88. SOMADATTA'S END :

"THERE comes the valorous Satyaki,"
said Krishna, the charioteer, to
Dhananjaya. "Your disciple and friend is
marching up, triumphantly breaking
through enemy ranks."


"I do not like it, Madhava," replied
Arjuna. "It was not right for him to have
left Dharmaputra and come here to join
me. Drona is there ever seeking an
opportunity to seize Dharmaputra. Satyaki
should have stuck to his post there to
guard him. Instead, he has come here. Old
Bhurisravas has intercepted Satyaki. It
was a great mistake for Yudhishthira to
have sent Satyaki away here."
There was a family feud between
Bhurisravas and Satyaki that made them
inveterate foes.


It had come about this way. When Devaki,
who was to be the blessed mother of Sri
Krishna, was a maiden, many princes
competed for her hand and there was a
great battle between Somadatta and Sini
over it.


Sini won, and on behalf of Vasudeva he
placed Devaki in his chariot and took her
away. Since that incident there was feud
between the two clans, the Sini family and
that of Somadatta. Satyaki was Sini's
grandson.


Bhurisravas was Somadatta's son. When
they found themselves on opposite sides
in the Kurukshetra battle, it was natural
that, as soon as Bhurisravas saw Satyaki,
the old warrior challenged Satyaki to
battle.


"Oh Satyaki," cried Bhurisravas, "I know
you strut about thinking yourself a man of
great prowess. Here now I have you in my
power and will presently finish you. Long
have I sought for this meeting. Like
Indrajit destroyed Dasaratha's son
Lakshmana, you will die today and go to
the abode of Yama, gladdening the hearts
of many a bereaved widow."


Satyaki laughed. "Have done with your
vaunting," he interrupted. "Words are not
deeds and do not frighten fighting men.
Demonstrate your valor in action and do
not indulge in dry thunder like autumn
clouds."


After this exchange of words, the battle
began, and the combat was as between
two fierce lions. Their horses were killed,
their bows were broken, and both were
rendered chariotless.


They were now standing on the ground
fighting with swords and shields, till their
shields were hacked to bits and their
swords broken. Then they were locked in
a deadly embrace without weapons.
They rolled together on the ground. They
leaped up and they sprang on each other.
They fell down again and so the combat
went on for a long while.


Partha's mind was at the time concentrated
on Jayadratha's movements and he did not
watch this combat between Satyaki and
the son of Somadatta.


But his charioteer Krishna was deeply
concerned about Satyaki's fate. For
Krishna knew about their family feud.
"Dhananjaya," said Krishna, "Satyaki is
exhausted. Bhurisravas is going to kill
him now."


Still Arjuna was following only
Jayadratha's movements.
"Satyaki who came after an exhausting
battle with the Kaurava forces has been
forced to accept Bhurisravas' challenge,"
said Krishna again. "It is a most unequal
battle. Unless we help him, beloved
Yuyudhana will be slain."


Even as Krishna was saying this,
Bhurisravas lifted Satyaki up and brought
him crashing to the ground and all the
men around in the Kaurava army
exclaimed: "Yuyudhana is dead!"


Again Krishna importuned: "Satyaki is
lying almost dead on the field, the best
among the Vrishni clan. One who came to
help you, is being killed before your eyes.
You are looking on, doing nothing."
Bhurisravas caught hold of the prostrate
Satyaki and dragged him on the ground as
a lion drags its elephant prey.
Arjuna was in a great conflict of mind.


"Bhurisravas has not been called to battle
by me, nor has he challenged me to fight.
How can I send my shaft at Bhurisravas
when he is engaged with another? My
mind recoils from such an act, although it
is true a friend who came to help me is
being slaughtered before my eyes."


Just as Arjuna finished saying this to
Krishna, the sky was darkened by a cloud
of arrows sent by Jayadratha. Arjuna
replied with a shower of arrows, but he
constantly turned with pain to where
Satyaki was in the mortal grip of
Bhurisravas.


Krishna again pressed Arjuna to consider
Satyaki's condition. "O Partha, Satyaki
has lost all his weapons and he is now in
Bhurisravas' power, helpless."


