The Bhargavastra prayoga at Kurukshetra

Did Arjuna 'run away' from the Bhargavastra?

Read for yourself and decide. 

Arjuna left the battlefield when the Bhargavastra was sweeping thru the soldiers. Why? He went to see if Yudisthira was alive or not. Earlier Yudi had been severely injured by Karna. If the king was dead, it wud change things for the pandavas. Drastically.

Bhima wud be the new king then, which meant he cud not be at the forefront and wud have to be pulled back into a protective circle, meaning battle strategy changes significantly. Many things wud change actually. It was critical to know. But that was not all, Arjuna was worried about his eldest brother when he came to know. It is Krishna who tells him, after he defeats Ashwattama, that Yudi has been injured severely. He says it when Arjuna points out the Bhargava weapon to him.

So did Arjuna 'run away'? Here are the salient points:

1. Karna was NOT fighting Arjuna when he used the Bhargava weapon. That is the main point here. Arjuna forces Ashwattama to retreat and he is causing large scale massacre of the Kaurava army, making them flee the battlefield. Duryodhana asks Karna to stop them from fleeing, to restore the army's morale. Karna unleashes Bhargava to mirror a massacre of Pandava soldiers and he succeeds. His target- Panchalas and Chedis.

2. Arjuna sees the devastation and tells Krishna that it is a terrible weapon.

3. Krishna wants him to check on Yudisthira first and then come and tackle Karna/ Kill him. Why is it important to see Yudi now? I mentioned that in the beginning. Arjuna also gets anxious now he knows Yudi has been severely injured.

4. Arjuna does a survey of his own army, he sees the quadrant leaders holding firm at their positions, instructs them again and then looks for Yudi once more, can't find him. Then he goes to Bhima.

5. He asks Bhima where Yudi is and Bhima tells him that he doubts if Yudi is alive. Arjuna asks Bhima to go to camp and check on Yudi, saying that the king must have gone back there.

6. Bhima however, is in the middle of battle. He says he cannot go bcos that will be seen as retreat. Arjuna has defeated Ashwattama, ended that battle, is not engaged in his next battle yet and hence Bhima tells him to go.

7. Arjuna says that the Samsapthakas are arraying forces to challenge him, he cannot go. Bhima says he'll take care of it for now, Arjuna should first go, check on Yudi and come back.

8. Now, Arjuna asks Krishna to take him to Yudi and they go to check the condition of Yudi. There, Arjuna repeatedly tells Yudi that he is going to go back quickly (as Bhima has taken on a tough job) and challenge Karna. There is no intent on Arjuna's part to put off the direct face off any longer. There IS a clear intent to directly confront as soon as he gets back to the battlefield.

9. At the battlefield, Bhima is holding fort and facing Karna along with the Srinjayas, then Dhristadyumna does so, when Arjuna comes back and re-enters the fray.

Here are a few more aspects to consider:

# What wud have happened if Karna had been fighting Arjuna when he let the Bhargavaastra loose, upon Arjuna? Arjuna had both Brahmashira and Pasupatha. Mahadev clearly says that there is nothing to combat Pasupatha. Arjuna never used either on the battlefield, never used Pasupata in his entire life. So he probably would STILL not have used either.

#What was the result of Karna using Bhargavastra? Swathes of Pandava foot soldiers were consumed. But the astra did not claim the life of a single crucial Pandava warrior. It swept thru the army and then died down.