Well, we are discussing a story that probably took place when Bible was not even there. I am just using a popular phrase!
After the death of Karna, that we discussed in the previous episode, the Kauravas were totally disarrayed. Duryodhana was struck by immense grief. He not only lost his best friend, but also lost the last surviving warrior who could possibly win him the kingdom that seemed to go into the hands of the Pandavas.
After great lamentation, the Kauravas decided to continue to fight till the end. They kept fighting by slaying many warriors on the Pandava side. Pandavas in turn, killed most of the warriors on the Kaurava side barring only a handful.
Suddenly, Duryodhana vanished from the scene. He was not to be seen anywhere. Pandavas looked for him, but found him nowhere. So, they returned to their camps to take rest for the day.
When they were discussing the sudden disappearance of Duryodhana from the battle field and wondering where he could be, some hunters who returned from the forest brought them the news.
Apparently, the hunters saw Duryodhana hiding in a lake, while they went to the lake to quench their thirst. They also overheard Duryodhana telling his companions that he would take rest for the day and would come out and attack the Pandavas the next day.
Having got this clue about Duryodhana’s whereabouts, the Pandavas immediately rushed to the lake where Duryodhana was supposed to be hiding.
Duryodhana had special powers using which he could stay alive underneath water and he used that as his only safeguard.
Yudhishthira called Duryodhana aloud and told him that it would not befit him to hide like a coward having born in the mighty warrior family. He challenged him to come out and fight him.
Duryodhana replied that he was not hiding because of cowardice, but was only taking rest. He urged the Pandavas to go back and take rest so that the war can continue the next day.
But the Pandavas did not agree. They assembled their army all around the lake and challenged Duryodhana to come out and fight like a brave man.
Duryodhana said to Yudhishthira that it was unfair on them to attack him when he was all alone, unarmed, and helpless. He said it was not the way of the righteous.
He said the righteous would never attack a man who is not prepared for the fight. He said that after taking rest for some time, he would come out and give back the Pandavas their kingdom and retire to forest, since he did not want to live when all his near and dear ones have been killed.
That was Duryodhana’s last minute bid to trick Yudhishthira. He was doing the devil quoting the Bible.
But Yudhishthira was careful this time.
Yudhishthira told Duryodhana that he was not interested in any generosity by Duryodhana. He was confident that he would win his kingdom in fight and would not want to take it in charity.
Regarding fighting Duryodhana in an unrighteous way, Yudhishthira ridiculed Duryodhana for talking about righteousness! He asked him where his righteousness was when he killed a helpless young boy Abhimanyu! He reminded him how Abhimanyu was killed when he was totally helpless.
Yudhishthira, made a fair offer to Duryodhana. He said that Duryodhana could choose any one of the Pandavas and engage him in a one to one combat using the weapons of his choice. If Duryodhana won the fight, Yudhishthira promised, then the Pandavas would take that as their defeat and retire to forest.
That gladdened Duryodhana. All through his life he was waiting to vanquish Bhima, his archrival. And now, he had a golden opportunity.
But that made Krishna quite furious. He was very unhappy with Yudhishthira for his callous ways. He censured Yudhishthira for making such a stupid promise. He said that Yudhishthira was used to gambling and he was about to play another gamble in his life.
In the previous gambling, Yudhishthira had lost everything to the Kauravas and the war was forced on them. And once again, the same Yudhishthira with his overenthusiasm to project himself as righteous, was about to make another blunder.
Krishna knew that none of the Pandavas were a match to Duryodhana, who was not only a powerful warrior but also very skillful. There was no way any of them could have vanquished Duryodhana in a one to one combat, not even the mighty Bhima.
Bhima was very powerful but he lacked the skills that Duryodhana is supposed have processed. Krishna said that just the might is not sufficient in a duel. One needs to be extremely skillful.
In Krishna’s view, there was no way, even Bhima could have vanquished Duryodhana in a one to one fair duel. And if Bhima is defeated, then as per the foolish premise made by Yudhishthira, the Pandavas would have no option but to retire to the forest giving up their claim to the throne. That would not only put them in trouble, but would have made the sacrifice of all those great warriors who had given up their lives for their sake, futile.
Finally, it was agreed that Duryodhana would fight with Bhima in a duel and other Pandavas along with Krishna would only be spectators. They were not supposed to intervene.
Almost by coincidence, Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna who had taken a neutral stand and gone on a pilgrimage, made his appearance.
Balarama was a great warrior adept in mace fight and he was the one who taught both Duryodhana and Bhima about the tricks of the trade. So, who could be a better umpire than Balarama for this great duel which in the words of Sanjaya “was a dreadful encounter, making the very hair stand on end”.
Just to remind, Sanjaya was the commentator who was all along narrating the war story to Dhritarastra, the blind Kaurava King and Duryodhana’s father.
