Now, we start with Book 5.
In this episode (Sections 26-29) Sanjaya,
who is the trusted charioteer of Dhridrashtra , is sent as envoy to the
Pandavas to seek peace. After listening to Sanjaya’s initial comments,
Yudhishtra says; “Between war and peace,
why would anyone want to seek war? Wars lead only to misery and death. If one just wants to be happy by satisfying
his desires, there will be no end. It will be like pouring ghee into fire. I
look for happiness based on righteousness (dharma)”. He asks Sanjaya why the king is looking for
peace now, when he has all this prosperity, an army of his own and that of his
friends and the support of Bhishma, Drona and others? Is it because he is not
able to go against his own attachment to his son and his inability to stop him
(Duryodhana) from doing unrighteous things?
Sanjaya then requests
Yudhishtra to desist from going to war since that will lead to destruction of
so many on both sides and that of the entire race. “Will it not be better for
you to live in fame somewhere else than get sovereignty by waging war? Having lived such a noble life of virtues
why do you wish to commit the sin of killing your own people and teachers?”
Also, “you had ample opportunities to regain your kingdom earlier. You let them
go. Why are you now particular about getting your share?”
Yudhishtra responds by
saying: “I agree. But, what reason does one use to decide when an act is
virtuous and when it is not? During a crisis, a virtuous act looks vice and
vice versa. One should ideally follow one’s varna
dharma (duties of the Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and sudra). But during
stressful times it may seem otherwise. If one loses all his property and is
unable to perform his duties according to his varna dharma, what is one
supposed to do? I am a Kshatriya and I wish to get what is rightfully mine. I
will not seek it by wrong means. I would rather rule the land which comes from
my father without any battle than take someone else’s property through
violence. I think I am on the right path. Let us ask Krishna (Lord Krishna)
since he is interested in both parties”.
When Lord Krishna is
presented with this question, He answers: “I am interested in both the parties.
I wish for the issue to be settled in peace. I also know the facts. Yudhishtra
has acted with great restraint in spite of having been cheated and mistreated.
The worst offence was what all of the elders did to Draupadi in public. No one
came to her rescue – not even the great Bhishma. The only on to speak up was
Vidura. Action is superior to non-action. It is by virtue of work that the sun
shines, fire burns, Goddess Earth supports. It is human action that sustains
the Gods. (Basic idea of the Vedic religion that there is mutual support between
the humans and the Gods, devas). It is perfectly reasonable for one to act
according to his dharma. It is proper
for a king to fight. If Yudhishtra can attain what is due without fight he will
choose it. (Krishna then restates the duties of each of the four varnas).
Duryodhana and his brothers and friends have behaved unreasonably all along.
(Krishna even calls them fools). Dhridrashtra has gone along with them because
he is blinded by his love for his sons”.
Krishna then compares
Duryodhana to a big tree of evil passions with Karna for its trunk, Sakuni for
the branches and Dussasana for the flowering blossoms and fruits. He also
compares Yudhishtra to a tree of righteousness with Bhima for its trunk, Arjuna
for the branches and the Madri brothers its fruits. Most important, Krishna
says that He (Krishna) is the root of this dharma
tree.
Later he says that Kauravas and Pandavas are like a forest and a
tiger. They need each other. Outside of a forest, the tiger will get killed. If
there is no tiger, men will cut down the trees of the forest. It is the
mutuality Krishna points out.
Finally, Krishna says
that he has to try personally to avert this war and decides to go to
Hastinapura.
Yudhishtra sends Sanjaya
back with kindly words and respects to everyone in the Hastinapura
household. It is amazing how Yudhishtra remembers to mention every one,
literally every one including maids, servants and the handicapped! He then
says: “I am prepared to forgive all the hardships imposed on us; humiliations
heaped upon Draupadi and us; I am prepared to even settle for as little as five
villages because we do not want to see our clans slain. Duryodhana, either give
back my Indraprastha or fight with me”.
The final
words of Yudhishtra are memorable: “Sanjaya, I am equally capable of war and
peace. I am prepared to acquire wealth as well as to earn virtue. I am fit
enough for severity and for softness”.
One other
point, not relevant here, is the description of gods (devas) as defined in the
epics of India. The so-called Gods are defined by their absence of desires,
absence of covetousness, absence of enmity and indifference to worldly affairs
and desires. (Book 5, Section 61). The physical differences between humans and
the gods (devas) is given in another episode. When Damayanti enters the hall
where her suitors have assembled, Nala (human) is sitting in the midst of all
the devas in human form. How is she to recognizes Nala. She does so, we are told, because Damayanti
knew that devas never blink, their feet do not touch the ground and their
flowers do not wither. She garlands the real Nala.
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