One in a Hundred .

- 'Do not assume that I am ashamed or afraid. You devise all these tricks to harass the Pandava brothers. All five of them love us, yet we harbor hatred and scheme to cause them pain. I do not like that.'

- "O venerable elders, please consider and judge: Am I merely an object to be staked in a game of dice? Can I be staked?"

- Jivram Joshi

T he hundred sons of Maharaja Dhritarashtra of Hastinapur were known as the Kauravas. Among them, Duryodhana was the crown prince.

The five brothers were known as the Pandavas. They were the sons of Maharaja Dhritarashtra's younger brother, Pandu.

Duryodhana and his other brothers held a grudge against the five Pandavas. Whenever they found an opportunity, they would harass the Pandavas greatly. When such an incident occurred, Duryodhana and his 98 brothers would attack the Pandavas, but one brother, the 99th, would step away. His name was Vikarna.

When Duryodhana or his other brothers would ask him, "Why are you standing still?" Vikarna would reply, "I don't like this kind of game."

Duryodhana and the others thought Vikarna was a coward. Karna would say he was weak and spineless. Vikarna would overhear this but never say anything.

Everyone was puzzled by one thing: how could Vikarna be a coward or weak? He was not behind in archery (bowmanship). He was also not unskilled in mace-fighting (Gadayuddha). He could expertly handle spears, swords, and battle-axes.

One day, he engaged in a mace fight with Duryodhana. He couldn't defeat Duryodhana, but he did tire him out.

Karna laughed and exclaimed, "Kudos, brother Vikarna! I only just learned today that you can execute such excellent moves in a mace fight."

Duryodhana piped up, "Vikarna is not unskilled. Didn't you see that day! It was a test for all of us. We had to pierce a small red fruit on a banyan tree branch. The Guru had instructed, 'First, take careful aim. Then close your eyes and release the arrow.'"

Karna exclaimed, "Yes, yes! I remember that incident. All our arrows missed the mark. My own arrow struck far past the red banyan fruit."

Karna continued, "The first arrow was Arjuna's. Then mine, and then Vikarna's. How can we consider such a Vikarna weak?"

Duryodhana responded, "Be that as it may, his heart seems soft. He must be afraid of Bhima. Whenever we set a trap to annoy or defeat Bhima, he steps aside and walks away."

Uncle Shakuni arrived and heard their conversation.

Uncle laughed and said, "He is shy. You don't understand. A person who is naturally shy can be highly intelligent and clever, yet unable to speak boldly. A shy person, even if strong, hesitates to fight even those less powerful than himself. A shy person is embarrassed to ask for something and embarrassed to walk ahead. He doesn't try to sit in the front row but goes straight to the back bench. Many people consider him humble, and many believe him to be weak."

Duryodhana said, "We must get rid of this shy habit of his. What should we do?"

Uncle replied, "Yes, we should do that. Do this: Right now, Bhima is going to bathe in the Yamuna river."

Duryodhana said, "Yes, he goes straight from the wrestling arena to the bank of the Yamuna."

Uncle said, "I have seen that after bathing, he sits down for Sandhya-Pranayama (evening prayers and breathing exercises). That's when we should reach there. It will be fun and beneficial. We must decide that we will all walk past Bhima one by one and tap him on the head once."

Hearing this, Duryodhana burst into laughter and exclaimed, "Hail, Uncle Mahadev! What a brilliant idea! Bhima won't be able to get up while doing Pranayama and will surely be enraged by the tap on his head."

Uncle said, "Then, send Vikarna first."

Duryodhana agreed, "That's excellent. This will help Vikarna gain courage."

This plan was set.

The next morning, the five Pandava brothers and the hundred Kaurava brothers gathered at the gymnasium. After the exercises and weapon practice were over, Bhima rubbed the arena's mud all over his body and set off. He reached the bank of the Yamuna and jumped into the water.

He enjoyed his bath and cooled down his body. Now, facing the Sun God, he sat down in the Padmasana (Lotus Pose) to perform Pranayama. It was then that Duryodhana arrived with the crowd of Kaurava brothers.

