FIVE
Meanwhile, the brahmana from Drupada’s court arrived in Hastinapura and was shown into Dhrit-arashtra’s palace. He was an imposing figure, with clear, sage eyes. When Bheeshma, Dhritarashtra and Vidura heard the Pandavas had sent him, they received him with honor. When the brahmana’s comfort had been seen to, the blind king called a council to hear what he had come to say.
When all the royal and powerful in Hastinapura filled the Kuru sabha, Dhritarashtra said, “The Pandavas have sent this good brahmana from Drupada’s court as their emissary. Let us hear what he has to say.”
The brahmana had been well looked after and perhaps they hoped to hear words of conciliation from him. He rose and a bright and imposing figure he was, that old man. He began, “This is an ancient house in which I am honored to speak today. My lord, yours is a noble line and all your ancestors who sat before you on the Kuru throne were men of dharma. Which is why the House of Kuru has lasted so long upon the face of the earth and its glory did not diminish.”
The brahmana looked around him leisurely; he was at his ease.
“Yes, this is an august sabha into which I am privileged to bear my message. You all know, far better than I, the dharma that a kshatriya is sworn to. Dhritarashtra and Pandu are sons of the same father; no one doubts that. The world knows that Pandu conquered most of the present Kuru kingdom. Thus that kingdom belongs equally to the sons of Dhritarashtra and the sons of Pandu.”
The brahmana lowered his voice, to make his point better. “The sons of Dhritarashtra have a kingdom to rule today. Why is it the sons of Pandu do not? The kingdom you bequeathed to them, Dhritarashtra, the wilderness that flowered when Yudhishtira sat on his throne in Indraprastha. In this house of dharma, time and again, Dhritarashtra’s sons have tried to be rid of their cousins; even to kill them. Force was of no avail and Duryodhana and his uncle Shakuni resorted to deceit.
They took Yudhishtira’s kingdom from him at a game of dice. The world knows that Shakuni is not only a master player, but also a master of cheating. It was not as if the elders of this sabha did not know Shakuni was using loaded dice when he played Yudhishtira. Yet, the Kuru elders sat and watched, as Shakuni took everything Yudhishtira owned from him. Was this the dharma of one of the noblest houses on earth? Was this how Pandu’s sons should have been treated in Pandu’s brother’s court?”
He paused and a hush had fallen on the council in Hastinapura. From the brahmana’s tone, it was abundantly clear the Pandavas were not offering any compromises.
“But the Pandavas do not want revenge for all they have suffered. They only want back what is theirs by right. They want half the Kuru kingdom, which Dhritarashtra himself once gave them. I have come here to ask the Kuru elders to give back what belongs to Yudhishtira, what was to be returned to him once his exile had been served. Yudhishtira is a man of peace. He does not want a war in which kshatriya kind itself will be destroyed.
But if his kingdom is not returned honorably, he will have no choice left except to fight. Let this august sabha know that the sons of Pandu are far from helpless. Seven aksauhinis have gathered at Upaplavya. If Duryodhana does not put his greed behind him and relent, there will be a war like the world has never seen. Kshatriya blood will fall upon the earth like crimson rain!
When Satyaki, Bheema, Nakula, Sahadeva and Yudhishtira take arms against you, how will you resist them? When Indra’s son Arjuna, with Krishna as his sarathy, blows at you like a gale of death, how will you contain him? O Bheeshma, Dhritarashtra, Vidura, you are all wise and experienced men. Kuru elders, I have come to ask you to persuade Duryodhana to relent. Do as I ask, I beg you; or the House of Kuru will be destroyed and with it, the very race of kings.”
Having delivered his message, the brahmana sat down.
Bheeshma responded to him. “I am pleased to hear the Pandavas are well, that Krishna is with them and they have no wish to leave the path of dharma, though they have an army of seven aksauhinis. Yet you bring a haughty message from my grandsons, Brahmana and your tongue is sharp.
However, what you have said is not false and I honor your words. It is true the Pandavas have suffered as kings of the earth hardly do. They and their queen were forced to live like hermits in the prime of their lives. It is true that they, too, have an equal right to this kingdom of their fathers. And it also true there is no kshatriya in the world like Arjuna and any army will find it hard to contain him. Yes, all of us here know these things well.”
