#bheeshma

[blackknight-100]

Thank you so much for writing about Vrishasena and Arjuna. Could you please also write something about them but in an AU where Kunti tells them the truth (before the dyut sabha)? Something fluffy, please!

This ask has been sitting in my inbox for four months. I'm so sorry anon, fluff is really not my thing, but I tried. I hope you like this little thing. Previous angst version is here.

1.

It is a bitter winter morning when Arjuna finds his mother in the royal hall, prepared to sweep his world from under his feet. He huddles together with his brothers, glancing warily as the Kaurava retinue moan and complain among themselves about being summoned. Pitamaha is here as well, as are the King and the Queen, and Uncle Vidura.

“Has something happened?” the later inquires.

“We are awaiting the arrival of Angaraj,” Mother Kunti says, white knuckles wringing at her saree.

Duryodhana perks up like a hunting dog. “Why do you need him?” he demands, possessive as ever.

“I am sure Her Majesty has her reasons,” Uncle Vidura tries, but Duryodhana is on a roll.

“You keep trying to speak to him, cornering him at court and courtyard, trying to turn my friend against me! Why else would the Pandava’s mother be so interested in the man that trounced her sons? I think-”

No one manages to hear his what he thinks, because Kunti interrupts this tirade by screaming, “He is my son!”

 

2.

In hindsight, it is only meet that Karna – who is apparently his brother – gatecrashes the party halfway through Kunti’s sobbing explanation. Arjuna is reasonably sure the man has never given up the chance to barge into situations with the discretion of a charging bull. Perhaps that is why they call him Vrisha.

Much to his chagrin, Karna and his sons are immediately swept up into the Kaurava ranks even as their mother speaks of floating the baby in the river.

Duryodhana speaks right over her, like the churlish prince he is, and asks, “What took you so long?”

“The storms felled quite a few trees.” Arjuna’s newfound brother shrugs and turns to Mother Kunti with a look of abject concern. “Who is this baby in the river? Should we send out search parties? Surely, it is not right to just leave him be.”

Half the gathering stares at him. Uncle Vidura lets out a long-suffering sigh. Pitamaha smacks his forehead into a pillar. All in all, the Kuru family never fails in being predictable.

 

3.

For his own part, Karna takes the news surprisingly well, right up until Pitamaha reveals that he would now be officially part of the family and one of the contenders for the throne. This sparks a terrible debate – for all his meddling in Duryodhana’s plans, the King of Anga appears to have little interest in being king of anyplace else. Brother Yudhisthira, with all his half-divine morality, protests being a part of any contention that involves his older brother as a competitor. Uncle Vidura, who is the Pandavas biggest advocate in the Kuru court, takes this about as well as expected, which is to say: not well at all.

Arjuna has migrated to a corner to escape the shouting, rubbing his forehead to put off an oncoming headache. A figure sidles up to him and offers a small canister.

“This might help, Uncle.”

For a moment Arjuna nearly mistakes him for Karna – which should not be possible, given that his new brother is still yelling about something, and would never call him ‘uncle’ besides – but then he notices the differences. Anga’s Crown Prince is as fair as his father, but his cheeks are still adorably round, and his hair is several shades darker. He is also smiling, which is not a reaction Arjuna has ever garnered from his father, although he has seen Karna laugh often enough in his cousin’s company.

“Vrishasena, is it? Well met. What is this?”

Vrishasena bows. “Yes indeed, uncle. My greetings. This is for your headache.”

Arjuna takes the canister with raised eyebrows. Inside, there is a familiar slimy green paste. “You carry balms around?” he asks, smirking.

Vrishasena shrugs easily. “People are annoying,” he says, then winks cheekily at him and adds, “not you though. You have pretty hair.”

Arjuna’s startled laughter lasts a very long time.

 

+1.

“Father is wonderful,” Vrishasena says, nocking an arrow on his bow, “but he and mother kind of fought and now he’s upset.”

