THE SHATTERED
THIGH
An adaptation of Urubhangha
3137 BCE:
An
earthquake kind of vibration shakes the blood filled grounds of Kurukshetra.
Two maces held by two mammoth of men had hit each other at a distance and that
was said to be the reason for the vibration. Far away in the battlefield, three
soldiers holding lots of jewelled ornaments in their hands and fine robes walk
around the dead bodies of huge looking men and one by one pick up what's
priceless to their eyes from the bodies. Many of the bodies wore fine silk
robes of the highest and the best quality. The soldiers talk to themselves
about who the bodies were of. They pass places where bodies of eminent men were
burnt probably a few days back. The two mammoth men of which one looked greater
than the other in terms of physique, elegance, looks and the way of using the
mace. The other was unparalleled in strength but struggled to show class with
the mace. The maces hit each other again with the stronger of the two in the
verge of losing a fair fight. One of the three soldiers pities Dritarashtra,
the father of the Kauravas who had already lost 99 of his sons in the battle
against the Pandavas and was on the verge of losing the last one.
Dritarashtra is crying and cursing the Pandavas when Gandhari enters the lonely court and shouts at her husband that Krishna too is to be blamed as much as the Pandavas. Dritarashtra asks Sanjaya about the Gadhayudha at the Kurukshetra. Sanjaya says that Duryodhana is on the verge of winning. Both the parents are still worried. Back in the battlefield, Balarama smiles and applauds his favourite student Duryodhana for his use of mace against Krishna's favoured Kuru prince, Bheema. Bheema falls down with a thud. Krishna frowns and looks at Yudhishtira and Arjuna and says that there is no way Bheema will win a fair fight.
Dritarashtra is crying and cursing the Pandavas when Gandhari enters the lonely court and shouts at her husband that Krishna too is to be blamed as much as the Pandavas. Dritarashtra asks Sanjaya about the Gadhayudha at the Kurukshetra. Sanjaya says that Duryodhana is on the verge of winning. Both the parents are still worried. Back in the battlefield, Balarama smiles and applauds his favourite student Duryodhana for his use of mace against Krishna's favoured Kuru prince, Bheema. Bheema falls down with a thud. Krishna frowns and looks at Yudhishtira and Arjuna and says that there is no way Bheema will win a fair fight.
Early
morning, Krishna is walking on the banks of Ganga when he notices a completely
naked Duryodhana walking from the banks of the Ganga towards the temporary tent
laid out for Gandhari. A divine Krishna suddenly realises what Gandhari is up
to. He knew, that Gandhari, blind by her motherly nature is about to grant
invincibility to Duryodhana. He had to stop Duryodhana from entering the tent
else later that very day, Bheema would be the first official Pandava to die in
the battlefield. Krishna jumps out of nowhere in front of Duryodhana who is
taken aback and covers his genitals. Krishna smiles and asks him mockingly
where the new king was walking early morning naked and not ashamed of it.
Duryodhana bows towards Krishna and tells him that he is just obeying his
mother's words. Krishna smiles and tells him that Duryodhana isn't a kid and he
should realise when she tells him to come that way, he should at least cover
his privates. He should be ashamed to go to his mother without wearing
anything. What would the world talk about this when they come to know of it?
Duryodhana realises that Krishna is right and rushes towards a tree and starts
plucking leaves. Krishna happily smiles and leaves satisfied with what he had
done. He tells himself that he had saved Bheema's life.
Back in
the battlefield, Arjuna, fearing of losing Bheema asks Krishna what to do to
see that Bheema wins. Krishna tells him that Bheema has to break the rules of Gadhayudha.
Yudhishtira is not up for it. Krishna asks Yudhishtira if he hasn't broken
any rules. Yudhishtira is about to nod negatively, when Krishna asks what about
Yudhishtira lying about Ashwatthama's death to Dronacharya. Yudhishtira takes a
heavy breath with guilt. Krishna tells him that doing something not in the
right way to destroy the wrong is not wrong. Yudhishtira is not convinced.
Krishna doesn't waste time. Arjuna wants Duryodhana to lose by hook or by
crook. Krishna walks around here and there, to get the attention of every now
and then falling Bheema. Bheema falls down again. At last he looks at Krishna
who gives a patient smile and pats his left thigh.
