Stories of the Great Bharata - A Retelling

Arc 3 - Dijvijaya and Rājasūya Parva - Chapter 2 - Nakula’s and Sahadeva’s Campaign

Vaiśampāyana said:

Thus also did Sahadeva, the wise son of Madri and the twin Ashvin gods, take his leave of Yudhiṣṭhira the Just, who embraced him with affection and trust. With banners unfurled and a great host at his side, he marched southward—toward lands of fierce kings and storied tribes.

Endowed with strength, patience, and dharmic vision, Sahadeva first subdued the Sūrasenas, bending their will with a calm resolve. Then he turned to the king of Matsya, who, seeing the glory of the Pāṇḍava line, submitted and allied himself to the cause of the rājasūya.

Through palace halls and silent gates,

He rode with reason, not with wrath.

His sword would strike, but only last—

Where peace could guide the chosen path.

He next encountered Dantavakra, the mighty overlord of the Adhirājas, whose fame rang through the lands. After a fierce contest, Sahadeva defeated him, but restored him to his throne upon tribute being given—upholding dharma with mercy and might.

One by one, the southern kingdoms fell into harmony: Sukumāra, King Sumitra, the other Matsyas, and the proud warriors of the Paṭachāras. Each met the Kuru prince with defiance or diplomacy, and each, in time, came under his sway.

He crossed into the lands of the Niṣādas and scaled the Gosṛiṅga hills, subjugating the proud Śreṇimat and his mountain strongholds. The land of Navarāṣṭra followed swiftly, its resistance swept aside by Sahadeva’s steady hand.

Then came Kuntibhoja, a king of honored lineage and allied heart. Upon learning of Sahadeva’s arrival, he willingly accepted the sovereignty of Yudhiṣṭhira, honoring the cause of dharma with glad submission.

Advancing to the banks of the Carmanvatī, Sahadeva met a prince—the son of Jamvaka—who had borne old enmity, having once been defeated by Vāsudeva himself. The young prince sought vengeance but found only defeat at the hands of Sahadeva.

Past rivers swift and bloodlines old,

The fire of wrath was turned to dust.

For sons of dharma, calm and bold,

Are never chained by rage or lust.

From there, he subdued the Śekas and other southern tribes, taking tribute and rare gems from each. Allying with the vanquished rather than humiliating them, Sahadeva wove a net of loyalty and order across the southern expanse.

He came to the shores of the Narmadā, where the twin monarchs of Avanti, Vinda and Anuvinda, awaited with mighty forces. Though proud and battle-hardened, they could not resist the strength of Sahadeva’s strategy and arms. They, too, paid tribute.

He then turned toward Bhojakata, where the powerful Bhīṣmaka ruled. For two days, a fierce and unyielding battle raged between the two lions of war. But Sahadeva, that son of twin gods, overcame even this mighty foe.

For two long days the heavens rang

With steel and war-cry, clash and call.

Yet dharma’s son, though fierce of fang,

At last made Bhojakata fall.

Having defeated Bhīṣmaka, he pressed onward to conquer the king of Kośala, the lord of the Venvā valley, and the clans of the Kāntārakas and the eastern Kośalas. All these came beneath his banner, their resistance spent, their pride transformed into loyal service.

The hero Sahadeva, unyielding and full of righteous energy, then turned his campaign toward the southern wilderness. First, he overcame the Nāṭakeya and Heramvaka tribes in fierce battle. Then, by sheer strength and relentless valor, he brought the realm of Marudha under his sway and reduced the fortified settlement of Munjagrāma.

From there, he moved against the mighty rulers of the Nāchinas and the Ārvukas, as well as the wild and warlike forest kings who held sway over the dense southern regions. None could resist him.

He strode through thickets thick with cries,

Through tribal fire and forest war,

Till kings, once fierce with burning eyes,

Lay humbled on the bloodstained floor.

With undiminished strength, Sahadeva subdued King Vaṭādhipa, then marched farther south, meeting battle after battle with relentless purpose. He encountered the king of Pāṇḍrya, and the duel between them raged for an entire day. Yet the younger son of Madri emerged victorious and pressed on.

Vaiśampāyana continued:

As he advanced, Sahadeva came to the famed caves of Kiṣkindhā, the realm of the ancient Vānara kings. There, he was challenged by the mighty Mainda and Dvivida, descendants of celestial origin and loyal to the memory of Rāma’s age.

For seven days the battle roared—

Ape against man, in forest shade.

No rest they took, no peace restored,

Until respect through valor paid.

