The Thirteenth Day (23 page)

He’d scratched his beard.

‘We haven’t been able to do it for two days. With everyone, you, me, Suyodhana, even Bhagadatta, taking their best chance. What makes you think we can do it tomorrow?’

I’d shrugged. ‘It’s a new formation. It may bring us luck.’

He had smiled wryly but I continued, ‘Once he’s in the vyuha layers, he’s ours.’

‘Fine. Then let’s make a deal. If he enters the vyuha, we’ll take him alive. But I don’t want anyone breaking the formation to go and get him. Clear?’

Now I looked at the king who had asked the question and nodded. ‘Yes. But today, we won’t go after him like we did yesterday or the day before. If he gets close, we’ll draw him into our layers. When he is in, give your troops strict instructions to take him alive.’

I looked at our allies, waiting for another question.

After an adequate duration, Suyodhana took the staff from me and spoke to the council.

‘I’m convinced. Completely. I asked Guruji to try a new formation and he’s given us something that no one’s ever
heard of.’

He looked at the council and boomed, ‘Shall we go ahead? Or does anyone have a better plan?’

Some of the allies smiled. They appeared somewhat convinced. If not of the plan, at least of the attempt to try something different. A good sign.

I handed the staff over to Drona who gave everyone their positions. The seven layers would be under the charge of our minor allies to keep everyone equally responsible for our defeat, should it happen. Shalya, Suyodhana, Ashwatthama, Drona, Kritavarma, a few more Maharathis and I would float between layers and bolster any division that needed help. The front line would be managed by the Sindhu king, Jayadratha. It would have the most diffficult task of the day—to contain the Pandava assault and also act as a gate to let them in.

We had discussed this at length, Drona and I. Apart from Suyodhana and his brothers and the Trigartas, Jayadratha was probably the only king who had a personal enmity with the Pandavas. Like the Trigartas, we would put his anger to good use.

All of us left the tent together. The sun had just risen. Susharma walked away with Drona and Suyodhana walked energetically towards his tent, barking orders jovially to his menials. I hadn’t seen him so excited since the first few days. Another good sign.

I returned to my tent and hastily put on my armour.

As I left for the chariot park, I saw a dove fly slowly across our camp, stretching out its wings and welcoming the waking sun. It was a strange sight for a battlefield but was an auspicious sign. This was too good to be true. I reminded myself not to get carried away. When had anything ever gone well on the field?

When I reached the field, it had already been arranged just like we had planned. The white of the Trigartas rimmed the crescent on the left. On the right, a solid shield wall protected the Chakravyuha that was under construction. When everyone had finally taken their positions, Suyodhana spoke quietly in the centre, and his message was carried to every member in the ranks.

‘By now, all of you know what is required of you. So I won’t speak of battle. I will speak to you instead of dinner. Now some of you may have noticed double rations on your plate yesterday night. Some may even have thought it a mistake. I don’t think anyone bothered to correct it. Am I right?’

The ranks were silent. I saw a long-spearman look nervously at the soldiers on his side from the corner of his eyes.

‘Let me confirm. It was not a mistake. But your due.’

It took every moment of every year of the spearman’s discipline not to turn around and look at Suyodhana.

‘Yesterday, we were hammered. Some of us even ran from the carnage. For a while, I didn’t know who to blame. And I still don’t. But I know in my heart that I cannot blame you.’

The spearman looked straight ahead now. His eyebrows sloped in puzzlement.

‘I speak to you as individuals. To each one of you. You are the best soldiers any army can ask for. And after proving your strength, resolve and loyalty time and again for twelve days straight, I’m ashamed that I brought it to a point that it could no longer be tested. But today is a new day. We have a new plan. We are arranged in a new vyuha. And all I ask is that each of you continues to make me feel that I belong to the greatest army on earth by standing and fighting like the heroes you are. Today is the thirteenth day. Today is the day we win the war.’

The army erupted. The spearman tightened his grip on the spear.

T
he council meeting was brief. All we had from our spies was hearsay and gossip. Some talk of a new battle formation which we rubbished immediately. Soldiers’ tales…they could give the bards a run for their money. I had heard of flying vehicles, explosive arrows called astras that could destroy entire akshauhinis and a great deal more. If we took everything they said seriously we would be preparing for the apocalypse at every little skirmish.

Dhristadyumna arranged us in staggered squares. From the sky the army would look like checks on the Kurukshetra mud. It was a good formation—one that was flexible and would work well in offence or defence. In spite of our victory yesterday, Dhristadyumna wasn’t being too cheeky. There would be seven squares—four forward and three in reserve. Each square would be like a mini army, with chariots, infantry and a few elephants. It had been decided that Virata and Drupada would handle the reserve, while the young blood would go and splatter itself all over the field.

I walked towards the chariot park. Vishaka had been sent ahead with my armour and weapons. It was a warm morning. I hoped it wouldn’t get hotter during the day.

I could make out young Abhimanyu from the back, standing next to Shikhandi outside the chariot park. He had been placed back in the reserves again today. This time, Arjuna had told Dhristadyumna to do so.

I went up to him, turned him around to face me and looked at him with all the reproachment I could muster.

He gave me his sweetest smile, ‘Don’t worry, Uncle. I’ll be good today.’

My anger melted like the Gangotri glaciers in the summers. But I still shook my head disapprovingly, thinking of what to say. Abhimanyu saved my effort.

‘I should get my chariot ready. Meet you in the field.’

He walked away jauntily into the park and Shikhandi spoke, ‘I had a talk with him last night. I think I was able to make him understand what he can and can’t do on a battlefield.’

