Raudradhari Abhimanyu

By Aditya Vungarala

A scandal during his childhood makes Abhimanyu, the son of the greatest Pandava Arjuna leave his family and identity behind and live deep in the Dandakaranya. Fate puts him to test when a drastic turn takes place in his life and he is forced to face his foes, who swore to destroy him. The journey he was forced to take to become the warrior he was meant to be was not an easy one! There are powerful forces in the background moving the people as pawns, playing their own game. Will Abhimanyu become another pawn? Did he bow down to his fate, or did he fight back and mark his own path? Read on to know the journey of the Son of Arjuna, a broken man, but an unbreakable warrior!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Think Tank Books
• Release date: Feb 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9788194756101

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Title: Raudradhari Abhimanyu - The Hidden Prince

Author: Aditya Vungarala

Published by: Think Tank Books™in 2020

Address: RZ-26/27B, Ashok Park, West Sagarpur, New Delhi - 110046

Website: thinktankbooks.com

Email: [e-mail]

Aditya Vungarala asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this book.

Copyright Text © 2020 by Aditya Vungarala

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored, adapted, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, micro-filming recording or otherwise, or translated in any language, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher. The book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the prior publisher’s written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

This is a work of fiction.

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ISBN: 978-81-947561-0-1

Price: INR 299/-

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To my Amma, without whom, the Writer in me would never have seen the world.

—-Acknowledgements—-

First and foremost, I would like to thank my Amma, and Nanna, for giving me the strength that I did not believe I had. Without their support, I would've been yet another guy, who believed he was good at nothing.

Thank you, Think Tank Books, for responding to my email at really short notice. You made me believe that my book was worth something when I lost hope.

Thank you, Nidhi, for being there for me always. Had you not read the first-ever draft I wrote on my rough notes, and encouraged me to go ahead, Raudradhari Abhimanyu would have just remained as an unfulfilled dream.

Thank you Madhuranagar Tathaya and my late Nanamma, for believing in me and motivating me to go on ahead. Without you, this writer would never have had the thought of finishing this book.

Thank you, Ammamma, for all the stories you narrated me during those beautiful childhood days. You unknowingly sparked my interest in Mythology. Though you are not there with us now, a big part of you would remain in me in the form of my stories.

Thank you Karunya, for believing that my book was worth something. Your excitement towards my book was what pushed me to make it better every time I went through it.

Thank you, Sri Prakash Synergy School. Had I not studied there, I would have been a nobody. All of me was influenced by my school. The person I am today is because of my school.

And finally, thank you, for picking up this book. Ultimately it is you whom I write for.

—-About the Author—-

Aditya Vungarala was born in 2001 and brought up in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. He completed his schooling from Sri Prakash Synergy School, Peddapuram.

He has always been fascinated by the idea of Indian History and Mythology and sees writing as his way of sharing the love for the same.

Aditya is studying business and will soon graduate from Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru. This is his debut novel.

—-Author’s Note to the Reader—-

Firstly, before you turn the page, I would like to say something. This book is entirely based on the imagination of my favourite Mythological character Abhimanyu. This is a pure work of fiction and few events have been changed to match the narrative of this story. There will be many references from the actual Mahabharata but also many of them altered to match my story.

Why did I do this?

Well, every time I read the Mahabharata, Abhimanyu’s story seemed incomplete to me. He is remembered today because of his courage and valour on the 13th day of the Kurukshetra. So I thought, why not add a few more elements to the story. That was how ‘Raudradhari Abhimanyu’ was born.

Thank you for your time. You may start reading now!

—-Important Characters—-

––––––––

Abhimanyu: Son of the greatest Pandava Arjuna and Lady Subhadra of Dwaraka. He was a great warrior. Due to a scandal in his childhood, he was forced to leave his birthplace, Dwaraka and live with his cousin Pradyumna at his gurukul, deep in the Dandakaranya, by changing his identity. Abhimanyu, like his father, was a Savyasachi. Ambidextrous.

