THE MAHABHARATAM : 8. Swami Advayananda Acharyaji.

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Saturday, March 26, 2022. 19:00.

Prelude to the Bhagavad Geeta :

Meditation on the Bhagavad Geeta.

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In 18 Episodes : 

Episode 1: How the Writing Began

Episode 2: The Story of Bhishma

Episode 3: Amba Seeks Revenge on Bhishma

Episode 4: The Story of Vidhura

Episode 5: The Story of Queen Kunti

Episode 6: The Young Princes Grow Up Together 

Episode 7: The Development of Karna 

Episode 8: The “Wax Palace”

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Episode 8:

The “Wax Palace”

The Mahabharata characters, as we have seen, are intensely complex. Good is interwoven with the bad, in every character. What is the difference then between the Kauravas and the Pandavas? It was not Weakness; they both had that. It was Wickedness.

The Kauravas, apart from their human weaknesses were at core very wicked. There was undeniable vulgarity about their ways; they had no respect for righteousness, fair play, justice, common decency, and so on. They could be as vile as demons are. The Pandavas on the other hand always had an undercurrent of truthfulness and nobility at their core, which they never gave up. They never bartered this spiritual wealth for anything mundane and cheap. Yudhisthira was a personification of justice, never wanting to harm 

Weaknesses are excusable; Wickedness is punishable.

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Dhritarashtra should never have ascended the throne, since he was blind. As soon as Yudhishthira had come of age, the King should have handed over the kingdom to him, the rightful heir. But perversity prevented him from acting in that spirit. Vidhura was one person who held to the very end that there should never be any compromise with the Kauravas. Hehad seen enough to come to that conclusion. And, in retrospect, how right would he have been!

The day came when Duryodhana came to Dhritarashtra with a plot firmly hatched in his mind. It was a day when the Kauravas were completely overtaken by wickedness.

Duryodhana had planned to stage a huge Shiva Utsava (festival) in Varnavrata, a place deep in the jungles. He confided to his father that he planned to build a palace there for the Pandavas’ comfortable stay. He would build it out of combustible materials and then burn the Pandavas alive. Alas! attachment to his son made Dhritarashtra agree. Shakuni Duryodhana’s maternal uncle was the master-mind of the plot, none being so cunning and crafty as him in this art.

Yudhishthira was a simpleton in comparison to these seasoned thugs. He knew not the ‘ways of the world’. He even listened to Dhritarashtra who said, “Take your mother, too. I hear Duryodhana has made a beautiful palace for all of you to stay in comfort. The palace is to be named ‘Shivam’, after the festival.” 

Vidhura was alert to what was being planned. He secretly referred to this plot when he said to Yudhishthira, “When the forest burns, everything burns with it, but the rat which burrows and the porcupine escape unharmed.”

Yudhishthira understood. He planned accordingly. He could trust Vidhura implicitly.

When they moved into the palace, it was not for leisure – they worked without sleep. During the day they placated the Kaurava spies who were plentiful around the palace. At night they got busy with the tunnel through which they would escape the inferno and get to the safety of the nearby forest. Think of how much Mother Kunti had to endure for the sake of her sons! Think of what mind Dhritarashtra had to have knowingly sent her also to her doom! It staggers one’s imagination to see the ingenuity of treachery!

The password among the Pandavas was “When the forest is burning, the rat escapes by burrowing.” Vidhura sent experts to assist the Pandavas. They gave the password. Work began on the construction.

The Pandavas were always accompanied by Purochana, the main spy stationed to take ‘care’ of the Pandavas’ needs. They knew that he was only waiting for the opportune moment. On the day before the planned date, the Pandavas fed the Kauravas sumptuously, and themselves set the whole palace alight through Bhima. Bhima carried Mother Kunti on his shoulder. All of them escaped through the tunnel. The Kauravas were taken by surprise, and those who were stationed their as ‘hosts’ to the Pandavas, were burnt to death.

The whole country was plunged into sadness. Dhritarashtra wept bitterly in ‘sorrow’!

His mind was like a deep lake, warm with concern for the Pandavas at the surface, and cold with cunning delight at the depth to see that his sons would now be unopposed to run the kingdom.

The event was a bit too much for Kunti to bear. She went to Veda Vyasa for solace. What words of comfort could he offer? 

“Accept and bear everything. Joy and sorrow are part of life. You do not know the destiny of your sons. Be brave, Kunti, don’t lose heart.”

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Next :

Episode 9:

The Pandavas Enjoy Some Peace!

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