Prafulla Kumar Mohanty's
DRAUPADI - 51
Hastinapuur
Meantime in Hastinapur
Yuvraj Duryodhan in mad fury
made the palace impassioned, hot.
Rising from singeing embers
of insult which Draupadi's taunts
at his blind fall into illusive waters
in the Moya Palace of the Pandavs
had pierced his heart to make him sink
into self loathing.
Since his return from the Rajasuya
he was a stranger to himself
and his friends advisors confidants
the infamous trio Shakuni:
the Gandhar king whose one and only
aim in life was to avenge his sister's
marriage to blind Dhritarashtra,
not by choice but by Bhisma's power push
Gandhar had to submit in fear.
But Shakuni suppressing his ire
by devious smiles banked on his
crooked dice nursed vengeance with patience.
Karna by a quirk of fate grew up
with foster parents, father being
a charioteer the son wanted to become
a chariot warrior for which he hid
his class identity before Parshuram
to gain his discipleship to learn
from the most powerful war expert.
When during the convocation display
of the royal disciples of Guru Drona
Karna entered to challenge Arjun
Drona's prodigious disciple in archery
he was denied participation for his
caste; Duryodhan had balmed his shame
by declaring him the king of Anga
thereby buying his loyalty forever.
Karna true to his words never
wavered in his allegiance to the Kuru Prince.
Moreover Karna smarted by
Draupadi's insult at her Swayambar
and silently wearing it in his heart
was a part of Duryodhan's coterie.
Shakuni found an opportunity
to advance his machinations
after his Jatugriha
and other failures.
He crackled his dice and laughed:
Nephew dear I know how it pains
to see your enemy ride roughshod
over your snobbish virtues nourished
with royal care and
clenched vengefulness.
It was that woman's laugh at your fall
which ignited the suppressed jealousy
which the Pandav pomp and ostentation
had already given us heart burns:
but son shedding lonely
tears and
deflating your nerves is not the way.
You sink further in your agony
and lose all energy to gloomy stupor:
There is no other way Uncle save
resignation or suicide to escape
this hell fire in my ribcage.
O my great nephew you wear
a heart of flint fireproof and dark
never shall despondency touch you
when your Mama's dice still sings
the Pandav dirge in variegated rhythms.
Now listen to me pay attention to Mama
this dice in my hand has a mystic charm
obeys my command as the charmed cobra
all soft gold beautiful gives a lush bite
when the master plays the signal tune.
No hiss no fuss just follows the signature:
If I call six or Kali it surfaces.
Like a dolly with
elegant purity -
but what has dice to do with me
my doleful soul is sinking and you -
Aha, wait my son, this dice will give
the balm to our wounds and disaster
to Pandavs, their pomp will roll
on helpless dust for you to trample on:
Go my nephew ask your father the King
to invite the Emperor the great Yudhistir
for a game of dice which they avoided
after the Rajasuya deviating from
tradition form and royal practice:
bring Yudhistir to Hastinapur and leave
the rest to mama's skillful hands.
But the king the wise Dhitarastra
may not agree for chausar
in the court.
The erudite moralist Vidura
may artfully convince the king against it -
Said Karna looking doubtful and sceptical.
Moreover Mama chausar
is evil, it may -
No Angaraj, chausar
is the battlefield
where Yudhistir will fall face down
with penury and slavery mocking him
and his brothers, Shakuni gloated kissing the dice.
Then rush my nephew make your father
agree to invite Yudhistir and I will
give you everything with these bones
you ever desired and win back
your lost pride by sweet revenge.
I will change the fate of Arayabarta
with my vengeful bones and you and I
shall reign over earth water and sky.
