Adi Parva



Chapter One



Maharaja Shantanu Marries the Celestial Ganga



According to the historical records of this earth, there once lived a King
named Maharaja Shantanu, the son of Pratipa, who took his birth in the solar
dynasty and was considered naradeva, the manifest representative of the Supreme
Lord on earth. His fame and rule extended to all parts of the world. The
qualities of self-control, liberality, forgiveness, intelligence, modesty,
patience and power always resided this exalted emperor. His neck was marked
with three lines like a conchshell, and his shoulders were broad. In prowess He
resembled a maddened elephant. Above all these qualities, he was a devoted
servant of Lord Vishnu, and therefore he was given the title, King of kings.

Once when Maharaja Shantanu, that bull among men, was wandering in the forest,
he came upon a place frequented by the Siddhas and Charanas (a class of
heavenly demigods). There he saw an angelic woman who appeared like the goddess
of fortune herself. In truth, she was the personification of the river Ganges.
She was glancing at the monarch with her youthful longing eyes, and Maharaja
Shantanu became attracted to her. He then approached her inquiring, O
beautiful woman, are you from the race of the Gandharvas, Apsaras, Yakshas,
Nagas or the human race? As yet I have no queen, and your birth appears divine.
Whatever your origin, O celestial beauty, I request you to become my wife.

The beautiful apsara (celestial maiden) then smilingly replied, O King, I
shall become your wife and obey your commands, but there are certain
conditions. You should not interfere with my actions, whether agreeable or
disagreeable. Also you should never chastise me with harsh words. If you assent
to my request, I shall live with you. The King, infatuated with love, agreed
to her proposals.

Having taken the lovely Ganga for his wife, Maharaja Shantanu passed many
years in her association. She satisfied the King by her charm and affection, as
well as by her music and dance; and thus the King passed many seasons
unconscious of time. While enjoying himself in her company, he conceived eight
children by her that were equal in quality to the heavenly gods. However, on
the birth of each child, Ganga threw them into the river, exclaiming, This is
for your good! The King was not pleased with his wife's conduct, but he dared
not speak a chastising word, lest she leave his company. However, when the
eighth child was born, the King could not tolerate the killing of another child
and he spoke harshly, Do not kill this child! Why do you kill your own
children? O murderess of your sons, the reaction to such sin is very great!

When reproached in these words, the celestial beauty replied, I shall not
cast this child into the river, but according to our marriage agreement, our
relationship has ended. I am Ganga, the personification of the River Ganges,
and I am ever-worshipped by the great sages and common people. My origin is the
divine feet of Lord Vishnu. I have lived with you only to accomplish the
purpose of the demigods. The eight Vasus were cursed by Vashistha Muni, and
thus they have appeared on earth as a reaction to that curse. They have pleaded
wth me to free them from this bondage immediately after their birth. I have
lived with you long enough to fulfill my promise to the Vasus. This last child
is destined to live on earth for some time. His name will be Devavrata, and he
shall be famous as a lion among men.

Maharaja Shantanu then inquired from his wife, What offense did the Vasu's
commit for which they were born on earth as human beings? Why, also, is this
last child destined to live on earth longer than the others? O Ganga, my wife,
please clarify this.

 Being thus questioned by the King of the earth, Ganga replied to the Monarch,
O best of the Bharata race, on Mount Meru there are many picturesque forests.
In one such wooded region lives a renowned sage named Vashistha Muni. He is
adept in the practice of austerity and meditation. With the help of his
Kamadhenu cow, he performs sacrifices to please the Supreme Being. One day, the
eight Vasus headed by Prithu came to that forest. Roaming about with their
wives, the Vasus entered the hermitage of Vashistha Muni. At that time they
spotted the celestial cow named Nandini. One of the Vasus, whose name was
Dyu,then informed his wife, çThis cow belongs to the eminent sage Vashistha,
and it is said that the mortal who drinks the milk of this cow remains
unchanged for ten thousand years.' Turning to her husband she replied, çI have
a very dear friend named Jitavati who is the daughter of the sage Usinara. I
wish to take this cow and calf as a present for her.' When repeatedly
petitioned by his beautiful wife, Dyu, along with his brothers, abducted the
Kamadhenu cow, forgetting who was the actual owner.

That evening, when Vashistha returned to his hermitage, he could not find his
Kamadhenu cow or its calf. He began to search the forest, but nowhere could
they be found. By his mystic power, obtained by long years of austerity, he
then understood that the cow and its calf had been taken away by the Vasus.
When the sage's wrath was kindled, he cursed the Vasus, çBecause the Vasus have
stolen my Kamadhenu cow, I curse them to be born on earth as ordinary mortals.'
The sage then returned to his practice of ascetic meditation.

When the Vasus heard of Vashistha's curse, they came to his hermitage to
pacify him. They praised him with amiable words and offered to return the cow.
However, they failed to obtain clemency from the great sage. The great brahmana
Vashistha, who is naturally kind to everyone, then compassionately said, çThis
curse is the suitable punishment to rectify your enjoying mentality. You will
be freed from it shortly after your earthly birth. However, your brother Dyu,
who actually stole my cow, shall have to domicile on earth for a long period of
time. Dyu, though living on earth, shall not marry and have children. He will,
however, be a man of kingly virtue and will know the essence of the holy
scriptures. He will be an obedient servitor to his father, but will have to
live without female companionship.'

The Vasus Ganga continued, then came to me and begged a benediction. They
asked that I cast them into the waters of the Ganges immediately upon taking
their birth. O best among kings, I have fulfilled their desire, but this last
child, Dyu, will have to reside on earth for some time to fulfill the curse of
Vashistha Muni. Having related the Vasus' history, Ganga disappeared with the
child, and the King returned to his palace with a sorrowful heart.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata Summation to the First Chapter of the Adi Parva,
Entitled, Maharaja Shantanu Obtains the Celestial Ganga for His Wife.



Chapter Commentary



Maharaja Shantanu lived in the age of the Dvapara yuga, more than five
thousand years ago. He was a saintly King who cared about his citizens and
sought their welfare.Time passes through four ages; the first being the Satya
yuga which is compared to spring time. In this age persons have long lives and
are very much inclined toward meditation and austerity. The Treta yuga is
compared to the summer time. In this age people are very pious and there are
hardly any stringent miseries. The Dvapara age is like autumn time. Material
miseries become apparent and the principles of religion decline. The age we are
living in now is the age of kali, which is compared to the winter season. Most
people are not inclined toward spiritual life, and because of this they suffer
stringent material miseries. They commit grossly sinful acts for which they
suffer life after life. The history of the earth, before the Kali age, is
recorded in such Vedic literatures as the Puranas, Mahabharata, and Ramayana.
These divinely inspired literatures are filled with histories of saintly
emperors who protected their citizens, endeavoring to elevate them to the
platform of God realization. This Mahabharata is a factual historical account
of what happened on earth thousands of years ago.

In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna told Arjuna, In the beginning of creation,
the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along
with sacrifices for Vishnu, and blessed them by saying, çBe thou happy by this
yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable
things.'(Bg.3.10) Advanced human society centered on God realization has been
existing since the beginning of creation. In fact, the Puranas are historical
records of civilizations more advanced than the one today. The people and
civilizations of this present age, Kali yuga, have actually diminished in good
qualities as confirmed in the Srimad Bhagavatam, O learned one, in this iron
age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided,
unlucky and, above all, always disturbed. (S.B. 1.1.10) This is a quotation by
Saunaka rishi to the sages of Naimisharanya. We learn from Vedic history that
thousands of years ago men were more advanced in moral qualities and that
civilizations were more prosperous, materially and spiritually. This point will
be discussed in greater detail as this narration proceeds.

Since the historical past cannot be perceived by the gross senses, we have to
accept authorities who have knowledge of the past, present and future. In the
Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna states, From Me comes knowledge, remembrance and
forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known. I am the compiler of Vedanta
and, indeed, I am the knower of the Vedas. (B.g. 15.15) Lord Krishna is the
Supreme Godhead and the Supreme Authority. Because He is God, He knows
everything about the past, present and future. What is written in the Puranas
is His account of the past. Therefore, if we accept His statements as they are
handed down in disciplic succession and understood by the spiritual master,
then we can have perfect knowledge of the past without having to waste billions
of dollars on mental speculation. This Mahabharata is an emanation from that
Supreme Being, and was compiled by Srila Vyasadeva who was empowered for this
exact purpose.

The disciplic succession is maintained by Lord Krishna so that perfect
knowledge is available at all times. The skeptics will say that it is
impossible not to make a mistake in handing down disciplic knowledge, because
of man's imperfection. However, a bona fide spiritual master does not have the
imperfection of mortal senses. How is this? Because a pure devotee of God is
being directed by the Lord in the heart, his senses become as good as the
Lord's. Pure devotees of God may differ in implementing God's will according to
time, place and circumstance, but the conclusion of the teachings is the same.
In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna states, The Supreme science was thus
received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings
received it in that way. But in the course of time the succession was broken,
and, therefore, the science as it is appears to be lost. (B.g. 4.2) The
disciplic succession was broken when Duryodhana became king, and therefore Lord
Krishna had to reestablish it by removing Duryodhana and establishing Maharaja
Yudhisthira as a saintly king, able to carry on the disciplic succession. The
Supreme Lord fulfills all desires. If one wants perfect knowledge of God, the
Lord will send his authorized representative to teach him.

Sometimes we fantasize that we are more materially advanced than previous
civilizations, considering our archeological findings. We will learn from the
Mahabharata that human beings had superior intelligence and stronger bodies in
bygone ages. A man could capture knowledge just by hearing it once and could
recall it anytime during his life, verbatim. He didn't need computers, printing
presses or books, for just by hearing from teachers and authorities once, he
would remember it for the rest of his life. However, today, we are not so
fortunate. The brain cannot retain knowledge just by hearing once. The
knowledge needs to be repeated again and again. We need computers and books to
help us for we lack that power of remembrance. Oral tradition is actually
superior if the brain is superior.

In this first chapter of the Adi Parva, Ganga, the goddess of the river
Ganges, was married to Maharaja Shantanu to fulfill the curse of Vashistha
Muni. The children born of their marriage were destined to die after birth, due
to a sin that was performed in a previous life. Today, children are killed in
the womb for the same reason. If we kill, we will be killed. That is the law of
nature or karma. For sins committed in a previous life, we suffer in this life.
If a child is aborted in this life, that child killed in a previous life. How
do we stop abortion? We have to stop killing in this life for which we will
suffer in the next. For good works done in a previous life, we prosper in this
life. God is not so cruel as to allow some to enjoy and others to suffer. The
living being is the cause of his or her own happiness and distress. This is
confirmed by Lord Krishna in the thirteenth chapter of Bhagavad-gita, Nature
is said to be the cause of all material activities and effects, whereas the
living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this
world. (B.g. 13.21) When suffering comes to us, we should understand that it
is for our sins. We should not blame others, but we should blame ourselves.



Adi Parva



Chapter Two



Maharaja Shantanu and Devavrata



 Many, many years passed, and Maharaja Shantanu had to learn to live in
separation from his wife and son. One day while chasing a deer along the bank
of the Ganges, the King noticed that the river had become shallow. He had never
seen this before, and he sought the cause. While searching along the river
bank, he spotted a handsome, powerful, and heroic youth. The boy was releasing
celestial weapons impeding the flow of the Ganges. This young boy was Maharaja
Shantanu's son, whom he had not seen since the boy was born. However, the King
could not recognize him as such because he had only seen his son for a few
moments after his birth. The youth, upon seeing his father, knew him to be so
and out of shyness disappeared from sight.

