Bits of life

S-20 Words-2000

no doubt that war was the only solution to resolve the problems facing the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Both sides became busy in the preparation of the war.

The question bothering Duryodhana and his uncle Shakuni was as to whom to make the army chief of the army of Hastinapur for the ensuing war.

Duryodhana suggested the name of Karna for that important post. He made it clear that he would not like to appoint Bhishma for that post because he was partial to the Pandavas.

But Shakuni did not agree. He said there was no one on this side better than Bhishma for that vital position. He explained further that no one knows better than Bhishma the science of war craft. Also, he knew how to direct his forces and find the right targets. There was no one who could withstand the force and power and speed of his archery. Duryodhana had no counter argument for Shakuni’s words.

On the next day, Duryodhana, Shakuni, Dushasana and Karna went to meet Bhishma in his chambers where Drona and Kripa were also present.

Then Duryodhana asked Bhishma to be his army chief. When Bhishma hesitated, he knelt before him and begged him to be his army chief. Bhishma had to agree to be so. But he said that he had some conditions with which Duryodhana should agree. They were number one; he would not fight along with Karna, number two; he would not aim his arrows at the Pandavas. Listening to these words, Karna said that he could not control his emotions and said he was not able digest Bhishma’s words. He exited the meeting forthwith. He also told Duryodhana that he would not be able to fight in the war as long as Bhishma was alive. The moment he attained salvation, he would come with his bow and arrows to fight with the Pandava army.


Later on Karna’s biological mother Kunti met him told him of his birth and of her being his true mother. As she expected Karna was both surprised and angered by this stunning news conveyed by no other than his real mother. Kunti was unable to sleep nor eat imagining the war between her eldest son, Karna and his brothers the Pandavas. She wanted them to be together and live happily.

But Karna was not a man to change motives so easily. He felt sad, angry and overwhelming love for his mother and brothers. But he said he was helpless. She was too late in telling him the truth. Now he made a pact with Duryodhana by promising him lifelong friendship and loyalty. He could not change the bond of friendship and trust that Duryodhana had with him.

Kunti was further saddened because the tragedy she wanted to avoid was not to be avoided.
On the next day, Duryodhana went to seek the blessings of Kunti. He knelt before her with both his hand folded before her. She blessed him with long life.

“Why don’t you wish me victory aunt Kunti?”
“I cannot give you that blessing dear Duryodhana. However, I don’t want anyone to cry over you dead body either. I am caught between victory and defeat. I don’t want either Pandavas or Kauravas to meet annihilation. Both you and your brothers and my own children are dear to me.”

Duryodhana returned to his own plans to make preparations to win the war.
In the meanwhile rishi Vyasa visited Dhritarashtra to make him see reason and stop the ensuing war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Dhritarashtra made a respectful obeisance to him as if seeking his blessings.

He said,
“Kindly bless us O rishi.”
Rishi Vyasa said,
“What blessings can I give you Dhritarashtra? I cannot bless you with long life because what will you do with long life? Unless there is something useful for you to do there is no point living for too long. When the tree gets too old and decay had set in and could no longer provide shade to the people or other living beings, then the tree be better cut off. A new sapling will take its place and grow well to give shade to the needy."

He continued saying,
“Hey Rajan, you must try to stop the unfortunate events waiting to enter the gates of Hastinapur. You alone could do that and none else.”

Dhritarashtra said,
“I am helpless O Best among the rishis, my children are not in my control anymore.”
“Then it is alright O King. I will give you the power of vision that will help you see the present, the past and the future during the period of war.”

Dhritarashtra was reluctant and fearful of the vision of power.
He immediately declined the boon to see all the three phases of time and said,
“O Great Soul, what am I to do with such divine vision? Instead, I request you to give it to Sanjaya, so he can tell me whenever I need to know about the events.”
Sage Vyasa agreed to the suggestion and gave the divine vision to Sanjaya.

After he left, Dhritarashtra asked Sanjaya to tell him of the events taking place at the palace of his son, Duryodhana.

Sanjaya prayed and got the divine vision and said,
“Sire, at this moment, Duryodhana is with Karna, Dushasana, Shakuni and Shakuni’s son, Ullukha. He was telling others that they should give a fitting reply to Krishna’s cheating and magical vision shown in the court of Hastinapur when he came there bearing the message of peace. Now they are planning to send Ullukha to Yudhishtar as their envoy and convey their message encouraging and teasing them to war.”
Sanjaya continued to report later events too.

“Sire, at this moment, Ullukha had reached Kampilya and was led to the presence of the Pandavas and Krishna.
Then he conveyed the following message as given by Duryodhana.