“I think he is mad at you for taking lessons from me,” Arjuna says, pressing gently down on his shoulders. “Stop being so tense, or you will miss.”

Vrishasena shrugs his shoulders and tosses his head obligingly, then stands much looser. “Nah,” he says, then releases the arrow. It pierces the swaying mango halfway through and carries it into the bushes. “He has stolen Abhimanyu, so he thinks it’s a fair deal. Besides, he likes having brothers.”

Arjuna would like to contest that, but it is true. For all his follies, Karna is astonishingly adept at micromanaging a hundred and five siblings, plus the two extras, without resorting to moralizing or murder. He’s still not ready to give up their reputation as rivals though, so all he says is, “Good shot.”

Vrishasena smirks at him. His nephew has grown quite a few inches in the months they have been away, so they are mostly eye-to-eye now.

“Just good?” Karna’s son definitely has Karna’s cockiness. “Not ‘excellent’ or ‘magnificent’ or ‘sublime’?”

“No,” Arjuna slaps him behind his head, laughing, “you do not need a bigger ego.”

“It’s not that big, uncle,” Vrishasena protests.

Arjuna laughs again. “If you stop pestering me for compliments, I will help you sneak into the kitchen. The cook is making special sweets today.”

Vrishasena pouts, thinking. “I also get to braid your hair.”

Arjuna will never understand the boy’s obsession with his hair, but who is he to deny his nephew anything, especially when he is getting a braid out of it? So, he shrugs and says, “Sure,” and off they go.

[avani008]

omg, not sure if you’ve watched house of the dragon BUT i had this thought that won’t leave me

rhaenyra and alicent and the drama between their kids is probably exactly what would have happened had

a) bhishma had not made his vow and decided to fight for his rights

b) bhishma had been a girl? and girls could inherit?

Yes! This is why as much as people give the Fisher King (and by proxy, Satyavati) a hard time for demanding the vow, they....kind of had a point? The potential for bloodshed and outright anarchy one could have with a full grown heir, and much younger half-brothers was out of control--and again, the Fisher King just refuses to put his daughter into that situation, which is absolutely his right.

Now the results were indeed tragic, but I want to emphasize that it's a tragedy of people trying to do what was best for them in a bad situation, rather than being intentionally vicious/ambitious--and that often gets glossed over for ~drama~

[devahutii]

𝕭𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖒𝖆'𝖘 𝖕𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙...

Red the colour of blood

Red the colour of matrimony

Red the colour of lust

Red the colour of hatred

Red the colour of the silken curtains that fell from the ceilings over his face. Those curtains he pulled aside, he pulled apart, the silk tickling past his body as he navigated through the sea of red until he reached a halt- a velvet bed enveloped in satin sheets. He stood perplexed, the palm of his hand pressed against the cushion of the bed, feeling the smooth fabric in between the pads of his fingers.

Then he heard- a huff, a chuckle, a sigh. He felt eyes on him, beholding his broad back, his muscular arms, down to areas eclipsed. He spun, a certain way setting in his chest as he surveyed the extents of red silk that stretched forward all around him.

Then he saw it- a silhouette of a woman in red, her hips swaying, her hands gently pulling apart the silken curtains as she made her way towards him.

His breath hitched, air caught up in his lungs as he beheld the sight before him- it was her.

His body grew limp, paralysed in place as her scarlet painted lips grinned. She drew closer to him, her hand on his chest, as she pushed him down on his back into the bed. All air left his lungs as she mounted him, bracing his hips with her thighs. She bent down over him, her faces inches apart from his, the metallic smell of blood and attar emanating from her. He sucked on a sharp breath, she chuckled as she grinded against him, her hips rocking back and forth against him. He closed his eyes tightly shut, his two shuddering hands snaking up her thighs as he felt his hips rut up against her. With his mind hazed in ecstasy, his grip only bruisingly tightened as he reached his climax.