I didn’t say anything. I had never understood his fascination with killing. As if people’s lives were acceptable collateral to get one’s name written on a few pieces of parchment; their blood, the ink of his destiny. I shivered at the thought. A few days in the reserve would probably do him good. He needed to understand that killing people, even foot soldiers, should always be treated as an end in itself, and not the means to an end. As an act that needed to be performed because not doing it could actually be worse, not because it would get one glory.

I put on my armour and strapped up my helmet. My javelins were in their large leather sheaves and so were my stabbing spears. I carried a sword and an axe and a large shield as well as a small round one today. We left the chariot park and went towards the battlefield.

The Kauravas were waiting for us. They were arranged bizarrely. One flank made a crescent. Trigartas, by the look of it. And the other was a shield wall. I had never seen anything like this before. Satyaki was to my right. He would be the right person to ask.

‘What’s that called? It’s half a crescent, and half a, well, square for all I can tell.’

‘I haven’t seen this one myself. Maybe Dhristadyumna has a better idea.’

We took our chariots to his square, which was positioned in the front and centre. He was with Arjuna, Bhima, Chekitana and Shikhandi when we approached.

‘Can you tell the formation?’

‘Half-crescent. Half-square. No name for it,’ said Dhristadyumna distractedly. He was reluctant to have a conversation with me since yesterday. He could go to hell.

We took our positions in the forward squares and waited for the conches to sound. After his little rant yesterday, I had insisted on a forward position to much protest. I would show them all today.

A thin, bald man in white armour and dhoti stepped out in the neutral ground. He was unarmed and strode towards us purposefully, quite unafraid. This must be Susharma. The Trigartadesa king had made quite an impression yesterday.

He stopped a little distance from us and spoke loudly so that everyone up front could hear, ‘Our vow is incomplete. Not for our strength of arms, but because of your cowardice. You ran yesterday, Arjuna. To kill a king who was old, weak, exhausted in battle and unable to fight. Is there glory in this? Honour? Today I challenge you to fight us. Only us. Not to run away until our dead line the ground or your blood bonds the soil. We await you on the right flank.’

I looked at Arjuna, whose face had turned white from anger. He gripped his bow so tightly, I feared it would crack. Krishna looked back at him from his charioteer’s seat and drove the chariot to the right flank without saying a word. I heard Dhristadyumna tell Nakula, Sahadeva and Shikhandi to join him.

We stood in our positions. Arjuna took two squares of troops to deal with the Trigarta crescent. When they took their positions, the conches began to sound.

The day began.

I saw the Trigarta-lined crescent detach from the square and charge—white-coloured infantry, followed by white chariots. Our front ranks braced for the impact.

They joined combat with a loud, dull crunch. I looked ahead and said a prayer to the Lord for the well-being of my brother.

The Kaurava shield wall on our side stared impassively back at us. We waited for a few moments, hoping that they would attack. When this didn’t happen, Dhristadyumna sounded an advance and we covered half the distance towards them when they started moving.

The shieldsmen wheeled to their flanks and ran to the back. Behind them were foot soldiers and chariots in what appeared to be the shape of a circle.

I looked at Dhristadyumna, who looked unperturbed.

‘Keep the advance going. Shields up. Spears out.’

Our front lines moved closer to the Kaurava circle. Could it even be called a line? It was like the round rim of a cup but with a gap in between.

Our men poured into the gap and within moments had been cut through with arrows. I could make out another circle within the first one, and maybe even one more.

Dhristadyumna called the infantry back. The Kaurava front rotated and a new set of soldiers took their positions while they marched towards us slowly. The gap in their front circle had widened now, almost daring us to enter.

‘Chariots. Form a wedge and break through the ring.’

A chariot archer squadron formed and disappeared into the gap. I saw them circling around the second circle, caught in a criss-cross hedge of arrows. After a little while, I could see no more of them.

Dhristadyumna pulled the front line back as the Kaurava formation marched closer, crushing those who were unfortunate enough not to move in time. They took a few steps forward and rotated once more, circulating their troops.

I met Dhristadyumna and Bhima in the retreat.

Dhristadyumna started, ‘Any ideas?’

Bhima shook his head. ‘None. But we can’t keep running forever.’

They looked at me and I shrugged, ‘I don’t know if it’ll work. Maybe if we formed a shield wall and held our ground?’

We were contemplating this mode of action when Abhimanyu ran into our midst.

Both me and Dhristadyumna were ready to kill him on the spot.

‘It’s a Chakravyuha. A many-tiered formation…rare... Concept formation… Hasn’t been seen in a war ever!’ he panted.

We waited for him to calm down and speak.

‘It’s called a Chakravyuha. Father had explained it to me once.’

It was pointless asking the boy how he escaped the reserves or how he had even been close enough to the front to see us get slaughtered.

‘Did he tell you how to break it?’ I asked.

‘I can get in. But I’ll need a little help getting out.’

‘Explain.’

‘It’s like sewing. I’ll be the needle, but I’ll need a steady thread of troops behind me at all times, otherwise I’ll get lost in the formation like the chariots that just went in.

‘What do we have to do?’

‘I’ll lead a chariot wedge straight into the gap. Send men in behind me and we’ll break it from the inside.’

‘You? Why you?’

Abhimanyu looked at me as if I was an idiot, but since I was his uncle, he spoke softly, ‘Because, I’m the only one who knows how to do it.’

‘Tell me how it’s done. I’ll lead the force,’ grunted Bhima.

‘It’s complicated, Uncle. We enter the gap in the first layer, then find the weakest point in the second layer, break through that and so on, till we reach the centre which is six layers from the outside.’

I heard Bhima mutter something uncomplimentary about military theorists.

Abhimanyu continued, ‘I’ll create the path inside the vyuha for all of you to follow. Stick close behind me and keep feeding me troops. If any of the layers seal between us, I’ll be trapped.’