Though they were not vanquished by force, Mainda and Dvivida were moved by Sahadeva’s strength and righteousness. With joy, they offered him tribute and spoke in voices deep with ancient power:

“O tiger among the sons of Pāṇḍu,

Take from us jewels, wealth, and name.

Let Yudhiṣṭhira’s will be done—

His fame and dharma shine the same.”

Taking their tribute, Sahadeva marched onward to the renowned city of Mahishmatī, where he encountered the mighty King Nīla. The battle that followed was ferocious, and the field was stained with blood and dust. But this battle was unlike the others, for divine fire took part.

Vaiśampāyana said:

Agni, the god of sacrificial flame, aided King Nīla in battle, and the soldiers, chariots, and elephants of Sahadeva’s army were suddenly engulfed in blazing fire. The heavens flickered with light, and the battlefield became a furnace.

Steel turned to flame, and dust to smoke,

As chariots blazed and banners broke.

Warriors cried in burning mail,

While Sahadeva’s heart grew pale.

Seeing his forces scorched by celestial flame, Sahadeva stood stunned and unsure. The fire was not of earthly kind, and even his courage trembled beneath the breath of Agni. Though he fought for the cause of a great sacrifice, the god of fire had turned against him.

At this point, Janamejaya, filled with curiosity and reverence, broke in:

“O reverend sage, I seek to know—

Why did Agni, fire divine,

Oppose a prince whose path was clear,

Whose aim was dharma, pure, benign?

For was not this a holy quest,

A rite in which the gods delight?

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Then why did Agni raise his flame

Against the Pāṇḍava in righteous fight?”

Hear now, O Janamejaya, the tale of why Agni, the fire-god, turned his wrath against Sahadeva, though the Pāṇḍava’s quest was for the sake of yajña itself.

It is said that while Agni once dwelt in Mahishmatī, he earned the name of a lover. In that city, ruled by King Nīla, there lived a princess of surpassing beauty. This maiden, fair of brow and gentle in presence, tended the sacred fire in her father’s palace. And it was whispered throughout the land that the fire flared with brilliance only when stirred by her breath.

Such was the marvel that many said, “Agni himself desires her.” And in time, it became known that the maiden too had given her heart to the god.

One day, Agni, assuming the form of a Brāhmaṇa, entered the chamber of sacred fire and secretly consorted with the princess. But fate willed it that King Nīla discovered them. Outraged by the perceived transgression, he ordered the Brāhmaṇa to be punished according to the law.

Then, Agni flared up in his true form, flames rising like wrath itself. The king, struck with awe and fear, bent low to the ground and repented. Seeking to make amends, he offered his daughter in marriage to the blazing deity.

Agni, pleased by the offering and the princess’s affection, accepted her and became gracious to the king. He granted him a boon.

“Let thy troops know no fear,” said he,

“Though battle rise like storm or sea.

While I reside in Mahishmatī,

None shall defeat thy land through me.”

From that day onward, kings who sought to conquer Mahishmatī, unaware of this divine bond, were scorched by Agni’s flames. The women of the city, too, were marked by the fire-god’s favor—free in love, unbound to a single man, wandering as they pleased, sanctified by his boon.

And so, when Sahadeva’s army approached the city and began to battle King Nīla, Agni rose in defense, setting fire to men, elephants, and mail-clad warriors. The flames licked through the ranks, and terror seized the hearts of even the bravest.

But Sahadeva, the son of Madri, did not flee. Like a mountain unmoved by lightning, he stood amidst fire and fear.

Flames devoured mail and steel,

Chariots blazed and warriors reeled.

Yet stood the prince in stillness deep—

A vow in form, a flame in sleep.

Then, having purified himself with water and sacred rite, Sahadeva lifted his hands and invoked Agni with a hymn, solemn and radiant:

“I bow to thee, O smoke-bannered one,

Whose path is marked by holy flame.

These labors I perform for thee,

O sacrifice, O Vedic name.

O Pavaka, who purifies,

O Havyavāhana, flame of worth,

Jātaveda, in whom truth flies—

Be kind to me upon this earth.

Thou art Chitrabhānu, Sikhi bright,

Vaisvānara, Plavanga’s light.

Bhūritejas, Rudra’s flame,

Kumāra’s source, and Veda’s name.

Let Vāyu grant me breath and life,

Let Bhūmi grant me strength and grain.

Let water give me wealth and peace—

And thou, O Fire, cleanse grief and stain.

The gods and sages pour to thee

Their gifts in ghee and sacred fire.

So may thy rays of truth descend—

And cleanse this soul of wrath and mire.

O lord of heat and golden tongue,

Born of wind, in all things near,

With joy I call and sing thy praise—

Grant me knowledge, joy, and cheer.”

