Scars Of An Archer: A Poetic Rendition✅

Princess Uttara's Fate

Twelve days of war had by then gone by,
Thousands dead on the battlefield did lie
With Drona as the leader of the clan,
The Kauravas hatched an evil plan

As the thirteenth day of war did dawn,
The battle formations were formally drawn
And as they planned the previous day,
Susharma led me far away
With a mighty army at the core,
And great leaders at the fore
In Chakravyuha did Drona lead,
To break it knew no one indeed

With an attack that was so brutal and savage,
The Kaurava army went on the rampage
Thousands were left dying or dead,
And many more from the scene had fled
In mortal fear, to the Pandava tent,
The elder Pandava then hastily went
But for a boy, he found no one,
Had evil over good, then finally won?

The son of Vijaya then stood up brave,
And Asked, "Uncle, pray why do you look so grave?
These beads of sweat I spy on your brow,
Tell me if I can wipe it somehow "

With trembling voice did Yudhishtra speak,
"I don't know whose help I now can seek
Under Chakravyuha Drona has advanced too far,
I fear we are going to lose this war

To pierce it the only warriors I had,
Were the Lord himself and then your dad
They have been led so far away,
Our warriors by hundreds have fallen prey

Is this the end, will the balladeers sing,
Of the untimely end of the Pandava King?
Has a new world order begun to rule,
Where Evil reigns and Good made a fool"

The strapping youth then stood up to speak,
"You are a Kshatriya king, don't be so meek
Impregnable to you the Chakravyuha might seem,
But of victory no Kaurava shall yet dare to dream"

So saying the brave youth went in to prepare,
To show his bravery, he was getting a chance rare
When a shadow he felt behind him so near,
And on his shoulder fell a drop of tear

He turned back to his wife, still in her teen,
Her face was pale, had lost all its sheen
"Tell me my Lord do you have to go,
Get in you can but come out you don't know

Your child you know grows within my womb,
He should see his dad, not a lonely tomb
So don't go my Lord, don't leave me alone,
You are the only one, I have as my own

Throwing herself against her husband's chest,
Little Uttara inconsolably wept
The ways of the war, she was too small to know,
All she knew, her husband, she wouldn't let go

Abhimanyu gently pushed her aside,
To his weeping wife, he then replied
"The Kshatriya blood that flows through my vein,
When shed on the battlefield, should not be in vain

Shy away, shall not I in this hour of need,
Now is the time to step in and lead
Whether I come back alive or dead,
"Valiantly he fought", shall of me be said

Those were words she refused to hear,
All she cared was for her husband dear
"All that you say may indeed be true,
But all I care for, is only you

Tomorrow, when our son is born,
I want to celebrate, not sit and mourn
You may win the battle, war, an empire,
But your presence in my life, is all I desire

So tell them, I am sure they will understand,
There will be other heroes in this mighty land
Whose wives are made of much sterner stuff,
I don't need an empire, my Lord is enough "

Abhimanyu himself, though just sixteen,
A braver youth, there wasn't to be seen
So for all the time his wife did plead,
He knew he had to leave, that was the moment's need

"Daughter of the brave king Virat you are,
So shouldn't cry when your Lord goes to war
It is fire not tears in your eyes I should spy,
Send your husband to war with your head held high

Whether I come back alive or covered in shroud,
Be rest assured I shall make my father proud
Think of the glory it will bring,
The son of Yama, shall be the King

When the bugles blow and the trumpets sound,
On the battlefield I shall be found
Pray not for my life but the battle we win,
Keep the fire of hope, burning within"

He was Partha's son and Lord Krishna's nephew,
Her chances of stopping him, she knew was few
So though her fears were still in spate,
She knew she couldn't bemoan her fate

"Go forth my Lord, don't speak of death,
Let Victory fill your every breath
My prayers are with you in your every stride,
Go, and become your father's pride "

So did the little princess that day,
Send her husband on the way
And like a thousand lions did he roar,
Knowing death was knocking at the door

Even the Gods that day watched in awe,
As the bravest of lads on a battlefield they saw
For a boy just sixteen years of age,
He displayed unseen valor and courage

Drona, Karna, Kripa, great warriors all,
Yet before his skill they did fall
So shamelessly did they together conspire,
To conquer this little giant, breathing fire

The heavens wept as together did they,
The bravest of all, that day did slay
With a lighted lamp, in her tent did she wait,
To receive her husband, unknowing her fate.