On the Kuru Field

|| JAY (VICTORY) ||

Map of Bharat (Indian Subcontinent) - 3102 B.C.E.

[Source: Pinterest]

Aeon ago, long before the World Wars, Crusades or even the Trojan War, there was a subcontinent wide deadly war in ancient India (Bharat) caused by an extreme case of sibling rivalry within a royal family. In this war fought for land, power, honor and fame, all the contemporary kingdoms of the then known world had to choose between the two warring sides - the Pandavs and the Kauravs. The battle was fought on the plains of Kuru jungle, called the Kurukshetra (Kuru field), located in current Northern India, and millions of soldiers, warriors and men died in it! This is the story of that war.

Kaurav Military Camp, Kuru Field

Bhishma, the Grandsire of the Kurus, was sitting in his tent within the Kaurav battle camp, dressed in his white battle garments and silver-colored gears, drenched with blood. In spite of undergoing ninety long and exhausting years of his life, he was still in good shape for a warrior. His once-fair skin was wrinkled now and his eyesight was not what it used to be. But his aim was infallible, nonetheless, and his veiny arms still held enough strength to snap any foe's spine in half. Men of his time had a natural life-expectancy well above a hundred years. However, the life of a warrior or a cursed man is always short.

It was the eighth day of the great war and had been very long and tiring. As the helping hands cleaned his special alloy weapons - his bows, spears and swords, Bhishma got out of his bloodstained armor and clothes and dipped into a makeshift bath created out of a hollow in the ground, within the private section of his tent. Cupping up water using his palms, he washed his milky white hair, beard and eyebrows, removing the stains from them and washing the battle-wounds on his body. Then he closed his eyes and lay resting in the water for a while, thinking about how his cursed life had brought him to this place. None of what was happening was supposed to happen. Bhishma was supposed to be a loving grandfather to a horde of hundred and seven grandchildren, teaching them the art of warfare and administration. Instead, now he has been forced to take sides and was waging war against five of his grandchildren, the very five who have been shrewdly exiled from their Kaurav clan identity and was now known all over, simply as the sons of Pandu or Pandavs. But then again, this was not the first time that Bhishma's life has not gone according to plan.

Initially named Devvrat, Bhishma had been raised as the only heir by a single father and king of Hastinapur. But he had to leave his rights to the throne and take a vow of celibacy, when his father wished to marry a fisherwoman, whose condition was that only her lineage will rule Hastinapur, without any competition. He was renamed Bhishma, meaning 'the terrible', after taking that terrible vow in an act of selflessness. Now, his stepmother's bloodline ruled Hastinapur, as planned and Bhishma served them, as advisor and army commander. His step-nephews were Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Since Dhritarashtra was born blind, Pandu was the first choice for being the king. But he had no interest in ruling and soon enough, gave up his throne to his elder brother. Pandu died leaving behind his five children, the Pandavs and Dhritarashtra's hundred true-born sons were the Kauravs, and this war in the Kuru field or Kurukshetra, was a battle between these two groups of cousins, seemingly for the right to the throne. However, Bhishma knew better than anyone that the motivation for this battle was not that simple or selfish. But having enjoyed the employment of the throne for so long, he was duty-bound to obey the one who sits on it, in this case Dhritarashtra, the father of the Kauravs.

After his bath, as Bhishma got dressed, the guard outside his tents announced the arrival of the Kauravs, seeking audience. At Bhishma's permission, they entered one by one. The first to enter was Duryodhan, the eldest Kaurav and the one who led the Kaurav alliance into this war. He was followed by his immediate next and closest brother, Duhshasan, after whom entered Duryodhan's dear friend Karna. Following them, entered Duryodhan's maternal uncle, Shakuni, motioning the remaining of Kaurav brothers, who were still not killed, to wait outside the tent. Fully cleaned and purified, Bhishma now sat in his white nightly robes on his bed, with an assortment of meat, viands and fruits on the side table, and he scrutinized the men who had walked in. Duryodhan was tall, strong and muscular and wielded a mace at all times. He hated the Pandavs, the most, especially Bhim, the second of Pandu's son, who was equally strong, if not more. He had to be addressed as King Duryodhan now, as he had usurped the throne of Indraprastha from the eldest Pandav, Yudhishthir through a game of dice with the assistance of his uncle, Shakuni. It was a horrible and the darkest day in the history of Hastinapur, when that game commenced and what followed, had occurred. Bhishma can never forgive Shakuni, the king of Gandhar, for helping to bring it about. Although, having mastery skills in nothing much more than gambling, it was natural for Shakuni to want himself to get noticed that way and be in the good books of the Kauravs.

Duhshasan, on the other hand, was a stain to the family name and Bhishma was ashamed of having to call him his grandson. His perversion, shamelessness and misogyny has contributed largely to what they faced today. He was the one he hated the most amongst his grandchildren, and that hatred is second only to his hatred for Karna.

