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The morning after the wedding: Krishna asks Virata’s council to send an envoy for half the kingdom
The Udyoga Parva opens with reverence to Narayana, to Nara, foremost among men, and to the goddess Saraswati, followed by the invocation of Jaya, victory. Vaishampayana, telling the history to King Janamejaya, now returns to the morning after the wedding of Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu and Virata’s daughter Uttara. The celebration has brought together men whose support will matter when the Pandavas press their claim to the kingdom. The Kuru princes who had gathered on Virata’s side had celebrated the marriage joyfully and rested through the night. At dawn, well pleased, they entered the Matsya king’s court. Wealth filled the chamber: choice gems and precious stones, carefully arranged seats, garlands, fragrance. Virata and Drupada occupied the places at the front. Elderly rulers whose rank and years commanded respect joined the gathering, and Balarama and Krishna were present with their father, Vasudeva. Near Drupada, the king of Panchala, sat Satyaki of Shini’s line, beside Rohini’s son Balarama. Krishna and Yudhishthira sat close to Virata. Here Yudhishthira had a place among the rulers of the earth, while the kingdom taken from him remained in the hands of Dhritarashtra’s sons. Drupada’s sons were there, along with Bhima, Arjuna, and Madri’s twins, Nakula and Sahadeva. Pradyumna and Samba, both formidable warriors, joined Abhimanyu and Virata’s sons. Draupadi’s five sons occupied fine seats inlaid with gold. In strength, bearing, courage, and grace, they were worthy of their fathers. Bright ornaments and splendid clothing gave the assembled rulers the brilliance of stars across the sky. For a time the heroes spoke together about various matters. Then conversation yielded to reflection, and their attention settled on Krishna. He directed it toward the Pandavas and the question of their future, and the kings listened together as he began a speech weighty in matter and lofty in aim.
“All of you know how Yudhishthira was defeated through deception at dice by Shakuni, Suvala’s son,” Krishna said. “You know how his kingdom was taken and the condition imposed upon him concerning exile in the forest. These sons of Pandu had the strength to conquer the earth. They nevertheless held to the word they had given. For thirteen years they carried out the cruel obligation placed upon them. The final year was especially hard. They endured intolerable difficulties of every kind and lived in the service of others, passing that year without being recognized by anyone. You all know this. Now consider what would serve both Yudhishthira and Duryodhana. Consider what arrangement between the Kurus and the Pandavas would accord with righteousness and proper conduct, and receive the approval of everyone concerned. Yudhishthira would never desire even the kingdom of heaven through an unrighteous act. He would accept the rule of a single village if it came to him justly. Every king here knows how Dhritarashtra’s sons fraudulently deprived him of his ancestral kingdom and how much suffering he has endured. Those sons cannot overcome Arjuna by force. Even so, Yudhishthira and his friends desire the welfare of Dhritarashtra’s son.”
“Kunti’s brave sons and Madri’s two sons ask for what they themselves won by defeating kings in battle,” Krishna went on. “You know the methods their enemies used against them, even when they were children, in the effort to destroy them and possess their kingdom. You know the malice behind those acts. Consider that greed, and consider Yudhishthira’s righteousness. Consider also the relationship between these families. Discuss the matter together, and let each of you examine it for himself. The Pandavas have always honored truth. They have carried out every part of their undertaking to the letter. If Dhritarashtra’s sons now wrong them again, the Pandavas can kill them even if they gather all their strength together. They have friends as well, men who, once they learn of the disgraceful treatment the Pandavas received, will stand beside them and fight their persecutors, ready to kill them and willing to lose their own lives in doing it. If you believe they are too few to defeat their enemies, remember what they can do when united and supported by their friends. They will exert themselves to the utmost to destroy those who attack them.”
“What Duryodhana intends we do not yet know precisely, nor what he will do,” Krishna said. “How can you decide upon the best course while the other side’s mind remains unknown? Let a man of righteousness, honesty, respected birth, and careful judgment go to them, an able envoy. Let him address them gently and ask them to give half the kingdom to Yudhishthira.” He had spoken with prudence and a regard for virtue, in a spirit at once peaceable and impartial. When he finished, his elder brother Balarama, who sat beside Satyaki near the king of Panchala, praised the younger brother’s words before the assembly and then addressed the kings himself.
