Pandavas, Krishna & their family- Admiration Thread # 3 - Page 51

Virata City

Since the death of Kichaka, Virata was relying more and more on Kanka for advice and ruled as per his instructions.

Suddenly like wolf on the flock of sheep, Trigartas attacked the Gopas guarding the cows of Virata. But, these sheep have been instructed by the greatest sheepdog of all, Arishtanemi. Using Prasa and Tomaras,the numerous Trigartas attacked the few gopas. Taking out the axes, maces, Bhindipala, Mudgar and especially Karshana, the small group of gopas hit back and started killing the horses of Trigarta soldiers. The sheep had iron teeth and they started biting back. Taken by surprise that mere gwalas are challenging the mighty Kshatriyas, Susharma instead of marching towards the city and taking it by surprise was forced to go and defend his cavalry being slaughtered by Arishtanemi's gopas.

Karshana is the way you use Sudarshana Chakra. The Chakra has a hole in center where the iron rod fits and you use that iron rod to hurl the chakra.

Susharma s plan was to use his light cavalry to surround and take the cows while the Chariot force took the main road and attacks the city but this unexpected resistance by Gopas lead by Praskandha & Kundali, Arishtanemi's lieutenants derailed his plans. The ratha force moved away from the main road and moved over broken ground to fight the Gopas. Outnumbered and without any cavalry or Rathis to defend, Kundali immediately took out a rathi using karshana and getting hold of his horses, turned the chariot towards city and rushed into Virata's presence and raised alarum.

He pleaded to Virata that the Trigarta soldiers are attacking his bandhava and stealing the cows.

Immediately, Virata ordered the soldiers to be ready and rathis to start assembling the forces. As the soldiers milled about and Virata and his sons waited for their armor to be brought out, Virata paused to look at the empty spot of commander-in-chief. Madiraksha ("who takes refuge in wine") his brother rushed out with golden Iron armour with diamond inlay and iron lattice work called Abhedyakalpa, a gift from Indra to King Dwvaita. The armour had 100 suns, 100 valleys, 100 chakras, 100 eyes and 100 sweet smelling iron lotuses. It was unbreakable.

His younger brother Shatanika was covered from top to bottom in armour and looked like his entire body was made of steel. ("IronMan"). Suryadatta the new commander wore an armour shining like sun while Shankha the crown prince looked like Indra in his white armour.

Virata's the divine chariot which was inherited from his ancestor Upacharira Vasu was brought out along with Chariots of the warriors with chains of gold linking horses to the golden cars. The Pandavas who were watching these preparations saw a bunch of warriors who had never fought seriously in life wearing beautiful armour and riding in uselessly heavy golden chariots. As the brothers looked at each other, they were doubtful that these warriors shining like Devas will ever be able to assail Trigartas with success.

Kanka stepped in and said to the King "O King, I have learnt the four-styled art of Dhanurveda from a great Maharishi and am capable of navigating the chariot and follow the cows. We need all men in this fight, weakened as we are. The cook Ballava looks like a fighter and we already have seen the skills taught by Tantipala and teacher of horses Granthika would be useful too."

Virata immediately ordered Madiraksha ("who takes refuge in wine") to get Rathas, armour and weapons for the cook, his assistants, Tantipala and Granthika and their assistants as well.

Madiraksha moving fast, made the arrangements. Yudhishthara chooses a kavacha that is soft in side but hard outside and Madiraksha was surprised, this is a warrior who have been in many battles, he is no ordinary dice player.
As he saw Bhima and Twins put on their armour and help their comarades, his doubts were confirmed, these are no ordinary servants.

Then he saw Kanka's chariot rise up 6 inches in air. Stunned, Madiraksha ("who takes refuge in wine") thought "Looks like last night's drinks are still affecting my mind. Pichhli raat ki utari nahi."

Virata's army moved out. 8000 Rathis, 1000 60-year old experienced fighting elephants and 60,000 horse marched out. By the time dusk was settling, Virata's army closed in on the Trigartas. The rathis and elephants flanked by cavalry closing in with Yudhishthara leading in the

Trigartas were in two minds, whether to retreat for the day with captured cows or to offer battle. The decision was taken by Virata's experienced Gajasena which immediately clashed with Trigarta gajavahini guarding the cows.
As the sun set in the west, the armies started clashing with huge noise and chariots crashed together with heartrending sounds. The sun was already setting and the dust raised by the armies as well as the sky filled with raining arrows from cloud like bows totally obliterated the sun.

The Trigartas continued the artillery barrage of constant arrows. The arrows gleamed in low light and fell like laser lights on the Virata soldiers. As soon as one Trigarta bowman falls or is tired, his bow is taken by a reserve who continues to rain arrows on the Virata troops.

Matasya troops had attacked without any plan and coordination. They had also attacked in gathering dusk which now acted as impediment to their commanders. The battlefield was littered with trigarta and Matsaya warriors and rathis.

Yudhishthara now reached the battlefield behind the fleet footed chariots and elephants, in command of the foot soldiers. Examining the situation, Yudhishthara started gathering the foot soldiers and warriors around him in a Shyena vyuha. Putting himself in place of beak, Nakula and Sahadeva took positions in the wings and Bhima in the tail with lighted torches in hands of their soldiers. Now moving as a single minded formation, Yudhishthara's van eliminated one thousand soldiers while tail with a sting called Bhima destroyed 2000 rathis, the wings took care of 300 and 400 Trigarta cavalry soldiers. Emboldened by Yudhishthara's maneuvers, Shatanika and Madiraksha attacked and killed 500 warriors too with Madiraksha alone accounting for 400. Closing in with Trigartas, Matsayas started catching the hair of Trigarta rathis and dragging them down from their chariots. Suryadatta and Vishalaksha also joined in from opposite sides and Trgartas were encircled.