“You fool Yudhishtar; you did not have the sense not to bet your brothers and wife in the dice match. You idiot Bhima, you take care of your own body before threatening to destroy mine or my brother Dushasana’s. I know that Arjuna has his Gandiva and the astras from the deities. Let me assure you that none of these will save you at the time of war.

Beware Vasudeva Krishna, by showing magic you think you are very powerful. Being a magician and wizard does not ensure your power. Come to war and then prove it.

You fools Pandavas, don’t you have any shame to ask for kingdom, you who did not know how to take care of your own land and people? So the best thing for you is to stay where you are like stones or inanimate objects.”
After that Krishna asked Ullukha to leave them and return to his place.

After Sanjaya narrated these events by virtue of his divine vision, Dhritarashtra asked him to stop and he did not want to hear any more of these calamitous events.
There in the Pandava camp, Drustadyumna, son of Drupada born of fire, was made the chief of military forces. He took charge on that very moment.

The Maha Bharata War-
The day of the Great War dawned. Forces of both armies started assembling. Horse force, the force of elephants and the infantry started flowing towards the battlefield known as Kurukshetra. The day of war dawned with a red sun rising in the east. It signified the fact that rivers bloods were going to flow and many would be wiped off the face of earth. War at any given period of time thirsted for blood and lives of the innocent along with those of the guilty.

Coming back to the war front let us see who was arriving to join the forces of the Pandavas and Kauravas.
The first person to arrive at the war front was King of Madh, Salya. He was the younger brother of Madri, the second wife of Pandu. He was coming to join the side of the Pandavas for the war. But, seeing his forces from a distance, Duryodhana plotted in such a way that Salya was led to his war camp. They gave a grand welcome to him by taking him to what they called his own camping during the period of war. Salya was impressed by the way he mistakenly thought was Yudhishtar’s administration. He told the leader of the ceremony of welcome, that he would praise their efficiency before Yudhishtar. On the other hand, Yudhishtar and his brothers were waiting for him to arrive.

It was only when he was led to the presence of Duryodhana and Shakuni that King Salya realized he was cheated. But it was already too late. It would be taken by all that he had joined Duryodhana to fight in the war. When he said so, Duryodhana and Shakuni begged him to stay on their side and be the commander in chief of their army. But he declined it. Then Karna asked Salya to be his charioteer during the battle. He agreed to be so.
Salya then went to the waiting Pandavas and confessed the way he was led to believe that he was truly arriving at Yudhishtar’s army camp. Tables were cunningly turned and he was not even aware of it. Well, everything is fair in love and war as per the saying.

Nakula and Sahadeva were particularly sorrowful at the way their maternal uncle Salya went to join the enemy of the Pandavas. They said that he should go and apologize to their mother Kunti first for what had happened. Sahadeva, the last of the Pandavas said that mother Kunti loved him the most. She always fed him first as a child and made sure he was safe before she took care of her other sons. She loved him more than she loved her other children. He said rather too grief stricken that salya made him and Nakula like step children of Kunti by betraying them and joining the forces of Duryodhana.

Arjuna came forward and hugged Sahadeva and said that he should not have said such rude things to his uncle, salya. He did not do anything deliberately. It was the fault of the evil minded Duryodhana and his cunning uncle, Shakuni. Arjuna suggested that Sahadeva should apologize for what he said to his uncle. Sahadeva obeyed Arjuna and went to his uncle and asked for forgiveness.

On one of those war torn days of Hastinapur, Kunti paid a visit to Gandhari because she felt lonely and missed Gandhari who was her elder sister by marriage. When the maid announced her arrival, Gandhari was overjoyed because she knew was true soul and that the friendship bond she enjoyed with Kunti was true and sincere. Though they were not siblings they felt like sisters because they both had the same impartial judgment of things and people.

They shared feelings and thoughts. They both felt and expressed that Duryodhana was wrong in behavior toward the sons of Pandu. That was why they both blessed him to have long life but not victory in the war.
Gandhari and Dhritarashtra had an argument about the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas once more. Gandhari still hoped that as the king of Hastinapur, Dhritarashtra would be able to divert war even at that eleventh hour before it started. But alas! Dhritarashtra was not that kind of a person who would sit and contemplate impartially about things. He would rather have annihilation and bloodshed than return their kingdom to Pandavas. He wanted his son Duryodhana to continue to rule both Hastinapur and Indraprastha after the war.
In the battle field of Kurukshetra, in their respective tents, the warriors of hastinapur and those of the side of Pandavas were lost in their own contemplative mood and memories that still rouse them to hasten the war. Draupadi who was burning in the fire of revenge was apprehensive that Yudhishtar might order his brothers not to kill Duryodhana