The Indian Dharma

In the previous episode, we had witnessed a spectacular plan being implemented by Bhagawan Krishna, in a bid to trap Jayatrada alive in front of Arjuna. We’ve witnessed Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna going after Jayatrada, however, he eludes both of them by seeking protection from the rest of the Kaurava army. Guru Dhronachaarya too had arranged several “Vyugams” (Patterns) to protect Jayatrada in such a way that Arjuna will not be able to come closer to him. However, as we’ve seen, Arjuna is in a savage resolution and somehow makes his way into the “Vyugams” in search of Jayatrada. On his way, he defeats whoever comes in front, and on the fourteenth day, Arjuna’s onslaught is at an entirely different level altogether. None including Guru Dhronachaarya could stop Arjuna’s advancement. However, by the time Arjuna defeats everyone and penetrates the army patterns, it is almost time for sunset and Arjuna is only half way into it! Sensing this urgency, Bhagawan Krishna plays a trick here – He artificially creates a sunset by employing His “Chakra-Aayudham” in front of the sun, which blocks its rays from reaching the earth! Hence, for a moment everything goes dark and the entire Kaurava army including Jayatrada concludes that the war for the day has come to a close! 

Upon seeing the sunset and the darkness, Jayatrada erupts in joy that he has been saved for the day! With this joy he comes forward in front of Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna and starts making fun of Arjuna! Little does Jayatrada know that this is a divine ploy of Bhagawan Krishna and this “sunset” is not the real sunset for the day! Unaware of this trick, Jayatrada starts taunting and tormenting Arjuna that he had failed in his pursuit and it is time to kill himself! Meanwhile, the Paandava camp including Yudishtra is also surprised to see the sudden and abrupt sunset for the day! Yudishtra starts shaking with fear and thinks thus, “Oh my God! Arjuna had taken a pledge to finish Jayatrada off by today evening. Has he accomplished it? Or, is he going to breathe his last today? Yesterday we lost Abhimanyu and today are we going to lose his father as well?” As the Paandava camp starts panicking and as Jayatrada comes out with absolute confidence that he’s safe, Bhagawan Krishna uses this flash point and removes His “Chakra-Aayudham” from its position. Now as the “Chakra-Aayudham” once again comes to Bhagawan Krishna’s hands, the sun starts shining bright again! Jayatrada could not believe what was happening! Until this point when the sun rays were blocked, the Kaurava army was making fun of Arjuna and now it is Arjuna’s turn to give it back with interest! 

Upon seeing the sun shining again, Bhagawan Krishna says to Arjuna thus, “Oh Arjuna! Now you can see the sun shining bright! It’s not sunset time yet! Also, here you see Jayatrada in front of you! This is the moment you were waiting for, weren’t you? Now take your Gaandeepa and do the needful! Here’s your opportunity now! It’s either now or never!” As Bhagawan Krishna says thus, Arjuna immediately holds his “Gaandeepa” bow tightly in his hands with a renewed vigour! He says to Jayatrada thus, “Oh Jayatrada! Now where are you going to run? Face the reality now! If you have the guts, fight with me today! Yesterday you were the principal orchestrator of my son’s death, weren’t you? Now let me avenge you for the heinous crime that you committed on the battlefield! Take your weapons and start fighting!” 

As Arjuna says thus, Bhagawan Krishna hints at another important point to him thus, “Oh Arjuna! When you’re fighting, please ensure that Jayatrada’s head is chopped off with your arrow. After chopping off his head, you should ensure that the arrow will carry his head to his father’s lap. His father is sitting just outside the Kurukshetra battlefield, performing his evening Sandhyavandanam. Your arrow should carry Jayatrada’s head carefully without a drop of blood spilling on the ground and should drop it on his father’s lap. Only if you’re successfully doing this, Jayatrada will be dead! Else, if you keep fighting and chopping off his head repeatedly, his head will rejoin his body again and again!” 

As Bhagawan Krishna says thus, Arjuna is puzzled! This is a complex thing to do, and time is running out as well! This has to be accomplished before sunset and Jayatrada on the other side is up for a big showdown! However, Arjuna’s skill and prowess, as all of us know, is exceptional and Bhagawan Krishna also knows this. It is for this reason, Bhagawan wants Arjuna to do this job, out of all the others! Listening to Bhagawan’s words carefully, Arjuna succeeds in chopping off Jayatrada’s head with a sharp arrow! Now with this, “Step 1” is achieved! As part of “Step 2”, Arjuna ensures that this arrow carefully carries Jayatrada’s head towards the direction where his father is seated, and successfully drops it on his father’s lap! The moment Jayatrada’s head falls on his father’s lap, there is a huge explosion and both the father and son die on the spot! Thus, with this, Jayatrada is history and the entire Paandava army is rejoicing! Yudishtra is extremely happy that Arjuna has finally managed to fulfil his pledge! 

So for today, let us join hands with Arjuna and Co. to celebrate this victorious moment and in the next episode, we shall continue this discussion further! Stay tuned! 🙂

In the previous episode, we had witnessed Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna being in the spotlight wherein, Arjuna is in a hurry to advance further into the Kaurava army and Bhagawan Krishna on the other hand is letting the horses of the chariot relax a bit and alleviate themselves from their tiredness! This consumes a good 45-minutes to one hour of time and after this, Arjuna’s onslaught continues and as we’ve seen till now for the past few episodes of Day Fourteen, his vigour is of an entirely different level! Whoever comes in front of Arjuna are bearing the brunt of his renewed aggression, post Abhimanyu’s demise. Arjuna is of a savage resolution to somehow kill Jayatrada and avenge Abhimanyu’s unethical killing in the battlefield on the previous day! 

