A Journey Through The Mahabharata
Kuttikrishna Marar
Translated from the Malayalam by
P. V. Menon
Edited by
Dr. P. Achutan
Kerala Sahitya Akademi January 1989
Trichur-680020 BN 210
Mahabharata is an epic which however many times I read continues to fascinate me. Even though the story is the same depending on the authors viewpoint the heroes and villains keep changing. I luckily came to know about Bharatha Paryadanam thanks to this blog post. Digging deeper I saw that it was translated to English but couldn’t find the translation for sale anywhere online. Luckily the book is available in a few libraries close by me and I was able to obtain a copy.
What is fascinating about this book which was first published in 1950 is that the author narrates the important events from Mahabharata and then goes on to question why something happened in a particular way or why someone behaved the way they did. He ruminates, illuminates and dissects the events and individuals. He then provides a very convincing takeaway on what he thinks the poet Vyasa is trying to convey. I compiled some of his thoughts below which I hope you will find worth your time going through.
Dear reader please share in the comments the books about Mahabharata you enjoyed reading and if you ever see this book available for sale anywhere.
Bheeshma’s Vow
Here, what can be the conjunctive foundation? To the extent that man remains detached from the transient enjoyments of the world—not from actions—he wins glory. In a life full of attachments and desires it is rarely that, one gets an opportunity for showing detachment. And even if an opportunity is available, those who make use of it are rarer still, Some wonderful persons of high ideals make use of it for self-refinement when an opportunity presents itself. The opportune moment may also be a moment of temptation; action against the vow taken may then appear to be even dharma. It should be understood that all these are the trials employed by an omnipotent and mysterious Providence to test man’s determination. On the other hand, he who gets shaken in this trial, falls. He who recedes from the onward march has no progress. Unless some such vow is taken and firmly adhered to, there is no escape from the temptations of life.
This is the supreme aim of man’s taking a vow, and it should be so. A vow should not be a self-imposed condition that can be modified according to convenience. In the ““Maha-Bharatha” we find vows of another type such as, “I will kill so and so in such and such a manner within such and such a time” etc.; these are merely vain-glorious words motivated by lust and anger.
Amba
Amba no doubt was a seeker of help. But was not such an orphan to be helped by finding out a suitable groom for her and directing her to the ways of progress or was it proper to satisfy her thirst for revenge? Even if her desire was fulfilled it was doubtful whether anyone would have dared to take such a strong-willed woman for his wife. It would have still been an insurmountable obstacle. Besides, it was because of the undue intervention of Akruthavrana and Parasurama that Amba turned out to be a real personification of vengefulness against Bheeshma. In the early stages there was not much vengefulness in her heart; all that she wanted was the disposal of her complaint according to the sense of justice by Akruthavrana and others. It would have been easy for them to have led her along with the right path. Still, how could these sages not guide her on the path of progress? How did Rama lose his sense of proportion? What led him to the wrong path?
The question may be asked, “Can you not say the same thing about Bheeshma’s seizure of the maidens”? The answer is, ‘yes’. When he brought those maidens for his weak brother, he was letting loose his controlled feelings in an act of chivalry. But here, he did not do anything contrary to the practice prevailing among the kings in those days. Besides, he showed his firm adherence to dharma when he permitted Amba to leave as soon as he came to know that she was in love with someone else.
Therefore, the moral of the Amba episode is this: ‘“‘Even the Yogis who have achieved full control over their mind may sometimes be led astray by some mental activities which may not be easily detected because of their apparent conformity. The bravery Bheeshma, the cowardice of Salwa as well as the vengefulness of Amba are merely the necessary stage settings.
