The Acharya has been killed. What was thought to be impossible had happened. The impact it has had on the Kauravas was no less than what the fall of the grandsire had made. The panic it created in the Kaurava army was unprecedented.
Aswatthama was highly surprised to find the Kaurava army running helter skelter as if a great calamity had happened. He asked Duryodhana for the reason. The Kaurava prince was too overwhelmed with the turn of events to talk to the son of the Acharya. Kripa who was standing nearby explained the sequence of events. It was from the words of his own uncle that Aswatthama learnt about the tragedy that resulted in the death of his father.
The oath by Aswatthama
The son of Drona was overcome with grief and fury. He declared to the Kaurava warriors around. “None among the Pandavas would have managed to kill my father in straight combat. The unscrupulous scoundrels took resort to lying and cheating to perform this heinous crime. How can I tolerate that my father was held by his hair and his head was chopped off while I am alive! What use are all the divine weapons in my possession except to avenge the death of my dear father? Take my word that I shall use even the unique arrow of Vishnu (Narayanaastra), which the Lord himself had bestowed on my father, to annihilate the Pandavas with all their supporters”. With those words Aswatthama marched towards the Pandava army with a resolve for immediate revenge. That encouraged the Kaurava soldiers to gather around him in small groups until the entire army came together launching a fresh attack against the Pandavas.
The return of the Kauravas
Yudhishthira was surprised to find the return of the Kaurava forces. From the way they had panicked and run for their lives it was difficult to believe that they would stage a come back that easily. He asked Arjuna who was standing nearby for the possible reason.
But Arjuna was still sulking from the pain of his teacher’s death. He burst out at his brother which was unusual for the usually composed Pandava. He said. “You must be ashamed of yourself for telling the lie simply out of greed for winning the war and regaining your kingdom. It is better that you give up your life for getting the Acharya killed after he had put down his weapons”.
Yudhishthira heard the stinging words from his brother, but, kept quiet. But, Bhima came up in support of his elder brother. He said. “You utter words of righteousness as if you are a sage living in forest. Where was your sense of justice when we were sent into exile through unfair means? Who are you to talk like this even when we had the blessing of Krishna in this?”
Dhrishtadyumna came forward and justified his action. “Drona deserved to be killed. Being a Brahmin, he did not have any business, in the first place, to take up arms. He knew that this war was unjustified on the part of the Kauravas and, yet, he joined them. He has sinned by killing so many unarmed soldiers with his special weapons like Brahmastra. I have killed my born enemy. I have every right to kill him by any means. Remember, you killed your own grandfather, that too keeping Sikhandi merely as a cover!”
Arjuna was visibly shaken by the accusation of Satyaki, though in self defense. He and other Pandavas kept quiet hearing the words of the Panchala. But, Satyaki was enraged. He shouted. “Is there no one among us to kill this sinner talking nonsense? If you speak another word, I shall break your head into pieces with this mace of mine”.
But, Dhrishtadyumna was not that easily put down. He asked Satyaki. “Who are you to talk right and wrong after killing Bhurisravas? Every one knew that he had put down his arms and was deep in meditation”.
The quarrel between Satyaki and Dhrishtadyumna heated up and developed into a scuffle. Krishna asked Bhima to intervene before the situation went out of control. It was with great effort that the Pandava managed to separate the two allies who had come to blows against one another.
Meanwhile, the Kaurava army led by Aswatthama had started inflicting heavy casualties in the Pandava army.
(Continued in the next episode)
