THIRTEEN
Dawn is yet to break over Kurukshetra and Yudhishtira is the first one up to greet the fourteenth day of war. As always, he begins his morning with worship. When he has finished, the sun appears on the rim of the world and the birds in the trees around the battlefield hymn the brilliant Deva. As Yudh-ishtira rises from his prayers, Krishna walks into his tent.
“Did you sleep well, my Lord?”
Krishna smiles, “I did. And now, seeing your serene face, I know that no harm can befall me!”
With Krishna, come Bheema, Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, Shikhandi, Sahadeva, Nakula, Drau-padi’s sons, Chekitana, Dhrishtaketu, the five Kekaya brothers wearing red mail and looking like indragopaka insects, Yuyutsu, Ghatotkacha, Drupada and Virata. One by one, Yudhishtira embraces them all. Those lords of the earth, the soldiers of dharma, are solemn on this momentous fourteenth morning of the war.
Yudhishtira turns again to Krishna. “My Lord, we rely on you to see us through this war, to bring us victory. More than any other day, we depend on your grace today.” He takes the Dark One’s hand, “Arjuna must keep his vow, Krishna. With you as his sarathy, he cannot fail.”
Krishna is full of light, full of faith. He says, “There is no kshatriya in all the world like your brother. When Jayadratha dies, the Kauravas will know that Arjuna’s vows are made not just of words, but arrows. Have you seen the omens of the earth and the sky, of the water, the wind and the birds? They all cry out that you will prevail today and that the Kauravas are doomed. Yudhishtira, I am here with you, I swear Arjuna will keep his oath.”
Arjuna walks in and he seems entirely calm. He touches Yudhishtira’s feet and those of the others older than him. Yudhishtira embraces his brother. “Your face is as bright as Krishna’s, as if the two of you have some secret you are keeping from us. I am content, Arjuna: seeing you like this, I have no doubt that Jayadratha will die before the sun sets. But if there is some good news you have, won’t you share it with us?”
Arjuna recounts last night’s dream, still vivid in his mind. He says, “Siva’s own astra is mine to summon. Jayadratha will not see the sun set today.”
Word goes out about Arjuna’s dream and soon the Pandava camp echoes with the news. Conches and trumpets blare and excited soldiers make for the battlefield, eager for the fighting to begin. No one doubts, any more, that Arjuna will keep his oath. Who will stop him, when Siva himself has blessed the Pandava?
Krishna climbs into Satyaki’s chariot to leave Yudhishtira’s tent; for, they have both come as Yada-vas to the early council. But when they arrive at the stables where the horses are stalled, Krishna is a sarathy again for the day’s battle. The Avatara goes into the enclosure like any charioteer; with his own hands, he rubs down Arjuna’s gandharva horses. He washes them lovingly, then drapes mail over their smooth bodies, while they stand for him in delight, nuzzling their faces against him.
Fortunate indeed is the Pandava who has Vishnu’s Avatara for his sarathy! Krishna places his warrior’s weapons in the chariot, where Arjuna can reach them easily. Finally, he hoists Hanuman’s banner over the gleaming ratha and brings the chariot to his cousin’s tent. A young servant is strapping the golden mail on his master, which Indra gave Arjuna. Krishna comes in, “Your ratha is here, Kshatriya and your sarathy is ready for battle!”
Last of all, Arjuna sets his kirita, worked with unearthly gemstones, on his head, picks up the Gandiva and the two of them emerge. Completely majestic, they mount the white chariot. Krishna takes the reins, while his pale chargers toss their necks and neigh eagerly in anticipation of battle. Regally, they make their way toward the field, the early sun blazing on Hanuman’s banner, the vanara alive on it!
At the front, Arjuna says to Satyaki, “In our excitement, we mustn’t forget Drona has sworn to take Yudhishtira captive. What better opportunity could he have than today? Satyaki, your task to protect Yudhishtira will be no less than mine. You are more than equal to it, my friend; I leave my brother’s life in your hands.”
Satyaki says, “Yudhishtira will be safe as long as there is breath in my body.”
Across Kurukshetra, they see Drona’s chestnut horses flitting here and there, as the brahmana forms the three vyuhas, one behind the other. In the van, facing the Pandava force, is the shakata vyuha, square and solid, the cart phalanx. Behind the shakata, Drona forms a lotus, a padma vyuha, a subtle variation of the chakra in which Abhimanyu died. Like an artist painting, he forms the indrawn petals of the lotus. Near the last of these, like a stem, Drona deploys the Kaurava maharathikas in their chariots: the final and most powerful line of defense. He arrays them straight as a needle, a suchi, one after the other, with the precious Jayadratha at the eye of the needle, which faces away from the field.
With dawn, Jayadratha is full of anxiety again. When he hears the Pandava conches and sees Arjuna ride out to the front and stand, stern and erect in the white chariot, Jayadratha begins to quake.
Drona lays a kindly hand on him, “The three vyuhas are six krosas long, Jayadratha. Six krosas will separate you from the frontlines. A hundred thousand horsemen, sixty thousand chariots, three million foot-soldiers, fourteen thousand elephants and then six maharathikas, each one more powerful than all these together, stand between Arjuna and you. Not even the army of Devaloka could break past such a defense before the sun sets. Your eyes will see Surya Deva rise tomorrow, but not Arjuna’s!”
Jayadratha is hardly consoled. He peers across six krosas and sees only Arjuna. He sees every feature on the Pandava’s face, as if he already stood next to him. Jayadratha is terribly certain that all Drona’s assurances will not keep Arjuna away. Six krosas and hundreds of thousands of fierce kshatriyas separate the Pandava from him; but when he sees Krishna’s dark form at Arjuna’s chariot-head, he knows that not six oceans would be enough.
Today Drona sets himself at the rim of the padma vyuha. Between him and the Pandava army lies the stolid square of the shakata. One of Duryodhana’s bravest brothers, Durmarshana, begs to command this phalanx. Drona lets him meet Arjuna’s first charge. With his legion of bowmen around him, Durmarshana takes his proud place at the head of Duryodhana’s army.
Duryodhana’s brother is certain Arjuna will not pass him. “I won’t let him through. Arrogant Arjuna shall taste Durmarshana’s valor today!”