Tree of Dharma Part 1 The Antonym Case In the very beginning of Mahabharata, Vyas gives a clear depiction of both the camps. The Tree of Righteousness and Tree of Adharma. Poet described that Duryodhana was a tree of evil with Karna its scabrous trunk, Sakuni its crooked branches and Dusshasana its evil spreading seeded flowers and the root is Dhritrashtra. Whereas Yudhishthara was the Tree of righteousness with Bhima and Arjuna growing from him as the smooth trunk and far reaching and shade giving branches, twins were the beautiful flowers and the wide pervading perfume of that tree with Krishna and Brahma as the roots. Our heroes and villains are instantly described in two slokas. One is a fellowship of blood, binded by women, one a mother and other a wife and rooted on altruism. Other is fellowship of selfishness, bound by greed, ego, ahankara, and rooted on self-interest. The biggest, the only, the true test of a King is the interest he takes in the welfare of people. A king’s bad actions do not hurt his family, his hangers-on, his yes-men, his mistresses, his servants, but they have the potential to destroy the people themselves.
एकं विषरसं हन्ति शस्त्रेणैकश्च वध्यते | सराष्ट्रं सप्रजं हन्ति राजानं मंत्रविप्लव: || Only one person dies due to the poison; By the weapons too only one living creature can die. But due to the incorrect decisions by the king, the king himself, the whole nation and it's citizens can die!! Whenever a King or tyrant has confused himself with being the PEOPLE themselves people have suffered. Hitler is a great example of this. Duryodhana is another. We are again and again told of the education of the both sides or lack of education of one side. Duryodhana is not literate, that itself is no major flaw, neither was Akbar. But whereas, Akbar realized the lack of education as a flaw and worked to ameliorate it and surrounded himself with a wide variety of views and profound people, people with strength o character to disagree and dissuade, people who would tell him what is wrong and what is right. People who would so violently disagree with him that they wished he died in fires of hell like Badauyani. But, Akbar kept such people around him because that always gave him perspective, a wide vista of view to base his decisions on. He thus had a muslim fundamentalist like Badayauni sitting next to Goswami Tulsidasa. He even asked Badayauni to translate Mahabharata, may be the worst punishment you can give a fundamentalist. Dhritrashtra is the King who is blind and needs great and loyal servants. He gets them. He has a Bheeshma, a Vidura, a Vyas, a Sanjaya at his command. When he is in doubt, Sanatasujata themselves come to treat him to 200 of the best slokas on the importance of Dharma and Renunciation outside of Geeta. (The Sanatasujata parva.) Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=441520819334884&id=259 035577583410 (Placeholder for now, i am redoing the original SPFIMB posting in shayari) What does he do with that knowledge?
यस्य नास्ति स्वयं प्रज्ञा शात्रं तस्य करोति किम् | लोचनाभ्याम् विहीनस्य दर्पण: किं करिष्यसि || What is use of knowledge to a person who does not have intellectual capacity? what is use of mirror to a person who is blind? The poet says that, knowledge is like a mirror, which reflects world in it. Indeed knowledge is something through which we perceive the world. The person's pragya or intellect is like his eyesight hence the title Pragyachakshu for Dhritrashtra as a epithet. Unless one has it, one can't use a mirror. Similarly if one does not have power to perceive the knowledge or one does not the have aptitude, then this knowledge is useless to him. Dhritrashtra did not use that knowledge. He did not use the mirror of knowledge to identify the faults in him and his sons and thus, never corrected them. Hence he is the root of the tree of Adharma. Asal aisa hoga to fasal waisi hi hogi. The roots, the seeds determine the crop. Duryodhana had a great memory but no education to organize and use that great memory. He surrounded himself with yes men and men who fed his ego and his false ambitions. He had advisors like Kunika, Purochana, Karna, Kuniti, Kuchakra and Kudharma themselves. The trunk of that adharma was karna, brought up a soota and rejected his family for the profession of that of warriors. That is a very deep and important point Vyas makes straight away. Vyas is a son of a boatwoman, the story of Mahabharata is narrated by a SOOTA Ugrashrvas who narrates the story of narration by SOOTA Sanjaya Gavalgani to the blind king. SOOTAS All, Soota the keepers of records, Sootas responsible for Puranas, Sootas the keepers of knowledge, Sootas the servants of Saraswati. And Karna rejected that Soota life. Karna rejected knowledge, the path of learning. And thus ignorance is the trunk of the tree of Adharma! He screamed at Sanjaya at Hastinapur Sabha during Udyoga Parva that Sanjaya should not call Karna a Sootaputra as Karna is not a Soota. Sanjaya would go on to call Karna Sootaputra 147 times more in the War Parvas. Never abuse the writer. Sootas worship Saraswati, that is from beginning the representation of Draupadi in Manvadi and Upacharira interpretations. When Karna ordered the stripping of Draupadi, he is ordering the removal of knowledge; he is manifesting the destruction and oppression of Knowledge by Ignorance. Even in that horrendous attack on a weak female by animals in guise of humans, Draupadi kept her composure and asked the question on the subtlety of the dharma. Draupadi did not protest her weak sex or use that as an excuse but argued on the point of Dharma, even in those horrible circumstances of Dyuta. She was not afraid. She was Nirbhaya. That is the Daughter of Fire which dispels the gloom and darkness of ignorance from minds of men.
स्वभावं न जहात्येव साधुरापद्गतोऽपि सन् | कर्पूर: पावकस्पॄष्ट: सौरभं लभतेतराम् || A good person never gives up her nature even when caught in a disaster. Camphor caught with fire, emits more fragrance. Sanjaya and Sootji, Sootas all, worship Draupadi throughout the Epic. Draupadi the daughter of fire (the light of understanding) is the fount of comprehension, knowledge is the basis of prosperity and hence she is called an avatar of Shree again and again by them. They sang of Drauapdi thus as Saravsvati, as Bharati, the poetic play on Bharti is seen in the next sloka: (Draupadi is joint avatar of several goddesses including the wife of Vayu, Bharati)
अपूर्व: कोपि कोशोयं विद्यते तव भारति | व्ययतो वॄद्धिम् आयाति क्षयम् आयाति संचयात् || Oh Goddess, your treasure of knowledge ('vidyA') is indeed very amazing! If spent it grows ('vrudhim') and if unused (Without using it only accumulating it - 'sanchayAt') it becomes less! It is a common experience of every one that the knowledge that an individual has, keeps growing only if that individual applies that knowledge in practical work or in giving it to others. If unused, we keep forgetting what we have learnt. And the poet asks us that we should not be self-centered in matters of giving knowledge to others because that helps even us also! Same Sootas (Ugrashrava and Sanjaya) are equally damning of their so-called caste brother. The device they use here is that Karna is a son of Surya Arka is used to demonstrate just what the usefulness of Karna is to the Sootas, the seekers of knowledge.
रविरपि न दहति तादॄग् यादॄक् संदहति वालुकानिकर: अन्यस्माल्लब्धपदो नीच: प्रायेण दु:सहो भवति Direct Sun does not burn our skin as much as a hot sand dune does. Just as this mediocre person is often annoying and useless who has become great and powerful due to another person (Duryodhana), just like a sand dune gets hot due to Sunlight and burns the skins of passerbys. Note the double entendre, the construction of sloka derides both Duryodhana and Karna, Karna rose due to patronage of Duryodhana or does Duryodhana the tree of Adharma is standing on the leprous trunk called Karna using the roots Dhritrashtra. Karna looked down on his heritage, he looked down on the Sootas, he did not want to be called one, the Sootas who wrote the story looked down back at him deriding even the gifts of the Arka.
श्रोत्रं श्रुतेनैव न कुण्डलेन दानेन पाणिर्न तु कंकणेन | The ears of a 'sajjan' (Honest/Good) person looks more good and pleasant hearing some knowledge ('Vidya') and not by the ear-rings ('Kundalas'). Never cross a poet. They do wield Sarcasm as a weapon that hurts deep and long.
