Sambhava Chapter 24 (132)
The Ballad of Arjuna
Intro
Sambhava is the origin story of the Kuru dynasty.
https://crackpot.substack.com/t/sambhava
As It Rhymes
1.
Vaishampayana said,
Bhishma bowed and touched Drona’s feet.
Drona’s skills were elite.
2.
Guru Drona stayed on as the Kuru’s martial guru.
The sons of Pandu and Dhritarashtra studied as pupils.
3.
Bharadvaja’s son Drona was blessed with wealth for a first.
Drona’s family no longer wanted for hearth nor thirst.
4.
After Drupada declared their friendship dead, Drona shifted his loyalty firmly to the Kuru cause instead.Â
5-6.
To all his disciples Drona said,
‘When your training is done none on earth will be capable of standing before you in battle on foot, horseback, chariot or elephant.
We’ll talk then when what I want in return is relevant.’Â
7.
Vaishampayana said,
The Kaurava princes absorbed Drona’s desire in silence.
Arjuna burned in training for violence.
8-10.
Arjuna delighted Drona again and again with his prodigious talent.
Arjuna rose above every challenge.
Arjuna was a running engine.
Arjuna scalped every problem like a surgeon.
Arjuna turned every gauntlet to silk.
Arjuna mastered weapons made by hand and divine.
Phalguna was as smooth as divine bovine milk.
11.
The Kuru pupils made the guru a lot of fame.
Kings and princes from other provinces sought the warmth of Drona’s flame.
12.
There were Vrishnis and Andhakas ilk.
So too Drona taught Radheya Karna Vaikartana.
13.
Arjuna felt envious of Drona’s know-how to fight.
Arjuna soaked up information from Drona day and night.
14-15.
Arjuna was a gym rat with a leonine appetite.
Arjuna never stopped mastering mechanical motion.
Arjuna’s skill in every style of fight became a show.Â
Arjuna the prodigy excelled at projectile.
Arjuna was the bell cow to plow sham wow.
Arjuna was the show pony with money know how.
Arjuna beat the elite.
Arjuna bowed at Drona’s feet.
Arjuna, son of Indra, was lit in battlement.
16.
One day Drona distracted the Kuru princes with a task so that he could give his son Ashvatthama a secret divine weapon lesson.
17-21.
Jishnu sniffed out the ruse and dropped in on the private session.
Drona lauded Arjuna’s relentless transgression.
22-26.
One night at din wind blew Arjuna’s lamp out.
Arjuna put down chow.
Arjuna picked up his bow.
Drona heard Arjuna pluck the string like an instrument.
27.
Drona said to Arjuna,
‘One day everyone will know your sting.Â
You will known as the best that’s ever been.’
28.
Vaishampayana said,
Drona taught Arjuna how to fight on horse, chariot or elephant.
Drona taught Arjuna how to fight in man’s natural element.
29.
Arjuna mastered fighting with clubs and spears.
Arjuna learned tactics to fight off a mob of peers.
30.
Arjuna’s dervish skills attracted kings and princes who wished to learn how he burned.
31-59.
[abridged]
60.
A roll call of Drona’s foremost dubs -
Bhima and Duryodhana were kings of clubs.
61.
Ashvatthama mastered every stock of divine grade in the arsenal.
The Ashvin twins Sahadeva and Nakula were the big slick of diamond blade.
62-64.
Yudhishthira was the foremost king at driving blazing chariot hearts.
Still Dhananjaya bests the foremost kings in their ace forte on their finest part of day.
Arjuna earned the title Atiratha, meaning guts spill and Arjuna the spade ace racks up sick kills whatever ill he wields.
65.
Dhritarashtra’s sons were jealous of Bhima’s iron will.
Dhritarashtra’s sons were jealous of Arjuna’s superior skill.
66.
To settle the scores Drona summoned his pupils.
67.
Drona placed a sculpted bird on a treetop.
Drona instructed the students to give the bird a pop.
68-69.
Drona said,
‘Take up your bow.
Take up your arrow.
Aim for the sparrow.
On my mark bring down the head.
Then we will rank the Kuru marksmen high to low.’Â
70.
Vaishampayana said,
‘Drona called Yudhishthira first.
71-72.
The chastiser of enemies slung his bow.
As Yudhishthira stretched the bow, Drona stepped in to have a word before Yudhishthira let go.Â
73-74.
Drona asked Yudhishthira,
‘Do you see the tree and forest?
Do you see your kin and the bird?’
7-76.
Yudhishthira answered that he saw the bird, his brothers, the tree, the forest, Drona and all the rest.
Drona hissed at Yudhishthira’s despicable miss.
‘Stand down. Go read Vedas’, Drona dismissed Yudhishthira with a caustic kiss.
77-78.
Duryodhana was next.
There followed the best of the Kuru brood.
Every prince gave the same answer as Yudhishthira to Drona’s Q.
Every Kuru prince made Drona hiss and frown.
Even Bhima got shot down.
At last it was Arjuna’s turn to make good.
Notes
[1] Vaishampayana, Janamejaya ibid.
[8] Phalguna is Arjuna.
[16] The Varuna weapon specifically. Varuna is the God of the ocean. Varuna gives Arjuna his Ganidva bow after the Khandava fire.
[17] Jishnu is another name for Arjuna.
[30-59] The story of Eklavya is told in these shlokas.
[60] ‘Dub’ for ‘W’ and ‘W’ for warrior.
[61] The Ashvin twins are Sahadeva and Nakula Pandava
[62] Chariot hearts - another way to play vyuha, or formations. From overhead many chariot formations resemble shapes, like wagons, wheels, birds or needles. The minimum number of chariots required for a formation is three, a triangle or heart. Yudhishthira was the best chariot fighter - a contest moving tactical combat of finding range for projectiles to miss and hit or counter. It was said that until Yudhishthira’s half-truth about Asvhatthama that gets Drona killed, his chariot wheels rode four inches off the ground. The bowman riding on the chariot may be performing something akin to surfing or skateboarding while firing his weapon with his footwork. The lighter the chariot the more maneuverable, and faster, but also unstable and prone to a lot of motion.
[64] Dhananjaya is Arjuna. Dhananjaya means winner of riches. Arjuna earned this name in Digvijaya.
https://crackpot.substack.com/t/digvijaya
[76] Vedas are scripture.