A key to reading this (the place and the request): Krishna’s claim for the Pandavas rests on two grounds together: the ancestral kingdom that Dhritarashtra’s sons took by fraud, and the territory the brothers themselves won from defeated kings. The envoy is to ask for half of it, and the kings are asked to weigh the welfare of both related families, since the men holding the kingdom and the men asking for it belong to one house. The single village Krishna mentions is the measure of Yudhishthira’s restraint, and the thirteen years are the exile the dice imposed: twelve in the forest and a thirteenth unrecognized.
The gist: At Virata’s court, Krishna recalls the deception at dice and the Pandavas’ completed exile. He asks the rulers to consider a just settlement for both sides, warns of the strength the Pandavas and their allies could bring to war, and proposes sending a trustworthy, skilled envoy to request half the kingdom and discover Duryodhana’s intentions. What follows grows from that proposal: how humbly the envoy should speak, who he should be, and which kings must be reached before Duryodhana reaches them.
Balarama asks for a humble appeal; Satyaki challenges the blame placed on Yudhishthira
“You have all heard the words of Gada’s elder brother,” Balarama said, “words governed by righteousness and sound judgment, and good alike for Yudhishthira and for King Duryodhana. These brave sons of Kunti are ready to give up half their kingdom, and they make that sacrifice for Duryodhana’s sake. Let Dhritarashtra’s sons give up the other half, then, and rejoice with us, and be glad that the quarrel can be settled so well. Once these mighty men have their kingdom they will be at peace and content, provided the other side behaves well, and their contentment will be the welfare of everyone who lives under these rulers. I would be glad if someone from this gathering undertook the journey to the Kurus to pacify both houses, learned what is in Duryodhana’s mind, and explained Yudhishthira’s wishes. Let him greet Bhishma with respect, the heroic elder of Kuru’s line, and the great-hearted son of Vichitravirya, and Drona with his son Ashvatthama, and Vidura and Kripa, and Shakuni of Gandhara, and Karna, the son of a charioteer. Let him pay his respects to the other sons of Dhritarashtra as well, and to every man there known for strength and learning, devoted to his duties, brave, and able to read the times. When all of them are gathered, and the elderly citizens of the city with them, let him speak words full of humility, words that serve Yudhishthira’s interest. Whatever happens, they must be given no cause for anger. They hold the kingdom with a strong hand.”
Then Balarama turned to the dice game, and his account placed the fault on the dispossessed king himself. “When Yudhishthira had his throne, he forgot himself at gambling, and they took his kingdom from him. This brave Kuru, this descendant of Ajamida, had no skill at dice, and all his friends tried to dissuade him. Still he challenged the son of Gandhara’s king, an expert at the game, to a match. There were thousands of dice players in that place whom Yudhishthira could have beaten. He took no notice of any of them. He challenged Suvala’s son, of all men, and so he lost. Though the dice went against him again and again, he would still have Shakuni alone for his opponent, and competing with Shakuni he suffered a crushing defeat. Shakuni cannot be blamed for that. Let the messenger use humble words, words meant to conciliate Vichitravirya’s son. He may then bring Dhritarashtra’s son round to his own view. Avoid seeking war with the Kurus. Speak to Duryodhana in a spirit of conciliation. War may fail to achieve the object. Persuasion may secure it, and secure it in a way that lasts.” Balarama was still speaking when Satyaki of Shini’s line rose up, indignant, and answered him at once before the whole council.
“A man speaks according to what is in his heart,” Satyaki said. “Your words reveal yours. There are brave men, and there are cowards; men fall into these two classes. A single tree may carry two branches, one bearing fruit, the other barren. One family may produce men of strength and men of weakness. I do not condemn the words you have spoken, Balarama of the plow banner. It is these listeners I condemn, son of Madhu, who let a man stand in this assembly and attach even the slightest blame to the righteous Yudhishthira. How can such a man be permitted to speak here at all? Skilled gamblers challenged the great-hearted Yudhishthira, who had no skill at play. He trusted them, and they defeated him through that trust. Can men like that be said to have won righteously? If they had come to Yudhishthira while he played with his brothers in his own house and beaten him there, what they won would have been won justly. They challenged a man bound in conscience to the rules of the warrior order, and they won by a trick. Where is the righteousness in that? He has carried out every condition of the stakes to the utmost. His promise of the forest is discharged. His ancestral throne is his by right. Why should he have to humble himself? Even if he wanted another man’s possessions, begging would be beneath him. These men still claim that the Pandavas were recognized during their year in concealment, which the Pandavas lived out unrecognized. How can men who say that be called righteous, or free of any design on the throne? Bhishma appealed to them. The great-hearted Drona appealed to them. They still refused to return the throne that belongs to the Pandavas by birth.”