We have the players, spectators, commentator and also the umpire. Now the match was about the begin. Did Duryodhana win as feared by Krishna? Did the Pandavas have to pay for Yudhishthira’s callous outbursts? We will see that in the next episode.
Suddenly, Duryodhana vanished from the scene. He was not to be seen anywhere. Pandavas looked for him, but found him nowhere. So, they returned to their camps to take rest for the day.
When they were discussing the sudden disappearance of Duryodhana from the battle field and wondering where he could be, some hunters who returned from the forest brought them the news.
Apparently, the hunters saw Duryodhana hiding in a lake, while they went to the lake to quench their thirst. They also overheard Duryodhana telling his companions that he would take rest for the day and would come out and attack the Pandavas the next day.
Having got this clue about Duryodhana’s whereabouts, the Pandavas immediately rushed to the lake where Duryodhana was supposed to be hiding.
Duryodhana had special powers using which he could stay alive underneath water and he used that as his only safeguard.
Yudhishthira called Duryodhana aloud and told him that it would not befit him to hide like a coward having born in the mighty warrior family. He challenged him to come out and fight him.
Duryodhana replied that he was not hiding because of cowardice, but was only taking rest. He urged the Pandavas to go back and take rest so that the war can continue the next day.
But the Pandavas did not agree. They assembled their army all around the lake and challenged Duryodhana to come out and fight like a brave man.
He said the righteous would never attack a man who is not prepared for the fight. He said that after taking rest for some time, he would come out and give back the Pandavas their kingdom and retire to forest, since he did not want to live when all his near and dear ones have been killed.
That was Duryodhana’s last minute bid to trick Yudhishthira. He was doing the devil quoting the Bible.
But Yudhishthira was careful this time.
Yudhishthira told Duryodhana that he was not interested in any generosity by Duryodhana. He was confident that he would win his kingdom in fight and would not want to take it in charity.
Regarding fighting Duryodhana in an unrighteous way, Yudhishthira ridiculed Duryodhana for talking about righteousness! He asked him where his righteousness was when he killed a helpless young boy Abhimanyu! He reminded him how Abhimanyu was killed when he was totally helpless.
Yudhishthira, made a fair offer to Duryodhana. He said that Duryodhana could choose any one of the Pandavas and engage him in a one to one combat using the weapons of his choice. If Duryodhana won the fight, Yudhishthira promised, then the Pandavas would take that as their defeat and retire to forest.
That gladdened Duryodhana. All through his life he was waiting to vanquish Bhima, his archrival. And now, he had a golden opportunity.
But that made Krishna quite furious. He was very unhappy with Yudhishthira for his callous ways. He censured Yudhishthira for making such a stupid promise. He said that Yudhishthira was used to gambling and he was about to play another gamble in his life.
In the previous gambling, Yudhishthira had lost everything to the Kauravas and the war was forced on them. And once again, the same Yudhishthira with his overenthusiasm to project himself as righteous, was about to make another blunder.
Krishna knew that none of the Pandavas were a match to Duryodhana, who was not only a powerful warrior but also very skillful. There was no way any of them could have vanquished Duryodhana in a one to one combat, not even the mighty Bhima.
Bhima was very powerful but he lacked the skills that Duryodhana is supposed have processed. Krishna said that just the might is not sufficient in a duel. One needs to be extremely skillful.
In Krishna’s view, there was no way, even Bhima could have vanquished Duryodhana in a one to one fair duel. And if Bhima is defeated, then as per the foolish premise made by Yudhishthira, the Pandavas would have no option but to retire to the forest giving up their claim to the throne. That would not only put them in trouble, but would have made the sacrifice of all those great warriors who had given up their lives for their sake, futile.
Finally, it was agreed that Duryodhana would fight with Bhima in a duel and other Pandavas along with Krishna would only be spectators. They were not supposed to intervene.
Almost by coincidence, Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna who had taken a neutral stand and gone on a pilgrimage, made his appearance.
Balarama was a great warrior adept in mace fight and he was the one who taught both Duryodhana and Bhima about the tricks of the trade. So, who could be a better umpire than Balarama for this great duel which in the words of Sanjaya “was a dreadful encounter, making the very hair stand on end”.
Just to remind, Sanjaya was the commentator who was all along narrating the war story to Dhritarastra, the blind Kaurava King and Duryodhana’s father.
We have the players, spectators, commentator and also the umpire. Now the match was about the begin. Did Duryodhana win as feared by Krishna? Did the Pandavas have to pay for Yudhishthira’s callous outbursts? We will see that in the next episode.
That was Mahabharata episode 18
Based on the 5000 year old Indian Epic namely Mahabharata. © Dr.King 2019.
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