संरोहति अग्नीना दग्धं वनं परशुना हतम् | वाचा दुरूज्ञग्त; बीभत्सं न संरोहति वाक्क्षतम् || The forest of evil which gets destroyed due to the fire (daughter of fire) or due to the axe (the Rama who wielded Parasu), will again and again grow in time. But the wounds caused by the sarcastic words of a poet (or knowledge) will always cause deep furrows on the psyche and will of evil that will never get healed. Only by detailing the knowledge again and again can we prevent the growth of forest of evil, we cannot rely on having a son of rishi handy with axe and a daughter of fire with five sturdy husbands to always bail us out. And when the simple message does not travel much or bores the audeince, Use Sarcasm!!
के-शवं पतितं दॄष्ट्वा पाण्डवा हर्षनिर्भरा: | रूदन्ति कौरवा: सर्वे हा हा के-शव के-शव || Notice that ke and shava have been separated. The word "ka" means water (among several other meanings). Hence ke means “in water”. p ANDa va also means fish who born from eggs. And kaurava also means crow. Hence the interpretation is : Seeing the corpse (shava) fallen in water, the fish were overjoyed as they saw Keshava!. All the crows aka Kauravas, however, started crying .. " O the corpse in water !!" Tree of Dharma Sahodara Case Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42313123452687 1/ The Sahodara Case The Tree of Dharma is based on the Trunk called Bhima. Its branches are Arjuna. The flowers and their sweet smell are the twins. The roots are the Brahma and Krishna. The trunk is Bhima. It is already declared that धॄति: क्षमा दमोऽस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रह: | धीर्विद्या सत्यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणम् || Courage, forbearance, ability to overpower, understanding one’s flaws or introspection, clearness of purpose, control of senses, understanding, learning, sincere, manly (these) ten qualities constitute the characteristics of 'Dharma'. They can also mean Fortitude, forgiveness, self-control, punish the guilty, purity of mind, faculty of sense, reflection, knowledge, truthful, free from anger. They also mean Satisfaction, Competence, subdue, self-restraint, integrity, virile power, intelligence, scholarship, virtuous and honest, suppressed anger. They stand for Endurance, Self-command, domesticate, heal, honesty, attraction, meditation, science even control of ID, effectual, potent. They represent Resolute, Capable, tranquilize or tame enemies, identify boundaries, cleanliness, premonition, imagination, philosophy, knowledge and control over dogma, tranquil. One is Bhima, one is Yudhishthara, one is Arjuna, one is Nakula and one is Sahadeva. They are never one alone and combined they are more than just five, they are the 10 qualities of Dharma manifest manifold in entirety. The Buddhist jatakas extoll these as Andhakaveudasa legends talking of Ten Pandavas, with the Dharma Qualities standing as entities themselves, each brother in them forces of nature themselves. As, such all five interpretations of qualities are equal. And that answers the next question. Why Nakula? When the yaksha thundered: “Ask for one brother to live from your four.” Yudhishthara unhesitatingly replied : “I chose Nakula!”. They are all equal in my mind. But, look at the manvadi interpretation, Yudhisthara chose the Flowers of the Tree of Dharma. The flowers carry in them the seeds of the new genesis, the next generation, the promise of new life, the ability to create new Trees of Dharma. Yudhishthara did not necessarily need Bhima or Arjuna, he would wait patiently and construct a new fellowship if needed and he will reach his goal. He is the Tree of Dharma, and he is also the bagabaan, the gardener, Dharma himself. He will cultivate a new tree of Dharma and start over, he will not let this garden whither under the winds of injustice and oppression. They are a team and if the team loses its members, the team finds replacements. There is always a Ghatotkacha, a Abhimanyu, a Prativindhya, a Sootasoma, an Iravan, a Dhrishtadamyuna, a Shikhandi, a Satyajita, a Satyaki to take the place. The struggle for the goal will not end. No man is an island. Great endeavors always need a great team. Great teams have risk amelioration and backups. Patiently working, nothing should be left to chance.
रत्नै: महाहै: तुतुषु: न देवा: न भेजिरे भीमविषेण भीतिम् अमॄतं विना न प्रययु: विरामम् न निचदार्थात् विरमंति धीरा: Devas did not get satisfied with precious jewels or apsaras nor they fell prey to the terror of the deadly poison. They did not rest until they did get their aim, their goal, the amrita. The people with patience (dhairya) do not rest nor do they lose heart until they get the determined target they had aimed for. Even koorma bhagwana got a permanent mark on his back of the struggles they did. If life gives him lemons, he made lemonade. If life takes away Arjuna or Bhima, Dharma calls up Nakula. There are backups everywhere. If the sons of Siddhi (goddess of perfection, success born as Kunti) are not available, son of Dhriti (goddess of understanding, courage and resolution, born as Madri) will suffice. Does’nt the Purana states, If the Devi Dhrti ceased to exist the whole world would become timid and cowardly. So, one son of Devi Dhrti, atleast one son of Madri, the second wife of Pandu needed to be alive. That alone would suffice for the Dharma. So, he asked for Nakula.
Tree of Dharma Freedom of Expression Parts 1 & 2 : https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42313123452687 1/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381280445871 4/ Mahata and its Expression (International Women’s Day) And the trunk of tree of Dharma is Bhima, representative by far of all the ten qualities of Dharma thus forming the entire body of the tree. He is anchored because the sheer power of sons of Vayu cannot be left unharnessed. They are the harbingers of justice and the storms of righteousness to break down the dreary decaying societies of the dead habits, rituals and dogmas and breath a fresh lease of life, pure air, prana vayu into the hearts and minds of men and if needed women. (Women are the srjna shakti, the creative energy in themselves.) Their tireless striving stretches their arms towards perfection and sons of vayu, the five pranas, lead the minds of men forward into ever widening thought and action. Unchecked, they can destroy the entire world and create a brand new one from the start that is why they are called Prabhanjanasutas. If they do not find that heaven of freedom good enough, they can create a new one. Thus, the sons of Vayu are anchored close to sons of Dharma, the regulators, and to the roots Krishna and Rama, the circuit breakers for their unchecked enthusiasm is a joy to behold for the devotee but terror for the makers of this world. Because, Bhima and Hanuman represents the most powerful of the forces in the world. FREEDOM OF THOUGHT. Dharma himself is the result of Mahata, the Thought. That freedom of thought is(are) Bhima and Hanuman. That is why the Hanuman and Bhima are beloved characters, they let loose the reins on our imaginations, they make it possible for us to view the wider vistas and let our thoughts roam the skies. Their sheer power maddens and excites the mind. Their child like enthusiasm and seemingly on the face of it simplistic outlook reachs the child inside us and makes it possible for that child to come out and engage. Vamana had come to fix the situation where Bali was subverting the Yuga cycle by accelerating the Sata yuga to come again. Ravana tried to create a perfect society and ended up creating a pastiche for Kali Yuga and needed to be corrected. Parasurama came to chop away some deadwood and Narayana calmly asked his other half Nara to let loose the wrath and terror of Dharma on those who misuse and abuse Dharma. All still had to deal with the enthusiastic rambunctious boisterous and high spirited sons of Vayu. That freedom of thought needs governance or boundaries, some of it atleast to prevent the chaos from overwhelming the mind. Freedom of Thought Freedom of thought is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every other form of freedom. With rare aberrations a pervasive recognition of this truth can be traced in our mythology, history, political and legal. Freedom of thought can subvert any system and any dispensation. Courage, forbearance, ability to overpower, understanding one’s flaws or introspection, clearness of purpose, control of senses, understanding, learning, sincere, manliness are qualities that allow that freedom to flow unchecked. Sometimes there needs to be limits on those freedoms. Rama is called Marayada Purushottam as he sets some limits “Maryada” to the power of Hanuman. Yudhishthara was called to account for same in an interesting set of quiz contests that always seem to land Bhima in some trouble or the other. The Ajagara Prashna and Yaksha Prashna were the Dharma’s way of explaining the limits needed for and the new set of rules and paradigms to govern that Freedom of Expression. Hanuman, whose childlike enthusiasm and joy and playfulness made Sun a mere apple to be enjoyed by the child of Vayu. That loss of sun will send this universe into a momentary darkness does not enter the child’s mind. Don’t worry, there were 11 other suryas and several backup suryas available in case Hanuman completed his snack. It is just interesting to note that that Surya ran to save himself from a child of Vayu, hiding behind Indra. That happens again and again! The Freedom of Expression as a Child CHILD is fearless, child does not know boundaries. They need to be taught. The Child, the Freedom of expression or of thought needs to be limited for it to spread, to be used wisely, to be persistent.
