Bits of life

S-18 Words-2000

message brought by Sanjaya.
So what was the next step that Dharmaraja was going to follow? Before Sanjaya left him, Yudhishtar told him that there was still one more chance left for them to have peace.

Sanjaya reached Hastinapur on the midnight of the next day. He wanted to meet the blind king Dhritarashtra at that hour itself. Dhritarashtra allowed him in his chambers, for he wanted to know the message that Yudhishtar sent him.

So when he saw Sanjaya he asked him,
“What did Yudhishtar say Sanjaya? Did he give a threat to attack?”

Sanjaya replied,
“No Maharaj, he didn’t utter a single word of war. He only said to do them justice.” He continued saying following words.
“Maharaj, do them justice. Give their part of kingdom to them. let them be happy and you too could be happy.”

Dhritarashtra asked him to go and rest after the long journey he just had. Sanjaya left without another word.
Then the blind king of Hastinapur sent for vidura and told him about the condition of his mind and asked him what to do.

He said,
“Hey Rajan, don’t let Yudhishtar be disappointed. Give them their kingdom and do them justice. Dear elder brother, you have been doing nothing but injustice for the Pandavas. You have supported your son Duryodhan in the evil minded plan of burning the Pandavas in a house made of lac, then the cheating that went on in the dice game, the cruel conditions for the defeated Pandavas and disrobing Draupadi in a full court of the Maharaj. Everything was done only in support of your son. At least now do them justice. Throw off this false attachment to your son which will be the reason for the ruin of the Kurus and Hastinapur.”

After listening to the words of Vidura, Dhritarashtra said,
“I will announce the message of Yudhishtar tomorrow in the court.”

On the next day when the court assembled with all the important people, Dhritarashtra had ordered Sanjaya to convey the message of Yudhishtar.

Sanjaya said,
“Hey King, even before Yudhishtar could speak Arjuna said that

“"Tell Duryodhana that if there is going to be a war the Pandavas will see the end of you and your evil minded friends and brother. Your dynasty will become ashes just like dry leaves burn in the heat of summer.”"

Duryodhana, who was present in the court stood up and said angrily if this charioteer was supporting the Pandavas. Sanjaya answered he was merely reporting the matter to the king which was his duty.

Then Dhritarashtra interfered and asked his son to behave himself and sit down calmly till Sanjaya delivered his message in full. Duryodhana sat down with defiance and sullenness.

Sanjaya was asked to convey the exact words of Yudhishtar by the king.
Sanjaya said,
“Yudhishtar was sad and disappointed at your message and he asked me to tell you that they have only two alternatives. Number one is peace talks and returning Indraprastha to the Pandavas and second alternative is, war.”

When Bhishma and Kripacharya tried to talk of peace and returning the kingdom of Pandavas back to them, Duryodhan shouted insults at them saying that old people never could talk or see sense. They were too senile to see clearly what lies before Hastinapur. he said that he would never return Indraprastha to the Pandavas. If they want war, Hastinapur was ready to oblige them.

After the day’s proceedings in the court were over, Duryodhana and Shakuni assembled with Karna and Dushasana to further discuss their preparations for war.

Shakuni was about to suggest something but was shouted at by his nephew to keep out of the discussion of war. Shakuni was no expert in war politics, he reiterated.

But Shakuni insisted he should be heard. All he wanted was the welfare and prosperity of the Kuru prince, Duryodhana. He also chided Duryodhana to be more prudent and mature in thinking. He suggested that Duryodhana’s next duty was to go and meet Vasudeva Krishna because Krishna’s army was one of the most powerful and well organized on this side of the earth, he stated. Duryodhana agreed to his uncle’s suggestion.
He went to Dwaraka the very next day to meet Krishna. He was told that Krishna was asleep. So he decided to wait for Vasudeva Krishna to wake up. He sat in a chair at the side of the head of the bed on which Krishna was sleeping.

A few minutes later, Arjuna also came and sat at the feet side of Krishna’s bed. A little while later, Vasudeva Krishna woke up and he first saw Arjuna sitting at his feet.

He said with a smile,
“when have you come Partha?” (Partha was one of the names of Arjuna.)
Duryodhana got up and said,
“ I came earlier than him.”

Krishna smiled at him too and said,
“ well I saw Arjuna first. So let him talk first.”

Arjuna said,
“Hey Kesava, (kesava was another name of Krishna.) I need your help in the ensuing war between Pandavas and the Kauravas. Kindly give us your help and advice in guiding us.”

“Hey Arjuna, you have two options. Number one is you can have my army if you so desire. The second option is I myself alone will be with you. You can select whichever option you want.”

Arjuna replied with his hands joined in supplication,
“ Hey Krishna, I don’t need the army. You alone are enough for me. please be with me.”

When Duryodhana heard Arjuna’s choice, he was immensely pleased.

He said, with happiness shining in his eyes,
“Vasudeva Krishna, let Arjuna have you as he wants. For me your army is enough.” So saying, he smiled to himself smugly thinking that Arjuna was a fool to opt for Krishna and not for his army. He left saying that he would like to go and meet Balarama.

