Sanjaya Comes Back From The Field Again
Having recounted the first ten days of battle, Sanjaya returned to Kurukshetra.
And another five terrible days passed before the blind king could have more news; anxiety corroded him more and more every moment, as he thought of his dead children and others who were in lethal dangers from the power of Bhima; to Bhishma lying on a bed of arrows; to other friends and relatives who may already be dead.
Then Sanjaya returned.
“O king,” he said sternly, “unfortunately I am not the bearer of good news. After five days in command, after causing panic among the enemy’s ranks, and having claimed as many lives as Kala himself, your dear friend and master of arms of your children and grandchildren, the Brahmana Drona, has abandoned his body, with his head cut off by the blade of the sword of the son of Drupada, the brave Dhristadyumna. And together with him, during these terrible days, because of Duryodhana’s envy, many other valiant heroes and pious souls have died, reaching the destinations that deserve such great personalities.”
At that news Dhritarastra fell violently and passed out.
Having recovered, with a sad soul, he spoke.
“How could such a thing ever happen? It is absolutely unbelievable. Like Bhishma, Drona was practically invincible. So how did the Pandavas and their allies manage to do this? Sanjaya, my anxiety is escalating. I want to know what happened to Drona, my children and everyone else. Only with the knowledge of the facts will my anguish be mitigated a little and I will have some chance to feel some relief. Please tell me everything in detail.”
And Sanjaya recounted the events.
The eleventh day had been a sad dawn for everyone; no one felt conquered or victorious nor could they take their minds off the thought of Mahatma Bhishma lying in the middle of the battlefield, with a thousand wounds that tore at his flesh. This was also the first time the Kaurava generals had met to plan the day’s war strategies without him.
When Duryodhana and his brothers entered Karna’s tent, they found him busy getting ready to go out into the field. Together they pitied the elderly warrior who had fallen for their cause.
“Now that he lies powerless to protect our troops,” said Duryodhana, “only you can give us the comfort of the certainty of victory. Come with us, then, and fight as only you can.”
“You must not be too sad for him,” Karna replied, “as the soul never dies, and depending on the acts committed during its existence, after abandoning the body it gets the destination it deserves. Bhishma is completely pure and a pure soul devoid of any material contamination, and therefore will undoubtedly reach those planets of which virtuous people are worth. On the other hand it could not be expected that he would live eternally, since every being born is destined to perish. As a great warrior, he prefers to abandon his body in the honor of the Kshatriya-dharma.”
After still going to pay homage to Bhishma, Karna entered the tent where the generals held council every morning.
That morning the appointment of the new commander in chief was discussed and he himself indicated Drona as the most qualified to lead the Kaurava armies. Unanimously accepted and acclaimed by the troops, the master climbed into the chariot, shining like a second Indra. But it was the sight of Karna in combat gear that delighted the soldiers most, because no one was unaware that the Acarya loved the Pandavas as much as Bhishma.
The soldiers of the two factions poured into the plain of Kurukshetra and each took up their position, according to the directions of their commanders. That morning Drona organized the army under his orders in the shape of a shakata, which means “wheel”, and the Pandavas were in the shape of krauncha, a particular type of bird.
Before ordering the attack, Drona wanted to instill courage and optimism in Duryodhana, whom he had seen rather depressed. He told him:
“Ask me for a particular goal that must be achieved in this war, and I will do it for you.”
The Kaurava thought about it for a while, then spoke:
“Since you, like the others, refuse to kill the Pandava brothers, then, if you want to please me, take Yudhisthira prisoner.”
Drona hesitated for a moment to make such a promise, knowing how vile Duryodhana could be.
“I will only do it if you solemnly promise me that you will not kill him with unfair methods.”
“No, I don’t want to kill Yudhisthira,” he retorted, “it doesn’t suit me. If I did, what place would be safer for me, and who would protect me from the fury of Arjuna and Bhima? Who could ever stop Krishna, who for such a thing done to a pure devotee is capable of destroying the whole planet? No, I want him alive and prisoner, I want to force him to play another game of dice with me and send him back to the forest. Only then can this war be stopped”.
In his heart, Drona cursed Duryodhana’s demonic mentality, which worsened over time.
“Then I will take Yudhisthira prisoner, provided that Arjuna is removed from his brother; otherwise it will not be possible. It is up to you, therefore, to find a way to make me fulfill my promise.”
Duryodhana nodded and began to think about how to keep Arjuna away.
Shortly after the clever spies of the Pandavas brought the news of that diabolical plan. Arjuna became furious at the narrow-mindedness his cousin had once again shown he had, and claimed that he would not leave his brother alone for even a minute.
This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 2”.
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