हमेशा मन्दिरो-मस्जिद में नहीं रहता सुना है बच्चों में छुपकर वो खेलता भी है ~ निदा फ़ाज़ली A child has thoughts, unalloyed, pure and beautiful, vivid in imagination and in scope, there are no boundaries to this vision, the vista is far reaching and endless. In child we have the presence of god in the most pristine form. Then child is taught to speak.
ऐ शाम के फ़रिश्तो, ज़रा देखके चलो बच्चों ने साहिलों पे घरौन्दे बनाये हैं ~ निदा फ़ाज़ली Children are the most unspoilt and beautiful amongst us. To shatter their dreams is cruel. The saddest thing in the world is a child with broken dreams. The cruelest joke life plays on children is to change their care free world into a world they need to care. And the Language entirely determines the range of possible cognitive processes of an individual. Human psychological faculties are mostly universal and innate or whether they are mostly a result of learning, and hence subject to cultural and social processes that vary between places and times. The universalist view holds that all humans share the same set of basic faculties, and that variability due to cultural differences is negligible. We are all the same. Bhima would say आईना देख के निकला था मैं घर से बाहर आज तक हाथ में महफ़ूज़ है पत्थर मेरा ~ निदा फ़ाज़ली I had taken a good look at the mirror before I left my home. This is why, the stone I had carried to cast at another, Has still not left my hand. Yudhishthara would interpret it as जब किसी से कोई गिला रखना सामने अपने आईना रखना ~ निदा फ़ाज़ली When you are about to censure someone, Please keep a mirror in front of yourself. (and that is the answer to some recent discussions on the need or not of a documentary.) Human mind is a mostly biological construction, so that all humans sharing the same neurological configuration can be expected to have similar or identical basic cognitive patterns. The contrary position can be described as constructivist, stating that human faculties and concepts are largely influenced by socially constructed and learned categories, that is not subject to many biological restrictions. Thus, Human mental capacities are generally unrestricted by its biological-material basis. And it can be described as essentialist, holding that there may be essential differences in the ways individuals or groups experience and conceptualize the world. Those differences are by the language. The sounds. The voice. The Vaka. When the Child learns to speak. To express in another medium. When Thought in mind, which is the fastest thing in world slows down to become Sound. मन: शीघ्रतरं वातात् To suddenly express the profound universe of Ideas, this had no boundaries, now in a limited vocabulary of a language. What does this mean? Thought which is inherently embedded in language, the limited number of expressions and the use of words of a language is actually a form of restricting Freedom of Thought. smile emoticon Thus, Vaka or Voice or Language limits Freedom of Thought and governs it. Similarly, Draupadi governs the untrammeled power of her husband Bhima. Future Saraswati and Future Brahma, the creators of the future world! Language that crystallizes the thought, distills the worthy and elucidates the order from chaos, rescues the imperative from bedlam, identifies the vital from pandemonium, and presents the new paradigm, new universe, new cosmos for our consumption. Dharma (Jambavanta) did not need Bharati or Vaka to control Hanuman because Brahma took care of that. Yudhishthara needed Draupadi to control his younger brother. When Drupada would have asked “Why does my daughter need to marry all five?” Yudhishthara “let me tell you about my brother Bheema!” Hey, that is better reason that AK-67 gave in his message for International Women’s day! And did you notice, Draupadi is not specifically described as part of Tree of Dharma but is still very very crucial and vital to the growth and spread of that tree. No team is alone. There are always people that support from behind the scenes and do not take curtain calls but no venture, no project, no plan, no endeavor, no scheme, no performance is successful without them. Behind every great man, you know the rest.
शुचित्वं त्यागिता शौर्यं सामान्यं सुखदु:खयो: | दाक्षिण्यञ्चानुरज्ञिग्त;श्च सत्यता च सुहॄद्गुणा: || The qualities of a true companion are: Purity, generosity, chivalry, being composed in happiness and distress, politeness, affection and truthfulness. These were manifest in Draupadi but that’s subject of another post. Tree of Dharma Synonym and Antonyms Parts 1 & 2 & 3: https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42313123452687 1/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381280445871 4/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381659112500 2/ The Synonym Antonym Case The Tree of Dharma is based on the Trunk called Bhima. Its branches are Arjuna. The flowers and their sweet smell are the twins. The roots are the Brahma and Krishna. The Labor of Learning Draupadi was the wife of all five brothers like one soul attached to the five senses. If Yudhishthara was sight and intelligence, Arjuna the enquiring voice, Sahadeva the smell of perfume of tree of dharma and Nakula the taste of good life, Bhima was the soft touch and the mind, the will.
अभ्दि: गात्राणि शुध्यन्ति मन: सत्येन शुध्यति | विद्यातपोभ्यां भूतात्मा बुध्दिज्ञाम्पर्नेन शुध्यति || Senses (Sense-Organs) are purified by water; Mind is purified by truth; Soul is purified by learning and penance; While intelligence is purified by knowledge (vidya).
