Not a sound came still from poor prince Uttara Kumara. He felt there was a sea raging inside his chest, in which he was also drowning. Brihannala said, "You will be the first man ever to fight all these heroes together, single-handedly. Shall we ride at them, Kshatriya?" The prince wailed, "I am terrified, Brihannala! I have never seen warriors like these before. I thought my uncle Keechaka was the greatest kshatriya alive. Each of these Kurus is twice as great as he was and there are so many of them! Indra himself would be afraid of these men; how will I fight them by myself? Eunuch, my body burns, my head spins and I feel faint. Can't you see I am just a boy, sarathy? I cannot fight these awesome men. Turn the chariot round, Brihannala, ride back to our city like the wind!" The eunuch laughed, "You are afraid? Just a short while ago you dragged me out of the palace, crying, Hurry, Brihannala! Take me to the Kurus, I can't wait to fight them.' If you turn back now, Uttara Kumara, your women will laugh at you and every kshatriya on earth will hold you in contempt.
My prince, these Kurus do not tread the path of dharma. They come as thieves and they are not as powerful as they seem. I swear your chariot shall flit through them like a wasp and their arrows will never find a mark on us. You can shame these Kurus today and become a hero. Your father is a noble kshatriya, your uncle was the mighty Keechaka. You must have some of their courage in your blood. Even I do not feel afraid, then how can a prince like you turn away from battle? The sairandhri sang my praises to your sister, saying I was the finest sarathy on earth. After that, even a eunuch cannot go back without recovering the herd. Be bold. Face your enemies one by one and I swear the day will be ours!" The prince moaned, "I don't care if the women laugh at me, or if all the world does. Let the Kurus take whatever they want: our cattle, our wealth, our kingdom. I will not fight them; my kshatriya blood turns to water at just the sight of this enemy. No Brihannala, this is no place for a boy like me. If you won't turn the chariot back, I will run from here on my own!" Uttara Kumara flung down his bow, leapt out of the chariot and began to run back toward the city. B
rihannala shouted after him, "Don't disgrace your noble birth! It is better to die in battle than run from it." But the prince was going as quickly as he could. Now, in plain sight of the astonished Kauravas, Brihannala also leapt down from the chariot, a strange figure in a crimson mantle, her long hair flying behind her and ran after the fleeing prince. The Kaurava soldiers laughed. In a moment, the long-haired one caught up with the boy and seized him. Uttara Kumara cried, "Let me go, Brihannala! I will give you a hundred gold coins. I will give you jewels beyond your dreams, a chariot and ten thousand elephants. But let me go!" Meanwhile, the Kaurava soldiers said among themselves, "Who is this fantastic pair? A boy and the queerest creature I have ever seen." "The odd one is dressed like a woman, but he is a man." "Or a eunuch! But he resembles someone I know." Drona said, "The boy ran because he is scared. The eunuch is trying to bring him back to fight us. I know this eunuch's noble head; I know those long arms. Who would run after a stripling to force him back to fight the Kuru army by himself? It is Arjuna!"
Meanwhile, Brihannala held Uttara Kumara firmly and the youth could not escape him. The eunuch said, I will not let you run away and bring shame upon yourself. If you are afraid, be my sarathy and I will fight the Kauravas. Nothing will harm you and we shall win the day. This isn't a time for cowardice, but glory." Something in the eunuch's voice, in his eyes, made Uttara Kumara believe him completely. All at once, as if Brihannala had taken the boy's fear from him bodily, he felt no urge to run any more. Uttara Kumara said meekly, "I will drive the horses, Brihannala, if you will fight." Amazed at himself, Uttara Kumara climbed up to the sarathy's place and took the reins. Brihannala climbed in behind him. But when the prince was about to drive his horses forward, the eunuch said, "Take us to the forest where the dead are burned."
Menon, Ramesh (2006-07-20). THE MAHABHARATA: A Modern Rendering, Vol 1 (Kindle Locations 13893-13941). iUniverse. Kindle Edition.
Udne Ki Aasha
Kumkum Bhagya