The Archery Contest : Enter Karna
The poet’s imagination finds apt expressions, first in the duel between Bheema and Duryodhana by which one gets a glimpse of the family feud. Again by the introduction of Arjuna, the superiority of one of the opposing parties is indicated. Later on through the words of Dhritarashtra expressing his sense of satisfaction, the other party’s disappointment is clearly brought out. Suddenly that other party also attains an equal position. Thus the weakened rivalry is shown to revive itself and the stage comes to life. When the poet describes the light and shadow falling respectively on Karna and Arjuna standing face to face for the duel, he is not only achieving a beautiful effect which is generally done on the modem stage with colour disc on the actors but is also bringing out an inherent conflict of the spirit by the mutually opposing paternal affections. The poet does not stop here but penetrates into a much deeper level: he points out with love and sympathy the truth that those two stalwarts with the desire to kill each other are sons of the very same mother. When the two fathers who had begotten childern by the same woman were watching the scene from the heaven, each showing partiality towards his own son, the mother who gave birth to them, impartial to both, falls into a swoon, unable to witness their fight any longer.
This is a very significant portrayal of the emotional structure. Not only the Mahabharata war that develops from this but all the other feuds on this earth are in a sense conflicts between brothers. To prove kinship, one need not go to God, the father of all beings. We are, all of us, brothers descended from a few common ancestors. It is this distant reality which, less intelligent people like us, cannot imagine. The epic poet focuses our attention on the two brothers born to the same mother, but unknown to each other taking up with vigour the leadership of a tragic family feud. Here as in all world conflicts, there must certainly be a mother’s heart throbbing with equal love towards both factions and grieving invisibly.
The Armory Of War
Thus Duryodhana, the personification of mans power craziness was not a person who lived in the distant Dwapara Yuga but an immortal soul ever living in human Society. You may sometimes call him wicked. But he is the one who has been and is guiding world’s history; and it is on him that we bestow our choicest words of praise.
The Pandavas are not that closely related to Duryodhana. Nor are they born and brought up under the same roof: they are intruders. And they intrude more as usurpers of the prospective prosperity of Duryodhana than as brothers. If therefore he had looked upon them as enemies, it was only natural. And the destruction of enemies is the crux of the penal code. He executed it as much as it was in his power to do. If anybody was to be blamed for that it is not Duryodhana and the other kings but the particular jurisprudence that encouraged him to do such deeds.
Indeed, in this world there are no two personalities called Suyodhana and Duryodhana just as there is nothing called a good war.
Bheeshma’s Verdict On Dharma
Now is that all when the poet said that the other kings maintained silence because of their fear for Duryodhana, the poet was hinting that their opinion too was not in favour of Duryodhana—that is to say, they were also of the opinion that the pledging of Draupadi by Yudhishtira after pledging himself was an unlawful act—adharma.
A word or two in parenthesis. The picture of life brought out in this story relates to a time when woman was considered the property of man and slavery was in vogue; and now when we enter into a discussion of dharma keeping that old Story before the modern world from which both these concepts have more or less disappeared, it might evoke laughter in many. But the time has not yet come to make us believe that the circumstances of those days have totally disappeared. We also know that many such evil practices do exist in human society without losing their hold. As a result, unrighteous conduct as that of the Kauravas towards Draupadi may be seen even today in different parts of the world and may be seen in future also. And those who have eyes can see that they do present certain riddles of Dharma before us. In short, we should be able to see that the question implicit here is not the simple one of whether Yudhishtira pledged Draupadi before or after he pledged himself, but something far more serious.
If so, those words of Bheeshma were much more meaningful than any number of precepts on Dharma uttered in that Kaurava court. After reading his second sentence, we may paraphrase it as follows. In certain circumstances it is not easy even for the wise to decide what is dharma and what is adharma. So, in crisis, one should do whatever is proper to the particular time and place, without wasting time discussing dharma and adharma. Whatever is regarded as dharma by men of might will be ipso facto followed by others.
And all that the powerless can do is to suffer all hardship silently. However, a supreme law is at work. And its ultimate sentence will certainly be executed, sooner or late. It is certain that as a result of this game of dice the entire Kaurava dynasty will be destroyed without delay.
Dharma – Only For The Strong
It is clear that submitting oneself to the inviolable decree of the
Creator, to fate, is not observance of Dharma but a sign of one’s incapacity. On the contrary, the Rishis used to advise people to face fate with manliness to the maximum extent. And if resistance to fate is the Dharma of man, submission to it, even if it is done by the Saptarshis, can never be Dharma.