Then he opened his eyes, only to find not the maiden brimming with desire, but a woman with bloodshot eyes glaring back at him. Her lips twisted into a snarl, shivering with fury and vengeance in her mind, she had her arms up with a dagger in hand overhead. His eyes widened as the dagger came down upon his chest, sinking into his fevered heart as he came undone against her cunt.

Then he woke up- from the shock, baffled and heaving as his heart thundered in his chest. With beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, he got up, his body shivering from the unsettling omen that came to him in the form of a dream- or rather, a nightmare.

These were the nights of Bheeshma, haunted by visions of Amba. On some nights, he’d dream of family, not the one that he had to give up his manhood to protect, but of one of his own. He dreamt of children in a quaint little nursery, babbling and giggling euphorically as he took them into his arms as they were his own. He dreamt of a mother, a wife- doting on him just as she doted on his children.

But then he’d wake up, only to realise just who this wife of ‘his’ was- Amba.

She was the first to demand him in matrimony, to want him. She had been forbidden fruit, his jaw clenching, his throat bobbing at the sight of. Bheeshma of the tungsten oath, had only ever once reconsidered his vows for only one woman- Amba.

But one night, his previous dreams ceased to exist, as a new vision unveiled itself before him-a vision of a man, no longer the woman he was before. Bheeshma stood in sand, surrounded by the rued and rusted ruins of hastinapur, underneath the afternoon sun. In a distance stood Shikhandi, wielding a bow and arrow before him. With his body paralysed in place, he could only watch as the man with fury of a thousand suns in his eyes, strung his arrow into the bow and took aim. He could only watch as the man sent hundreds of arrows his way, falling upon him like a hundred broken stars. No longer was that alluring gaze, no longer was that soft caress, no longer was that femininity that had nearly disgraced him- only pain followed as a thousand arrows pierced his being.

As he cried out in pain, he woke up gasping and heaving for air. It was now that Bheeshma knew, through his fear stricken mind, that his end was nigh.

At a distance, trumpets and conches sounded as a war drew closer…..

•

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[mplanetleaf]

అంపశయ్యపై ఉన్న భీష్ముడు ధర్మరాజుకు చెప్పిన భక్తి! | Amazing Facts told by Bhishma on Arrow Bed to Yudhistira

[englishplusacademy]

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[eenadu-varthalu]

Been a while sunflowers🌻 ‼️ Happiest Letterboxd Sunday yall ✨✌🏽

[how-to-be-a-tree]

Rathipushpam Video Song

[orgasming-caterpillar]

Boobs boobies tiddies titties tits honkers AHHH

[helpmeimblorboing]

In the Mahabharata, the one time Krishna ever comes close to breaking his vow of peace was when Bheeshma came close to killing Arjuna ( who was, mind you, a warrior, and therefore probably fully expected to at least come close to death, if not die himself)

Let me repeat that : God himself, epitome of Honor and goodness and nobility, was willing to kill someone after swearing that he wouldn’t, because that person came close to killing Arjuna

Something tells me he wouldn’t have done that for any other Pandava. I know he wouldn’t, in fact, because he didn’t give a shit when Abhimanyu died

When Krishna greeted the Pandavas , he greeted Yudhistira and Bhima as elders (correct me if I’m wrong), and Nakula and Sahadeva as juniors, but Arjuna ? Arjuna he embraced as an equal

He does not do this to anyone else. Throughout all of Kurukshetra (again, correct me if I’m wrong), save for Arjun, there is not a single person he greets as an equal, save maybe his own brother

Later on, he even mentions that out of the Yadavas, the Pandavas and all his devotees, Arjuna is the dearest to his heart

Let me repeat that, he sees Arjuna as closer to him than his family. Closer than his devotees. Closer even than his own wives

That’s not very platonic of him

Arjuna, meanwhile ? He sees Krishna as his god, his master. Sees himself as his slave. Now, for those of you who’ve read the Bhagavad Gita, remind me again what it defines love, real love, as ?

That’s right. Service. And who gave the Gita ? Yup. Krishna

In fact, the book straight up says he surrendered himself to Krishna - without knowing his true form, mind you

B.G 2.7 :

“Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.”