Moving forward thus, Arjuna still has a long way to go and Bhagawan Krishna too realizes that they are not at all close to where Jayatrada is. However, the evening time has set in and there’s no way that Arjuna is going to reach the vicinity of Jayatrada before sunset if this speed of advancement continues. Whichever direction Bhagawan Krishna takes Arjuna, several warriors stand in queue to create a stumbling block. Winning over those warriors might not be a difficult task for Arjuna, but that is not important here. The main agenda for the day is to find out the whereabouts of Jayatrada and to kill him then and there. Still in the queue to cross are Sage Kripachaarya and Krita Varma. Both of them are expert warriors and if Arjuna has to pick up a fight against them, he is not going to reach Jayatrada on time. Hence, it is up to Bhagawan Krishna now to take over with divine intervention! So what does Bhagawan Krishna do here?

As the duo keep advancing further, Bhagawan Krishna charts out a quick plan. He tells Arjuna thus, “Oh Arjuna! It seems we’ve come only half the distance and if we proceed like this, we’re never going to reach Jayatrada’s vicinity before sunset. So let us do one thing – Let us station ourselves in this place only. I shall use my “Chakra-Aayudham” to temporarily block the sun’s rays from coming into the earth. Thus, when the sunlight doesn’t reach us, it is going to become dark and after that, Jayatrada will assume that the war for the day is over and he will be assured that he cannot be killed any further today. Thinking thus, Jayatrada will come towards us and the moment he comes, I shall remove my “Chakra-Aayudham” from its position and the sunlight will be restored! Now he will get trapped and at this time, you may fight with him and possibly kill him!” 

As Bhagawan Krishna says thus, Arjuna agrees immediately and both of them keep advancing a bit slowly now. This advancement is just to create an illusion to the Kaurava army, in a bid to hide the secretive plan. As Arjuna advances, the sound of his “Gaandeepa” bow is being heard by Jayatrada at some distance. Upon hearing the thundering sound, Jayatrada quickly realizes that Arjuna has somehow come into his vicinity and is not far off. He shakes with fear and is almost certain now that he is going to be killed by Arjuna before sunset. However, at this point, something on the contrary happens – Bhagawan Krishna immediately thinks of His “Chakra-Aayudham” and it comes in His divine hands. Thus, Bhagawan Krishna lets the “Chakra-Aayudham” and it straightaway goes and stands in between the sun and the earth! Thus, all of a sudden, the entire place becomes completely dark in no time! None of them in the Kaurava camp anticipated such an early sunset! As the fight is going on for the past thirteen days now, everyone precisely knows the time of sunset. However, today, the entire place becomes unusually dark rather quickly! 

As this happens, the war has to come to an end due to “bad light”! 🙂 All the warriors start blowing their “Shankam” in a signal to bring the war to an end. Upon seeing this happening, Jayatrada is surprised, and at the same time heaves a huge sigh of relief! The sun has set and with this, Arjuna has lost his “Shapadham” (Pledge). Hence, Arjuna is now going to jump into the fire and kill himself in a while! Thinking thus, Jayatrada’s happiness knows no bounds! He jumps with joy as his plans have worked perfectly in his favour! Thinking thus, Jayatrada dances in joy and celebration as he slowly comes in front of Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna! Jayatrada says to Ajruna aloud thus, “Oh Arjuna! I’m so sorry to see you in such a pathetic state of affairs! Now what are you going to do? Are you going to jump into the fire and sacrifice your life? Please do it! I would love to see this happening right in front of my eyes! Now that the sun has set, you do not have an option to kill me any further, do you? Hence, live up to your pledge now! Let the fire be created in the centre of the battlefield and let the entire Kaurava army including Duryodhana and the others see this spectacle happening!” 

Saying thus, Jayatrada keeps taunting Arjuna more and more, even as Bhagawan Krishna is seeing all these and laughing within himself! Arjuna also knows that Jayatrada has fallen into a clear trap laid by Bhagawan Krishna! So he too pretends and plays along with Jayatrada with a sad-looking face! So for today, let us allow Jayatrada to enjoy himself in this situation and in the next episode we shall find out whether this enjoyment of Jayatrada is going to be long-lasting or a short-lived one! Stay tuned for an interesting accord! 🙂

We’re amidst an extremely important and a crucial day of the Kurukshetra war – Day Fourteen, wherein Arjuna is steadfast in his resolution to kill Jayatrada within sunset. With this savage resolution on Jayatrada, Arjuna continues his advancement into the “Chakra Vyugam” of the Kaurava army. On Day Fourteen, Arjuna’s onslaught on the Kaurava army is manifold as compared to the other previous days of the war. He had a tough contest with Guru Dhronachaarya and then with the key warriors like King Shalya, Ducchaasana, Karna and Duryodhana himself. The onslaught is so severe this time from Arjuna that none of them are able to stand in front of him even for a few minutes. Defeating whoever comes in front of him, Arjuna advances deeper into the Kaurava army in pursuit of the main target – Jayatrada. 

By the time Arjuna breaks the shackles of the Kaurava army and advances deeper, it is already afternoon time and the sun has come to the middle of the spectrum. At this time, Bhagawan Krishna suddenly is unleashing a very interesting “Leela” here – He suddenly stops the chariot in between the entire battlefield even as everyone is looking with a lot of anxiety. As the chariot suddenly came to a grinding halt, Arjuna couldn’t understand anything! He immediately asks thus, “Oh Bhagawan Krishna! What happened? Why did you suddenly stop? Is there anything wrong that you’re seeing anywhere?” For this, Bhagawan Krishna replies thus, “Oh Arjuna! It seems that the horses of our chariot are tired and they are struggling to move forward. They require some rest and maybe some water now before they can proceed further!” As Bhagawan says thus, Arjuna is puzzled! He doesn’t understand the intricate meaning behind why Bhagawan Krishna is doing this. So he asks back thus, “Oh Bhagawan Krishna! We’re already in the afternoon time period. We still have less then five hours to finish the task. Is this the time to give rest to our horses? They can rest after our plan is finished, can’t they?” As Arjuna asks thus with a seemingly bit of a frustration, Bhagawan calms him down and says thus, “Oh Arjuna! Please do not be selfish! Horses are also living beings and they too have run so far without any rest or food. Hence, it is time for them to rest and let them have some water to drink as well. We shall proceed thereafter. Now do one thing – Employ your “Vaarunaasthram” and bring some water for these poor horses from the ground!” 