King Shantanu was struck with wonder and imagined that the youth might be his
own son. He then continued down the river bank, and there he saw Ganga whom he
had not seen in years. As he approached her, he saw the same boy standing at
her side. She then informed the king, O best among kings, our eighth child is
standing next to me. His name is Devavrata. He has been trained in the heavenly
planets and has knowledge of all the celestial weapons of warfare. Devavrata
has been the student of Vashistha Muni, who has taught our son the Vedas and
their branches. O descendent of Bharata, both the demigods and the demons look
upon him with favor. Whatever knowledge the sage Brihaspati has learned, this
child has also learned, and whatever weapons the powerful and great Parashurama
possess, this boy also possesses. Now that his training is complete, you may
take Devavrata and raise him as your own. Thus commanded by Ganga, Devavrata
accompanied Maharaja Shantanu to his capital city.

 Maharaja Shantanu became attached to the boy who was endowed with all good
qualities. Devavrata also became attached to his father, and it was seen that
the two were always together. They talked together, walked together, ate
together, slept together, and hunted together. Indeed, they were almost
inseparable. Four years passed in this way.

One day, the King entered the forest along the bank of the Yamuna. While
roaming in that region, he perceived a sweet aroma coming from an unknown
direction. He followed the scent, and while wandering here and there, he came
across a woman of heavenly beauty. Her name was Satyavati, and she was the
daughter of a fisherman. He was pierced by the arrows of Cupid, and desiring
her for his wife, he inquired, Who are you, and who is your father? Also,
please tell me what you are doing here. Replying to the King she said, My
name is Satyavati, and I am the daughter of the fishermen King. My father has
engaged me in the pious activity of rowing passengers across the river
Yamuna.

Bewildered by the beauty and charm of this girl, the King approached the
fisherman and spoke to him of a proposed marriage. The fisherman replied, My
daughter certainly could not find a more suitable husband than yourself.
However, you must fulfill my one desire. I wish that the son born of my
daughter be the next king of the world, and no one else can become your
successor.

When that great descendant of Bharata heard the terms for gaining Satyavati,
he felt no desire to grant such a benediction, and thus he returned to his
capital. While riding on his chariot, he constantly thought of the beautiful
fisherman's daughter. With a sorrowful heart, he entered his palace and did not
say a word to anyone, not even Devavrata. Upon seeing his father's unhappiness,
Devavrata approached him inquiring, Please tell me father why you are so
unhappy? You have not spoken a word to me, nor have you performed your daily
duties. Please reveal the cause of your distress, and I will find a cure for
it.

When requested in these words, Maharaja Shantanu replied, My dear son, I am
thinking of the instability of human life. If sudden death were to overcome
you, I would be without a son. You are like a hundred sons to me, and I do not
desire to marry again. I only desire that our dynasty be perpetuated. The wise
say that he who has one son has no son at all. It is quite possible that you
will be slain on the battle field, and if that happens, what will be the state
of the Bharata dynasty? It is these thoughts that have made me so unhappy.

Devavrata was intelligent and reflected on his father's words. He felt there
was something more than his father had revealed. He then went to the King's
chariot driver and questioned him about the cause of the monarch's sullen mood.
The charioteer told Devavrata about the fisherman's daughter and the
benediction sought by her father. Understanding the situation, Devavrata,
accompanied by some of the family elders, went to the fisherman's cottage. The
chief of the fishermen greeted Devavrata, offering him a seat. He then informed
him in sweet words, O son of Shantanu, I welcome you for you are the pride of
the kshatriya race. You are certainly invincible, but I have something to tell
you. Even if the future husband of my daughter were to be Indra himself, he
would have to lament, for the requirements for marrying Satyavati apply to all.
Many sages have told me that your father is the only suitable husband for
Satyavati. I have even rejected the requests of the great rishis in the matter
of her marriage. The one great obstacle to this marriage is that you will be
crowned King and not the son born of Satyavati and Shantanu. This is all I have
to say in the matter.

Understanding the fisherman's desire, Devavrata meditated on the situation,
and wanting to benefit his father, he informed the fisherman, O fisherman,
listen to my vow. There has not been, nor will there ever be born a man who can
make this vow. I shall fulfill your request. I take the vow that the son born
from Satyavati and my father shall be king, and I shall relinquish my claim to
the throne.

Upon hearing Devavrata's promise, the fisherman, who sought sole sovereignty
for Satyavati's son, said, This vow that you have taken will certainly come to
pass, but I have one doubt that is still in my mind. What will happen to your
children? They may also claim the throne. Devavrata replied, O chief among
fishermen, listen to the vow I shall make in the presence of these assembled
elders. I have already relinquished my claim to the throne, and now I shall
settle the matter of my descendants. I shall adopt the vow of brahmacharya and
agree never to marry.

Hearing the oath spoken by Devavrata, the hair on the fisherman's body stood
on end, and he promised, I shall hand over my daughter to Shantanu. When
Devavrata made this vow, the heavenly denizens showered flowers, and the
firmament was filled with the sounds, This one shall be known as Bhishma [one
who has taken a difficult vow]. The only sounds heard were Bhishma!,
Bhishma!, This one shall be called Bhishma!

Ganga's son then took Satyavati on the chariot and returned to Hastinapura.
When Maharaja Shantanu heard about the oath his son had taken, he was pleased
and gave him a benediction, You shall never experience death as long as you
wish to live. Indeed, you will die only when you desire it. Thus Satyavati was
married to Maharaja Shantanu, and that glorious King accepted her into his
palace and maintained her as she desired.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata Summation to the Second Chapter of the Adi Parva,
Maharaja Shantanu and Devavrata.





Chapter Commentary



Devavrata had taken a life-long vow of celibacy, and this was a rare occurance
amongst the ksatriyas. Ksatriyas usually have many wives and sometimes hundreds
of children. This was not uncommon in the previous ages. Because ksatriyas are
in the mode of passion, it was almost impossible for them to control sex
desire, which is the cause of all bondage to this world. They, therefore, took
many wives and maintained them in great opulence. Bhishma was a great devotee
of the Lord and because of his devotion to the lotus feet of the Lord, he was
able to make a life-long celibacy vow, rejecting the feminine beauty of this
world. By keeping the seminal fluid within, a man increases in strength,
memory, intelligence and duration of life. This is one reason why Bhishma was
destined to become the most powerful of the great warriors. Even in his old age
during the battle of the Bharatas at Kurukshetra, he was considered to have
been the most powerful warrior.

Another point to be learned from this chapter is position of young women in
Vedic society. Young girls were never allowed to walk the streets searching for
a husband. It was the duty of a father to get his daughter married at a young
age. The sex desire becomes very prominent when a young girl reaches puberty.
If she is married at that time, this will save her from becoming a prostitute.
In Vedic times, if a girl was even touched by another man, no one would marry
her. Wives were chosen on the basis of chasity and purity. It has become a
social custom in the western world for young girls to mingle freely with young
boys and often lose their virginity before marriage. Sometimes these girls
become pregnant and give birth to unwanted children. The young girl, bereft of
a husband, has to fend for herself, which may lead her to further sinful
activities. The child born out of such lust generally turns out to be a useless
member of society, and no one can understand why our youth are becoming
degraded. This is all due to ignorance of God's law concerning the social
organization of human society.

In the western societies, abortions and contraceptives have become the
standard. Aborting a child in the womb means suffering a future sinful
reaction. The mother, the father, the doctor and anyone else involved will
suffer the karmic reaction of killing another living being. In their next lives
they will be forced to enter the womb of a woman and be aborted themselves. The
pain that they inflicted by aborting the innocent child in the womb will come
back to them in a future birth. Due to ignorance of material nature's laws,
people suffer greatly; and even when they are told of sinful activities and
their consequences, they say they don't believe in such things. In this dark
Kali age we seem to have to learn things the hard way.

Another important point in this chapter is Maharaja Bhishma's vow. Generally,
great devotees take vows to please Lord Krishna; they never take vows for
fruitive gain. Bhishma took this vow of celebacy so his father could enjoy
material sense gratification. One may say that this has nothing to due with
pure devotional service, and in fact it doesn't. However, we learned from the
previous chapter that Bhishma, as the Vasu, Dyu, was cursed by Vashistha Muni
to not have female companionship while living as an ordinary mortal. His vow
was simply a fulfillment of that curse, and had nothing to do with any fruitive
desire of his own. Also, Bhishma was a great devotee and was under the
influence of Krishna's Yogamaya potency. In other words, this situation set the
scene for the Lord's forthcoming appearance and would play a role for
instructing the whole world.







Adi Parva



Chapter Three



Bhishma Abducts Three Princesses



In due course, Maharaja Shantanu's Queen, Satyavati, bore a highly qualified
son named Chitrangada. He was blessed with invincible power and was destined to
become a renowned archer. Later, another son was born to Satyavati, named
Vichitravirya. He developed into a natural leader and heroic warrior. As the
two sons grew to maturity, they brought joy to the King and Queen. Soon
Maharaja Shantanu found himself growing old, and seeing the influence of
inevitable time, he decided to retire to the forest to practice austerities for
realizing the kingdom of God. Before entering the forest, Maharaja Shantanu
enthroned Chitrangada as the world's king under Bhishma's protection. He then
departed to the forest alone to perform penances and austerities. Maharaja
Shantanu soon became absorbed in trance and realized his original relationship
with the Lord in the kingdom of God. When his meditation upon the Lord's
transcendental form was unbroken, he ascended to the spiritual world.

When Chitrangada became King, he soon challenged and eliminated all opponents
on the planet earth. Indeed, all the earthly kings considered that there was no
kshatriya equal to him. Nevertheless, in the heavenly planets there lived a
Gandharva King whose name was also Chitrangada. Upon hearing that an earthly
being bore his name and was considered invincible, he challenged the son of
Satyavati. There then took place on the field of Kurukshetra a battle that
endured for a full three years. Both Chitrangadas were powerful, and the battle
was fierce, but in the end the Kuru prince was slain. The King of the
Gandharvas then ascended to the heavenly planets satisfied at heart. After the
death of his step brother, Bhishma performed the last funeral rites and then
enthroned Vichitravirya as the world's emperor, although he was only a small
boy. Until Vichitravirya matured in age, Bhishma ruled the kingdom. Maharaja
Bhishma took care of Vichitravirya like a father, arranging for the education
and military training of the future king.

When Maharaja Bhishma saw that Vichitravirya was of marriageable age, he
thought of obtaining a queen for him. At this time he heard that in the kingdom
of Kashi three daughters were being offered in marriage. These princesses had
heavenly beauty, and it was known that they were to select their own husbands.
Bhishma went alone in his chariot to the city of Varanasi, and there he saw
countless monarches who had assembled hoping to wed one of the princesses. The
names of those beautiful girls were Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. While the
daughters of the King were being introduced to the assembled heroic princes,
Bhishma stood up in the assembly and commanded, The wise have declared that
when a qualified person has been invited to a svayamvara, a maiden may be
bestowed upon him. There are eight kinds of marriage ceremonies, but the wise
highly applaud that a princess taken by force in the presence of competitors is
the foremost svayamvara. Therefore, strive to your best ability to defeat me or
be defeated.

After challenging the assembled kings and princes, Bhishma put the three
princesses on his chariot and proceeded to leave the Kashi kingdom. The
kshatriya princes then stood up and, in great fury, challenged Bhishma to a
fight. They put on their armour and pursued him in great haste. Attacking
Ganga's son with full force, they poured a thick deluge of arrows upon him.
Maharaja Bhishma, however, nullified those arrows with his own, and then
pierced each prince with three shafts.The princes in turn pierced Bhishma with
many arrows, and then released javelins and darts hoping to encompass his
death. The battle was fought with such intense fury that even those who were
courageous became struck with fear. Keeping his bow drawn in a constant circle,
Bhishma severed arrows, bows, flagstaffs, coats of armor and human heads by the
hundreds. The son of Ganga defeated the supporting armies that opposed him, and
those who were heroes applauded the prowess of such a great warrior. When
Shantanu's son had crushed all opponents, he proceeded to the Kuru kingdom,
taking with him the three heavenly princesses.

