Introduction
Many years have passed since the war. Arjuna’s best friends Krishna Vasudeva and Satyaki are dead. Satyaki, and most of the Yadavas, are killed in a drunken brawl. Krishna’s brother Balarama passes after the battle. Krishna is killed in a hunting accident. Haunted by a premonition of cataclysm, an aged Arjuna has come to Krishna’s city Dvarka to help settle his dead friends’ affairs.
Chapter 7 of Mausala tells the story of the moment Arjuna loses it to old age. Here we see the hero vulnerable and on the losing side of a battle for once - similar to Bhima’s lost fight with the python. Arjuna’s last heroic act is to save the citizens of the Dvarka.
As It Rhymes
1.
Vaishampayana said,
Bibhatsu said to Krishna’s father Vasudeva,
2-3.
‘It is dark without your son’s flame.
All six Pandavas Bhimasena, Sahadeva, Nakula, Yajnaseni feel the same.
4.
Our race is run.
We lived well and often won.
5.
I come to re-settle the Vrishni elderly, women and children to the city of Indraprastha.’
6.
Dhananjaya asked Krishna’s charioteer Daruka,
‘Who remains?’
7.
Arjuna entered the Yadava’s Sabha.
Arjuna lamented for Krishna once inside.
8.
Darkness fell with rain.
Scores of Bhraman poured in on all sides.
9.
Partha spoke to the occasion.
‘The departed leaves us perfectly be-fooled behind.
Heartbroke with numb mind.
10.
But soon we must leave.
Krishna’s sons will follow me to the city Shakraprastha.
Dvarka will soon be swallowed by a rising sea.
11.
There is little time, we are in a bind.
Load the wagon even if the mule is blind.
Krishna’s son Vajra will be your king when we’ve gone.
12.
In seven days we leave at dawn.
Make preparations for sleeping out at night.’
13.
After Partha spoke the people packed their wealth and heirlooms onto covered wagons yoked to oxen.
Many loads were not light.
14.
Partha visited Keshava’s dwellings.
Arjuna sorrows were dispelling.
15.
Vasudeva’s corpse was clean.
Vasudeva’s yoga was six sigmas from mean.
16.
The lamentations of women were heard echoing through Vasudeva’s dwellings.
17.
Women twisted mouths and rended garments.
Women sighed like serpents and beat their chest with fisted ornaments.
18.
The names of the women that loved Krishna most were Devaki, Bhadra, Rohini and Madira.
19.
Arjuna paid the pall bearers to haul Krishna to the funeral pyre.
20.
The pall and sorrow was more than the people of Dvarka could swallow.
21.
They carried Krishna’s chariot umbrella.
They carried flames drawn from Krishna’s agnihotra.
22.
Throngs of women marched forth with elan.
23.
Krishna’s death marked a new millennia.
A new yuga was begun on Krishna’s death day.
24.
Shura’s honorific son had become clay.
After last rites performed, wasting no time lit the fire.
25.
The fire burnt Krishna’s body to ash.
26.
The blazing fire created a sucking sound.
Men cried as they sang the Sama Veda.
27.
The Vrishni Andhaka prince Vajra watched the flames bounce around.
Women and men prostrated on the ground.
28.
Phalguna performed the ritual planetary motions with devotion.
Then Arjuna went to the Vrishni site massacre.
29.
Decomposing corpses covered an ochre acre.
Kaurava Kaunteya felt his soul ache in the chest.
30-31.
Arjuna carried out the last rites for the departed.
Arjuna burned Balarama and the rest.
32.
After properly sending off the spirits of the dead to heaven.
Arjuna got in his chariot on day seven.
33.
Horses, cattle and oxen yoked to burgeoning wagons were urged by crop whip.
Scores of crying Vrishni women said goodbye to Dvarka carrying babies on the hip.
34.
Dhananjaya spurned the massive caravan forward.
The Andhaka servants and charioteers leaned toward going slow.
35.
Those near Arjuna were shocked at his decrepit state.
The eternal Partha was nearing his expiry date.
36-38.
Scores of elephants and riders created a mountainous passing.
The elephants were the mountain’s boulders.
Elephant riders were the mountain’s peaks.
The stands of pine and spruce trees were the infantry marching alongside the elephants with their feathered helms, arrows, spears and greaves over their shoulders.
White wagon tarps billowed over large loads were puffy white clouds.
The loads of treasure and precious gemstones were the mountain’s mineral deposits.
The horses were the deer.
Cattle Oxen were the mountain’s goats.
Persons from all four walks of life marching with their hair free constituted the mountain’s flowing grass.
The people’s ornaments and bejeweled jewelry constituted the mountain’s rocks and stones.
The grunts of the horses, ox moans and bullocks struggling under the load were the mountains winds and echoes.
