Chapter 69: Guru Dakshina and the Breaking Point

Chapter 69: Guru Dakshina and the Breaking Point

The great Raj Sabha of Hastinapur still echoed with the aftershocks of the Kalapradarshan. The flames of Rudra's wrath had faded, but their heat remained, seared into every stone, every heart. The very foundation of the Kuru dynasty had been shaken—and now, what remained was smoke and silence.

No one smiled. No one spoke. Only the weight of guilt and confusion hung heavy in the air.

Among the many present, Arjun sat still, lost in a world of his own.

Though his eyes looked ahead, his mind was drowning.

His heart was filled with questions. Doubts. Regret.

He kept remembering his mother's truth—Karna, his brother… abandoned. His Guru, who had taught him everything, betrayed his brothers. And he—Arjun—was now no longer sure of what was right and what was wrong.

He remembered Karna's words. His rage. His pain. The fire in Rudra's eyes. The curses that changed everything.

Was this truly Dharma? Or had he just been a pawn all along?

He didn't even hear the noise in the court. He didn't register Shakuni's remarks or Bheem's shameful silence. His brothers looked at him with concern, but he remained still, consumed by the battle inside his heart.

Only when his Guru's voice echoed in the Sabha did the fog lift.

"Arjun, your silence has wounded me deeper than any blade."

That one sentence pierced through the layers of thought. Arjun blinked, slowly returning to the moment.

"Gurudev…?"

Drona's sightless eyes seemed to stare through his soul. His voice grew harsher.

"You—my most beloved student—have disappointed me. If you cannot fulfill the Guru Dakshina I seek, I shall curse you to forget every mantra, every technique I taught you."

Gasps ran through the Sabha.

"Guru Dakshina?" Arjun asked, stepping forward.

Drona raised his hand.

"Yes. From you, Arjun, I demand your sight."

Silence. Stillness.

And then chaos.

"What madness is this?" roared Bhishma, standing suddenly, eyes blazing.

The Pandavas jumped up.

"This is not a Guru's request—this is vengeance!" cried Sahadev.

"You want his vision? What crime has he committed?!" yelled Nakul.

Yudhishthir, his voice trembling, said, "Gurudev… you taught us Dharma. You stood for justice. Is this justice?"

Even the Kauravas were stunned. Duryodhan stepped forward, his voice uncharacteristically strong.

"Arjun is my cousin. My brother. I do not always agree with him—but this... This is not acceptable."

Vikarna nodded. "Guru Dronacharya, this goes against everything we were taught."

"We may disagree, we may compete—but we do not watch our own be destroyed," said Dushasan.

The Kuru princes formed a circle around Arjun.

A united front. Pandavas and Kauravas, shoulder to shoulder.

It was a rare moment when blood truly stood above pride.

But Drona's face remained unmoved. Inside, his heart cracked a little more. But he masked it behind a wall of steel.

"Do not interfere," Drona said coldly. "This is between me and my student."

Bhishma stepped forward, voice thunderous.

"Enough, Drona! If you proceed, I will consider this an act against the Kuru Throne!"

But then…

"Rukiye, Gurudev," Arjun's voice came, calm yet heartbroken.

He stepped through his protective circle. His brothers tried to stop him, but he gently brushed them aside.

He took off his crown and placed it on the marble.

"If you had asked for my head, I would've given it."

His voice broke. He looked directly at the man he once called second to his father.

"You were everything to me. My light. My guide. My pride. But today... you've asked for my darkness."

He looked around.

"Today, I stand not just as a warrior. I stand as a betrayed son."

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"You wronged my brothers. I stayed silent. You favored me, and I bore that weight. You turned a blind eye to the pain around you—and I justified it. But this… asking for my sight?"

He summoned Prana into his palms.

A radiant golden-blue aura shone.

Yudhishthir gasped. "Arjun, stop! You don't need to do this!"

"No, Jeshtha. I must. For this is my path."

Arjun inhaled deeply.

Then with a sharp cry, he extracted the light of his vision.

Golden orbs formed in his palms. His eyes turned pale. Blood dripped slowly from the corners.

The Sabha went deathly silent.

"Here, Gurudev. Your Guru Dakshina."

"And with this act, I, Arjun—son of Pandu—renounce you."

He extended the glowing essence of his eyes.

Drona trembled. His hands refused to rise.

His plan had worked. But it didn't feel like victory.

"I never wanted your pain, Arjun," Drona whispered, almost to himself.

"But you caused it anyway," Bhishma said coldly.

"Leave! Just Leave here Drona before I loose my control, there is no place for you in Hastinapur"

He turned to Dhritarashtra.

"The Greatest Archer in Kuru's younger generation is blind now. Even with Shabda-Bhedi Vidya, his road to Maharathi is shaken."

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Ashwatthama stood with clenched fists. His voice finally broke.

"You all used him. Then judged him. Then cursed him. Pitaji, let's leave this place."

Kripacharya, Drona's brother-in-law, finally spoke.

"I brought you here, Drona. Perhaps that was my greatest mistake."

Without another word, Ashwatthama helped Drona walk away.

The Raj Sabha watched in stunned silence.

After they left, Bhishma closed his eyes and whispered, "Forgive us, Arjun."

Arjun knelt quietly, a smile of pain gracing his lips. "I chose my path, Pitamah."

Dhritarashtra spoke slowly, "What now?"

Bhishma turned, eyes burning with a new thought.

"There is still one hope."

"You mean...?"

"Yes. We must call upon him. The one who can help Arjun and Hastinapur."

"Will he come?" Dhritarashtra asked.

(Note: they are not talking about Rudra)

Bhishma looked into the sky beyond the palace windows.

"Perhaps fate will decide."

Chapter Ends....

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