MAHABHARATA

PART ONE: THE GAME OF DICE In the first two books of the Mahabharata, we learn the
background of the Bharatas (also called the Kurus) leading up to the conflict between the five
sons of Pandu and their cousins the Kauravas. This story is told by the sage Vyasa, whose name
came to mean the compiler. (Actually, the author of the epic is unknown, probably many
authors over centuries.) Vyasa's mother is Satyavati, whose name means truth, so he is the
son of truth. In telling his story to a descendant of the Pandavas, Vyasa says, If you listen
carefully, at the end youll be someone else. (play) Vyasa appears infrequently throughout the
story, giving advice and also fathering Pandu and Dhritarashtra. Ancestors of the Pandavas and
Kauravas Santanu, king of Hastinapura, was married to the beautiful Ganga, who was the river
goddess in disguise. She agreed to marry him as long as he never questioned her actions. Over
the years they had seven sons, but Ganga threw each one into the river. Santanu was distressed
but he kept his promise. Finally, when their eighth son was born, Santanu asked his wife who
she really was and why she had done this. Ganga revealed herself and told that her children had
once been celestial beings, but were cursed to become human. She had ended their
punishment quickly by drowning them immediately at birth. But since Santanu had
questioned her actions, she left him, along with his last son Devarata. Devarata is better known
by his later name Bhishma. He receives this name, which means of terrible resolve, after
vowing never to marry or have children. His father wanted to marry again (Satyavati, mother of
Vyasa), but the conditions of the marriage were that the second wife would be the mother of a
king someday. Honoring his father's wishes, Bhishma makes his vow, guaranteeing that neither
he nor a son of his will challenge the claim to the throne. Years later, one of Bhishmas half-
brothers dies in battle, and the other becomes old enough to marry. On behalf of his half-
brother, Bhishma abducts three sisters and fights off all their suitors. On returning home, he
learns that one of the sisters, Amba, had already chosen a suitor. Bhishma allows her to leave,
but her betrothed does not want her any more. Now abandoned, she returns to Bhishma and
demands that he marry her. Ever faithful to his vow, Bhishma refuses. Amba then vows that
one day she will kill him, even though the gods have granted Bhishma the power to choose the
day of his death, because of his vow. The importance and power of vows are evident
throughout the epic. Once stated, a vow becomes the truth and must be fulfilled, no matter
what else may happen. When his father and both his half-brothers die prematurely without
children, Bhishma refuses to marry his step-brother's widows (Ambas sisters). He will not
relinquish his vow, even though his celibacy makes no difference anymore. The young
princesses must be given children, but who can father them? There are no other men in the
family besides Bhishma, and he has renounced women. So Satyavati, the king's second wife,
asks her first-born son, Vyasa the poet, to give children to the two princesses. He goes to them,
but the princesses dislike him, for as an ascetic who has taken a vow of poverty, he is filthy and
smells. He explains to them that they will each bear a son: however, the first will be born blind
because the first princess closed her eyes when seeing him, and the second will be pale-skinned
because the second princess became pale at his touch. The blind son is called Dhritarashtra, the
pale one is Pandu. Vyasa has a third son Vidura by a handmaiden. As his brother is blind and
unfit for the throne, Pandu becomes the new king of Hastinapura. One day while hunting in the
forest, Pandu shoots a gazelle in the act of mating. The gazelle was actually a brahmin priest in
disguise, who curses him saying that should Pandu make love to either of his two wives (Kunti
and Madri), he will die instantly. Knowing he can never have children, Pandu resigns the throne,
and goes to live with his wives in the mountains. Kunti, his first wife, informs him that she
possesses a magic power. By reciting a secret formula, she can invoke a god at will and have a
child by him. The mantra's power is put to the test, and three sons are born to her:
Yudhishthira, the first-born, truthful and virtuous, son of the god Dharma; Bhima, the strongest
of men, son of Vayu, god of the wind; and Arjuna, an irresistible warrior, son of Indra. Madri,
Pandu's second wife, makes use of this power too. She gives birth to twin sons, Nakula and
Sahadeva. Thanks to his two wives, Pandu now has five sons directly descended from the gods,
the Pandavas, the heroes of the epic. Years later, Pandu one day surrenders to his passion for
Madri. Fearing for his life, Madri tries to push him away but her struggles only inflame his desire
more. Once they make love, Pandu falls dead, fulfilling the curse, and Madri, devoted to him
always, joins him on the funeral pyre. Meanwhile, Dhritarashtra has become king, despite his
blindness. He weds Gandhari in an arranged marriage. When she learns of her husband's
infirmity, she decides to cover her eyes with a blindfold which she will never remove, to join
him in his world of darkness. Then, after an abnormally long pregnancy of two years, she gives
birth to a ball of flesh. Vyasa tells her to split up the ball into 100 parts and put them in jars of
ghee (Indian butter); in this way she becomes the mother of one hundred sons, the Kauravas.
The first born is called Duryodhana. Sinister omens of violence greet his arrival into the world:
jackals howl, strong winds blow, fires rage through the city. Dhritarashtra worries about what
all this means. Vidura tells him that his first son brings hate and destruction into the world. He
will one day destroy their race. Vidura urges the king to get rid of the child, but Dhritarashtra
ignores his advice. Dhritarashtra is a weak ruler. He allows physical blindness to become a
refusal to face reality and unwillingness to confront hard decisions, being easily led by
Duryodhana in later years. He continually blames fate, excusing his own inaction: "Irrevocable
were all the things that have happened. Who could have stopped them? What then can I do?