Yes, submission to fate in the belief that one is incapable is not Dharma. Resistance to fate with all one’s strength alone is Dharma and that is the view point of Markhandeya.
The Kiratha (Lord Shiva As The Hunter)
But, was the intention of Vyasa in imparting the yogic knowledge only for procuring a few more divine weapons by Arjuna who was the first among Drona’s pupils, had defeated even Indra in the Khandavadaha and who had performed Digvijaya? It would certainly appear so. But what does it avail if all the strength in the world comes to one who is mentally weak? Moreover, the Pandavas were not victorious in the Mahabharata war by using the divine weapons like ‘Pasupatha’ acquired subsequently by Arjuna. It was due to the abilities they had possessed earlier and what is more, by the recourse to many wrong deeds which they had not done ever before. So, underlying idea of imparting the yogic knowledge must be the means to build up the mental strength sufficient to do even adharma, if necessary and to bring about the fulness of strength.
Vyasa’s laughter
By showing that in spite of the chains of inhibitions put on Rishyashringa, the natural instincts in him did come out with all their force when a loophole was found and ran away with him, the poet was trying to illustrate the ineffectiveness of those foolish prohibitions.
But there is no reason to expect that the emotions of children who are brought up under our control will also result in similar fortunes. Who can imagine where they will end and how.
The Procession
Displaying one’s affluence to the enemies who are not so well off might give a good measure of satisfaction to anyone ; and often times, it may even be taken as an innocent desire. But how many poisonous germs are there in the apparently pure water is shown through magnification; besides, the story also reveals the danger that would result if one were to quench one’s thirst with such water. They went there to display their pride; but how pitiable by the will of Providence did they become! On the other hand, to rejoice at least secretly in the misfortunes of enemies is also a common human attitude. Those who think to control those unrefined attitudes and to free themselves from them are very rare. And those who find satisfaction in so chastening themselves will be rarer still; among four or five upright men who could be picked out from a crowd there may be only one such person. How desirable, though fruitless, are his attempts in that direction!
If we consider this community of Pandavas as a single individual as has been suggested earlier, Bheemasena would represent the uncultivated attitude that first arises in the mind of that individual. Yudhishtira would represent the sense of morality which immediately restrains that primitive impulse and Arjuna would symbolise prompt moral actions. Bheemasena who becomes ready for war also illustrates that the unrefined emotions which surface at first would themselves change colour to assist that moral action. No such moral influence is evident on the Koran side though it is there that one finds a good many grand old wise men, Bheeshma, Vidura, Drona and even that blind father who goes on giving lectures on Dharma. Still it is the primitive impulses of Duryodhana as also of dependents like Karna and Sakuni which have the ascendancyt here. The tragedy of the journey to the station of cowherds was a great occasion for the awakening of the moral sense even in Duryodhana as had happened in the case of Bheemasena. it ought to have occurred to him that it was better to live peacefully with the Pandavas who had such dignified character. Barring suicide, this would have proved a remedy for the infamy. Still it did not occur to him; even though it did come from the mouth of Sakuni, it did not enter his head. Here the Kaurava side displays the thoughts of an individual who though endowed with the wealth of wisdom and education behaves like an uncivilized man and prefers suicide to right conduct.
In whatever manner we may interpret any other action done by Yudhishtira in the name of Dharma, this one cannot at all be interpreted in that fashion because behind this there was strength and love.
Parthasarathi
In reality the weakness of the Pandava side is not its dearth of man-power or power of arms; there was no divine weapon which was not in the possession of Arjuna the weilder of Gandeeva. With all these they were afraid that they might not be powerful enough to overcome Bheeshma, Drona, Karna and Aswathama— they had greater confidence in the power of the enemies than in their own. Above all, they suffered from the moral fear that the killing of teachers, friends and relatives might be a sin. Yudhishtira who used to be fondled with such pet names as Dharmatmaja (son of Dharma) and Dharma Raja (king of Dharma) from his very birth had such an obsession. And war is the playground of unrighteousness. Was there half a chance then for Yudhishtira the ardent observer of dharma to conduct it justly? What was the use of the prowess of Bheema and Arjuna when they would not act under any circumstance against the wishes of their elder brother. What they needed in such a situation was wise counsel, the charioteership of a person who could help them to cast off their cowardice boost their self-confidence and create mental firmness necessary to do even Adharma if need arose, and not military assistance or aid in arms. It was enough that they get such a man who was the repository of their love and confidence and they would fight on indefatigably.
