RECAP

Pandu exiles himself to live in the forests along with his two wives Kunti and Madri. Kunti returns to Hastinpura with the five Pandavas after her husband Pandu and Madri pass away. Both Pandu’s elder brother Dhritarashtra and his virtuous wife Gandhari are happy at their return, but their children, the hundred Kauravas, are not.

CHAPTER 10

The messenger from Duryodhana had just left after inviting the Pandavas to the 'Jalakreeda' or Water Sports at Pramankoti on the banks of Ganges.

 

"It's going to be fun," shrieked Bheema, "and brother Duryodhana says there will be rows of special sweets we may have never seen in life – all loaded with cream and nuts and aromatic herbs. I can't wait to lay my hands on them." His eyes were burning bright with excitement.

 

Bheema had an immense insatiable appetite, and every one knew if his eyes riveted on food, you just couldn't get them off their target until they disappeared down his throat.

 

Even Yudhishtra was excited. But I felt a nameless fear gripping my heart. Already I had heard that Sakuni, Gandhari's brother, who had become a permanent guest at Hastinapura, wasn't fond of my sons, and would keep inciting Duryodhana to act against them.

 

More importantly, I was concerned about the deepening jealousy that Karna, the adopted son of Dhritarashtra's charioteer Adhiratha, had towards Arjuna. I knew Karna was my son the minute Yudhishtra and Arjuna told me excitedly about a boy, bright as the sun, and always adorned with a built-in golden 'Kundala' or ear-rings and 'kavacha' or body armor. Even before my marriage, my spies had followed the baby all the way to Hastinapura and told me that the childless Adhiratha and his wife had gladly embraced the child and took him as a gift from God. Every body thought the baby must have been sired by some celestial being, and called him Vasusena.

 

I would listen to all these tales with a thud in my heart. Till then, I had made no attempt to find out more about Adhiratha or see my abandoned son. I had been happy and contented that my son was in safe hands. I was more concerned about my royal duties and about my being an ideal wife to Pandu.

 

One day, I went to the royal garden where all the children assembled and played. Secretly, I watched the children interact. I noticed that only Yuyutsu, Dhritarashtra's son by his Vaisya wife, was affectionate towards the Pandavas, and not Gandhari's children.

 

And I also noticed with a burning heart that Karna would always side with Duyodhana no matter how wrong he was. I could understand how it came about. After all, Karna knew Kauravas all along and had been their playing companion. To all of them, my children coming from a forest as big, grown-up children looked like unwanted usurpers.

 

I was pained that both Dhritarashtra and Gandhari did nothing about it.

 

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It was cool at the riverside. There were huge tents where numerous attendants took care of the needs of the boisterous campers. The special palace built for this event was all aglow with colorful festoons, bright flowers and water fountains. Music troupes were playing various instruments and girls were swaying in graceful dances. It was easy to get hooked into some frolicsome game and get lost.

 

Everything went according to Duryodhana’s plans. Bheema was lured away with a special feast, while others engaged themselves in other activities. The cooks had mixed poison in all the items Bheema ate. Soon, Bheema fell unconscious. Duryodhana and his cronies then tied him with strong chords of wild shrubs, pushed him into deep waters, and slinked away to join others.

 

Bheema sank deeper and deeper and reached ‘nagaloka,’ the abode of serpents. Finding a new prey, the serpents converged on him and bit his entire body, save his chest, with their strong and venomous fangs. Bheema’s chest had been so rock-like that their fangs couldn’t penetrate it.

 

But the venom that the serpents had injected in, proved to be an antidaote for the poison that Bheema had consumed. As he slowly regained consciousness, Bheema shook himself free. The serpents fell apart, and fearful of their own lives, slithered away as fast as they could, and informed their king Vasuki.

 

Vasuki rushed to the scene wondering who the intruder could be. Meanwhile, one of the serpents was Aryaka, my great grand father, and he recognized his young relative. Just as he hugged Bheema, King Vasuki came in.

 

Jubilation followed. Bheema was fed pots of life-sustaining nectar at the instance of Aryaka and made to rest his weary body. Bheema passed away a week in peaceful slumber.

 

Meanwhile, Yudhishtra and his brothers could not find Bheema anywhere. They assumed Bheema might have returned to the palace alone, and left the venue along with others.

 

I was flabbergasted when Yudhishtra came home without Bheema, and Yudhishtra was likewise shocked that Bheema hadn’t come back. I wailed and panicked and summoned Vidura. I voiced my concern that Bheema’s life might have been endangered by the malicious designs of Duryodhana.

 

Vidura, the calm man that he was, thought over. He agreed that indeed Duryodhana was evil minded. But panicking and raising a stink about the whole episode might endanger other Pandavas’ lives as well, he cautioned. He reassured me that Bheema would be safe, as astrologers had predicted long life for him, as well as the other Pandavas. He told me to pray and sit tight.

 

On the eighth day, Bheema woke up rejuvenated and the nagas dressed him in fine robes. Then they caried and left him on the banks of Ganges from where he had begun his journey to the nether lands a week back.

 

Bheema reached home at last. Our joy was unbounded, yet we restrained our joy. All of us knew that our lives were in constant danger.

 

From then on, we decided to be constantly vigilant and be mindful of each other.

…to be continued