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Tag: Duryodhana

  • Caste Is By Tendencies Disposition Part I

    As none of the parameters tried, have lived up to reasonable classification, it was decided t go into the causes of Behavior, because it is behavior that determines the Life of an Individual and has an impact on the Society.

    Behavior is  mostly determined by the Genes,expressed in the form of dispositions.though the Hindus were aware of the environment playing a vital part.

    This can be seen in the legends of Viswamitra,Karna,Drona and Parsurama.

    Oh the four, Drona and Parasurama were Brahmins by birth, while Karna and Viswamitra were Kshtriyas.

    Drona, though born a Brahmin, was the Guru of the Kauravas and Pandavas fought along with Duryodhana in the epic Battle of Mahabharata

    He commanded respect from every one.

    In the battle, when Sikandi was placed in front of Arjuna, for Drona would not bear arms against a woman turned man, he asks Lord krishna,

    “What Dharma is This?

    You know I would not fight against Sikandi and Arjuna is facing me,you are placing Sikandi in front of me?

    Krishna replies.

    You ceased to be a Brahmin when you stopped teaching and started fighting, that too on the side of Evil.

    Now, you are  a Kshatriya, fight like a Kshatriya

    Karna also says the same to him when he was appointed the Chief of the Army after Bhishmacharya.

    Aswathama, after the death of his father Drona’s death, seeking to avenge his death and thinking that he would please Duryodhana, kills all the offspring of the Pandavas,  save Parikshit, informs Duryodhana of his deed.

    Duryodhana , bleeding to death, says to him,

    ‘You, in your anger have killed  my sons, for Pandavas are my brothers,it is a different issue that I had to fight them.

    That does not mean that their children are my enemies.

    As a Brahmin, you should have thought of this.

    At least , as a Kshatriya, you should have compassion ,Kshama,

    You did neither.

    You are now neither a Brahmin by disposition or a Kshatriya by duties”

    Karna, though a Kshatriya by birth , was not recognized as such, because he was brought up by a Charioteer,

    Viswamitra was a Kshatriya by birth, became a Brahmin by disposition and gave the world the Gayathri mantra, the sacred mantra of the Hindus.

    Parasurama, a Brahmin by birth is not revered as such for killed his mother at the bidding of his father and he avenged the Kshatriyas for having killed his father Jamadagni for 21 Generatiosn till he was vanquished by Lord  Rama.

    Nor his Father Jamadagni’s name is among the Gothras of Brahmins for he bade his son to kill his wife.

    His wife Renuka Devi, though of Brahmin lineage by Birth and Marriage, after resurrection was made a  Minor Deity, called Mariamman.

    Now we come across an interesting concept,

    That of assigning Caste to God!

    Vishnu is a Kshatriya.

    Brahma is a Kshatriya.

    These two perform the functions of Protecting, Creating respectively.

    As these two activities lead to  Births and Deaths, Samsara,- these activities are of a Kshatriya.

    Siva is called a Brahmin for He dispenses Knowledge, not to be confused with Rudra, the Annihilator.

    The term Siva means ‘Auspicious’

    He is the embodiment of Sat, Chit, and Anandam(Being,Consciousness and Bliss).

    ‘

    Brhaahmanosya Mukmaaseeth Bhaahoo Raajanyakruthah
    Uruthathasya Yadhvaisyah: Pathbyaagum Soodhro Ajaayatha

    His mouth formed the Brahmin (teacher or Priest), his two arms were made the Rajaanya (Kshathriya or warrior), his two thighs the Vaisyaa (traders or Agriculturist) and from his feet the Soodhra (worker or servant) was born.(Purusha Sooktham)

    Another seeming contradiction is that while The Vishnu Purana is categorized as a  Sathva(Noble,Pure,Diligent,Calmness) Purana while Siva Purana  as Tamasa Purana( Indifference)

    Probable that these are so named as to indicate the qualities of the Reader , Vishnu Purana for Karma,Bhakti Yogins while Siva Purana for karma Yogins(Non action , action with detachment)!

    Ravana was a Brahmin by birth but by duties he was a Kshatriya.

    He was respected for his knowledge and compassion .

    His fatal flaw was to lust after other’s wife.

    His status as Kshatriya did not affect his status as a Brahmin as  Lord Rama performed Tharpana for him for Brahmahathi Dosha(the sin of slaying a Brahmin) at Rameswaram; normally Tharpana is not performed by the Victors if the slain were to be Kshatriyas unless they happen to be relatives, for example by the Pandavas for the Kauravas.-Pandavas performed the Tharpna for the slain Kauravas..

    It may be noted that Birth alone does not determine the Caste, though it is also a factor.

    Disposition, performance of duties, the way one is brought up determines the Caste.

