Chakra Vyuha*

H.K. Bharti

* A Chakra Vyuha is a battle formation in the Mahabharta and is called ‘Lotus Formation'. The seventh successive rings are to make a breach in and also there is a method in pulling out of them. Arjuna, who knew both the methods, had taught his son Abhimanyu only the fist one. The latter was, therefore, ultimately worsted as he could not execrate himself.

Mohammad bin All bin Ishaq's racket lies under my own native racket; both being fixed tight in a frame, hung from a nail. The smoke emitting from a coal stove has uniformly tainted the wall and the frame of the rackets.

Abhimanyu, having left behind the sixth gate of the charka vyuha in the course of fighting, is at the seventh gate. All his weaponry is exhausted: his bow and arrows, sword and mace and his chariot lie wrecked behind. There lies in his hands now the wheel of the wrecked chariot which he used both as a shield and for a weapon. This moment, he has lifted the chariot wheel up above his head with the strength of his arm muscles and is poised in readiness either to defend himself from an attack on the Korawa's side or to attack the soldier bearing a spear in front

This moment lies petrified and stock-still; that is why neither the soldier flings the spear nor does Abhimanyu hurl the enormous and heavy mace at the root of his skull to kill him.

This petrified moment stands in between the act and the result. This reality is confined to the wall of my room, just as Mohammad bin Ali bin Ishaq's framed racket hung on the wall, is confined to my feeling. Otherwise Mohammad bin Ali bin Ishaq left for Nigeria long back after he graduated in Indian Architecture. At that moment, he was perhaps at the first gate of the chakra vyuha or perhaps having crashed in the first, making a desperate effort at the second one. How then, as he saw me for the second time accompanied by a Mauratian girl at the University gate, he was engaged in heroics at some other gate of the chakra vyuha.

"It is my intention to marry her".

"It will be so fine".

"I like her very much".

'"That is obvious".

"She has a devastating figure".

"That might be so".

"You have not seen her with her clothes stripped off".

This brought me to laugh.

"I did not tell you in that sense. You are mean".

"I might well be!" I burst out laughing.

"What other sense did you say it in?"

"Come, all the three of us shall drink like a fish. Luco is a fish and I like this habit of hers".

"This moment did not get petrified, and he would have wished it to be so neither because it would have stiffened cold like a corpse.

Abhimanyu is again seized of the feeling that his wife is in a family way and the matter will not end there. What will come in its wake? He himself does not know. His reality is the chakra vyuha where he desperately struggles for a way out

"Once in Nigeria, I will start building by effecting a blend of the local and Indian architecture. I will begin at my home".

"It is a good idea".

"My blue-print is ready : a flat roof, thick walls and concrete sun breakers. They do not get hot like those made from aluminium".

The enormous and heavy chariot wheels still in Abhimanyu's hand; his mighty upper arms have not suffered the least bend.

The Korawa soldier is still poised for throwing the spear. This is merely the reality of the moment got petrified on the wall, otherwise this tale had ended long back.

Duryodhana's son has lone; back struck at Abhimanyu's skull with his mace after the latter gets a fall and thus ended one day of Mahabharta. Arjuna has long back done with Jayadartha.

Beneath the rackets hung on the wall, the green paint is still untarnished, all the smoke has been taken by the rackets. Mohammad bin Ali bin Ishaq played tennis superbly well. His agility assorted well with his glossy ebonite body. It was perhaps due to this that he made the dent in so many a door of the chakra vyuha in such a manner that he did not get aware of the fact till the last gate. It was because of this that he did not feel heady wine of his exploits, nor was he perturbed about extricating himself which bedevils many a human being.

On Abhimanyu's countenance perturbation is evident because he has reached the last gate and does not know how to pull himself out. The chariot wheel will not shield him long; and Arjuna has drifted far away on the other side in the course of fighting.

How painful the anguished look and perturbation on Abhimanyu's face is! This frozen moment should thaw ... it should warm up with the warmth of life.

This day of Mahabharata should end completed on my wall. I cannot bring myself to see on put up with this anguish and perturbation on Mohammad bin Ali bin Ishaq's face. But the fact has not altered with my not seeing it. I have not seen Abhimanyu also dying, but the fact is unaltered; he long long back gave up his ghost on the last gate of his chakra vyuha.

Mohammad bin Ali bin Ishaq had his blue-print still in his briefcase when the war broke out in Nigeria. The flat roof and concrete sun-breakers ... this dream was yet to come true when the mercenary white soldiers of Baifare had besieged Mohammad bin Ali bin Ishaq and his party.

He had reached the last gate of the chakra vyuha when another day of Mahabharata got completed.

I am trying my utmost not to think over the anguish and perturbation that clouded his face then.

Abhimanyu is still holding chariot wheel in his mighty young hands ready to attack and the rackets fixed in the frame are hung from the nail on the other side, taking the smoke on themselves leaving the green paint beneath unsullied.

The petrified moment on the room-wall is perhaps the last gate of the chakra vyuha.

Perhaps it is my turn now.