A STUDY

SWAMI HARSHANANDA

-- AMAYANA AND MAHABHARATA, the two accept a much later date, VIZ 1424 BC or great epics of India, have captivated 950 BC. the hearts of its people for several millennia Traditional lore ascribes the authorship Whether it is literature ' both and of this epic to the great sage Veda vernacular -arts, crafts, painting, music, also known as Knma Dvaipayana. He was dance and drama, or temple motifs, no a contemporary of the grandsire Bhi!;>ma and aspect of Indian culture has escaped the had a firsthand knowledge of most of the stamp of their influence. The simple village events described in the epic. folk who shed tears while listening to the Research-scholars, however, feel that the ballads on the banishment of Sitli or the original work called Jaya, written by Vyasa highly skilled artisans working on the temple to commemorate the victory (jaya=victory) motifs depicting the Kuruk~etra war, are of the Plif.lQava princes over the wicked both responding to a dynamic and continuing Kauravas, might have been a much smaller culture of these epics. work comprising about 8,800 verses. This Hindu tradition has always considered was subsequently revised and enlarged into these two epics as itihiisa (,verily did it exist Bhiirata, a work of 24,000 verses, by thus') or history. Modem scholars have VaiSampayana, a disciple of Vyasa, and largely conceded that the core of the epics recited during the Sarpayaga (serpent could have had a historical basis. sacrifice) of Janamejaya, the great grandson of the Plif.lQava hero . The final Reputed scholars, both Eastern and edition that has come down to us is the work Western, have battled for years to fix the of SOta Ugrasravas, son of Lomahar~~ date of the Mahabharata war, also known (also spelt as Romahar~~), and was recited as the Kuruk~tra war. Incidentally this at the Sattrayaga (a kind of sacrifice, the would also fix the date of its heroes and, performance of which, is spread over several of course, their historicity. If the years) of the sage Saunaka in the Naimi~ meticulously preserved Hindu oral traditions forest. It is this that has been called based on their notion of time as the Mahiibhiirata, due to its immense size yuga-system are to be relied upon, the great (mahii=great) and its dealing with the story war should have taken place during 3139 of the people of the race descended from Bc.Writings of Megasthanes (312 BC) as also the ancient emperor , culminating in internal astronomical evidence corroborate the, war. This edition is reputed to be this date. Modern historians, however, have 'Satasahasri Sarhhita,' a collection of assailed this theory and are inclined to 100,000 verses, though the extant text

,A senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, Swami Harshananda IS the head of' Sri Ramakrishna • Ashrama, Bangalore. He is an accomplished orator, ttlUsician, and author of several books in English, Kannada and Sanskrit, a few of which have also been translated into Korean, German and French. Some of his more well-known books are Hin4u Gods and Goddesses, through Questions ana h.lswers, and All about Hindu Temples.

