X for X Marks the Spot: Jayadratha’s Death - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaskar, 

This alphabet needed some thinking before I couldfinalize a topic. During the Kurukshetra War, Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu was killedby the Kaurava side when he penetrated the Chakravuyha formation. Arjuna wasdistraught upon hearing the news that evening. When Yudhistira told him thatJayadratha (king of Sindhu and husband of Dushala, the Kaurava sister)prevented the four Pandava brothers from following Abhimanyu into theformation, Arjuna was livid. 

He vowed to kill Jayadratha the next day before thesunset to avenge Abhimanyu’s death. Jayadratha had earlier (during the exile)lusted after Draupadi and abducted her. Bhima and Arjuna wanted to kill him,but Yudhistira let him go with a punishment (shaving his head andmustache). 

Jayadrathavadha is a Upaparva in Drona Parva and isdescribed in high detail. The Kaurava side did their best to prevent Arjunafrom getting closer to Jayadratha (and failed eventually). Arjuna was said tohave killed eight akshauhini of the Kaurava army that day. Imagine the carnage! 

(One Akshauhini = 21,870 chariots; 21,870 elephants;65,610 horses and 1,09,350 foot soldiers)

After much effort, Ajurna, with Krishna as hischarioteer, got at a shooting distance from Jayadratha (Arjuna’s arrowscould easily travel one krosa, which is appx. 3 KM, and hit the target).Right before Arjuna aimed, Krishna told him an important story aboutJayadratha’s birth. 

When Jayadratha was born, a voice spoke from heaven.It announced to King Bridhakshatra that his son would be a powerful ruler knownfor his prowess but would be beheaded by an enemy on the battlefield. Toprevent this, King Bridhakshatra cursed the (then unknown) enemy and said thatone who let his son’s head fall on the battlefield would die immediately as hisown head would shatter into a thousand pieces. 

Krishna then told Arjuna that Bridhakshatra hadlater left for a forest called Samantapanchaka and had been doing tapasya foryears. He advised Arjuna to shoot his arrow in such a way that Jayadratha’shead would not fall on the battlefield but into the lap of the old king(Bridhakshatra) in the forest. 

Arjuna nodded and charged his arrow with divinemantras. He aimed and shot it at Jayadratha. The arrow severed Jayadratha’shead and continued onward, carrying it on the tip. Arjuna shot more arrows in succession to support it. Everyone (including Bhima,Satyaki, and others) stared in amazement as the arrows and head traveledaway from the battlefield at high speed. The arrows reached the outskirts ofSamantapanchaka, where the old Bridhakshatra was sitting under a tree inmeditation. Jayadratha’s head dropped into his lap. 

After a while, Bridhakshatra finished his meditationand stood, not registering his son’s head on his lap. The head rolled to theground. He stared at it, aghast, and his own head shattered into a thousandpieces. Thus, the father and son died, making the prophecy and the curse cometrue. 

So, that’s how Arjuna avenged his son’s death andthe arrow reached the spot X. 

You can read a detailed summary of JayadrathavadhaUpaparva on Draupadi Parashakti's Facebook Page (a series ofseventeen posts). 

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The AI images are made on Bing.