The other day, I was watching “Mahabharat” on internet. I started with episode 66 which was just six episodes before the actual Bhagwat Geeta and was showing how the stage for the greatest battle in the human history was setting up. Every single warrior known in the country was participating in the battle from either of the sides. The only exceptions were Krishna’s elder brother Balram and Rukmini’s brother Rukmiya who did not participate.
However, choosing sides was the most difficult task for the family members. Especially the elder ones since on both the sides they had their own sons. The mothers, Kunti and Gandhari, were in dilemma to whom to give blessings for victory? Bheeshm Pitamah, Acharya Drona, Kripacharya and many others were in the dilemma to fight from which side. Where they should go? Dharma was with Pandavas since Krishna was with them. However, they had their own compulsions and obligations.
Bheeshm Pitamah was bounded by his pledges he took decades ago for the protection of Hastinapur and so he had to fight from Kauravas. Unfortunately he also had to accept the designation of the Chief Senapati of Kaurav sena. Acharya Drona also had his own compulsions and attachments with Hastinapur.
However the most terrible plight was that of Angraj Karna. Just few days before the Mahayudhh, he came to know that he was Surya-putra (Son of Sun) and Kaunteya (Son of Kunti). Also that Pandavas were his five younger brothers and he was the eldest Pandavas. He knew that Duryodhan was going to lose in this battle since Krishna was with Pandavas and where there is Krishna, there is Dharma and where there is Dharma, there is victory. Also that if Pandavas come to know that Karna is their eldest brother, they would give away anything for him and it would be only he, who would be receive the crown of Hastinapur after the victory in the battle. However, he was under the obligations of Duryodhan since Duryodhan was the only person who supported him when the entire Kshatriya samaj maligned him for being “Sut-putra” (Son of a fisherman) which he was actually not. He lost all his aspirations from life and his life was now completely under the obligations of Duryodhan.
King Salya, who was Nakul-Sahdev’s mama, was also under the obligation of Duryodhan as he mistakenly accepted the hospitality of Duryodhan thinking of it as Yudhishthir’s. So, earlier he was from Pandavas side but under the burden of Duryodhan’s obligations, now he was forcefully made to fight from the side of Kauravas.
So many people had to go against their will because of some or the other reasons in this greatest battle of the human history. I just wonder how it would have been if everyone had a chance to choose his side without any compulsions or obligations. What if Bheeshm Pitamah, Acharya Drona, Kripacharya, Salya, Karna and so many others would have been on the other side of the battle field? It would have been a totally different Mahabharat otherwise.
I feel similar logic applies to our human lives as well. Everyday, every hour, every minute and every second some or the other person in this world is making some or the other compromise in his/her life. Just try and recall the instances when we decided to go against our will because of our compulsions, debts (not necessarily financial) and responsibilities. There are set of constraints within which we live our life. Some people excel, some manage to do reasonably well while some make a disaster. Our life would have been different if those constraints would not have been there. However, that is life.
But there can be a different angle to look at these constraints. Things which we consider as constraints; are they constraints actually? Or is it just our perception? Can we break the so called shackles and do what our heart says? What will happen then? I tried it a few times. There’s no significant difference. However, when I listen to my heart, I feel better. For a moment I also realize that guilt feeling of deviating from the righteous course of action but then what is right? It is a very subjective term. What is dharma? Where there is Krishna, there is Dharma. So you have to find either of them to know if what you are doing is correct or not. Finding Krishna (in physical form) is impossible for mortals like us so we assume where there is Dharma, there is Krishna or visa versa. But how do we decide where is Dharma? At the end it brings me back to my own perception of right or wrong since there is no objectivity in Dharma. It is beyond the understanding of a normal human being. Only Krishna knows the meaning of Dharma. Rest all has just the perceptions and interpretations.
However, choosing sides was the most difficult task for the family members. Especially the elder ones since on both the sides they had their own sons. The mothers, Kunti and Gandhari, were in dilemma to whom to give blessings for victory? Bheeshm Pitamah, Acharya Drona, Kripacharya and many others were in the dilemma to fight from which side. Where they should go? Dharma was with Pandavas since Krishna was with them. However, they had their own compulsions and obligations.
Bheeshm Pitamah was bounded by his pledges he took decades ago for the protection of Hastinapur and so he had to fight from Kauravas. Unfortunately he also had to accept the designation of the Chief Senapati of Kaurav sena. Acharya Drona also had his own compulsions and attachments with Hastinapur.
However the most terrible plight was that of Angraj Karna. Just few days before the Mahayudhh, he came to know that he was Surya-putra (Son of Sun) and Kaunteya (Son of Kunti). Also that Pandavas were his five younger brothers and he was the eldest Pandavas. He knew that Duryodhan was going to lose in this battle since Krishna was with Pandavas and where there is Krishna, there is Dharma and where there is Dharma, there is victory. Also that if Pandavas come to know that Karna is their eldest brother, they would give away anything for him and it would be only he, who would be receive the crown of Hastinapur after the victory in the battle. However, he was under the obligations of Duryodhan since Duryodhan was the only person who supported him when the entire Kshatriya samaj maligned him for being “Sut-putra” (Son of a fisherman) which he was actually not. He lost all his aspirations from life and his life was now completely under the obligations of Duryodhan.
King Salya, who was Nakul-Sahdev’s mama, was also under the obligation of Duryodhan as he mistakenly accepted the hospitality of Duryodhan thinking of it as Yudhishthir’s. So, earlier he was from Pandavas side but under the burden of Duryodhan’s obligations, now he was forcefully made to fight from the side of Kauravas.
So many people had to go against their will because of some or the other reasons in this greatest battle of the human history. I just wonder how it would have been if everyone had a chance to choose his side without any compulsions or obligations. What if Bheeshm Pitamah, Acharya Drona, Kripacharya, Salya, Karna and so many others would have been on the other side of the battle field? It would have been a totally different Mahabharat otherwise.
I feel similar logic applies to our human lives as well. Everyday, every hour, every minute and every second some or the other person in this world is making some or the other compromise in his/her life. Just try and recall the instances when we decided to go against our will because of our compulsions, debts (not necessarily financial) and responsibilities. There are set of constraints within which we live our life. Some people excel, some manage to do reasonably well while some make a disaster. Our life would have been different if those constraints would not have been there. However, that is life.
But there can be a different angle to look at these constraints. Things which we consider as constraints; are they constraints actually? Or is it just our perception? Can we break the so called shackles and do what our heart says? What will happen then? I tried it a few times. There’s no significant difference. However, when I listen to my heart, I feel better. For a moment I also realize that guilt feeling of deviating from the righteous course of action but then what is right? It is a very subjective term. What is dharma? Where there is Krishna, there is Dharma. So you have to find either of them to know if what you are doing is correct or not. Finding Krishna (in physical form) is impossible for mortals like us so we assume where there is Dharma, there is Krishna or visa versa. But how do we decide where is Dharma? At the end it brings me back to my own perception of right or wrong since there is no objectivity in Dharma. It is beyond the understanding of a normal human being. Only Krishna knows the meaning of Dharma. Rest all has just the perceptions and interpretations.
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