ELEVEN
The morning Krishna set out on his mission to Hastinapura, the strangest omens were seen. There was not a cloud in the sky, yet suddenly, in diverse parts of the land, thunder and lightning erupted in the vacant azure and uncanny rains lashed the earth. On that day, rivers turned around and flowed back to their sources; deep and quiet wells gushed forth in geysers.
On his way, Krishna saw none of these omens, but only nature’s bounty: trees laden with flowers and fruit and birds singing in their branches to mark the savior’s passage. In every town and village he rode through, the people came out in crowds to greet the Avatara and they stood enchanted by the sight of him, blue and ineffable. At Vrikasthala, beside a pool of lotuses, Krishna stopped his chariot.
“Night grows on us, let us rest here tonight.”
Meanwhile, in Hastinapura, his spies came to Dhritarashtra in his sabha and said, “My lord, Krishna is on his way here, bringing an embassy of peace from the Pandavas.”
Dhritarashtra sent for Bheeshma, Vidura and Sanjaya. Drona and Duryodhana were already in the court. When the Pitama and the king’s brother had joined them, Dhritarashtra said in some excitement, “I have wonderful news. Krishna is coming to Hastinapura! Vidura, let no effort be spared to give him a grand welcome. All the munis say no one on earth is as worthy of worship as Krishna. Besides, we need his blessings more than ever and his good offices.
Open our wayside retreats for him, along his journey; and when he arrives, we must receive him with gifts of chariots, elephants and jewels. Krishna honors us by coming to Hastinapura. I will go out myself to welcome him. Vidura, you must arrange the reception; overlook no detail. He will spend tonight at Kusasthala and be with us by midday tomorrow.”
There was a brief silence in his court and the king turned his face this way and that. He asked, “Vidura, don’t you approve? Don’t you think Krishna deserves the gifts I mean to offer him? Why are you so quiet?”
His brother laughed. “Of course, my lord, he deserves your gifts. Why, no man who was ever born into the world, or ever shall be, is as great as Krishna. Not just your gifts, he deserves the very earth.
Yet, that is not what makes you so generous; nor is it any love for Krishna. You want to bribe the incomparable one. You mean to try to buy him to your side, to drive a wedge between him and the Pandavas with your gifts. You will not part with five towns to your nephews and now you speak of giving horses and elephants, chariots and jewels to their messenger.
I beg you, my lord, do not be foolish; don’t insult Krishna with such a barbaric gesture. He will not take what you give him, but scoff at you. His very life is bound to Arjuna’s. How can you hope to part him from Arjuna and his brothers with your paltry gifts?
If you really want to honor the Dark One, accept the terms he brings for peace. He comes in the hope that you and your sons will see reason. He comes in a last effort to make peace in the House of Kuru and save the world from war.
Dhritarashtra, remember the Pandavas have no father. At least for Pandu’s sake, think that you should be like a father to them. There is still hope, my brother; if you turn back to dharma, Krishna will heal the bitterness between the Kauravas and Pandavas. He will even persuade Draupadi to forgive your sons for what they did to her. But you must take the first step toward peace yourself; no one can do that for you. The fate of the world as we know it is in your hands. I pray that you make the just choice, though I fear you will not.”
Duryodhana rose and, surprisingly, said, “I agree with Vidura. It is foolish to think we can estrange Krishna from the Pandavas. He will laugh at you if you try to bribe him; worse, he will think we are afraid of him. No, we must not insult Krishna by trying to buy him to our side. We must receive him with dignity, or we shall be the laughing-stock of the world.”
Bheeshma said, “It will make no difference to Krishna if you honor him or not; he is above your honoring or insulting him. Nor will you sway him with foolish gifts, because he is a man of truth. He comes not to seek some petty wealth for himself, but genuinely to secure peace. He comes to see you acknowledge the injustice done to the Pandavas. He comes with the faint hope that dharma may be restored to the House of Kuru without bloodshed. The only way you can honor Krishna is to give the Pandavas back their kingdom.”
Duryodhana jumped up and cried, “Pitama! You always take our cousins’ side, but I will not give in to them or to you. I will never share what belongs to me. Why should I? After the Vaishnava yagna the kingdom is mine and I mean to keep it.”
