Bhima’s Return (Mahabharata Series 29)

Bhima’s Return

The son of the Wind-god, Bhima, rose swiftly and began his rapid journey toward Hastinapura. As he moved along the road with great vigor, people looked at him with astonishment. Bhima’s mind was filled with only one thought: “When will I see my mother? How soon can I speak with my brothers?” With this eagerness in his heart, he hastened toward the inner chambers of the palace.

Upon reaching Hastinapura, Vrikodara went straight into his mother’s residence and exclaimed, “Mother!” as he bowed at Kunti’s feet.

For a moment, Kunti could not believe what she saw. Her eyes seemed to doubt the reality before her. But in the very next instant, realizing that it was truly her beloved son, she cried out, “Bhima!” and embraced him with great affection. Tears of joy flowed from the eyes of all the Pandavas present there.

Bhima then turned toward his elder brother and bowed at the feet of Yudhishthira. The righteous king lovingly smelled Bhima’s head and gently stroked it in great happiness. Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva too approached Bhima joyfully and greeted him warmly. All of them seated Bhima among them and eagerly asked him to narrate everything that had happened.

Bhima then explained all the events in detail.

After hearing the entire account, Yudhishthira said to him,

“Bhima, you must keep this matter a secret and not reveal it to anyone. From now on, we must remain vigilant and protect one another.”

From that day onward, the Pandavas became extremely cautious in all their actions.

Duryodhana’s Continued Malice

However, Duryodhana did not abandon his wickedness. In fact, he went so far as to kill Bhima’s beloved charioteer. Following Vidura’s wise counsel, the Pandavas chose to remain silent about this injustice.

Bhima’s survival had only intensified Duryodhana’s anger. Though his earlier plan had failed, he failed to understand that divine will is stronger than human schemes. Blinded by arrogance and hatred, he continued to devise new plots to kill Bhima.

After some time, Duryodhana once again attempted to poison Bhima’s food—this time with the extremely deadly Kalakuta poison. However, the Pandavas had already been warned of this plot by Yuyutsu, the son of Dhritarashtra by a Vaishya woman. Even so, Bhima fearlessly consumed the poisoned food and digested it without any harm. The poison had no effect on him.

Meanwhile, Duryodhana, along with Shakuni, Dushasana, and Karna, continued to scheme relentlessly for the destruction of the Pandavas. Yet every plan failed because of the Pandavas’ vigilance. Each time, following Vidura’s advice, they restrained their anger and remained patient.

The Beginning of Education

Dhritarashtra too came to realize that his sons were increasingly engaged in wrongful deeds. Disturbed by this realization, he decided that they should not be allowed to remain idle. Therefore, he resolved to send both the Kauravas and the Pandavas together to receive proper education.

They were entrusted to the renowned preceptor Kripa, who was born among reeds and was therefore also known as Gautama. He was a master of warfare and military sciences.

Thus began the formal education of the Kauravas and the Pandavas under the guidance of Kripacharya.

The Story of Kripacharya

The great sage Gautama had a son named Sharadvan. Since he was born holding a bow and arrows in his hands, he came to be known by that name. Though born a Brahmin, Sharadvan showed little interest in Vedic studies. Instead, he devoted himself entirely to the mastery of archery.

Observing strict celibacy and performing intense austerities, Sharadvan attained extraordinary knowledge of countless divine weapons. Being born in the lineage of Gautama, he too was often called Gautama.

Sharadvan’s great prowess in archery and his severe penance alarmed Indra, the king of the gods. Fearing the power that the sage might acquire, Indra summoned a celestial maiden named Janapadi and assigned her the task of disturbing Sharadvan’s austerities.

Janapadi went to the hermitage of the ascetic, where Sharadvan was deeply absorbed in his practice. Through her enchanting beauty and graceful movements, she captivated the mind of the bow-bearing sage.

For a moment, Sharadvan lost control of himself. His body trembled from head to toe, and the bow and arrows slipped from his hands.

However, in the very next moment he regained control over his senses. But by then his seed had fallen upon a cluster of reeds nearby. Realizing what had happened, Sharadvan fled the place in fear.

The sage’s seed, which had fallen upon the reeds, divided into two parts. From it were born a boy and a girl, who would later become known as Kripa and Kripi.