Bheeshma had not finished, when Karna jumped up and cried, “Is there no end to this? We hear the same things repeated in this sabha. Brahmana, you have said nothing new or very wise. Yes, we all know Yudhishtira lost a game of dice to Shakuni and he gambled away everything he owned, including his freedom. We know that without your telling us, messenger. But now Yudhishtira dares send you here to threaten the Kuru sovereign! Because he has Drupada’s support? And old Virata’s? Has Yudhishtira lost his wits in the forest, that he thinks he can threaten Duryodhana? Listen to me, Brahmana, Duryodhana will not give Yudhishtira a foot of land out of fear. But if it is for dharma, he will give away his entire kingdom! Have the Pandavas forgotten the real conditions of their exile? That if any of them was seen during the ajnatavasa, they would all go back to the forest for another twelve years. Yudhishtira himself agreed to this condition.
All of us here, why, the Kuru army saw Arjuna in the Matsya kingdom. Dharma demands the Pandavas live in the jungle for another twelve years. But the noble Duryodhana does not insist they do so. He is prepared to receive them here and have them live among us as his cousins and dependents.
It is not Duryodhana, but Yudhishtira who must leave the path he treads, which leads straight to disaster.”
Duryodhana smiled to hear his fierce, loyal Karna. The Kaurava nodded to agree with what his friend said and in appreciation of the manner in which he chose to say it.
Bheeshma was outraged. “Enough! I have heard enough of your brashness in this court, Karna. You speak too loudly for one who fled the field when you faced Arjuna in battle. Six renowned warriors from this sabha, I among them, could not contain Arjuna though he fought alone, with just a boy for his sarathy. Can you imagine what a force he will be with Krishna at his chariot-head? Just as surely as Karna ran for his life a few days ago, Duryodhana and all of us will die, if we are foolish enough to fight a war against the Pandavas.
It is not only that they are greater kshatriyas than we are and Bheema and Arjuna are a match for ten Duryodhanas and Karnas. No, eternal dharma is on their side and Krishna is Arjuna’s sarathy! Many of you may be too young to realize what this means. But I have no doubt in my mind that, if we don’t give back what is theirs to the sons of Pandu, we will lose everything, our lives as well. Doom is what awaits us and all kshatriya kind, if we don’t stop this careen into madness on which Duryodhana leads us!”
Shaking, livid at Karna, Bheeshma sat down. Now Dhritarashtra said, “I agree with Pitama Bheeshma. He speaks for the good of both the Kauravas and the Pandavas and from his love for us all. When this good brahmana brings a message of peace, Karna, how dare you speak arrogantly to him? We must not have this war, at any cost, or there will be bloodshed as not the eldest among us can imagine.
Brahmana, go back to my brother’s sons. Tell them I will consider every aspect of this grave and perilous circumstance in which we find ourselves and I will send Sanjaya shortly to Upaplavya to tell Yudhishtira what we have decided. I must sit in careful consultation with my sabha before we arrive at a conclusion. Tell my son Yudhishtira he will hear from me soon. And I thank you, good Brahmana, for coming here on a mission of peace.”
The brahmana bowed and went back to Upaplavya, where he conveyed all that had transpired in the Kuru sabha to Yudhishtira and his brothers, to Krishna and Drupada and the Pandavas’ other allies. Now began the anxious wait for Sanjaya.
In Hastinapura, the king called for Sanjaya. This courtier, who was also the king’s sarathy, was one of the few men alive with whom Dhritarashtra shared any of his true feelings. Since he heard how Arjuna routed the Kurus in the Matsya kingdom, Dhritarashtra had been terrified.
Now he said to Sanjaya, “Old friend, go as my ambassador to the Pandavas. Say I asked after their wellbeing, not only now, but also through their thirteen years of exile. Tell them I was never their enemy and I am pleased their ordeal is over. I have watched Yudhishtira since the day he first came to Hastinapura, when he was just a boy. I have never known a character so lofty and pure. I doubt the earth has seen many men to equal him in all her ages.”
Sanjaya thought his king was on the point of breaking down and crying. Dhritarashtra said, “They are true and honorable, Sanjaya. My nephews are blameless; they walk the way of dharma. Who can hate them except my envious Duryodhana and that wild and thoughtless Karna of his? The world loves the sons of Pandu, all the Kurus love Yudhishtira.”