329 330 11fE VEJ'Am'A KFSARI SEPIEMBEk contains less. The round figure is obviously rivalries; marriage of , the PaflcaIa an approximation. Some scholars have tried princess, to the Pllndavas; Arjuna's to establish that the epic has evolved over pilgrimage , and man iage with , a period of eight centuries (from 400 Be sister of Sri Krsna.• • • to 400 AD) to its present proportions. At the present stage of the research it has not been Sabhiiparva, the second, deals mainly possible to clinch the issue, and hence with the performance of the Rajasuya chronological questions continue to remain sacrifice by Yudhi~thira, the eldest of the open to discussions. princes, the game of dice manoeuvred by the wily, Duryodhana, the Different regions of India have eldest of tl}e Kauravas, and its tragic preserved different recensions of the text of consequences for the fmmer. this epic. These have been broadly classified as the Northern and the Southern Ara~yaparva, also called Vanaparva recensions. Scholars opine that the latter (and sometimes as Ara~yakaparva) is the which is the longer of the two is more third book that covers the story of the impressive because of its precision and Pi'iQ<;iavas in exile in the Kamyaka forest. schematization as also its practical outlook. This voluminous book is replete with several One of the standard editions published stories from the past like those of Nala and contains 95,826 slokas or verses, in 18 Damayanti, Savitri and Satyavan, of sages 'parvans' or boo~", with 107 sub-parvans like ~yasmga, Agastya and Markal)<;Ieya, as and 2,111 chapters in all, including the also of kings like Bhagiratha and Sibi. The appendix Harivamsa. This just gives an idea famous quiz, Yak~prasna, belongs to this of the immensity of this epic poem, which book. is eight times as big as Homer's llliad and Odyssey put together. Virti.taparva, the fourth, is one of the smaller books dealing mainly with the stay Since the text contains quite a few of the Pi'iQ<;iavas incognito in the kingdom riddles known as kutaslokas and vast • of Virata. Slaying of the villain Kicaka and portions of didactic material, several commentators have tried their skill on it. th~ battle ~or rescuing the cattle of the king Vlrata whIch had been captured by the The gloss of NilakaJ.ltha ( 16th cent.) is more Kauravas to force the Pi'iQ<;iavas to come out well-known and is widely referred to. of their hiding, as also the wedding of the The contents of the eighteen major Virata princess Uttara with Abhimanyu, books may- be briefly summarized as Arjuna's son, are the chief incidents follows: Adiparva, the first book, is fairly portrayed here. long and deals with, several ancient episodes connected with Sukracarya, the preceptor of Udyogaparva, the fifth, is also a short the Asuras, and hIs intractable daughter book which deals with the peace parleys and Devayani, and , a prominent king of preparatioI1s for the war curiously going the lunar dynasty,, as also the famous together. The most touching scene of Kunti, romance of Sakuntala and the king the mother of the , disclosing to Du~anta. However, the major part of the KaTl)a the secret of his birth, in her womb, book is devoted to the story of the ancestors and the statesmanship of Sri Kr~l)a, who of, the Pandavas. . and the Kauravas like makes a last minute bid for peace, are the Santanu, Bhit>ll1a, Vicitravirya, Dhrtar~tra highlights of this section. The famous and P~<;iu; the birth and education of the discourse, of the sage Sanatsujata to the Pi'iQ<;iavas and the Kauravas; their early blind king Dhrtar~tra, well-known as the 1990 MAHABHARATA 331