वज्रादपि कठोराणि मॄदूनि कुसुमादपि | लोकोज्ञल्ताराणां चेतांसि को हि विज्ञाम्पातुमर्हति || The minds of extraordinary people are harder than the thunderbolt and softer than the flowers; who in this world is capable of discerning them properly? Bhima was the one shattered the thunderbolts of myriads of Krodhavashas to bring flowers for his lady love. Best Valentine’s day date movie ever! Action, emotion, and love and flowers! The touch, the hands of Pandava body was Bhima. The strength of the body. And when Bhima reached out and touched someone, he left lasting impressions and quite a few dead bodies. Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/41374521879880 6/ We had discussed during the Sanjaya Papers that Sanjaya was not only one with Spiritual sight. We are told by Vyasa that Yudhishthara has spiritual sight and has had it for a long time. We are told Arjuna has Chakshushi vidya that enables him knowledge of all things past and present in each loka, like a huge Google engine. We are told Nakula and Sahadeva acquired the passwords to similar google engine by marrying into family of Akupara or Akshapara (one of oldest living entity on this earth.) Akupara has all the knowledge of everything in the world and hence passes that knowledge and secrets to grahan it to the twins. Bhima is left out. Bhima was the only one without access to Epic Age Google (Aksapara), or needed to learn Chakshushi Vidya or had the spiritual sight. Bhima was the nerd of the family. He was the studious one. He studied. Vyasa is unequivocal in that. Yudhishthara was Dharma avatara. He was born with innate intelligence, he is the mahata of Dharma and he himself gets confused by the amount of information that flows into his brain. He weeps तर्का प्रतिष्ठ: श्रुतयो विभिन्ना नैको मुनिर्यस्य वच: प्रमाणम् धर्मस्य तज्ञल्तवं निहितं गुहायां महाजनो येन गत: स पन्था: Logic is unstable (i.e. one can draw any conclusions depending on his knowledge and intelligence, and these conclusions may change greatly due to slight changes in available knowledge). Shruti or Veda will give different opinions (different Vedas will have conflicts over an issue). Every Rishi/Muni will have his own opinion, and there is nothing to believe that one is better than another. Philosophy of dharma is very difficult to understand. Let me allow great persons like Bheeshma to show the right path. Dharmaraj actually took some time before understanding the true focus of Dharma, therein lies the tale of redemption of Yudhishthara. Arjuna was also learned a lot on his three major sojourns. And he had access to Chakshushi vidya and he confused himself like Yudhishthara as well. Therein lies the little story we call Gita. The flow of information unchecked into the minds of Yudhishthara and Arjuna confused the heck out of them and drove the story forward and the society and culture of India is richer for that. The middle son Mother Kunti raised had no hesitations. Bhima studied and grasped the knowledge from Kasyapa, Suka, Kripa, Drona, Deva Ruchi, Haladhara and Hanuman. Vyas specifically describes Bhima as the historian among the brothers. He followed the arts of Sootas and had the command of history and philosophy of the Epic age. He was the one who gave pramana (proofs) and QED (use of analogies) in his arguments. He was the master of • Pratyaksha (perception) viz aware of Yudhishthara, Drauapadi and keechaka at the Virata assembly • Anumana (inference) viz the Jatasura case. • Upamana (comparison and analogy) viz arguing for 13 month vanavasa! • Arthapatti (derived from circumstances) viz delaying Ajagara • Anupalabdi (cognitive proof) viz attention to details, viz Murder of Kichaka! • Sabda (testimony of past experts) viz message to Ulluka. Yes, there is a major hidden lesson in this. Bhima got that knowledge by studying. Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. And our Bhima put in the hard work. He was an allrounder who was equally comfortable in company of wise rishis and the mallas of his akharas. Yudhishthara exemplifies innate knowledge born with it, the genius. Arjuna exemplifies earned knowledge and listening to friends and right advise, Nakula- Sahadeva exemplifies knowledge earned through elders and through learning of life experiences of those who have done it before. Bhim is the hard working student. Bhim exemplifies that to work hard is rewarding. Stamina is equally needed for studies as well as athletics. And He was also a great cook. A man who fetches flowers from distant Himalayan lakes, one who would drink blood to avenge the slights offered to a woman, who is intelligent, hardworking, fit and athletic as well as great cook. Bhima is the dream of any woman and is the saving grace of Indian manhood in their treatment of women over the ages. It was Bhima who drank the blood of the one who attacked a woman. He is the only man other than avatars Krishna and Rama, to actively bring to justice a man for crimes against woman in our epics. (Well along with Nakula, see Dharma did not need to use Plan B but Nakula would have done the same. The Oath to kill the Hundred Kauravas was actually taken by Nakula!)
पात्रे त्यागी गुणे रागी संविभागी च बन्धुषु | शास्त्रे बोद्धा रणे योद्धा स वै ज्ञपुरूषज्ञउच्यते || (One who) donates to right person (for noble cause), appreciates good qualities in others, shares joys and sorrows with brothers, gathers knowledge of science and is ( an excellent ) warrior on battlefield is called the ‘Man’ Purusha. In the very beginning, in Adi Parva, it is Bhima who defeats the Kauravas in the studies as well as on-field activities that is highlighted by Vyas. It is the studies of Bhima that excites the envy of Duryodhana. It is the studies and meditations and austerities of Bhima that Karna abuses on 14th day. That is when the Trunk of Dharma met the Pillar of Adharma. Bhima was named for Siva who lived in forest, and ate fruit-rich diet and engaged in tapas. Bhima being born in forest hence got that name. Karna abused Bhima on that name. He also abused Bhima on his name Vrikodara. Vrikodara means, who has the primal fire Vrika in his udara (stomach) aka desire for learning, the name for Brahma. Vrika is the source of light inside Sun and Moon, the energy that drives the Vajra, a fact that karna, the “Ignorance” handmaiden of Adharma, thus abuses. To understand the true import, Vrika is the source of power that ignites the new life, literally the solar energy, the renewable resource available to all humanity, so much so on the astikadi level, Vrika is called the Plough or Hala. Plough is the one that breaks the virgin earth and makes it ready for the new life to grow in it. Actually Vrikodara and Haladhara are synonyms. (Thanks to Ravi Soni for reminding me of that.) The import of the statement is that Bhima represents the renewable inexhaustible energy of Dharma who forages ahead and creates the fertile ground for Dharma tree to be planted in and to prosper, which again brings us back to him being the trunk itself. Trunk of a tree is used to create the plough. So in the darkness of the fourteenth day night, the scabrous trunk of tree of Adharma, karna stands out as crass, nekulturney, ridiculous, absurd, obtuse, inane person, a street bully who shouts and abuses and hurts women but when brought up against a real man, he just abuses. Saved by Arjuna’s oath from certain death many times that day, he just ranted and raved.
संपूर्णकुंभो न करोती शब्दं अर्धोघटो घोषमुपैति नूनम् | विद्वान् कुलीनो न करोति गर्व गुणैर्विहीना बहु जल्पयंति || A fully filled water container will not create much noise as compared to the half filled one. Similarly 'Vidvaan' (Intelligent) people always remain calm and will not have any mis-placed pride as opposed to the people who know very less but in their false pride would always keep talking. Karna’s abuses indicate how different the mindset of the two groups is. One has no accomplishments other than abuses and other has just wiped out a third of Duryodhana’s brethren who had come and died to save the so-called great warrior on whose basis Duryodhana started the war. Karna reveals himself here as jealous of the spiritual accomplishments of Pandavas in general and Bhima in particular. The learning that shrouds Bhima as the shield. Moolapushpaphalaraharo Vrateshu Niyameshu cha! “You should do your Niyama and Vratas only!”, shrieked karna. Bhimaekadashi Vrata and Bhimadwadashi vrata is still done by millions in this day and age. Ke yuddha ke munitva cha! “Why is a muni like you fighting a war!”, barked karna. Bhima’s tapa and allround skills in austerities and war were irritating karna’s ego. This Muni just whipped Karna’s arse nine times in battle letting him live to abuse galore. Phalamulashane shaktastnva tathathithipoojne “With, phala and moola you are great in looking after guests!” snarled karna. Karna is abusing the fact that Bhima is humble enough to look after guests.
गुणी गुणं वेत्ति न वेत्ति निर्गुणो बली बलं वेत्ति न वेत्ति निर्बल: | Only a person with good qualities appreciates the qualities of another, not a person without any qualities. A tyrant judges only the power of another strong person. Tyrant cannot understand why would a strong person be humble. That is what the bullies abuse. They abuse your sheela, your sadachara, your humbleness, your piety. The tyrant mind can only understand the madakta of power and strength. It does not understand the vinaya that comes with knowledge.
And with knowledge comes the vinaya. विद्या ददाति विनयं
विवेक: सह संपत्या विनयो विद्यया सह | प्रभुत्वं प्रश्रयोपेतं चिन्हमेतन्महात्मनाम् || Great people are identified that they have discretion along with wealth, humbleness along with scholarship, (and) power with courteousness. Such things were foreign to the mind of karna as he raves and rants in the night of the battle where animals are feasting on the other athithi satakara Bhima had arranged, the thirty three bodies of real brothers of Duryodhana leaving aside body of his fake friend. Krishna had tried (as per later editions) to persuade Karna knowing he would fail.