“The appeal I would make to them is with sharp arrows,” Satyaki went on. “I will fight, and with a strong hand I will compel them to bow at the feet of Kunti’s illustrious son. If they do not bow at the feet of the wise Yudhishthira, they and everyone supporting them will join the dead in Yama’s realm. When I am enraged and resolved to fight, they can no more withstand my onset than mountains can withstand the thunderbolt. Who can face Arjuna in battle? Who can face the wielder of the discus, or me? Who can hold against Bhima, whom no one approaches? Who, if he values his life, would come near the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, their hands firm upon their bows, their judgment as deadly as Yama’s? Who would approach Dhrishtadyumna, Drupada’s son, or these five sons of the Pandavas, who have added luster to Draupadi’s name, who rival their fathers in valor and equal them in everything, proud of their strength in war? Who would approach Subhadra’s son, the great archer whose advance even the gods cannot check, or Gada, or Pradyumna, or Samba, men like death, the thunderbolt, and fire? We will kill Dhritarashtra’s son, Shakuni, and Karna in battle and set the Pandava on his throne.”
“There is no sin in killing men who are bent on killing us,” he said. “Begging before enemies brings both wrongdoing and disgrace. Apply yourselves to what Yudhishthira desires with his whole heart. Let Dhritarashtra surrender the kingdom, and let Pandu’s son receive it. Either Yudhishthira gets his kingdom back this very day, or all our enemies will lie on the ground, killed by me.”
A key to reading this (the conflicting accounts): The disagreement over the dice game belongs to the dialogue. Balarama blames Yudhishthira for choosing and persisting against a superior player. Satyaki describes a challenge enforced by a warrior’s obligations and exploited through deceit. Satyaki’s game in Yudhishthira’s own home is a supposition inside his argument, and no event of the story. Both men want an envoy sent; they differ on how he should stand before the Kurus, and that is the question Drupada takes up next.
The gist: Balarama urges respect and humility from the envoy and assigns Yudhishthira responsibility for his defeat at dice. Satyaki interrupts in anger. He insists that the Pandavas were deceived, have completed their exile, and are entitled to their kingdom. He names the warriors who can enforce that claim and demands immediate restoration. The two speeches mark the poles between which the council moves: conciliation that gives no cause for anger, and a demand backed by named warriors.
Drupada calls for allies: reach the kings first, and prepare his priest for Hastinapura
“It will be just as you say, Satyaki, there is no doubt of it,” Drupada answered. “Duryodhana will never give up the kingdom by peaceful means, and Dhritarashtra, who dotes on his son, will follow him in his wish. So will Bhishma and Drona, out of weakness, and Karna and Shakuni, out of folly. Balarama’s words commend themselves to my judgment; a man who wants a peaceful settlement should follow the course he points out. Duryodhana, though, must never be addressed in mild words. He is vicious by nature, and I believe mildness will never bring him to reason. Gentleness is appropriate with an ass; cattle require severity. If someone speaks softly to Duryodhana, he will take the speaker for a weak man. He will think he has won. So let us do this. Let us make our preparations and send word to our friends to collect an army for us. Let fast messengers go to Shalya, Dhrishtaketu, Jayatsena, and the Kekaya prince. Duryodhana, for his part, will send word to all the kings, and right-minded men answer the one who asks them first. Hurry. Make our appeal to these rulers first. It seems to me a great undertaking lies before us.”
