Krishnadeva gave a special signal to his four obedient horses Shaibya, Balahaka, Meghapushpa, and Sugriva and brought the Nandighosha chariot in front of grandsire’s Gangaugha chariot.
During the last eight days Krishnadeva had never given out any inspiring war slogan. Not even of Goddess Ida whom he hailed regularly! But at this moment Krishnadeva was also astounded to see master archer Dhananjaya remain idle, just holding his Gandiva bow in his hands in spite of coming in front of grandsire. Pulling the eight reins in his hands he steered Nandighosha chariot quickly around the Gangaugha chariot and for the first time protruding the veins in his throat he shouted ‘Hail Goddess Ida…. Attack’. Still Arjuna didn’t move. While controlling his beloved horses Krishnadeva reminded him, “Partha, have you forgotten my advice given before the commencement of the war so soon? Are you afraid of grandsire’s potent arrows or what is it?”
Srikrishna- the Lord of the Universe Page 87
