A little ahead of Bheema, Satyaki was pressing his way forward in spite of fierce resistance. Not for a moment did his bow have any respite. By now, he had reached close enough to Arjuna, who saw him at some distance, tearing through the enemy lines like a hurricane.
Seeing him, Arjuna turned to Krishna and said angrily, ‘O Vasudeva, why has he abandoned Yudhishthira when I had specifically asked him to protect him from the Acharya ? This is an act of foolhardiness. Why would Satyaki be so eager to join us?’
But Krishna advised him to keep pressing forward and keep everything else out of his mind.
‘I guess,’ he said, ‘Satyaki must have left Yudhishthira in the care of Dhrishtadyumna, who would be able to face any eventuality.’
‘I don’t know,’ Arjuna mumbled, still worried about his brother’s safety.
Suddenly, they both saw Satyaki challenged by Bhurisravas, the dreaded old warrior who was known for his unrivalled martial skills. Arjuna’s anxiety further deepened as he now saw Satyaki in great danger.
As for Krishna, he noticed in Bhurisravas’s eyes the flames of an old family feud. He recalled how the two clans had clashed over the hand of his mother, Devaki, when she was a maiden. Among her suitors were two main contestants: Somadatta and Simi. Since Simi scored over his rival, he carried Devaki away on behalf of Krishna’s father. Satyaki, as Simi’s grandson, had become a sworn enemy of Bhurisravas, who was Somadatta’s son. So it appeared to Krishna that Bhurisravas was now determined to settle old scores. Savagely, he began to shoot his arrows at Satyaki, who somehow managed to parry all of them.
In the course of this combat, Bhurisravas also added insult to injury by taunting Satyaki: ‘Today, you are like a mouse caught in a lion’s paws. So all you can now do is pray for your soul before I slay you.’
Infuriated, Satyaki retorted, ‘That is an old man’s hollow boast. Just see how this mouse can bite off an old lion’s tail and send him back to his den.’
After this exchange of taunts, both warriors were locked in a bloody duel. In a short while, they killed each other’s horses. When their chariots were also smashed, they stood on the ground, facing each other like two tigers ready to pounce upon each other. Their duel looked like a dance of death. When their swords and shields were also broken, they charged at each other like two rams locking horns. Several soldiers stood around to watch this sight, which was like a murderous wrestling match. They threw each other to the ground, grunting like two wild boars.
While Arjuna’s mind was preoccupied with Jayadratha, Krishna found himself deeply fascinated by this duel between the scions of two rival families. Suddenly, Krishna noticed that Satyaki was losing ground to his adversary.
‘Look there, O Arjuna,’ he said. ‘I think Satyaki may get killed if you don’t intervene. It is an unequal fight, unfair and unjust.’ He paused. ‘Don’t forget that Satyaki has joined us after overcoming many hurdles on the way. Are you going to let down a loyal friend?’
Now taking his mind momentarily off Jayadratha, Arjuna responded, ‘Indeed, I would like to rescue Satyaki from that old warrior’s clutches, but since this is a single combat, would it not be unchivalrous on my part to jump into the fight?’
Hardly had Arjuna spoken these words when they both saw Bhurisravas looming menacingly over Satyaki’s body. Taking him for dead, the Kaurava soldiers shouted in glee, ‘There he lies – slain.’
‘Can’t you see, O Arjuna, that Bhurisravas is about to plunge his sword into Satyaki’s chest? Is it chivalrous on the part of this man to kill someone who is now weaponless?’
Understanding the logic behind Krishna’s plea, Arjuna at once trained his Gandiva at Bhurisravas. As a deadly arrow flew out of the bow, it severed the old warrior’s right hand, which fell on the ground a little distance away, still holding the sword.
‘O despicable creature,’ bawled Bhurisravas, ‘was it proper for you to shoot someone engaged in a single combat?’
‘And was it chivalrous on your part,’ retorted Arjuna, ‘to put to the sword someone who lay on the ground, weaponless and exhausted?’
For a moment, Bhurisravas stared at Arjuna, speechless. There was something in the taunt that stung him. So, instead of retorting, he just sat cross-legged on the ground, in a yogic posture. Mute and overawed, the Kaurava soldiers stood around, their eyes burning with anger and condemnation over Arjuna’s action.
Arjuna then spoke to Bhurisravas, in a voice laced with deep regret: ‘O unrivalled warrior, I respect you and recognize your supreme martial skills. But just as you have always helped your friends, I could not let down Satyaki, who had stood by my side under all circumstances. If he risked his life coming here, encountering several obstacles on the way, it was to join me in my fight against Jayadratha. Don’t forget that he did this even at the risk of exposing my brother Yudhishthira to Drona’s design to seize him as a prisoner. I think this war has unmasked all of us.’
In spite of bleeding profusely, Bhurisravas brought himself to saying: ‘I don’t blame you as much as Krishna, your charioteer. I know you acted at his behest. He seized this moment to settle old scores with me.’
Reacting sharply to this accusation, Arjuna shot back: ‘I think old age has clouded your judgement. Remember that Vasudeva is not only my charioteer but also my Pole Star that has guided me through all my crises. So I cannot condemn you strongly enough for what you have just said.’
As the heated argument continued between Arjuna and Bhurisravas, Satyaki, with the flames of revenge raging in his heart, pulled out his sword and strode menacingly towards Bhurisravas, who was now immersed in yogic meditation. Before Krishna or Arjuna could stop him, he chopped off Bhurisravas’s head, which rolled to the ground. A cry rose from all the bystanders: ‘Shame! Shame!’
Even Krishna and Arjuna stood aghast, somewhat shaken by Satyaki’s brutal action.