अज्ञाम्पसुखम् आराध्य: सुखतरम् आराध्यते विशेषज्ञाम्प: | ज्ञाम्पानलवदुर्विदग्धं ब्रह्मा अपि नरं न रंजयति || It's very easy to convince an uneducated person. It's even more easy to convince a person who has complete knowledge. But a person who develops a false pride on basis of half-knowledge gained by deceit, cannot be convinced even by God. I told you sarcasm is inherent in the descriptions of Sootas Sanjaya and Ugrashrva. God does not give up on any one and gives chance for redemption to all. It’s up to them to take it. Sahadeva Magadha, Dhrishtaketu Chaidya, Dantavakra’s sons came to atone for their fathers and to scrub clean and shine the names of their kulas in the Dharmakshetra. Bhima did not abuse Karna back. He merely pointed out that the Karna was at his mercy so many times but he did not need to abuse the opponent. That is sadachara and vinaya which comes with education. Education that karna has spit on. The education karna was probably now jealous of. Note the specific abuse at Vrikodara, the fire of Vidya. When Bhima challenged Karna to malla yuddha, Sanjaya sarcastically states to Dhritrashtra “the ever intelligent!” karna quietly ran away! Bhima had made mincemeat of Kichaka, karna would have only fed the easily satisfied vultures as the jackals already had the fill of Seven akshuahinis of Kaurava army destroyed by Pandavas.
अभ्यासाद् धार्यते विद्या कुलं शीलेन धार्यते | गुणेन ज्ञाम्पायते त्वार्य: कोपो नेत्रेण गम्यते || The studies make one’s knowledge grow. Kula is perceived by one’s behaviour. The virtues show one’s originality, and the anger can be sensed from one’s eyes only not speech. That is why karna could never be a pandava. He could learn all he would like to in archery and still fail as he did not learn the the pitfalls of his ahankara.
जरा रूपं हरति, धैर्यमाशा, मॄत्यु:प्राणान् , धर्मचर्यामसूया | क्रोध: श्रियं , शीलमनार्यसेवा , ह्रियं काम: , सर्वमेवाभिमान: || The old age snatches away the beauty, hope takes away the courage, death defeats the life, hatred will destroy one’s noble attitude, anger will lead to poverty, being in the company of bad people and helping them will take away ones 'sheela', uncontrolled desire will take away the shyness and false pride will take away all the good things! And karna can only count on his hatred for pandavas, his anger, his august company of Duryodhana and Dusshasana, his altitude to women and his false pride. Bhima the Trunk of Dharma The Vyas is very clearly demonstrating through the Epic that it is not Bhima the wrestler, Bhima the warrior, Bhima the athlete but Bhima the nerd, Bhima the learned man, Kauravas and Karna was always jealous of. That is the difference between the votaries of Dharma and Adharma. Knowledge. That is why Madhavacharya in his commentary emphasizes that the ten qualities of Dharma as Bhima themselves. He focuses tatparnirnaya on Bhima himself. Bhima, the Trunk of the Tree of righteousness that is Yudhishthara. That learned trunk did not need spiritual sight or Chakshushi vidya. नास्ति विद्या समं चक्षू नास्ति सत्य समं तप: | There is no sight greater than knowledge. By vidya, one can see what cannot be seen by a naked eye. Knowledge gives the vision to see beyond some obvious things. There is no 'Tapa' or truth greater than Hard Work. Hard work and Knowledge is the shibboleth to the greatness and realization (“dhrti”) of your soul. See, Dhrti and her son Nakula again comes up! To the above sloka, poet added
नास्ति राग समं दु:खम् नास्ति त्याग समं सुखम् || It is the desire that is the greatest sorrow. And the Tyaga which is the greatest happiness. "nAsti tyAga samam suKham" is the hallmark of a person in each family. That person personally may have undergone some hardships only to see their kith and kin prosper, enjoy life, be happy and satisfied! But that person is still happier than rest. Most people call that person in their family, Ma or Sunti Ho. Who else than our own Wives and Mothers would be the best living example of "nAsti tyAga samam suKham"! Now AK-69, that is how you write the message for International Women’s day. Part 5 is the Nara case. Tree of Dharma Nara Purushartha Pratigya Parts 1 & 2 & 3 & 4: https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42313123452687 1/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381280445871 4/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381659112500 2/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42382720445727 4/ The Nara Purushartha Pratigya Case Arjuna was the avatar of Nara. Arjuna is also represented as the Archer of the family. Actually, all five brothers were extraordinary archers. Bhima did not do his killing mace to face or sword to gizzard but using the Bow his father used in the past. Yudhishthara used the Bow of Indra while Nakula used the Bow Vishnu used to defeat Siva and was the Bow used to win Draupadi at the Svyamvara. Sahadeva used the bow of Ashvinikumars. For that matter, Ghatotkacha used Ravana’s own bow and chariot. The sons of Draupadi who are confused by later interpolations as Visvedevas but originally were the Rudras (Visvas originally) used the bows belonging to that order. Prativindhya used the Raudra bow, Sootasoma used his maternal grandfather’s Agneya bow, Shrutkarmma used Siva’s Kauverya bow (from Siva to Parasurama to Drona to Arjuna to Shrutkarmma), Shatanika used Yama’s bow, Shrutashana used Kapardi Rudra’s bow Girisha while Abhimanyu also used another Raudra bow. They were all Archers. And Arjuna was the best of them. The stream of arrows emanating from the Bow of Arjuna spread out over the horizon and the skies sheltering the destitute and followers of dharma like the widespread and multiformed branches of the tree of Dharma. Arjuna the Nara, who throws back the forces of establishment standing for the oppression, dogma and outmoded rituals and provides the safe refuge for those who need slace. . "Keep, ancient kulas, your storied pomp!" cries he "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming slums, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my bow to light the lamp beside the golden door of dharma!" There is a reason, Arjuna and Bhima are directly connected to the Yudhishthara. The Trunk and the Branches. Born of lady Siddhi. Dharma is the father of both Vayu and Nara as well as Narayana. That is why the roots are both Krishna as well as Brahma. Brahma is father to Dharma. Krishna or Vishnu is the guiding principle. The earliest description of Dharma tree would have Krishna also as the perfume pervading the tree. Nara thus is the branches of the tree that provides the weapons to be built. In the tree of adharma, Sakuni is the branches and he provides the deadly weapons of dyuta. Nara or Arjuna provides the weapons under the control of the greatest archer of all time. The most learned archer of all time. The only archer with knowledge of all six of the main branches of the archery, two of them unknown even to Drona. Link: Arjuna and his archery Abhimanyu and Dhanurveda https://www.facebook.com/…/65361…/permalink/705257462883521/ Arjuna acquired the deadly divyastras in plenty from Drona and he also acquired the divyastras again in plenty from Devas, Dikpalas and Siva himself. He acquired weapon set that was never before under control of one human ever in the history of the world. And With great Power comes Great responsibility. The very reason Arjuna, the Nara himself was chosen for this task was that he was the only one who could handle that responsibility. पात्रे त्यागी गुणे रागी संविभागी च बन्धुषु | शास्त्रे बोद्धा रणे योद्धा स वै ज्ञनरज्ञउच्यते || (One who) donates to right person (for noble cause), appreciates good qualities in others, shares joys and sorrows with brothers, gathers knowledge of science and is ( an excellent ) warrior on battlefield is called the ‘Nara’ . And Arjuna demonstrated that responsibility again and again. When Duryodhana drunk on the power of his armies asked his warriors in how much time can they kill the enemy and the answers rang out. Bheeshma: “I, I can annihilate the Pandava army, O blessed monarch, taking every morning ten thousand (ordinary) warriors and one thousand car-warriors as my share from day to day. Cased in mail and always exerting myself actively, I can, O Bharata, annihilate this large force, according to this arrangement as regards both number and time. If, however, stationed in battle, I shoot my great weapons that slay hundreds and thousands at a time, then I can, O Bharata, finish the slaughter in a month. But you are my sons as are they, that will always color my actions in the battlefield.” Bheeshma decided to stay the slaughter at 10000 warriors and 1000 rathis a day otherwise, he can finish the Pandava army in one month. Drona: I can in one