54. The battles of the AshwamedhaFollowing the rescue of the horse, the yagna started. Dhaumya and his group of priests conducted the various rituals associated w/ the yagna b4 the horse would be released. Finally, the horse was brought out and Bhima asked Karna to follow it and establish Pandava suzereinity over all kingdoms. Vrishasena requested Bhima if he could do it instead, to which there were other claimants as well - Abhimanyu, Srutakarman, Satsoma, Sarvaga, Iravana, Satanika, Nirmitra, Srutasena & Suhotra. Finally, Bhima decided that those who had contributed so far in the war itself or the battles against Yauvanashva & Anushalva should stay, and those yet to make a mark should go. In the meantime, Krishna's sons & nephews too threw their crowns into the ring. Ultimately, it was decided that Rukmini's other son Charudeshna should follow the horse, supported by Sarvaga, Satanika, Nirmitra & Suhotra. The horse was brought to the yagna sthal, Draupadi & Rukmini did arati for the horse, and then the horse was soon on its way. Bhima asked his sons & nephews to try and minimize the bloodletting, saying that too much was already lost @ Kurukshetra, and they didn't want to rid the world of kshatriyas. The first few kingdoms that the horse went through were Pandava allies & co-hosts, and therefore welcomed the horse & the warriors w/ them. The horse initially went through Panchala & Madra, and had no issues.
The first kingdom where Charudeshna faced opposition was Trigartha. The horse was seized, and Susarma's sons Suryavarman, Ketuvarman & Dhritavarman all attacked the Pandavas. Nirmitra took on Ketuvarman, Suhotra on Suryavarman & Satanika on Dhritavarman. After a fierce battle, Nirmitra slew Ketuvarman & Suhotra Suryavarman. In the meantime, Charudeshna & Sarvaga scattered the Trigarta forces protecting Dhritavarman, and finally, they surrendered. Charudeshna told them that they had no wish to kill them, and simply wanted them to accept the Pandava dominion. Dhritavarman agreed.
Following this, the Pandava army reached Sindhu, the kingdom once ruled by Jayadrath. Recalling the death of Jayadrath and Suratha in the war, the Saindava army took on them, and soon, Charudeshna, Sarvaga, Satanika, Nirmitra & Suhotra were soon engaged in a fierce battle. The opposition, despite the lack of a king, resisted fiercely, and a number of them were slain, and a number badly wounded. Charudeshna then addressed them and told them that he didn't wish to slay them, and invited them to surrender. They laughed @ him & the onslaught continued. However, the 4 Pandava princes kept showering the Saindavas w/ arrows and soon destroyed most of their horses & elephants.
Suddenly, Duhsala arrived, barefeet, all decked in white, baby in one arm and waving the end of her sari as a white flag w/ the other. She called on the Saindavas to stop, and reminded them that currently, they have no king, and that she was only running things w/ their help. She told them that if they all got killed, her dynasty would be over. Hearing her, the Saindava warriors stopped and rallied behind her, and told her that they'd avenge the death of her husband and son. However, seeing her, Charudeshna & the Pandavas too dismounted and approached her w/ folded hands. Duhsala showed them the baby in his hands and told them that it was her grandson & Suratha's son, and reminisced about how she once forced Bhima to take her doll in hands, 😆 and offered her baby to Sarvaga, who affectionately took it in his arms and the baby promptly peed, making Satanika, Nirmitra & Suhotra laugh. Duhsala then started crying, remembering how her husband & son had died. Charudeshna comforted her and told her that the Pandavas bore her family no ill-will, and would happily take her kingdom under their protection. Not just that, his brother Bhanu right next door in Dwarka would take Sindhu as a protectorate, and help Duhsala rule until the son of Suratha came of age. The princes all took turns in hugging the baby and taking Duhsala in their chariots, they took her back to the palace, accompanied by all the Saindeva troops, where Charudeshna announced that the Pandavas would recognize Suratha's son as the rightful future ruler, w/ Duhsala as the regent. A messenger was sent to Dwarka to send troops to Sindhu, who were asked to help Duhsala establish control on Sindhu, which was w/o a ruler. Once this was done, the Pandava princes took leave of Duhsala and proceeded.