Sa natsujiitfya, which is full of philosophical Yudhisthlra. Bhisma's demise and truths, forms a part of this book. Yudhisthira's• • coronation are the other incidents dealt with. The two well-known, The next book, Bhf~maparva, contains hymns, Vi~usahasraniima and Siva- the crown-gem of the epic, viz the Bhagavad sahasraniima, as also the Anugftii (a Gitii. Detailed descriptions of the first ten subsidIary discourse by Sri Kr\il)a to ArJuna) days of the war containing the superhuman are parts of these books. exploits of the grandsire Bhisma, ultimately ending in his being mortally wounded by Asvamedhikaparva, the , fourteenth, Arjuna, form the bulk of this section. Since describes the departure of Sri KrsDa for Bhi\ima had the unique boon of dying at Dvaraka and the horse-sacrifice will, he preferred to lie down on the bed (Asvamedha) performed by Yudhisthira. The of arrows and postpone his demise till the humiliation of Yudhis~hira by a talking beginning of Uttarayana or the northern weasel that describes the supreme sacrifice solstice. of a Brahmana family is an interesting sidelight. of this book. DrolJllparva, the seventh, apart from - describing the heroic exploits of Drol)a, the The next book, Asramaviisikaparva, preceptor, culminating in his death through describes the departure of the old stratagem, also contains an account of the Dhrtara\itra to the forest along with brilliant achievements of the boy-hero Gandhful, his spouse, and Kunti and their Abhimanyu on the battlefield and his tragic subsequent death in a forest fire. death. The sixteenth book, Ma usa laparva, The eighth book, Karnaparva, details gives an account of the mutual destruction the gory death of the evil genius Dussasana, of, the heroes as also the death of the second of the Kaurava brothers, at the Sri Krsna at the hands of a hunter. The hands of the colossal , and the fall Mahiiprasthiinika and the SvargiirohalJll of KaI1).a himself at the hands of Arjuna Parvas, the last two books, give an account after a bitter fight. of the final journey of the Pll1)<;Iavas, their , death on the way, with Yudhi\ithira alone Salyaparva, the ninth book, describes reaching heaven. the final encounter between Bhima and Duryodhana on the last day ot the war, the The Mahiibhiirata presents us with a latter succumbing to the mortal blow veritable array of human characters, from received during the duel. the sublime to the ridiculous. No type of human emotion, no deed of valour, Sauptikaparva, the tenth, delineates the generosity, sacrifice or meanness is missed gruesome massacre of the Pan<;lava army and here. Nor is there any artificiality in these its allies, in the night during sleep, by portrayals. A brief delineation of some of ASvatthaman, Dr0t:la's vengeful son. the more important characters may now be The next book, Striparva, describes attempted here. graphically the pitiful lamentations of the , Sri Kr\iDa is undoubtedly the most women and widows of the dead warriors. brilliant and picturesque personality Then come the , twelfth and the projected by the epic. He appears on the thirteenth- books, the Siintiparva and the scene rather suddenly at the time of Anu.Msanikaparva, containing wonderful - Draupadfs svayamvara (formal selection of discourses on all aspects of dharma hv the husband by a maiden princess), and patriarch Bhi\ima at the request of continues to saunter the scenes right up to 332 THE VEDANTA KESARI SEPI'EMBER the end. All his energIes are channelized Drona, the preceptor-warnor who was only in one direction protection of the forced to take to the military profession in right and the good, and punishment or spite of being a Brahmana, appears a shade destruction of the wIcked. His remarkable darker than Bhlsma. Notwithstanding his prowess, matched only by the bewitching learning and austerity. he exhibited a streak beauty of his perfect form, sage counsels, of vengeful nature. superb stratagems and Immensely superIor Vidura, the 'son of the maid-servant, statesmanship, captIvate our heart. There is is another personality who strIkes u!> not absolutely no doubt that the epIC projects only by his sagacity, but also by his intense hIm as God Himself come down to save devotion to Sri Krsna about whose dIvinity mankind, as he hImself admits In the he had absolutely no doubt. Here IS a living Bhagavad Glta. example to show that it IS not birth or caste Bhlsma, the grand old man, is another that makes for greatness but intrinsic towering personality that awes and inspires character. His discourse to Dhrtara~tra in the us, whether in the supreme sacrifIce of Udyogaparva is now well-known as abdicating hIs right to the throne or the vow Viduranfti. of celibacy or the matchless heroi<;m, on the Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas, battlefIeld. It is but meet. that SrI Krsna, who IS the chief villaIn of the epic. His greed recognized his encyclopaedic knowledge and and jealousy overshadowed whatever wisdom, ha~ ~0l It pre<.,erved for the herOIsm or virtues he had, resulting in the posterity by proddIng him, through near-total destruction of the two races and Yudhisthir- d to' unfold it. The Santi and the untold misery to millions. Anusiisanika Parvas are practically the reposItories of hIS teachings. If the word 'tragedy' needs anv• illustration, One should turn to Karna. A Yudhi~thira, the e!u ... ~: of the PanQavas, vIctim of circumstances, his story can never is perhaps the most domInant, character of be read with the eyes dry or the heart the epic, next only to Sri Krsl)a. He was unmoved. He was supremely noble and not only a great hero on the battlefield, true generous III every inch of his personality to hIs name (yudhi =in battle, sthira =one He is perhaps the last word for friendship, who is steady), but a veritable incarnation loyalty and generosity. of dharma or righteousness, a rare combination indeed. That is why he is often Dhrtara~tra, the blind and vacillating addressed as Dhallllaraja ('the monarch of king, was blind not only physically but also righteousness') too. Come what may, he in wisdom. His inordinate infatuation for his children, the Kauravas, prevented him for would never swerve from the path of ethIcal exercising his authority to uphold dharma. uprightness about which his thinking was always crystal clear. The Yak~­ Among the women characters it is praSna-episode is replete with the gems of Draupadi, the PiificaJa pnncess and the his wisdom. queen of the Pandavas, that stnkes us most The epic pictures Bhlma, the colossus, Endowed with striking beauty, a sharp intellect and a sharper tongue which she and ArJuna, the warrior, in more human tellllS. If down-to-earth common sense could wield effectively, she remained characterizes Bhlma, Aquna is more absolutely faithful to her husbands. By her idealistic and dreamy. However, both were supreme sacrifices she has set an example , of wifely virtues. extraordinarily devoted to Sri Kr~a and implicitly obedient to Yudhisthira. (Continrwl on p.348) 348 'mE VEDANrA KESARI SEPIEMBER