He began naming those who should be approached. Send to Shalya and the kings under his authority; to Bhagadatta of immense courage, whose realm lay on the eastern seacoast; to fierce Hardikya and Ahuka; to the thoughtful king of the Mallas and to Rochamana. Summon Brihanta and Senabindu, Bahlika and Munjakesha, the ruler of the Chedis, Suparshva, Subahu, and the great warrior Paurava. Seek the kings of the Shakas, Pahlavas, and Daradas, as well as Surari, Nadija, Karnavest, Nila, and brave Viradharman. Approach Durjaya, Dantavakra, Rukmi, and Janamejaya; Ashada, Vayuvega, and Purvapali; Bhuritejas, Devaka, and Ekalaya with his sons. Send to the kings of the Krausha line and to the valiant Kshemamurti; to the rulers of the Kambojas and Richikas and those on the western seacoast. Jayatsena and the king of Kashi should be called, along with the rulers of the country of the five rivers, Kratha’s proud son, and the kings of the mountain regions. The appeal reached from Bhagadatta’s eastern seacoast to the kings of the western one, through the land of the five rivers and up into the mountains, and every name on it was a request that had to arrive before Duryodhana’s.
The list continued. Janaki, Susharma, and Maniman; Potimatsyaka, courageous Dhrishtaketu, and the ruler of Pansu; Paundra, Dandadhara, and brave Brihatsena. Summon Aparajita, Nishada, Shrenimat, and Vasumat, mighty Brihadvala and Bahu, conqueror of enemy cities. The warlike Samudrasena should be approached with his son, and so should Uddhava, Kshemaka, and Vatadhana. Include Shrutayus and Dridhayus, the gallant son of Shalva, the king of the Kalingas, and Kumara, undefeated in battle. “Send to them quickly. This is the course I favor,” Drupada said. Then he named the envoy for the mission at the center of their discussion. “And let this priest of mine, a learned Brahmin, be sent to Dhritarashtra. Tell him the words he is to say, and what Duryodhana should be told, and how Bhishma is to be addressed, and how Drona, that best of chariot warriors.” Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana, Bhishma, and Drona each held a different kind of authority in that court, and Drupada wanted the priest told how to speak to each of them.
“These words are worthy of the chief of the Somakas,” Krishna said, “and they will advance the interests of Pandu’s son, whose strength is beyond measure. Since we mean to follow a sound political course, this is without doubt our first duty, and a man who acted otherwise would be a great fool. Our relationship to the Kurus and to the Pandavas, however, is equal, whatever conduct the two parties adopt toward one another. You and we were invited here for a marriage. The marriage has been celebrated. Let us return home in good spirits. You are the foremost of kings in years and in learning, and all of us here are as if your pupils. Dhritarashtra has always held you in great respect, and you are a friend of the teachers Drona and Kripa. So I ask you to send the message to the Kurus in the Pandavas’ interest. We all resolve upon this: the message should go from you.” The embassy now rested with Drupada, who had offered his priest, and the message would come from a ruler whom Dhritarashtra respected and whose standing with the teachers gave his words a place in their council.
“If the chief of the Kuru line makes peace on fair terms,” Krishna said, “the brotherly feeling between the Kurus and the Pandavas will take no injury. If Dhritarashtra’s son grows haughty and in his folly refuses to make peace, then summon the others, and summon us too. The wielder of Gandiva will be fired with anger, and the dull-witted, wicked Duryodhana will meet his fate with his partisans and friends.” With that, Krishna had bound himself to come when Drupada summoned him.
A key to reading this (the invitation list): Drupada’s list is an appeal, and nothing on it settles who will fight for whom. When the armies gather, several of the kings he names here march for Duryodhana: Shalya, Bhagadatta, and Hardikya, who is Kritavarma. The first four names, Shalya, Dhrishtaketu, Jayatsena, and the Kekaya prince, are the kings Drupada wants reached before any other, and Shalya’s answer to that appeal comes at the end, when he marches toward Upaplavya.
The gist: Drupada urges immediate appeals to potential allies and offers his priest as the envoy to Hastinapura. Krishna agrees that Drupada should arrange the mission. He will return home after the wedding and asks to be summoned if Duryodhana rejects a fair peace. The two tracks Drupada sets running, messengers to the kings and one priest to the Kurus, continue side by side from here, and both armies grow while the envoy is on the road.
As the armies gather, Drupada gives his priest a mission that may also buy time
Virata honored Krishna and sent him home with his relatives and attendants. Once Krishna had left for Dwarka, Yudhishthira and his companions began preparing for war alongside the Matsya king. Virata and his family sent messages to the rulers of the earth. Drupada did the same. Many powerful lords of the earth came with cheerful hearts in answer to the appeals of the Pandavas and of the two kings of Matsya and Panchala. When Dhritarashtra’s sons heard that a large army had gathered around their cousins, they called kings to their own side as well. Vaishampayana describes a country filling with rulers on the march, each moving to support one branch of the Kuru family or the other. The land filled with armies of all four arms, and forces poured in from every direction. Under their tread the goddess Earth, with her forests and mountains, seemed to tremble. While this preparation spread, Drupada consulted Yudhishthira’s wishes and sent his own priest to the Kurus, a man old in years and mature in judgment. Before he left, Drupada gave him his instructions, beginning with the man himself.