While Maharaja Bhishma was proceeding toward Hastinapura, King Salwa, whose
prowess was famed, suddenly appeared from behind. He challenged Bhishma,
Wait!, Wait! Bhishma flamed up in anger and turned to meet the challenge of
the oncoming monarch. All the princes, who had been defeated, assembled to see
the battle between those two bulls among men. King Salwa first covered Bhishma
with many golden arrows. All the assembled princes applauded Salwa's prowess,
but Bhishma was furious and told his charioteer, Take me closer to Salwa's
chariot, so I may kill him in the way Garuda kills a serpent. The Kuru chief
then fixed the varuna weapon to his bow, and releasing it put Salwa's horses
into confusion. This weapon caused a tidal wave to appear. Showing his
supremacy with the bow, Bhishma released a flaming arrow which killed Salwa's
charioteer. The powerful son of Shantanu then released the aindra weapon which
killed Salwa's horses. (This weapon is similar to a modern day machine gun, but
is more powerful and more accurate.) As the battle continued, Bhishma shattered
all the weapons of Salwa, but left him with his life. After defeating all
opponents, Bhishma proceeded to Hastinapura and offered the beautiful
princesses to his younger brother.

After performing this uncommon exploit, Bhishma arranged the marriage ceremony
for Vichitravirya. At that time the eldest daughter of the Kashi King, whose
name was Amba, approached Bhishma appealing to him, At heart I had chosen King
Salwa as my husband. He had in his heart chosen me for his wife. This was also
approved by my father. At the svayamvara in Kashi I would have garlanded him
and accepted him as my lord if you had not forcibly taken me away. You are
aware of moral principles, so please decide whether I am free to go. Bhishma
deliberated for some time, and after consulting with qualified brahmanas, he
decided that Amba could return to the kingdom of Kashi and marry the lord of
her heart.

The other two princesses, Ambika and Ambalika, who were as beautiful as the
heavenly denizens, accepted Vichitravirya as their husband and considered
themselves very fortunate. They considered him a worthy husband, and loved and
respected him in every way. Vichitravirya was endowed with the prowess of the
devas and could steal away the heart of any woman. Thus King Vichitravirya was
duly married to the princesses of Kashi, and he passed seven years happily in
their company. However, while he was still in his youth, he was attacked by
tuberculosis, and although everyone tried to effect a cure, the Kuru prince
died, setting like the evening sun. Bhishma lamented the death of his younger
brother, and finally performed the last funeral rites.





Thus Ends the Mahabharata Summation to the third Chapter of the Adi Parva,
Bhishma Obtains Three Queens for Vichitravirya.



Chapter Commentary



Maharaja Shantanu wanted to be enlightened in self realization and factually
know the difference between the body and the soul. The soul takes one body
after another according to the sinful or pious activities of this life. Emperor
Shantanu wanted to stop the repetition of birth and death by becoming fully
absorbed in God consciousness. Not only did he himself take spiritual
realization seriously, but he also instructed his citizens about the life's
ultimate aspiration. In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, O scion of
Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to
understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is my opinion.
(B.g. 13.3) Because spiritual knowledge is the zenith of wisdom, Vedic
civilization centered on this point, and therefore was considered more
progressive than the present civilizations in which knowledge of the external
body is given primary importance. Any civilization that doesn't teach the
difference between the body and the soul is an animal civilization, no matter
how materially advanced. The animals simply eat, sleep, mate and defend, and
any civilization that teaches these animalistic propensities as life's prime
goal cannot obtain spiritual perfection. As Lord Jesus Christ states, Seek ye
first the kingdom of God and all things will follow.

Kings in Vedic culture were called naradeva, because they were representatives
of the Supreme Lord. They never thought themselves to be the highest authority,
but acted on the advice of highly qualified priests and sages. Any head of
state who does not act as the representative of the Lord will surely guide
himself and his citizens down to hellish life. They become like blind men who
lead their citizens into the ditch of repeated birth and death. King Shantanu
set the example for his citizens, and upon seeing that his body was aging, went
to the forest to attain liberation in complete Krishna consciousness.

When both Chitrangada and Vichitravirya died, there was lamentation by all the
family members. Happiness in this material world is temporary. Everyone wants
an eternal lover, father, mother, friend, son or daughter. We are eager to have
a lover eternally, but the lover grows old and is no longer appealing to the
mind. We are always eager to have a parent-child relationship, but the son
grows up, or as in this case the son dies. We are very eager to have a friend,
but we find that the friend moves to a distant country or we are cheated in
personal dealings. And the relationship of master and servant is broken by
mistrust. The temporary relationships in this world are like drinking sweet
rice mixed with sand. The nice taste of the sweet rice is there, but the sand
particles make it unpalatable. Similarly, the relationships of this material
world are only temporarily pleasing, because the sand particles of birth,
death, old age and disease make it unpalatable. In the spiritual world,
however, one can have Krishna as a lover eternally, as in the case of the Gopis
of Vrindavana. Mother Yashoda and Nanda Maharaja enjoy having Krishna as their
son eternally. In the spiritual world one can play with Krishna as a cowherd
boyfriend eternally. One can have God as his master eternally and never feel
cheated. Therefore this material world is only a mirror reflection of the
spiritual world. If you place a banana in front of a mirror and try to eat the
mirror reflection, you will be frustrated. Similarly if we try to enjoy the
temporary relationships of this world, we will be frustrated. We have to
reestablish our loving relationship with the Supreme Lord, and then we will be
happy and never have to lament as did the queens of Vichitravirya.





Adi Parva



Chapter four



Bhishma Battles Parashurama



After receiving consent from Maharaja Bhishma, Princess Amba left the city of
Hastinapura, and traveled to the province where King Salwa ruled. She was
granted an interview and bowing before him she pleaded, I have come to take
shelter of your mighty arms, O brave King. Please accept me as your queen.
King Salwa laughed to hear Amba's request and informed her, I no longer desire
you for my queen, for you have been touched by another. It is Bhishma only who
can marry you. When Bhishma abducted you, you followed him willingly enough.
How can a king like myself, who is acquainted with Vedic knowledge and is
supposed to guide others accordingly, accept into his palace a woman who is
intended to marry another? O princess of Kashi, you may go wherever you like,
but I cannot accept you as my queen.

Amba was aggrieved by King Salwa's rejection. She pleaded again, O lord of
the earth, it is not as you say. Bhishma took me away by force. I did not go
with him willingly. I am attached to you, and I beg you to accept me. The
scriptures declare that a king should not abandon one who is dependent on him.
I swear, O tiger among men, that I have never thought of any other man except
you. Bhishma will not marry anyone, and my two sisters have been married to
Vichitravirya. Therefore, O King, accept me as you wife for I have no other
shelter. Although she repeatedly solicited King Salwa, he would not accept her
and ordered her to leave his kingdom. Thus Amba left the kingdom of Salwa,
lamenting her destiny.

Amba decided to inhabit the forest and practice austerities and penances for
the rest of her life. In her wanderings, she came upon the ashrama of some
great rishis, and she informed them of her plight. It so happened that among
those great sages was her maternal grandfather, Hotravahana. The royal sage
felt despondent for what had befallen her and told her that on the following
day, Parashurama, the martial teacher of Bhishma, would come to the ashrama. He
was sure Parashurama would influence Bhishma to accept her hand in marriage.

The next day Parashurama arrived at the ashrama and Amba related to him the
events of her abduction by Bhishma and her rejection by King Salwa. She
requested the great sage to kill Bhishma. Parashurama felt sorry for the girl
and gave her hope by saying, O daughter of Kashi, I will not take up weapons
except to protect those that follow the Vedas. Tell me, therefore, what I can
do for you. Both Bhishma and Salwa are obedient to me. Do not lament. I will
fulfill your desire.

Parashurama, the annihilator of the ksatriyas, then went to Hastinapura, and
when Bhishma learned that his preceptor had arrived, he went out of the city to
greet him. Bhishma worshipped him according to his position and then waited for
him to speak. Rama inquired from Bhishma, After taking a vow of celibacy, in
what mood did you abduct the princess of Kashi and then send her away?
Contaminated by the touch of your hands, no one will marry her. Salwa has
rejected her because you have forcibly placed her on your chariot. O King, it
is not proper for her to be humiliated in this way. Therefore, at my command
take her yourself and marry her according to Vedic rites.

O brahmana, Maharaja Bhishma replied, I could not bestow this maiden upon
my brother because of her desire to accept Salwa as her lord. As for myself, I
have taken a vow of perpetual celibacy, and I will not break that vow under any
circumstances. Upon hearing the disobedient words of his disciple, Parashurama
was outraged and rolling his eyes in anger, he said, If you do not follow my
commands, then I shall kill you this very day, along with your counsellors!
Bhishma tried to placate his preceptor by sweet words, but Parashurama could
not be pacified. He told Bhishma, You accepted me as your preceptor, yet, O
Kaurava, you will not follow my instructions. If you want to please me then
accept this maiden as your wife.

I cannot follow this instruction, O best of the rishis, Maharaja Bhishma
replied. O son of Jamadagni, all your attempts to secure this marriage will be
in vain. What warrior would accept into his abode a woman whose heart was
wedded to another. O brahmana, I will not forsake justice even from fear of
Indra. One can reject the order of the preceptor if he is filled with vanity,
destitute of knowledge concerning right and wrong, and who follows a devious
path. You are my preceptor, and I have tried to pacify you as far as possible.
However, this instruction is not according to religious principles, and
therefore, I will fight with you. I would never slay my preceptor in battle.
However, it is a well known truth that one is not guilty of slaying a brahmana
who takes up arms like a kshatriya. Because you are acting unrighteously, I
will fight with you. O Rama, equip yourself with proper weapons and position
yourself on the Kurukshetra field. Subdued by my arrows, you will obtain the
higher regions. The brahmanas have spoken of the power which you exhibited
against the kingly dynasties long ago. However, in those days there was no
Bhishma, nor were there any warrior kings like Bhishma. Kshatriyas endowed with
power took their births later on. The person who will quell your pride has now
taken birth, and this is none other than myself.

Bhishma and Parashurama then made their way to Kurukshetra. Maharaja Bhishma
was stationed on a chariot drawn by white horses. Parashurama had created by
his mystic power a beautiful chariot drawn by horses that could travel at the
speed of the mind. The fighting began when Parashurama struck his disciple with
hundreds of arrows. Bhishma countered with many more arrows, and the fighting
went on till the end of the day. However, it was seen that neither was the
victor.

After the battle had ceased, Bhishma's charioteer plucked out Parashurama's
arrows from his own body. He also withdrew the arrows from the horses and those
of his master, Bhishma. The son of Ganga then went to his tent for his nightly
rest. When the sun had risen the following day, the battle resumed. Bhishma
offered his obeisances unto his preceptor and again fought with him. On this
day all the celestial weapons were used. Rama released the vayavaya weapon
(tornado weapon), but Bhishma countered it with the guhyaka weapon. Bhishma
then released the agneya weapon which brought about great fire. However
Parashurama released the varuna weapon (water weapon) causing the fire to
abate. The preceptor neutralized all the weapons released by his disciple.
Parashurama then released a flaming arrow that struck Bhishma in the chest,
causing him to fall unconscious on the floor of his chariot. The charioteer
then took Bhishma away from the battlefield. All the followers of Parashurama,
including the princess of Kashi, were pleased with that action. However,
Bhishma regained consciousness and came back to fight with his martial teacher.
He struck Parashurama with a powerful arrow, causing him to fall unconscious on
the battlefield. The princess of Kashi and others came to his side, reviving
him with cold water and sweet words. Parashurama then rose up like lightning,
and again engaged in furious combat with his disciple. In this way the duel
went on for twenty three days.