Destiny is surely all-powerful" [KD 69]. But one of Dhritarashtra's advisors tells him: "O king,
surely a man who meets with calamity as a result of his own acts should not blame the gods,
destiny, or others. Each of us receives the just results of our actions." [KD 538] Growing Rivalry
between the Pandavas and the Kauravas Bhishma, now an old man, takes the responsibility of
raising the two sets of cousins. They fight constantly, and even try to kill each other. One day a
teacher and master of arms, Drona, appears and offers his services to train the boys. He has a
secret mission: to avenge an insult made by a former friend. When young, Drona was close to
Drupada, but years later, when Drona went to see his childhood companion, now a great king,
he was scorned by Drupada because only equals can be friends. As payment for his training,
Drona asks the Pandavas to avenge him. Being mighty warriors, they conquer Drupada's
kingdom, and hand it over to Drona. He promptly gives his former friend half his kingdom back,
saying now we are equals. For revenge, Drupada has children by sorcery, born out of
flames: son Dhrishtadyumna is fated to kill Drona; an oracle says daughter Draupadi will bring
destruction on an unrighteous ruler; a third child Sikhandi is Amba reborn. Later in the war,
Drona and Bhishma will fight on the side of the Kauravas not so much out of loyalty but
because their mortal enemies (Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandi) fight with the Pandavas. Drona
recognizes Arjuna's superiority as a master of arms, especially the bow, and favors him with
special training. In a contest of skill, he tells each of the Pandavas to strike a target, the eye of a
wooden bird in a tree. He asks each one in turn, O prince, tell me what you see. One by one
they respond, I see my teacher, my brothers, the tree and the bird. Drona tells them, Then
you will not hit the mark. Arjuna, however, says he sees only the bird, and in fact, only the eye
of the bird. Thus, focused on his target alone, he strikes with total accuracy. Drona rewards
Arjuna by giving him a supreme weapon, the Brahmasira, only to be used against celestial
beings, or else it will destroy the world. Drona stages a tournament to display all the Pandavas'
skills, but a stranger appears who challenges Arjuna and equals him in archery. This is Karna,
who the reader learns is Kunti's first son by Surya the sun god, whom she bore before she
married Pandu and abandoned in a basket on the river (like Moses). Thus Karna is the older
brother of the Pandavas. However, Karna does not know his real mother, being raised by a
chariot driver. The Pandavas mock his lowly social status and will not fight with someone who is
not of royal birth, but their cousin Duryodhana sees the chance to make an ally. Ignoring the
strict rules of caste, he says, Birth is obscure and men are like rivers whose origins are often
unknown (play). Duryodhana gives Karna a small kingdom, and Karna swears eternal friendship
to the Kauravas. Karna's lowly caste (social status) will haunt him throughout the epic; later at
a contest for the hand of Draupadi, she rejects him outright because he is from a servant family.
For a person who desires to be measured by his accomplishments, living under this shadow is
unbearable. As the child of the sun, Karna was born with golden armor over his skin. Later,
the god Indra tricks Karna into giving this divine protection away. After Karna was born, Kunti
remained a virgin The Pandavas narrowly escape a plot by Duryodhana to burn them in a house
made of highly flammable materials. For months afterward, they live in hiding in the forest. One
night as Bhima keeps watch while the others sleep, there appears a rakshasa named Hidimbi (a
man-eating ogre, one type of demon). Assuming the form of a beautiful woman, she falls madly
in love with Bhima, who fights and kills her venomous brother. Bhima and the magical creature
then have a powerful demon child called Ghatotkatcha; he swears to come to the aid of his
father whenever necessary. Arjuna wins the hand of Draupadi The Pandavas attend the
swayamvara of Draupadi, a ceremony where she will pick her husband from a number of
suitors. Arjuna wins the archery contest easily and Draupadi chooses him. When Arjuna
announces to his mother that he has won the prize, Kunti tells him to share with his brothers,
before seeing Draupadi. Like an irrevocable vow, her statement, even by mistake, cant be
undone, so all five brothers marry Draupadi, the daughter of Drupada. This unusual marriage
fulfills karma, for in her former life, Draupadi had prayed to the god Shiva for a husband five
times, and thus is rewarded for her devotion in this life. In the Mahabharata Shiva is not the
destroyer of the later Puranas, but has more to do with blessings of fertility: he also granted
Gandhari her 100 sons. The brothers agree to respect the privacy of each other when with
Draupadi, but one day Arjuna enters the tent to retrieve his weapons and finds Yudhishthira
and Draupadi in bed together. Even though Yudhishthira forgives him, Arjuna insists on keeping
the vow. As penance, Arjuna goes into exile for a year; while away he marries three other
wives, one Krishnas sister, mostly for political alliances. As tension mounts between the
cousins, Krishna makes his appearance. It is said he may be an incarnation of the god Vishnu,
the preserver, come down to save the earth from chaos. The appearance of Krishna introduces
a major theme in the epic: dharma (cosmic order) menaced by chaos, so Krishna must step in,
indicating that this is not just a family rivalry, but a conflict with universal consequences. In
the medieval Puranas, the story developed that Vishnu had appeared on earth nine times in the
past as an avatar or incarnation, in order to set the world back on the right path, and would
appear again at the end of the age. Krishnas deification in the Mahabharata may be based on
later interpolations into the text, as there is considerable tension in the epic between the
depiction of the divine Krishna and the human prince who acts as counselor to the Pandavas,
gives devious advice, and eventually dies. On Krishna's advice the Pandavas present themselves
to the blind king. To make peace, Dhritarashtra offers them half the kingdom, but in a region
which was nothing but jungle and desert. Yudhishthira accepts his offer in the hope of averting
a war. Meanwhile, Arjuna and Krishna agree to assist a hungry brahmin, who reveals himself to
be Agni, god of fire. He wants to consume a nearby forest which is protected by Indras rain.