“Among beings, those with life stand higher,” the king began. “Among living beings, those with intelligence stand higher. Among intelligent creatures, men; among men, the twice-born; among the twice-born, students of the Veda; among students of the Veda, those of cultivated understanding; among the cultivated, those who put understanding into practice; and among the practical, those who know the Supreme Being stand highest of all. You, it seems to me, stand at the very top of those of cultivated understanding. Your years and your learning distinguish you. Your intelligence equals Shukra’s, or that of Brihaspati, the son of Angiras. You know what kind of man the chief of the Kuru line is, and you know what kind of man Yudhishthira is, Kunti’s son.” Then he set out the wrong the priest was to carry into that court. “It was with Dhritarashtra’s knowledge that the Pandavas were deceived by their opponents. Vidura instructed him, and still he follows his son. Shakuni knew exactly what he was doing when he challenged Yudhishthira to a match, an expert at dice against a man with no skill in it. Yudhishthira, unskilled at play, was guileless and firm in the rules of the warrior order. Having cheated the righteous king in that way, they will never give up the kingdom of their own will.” That was the case the priest would carry: a king who knew, a counselor who was ignored, and a gambler who chose his opponent for his weakness.
“Speak words of righteousness to Dhritarashtra,” he went on, “and you will certainly win the hearts of his fighting men. Vidura will make use of your words as well, and with them he will draw the hearts of Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and the others away from their present attachment. When the officers of state are estranged and the fighting men hold back, the enemy’s task will be to win their hearts again. Meanwhile the Pandavas can give themselves fully, and with ease, to preparing their army and collecting supplies. While those supporters remain estranged, and while you linger among them, they will be unable to make adequate preparations for war. This is the advantage I see in the course.” The priest would carry a claim of justice into the opposing court, and Drupada had told him plainly what that claim might do there while the court considered its answer. His argument might reach the king’s soldiers and ministers even where the king himself resisted it, and Vidura, who had already counseled Dhritarashtra against his son, would take it up from inside. Every day the Kurus spent recovering those men’s allegiance would be a day lost to their own preparations.
Drupada also kept open the possibility that Dhritarashtra would accept the request. “When you meet him, it may be that he does what you say,” he said. “You are righteous, so act righteously toward them. To those who are capable of compassion, speak fully of the many hardships the Pandavas have endured. Turn the hearts of the elders by speaking of the family customs their forefathers followed. I have no doubt of it. And you need fear no danger from them. You are a Brahmin versed in the Vedas, you go to them as an ambassador, and above all you are an aged man. So set out without delay toward the Kauravas, for the good of the Pandavas, timing your departure under the conjunction called Pushya and at the part of the day called Jaya.” The appeal would be made through obligations the listeners already recognized: the suffering of kinsmen, the conduct expected within a family, and the example of the ancestors whose name their descendants bore.
With those instructions, the priest left for Hastinapura, the city whose name recalls the elephant. His disciples accompanied him. Vaishampayana describes him as learned in the principles of politics as well as devoted to righteous conduct. He traveled to promote the welfare of Pandu’s sons, carrying the argument Drupada had prepared for Dhritarashtra’s court, while the gathering of armies continued behind him. Drupada had allowed for an agreement, and he had also reckoned what the mission might accomplish during the wait for one; the priest carried both purposes toward the same audience.
A key to reading this (the purpose of the embassy): Drupada openly links the peace approach to military preparation. His priest should seek a just agreement and influence the elders and warriors who sustain the opposing side. If their doubts delay the Kurus, the Pandavas gain time to assemble troops and supplies. Drupada’s ladder of beings, from the living up to those who know the Supreme Being, is his way of saying why this man and no other: a Brahmin versed in the Veda, an ambassador, and an elder goes to the Kurus in safety.