. 7 universe are animated and made real. This substance of his man-making humanism. As to unity, this actual immediate, perceivable, the truth, effectiveness, and value of and unchanging reality of the Self's infinite Vivekananda's forged-in-the-Self humanism, and indivisible presence, waS always to it is plain that never before in human history Vivekananda the great, single master-fact of have the uses of reason, freedom, and the human world and of the human person individualism been raised to such an exalted - the great 'open secret; as he called it. 26 yet pragmatic level or shown to be so It is likewise the heart, mainspring, and attractive, joyous, and necessary. 0 26. ibId., 2' 397 ( Concluded)

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MAHABHARATA: A STUDY (Continued from p.332)

Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, well-known hymn~ Visnusahasraniima and • • impresses us a~ a helpless but Doble Sivasahasraniima, have been sources of princess. The fortitude with which she inspiration to philosophers and votaries of silently bore• all her misfortunes and miseries religious pursuits over the millennia. The is unparalleled. cult of Visnu and the reconciliation of the GauJhari, who made the utmost various warring faiths also find an sacrifice of denying herself the pleasures of appropriate place. Along with the growth of eyesight because Dhnarastra, her husband, rigidity of the caste system, honest attempts was born blind, is a paragon of the ideal at extolling human excellence and treatmg of wifehood. Unlike her husband, she was it as the real basis of Brahmanahood• are also bold enough to admonish her son conspicuous. In spite of the misogynists of Duryodhana for his wicked behaviour and the age, women did find a place of honour warn him of its dire consequences, because during the epic period. she was ever devoted to dharma. There is enough evidence to admit that The Mahiibhiirata, also known as the the Mahiibhiirata had migrated outside India Pancama Veda ('the fifth Veda'), is a too, especially to the South-East Asian veritable encyclopaedia of Hindu religion countries. Incidents from this epic have been and culture. The claim of the Suta portrayed in stone relief in the Angkor Wat Ugrasravas that 'anything anywhere is an and Angkor Thorn of Kampuchia. echo of what is here' and 'what is not here is nowhere' is no exaggeration. Every aspect Whether the Mahiibhiirata was the of dharma whether it is riijadharma composition of a single poet or the (statecraft), iipad-dharma (conduct compilation of several editors, whether the permissible during dire calamities), great war was fought in 3100 BC or 1400 diinadharma (liberality) or mok~adharma BC or 950 Be, whether it was a family feud (pertaining to emancipation) finds its due or a ferocious war, it is verily the biggest place here. In fact, the very purpose of the classic ever composed by man and will retain Mahiibharata is to expound dharma in an its its relevance as long as the sun and the moon ramifications. The celebrated Bhagavad Gilii, shine or the stars twinkle, because it mirrors the less known Anugftii, as also the two the eternal drama of human existence. 0