    An interesting fact is that while Kshatriyas can become Brahmins, Brahmins can never become Kshatriyas in its full connotation

    Ravana was an exception who could balance both the functions, that of remaining a Brahmin by Wisdom and Knowledge and a Kshatriya by the performance of his duties.

    As shown in the case of Aswathama, a Brahmin becomes neither, in fact without a Caste, if he vacillates between Kshatriya Dharma and Brahmana Dharma.

    Therefore, the Classification of Caste is determined by , mainly Four factors.

    1. Realizing Brahman, Reality

    The Bhagavad Gita
    “O Arjuna, the duties of sudras, kshatriyas, Vaishyas and brahmanas are attributed according to the qualities determined by their own deeds.” image credit:.mallstuffs.com

    2.tendencies.

    3.Dispositions.

    4.How one is brought up and whom he marries.

    Now let us see how the word Caste has come into our Lexicon.

    There is no word to denote ‘Caste’ as  we understand it now in Hindu Thought.

    “The English word “caste” derives from the Spanish and Portuguese casta, which the Oxford English Dictionary quotes John Minsheu‘s Spanish dictionary (1599) to mean, “race, lineage, or breed.”[5] When the Spanish colonized the New World, they used the word to mean a “clan or lineage.” However, it was the Portuguese who employed casta in the primary modern sense when they applied it to the many in-marrying hereditary Hindu social groups they encountered upon their arrival in India in 1498.[5][6] The use of the spelling “caste,” with this latter meaning, is first attested to in English in 1613.[5](wiki)

    This is totally alien to Hindu Concept.

    Caste is called as Varna , indicates disposition, disposition.

    Source:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste#Etymology

    http://ramanisblog.in/2013/06/30/why-caste-at-all/

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  • Mahabharata Battle, Rules Of War

    There are adequate references in the Ramayana,Mahabharata and Manusmriti,  the Purana and the Artha Sastra of Kautilya.

    The first requisite is to fight with out anticipation of Victory and performance of the Duty.

    Note the word duty.(Bhagavad Gita ‘Karmaneva..)

    War Rules.
    Rules of War

    War is to be engaged in these cases,

    Appropriation of other’s property,

    Appropriation of Wife

    Raping of women,

    Harassment of the citizens by Unjust King.

    Apart from this the appropriation Cattle is also a ground for War as Cattle represent the Wealth of a King.

    Note the a war was waged by Duryodhana against Drupada by Duryodhana appropriating Drupada’s Cattle.( During the Ajnatha Vasa or Incognito  Living by the Pandavas)

    Before the Declaration of War an Emissary is to be sent for negotiations or Warning.

    Mutually agreed date of engagement is to be fixed for the War.

     The Rules of War

    • Fighting must begin no earlier than sunrise and end exactly at sunset.
    • Multiple warriors may not attack a single warrior.
    • Two warriors may duel, or engage in prolonged personal combat,only if they carry the same weapons and they are on the same mount (no mount, a horse, an elephant, or a chariot).
    • No warrior may kill or injure a warrior who has surrendered.
    • One who surrenders becomes a prisoner of war and will then be subject to the protections of a prisoner of war.
    • No warrior may kill or injure an unarmed warrior.
    • No warrior may kill or injure an unconscious warrior.
    • No warrior may kill or injure a person or animal not taking part in the war.
    • No warrior may kill or injure a warrior whose back is turned away.
    • No warrior may strike an animal not considered a direct threat.
    • The rules specific to each weapon must be followed. For example, it is prohibited to strike below the waist in mace warfare.
    • Warriors may not engage in any ‘unfair’ warfare whatsoever.
    • The lives of women, prisoners of war, and farmers are sacred.
    • Pillaging the land is forbidden.

    Unjust War.

    Sukra in his Nitisara provides this information.

    5
    ‘He points out that a weak king has always had problems
    in maintaining the State. To cope with this situation, Sukra suggests three possible courses of action: a weak king should enter into a peace treaty (sandhi)
    with his enemy, or resort to Mantra Yuddha (a war of intrigues) or Kutta Yuddha
    (unrighteous war).
    36
    h e Mantra Yuddha and Kutta Yuddha were adopted to harass the enemy from the rear and all sides so as to devastate his armed forces.
    Kautilya, in his Arthasastra, mentions three types of war for the benei t of the
    State: open war; concealed war; and silent war.
    37
    Although Kautilya acknowledged

    that open warfare is the most righteous war, he did not speak against waging
    any of these types of war for the consolidation and expansion of the kingdom;
    in Adharma Yudda (unrighteous war) a declaration of war was not possible,
    because it was a secret war.”