He explained to all the brothers, "Today, we're going to play a trick on Bhima. It's simple: everyone must go one by one, tap Bhima on the head, and walk away. Vikarna goes first."

Vikarna immediately spoke up, "I do not like such games or tricks."

Uncle Shakuni had also arrived.

Uncle said, "Dear nephew! You should enjoy a joke. You are unnecessarily afraid of Bhima."

Vikarna replied, "No, Uncle! I am not afraid."

Duryodhana said, "Then why are you refusing to go first?"

Vikarna stated, "I am not going to play such a trick, whether first or last."

Uncle asked, "Then are you ashamed?"

Vikarna said, "Not at all."

Uncle asked, "Then do you lack courage?"

Vikarna replied, "I have it."

Duryodhana exclaimed, "Then go and tap Bhima on the head!"

Vikarna responded, "Elder brother! Do not assume that I am ashamed or afraid. You devise all these tricks to harass the Pandava brothers. All five of them love us, yet we harbor hatred and scheme to cause them pain. I do not like that. Tell me to put my head in a lion's mouth, and I am ready. I am not afraid of anything. Tell me to wrestle an elephant, but I will not participate in unjustly tormenting the good and virtuous Pandava brothers."

Hearing Vikarna's words, Duryodhana became enraged. Uncle smiled and said, "He is still a child. Leave him be."

Now, the prank continued.

One of the Kaurava princes was Chitrak. He went first. As fate would have it, Bhima's Pranayama was just completed. He saw Chitrak approaching with a wary look. Bhima remained seated silently. Prince Chitrak went up stealthily and gave a back-handed tap on Bhima's head! Immediately, Bhima grabbed Chitrak's leg like a crocodile seizing its prey. With his other hand, he grabbed the prince's hand. Then, like women winnowing wheat with a basket, he tossed him high and low and dropped him into the waters of the Yamuna.

There was a great uproar. Bhima stood firm, holding his ground, and waited to see if anyone else would come.

No one came. Prince Chitrak surfaced from the Yamuna's depths and swam to the bank.

A while passed after this incident.

Real enmity developed between the Pandava and 

Kaurava brothers. The Kauravas and Pandavas played a game of dice. The Pandavas began to lose. They lost everything. There was nothing left to stake. Then, the eldest of the Pandavas, Yudhishthira, staked his wife, Draupadi.

When they lost this stake, the Kaurava brothers shouted with glee. Duryodhana ordered his brother Dushasana, "Go and bring Draupadi to the court. She will now be our slave."

Dushasana went and brought Draupadi from the palace. Draupadi was furious. She stood in the assembly hall, looked around, and said, "O venerable elders, please consider and judge: Am I merely an object to be staked in a game of dice? Can I be staked?"

Everyone remained silent. No one dared to speak for fear of Duryodhana. Draupadi looked at Bhishma, the grandfather of both the Kauravas and Pandavas, and said, "You are the grandfather of the Pandava-Kaurava lineage, tell me, is it righteous (Dharma) to stake me in a game of gambling?"

Grandfather Bhishma, too, was intimidated by Duryodhana and said, "What can I say? The matter of Dharma is very complex."

After saying this, Grandfather Bhishma remained silent. Then, Vidura, the uncle of both the Pandavas and Kauravas, stood up and said, "This is completely unrighteous, wrong, and unjust."

Duryodhana angrily shouted, "Venerable Uncle! You are babbling! Does anyone in this assembly support your words?"

Immediately, Vikarna stood up and said, "Yes, I support that statement not once, but a thousand times!"

Duryodhana roared, "You support that statement?"

Vikarna replied, "Whether it is a brother or an enemy, a human or an animal, one must always support the truth!"

Duryodhana commanded his other brothers to push Vikarna out of the assembly hall.

Vikarna said, "You are not pushing me out, but you are pushing out Truth and Justice. The King who pushes away justice for his own selfish gain will surely face destruction one day."

Saying this, Vikarna walked out of the assembly hall.