Agni rewards Krishna with his discus and Arjuna with Varunas bow Gandiva along with an
inexhaustible supply of arrows. With these he is able to create a canopy of arrows to keep the
rain from putting out Agni's fire. Even Indra cannot defeat Arjuna, because Krishna is with him
(an indication of Vishnu's superiority over Indra by this time). Maya (not god of illusion but an
asura or demon who escaped the fires) out of gratitude builds the great hall of Indraprastha.
Living in their new territory of Indraprastha, Yudhishthira turns poor land into a wealthy
kingdom, and declares himself King of Kings. Duryodhana is jealous and humiliated on his visit
to the magnificent palace, where he mistakes a glass floor for a pool, then later falls into a pool
thinking it is glass. Draupadi and Bhima laugh at him. He returns home bent on devising their
destruction. The Dice Game and the Humiliation of Draupadi Duryodhana follows the advice of
his uncle, the cunning Shakuni, an infamous dice player, and invites Yudhishthira to a game,
knowing full well that gambling is his cousin's one weakness. Yudhishthira accepts.
Duryodhana is not an original thinker, always relying on others ideas. His uncle gave him the
idea for the arson and the dice game. (Later during the war Duryodhana suggests capturing
Yudhishthira and playing another game, which Drona calls stupid.) Duryodhana always
threatens to commit suicide when things dont go his way (almost comical): Excessive self-
centeredness leads to unrealistic demands and unreasonable expectations from life (Chaitanya
67). Kunti: Duryodhana is a blind mans son, living blindly. (play) Both Dhritarashtra and
Yudhishthira ignore Viduras warning to avoid the game, leaving the results to supreme and
unavoidable fate. Krishna warns Bhishma not to interfere with the dice game: If your race
must be destroyed to save dharma, would you allow it? (play) Told by his father that a
warriors dharma is to fight honorably, not to win at all costs, Duryodhana says, The way of the
warrior is fixed on victory, whether theres dharma or adharma on his way. Carried away by
the intoxication of the game, Yudhishthira wagers and loses all that he possesses: his lands, his
kingdom, his brothers, even himself, and eventually Draupadi, who is dragged before the
company by her hair, a special insult since a married womans hair was sacred. She challenges
the Kauravas with a question: how can someone who has lost himself wager someone else in a
game, but no one can answer her. Even Bhishma is confounded: The ways of dharma are
subtle. When even the wise Bhishma cannot resolve the question, she says, I think time is out
of joint. The ancient eternal dharma is lost among the Kauravas. Instead, they insult her,
displaying her during the time of her period. Karna, still stinging from his rejection at the
swayamvara, calls her a harlot who services five men. Duryodhana seeks to entice her by
uncovering his thigh (obscene in that culture). Enraged at this treatment of his wife, Bhima
vows that he will one day drink Duhsasanas blood and break Duryodhanas thigh. Draupadi is
about to be stripped naked when she invokes Krishna, who comes to her rescue and creates an
endless supply of cloth around her. She swears that one day she will be avenged. There will be a
great war, a war without mercy. At her curse a jackal howls. Frightened, Dhritarashtra
apologizes to her and gives her husbands' back everything they lost, but Draupadi asks nothing
for herself, saying, Greed devours all beings and is dharma's *righteousness+ ruin. I refuse
greed. (CN 55) Seeing his advantage given away, Duryodhana insists on one more throw of the
dice. Yudhishthira agrees to a final game, but once again, he loses. The Pandavas and Draupadi
are condemned to spend twelve years in exile in the forest, and a thirteenth year in an
unknown place, disguised so that no one may recognize them. If anyone does, then they must
spend another twelve years in exile. PART TWO: EXILE Books 3-5 tell of the twelve years of
living in the forest, preceding the great war. The Pandavas are not alone in the wilderness but
are followed by many loyal brahmins and servants. The gods give them an inexhaustible plate
of food to feed all of them. Throughout the epic, the importance of brahmins, the priestly caste,
is emphasized. Yudhishthira wants to regain his kingdom so that he can provide for 10,000
brahmins. One must never refuse a brahmin anything (see the incident between Karna and
Indra below). The Importance of Dharma Draupadi and Bhima reproach Yudhishthira for his
inaction and resigned passivity. Since it is obvious that Shakuni cheated at dice, wouldn't it be
better to stand up and fight? Yudhishthira flatly refuses. He will keep his word: he resolves to
follow his dharma. Dharma (variously translated as social duty, righteousness, or universal
order) is the moral obligation which each human being should recognize and follow. Failure to
do so could endanger the course of the cosmos as a whole. Draupadi cannot understand why
they are suffering so, if they are the righteous ones. If everything happens by the will of god,
then why do the good suffer? It seems only the powerful escape harm, not the righteous.