B.G. 11.42-42

“Thinking of You as my friend, I have rashly addressed You “O Kṛṣṇa,” “O Yādava,” “O my friend,” not knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times, jesting as we relaxed, lay on the same bed, or sat or ate together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. O infallible one, please excuse me for all those offenses.”

In some circles, Arjuna is considered so equal to Krishna that he is seen as yet another avatar of Krishna - literally the same person, reincarnated into two shapes

When Agni, the god of fire, chose to grant Krishna a boon, out of everything he could have had, he asked that his “friendship” towards Arjuna never decrease

“Then Vasudeva asked that his friendship with Arjuna might be eternal. The chief of the celestials granted unto the intelligent Krishna the boon he desired”

In fact, quoting Krishna directly, he straight-up says at one point

“

"Thou art mine and I am thine, while all that is mine is thine also! He that hateth thee hateth me as well, and he that followeth thee followeth me! O thou irrepressible one, thou art Nara and I am Narayana or Hari! We are the Rishis Nara and Narayana born in the world of men for a special purpose. O Partha, thou art from me and I am from thee! O bull of the Bharata race, no one can understand the difference that is between us!"”

Later, he says to Vasudeva, his father (in fact, his very last words to him)

“Know, O father, that I am Arjuna and Arjuna is myself.”

The very last thing God himself thought about in his human shape was Arjuna. That seems like a bit excessive for a mere friendship, doesn’t it ?

When Krishna leaves Arjuna for Dwarka, the book says

“Vaisampayana said, 'As he of Vrishni's race was proceeding to Dwaraka, those foremost princes of Bharata's race, those chastisers of foes embraced him and fell back with their attendants. Phalguna repeatedly embraced the Vrishni hero, and as long as he was within the range of vision, he repeatedly turned his eyes towards him. With great difficulty, the son of Pritha withdrew his gaze that had fallen on Govinda. The unvanquished Krishna also (did the same).”

He also said the following. Notably, the implication is that without Arjuna, Krishna, lord of the Three Realms, could not find any enjoyment in any of them

“O lord of the earth! For Arjuna’s sake, I can slice off and give my own flesh. This tiger among men will also lay down his life for my sake.

O father! This is our understanding, that we will protect each other”

And you expect me to believe that they were “just friends” ??? We know that Krishna is at the very least bisexual (He married Aravan, after all). Who’s to say Arjuna wasn’t too ?

It’s not even subtext at this point. It’s just text. Plain goddamn text

[sambhavami]

So, I'm going to rant a bit about Krishna and Arjun now.

**Just a note: this is based on my personal interpretations of MB/SB/HV, none of which I have access to right now, so I might misremember some facts. Thank you!

So, in my understanding, Krishna and Arjun were both very lonely people. Both of them were stripped from their childhood homes and families, and forced to grow up amidst hostility and constant conflict, when they met after Draupadi's swayamvar, they instantly latch on to each other. I mean, yes, both Krishna and Arjun had brothers who went through the same kind of issues, but at some point, you encounter a boundary with your immediate family, such that you can't really tell them everything that you're feeling. A friend peering in from outside is a much 'safer' choice. I'd imagine it's roughly the same kind of thought process that makes people talk about their personal struggles anonymously on social media instead of with their families.

In this process, they both also become extremely possessive of each other. For Arjun, we see this when he sheds all his inhibitions at Kurukshetra not when he hears the Geeta, but rather when Krishna gets wounded the first time. That's when the Kaurava side finds out exactly how dangerous Arjuna can be. And that's when Krishna is barely scratched by an arrow, and thankfully we never find out what Arjun would have done if Krishna actually got hurt. Arjun was fighting only half-heartedly in the beginning, but once Krishna is targeted he becomes fiercer, now actually concentrating on the battle, and then finally when Krishna almost murders Bheeshma, that's when Arjun becomes fully activated, so to speak. Also, he would've totally murdered Shishupal during the rajasuya (to hell with the 100 offences), if not for Krishna stopping him...this is a rare kind of aggression for Arjun which he doesn't show even in the dice hall!

