Preparations For The Final Duel
Upon reaching the place, the warriors dismounted and Yudhisthira approached the shore, calling for Duryodhana aloud.
“Cousin, what are you doing there? Where is your arrogance? Are you not so sure of your abilities now? You said that in battle you would have defeated us without difficulty, but what about the triumph you were so convinced of? I see that you are hiding. You have absolutely no dignity: after causing the death of all the Kshatriyas on Earth, with what conscience do you hope to save your useless life? Go out and fight like a man.”
“You’re wrong if you think I entered this lake out of fear of you,” he replied. “My body was covered with wounds and burned as if I had been engulfed in flames; that’s why I’m here. But tomorrow I intend to resume the fight.”
“We want you right away,” Yudhisthira yelled, with an unsuspected fury in a person usually so controlled. “The millions of dead didn’t have the luxury of losing their lives when they wanted to, and most weren’t even guilty of anything. And now it’s your turn to die. Get out now, if you have any dignity.”
“You don’t have to fight anymore, Yudhisthira, the kingdom is yours: enjoy it. I prefer to stay in the forest like a hermit rather than live without my brothers and friends.”
These words infuriated Yudhisthira even more.
“You allow us to take possession of the kingdom? What do you say? We have conquered the kingdom by force of arms and certainly not by your concession, as we have repeatedly begged you to do in order to avoid this useless slaughter. Now we have not come to ask you for our part of the kingdom: we want your life.”
At those harsh and resentful words, Duryodhana, with the club in his hands, rose from the waters of the lake.
Yudhisthira smiled.
“I am glad to see that my cousin has not become a coward all of a sudden. So I make you a proposal: choose to fight one of us with any weapon you want. If you win you can keep the kingdom, if you lose you will lose everything, including life.”
Everyone looked at the Pandava with amazement: what proposal was that? With the mace Duryodhana was a great fighter and inviting him to fight like that was reminiscent of the dice challenge that had caused all that misfortune.
His friends got nervous and someone protested loudly.
But Duryodhana was a noble Kshatriya and he thanked his cousin for the generous opportunity that had been accorded him.
“I want to fight Bhima, with the mace,” he said through gritted teeth. “He is the killer of my brothers; what better opportunity to have revenge?”
The Pandava, growling like a hungry wolf, stepped forward, with the air of one who wants to destroy the whole world.
The two prepared themselves carefully.
However, just as they were about to begin, Balarama arrived back from his tirtha-yatra. The two greeted him with respect: he had been their teacher in that particular martial discipline.
Looking around, Krishna’s noble brother did not take long to realize that what was about to begin would be the decisive duel.
“I have just returned from a long pilgrimage, during which I have visited many of the holiest places in Bharata-varsha,” he said. “During the journey I met pious people and I enjoyed the peaceful and meditative life of the forests. Unfortunately, now I am sadly noticing that the best men in the world have been carried away by hatred and greed, and have massacred each other. Even my dearest disciples are ready to kill themselves: all this is not at all virtuous. But I know that at this point you do not intend to hear reasons and that you want to settle your old resentments once and for all. One of you will have to die today. So, if you really want to fight, do it at least in a sacred place, where those who leave their bodies gain great spiritual advantage.”
“What do you think is the best place for this challenge?” Yudhisthira asked.
“Not far from here is Samanta-panchaka, where long ago Parashurama gathered the blood of the wicked Kshatriyas. Whoever dies there gets liberation. I recommend that this challenge between Bhima and Duryodhana take place there.”
At the head of the two furious warriors who impatiently clutched their weapons, the squad walked towards Samanta-panchaka.
This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 2”.
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