The horse was released, and then proceeded to Dwarka. In Dwarka, a handful of youths captured the horse, and incurred the fury of Charudeshna. He asked the Pandavas to stand aside for this case, while he dismounted and reminded them that he was a prince of Dwarka, and how dare they capture the horse of an army headed by him. He threatened to get them executed by the palace guards if they didn't release it. Balarama's son Ulmuka, who was running Dwarka in the absense of everyone else, arrived there and ordered them to release the horse, & they complied.
The horse then went through Kekaya, an allied kingdom, and finally found itself in Gandharva. Here, Shakuni's grandson Subhaga ordered the horse captured, and the Pandavas found themselves in a battle once again. He ordered a few of his uncles to capture the horse & go into battle, and Charudeshna & others tried to dissuade them from battle, telling them that Bhima wished to mend relations w/ Gandhara that had been poisoned by Shakuni all these years. However, they ignored him and told him that they'd avenge the death of Shakuni and soon Charudeshna, Nirmitra and Satanika were engaged in a fierce battle w/ the Gandharas. Soon Subhaga too arrived in the battlefield and insulted Sahadev & Srutasena, and hearing his father & brother insulted, Suhotra challenged him to battle. Suhotra quickly destroyed Subhaga's chariot and weapons and captured him, and ordered all the Gandharas to surrender if they didn't want him executed. He then told Subhaga to accept an end to the animousity and attend the yagna, and Subhaga agreed.
The horse then continued, and went through the former kingdoms of Sudakshina & Bahlika, b4 turning south and going through Panchala & Matsya. The Pandavas then went through various kingdoms, like Chedi, Avanti, Kosala, Kalinga and Banga, defeating a handful of Yavana kingdoms on the way, until they arrived in Anga.
The next obstacle that the horse faced was in Anga, run by Vikarna. He decided to block them, and accordingly, Yuyutsu, @ his orders, seized the horse. A fierce battle then ensued b/w Charudeshna & Vikarna on one hand, and Sarvaga & Yuyutsu on the other. Sarvaga very quickly defeated & disarmed Yuyutsu, while Vikarna fought a fierce battle w/ Charudeshna. In the meantime, Satanika, Nirmitra & Suhotra fought the Kaurava army and scattered it. Finally, Vikarna's chariot was shattered & he was disarmed, and Charudeshna told him that he had no desire to harm him, but all he needed to do was accept that the Pandavas were now superior to the Kauravas, and that Anga was a vassal state. Vikarna sighed & agreed.
Following Anga, the horse moved to Pragjyotisha, where Bhagadatta's son Vajradatta decided to confront Charudeshna. Vajradatta reminded Charudeshna how his father had sent Charudeshna's brother Samba to Yamalok, and offered him the opportunity to meet his brother. A fierce battle took place b/w them. Like his father b4 him, Vajradatta charged @ the Pandava army on his rogue elephant, and Bhima's son Sarvaga took on the elephant w/ his mace. He did a good job dodging the elephant, and wounding its trunk w/ his mace. In the meantime, Satanika, Suhotra & Nirmitra too attacked the elephant's legs, wounding it w/ sharp arrows. Sarvaga in the meantime attacked the elephant, and wounded it badly to the point that it collapsed, and Vajradatta fell. Charudeshna quickly disarmed him, and then told him that he had no desire to avenge Samba's death, and was under instructions to minimize any bloodletting: however, Vajradatta had to accept the dominion of the Pandavas. Sarvaga too told Vajradatta to attend his father's Ashwamedha yagna, and accept an end to the enmity against Bhima & Krishna. Vajradatta agreed.
Following this, the horse turned back & went through Magadha, Mithila & Ayodhya, where it encountered no opposition. It then went through friendly territory in Panchala again and finally through Hastinapur, where the citizens welcomed Satanika, who was now a local. Finally, the victorious horse returned to Indraprastha, where it was welcomed by Bhima, Krishna, Balarama, Virata, Kshatradharma, Rukamratha, and all the other Pandava friends & allies.
The stage was now set for the yagna to continue.
Edited by .Vrish. - 12 years ago
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