month. Kripa: I can in two months. Aswathhama: I can in 10 days. Karna: I take oath that in 5 days I can destroy the entire Pandava army. When Yudhisthara’s spies reported these conversations, he also summoned his General staff to meeting. He asked Arjuna the same question. Arjuna answered: It will take me a few seconds. You, o Dharmaraja, can destroy them in a twinkling of an eye using that angry gaze of yours. Arjuna stated : “Let thy heart's anguish, however, be dispelled. I, I can, on a single car, exterminate the three worlds with even the immortals, indeed, all mobile creatures that were, are, will be, in the twinkling of the eye. But this is what I, I will not do”. Arjuna added: “That terrible and mighty weapon Pasupata which Mahadeva gave me still existeth with me. Indeed, O Nara Shardula, that weapon is used by Mahadeva at the end of the Kalpa for destroying created things. I have many more such weapons. Gangaputra has no knowledge of such weapons and their counters, Guru Drona does not know of them and neither does Kripa or son of Drona. When they have no such knowledge, how could karna even know of these. “ “BUT it is not, however, proper to slay ordinary men in battle by means of celestial weapons.” “We, WE shall band together to vanquish our foes in a fair fight. These your supporters are true tigers among men, O king, all of them are well-versed in celestial weapons and human weapons, and all of them are eager for battle. All of them after their initiation in the Vedas have undergone the final bath in sacrifices. All of them are unvanquished. “ “WE are competent, O son of Pandu, to slay in battle the army of even the celestials.” “We, this grand fellowship of warriors include your sons the Draupdeyas, the mighty Abhimanyu, and mighty son of Hidimba; and this young man, grandson Anjanparvan who is endued with great strength and prowess; and of course Saineya of mighty arms and well-versed in battle.” “We, WE have as allies Sikhandin, and Yuyudhana and Dhristadyumna; and Bhimasena, and these twins of Madri, and Yudhamanyu, and Uttamaujas, and Virata and Drupada who are equal in battle unto Bhishma and Drona; and the mighty-armed Sveta.” “O King, thou art thyself, again, competent to exterminate the three worlds! O thou that art endued with effulgence equal unto that of Sakra himself, I know it, O Kaurava, for it is manifest, that any man or army upon whom thou mayest cast thy eyes in anger is sure to be annihilated!' “We, WE shall defend our army and overcome our enemies as a team and not individuals. We are greater than the sum of our whole and we shall show that on the battlefield.” The Kaurava warriors spoke of individual brilliance and individual action while Arjuna immediately stopped that train of thought and focused on joint action, to defend and to attack. Arjuna forsook the very celestial weapons he spent five years meditating as they would be adharmic to be used against the mere humans. It is not that he did not use divine weapons. He used them when it was warranted. He used them through the war as counter weapons. On the third evening, when surrounded by 15 Kaurava warriors, he unleashed the power of Mahendraastra. Mahendra Astra and its use on 3rd evening When Sakuni used the magic weapons on Day 12. Arjuna countered Sakuni’s maya. Shakuni used the darkness and sound mayas. Arjuna used Jyotirmaya astra to counter these mayas. Then Shakuni used the maya of huge downpour of rain which Arjuna dried using Adityastra. Thus, Shakuni used various mayas and Arjuna countered them with his divyastras. Exhausting all options, Shakuni ran away. Arjuna used the divine weapons as a defensive and not offensive means. He did not use them even on the day he put his life at risk. That was the confidence of the man in his own innate ability and skills and in his team to back him up. Even on 14th day. Arjuna was time bound and Eleven Akshuahinis protected Jayadratha beyond a triple Vyuha of Chakravyuha, Shakatavyuha and Suchimukhavyuha. Arjuna had taken the oath to kill Jayadratha or kill himself. He had restricted his own time. He had announced his intentions. He had made everything difficult for himself and he did not bat an eyelid.
अभिमानो धनंयेषां चिरजीवन्ति ते जना: | Those who have wealth of self-confidence, they live a long life. Arjuna adid not use divine weapons. He did not use it when Yudhishthara was in danger on 12th day. Drona used Brhmastra on Yudhishthara which Yudhishthara easily stopped. Arjuna did not use it when Abhimanyu died. Taking an oath means that you follow it to the end. Raghukula reeta sada chaliaayi… Karna took an oath to destroy the Pandava army in five days, he had seven days and a night and failed. Arjuna suggested that he will not use the divine weapons in offensive manner and he did not.
असभ्दि: शपथेनोक्तं जले लिखितमक्षरम् | सभ्दिस्तु लीलया प्राोक्तं शिलालिखितमक्षरम् || The oath taken by the wicked person are like the letters written on the water (temporary!). In contrast, even the informal words uttered by the saintly person are like the letters imprinted on rocks! Discussion continues. Tree of Dharma Nara Purushartha Teamwork Parts 1 to 5: https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42313123452687 1/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381280445871 4/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381659112500 2/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42382720445727 4/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42506209100045 2/ On 14th day, Arjuna gave a challenge to the Kaurava forces. He put his life on line and he laid down a task for his teammates to support him. उत्साहो बलवानार्य नास्त्युत्साहात्परं बलम् | सोत्साहस्य च लोकेषु न किंचिदपि दुर्लभम् || A person with enthusiasm is a powerful person. There is nothing as powerful as enthusiasm. nothing is impossible to an enthusiastic person. "If there is a will, there is a way." Nothing is impossible; one must push it till the end. With such a pronouncement, Arjuna raised the morale of the Pandava army which would have sunk in despair after the death of Abhimanyu. With a single declaration, Arjuna threw a gauntlet at the Kuarava army, he put them on defensive and forced them to modify their battle plans. From using their numerical preponderance in offensive operations, kauravs were put on the back foot. Their armies were tied down to a stationary target Jayadratha. The War in Epic Age was reliant on the Tank of the Age. The Chariot. The Chariot had two to four horses. That Tank of Epic age had three very powerful components that determine the fate of the battle. First component is the Archer or Archers on the Chariot who can use missiles and Bow to shower arrows and spread the battle field and break enemy ranks. Second component is the mobility of that archer on the chariot harnessed to horses, that mobility allows the Rathi to escape enemy attacks by moving fast enough to not present a stationary target. Thus, Rathi has a great advantage where he can hurt his chosen targets but the skill of his charioteer and the speed of his horses allows him to not spare extra attention to his own defense. The skill of charioteer and well trained horses can enable him to completely concentrate on killing his opponents. AND Third, most important component is the Choice. The Mobility of the chariot is the freedom given to Rathi to choose his targets, choose his path and thus create the momentum for his charge. By declaring Jayadratha a dead man walking and offering his own life as a counter point, Arjuna took a very calculated gamble. When Yaksha asked Yudhishthara “Choose one of your brothers and he will live.” Yudhishthara said “Nakula.” Yudhishthara did not gamble. He had gambled and he was paying the price. He did not gamble with that choice. Dharmaraj was confident that he will win the Dharma Yudhha with whatever resources he has and he always had Krishna on his side. ARJUNA was not necessary to Pandava victory. Sons of Dhrti were available if sons of Siddhi would fall. But Kauravas did not know that. The adharma believes its own propaganda. Kauravas had been routed single handed by Arjuna at Virata Yuddha and the terror of Arjuna had seeped into their hearts and gnawed away at their courage and unmanned them even before they entered the fray. Arjuna was the big danger to them. Seemingly, only danger to them. Yudhishthara was a fair man. He was after all Dharmaraj. He send the message with Sanjaya to Dhritrashtra. He described the warrior skills and the achievements in the field of battle for all his brothers, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva especially. But Kauravas had not been left naked on the field of battle by Bhima, Nakula or Sahadeva. That was Arjuna’s doing.
