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Authors: Aditya Iyengar
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relevant grounds.
Lord Drupada slapped his thigh, ‘Ha! Finally! I propose we promptly dispatch him to the netherworld. Lead young Arjuna, Bhima and Satyaki with two akshauhinis and put him down for good.’
Dhristadyumna went purple and didn’t know where to look. ‘Uh, sire. I think our efforts today must involve protecting Yudhishthira. We have received the same information from multiple sources. It must be true.’
‘Nonsense, boy, just go after Radheya. Leave Yudhishthira in the reserves with me and Virata. After all, what will we old folk do in the front, eh? We’ve had our day, now it’s time for you to play.’ He then turned to Bhima and beamed at him, ‘That’s poetry. I’m the next Valmiki, eh?’
I was about to glower at my father-in-law when I noticed Virata taking the trouble to do the same, though not so much on my behalf.
‘Drupada,’ he said in his nasal rasp, ‘it would be nothing short of catastrophic if one of the key stakeholders in this conflict were captured and taken back trussed up like deer. My humble advice, leave the day’s strategy to someone more competent.’
‘Getting too old to play war, eh Virata?’
‘They are better at it than me and you, I would imagine. Didn’t you lose half your kingdom to Drona the last time you “played”?’
Dronacharya had, many, many years ago, made us mount an offensive against the Panchala king as part of our siege exercises in the academy. It was not authorized by any account, but we ran circles around the Panchala troops. Guru Drona, as chief negotiator, made Drupada cede half his territories to the Kurus, more specifically, to him.
If Drupada was ever upset about that incident, he never mentioned it. He married his daughter to us and years later, when the time came for us to wage war on the Kauravas, he was the first to offer his support. His only condition (apart from land and economic benefits) was a chance to kill Drona.
The embarrassed silence that follows any argument that has overreached its ambition made its presence felt now.
Chekitana, the youngest in our tent or any war council in the near vicinity bravely tried to change the subject.
‘Sires, my spies tell me Prince Sushasana may be court-martialled for neglecting to protect Lord Bhishma.’
Drupada didn’t hear him, ‘He was able to because I had no great army, just a rabble of tribes. Let him try now. Let them all try. I’d even like to see you try.’ He stood up and glared at Virata.
‘Oh would you now? Sowing dissent minutes before a battle…just the way of the Panchalas.’ Virata made to stand up.
I saw Krishna, but he just looked at me and grinned.
I had to say something, ‘Lords, Lords! This is no time for anger, least of all over me. I agree, there are targets in this army to the Kauravas more valuable than myself—Arjuna, Bhima, Satyaki and even yourselves. There is a good chance of the information being false. And in any case, it would be selfish of me to even suggest that we hold back our troops for my protection.’
Drupada looked triumphantly at Virata, ‘Ha! Thus speaks a king. You have nothing to worry about boy, just leave your hide to my Panchalas. Dhrista, take Bhima and Arjuna and bring Radheya’s head on your shield.’
The peacock feather had failed to entertain Krishna, for he now got up and spoke, ‘Uncle, while your suggestion is valid, coming as it does from the years of experience you’ve spent on battlegrounds, there is one element we haven’t accounted for—Radheya himself. I know something of Radheya’s tactics. He is not the kind of Maharathi to jump into the fray until he knows his enemy. Guru Drona will be a bigger threat today. Radheya’s presence is merely meant to distract us. I believe that today Radheya will observe us from a safe distance waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And when he does, I can assure you it won’t be Arjuna or Bhima, but a warrior with less ability. It’s well documented that he
Lord Drupada slapped his thigh, ‘Ha! Finally! I propose we promptly dispatch him to the netherworld. Lead young Arjuna, Bhima and Satyaki with two akshauhinis and put him down for good.’
Dhristadyumna went purple and didn’t know where to look. ‘Uh, sire. I think our efforts today must involve protecting Yudhishthira. We have received the same information from multiple sources. It must be true.’
‘Nonsense, boy, just go after Radheya. Leave Yudhishthira in the reserves with me and Virata. After all, what will we old folk do in the front, eh? We’ve had our day, now it’s time for you to play.’ He then turned to Bhima and beamed at him, ‘That’s poetry. I’m the next Valmiki, eh?’
I was about to glower at my father-in-law when I noticed Virata taking the trouble to do the same, though not so much on my behalf.
‘Drupada,’ he said in his nasal rasp, ‘it would be nothing short of catastrophic if one of the key stakeholders in this conflict were captured and taken back trussed up like deer. My humble advice, leave the day’s strategy to someone more competent.’
‘Getting too old to play war, eh Virata?’
‘They are better at it than me and you, I would imagine. Didn’t you lose half your kingdom to Drona the last time you “played”?’
Dronacharya had, many, many years ago, made us mount an offensive against the Panchala king as part of our siege exercises in the academy. It was not authorized by any account, but we ran circles around the Panchala troops. Guru Drona, as chief negotiator, made Drupada cede half his territories to the Kurus, more specifically, to him.
If Drupada was ever upset about that incident, he never mentioned it. He married his daughter to us and years later, when the time came for us to wage war on the Kauravas, he was the first to offer his support. His only condition (apart from land and economic benefits) was a chance to kill Drona.
The embarrassed silence that follows any argument that has overreached its ambition made its presence felt now.
Chekitana, the youngest in our tent or any war council in the near vicinity bravely tried to change the subject.
‘Sires, my spies tell me Prince Sushasana may be court-martialled for neglecting to protect Lord Bhishma.’
Drupada didn’t hear him, ‘He was able to because I had no great army, just a rabble of tribes. Let him try now. Let them all try. I’d even like to see you try.’ He stood up and glared at Virata.
‘Oh would you now? Sowing dissent minutes before a battle…just the way of the Panchalas.’ Virata made to stand up.
I saw Krishna, but he just looked at me and grinned.
I had to say something, ‘Lords, Lords! This is no time for anger, least of all over me. I agree, there are targets in this army to the Kauravas more valuable than myself—Arjuna, Bhima, Satyaki and even yourselves. There is a good chance of the information being false. And in any case, it would be selfish of me to even suggest that we hold back our troops for my protection.’
Drupada looked triumphantly at Virata, ‘Ha! Thus speaks a king. You have nothing to worry about boy, just leave your hide to my Panchalas. Dhrista, take Bhima and Arjuna and bring Radheya’s head on your shield.’
The peacock feather had failed to entertain Krishna, for he now got up and spoke, ‘Uncle, while your suggestion is valid, coming as it does from the years of experience you’ve spent on battlegrounds, there is one element we haven’t accounted for—Radheya himself. I know something of Radheya’s tactics. He is not the kind of Maharathi to jump into the fray until he knows his enemy. Guru Drona will be a bigger threat today. Radheya’s presence is merely meant to distract us. I believe that today Radheya will observe us from a safe distance waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And when he does, I can assure you it won’t be Arjuna or Bhima, but a warrior with less ability. It’s well documented that he
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