The Severed Arm

This is the tale of Bhurishravas and Satyaki, and of the two wrongs done upon the field of Kurukshetra in the space of a single combat - a hard tale of how the code of honor was broken on both sides, and of how war corrodes the dharma of even noble men. Bhurishravas was a great warrior of the Kuru side, the son of Somadatta and grandson of Bahlika, a prince of the royal line, renowned for his prowess and his devotion to sacrifice and to dharma. Satyaki, also called Yuyudhana, was a mighty warrior of the Vrishni clan, a kinsman of Krishna and a devoted disciple of Arjuna, who fought for the Pandavas.

Between the houses of these two there was an old and hereditary enmity, a feud passed down through their families; and when they met upon the field of Kurukshetra, the long-nursed enmity of their lines flared into deadly combat. It was on the fourteenth day, during the great drive when Arjuna had sworn to slay Jayadratha before sunset, that Satyaki, sent to follow and support Arjuna deep into the enemy host, came at last against Bhurishravas; and the two great warriors, divided by their ancient feud, closed in a furious and personal combat amid the larger battle, each bent on the destruction of the other.