The king trembled. “Sanjaya, I am alone and afraid. How can my son think he can rob the Pandavas of their kingdom? But, alas, he will not listen to anyone.”
The king struggled against a darkness that engulfed him, choking his life. “Duryodhana is so foolish he does not see beyond his own vanity, or realize with whom he is dealing. They are not just his cousins; they are Devaputras! Why, if he wanted to, Arjuna could burn up the earth with his Gan-diva. But Duryodhana does not understand this. Bheema could scatter the Kuru army as the wind does a pile of grass. Nakula and Sahadeva are hardly less than Arjuna; they will hunt our men like eagles do sparrows.”
Another thought struck the king and he groaned. “Sanjaya, with Krishna on their side, what army of heaven or earth can withstand the Pandavas? Doesn’t Duryodhana know who Krishna is? That he dares fight against him. Ah, my son’s heart is as blind as his father’s eyes are.
Duryodhana thinks he has eleven aksauhinis against the Pandavas’ seven. His friend Karna assures him that greater numbers will win the war. But I know better and Bheeshma and Drona know better. Go to Yudhishtira, my good Sanjaya and tell him his uncle wants peace. Tell Krishna, also, that Dhritarashtra sues abjectly for peace. Tell Krishna to ask Yudhishtira to accept the peace I offer him. Yudhishtira will always listen to what he says. Old friend, this is the most critical mission of your life. God go with you.”
And the king gave Sanjaya a message to take to his nephews.
Sanjaya arrived in Upaplavya and Yudhishtira received him affectionately. When all the kings gathered in the sabha of that city to hear the message Sanjaya brought from Dhritarashtra, Yudhishtira said, “What news of our elders in Hastinapura, Sanjaya? Does our uncle remember us? And our Pitama? Do our cousins think kindly of us? Sanjaya, do you bring good news?”
Sanjaya said solemnly, “In Hastinapura, they do, all, surely remember you, Yudhishtira. My lord Dhritarashtra asks kindly after your welfare, your brothers’ and your wife’s. Your virtue has not been forgotten, or Arjuna’s prowess and Bheema’s strength. Nakula and Sahadeva are not forgotten, either, or their valor.”
Yudhishtira said, “Does Duryodhana remember Chitrasena and how my brother Arjuna rescued him from the gandharva?” Then, suddenly, his eyes were moist. “But, Sanjaya, I know that one good turn is hardly enough to achieve love between our cousins and ourselves. My friend, what effort have I spared to make peace with Duryodhana? How easy it would have been for me to attack Hastinapura, long ago, or to allow Chitrasena to kill my cousin. Alas, Duryodhana will not think of it like that, he is so deranged with greed and envy.”
Sanjaya said, “My lord, in the court of Hastinapura there are both good and evil men who surround Duryodhana and he is our virtual king after the Vaishnava yagna. But Dhritarashtra would be a fool if he were against you. He grieves for you and he has not forgotten your strength. During all the years of your exile, unknown to you, Dhritarashtra asked constantly after your whereabouts and your wellbeing. He grieved deeply over what happened.
None of us can say what the future holds. Who would have thought the great Yudhishtira, who performed the Rajasuya yagna, would spend thirteen years in the forest like a rishi? Dhritarashtra says you are a man of perfect dharma. He depends on you to find a solution to the crisis between yourself and your cousins. He prays there will be no war between the sons of Dhritarashtra and the sons of Pandu. The king has conferred with his sabha and he sends you this message through me. Shall I repeat the words of my king?”
Yudhishtira asked him to, in that crowded court. Sanjaya began, “‘I, Dhritarashtra, king of the Kurus, send my greetings to my sons Yudhishtira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. I greet my dear Krishna, Satyaki, Chekitana, Virata and Drupada. I hope that Drishtadyumna and Draupadi will also hear a message I send through Sanjaya.’“
All those addressed were present and many more, besides. Sanjaya went on, “‘I have known you since you were a boy, Yudhishtira and I know you will never walk the way of evil. You are the most honest and steadfast man on earth and you are born into a great house. You know that the noblest thing a man can do is to give up his life for the sake of his kin. Yudhishtira, I implore you, abandon the shameful thought that has entered your heart, of having war with your cousins. If you spill the blood that unites you, that sin will ruin your taintless dharma forever. It will be a stain upon your character that can never be erased. Yudhishtira, it seems you have decided to destroy the very world, as we know it! What matter, then, who wins or loses the war you want to fight?