Yudhishthira corrects her: "None should ever perform virtue with a desire to gain its fruits. Such
a sinful trader of virtue will never reap the results. ... Do not doubt virtue because you do not
see its results. Without doubt, the fruits of virtue will be manifest in time, as will the fruits of
sin. The fruits of true virtue are eternal and indestructible" (KD 245-6). Preparations for War
Arjuna then leaves, aiming for the highest mountains to look for the celestial weapons they will
need during the war. He meets the god Shiva who gives him powerful weapons. Arjuna then
spends five years with his father the divine Indra learning to use the weapons fighting demons.
Meanwhile Karna decides he too must acquire a celestial weapon, so for many months he
serves a powerful brahmin, Parasurama, who hates warriors. As a reward, he bestows upon
Karna, whom he takes to be a servant, a formula for the supreme weapon. But Karna reveals
himself to be a warrior by an excess of bravery, as he does not cry out when a worm bores a
hole into his thigh. Parasurama curses him so he will forget the secret formula at the moment
he wishes for the weapon, and that will be the moment of his death. In the Medieval Puranas,
Parasurama becomes one of the avatars of Vishnu, but there is no indication of that aspect in
the epic. Karna later meets Indra (Arjuna's divine father) in the disguise of a brahmin. Having
sworn never to refuse a brahmin's request, he agrees to surrender his divine covering of golden
armor given him at birth. He tears off the armor from his skin, bleeding, and trades it for
another mighty weapon, which will kill any being but can only be used once. During their exile,
the Pandavas rescue Duryodhana who is captured during battle, to his great humiliation. Honor
bids him swear to repay Arjuna one day. (During the war, Arjuna asks Duryodhana to surrender
five arrows of Bhishma's meant to kill the Pandavas, and he does so, to keep his vow.)
Duryodhana is so depressed after his rescue that he intends to kill himself. The Danavas (a
family of demons) need him as their champion (he was born at their request) and appear
before him. The demons promise they will possess his armies during the coming war, which will
continue to give him false hope. One day, four of the Pandavas are killed by drinking the water
from a poisonous lake. However Yudhishthira brings his brothers back to life by correctly
answering the questions which Dharma, disguised as a crane, puts to him. The Thirteenth Year
According to the conditions of the game of dice, the thirteenth year which the Pandavas are to
spend in disguise has now arrived. Yudhishthira (who presents himself as a poor brahmin), his
brothers and Draupadi (who pass for wandering servants) all find refuge at the court of King
Virata. Kicaka, a general in Virata's court becomes infatuated with Draupadi. He goes to great
lengths to possess her, even threatening her life. Draupadi implores the mighty Bhima to help
her; dressed in womans clothes, he goes in her stead to a secret rendezvous, and pulverizes
the over-amorous general into a bloody mass of flesh. Meanwhile Duryodhana has launched an
attack on Virata's kingdom. The king entrusts his troops to his young son who needs a chariot
driver. Draupadi, who seeks war with the Kauravas at all costs, points out Arjuna as the world's
best charioteer, despite the fact that he has disguised himself as a eunuch. Arjuna cannot
refuse to fight and is decisively victorious, one man against countless armies. War draws even
closer. Duryodhana refuses to give his cousins back their kingdom because he claims they came
out of hiding before the appointed time. He tries to win Krishna's support, as does Arjuna.
Krishna offers Arjuna first choice: either he can have all of Krishnas armies, or he can have
Krishna alone. Arjuna chooses Krishna, allowing Duryodhana to have the armies. When Arjuna
asks him to drive his chariot, Krishna accepts. In the Kaurava court, the blind king also senses
the imminence of war. He asks the elderly Bhishma, an unparalleled warrior, to take the
supreme command. His duty to the family outweighs his feelings toward the Pandavas, and he
reluctantly accepts, but on one condition: that Karna does not fight. Although displeased, Karna
bitterly agrees to fight only after Bhishma's death. Dhritarashtra sends an envoy to Yudhishthira
and begs not to fight since he loves righteousness. It would be better to live without his
kingdom than risk the lives of so many. Yudhishthira responds that each caste has its own duty,
and his is to be a warrior/king, not a brahmin/beggar. However, even he has reservations: War
is evil in any form. To the dead, victory and defeat are the same (CN 101). Krishna arrives as an
emissary in a final attempt to safeguard peace. He speaks to Duryodhana who does not listen to
him, but orders his guards to seize him. Krishna reveals his divine form: Krishna laughed and as
he did, his body suddenly flashed like lightning. He began to grow in size and various gods
issued from him. Brahma sprang from his forehead and Shiva from his chest (KD 492). Krishna
allows even the blind Dhritarashtra to see his glory. Finally, he speaks to Karna, going so far as
to reveal that he is the brother of those with whom he intends to fight. But Karna feels
abandoned by his mother in his very first hours of life; furthermore he senses the end of this
world. He will fight alongside the Kauravas, even though he can already foresee their defeat
and his own death. Duryodhana will not listen to warnings. He convinces himself that since the
gods had not blessed the Pandavas thus far, they would not protect them during the war. I can
sacrifice my life, my wealth, my kingdom, my everything, but I can never live in peace with the
Pandavas. I will not surrender to them even as much land as can be pierced by the point of a
needle (KD 453). He makes excuses for his nature: I am whatever the gods have made me
(KD 482). PART THREE: THE WAR Books 5-10 recount the 18-day war between the Pandavas and
the Kauravas. The Kauravas have eleven divisions to stand against the seven of the Pandavas.
