Chapter One: Arjun Viṣhād Yog : Lamenting the Consequences of War
The theater of a devastating war is set in the battlefield of Kurushetra in north India between the cousins, the Kurus and the Pandavas. The Kuru King is very anxious to know the proceedings of the battle between his sons the Kurus, and his nephews the Pandavas. But he is blind and therefore confined to his palace.
At the time of Lord Krishna, perhaps there were not so many matured seekers who could get Selfrealization en masse. Lord Krishna addressed the gospel of the Gita only to Arjuna, that also in the battlefield where no one else could hear it. (except Sanjay, the charioteer of the Kuru King who is blessed by occult power to hear and see the battle long distance, and thus the king asks him to narrate the battle scenario.).
In the arena of dharma, in the arena of Kurukshetra, where my sons and the sons of Pandu have assembled, tell me what is happening, O Sanjaya? (1)
Sanjaya reports, Upon the approach of the Pandava army, the Kuru Prince Duryodhana addresses his mentor, Dronacharya. ‘O Guru! Observe the Pandava army is led by your wise disciple Drupada’s son Dhrstadyumma.(2-3)
Observe the great heroes Bhima and Arjuna, and mighty warriors Vuyudhana, Virata and Drupada, Dhrstaketu, Cektana and the great Kashi King. Also the valorous Purujit, Kuntibhoja, Saibya, Yudhamanyu, Uttamauja, the son of Subhadra and Draupadi. (4 – 6)
Now allow me to acquaint you with the heroes of our army; your esteemed self, the invincible Bhisma, Karna, Kripa. Also Asvathama, Vikarna, Somadatta’s son and many other valiant heroes who are ready to stake their lives for me. They are highly skilled and well equipped with various weapons. (7-9)
Under the umbrella of Bhisma, our army is well protected. Whereas, under the umbrella of Bhima their army is vulnerable.’ Thus digging their heels our army is invulnerable. (10-11)
To inspire Duryodhna, the mighty Bhishma roared like a lion and blew his conch.(12)
Suddenly there is a tremendous surge of drum beat, conches and kettledrums in the Kuru ranks.(13)
Thereafter, seated in their chariot drawn by white horses, Shri Krishna blew his Pancajanya conch and Arjuna, his Devadatta conch. Bhima blew his Paundra conch. Prince Yu-dhishtra, the son of Kunti, blew his Anantavijaya, Nakula and Sahadeva blew their Sughosa and Manipuspaka respectively. (14-16)
The kashi King- the commander of the archers, Sikhandi – the brave, Dhrstadyumna, Virata, Satyaki, Drupada and Draupadi’s sons, the mighty armed Subhadra blew their respective conchs. (17-18)
Their terrific echo tore across the sky, the earth trembled and the hearts of Dhritarashtra’s sons were terror stricken.” (19)
It is a strange paradox that the message of dharma should be delivered on a battlefield. Discourses on dharma are usually given from pulpits of churches, temples and mosques but instead lord Krishna chooses to deliver it on the battle field.
The battle field is akin to a Chess board; if we hold front at one point, the opponent attacks from somewhere else, and just as we fend off the attack he strikes from another end! Such is a battle, where, though soldiers die, the war comes to an end.
However, in the struggle between a person and his desires, the war does not end. Prince Arjuna is not aware of this war raging inside him. Hence, Lord Krishna shows him. He scales up the struggle inside Arjuna’s head to a high definition screen of Kurukshetra. This allows Arjuna to see more clearly the pixels of conflict that otherwise contrive to escape him.
Draw up my chariot, O Krishna, between the two armies so that I may inspect the men who are assembled in the enemy ranks, mongering for war. (20-23)
Shri Krishna parked his chariot between the two armies facing Bhishma, Drona and all the commanders. (24-25)
Observing before him his uncles, fathers, grandfathers, gurus, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends and fathers-in-laws, Arjuna was overcome with remorse and lamented, ‘My body is trembling, my mouth is dry, my hair is standing on end. I see evil omens, O Krishna and do not foresee any good in slaying my own people.’ Of what use are kingdoms, enjoyments, or even life? Why does one fight? For what do we battle? We battle for our people; but, if those very people are going to be killed in war, then of what use is such a war? (26- 32)
Prince Arjuna is ushered in the battlefield, where he sees his friends, uncles, cousins and kinsmen in the enemy lines. Upon facing them, a storm brews in his mind, ‘If our people are going to be killed in battle, what use is such a war?’ He came to the battlefield to fight, but blinded by emotions he banishes the thought of war. Arjuna says: I will not fight. Of what use is this victory? Those for whose sake we desire kingdoms, enjoyments and pleasures, they stand here in battle renouncing their lives and riches. These I would not kill, though they kill me; even for the kingdom of the three worlds, how much less for the sake of this earth! (33- 35).