He who recites the sacred mantras offered by Sahadeva unto Agni, O Janamejaya, and who pours ghee into the fire with devotion, shall be blessed with lasting prosperity, purified from sin, and master of his inner self.

Standing amidst the flaming battlefield of Mahishmatī, Sahadeva addressed the fire-god again:

“O Havyavāhana, O carrier of sacrificial libation,

It is not for thee to hinder a righteous rite!

This conquest is not born of greed—

It is dharma’s journey clothed in light.”

Having spoken thus, the tiger among men laid out kuśa grass, and with a calm spirit sat in front of his trembling army, awaiting the judgment of fire. And Agni—like the ocean that never crosses its shores—did not burn the son of Madri, but approached him with divine calm.

The flame spoke gently:

“Rise, O son of the Kuru race.

I was but testing thy resolve.

Thy mission I know, as I know the vow

Of Yudhiṣṭhira, who seeks no self.”

Agni, pleased by Sahadeva’s firmness and purity, revealed the cause of his initial wrath and reaffirmed that so long as a descendant of King Nīla lived, Agni was bound to protect Mahishmatī. Yet he would honor the prince’s dharmic mission.

Vaiśampāyana said:

Hearing these words, Sahadeva rose, his heart lightened. With folded palms and bowed head, he worshipped Agni, sanctifier of all beings, and the fire vanished as swiftly as it had come.

Soon after, King Nīla arrived. At Agni’s command, he welcomed Sahadeva with honor, paid tribute, and accepted the sovereignty of Yudhiṣṭhira. Thus reconciled, the Pāṇḍava pressed further south.

He conquered the mighty King of Tripura, and subdued the ruler of the Paurava kingdom. From there he marched to Saurāṣṭra, where he defeated King Ākṛti, the preceptor of the Kauśikas, by force and diplomacy.

While residing in that region, Sahadeva sent an embassy to the powerful King Rukmi of Bhojakata, a friend of Indra himself and the brother of Rukmiṇī. Remembering his alliance with Kṛṣṇa, Rukmi gladly accepted Yudhiṣṭhira’s overlordship, offering wealth and gifts in abundance.

Jewels from ocean, gold from mines,

Silks from gods, and pearls from vines—

All these he gave, and more beside,

That Pandu’s house in wealth may ride.

Sahadeva, full of strength and radiance, then swept through Śūrparaka, Tālakāṭa, and the ancient forests of the Daṇḍakas. One by one, the kings of the Mleccha tribes, the Niṣādas, and the cannibals, the fierce Karna-pravarṇas, and the dread Kālamukhas—part man, part Rākṣasa—fell beneath his banner.

He subdued the rugged lands of the Cola mountains, the remote towns of Surabhipatna, the mystical Copper Island, and the lofty mountain of Rāmaka.

Then he encountered King Timiṅgila, who ruled the far south. The prince vanquished even the wild Kerakas, a people of one leg, said to descend from ancient curses.

One-legged men and monsters strange,

Mountain tribes and sea-born kings—

All bowed before the Ashvin’s child,

Who bore the seal of Dharma’s rings.

He conquered Sañjayantī, Pāśaṇḍa, Karahāṭaka, and others by messengers alone—such was the power of his name. He brought into submission the Pauṇḍras, the Drāviḍas, the Udra-Keralas, Āndhras, Talavanas, Kaliṅgas, and Uṣṭrakārṇikas, and entered Āṭavī and the land of the Yavanas.

At last, standing upon the southern shore, where the ocean sighs like time itself, Sahadeva sent emissaries to Vibhīṣaṇa, the Rakṣasa king of Laṅkā, grandson of Pulastya and ally of Rāma.

“O son of Madri,” Vibhīṣaṇa said,

“This world is ruled by time’s own thread.

I see thy purpose, pure and vast—

The will of dharma shall be passed.”

Willingly, the king of Laṅkā accepted Yudhiṣṭhira’s authority and sent back an offering: gems, sandalwood, divine ornaments, costly apparel, and pearls of ocean depth.

Vaiśampāyana said:

And thus, the intelligent and righteous Sahadeva, having conquered all southern realms, turned back with joy. Laden with treasure, loyalty, and renown, he returned to Indraprastha, where he offered all unto Yudhiṣṭhira the Just, king of dharma, as the sacred sacrifice drew near.

Thus it was, O king, that Sahadeva—the slayer of foes and conqueror of realms—after subduing many kings by war and diplomacy, and gathering from them tribute and tokens of allegiance, turned back from the far reaches of the southern world.

