shamed in front of all the Kuru sabha. And I say to you, there is a fire burning in my heart and the only cure for it is war. I beg you, Krishna, don’t come back from that evil city without declaring war!”
And she stood trembling, while her tears flowed. Krishna said to her, “As you cry today, Panchali, I swear the wives of the Kauravas shall weep very soon. But there will be no cure for their tears, because they will have lost everything. Not one Kaurava shall live. I have not forgotten what I promised you in the Kamyaka vana. I have come into the world for this war.” His voice was wistful, “The earth must be rid of her burden of kings and so she shall. Dry you eyes, Panchali, let me see you smile. The thirteen years of exile are over. I promise you, Yudhishtira will be lord of the earth again.”
Draupadi wiped her tears and smiled wanly at Krishna. He said, “It is decided then, I will leave for Hastinapura tomorrow.”
Thus, the second council at Upaplavya ended.
The next morning dawned, bright and auspicious and Krishna was up early. The Dark One bathed. He worshipped the sun and the fire and then called Satyaki.
“Prepare my chariot, Satyaki. See to it yourself that my weapons are in it. Duryodhana and his brothers are not to be trusted and I must not let them find me unprepared.”
Now Yudhishtira came there and said, “Satyaki, you must go with Krishna. I am reluctant to send him at all on this pointless mission and I will not let him go alone.”
The chariot was ready and all the Pandavas came to see Krishna and Satyaki on their way. Yudhishtira’s last words to him were, “Give our mother our love and tell her we shall soon be with her.”
Krishna embraced them all and, cheerful as ever, set out for the Kuru capital.
ELEVEN
KRISHNA ARRIVES IN HASTINAPURA
The morning Krishna set out on his mission to Hastinapura, the strangest omens were seen. There was not a cloud in the sky, yet suddenly, in diverse parts of the land, thunder and lightning erupted in the vacant azure and uncanny rains lashed the earth. On that day, rivers turned around and flowed back to their sources; deep and quiet wells gushed forth in geysers.
On his way, Krishna saw none of these omens, but only nature’s bounty: trees laden with flowers and fruit and birds singing in their branches to mark the savior’s passage. In every town and village he rode through, the people came out in crowds to greet the Avatara and they stood enchanted by the sight of him, blue and ineffable. At Vrikasthala, beside a pool of lotuses, Krishna stopped his chariot.
“Night grows on us, let us rest here tonight.”
Meanwhile, in Hastinapura, his spies came to Dhritarashtra in his sabha and said, “My lord, Krishna is on his way here, bringing an embassy of peace from the Pandavas.”
Dhritarashtra sent for Bheeshma, Vidura and Sanjaya. Drona and Duryodhana were already in the court. When the Pitama and the king’s brother had joined them, Dhritarashtra said in some excitement, “I have wonderful news. Krishna is coming to Hastinapura! Vidura, let no effort be spared to give him a grand welcome. All the munis say no one on earth is as worthy of worship as Krishna. Besides, we need his blessings more than ever and his good offices.
Open our wayside retreats for him, along his journey; and when he arrives, we must receive him with gifts of chariots, elephants and jewels. Krishna honors us by coming to Hastinapura. I will go out myself to welcome him. Vidura, you must arrange the reception; overlook no detail. He will spend tonight at Kusasthala and be with us by midday tomorrow.”
There was a brief silence in his court and the king turned his face this way and that. He asked, “Vidura, don’t you approve? Don’t you think Krishna deserves the gifts I mean to offer him? Why are you so quiet?”
His brother laughed. “Of course, my lord, he deserves your gifts. Why, no man who was ever born into the world, or ever shall be, is as
And she stood trembling, while her tears flowed. Krishna said to her, “As you cry today, Panchali, I swear the wives of the Kauravas shall weep very soon. But there will be no cure for their tears, because they will have lost everything. Not one Kaurava shall live. I have not forgotten what I promised you in the Kamyaka vana. I have come into the world for this war.” His voice was wistful, “The earth must be rid of her burden of kings and so she shall. Dry you eyes, Panchali, let me see you smile. The thirteen years of exile are over. I promise you, Yudhishtira will be lord of the earth again.”
Draupadi wiped her tears and smiled wanly at Krishna. He said, “It is decided then, I will leave for Hastinapura tomorrow.”
Thus, the second council at Upaplavya ended.
The next morning dawned, bright and auspicious and Krishna was up early. The Dark One bathed. He worshipped the sun and the fire and then called Satyaki.
“Prepare my chariot, Satyaki. See to it yourself that my weapons are in it. Duryodhana and his brothers are not to be trusted and I must not let them find me unprepared.”
Now Yudhishtira came there and said, “Satyaki, you must go with Krishna. I am reluctant to send him at all on this pointless mission and I will not let him go alone.”
The chariot was ready and all the Pandavas came to see Krishna and Satyaki on their way. Yudhishtira’s last words to him were, “Give our mother our love and tell her we shall soon be with her.”
Krishna embraced them all and, cheerful as ever, set out for the Kuru capital.
ELEVEN
KRISHNA ARRIVES IN HASTINAPURA
The morning Krishna set out on his mission to Hastinapura, the strangest omens were seen. There was not a cloud in the sky, yet suddenly, in diverse parts of the land, thunder and lightning erupted in the vacant azure and uncanny rains lashed the earth. On that day, rivers turned around and flowed back to their sources; deep and quiet wells gushed forth in geysers.
On his way, Krishna saw none of these omens, but only nature’s bounty: trees laden with flowers and fruit and birds singing in their branches to mark the savior’s passage. In every town and village he rode through, the people came out in crowds to greet the Avatara and they stood enchanted by the sight of him, blue and ineffable. At Vrikasthala, beside a pool of lotuses, Krishna stopped his chariot.
“Night grows on us, let us rest here tonight.”
Meanwhile, in Hastinapura, his spies came to Dhritarashtra in his sabha and said, “My lord, Krishna is on his way here, bringing an embassy of peace from the Pandavas.”
Dhritarashtra sent for Bheeshma, Vidura and Sanjaya. Drona and Duryodhana were already in the court. When the Pitama and the king’s brother had joined them, Dhritarashtra said in some excitement, “I have wonderful news. Krishna is coming to Hastinapura! Vidura, let no effort be spared to give him a grand welcome. All the munis say no one on earth is as worthy of worship as Krishna. Besides, we need his blessings more than ever and his good offices.
Open our wayside retreats for him, along his journey; and when he arrives, we must receive him with gifts of chariots, elephants and jewels. Krishna honors us by coming to Hastinapura. I will go out myself to welcome him. Vidura, you must arrange the reception; overlook no detail. He will spend tonight at Kusasthala and be with us by midday tomorrow.”
There was a brief silence in his court and the king turned his face this way and that. He asked, “Vidura, don’t you approve? Don’t you think Krishna deserves the gifts I mean to offer him? Why are you so quiet?”
His brother laughed. “Of course, my lord, he deserves your gifts. Why, no man who was ever born into the world, or ever shall be, is as
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