अप्रकटीकॄतशक्ति: शक्तोपि जनस्तिरस्क्रियां लभते निवसन्नन्तर्दारुणि लङ्घ्यो विनर्न तु ज्वलित: Strength of a powerful person is ignored if he does not show it to others or if others are unaware. So Kauravas fell in the Pandava trap of protecting Jayadratha so they can get Arjuna at end of the day. In one shot, the three components of the Tank of Epic Age were compromised for Kauravas. The numerical preponderance of Rathis in Kaurava forces would have been irresistible in field charging at Pandava ranks. Those rathis were now held in STATIC positions around three Vyuhas. Their offensive ability was compromised. Drona was trapped at head of his vyuhas, unavailable to intervene when Arjuna and then Satyaki bypassed him. Bhima just threw him away. The Kaurava Rathi shield of mobility was no more. They were stuck to positions in defensive arrangement and thus, open to attack. Even worse, the third component, the ability to move and choose their target and their path was not available anymore to the Kaurava Rathis. They were stuck in fixed emplacements and they died in their lakhs in that. Seven Akshauhinis would not see the end of the day. That was the trick Pandavas played on the Kauravas. The Kauravas concentrated so much on Arjuna, they forgot Bhima and Satyaki. That is the common problem of many. The HERO EFFECT. When Duryodhana asked, the Kauravas each said I. Each was a Hero, each was a leader. There were no followers. There were no supporters. Each stood alone in their splendid isolation. That is where the Kauravas missed the (dharma) trees for all the wood. The nature for a person with evil in their hearts is that they see only the bad qualities in others so they can never trust their allies completely. No man is an island. And united the warriors became more than sum of those united. But, the deceitful heart always sees the bad qualities in others.
खल: सर्षपमात्राणि पराच्छिद्राणि पश्यति | A wicked person will notice the bad qualities as tiny as a mustard seed in other person. That is the advantage of the people on the side of good, of Dharma. Arjuna, the branch of Dharma talked about the need for unity. That unity, means that the tree with its branches unfurled does not stand alone but in a forest of tress supporting each other. The canopy protecting those who shelter below them. Dharma spreads by alliance. And so does success.
अल्पानामपि वस्तूनां संहति: कार्यसाधिका | तॄणैर्गुणत्वमापन्नैर्बध्यन्ते मत्तसन्तिन: || The greatest of the tasks can be done by arranging/organizing the small small things. The Devi is in the details. Even a rope can bind the elephant, the rope which is composed of the strength of its innumerous small threads that are bound together, they are more than the sum of the all the strengths of individual threads..
ऐक्यं बलं समाजस्य तदभावे स दुर्बल: तस्मात ऐक्यं प्रशंसन्ति दॄढं राष्ट्र हितैषिण: Unity is the strength of any team and the team is weak without unity So Arjuna did not need to use the divine weapons on the 14th day. He was armed with something even more powerful. A team that backed him, supported him unconditionally. Arjuna did not go in to the Chakravyuha of Drona alone like a hero of a Hollywood or Bollywood movie. He had help, he asked for help. ASK FOR HELP for no man is an island. To achieve great deeds, you work together. or die and fail alone. The 14th day push was always a team effort. Four of the warriors Arjuna named in his initial refusal to use the divine weapons were on hand. Yudhamanyu and Uttmaujas were the loyal wheel guards who attached themselves to Arjuna for 18 days and never let go. They did their bit without showmanship, without fan following. They did not need to take bows and curtain calls, they did their duty and were happy with it. The fans follow the Virata (Arjuna) or Dhawan (Bhima) but Yudhamanyu and Uttmaujas, they are Raina and Rahane. They do their bit and do not ask for glory. And they deliver. Ask Zimbabwe today. Arjuna had two more powerful allies that day, the other hidden superpowers of the Dharma. Satyaki and Bhima. Satyaki and Bhima, who were released at perfectly timed intervals by Yudhishthara to create maximum damage like a Captain sending in the pinch hitters in perfect synchrony with the power-play overs. 14th day was no Test match, it was a brutal One day match on the turning pitch and the world record target to achieve. The final victory strike was like a helicopter shot for six sending the head of Jayadratha out of the stadium and into the lap of his own father. Majority of the warriors named by Arjuna in Udyoga Parva as the Warriors of the Dharma, his team, the Us, the WE, majority of these warriors were available at all time and were able to protect their forces throughout the War. There was a continuity of leadership, tactics and that alone would have raised the morale of ordinary troops who fought for them despite Ashwathhama’s horrific use of celestial weapons. Kaurava forces were ridden with internal conflicts and ego clashes occurring on regular basis. Duryodhana’s leadership style was abusing his main generals who did not get along among themselves while Dharmaraj had a four member general staff reporting to Dhrishtadamyun through the war. Four of Pandavas Akshauhinipatis survived the war while even though when Karna had six akshauhinipatis alive under him, they could not coordinate. The entire war was punctuated by one of these 22 main Pandava warriors coming to each other’s aid throughout the 18 days, not only warriors, protecting even the charioteers of the main warriors. It was Yudhamanyu and uttmaujas who rescued Visoka and Daruka on 14th day. The casualties among the Pandava elite all occurred as they would in any war. Casualties will happen. Abhimanyu fell to a trap, Ghatotkacha to stratagem, Anjanparva, Virata and Drupada to indiscriminate celestial weapons, only Satyajit fell in defensive positions around Yudhishthara. There was this emphasis on teamwork and joint defense whereas Kaurava warriors fought singly and died gloriously while Pandava warriors survived to fight another day and were happy to give that glory to those Kaurava warriors. As General Patton said “ Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.” He also said” No b*d ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb b*d die for his country.” Discussion continues.
Tree of Dharma Nara DevaArtha Parts 1 to 6: https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42313123452687 1/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381280445871 4/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42381659112500 2/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42382720445727 4/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42506209100045 2/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/305306639642665/permalink/42520788098587 3/ Drona did use Agneyaastra and Satyaki Varunastra that day. Drona and Aswathhama used their celestial weapons indiscriminately but Arjuna only used Varunaastra to protect Bhima. Arjuna could have used the divine weapons and ended the war abruptly, instantly. But what would have that achieved. Dharma would have won the day. All forces of enemy would be destroyed. But Arjuna did not. Arjuna was Nara avatara. Arjuna was aware that this was no ordinary Dharma yudhha. This will be the dharma yuddha to define the fight for dharma for all time. Would such a use of weapons fair to the ordinary soldiers? Would use of Divine weapons set a precedent that only divine intervention saves the day every time?
