Baaranaavat Fair and Duryodhan's Attempt to Burn Paandav

Politics is of two types, one is based on wealth, other is based on Dharm and Truth. Ruling only by sitting on the royal chair is one thing, and ruling by living in public's heart is another thing. Thus this story is of the conflict between wealth and Dharm.

In Hastinaapur, politics was infused with bribery. People were getting faithful to king not to kingdom. Money was becoming more important and people could be bought for anything. Peace didn't come to the kingdom after the coronation of Yudhishthir as the Crown King, rather Duryodhan and Shakuni were burning with the fire of jealousy. Even Dhritraashtra was suppressing a speck of fire of jealousy in his heart. Shakuni got the opportunity to fan that speck of fire and to keep it burning.

Unfortunately, even after declaring Yudhishthir the Crown Prince the royal treasury was still under Duryodhan's control. So Shakuni advised him to spend lavishly and buy those people also who could buy other people for Duryodhan. Duryodhan was doing that. Dhritraashtra was also thinking that Yudhishthir was the main hurdle in the way of his ambitions.

Whenever Dhritraashtra calls Vidur his brother that "we are three brothers", Vidur always opposes it. Then Dhritraashtra says - "Gangaa water is Gangaa water, whether it is kept in gold pot or in an earthen pot, how does it matter?" Vidur says - "Mother is not a pot, Mahaaraaj, and seed is nothing in itself. It only develops and grows through the love of soil. A seed cannot grow in an empty space. My mother's status, being the maid, doesn't become lower than any other mother but a man should never forget the string of his identity."

One year had passed. Bheem and Duryodhan became the pupils of Balaraam to learn Gadaa (mace) from Him. Strangely enough Balaraam was very fond of Duryodhan. He loved Duryodhan as Drone loved Arjun, at the same time Duryodhan was also devoted to Him. In the meantime Drone was also giving final touches to Arjun. He said - "You are the great archer of the world. No one can defeat you except ONE." Arjun was surprised to hear this. Drone further said - "Learning and humility should go together. Never think too high of yourself. It is for others to say that "you are the greatest archer of the world". But that ONE is Krishn. He is the greatest of the great. I am not exaggerating when I am saying this. He is your cousin. His father Vasudev is your mother's brother. If Krishn becomes your friend, then not all the Devtaa, not even Indra, can do you any harm. Krishn has also heard about you, I am sure you will meet Him soon."

Within the year of his coronation Yudhishthir became very popular among the public. People spoke highly about him. Arjun also won many countries in all directions. Duryodhan and Dhritraashtra were very jealous seeing all this. Once Duryodhan complained about this to his father but Dhritraashtra was helpless, so he also advised him to give up his hatred towards them and behave like a brother." But Duryodhan was so adamant that he almost threatened his father - "If you will not do something about it, I will commit suicide. I cannot serve other people being a king's son."

Duryodhan further said to his father - "Bheeshm, Drone, Vidur everybody loves Paandav, but Ashwatthaamaa is a good friend of mine. If you cannot think of anything, I have thought of a plan. If we send Paandav away with their mother for a year to some distant place like Baaranaavat, I will try to win people's love. If you do this for me then I will see that something is done." And he went away. Dhritraashtra could guess that this plan was for their killing. He didn't say a word but silently he was also with his son.

So Dhritraashtra called a man named Kanikaa, a friend of Shakuni, and asked the way to get peace of mind. This Kanikaa was a very crooked man, he said - "There is only one way, that you get rid of Paandav." And after giving the advice Kanikaa went away

Now there was a Shiv Fair in Baaranaavat, at some distance of Hastinaapur. Although it was customary for the Crown Prince to go there, but since Hastinaapur had no Crown Prince for quite some time, Dhritraashtra himself had been going there. But now Hastinaapur had its own Crown Prince, so Vidur suggested that Yudhishthir should be sent to Baaranaavat to attend that fair. This will help people to know their future king. But at the same time he should not be sent there alone, because it would show that both the families are not in good terms. Therefore either Duryodhan should be sent with him or Dhritraashtra himself should go with him to introduce him to the public.

Dhritraashtra got very happy to hear this. He told this to Duryodhan. Duryodhan also got very happy to hear it. He said - "This is good, but I have to take care of this place that is why I cannot go, and what is the use of your going there now? So let him go alone." Dhritraashtra said - "I also want the same and think on the same line, but I cannot say it. So now whatever is to be done, is to be done by you and your Maamaa." Duryodhan said - "Then you just send Yudhishthir to Baaranaavat. You leave the rest on me." Dhritraashtra said surprisingly - "But why are you forcing me to do this?" Duryodhan said - "Because it will give me pleasure and the crown also."

Dhritraashtra consulted Bheeshm. Bheeshm also said - "Let him go alone. It is not necessary for Duryodhan to accompany him." Vidur also suggested Dhritraashtra that they should not go with Yudhishthir. Paandav had come back from their victory tour with a lots of wealth. Dhritraashtra, then asked Yudhishthir to go to Baaranaavat for one year. As Duryodhan heard this he got very happy. But Shakuni thought that there is no use to send only Yudhishthir there. In fact all Paandav and Kuntee should go there.

