Chapter 30: The Great War of Vatapi
More than a month had passed since the uncustomary art festival held at Ajantha drew to an abrupt and awkward closure. During that one month, a fierce competition broke out between the Chalukya army that was rushing from the north and the invading Pallava army that was marching from the south to reach Vatapi. It was the Pallava army that won the battle of speed. When the Chalukya army was still six kadu to the north of Vatapi, the ocean-like Pallava army had reached Vatapi without any impediments and had surrounded that expansive city’s fortress from all sides.
The citizens of Vatapi were alarmed by this unprecedented disaster. Vatapi’s residents, who were extremely proud of Emperor Pulikesi’s brave deeds and of his fame spreading far and wide even across the high seas to far flung nations, had not even imagined that another king would invade their country. The Pallava invasion that was akin to thunder striking across clear skies numbed and shocked the people. Everyone was aware that their Emperor was not present in the city at that point of time and that the forces deployed for the fort’s security were inadequate. Hence most of the city’s womenfolk felt extremely apprehensive. The Samanars, Saivites and Saktars who were inimical towards the Buddhists said, “The Ajantha Art Festival, in reality, is a plot hatched by the Buddhists!” The Chief of the Fort, Bhimasenan, also had to provide additional security to the Buddhist Viharams and monasteries which were the targets of the citizens’ angry attacks.
Commander Bhiman had also made arrangements to read out the emergency messages sent by the Emperor through his emissaries to help citizens overcome their fear. The Emperor has stated in that epistle that he was rushing to Vatapi along with the massive army that had been stationed at the banks of the Narmada River, that another large force stationed at Vengi Nadu was also marching towards Vatapi, that there was no need for the citizens to lose heart should the Pallava army lay siege to the Vatapi Fort ahead of his reaching Vatapi and that he would teach the Pallava army a lesson by decimating it and liberating Vatapi from the siege very soon. After hearing the above epistle that was read out at the street junctions, the Vatapi residents managed to somewhat overcome their fear and muster courage.
When Emperor Pulikesi, accompanied by the large army that was stationed on the banks of the Narmada River, was four kadu away from Vatapi, he received news of the Pallava army reaching Vatapi ahead of him and surrounding the fort. He immediately stopped marching ahead. As the army from Vengi had to cross several forests, mountains and rivers on its way, it came to be known that this army would take time in reaching Vatapi. In this situation, Emperor Pulikesi after discussing with his ministers and army chiefs, decided not to engage in war immediately and to wait for some time. He decided to launch a ferocious attack against the Pallava army once the forces from Vengi arrived and to tarry at the same place till then. But the doyens in warfare, Mamalla Chakravarthy and Commander Paranjyothi, did not allow him to execute his decisions.
The Pallava army chiefs debated at the Minsters’ Council whether to attack the Vatapi Fort or to confront the massive army headed by Pulikesi first. Manavanmar and Aditya Varmar opined that as their mission was to capture the Vatapi Fort, they ought to attack the fort immediately. Commander Paranjyothi said Pulikesi ought to attacked and slaughtered before the arrival of the forces from Vengi, that the Vatapi Fort was not going to disappear and that the longer the Vatapi Fort was under siege the easier would it be for the Pallava forces to capture the fort. The Chief of Spies supported the Commander. After deploying a small force to continue laying siege to the Vatapi Fort, a major portion of the Pallava army started marching northwards.
Emperor Pulikesi came to know of this. He realized that if he retreated at this juncture, the Chalukya Kingdom’s honour would come to naught. He prepared himself for war. Three kadu to the north of Vatapi, the two mammoth armies locked horns. This sight was akin to a turbulent ocean where the waves rose and lashed without any impediments. The gory battle continued for three days and nights. Thousands of warriors, stabbed by swords and pierced by spears, met their end at the battlefield. Mounds of the corpses of those who had died fighting bravely, with their arms, legs and heads mutilated, lay at the battlefield.
The dead elephants that lay on the battlefield resembled black granite hills. The corpses of humans and those of horses were all piled up together. The pathetic moaning of humans, the horrific shrieking of elephants and the sorrowful neighing of horses that were on the verge of death mingled together to form an intolerable din. Rivers of blood flowed in all four directions at the battlefield. The mutilated limbs of warriors floating on the rivers of blood presented an excruciating sight. It is impossible to provide an accurate description of that war in which lakhs of warriors and thousands of elephants and horses were deployed. Only great playwrights like Valmiki, Vyasar, Homer and Kambar[i] could do justice.
It was possible to estimate the relative strength of both sides from the very beginning of the war. Those who understood the intricacies of warfare could surmise the outcome of the war. The Chalukya army that had travelled a long distance nonstop was unable to withstand the assault of the invigorated Pallava army, which had the opportunity to rejuvenate itself after reaching Vatapi. A key contributory factor to the weakness of the Chalukya army was that a major part of its elephant force was stationed along with its army at Vengi.
At the dawn of the third day, the victory of the Pallava army and the defeat of the Chalukya army became a certainty. That afternoon, the Chalukya commanders and ministers surrounded Pulikesi and forcefully impressed upon him that it was necessary for him to retreat to a safe place till the arrival of the forces from Vengi for the welfare of the kingdom. The Chakravarthy, realizing that there was no alternative, acquiesced. It was decided that the Emperor escorted by what remained of the cavalry would safely retreat when that day drew to a close. But a major disruption that occurred in the evening prevented them from executing that decision. The Pallava army had saved the elephant force that had been specially trained by Manavanmar for the very end. That evening they launched an attack by that force.
When five thousand ferocious elephants armed with iron poles pounced on the Chalukya cavalry, those unsuspecting horses were taken aback. The horses dispersed and fled in all four directions. The remaining Chalukya soldiers fled even faster than the elephants. For the whole of the third night, the Pallava soldiers pursued the fleeing Chalukya soldiers and hunted them down. The following dawn, the battlefield in which a terrible war had raged during the last three days, was filled with corpses of the Chalukya soldiers. Not even a single living Chalukya soldier was seen.
Amidst the blowing of trumpets and conches signifying victory and the sound of victory slogans reaching the skies, the Pallava Chakravarthy and his commanders garlanded and congratulated each other and celebrated the conclusive victory secured by the Pallava army. Despite the uproarious celebrations, a small worry lingered at the bottom of their hearts. They were wondering what became of the Chalukya Emperor, Pulikesi. It was not known whether the Vatapi Emperor battled till the very end and embraced heroic death or if he had taken flight after observing several Chalukya soldiers fleeing the battlefield. If he had died at the battlefield, they would need to accord his mortal remains the honour due to a powerful Emperor. If he had fled, it was possible that he would mobilize an army again and attack them. After debating about Pulikesi’s fate for long, the Pallavas decided that it was futile to continue engaging in such discussions. After making arrangements for a force headed by Shatrugnan to comb the battlefield thoroughly for Pulikesi’s corpse, Mamallar and the other headed towards Vatapi again.
[i] Valmiki, Vyasar and Kambar – Valmiki and Kambar are the authors of The Ramayana in Sanskrit and Tamil respectively. Vyasar is the author of The Mahabharata.