On the night of the twenty third day, Maharaja Bhishma retired to his tent
and, lying down on his bed, began to reason, This fighting has been going on
for many days, and still I have not defeated him. I am unable to vanquish the
son of Jamadagni. If I am to succeed in subduing this foremost brahmana, then
the gods must assist me. Thinking like this, Bhishma fell asleep. In a dream,
eight brahmanas appeared before him encouraging, Rise up, O son of Ganga. Do
not fear. We will protect you from Parashurama. We will help you conquer Rama
in battle. During tomorrows encounter, the mantras for the praswapa weapon will
come to your mind. Neither Parashurama nor any other person is acquainted with
it. With this weapon you will defeat your preceptor. O King, it will not slay
Parashurama outright, and, therefore, there will be no sin incurred in using
it. After he has been defeated, you will be able to awaken him with the
samvodhana weapon. Having said this much, the eight effulgent brahmanas
disappeared.

When dawn appeared the next day, Maharaja Bhishma joyfully equipped himself
for battle. Parashurama also ascended his chariot and prepared to fight his
disobedient disciple. Parashurama first hurled a dart that was as relentless as
Indra's thunderbolt. It was thrown with such lightning force that it appeared
like a blazing meteor. That dart descended upon the Bhishma's shoulder, causing
severe pain to the great hero. Angered by the weapon, Bhishma released an arrow
that struck his martial teacher in the forehead. Rama paid no attention to the
pain and invoked the brahmastra weapon. This weapon is similar to a modern day
atomic bomb. Bhishma also released the same weapon, and when the two weapons
met, there was an expansion of light similar to that at the time of
dissolution. When the two weapons were neutralized, Bhishma thought of
releasing the praswapa weapon. When he was thinking in this way, the mantras
for the weapon appeared in his mind. While Bhishma was fixing the weapon to his
bowstring, he heard many voices in the sky loudly exclaiming, O son of the
Kuru race, do not release the praswapa weapon! Bhishma paid no attention and
drew back the string of his bow. At that time Narada appeared on the scene
imploring Bhishma, O descendent of Kuru, do not release this weapon. Even the
demigods are forbidding you. Rama is a brahmana who has performed great
austerities, and he is also your teacher. O Bhishma, never humiliate him.

Upon hearing Narada's order, Bhishma withdrew the praswapa weapon.
Parashurama's father, Jamadagni and grandfather, Richika, then appeared before
Parashurama ordering, O son, never again engage in battle with Bhishma or any
other kshatriya. Heroism and courage in battle are the qualities of a warrior,
and study of the Vedas and the practice of austerities are the wealth of the
brahmanas. Previously you took up weapons to protect the brahmanas, but this is
not the case now. Let this battle with Bhishma be your last.

Parashurama then replied to his forefathers, I cannot give up this combat. I
have vowed that I will never leave the battlefield without defeating my enemy.
This battle can only cease if Ganga's son desists from fighting.

Those great sages then went to Bhishma requesting, O son of Shantanu, you
should not fight any longer with your preceptor. You should now worship that
esteemed brahmana.

I have taken a vow that I will never lay down my weapons without defeating my
enemy, Bhishma replied. I cannot abandon my kshatriya oath.

The sages once again spoke to Rama, O son of the Bhrigu race, it is not
possible to defeat Bhishma, nor is it possible for Bhishma to defeat you. It
has been ordained by providence that the son of Indra, Arjuna, will be the
slayer of Bhishma. While the forefathers of Rama were speaking to him, the
pitris (a class of demigods) appeared on the scene and obstructed the chariot
of Rama. They forbade him to fight any longer.

Just at this time, the eight effulgent brahmanas that Maharaja Bhishma had
seen in his dream appeared before him requesting, O powerful warrior, go to
your preceptor and worship him. Without his benediction, you cannot obtain
happiness.

Bhishma, upon seeing that his mentor had laid aside his weapons, bowed before
him and offered respectful worship. Rama then praised his disciple, There is
no kshatriya equal to you on earth. You have pleased me with your prowess and
your humility. Bhishma then offered respects to his teacher and returned to
Hastinapura.

Parashurama then called for Amba and remorsefully said to her, O princess of
Kashi, I have fought to my best ability, but I could not defeat Bhishma. I have
fought with the weapons of the heavenly gods, but still I could not slay him. O
beautiful lady, fate seems to have you in her strong grip. It will not be
possible for me to change what providence has destined for you.

Amba was determined that Bhishma should die. She again inhabited the forest
and practiced very severe austerities. She gave up all food and water and lived
only on air. She stood immovable like a tree for six months. After this she
increased her austerities by entering the waters of the Yamuna for one whole
year. She then stood on her toes for twelve years, scorching the heavens by her
austerities. Soon Lord Shiva became pleased and appeared before her. He asked
her to take a benediction. With joined palms, she solicited Bhishma's death. He
granted the benediction saying, It will be you who will cause his death. Amba
then inquired, How will it come to pass that I, a woman, will defeat Bhishma?
Lord Shiva replied, My boons will never go in vain. You will be born in your
next life as a female in the family of King Drupada, changing to manhood in
that very life. You will become a great maharathi (chariot fighter), and
remembering your former hatred for Bhishma and the incidents in this life, you
will cause his death in battle. After granting this benediction, Lord Shiva
disappeared from that place.

Amba was joyous to receive Lord Shiva's boon. Wanting to take her next birth
as soon as possible, she gathered logs for a funeral pyre. When the fire was
blazing, she entered it uttering the words, I pray for Bhishma's death. Amba
then took her birth in the family of King Drupada, and she was known as
Shikhandi. She was born to fulfill Lord Shiva's benediction.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata Summation to the fourth Chapter of the Adi Parva,
Entitled, Bhishma battles Parashurama.





Chapter Commentary



Parashurama was the martial teacher of Bhishma, and, therefore, it was
expected that Bhishma would submit to the demands of his preceptor. That is how
one advances in spiritual life. Both Bhishma and Parashurama are in the
category of liberated associates of the Lord. Parashurama is an shaktavesha
avatara [an empowered living entity], and Bhishma was a pure devotee of the
Lord, one of the twelve mahajanas. This pastime was arranged by the internal
potency of the Lord and therefore cannot be imitated. The four Kumaras were
liberated devotees, and they disobeyed the order of their father, Brahma, when
he requested them to get married and beget progeny. The conditioned soul cannot
imitate these pastimes and disobey the order of the spiritual master. It is
stated by Vishvanatha Chakravarty Thakur that by pleasing the spiritual master
one pleases God, and by displeasing the spiritual master one displeases God. We
have personally seen during the life of our spiritual master that certain
disciples fell down from the path of devotional service by displeasing the
spiritual master. For the conditioned soul it is imperative that he follow the
order of Guru so that he can come to the transcendental platform of self
realization.

All the spiritual masters and acharyas in the disciplic line of Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu have set the example of strictly following the order of the
spiritual master. Even Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Lord Krsna Himself,
accepted a spiritual master, Isvara Puri, and strictly followed his
instructions. Isvara Puri instructed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to only chant the
Hare Krishna maha mantra and not to read Vedanta Sutra. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
who is Lord Krsna Himself, is the author of Vedanta Sutra, but to show the
conditioned souls in this age of Kali how to follow the instructions of a bona
fide spiritual master, he never studied Vedanta Sutra again. When Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu defeated Prakashananda Saraswati, a mayavadi sannyasin, in debate,
he did so on the basis of Srimad Bhagavatam. He did this to show humility
before the order of the bona fide spiritual master.

In this chapter the revengeful attitude shown by Amba is not the nature of a
Vaishnava (devotee). Due to sinful activities performed in many millions of
births, the living entity has caused his own suffering. In the thirteenth
chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna told Arjuna purusah sukha-duhkhanam,
The living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in
this world. From this we understand who is the actual cause of Amba's
suffering. Due to some impious deed performed in a previous life, she is
suffering for want of a husband. Therefore, she should not blame a respected
person like Bhishma, but herself.

When a person comes to Krishna consciousness, the Supreme Lord minimizes the
karma of the living entity, karmani nirdhahati kintu ca bhakti bhajan (Bs.5.54)
What ever karmic reactions the living entity would have received under the
modes of material nature are now minimized and given directly by Lord Krishna.
Therefore, a devotee should see everything as God sent and take the humble
position as mentioned by Lord Chaitanya in His shikshastaka, One should chant
the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind thinking oneself lower than
the straw in the street, more tolerant than a tree and ready to offer all
respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the
Lord constantly.(Shikshastaka 3)

Unfortunately, Amba had not conquered the real enemy of hatred within. She had
not achieved the platform of a Vaishnavi. If she had, she would have tolerated
the situation, taking it as the mercy of the Lord. In Lord Brahma's prayers to
Lord Krishna the ideal mentality is revealed, My dear Lord, one who earnestly
waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently
suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful
obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation,
for it has become his rightful claim. [Bhag. 10.14.8] Our sufferings are due
to our own misdeeds, and others are simply instruments to receive our
punishment. We should learn, not to see the immediate cause, but the remote
cause of our suffering, our own sins. Therefore, Jesus Christ told the stone
throwers, Let he who is free from sin cast the first stone. We cannot blame
anyone else for our own sufferings.



Adi Parva



Chapter Five



The Birth of Dhritarastra, Pandu and Vidura



After the last funeral rites were performed for Vichitravirya, Satyavati wept
and lamented for her deceased son. Ambika and Ambalika were also greatly
overwhelmed at the untimely death of their husband. Upon realizing the possible
extinction of the dynasty, Satyavati approached Bhishma requesting him, The
perpetuation of the Kuru dynasty now depends on you. The wives of your brother,
Ambalika and Ambika, desire progeny, and under my order you should procreate
children by them to continue this dynasty. You should duly marry a wife of good
character and enthrone yourself as king. Do not plunge our ancestors into
hell.

Upon hearing Satyavati's request, the relatives and friends of the Kuru family
agreed. However, Bhishma replied to his stepmother, O mother, what you have
said is certainly sanctioned according to the code of virtue, but you forget my
vow regarding marriage and children. I have taken a vow of lifelong celibacy. I
may have to renounce kingship of the three worlds, the kingdom of heaven, and
anything greater that exists, but this vow I will never renounce. The earth may
lose its scent, water may lose its moisture, the sun may lose its glory, and
fire, its heat. The moon may lose its cooling rays, or Indra his prowess, but I
will not renounce this vow.

Hearing Bhishma's determination, Satyavati replied, I know the vow that you
have taken is on my account, but considering the present emergency you should
accept this order as duty to the ancestors. Bhishma again emphasized his duty
to truth, O Queen, do not sway from the path of virtue. Renunciation of a vow
is never acclaimed in the shastras (holy scriptures). Listen to this narration
and then decide the right course of action. In a former millennium,
Parashurama, killed Kartavirya Arjuna in battle for the sin of slaying his
father. Not only did he kill the followers of Kartavirya Arjuna, but he
destroyed the entire kshatriya race twenty-one times. When the earth was devoid
of great warriors, the queens approached the great rishis and procreated
children by them and thus the kshatriya race was revived. Therefore, a purified
brahmana should be invited with an offer of wealth, and let him raise children
by the wives of Vicitravirya.

Smiling brightly, Satyavati agreed with Bhishma and informed him, O
descendant of Bharata, I agree with this proposal. I now understand what is to
be done in this connection. My father was an honest man, and to maintain pious
activities, he kept a boat for rowing passengers across the river Yamuna. One
day the great sage Parashara came and requested me to take him across the
river. While I was rowing the boat, the sage became attracted to my beauty and
requested fulfillment of his passionate desire. However, I was afraid of my
father's wrath, but I was also afraid that the rishi might curse me. The sage
brought me under his control, and in the middle of the river Yamuna, he created
a dense fog. He satisfied his sensual desires and was very pleased with my
submissiveness.

