SEVEN
Yudhishtira may have heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Vyasa walking up the path to the asrama. If he had ever needed the support of an elder, it was now; and Vyasa arrived as if he had sure instinct of his grandson's need.
At once, the mood in the asrama changed. The Pandavas and Draupadi lay at the muni's feet for his blessing. Draupadi served a meal and then, as a golden moon rose over forest and lake, they sat together on the steps of the hermitage.
Vyasa said, "From far away, I saw discord rear its head among you. Bheema you are like a child, impulsive, impatient. It is never wise to follow someone like you. Have you thought how powerful your enemies are, before you want to rush at them without an army? They have strengthened themselves immeasurably since you left. Bhoorisravas and Sala have joined them and Bheeshma and Drona have sworn to fight for Duryodhana. Regardless of right and wrong, they decided to cast their lot with Hastinapura and its king.
Have you considered Aswatthama and Karna? Those two by themselves are enough to raze an army. Karna, Drona and Bheeshma all have the same guru. Bhargava has given them astras that can consume the very earth. How will you fight these three without dharma on your side? If you attack them now, every one of you will die. But you did not pause to consider this possibility, did you Bheema? Or you, Draupadi? You were so angry. And you wouldn't have been the first ones to lose your lives because you let anger rule you.
You are fortunate Yudhishtira is not as rash as you are, but reflective and cautious, as a king should be. Who knows, but for him, all of you might already be dead. And instead of thanking him with all your hearts, you rage at him."
Vyasa paused and let his words sink in. His eyes were like lamps in the moonlight. He wanted Bheema and Draupadi to understand how dangerous their rashness had been. By the flush on their cheeks and their lowered eyes, Vyasa saw he had achieved his purpose. Yudhishtira showed no pleasure at his small victory; relief was all he felt. He was far more mature than the others and often saw them as his own children.
And it was Yudhishtira who asked Vyasa, "My lord, if they are so powerful, how can we ever hope to fight them? What if they don't give back our kingdom after thirteen years? From what you say, we shall be helpless."
"The serene mind arrives most quickly at its true destination! Your question is well asked. Do you remember the burning of the Khandava vana? What Indra said when Arjuna asked him for the devastras?"
Arjuna remembered. "He said he would give me all the astras he had, when the time came. But first, Lord Siva must give me his Paasupatastra."
Vyasa said, "The time has come. Send Arjuna to the mountains. He must perform a tapasya to Siva and receive his Paasupata from the Lord. Then, Indra will give him all his astras. You will have need of every one, for the war will be a harder one than you can imagine."
Yudhishtira wondered, "You seem certain there will be war."
Vyasa said grimly, "There will be war, it was written before you were born. There will be a war to end all wars: the Mahabharata yuddha, the war on the crack of the ages. Let Arjuna prepare himself for that war; he will be the key to victory and Bheema. But Bheema was born with unearthly strength and he has drunk nagamrita."
Bheema's eyes shone in the silvery night. He for one was delighted to hear that there would be a war. He would have his revenge then; nothing would stop him. They sat in silence, watching the moon float on the lake as a lotus-scented breeze rustled through the forest.
Vyasa said, "You have stayed long enough in the Dwaitavana; this place has grown stale on you. It fills your spirits with melancholy; it fills Draupadi with sadness. The vapors of the lake have this effect. Go back to the Kamyaka now."
Yudhishtira said, "We will leave tomorrow."
Draupadi was glad. She felt her husband spent too much time with the rishis of the Dwaitavana and neglected her. They sat in silence for some time, then turned in. The next morning, Vyasa was up before the sun and he shook Yudhishtira awake and took him down to the lake. He made the Pandava wash in the still dark water and sit before him under a tree. He made him shut his eyes and, placing his hand on Yudhishtira's head, the muni chanted a secret mantra. He said, "Receive the pratismriti from me."
A current of energy coursed through Yudhishtira and if his eyes had been open, he would have seen that light flowed into his body from Vyasa's hand, making him glow uncannily. Vyasa kept his palm on his grandson's head for a while, then, removed it slowly and the luster faded. After another moment, the muni said, "You can open your eyes now, the pratismriti is with you. You must teach it to Arjuna."
