Dushala post Kurukshetra war
Bharathi is a Chennai based writer and editor whose childhood passion for writing transformed into a career in this field. She is the author of the story "The fall of the first son" from the Unsung Valour and "Subhadra - The auspicious one" from Aryaa anthologies.
Last week, we saw that Dushala was born as the 101st child of Gandhari. She was the lone girl along with 100 sons. What happened to Dushala until and then after the Kurukshetra war?
Dushala was married to Jayadrath, the Sindhu king. Despite being married to her, Jayadrath was keen on taking another wife. On his way to Salwa for this reason, he saw Draupadi in the Kamyaka forest, tried to carry her away and got thrashed by the Pandavas.
Later, on day 14, Arjun vowed to kill Jayadrath because he was the reason why no one could enter the chakravyuh to support Abhimanyu. Jayadrath died in battle but some of his people, the Saindhavas, remained alive post war in their kingdom.
During the Ashwamedha yagya, when Arjun arrived there with the horse, they attacked him to avenge the death of Jayadratha. Arjun fought with them on foot. A fierce battle raged with Arjun trying not to kill them. When the battle went on for a long time, the Queen Dushala took her little grandson, son of Suratha, grandson of Jayadratha, in her arms and went to the battlefield.
Arjun asked her where her son was and she told him that he had died as soon as he heard of Arjun’s arrival with the horse. Dushala gave the infant into Arjun’s protection, saying that he should forget Duryodhana and Jayadratha’s association with him.
Arjun was happy to make peace with the Saindhavas. He sent Dushala back to her palace and ended the battle then and there, moving on with the horse. Thus, Dushala ended the enmity that her husband, Jayadratha, had created with the Pandavas.
