The Role of Lord Sri Krishna in the Mahabharatam -2 : Swami Krishnananda
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Wednesday, May 03, 2023. 07:45.
The Role of Lord Sri Krishna in the Mahabharatam -2 :
(Spoken on Sri Krishna Janmasthami in 1972)
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The Sabha Parva of the Mahabharata gives us a more stirring description of the connivances of the Kauravas. The invitation was extended to Yudhisthira for playing dice so that he may be ousted from the kingdom. There was no mention of Krishna anywhere. Having departed to Dwarka after giving presents to Yudhisthira, Krishna is completely out of the scene. The next scene is when he helps Arjuna in establishing himself and his brothers from the tyranny of Dhritarashtra and the Kauravas.
When Dhritarasthra knew that the Pandavas were alive and had come back, he said, “Give them a part of the kingdom. Why do you trouble them? Let them stay somewhere.” Grudgingly, a piece of dry land was given which was good for nothing. It had no water, the soil was infertile with stones and thorns everywhere, and there were wild animals in the forest. For namesake, a part of the kingdom was given, but this is what was given.
Sri Krishna helped the Pandavas in levelling the ground. It was called Khandavaprastha and then renamed Indraprastha, and is now, at present, Delhi. It was a thick forest at that time, with no human beings living there—Khandavaprastha, which was converted into Indraprastha with the help of Sri Krishna. Krishna said, “Don't mind if it is thorny. We shall see that a beautiful palace is built there which will vie even with the palace of Indra.” And a wonderful palace was built—shining, excelling Duryodhana's palace.
Narada, who visited Indraprastha, said, “I have never seen a palace of this kind. I have visited Yamaloka, I have visited Indraloka, I have seen the palaces of all the gods, but they are nothing like this.”
This became known to Duryodhana. “Oh, still these fellows are prospering! Even if I throw them into the jungle and thorns, they prosper.” Then it was that he played the trick of dice. When the dice game was played, Sri Krishna was not present. It was all a miracle that in crucial moments his presence was not seen. Later on he said, “If I had been present, I would have prevented it. Unfortunately, I was not present.” He was not present; and why he was not present, he only knew. He said, “I was very busy.” That was all he said. “I had a lot of work to do in Dwarka.”
Dice was played; the Pandavas were made slaves, and Draupadi was insulted. Then a miraculous invisible presence was felt in the court of the Kauravas, an incident known to everyone. “Sri Krishna, can you not see me?” cried Draupadi. Then he saw her in a mysterious way and saved her honour by supplying celestial garments which flowed like lightening through the windows of the court, as it is told to us. This is a miracle. Nobody knew what that miracle was. Nobody could understand how it could happen, but something happened. Then a second time dice was played because even though the Pandavas had become slaves, Dhritarasthra pardoned them and let them go because Draupadi begged for pardon. A second time dice was played, and this time the condition was that they go to the forest and remain there. They were driven out.
Then the news reached Dwarka that the Pandavas were in the forest, thrown out of their kingdom, having nothing with them—like beggars, suffering intense pain and sleepless nights in the jungle. The whole Yadava army moved to the forest to see them and sympathise with them, and ask if they needed any help in their predicament. “I am very grieved at this scene,” said Sri Krishna. “Yudhisthira, I am very grieved indeed. Very pitiable is your case. I am sorry I was not present at that moment when you played dice. Salva was attacking Dwarka. I was busy with him, so I could not come. Had I been present, this dice play would not have taken place. I would have seen that you are installed on the throne. Anyhow, you are in this condition. Now what help can we give you?”
Then Sri Krishna said, “Yudhisthira is a Kshatriya. He will not take charity from others. Why should you try to tell him that we will win victory for him and hand over the kingdom to him? He is not a man to take that. He will follow Kshatriya dharma and take it with the power of his own strength. He is not a beggar. I know his mind. But we can help him in getting the kingdom back in whatever manner he feels fit.”
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