As Bhagawan Krishna says thus, Arjuna obeys without talking a word back! Thus, a spring of water splashes from within the ground and with this, the horses are enjoying the water for a while! Because of extreme tiredness, the horses are rolling on the ground here and there amidst the watery surface and are trying to freshen up themselves. In return, Bhagawan Krishna too caresses all the horses one after the other and ensures that they are taken care of adequately. Also, because there is a water spring, the entire surrounding amidst the battlefield becomes a fertile land with Bhagawan Krishna’s divine “Anugraha”, with trees and plants within no time! Fruits and vegetables start growing and this acts as an instant food to the tired horses! Thus, Bhagawan nourishes them with all the required food, water, love and care and this takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour of time! 

Now as the horses are up and running once again, Bhagawan Krishna looks at Arjuna and says thus – “Oh Arjuna! Please do not act against the laws of nature! Just like how your pledge is important, the well-being of these horses are equally important as well. So you should not be selfish to achieve your agenda and leave the others in totters. This is a wrong motive that you’re having!” Saying thus, as the horses are ready, Bhagawan Krishna ties them once again to the chariot and gets on it. Upon seeing Bhagawan Krishna ready, Arjuna also gets inside and the journey continues. Now the horses are fresh with a lot of vigour and they move the chariot at lightning speed! Once again, Arjuna is up on his feet and his onslaught continues! Whoever comes in front of Arjuna are either reduced to shambles or completely finished off in no time! Bhurishravas, one of the key warriors on the Kaurava camp, engages in a huge battle with Arjuna, but at the end, Arjuna kills him quite easily. Now as Arjuna advances even further, he is unable to spot Jayatrada anywhere! By this time, it is already evening and sunset is not very far off. Bhagawan Krishna too realizes that if Arjuna has to move forward with this pace, there is absolutely no possibility that he is going to reach the vicinity of Jayatrada. Still Sage Kripachaarya and Krita Varma are on the way and only if Arjuna defeated both of them, he will be able to spot Jayatrada! 

So what does Bhagawan Krishna do now? Does He have a plan of action ready to be implemented? An interesting episode awaits us tomorrow! Stay tuned! 🙂

We’re amidst a marquee day of the entire Kurukshetra battle (Day Fourteen) wherein there’s a huge showdown between the Kaurava and the Paandava camps. Arjuna is extremely charged and fired up after Abhimanyu’s demise the previous day and he is of a savage resolution to somehow finish Jayatrada by the end of Day Fourteen. With this agenda point clear, Arjuna advances quickly through the Kaurava army, however, Guru Dhronachaarya has set up several “check points” for Arjuna to clear one after the other. Piercing through the army is not going to be an easy task for Arjuna on Day Fourteen as Guru Dhronachaarya has employed multiple “Vyugams” (Designs based on strategic warfare techniques). Unfazed by all this, Arjuna makes his way through and a marquee battle ensues between him and Guru Dhronachaarya to begin Day Fourteen with. It’s a mammoth battle between the two strongest icons and in due course of time, neither Arjuna nor Guru Dhronachaarya are able to take the lead on the other. Upon seeing the time, Bhagawan Krishna suggests to Arjuna that if this dog-fight continues, the main agenda point for the day might be missed out, and hence, Arjuna has to somehow bypass Guru Dhronachaarya and enter the Kaurava army folds through another possible gateway. 

Taking cues from Bhagawan Krishna’s important words, Arjuna bows down to Guru Dhronachaarya and moves away from there, even as Guru Dhronachaarya invites him repeatedly to continue the fight! Subsequently, Bheemasena, who is closely following Arjuna from behind, comes in front of Guru Dhronachaarya. If Arjuna is an icon in the bow and arrow technique, Bheemasena is an equivalent in the “Gadha-Yuddham” technique. A huge battle ensues between Bheemasena and Guru Dhronachaarya, wherein Bheemasena destroys eight of the later’s chariots at a stretch within a flash! This makes Guru Dhronachaarya stand on the ground and continue his fight with Bheemasena. Once again, this fight also ends up in a draw, as both of them are impeccable in their warfare approaches! 

Thus, as Bheemasena is engaging Guru Dhronachaarya on this side, Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna are entering the Kaurava army from an entirely new direction altogether! This is a well-thought-out plan from the Paandava camp as they know that Guru Dhronachaarya could be a “thorn in the flesh” for them as they try to advance. Hence, if Guru Dhronachaarya can be engaged on one side, Arjuna can look for a possible entry from a different direction. Thus, the plan succeeds as Bheemasena engages Guru Dhronachaarya! Unable to move here or there, Guru Dhronachaarya gets held up in one end and in the meanwhile, Arjuna breaches through the defence of the Kaurava camp and storms into the “Chakra-Vyuga”. The first person who comes in front of Arjuna now is Karna. A fierce battle ensues between the two “brothers”, as Arjuna and Karna exhibit their extreme prowess in several kinds of warfare techniques. Arjuna employs several “Asthras”, only to be neutralized by Karna. In turn, Karna does the same, only to be overcome by Arjuna! Thus, the battle gets fiercer by the minute and at one stage, Arjuna starts dominating Karna. Once again, Bhagawan Krishna signals Arjuna to move forward rather than getting stuck with one person, and with this, Arjuna leaves the place, bruising Karna all over his body! 