The gist: Krishna returns to Dwarka, and both sides summon kings and armies. Drupada instructs his priest to seek a settlement, appeal to the Kuru elders’ conscience, and gain time for Pandava preparations if the opposing court becomes divided. The priest sets out for Hastinapura with his disciples. His embassy and Arjuna’s errand to Dwarka leave at the same time, one to ask for peace, the other to secure Krishna for the war.
Two arrivals in Dwarka: Duryodhana takes the Narayana army, and Arjuna asks Krishna to drive his chariot
With Drupada’s priest on his way to Hastinapura and messengers going out to the kings of various countries, Arjuna, Kunti’s son, undertook his own journey. He went to Dwarka. Krishna and Balarama had returned there with hundreds of Vrishnis, Andhakas, and Bhojas after the wedding. Duryodhana knew about their movements. Secret messengers had kept him informed of the Pandavas’ activities, and when he learned that Krishna was returning home, he set out for the city with a small escort and fine horses that ran with the speed of the wind. Arjuna reached the beautiful city of the Anarta land on the same day. The two Kuru princes found Krishna asleep and drew near him as he lay. Duryodhana entered first and took a fine seat at the head of the bed. Arjuna, the wearer of the diadem, came in afterward and remained standing behind the bed, his hands joined and his body inclined in greeting. When Krishna awoke, he saw Arjuna first. He welcomed both men fittingly, asked about their journeys, and inquired why they had come. Each had come for the same thing, Krishna’s help in the war that both sides were now preparing.
Duryodhana spoke cheerfully. “You should help me in the coming battle. Arjuna and I are equally your friends, and you are equally related to us. I reached you first today. Honorable people support the person who comes to them first. That is how people acted in earlier times, and you stand foremost among men of honorable conduct, respected everywhere. Follow their practice.” Krishna accepted the fact of his arrival. “I have no doubt that you came first. I saw Arjuna first. Your earlier arrival and my first sight of him give me reasons to assist you both. There is also the rule that the younger man should have the first choice, so Arjuna, Kunti’s son, chooses first. There is a great body of cowherds, ten crore of them, called the Narayanas, who rival me in strength, and every one of them can fight in the thick of battle. Those soldiers, irresistible in war, will go to one of you. I alone will go to the other, resolved to take no part in the fighting, with my weapons laid down. Choose first, son of Kunti, whichever of the two commends itself to you. By law the first choice is yours.” The offer set Krishna himself, unarmed and resolved against fighting, on one side of the scale and ten crore fighting men on the other, and gave the choice to the man who had come second.
Arjuna chose Krishna. He chose Keshava under the condition that he would remain out of the fighting: Krishna, whom Vaishampayana names as Narayana, uncreated, appearing among human beings by his own will, foremost among warriors and above the gods and Danavas. Duryodhana took the entire body of Narayana troops. Thousands upon thousands of fighters were his, and he was delighted with the result, fully aware that Krishna would be on the other side. Having secured that force, he went to Balarama, Rohini’s mighty son, and explained why he had come. Balarama reminded him of the discussion at Virata’s wedding celebration. “You should remember what I said there for your sake,” he told Duryodhana. “I opposed Krishna’s views and repeatedly spoke of our equal relationship to both sides. Krishna did not accept the position I put forward. I cannot separate myself from him for even a moment. Since I cannot act against Krishna, I have reached this decision: I will fight for neither Kunti’s sons nor you. You belong to the line of Bharata, honored by all the kings. Go, and observe the proper rules in battle.” Duryodhana embraced the warrior whose weapon was the plow. Despite having lost Krishna’s help, he already considered Arjuna defeated. He next approached Kritavarma, who gave him an additional force of one akshauhini, an army comprising its prescribed divisions of chariots, elephants, cavalry, and infantry. Surrounded by that formidable host, terrible to look upon, Duryodhana departed, bringing delight to his supporters.
After he had gone, Krishna, the Creator of the world, clothed in yellow, turned to Arjuna. “Why did you choose me when I will not fight at all?” Arjuna answered with complete confidence in Krishna’s strength and in his own. “I have no doubt that you can kill them all. I can also kill them alone. Your fame is known throughout the world, and that renown will accompany you. I, too, seek renown. That is why I chose you. It has always been my desire to have you drive my chariot. Fulfill that wish, which I have cherished for a long time.” The request gave Krishna a definite place in the battle to come while keeping the promise he had made about his weapons: he would hold the reins of the chariot from which Arjuna fought. Krishna accepted the confidence with which Arjuna had spoken. “It suits you to measure yourself against me, son of Kunti. I will be your charioteer. Let your wish be fulfilled.”