Before that time, Satyavati continued, a fishy odor emanated from my body,
but after the rishi's touch, a celestial aroma radiates from my person. The
sage assured me that by bringing forth a child in the middle of the river, I
would still remain a virgin. The child born of our union was the eminent
erudite sage, Vyasadeva. He has compiled the Vedic knowledge, and expounded the
science of devotion to God. Because he was born in the middle of a river, he
became known as Dwaipayana [the island born]. Because he compiled the Vedas, he
is known as Vyasadeva, and because of his blackish complexion, he is known as
Krishna. He is truthful in speech, sense controlled, and freed from all sins.
If I ask him, then certainly he will generate good children by the wives of
your brother. Previously, Vyasa had promised me, çMother, when you are in
difficulty simply remember me, and I will come to you by the speed of the
mind.' If you are willing, Bhishma, I will call him this very moment.

Upon hearing the name of Vyasa, Bhishma joined his palms in reverence saying,
This sage has true wisdom and sense control, and would be a fit person to
continue the Kuru dynasty. Therefore, you have my full approval.

When Bhishma had given his consent, Satyavati immediately thought of her son,
Vyasa, and within moments, the great sage appeared before her. Satyavati duly
welcomed her son and taking him in her arms, bathed him with affectionate
tears. Vyasa offered obeisances to his mother saying, O mother, I have come to
fulfill your desire. Command me at once, and I shall carry out your order.

O my son, Satyavati replied, recently Vichitravirya, the King of this
world, expired leaving no descendant, and thus the Kuru dynasty is in danger of
extinction. Here is Bhishma, Shantanu's son, but he has taken a vow of celibacy
and will not beget children. The two wives of Vichitravirya, Ambika and
Ambalika, are still living, and I request you to conceive children by them to
continue the Kuru dynasty.

Vyasadeva, hearing the appeals of his mother, replied, Since Vichitravirya is
my brother, born of your womb, I shall give birth to children who will equal
the heavenly gods. Let the queens observe the vows I indicate for one full
year.

Satyavati expressed her urgency, There is very little time for vows. The
earth is without a king, and the citizens, being without a protector, will
certainly perish.

If conception must take place this month, Vyasadeva replied, then the
queens of Kashi must be willing to bear my ugliness, strong odor and matted
locks. If they can perform these austerities, then they will give birth to
noble children. Let one of the queens, dressed in clean clothes and bedecked
with ornaments, wait for me in her bed chamber.

Satyavati then approached Ambika, explaining to her the situation. With great
e fort Ambika was convinced that it was for the good of the world. When the
right time came for conceiving a child, Satyavati took Ambika to the bed
chamber and told her, Vichitravirya had an older brother who has been, until
this time, unknown to you. He will soon come here and conceive a child by you
that will perpetuate our dynasty. Wait for him here without dropping off to
sleep.

Ambika then waited in her room contemplating the person to be Bhishma or one
of the other Kuru elders. Suddenly Vyasadeva entered the room, and Ambika,
seeing his matted locks, ugly features and grim visage, closed her eyes in fear
and did not open them once during the time of conception. When Vyasa came out
of the chambers, he met his mother who inquired, Will this princess have a
worthy son? Hearing her, he replied, The child born shall have the power of
ten thousand elephants. He will be equal to a royal sage, and will possess
learning, intelligence and prowess. However, because the princess has closed
her eyes during conception, the child shall be born blind. Upon hearing this
prediction from her son, Satyavati wondered, How can a blind king rule this
earth? How will he protect his family and the people of this world? You must
again conceive another child that can act as a King. Vyasadeva agreed and went
away. In due course of time, Ambika gave birth to a male child who was blind.
After the child's birth, he was given the name Dhritarastra.

Satyavati was anxious to beget another male child who could rule the world,
and after receiving Ambalika's consent, she called for Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva
came as promised and approached the chambers of Ambalika. Ambalika, seeing the
repulsive features of Vyasa, turned pale with fear. After conception, the sage
left the chambers and told his mother, Because this queen has paled upon
seeing my austere features, the child born will be white in color. His name,
therefore, will be Pandu, or one with a white complexion. In due course of
time, Ambalika gave birth to a child endowed with auspicious marks. He was pale
in complexion, but was handsome in all respects. Indeed, it was this child who
would become the future father of the Pandavas.

Sometime after this child was born, Satyavati approached the beautiful
Ambalika, again asking her to conceive a child by Vyasadeva. The princess felt
she could not bear again to see the ugly features of the sage, and thus she
sent to her chambers one of her maid servants who had heavenly beauty. When
Vyasa entered the chambers, the maid servant offered respects to the sage,
treating him kindly. She took her seat near him when asked. Vyasadeva was well
pleased with her, and upon leaving told her, You shall be a slave no longer.
Your child will be justice personified and esteemed among intelligent men on
earth.

After leaving the queen's chambers, Vyasa met his mother and informed her of
Ambalika's deception, and how he had begotten a son by a shudra woman. After
speaking with his mother, Vyasa disappeared. The child born of the maid servant
was named Vidura. He was an incarnation of Yamaraja, the great vaishnava
mahajana and the lord of death. Due to the curse of Mandavya Muni, Yamaraja had
to be born on earth as a shudra. Thus from the wives of Vichitravirya,
Vyasadeva begot two sons, Dhritarastra and Pandu, who would save the Kuru race
from extinction.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata summation to the Fifth Chapter of the Adi Parva,
Entitled, The Birth of Dhritarastra, Pandu and Vidura.





Chapter Commentary



After Vichitravirya's death, the mother and wives lamented greatly. Attachment
is found even in the families of great dynasties. Maya is so strong that one
thinks that his family members will live eternally and that he or she will
never die. Queen Kunti was born in a royal dynasty descending from the moon
god. Her sons were all born of great demigods and were highly qualified. She
understood her attachment was not proper, and therfore she prayed in the
presence of Lord Krishna, O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O
personality of the form of the universe, please sever my tie of affection for
my kinsmen, the Pandavas and the Vrishnis. (Bhag. 1.8.41) There is nothing
wrong with affection and attachment, but we must owe our greatest affection to
God first. Queen Kunti concluded her prayers to Lord Krishna, O Lord of Madhu,
as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be
constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else. (Bhag.
1.8.42) Or as Lord Jesus Christ put it, I have not come to this earth to bring
peace, but a sword, I will turn the father against the son and the mother
against the daughter. Those of his own household will be his enemy. He, who
loves father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me.

It is not that emotional feelings can be suddenly cut off. Feelings of
affection have to be transferred to Lord Krishna, and then one not only has
affection for his family members, but for all living entities, because one
comes to the realization that everyone is part of the family of the Supreme
father, Lord Krishna. The process for becoming attached to Krsna has been given
to us by Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Yuga Avatara for the Kali
age. He has requested us to chant the Hare Krishna maha mantra, Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare
Hare. This will cleanse the heart of all material desires and attachments and
fix the mind on the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

Queen Satyavati was very anxious beget a qualified king to give protection to
the citizens. In the age of Kali powerful warrior kings no longer exist nor do
qualified brahmanas. Previously the kings were heroic men who would face each
other on the field of battle and fight till death. They knew that if they died
on the field of battle facing the enemy, they would attain a higher destination
after this life. Therefore, they were fearless in battle. As the iron age of
Kali progressed, the warrior kings lost their strength and heroism. Today
armies no longer face each other in battle, but hide in trenches and behind
trees, fearful of death. They are not conviced that there is another life after
this one. Gone are the days of these chivalrous warriors, because everyone in
this Kali age is fastly becoming a shudra. The modern leaders of the world do
not have a heroic fighting spirit, and thus they do not come out on the field
of battle to lead their forces. They sit in their offices thousands of miles
away from the battlefield. Even the modern day generals do not lead their
forces into battle, but direct them miles away from the front line. Great
generals such as Bhishma and Arjuna commanded the respect of all the citizens
by being fearless in battle.

In the Kali-yuga, the act of begetting a child in a brother's wife is
forbidden. In the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, there is the following verse,
asvamedham gavalambham, sannyasam pala-paitrikam, devarena sutopattim, kalau
panca vivarjayet, In the age of Kali, five acts are forbidden: the offering of
a horse in sacrifice, the offering of a cow in sacrifice, the acceptance of the
order of sannyasa, the offerings of flesh to the forefathers, and a man's
begetting children in his brother's wife. [Brahma-vaivarta Purana,
Krishna-janma-khanda 185.180] In the Kali-yuga the offering of a cow or horse
in sacrifice is forbidden because the brahmanas are no longer qualified. The
brahmanas would first kill a cow or horse by mantra, and then by another mantra
bring it back to life with a new body. This power of mantra has been lost in
the Kali-yuga, and therefore the act is forbidden. When the brahmanas could not
bring the animal back to life, they continued with the sacrifices, considering
the animal meat as the prasad or mercy of the Lord. In this way meat eating
began in Vedic culture. It was for this reason that the Lord incarnated as
Buddha, saving the the poor animals from slaughter. He stopped all Vedic
sacrifice by preaching the philosophy of ahimsa or nonviolence.

The only sacrifice recommended in the age of Kali is the chanting of the Hare
Krishna maha-mantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare
Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. After all, sacrifices are meant to please
God, and in this age the Lord is satisfied by such a simple process. In the age
of Kali, the Supreme Lord in His form of Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu should be
worshiped with his associates by performance of sankirtan yajna, the
congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. This process is accepted by
intelligent men. yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah [Bhag.
11.5.32]. The word sumedhasah refers to intelligent men who possess sufficient
brain substance.

Sannyasa is also forbidden in the age of Kali because it is difficult to find
a person qualified for complete renunciation. In the Kali-yuga people are very
fallen. In the Shrimad Bhagavatam Shrila Saunaka Rishi addressed Suta Goswami
thus, O learned one, in this iron age of Kali persons have but short lives.
They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and above all always disturbed.
[Bhag. 1.1.10] In India it has become popular to accept the renounced order of
life simply to fill one's belly. This has give a very bad name to the sannyasa
order, and people no longer have respect for that ashrama. These so-called
renunciates have sex with many women and are more like monkeys than sannyasis.
Because people are generally in the modes of passion and ignorance, it is not
possible for them to accept the renounced order of life and follow the strict
rules and regulations of that order. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the
renounced order of life at the age of twenty-four. He did so to deliver the
fallen condition souls. Only a person who has transcended the modes of passion
and ignorance, and is firmly established in goodness can become a sannyasi,
strictly following the regulative principle of no sex.

It is also forbidden to beget children in the womb of a brother's wife. In
previous yugas if a man was sterile or the husband had died, then the brother
was called upon to propagate children as in the case of Vicitravirya and
Vyasadeva. However in the Kali-yuga unscrupulous people will take advantage of
this Vedic principle simply to have illicit sex. This leads to further incest
which degrades the quality of the population. Thus this is a forbidden act in
this age.



Adi Parva



Chapter Six



The Pandavas are Born



Upon the birth of Dhritarastra, Pandu, and Vidura, the earth prospered. There
was an abundant harvest of crops, and all the trees were ladened with fruits
and flowers. The seasons arrived and passed on time, and there was ample
rainfall in the land of Bharatvarsha. The people became learned, brave and
honest, and guided by Maharaja Bhishma, performed devotional sacrifices for the
pleasure of Lord Vishnu. The people of Hastinapura were so contented with the
rule of Maharaja Bhishma that they thought they were living in the Vaikuntha
planets. Hearing of the Kuru's prosperity, people came to take shelter in that
kingdom. Thus under the influence of a godly King the earth prospered.

Maharaja Bhishma raised the three children, Dhritarastra, Pandu and Vidura, as
if they were his own. As Pandu grew, he excelled all men in archery, whereas
Dhritarastra excelled in personal strength, and it was soon known to everyone
that there was no one equal to Vidura in devotion to Vishnu and knowledge of
the dictates of morality. In due course of time Pandu became King, for
Dhritarastra was blind, and Vidura was born of a maid servant. Therefore,
neither of them could accept the throne.