Sasirekha: A student of the gurukul of Pradyumna and a prodigy. She was a friend of Abhimanyu, who had secrets of her own. She was also two years older than him. Over time, she falls in love with him.

Pradyumna: Son of Krishna. He was a fierce warrior and a serious intellectual. He built a gurukul deep in the Dandakaranya and accepted everyone interested to study, despite their caste and origin. It was with him whom Abhimanyu was sent to live with, by his mother.

Lakshmana Kumar: Son of Duryodhan, the eldest of the Kaurava brothers. Lakshmana Kumar was a cruel and ambitious young man who wishes to defeat and bring all the kingdoms of Aryavarta under the rule of Hastinapura, so that overtime when he gets to become its ruler, he would have a large kingdom to rule.

Subhadra: Mother of Abhimanyu and the wife of Arjuna. She was the princess of Dwaraka. After a scandal, it was she who forced Abhimanyu to leave Dwaraka. She made sure that no one came to know this secret. She values her son’s safety over anything else in the world.

Krishna: The eighth Avatar of Lord Vishnu. He was burdened with the decisions he had to make for the greater good, being the Avatar. The brother of Subhadra and the maternal uncle of Abhimanyu.

Veda Vyas: One of the seven Chiranjeevis. Maharishi Veda Vyas was tasked with setting the events of the Mahabharata in motion and to record them for the future generations of the Bharata Varsha. Everything that happened, was set in motion by him.

Shakuni: Maternal uncle of the Kauravas. An important member of the royal board of Hastinapura. He was a man with his own secret vendetta.

Duryodhan: The first born of King Dritharastra and Queen Gandhaari. He was the prime cause of the rift between the Pandavas and the Kauravas.

Satyaki: The younger brother of Lord Krishna and Lord Balram. Older brother of Lady Subhadra. He assisted his sister Subhadra in getting Abhimanyu secretly away from Dwaraka.

Karna: The closest friend of Duryodhan and the adversary of the Pandava Arjuna.

—-Important Kingdoms and Tribes—-

Hastinapura: The province of the Kauravas, the descendants of Kuru. This kingdom is ruled by the blind King Dritharastra, the father of the hundred Kauravas. He ruled under the guidance of the mighty warrior and his uncle, Bheeshma and his trusted minister and brother Vidura.

Indraprasta: The kingdom given to King Yudhishthira and his brothers, the Pandavas to rule.  They later brought many kingdoms under their rule.

Matsya: The kingdom in modern-day Uttar Pradesh. It was ruled by King Virata, who was an able but timid ruler. He always relied on his brother-in-law Keechak, the Commander of the royal army, to ward off the Kingdom’s enemies. Its capital was Virata Nagara.

Panchala: The kingdom of King Druapada, and the home of the Queen of the Pandavas, Draupadi.

Gaandhara: The home of the Queen of Hastinapura, Gaandhari and her brother, and the maternal uncle of the Kauravas, Shakuni.

Rakshas: The cousins of the late Asura and the Daanav tribes. Their cousins had all been killed in the war with the Devas, the Gods, and the Rakshas tribe had been on the verge of extinction since then.

Raktakshas: Raktakshas were a tribe of paid assassins, mercenaries and cut-throats. The nobles of the country hired them to kill anyone who stood against them. The Raktakshas’ only code of honour was not going back on their word.

—-Prologue—-

He sat under a tree, grunting in pain as his back hurt, still sporting the blunt bruises. The man in his early twenties stretched his body, feeling the bones crack relaxingly and took the bullhorn tied to the saddle of his horse that held water. He gulped some down and sealed it shut, resting his head on the hard bark of the huge banyan tree.

He closed his eyes and gently stroked the crystal locket that was dangling around his neck, against his scarred chest. The locket felt cold between his fingers, mirroring his heart. He had been riding non-stop for many hours now and his horse needed a break.

A tear slid down his eye as he felt a soft, warm hand caressing his face. He placed his hand on his cheek as if to hold the hand there, but it was a mere hallucination! He stopped stroking the locket as his eyes fell on the hilt of his sword gleaming under the setting sun. His bow and two quivers full of arrows were strapped to the other side of the horse.