तॄणानि नोन्मूलयति प्रभन्जनो मॄदूनि नीचै: प्रणतानि सर्वत: | स्वभाव एवोन्नतचेतसामयं महान्महत्स्वेव करोति विक्रमम् || A big storm which uproots the strongest and the biggest trees, doesn't harm the small grass grown on the ground! Likewise the strong people who have good qualities will not trouble the poor who have less might as compared to themselves. Thus, Arjuna fought the War on his Purushartha and did not rely on the divine weapons. He gave the enemy a chance. Would such a quick end to War able to demonstrate the concept, that a united action and united front protecting each other works very well for a smaller force against a much larger force. Could the teaching moments of War be amplified and be available as Upamana and Prtayksha paramana for the future generations? There is a misguided fan following which abuses and criticizes every decision of Arjuna. Maybe they are jealous of his skills, his closeness to Krishna, his achievements or just hate the good things in life. One of the queries raised by this blorndy group was that the Arjuna did not use weapons because he himself would have died as world would have ended. Ohh really!! That is the facetious argument of the uneducated, the illiterate and the benighted. Use of Divine Weapons and Dangers of Fallout The complete description of all the divine weapons in the Mahabharata and other Puranas is that the Divine weapons are dangerous but do not carry with them the threat to wipe out the world. If the trinity gave the weapons to every tom Daksha and Hari then these weapons had failsafe. Otherwise we had group of very clumsy and irresponsible Gods and they would be removed instantly from office and we would be singing Bhaja Dasram Bhaj Nasatyam! But we do not. Mother Adi Shakti did not raise stupid Gods. No the divine weapons were secured and not doled out to sociopaths who could destroy the earth if they felt a little cry coming on because their mother put them in a basket as a baby or their adoptive father forced them to study with the best Brahmins money could buy. Arjuna decided not too use divine weapons to destroy the Kauravas for variety of reasons. But there exists a group of benighted blorndies who come up with stupidest of arguments to try and raise a new God, son of a sun who not only became a snack for an older brother of Bhima but once spend a night and better part of the morning smelling the arm pit of the self same Vanara great. And as for Arjuna, He did use those weapons. Many of those weapons, many many times. He used them many many times. He used them to destroy the Asuras and rakshasas that bedeviled both Devas and Men alike. Arjuna used the divine weapons on super-powered foes. He treated each foe as equal and fought them on the same footing. He was a Deva as well as Nara. He fought the Asuras using his Devartha and he fought the Kaurava army using His Purushartha. Just because the useless show called Star Plus (Factually Incorrect) Mahabharata did not show any of his feats does not mean they did not exist. Before we take this discussion any further, let us once again familiarize ourselves with some of his feats which do not include feats like destroying five cursed crocodiles and later spiriting away Sister of Vasuki defeating the Nagas. o Arjuna destroyed Asura groups Vritras and Ahis. o Arjuna destroyed the Asuras of Sindhusthan. This the period where he romanced and won the hand of sister of Vasuki, defeating the combined Asura and Naga forces at Bhogvati. o Arjuna destroys Halahala Asuras who had survived Devasura Sangrama. o Arjuna defeated Kimpurushas and Hatakas when he retrieved water from the Northern Ocean. First person to do so. Demons and Demon groups defeated in Vanavasa period by Arjuna using these “world ending” divine weapons: o Rasatala is ruled by Panis (Nivatakavacha, Kaleyas, Hiranyuapuravasis). Arjuna defeats them all. o Mahatala is ruled by four types of Krodhavasa. Bhima and Arjuna defeat them all. o God Vaisvanara’s descendents Pauloma and Kalikeyas became Danavas and as descendants of previous Devas, they were avadhya by Devas after the end of Devasura Sangramas. With coming of Kali, they would cause a lot of damage on Earth so Arjuna killed them all. o Another group which Arjuna destroyed for Gods were the evil Vidyadharas Vaidyutas ruling Manivati. o Arjuna defeated also Vidyadharas near Dasarna. He ends up destroying three such groups Saiveyas, Saumanas and Vishrwas who belonged to Paulastya Rakshasa group. o Arjuna destroys Hrada asuras at Manivrata city also. o Arjuna conquers Hiranyapura city from Asuras on the coast and another Hiranyapura at Patala near where Lord Bhootnath did tapasya. Here Arjuna battled the three large groups of Asuras. 1. First ones were Kalakhanjas. These were born from the foot of Lord Vishnu themselves. They were set up to help the spread of dharma but became conceited and arrogant in their power. Their relationship with Vishnu assured them that Devas did not try and curtail their power and thus, given no restraints on their behavior, they turned to evil. Arjuna battled the entire group, each as powerful as Jaya Vijaya or even Nara Narayana themselves and Arjuna battled them all and destroyed them. 2. Second and third groups were born from two legs of Brahma. They were Nairrta (नैरृत) and Yatudhanas. Like Kalakhanjas, left unchecked by Brahma and misusing their relationship with him, they too turned to evil and were finally destroyed by Arjuna. o Arjuna destroyed Bhagas. Thus Arjuna used the divine weapons to destroy twenty four higher powered raskshasa, vidyadhara and asura groups. He used that in twenty something battles and Wars. He used them in plenty and he was the expert in using them. He destroyed 24 groups, some of them in hundreds of thousands and none of them smaller than 14000. There are other descriptions of others as well like the paishacha groups and their mayajalas and use of Anjalika vidya. Of course, everyone forgets that a small number of Gandharvas had routed the Kaurava armies and sent Karna running so hard that he took almost twenty four hours to find courage to return back to see what happened to his dearest and upkari friend Duryodhana. Such swamibhakti! dekhi sari duniya, dekhe duniya wale lakho aur karodo log thode se dilwale aisey duniya wale, very bad very bad chamakte hyue kundala dil kale kale (Seen entire world seen the people Crores of men, only few with courage These people very bad very bad Shining earrings but hearts are black!) Arjuna defeated those Gandharvas too, by the way. Practice makes perfect, if he so chose, Arjuna could have destroyed the Kaurava forces in a blinking of an eye and not even need to run up a sweat. Why even kill the Kauravas? In Udyoga Parva, Parasurama came and advised Duryodhana to do peace or he will die. Parasurama began with the story of Dambhodhava and his defeat at hands of Nara Narayana. Link: Tana atanana https://www.facebook.com/MahabharatKiGalatiyan/posts/570236349755918 There too, Parasurama goes on to reveal that Arjuna, Nara himself, is in possession of weapons and types of weapons, no one on this earth has access to or counter of. • Kakudika (Prasvapana) : This weapon causes the enemy warriors to go to sleep on the prshthabhaga of the horses or elephants (aka on the kukuda of animals). This astra also enables Kama to dominate the warriors whose good name will then be forever associated with bestiality. They would never be able to look at their animals in eye after this. • Shuka (Mohana) : Using this weapon, the enemy warriors are gripped by such terror that they cling to the legs of the animals and cry and shout in sheer terror. Krodha dominates the effect of this weapon. • Nakra (Unmadana): Using this weapon, the enemy warriors think they see Swarga loka (Nakra). They are dominated by Lobha or greed and give in to their greed by trying to perceive the facets of Swarga are available to them in battlefield and can totally lose themselves in the imaginary world. • Akshisantarjana (Trasana) This causes the enemy warriors to lose control of bowels and they wet and soil themselves. The flatulence and constipation dominates their bodily processes and they cannot fight at all. Moha thus dominates this astra. • Santana (Daivata) This is a weapon of the gods. Using this weapon, the enemy warrior can counter with any weapon and suddenly that weapon turns on them hundred fold, it produces Santana of the weapons and thus, destroy the army without needing to fire an extra arrow. • Nartaka (Paishacha) This is a weapon used by Paishachas. The use of this weapon causes enemy warriors to be filled with so much pain that they dance around the battlefield like crazy zombies. Hence it is called nartaka weapon and is dominated by Maan. The warriors are suddenly filled with pride in their dancing and try to outdance each other. This weapon is dance Bharata dance!! • Ghora (Rakshasas): As explained by Parasurama, Rakshasas made this weapon. This weapon causes a surge of Matsarya in enemy warriors. An enormous wave of dissatisfaction and envy dominates their psyche and they commit suicide. • Asyamodaka (Yamya). Yama made this weapon. This weapon uses the ahankara of the opponent. The opponent is so filled with ahankara that they literally start eating rocks and stones and die from that. (Source: BharataBhavaDipateeka on Udyoga Parva Bhagawadayana Chapter 96). Arjuna could have used any of these weapons and generations would have literally laughed their heads off at the fate of the Great maha ati maha bhranta hui mati rathis of Kaurava army. One can imagine the respect for Ashwathhama or Kripa or Karna shitting themselves to death, killing themselves eating stones especially in days before the dental care had invented the Gold teeth. That had to wait till after birth of Buddha in a land called Italy where people called Etruscans used the first gold teeth. Gold tooth are as Indian as Sonia Gandhi!! One can really imagine Aswathhama and Karna doing a dance off to death ala Zoolander. The stories would be of AtiMahaFart Rathis of the Kaurava army. Akbar was great because he had great rivals like Chandrasena, Pratap, Pratapditya, Barobhuiyans and Isa Khan et all. Skanda Gupta battled the unconquerable Hunas. Chanakya took on the might of the Yavanas and founded a new dynasty. To have opponents shitting themselves to death, fart fragrant enemies may not have reflected well on the great powers and skills of the Pandava warriors. So Arjuna did not use those divine weapons.