As Dhritarastra and Pandu matured in age, the time came to marry them to
proper wives. Considering the situation, Bhishma decided that three princesses
were worthy of being married to the Kuru princes. They were Gandhari, the
daughter of the Gandhara King, Pritha, the daughter of King Surasena, and
Madri, the daughter of the King of Madras. Bhishma had heard that Gandhari, the
daughter of King Subala, was granted a benediction by Lord Shiva that she could
have one hundred sons. Attracted to the idea of marrying Dhritarastra to
Gandhari, Bhishma, the grandfather of the Kurus, sent messengers to the father
of Gandhari. King Subala at first hesitated, hearing that Dhritarastra was
blind, but taking into consideration the blood line of the Kurus, he consented
to marry her to Dhritarastra. When the chaste Gandhari heard that her future
husband was blind, she voluntarily blindfolded herself and took a vow to remain
so for the rest of her life. Shakuni, the son of Subala, then took Gandhari to
the city of the Kurus, Hastinapura, and formally handed her over to
Dhritarastra. Gandhari became so chaste and devoted to Dhritarastra, that she
never spoke of men other than her husband or her superiors.

The chief of the Yadu dynasty was Surasena. He was the father of the
magnanimous Vasudeva. He also had a daughter named Pritha, who was unrivaled in
beauty among earth women. She was adopted by King Kuntibhoja, who had no
children. This was an agreement made previously by the two Kings. They agreed
that if a girl was born to Surasena, she would be handed over to King
Kuntibhoja who was childless. Thus Pritha, who later became known as Kunti,
lived in the palace of King Kuntibhoja and looked after the duties of greeting
important guests and brahmanas. Once, during her youthful years, she pleased,
by menial service, the easily angered brahmana Durvasa Muni. The muni gave her
a benediction that she could call any celestial being from the heavenly regions
to produce children of the highest quality. Kunti, while still a virgin girl,
once called, out of curiosity, Surya, the sun god. When she chanted the mantra,
the sun god immediately appeared before her saying, I have come before you, O
lotus-eyed lady. Please fulfill the purpose of the mantra. Kunti was stunned
and told the sun god, I simply tested the mantra given to me by Durvasa Muni.
O lord, please forgive my offense. Surya replied, Once I have been called by
this mantra, the result cannot go in vain; it must bear fruit. Although you
will bear a son by me, you shall remain a virgin girl.

Thus succumbing to the desires of the deva, Kunti immediately conceived and
bore a child that was equal to the sun god himself. The child was born with
natural golden armor and glittering earrings. To keep her virginity intact, the
sun god arranged that the child be born from Kunti's ear, and for this reason
the child was named Karna. The sun god immediately ascended to heaven. Not
knowing what to do, Kunti placed the child in a basket and set it afloat on the
Ganges. She prayed to the sun god to protect the child. The child floated down
the river for some time and was eventually picked up by a carpenter and chariot
driver named Adiratha. In great happiness he took the newly found child to his
wife Radha, who was childless. Together, both mother and father began to care
for the child considering him a gift of providence. Unfortunately, Kunti had to
give the child up out of fear of her relatives.

When it was time for Kunti to be married, her foster father, Kuntibhoja,
invited princes and kings from other countries to be present. In this
svayamvara (wedding) ceremony she was to pick her own husband. The budding
youthful Kunti, upon entering the assembly hall, saw the handsome Pandu, proud
as a lion, broad-chested and endowed with unsurpassable prowess. He was like
the moon amidst its many luminaries. Advancing with modesty, she placed the
wedding garland around Pandu's neck, and thus she accepted the Kuru prince as
her beloved husband. King Kuntibhoja arranged for the wedding functions and
bestowed upon Pandu a large dowry. Afterwards, Pandu took his new wife back to
Hastinapura and gave her the opulence she deserved.

Sometime later, Bhishma set his heart upon getting Pandu married to a second
wife. Accompanied by his army, Bhishma went to the kingdom of Madras. There he
obtained Madri, the attractive sister of Salya, and, after receiving a
sufficient dowry, brought her back to Hastinapura where she was united to Pandu
in great pomp.

After some time, Pandu set his mind on conquering the world. With his vast
army, consisting of many akshauhini divisions of soldiers, Pandu subjugated one
country after another (A solid phalanx of 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants,
109,650 infantry and 65,000 calvary is called an akshauhini). He first
conquered the robber tribes of Asarna. He next headed toward the kingdom of
Magadha, where there reigned a King named Dhirga. This King was proud of his
strength and had made numerous offenses against other monarches. Pandu broke
the strength of his army and killed him on the field of battle. Taking
everything in the King's treasury, he marched into Mithila and subjugated the
Videhas. He then conquered the kingdoms of Kashi, Sumbha, and Pundra. When all
the kings of the world were thus defeated, they considered Pandu to be a
demigod like Indra, the King of heaven. They paid tribute to him and offered
all kinds of wealth to gain his favor. Thus the Kuru King returned to his
capital, taking with him his acquired opulence.

After establishing his power over the earth, King Pandu retired to the forest
along with his two wives, Kunti and Madri. There they lived in opulence and
enjoyed the beautiful wooded areas at the base of the Himalayan mountains. One
day, Pandu, while roaming about the forest, saw a large deer that seemed to be
the leader of a herd. It was engaged in sex with its female companion. Pandu
pierced them both with five sharp arrows. The animal was not actually a deer
but a rishi's son of great ascetic merit, who was enjoying his mate in the form
of a deer. When pierced in this way, the deer fell uttering cries like a human
being.

In anger the deer chastised Maharaja Pandu, O King, even men that are slaves
to lust and anger and who are ever sinful never commit cruel acts such as this.
Why have you pierced me with arrows while I was enjoying my wife?

Kings engage in the sport of killing deer in the same way as they kill
opponents of religion, Pandu replied. You should not reproach me for a sin
done in ignorance. Animals of this species are killed in the open or hidden
from view. Formerly, the sage Agastya, while engaged in the performance of
sacrifice, killed every deer in the forest and offered it in sacrifice to the
heavenly gods. I am presently killing deer in the forest for use in sacrifice.
You have been killed for the same reason. Seeing that I am following in the
footsteps of the great sages, why do you reproach me?

O King, the deer replied, I do not blame you for slaying a deer. But
instead of acting so cruelly, you should have waited till the act of
intercourse was complete. I am a muni named Kindama, and I was engaged in
sexual intercourse with my mate, because unrestricted sex life is not allowed
in human society. You have slain me without knowing that I am a brahmana, and
therefore, the reaction for killing a brahmana will not come upon you. However,
because you have killed me while I was enjoying my wife, certainly your fate
will be like mine. When you approach your wife for intercourse, premature death
will overcome you and your wife. You have brought lamentation to me when I was
seeking happiness, and now I say, grief will come to you when you seek pleasure
with your wife. Pronouncing this curse, the sage, in the form of a deer, left
his body and attained the heavenly regions due to his ascetic merits.

After the sage's death, King Pandu was momentarily bewildered by such a
reversal in his life. The wicked, Pandu exclaimed, even if born in pious
families, are deluded by their passions. Although I am the son of the great
Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa, I have engaged in the frivolous act of killing deer
in the forest. O, how foolish I have been; the demigods have forsaken me. I now
seek liberation. The great impediments to salvation are the desire to beget
children and the other pleasures related to sex life. I shall live the life of
an ascetic and bring my passions under control by severe austerities. I shall
renounce my kingdom and, shaving my head, wander the earth begging my
sustenance from the trees and the rivers. I will no longer find fault with
others, but have a friendly attitude, devoted to the good of all creatures. I
will take complete shelter of the Supreme Lord, who is the only savior from all
miseries.

After this unforeseen calamity, King Pandu sent all his servants and wealth
back to Hastinapura, and he also sent the news to Bhishma and his brothers of
all that had taken place. The elders in the court at Hastinapura were sullen on
hearing what had happened. Dhritarastra was especially affected by the turn of
events.

While living in the forest, Pandu renounced sense gratification and became a
distinguished sage, although born of the warrior race. The great rishis in the
forest treated him like a brother or friend. While living in the forest, Pandu
became fully satisfied in himself, but he understood that the world was now
without protection. Also he knew that his debt to his forefathers could not be
paid unless he had children who could perform sacrifices. When the rishis in
the forest visited the heavenly realm, Pandu could not accompany them. With
some anxiety in his heart, he requested Kunti, For the world's protection and
to preserve the Bharata dynasty, I want you to procreate children by a highly
advanced brahmana. Without powerful children to maintain the Kuru dynasty, the
whole world may fall into ruin. Also, one has a debt to pay to his ancestors by
begetting good children. In the same manner that Vyasadeva conceived me, I want
you to concieve children by the semen of some great rishi.

Kunti was ever agreeable to her husband's desires and advised him, When I was
a young girl, I used to wait upon guests and satisfy them to their hearts'
content. One day a brahmana named Durvasa Muni came to my father's palace. By
my menial services I satisfied the brahmana, and he desired to grant me a
benediction. He bestowed upon me a mantra by which I could call any demigod
from the heavenly realms. He benedicted me saying, çWith this mantra you may
call any demigod, and they will abide by your will. Any demigod you summon will
give you children.' On your order, I shall petition any celestial being you
wish. O foremost of all truthful men, tell me which of the devas I should
summon.

Kunti's words delighted Pandu, and he joyfully replied, O most fortunate
Kunti, invite the ruler of justice, Yamaraja. He is most pious and devoted to
Lord Vishnu. Indeed, he is a mahajanas and will not pollute our dynasty with
sin. Kunti abided by Pandu's order and prepared to call the demigod Yamaraja.
(At this time Gandhari had been pregnant for one whole year.) Kunti repeated
the incantation that Durvasa Muni had imparted to her, and Yamaraja appeared.
By him she conceived a child that was equal to the great Yamaraja himself. When
the child was born, there was a celestial voice from the heavens that
announced, This child will possess divine consciousness, and he will be the
foremost of virtuous. He will become famous as one who rules by the will of
God. Endowed with invincibility and truthful speech, he will become the emperor
of this earth. This first son of Pandu will be named Yudhisthira, and his fame
shall be celebrated throughout the heavens.

Pandu was overjoyed by the birth of such a pious son, and he again ordered
Kunti, The wise have declared that a king must be endowed with physical
strength, otherwise he is no warrior. Therefore, call for Vayu, the mighty
demigod of the wind. Kunti then summoned the celestial being Vayu, and coming
before her, the wind god inquired, O Kunti, please tell me why you have called
me. Smiling with modesty, she replied, Please give me, O best of the
celestials, a child endowed with super human strength and a robust body. Let
him be capable of humbling the pride of everyone. Vayu then conceived a child
by her who was destined to become the strongest human on earth. When the child
was born, a voice from the heavens announced, This child shall be known as
Bhima, and by his physical prowess he will conquer all men. On this same day
that Bhima took his birth, Duryodhana was also born from Gandhari.

One day, shortly after Bhima's birth, Kunti was holding him in her lap. The
child had just fallen asleep, when suddenly a lion roared. Kunti rose,
forgetful that the child was on her lap. The child fell down the mountain side
and pulverized a large stone upon which he fell. The child was not hurt in the
least, but Pandu was amazed at the sturdy body of his son.

After the birth of Bhima, Pandu desired more children. He told Kunti to
practice austerities for one year, and he himself stood on one leg from morning
till evening every day in rapt meditation, hoping to satisfy Indra, the King of
heaven. Indra, being pleased with Pandu, appeared before him and said, I will
give you, O King, a child who will be celebrated for all time. He shall
annihilate the impious and give joy to the virtuous. He will be a great devotee
of the one Supreme Lord.

King Pandu then called for Kunti, and told her to summon Indra. Kunti,
following the order of her husband, called Indra, and by him a child was born
that was to be the intimate friend of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Upon the birth of this child, a celestial voice from the heavens
announced, This child shall be known as Arjuna. He will be equal in bowmanship
to the great Kartavirya, and in prowess he will resemble Lord Shiva. Invincible
in battle, he will propagate the fame of the Kuru dynasty far and wide. After
acquiring all celestial weapons, he will retrieve the fortunes of your
dynasty. After these prophetic words were heard, kettledrums rolled, and the
heavenly gods and rishis showered flowers on the Earth.