The mountain flowed away from Dvarka at a glacial pace.
39.
As widows traipsed through mountain meadows.
Arjuna was astonished to see there were hardly any fellows.
40.
The caravan strained with heirloom haul.
Scholars and women and children meandered along in sing-song.
41.
A Catastrophe struck Dvarka.
The ocean crashed through Dvarka’s stone sea wall.
42.
An earthquake lowered Dvarka under waves.
Dvarka’s palace rooms became sea caves.
43.
Dvarka’s citizens were astonished.
By fate they felt admonished.
44.
They dilly dallied through forests and delighted on mountain breaks.
They sported in rivers and lakes.
45.
Dhananjaya found cattle, people and grain suitable for many groups to remain at the land of five waters.
46.
A band of highway-men saw an old man with many unwed daughters and bountiful treasure.
Bandits are led by greed and lust in equal measure.
47.
The bandits prayed for favor.
The foundation was laid for an epic panty raid.
48.
Only Arjuna was there.
The Vrishni warrior cupboard was bare.
49.
Wielding crude sticks, the bandits waylaid the caravan.
The bandits chased off men to pillage.
50.
The bandits roared like lions on a rampage.
Time ran out on the Vrishni lineage.
51.
Kaunteya wanted to save them but felt confused with age.
Arjuna followed the bandits smiling with rage.
52.
‘Come back, fools!
You will rue this day as my arrows cut you in twos!’
53.
The bandits paid no mind to Arjuna’s spools.
To them Arjuna was old school factory glue.
54.
Arjuna strung his bow Gandiva with great effort.
Arjuna huffed as he climbed onto his chariot.
55.
How to use his weapons Arjuna had not a clue.
The bandits found Arjuna’s struggles uproarious.
56.
Arjuna suddenly was old.
Arjuna felt his might fold.
57.
None of the Vrishni fighters could fend off the raiding party.
The bandits subdued any resistance put up.
58.
Partha raced to check the bandits but Arjuna could not keep up.
59.
The soldiers got nixed.
Handshake arrangements fixed where the women mixed.
60.
Dhanajaya’s Gandiva bowed as he let arrows rip.
But now Arjuna’s arrows lacked zip.
61.
Arjuna once held the world in his grip.
Now Arjuna felt it slip.
Once Arjuna held a boon for no-limit.
Now Arjuna exhausted his ammo without scoring a hit.
62.
Arjuna struck pitifully with his bow.
Arjuna could not blow his conch shell.
63.
The barbarians took the best and bailed.
The bandits left the rest to wail.
64.
Though Dhananjaya believed in divine injunction.
Arjuna felt sorrow at his loss of motor function.
65.
Arjuna’s arms failed.
Arjuna’s mind flailed.
66.
Time is undefeated.
Arjuna was retired from feats.
67.
Arjuna led the remnants of the Vrishnis, the elderly and undesirable, to Kurukshetre.
68.
Some established themselves in that spot.
69.
Some settled in the city of Martikavat.
70.
Pandava led elderly and children to the city of Shakraprastha.
71.
Satyaki’s son established a place on the river Sarasvati.
72.
Krishna’s son Vajra was put on the throne.
73.
The widows Rukmini, Gandhari, Saivya, Haimavati, Jambavati passed time in Vedic study.
74.
Satyabhama retired to the forest alone.
75.
The inhabitants of the lost city Dvaraka followed Vajra.
76.
Arjuna paid his last respects to his passed buddy.
Notes
[1] Vaishampayana, Janamejaya ibid.
[1] Bibhatsu is Arujna.
Vasudeva is Krishna's father.
[3] Yajnaseni is Draupadi
[5] Vrishni is the name of the people.
[7] Yadavas are Krishna's people.
Sabha is a court or political meeting place.
[10] Dvarka is the ocean side city state Krishna founded
[13] Partha is Arjuna
[21] Agnihotra is a sacrificial fire
[23] Krishna's death marks the turn of the dvaparra to the kali yuga.
[24] Shura is Krishna's mother
[28] Phalguna is Arjuna
[36-38] To explain - yes the translator broke the as it rhymes premise here and took many liberties. The original shloka is a rather unadorned metaphor - the creative liberties is a reference to a popular use of metaphor by Sanjaya during the war chapters. Sanjaya uses such metaphors to paint a vivid picture in the blind king Dhritarashtra’s minds eye.
[51] Kaunteya is Arjuna
[0]
For more on Satyaki’s relationship to Arjuna and conduct in the war, see Satyaki’s note.
Satyaki and Kritavarma fight over their respective actions in the war - Kritavarma’s role in the night time raid on the Pandava camp and Satyaki for his fight with Bhurishrava.
