Tribes In Ancient India

Author(s): Bimla Charn Law
Publisher: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

Page 43

THE KURUS
25 As Dhrtarăstra was blind from birth, Pāņdu, though younger, was placed on the throne left vacant by the death of Vicitravīrya. Matters grew complex when sons were born to both the brothers, and the difficulty was not lessened when Dhrtarăstra took over the government on the premature death of Pāṇdu, had his five nephews brought up with his own sons, and finally appointed his eldest nephew, Yudhisthira, to be heir-apparent. Dhrtarăstra's own sons, consumed with jealousy, set various plots on foot against their cousins, and eventually the old king decided on a compromise, giving Hastināpura to his sons, and to his nephews a district where they built the city of Indraprastha. Here the Pāņdavas, in the words of Prof. Macdonell, ruled wisely and prospered greatly. Duryodhana's jealousy being aroused, he resolved to ruin his cousins, with the aid of his uncle Śakuni, a skilful gamester', Yudhisthira was thereupon challenged to a game of dice with Śakuni,--a challenge which he could not refuse, as this was a matter of honour among Indian Ksatriyas in those days. Owing to dishonest tricks on Sakuni's part, Yudhisthira was defeated, and lost everything, his kingdom, wealth, army, brothers, and finally Draupadi, the joint wife of the five Pāņdavas. In the end it was arranged that the Pandavas should go into banishment for twelve years, and to remain incognito for a thirteenth, after which they might return and regain their kingdom. They passed their period of banishment in the forest, and remained incognito for the thirteenth year at the court of King Virāța of the Matsyas.
The Matsya king and his people honoured Yudhisthira and his brothers, and were grateful to them for preventing the predatory excursions of the Trigarttas and Kurus against their cattle. The bond with the Matsyas was further cemented by the marriage of Virāta's daughter with Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna. The Pāndavas were further related through Draupadi with the powerful king of Pañcāla; and they had a firm friend in Krsna, the hero of the Yādavas. It was felt, accordingly, that a successful attempt might be made to recover the dominions out of which they had been cheated. The King of Pañcāla suggested that they should resort to war, and kings of other neighbouring countries were invited to help the Pandavas. But before the war began the brothers made a last unsuccessful attempt to negotiate peace, sending Krsņa Vāsudeva as their emissary to the Kuru court.2
After the failure of negotiations, allies were invited from far and near; even the kings of the south contributed their quota, for by that
1 Sanskrit Literature, p. 292. 2 Mbh., Udyogaparvan, Vangavāsi Ed., Chap. 127.