The celebrated Pandu was overjoyed and approached his wife aspiring for more
children. However, before Pandu could speak, Kunti warned, The wise do not
sanction a fourth child even in case of emergency. The woman who has
intercourse with four different men is called a prostitute, and with a fifth
she is called a harlot. Therefore, O great King, because you are learned in the
scriptures, please do not ask me again to bear children.

After the birth of Kunti's first three sons and also the birth of one hundred
sons to Gandhari, Madri, the daughter of the Madras King, approached Pandu
requesting, O great King, I have no objection if you do not favor me. O
sinless one, I also have no complaint that although I am senior to Kunti, I am
inferior to her in position. I do not grieve when I hear that Gandhari has
obtained 100 sons. This, however, is my great grief that while Kunti and I are
equal, I am childless. If Kunti could teach me to have children in the same way
that she has conceived these children, then I would be satisfied. Please ask
her on my account.

Pandu then lovingly requested Kunti to teach the mantra to Madri so that she
could also have children. Kunti readily agreed, and told Madri, Think of some
demigod you favor and certainly by him you shall bear children. Madri thought
of the twin Asvini-kumara demigods, and within a matter of seconds, they
appeared before her. They gave her two children named Nakula and Sahadeva, who
were unrivaled on earth for personal beauty. As soon as they were born, a voice
from the heavens proclaimed, In prowess and beauty these two children shall
excel even the twin Asvins themselves. Thus five children were born to Pandu,
and the great King felt fully satisfied to see the good quality of his
children. As they grew, they were favored by the great sages in that region.

Gandhari also gave birth to children. She received a benediction from
Vyasadeva that she could have one hundred sons. Sometime thereafter, Gandhari
conceived, and she bore the pregnancy for two years without delivering. When
she heard that Kunti had given birth to a child whose splendor was like the
morning sun, she was angered and violently hit her womb. She then gave birth to
a piece of flesh that was hard like an iron ball. When she was about to throw
the ball of flesh away, Vyasadeva appeared. Without disguising her feelings,
she angrily cried, When I heard that Kunti gave birth to a child who was
radiant like the sun, I struck my womb. You have promised me a hundred sons,
but here is a ball of flesh.

O daughter of Subala, Vyasadeva replied, my boons will always bear fruit. I
have never falsified a benediction even in jest. You should now arrange that a
hundred pots full of clarified butter be brought instantly. In the meantime
sprinkle cool water over this piece of flesh.

Gandhari was pacified and began sprinkling water on the ball of flesh. It
separated into 100 pieces, each about the size of a thumb. Each piece of flesh
was then placed in a pot of ghee and covered. Vyasadeva told Gandhari that a
child would be born from each of the pots. He then left for the Himalayan
Mountains.

The first child born from one of the hundred pots was Duryodhana. As soon as
he could cry, he began to bray like an ass. And hearing that sound, the asses,
vultures, jackals and crows uttered their respective cries. Violent winds began
to blow, and there were fires in various directions. Duryodhana was born on the
same day that Bhima was born.

After the birth of Duryodhana, Dhritarastra called for Bhishma, Vidura and all
the senior brahmanas and members of the Kuru household. He questioned them,
The oldest of the princes is Yudhisthira, and he shall become King. By virtue
of his being the first born, he has gained the kingdom. But what about this son
born to me. Will he become king? While inquiring from the elders, jackals,
crows and asses began to howl frightfully.

O King, Vidura said, when these frightful omens are noticeable at birth, it
is evident that this child will destroy your dynasty. Your prosperity depends
on forsaking him, and if you decide otherwise, misfortune will befall the
Kurus. You already have 99 other sons, so let this one go. O King, favor the
world by casting away this child.

When Vidura had wisely spoken, all the brahmanas agreed, but Dhritarastra had
no heart to destroy a small baby. Within a month's time all the one hundred
pots of ghee had produced a child, and in addition to these one hundred,
Vyasadeva produced another pot in which a female child named Duhsala was born.
There was also a vaishya woman who used to serve Dhritarastra very faithfully.
By her the King conceived a child named Yuyutsu who later became renowned for
sharp intelligence. Thus one hundred and one sons as well as one daughter were
born to Dhritarastra. In order of birth, they were Duryodhana, Yuyutsu,
Duhshasana, Duhshaha, Duhshala, etc. All the hundred and one sons became heroes
and great chariot fighters.

One day after the birth of his five sons, King Pandu was wandering about the
woods with his wife Madri. It was springtime and the forest flowers were in
bloom, casting their scent in all directions. Birds like the parrot, the
cuckoo, the crane, and the peacock were singing sweetly, and the bees were
humming. Bewildered by the atmosphere, Pandu became attracted to his wife, and
forgetting the curse of the rishi, forcibly embraced her. Madri tried to resist
the advances of her husband, but it was no use. Impelled by fate, the great
King, overwhelmed by passion, ended his life, trying to enjoy his beautiful
wife.

Embracing the dead body of her husband and weeping aloud, Madri called out for
Kunti. Kunti heard her cries and came to where Madri lay with Pandu. Viewing
the dead body of Pandu, Kunti fell to the ground lamenting. She was overpowered
by separation, and she chastised Madri repeatedly for not resisting the King.
Madri related to her all that happened and how she tried to stop Pandu's
advances. Kunti then decided, I am the eldest wife, and therefore the
religious rite of Sati belongs to me. You must now take care of the children
and see that they are raised properly.

Kunti, it is I who should enter fire with our lord, Madri replied. He
approached me for enjoyment, and his desires being unfulfilled, ascended to the
heavens. Therefore, I shall accompany him to Yamaraja's abode to satisfy him.
If I survive, I shall certainly not be able to raise your children as if they
were my own. But you, O Kunti, shall be able to raise my sons as if they were
your own. Therefore, let my body be burnt with his. Kunti reluctantly agreed
to the proposal. With tearful eyes and sorrowful hearts, they built a funeral
pyre and laid the dead body of Pandu upon it. As the body burned, Madri entered
the flames and attained the same destination as her husband.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata Summation to the Sixth Chapter of the Adi Parva, The
Pandavas Divine Birth.



Chapter Commentary



In the beginning of this chapter the glories of Maharaja Bhishma are extoled.
He was a leader par excellence. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita,
Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his
footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world
pursues. (Bg. 3.21) Because Maharaja Bhishma was a powerful devotee and
saintly king, the citizens wanted to follow in his footsteps. By engaging in
the Lord's devotional service, the citizens automatically became joyful and
radiant. This process is like watering the root of a tree. If the water is
applied to the root, then the whole tree prospers. Similarly, if a king engages
his citizens in worshipping Lord Vishnu, the root of all creation, then
automatically they become happy.

If a head of state engages his subjects in sense gratification, the citizens
wither in good qualities, creating an environment of sinful life. Directing our
life toward sense gratification is like trying to water the leaves of the tree
individually. The whole tree dies from such a watering process. The citizens in
Maharaja Bhishma's kingdom loved him as a father, and always extoled his
qualities and activities. They knew that Maharaja Bhishma would not utilize
them for his sense gratification; for they truly believed that he was God's
representative on Earth, and he never let them down in that regard. In today's
society, no one trusts the leaders. They now travel in bullet proof cars to
protect themselves from the discontented citizens whom they have exploited.
Such is the difference between a self motivated leader and a godly king like
Maharaja Bhishma.

When Gandhari was married to Dhritarastra, she voluntarily blindfolded herself
for the rest of her life. Gandhari was the ideal chaste woman of all time. She
did not want to feel superior to her husband in any way. The ornament of a
woman is her chastity or faithfulness to her husband. In the Bhagavad-gita,
Lord Krishna told Arjuna, Among women I am fame, fortune, speech, memory,
intelligence, faithfulness (chastity) and patience. (Bg.10.34) A woman, who is
chaste to her husband, is elevated in transcendental qualities. In the modern
world, chasity is not emphasized. Women have been given independence in
practically all matters. They can go to war, vote, head the household, or they
can even lead a country. Because chastity is not in vogue, women are allowed to
sample many men to find the right one according to their estimation. Many
unwanted children are born out of such sampling. The whole situation
degenerates the quality of the population, but what is to be done? We can only
encourage everyone to chant the holy names of God and try to lead a pure life.
The holy name alone can change the course of this age.

King Pandu possessed all the good qualities of a heroic and powerful king. The
qualities of a brave warrior are given in Bhagavad-gita, Heroism, power,
determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity, and leadership
are the qualities of work for the kshatriyas. (Bg.18.43) Maharaja Pandu was
decorated with these qualities. He ruled the earth toward the end of the
Dvapara Yuga more than five thousand years ago. At that time society was guided
by the divine varnashrama system. As Lord Krishna states in Bhagavad-gita,
According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them,
the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the
creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being
unchangeable. (Bg.4.13) The four divisions of society are the brahmanas, the
kshatriyas, the vaishyas and the shudras. The priestly class was meant to guide
all other classes of men in spiritual knowledge. The warrior kings were meant
to protect the citizens so that they could peacefully execute their prescribed
duties. The mercantile and farming men were meant to till the land, take care
of cows and do business. The worker class were meant to serve the other three
sections of society. There was no exploitation of one class over another,
because the common goal was to please Lord Vishnu. When God is placed in the
center of civilization, everyone becomes happy and prosperous, and there is no
artificial dominance of one section of society over another.

The varnashrama social system is compared to a human body. The priestly class
was like the head that gives direction to the other parts of the body. The
kings were like the arms that give protection. The vaishyas were like the
stomach that gives nourishment to the head, arms and legs. And the workers were
like the legs that give service to the rest of the body. In present day society
there are no priestly intelligent men to guide society toward self realization,
and thus the social body wanders aimlessly like a headless trunk.

The fall of the divine varnashrama system began when the brahmana boy Shringi
cursed the powerful king Maharaja Parikshit. Because Shringi wrongly cursed the
saintly King, the priests gradually lost their purity by which they controlled
the kings. When the brahmanas lost their power, the kshatriyas became the
leaders of society. This is like having a body without a head. The result of
this was that the population in general forgot the aim of life+spiritual
realization+and gradually became influenced by sensual monarches who simply
engaged in the pursuit of material pleasure.

For the last five thousand years, the world has been ruled by monarchies,
except in a few rare cases where a powerful ascetic priest directed the ruling
kings. Chanakya Pandit directed Maharaja Chandragupta to conquer the major
portion of India. Maharaja Patraparudra,the king of Orissa in the 1500's, took
inspiration from Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of Lord Krishna
in this age of Kali. Within the last one hundred years, monarchies have been
abolished for the most part. Why? Because the kings became corrupt. They were
no longer saintly leaders, but degraded rogues and thieves. Gradually the
mercantile men threw out the powerless kings and instituted democracy, or
government run by the people. The businessmen and the workers are now competing
with one another for the supremacy of the world. There is no trust because the
leaders are simply self motivated. Everyone has forgotten the goal of life,
self realization, and as a result people are confused and bewildered. As the
businessmen become more degraded, the worker class will take power. Modern
communism is a government for the worker class. As Kali yuga progresses, all
governments will be run by men with base qualities, leading to nothing but
anarchy, or no government at all.

Maharaja Pandu went out to conquer the world, leading his powerful army. He
was the first warrior to engage the enemy, and he would not have been
considered a king unless he came back from the battle scarred by some weapon.
Leaders, who are afraid of fighting and simply sit in their comfortable offices
and order others to fight, are not of the warrior class, but businessmen or
workers. They have none of the heroic qualities mentioned in Bhagavad-gita.
They do not know how to protect the citizens properly, nor do they know how to
respect saintly persons. They are like Kali, who dressed like a king, but was
found beating a bull and cow. Maharaja Parikshit, a real king, appeared on the
spot to kill the pretender. Unfortunately, today there are no pious and
powerful kings like Pandu or Parikshit who can make the representatives of Kali
tremble at their feet. The whole situation has become chaotic.