Arjuna returned to Yudhishthira with a glad heart. Krishna accompanied him, along with the flower of the Dasharha clan. He brought back the ally Duryodhana had passed over for an army, and Krishna’s word that he would drive and would not fight.
A key to reading this (the choice and the forces): Three details stay distinct: Duryodhana arrives first, Krishna sees Arjuna first, and Arjuna chooses first because he is the younger. The Narayanas number ten crore, a hundred million men; Kritavarma’s akshauhini is a separate gift made afterward. Arjuna gives two reasons for his choice, renown and his long-held wish to have Krishna drive his chariot, and claims he could kill his enemies alone.
The gist: Krishna offers his army to one visitor and his own unarmed presence to the other. Arjuna chooses Krishna and receives his promise to serve as charioteer. Duryodhana takes the Narayana army and obtains another akshauhini from Kritavarma. Balarama declines to fight for either side, keeping to what he said in Virata’s court about his equal kinship with both.
Shalya’s welcome and his two promises: an army for Duryodhana, and words against Karna for Yudhishthira
Shalya was on his way to join the Pandavas. The messengers had reached him, and the king of Madra set out with his sons, all formidable fighters, and an akshauhini of troops, for he was a king of great prowess and courage. When his force made camp, it spread across an area of one and a half yojanas. Warriors wore armor of many colors. Different banners moved above the bows, chariots, and animals; fine garlands, robes, and ornaments distinguished men dressed in the fashion of their own countries. Hundreds and thousands of leading warriors commanded the troops. Shalya advanced by slow stages, allowing the army to rest along the way. Its movement weighed upon the creatures of the earth, and the ground trembled under its passage. Duryodhana learned that this great-hearted and mighty hero was coming, hastened to meet him with honors, and along the route, at carefully chosen sites, had handsome pavilions constructed to receive him. Many artists were sent to entertain the guests. Garlands, meat, excellent food and drink awaited them, together with wells and reservoirs in varied forms that refreshed the heart, and rooms spacious enough for comfort. At successive halts Duryodhana’s servants attended Shalya as though he were a god. Then the Madra king reached another lodging so splendid that it seemed fit for the inhabitants of heaven. The honors and pleasures surrounding him, comforts fit for beings above men, filled him with delight. He thought himself better served than Indra, lord of the gods, and judged even Indra’s good fortune small beside his own.
Shalya, well pleased, called for the people responsible. “Where are Yudhishthira’s men who prepared these places of refreshment? Bring the men who made them to me. I think them worthy of a reward, and I must reward them, if it pleases Kunti’s son.” The servants were surprised. They took his words to Duryodhana, who had kept himself out of sight. The moment was favorable: Shalya was so pleased that he was ready to grant even his life. Duryodhana now came forward and showed himself to his maternal uncle. The king of the Madras saw him and understood that it was Duryodhana who had taken all this trouble to receive him. He embraced him and said, “Accept something that you desire.” Duryodhana asked him to make good on his word. “Let your word be true. Grant me a boon. I ask you to be the leader of my entire army.” “So be it,” Shalya said. “What else is there to do?” Duryodhana repeated it again and again: “It is done.” “Go back to your own city, Duryodhana,” Shalya told him. “I am going to pay a visit to Yudhishthira, the subduer of foes, and I will come back quickly. Pandu’s son must by all means be visited by me.” “When you have seen the Pandava, come back quickly,” Duryodhana said. “I depend entirely upon you. Remember the boon you have granted me.” “Good fortune go with you,” Shalya answered. “I will come back quickly. Go to your city.” The two kings embraced once more. Duryodhana went home, while Shalya continued toward the Pandavas to tell them what he had done, carrying a promise made with full knowledge of who had asked for it.
