The Gurus of Hastinapur - Part 34

Satyaki spoke with Bheema, the second Pandava, ensuring that the man would protect his brother, Yudhishtara when Satyaki was going inside the Vyugha.

Yudhishtara turned to Dhrishtadhyumna and Vasudhana. 'We are going to attack the Kauravas, giving Satyaki a diversion, to enter the Vyugha!'

However Yudhishtara's measures were unnecessary. Satyaki himself, destroyed the Kaurava first line of defence which was about to attack him, even before he entered the Vyugha.

Satyaki eyed the Kaurava army and saw that the path which his Guru – Arjuna had chosen, which was marked by the most destruction. Realizing that it was the easiest way inside the Vyugha, Satyaki directed his charioteer towards that direction.

But unfortunately for Satyaki, he met the same problem that Arjuna had – Dronacharya.

Dronacharya fought with his experience and he realized that Satyaki had been a perfect student of Arjuna. Satyaki had learnt all the tactics brilliantly from Arjuna and used it to the same devastating effect....

But then Drona was hardly a man who could be trifled with. He had been the teacher of Arjuna and had many tricks up his sleeve. Drona was able to effectively halt the progress of Satyaki, who was now looking like an angry snake, as he was eying the teacher.

Drona smirked at Satyaki. 'Your teacher ran away from our battle like a coward! He completely avoided even fighting with me!' Drona said in a sneering tone.

Drona was definitely expecting Satyaki to get more angry and expected him to fight recklessly, hoping to find some flaw in Satyaki's fighting technique.

In fact what happened was quiet the opposite....Satyaki laughed jovially. 'I am here because my king ordered my inside the Vyugha! And I was losing precious time fighting with you! If Arjuna, the great archer, himself, was a coward and ran away from you, I am after all his disciple and I have no problems in following my teacher's footsteps!'

Satyaki turned to his charioteer and whispered quietly. 'The Valhikas and the armies of the people from the South – pass between the two divisions – their elephants and the other animals, would give us cover from Drona and drive towards Karna's division!'

The charioteer nodded as Satyaki fired a few random arrows towards Drona. 

Drona frowned and was trying to stop the progress of Satyaki when he saw Satyaki's chariot swerve. Drona suddenly realized what Satyaki was about to do and shouted to his men, trying to close the gap between the two divisions....

But though Satyaki's horses were not as fast as Arjuna's horses, they were definitely quick and before the order of Dronacharya could be carried out, Satyaki was already inside the Vyugha.....

Satyaki grinned as he saw Drona following him angrily being cut off by the Kaurava's troops themselves. 

Satyaki turned his attention to Karna's troops when he was stopped by someone else...Another Yadava – Kritivarman.

The two warriors exchanged arrows angrily and quiet unexpectedly Kritivarman broke Satyaki's bow.

A lesser warrior would have been shocked unable to react. Satyaki just pulled his shaft and threw it at Kritivarman. Kritivarman watched shocked and hastily cut down the shaft with his arrows when Satyaki pulled out another bow from his chariot.

Before Kritivarman could even blink, Satyaki pulled out his broad arrow and killed Kritivarman's charioteer.....

Kritivarman was about to aim the arrow and fire at Satyaki, when he felt his chariot move wildly out of control. He realized what Satyaki had done and angrily abandoned his weapons trying to control his animals.

Satyaki watched Kritivarman with a smile and moved away from there....

Kritivarman got his horses under control and pulled out his bow and arrow when he saw Satyaki was already inside the Vyugha. Angrily he turned his attention to Bhimasena and the other Pandava warriors who were following Satyaki.

Kritivarman almost routed the Pandava soldiers who almost raced back to their own line instead of trying to follow Satyaki. 

Kritivarman watched the running Pandava army with a jeering smile, when he made a split second decision and followed the Pandavas.

There he faced the three Pandava brothers – Nakula, Sahadeva and Bhima.

Kritivarman almost destroyed Nakula and Sahadeva, before they could even realize what was happening. And that was when he met Bhima.

Bhima and Kritivarman fought exceedingly well, but in no time at all, Kritivarman cut off the bow of Bhima. Kritivarman smiled pulling out his arrow and had almost marked Bhima, when there was a loud shout from his side....

Yudhishtara screamed loudly as he came blazing with his chariot and bow and arrow. Yudhishtara quickly repelled Kritivarman and by this time Bhima recovered and threw his shaft at Kritivarman.

Kritivarman was now on fire...

He was about to attack Bhima, when Shikhandin interfered.

The two angry warriors fought, but Kritivarman was the better warrior and in a few minutes, Kritivarman hurled his arrow with so much force and accuracy that it penetrated Shikhandin's armour and Shikhandin almost passed out on his chariot.....

And that day Kritivarman singlehanded fought the Parthas, Chedis, Srinjayas and the Kekayas and routed them all.....

The screams of the Pandava soldiers running in fear was being heard everywhere, when something changed all that....

Satyaki who was right now deep inside the Vyugha could not understand why he felt something was different. And that was it struck him...The cries of the warriors....theses were the Pandava soldiers. Realizing that Yudhishtara's orders were immaterial right now, he turned to his charioteer.

'TURN AROUND!' He shouted.

'My Lord?' the charioteer asked puzzled.

'NOW!' Satyaki fumed as the charioteer did not even ask any questions and turned the horses.

Kritivarman's wish was granted as he finally got to meet Satyaki again in battle, blazing angrily, coming towards him....

Satyaki lost no time and did not even waste time attacking Kritivarman. In a movement too quick, he killed all the horses of Kritivarman. Before Kritivarman could react, Satyaki destroyed Kritivarman's bow.....

Satyaki was angry and fighting mad. He hit Kritivarman's charioteer and all the other warriors who were protecting Kritivarman's chariot.....He was about to destroy all of them when he remembered Yudhishtara's order.

Huffing angrily, as he looked at the running Kaurava soldiers, Satyaki realized that his help was no longer needed here.

Satyaki turned back...into the Vyugha....