The Gurus of Hastinapur - Part 19

After Yudhishtara fled from the battlefield, there was mayhem everywhere. The Kaurava soldiers were energized watching the king of the Pandavas run from the battle. Drona fell on the Pandava soldiers massacring them. Watching the ferocious attack of the teacher, it seemed like he was going to destroy all the Pandava soldiers that day.

Dhrishtadyumna, rallied the Pandava troops who were running helter-skelter. Finally, the Pandava soldiers tried to fight Dronacharya, and were successful in curbing him to a very small extent.

Duryodhana who was watching the Dronacharya fight from far, pointed it out to Karna. 'Watch this! Yudhishtara ran away from the battlefield!' he said gleefully. 'I think the acharya is going to annihilate the Pandavas today!'

Karna saw the entire scene and suddenly turned to Duryodhana. 'The teacher needs help! He cannot handle all the Pandava soldiers that are coming towards him!'

Duryodhana turned and saw that Bheema was at the head of the Pandava soldiers and urged his horse forward. The two cousins fought with real hatred for each other, wounding each other deeply.

But Bheema won the upper hand and broke Duryodhana's standard and horses.

As Duryodhana ran from there, Bheema fell on the Kaurava soldiers killing them left and right.

As Duryodhana was fleeing from Bheema, Bhagadatta, the king of Pragjyotishpur came forward on his magnificent elephant – Supratika. Bhagadatta was the oldest man in the battlefield. In fact he was so old that he tied a scarf on top of his eyes to make sure the drooping skin from his forehead did not close his eyes. But then these things did not deter the man. The man fought like demon and always won. Half the reason no one faced Bhagadatta was his elephant – Supratika. The elephant did more damage than a single division of the army and with Bhagadatta at his helm, it seemed that the two of them were invincible.

The Pandava soldiers were already miserable as they were unable to bear the brunt of Dronacharya's attack. Now with Bhagadatta, most of them felt like running away from the battlefield. The elephant smashed all and any person who came near him.

Bheema realized that he was the only person in the army who could deal with the elephant and charged towards it.

Bheema heaved his mace and walked towards the elephant. Bheema had learnt the art of Anjalikabhedha. Knowing this art well, Bheema instead of attacking the elephant from any particular side, went under the elephant. He attacked Supratika from its stomach and almost drove the elephant powerless, with his technique.

Thinking that Supratika would collapse, Bheema hurriedly got out from under the elephant. But then the elephant did not give up without a fight. Seeing Bheema, Supratika picked Bheema up with his trunk and threw him down heavily. Bheema quickly picked himself up and ran trying to get one of his own elephant...

Back at the camp, Yudhishtara was unable to bear the fact that he had run away from the battlefield. Ignoring Arjuna's express instructions, Yudhishtara entered the battlefield. In fact he entered it at the precise moment when Bheema was searching for an elephant. Thinking that Bheema was running away from Bhagadatta, Yudhishtara along with his force attacked Bhagadatta and his elephant.

But then Bhagadatta was too powerful. He ravaged the Pandava forces and almost killed Yuyutsu that day. [Yuyutsu was the son of Dhirdarashtra. He was not the son of Gandhari, but was born of a maid Suvala.] Yuyutsu just escaped with his life and Supratika was on a rampage.....

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From another part of the field, Arjuna heard the wailing of the Pandava soldiers with the triumphant trumpet of Supratika and realized that Bhagadatta was on a rampage. But then the stream of arrows from the Samshaptaka soldiers were steady and continuous, giving Arjuna no respite.

And the inevitable happened. One of the arrows pierced Krishna. Few things could make Arjuna angry...Seeing Krishna hurt was one of them. No sooner than the arrow pierced Krishna, Arjuna was so enraged that he let out the Brahma weapon. The weapon was supposed to be so powerful that it nearly vapourised all the Samshaptakas.

'Krishna! Are you....?' Arjuna asked turning towards Krishna.

'You have nearly destroyed all the Samshaptakas, my friend!' Krishna said looking at the battlefield, pulling out the arrow. 'Where do you wish to go, now?'

Arjuna smiled at Krishna realizing that he was alright. 'Bhagadatta!' was all Arjuna said.