At Upaplavya, Shalya entered the camp and met all the sons of Pandu. He accepted water for washing his feet and the customary gifts of welcome, including a cow. After asking how they were, he embraced Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna with great delight, and then the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, the sons of his own sister. Once everyone had taken a seat, he addressed Yudhishthira. “Is all well with you, Yudhishthira? How fortunate, son of Pandu, that you have completed your time in the forest. It was an exceedingly hard task, living in the wilderness with your brothers and this noble lady. The year of concealment was a terrible task again, and you have carried that out too. For a man pulled down from a throne, nothing waits except hardship. Where is there any happiness for him? For all this misery that Dhritarashtra’s son has caused you, descendant of Bharata, you will gain happiness in proportion once you have killed your enemies. The ways of the world are known to you, my son, and so you are never guided by greed in any of your dealings. Walk in the footprints of the saintly kings of old. Be steady, Yudhishthira, on the path of generosity, self-denial, and truth. Mercy and self-restraint, truth and sympathy for every creature, and everything admirable in this world are to be found in you. You are gentle, munificent, devout, and liberal, and you hold virtue to be the highest good. Many are the rules of righteousness that prevail among men, and you know them all, my son; you know, in fact, everything that concerns this world. How lucky it is, son of Kunti, that you have come out of this difficulty of yours. How lucky, Yudhishthira, that I see you, so virtuous a soul, a treasure-house of righteousness, freed with your followers from all of it.” Then he told him, in detail, about his meeting with Duryodhana, the promise he had made, and the boon he had granted.
Yudhishthira accepted the account. “You did well to give Duryodhana your truthful promise when you were pleased with him,” he said. “Good fortune go with you. I ask one thing of you now, only one. You will have to do it solely for my sake, though it may be improper. Hear what I submit to you. You are Krishna’s equal on the field of battle. When the single combat between Karna and Arjuna comes, I have no doubt you will have to drive Karna’s chariot. If you wish to do me good, protect Arjuna then. Act so that Karna, the charioteer’s son, loses heart and the victory becomes ours. I know this is improper. Even so, uncle, do it for me.” Shalya agreed to the task. “Good fortune go with you. Listen, son of Pandu. You tell me to act so that the vile son of the charioteer loses heart in the fight. I will certainly be his charioteer on the field, because he has always considered me equal to Krishna. When he is eager to fight, I will speak to him words that run against him and do him harm, so that, stripped of pride and courage, he can be killed readily by his opponent. I tell you this truthfully. You have asked it of me, and I am determined to do it, my son. Whatever else I can bring about, I will do for your good.”
Shalya then turned to the suffering Yudhishthira and Draupadi had already endured. “Whatever troubles you suffered together with Draupadi at the game of dice, the rude, inhuman words of the charioteer’s son, the misery inflicted by the Asura Jata and by Kichaka, all the miseries Draupadi has known, like those Damayanti knew before her, will end in joy. Do not grieve over them. Destiny is all-powerful in this world, and people of great spirit have to endure miseries of many kinds. Even the gods themselves have suffered misfortune.” Then, to show that heaven too knew adversity, he named the ruler whose comforts he had so recently imagined surpassing. “It is told that the high-minded Indra, the chief of the celestials, had to endure together with his wife very great misery indeed.”
A key to reading this (when the promise is made): Shalya initially believes the hospitality comes from Yudhishthira. Duryodhana then reveals himself, and Shalya knowingly offers him a boon. Yudhishthira later acknowledges the impropriety of asking Shalya to undermine Karna’s morale. The talk of Karna’s chariot looks far ahead, to a duel that comes only in the Karna Parva. Shalya is the twins’ maternal uncle, the brother of their mother Madri, which is why Yudhishthira can call him uncle; he is also the first king on Drupada’s list.
The gist: Duryodhana’s lavish welcome wins Shalya’s promise to lead his army. Shalya tells Yudhishthira, who asks him to discourage Karna if he serves as Karna’s charioteer against Arjuna. Shalya agrees and begins comforting Yudhishthira with the example of Indra’s own suffering. His two promises stand side by side from here: the command of Duryodhana’s whole army, and the words he will speak from Karna’s chariot.
Source: the Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Udyoga Parva. This chapter follows K. M. Ganguli, sections I to LXXI; the Gita Press Hindi edition numbers these chapters differently. Names, order, and events were checked against Ganguli’s complete translation. Where the recensions differ, this English retelling follows Ganguli, and the Hindi edition follows Gita Press. Dialogue and commentary are adapted, not a verbatim translation. About the sources.
Based on: The Mahabharata, Vyasa (K. M. Ganguli’s English translation; Gita Press, Gorakhpur)