The world was entering the fourth Jhamu of the day, and a beautiful golden line decorated the hills far away. Somewhere, far away on the other side, those hills lay his destination, the capital city of Aryavarta, Hastinapura!

He stood up and joined his hands in respect to the Sun God, Lord Surya. He turned and looked at the hilt of his sword. He had not washed the blood off of it after the battle. A few minutes earlier, while riding, he had heard a water stream. It should not be far away. He slowly unbuckled his sword from the saddle and unsheathed it.

Dry blood ran across the surface of its blade, shining red, reflecting the pleasant rays of the setting sun sinisterly! He sheathed his sword back and tied his horse to the tree. He muttered soothingly in the ear of the horse as it neighed nervously, probably looking at the bloodstained three and a half feet long sword.

He walked through the dense woods, and went in direction of the stream of water and stepped into it, putting aside his angvastr. It was probably a part of the Godavari river. Cold water of the stream rushed around his waist as he unsheathed his sword and dipped into the water completely. Blood started washing off the custom-made blade. He took two more dips and stood up straight in the water.

He washed off the remaining traces of blood and sheathed it back. His untidy shoulder-length hair hung loosely as he turned to the direction of the sun, now on its journey to the west. He held the sheathed sword to his forehead, remembering his cause... remembering her! He took a deep breath and said...

Yudham Sharanam Gachami!

~

1

A cool breeze touched the sweaty forehead of Duryodhan as he paced anxiously across his private quarters. The entire city of Hastinapura was enjoying the tranquil night. Karna sat on the chair next to the large wooden table at the centre of the common hall in Duryodhan’s private chambers. He was deeply engrossed in his thoughts. The bowl of fruits lay forgotten at the side of the large table, with maps spread across.

I hope it will be a girl! muttered Duryodhan wiping his slight sweaty brow, I don’t want another man added to their family!

Arjuna would be unstoppable! added Karna standing up. He’s already travelling across the country, collecting the Amruth. Word of mouth says that Arjuna had gained the knowledge of making the Bramhastra! He took a pause and added, The news of his child’s birth will only increase his prowess!"

Duryodhan stood next to the torch, listening to his best friend. Arjuna, the Pandava along with that Yadav Krishna travelled across the corners of the country gaining the secret knowledge of making nuclear weapons, capable of mass destruction, commonly termed as the Astras. One of his spies had also informed him that Arjuna wishes to gain the possession of the three most powerful Astras, the Bramhastra, the Narayanastra, and the Pasupathastra.

Duryodhan knew that if a person is in possession of at least one of the three missiles, he can become the sole conqueror of the world. These are the Astras of the ‘Trimurthy’ - Lord Bramha, Lord Narayana and Lord Pasupathi. The Bramhastra, designed by Lord Bramha. The Narayanastra, designed by the first Vishnu, Lord Narayana and the Pasupathastra, designed by the second Mahadev, Pasupathi. These were the missiles that caused destruction on an atomic level, fuelled by the godly nectar, Amruth.

The flame in the torch leapt merrily, next to Duryodhan as various thoughts ran through his mind. The light of the moon gently touched the large marble royal palace of Hastinapura. The Palace was built by Duryodhan’s ancestors seven generations ago. It was the pride of the Kuruvamshis.

Is this the only way? he muttered to himself. He clenched his fist hard, leaning his arm on the strong concrete wall. His eyes were illuminated by the flaming torches hung on the wall.

What if we murder the infant? asked Duryodhan, turning towards Karna, with mad light glinting in his eyes. 

That is infanticide my Lord! exclaimed Karna, horrified and taken aback. Anger, Jealousy and Greed destroys a man from within and makes him a beast. A savage! Duryodhan punched the wall in frustration.

I don’t care! he yelled, The child born to that bitch Subhadra should not be alive! Have you forgotten how I was put to shame by her?