Now Arjuna once again proceeds forward and the next obstacle comes in the form of King Shalya. As we know from our earlier episodes, King Shalya was supposed to fight on behalf of the Paandavas, however, owing to Duryodhana’s compulsions, King Shalya had to switch sides. Now, King Shalya is putting up a fight against Arjuna, only to be defeated then and there! King Shalya is also bruised heavily by Arjuna and he makes further inroads into the Kaurava camp. Readers should remember here – The ultimate aim of Arjuna today is not to fight with any of these people and kill them, but to somehow trace the whereabouts of Jayatrada and kill him before sunset. Next in the list is Ducchaasana who comes forward to stop Arjuna. He too meets with the same result as the others! Moving forward still, Arjuna comes in direct contact with Duryodhana now. Once again a brief but intense battle ensues between the duo. It is as if Duryodhana was waiting for such a “golden moment” in his life to have a direct encounter with Arjuna, as he throws the kitchen sink at Arjuna! However, Arjuna – As all of us know, is not someone who’s going to shy away from the wrath of Duryodhana! He gives a befitting reply to whatever Duryodhana throws at him, which leaves Duryodhana battered and bruised heavily! At one stage, Arjuna made Duryodhana fall on the ground unconscious! It is to be remembered that Bheemasena also did the same to Duryodhana during the earlier days of the war and now it is Arjuna’s turn to met out the same result to Duryodhana! In the meanwhile, Guru Dhronachaarya is quick to step in and provides a “golden shield” (Protective armour made of gold) to Duryodhana and asks him to continue the fight. Duryodhana does so, but all his “Asthras”, bow, arrows, chariot, charioteer, etc. are completely destroyed by Arjuna within a flash! This leaves Duryodhana only with the golden armour, and with this, he runs away from the battlefield! 

Defeating Duryodhana and making him run away, Arjuna marches forward further. By now it is already afternoon and there are only a few more hours left for the day to conclude. Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna have covered only half the distance now! So what do they do now? How are they going to cover the remaining half the distance within a short period of time? Is Bhagawan Krishna going to spin another surprise on Day Fourteen? Let us wait till the next episode to find out! Stay tuned! 🙂

We’re at the midst of an interesting Day Fourteen of the Kurukshetra war wherein Jayatrada is at the centre of attraction today. By now all of us know that Arjuna had taken a pledge to finish Jayatrada by the end of Day Fourteen, in a bid to seek revenge for illegally killing Abhimanyu in the previous day’s battle. Arjuna is in a savage resolution and to stop him from advancing further, Guru Dhronachaarya arranges the Kaurava army in multiple “Vyugams”. However, Arjuna is resolute like never before and is determined to make early inroads into the Kaurava army and to wreak havoc. A super-charged Arjuna, along with an even more super-charged Bhagawan Krishna storm into the battlefield at Kurukshetra and make their way into the middle – Only to see several layers of the Kaurava army standing in unison to protect one man – Jayatrada! Surprised by the several layers of security, Arjuna requests Bhagawan Krishna to keep riding the chariot more and more towards the Kaurava army without stopping even for a moment. Bhagawan Krishna does the same and whoever comes in front of Arjuna becomes history at that very moment itself! 

Moving in further, the first challenge that Arjuna has to face now is none other than Guru Dhronachaarya himself! Without defeating Guru Dhronachaarya, it is nearly impossible for Arjuna to make inroads into the Kaurava army to see Jayatrada. A marquee battle begins between the two of them! This is a spectacle in itself, as Arjuna’s vigour on the battlefield knows no bounds on Day Fourteen! Guru Dhronachaarya on the other side is not an easy enemy to tackle as well! A huge war breaks out between the two as both of them show their extreme prowess with the bow and arrow technique! The contest ends in a draw as both of them do not understand how to win over each other! 

Now Arjuna tries different “Asthrams” to neutralize Guru Dhronachaarya’s prowess, however, as all of us know, Guru Dhronachaarya was the one who taught Arjuna most of these “Asthrams” and their “Prayogams” (Usage). Hence, Arjuna’s “Asthrams” are easily being neutralized by Guru Dhronachaarya and yet again, Arjuna is on the backfoot! Meanwhile, time is running out and Bhagawan Krishna is sitting and watching this marquee battle. At one stage, Bhagawan Krishna cautions Arjuna about the time that is left over, and suggests to him thus, “Oh Arjuna! Leave this Guru Dhronachaarya alone today! Let us take care of him some other time. Let us move on from here. If you’re going to continue fighting him now, you’re wasting your time. He is not going to be neutralized today as he is in great vigour! Our today’s target is not him, but someone else, and hence, let us move away from him for the time being!” 

As Bhagawan suggests thus, Arjuna replies back – “Oh Bhagawan! If we let him loose now, how are we going to advance further? How do we tackle him if he comes from behind and attacks, just like how he did for Abhimanyu?” For this, Bhagawan Krishna gives a clever reply here! He says thus, “Oh Arjuna! Do one thing! Get down from the chariot, go towards Guru Dhronachaarya and pay your respects to him by bowing down! He will let you go! He will not stop you!” As Bhagawan says thus, Arjuna is both amused and surprised at the same time! However, since Bhagawan is asking him to do it, Arjuna obeys! He immediately puts down his Gaandeepa amidst the fight, gets down from the chariot and starts walking towards Guru Dhronachaarya! This act of Arjuna takes Guru Dhronachaarya by surprise! Because Arjuna has dropped his weapon, Guru Dhronachaarya also reciprocates by dropping down his bow! As Arjuna comes forward, he bows down and pays his respects towards the great Guru! Doing thus, Arjuna tells Guru Dhronachaarya thus, “Oh Guru! I’m hereby saluting you and your extreme prowess in the battlefield! Out of respect, I’m ceasing from fighting with you today and hence I’m moving away from you!” 

As Arjuna says thus, Guru Dhronachaarya is puzzled! He doesn’t understand why Arjuna’s demeanour has suddenly changed! Until a minute ago, Arjuna was at his highest level of fury, but now, he has drastically changed! Even as Arjuna bows down to Guru Dhronachaarya, Bhagawan Krishna quickly pulls the chariot, takes him in and starts driving him away! Upon seeing this, Guru Dhronachaarya shouts at Arjuna thus, “Oh Arjuna! Continue fighting with me! Don’t run away like a coward!” As Guru Dhronachaarya teases Arjuna thus, Arjuna replies back – “Oh Guru! It’s perfectly fine for a student to give up the fight in front of his Guru and move away! There’s nothing wrong with this!” 