The two armies are described as two oceans, crashing against each other. Briefly its described
as a beautiful sight (CN 125-6). Kunti tells the narrator Vyasa (in play): You find too much
beauty in mens death. Blood decorates your poem, and the cries of the dying are your music.
Bad omens appear prior to battle as thousands of carrion birds gather crying in glee (KD 539).
Karna prophesies that his side will lose, that this is nothing but a great sacrifice of arms with
Krishna as high priest. Both sides agree to abide by certain rules of war: no fighting humans
with celestial weapons, no fighting at night, do not strike someone who's retreating or
unarmed, or on the back or legs. All these rules will eventually be broken. The Bhagavad Gita
(The Lord's Song) Just as the battle is about to start, Arjuna falters at the sight of his relatives
and teachers, now his sworn enemies. He breaks down and refuses to fight. How can any good
come from killing ones own relatives? What value is victory if all our friends and loved ones are
killed? We will be overcome by sin if we slay such aggressors. Our proper duty is surely to
forgive them. Even if they have lost sight of dharma due to greed, we ourselves should not
forget dharma in the same way. (KD 544-5) Arjuna fears that acting out his own dharma as
warrior will conflict with universal dharma: how can killing family members be good, and not
disrupt the social order? Herein lies an unresolved conflict in Hinduism between universal
dharma and svadharma (an individual's duty according to caste and station in life). A warrior
must kill to fulfill his duty, whereas a brahmin must avoid harming any living creature. Even
demons have their own castes and svadharma, which may run counter to human morality. One
person's dharma may be another's sin. This doctrine distinguishes Hindu thought from religions
such as Judeo-Christianity and Islam which teach universal or absolute moral codes. His
charioteer Krishna addresses him as they pause in the no-man's land between the two armies.
This passage is the celebrated Bhagavad Gita, the guide to firm and resolute action. Unlike
many epic heroes, at this point Arjuna thinks before he acts. Arjuna hesitates before such
killing, wanting to retreat from life and responsibility (tension between dharma and moksha),
but Krishna tells him as a warrior it's his dharma to fight. The real conflict today is with the self
on the battlefield of the soul. Don't worry about death, which is only one small step in the
great and endless cycle of life. One neither kills or is killed. The soul merely casts off old bodies
and enters new ones, just as a person changes garments. Death is only illusion (maya). How
does a warrior perform his duty without doing wrong, polluting himself with the blood of his
enemies? The secret is detachment: do your duty without concern for the personal
consequences. Victory and defeat, pleasure and pain are all the same. Act, but don't reflect on
the fruits of the act. Forget desire, seek detachment. (play) We must always do what is right
without desiring success or fearing defeat. Work without desire for the results, and thus
without entangling yourself in karmic reactions. (KD 550) Krishna tells Arjuna that good deeds
will not get one to heaven if the desire for heaven is the sole motivation for good deeds. Desire
is responsible for rebirth; if any desire remains when we die, we must return to another life.
Likewise, Yudhishthira told Draupadi during the exile that he performs dharma not for reward
but because it is what a good person does; after the battle he has a similar crisis when he
temporarily refuses to rule, despairing at all the carnage he has caused. Actions performed
under the direct guidance of the Supreme Lord or His representative are called akarma. This
type of activity produces neither good nor bad reactions. Just as a soldier may kill under the
command of his superior officer and not be held responsible for murder, though if he kills on
his own accord he is liable for punishment, similarly, a Krishna-conscious person acts under the
Lord's direction and not for his own sake. (BG as it is: online) Such a person takes no delight
in sensual pleasures. He is ever satisfied within himself. No miseries can disturb him, nor any
kind of material happiness. He is without attachment, fear and anger, and remains always aloof
to the dualities of the world. His mind is fixed upon the Supreme and he is always peaceful.
