Bhagavatham: Revenge of Aswathama

 

BHAGAVATHAM

The book starts with the revenge of Aswathama, son on Dronacharya.

On the 17^th day when Karna was killed, Duryodhana felt helpless, so he went to his mother. Gandhari asked him to stand in front of her stark naked, feeling a little conscious he kept his lower garment on. Gandhari who had blindfolded herself after her marriage to Dhritarashtra, she who had not even seen her children, opened her blindfold and saw his cloth clad body and said Yadho Dharma thatho Jayam. Duryodhana knew that he made a mistake when he felt some intense power enter him when his mother opened the blindfold. That covered area became the vulnerable spot, like the Achilles heel.

Bheema had the pride of being known as the strongest, but after a long fight he understood that Duryodhana was proving to be invincible. Krishna Bhagwan signalled Bheema to hit him below the hip and so Bheema hit Duryodhana’s thigh, and Duryodhana fell bleeding slowly to death. When they were heading back to the tents, Krishna insisted that they stay at the enemies Camp, though they did not understand why, they followed his instructions.

There Aswathama was furious, Yudhishtra had lied, and Dhrishtadyumna killed his father, now his close comrade Duryodhana was bleeding and dying on the 18^th day and the war had ended. He had the sole intention of destroying the lineage of the Pandavas. Despite knowing that its adharma to kill anyone who is sleeping he just did exactly that. The sons of Draupadi were sleeping inside the tent and he cut their heads off.

He proudly took and showed the severed heads to Duryodhana who was so bitter and cringed in aversion towards Aswathama. He was disgusted that he cursed Aswathama to be a wandering Pretha Roopam. Even Duryodhana felt the depth of the adharma. Revenge already caused so much destruction.

When the Pandavas come back to their camp site, they saw Panchali wailing. Arjuna couldn’t understand why she was crying when she should be celebrating their victory. She pointed to the bodies of her children and explained what happened. Arjuna angry and bitter swore to take revenge and asks Krishna to take out the Ratha/Chariot. They find Aswathama but he releases the Brahmastra that he didn’t know how to use. Dronacharya, his father, never taught him the vidya knowing his nature. But somehow, he got hold of how it should be used and now here was using it, with half knowledge. Arjuna felt helpless and sought Krishna Bhagwan’s help. Bhagwan advised there was no way to destroy it but to send Brahmastra back to nullify it. That land would remain barren for years because of the after effect. Finally, Aswathama was brought before Draupadi, bound.

Panchali was devastated, but Aswathama’s presence did not impact her and she asked Arjuna to let Aswathama go free. She told him that killing him is not going to get her children back. Being an acharya putra that wouldn’t be fair either and moreover she didn’t want his mother Gauthami devi, to go through the ordeal she was going through. Enough of revenge she felt. Yudhishtra praised Draupadi and agreed with her so did Nakula and Sahadeva. Bheema was supporting Arjuna to kill. Arjuna looked toward Krishna Bhagwan who told him to kill yet not kill him. Arjuna understood as he cut of the choodamani and the shika (tuft of hair on the head of a brahmin) from Aswathama leaving him insulted but free to breathe.

After that all them went to the banks of the river to do the last rites (udakakriya) for the dead. There was wailing all around mothers who lost their sons, sisters who lost their brothers, wives who had lost their husbands. Krishna tried to pacify them. He told them it’s all time bound, time/kalam no resolution thus no remorse, realising this is the only way. Yudhishtra was about to do the udakakriya for Duryodhana, when Kunti stops him and asks him to do it for Karna. Yudhishtra was surprised looked at Krishna. Krishna told him to obey Kunti. It was only after this that the secret was revealed they collapsed in sadness of not knowing Karna as their brother and of having been rude to him. They all returned to Hastinapura sad, heavy in heart.

Just as Krishna Bhagwan was planning to get into the chariot, Uthara comes running to him. Uthara was the wife of Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna and Subhadra (Krishna Bhagwan’s sister), who got killed in the war. She was pregnant and Aswathama had sent a Brahmastra to destroy the foetus. Uthra begged Bhagwan to save her child even if it cost her own life. Krishna Bhagwan never interfered with time/Kalam, never tried to save Abhimanyu or the sons of Draupadi or even his own kula, but this child was destined to do a lot for the world, so he interfered to save the child. Krishna summoned the Sudarshana chakra and created a fort. When the astra does hit the Sudarshana, the light emitting could blind the baby if by chance it opens the eyes. So, Krishna enters the womb and appears to the foetus in the size of a thumb, as Sakha chakra Gadha Dhari. As expected, the luminous strike did happen, and the foetus did open its eye but saw the Krishna roopam and Bhagwan craved an uthama sishya in him. He was to be king Pareekshit because of whom the world got the Bhagavatham through Sree Suka Brahmarishi.