On the other side Paandav were guessing it as Duryodhan's cheating trick. That is why they thought to be together, and planned to go there all together. Yudhishthir once said - "You should not doubt on Duryodhan's affection. He is proud but not coward. He can fight, he cannot make secret plans. Pride is also a kind of shield for a coward." but his brothers did not trust Duryodhan. So all brothers expressed their desire to go there along with him. Yudhishthir said - "What can the Great Uncle have any objection in it, but still I will ask him." Then Yudhishthir thought to take Kuntee also along with them. So all got ready to go there, and Dhritraashtra also gave his permission to all of them to go there. Paandav and Kuntee got busy making the preparation to go there.

When Shakuni heard this that they all were going there, he got very happy that he got his job done without any trouble. He got the idea - "If we kill them all somehow, then the whole thing will become history." They had a man named Purochan - a minister in Dhritraashtra's court. He called him and asked him - "You should build a house made of gum, straw, fat, butter, wood, paper, wax, lac and other easily inflammable things. Nobody should suspect the real material used in that palace. Then you must approach Paandav with great humility and ask them to stay there. And when you are sure that they are not suspecting anything, you set the fire in that palace in such a way that the fire should look like an accident, and the death of Paandav should also look like an accident in that fire. I do not want this plot to fail. This is my only chance to get rid of these Paandav." Purochan got engaged in doing so. It was built on a elaborated scale. It was named "Shiv".

The news spread like a fire that Paandav were going to Baaranaavat for one year. People were very unhappy with this new development. They requested Yudhishthir not to go there, but Yudhishthir consoled them telling that he must obey his Great uncle as he was fatherless. One of Vidur's secret envoys informed him that Purochan had built the palace very beautiful but why did he buy so much and so many highly inflammable materials, that was not known to them.

Vidur wanted to caution Paandav about this, but he was not getting any opportunity to tell them this. Once he went to Paandav to tell this but they went to Dhritraashtra to take his permission. Shakuni was very much scared of Vidur, therefore he had employed a secret envoy after Vidur, but he could not bring any satisfactory message. Vidur again went to Yudhishthir, but this time Duryodhan and Shakuni were there.

Vidur could not tell them this in open words but said something in sayings - "Yudhishthir, You are righteous, you are intelligent, you must know how to protect yourself from danger. Be aware, that this the season of jungle fire flowers. It seems as if there is fire in the whole forest. But when there is fire in jungle, who lives happily unaffected by that fire?" Duryodhan and Bheem couldn't reply, then Yudhishthir said - "It is the rat who can live there safely because it lives in a burrow." Vidur further said - "One should know his way out before entering any place. if you will have your senses alert nothing can hurt you. Wise men know their bearings looking at the stars. There is a vast jungle around there, enjoy preying also there." Yudhishthir understood a little but not all, but at least he understood this much that Vidur came to caution him from some future trouble, so he should be careful.

Now all went to Baaranaavat fair. They traveled for eight days to arrive in Baaranaavat - the city which does not belong to anyone but Shankar. On the tenth day they arrived there, Purochan welcomed them in the new palace, called "Shiv", saying that Dhritraashtra asked him to build this palace keeping their special comforts in mind. Yudhishthir admired his architect saying that "who could be the better builder than you after Vishwakarmaa?"

But Vidur's sentences were always echoing in Yudhishthir's ears. So Yudhishthir thought first to find the door to go out, but he noticed that there was no other door to go out, except the main door through which they entered. He noticed a moat around the palace, which was built for the palace's safety as Purochan told him, but actually it was to prevent Paandav to escape from there. Besides they noticed lots of Duryodhan's people around watching them closely. Paandav wandered in the daytime and came back in the evening. Yudhishthir noticed a strange smell also coming out of the palace. It seemed to him that it was coming from highly inflammable material. One should attack only when it is necessary, secondly, it is also an art to save an attack.

Now what could he do? His all brothers were very unhappy and dissatisfied with this arrangement and wanted to run away from that place but Yudhishthir pacified them and said - "If we are burned here in this palace, our Great Uncle will shed only a few crocodile tears and then it will be all quiet, but if we ran away from here and said that they planned to kill us, nobody is going to listen to us. So it is better that we live here and save ourselves from the trouble." His all brothers got convinced with this plan. So they planned that one brother will keep vigilance every night. Yudhishthir was sure that when Vidur had cautioned them about all this he would make arrangements for their escape also. They did not waste time in the fair. They went around telling that they were going for preying, but during that time they tried to find all paths to come out from that jungle.

Then one day a man came with a bird in a cage and said to Yudhishthir - "I am very good at digging tunnels." Yudhishthir understood that Vidur's man had come, he directed him towards the place from where he wanted to dig tunnel. After a few months the tunnel got ready. It came out at the bank of Gangaa River. Then one day one secret envoy of Vidur heard that the fire was to be set in the night of 14th day of dark fortnight of that month.