The bull of the Bharata race returned to his own city, his purpose fulfilled, his heart at peace. Laden with gifts, riches, and precious offerings from the earth and sea, he stood once more before Yudhiṣṭhira the Just, and placed every treasure at his brother’s feet—not for pride, but for dharma’s glory.

No joy he kept, no gold he claimed,

But gave it all to Dharma’s name.

His victory was not loud or wild—

He lived in peace, the Ashvin’s child.

And so, crowned by his success and resting in the joy of duty well-performed, Sahadeva dwelt in happiness, awaiting the great rājasūya to come.

Now hear, O Janamejaya, of the conquests and triumphs of Nakula, the radiant son of Madri, whose path led westward—into lands once traversed by mighty Vāsudeva himself.

With wisdom in counsel and strength in arms, Nakula, surrounded by a great host of warriors, set forth from Khandavaprastha, shaking the earth with the rumble of chariot wheels, the roar of conches, and the cries of valor.

The west he rode, beneath the sun,

With warriors bold and horses fleet.

The lion-voice of Madri’s son

Made mountains quake beneath his feet.

His first challenge lay in the highlands of Rohitaka, a land sacred to Kārttikeya, god of war. Prosperous and filled with kine and gold, this mountainous realm was defended by the fierce Mattamyūrakas, who rose to resist him. A terrible encounter followed, but the son of the Aśvinī twins prevailed.

Thence he moved through the desert country and fertile Sairiṣaka, as well as the bounteous region of Mahetta. In each, he asserted Yudhiṣṭhira’s authority.

He then clashed with the royal sage Ākrośa, whose fierce battle tested the prince’s resolve. Having emerged victorious, Nakula continued on to subdue the realms of the Dāśārṇas, Śivis, Trigartas, Ambāṣṭhas, Mālavas, and the five Karnāṭa tribes.

Where once the Trigartas held the field,

Now Yudhiṣṭhira’s standard waved.

No land untouched, no blade untried—

The western kings were all enslaved.

He subdued the twice-born classes known as the Madhyamakeyas and Vattadhanas, and journeyed circuitously to conquer the Utsava-saṅketas, a Mleccha tribe of wild customs.

He pressed forward to the sea's edge, bringing the Gramaniyas, Śūdras, and Abhīras of the Sarasvatī under control. The fishermen tribes, the mountaineers, and the entire land of the Five Rivers all bowed before his will. From there, he took the Amara mountains, Uttarāyotiṣa, the city of Divyakūṭa, and the tribe of the Dvārapālas.

The sea gave way, the hills gave ground,

To Madri’s son, with garlands crowned.

His arms were fate, his banner fire—

He moved with Dharma’s full desire.

He overpowered the Rāmathas, the Harāhuṇas, and various western kings by sheer force of arms. While residing in these lands, Nakula sent messengers to Vāsudeva. And Kṛṣṇa, along with the Yādavas, graciously accepted Yudhiṣṭhira’s overlordship—out of affection and honor.

From there, Nakula marched to Śākala, the capital of the Madras, where his uncle Śalya ruled. Śalya received his nephew with joy, and out of love for the sons of Pāṇḍu, pledged fealty to Yudhiṣṭhira.

Jewels flowed like river’s gold,

From uncle's hand to nephew bold.

No battle raged, for hearts aligned—

In kinship true, all bonds were signed.

Nakula then turned again to the wild frontiers. He subdued the fierce Mleccha tribes of the western coast, the barbarian Pahlavas, Kirātas, the swift-footed Yavanas, and the hardy Śakas. Each paid him tribute.

He vanquished monarchs beyond count—kings of strange tongues and distant lands—and from all he extracted gold, horses, camels, silks, and gems.

So vast was the treasure he carried that even ten thousand camels could barely bear the weight of his spoils. Laden with the fruits of dharma and conquest, he returned at last to Indraprastha.

Vaiśampāyana said:

There, before the great king Yudhiṣṭhira, Nakula placed all the wealth he had earned—without pride, without condition.

Not for himself did Nakula ride,

Nor for gold, nor vaunted fame.

For dharma’s crown and brother’s grace—

He gave, and asked no other name.

Thus was the western world conquered by Nakula, and the house of Pāṇḍu prepared for the great Rājasūya Yajña.

Vaiśampāyana said:

Thus, O King, did Nakula, the son of Madri, subjugate the lands that stretch toward the west—the realm presided over by Varuṇa, lord of waters and celestial law. That same direction had once been conquered by Vāsudeva, the wielder of the discus and protector of the world.

Where once strode Kṛṣṇa crowned in flame,

Nakula walked in dharma’s name.

And westward bowed to Pāṇḍu’s line—

By Varuṇa’s will, through fate divine.