Turbulent Tides of Time

Check the theme here: Pandava Mahaprasthana

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River Godavari was in her natural glory, spinning with whirlpools and sending turbulent waves to the shores. Sahadeva looked at the dark sky as they settled at a safe distance on the riverbank. It looked like the river would continue to lash out through the night. He had been noticing a few signs in the stars, hinting that another end was near. According to Sahadeva’s calculations, they had three to four years left. He felt this time was enough to finish the Mahaprasthana and stay at Mansarovar until their last breath. Yudhistira, of course, had dreams of entering swarga in his mortal form. The rest of them only wanted a peaceful death.

“What do the stars say tonight?” Draupadi asked as she sat beside him.

He put an arm around her shoulder and grinned. “They say a beautiful woman will sit with me.”

She elbowed him in the ribs with a tinkling laugh. Sahadeva wondered how her laugh sounded the same as when Draupadi was a twenty-year-old. She was eighty-six, if not more, but her eyes and smile remained young. It wasn’t easy considering the losses they saw and the tears they shed. Yet, she had a childlike enthusiasm for simple pleasures.

“No, tell me what put that expression on your face.”

“Which expression?”

“Like what you saw fits with your plans.” She replied.

Sahadeva shrugged. “That is what I saw then.”

Draupadi poked him in the thigh. “I won’t sit with you if you don’t tell me.”

“What if we die in less than five years? Is it enough time for everything?” He asked.

“I think… I’ll be relieved.” She said in a soft voice. “As long as I’m surrounded by all five of you, I won’t ask for anything else.”

Sahadeva nodded and kissed the top of her head. He understood the relief death would bring. He craved it, too.

Though the brothers had many good times, sadness or pain touched almost all moments. Their time on earth had been quite turbulent, much like Godavari doing tandav a few meters away.

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When Sahadeva left to conquer the kingdoms to the south of Indraprastha, Draupadi was pregnant with Nakula’s child.

“I know you are sad to miss the child’s birth, but don’t take unwanted risks to return soon,” Draupadi said after she gave him the aarti and applied the tilak on his forehead. “Your safety is more important.”

Sahadeva gave her a reluctant nod. He had supervised her previous pregnancies, though she had a team of experienced midwives around her. When it was the turn of his twin brother’s son, he would be in a distant kingdom fighting soldiers and bringing home tribute.

With his family’s best wishes and love, Sahadeva set out to conquer the kingdoms in his selected route. After accepting tribute from the Matsyas and the Nishadas, he went to Kuntibhoja and received a grand welcome. After all, it was his mother’s maternal home, even if she wasn’t the one who birthed him.

“It has been easy so far, Raja.” Aditya, his young commander, said when they were on the way to Mahishmati.

“It’ll change here. The raja will give us a tough fight. Make sure the soldiers are ready.” Sahadeva warned.

As predicted, Raja Nila greeted them with the blare of a battle conch. While the fight was equal, Sahadeva was soon making an entry into the kingdom. However, a large gust of fire hit them from nowhere. The fire formed a barrier between Sahadeva and Mahishmati.

When his astras did nothing to tame the flames, Sahadeva guessed Agni himself was protecting the kingdom. He got down from the chariot and removed his armor. Cleansing himself with water, Sahadeva sat on a patch of kusa grass and prayed to Agni for a way out.

“Dear Pandava, what do you wish for?” Agni appeared, the flames taking a human-like form.

Sahadeva bowed to touch the ground with his head and replied. “Deva, please allow me and my soldiers entry to Mahishmati.”

“I vowed to protect the kingdom from intruders, young Pandava. I can’t let your army in.” Agni explained. “However, you can walk inside without a weapon and offer your proposal to the king.”

“Thank you, Deva. I will follow your advice.”

Sahadeva told his army to stand down and walked to the fire border. It parted to allow him. This surprised King Nila. He got down from the chariot and welcomed Sahadeva with a confident smile.

“Son of Pandu, welcome to Mahishmati. You are the only one to enter my kingdom without my permission because you have my deva’s blessings. Tell me what you want, and I shall give it.”

Sahadeva accepted the king’s hospitality and thanked him. “Raja, you are a great warrior and a king of this wonderful land. My elder brother, the king of Indraprastha, is conducting a Rajasuya yagna soon. We wish for your acceptance of him as the Samrat of Bharatavarsha and a tribute to show your support. I also invite you to the ceremony with full honors.”