On the other hand, the Kauravas were second to none in self-confidence. In their determination to fight the Pandavas, whether it was right or wrong to the last man and to the last drop of their blood, they had not the least compunction. To procure military strength to the maximum extent possible was only an additional precaution.
The Lord’s Mission Of Peace
The opinion of the devoted ones that the aim of the Krishna advent was to rid this earth of the burden of the demonly Kshatriya reinforces this common belief.
But on the contrary, what we see here is that Krishna’s entire aim was to bring about reconciliation between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Even before the request of Yudhishtira, the Lord has decided to go to Hasthinapura to set right this matter which has already become dangerous.
In all the talks that he had subsequently with the Pandavas and with Vidura, his earnest desire to avert the impending destruction of the world is evident. To achieve this high ideal he tried sincerely; irst with words of appeasement in Kaurava court in the sweetest most forceful style known to human language and secondly with a masterly stroke of dissension persuading the Kauravas themselves to take Duryodhana into custody.
Two Salutations
Yudhishtira’s dignified humility before Bheeshma illustrates his infalliable sense of Dharma. The elders can be respected in any circumstances without deviating from one’s own stand, and doing it is an unavoidable Dharma. If it is not done, the failure to respect elders may hinder prosperity. This is the meaning of Bheeshma’s words: “If you had not come I would have cursed you”, “Yadhi mam nabhigachedha na te shreyo bhaved dhruvam” — not that they would wilfully like to extinguish posperity, but a decline in prosperity would inevitably ensue. What Bheeshma told Karna is also the same.
Bheeshma had not displayed any love for Karna till then; whenever he (Bheeshma) got an opportunity he got them in abundance—he had clearly displayed only want of love. It is difficult for any one even to feel that he has to show humility towards such a person, even when he feels, its observance is still more difficult. For that, one should have tolerance far in excess of the sense of Dharma and one should control, even for a while, one’s sense of pride.
But Karna did not decide not to see Bheeshma. If he was still disposed to insult him he thought that it would be better to meet him alone than to get publicly insulted. That must have been the reason why he came when there was nobody near Bheeshma. He might have taken considerable time to arrive at this decision and that must have been the reason why that visit was put off to the next day.
On a deeper scrutiny, Yudhishtira’s observance has all the external glitter of an exhibition—though he did not mean it; Moreover, it does not fall into the class of perfect action as it is tainted with selfishness for he sought the means of defeating Bheeshma through his own blessings.
Inthe case of Karna, there is absolutely no shade of exhibitionism; nothing which mars its excellence.
Between Brothers
If we go through the whole of Mahabharatha, we will not come across any harsh words spoken to anybody at any time by the soft-spoken Yudhishtira; his words addressed to Karnaare likewise uncharacteristic. And those words spoken to Arjuna are more abusive than the most abusive words spoken by any mean character to any other mean character in this epic. Here what Yudhishtira displayed was the sheer depravity exemplified in the rustic saying: “you lose a bargain, you take it out on the mother”. It was the humiliation of defeat inflicted by the invincible Karna that he showered in the form of abuses on the loving and innocent Arjuna.
Yudhishtira had earlier retreated in this war when defeated, by other enemies; but the intolerance that he felt in his defeat at the hands of Karna was something which he never felt on those occasions. Because, Karna was the only person whom he disliked and feared most amongst the Kauravas. The enmity towards Duryodhana or Dussasana, however intense it might have been, was softened by the feeling of their consanguinity. But, Karna who was an utter stranger and that too born in a low caste, living amongst the Kauravas had attacked him; and he was matchless in the manly qualities of valour and prowess and for that reason had become the refuge of the Kauravas.