I concede that you, your brothers and your allies might well prove stronger than my sons. Even if you succeed, how will you ever have peace of mind after killing your cousins? Just think, my child, however powerful the kshatriyas you have with you may be, the Kuru army is not a force you can trifle with. Bheeshma, Drona, Kripa, Aswatthama, Karna and a host of others, who are like Gods upon the earth, will face you in battle. Blood will flow, as we have not dreamt. Yudhishtira, by your dharma, isn’t that a sin?
What good can come of this dreadful war? Win or lose, it will be the same. There are no victors in such a war, only the vanquished and the dead. The Pandavas have been righteous all these years; they have walked the path of truth unflinchingly. You must not ruin your fame with such a terrible crime. O Krishna, O Drupada, I pray you listen to me and advise Yudhishtira against the calamity he is plotting. I speak not just for the good of the House of Kuru, but of kshatriya kind, why, of the very earth.
Bheeshma and I both beg you, think only of peace!”
Surprisingly, now Yudhishtira lost his composure. He cried, “This is intolerable! My uncle is accusing me of wanting this war, of the enormous sin of wishing millions dead. Why does he speak as if I need to be persuaded to peace? Our messenger came to Hastinapura to offer peace. If I wanted war, I could have waged it thirteen years ago. The sons of Kunti have always walked the way of dharma and the world knows this.
Why does Dhritarashtra accuse me of being a warmonger, when it is to his own son he should look for the cause of the war that will be? Duryodhana’s heart is a dark fire; feed a fire and it wants more and more fuel. Perhaps my mistake was to feed it in the first place, with our exile. Now he wants more, because his greed is insatiable. He wants everything, all that is ours, as well.
As for my uncle, he is not innocent. Didn’t he stand with his son when the Pandavas were exiled? Did he raise his voice to stop the shame Panchali suffered in his sabha? Did Bheeshma, for that matter? No, Dhritarashtra does not care for me or mine, but now he is afraid. He sent us to Varanavrata and then gave us a wilderness in Khandavaprastha to be our patrimony. He is as guilty as Duryodhana.”
None of them had seen Yudhishtira like this before. Bheema and Draupadi had feared he might accept any beggarly terms Dhritarashtra offered, but they saw another Yudhishtira today. This was no longer the infinitely patient Yudhishtira of their exile; and he had not finished what he had to say.
“Our uncle Vidura was the only one who told Duryodhana the truth, that he was wrong. Vidura was the only friend we had and the Kauravas had. Even on the day of the dice, the most evil day of my life, Vidura warned them of the consequences of what Duryodhana was doing. Did Dhritarashtra listen to him then? Did Drona or Bheeshma?
When it comes to his son, Dhritarashtra is blind in not only his eyes, but also his spirit. No price is too high for him to pay to secure whatever Duryodhana wants, even if it is the suffering or the kingdom of his brother’s sons. And Duryodhana has no thought for dharma. He is wanton and selfish and his tongue is as vicious as his heart is evil. Does he give the elders of the most ancient sabha on earth the respect they deserve? No, he merely uses them for his convenience; and Dhritarashtra encourages him.
On the day of the dice, we heard Vidura beg Dhritarashtra to stop the game. But the king only asked, ‘Who won?’ I will never forget that. I saw the excitement on his face. For once, he did not bother to hide his feelings behind his blind man’s mask. At every throw he cried, ‘Who won?’ and I thought, who is more anxious to have my kingdom, the son or the father?
At least Duryodhana does not disguise his hatred for us with pretences or sweet words. With him, we know where we stand. But my uncle, whom we revered like our own father, his heart is darker than his son’s. Yet, he is a coward and dare not show what he feels. Ah, this king is more devious than Shakuni. He is trying to say I am the one who wants war and he is for peace! On the day of the gambling, when I saw how Dhritarashtra refused to listen to what Vidura was saying, I knew the end of the House of Kuru was at hand.”
