Soon afterward, Dhritarashtra slowly rose from his throne-like seat with assistance from attendants. The entire arena quieted almost instantly. Even the wind seemed softer for a moment as the blind king raised both hands toward the assembly.
His voice echoed deeply across the grand arena.
"O noble kings and princes of Aryavarta… assembled today in the sacred court of Hastinapura."
The drums ceased completely. Only his voice remained.
"For the swayamvara of my beloved daughter, Princess Dushala… I have not arranged an ordinary contest." His tone carried royal authority mixed with the pride of a father. "I do not desire a son-in-law who excels in merely one skill. I desire a complete warrior who excels in all types of shastra. A warrior whose body carries strength… and whose mind carries wisdom. The one who understands not only śastra…" His voice deepened slightly. "…but also śhāstra."
Several elders nodded approvingly.
Dhritarashtra continued.
"Therefore, I have arranged one single test consisting of four parts. As for the details, my son, and Dushala's eldest brother, Prince Duryodhana will explain the rest."
A wave of murmurs spread through the gathering again. Some princes looked excited. Some became visibly tense. Some immediately began calculating difficulty.
Then Dhritarashtra slowly sat back down.
At once Duryodhana stepped forward toward the front of the royal platform, dressed magnificently in dark royal garments embroidered with silver patterns resembling coiled serpents. His heavy mace rested nearby while his sharp gaze swept across the arena confidently. He raised his voice loudly.
"Sword, Spear, Bow, and Mace are the most widely used weapons all across Aryavarta. And a skilled warrior must have mastery over these four weapons. The Swayamvara will test your skills in them only. The four parts of this test are as follows."
Servants immediately rolled open large ceremonial curtains behind the arena.
"First! The test of accuracy with the bow."
A murmur rose again.
"Second! The test of Power and precision with the spear."
"Third! The test of Brute Strength with the mace."
Several warriors visibly straightened proudly at this part.
"And fourth…" Duryodhana turned briefly toward Dushala. "The test of Wisdom. Princess Dushala herself shall pose questions. The contestants shall answer according to their understanding of dharma, governance, and strategy."
That part surprised many younger princes more than the combat tests.
Duryodhana's voice thundered again.
"After watching all the performances of the suitors, my sister will decide who is the worthiest suitor." He extended his arm toward the centre arena. "Let the test begin!"
Immediately, servants and soldiers moved into action. The grand arena slowly fell into complete silence again as the arrangement for the first challenge was revealed.
In the centre stood a large circular wooden target painted with a bright crimson mark directly at its heart. The target itself was already placed far enough to test even excellent archers. But the true difficulty lay elsewhere.
Before the wooden target, five golden leaf-shaped plates had been suspended in the air using nearly invisible thin chains.
Each golden leaf moved differently.
One swung left to right slowly.
Another rotated gently.
One moved unpredictably in small jerks whenever the wind touched it.
Another rose and lowered continuously.
And the last one moved fastest of all, spinning lightly while swaying diagonally.
The narrow gaps between them constantly shifted. Sunlight reflected from the golden surfaces sharply, making depth perception even harder.
Several experienced warriors frowned immediately upon seeing the setup. They didn't even need the explanation. The ones who are skilled in archery easily understood the task. However, accomplishing it isn't easy at all. Even hitting the wooden target cleanly would already require skill. But threading an arrow through all five moving gaps… that demanded monstrous precision. The leaves themselves were thick and strong.
Duryodhana's voice rang again.
"The first test is Archery! The contestant will be given only one arrow and only one chance. They must strike the centre of the target behind, but the five golden leaves will be your obstacles ." He paused while the golden leaves continued swaying in the wind. "The leaves are forged strongly. Hence, you must make sure your arrow does not strike those golden leaves."
A deep silence followed — the kind of silence that exists before storms. Kings narrowed their eyes. Warriors studied movement patterns carefully. Some princes already looked uneasy.
And seated quietly among them, Karna simply watched the shifting golden leaves in complete stillness, his eyes calm like a sunlit ocean.
