Episode#62
Every day, the sun rose and plummeted down the horizon, watching brothers killing brothers, friends slaying friends! Different parts of human and animal bodies lay strewn everywhere - dismembered hands, smashed heads, ruptured stomachs, eye-balls gouged out - yet there was not the slightest trace of victory on either side.
The Kurukshetra battlefield was wet with the blood, the air filled with the stench of putrefying corpses. In the silence of the night, the menial collected the dead bodies and the injured on the battlefield thus preparing it for the onslaught the next morning. By the time it was cleared the sun appeared on the horizon there was no time to dispose of the dead, who were simply piles in heaps and ants happily feasted on them...!
Not a single sign of victory on either side was in view but man and animal slaughter continued and both Duryodhana and Arjuna were worries to see the heart-rending scenario especially the innocent soldiers getting killed.
In the Kauravas as camp, Karna suggested to suspend Bhisma as the commander-in-chief and appoint someone before they lost everything! An irate Duryodhana accompanied by Aswasthama stormed into Bhisma camp to meet out the final ultimatum.
In the Pamdavas camp, Dhumayu the priest suggested if sacrifice was offered to Goddess Kali, she might reveal the secret success. The reply obtained was - it had to be warrior with thirty two sacred marks on his body and only three men on the Pandavas side had that sacred marks - Arjuna, Krishna and a young warrior called Iravan.
The Pandavas possibly could not even imagine sacrificing Arjuna or Krishna - this all eyes turned to young Iravan. When Arjuna asked his family history, he said "I am your son; my mother is a Naga princess, Ulupi to whom you had married long ago." Arjuna didn't recollect his marriage with the Naga princess and said "If you are truly my son, you should not have hesitation to be the sacrificial offering to Goddess Kali." Iravan agreed and said "I have one condition, let me not die bachelor, let me have a wife, who will weep for me when I die." It was mandatory to fulfill the last wish of the sacrificial victim thus the search begin but no woman was willing to marry him. After several fruitless attempts Vasudev Krishna took the female form known as Mohini, married Iravan and spent the night with him as his wife. Next day when Iravan was beheaded at dawn, Krishna wept for him as his widow! No widow had ever wept for her man as Krishna did for Iravan. On that day Krishna realized the pain of a widow whose husband gets killed in the war. He even wept for all the soldiers who died in this war of righteousness and sacrificed their life - he deeply grieved for the mothers, widows and children and their fate after the war!
As Duryodhana walked in Bhisma camp, a physician was dressing his wounds, while Awasthama stood in the shadows. Bhisma asked Duryodhana, "What is the matter?" A furious Duryodhana replied, "Pitamah, twelve of my brothers are dead under your command, it's time that we must allow Karna to fight!" Bhisma eyes turned to his nephew, burning with fury "So you want a charioteer's son fighting the battle for us Kshatriyas?" Duryodhana said "Pitamah we must win the war and end it rapidly, the casualties are mounting and more people are dying unnecessarily."
Bhisma asked "would you opt for truce?" Duryodhana shook his head "No, not after what they have done to us." Bhisma asked him straight "What exactly do you want?"
The reply was equally blunt "Kill Arjuna" Duryodhana replied with a blank face! Pitamah said "No, I will not allow any of my grand nephews to die, all of you are my blood." Duryodhana sharply retaliated "Were not those who died - your grand nephew? Or were they less important as they were Dhritarashtra sons and evil Duryodhana brothers? Now all Karna to fight, he is not related to anyone hence he will not have to suffer such qualms?" No Karna is very impulsive and could change everything, I will defeat him." Pitamah muttered under his breathe! Duryodhana hardly listened and proclaimed "I want Arjuna to die tomorrow before the sun set Pitamah." After Duryodhana and Aswasthama bowed and left, Pitamah pondered whether he should kill Arjuna for saving Hastinapur as per his pledge or sacrifice himself instead to save the situation!
Bother Pandavas and Kauravas prepares themselves for the next day, Iravan was sacrificed to please goddess Kali for the safety of Pandavas - and Duryodhana forced Pitamah to kill Arjuna after that whether Yudhishtira sued for leave or demanded a truce it was a matter of small concern for Duryodhana.
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