The Gurus of Hastinapur - Part 40

Princess Devaki, the princess of Mathura had chosen her husband. She had chosen to marry the handsome Vasudeva and she was thrilled with her choice.

She was about to go to Vasudeva, when there was a snarling noise and she turned and nearly quailed in fear to see King Somadatta, walking towards her.

Somadatta was about to catch the hands of Devaki and watched Vasudeva angrily. ‘This princess of Mathura is mine! I will marry her. NO ONE ELSE CAN!’ Somadatta said ferociously as he looked at the slightly aging Vasudeva.

‘SAYS WHO?’

All the people in the court turned to see King Sini pulling out his sword and walking towards Somadatta with utter hatred in his heart.

‘The princess has chosen!’ Sini said standing between Devaki and Somadatta, looking very dangerously at Somadatta. ‘And you cannot change it.’

And there was a glorious fight there in the kingdom of Mathura between Somadatta and Sini (who was fighting on behalf of Vasudeva), for princess Devaki. They fought for half of the day. And finally Sini threw Somadatta on the ground and at that time pulled the sword and hit Somadatta on the feet....As all the other kings come to the Swayamvara watched as Sini humiliated Somadatta there in Mathura....

‘I do not wish to kill you!’ Sini said angrily, as he walked away from there....

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The swayamvara was over, but Somadatta’s anger was not. Not by a long stretch.

Wanting revenge for his treatment in the hands of Sini, Somadatta prayed to the three-eyed Shiva for a son and when Shiva appeared before him, Somadatta had but one boon. ‘I need a son, who will strike Sini’s son, as a thousand people watch it and who will strike Sini’s son in the foot! Just like Sini did to me....’

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Right now in the war, Bhurisravas, could take it no more. He, the son was Somadatta was one of the protector of the Kaurava army. And Bhurisravas could just not take the fact that his army had been penetrated not once, but three times.....And it was the second time was the one which really really hurt Bhurisravas. Because the person who had come in was....Satyaki, the son of Sini....As far as Bhurisravas was concerened, the existence of Satyaki was an insult to Bhurisravas and his family....

Letting out a hoarse shout, Bhurisravas was watching expectedly as Satyaki came within his line of vision inside the Kaurava army.

‘It is my luck that you have come in front of me.’ Letting his arrow fire at Satyaki, Bhirusravas looked at Satyaki viciously. ‘Just like Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, killed Indrajit, I am going to kill you.’

Satyaki stopped the arrow effortlessly and snorted at Bhurisravas. ‘All you do is talk!’ Satyaki said. ‘Useless words.’ Satyaki fumed and he pulled his own arrow out.

The fight was long drawn and magnificent. Each killed the other’s horses and they even broke each other’s chariot.

Now having no charge, they pulled out their swords and metal caught metal caught in midair as the two warriors clashed...

But Satyaki was a tired man. He had just ploughed through the Kaurava army and he had exhausted most of his weapons.

And the inevitable happened. In the fight between Bhurisravas and Satyaki, Bhurisravas was slowly was gaining the upper hand.

Krishna sensed something wrong long before he could see it and even without meaning to he started turning the chariot, away from Jayadratha.

‘Krishna?’ Arjuna asked confused, clutching the Gandiva in his hands tightly.

‘Satyaki!’ Krishna said grimly, as he turned the chariot and was driving at top speed towards Satyaki.

And as they reached the place, the two Krishnas met with a terrible sight.

Bhurisravas was toying with the tired Satyaki, who looked like he had reached the limits of his endurance. Bhurisravas hit Satyaki hard on the shoulder with the hilt of his sword and Satyaki stumbled as he fell on the ground. Clutching Satyaki’s hair, Bhurisravas savagely pulled Satyaki through the battlefield, hitting Satyaki again and again and finally struck Satyaki on the foot....

‘Kill him Partha!’ Krisha said as he watched Bhurisravas.

Arjuna needed no further call and though he found Bhurisravas’s fighting techniques far superior to that of his own disciple, without a second thought, Arjuna affixed his arrow to the bow and let it fly...

Bhurisravas was shocked when out of nowhere, the arrow came and pierced his hand....sharply..

Taking in a deep breath, Bhurisravas turned and looked angrily at Arjuna. ‘YOU?’ Bhurisravas said drawing another breath to control the pain. ‘You have committed a great sin today, Arjuna.’ Bhurisravas spat out angrily. ‘You fought with a man who did not challenge you in battle. My fight was with Satyaki....’ Bhurisravas spat angrily, watching the nearly unconscious Satyaki lying on the ground. ‘..And you interfered. Though you had no business to!’ Bhurisravas said angrily. ‘ARE THESE THE RULES OF BATTLE THAT YOU FOLLOW?’ Bhurisravas demanded angrily.

‘Satyaki is my disciple.’ Arjuna roared angrily. ‘Mine! Someone for me to protect. He is here fighting this war for my sake. I am responsible for him.’ Arjuna continued angrily. ‘And now that you want to behead him with your sword, what am I supposed to do? Let you do that?’ Arjuna demanded angrily.

Bhurisravas watched Arjuna with growing anger as Arjuna continued. ‘I am inside the Kaurava army. Deep inside it.’ Arjuna said savagely. ‘Every one I see here, is trying to kill me. And you think is such a situation it is possible for me to engage just one person in battle. There are so many arrows, so many swords and spears flying at me from everywhere and I am engaged in battle with all of them. I judged wrongly. I thought that you were also one of the warriors attacking me!’ Arjuna spat out angrily.

Arjuna watched Satyaki who was still lying barely conscious on the ground. ‘And you are one to talk about rules. If you had just killed Satyaki, I would probably have not have even interfered...But you tried to humiliate my student by dragging him through the battlefield.’ Arjuna fixed the next arrow in his bow. ‘That I cannot allow!’ Arjuna said pointing his arrow at Bhurisravas.

Strange though it may seem, on hearing Arjuna's words, Bhurisravas lost all the will to fight back. Bhurisravas felt that there was nothing more he could do....At that minute then and there, Bhurisravas gave it all up. Bhurisravas threw his weapons and watched Arjuna, with bleary eyes. Bhurisravas sat down on the battlefield, and started to meditate.

Though Arjuna lowered his bow and did not fire, he was angry as he watched Bhurisravas who was now beginning to meditate. 

‘And you cheered the man who killed my boy when when my son was all alone inside this very battlefield.’ A hurt Arjuna snarled as he told Bhurisravas. Arjuna watched the man and realizing that Bhurisravas had chosen his own manner of death was about to turn away as he watched Bhurisravas one last time. ‘I fought you because Krishna asked me to. Now under the very guidance of Krishna, go and enter the regions of heaven like your ancestors.’ Arjuna told his enemy who was now deep in meditation.

And that was when Satyaki slowly got up from the ground. Stumbling from the ground, Satyaki pulled up the sword and Satyaki did something impossible....Satyaki beheaded Bhurisravas.

All the soldiers watched Satyaki in disgust at the crime that Satyaki had committed. Satyaki had just killed a man who was not even fighting. That was unacceptable.

Satyaki looked at them angrily. ‘This man cheered the killer of Abhimanyu. That is why he deserved to die. And in the heat of battle, we all do things like this.’ Satyaki watched the body of Bhurisravas in anger. ‘I should have done this myself when Bhurisravas was dragging me in the mud....But Partha robbed me of this glory.’ Satyaki said feeling disgusted with himself, as he pulled out the weapons from the ground, getting ready for battle again....

And so as the Kaurava army watched, Bhurisravas lay dead in the battle, killed by Satyaki, the grandson of Sini....