This title is my reference to my childhood memories of the Mahabharata television show.
Diplomacy
Fearful of the impending battle both side try to resolve their difference with diplomacy. Vidura and Krsna both realise their differences can't be solved unless Dhrstharashtra suppreses Duryodhan's greed or somehow Pandavas leave path of Dharma.
Pandavas and their allies agree to send a envoy who will gently approach Dhrstharashtra to stop the impending war led by KIng Dhrupad's household priest.
When Duryodhan learnt that Krsna has left for Dvaraka he immediately departs from Hastinapura for Dvaraka and on the same day Arjuna also set out at speed for Dvaraka.
Both reach Krsna house on the same morning with Duryodhan entering Krsna's room first and Arjuna following him while Krsna was sleeping. When Krsna the Vrsni woke up he saw the warer of the diadem first and then he saw Duryodhan. Duryodhan then asked for his help in the impending war as he had equal relations with both Pandavas and kauravas as he had entered first his wish should be fulfilled.
Krsna answered even though he entered first, he saw Arjuna first so he will aid them both in the Mahabharata but as Arjuna was younger then Duryodhana, he would get choice. He offered them his own counsel but he would not personally fight any battle or his army which consisted hundred millions cowherds , known as Narayans, battle hardened warriors all.
Arjuna chose Krsna Vasudeva to be his charioteer and Duryodhana was overjoyed to have won the world's greatest army and Krsna who had promised his unwillingness to fight.
Dhrstharashtra send his own envoy Samjaya to prevent the impending war who tries to convince them it is not in their Dharma to fight Kaurava but Yudhisthira who had been counseled by Krsna, the designer of Dharma explained his view to Samjaya who gracefully agrees and decides to leave them without any treaty in place. Yudhisthira then asks Samjaya to personally greet Bhisma, Dhrstharashtra and Drona on his behalf.
Then Pandavas ask Krsna to perform last act of diplomacy by asking him to personally go to Hastinapura. Bhima out of his usual self even asks Krsna to proceed with patience and expresses his aversion to war.
Dhrstharashtra learning of Krsna impending arrival constructs a Palace of his guest and prepares rich gift for divine guest. Vidura counsels him that he is acting out of dishonest motives which will honor Krsna , instead he should offer a just peace.
Drona and Bhisma try to reason with Duryodhana and ask him to agree to a compromise with Krsna and accept the leadership of Pandavas. He warns that under protection of Krsna Vasudeva, the divine doer Pandavas are unbeatable and Duryodhana greed for power will not yield fruit even though he may avail services of great warriors.
Bhisma warns that when a man abandons Dharma and proper making of wealth in favour if fury, his enemies soon laugh at his downfall.
Dhrstharashtra fearful of the consequences of the war, he asks Gandhari to convince Duryodhana to give up his hatred of Pandavas. gandhari tried to reason with while explaining him the consequences of his actions but Duryodhana was confident if his victory and hence seeks counsel of his Uncle Shakuni, leader of Subala.
Krsna slayer of enemy host, furious with anger on Duryodhana assumed his terrible divine form and was only visible to brahmin seers, Bhisma and Drona who had been granted divine vision. Krsna now content with his attempts to prevent war decided that The Mahabharata was inevitable.
Krsna tells Karna that as he is the eldest Pandava, Krsna will offer him the kingship if Pandavas are successful in defeating the Kauravas. Karna gracefully declines the offer as he says he is the son of Adhiratha and Radha and his loyalty and Dharma lies with the Kauravas but he promises Kunti he would not kill any of her sons except Arjuna so at the end of the war Kunti would still have five sons.
Duryodhana and Dhrstharashtra select Bhisma to lead the Kaurava force in their war efforts. So Bhisma now proceeds to rate the the major and minor warriors on each sides in the battle. He rates Karna very poorly which greatly hurts him and Karna decides to not fight in the battle until and unless Bhisma dies in the battle. Karna would not accept the leadership of Bhisma the unconquerable warrior and who could never be beaten in the midst of a battlefield by a man. Dhrstadyumna assumes the leadership of all Pandava forces.
Both sides ready for battle assemble in the huge battlefield of Kurukshetra. They agree to certain rules of engagement:
War in any form is to be avoided. One may thinks that the Mahabharata may justify war as a way to justify violence but it does so by describing as the last way of resolving. Many attempts of diplomacy were made all avenues of peace are explored before finally resorting to war bring justice to Pandavas.
Pandavas even though justified by Dharma in their search of glory and kingdom resist initial acts of aggression and explore all forms of diplomacy. As we will learn in further post Arjuna and Yudhisthira were deeply hurt by meaningless waste of life.
Dharma justifies the loss of life in Mahabharata. Life in itself is meaningless cycle of rebirth and the real joy does not lie in the destination but in the journey. Krsna asks Arjuna to ignore the consequence of his action and strive for completion of his own responsibilities while performing his own Dharma.
Dharma is the source of order in a man's life and the world dives into period of chaos and desolation if the concept of Dharma is forgotten.
All further post describing the proceeding of war would be short as war has been described in tremendous detail but may only hold importance in the mind of a army general.
Don't worry ,be happy
Diplomacy
Fearful of the impending battle both side try to resolve their difference with diplomacy. Vidura and Krsna both realise their differences can't be solved unless Dhrstharashtra suppreses Duryodhan's greed or somehow Pandavas leave path of Dharma.