Saying thus, Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna flee away from that place swiftly and start looking for another entrance into the Kaurava army! Meanwhile, Bheemasena comes next in front of Guru Dhronachaarya, but with the fury of his Gadha-Yuddham, Bheemasena makes Guru Dhronachaarya run for his money! He destroys Guru Dhronachaarya’s chariot with one blow, which makes Guru Dhronachaarya hop into the next chariot! As he does so, within the next fraction of a second, Bheemasena destroys the second chariot of Guru Dhronachaarya! This makes Guru Dhronachaarya hop on into the third, only to be destroyed by Bheemasena within a flash! Thus in this way, Bheemasena destroys eight such chariots of Guru Dhronachaarya, and at one point, the fight between the two continues with Guru Dhronachaarya standing on the ground! Finally, Bheemasena too leaves from Guru Dhronachaarya’s vicinity after he gives a befitting counter-attack to Bheemasena! 

Thus till this moment, the Day Fourteen proceedings at Kurukshetra are almost “neck-to-neck” and things are getting heated up between both the camps! So for today let us understand up to this point and we shall wait till the next episode to continue this further! Stay tuned! 🙂

We’re at a critical juncture during the early hours of Day Fourteen at Kurukshetra wherein Bhagawan Krishna is taking Arjuna to meet Bhagawan Shiva in his dreams, in a bid to obtain and activate the “Paashupata-Asthram”. This is extremely significant, considering Arjuna’s pledge that he would kill Jayatrada by dusk on Day Fourteen, else, he would jump into the fire and sacrifice his life! If the “Paashupata-Asthram” is not with Arjuna, Jayatrada is invincible in the battlefield with enormous powers. Also, it should be remembered by readers here that Jayatrada is an expert in “Maaya-Yuddham” (Illusionary warfare), as he had obtained several boons in the past. This is the main reason that Duryodhana trusts Jayatrada so much in order to keep the Paandavas at check. Understanding all this, Bhagawan Krishna is swiftly taking Arjuna to Kailasa Parvata (The divine abode of Bhagawan Shiva) in his dreams itself, as there is not much time left to physically go and come back. Upon Bhagawan Krishna’s request, Bhagawan Shiva instructs the key “Mantras” behind the “Paashupata-Asthram” to Arjuna in his dream itself and with that, Bhagawan Krishna brings him back to Kurukshetra! 

It should be noted here that all these events are unfolding in Arjuna’s dreams and not in reality. All that Arjuna did was to surrender to Bhagawan Krishna’s divine lotus feet, and the rest is being taken care of by Bhagawan Krishna Himself! This shows clearly that if we have the faith and surrender to Bhagawan, He will take care of us in the way He should, and also at the right time. Thus, with Arjuna re-obtaining the “Paashupata-Asthram”, the “Pratignya Parva” comes to an end. Thus, here we’ve seen how Arjuna wept bitterly over his son, Abhimanyu’s demise and as a result, he has taken an important “Pratignya” that by the end of Day Fourteen at Kurukshetra, either himself or Jayatrada would be alive! 

Moving forward thus, we now enter into the next Upa-Parva – The “Jayatrada-Vadha-Parva”. The Parva is commencing with King Dhritarashtra’s accord to Sanjaya thus – “Oh Sanjaya! I’m understanding that Arjuna has taken an important “Pratignya” to somehow kill Jayatrada by end of the day. How is Arjuna able to take such ambitious pledges? Isn’t there anybody in the Kaurava camp who can stop Arjuna’s aggression on the battlefield? Where did Duryodhana go? Where did Guru Dhronachaarya go? Where did Sahuni and Karna go? Why aren’t they doing enough to stop the aggressive Arjuna? Why is Arjuna able to advance so much without any resistance from our side?” As King Dhritarashtra asks a series of questions thus, Sanjaya commences his narrative on the Day Fourteen of what happened at Kurukshetra. Sanjaya begins thus, “Oh King Dhritarashtra! Jayatrada is extremely powerful with several unique skillsets pertaining to “Maaya-Yuddham”. However, having said that, Jayatrada has an imminent threat from Arjuna today and hence, Guru Dhronachaarya is up for the challenge – He is mustering up the Kaurava army from all four directions around Jayatrada in a bid to protect him from Arjuna. On the outer side, Guru Dhronachaarya arranges the “Chakra-Vyugam” once again. Inside several layers of the “Chakra-Vyugam”, he arranges the “Padma-Vyugam”. Inside the “Padma-Vyugam”, he arranges the “Suchi-Vyugam”. The word “Suchi” means needle. Perhaps, Day Fourteen is the only day wherein multiple “Vyugams” are being created by the Kaurava army. Till now we’ve seen only one “Vyugam” per day. Thus, within all these several “Vyugams”, Jayatrada is stationed safely. Mainstream warriors like Sage Kripachaarya, Krita Varma, King Shalya, Guru Dhronachaary, etc. are safeguarding him from all directions within these several “Vyugams”. 

Now, as Day Fourteen begins, Arjuna makes a grand entry into the battlefield, along with his four brothers and his army! As Arjuna approaches the vicinity of the Kaurava army, he is surprised to see several “Vyugams” being formed and it seems a daunting task for any warrior to breach them and enter inside to fight. Upon seeing this, Arjuna tells Bhagawan Krishna thus, “Oh Bhagawan! Please drive our chariot further and further into the “Vyugams”. I’m going to break open their strategies from all sides single-handedly! All that you need to do is keep riding the chariot without stopping even for a moment! Guru Dhronachaarya is standing right at the centre of the “Chakra-Vyugam”. I feel that if we’ve to break open, Guru Dhronachaarya should first be isolated and taken away from there! So let me commence my “floor test” with Guru Dhronachaarya first and see how it goes!” 