Soon after Duryodhana left to meet his brother Balarama, Krishna asked Arjuna or Partha as he also known as,
“Why did you choose me Partha? Why not my army?”

Arjuna replied with his hands folded thus,
“O Kesava, I do not want any army. All I want is you on my chariot as my charioteer. You know all the directions of the battlefield. You know which way to maneuver the chariot in the face of the enemy, in danger and in assault. Which warrior could ask for more O Krishna?”

Krishna just smiled at his reply and asked Arjuna to go and meet his older brother, Balarama.
A while later, Balarama returned with Duryodhana and Arjuna who went to ask him to support their sides during the war if there was going to be one.

Balarama said,
“Kunti putra (son of Kunti) Arjuna and Gandhari putra Duryodhana, listen to me. Don’t separate me and my brother Krishna. Don’t create any conflict between me and my brother. We are always one and will be so. This is my opinion for now.”

After hearing these words from Balarama, both Arjuna and Duryodhana left for their respective places.
After reaching Hastinapur, Duryodhana told Shakuni, Karna and Dushasana the happy news of his success in choosing Krishna’s army and not Krishna himself. He gloated that Arjuna was a fool to have chosen Krishna and his army although he was given the chance of choosing between the two.

Listening to his vain words Shakuni said with contempt,
“You are truly a fool of the first order, my nephew. Krishna, the wizard is enough to weigh heavy for you and for your army. You have not chosen wisely at all.” Thus he expressed his displeasure.
On the next day, when the Pandavas and other heads of state who supported them assembled in the court hall of Matsya desh, the future course of action was about to be decided. Vasudeva Krishna came to join the rest of the courtiers. Many of the assembled warriors expressed their opinion. They felt that war alone could teach Duryodhana and the rest of the Kurus a fitting lesson. Since they were not prepared to listen to reason, they should be taught a lesson by adopting the means of war.

Then Krishna got up and said,
“The Kurus of Hastinapur still have a chance to avoid war. This time I will go to Hastinapur as the envoy carrying the message of peace by myself. Let me talk to them and watch for their reaction.”
Neither Bhima nor Arjuna liked the suggestion of another effort at peace from Krishna. But Dharmaraja who was beyond all the passions and desire for avenge on the Kurus liked Krishna’s idea. He fully supported him. He wanted to avoid the killing of thousands of innocent soldiers and ruin the families of the people of the countries involved in war.

When Draupadi heard of Krishna’s suggestion and readiness to go to Hastinapur as their peace making envoy, she was not happy. She thought war was the only chance to kill Duryodhana who defeated her five husbands by deceit and made her also a betting item in the cheating game of dice. Duryodhana also made a vulgar gesture inviting her to occupy his thigh as a seat. That was the time when Bhima vowed that he would avenge that insult by Duryodhan by breaking his thigh in the war. That was the time when Bhima also vowed to avenge Dushasana who forced Draupadi into the full court of Hastinapur by dragging her by her hair and behaved like a hedonistic beast. Bhima vowed that he would slash the heart of Dushasana drink his blood and with the same blood he would anoint the long hair of Draupadi for his terrible deed and crime.

So how could Draupadi be happy if there was no war and if her revenge remains unfulfilled.
So when she met Vasudeva Krishna and asked him why he wanted to go to Hastinapur as their envoy? Did not he know the insults heaped on her by the evil minded Duryodhana and his brother and also his friend Karna who called her prostitute for being the wife of Pandavas?

Didn’t he know that Arjuna vowed to take revenge on Karna for saying the above words in the battlefield?

Draupadi cried the anguished tears of a much insulted woman. Krishna wiped her tears and said,
“Dear sister Panchali, it is not for you to cry like an ordinary woman. You are a woman of destiny. You don’t have to fear that your insults and your husbands’ pledges will go in vain. Yet a country’s welfare is much greater than one’s own personal vendetta, dear sister. We will try to save millions of lives if my peace talks with the Hastinapur leaders will succeed. Don’t cry dear Draupadi, don’t cry.”

There was one more person who did not like a peace pact between Pandavas and the Kauravas. That was Shikhandi the strange son of Drupada who was Amba in the previous life. She had a score to settle with Ganga putra (Ganga’s son) Bhishma who kidnapped her and her sisters to marry them off to his brother. Disappointed in love and marriage, Amba did hard penance and obtained the boon of killing Bhishma when she would be born as Shikhandi to Drupada, the king of Panchala. She questioned Krishna as to why he should go to Hastinapur carrying the message of peace.

Krishna replied that it would be a improper to stop him from doing his bit to stop war, to stop unnecessary bloodshed and death. He added that many of the people had their personal scores to settle with various persons of Hastinapur and they were making use of Pandavas to achieve their ends . they should wait instead of bringing pressure on him. Shikhandi fell silent.

After getting the message that Vasudeva Krishna was to come to Hastinapur as a messenger of peace, people in Hastinapur had different thoughts about it. Duryodhana and his uncle Shakuni never liked it but they