Bheeshma said in despair, “Dhritarashtra, this son of yours is so full of evil that he has lost his reason. I fear his time has come to die and he will not listen to anything that might save him. And I cannot stand any more raving.”
Bheeshma rose and walked out of the sabha and that was an end to the day’s deliberations. Late the next morning, Krishna arrived with Satyaki and Dhritarashtra went to the city-gates with Bheeshma, Drona and Kripa to receive him. Duryodhana went, as well and his brothers. The people of Hastinapura milled in the streets of the city of elephants to welcome the Avatara. They reached out loving hands and chanted his name, as he rode through them. The women flung flowers down on him from their balconies.
Krishna came to Dhritarashtra’s palace and was ushered into the sabha of Hastinapura. The king had asked for a jeweled throne to be set beside his own and Krishna was shown to that seat. When he had greeted the Kuru elders, the Dark One sat chatting to the Kaurava princes and he was full of smiles. It seemed this was another day like any other and he had come to the city for a friendly visit. Then, Krishna said, “If you allow me, my lords, I want to meet Vidura in his palace and pay my respects to my aunt Kunti.”
Dhritarashtra gave orders for Krishna to be taken to Vidura’s home. He sent word to his brother and Vidura came in excitement to his door to receive him with arghya. He, at least, was entirely aware who it was that honored him with a visit.
When they sat together inside, Vidura asked, “How are Pandu’s sons, Krishna? I fear there will be a war between them and the Kauravas. Duryodhana is determined to fight, rather than return a foot of land to his cousins.”
Krishna told him about the sabha in Upaplavya and all that was said on the last day, before he set out for Hastinapura. “I have little hope that Duryodhana will turn back to dharma now. But I thought I must come here to clear Yudhishtira’s name, so the people know that he still wants peace.”
Vidura bowed his head and Krishna saw his eyes were full. He laid a hand on Vidura’s arm and said, “Be consoled, Vidura. None of us can change fate and everything that happens is for the best. Now take me to my aunt Kunti. I am sure she is waiting to see me and have news of her sons.”
When Vidura brought Krishna into Kunti’s chambers, she rose with a cry and embraced her nephew. “Oh, Krishna! I am so happy you have come.”
She made him sit next to her and held his hand tightly. She wept now and said, “I feel so much stronger, that you are here. Tell me about my sons. How are Yudhishtira and my Bheema? You know Bheema was always his older brother’s favorite. How did my boys spend their years in the forest, with all the danger that lurks there? How did Bheema control himself for so long, after the way Dhrit-arashtra’s sons abused him? Ah, forgive me, Krishna, I know I am not waiting for you to answer my questions. I have waited so long to ask them, that they will not come singly, but all together!
How is my Arjuna, your friend? How did he conceal himself during the final year of the ajnata-vasa? I am surprised no one discovered my flame-like son. And Sahadeva, who is so delicate and sensitive? He looks like a grown man, but he is just a child at heart. And my youngest, my Nakula, my most handsome son at whom women always gazed? How did he hide his dark beauty during the final year? Krishna, how is Draupadi? I cannot think how she endured the hardship thrust upon her.
Time and again, I see Dusasana dragging proud Panchali through the palace of Hastinapura. I see my sons standing with their heads hung in the sabha, while Dhritarashtra’s princes reviled their queen. Only your grace saved her from utter shame.”
Kunti wiped her eyes and sighed, “Krishna, though I have known great joy in this life, I have also suffered as few women do. First, I became a widow and we came here to Hastinapura to live on the charity of those who did not truly love us. Then they tried to kill us. When, at last, we settled in Indraprastha I thought our troubles were over. They were just beginning and fate separated me from my sons.
We have suffered enough! We also deserve some happiness, after so many years of anguish. Tell my sons the time has come for them to show they are kshatriyas. Tell them their mother says it is their dharma to fight. And if they don’t, they are no sons of mine!”
She sobbed again. Krishna took her hands, “Don’t cry. Your sons have become great men by their long penance and no force on earth can resist them now. Their night is ending; day is at hand and victory. I promise you, Yudhishtira shall soon be lord of the earth.”