Karna remained silent. He knew there was no way he could reason with his friend. As they were pacing around, low sound of the cawing of a raven cut through the air. Duryodhan and Karna looked at each other and turned towards the window as a raven, as dark as the night, flew in and perched itself on Duryodhan’s muscular shoulder. Karna untied the note tied to the bird’s leg. It cawed and flew off into the night.

The King of Anga removed the delicate thread tied to the small scroll and opened it. He stared at the unkempt handwriting impassively. Duryodhan could notice Karna’s muscles getting taut and sweat slipping down his brow. He took the note from his friend’s hand and read the coded message sent by his spy. 

It is a boy! read Duryodhan aloud, his nostrils flaring. He crushed the note in his arm and overturned the huge table as burning hot rage clawed his heart. A guard entered his chambers hurriedly, holding his spear in attacking position, looking for any threats.

My Lord? he asked, scanning the whole room.  Duryodhan shook his head indicating that he was fine and ordered,

Send for Lord Shakuni immediately!

His whole body shook as Karna grimaced. The guard left with a bow, and several moments later Shakuni, in his blue night robes entered Duryodhan’s chamber, limping. His matted grey hair hung loosely over his shoulders, as his mismatched eyes still blinked sleepily. He took a short look at the mess and the tiny crumpled note on the floor. He looked at his nephew and exclaimed yawning,

So, you’ve heard the news!

Duryodhan was shocked. You knew? he asked.

Shakuni, with the pouch that held his pair of dice dangling to his waist, sat on the chair. He took an apple from the bowl on the bed stand and started munching it.

Mama, did you know? screamed Duryodhan shaking Shakuni’s shoulders as Karna pulled him back. Shakuni took another bite and replied,

I did!

How? he asked, wiggling himself out of Karna’s grip, coming forward. Shakuni smirked and his eyes shone with mischief. His sources were way more efficient than his nephew’s! Some, very close to the royal family!

I have my sources and spies, boy! he answered.

Duryodhan hated it when his mama Shakuni called him ‘boy’. He felt as if he was being ignored and taken for granted. Who was he? The future emperor of Hastinapura and not some mere soldier in the army. Whenever he was called ‘boy’ by Shakuni, he felt it was just like the way Bheema used to treat him when they were kids. It was that hatred and contempt that grew and made him hate the Pandavas.

Arjuna is going to be unstoppable now! muttered Karna clutching his sword, breaking Duryodhan’s chain of thought. 

Shakuni nodded in agreement. He too had been getting reports of Arjuna’s expedition. Arjuna was a leading threat to the Kauravas, the children of Kuru, along with that giant of his brother Bheema! He looked into Duryodhan’s eyes. There was some sort of a demonic light reflecting from within. Shakuni was smart. He could sense what was running in his nephew’s mind. He placed a hand on his nephew’s shoulder and soothed him,

He’s just an infant!

Duryodhan looked at his uncle with his eyes filled with pure hatred and contempt.

Easy to kill! his voice rumbled.

Karna tried to calm him down but Shakuni stopped him with his eyes. He smiled at his nephew and started rubbing his bulky and muscular shoulder gently.

Give him a few years nephew! he said with a sneer, Let him grow. Let the love for him grow, what is the hurry? He picked up an apple from the bowl on the bed stand. Its shiny surface shone even brighter under the flame. He looked at it for a while, as if admiring its beauty and continued,

Let him ripe...and when he’s old enough and loved enough- He crushed the apple in his hand. -we’ll crush him!

The mad light in Shakuni’s eyes reflected back in Duryodhan’s as he laughed. He realized what his mama said was true. He agreed to wait for him to grow. Love is a bond that strengthens through time. And when a person loses someone, they loved for long... it would destroy them! That was what Duryodhan wanted to do! He wanted to inflict the deepest sorrow on his enemies! Duryodhan laughed. A laugh so horrific and filled with pure madness that Karna took a step back!

The boy has a name? asked Duryodhan, with his chest heaving. He finally found a way to destroy his enemies. Shakuni smiled and replied,

Yes! And a lovely one... Abhimanyu!

~

2

FIVE YEARS LATER...