Nila agreed with a nod. “I’ve heard about the Pandava valor and have seen it with my own eyes now. Be our guest for a day. I’ll send the tribute to Indraprastha. I’m assured Bharatavarsha will be in safe hands.”

The king gave a generous tribute with the finest clothes for the royal members, gem-studded jewelry, gold coins, and much more. Sahadeva sent everything to Indraprastha with trusted soldiers and moved on to Dandaka, a region with many small kingdoms ruled by forest dwellers. He took the young commander, Aditya, and a few others with him.

Sahadeva knew the forest kingdoms were distrustful of outsiders and quick to attack, but had kind hearts. He sent them missives in local languages and waited for invitations. He knew he could easily defeat them in a battle, but bloodshed wasn’t necessary if they responded well. One by one, the replies came in the affirmative. Sahadeva walked to each little kingdom and met with the rulers. He spent a day or two with them and returned with marvelous handmade gifts.

“Raja, when do you think we’ll go back?” a wiry soldier asked when they camped on a seashore.

“In a month,” Sahadeva replied. They had been out for six months. He calculated Draupadi would have given birth a month ago.

“My sister will get married in two full moons, Raja.” The soldier whispered.

“You won’t miss it. You have my word.” Sahadeva promised. He had kept it too and gave extra coins to the soldier. He sent some jewels from the tributes as a gift from the Pandavas.

Back in Indraprastha, Sahadeva thought the days passed in a blur. He and Draupadi spent many nights star gazing from the terrace, singing lullabies to the kids, and planning for the upcoming Rajasuya.

By the time his brothers conquered all the kingdoms, six young boys had increased the count in the palace. Draupadi gave birth to five sons, one with each brother, and Subhadra had Abhimanyu, who was around the same age as Sahadeva’s son, Srutakarma. The kids’ wild laughter, their random cries for attention, and the incessant buzz of excitement surrounding the Rajasuya filled the palace. However, when the yagna happened, Sishupala tainted it with his foul attitude and hatred for Krishna.

“I’m not sad Sishupala died during this auspicious yagna. The kingdom will breathe easy with his son as the king.” Sahadeva said to Yudhistira, who was worried about the developments.

They decided to forget the matter. However, a few months later, the invitation from Hastinapura changed everything.

Sahadeva discussed it with Nakula and Draupadi. The three of them felt uneasy with the sudden invitation and Uncle Vidura’s tense expression.

“I don’t like it,” Sahadeva hissed as he read the scroll for the nth time.

Nakula agreed. “Me neither. Arjuna thinks it’s just like Duryodhana to have the upper hand by building a grander sabha, but there’s more.”

“Bhima feels it too, though he is ready for anything. But it won’t be a straightforward move from them, will it be?” Draupadi asked.

“No, Rani. Duryodhana, his advisors, and his father are crooked. They have a hidden agenda,” Nakula replied.

“If only we can find out what it is!” Sahadeva muttered, stalking the room from one end to another. “Draupadi, can you convince the elder brother to make an excuse and decline the invitation?”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

Sahadeva sighed and sank into a chair. “It’ll be better if all of us go with him. We can limit the damage; whatever it is.”

However, life wasn’t easy. The younger brothers were stunned by Yudhistira’s alarming stakes and recurring losses. They had tried to interfere and stop the game, but it was as if their elder brother was determined to lose everything. It hurt to see their hard work handed on a platter to someone like Duryodhana, but they could hardly fight their brother. That was what the Kauravas had always wanted. So Sahadeva channeled his hatred toward the wicked Shakuni and vowed to kill him.

Then, as if losing Abhimanyu to the war wasn’t enough, Ashwatthama, the acharya’s son, slaughtered their five sons at night. The win of the war came with the heartbreak of their children’s deaths. While Uttarā’s pregnancy gave them a ray of hope, it once again pushed the family into despair when the baby was stillborn.

Decades later, the revived grandson, Parikshit, was killed by a curse, and the Pandavas once again suffered pain in what was supposed to be their last journey on the earth.

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“Enough of this dark with light and light with dark. Give us some peace at least now!” Sahadeva said, more to himself.

Draupadi was fast asleep with her head on his lap. He wriggled to a side and stretched his legs straight without disturbing her. Then, he inclined backward to rest on the ground and closed his eyes, praying for sleep to ease him into oblivion.

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