(KD 551) There are two paths to liberation: renunciation (moksha) and performing ones duty
without desire. Since no one can truly renounce all action in life (this is a pretense of
asceticism), it is better to work without attachment (KD 551). Some scholars think that the
Bhagavad Gita was composed to combat a religious challenge from Jainism and Buddhism
which arose in the 6th century BC, both teaching salvation through renouncing the world, the
former by asceticism, the latter by monastic life (Kinsley 31). Krishna explains that the
knowledge he imparts is ancient, just as he told it millions of years ago. Arjuna asks, How can I
accept this? It appears that you were born in this world only recently. Krishna explains, birth
too is an illusion, as men are born countless times. But in Krishnas case, he comes into every
age: Whenever righteousness (dharma) becomes lax, O Arjuna, and injustice (adharma) arises,
then I send myself forth to protect the good and bring evildoers to destruction. For the secure
establishment of dharma, I come into being age after age. ... I was born to destroy the
destroyers. Krishna then reveals his divine, universal nature to Arjuna in a magnificent vision
of a multitude of gods, stretching out to infinity. Resolved now to perform his duty to his lord,
Arjuna leads his troops into battle. On a hill overlooking the battlefield, Dhritarashtra hears the
words of Krishna through his aid Sanjaya, who has been granted the ability to see and hear
everything that happens in the battle, to relate these things to the blind king. Dhritarashtra
shudders when he hears of Krishnas theophany, fearing that nothing can stop the Pandavas
with such a powerful being on their side. But he takes some comfort in knowing that Krishna
cannot accomplish everything he wants, as he failed to arrange a peaceful solution to the
conflict. Before the battle, Yudhishthira goes to both his teachers, Bhishma and Drona: O
invincible one, I bow to you. We will fight with you. Please grant us your permission and give us
your blessing. For this sign of respect, both men pray for the Pandavas victory, even though
they must out of loyalty fight on the side of the Kauravas. The Battle Begins Bhishma compares
the invincible Arjuna to the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga. (CN 126) In one
confrontation, Arjuna splits Bhishmas bow with four arrows, and Bhishma praises him: O son
of Pandu, well done! I am pleased with you for this wonderful feat. Now fight your hardest with
me (KD 581). However, he is unable to overcome Bhishma. After nine days of fighting, the
Pandavas visit Bhishma by night; they tell him that, unless he is killed in the war, the carnage
will carry on until the end of the world. When asked how he can be defeated, he advises them
to place Sikhandi in the front line, from where he will be able to fire freely at Bhishma. Sikhandi
is actually a woman, Amba whom Bhishma had refused to marry and who vowed to be his
death. Amba practiced asceticism, standing on one toe in the snow for 12 years to learn the
secret of Bhishma's death. Amba threw herself into the fire and was reborn from flames as
Drupadas second daughter, later changing sex with a demon to become a man The next day,
confronted by Sikhandi, Bhishma refuses to fight a woman, and he abandons his weapons.
Against the rules of war, the Pandavas strike the unarmed warrior with thousands of arrows.
There is no space on his body thicker than two fingers that is not pierced. He falls from his
chariot, and lies fully supported by the arrows, with no part of his body touching the earth.
Bhishma does not actually die until much later, at his choosing. He remains lying on a bed of
arrows until the end of the battle. Drona takes command Drona positions the armies in a
formation known only to him, the iron disc of war, which nobody knows how to break open,
apart from Arjuna. If only Arjuna can be diverted away from the central battle, Drona promises
victory. Arjuna has a 15-year old son, Abhimanyu, who, by listening to his father while still in his
mother's womb, has learned to force an entry into Drona's battle formation. As Arjuna is called
to a diversionary battle far away, Yudhishthira entrusts Abhimanyu with the task of opening a
breach in the disc. Abhimanyu succeeds, but when Bhima and Yudhishthira try to follow him
into the opening, they are stopped by Jayadratha, a brother-in-law to the Kauravas, and the
breach closes behind the young Abhimanyu. In spite of his bravery, he is killed. Earlier during
the time of exile, Jayadratha had tried to kidnap Draupadi, thus another reason for the
Pandavas to hate him. At this point Arjuna returns to the camp. Inflamed with rage and grief at
the sight of his son's body, he vows to kill Jayadratha before sunset on the following day. He
solemnly swears to throw himself into the sacrificial fire, should he fail. Even Krishna is alarmed
by this terrible oath. On the next day, Jayadratha is heavily guarded, and Arjuna is unable to
reach him. Krishna causes a momentary eclipse of the sun, convincing the enemy that, since
night has come, Arjuna must have killed himself because he hasn't kept his vow. Rejoicing, they
lay down their arms, leaving Jayadratha vulnerable to Arjuna's arrow. Jayadratha's father had
pronounced a curse on anyone who killed his son, saying that whoever caused his son's head to
fall to the ground would die. Using magical mantras, Arjuna causes his arrow not only to sever
Jayadratha's head, but to carry it miles away to fall into his father's lap. Being in prayer, he
doesn't realize what's happened; he stands up and the head falls, thus he dies from his own
curse. The following day, Karna hurls himself into the battle. Kunti tries to persuade him to join
the Pandavas, but Karna is inflexible. However, he does promise Kunti that he will only kill
Arjuna, for one of them must die. In this way, she will still have five sons after the war. Karna
possesses a magic lance, the gift of Indra, which will kill any living being but can be used only
once. He keeps it in reserve for Arjuna. To dispose of this lance, Krishna calls upon
Ghatotkatcha, son of Bhima and the rakshasa. During the night, he fights an epic battle against
Karna, who can destroy the demon only by resorting to his magic lance. Ghatotkatcha is killed,
but Krishna dances for joy. With his lance now expended, Karna is vulnerable and Arjuna can kill
him. Drona continues to challenge the Pandava armies, slaying thousands. But the Pandavas
know his weakness: the love of his only son Ashvatthama. Bhima slays an elephant, also called
Ashvatthama, then deceitfully tells Drona of the death of his son. Suspecting a lie, Drona asks
Yudhishthira for the truth: is his son dead or not? Drona will lay down his arms the day an
honest man lies. Krishna tells Yudhishthira: Under such circumstances, falsehood is preferable
to truth. By telling a lie to save a life, one is not touched by sin (CN 157). Yudhishthira speaks a
half-lie, Ashvatthama (and muttering under his breath) the elephant is dead. Before his
lie, Yudhishthira's chariot rode four inches off the ground, but now it sinks back to earth. Drona
lays down his arms. Drupada's son Dhrishtadyumna cuts off Drona's head, having sworn to
avenge his father's humiliation. Meanwhile Bhima sees Duhsasana coming towards him. Bhima
had sworn to drink the blood of this avowed enemy for what he had done to Draupadi. Bhima
knocks Duhsasana to the ground with his mace and rips open his chest. He drinks his blood,
saying that it tastes better than his mothers milk. Bhima, who kills many Rakshasa (and has a
son by one), often acts like the man-eating ogres himselfthe bloody deaths of Kicaka and
Duhsasana, both to avenge Draupadi; Bhima is her most passionate defender. Bhima kills most
of the 100 Kauravas, who were demons incarnate. The Death of Karna Duryodhana asks Karna
to avenge his brother Duhsasana, and he finally meets Arjuna in the decisive confrontation.