Yudhishtira felt a deep sense of wellbeing and he prostrated himself before the maharishi. Vyasa said, "I must leave now, but don't tarry here any more. You have lived six years by this lake and that is enough. You have been patient, brave and strong, my son and I am proud of you. But it is time you began to prepare in earnest for the end of your exile and the war you must fight."
Blessing Yudhishtira, Vyasa walked away, promising to see them again soon. The sun rose. The other Pandavas rose with it. When they had bathed and worshipped Surya Deva, they set out for the Kamyaka, retracing their steps of six years ago. By midday, they arrived on the banks of the Saraswati and fording the river in the same ferry, they were back in the old forest.
They found their way to the clearing where they had built the first asrama of their exile and saw the hardy wooden huts had withstood the seasons well. A few small repairs to the little kutilas and the Pandavas, Draupadi and their brahmanas settled back in the Kamyaka. It was remarkable how Bheema and Draupadi, Arjuna and the twins seemed to shed their dejection as soon as they left the Dwaitavana. Perhaps, it was just the change of place, or possibly, they felt restored hearing Vyasa's prophecy that there would be a war: they would have their chance to take revenge on Dhritarashtra's sons.
When they had spent a rather pleasant month in the clearing in the Kamyaka, Yudhishtira took Arjuna aside one day. Taking his brother's hand, he said, "Vyasa is certain there will be a war and, in my heart, so am I. Drona, Bheeshma and Karna will fight against us. You are our main hope against them." He sighed, "Life is cruel, that our Pitama and our Acharya might face us in battle; but we must expect every eventuality. Somehow, I do not believe Duryodhana will return our kingdom to us peacefully; and more than Bheeshma or Drona, even, I fear Karna. You must prepare yourself to face him, Arjuna and for that you must have the devastras of Indra."
Yudhishtira was loth to part from his brother for even a day. It had been hard for him when Arjuna went away on his tirtha-yatra; but then, their circumstances had been very different. Here in the jungle, the very thought of sending Arjuna away dismayed Yudhishtira. But he must go now; later, there would not be time. Who knew how long he would have to sit in tapasya before Siva gave him his Paasupata? Who knew what trials Mahadeva would subject him to, before he decided he was worthy of having that astra? And only after Arjuna had the Paasupata, would Indra give him his weapons.
Still, Yudhishtira hesitated. He did not want to tell Arjuna to go. But eager to be off on his archer's quest, Arjuna said, "It is time I went to the mountains."
With a cry, Yudhishtira embraced him. It was difficult for Arjuna to leave his brothers and harder still to leave Draupadi who wouldn't stop crying when she heard he was going. Only when Arjuna left did the Pandavas begin to understand the subtle miracle exile had wrought among them: despite their differences, it had brought them closer than ever.
Arjuna hugged his brothers. He embraced Draupadi and she ran sobbing into her kutila. Yudhishtira insisted on going some way with him. They went quite a distance, silently, until Arjuna turned to his brother, "You must go back now. It will take you a long time to reach the asrama."
Yudhishtira agreed reluctantly, "I suppose you are right. But spend a moment with me. Before he went, Vyasa blessed me with the pratismriti. He told me to give it to you, it will help you on your quest."
Yudhishtira made Arjuna sit before him in the lotus posture, with his eyes shut and laid his hand on his brother's head. He invoked Parasara's son, Vyasa Dwaipayana and at once felt a mysterious energy rise from the depths of his being, from unconscious zones and flow through his hand into Arjuna. This lasted some moments and Arjuna's body glowed as he received the pratismriti. Then Yudhishtira withdrew his hand and they rose.
Once more, with tears in his eyes, Yudhishtira clasped Arjuna tightly. He laid his palm on his brother's head, blessing him and stood watching while he set off on his mission. Long after he had vanished from sight, Yudhishtira stood gazing after him. Finally, wiping his eyes, he turned back to the asrama.