Indulekha: The Sister of The Pandavas • Mahabharat

60. The Gita

Day 2

Sunrise

Kurukshetra

Suryadev greeted the warriors with his rays. The morning engulfed Kurukshetra in light, removing darkness from every nook and cranny. Except for the minds of the warriors. Both parties, devastated at the outcome of the first day, strode towards each other in silence. Once they were facing each other, the battle commenced. Arjun took a good look at the faces of whom he was supposed to fight. Mahamahim, Guru Drona, Duryodhan, Shakuni. All of his family.

Am I ready for this? Killing my own relatives?

He glanced to the side, looking at Indulekha who was studying the oppostion. She had told him before, in a state of worry, that lives were to be lost and whatever may happen here was their fate.

But, aren't I the one causing that?

He looked at this charioteer, or well, friend. Krishna smiled sensing his gaze on him. The archer put his bow down, unsure to what extent his power would go.

"What happened, Paarth? Why'd you keep the bow down?" The God turned, slightly, now facing him. A serene smile played on his face and the morpankh gleamed on his forehead like at all times. Arjun sighed, shutting his eyes close to make his overthinking stop. "I don't know how I can go against my family." He replied, his eyes remaining closed.

"Not fighting would be going against your family too, Arjun. Aren't you doing this to serve justice to Indu, your sister?" His melodious voice reached the archer's ear as his eyes opened.

"Look at the opposing side, Paarth. There's Duryodhan, the one who dared to touch your sister's clothes." Krishna voiced as he drove the chariot ahead. The clouds appeared to have stopped their motion and the birds, flying ever so slow, seemed to be immobile. The fighters on the battlefield became stationary, their movements slower than time itself. Almost no movement was there on the battlefield.

"There's Dusshasan, the one who had dragged your sister to the sabha. And there's Shakuni, the one who was behind all your sorrows. Your mother's, sister's and brothers' downfall. He planned it all."

Arjun gazed at them, fury building up in his mind. "And then look at Mahamahim Bhishma and Dronacharya. The ones who witnessed the incident in front of their eyes and did not take any action against it."

Arjun nodded as the sinking feeling in his chest sunk deeper.

"Now, do you think you can fight them?"

Arjun nodded, picking his bow back up. A newfound fire in his eyes blazed with hatred for the ones in front of him.

"Yes, Madhav. It is inevitable." He replied, taking slow breaths to calm down his fury.

"Well then, take another look at Mahamahim." He commanded as Arjun listened. "And remember how he loved you and provided protection to you at every stage of your life."

Arjun's glare faltered and he sighed, recalling the moments when he was given love.

"And now, look at Guru Drona and remember how he bestowed upon you his supreme knowledge and made you the warrior you are today. To make you the world's greatest archer, he went to the extent of burdening himself with sins."

A tear left the archer's eyes. He didn't understand what Krishan was doing but it left him fumbling with his thoughts. With his mind foggy and heart heavy, he averted his gaze back to Madhav who stared back with a stern expression.

"Look at Dusshasan and remember how he dared to oppose the whole court, no matter what outcome it had for him, and protected Indu's honour. He had apologized for his sins and was ready to accept his punishment," The God paused and sighed. "Is this all worth fighting for?"

Arjun without hesitation replied, "No, how can I kill them now?"

Krishna smiled softly, expecting the reply. He turned the chariot around and went over to face his side, now.

"Look at your side, Parth. Your siblings, your children and nephews, Many of them may die in this huge war. Does that feeling not weaken you? And then, look at your eldest brothers. Hadn't he gambled your siblings away? Wasn't that a crime? Mahamahim felt his oath was more important than Indulekha's honour. Yudishthir felt his dharma to be more important than his sister's honour. Wasn't that all unfair?"

"Do you see justice on your side, Arjun?"

"I don't know, Madhav. I see justice and injustice on both sides." He whimpered.

"Which means you did not understand the point of this war, or the true form of justice, Parth."

Indulekha's POV

My surroundings were frozen, or so I thought. The clouds and the birds flying in the sky hadn't been moving for a while. Neither my brothers around me were responding to me nor was my charioteer. I was unsure of what was happening until I saw Kanha and Bhrata Arjun from the corner of my eye. I had to squint to make sure it was them. And when I was completely sure, I was hesitant to call them. They seemed engrossed in a conversation I couldn't hear. I'd just assumed that Kanha was giving him the knowledge of the world. And I was intrigued.

So here I was, walking towards them, though being miles away. In the times when this knowledge was accessible to everyone, I had made the mistake of taking it lightly.

I was unsure whether I should've come or not but now that I was here, I couldn't help but overhear their conversation. Knowing that they both were aware of my presence, I decided to keep silent.

"A catastrophe is the foundation of reformation, Parth." I heard Kanha saying.

But was that true in all cases?

I had to wonder. If I destroy an ant hive, will a new one always replace it? If that is the rule of law, then how does the killing of 1 person result in the birth of two more? Or was I being too literal about this? The war here would lead to destruction which would result in the reformation of another community. But are we sure about that? I had more questions than answers and it made my mind cluttered.

"Shastra uthao, Parth!" Kanha's voice echoed in my mind, shaking me awake from my train of thought.

"Arjun, what you say is futile is nothing but your subjectiveness." The God turned around to face me. "Look at her, she had wanted to know what had been fueling your mind against this war. She had questions but answers to them, and answers with no questions."

My gaze faltered as I inhaled. This feeling was foreign. There was tension lingering in the air which made me desperately uncomfortable. While the two talked about, I'm assuming, something related to me, I was busy staying on track. I had not expected myself to be enlightened by the Gita.

"There will be destruction in war, yes. but new traditions shall also be formed."

And that answered my question. I glanced at the two, admiringly. It was time for me to realise my purpose, to see a greater purpose in life and to devote myself completely to Kanha.

And now I was ready to understand what the Gita truly was.