Consequences Of War
Have you come to think about the identity of Drouni, who for thousands of years has been wandering over secluded places and wild forests, afflicted by all sorts of diseases and emitting the foul smell of blood and puss, or who has been dwelling in every man with the Lord Krishna-dwaypayana? This devil is none other than (the symbol of) the human curse called vengeance, deep-rooted and determined to uproot the enemies even at the cost of invaluable jewels to oneself. Slowly, imperceptible through actions and reactions, it grows out of simple and honest differences of opinion between persons united by bonds of love and culminates in devastating wars. They, in their turn, invite greater rivalry and vengefulness through a chain of reactions and are transmitted across endless generations. The significance of Aswathama being represented as both immortal and omnipresent is that one should be warned of it, of him, always and everywhere. The culture of India which saw both Lakshmi and Jeshta as Goddess look about Aswathama and Vyasa as immortal and it cannot entirely be meaningless. About the terrible consequences of the war, Yudhishtira also once said: “the sin will still be continued.” The survivors among the defeated after acquiring power, will try to finish off all the survivors among the victorious. Never will the vanquished sleep happily; nor will the enmity once created be pacified by the efflux of time, There are persons to advise and in the families generations will continue”.
Krishna’s curse of three thousand years on Aswathama still holds good. That immortal one recently appeared before us. The second world war concluded after the re-enactment of the Southika Parva – senseless massacre—in the Japan Islands. In this context, one shudders to remember the words of Yudhistira “enmity and rivalry do not die even with the passage of time, no matter how old they are”.
Man controlling nature through centuries not his inner nature but outer nature-has progressed to a stage where he can cause loss a hundred—fold without the difficulty that Aswathama had to face. The divine weapon Brahmasiras which probably existed only in the imagination of the poet is today in our possession in another form. But the technique to destroy the offspring in the womb of a woman miles away with a blade of grass is yet to be invented. We will surely invent that too. Is not Aswathama the person who knew that technique, immortal? And the slogans that we hear incessantly shouted these days ring with “we will take vengeance, we will take vengeance.”
Let all things be invented. Simultaneously, let us hope, Nara-Narayanas also will appear at the appropriate time with the powers of celibacy, penance and truth, competent enough to harmlessly withdrew the weapon already released and to grant long life to a child killed by Brahmasiras. Let us also hope that Vyasa and Narada who cherish the welfare of the world are not unconcerned either.
In spite of the immortal Aswathama, the only surviving member of the Bharata war, the world has not plunged into the unfathomable depths of darkness: it has not reached a stage where peace has become hopeless. Nor do men lead an utterly brutish life. Surely, Dharma practised by the pure will never be in wain. Here is the occasion to prostrate before the memory of Gandhiji, the architect of satyagraha.
The Impartial Balarama
Thus Balarama who had stood aloof pretending to be impartial at last had to come out betraying his partiality. It may well be argued that what we saw here was not partiality but anger in seeing injustice. But this was nothing new; he himself had said earlier at Prabhasa that he knew it; Then how was it that this act alone annoyed this apostle of justice ? It is also not an adequate explanation here to say that the injustice done before his very eyes suddenly provoked this brave man. Had his affection for those two disciples been equal, he would not have patiently waited there to witness the duel between them attempting to kill each other any moment. Which affectionate parent can watch with pleasure a fight between two children; again if one of them is severely wounded or killed, which parent would attempt to inflict similar wounds on the other or kill him ? Therefore, in this duel Balarama must have had a secret desire that Duryodhana should ultimately win because as had already been stated in the duel with clubs there was none to equal Duryodhana and in royal assemblies Rama used to take pride in the fact that the Kaurava king was his disciple in the art of fighting with the club. Here Rama’s expectations would have come true if Bheema had not violated the ethics of war.
The Yoga Of Arjuna’s Dejection
Did any verse of the gospel of Bhagavat Gita which he had heard earlier help Arjuna to get out of of dejection? No, this is where the teachings of the Gita failt o help. But at the same time, this is the point of victory for the author of Gita; what he illustrates here is the reality that calamities that life inflicts are irremediable even by the nectar of divine instruction.