A family is like a garden. There should be adjustment in a family. If the ambitions of one another are clashing, then it is the fault of gardener. A garland is made of different colored, different smelling flowers and a thread. In a good garland the thread should not be seen and the different smells of different flowers should not clash with one another. But this house was in a mess.

So the envoy told this to Vidur that Shakuni had plans to set fire in that palace on the 14th day of dark fortnight of the month. Vidur sent him to inform Yudhishthir about this. He informed Yudhishthir about this and told him to set the fire one day before that and go away from there through the tunnel.

In the meantime Gandhaaree saw a bad dream - Shiv danced his Taandav dance in her house, Agni Dev set the fire and Indra Dev couldn't put out that fire. She asked Shiv as why did he dance that Taandav in her house, he didn't tell her its reason. Dhritraashtra said - "When Shankar did not tell you the reason of dancing Taandav, when Agni Dev did not tell you the reason of setting fire, and when Indra could not put out that fire, then your tears cannot put out this fire. So don't cry."

The day before the set day, Kuntee arranged a feast to feed all poor. There was a woman with her five sons who used to come there with Purochan, Kuntee was very affectionate to her. Kuntee fed her and her five sons to their satisfaction on the feast day. They also drank to their fill. They were so much drunk that they slept in the palace itself on that night. Bheem set the fire on that night, one night before the fixed night and all Paandav, along with Kuntee, came out of that palace in jungle. Yudhishthir had already known the ways so they soon were out of the enemy's reach.

The house was burning at its height. People came there to see it and were worried about Paandav, but they didn't need any more intelligence to guess that Dhritraashtra and his sons were responsible for this tragedy. The man who was to set fire next night was very surprised to see this, that who else knew about this plan who set the fire in that palace before the set time. He could not make out anything as how did it happen. But he found dead bodies of one woman and five men in that fire, so he thought that Paandav were burned in that fire along with Kuntee. He got very happy to see this and informed Duryodhan about this.

Duryodhan and Shakuni got very happy to hear the news of Paandav's death. When Shakuni went to tell this to Dhritraashtra, he asked as how they were killed. Shakuni said - "Somebody set fire in the palace built by your son Duryodhan. They were all burned in that fire." Dhritraashtra said - "That palace was not built by him, but by you." Dhritraashtra and Gaandhaaree went to Bheeshm to give this news to him. Bheeshm closed the door of his palace for all.

As Paandav came out of the tunnel, they met a man sent by Vidur, He said - "Vidur has sent you a boat to take you across Gangaa River then proceed towards southward of Baaranaavat. You are asked to keep your whereabouts secret for the next few months. I am very fortunate that I am of some use to the best of men." They crossed the river and went away on their path.

The future is based on past. The younger brothers are very angry at this and are thinking to go to Hastinaapur, but Yudhishthir told them to postpone war until it could be postponed. Therefore they would go there at the appropriate time. At present they should obey Vidur's orders. Dhritraashtra got worried about Bheeshm that he closed his doors to everybody. Vidur said - "I am tired calling him, you go and try, maybe he will hear you." Dhritraashtra went there, but he didn't come out.

One day he opened his door at midnight, and went to Gangaa River to perform last rites of Paandav. Gangaa appeared there and she stopped him doing so saying "last rites are performed only for dead." Bheeshm got surprised to hear this and said - "Then it means my Paandav are alive."

Vidur did not want to disclose this fact "that Paandav were alive" on anybody and wanted to watch the reaction on royal family, that is why he did not tell this anybody. He found that Bheeshm was the only person who was in real pain for their death and was not able to digest this news. Gaandhaaree was also sad, but considering it an accident got quiet. Dhritraashtra was happy in his heart but was sad outwardly. Duryodhan, Shakuni and Dushaasan were extremely happy that their scheme got successful. Karn was somewhat dissatisfied with all this, because he was never in favor of cheating, he always preferred fight because of being Kshatriya.

Bheeshm scolded Vidur as why did not he tell him this before. Vidur said - "This was Shakuni's tactics to kill them, and if I had told you this, what would you do?" Bheeshm said - "I would have gone to Dhritraashtra and asked him about this." Vidur said - "But perhaps he also did not know this." Bheeshm said - "Then I would have gone to ask Shakuni and Duryodhan." Vidur said - "That is why I did not tell you this before, because I never wanted them to know that their plans have failed." Bheeshm asked - "But where are they?" Vidur said - "Wherever they are, they are safe and sound." Bheeshm asked - "When they will come back?" Vidur said - "When the things are a bit favorable, I will call them myself." Then Bheeshm got relieved.

First Duryodhan got very happy to hear the news of Paandav's death, but then it came to his mind that the man was to set fire tomorrow, how come that the fire was set one day before. He had many doubts but to show his sorrow that Paandav had been burned in that fire, he lamented for them, and performed their last rites also.