The Puffin Mahabharata by Namita Gokhale

Author:Namita Gokhale [Gokhale, Namita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789351184157
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2013-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

Duryodhana, Dusasana, Sakuni and their wives were all captured by the smiling gandharvas. Duryodhana found himself flung into an iron net which was hung from the sky and left suspended there.

His despairing soldiers and courtiers now belatedly found the Pandava camp and rushed there for help. They fell at Yudhishthira’s feet and begged him to come to their rescue. ‘Duryodhana is captured by the gandharvas!’ they exclaimed. ‘His wives are held captive by them! You must help us!’

Bhima was delighted by their desperation. ‘Duryodhana deserves to be punished,’ he gloated. ‘Whatever makes you think that we will come to his aid?’

Yudhishthira reproached his brother. ‘It is our duty to defend our cousins,’ he said quietly. ‘They may be our enemies but they are still our blood brothers. We may fight amongst ourselves, but when they are attacked by a third party, we must help them.’

Bhima could not believe his ears. He went red with anger and began flexing and unflexing his muscles in frustration. But Yudhishthira was stern. ‘We are five against a hundred,’ he said. ‘But against a common enemy, we are a hundred and five. Take Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva with you, and rescue Duryodhana.’

Bhima remained unconvinced, and so Yudhishthira, the son of the lord of righteousness, tried another line of argument. ‘We are destined to fight and destroy the Kauravas,’ he explained. ‘But for the moment, our duty lies in rescuing them. You must follow my command and go to their aid.’

The Pandavas obeyed Yudhishthira and fell into furious battle with the gandharvas. The brothers were mortals, but they were all sons of gods and immortals. Bhima got busy with his mace, while Arjuna rained a blanket of arrows from his magical bow, the Gandiva. The gandharvas began to tire under the assault.

Suddenly, a peal of musical laughter echoed through the sky. A rainbow appeared and behind it stood Chitrasena, the king of the gandharvas. Arjuna was surprised and delighted to see his friend, who had instructed him in the arts of dance and music. ‘Whatever are you doing here, Chitrasena?’ he asked.

‘Your father, Lord Indra, sent me,’ said Chitrasena. ‘He came to know of Duryodhana’s plans to humiliate you and we thought we would turn the tables upon him. Your dear cousin is at your mercy now! You can do what you please with him.’

‘You must let Duryodhana go,’ Arjuna replied. ‘That is what Yudhishthira desires.’

‘Then Yudhishthira must come himself to free him,’ said Chitrasena. And so the humiliated Duryodhana was released by the gandharvas and handed over to the oldest of the Pandava brothers.

‘You may go, Duryodhana,’ Yudhishthira said courteously. ‘You are free to return to Hastinapura again. Your wives, your brothers, your troops, all may return with you.’

Duryodhana’s humiliation was complete. This was even worse than being captured by the gandharvas. Too petty to thank his cousin for his magnanimity, he proudly turned his face away and left without a word, choked by an anger and helplessness he could not contain.

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