His voice full of sorrow, Yudhishtira said, “Who are the law-makers in Hastinapura today? Who are they who wield influence, Sanjaya? Are they men of dharma, or are they the opposite: greedy, villainous men? Duryodhana is the real king in Hastinapura and we know what he is. Naturally, only those who are close to Duryodhana have real power in his city. And who are these? Shakuni, Dusasana and the sutaputra Karna! It is not hard to imagine the nature of the kingship and the course it is set on.
Sanjaya, Yudhishtira may be a man of dharma. He may follow the path of truth to the point where he appears foolish. But Yudhishtira is not entirely a fool. Even before you complete the message he sends, I know what Dhritarashtra wants. He wants to keep the whole kingdom. I say to you, good messenger, go back to Hastinapura and tell your king that Yudhishtira does not want war. But if he isn’t given back what is his by right, half the Kuru kingdom, there will be war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.”
Sanjaya said quickly, “My lord, you haven’t heard all of the message I bring. The king says to you, ‘Man’s life is brief, Yudhishtira. Why let it end in shame? Why allow yourself to be remembered as the Kuru who spilt the blood of his own kinsmen? Don’t lead your life into this war; that will be the end of you, regardless of whether you win or lose.
I fear the Kauravas will not give up their kingdom now; they have ruled it for thirteen years in your absence. What does an earthly kingdom count for anyway, Yudhishtira? For a man of dharma like you, it would be better to live on the kindness of the Vrishnis and Andhakas, than fight this war against your own blood. The first course would establish you as the noblest man who ever lived and assure you immortal fame.
Yes, this human life is a short one and full of sin, suffering and sorrow. Dharma is more important than wealth or possessions. Only honor is permanent in this unstable world. The desire for material possessions is what steals a man’s judgement from him. A man like you, a seeker after truth, should burn every vestige of desire from his heart. The longing for wealth and power is a shackle on the spirit, an obstacle on the path to Salvation. Few men can renounce it. You are one of the few, Yudhishtira, prince of dharma!
I have heard about all the time you spent in the company of the rishis of the forest. Have you learnt something from them, nephew? Haven’t you learnt, as I can tell you being an old man today, that wealth counts for nothing in life? It is only a burden to the soul. Honor and freedom mean everything. Be free of the desire for kingdom and wealth, Yudhishtira. Think of dharma, which is wealth in the next world. Even if you do win the terrible war you plan, what will you achieve? You will have to atone for the sin of having killed your kinsmen. Guilt is all you will gain for yourself. How will you enjoy a kingdom won by spilling your cousins’ blood?
I say to you, again, as one who has lived longer than you have: life is shorter than you think. It is full of grief and sickness and it ends quickly in death. You may win back your kingdom; you may perform the Aswamedha and the Rajasuya yagnas. But when you die and that will be all too soon, my son, this dark deed of yours will cover your glory with shame and sin.
Thirteen years ago, you suffered what you now perceive as an injustice. Why didn’t you fight my sons then? Krishna, Balarama, Drupada, the Kekayas and Satyaki were all with you. Your friends and your brothers begged you to declare war. But you would not; you were stubborn and steadfast. Now, suddenly, after thirteen years, you decide to fight. Why, Yudhishtira? You have been patient for so long. If you continue to be patient until you die, the world will remember you as a saint.
Anger is a demon that cripples the mind. Munis say that a man who swallows his anger comes to peace. What will you get, even if you can kill Bheeshma, Drona, Kripa, Shalya, Duryodhana, his brothers and Karna? What will your final reward be? This vast earth bounded by the sea? But you will not escape old age and death. Once you have actually killed those you now set out to kill, you will mourn them. You will bitterly regret what you have done. Heed what I say, Yudhishtira my son. One must never betray one’s own nature. I know your nature, you are a gentle man.
My last word to you is, give up your anger. Forget everything that happened and return to the forest. Spend the rest of your life in quest of nirvana and win undying fame and joy for yourself. Or else, live with Krishna in Dwaraka; live off the alms of the Vrishnis, they will see to your every need and comfort. You have walked the high road of dharma for so long, why leave it now for the alleyways of sin? I beg you, forget the bloodshed you are planning. Live in peace.’
So said my king Dhritarashtra to you,” said Sanjaya in Upaplavya. Having delivered his message in full, he sat down and was silent, waiting for Yudhishtira’s response.