From whatever angle we look, our own perspective defines the scenery we see. As Arjuna looks through the lens of his emotions, he sees only one side of the coin. But life is both. Hence, he does not know what he is up against. Much like Arjuna, we too are unaware of what we are up against. We are reluctant to face ourselves – we talk of peace but are not prepared to deal with the evil that destroys peace. We try to run away from ourselves in the hope of finding peace in the serenity of snow-clad mountains. In the refuge of Noah’s Ark we think we are safe while the rest of the world drowns. But how can we escape the tsunami raging next door?
Arjuna argues: What happiness can be ours, O Krishna, if we slay our kinsmen? Only sin will arise from this bloodshed. Hence, it is not right to kill our kinsmen.(36-37)
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, ‘if someone slaps you offer him the other cheek’. In a deeper sense, if we do good to the wrong doer, it purifies our heart of the malice. When the tenth guru of Sikhs, Guru Govind Singh, faced aggression from the Mughals, he meditated long and deep. He then concluded that when all other means fail it is righteous to draw the sword, but there should be no malice in the heart.
The other condition the Guru laid was that we have to fight the person perpetrating the evil but not his family and innocent people. We have to bear in mind that the battle of Kurukshetra is not about territory, power or revenge, but Dharma! Lord Krishna tried everything possible to appease and reconcile the Kurus. When much was lost and much more was at stake, he had no choice but to call upon Arjuna to draw his sword. However, he bore no malice in his heart. Moreover, the families of the Kurus and the innocent people were protected. The power of choice that rests in our Spirit is sensitive to Dharma. Her compassion is so great that it keeps on forgiving up to a point, but she does not compromise her Dharma.
In the wake of terrorism when innocent people are killed because they do not conform to someone’s perception of religion or ideology, then fighting for self-defense is preferable to dying.
Arjuna says: Those who are blinded by greed cannot see the consequence of the destruction of family and friends. But we who have the discretion to see it should avert this sin. In the destruction of the family, the ancient traditions are destroyed, consequently the whole society falls in lawlessness. When lawlessness arises, O Krishna, the women of the family are debased and when women are debased then there is confusion in the social order (castes). (38- 41)
When the foundation of the family is destroyed it brings hell to both the perished and those who destroy it, as the departed souls do not receive the offerings of the rice and water. (42)
As a consequence of destruction of family, the traditional laws of cast and social order are destroyed. It is said that the consequence of such deed is hell. (43-44)
Our social order rests on the scaffolding of the family unit. If the family unit is uprooted, the society caves in. Through the passage of time a set of unwritten values wove into the warp and weft of the society. The mother emerged as the nucleus, and the bonding force. Because of his greater physical strength, the father emerged as the breadwinner. The grandparents and elders became the fount of age-old wisdom and guidance. While men protected and cherished their family, women developed emotional strength in the warm glow of their husband’s protection. The fact that nature intended women as the primary nurturer also gives them greater emotional strength to bear the challenges of life. Both the parents are indispensable to the growth of the progeny.
A child who is denied love becomes insecure.
Psychology teaches us that the child’s mind is receptive to all the thoughts and feelings of the mother from the stage of a 4-month old embryo in the womb. Her traumas affect the child. Therefore, the tranquility of the mother is central to the balanced growth of the child.
Children get perverted when they are unable to open their hearts or feel unloved and rejected. It is not difficult to understand that a woman has a more vital function to perform, than man because she has the earth quality to bear. Where the bearing power is exhausted, the scaffolding of the society collapses – the family unit breaks, traditions crumble, and people are driven to the point of no return. Under such circumstances, only a mother’s love can bring home the lost ones.
Total self-sacrifice underlines that bearing power – a sacrifice which only motherhood has the capacity to build. Her sacrifice cannot be measured nor weighed. It is unconditional and spontaneous. It is encoded in the DNA passed on to her from the Primordial Mother. Perhaps, that is the reason why the mother image has been worshipped since the beginning of time. It is precisely this DNA of motherhood that is Arjuna’s worry because war crushes the scaffolding of the family unit that the mother provides.
And it is precisely Lord Krishna’s worry too – the only difference is that Arjuna does not know how to unwrap the package, whereas Lord Krishna does. Thus, Lord Krishna is the guiding force to map the DNA of love and unity.
It is indeed a pity that despite our power of discretion we are enticed by greed and power, and thus misled to commit the sin of slaying our kinsfolk. I would rather cast my arms and die at the hands of Dhritarastra’s sons.” Thus expressing his remorse Arjuna cast away his bow and arrow, and sorrow-fully resumed his seat. (45-47)
Arjuna felt it wrong to fight his own kith and kin. Thus, in his limited vision, he decided to rather die than to destroy the Kauravas. Imagine the stage for the greatest war is set – a war of such magnitude that has never been seen, a war whose results were far more devastating than either of the World Wars. The preparations, the colossal momentum, and Arjuna drops his bow, and suddenly brings it all to a grinding halt, “I will not fight.”