Krishna, on the other hand, shows his devotion in a slightly different way. So, for most of MB we see that he is partial to Arjuna, and he never really hides it. He gets Subhadra married to Arjuna, takes him on picnics on Kailash and shows him Vaikuntha just for fun. Moreover, he technically didn't need to participate in Kurukshetra. With Subhadra married to Arjun and Lakshamana married to Shamba, he could've easily cited an algebraic cancellation and got out of the whole mess like most of the other Yadavas. But he chooses to go to Matsya, and moreover offers to part himself from his beloved, personally trained army! I mean it was kind of genius to bait Duryodhan into thinking he won that bargain (if Shakuni mama was there, he would've definitely chosen Krishna, and immediately have him thrown in a dungeon and use him as a hostage to force the Pandavas into surrendering)!

Krishna is not just partial to Arjuna, but he is downright desperate to protect him from anything and everything. From personally waiting on Arjuna in Dwarka during happier times, to breaking every moral code he's ever stood for during the war, Krishna's love for Arjuna outshines every other horrible thing that happens. 

Krishna is quite open about his decision to get Arjuna out of the dharma-yudhha mess alive. In fact, he makes it clear to Draupadi herself that if it came down to choosing between Draupadi and Arjun, Krishna would choose Arjun always, without a second thought. We see this in action when he offers to have Draupadi marry Karna in exchange for his support to Pandavas, thereby averting the whole war. We see how Krishna doesn't care how many people he has to sacrifice (Abhimanyu, Ghatotkach, upa-Pandavas, his Narayani sena, Parikshit, and borderline forcing Shikhandi to detransition, although the source/validity of this I can't quite remember right now), how many times he has to endure the Vaishnavastra, how many times he has to make Yudhishthir lie, how many times he has to forget his vows, how many times he has to make literal celestial bodies bow to his will, all of it is taken in stride just so Arjun lives to see another sunrise. At one point, I do feel he stops caring about preserving Arjun's feelings through this (point: sacrificing his kids) and just making sure he's alive, no matter how broken or hopeless. It's almost as if Krishna's just on auto-pilot the whole time.

His whole life, Krishna asks Arjun for just one thing, which is to get the citizens of Dwarka out of the island/coastline alive before the tsunami hits. Even that, Arjuna is informed of only after Krishna is no longer on the earth. And Arjuna also is ironically one of the only people (except maybe Nand-Yashoda, Radha and gopas/gopis) to never ask Krishna for a favour! No matter how tough their life got, Arjun never asked Krishna for anything for himself. I can imagine how Krishna, the human god, would constantly be bombarded with prayers and requests literally wherever he went, so I can see why people like Arjuna would be somewhat of a relief. Even during Geeta, Arjun is like, "I can't do this!" and not "You can't make me do this!" And Krishna likewise is not like, "You have to do this!" He's just like, "You can do this, but only if you believe you can!" Krishna basically goes over all the pros and cons of the available choices but ultimately leaves the final decision to Arjun.

[aru-loves-krishnaxarjuna]

Mahabharata AU—pt.5

Masterlist<– rest of the parts

"WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING!?" Duryodhan yelled out. He had just asked what everyone was thinking, yet not in a good way. "Vasudev! How did you even come here? And what even happened to Arjuni!?"

Draupadi, who had been standing quiet with tears shedding from her eyes until now, finally spoke up. "Just quiet down, you pitiful excuse for a human! Her name does suit your sinful mouth! Do you still not realise what you have done?" She then looked at her husbands, and then took off her chudamani. She looked at it and threw it at her husbands' direction. "I can not see myself as the wife of those men who cannot even protect their sister!" The Pandava brothers still sat at the same place, shedding tears.