Pandavas and their allies agree to send a envoy who will gently approach Dhrstharashtra to stop the impending war led by KIng Dhrupad's household priest.
When Duryodhan learnt that Krsna has left for Dvaraka he immediately departs from Hastinapura for Dvaraka and on the same day Arjuna also set out at speed for Dvaraka.
Both reach Krsna house on the same morning with Duryodhan entering Krsna's room first and Arjuna following him while Krsna was sleeping. When Krsna the Vrsni woke up he saw the warer of the diadem first and then he saw Duryodhan. Duryodhan then asked for his help in the impending war as he had equal relations with both Pandavas and kauravas as he had entered first his wish should be fulfilled.
Krsna answered even though he entered first, he saw Arjuna first so he will aid them both in the Mahabharata but as Arjuna was younger then Duryodhana, he would get choice. He offered them his own counsel but he would not personally fight any battle or his army which consisted hundred millions cowherds , known as Narayans, battle hardened warriors all.
Arjuna chose Krsna Vasudeva to be his charioteer and Duryodhana was overjoyed to have won the world's greatest army and Krsna who had promised his unwillingness to fight.
Dhrstharashtra send his own envoy Samjaya to prevent the impending war who tries to convince them it is not in their Dharma to fight Kaurava but Yudhisthira who had been counseled by Krsna, the designer of Dharma explained his view to Samjaya who gracefully agrees and decides to leave them without any treaty in place. Yudhisthira then asks Samjaya to personally greet Bhisma, Dhrstharashtra and Drona on his behalf.
Then Pandavas ask Krsna to perform last act of diplomacy by asking him to personally go to Hastinapura. Bhima out of his usual self even asks Krsna to proceed with patience and expresses his aversion to war.
Dhrstharashtra learning of Krsna impending arrival constructs a Palace of his guest and prepares rich gift for divine guest. Vidura counsels him that he is acting out of dishonest motives which will honor Krsna , instead he should offer a just peace.
Drona and Bhisma try to reason with Duryodhana and ask him to agree to a compromise with Krsna and accept the leadership of Pandavas. He warns that under protection of Krsna Vasudeva, the divine doer Pandavas are unbeatable and Duryodhana greed for power will not yield fruit even though he may avail services of great warriors.
Bhisma warns that when a man abandons Dharma and proper making of wealth in favour if fury, his enemies soon laugh at his downfall.
Dhrstharashtra fearful of the consequences of the war, he asks Gandhari to convince Duryodhana to give up his hatred of Pandavas. gandhari tried to reason with while explaining him the consequences of his actions but Duryodhana was confident if his victory and hence seeks counsel of his Uncle Shakuni, leader of Subala.
Krsna slayer of enemy host, furious with anger on Duryodhana assumed his terrible divine form and was only visible to brahmin seers, Bhisma and Drona who had been granted divine vision. Krsna now content with his attempts to prevent war decided that The Mahabharata was inevitable.
Krsna tells Karna that as he is the eldest Pandava, Krsna will offer him the kingship if Pandavas are successful in defeating the Kauravas. Karna gracefully declines the offer as he says he is the son of Adhiratha and Radha and his loyalty and Dharma lies with the Kauravas but he promises Kunti he would not kill any of her sons except Arjuna so at the end of the war Kunti would still have five sons.
Duryodhana and Dhrstharashtra select Bhisma to lead the Kaurava force in their war efforts. So Bhisma now proceeds to rate the the major and minor warriors on each sides in the battle. He rates Karna very poorly which greatly hurts him and Karna decides to not fight in the battle until and unless Bhisma dies in the battle. Karna would not accept the leadership of Bhisma the unconquerable warrior and who could never be beaten in the midst of a battlefield by a man. Dhrstadyumna assumes the leadership of all Pandava forces.
Both sides ready for battle assemble in the huge battlefield of Kurukshetra. They agree to certain rules of engagement:
- Verbal attack will be countered by a verbal attack
- After withdrawing from the battlefield, no attacks would be made.
- Charioteer would be matched by charioteers, foot soldiers by foot soldiers and so on.
- Fighting would only be started at dawn and end by dusk.
First Report
The battle begins and Samjaya returns to Dhrstharashtra to describe to him the first phase of war. He reports that Bhisma has died.
Interpretation
War in any form is to be avoided. One may thinks that the Mahabharata may justify war as a way to justify violence but it does so by describing as the last way of resolving. Many attempts of diplomacy were made all avenues of peace are explored before finally resorting to war bring justice to Pandavas.
Pandavas even though justified by Dharma in their search of glory and kingdom resist initial acts of aggression and explore all forms of diplomacy. As we will learn in further post Arjuna and Yudhisthira were deeply hurt by meaningless waste of life.
Dharma justifies the loss of life in Mahabharata. Life in itself is meaningless cycle of rebirth and the real joy does not lie in the destination but in the journey. Krsna asks Arjuna to ignore the consequence of his action and strive for completion of his own responsibilities while performing his own Dharma.
Dharma is the source of order in a man's life and the world dives into period of chaos and desolation if the concept of Dharma is forgotten.
All further post describing the proceeding of war would be short as war has been described in tremendous detail but may only hold importance in the mind of a army general.
Don't worry ,be happy
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