The Last Journey Of Dhritarashtra
Implicit in this separation, one sees the miserable failure of all attempts to wash off the deep-rooted enmity between these two parties as also to instal in its place the intensely pure relationship between the father and the son.
Why did Dritharashtra linger on in the royal prosperity of Hasthinapura so long without preparing for this journey immediately on the conclusion of the Bharatha war in which all his hopes were shattered and his relations slain. Certainly we cannot attribute it to insatiable desire for material pleasures. He had always claimed that his affection for his own sons and for the sons of his brother was equal; and he had also wished it to be so for ever. That being so, if he lived with the sons of his brother after the destruction of his own sons it must have been to prove the equalness of his affection and to mould his heart accordingly. We can believe that he has long been undergoing a penance of sorts to attain balance of mind. Simultaneously, it might have been for relegating to the background his affection, towards his own sons which was upper most in his heart, that he had been thinking about their perverted intelligence. But its results were only to nurture enmity towards Bheemasena who was responsible for the death of all the hundred of them.
The difficulties undergone for the sake of an ideal always lead to mental peace. Still the tragedy is that he could not reach that ideal, Oh, the strain of ego-centric attachment!
This is on the one hand; on the other, the poet by Kunti’s journey, portrays with exquisite beauty how lightly even such deep-rooted attachment can be overcome. It was not at all difficult for Kunti who had all along been undergoing sufferings, to retire to the forest leaving behind her sons, who at long last breathed a sigh of relief on the attainment of the ancestral prosperity. There was absolutely no preparation. No charities were given. She did not even take the permission of anybody before hand. She was accompanying her own people to see them off and without even once turning back. She walked on straight to the forest — what a thrilling spectacle of detachment. Certainly, that mother’s eyes were brimming with tears — but she clarified her position in such harsh words that her sons who stubbornly followed her had to shamefully return without uttering a single word. Certainly that mother had abundant love for her children. But she was more anxious about the youngest born to her co-wife; the anxiety about her own eldest deceased son was comparatively less. The last declaration of this widowed Kshatriya queen mother to her sons is the most remarkable part here. What Kunti explained here was that the only aim of her life after the death of king Pandu, on the mount of Shatashringa and the subsequent death of Madri who entrusted her sons to her (Kunti), was to bring up these five sons in a mannér befitting the Kshatriyas. We can see how true it is when we look back.
Tests Of Dharma
Thus the contextual meaning turns out to be that the moral victory of life lies in the determination that there is no greater Heavenly bliss than endurance of sorrows for the sake of those whom one loves.
As this story belongs to the concluding stage of the Mahabharata, it is useful to make a collective study in order to know how Yudhishtira passed all the three tests made by Dharma Deva. Firstly in the test made at Dwaithavana, he chose the elder of the brothers born to his step-mother leaving aside Bheema and Arjuna who were supposed to be capable of regaining his lost prosperity. In the second test, when heavenly happiness desired by all was on the one side and a helpless dependent dog on the other, he gave up heaven and stood by the dog; and thirdly now, he came prepared to suffer the insufferable sorrows of hell for the sake of bestowing some happiness on those loved ones. Thus the poet has established through these three tests that the preparedness to renounce anything and suffer anything, giving up the thoughts of selfish advantages to help the lowest of those who one loves, is the salvation for human life. It is thus that man becomes a god. Considered in this manner, it can be understood by anyone that the divine form attained by Yudhishtira after the bath in the heavenly Ganges—the position of being free from grief, fatigue and enmity-is not an unearned gift offered by the gods but one that is the natural consequence of his love.
About the Manabhararata it is said that what it does not contain is nowhere to be found and it is mostly true. Bharata contains an entire universe but the central idea of all this, I think, is quintessential love. I do not find any reason to think, like many others that asceticism is glorified. Certainly Bharatha ends on a crashing note of a grim tragedy capable of creating deep detachment to worldly life; but we should not forget that the poet sage has concluded the great epic by lighting the candle of love and holding it aloft to illumine that pitch darkness.
“Sustain life with renunciation ”
నా ప్రస్థానం 