Duryodhana
enters Gandhari's tent. Gandhari asks if it is Duryodhana and he positively
replies. She asks if there is anyone else in the tent. He answers in the
negative. She tells him that for a moment she will open her blindfold and all
that she sacrificed for her husband has given her one boon to use it for her
comfort and all that power that is stored inside her vision, her sight, her
eyes will cover her son from head to toe and thus help him be invincible during
the fight. Before Duryodhana could understand everything what his mother said,
Gandhari removes her blindfold and her eyes go through Duryodhana's not so nude
body. As soon as her hidden power is transferred on to her son as invisible armour
to protect him from anything, divine or human, she sees leaves covering his
genitals till his left thigh. Frustrated, she asks him why he covered himself.
He says it was not wise to go naked in front of his mother. Her divine vision
points at Krishna and she angrily says that, that cunning cowherd knew what she
was going to do. She tells him that his entire genitals till his left thigh
will not be safe from Bheema and grieves of losing her only living son.
Duryodhana casually tells her that it is beyond rules to hit a warrior below
his waist in the Gadhayudha and he will definitely beat and kill Bheema.
Gandhari nods negatively with a frown.
A
fallen Bheema blows away the dust near him and gets up like he is about to win
the final battle of the final day of the Kurukhetra. He swings his mace with
all his might towards Duryodhana. Duryodhana expecting to be hit on the shoulders
lifts his mace to block Bheema but Bheema, as told by Krishna hits Duryodhana's
left thigh.
One blow.
Krishna takes a heavy satisfied breath.
Arjuna begins to smile.
Bheema looks at a falling Duryodhana. Balarama starts to shout at Bheema for breaking the rules. But the damage had already been done. Duryodhana had fallen down, trembling with pain, his left leg shivering for mercy. An angry Balarama lifts his weapon, the plow, towards Bheema when Krishna stops Balarama and tells him that in the war of Mahabharata, there was no one who fought in the spirit of the war. But what mattered was, the one who stood for what is right, had to win and that's what Krishna had to see that it would happen no matter how. Balarama, not impressed by Krishna's reply, leaves with a fuss. Bheema still in burning anger over Duryodhana lifts his mace to smash Duryodhana but Krishna pulls Bheema away. The war had come to an end. The opposition king had fallen, half dead.
One blow.
Krishna takes a heavy satisfied breath.
Arjuna begins to smile.
Bheema looks at a falling Duryodhana. Balarama starts to shout at Bheema for breaking the rules. But the damage had already been done. Duryodhana had fallen down, trembling with pain, his left leg shivering for mercy. An angry Balarama lifts his weapon, the plow, towards Bheema when Krishna stops Balarama and tells him that in the war of Mahabharata, there was no one who fought in the spirit of the war. But what mattered was, the one who stood for what is right, had to win and that's what Krishna had to see that it would happen no matter how. Balarama, not impressed by Krishna's reply, leaves with a fuss. Bheema still in burning anger over Duryodhana lifts his mace to smash Duryodhana but Krishna pulls Bheema away. The war had come to an end. The opposition king had fallen, half dead.
Sanjaya
tells Dritarashtra that the last of his sons had fallen. The war had been lost,
finally. Dritarashtra with Gandhari rush towards the battlefield. They find a
furious Balarama near Duryodhana. Balarama tells Duryodhana how unfair the
Panadavas were to which Duryodhana tells him that he should not talk about
being fair. Duryodhana tells him that he tried to kill them with all evil
plans, from killing Bheema by poisoning him to the burning of the house of lac
and it served him right. Ashwatthama arrives and promises Duryodhana that, that
very night he would kill all the Pandavas. Dritarashtra and Gandhari with
Duryodhana's wives and son search for the fallen king. Duryodhana feels bad for
he couldn't even stand up to salute his father nor take his son on his lap for
the last time and cuddle him. Ashwatthama leaves angrily.
That very night, as Duryodhana closes his eyes to rest forever, a huge fire in the Pandava tent kills five.
That very night, as Duryodhana closes his eyes to rest forever, a huge fire in the Pandava tent kills five.
The end of Urubhangha.