Karna calls himself Duryodhan's friend, but constantly goads him and his brothers into evil deeds and crimes, including the shameful act that happened in the assembly during the game of dice. Karna was the son of Bhishma's charioteer and studied warfare with the royals, under the preceptor Dron. He made friends with Duryodhan, there and became an excellent archer, second only to Arjun, the third Pandav brother. Later, in a competition, he challenged Arjun in a duel, but the rules did not allow a prince dueling with someone lacking royal lineage. Duryodhan stepped forth then and with his father's permission, declared Karna as the governor of Anga province, thus making him equal in stature to a prince. This act tied the seal of friendship between Karna and the Kauravs, and the seal of his enmity against the Pandavs.

"Speak!" Bhishma finally said to Duryodhan, "To what I owe the pleasure of this nightly visit?"

"It has been eight days, Grandsire!" Duryodhan spoke, "The battle is far from being over, even with you in the field. We are suffering heavy loss. When will this be over? When will we win? As our generalissimo, you must have some answers."

"War, even for a skillful warrior, is not as predictable as a game of dice for a skillful gambler." Bhishma jabbed at his grandson, while side-glancing at Shakuni, "A venture like this will take its time."

Respectfully ignoring the rebuke, Duryodhan replied, "If you kill the Pandavs, then this will be over soon. The enemy will have nothing to fight for."

"It is not that easy, boy."

Duryodhan blurted, "Didn't seem so when you promised us that you will slay all of them, the Pandavs along with their allies - the Panchals, Somaks, Karushs and Kekeyas. Depending on you, we waged war against them, and what do we get in return? Bhim is slaying my brothers every day! You were supposed to protect them - Virbahu, Ugra, Jalasandh, Sushen - protect all of us! Bhim killed them one by one in your very presence and you could do nothing!"

He sighed and sank down to one of the empty seats in the tent and continued in a softer tone, "I know, you prefer the Pandavs more than us and you do not wish to harm them. But, you know what? They are harming us - killing us. You may not care for that, but I do. I have to protect my brothers and I have to avenge my father's tears. If you think you cannot do this, Grandsire, then step down and let Karna fight."

Bhishma's eyes flickered with anger, but he controlled his rage and said to his grandson, while glancing at Karna, who stood patiently near the entrance of the tent, "I never stopped your friend from joining the battle. He took that decision himself."

"Because I don't want you to take the credits of my achievements, as the generalissimo." Karna now barked, to which Bhishma looked up at him and responded, "Do you really believe that you can have any achievements here, worthwhile?"

The Grandsire turned to Duryodhan and added, "Let me remind you, Duryodhan. Arjun, singlehandedly, with a skeletal army held us at bay at Matsya and even defeated your friend there."

"That was different." Karna protested, "We were not prepared to face him at that time. We were looking for unconditional surrender."

"Listen to me, Duryodhan." Bhishma emphasized on his words, looking at the eldest Kaurav and ignoring Karna, "If there is any chance of your victory here, it can only be if we carefully plan our strategy and use our numbers to our advantage. Your hot-headed, forgetful friend won't help in that. But if still you feel that your friend can do what I cannot and give you victory, then I will not object. I will give up my position and lay down my weapons."

"That's not what I meant." Duryodhan's eyes were red now, from tears and his voice softer!

He rose from the seat and sat down again at the feet of Bhishma, holding on his grandfather's knee, resuming, "I know very well that you are our only hope in this battle. It's just that I am not thinking straight after what is happening to us. All the loss - my brothers! They are saying that you are not fighting as fiercely as you should be. I... I don't know what I should do. Please, Grandsire! Protect us! We Kauravs give ourselves up to you - the one who had ensured this clans welfare for nearly half a century."

Duhshasan and Karna both expressed their disgust at these words, while Duryodhan added, "Winning this war is the only way to preserve our clan."

Bhishma now placed his hands on Duryodhan's head and said softly, "Look, my child! I have never discriminated between your brothers and your cousins. And even after every wrongs that you and your brother have done towards the Pandavs, you both are family to me. But now that I stand against the Pandavs in this battlefield, they are nothing more to me than my enemies. You know me. I have never pulled my punches and don't intend to do so. But in a war, lives are lost on both sides and it's often not possible to choose which ones they are."

Bhishma rose from the bed and walking ahead while locking eyes with every person in the tent, he said aloud, "However, I assure you - I assure you all, that from tomorrow onwards, my strategy will be directed only towards the destruction of the Pandavs. I will destroy their defenses, regardless of the number of lives lost on our side - if that's what my grandson desires. But I'll also try to do everything to keep the remaining of Duryodhan's brothers safe. After a bit of a nap tonight, I will call a war council and explain tomorrow's strategy to the commanders, before dawn. Be ready."

Karna did not look much enthusiastic, but both Duhshasan and Shakuni looked happy at this.

"Thank you, Grandsire!" Duryodhan said standing up and joining his grandfather, "These words of yours are enough to help me sleep a little better."