Kurukshetra: The defining Krishna-Arjun journey

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟟: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕦𝕟

Krishna's pov

Satyaki and Bhurisravas had cut each others' arrows and bows to pieces with their swords, and crazed with battle, abandoned even their swords in favour of wrestling.

Both Krishna and Arjun's gaze frequently turned to them as Arjun went about his mission of killing each enemy around to get to Jayadratha. Satyaki, being the great warrior he was, did not warrant anxious glances when he was in battle; it was only that he had been ready to collapse when he had reached them.

It happened within a blink--Bhurisravas pushed Satyaki to the ground, dragged him into position and made to unsheathe his sword.

"Protect him, Parth," hissed Krishna.

"I cannot attack from behind--"

"It is Satyaki!"

But Arjun had not needed the last bit of urging, for he had severed Bhurisravas's sword arm with a perfectly aimed arrow before Krishna had even finished speaking.

Satyaki and Bhurisravas both looked stunned as the latter's arm, still holding the sword, dropped to the earth, and copious amounts of blood squirted out.

The battle around had paused for a beat at the unexpected turn of events. Satyaki sat up in wonder; Bhurisravas sat down in meditation to die.

"Is this your idea of dharma, Rajkumar Arjun, attacking someone who was not engaged in battle with you, behind his back?" he remonstrated. "What would Samrat Yudhishthir say?"

Krishna saw the familiar slump of guilt in Arjun's stance.

"I do not doubt it was Vasudev Krishna's idea, for you are not known to act against dharma," said Bhurisravas.

Arjun drew himself up and spoke with cold dignity. "It is my dharma not to let any of my allies be killed within my bowshot. You cannot censure anyone without knowing their dharma. My severing your arm when you had raised your weapon in battle to kill Satyaki is not forbidden by dharma, but what righteous man would applaud the killing of Abhimanyu in that manner?"

Behind Bhurisravas, Satyaki had risen to his feet with his sword. The former, intent on his meditation, did not spot him, but Arjun, Bheem and Krishna did.

"Satyaki--no, don't!"

Heedless of the warnings, Satyaki cut off Bhirsravas's head.

***

Everyone expressed dismay and disapproval at this insult to a man who had already been dealt the killing blow and had embraced his death.

The dwellers of Dwaraka, however, tended not to care about what people said about them.

Unfazed, Satyaki launched into a defiant speech about how Bhurisravas humiliating him by dragging across the ground had made it inevitable for him to kill him, if Arjun, out of love for him, had not intervened.

He ended with a fierce lilt in his voice.

"You speak of dharma? After what you did to Abhimanyu--a child, unarmed, weaponless, chariotless--you buffoons speak of dharma?"

Krishna caught tears in Arjun's eyes.

"Go on, Gurudev," yelled Satyaki. "Get the trecherous King of Sindhu! Get them all!"

Arjun nodded at Krishna, who restarted their chariot into swift motion.

***

Sundown approached rapidly. 

Safely hidden within Dronacharya's protective formations, they had no idea where Jayadratha was, and were no closer to getting to him than when the battle had commenced that morning, and it began to hit them that they might be fighting a losing battle here.