Mahabaratha, one of the greatest Indian epic. The mystery it unfolds are countless and every time I read it, it appears new to me. There has been lot of guidance and lot of references we can quote from this epic but, are we actually following it? are we considering it seriously?. I would say it differs from person to person and how he interprets it. The one thing which I didn't like about mahabaratha is that it leaves lot of question unanswered. we can debate answers to some questions but many still reamins unanswered.
One such question i had was in the core of the mahabaratha. Being victim myself, I was a bit taken aback before putting forth this question but, fact is i cannot stop questioning myself so here it is. Nowadays many people i meet expect instant justice i.e., they want the bad to be punished then and there. Thinking really deep about it, I too was convinced that it is correct because people tend to forget things often and by the time one was punished for his bad deeds, people would have forgotten what he had done. I always curse myself for being not able to do something regarding this. my heart moves towards good in my vantage point and feel for them. I felt bad about our inefficiency in not resolving the issues quickly. I do not know what it is but, some how i feel that i am responsible for this to happen or atleast responsible for letting it not resolved sooner.
History always stated that the justice is not instant. Take for example the ramayana and mahabaratha. In ramayana it took 14 years for rama to gain back the kingdom and in mahabaratha it took 13 years for the pandavas to avenge panchali. so now if we take it from history that justice is not instant but will get it definitely in the end, other questions pops up immediately. what is the significant of those justice. I am pretty sure that bad was punished but what happened to the good? Even the history doesn't have the positive solution for it. Take for example ramayana and mahabaratha. In ramayana, rama and sita were never the same after the defeat of ravana. I am not stating that rama has changed and sita has changed but the life they had earlier was lost. They were not able to go back to the same life whatever may be the reason. The same was the case with mahabaratha, Yudhistira never ruled the kindom happily after the mahabaratha war.
Arjuna was never the same, mahabaratha was the last war he participated, after that he was not able to punish the looters on his way back to indraprasta from dwaraka. The reason explained was that his purpose on the earth was fulfilled. His karma was obtained and his service is no longer needed in this world. Would this situation have been changed if they had fought the mahabaratha war the next day after the dice game ?? we may never know answer for this. Why was the war not happened immediately when many kings know what happened at the dice was really unfair?. Vysa again explains this through yudisthira that even under the distress, one has to keep his promises. so if yudisthira was exiled why didn't krishna so dear to pandavans avenge them? instead he waited for yudisthira to come back.
This as I understand clearly signifies that krishna's karma was to make sure that all the great kings participated in the war. Clearly laying the plot for the destruction of the whole kshatriya race. Arjuna needed the time to earn the weapon needed to destroy the greatest kings and to fulfill his karma. karna needed his time to get cursed by rama son of jamadagni, Dhuriyodana needed time to strengthen his army for the great war fulfilling krishna's wish. The one thing which i admire the most is the role of krishna, who chose to stand against his own troops in the war making sure that his yadava race are not omitted from the destruction of kshatriya.
Recollecting all this information tells me that the justice is delayed for some reason, some good reason and the delay time is for the people to perform their karma. performing which qualifies them for obtaining the eternal bliss. After the big judgement none will survive longer to enjoy the fruit of it. Infact the taste of the fruit will not be as expected but different.
Your post ... your post ... induces the reader to ask more questions, I have more questions now than I read your post and here I try to answer what I know
ReplyDeleteWhy, why why Justice is delayed ? As far as I know, there is no one who is fully sinner or bad. And there is no one fully pure or punyavan!!
Even though we think or portray kauravas as total sinners, it is not the case. Duryodhana is called Suyodhana or very good one, Karna was greatest warrior and he conquered entire Indian empire single handed. Bheeshma is not a sinner though he was on bad side when Panchali was humiliated. Drona was bad to others than his disciples, but very loyal to empire. Kripa is powerful and yet loyal.
Dharma is considered good, but dear me, not even a fool will wage his brothers in gambling. Not even the wildest fool will wage his wife.
Pandavas are considered good, they are and they helped only them five and their supporters. Whoever against them, they punished ruthlessly. What kunti did to five nishadas to escape is unimaginable. What Panchali did during swayamvara to disgrace Karna is not great. What Bheema did to kauravas during his play is not laughable. What arjuna did to that nishada prince ekalavya was not great ...
It goes on and on, every one are portrayed as good plus bad.
The theme of Mahabharat is to tell, there is no dark or bright, no black or white, it is always a mixture of both, it is always gray!!!
That is why Duryodhana enjoyed kingdom for his greatness, karna eternal blessedness for his steadfastness in giving alms, ...
Pandavas suffered first but they met great rishis, met Indra, even went to Kubera's place, kailash, met shiva, lived in devaloka
This is what dharma or yudhistira told to queen draupadi after seeing Himalayas during his vanavas
"I see greatness in seeing Himalayas, I dont feel bad I feel great ... just seeing it"
The same goes with Ramayana, they saw great friends in Hanuman, great vanaras like sugriva, jambavan ...
Life is finished if all the justice is given then and there. It has its taste only so long as there is a struggle or a fight, which becomes a great legend and a myth for us to enjoy later.
Now let me ask, will you read something if there is no war or no struggle or no fight. It is the taste of the divine drama that bad exists along with good. They are not different in the gods eyes, they are just two faces of the same coin which tosses and tosses to etch history
Rishis asked Sri Ram
ReplyDelete"Ram, you are god incarnate, why do you suffer"
Sri Ram answered something like this
"You enjoy the blessed shade only after you suffer in sun, you enjoy taste of water only after you feel thirsty ... It is the same with happiness, you feel blessed and enjoy the fruits of happiness after suffering."
And not to tell Ravan was not a bad king, he was very good to his people and if we read Ramayan, we can see how his empire prospered, with all its people living happily in houses full of gold, wine and women enjoying time in music and dance, with elephants as their pets!!
Once again, it is not good or bad, it is a mixture of both
I agree what you have said sankaran. Even I did not intend to mention that bad means kauravas, and good means pandavas. I intended to say that when the justice was given it is obvious that everyone would have paid for their sins. In fact that is the reason why i mentioned the delay in justice was to perform their karma. The karma which i specify here is not just preparing themselves for the final justice but also to pay for their sins which are comparatively small considering the final justice.
ReplyDeleteBut again if what yudisthira did was wrong in staking his brothers and wife in the dice, why was it said that a kshatriya has to accept the challenge when he was challenged? why was it believed that one should obey his elders even if we are aware that they are leading us to destruction. I am not arguing that what yudisthira did was correct but he was forced to that situation.
I am glad that my post induced readers to ask question but my intention was to seek answers to my questions
I never thought about that yudhistira had to disobey or to avoid challenge means humiliation to his kshatriya dharma.
ReplyDeleteThinking, again ... no answers :)