Arjuna looked at his son with pride as he saw Abhimanyu trying to open a huge Grantha in the library of Dwaraka. The effort was too much for the child’s hands. The windows of the library let in bright rays of the sun, under which the five-year-old Abhimanyu was struggling with the Grantha.

Arjuna smiled to himself and entered the two-story library, filled with thousands of Granthas, manuscripts, smritis and many more texts of Lord Balram and Lord Krishna’s private collection. Arjuna stood at the entrance, staring at his son who looked adorable in his cute cream-colored Dhoti. The boy grunted hard and finally opened the enormous Grantha. Dust flew off it as the leaf made pages fluttered delicately. Arjuna caught the glimpse of the title of the Grantha written in Sanskrit, etched to its leather cover.

YUDDHASHASTRA!

The science of War! The sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu, Lord Parashuram, wrote it. Vishnu was a title given to the protector of the era. Each era had its Vishnu. Lord Krishna, the Prime Minister of Dwaraka, was considered as the avatar of this era. 

Abhimanyu! called Arjuna. Abhimanyu turned and his eyes shone brightly looking at his father. He had seen his father for the first time, three weeks ago. His mother Subhadra had told him that his father travels all over the country and kills bad men who troubled innocent people. She told him that his father was the strongest hero!

Papa! the five-year-old Abhimanyu squealed. He ran and embraced his father, and Arjuna picked him up, turned him around laughing and carried him back to the table. Arjuna kissed his forehead and made him sit on his lap, in front of the Grantha Abhimanyu had picked up earlier. The library was deserted apart from them, the two librarians and their five helpers.

Why did you take this Grantha, Kanna? asked Arjuna. Abhimanyu excitedly pointed the book and replied,

Looking fol the-the... he struggled to find the right word, in-des-tluc-table- he paused to take a breath and finished -Vyuha Papa! Arjuna chuckled and asked,

Indestructible and Vyuha! Who taught you these words?

Satchi mama! answered Abhimanyu telling about his uncle Satyaki, the brother of Lords Krishna and Balram and Lady Subhadra.

Oh! What else did mama tell you? asked Arjuna.

Abhimanyu started counting his fingers and answered in his cute lisp,

Galuda Vyuha, Salpa Vyuha and the Chakla Vyuha!

The Chakra Vyuha, huh! Did he tell you how to break into the Vyuha and come out of it? asked Arjuna. He himself was always fascinated by the idea of the Chakra Vyuha. Only a strong army with a great tactical Commander and good discipline would be able to pull off that stunt.

No Papa! exclaimed Abhimanyu, with his brows creased in thought. His brown eyes shone brightly again as he said, But, that is why I came hele, Papa, to look fol it!

Arjuna smiled and turned to the page portraying the Chakra Vyuha, a sheer tactical and geometrical wonder of warfare! Most of the pages about it were damaged and some were burnt. This was a book written many centuries prior to Arjuna’s time. The knowledge of the Chakra Vyuha, also called the Padma (Lotus) Vyuha was passed on to very few great warriors. Arjuna, being one of the greatest warriors, had the knowledge passed down to him by his mentor Dronacharya.

This is the Chakra Vyuha.

Arjuna placed his hand on his son’s small stubby hand and made him point the entrance of the Vyuha. Abhimanyu’s eyes reflected the circular formation of the Vyuha as he stared at with his eyes shining in wonder.

This is the entrance of the Vyuha, said Arjuna pointing at the small opening that acted as the usual entrance of the Vyuha. One way in, one way out!

Papa, then anyone can entel easily na! Abhimanyu exclaimed. Arjuna ruffled his son’s hair and said,

Entering into the Vyuha is not as easy as it looks Kanna. The outer layer of the Vyuha comprises strong cavalry and men mounted on war elephants! You must need an opening and an explosion, destructive to confuse the enemy long enough to enter into the formation. As soon as the enemy recovers from their shock, they would move in and seal the Vyuha shut, trapping you in! One person alone cannot fight in the Vyuha for long. He should at least have a small army of his own!

Abhimanyu looked at the centre of the Vyuha and asked, "Is this whele