Thus, Arjuna gets ready for a marquee battle, even as Bhagawan Krishna also keeps charging him up every now and then with some motivational words. As Arjuna says, Bhagawan Krishna swiftly rides the chariot towards the mammoth Kaurava army stationed in different patterns. Arjuna announces his arrival in a grand style with several arrows pointed towards one segment of the army, in a bid to break open the “Chakra-Vyuga” from one side! So for today, let us understand up to this point and in the next episode, we shall witness a spectacular battle between the “Guru-Sishya” combine – Arjuna and Guru Dhronachaarya! Stay tuned for a very interesting accord! 🙂

In the previous episode, we had witnessed Bhagawan Krishna consoling Drauapti and Subhadra Devi over Abhimanyu’s untimely and unexpected demise on the battlefield. Bhagawan Krishna explains that such things are quite common for a “Kshatrya” warrior and we’ve to take it with a pinch of salt as we move on. Advising them thus, Bhagawan Krishna returns to His chamber and is engaged in a deep thought process. Bhagawan Krishna suddenly has a feeling that Arjuna has made a mistake by taking the “Pratignya” of killing Jayatrada before the next evening’s sunset. Bhagawan Krishna suddenly feels that Arjuna has blindly taken the pledge without analysing the depth of the problem, but with the only assurance that Bhagawan Krishna will protect him at all times. Hence, the onus now lies on Bhagawan Krishna to protect Arjuna and keep up his pledge. For this, Bhagawan calls His charioteer, Daaruka and asks him to keep everything ready – His weapons, Shankam, Chakram, etc. Bhagawan gives a stern message to Daaruka that if Arjuna is failing in his attempt to kill Jayatrada tomorrow, He Himself is going to step into the battle with all His weapons and finish off this war at that moment itself! 

Moreover, as Bhagawan instructs Daaruka thus, He also expresses His thoughts about Arjuna! Bhagawan says that He cannot imagine a life without Arjuna beside Him, and if Bhagawan Himself  who is normally detached from all Jeevatmas has to say such things, it only shows the extent to which Arjuna has surrendered himself to Bhagawan Krishna’s divine lotus feet! Moving on thus, Bhagawan Krishna thinks further – “Oh! If Arjuna has to defeat and kill Jayatrada tomorrow, it is not going to be possible without the help of the “Paashupatha-Astram”. No other “Asthram” can kill Jayatrada and now where would Arjuna go and get it? We are already in the middle of the night and tomorrow morning the war will commence! Isn’t it too late now to go to “Kailaasa Parva” and meet Bhagawan Shiva to get it? Of course, Arjuna had already obtained the “Paashupatha-Asthram” from Bhagawan Shiva earlier, but it has to be activated formally by none other than Bhagawan Shiva Himself only. I cannot do anything with it from here. So the immediate task is to somehow make Arjuna meet Bhagawan Shiva! How do we do this? The only way out now is to make Arjuna meet Bhagawan Shiva in his dreams! I’m sure Arjuna would be fast asleep by now. So let me make him meet Bhagawan Shiva now itself. It is either now or never and hence, I’ve to act fast here!” 

Thus, amidst his deep sleep, Bhagawan Krishna comes first in his dream and says thus, “Oh Arjuna! If you’ve to kill Jayatrada tomorrow, you will need the “Paashupata-Asthram” to do it. Of course you have it with you, but it has to be duly activated by Bhagawan Shiva. But that will happen only if you meet Him!” All these conversations happen in Arjuna’s dreams and readers should keep this in mind as we progress further with this conversation. So after listening to Bhagawan Krishna’s brief accord, Arjuna replies back thus, “Oh Bhagawan! Isn’t it too late for it? How do I go and meet Bhagawan Shiva at “Kailasa Parvatha” now? Bhagawan Krishna now gives an important reply thus – “Oh Arjuna! See – You’ve forgotten a very important thing – A few days ago I showed you my “Vishwaroopa Darshan” didn’t I? In that, didn’t you see Bhagawan Shiva and Bhagawan Brahma as part of my enchanting divine form? They are inside me only! Hence, don’t worry! Surrender to my divine lotus feet once again and I shall do the needful!” 

As Bhagawan Krishna says thus, Arjuna catches hold of Bhagawan’s feet tightly and with this, Bhagawan Krishna takes Arjuna swiftly to “Kailasa Parvatha” to meet Bhagawan Shiva! All these happen in a flash and in Arjuna’s dreams! As Bhagawan Shiva sees Bhagawan Krishna and Arjuna in front of Him, He’s very happy to see both of them and asks for the reason for their sudden visit. Bhagawan Krishna details Bhagawan Shiva that Arjuna is in an urgent need of the “Paashupatha-Asthram” to kill Jayatrada. Bhagawan Krishna briefs Bhagawan Shiva that Arjuna has taken a pledge to kill Jayatrada by next evening and the only way to do so is through the “Paashupata-Asthram”. Hence, Bhagawan Krishna requests Bhagawan Shiva to provide His divine “Anugraha” through the “Paashupata-Asthram” immediately! 

Listening to Bhagawan Krishna’s brief accord, Bhagawan Shiva quickly understands the gravity of the situation. He immediately provides His divine “Anugraha” to both of them and specially for Arjuna, in the form of the “Paashupata-Asthram”. With this, Bhagawan Krishna and Arjuna pay their respects to Bhagawan Shiva and quickly return back to the “Bhoo-Lokham” and to Kurukshetra! 

As mentioned, all these events unfold in Arjuna’s dream during the night, and within a flash, Bhagawan Krishna ensures that Arjuna has the “Paashupata-Asthram” ready for the next day’s war! Now, the war on Day Fourteen is going to get more interesting and for today, let us understand up to this point. We shall wait till the next episode to continue this accord further! Stay tuned! 🙂

In the previous episode, we had witnessed two important events – Firstly, Duryodhana convincing Jayatrada to stay on, as he was trying to escape from Kurukshetra, fearing Arjuna’s firm resolve of killing him before the next evening. Duryodhana assures him of all safety and security at all times around him. Meanwhile, secondly, we’ve witnessed Draupati mourning Abhimanyu’s death. Bhagawan Krishna consoles her with some hard-hitting facts that nobody can challenge “Kaala Devata” and if the time comes for someone to pass away, nobody can stop it. Moreover, as Abhimanyu has obtained “Veera-Gathi”, there is nothing to worry for Draupati and rather, she should feel proud of her son’s immense contribution towards “Dharma”. Moreover, Bhagawan Krishna assures Draupati that Arjuna has taken a resolve to finish Jayatrada somehow by tomorrow evening and with this, He ensures that Draupati is consoled. 

