Vrishaketu was the youngest of the nine sons of Karna, and the only one that survived the battle of Kurukshetra.
In the battle of Kurukshetra Karna was slained by Arjuna. Every evening, the battlefield turned into a large crematorium where both sides burnt the dead. Kunti broke the news that the Pandavas needed to do the last rites of their brother Karna and told them about his birth. Once the Pandavas came to know that Karna was their jeshtha bhrata (eldest brother), they were filled with guilt and shame as they would have never fought him. They treated him badly and deprived him of courtesy calling him Sutaputra (person of low birth). Arjuna was filled with remorse for treating him as an enemy and becoming a killer of his own blood. He also realized that Karna had spared the life of four of his brothers as promised to their mother Kunti, and they were devastated. Yudhisthira got angry with his mother for hiding the truth and cursed all womenfolk that they will never be able to keep any secrets to themselves.
Vrishaketu having survived the battle was heartbroken. He was not there to perform the last rites of his father and brothers. He was on another corner of the battlefield and was not aware of the unfolding situation. He would regularly go into the river in waist-deep water and worshipped Suryadevta, just like his father would. He was filled with anger and used to question God on the purpose of the war, and the deaths.
Pandavas wanted to approach Vrishaketu, but did not know how. He was their own. One morning when Vrishaketu was in his Surya arghya (offerings to Sun god), another person stood near him. A conversation started and this person told Vishaketu that he was a sinner having killed his own jeshtha bhrata. He was in grief and regretted that he never knew that the brother he had killed was his own. “I would have given my life for him”, said the person. The person said that from his childhood, he only dreamt of defeating him, and what was supposed to be his biggest victory was his biggest sorrow now. “This victory is not what I had fought for, I am so sorry” and the person trembled and cried. “You killed not knowing he was your brother, I am sure he will forgive you”, said Vrishaketu. The person touched the shoulder of Vrishaketu and cried hugging him in a tight embrace. “My jeshtha bhrata is Karna, I am your uncle Arjuna, forgive me, my son”, said Arjuna.
The Pandavas loved Vrishaketu as their own son. Yudhishthira was anointed the king of Hastinapur. Arjuna had a great affection towards him and taught him the art of war and knowledge of divya astra (divine and celestial weapons of the gods). Krishna once asked Vrishaketu if he would give him something. To which Vrishaketu casually said he will give him whatever he asks for. Krishna asked him to not teach anybody the knowledge of divya astra. Thus Vrishaketu is the last mortal who had the knowledge of invoking divya astra like Brahma-astra (of lord Brahma), Pashupati-astra (of lord Shiva), Narayana-astra (of lord Vishnu), Varuna-astra (rain), Vayu-astra (wind), Agney-astra (fire), and other divine weaponry.
 |
| Marriage Of Vrishaketu (Source LACMA) |
Vrishaketu stayed with his uncles and participated in many wars to protect the boundary of Hastinapur along with Arjuna. Yudhisthira performed Ashwamedha yagna (horse sacrifice) on the advice of Krishna and Vyasa to consolidate his position as an undisputed king. A horse name Syamakarna was released to wander for a year, and the Pandava army led by Arjuna followed the horse. As the horse wandered, the rajas (kings) of all the areas it traveled were asked to submit to Yudhishthira's rule or face war. All who submitted or defeated would pay tribute to Hastinapur. Vrishaketu married the daughter of raja Yavanata during one such war in this yagna.
Arjuna had a son named Babruvahana from the princess Chitrangada of Manipur. Babruvahana was the king of Manipur at that time. The king did not agree to submit to the domination of Yudhisthira and stopped the horse. He did not recognize Arjuna to be his father. Arjuna asked Vrishaketu to fight the Manipuri king and was slain. Arjuna then himself attacked the king, and was also killed in the duel. Babruvahana is said to be an even bigger warrior than Arjuna.
 |
| Babruvahana Fight Vrishaketu (Source LACMA) |
Arjuna was cursed to be killed in the hand of his son. A eunuch prince Shrikhandi was engaged as a shield to attack Bheeshma pitama, the patriarch of the Kuru dynasty in the battle of Kurukshetra. Ganga, the mother of Bheeshma, cursed Arjuna to be killed by his own son.
Chitrangada heard the news and rushed in and told her son who he had killed. Once Babruvahana came to know that he had killed his father, he repented and tried to give up his life. His stepmother Uloopi, a Gandharva princess herself, used the nagmani (a gem of the cobra) to revive Arjuna. Arjuna did not want to live without Vrishaketu, as he blamed himself for the death of the young prince as he had asked the prince to fight. Krishna then revived Vrishaketu.
 |
| Vrishaketu and Bride Return to Hastinapur (Source LACMA) |
At the end of the year, everyone returned to Hastinapur. Yudhisthira’s consolidation as an undisputed king of Bharatavarsha (Indian subcontinent) was established. Vrishaketu and his bride were welcomed with great festivity. This event brought lots of happiness to the Pandu clan and Hastinapur.
Yudhishthir made Vrishaketu the naresh of Anga Pradesh, the kingdom gifted to his father by Duryodhan. He was also made the naresh of Indraprastha, the city the Pandava brothers built. Yudhishthira ruled Hastinapur for 36 years. Thereafter, Parikshit, born to Uttara and Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjuna ruled Hastinapur.
Vrishaketu's role is significant at the end of the great battle of Kurukshetra. The epic Mahabharata touches the art of statecraft amongst many other topics. It talks about dharma, to protect and defend one's truth. But, one’s truth may be another’s poison. This is true even today.