Duryodhan gritted his teeth. "YOU!-" But Bheeshma had interrupted his yell. "Vasudev, who is Naari and, what happened with Putri Arjuni?—" "Please do not call her with that name tag, Mahamahim. And for all your questions, Maharishi Ved Vyas is going to arive shortly to answer them." Devakinandan replied coldly. He laid down Arjuni's unconscious body on the ground and put her head on his lap.

After this, there was a great cacophony in the hall, filling the room with shouts and yells coming from all directions. Draupadi was yelling at Dharmaraj and his brothers because of their incompetence. Gandhari's red cloth covering her eyes was already wet from her tears, unprepared for the terrible fate that might befall her sons. "Please... please forgive my sons, Krishna." Gandhari sobbed, wailing.

A mother's cries always made Krishna feel sorry. "Even if I forgive them, their safety depends on their next actions." Krishna's voice softened. "If one hundred of your children will touch the feet of Parthavi, and repent of their sins, I promise to spare their lives."

Hearing such 'explicit' sentences forced words out of Dhritarashtra's mouth, who was already blind yet still blinded by power and love for his children. "B-but, aren't my children your cousins ​​too Vasudev? Don't you have any compassion for them?"

"Maharaj is right, Vasudev." Gandhar Raj Shakuni was still doubtful about everything he saw. It could be, that all of this is, just an illusion created by Krishna. Shakuni indeed appreciated the strength shown by the noblest Yadava, but he also thought that the man was just a cunning deceiver. "How about you explain all of what you mean? I mean, you should not take sides, Vasudev..." Shakuni gave his sly grin again, putting great emphasis on the words.

"I don't owe anyone any explanation, Gandhar Raj." Krishna smiled mockingly. "Even if I explain what i mean, to you, you definitely won't accept it." Krishna looked down at Duryodhan coldly. "If Duryodhan has even one quality that Parthavi has, then he could ask me for something." He then looked at Arjuni and stroked her hair, watching as her chest went up and down with each tranquil breathe she took, still unconscious. "Parthavi never ever envied me. She did many things without expecting anything, other than love from me. Her devotion was pure and sincere. She also trusts me more than herself."

He then looked up at Shakuni. "Tell me, Gandhar Raj. Would your dearest nephew kill himself if I told him to?" Shakuni straightened up, at a loss of words. Krishna waited for some time, and then asked Yudhishthir, his back facing the former king of Indraprastha. "Tell me, Bhrata Yudhishthir, would Parthavi do it?"

Yudhishthir shuddered at the thought of it. "...She would do it without any hesitation. Even if I ask otherwise. No questions will be asked." Yudhistir had long been aware, if one day Arjuni had to choose between her Madhav and her Jyesth, Yudhishthir knew he would lose.

Krishna smiled in satisfaction. "Do you think I don't know that your dice were made from the bones of your father, Gandhar Raj? What kind of son are you, who doesn't give his father peace even after death. Worse still, you always make him a part of your sins."

Shakuni's eyes narrowed. "Now you are just making accusations without proof, Vasudev."

Krishna shook his head. "I have nothing more to achieve by accusing you Gandhar Raj, as my Parthavi is now safe in my arms. I will not demand anything from you personally." Krishna then turned his gaze to the Pandavas again. "But your nephew clearly has many demands, Gandhar Raj."

Yudhishthir's face was clearly showing that he was thinking about many things, about how Bheem would demand revenge, while Nakul and Sahadev were still filled with worry and guilt for their Jyesthaa as well as their second mother. As a gift from Ashwinikumars, the twins always felt responsible for the health of their siblings.

The heated conversation stopped when Maharishi Vyas entered the room. "Greetings, Maharaj..."

[darlingletshurttonight]

for no woman can be avenged by widowing a million more

Day 5: Pride

Shikhandi watches Bheeshma fall with no small amount of rage. He knows what happened was according to the plan. He knows, that to win, Bheeshma must have considered him a woman. It does not sting any less.