Meanwhile, as Bhagawan Krishna finishes His accord with Draupati thus, He sits alone and enters into a deep thought – “Oh wow! Arjuna has blindly taken a pledge to kill Jayatrada by tomorrow evening, without even thinking for a minute! He has not done any research on whether this can be possible or not, before taking the pledge! He has taken it just with the assurance that I’m there with him all the time! Hence it is now my duty to ensure that Arjuna’s pledge doesn’t go in vain!” Thinking thus, Bhagawan Krishna calls for His personal charioteer by name Daaruka. As Daaruka arrives, Bhagawan Krishna secretly gives him some instructions. Bhagawan Krishna says to Daaruka thus, “Oh Daaruka! I’m calling you here secretly to pass on a very important message – I’ve become so attached to Arjuna somehow! I cannot even imagine a world without Arjuna being by my side! He is so near and dear to me! I do not want to lose Arjuna and if I lose him in this battle, I cannot live anymore in this world! Hence, Oh Daaruka! Please get our chariot ready for tomorrow’s important pursuit! It is going to be a “do-or-die” situation for Arjuna tomorrow! Hence, please ensure that everything is in place!” 

We should note here – If Bhagawan has to tell that He cannot imagine a life without Arjuna’s presence, we should understand how much of an unconditional surrender Arjuna had for Bhagawan Krishna! Afterall who is Arjuna? He is just another “Jeevatma” like all of us, isn’t he? Till this point, Bhagawan Himself has spoken so much about detachment, and He has just now consoled Draupati and Shubadra Devi that they have to learn detachment from Abhimanyu! It is the same Bhagawan Krishna who had advised Arjuna to move on with things by saying that death is inevitable for a “Kshatrya” warrior when he hits the battlefield! However, now, if Bhagawan has to say these words that He cannot live without Arjuna’s presence, it only shows Arjuna’s complete surrender and the level of trust that Arjuna has on Bhagawan Krishna! Their mutual bonding is something that all of us should admire and learn from! Of course, we know that Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna are none other than the “Nara-Narayana” combine, but the way in which both of them respected each other mutually at all times, is something for all of us to learn. The way in which Arjuna approached Bhagawan Krishna everytime with unconditional surrender is admirable and we should learn our lessons from this! This unconditional surrender and tremendous faith that Arjuna had on Bhagawan Krishna is what is making Bhagawan say that He could not imagine a world without Arjuna’s presence! 

Continuing His accord to Daaruka thus, Bhagawan says – “Oh Daaruka! Along with ensuring that our chariot is ready with all the necessary things, please keep my “Shankam”, “Chakram”, “Gadha”, etc. inside the chariot with all preparedness. Please inform “Chakarathaazhwar” that if the need arises, Bhagawan Krishna would not hesitate to finish this war by tomorrow! Oh Daaruka! If Arjuna encounters any challenge during tomorrow’s battle, I will not hesitate to take my weapons and fight the war by myself! I will not allow Arjuna to taste defeat in this war! He has had enough till now, and it is now my duty to take over! Oh Daarkuka! I’m extremely neutral towards everyone in this world, including my parents, my children, my wives, great Maharishis, etc. I’m always with a detached mind with all these people. However, when it comes to Arjuna, I have a special soft corner towards him! It is because, he is the only one who has lived up to my expectation everytime! He has endured a lot for me and every time when he is undergoing something, he would call out for me! Hence, if I’m not taking care of Arjuna at this crucial juncture, my entire incarnation would go down the drain!” 

These are extremely important words that are coming out of Bhagawan Krishna’s mouth and it has extreme significance! As we move into Day Fourteen of Kurukshetra, we will slowly start understanding the real meaning of Bhagawan’s words! Saying thus, Bhagawan Krishna prepares Daaruka with all the necessary instructions and for today, let us understand up to this point. We shall wait till the next episode to continue this discussion further! Stay tuned! 

In the previous episode, we had witnessed Arjuna taking an important resolve to kill Jayatrada, who was the perpetrator behind Abhimanyu’s demise. Arjuna roars and thunders in front of everyone that either he or Jayatrada will be alive before the next evening! However, if Jayatrada comes and surrenders to Bhagawan Krishna, Arjuna wouldn’t touch him. But, if Jayatrada goes to anybody else seeking surrender, he would definitely be killed by Arjuna at any cost! Such is the firm resolve that Arjuna undertakes at the end of Day Thirteen at Kurukshetra! As Arjuna does so, Duryodhana’s spies take this news to Jayatrada swiftly! Upon hearing this, Jayatrada starts shaking with fear! He knows what Arjuna’s resolve means! After a bit of deliberation within himself, Jayatrada decides to flee away from the battlefield immediately in a bid to save his life! 

Moving on thus, as Jayatrada starts packing his bags and getting ready to leave, Duryodhana suddenly barges inside Jayatrada’s tent. Upon seeing Jayatrada busy in doing something, Duryodhana asks him what’s going on. As Duryodhana asks, Jayatrada replies thus, “Oh Duryodhana! I’m having some urgent work back home! Hence, I’m forced to take leave from here and return back to my place. You proceed with tomorrow’s battle and take it forward. I will not be able to join you for tomorrow’s battle, owing to some compulsions!” As Jayatrada says thus with a trembling voice, Duryodhana is quick enough to understand what has happened! Meanwhile, the spies also convey the message of Arjuna’s resolve to Duryodhana. Now Duryodhana has to somehow stop Jayatrada from leaving Kurukshetra. What does he do? He tries to console Jayatrada and assure him with some confidence and motivation. 

