An Echoing Silence ✅

Peace Talks Failed

A priest was sent by the Pandavas from Matsya to Hastina-puri to ask for their land. Duryodhana sent him back, claiming that while by the lunar calendar the Pandavas had completed the thirteen years of exile, they had not completed it as per the solar calendar. So they had to go back to the forest for another twelve years.

Duryodhana then sent his father’s charioteer, Sanjay, as emissary to tell
the Pandavas not to return for they were not welcome in Indra-prastha.

All was well there and everyone had forgotten the Pandava brothers who had built the city only to gamble it away.

Sages like Sanat and Kanva rushed to Hastina-puri and tried to explain to
Dhritarashtra that his son’s stand was not right. It was against dharma.

When the ethical and moral approach did not work, the sages warned
Dhritarashtra and his sons that neither Krishna nor the Pandavas were ordinary men. Arjuna and Krishna were Nara and Narayana reborn.

Krishna was Vishnu who walked the earth and no one had ever defeated
Vishnu in battle.

They narrated the tale of Garuda, the king of the birds, who insisted on
eating Sumukha, the serpent, who Gunakeshi, the daughter of Indra’s
charioteer, Matali, was betrothed to marry. Matali begged Garuda to spare the man his daughter had fallen in love with, but Garuda ignored him.
Finally Matali invoked Indra, king of the Devas, who summoned Garuda.

When Garuda displayed his prowess arrogantly, Indra placed his hand on
Garuda. So heavy was his hand that Garuda could not stand. Humbled, he agreed to let the young Sumukha live.

‘Duryodhana, do not be arrogant
like Garuda. Or, you will be humbled as he was.’

When Duryodhana laughed at this story and Dhritarashtra remained silent, the sages shook their heads and went away in despair concluding that nothing now could save the Kuru household from the path of self-
destruction.

Krishna then decided to travel to Hastina-puri and try and make the
Kauravas see sense. As he made his way to the city, he found that all along the highway arrangements had been made by Duryodhana for his
refreshment. Tents had been set up. There were men holding pots of water and baskets of food. Krishna refused all this.

In the city, he stayed in Vidura’s house instead of Dhritarashtra’s palace. "I
will eat food with the Kauravas only when my meeting with them is
successful."

Vidura never ate in the house of the king.

He and his family sustained themselves on green leafy vegetables that they grew in their own kitchen garden. This was basically to maintain their autonomy and to express their displeasure on the way the king had treated his own nephews.

When Krishna finally met the blind king and his sons, things were not
pleasant. Duryodhana told Krishna, "I will not part with Indra-prastha. I
rule it well. No one wants the gamblers back."

"A word is a word. Whether you rule well or not does not matter. You
promised to return Indra-prastha after the Pandavas endured thirteen years of humiliating exile. They have kept their word. You do too," said Krishna.

"No" replied Duryodhana with evil smile playing on his lips.

"For the sake of peace, give them at least five villages so that they may
live with dignity"appealed Krishna.

"No." smirked Duryodhan whose daydreaming was still on peak.

"Five houses in one village." demanded Krishna.

"No. Not even a needlepoint of territory will I part of Aryavart with,’ replied Duryodhana with a proud smile.

"By going back on your word,’ said Krishna, "you have destroyed the
foundation of dharma. By refusing to a compromise for the sake of peace,
you have made yourself unfit to rule. You must therefore be destroyed."

Krishna stood up and took his decision. "Let there be war on the plains of Kuru-kshetra between the upholders of civilized conduct and the followers of the law of the jungle. Let the earth be drenched in the blood of those who do not deserve her bounty."

"How dare you threaten me!’ shouted Duryodhana. "Guards, seize this
Chatterbox cowherd"

The whole court was shocked by Duryodhana’s orders. Arresting Krishna!

That was unthinkable. Soon, the court was filled with a dozen guards
pointing their swords and spears at Krishna.

Krishna smiled, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?".

Suddenly, the court was filled with a blinding light. What followed was a vision that terrified all the Kauravas:

Krishna appeared not as a man but as a being with a thousand heads
breathing fire, grinding entire worlds between his teeth. His head reached
beyond the skies and his feet went beyond the seas.

‘What is it that everyone is seeing?’ asked the blind Dhritarashtra. But
everyone was too thunderstruck to reply. "What is it? What is it? Please
Krishna; let me for once see this."
Krishna obliged.

For the first time in his life, Dhritarashtra could see and
what he saw brought tears to his eyes.

He could see God.

"Let me not see
anything more. Let me be blind once more. Eyes that have seen this must
not see anything else" replied the blind king.

The vision was replaced by darkness. When light returned, Krishna was
gone. Bliss and awe experienced for a moment in the presence of divinity
was forgotten once more. War had been declared and it would be fought.