Uttara Kumara, the Bragging Prince
by Rohit ChandwadkarIn the latest class, we learned how Arjuna defeated the Kaurava army and saved the cattle of King Virata from the Kaurava army.
While King Virata and his entire army was fighting King Susarma’s army in the south, the Kauravas attacked the northern part of the kingdom and took away King Virata’s cattle as there was no one there to stop them. Prince Uttara kumara, the only male of fighting age left in the capital, started to brag that he could defeat the Kaurava army single-handedly, if only there was an able person to drive his chariot. While he was bragging, Draupadi heard him and recommended Brihannala as his charioteer. Initially the prince rejected the idea of having a eunuch as his charioteer, but agreed later on when he learned that Brihannala was once Arjuna’s charioteer. Brihannala pretended not to know how to wear the armor properly much to everyone’s bemusement and let the prince teach him how to put it on.
While riding to the northern side, the prince saw a big cloud of dust which he initially assumed to be a storm. But as Brihannala drove the chariot closer, he realized that the dust cloud was caused by the marching of the colossal Kaurava army. Trembling with fear, the prince begged Brihannala to turn the chariot back, but Brihannala instead tried to persuade the prince to keep his word and fight the Kauravas like a true kshatriya. Then Uttara Kumara jumped off the chariot and started to run back towards the capital with Brihannala in hot pursuit. After Brihannala caught up with the prince, he asked the prince to become his charioteer so that he could fight the Kauravas. At Brihannala’s direction, the prince drove the chariot towards a huge tree in a graveyard nearby. Brihannala asked the prince to climb the tree and bring down the weapons stored by the Pandavas at the end of their 12 years of exile in the forest. Initially the prince refused to do so as the bundle of weapons appeared like a corpse to him. But urged by Brihannala, the prince brought down the bundle from which Brihannala took the Gandiva and the quivers belonging to Arjuna and revealed his true form as Arjuna to the prince.
Having recognized Arjuna, Duryodhana gleefully told Dronacharya that the Pandavas would have to repeat the12 years of forest life and 1 year incognito. However Bhishma and Kripacharya confirmed that the 13th year finished the day before. Dronacharya advised Duryodhana not to fight Arjuna and give back half the kingdom. Duryodhana angrily replied that he would not give back even a needle-point of land to the Pandavas. After waging a great battle with several Kaurava warriors including Karna, Arjuna became victorious by putting them to sleep with a special weapon. While the Kaurava army was asleep, Arjuna told the prince to cut pieces of cloth from the turbans of the warriors for his sister’s dolls as he had promised princess Uttara. But he warned the prince not to get on to Bhishma’s chariot as the weapon would not affect him. On their way back to the capital, Arjuna turned back to being Brihannala and told the prince to not tell anyone about his true identity.
Upon hearing that Prince Uttara Kumara was victorious against the Kauravas, Virata was very happy. However Kanaka commented that it was Brihannala’s charioteering that was the cause of Kauravas’ defeat. Virata got very angry at this and threw dice at Kanaka causing his forehead to bleed. Before a drop of Kanaka’s blood could hit the ground, Sairandhri got a cup and let the blood drip into it and bandaged the wound with a piece of her own garment. She told the king that Kanaka was a very holy man and if his blood had touched the earth, there would be 7 years of famine. The next day the Pandavas revealed their true forms to the King who was very happy that he was of service to the Pandavas. The queen apologized to Draupadi for having treated her like a maid. King Virata then offered his daughter, Princess Uttara, in marriage to Arjuna. But Arjuna politely declined the offer and suggested that Abhimanyu, his son, would be more suited for the princess. The King gladly agreed to this and the marriage of Uttara and Abhimanyu took place with great pomp and splendor.
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