    However a Dharma Yuddha or A righteous War is one that is waged for any or all of the reasons mentioned,not withstanding what Sukra says.

    Kautilya’s Views.

    Kautilya in his Artha sastra advocates at time war for personal gain.

    This does not have the sanction of the Sastras.

    Nor do the practices followed by Krishna during the Mahabharata War, on various occasions are approved by the sastras, though Krishna justifies them ‘in the interest of Dhrama’

    Sources:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmayuddha#External_links

    http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/other/irrc_858_sinha.pdf

     

     

     

     

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  • Ullathil Nalla Ullam,Kannadasan,Star Vijay Super Singer.Soul Stirring.

    Sivaji as karnan
    Karna

    Music….if you have agood Lyric,soothing Music,a Mellifluous voice and the Bhaava-the right emotion essayed  by a here that felt..

    Can there be anything to match it?

    It is said that excessive Happiness also brings tears .

    The original by Sirkazhi Govindrajan in Karnan never failed to me with emotion.

    Kaviarasar Kannadasan‘s Lyric-what can one say?

    In four stanza’s can one compress Karnan’s Life and Kridshna’s Conspiracy?

    ‘தாய்க்கு  நீ மகன் இல்லை ,தம்பிக்கு   அண்ணன் இல்லை ‘

    Karna at his death-bed who knew who  his mother was and it is his younger brother Arjuna who felled him.

    Yet he can not expose these facts for such is his vow.

    ‘ஊர்ப் பழி ஏற்றாயடா’

    Never knowing his lineage, he was insulted throughout his life and had to fight every inch of life for recognition,being called as a ‘b……’!
    ‘மன்னவர் பணி ஏற்கும் கண்ணன் உன் பணி செய்ய உன்னடி பணிவானடா’

    Lord Krishna was the one who is to be worshipped and accorded the Respects First at the Courts of  Kings and Emperors.

    Such is the nature of the work Lord Krishna embarked upon, that of getting the Punya or the Good results of Karna’s actions,especially of donating, He is compelled to concede that in doing so he has to touch the feet of Karna.
    கண்ணன்  உன் பணி  செய்ய உன்னடி பணிவானடா ,கர்ணா ,மன்னித்து அருள்வாயடா

    So forgive Him with your kindness .

    Note how Kannadasan uses the Third Person for him, though the song is supposed to be sung by Krishna.

    நானும்  உன் பழி கொண்டேனடா

    Lord Krishna is aware what he was about to do is not Righteous,yet He Had to do it in the interest  of the Greater Good and Dharma.

    He also knows, as in the case Valli,he is going to be remembered for this blemish.

    Kannadasan now reverts to Second person.

    This is one of the rare songs where Kannadasn uses all-First Person,Second and the Third.

    Why does Karna behave thus?

    செஞ்சோற்றுக் கடன் தீர்க்க சேராத இடம் சேர்ந்து வஞ்சத்தில் வீழ்ந்தாயடா , கர்ணா வஞ்சகன் கண்ணனடா

    The Ultimate Dharma in Hinduism is Gratitude.

    That’s what Karna has done, though he was aware what Duryodhana was doing in incorrect,such is his commitment to Gratitude.

    Adds The Poet Laureate ‘scheming and double dealing Krishna, that is Himself.

    Tell me which Religion allows some one to address God in these Terms?

    As Krishna explains in The Bhagavad Gita, ‘once born, even I am bound by the results of my actions’

    To one who knows the Mahabharata, this is a master piece of Poetry.

    I do not know what I am writing in terms of continuity of content.

    This piece is being written  after hearing a soul-stirring performance by a small  boy of this song in Star Vjay’s Super Singer Junior.

    The Judges were speechless and there were tears from the veterans of Carnatic Music.

    Such was the rendering.

    Listen and enjoy.

  • Duyodhana Praises Yudhisthira ,Sivakumar Wrong.

    In the concluding Episode of ‘Neengalum Vellalaam Oru Kodi, telecast in Star Vijay TV,anchored by Actor Surya, his father and actor Sivakumar remarked that Duryodhana praised Yudhithira because Yudhistira sent word secretly through Katothkacha, son of Arjuna about the vow of Arjuna to kill Jayathratha before sundown the next day for having killed his son Abhimanyu.

    Sivakumar seems to have his facts muddled.

    Chakravyuha
    Chakra Vyuha

    The vow of Arjuna reached Duryodhana’s camp after Arjuna vowed to kill Jayathratha.

    There were no secret parley between Duryodhana and Yudhitra during the Mahabharata war according to Vyasa.

    Hence there was no question of Duryodhana praising Yudhisttra on this issue.

    However Duryodhan praises Yudhitstra for having allowed his brother Sahadeva t fix an auspicious date for performing the Human Sacrifice before the start of the Mahabharata War for Duryodhana.