The five golden leaves never moved in harmony. One shifted fast while another slowed unexpectedly. One rotated while another swung sideways. The narrow spaces between them opened and vanished in breaths shorter than a blink.
"I see… you would only have less than a second of time to shoot..."
The first prince stepped forward confidently, drawing his bow with dramatic force while trying to impress the gathered court. His silk cape fluttered behind him as he inhaled deeply, narrowed his eyes, and released the arrow.
*Clang!*
The arrow struck the very first golden leaf directly.
The powerful impact echoed sharply across the arena before the arrow spun uselessly away and dropped to the ground. A few murmurs spread through the crowd. The prince stiffened in embarrassment before quietly stepping back.
The second contestant fared no better.
His arrow passed the first moving gap but clipped the edge of the second golden leaf, causing sparks to flash briefly beneath the sunlight before the arrow lost balance completely.
One after another, failures continued. Some arrows missed entirely. Some pierced a leaf directly. Some passed through one or two gaps before losing momentum. And with every failed attempt, the atmosphere inside the arena became heavier. The challenge was far harder than it initially appeared.
A prince from Avanti performed better than the earlier contestants. His stance was stable, his breathing disciplined, and his timing far sharper. His arrow passed through the first gap cleanly, then the second, and even the third. For a brief moment, several kings leaned forward hopefully. But then—
*Clang!*
The arrow struck the fourth golden leaf head-on. The sound rang loudly while the arrow remained embedded halfway into the shining surface. The prince exhaled heavily in frustration before bowing respectfully and leaving the arena.
Soon afterward, the king of Vatsa attempted the test. Unlike the younger princes, his movements carried the steadiness of long battlefield experience. He waited carefully, studying the movement patterns for nearly an entire minute before finally releasing his shot.
*Whoosh!*
The arrow cut through the air sharply. First gap. Second. Third. The crowd straightened slightly. But at the fourth shifting leaf, the edge suddenly tilted unexpectedly beneath the wind.
*Clang!*
The arrow deflected violently sideways. A collective sigh escaped from the audience. Even experienced warriors now realised this challenge was bordering on monstrous.
Then came Satyaki representing Dvarika.
Unlike the others, Satyaki walked forward with visible confidence. His sharp warrior eyes studied the moving targets carefully while his fingers lightly touched the bowstring repeatedly, almost feeling the rhythm of the challenge through instinct rather than sight alone. Several Yadava warriors sitting behind him watched with pride. Even some kings nodded respectfully.
Satyaki inhaled deeply. Then released.
The arrow flew beautifully. It passed the first leaf. Then the second. Then the third — cleanly, smoothly. The crowd erupted into excited murmurs. But at the fourth—
*Tak!*
The arrow clipped the edge of the golden surface. The impact slightly bent the shaft before it lost force entirely and fell uselessly below. Still the arena applauded respectfully, because compared to the others Satyaki had come remarkably close. Satyaki himself gave a small, frustrated smile before saluting the assembly and walking back.
Next came Virata of Matsya. The Matsya king was older, broader, and more patient in temperament. He did not rush at all. For nearly two full minutes he remained standing motionless at the shooting line while the leaves continued moving before him like dancing sunlight. Even the arena gradually quieted. Then finally he drew the bow. The string stretched tightly with a low vibrating hum.
Release.
The arrow shot forward with tremendous speed. First gap. Second. Third. Fourth. At once, many people rose halfway from their seats. Even Duryodhana's eyes widened slightly. But then the fifth leaf suddenly rotated unexpectedly at the final moment.
*Tak!*
The arrow struck its edge and shattered sideways. Virata lowered his bow slowly. Disappointment flashed across his face despite his composed expression. The crowd murmured louder now. Some princes whispered nervously among themselves. It truly seemed impossible. No one could complete the challenge.
Above the royal stage, beneath her veil, Dushala's fingers tightened unconsciously around the flower garland resting upon her lap. Because now only one person remained whom she truly expected to succeed.
Finally, Karna rose from his seat.