Arjuna and Karna both have celestial weapons (for example, one shoots arrows of fire to be
quenched by arrows of water). Karna has an arrow possessed by a Naga (serpent) spirit who
holds a grudge against Arjuna (his family had died in the forest consumed by Agni). When Karna
shoots at Arjuna, his charioteer warns him that his aim is too high, but he refuses to listen, and
hits Arjuna's coronet only. When the spirit-possessed arrow returns to him and says try again,
this time he will not miss, Karna won't admit failure by shooting the same arrow twice, even if
he could kill 100 Arjunas. As the fight continues, the earth opens up and seizes Karna's chariot
wheel, in fulfillment of a curse. In desperation, Karna tries to invoke his ultimate weapon, but
the magic words escape him. He remembers Parasuramas words: When you life depends on
your most powerful weapon, you will not be able to summon it. In his last moments, Karna
questions his beliefs: Knowers of dharma have always said, Dharma protects those devoted to
dharma. But since my wheel sank today, I think dharma does not always protect (CN 165). As
he struggles to release his chariot, he cries out to Arjuna: Do not strike an unarmed man. Wait
until I can extract my wheel. You are a virtuous warrior. Remember the codes of war. But
Krishna taunts him: Men in distress always call on virtue, forgetting their own evil deeds.
Where was your virtue, O Karna, when Draupadi was brought weeping in the Kuru assembly?
Where was it when Yudhishthira was robbed of his kingdom? (KD 780) Karnas head sinks to
his chest, and he remains silent, while continuing to struggle with the chariot wheel. Krishna
commands Arjuna to shoot, and Karna dies. A bright light rises out of Karnas body and enters
the sun. Stubborn but loyal, Karna could have been king, as eldest of the Pandavas, but he
remained with the Kauravas. He always fights fair, and keeps his promise to Kunti not to kill any
brothers but Arjuna. Their rivalry echoes the mythic conflict between their divine fathers Indra
and Surya. The Death of Duryodhana Over the eighteen-day war, Duryodhana has seen his
generals and their armies fall to the Pandavas, but to the very end he refuses to surrender. He
hides in the waters of a lake, which he has solidified over him by magic. Ever the gambler,
Yudhishthira tells Duryodhana that he can fight any brother he chooses, and if he wins, the
kingdom will be his again. It says something of Duryodhana that he fights with Bhima rather
than one of the weaker brothers. In a close battle between equals, Bhima wins only by
treacherously striking Duryodhana on the legs, forbidden in the rules of war. Gandhari had put
a protective spell over Duryodhana's body, but because he wore a loin cloth for modesty before
his mother, his thighs were not protected. Duryodhana accuses Krishna of taking sides unfairly
and encouraging Bhimas treachery. Krishna responds: Deceit in battle is acceptable against a
deceitful foe. Even Indra used deceit to overcome the mighty asuras Virochana and Vritra. An
onlooker remarks, Bhima has sacrificed dharma for the sake of material gain. This can never
lead to success and happiness. Krishna replies that Bhima was merely keeping his earlier vow,
a sacred duty: There is no unrighteousness in Bhima. He has carried out his promise and
requited the debt he owed his enemy. Know that the terrible age of Kali is at hand, marked by
fierce acts and the loss of dharma. (KD 811-13) Duryodhana responds bravely: I am now dying
a glorious death. That end which is always sought by virtuous warriors is mine. Who is as
fortunate as me? With all my brothers I will ascend to heaven, while you Pandavas will remain
here, torn by grief and continuing to suffer. (KD 816) As Duryodhana lies dying, Ashvatthama,
Drona's son, tells him how he sneaked into the camp of the victorious Pandavas at night to
perpetrate a hideous massacre, killing the remaining warriors and all the children while asleep,
leaving the Pandavas without any heirs. Rather than welcoming the news, Duryodhana dies
disheartened that the race of the Kurus appears to have no future. Thus all those on both sides
die in the war, except the five Pandavas. When Yudhishthira learns of the massacre, he mourns:
We the conquerors have been conquered. When the Pandavas seek revenge, Ashvatthama
launches the most fearsome celestial weapon in his arsenal. Arjuna counters with his own
weapon, which Drona taught both of them; it was only to be used against divine beings, or else
it could destroy the world. Ashvatthama deflects his into the wombs of the remaining Pandava
women, making them sterile, but Krishna promises that Arjuna will nonetheless have
descendants. As punishment, Ashvatthama is cursed to wander the earth in exile for 3000
years. The Aftermath Books 11-18 contain events following the war and teachings by Bhishma.
