The Battle of Kamyaka
Draupadi Harana Chapter 271-273
Preface
This is the concluding chapter of Draupadi Harana - presented in the chess war metaphor over rhyme verse. The other chapters in this parva are in rhyme.
Introduction
The chapters of Draupadi Harana parva can be accessed by tag https://crackpot.substack.com/t/jayadratha
Opening
Jayadratha has taken Draupadi by force from the Pandavas’ mountain hermitage. The Pandavas, following Jayadratha’s jungle trail in the best of Duryodhana’s war chariots[1], are closing in. Having caught up to the rear of Jayadratha’s column of soldiers, Bhima and Arjuna ride forth to one side while Sahadeva, Nakula and Yudhishthira take the other flank.
Middle Game I
Sequences
(0) Kotika and fourteen chariots meet Bhima. Bhima kills an elephant and fourteen-foot soldiers with his mace.
(1) Arjuna kills mountaineers protecting Jayadratha’s vanguard.
(2)
Nakula was seen to descend from his chariot, with a sword in hand. Like scattered seeds, he severed the heads of those guarding the rear. — Bibek Debroy. Draupadi Harana Chapter 552(255).
(3) Sahadeva attacks elephant riders from his chariot with iron arrows, supporting Nakula on the ground.
(4) A Trigarta king kills Yudhishthira’s four horses. Yudhisthira counter attacks, killing the Trigarta with a crescent arrow. This is the first time Yudishthira kills someone in battle.
Middle Game II
“If you wish to give me pleasure beyond measure, kill that wretch!”, Draupadi said to Bhima.
— Bibek Debroy. Draupadi Harana Chapter 552(255)
(5) Kshemankara and Mahamukha attack Nakula. Nakula kills them both in his counterattack using just two arrows.
Suratha was skilled with elephants. He destroyed Nakula’s chariot by having an elephant step on its yoke. Nakula descended from his chariot with a sword and shield. Suratha attacked with the elephant. Nakula sliced off the elephant’s trunk and tusks, from the roots, with his sword. The elephant lowered its head, and with a roar, crashed to the ground, crushing the riders in its fall. — Bibek Debroy. Draupadi Harana Parva. Chapter 552(255)
(6) Arjuna kills Souviras, Shibis, Trigartas, Saindhavas soldiers.
(7) Arjuna restrains Bhima from killing any more soldiers, as he sees Draupadi descend Jayadratha’s chariot.
(8) Jayadratha, seeing the Pandavas destroy his best troops, kicks Draupadi out of his chariot and runs.
Endgame
(9) Arjuna kills Jayadratha’s horses from a long way off. Bhima catches Jayadratha, thrashes him, and scalps his head with an arrow - leaving five tufts of scalp with hair.
(10) Arjuna and Yudhishthira catch up and stop Bhima from killing Jayadratha - on the grounds that doing so would make their cousin Duhshala a widow. Bhima agrees to let Jayadratha go if Jayadratha swears fealty to the Pandavas in a public place. A battered Jayadratha agrees to terms. Bhima sets Jayadratha free. A humiliated Jayadratha swears to check the Pandavas in battle someday.
Thus ends Draupadi Harana Parva.
notes
[1] As the Pandavas have been in the forest for twelve years, Jayadratha may have been surprised to see the Pandavas ride well-made war chariots in pristine condition - and may have expected the inferior Pandavas to ride in rotted or broken-down weather-beaten equipment.
Ironically, Duryodhana restocked the Pandavas arsenal right before Draupadi Harana in Goshayatra - when Duryodhana’s soldiers gave the Pandavas all of Duryodhana’s best gear as a present after Duryodhana and several of his brothers were captured in the fight with the musicians on their way to troll the Pandavas with their best clothes, tents and chariots. (Verse 11) The gear was then presented as a gift to enlist the Pandavas help in rescue.
[2] The story of Duhshala’s birth is told in Sambhava.
[3] Jayadratha would fulfill his vow to check the Pandavas when they tried to follow Abhimanyu into the Chakravyuha on day 13 of the war.
[4]