Long before he was a girl, before he was born, a lady had walked the Earth and cursed this warrior for spurning her after ruining her life. He should feel proud to have avenged her. He only feels shame. The cousins have gathered over Bheeshma’s gory body perforated with arrows like a pincushion. They weep together, bitter enmity forgotten over dying familial blood. He feels like an intruder.

He should be satisfied, that the one who refused to acknowledge his identity lies dead. He only feels used, like the incertitude of his gender was the only reason he had been selected for this unenvious destiny, and that his destiny was a direct catalyst for his identity. He stands apart, sorrowful and pitifully angry, like a bleating goat-kid protesting against the cruelty of the butcher’s knife. His father, however, is elated, and makes little pretense of joining the mourners, electing to pridefully gaze upon a son he had once scorned. Shikhandi has nothing to say. His existence has been rendered meaningless, and not because he has fulfilled his destiny. He is no more important in this war for the elephant throne (for no woman can be avenged by widowing a million more, Draupadi’s delusions be damned) and ready to be discarded. He hoped he would die soon. Krishna gave him a melancholy smile, like he knew what he was thinking. He probably did. Shikhandi could not bear to stay there. He turned away, and began the long trek to camp on foot. (If he spoke some kind words to a dying soldier because he had newfound realisations about the ‘pawns’ in this game, well then, it was not like there was anyone to tell the tale.)

Tagging @sundaralekhan

[friend-shaped-but]

Bheeshma: Bheem, you need to apologise to Duryodhan. Bheem:

[thevachak]

Krishna and Rukmani Dialogues

When Lord Krishna returned home after the battle of Mahabharata, his wife Rukmani confronted him “How could you be party to the killing of Guru Drona and Bheeshma, who were such righteous people and had a lifetime of righteousness behind them.”

Initially Lord Krishna avoided her questions but when she did not relent, he replied, "No doubt they had a lifetime of rightousness behind them but they both had committed one single sin that destroyed all their lifetime of righteousness”

Rukmani asked, “And what was that sin?”

Lord Krishna replied “They were both present in the court when a lady (Draupadi) was being disrobed and being elders they had the authority to stop it but they did not. This single crime is enough to destroy all righteousness of this world”

Rukmani asked “But what about Karna? He was known for his charity. No one went empty handed from his doorstep. Why did you have him killed?”

Lord Krishna said, “No doubt Karna was known for his charity. He never said ‘No’ to anyone who asked him for anything. But when Abhimanyu fell after successfully fighting an army of the greatest warriors and he lay dying, he asked for water from Karna who stood nearby. There was a puddle of clean water where Karna stood but not wanting to annoy his friend Duryodhan, Karna did not give water to a dying man. In doing so his charity of a lifetime was destroyed. Later in battle, it was the same puddle of water in which the wheel of his chariot got stuck and he was killed.”

Understand that your one act of injustice can destroy your whole life of honesty.

This story is a great example of Karma theory on the path to prosperity. So let's create a Karma with Awareness of what is righteous.

[suvarnarekha]

Vaishyaputra

His armour-clad biceps shone against the sun’s glare. Sword gripped firmly in his seasoned yet vigorous arms declared the warrior’s bravado without words. Threatening to lash the Narayani soldier off his saddle, his brown eyes shadowed by his flowing locks resembled fiery mare of an armed cavalry.

Yuyutsu glanced at his opponent’s foot, his internal conscience patted his back. His skeptic had been right. The warrior charging him on was Bhairav, the most fearsome Narayani soldier. The latter was part of the overwhelmingly large infantry of Dwarkadheesh’s colossal of an army. Bhairav was rumoured to be in possession of disproportionate feet, right one larger than its counterpart. Yuyutsu turned his unflinching gaze to the radiant face of his challenger.

“Oh bless me! So, you are the infamous traitor. My suspicion was true after all!” Bhairav chuckled as he dismounted his horse, striding towards Yuyutsu, his eyes unblinking, his mouth in an unsmiling sneer.