When Arjuna turned, he saw Bhurisravas
with his foot on the prostrate body of
Satyaki and sword upraised to slay him.
Before Bhurisravas could deliver the fatal
thrust, Arjuna shot an arrow which went
with the speed of lightning and the next
moment the uplifted arm fell chopped off
to the ground still holding the sword.
Bhurisravas, all amazed, turned and saw
who had done it.


"Son of Kunti," he exclaimed, "I had not
expected this of you! It befits not a
warrior to shoot from behind in this
manner. I was engaged in combat with
someone else and you have attacked me
without notice. Indeed, then, no man can
resist the evil influence of the company he
keeps, as your unchivalrous conduct
proves. Dhananjaya, when you go back to
your brother Dharmaputra, what account
are you going to give him of this valorous
deed. Ah! Who taught you this low trick,
Arjuna? Did you learn this from your
father Indra or from your teachers Drona
and Kripa? What code of conduct was it
that permitted you to shoot your arrow at
a man who was engaged in combat with
another and could not so much as turn his
eyes on you? You have done the deed of a
low-bred fellow and foully besmirched
your honor. You must have been
instigated into it by the son of Vasudeva.


It was not in your own nature to do it. No
one with princely blood in his veins would
think of such a dastardly deed. I know you
have been incited to it by that
contemptible Krishna."


Thus did Bhurisravas with his right arm
cut off, bitterly denounce Krishna and
Arjuna in the Kurukshetra field.
Said Partha: "Bhurisravas, you are old and
age seems to have affected your judgment.
You accuse Hrishikesa and me without
cause. How could I look on doing nothing,
when, before my eyes, you were in the act
of killing my friend, who came and risked
his life in battle on my behalf, one who
was like a right hand to me, and whom
you were going to stab when he was lying
helpless on the ground? I would have
deserved to go to hell if I had failed to
intervene. You say, I have been ruined by
keeping company with Madhava. Who in
the wide world would not wish to be so
ruined? You have spoken out of confused
understanding. Satyaki who was weary
and exhausted when he came here and
who was inadequately armed, was
challenged by you to give battle. You
overcame him. Having been defeated, he
lay on the ground, powerless. What code
of honor enabled you to raise your sword
to thrust it into the body of the fallen
warrior and slay him? Do I not remember
how you cheered the man who killed my
boy Abhimanyu when he stood
staggering, exhausted and weaponless, his
coat of armor torn off?"


Bhurisravas who heard this did not answer
but spread his arrows on the ground with
his left hand and made a seat for
meditation.


The old warrior sat in yoga and the sight
deeply moved all the Kaurava soldiers.
They cheered Bhurisravas and uttered
reproaches against Krishna and Arjuna.


Arjuna spoke: "Brave men, I am sworn to
protect every friend within bow-shot of
me and I cannot let an enemy kill him. It
is my sacred pledge. Why do you blame
me? It is not right to hurl reproaches
without due thought."


After saying this to the warriors in the
field who reproached him, he turned to
Bhurisravas and said: "O excellent among
brave men, you have protected many who
have gone to you for help. You know that
what has happened is due to your own
error. There is no justice in blaming me. If
you like, let us all blame the violence
which governs kshatriya life."
Bhurisravas, who heard this, lowered his
head in salutation.


Satyaki now recovered consciousness and
rose. Carried away by the impetuosity of
his passion, he picked up a sword and,
advancing to Bhurisravas, sitting in yoga
on his seat of arrows, even when all
around were shouting in horror and before
Krishna and Arjuna, who rushed to the
spot, could prevent him, with one swift
and powerful cut, he struck off the old
warrior's head which rolled down, while
the body was still in the posture of
meditation.


The gods and the siddhas, who looked on
from above the battlefield, uttered
blessings on Bhurisravas. Everyone in the
field condemned Satyaki's act.


Satyaki maintained he was right, saying:
"After I fell down senseless, this enemy of
my family placed his foot on my prostrate
figure and attempted to kill me. I may slay
him in whatever posture he might choose
to be." But none approved of his conduct.


The slaying of Bhurisravas is one of the
many situations of moral conflict woven
into the story of the Mahabharata to
demonstrate that, when hatred and anger
have been roused, codes of honor and
dharma are powerless to control them.


Next : 89. JAYADRATHA SLAIN


Continues..