Duryodhana says thus, “Oh Jayatrada! You are a great warrior and you’ve been solely responsible for the demise of several great “Maharathis” on the Paandava camp. Indeed, the Paandavas are fearing your presence in the battlefield and this is the reason Arjuna is forced to take such a pledge. Do not worry! Arjuna will never be able to stop you on the battlefield tomorrow! I shall ensure that you are protected from all directions during tomorrow’s war. I shall ensure that all of us are around you every time. I shall inform Guru Dhronachaarya and he will definitely take all the necessary steps to ensure your safety! Hence please be assured that you will be protected tomorrow and there’s absolutely no danger to your life!” 

As Duryodhana gives a solid assurance thus, Jayatrada’s mind starts changing slowly! He drops his bags down on the floor and with a half-baked mind, accepts Duryodhana’s proposal to stay back and fight the war the next day! As this happens on one side, something else unfolds on the other side as well simultaneously. As the entire Paandava camp is mourning Abhimanyu’s demise, Draupati and Subadra Devi come inside the camp to see Arjuna and Co. Both the ladies cry bitterly over the demise of Abhimanyu. Subadhra Devi is inconsolable that she has lost her dear husband at such an early stage in her life! As they cry loudly, Bhagawan Krishna tries to console both of them by saying thus, “Oh Draupati! Oh Shubadra! Please understand one thing clearly – “Kaalam” for everyone is fixed! Nobody can challenge “Kaala-Devata” as destiny for each and every person is already written. We do not have anything in our hands to change it as per our convenience. Hence, it is better to accept things as they are and move on with life. Moreover, Abhimanyu is a “Kshatrya” prince and for a “Kshatrya”, death is something that can come at any point in time. He should always be awaiting death to knock at his door at every instance, whenever he is fighting for his country! Hence, Oh Draupati! As a mother of a Kshatrya warrior, you should understand this! Rather than crying like this, you should hold your head high today with pride that your son has obtained the highest “Veera Gathi” that a “Kshatrya” prince would attain! Also, please be sure that during tomorrow’s battle, Arjuna is going to avenge this by killing Jayatrada! This is going to happen for sure!” 

Saying thus, Bhagawan Krishna consoles a heart-broken Draupati and for today, let us understand up to this point! We shall continue this discussion in the next episode as well! Stay tuned!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed the conclusion of an important conversation between Sage Vyaasa and Yudishtra, wherein Sage Vyaasa consoles Yudishtra to move on with the rest of the war proceedings, after Abhimanyu’s untimely and unethical killing. Meanwhile, Arjuna and Bhagawan Krishna return back to the Kurukshetra battlefield after killing all the Trigatthas. As Arjuna returns to the Paandava camp, he sees everyone sitting with a glum face with Abhimanyu missing from the lot! Immediately Arjuna understands what had conspired earlier during the day when he was not there in the battlefield on Day Thirteen. Abhimanyu has been killed while he was trying to come out of the “Chakra Vyuga”! Abhimanyu was mercilessly and ruthlessly attacked from all sides by Duryodhana and Co. and especially when he was weaponless, the entire gang slaughtered him to death! Arjuna also learns that Yudishtra and Co. were trying to follow Abhimanyu inside the “Chakra-Vyuga”, but thanks to Jayatrada’s boon, they were imprisoned for a while as this treacherous event unfolded! 

Upon knowing all this, Arjuna is brimming with anger and frustration! He lets out a huge cry and immediately picks up his weapons and tries to rush towards Duryodhana’s camp, in a bid to kill him then and there! All these are happening during the night of the thirteenth day of the war. However, as Arjuna tries to rush with anger, Bhagawan Krishna stops him. Bhagawan Krishna tells Arjuna thus, “Oh Arjuna! I understand your pain and anger, but this is not the time to retaliate. You are a great warrior, but sometimes you lack patience and perseverance. You’ve to develop that in you! Oh Arjuna! Abhimanyu was a great warrior, however, he was destined to meet his end today. Nobody could have stopped it. It was bound to happen. However, look at how valiantly he has fought – He has killed several “Maharathis” on the other side single-handedly today! This has created a severe dent in the Kaurava camp and the due credits for this is for Abhimanyu. You’ve to feel happy for Abhimanyu’s immense contribution to this war. Oh Arjuna! Rather than mourning Abhimanyu’s death, you should feel proud that you are a father of such a great warrior and you should pay tributes to him!” 

As Bhagawan Krishna says thus with a lengthy accord, Arjuna somewhat gets consoled and now we move into a very important phase. Arjuna now takes an important “Shapatham” (Vow / Resolve) – He says in front of everyone thus, “Oh Yudishtra! Oh Bhagawan Krishna! The person who was instrumental behind Abhimanyu’s demise was Jayatrada, isn’t it? Tomorrow is the fourteenth day of the war and by tomorrow evening, I pledge to kill Jayatrada before sunset! If such a thing doesn’t happen, I shall create a fire and jump into it and die! Hence, by tomorrow evening, either Arjuna or Jayatrada will be alive in this world! This is the resolve I’m taking within myself and in front of all of you! However, oh Bhagawan Krishna! If Jayatrada surrenders to your divine lotus feet, I will not touch him. Rather, if he goes to anyone else in the battlefield seeking surrender, he will not be spared by me tomorrow! His demise is damn sure in my hands only!” 

It is to be noted here that Arjuna takes this resolve at the end of Day Thirteen of the Kurukshetra war. The next day is Day Fourteen and the war is going to turn vigorous from here on. The Paandava brothers are going to fight the war with a savage resolution of thrashing the Kaurava army left right and centre as they are super-charged after Abhimanyu’s demise. Meanwhile, as Arjuna takes this important resolve, some spies from Duryodhana’s camp carry this news to Jayatrada! They explain Arjuna’s firm resolve and with this, Jayatrada begins to shake with fear! He immediately feels that if he has to be alive by the end of tomorrow, the only option is to flee away from the battlefield somehow! If he’s there, he’s going to be finished by Arjuna, come what may! Hence, Jayatrada starts packing up all his bags to leave the Kurukshetra battlefield! 

So for today, let us understand up to this point and in the next episode we shall witness whether Jayatrada was successful in escaping out of Kurukshetra or not! Stay tuned! 🙂