FOUR
Dawn of the seventeenth day of the war and Duryodhana comes early to Shalya and says, “My lord, I have come to ask a favor.”
“Tell me what it is and consider it given.”
“Karna means to fight Arjuna today. Karna is the better archer; he will kill Arjuna. But there is one advantage the Pandava has that has saved him all these days.”
He pauses. Shalya says impatiently, “And what is that? Come, Duryodhana, tell me what you have come to say.
“My lord, Krishna is immeasurably superior to any sarathy Karna has had. In all my army, there is only one man who can match Krishna. That man, my lord, is you. I beg you, Shalya, be Karna’s sarathy today.”
“How dare you!” roars Shalya. “You dare ask a kshatriya to be a suta to a sutaputra? Already, you have made the suta Senapati of the Kuru army; and now you want me to be his sarathy. Sutas are servants in the courts of kings. How can a crowned king of the earth hold a suta’s chariot-reins?”
Shalya stutters in rage, “You ask me this, as if Karna is my superior. Duryodhana, I can easily kill that man in a duel. Shalya can face Indra and vanquish him! He can rout your Karna, Arjuna and Krishna all together! You have insulted me, Kaurava, I will not fight for you any more. This is not my war that I should tolerate such impudence.”
Shalya turns to walk away. But Duryodhana grasps his hand and stands before him with tears in his eyes! “How can I even dream of suggesting that Karna is your superior? I know you, mighty king. Shalya is the bane of his enemies!
But, my lord, you will not kill your nephews and Arjuna must die if we are to win this war. Of us all, only Karna can kill him; and how will he do that if he does not have a sarathy who is better than Krishna? Only one man on earth is better than the master of Dwaraka: you, O Shalya. I beg you, take Karna’s chariot-reins in your gifted hands; this is a matter of victory or defeat.
Millions have died for me in this war. My Pitama has fallen and my Acharya is dead. I don’t know how I will ever expiate all that sin. But that is not what we must think of now, only winning the war: which we can never do as long as Arjuna lives. Great Kshatriya, I only asked you to take Karna’s reins as Brahma did Sankara’s, when Siva flew to burn the Tripura!”
Shalya glows at the fulsome praise. He says, “So you meant no slight to me, Duryodhana. Since you believe I am the only one who is a match for Krishna, I will be Karna’s sarathy today!”
Duryodhana actually kneels at Shalya’s feet. “My lord, I can never repay you for this. Now that you have agreed to be my friend’s sarathy, I must tell you something else. Karna’s guru Bhargava had all his astras from Siva himself. The Lord said to him that he must never teach them to a lowborn man. Yet, Parasurama gave them all to Karna and even his bow, the Vijaya. Bhargava is a trikalagyani, who sees through the three veils of time as you and I see the day. Would he have given Karna the Vijaya and the astras, if Karna were a sutaputra?”
“What are you trying to say, Duryodhana?”
“That since I first met him I have always felt Karna was no sutaputra. All my instincts cry that he is a kshatriya. He is not Atiratha and Radha’s natural son, but adopted. My heart always insists that Karna is not just the son of a kshatriya, but of a Deva! Perhaps his mother was a princess and he was born from a night of secret love and abandoned. You all see him every day, my friends, you see how he shines like a God. Tell me, if you did not know he was Atiratha’s son wouldn’t you say he was not only a kshatriya, but the most exceptional one? Even a Devaputra! Can any sutaputra be Arjuna’s equal at archery? Karna surely is.”
It is obvious he believes what he is saying. “Shalya, I am convinced you will not be driving a suta-putra’s chariot today, but a kshatriya’s. Some day the truth will come out and then you will all say that Duryodhana was the only one that realized who Karna really was. I tell you, my friend is the noblest of kshatriyas. Why, I say he was born to rule the world: and so he shall, at my side! I know him long and well now; if Karna is not a kshatriya, none of us is.”
Shalya embraces Duryodhana. “Noble Duryodhana, truest of friends! I will drive Karna’s chariot as well as I know. But there is a condition I must impose. If I love you, I might be critical of you when I think you are in the wrong. If I am to be Karna’s sarathy, I must have the same liberty: I must be able to speak to him as I please.
There are four traits in a man I abhor: when he insults himself, because he feels inferior; when he praises himself too much; when he derides other men and when he is foolhardy, from bravado. While I am Karna’s sarathy, I must be free to censure him if I find any of these weaknesses in him. My censure will sharpen him and perhaps even save his life. He must not mind it.”
Duryodhana has already sent a messenger to Karna with the news that Shalya has agreed to be his charioteer. Just as Shalya finishes, Karna walks up, smiling. He bows deeply to that king, “My lord, I am honored the matchless Shalya will be my sarathy. Of course you may speak freely, whenever you wish, O king.”
Shalya looks at him for a moment. Then, he smiles slowly and says, “I will fetch your chariot, Karna.”
Shalya prepares the chariot for battle, to his satisfaction and brings it out to where the others wait. Karna walks around the ratha in pradakshina, he folds his hands to it. Then he worships the rising sun, chanting a quiet mantra. This done, he respectfully asks Shalya to climb on first, before getting in himself. How splendid those two are in that chariot: like Surya and Agni riding in the pushpaka vimana!
Duryodhana cries, “Today you will do what Bheeshma and Drona could not, my friend. Ride, Karna and destroy our enemies! Come back to me covered in glory. This will be the finest day of our lives.”
Karna reaches out a hand to his friend and he chokes. “For you I will always do my best. Remember that, Duryodhana, that Karna always did his best for you. The rest is in the hands of the Gods.”
Duryodhana wrings his friend’s palm. Shalya flicks his reins over the necks of his superb steeds and they are off at the enemy. Behind him, Karna wipes his eyes. He has no doubt that it is his final journey on which he sets out and this is his last farewell to Duryodhana.
Evil omens attend his going forth and in the sky, which seem ablaze, the seven planets seem to fly at one another to do battle.