    “Yudhisthira and others sat, tears streaming from their eyes. Arjuna defeated Trigartas and returned. The ominous silence in the camp filled his heart with an unknown dread. He too was in a deep and profound shock to learn about the tragic killing of his son in the Chakra-Vyuha in the cruelest manner. Even Krishna could not check his tears, hearing about the death of his favourite Nephew. Arjuna was told all the gruesome details, how six maharathis together killed his son.

    Then Arjuna stood up, suddenly and said, Tommorrow, I promise I will kill Jayadratha. If I do not kill him before sunset tommorrow, I will enter the blazing fire with my Gandhiva.

    This lifted the gloom from the hearts of the Pandavas camp. They gave lusty cheers and sounded the drums and trumpets. This unusual and uncalled for cheering drew the attention of the spies and they rushed to Duryodhana to give him the news of Arjuna Oath. In Pandava camp no one could sleep. The death of Abhimanyu had caused too much of grief. They were praying that Arjuna fulfills his terrible oath of killing Jayadratha the next day.

    Jayadratha was panic-stricken hearing about the oath of Arjuna. He rushed to Drona. He said, “I will run away and go back to my kingdom. Arjuna cannot kill a man who has run away from the battle. It is against the dharma and Arjuna is righteous.” Drona laughed and said, Do not talk of Dharma. By running away you may not be able to save your life. Your life can be saved only if you remain in the battle. The entire Kaurava army and all the heroes will guard you only. You are a no mean fighter yourself. Lord Shiva blessed you. Why are you afraid of Arjuna? If he fails to kill you, he will enter the fire. Once Arjuna is gone, the Pandavas would lose the war.” Duryodhana also agreed with the views of Drona. Now Jayadratha was some what pacified.

    It was heart-rendering scene at the Pandavas camp. Arjuna, not having the courage to face his wife Subhadra, asked Krishna to pacify her. It took all task and compassion of Krishna to pacify somehow his sister Subhadra and Draupadi. He asked them to have courage like Kshatriya women and to go to Uttara and comfort her. Subhadra and Draupadi comforted Uttara. She was delirious with sorrow. She was carrying Abhimanyu’s child in her womb, who was to be the sole survivor of the Pandavas.

    Krishna could not sleep. He was worried about Arjuna’s oath. He called his charioteer Daruka. He said, Daruka. Tommorrow, the spies tell us that Drona is going to form a very complex and formidable Vyuha to protect Jayadratha. Besides all other Kaurava warriors Drona and Karna will be there to guard Jayadratha. The Sun being in Dakshinayana sets early now a days. Arjuna will not be able to defeat Drona,Karna and all other warriors, to reach Jayadratha. So keep my chariot ready. Keep my bow, Saranga, Chakra Sudarshana and mace Kaumudiki in it. Fix the Garuda banner. Yoke Valahaka, Shaivya, Meghapushpa and Sugnva, my beloved horses. Wear your armour. When I sound ‘Rishabha’ note from Panchajanya, bring the chariot to me. I have taken an oath not to join the war. But Arjuna is my devotee and a friend. I cannot allow his words to be untrue, even if my words become false. The honour of my devotee is dearer to me than my own honour. Arjuna will not be allowed to fail his words, even if I have to kill Drona and Karna with my own hands. Daruka listened to Krishna’s command with tears in his eyes. He said, I will do as my lord commands, but I can see no way Arjuna can fail when the lord of the universe is guiding his chariot. Daruka left to make the necessary preparations. Then Krishna went to sleep as a burden had been cast off his mind.

    http://www.urday.in/marjunavow.htm

    Jayadratha fought on the side of Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War. On the 13th day of the Mahabharata war, when the Chakravyuha was launched by Dronacharya, then Jayadrath made use of the first boon granted to him by Lord Shiva. He was able to hold all the Pandava brothers at bay except Arjuna and Krishna who were busy battling elsewhere with Susharma and his brothers. Jayadratha allowed Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu to enter the battle, but effectively closed the opening created by Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu who did not know how to exit from the Chakravyuha got trapped and gets killed in a brutal way by the Kauravas treacherously. After the end of the battle, Jayadratha kicked the dead body of Abhimanyu and rejoiced around it.

    The Pandavas were startled and enraged after finding that Jayadratha (whose life was once spared during the Draupadi’s abduction episode in the past) was able to hold the world’s most powerful warriors at bay. Arjuna blamed Jayadratha to be the cause for Abhimanyu’s death. He vowed to kill him the very next day before sunset, failing which Arjuna would kill himself by jumping in a pyre of fire.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayadratha#Arjuna.27s_revenge