The words of the sages and of Kunti could not lift the sagging spirit of Yudhishthira. He continued to sulk over the death of Karna. He spoke to Arjuna.. “We better had continued with our life in the forest begging for food. We would not have committed this sin in that case. The very duty of kings (Kshatriya) is itself faulty. What is the use of power and valour? It was also wrong to keep enmity with our own people. What we have gained with all that is remorse beyond redemption”.
“Think of the sages who live in forests. They are gentle in nature, tolerant and are always at peace with oneself and with others”.
“What has happened to the dreams of the mothers who bore all those killed in the war? They would have counted on their children, thinking that they would grow powerful. Instead, they have left for the other world without looking after their parents, who took care of them in childhood, in their old age”.
“For what gain did we kill those who deserved our care and protection? - merely, for the land and the riches”.
“Now that we have committed this crime, what is the way out? The Vedas say that atonement is by one of the following ways – by remorse, confession, giving gifts, meditation, pilgrimage, by repeating the text from the scripts over and over again (Sruti-smruti-japa) and by giving up all possessions. Out of these, the last is our resort. I want to retire to forest leaving the land in the care of my brothers”.
Yudhishthira fell silent after speaking the above words.
Arjuna speaks
Arjuna did not like the stand taken by his elder brother. He countered his brother’s arguments with his own reasons.
“Why are you affected so much by the events? We have rightly fought the war and won it the hard way. Do you want to leave everything at this stage? Then, why had we to kill all those veteran fighters? What will the people say when they see you begging around with a bowl in hand, you who possessed the richest of lands? Begging is for the poor and sages, not for kings”.
“The gods have, themselves, set an example for us. How have they retained their position in heaven? By fighting and winning against the demons who are their step brothers (The gods and the demons are born of the same father, kaSyapa prajaapati, to two different mothers, aditi and diti ). In the process, they have killed so many of their enemies. ”.
“Please remember one thing. You need wealth (artha) to achieve anything in this world, may it be to perform one’s duty (dharma), to fulfill one’s desires (
Yudhishthira’s response
Yudhishthira replied. “I stick to my stand. I am going to leave all these royal attire and change to one made of the bark of trees. I shall then mat my hair and leave for the forests alone. There I shall spend my days deep in meditation, sustaining my life eating fruit and roots”.
“In the forests, my sole companions will be wild animals and birds. The only music I listen to will be the noise they make. The sight of beautiful flowers and enjoying the smell will be my only pleasure. I shall expose myself to cold air and rain and thus temper my body”.
“I shall get rid of all desires and attain equanimity in mind and thoughts. Thus I shall spend the rest of my life”.
Bhima speaks
Bhima intervened at that point and spoke. “Brother, you speak words of wisdom (Veda) like a half witted person. If we had sensed your thoughts earlier, then we would not have taken the very trouble of fighting the war in the first place. Our effort is like that of someone who dug a well for a long while and stopped, soaked in mud all over, without finding water; or like that of a man who climbed up a tall tree with a lot of effort, found honey, but got down without eating it. Your action will be the same as killing so many and committing suicide at the end”.
“The scripture approves of forest life for a king in his old age or if he is defeated by an enemy. If living a life without harming others for salvation is your aim, then you should have taken birth as a tree or a hill. They do no harm to others. Thus, they must qualify for a place in heaven”.
“Please do not get into this vain talk on philosophy. Your duty is to act like a king. Thereby is your salvation”.
Arjuna’s story
Arjuna narrated a story when Bhima stopped. A few young Brahmins left their homes for a life in forest, leaving their parents and family members behind. Indra felt pity on them for their ignorant action. He appeared before them as a bird and advised them to return to their homes. Indra (as the bird) pointed out that their duty was to live the life of a house holder (grihastha) and follow the prescribed path (dharma). That was superior even to the life of a recluse in the forest. It is said that the Brahmins followed the advice given by the bird and reached heaven at the end of their normal family life.
Arjuna concluded saying, “you are well versed in the scriptures and your duty is to rule this land with courage”.
(To be continued)