Virata in his familial divine chariot, remembered his old skills and took out 500 Rathis, 800 horsemen and most importantly, he killed Five main Trigarta Maharathis. He and Susharma engaged in a terrifc duel showering arrows on each other. But, Virata's initial folly to engage without planning was still to come back and bite him. The Night has completely set in while all the soldiers were covered in dust so the uniforms were useless. You cannot identify the enemy from friend and despite not wanting it, Yudhishthara called his soldiers back and stopped the fighting. Thankful for the breather, Trigartas also called in the soldiers to their lines and stopped the fighting.

Yudhishthara and Susharma repaired and arranged their battle lines and waited for the moon. As soon as moon rose, they will commence the battle. Spying that Virata in his shining armour was careening around in his chariot outside the battlelines, Susharma and his brother Satyratha executed a daring plan. They both quietly got down from their chariots, taking only maces with them, they silently crept towards Virata and the Rathis. Taking advantage of the darkness and confusion, they attacked the rathis and killed Virata's horses. As the moon rose, Trigarta Chariot force attacked Virata's position ignoring Yudhishthara's battlelines and Susharma killed the protectors and charioteer of Virata and took him prisoner. The Matsaya chariot force with their shining armour and golden chariots was easy target for the Trigarta rathis. Scattering the chariots, Trigartas reunited with their king and captured Virata. Climbing on his chariot, Susharma fled away from main battle field with his prisoner while Trigartas attacked the battlelines hoping that the Matsaya soldiers would lose heart and run away.

They had not accounted for Commander Cool. Confident, in control of his senses, Yudhishthara calmed the soldiers around him and sent Bhima after Susharma. Bhima looked at a tree and thought of using it as a Mace but Yudhishthara dissuaded him stating that "You will be instantly revealed as Bhima if you do something extra ordinary like uprooting a tree. Use a normal weapon for once and rescue the King." Then Yudhishthara and twins started dealing with Trigarta chariot force as the battle joined under the moonlight.

Using bow and arrow, Bhima assailed the heart of Trigarta battlelines, shattering them with his thousands of arrows and injudicious use of his mace, soon one lakh trigarta soldiers were booking their waiting cards as Chitragupta and his accountants were kept busy by this gruesome struggle under the half moon of saptami.

Satyaratha and his four brothers were swallowed in this forest fire called Bhima. Susharma seeing Satyaratha missing attacked Bhima with hundreds of arrows. He started calling in Divyastras. Meanwhile the scattered Matsaya chariot forces returned under Shankha and he showed great prowess and skills in battlinh Susharma's divya-astras. Backing Shankha up, Yudhishthara killed a thousand more soldiers and Bhima got rid of another seven thousand, the twins added a thousand to their tally as well. Now, Trigarta lines were bare and their dead were simply piling and becoming like stones on the road created by Chariots of the Pandavas. Using their fast moving chariots, the Pandavas surrounded Susharma and Bhima killed his protectors and Charioteer. Madiraksha also joined in the fun and with susharma distracted, Virata got rid of his bindings and jumped from the chariot, seizing a mace he started killing Trigarta soldiers as well. Susharma started running away on foot and Bhima gave chase. Like a Tiger hunts deer, Bhima chased down Susharma and caught him hair, gave a twirl and pushed him into ground. Kicking him on the head, Bhima gave him a single punch and Susharma went down for a thousand count.

Trigarta army was already broken and seeing the condition of Susharma, the last vestiges of fight left them. Virata's forces fanned out as they recovered all the dhana and the cows.

Bhima presented Susharma to his brother as others looked on. In the flickerng lights of the fires being set up by the soldiers all round, Madiraksha ("who takes refuge in wine") sipping a victory drink, looked at the scene and remembered how Yudhishthara looked surrounded by six sacrificial fires of the Rajasuya in simple clothes of Yajmana and how Kanka looks so like him in his armour. He threw the bottle away and smiled. Nakula approached him "Are you ok, Prince Madiraksha."

Madiraksha answered "My real name is Vishalaksha, named for the three eyed one. My eyes are now open." And he smiled saluting the horse trainer.
Shatanika also smiled and said to Nakula "My real name is Suryadatta. The truth has dawned on me."

Bhima told Susharma that he is now slave of King Virata and should acknowledge that where ever you go. Yudhishthara intervened and said "The practice of slavery through battlefield is not to my liking. You are no longer a slave and can depart. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or his wealth or his cows, or anything that belongs to your neighbor".
Susharma saluted King Virata and walked towards his kingdom.
Celebrating their win, the Matsayas set up camp in the battlefield.
Virata gave all the recovered wealth to the Pandavas and said that from now this day onwards, the King of Matsaya is kanka and I will crown him right now.
"Let it be known across the land, that the Brahmin born in the family of Vyaghrapada is the King. Because of you, o Vipra, I am here alive and with my children. Other wise I was a captive or even dead but for your prowess and skills." (Dhaumya was named after a Brahmin who was son of Vyaghrapada so as his disciple Yudhisthara in guru shishya parampara was of Vyaghrapada Gotra as well.)
"I will give you fiefs, jewels, elephants we have captured, the horses, and rathas for you deserve them all."
"Take your pick of beautiful women of this country (except Sairandhari)" (Bhima sniggered quietly.)
Yudhisthara refusing kingdom, offers of beautiful women and all the worldly goods stated "Service is our reward. The safety of our master is paramount. You have been extremely kind to us already beyond measure. Without the master or his favor, a person is a pariah, adrift, cut off from society. We wish that your favour remain on us indefinitely. My hapiness will be the joy on the faces of your wife and son when you greet them at palace."
"Send the news of victory to capital and let them be prepared to receive the victorious army. Let the capital be ready like a bride to receive the victorious bridegroom".