After the war, when Krishna exits the chariot, it bursts into flames; only his presence kept the
celestial weapons from destroying it earlier. Krishna reveals that the gods allowed this war to
relieve Earth of her great burden (similar to Troy). Duryodhana was the incarnation of Kali, lord
of the 4th age. Yudhishthira reports the death toll at six million. Appalled at such losses, he has
a personal crisis similar to Arjuna before the battle. He doesn't want to rule because it requires
the use of force and more violence. He sees that life itself is painful, as men are always
searching for more material wealth and power, never satisfied. The man who prizes gold and
dirt equally is happiest. The others convince him he must rule and fulfill his duty. Yudhishthira
has a vision of the age to come: I see the coming of another age, where barbaric kings rule
over a vicious, broken world; where puny, fearful, hard men live tiny lives, white hair at sixteen,
copulating with animals, their women perfect whores, making love with greedy mouths. The
cows dry, trees stunted, no more flowers, no more purity; ambition, corruption, the age of Kali,
the black time (play). Bhima asks, why has he come this far only to quit, like a man climbing a
honey tree but refusing to taste it, or a man in bed with a woman but refusing to make love?
Draupadi questions his manhood, as only eunuchs seek tranquility and avoid violence. Arjuna
says refusing to rule will only cause more disorder and create for him great amount of bad
karma to face in next life of lowly birth. We should accept our role depending on where we are
in life: a father has obligation to his family while they are young, likewise a king must first rule,
then in the last years of life he may abandon the world, but to do so earlier would be an act of
selfishness. In his dying speech, pierced by many arrows, Bhishma tells Yudhishthira that in the
fourth age (our present age), dharma becomes adharma and adharma, dharma. Somewhat
paradoxically, he continues, If one fights against trickery, one should oppose him with trickery.
But if one fights lawfully, one should check him with dharma ... One should conquer evil with
good. Death by dharma is better than victory by evil deeds. Bhishma's dying advice to
Yudhishthira lasts 50 days and covers two of the longest books in the epic (12-13); some of the
topics: "There is no duty higher than Truth," but five falsehoods are not sinful: lying in jest,
lying to a woman, lying at wedding, lying to save a teacher, lying to save one's life. The
foremost duty of kings is to revere Brahmins. "No creature is more sinful than woman;
women are the root of all evil; she is poison, she is a snake, she is fire," but at the same time,
"Righteousness of men depends on women. All pleasures and enjoyments depend on women."
Cows constitute the stairs that lead to heaven; cows are goddesses able to grant every wish;
nothing in the world superior; one should never go to bed or rise in the morning without
reciting the names of cows." Cows provide cleansing from sin. "There is nothing unattainable
for one who is devoted to cows" (this goes on for about 50 pages). 1000 names of Vishnu (26
pages) Shortly after, Arjuna tells Krishna that he has forgotten his teaching (contained in the
Bhagavad Gita) so for 36 chapters this advice is repeated. Now that all her sons are dead,
Gandhari's eyes are so charged with grief that, by looking under her blindfold, her emotion
sears the flesh of Yudhishthira's foot. She curses Krishna, whom she holds responsible for all of
the tragedy that has befallen them: the Pandava kingdom will fall in 36 years. Even Krishna will
die; he shall be killed by a passing stranger. Krishna calmly accepts this curse, then tells her that
a light has been saved, even if she cannot see it. Yudhishthira agrees to reign. Dhritarashtra has
one son by another wife who survives the war. Yuyutsu chose to fight on the side of the
Pandavas, deciding to follow dharma rather than loyalty to his family. After the war, out of
gratitude Yudhishthira makes Yuyutsu king of his old territory Indraprastha. Thirty-six years
pass, and Yudhishthira arrives at the entrance to paradise, carrying a dog in his arms. His
brothers and Draupadi, who left the earth with him, have fallen from the mountains into the
abyss along the way. A gatekeeper tells him to abandon the dog if he wants to enter paradise.
He refuses to leave a creature so faithful, and is permitted to enter, for this was a test, the dog
was the god Dharma in disguise. In paradise, further surprises await him. His enemies are there,
smiling and contented. His brothers and Draupadi, on the other hand, seem to be in a place of
suffering and torment. Why? Yudhishthira decides to stay with his loved ones in hell, rather
than enjoy the delights of heaven with his enemies. This too was a test, the final illusion. They
are all permitted to enter paradise. In Hindu thought, neither heaven (svarga) or hell are
eternal, but only intervals between rebirths. Everyone must first spend some time in hell (or a
hell, as there are many) to pay for the sins of the most recent life. Yudhishthira had to
experience hell for only a moment, because of his lie to Drona. Heaven is obtained by good
deeds, but only for a limited time until the accumulated merit runs out. According to one
tradition, there are six planes of existence (lokas) above earth and seven lokas (hells) below.
However, no action can occur in these other worlds, so that a person's karma doesn't change
until he returns to earth. Actions performed in accordance with scriptural injunctions lead
the performer to the heavenly planets for prolonged sensual enjoyment. However, when a
person's pious credits are exhausted, he must return to Earth, just as a person returns from a
holiday and resumes his work. (BG as it is: Online)