“Spare me the niceties, Bhairav. This is a war of arms, not words.” Yuyutsu said, rubbing the hilt of his sword subtly, as he took one step closer towards the renowned challenger of his half-brother’s army.

Both warriors locked their eyes, taking a silent vow of combat. The arid breeze flowed past them, marking their territories. Yuyutsu circled facing Bhairav, his feet crushing the blood-soaked battle field. It was a moment filled with a pregnant pause and a promise of victory or valiant defeat—both leading to the inevitable phenomenon of death.

With a burst of strength, Bhairav plunged forward. He swung his sword in a semi-circular arc, aiming for Yuyutsu’s neck. Yuyutsu stepped sideways, countered by whipping his blade at Bhairav’s bare torso. Bhairav growled as the attempt scratched his shoulder, smidgens of blood pouring. It was a minor injury, but appeared irksome even to Yuyutsu.

The sun glided towards west, casting long shadows on Kurukshetra’s soil. Both swords danced against each other, each anticipating fluid attacks for the other. Sensing a momentary distraction, Bhairav utilised it and aimed for Yuyutsu’s heart. Yuyutsu glanced at the flowing arc and twisted his body, missing the attack by an inch. As Bhairav flouted his weapon towards his neck again, Dhritarashtra’s son kneeled down and rapidly smashed his strike on Bhairav’s right foot.

Bhairav groaned like a child who got slapped. He staggered backwards, trying to balance with his injured foot. Yuyutsu assaulted his opponent with a horizontal blow in the chest. Bhairav desparately defended, but it was no use. He disbalanced and fell to his knees. Yuyutsu grabbed his shoulder and stroke a final blow towards Bhairav’s heart.

The sun cast a golden hue towards Yuyutsu, as Bhairav’s life ebbed away in Kurukshetra’s dust. Yuyutsu stepped away, as the sun etched closest towards horizon. Walking towards the Pandava chariots, he stopped and looked back. Duryodhana looked at him with infuriation as Bheeshma blowed the conch shell.

As the armies retreated and Yuyutsu walked towards their camp, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Dwarkadheesh Krishna stood beside him, his eyes twinkled and his face was lit by a serene smile. Yuyutsu tried to greet him fervently but failed.

“O valiant son of Dhritarashtra! Do you know the story of Vibhishan, brother of Ravana, the King of Lanka?” Yuyutsu frowned slightly, tracing his memory, but came emptyhanded.

“I’m afraid, no, Dwarkadheesh.”

“When Rama set foot in Lanka, to rescue Sita who was abducted coercively by Ravana, the Rakshasa king’s entire kin sided by him.”

Yuyutsu blinked as he stared at Krishna. He had heard of mighty tale of Rama of Ayodhya. After all, in this land today, who hadn’t? He lightly nodded his once at the enigmatic Krishna, his nightly complexion glowing despite lack of illuminating lights around.

“A man of noble heart, a cheeranjivi, a sage who saw past his brother’s unrighteous ways. Stuck in a moral dilemma to choose family or dharma, Vibhishan saw through the unjust ways of his brother. He walked from the veil of darkness of his side, towards a different dawn. He walked towards the path of Rama, the path of virtue.

Such is the nature of Dharma, Yuyutsu. It often lies in path that diverges from the familiar one. Like Vibhishan who found truth through toils of being labelled as a betrayer and back-stabber. It is in such choices, we find the ones who are truly courageous.”

At that moment, in Yuyutsu’s conscience, Dwarkadheesh became Shri Krishna. His mouth twitched in a smile as he saw Shri Krishna walking away. His mind glided back to his mother’s lullaby. He closed his eyes and remembered her words,

Rest now, my dear, where the star weave tales of old

For in the embrace of Dharma, your heart finds its gold.

If there was one thing Yuyutsu was brilliant at, it was never looking back and feeling remorse. Be it small choices made during his childhood, or life-changing choices made recently. His wisdom patted his back once again that day. He walked towards his camp as his chest swelled in pride for himself.