When Maharaja Pandu pierced the deer, he did not know that it was a disguised
sage named Kindama. The sage had stated to Maharaja Pandu that unrestricted sex
was not allowed in human society. At that time in Vedic culture it was
understood that this one desire binds all persons to the material world. While
Lord Rishabhadeva was instructing his one hundred sons, he told them, The
attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material
existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts
of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property,
children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and
thinks in terms of çI and mine.' (Bhag. 5.5.8) Unrestricted sex life is simply
animal life, and it is for this reason that the sage took the body of a deer so
he could enjoy like an animal. When a person engages in too much sex, he
considers himself to be this body and this life to be all in all. One comes to
the human platform when sex life is regulated for producing saintly children.
If one is serious about getting out of this material world, one must refrain
from four sinful activities: unrestricted sex, meat eating, indulging in
intoxication and gambling. After giving these up, one must engage in the
devotional service of the Lord in nine different categories: Hearing, chanting
and remembering the Supreme Lord, serving His lotus feet, offering prayers,
serving Him, worshipping His deity form, making the Lord one's friend and
surrendering everything to Him. If one is absorbed in this nine-fold process,
he will realize his eternal nature and liberate himself from the path of birth
and death.

Maharaja Pandu realized that although he was a powerful king, he had not
conquered his real enemy, lust. He was therefore subject to the reactions of
his fruitive activities. There is danger in this world at every step and
therefore, one can never know when some tragedy will strike. Therefore, one
should take close shelter of the Lord. This is confirmed in the Shrimad
Bhagavatam, For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord,
who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda or the
giver of liberation, the ocean of the material world is like the water
contained in a calf's hoofprint. The kingdom of God should be our goal, not
this material world where there is danger at every step of life. (Bhag.
10.14.58) No matter how comfortable one may be in this world, at

Adi Parva



Chapter Seven



The Poisoned Cake



After King Pandu's demise, the sages in the forest assembled and discussed the
future of Kunti and her sons. The rishis decided that the Pandavas, along with
their mother, should live in Hastinapura and take shelter of Grandfather
Bhishma and the Kuru elders. The sages had great compassion upon the people of
the world. They were not just interested in their own salvation, but in the
protection and advancement of the people in general. Knowing these boys to be
future Kings of the earth, the great sages made arrangements for them to be
placed under proper guidance.

Accompanied by the sages and the Charanas [a species of celestial beings like
the seraphim and cherubim], Kunti and her children appeared outside the city
gates of Hastinapura. Upon hearing that Kunti was at the city gate, the members
of the Kuru court, headed by Bhishma, Dhritarastra and Vidura, came forward to
welcome them. The citizens of Hastinapura also came there to see the sons of
Pandu. Everyone was wonder struck to behold the godlike sages accompanied by
the celestial Charanas.

The sages then informed the Kuru elders, As you well know the former king of
this world, Pandu, had been living in the forest as an ascetic due to a muni's
curse. The curse has now taken its toll and that great King has ascended to the
heavenly planets. Here are his five children. The oldest is Yudhisthira,
conceived by the controller of religion, Yamaraja himself. He is the future
king. The second son, Bhima, conceived by the demigod Vayu, possesses infinite
strength. The third son is Arjuna, conceived by the noble Indra himself. He
will humble the pride of all archers on earth. The last two children are Nakula
and Sahadeva, begotten by the Asvini-kumara demigods through Madri. The birth,
growth and development of Pandu's children will give great pleasure to all.
King Pandu and his wife Madri departed seventeen days ago. The last funeral
rites need to be performed with honor befitting a king of this earth. After
informing the Kuru elders of all matters, the sages and Charanas disappeared
from sight.

Dhritarastra then requested Vidura, O brother, we must perform the last rites
for this King of kings and arrange charity to be given freely to whomever is in
need. The ashes of Pandu and Madri were then taken in state to the banks of
the Ganges, where the last funeral rites were performed. The ashes were then
cast into the Ganges. All the citizens, young and old, wept over the loss of
their King, and thus passed twelve days in mourning.

One day after the shraddha ceremony (offering of Vishnu prasad to the
forefathers) had been performed, Vyasadeva approached Satyavati and warned her,
Mother, the days of happiness in the Kuru house will set like the evening sun.
The empire of the Kauravas will no longer endure. You should not be a witness
to the annihilation of your dynasty. Therefore, enter the forest and fix your
mind on the Supreme Lord Vishnu, the protector of all. Following the advice of
Vyasa, Satyavati, along with Ambika and Ambalika, entered the forest. When
their meditation attained perfection, they entered the spiritual world,
Vaikuntha.

After the Pandavas settled in their father's palace, they accustomed
themselves to the opulence that was due to them. Whenever Bhima was engaged in
play with the sons of Dhritarastra, his strength became apparent. Bhima proved
superior in speed, striking objects, consuming food and scattering dust. The
son of the wind-god pulled the sons of Dhritarastra by the hair and made them
fight with one another, laughing all the while. Bhima would seize them by the
hair, throw them down, and drag them along the ground. In his playful mood,
Bhima would accidentally break their knees, their heads and their shoulders.
Sometimes while swimming together, the second son of Pandu would hold ten of
them at a time under water until they were almost dead. When the sons of
Dhritarastra would climb a tree to gather fruits, Bhima would shake the tree
until the fruits as well as the one-hundred sons fell to the ground. He would
play with them in childishness, but would never hurt them out of envy.

When it was obvious that Bhima could challenge all the one-hundred sons of
Dhritarastra single-handedly, Duryodhana began to make deceitful plans to harm
him. He thought, There is no person who can compare with Bhima's strength. He
does not think twice of challenging my one-hundred brothers to combat. I will
exterminate him and confine Yudhisthira and Arjuna to imprisonment. Then I
shall be the sole heir to the throne without hindrance.

Possessed with this mentality, the wicked Duryodhana built a palace on the
banks of the Ganges that was just for sporting in the water. His plan was to
invite the Pandavas to this house and feed Bhima a poisoned cake. When Bhima
was unconscious from the poison, Duryodhana and his brothers would throw him in
the Ganges. With this evil plan in mind, Duryodhana began construction. After
the palace was completed, Duryodhana invited his cousins, Let us go to Gange's
bank and sport in the water. We shall have a picnic and enjoy the scenery.

Not understanding Duryodhana's evil intentions, the Pandavas accompanied
Dhritarastra's sons to the banks of the Ganges and inspected the newly
constructed palace by the water. They all sat down to a feast before swimming.
Duryodhana brought Bhima a cake filled with enough poison to kill one hundred
men. That wicked youth, who spoke sweetly, but whose heart was like a razor,
continued to feed Bhima different kinds of food that were filled with poison.
After the feast the boys began playing in the water. Bhima became fatigued from
the poison, and rising from the water, lay down on the ground. Seizing this
opportunity, Duryodhana and some of his brothers bound him with ropes and threw
him into the Ganges. He sank down to the bottom of the river where the Naga
(snake) kingdom is situated. Thousands of Nagas began to bite him, and the
poison from the cake was neutralized by the serpents' venom.

On regaining consciousness, the son of Kunti broke his bonds and began killing
the snakes that were biting him. The rest of the snakes fled and went to their
leader Vasuki, telling him the events that had taken place. Vasuki happened to
be related to Bhima through the wind god Vayu, and upon hearing that Bhima was
present, he went to the spot and embraced him. Bhima then related to Vasuki the
sinister plan of the poisoned cake. Vasuki, wanting to protect him from future
attacks, offered Vayu's son eight bowls of nectar which empowered a person with
the strength of ten thousand elephants. Bhima drank one bowl in one breath, and
after drinking all eight, he lay down on a bed prepared by the serpents.

After Yudhisthira, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva and Dhritarastra's sons were
satiated in their swimming play, they set out for Hastinapura anticipating that
Bhima had already gone there. The wicked Duryodhana was elated thinking that
Bhima was dead, and he appeared very happy on the way back to Hastinapura.
Yudhisthira, who was unacquainted with vice and wickedness, thought nothing of
the matter. Upon entering the palace chambers of his mother, he inquired, O
mother, have you seen Bhima? I cannot find him anywhere. While swimming in the
Ganges, he became tired and slept on the shore. After finishing our water
sports, he had disappeared. Has he come here early because of exhaustion from
swimming?

Kunti became alarmed when she heard that Bhima was missing. My dear
Yudhisthira, she said, I have not seen Bhima. He has not come here. Return in
haste with your brothers and try to find him. After dismissing her sons, Kunti
summoned Vidura and anxiously spoke to him, O illustrious Vidura, Bhima is
missing. Today the boys went swimming in the Ganges, and they returned without
him. I know that Duryodhana is envious of him. This first son of Dhritarastra
is crooked, malicious, low-minded and cruel. His only desire is to obtain the
throne. I am afraid he might have killed Bhima and this is saddening my
heart.

Blessed lady, Vidura replied, do not grieve. Protect your sons with care.
If Duryodhana is accused, he might slay the other sons. The great sage
Vyasadeva has foretold that your sons will be long-lived. Therefore, Bhima will
surely return and gladden your heart. Vidura then left for his residence and
Kunti, unable to shake her anxiety, stayed in her quarters.

Meanwhile, Bhimasena awoke from his deep sleep after eight days. The Nagas
extoled him and tended to his needs. O greatly powerful Bhima, they said,
you are filled with the nectar of the heavenly gods. This will give you the
vitality of ten thousand elephants. No one will be able to defeat you in
battle. You must now return home, for your mother is in deep anxiety over your
absence. The Nagas then dressed him in fine silks and ornaments and returned
him to the palace by the river.

Bhima sprinted to Hastinapura with great haste. He entered the palace of his
mother and bowed at her feet and at the feet of his elder brother. Queen Kunti
took her son on her lap, and as she affectionately embraced him, tears glided
down her face. The other brothers gathered round and welcomed him warmly. Bhima
then briefed them on everything that had happened. He explained how Duryodhana
had tried to poison him, and how the wicked son of Dhritarastra and his
brothers had tied him up and thrown him in the Ganges. Bhima also explained how
the Nagas had bitten him, countering the poison in the cake. He told how he had
been given eight bowls of immortal elixir, and how his strength had increased
thousands of times. Do not speak of this to anyone, Yudhisthira said. From
this day on we should protect one another with care. Under Vidura's guidance,
no harm can come to us.



Thus Ends the Seven Chapter of the Adi Parva to the Summary Study of the
Mahabharata, Entitled, The Poisoned Cake.



Chapter Commentary



After the advice of Vyasa, Queen Satyavati and her daughters-in-law went to
the forest for austerities and meditation. Meditation is meant for the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. As stated in the Shrimad-Bhagavatam (Bhag. 12.13.1),
dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah--Yoga or meditation is
meant to focus on the transcendental form of the Lord. In previous ages persons
were so pious that they could go to the forest and meditate on the eternal form
of Lord Krishna. However, in this age of Kali people are not so advanced.
Therefore, the incarnation of Lord Krishna in this age, Sri Krishna Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu has advised us to fix our minds on the Holy Name by chanting Hare
Krishna maha-mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare /
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Duryodhana's only desire was to gain the throne and become king. He was
possessed by greed. This mentality is typical of the demoniac person. Lord
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in the sixteenth chapter of Bhagavad-gita about this
state of mind. Lord Krishna says, The demoniac person thinks, çSo much wealth
do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine
now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I
have killed him; and my other enemy will also be killed. I am the richest man,
surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I
am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus I shall
rejoice.' In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance. (Bg.13.13-15)
Because Duryodhana was puffed up and arrogant, he had no appreciation for the
spiritual qualities of the Pandavas. He offences against the Pandavas would
soon fructify in the form of annihilation of the entire dynasty.

This was the beginning of many transgressions committed against the Pandavas
by the sinister Duryodhana. The Pandavas and their mother Kunti were completely
helpless; therefore they had to take close shelter of the Lord's lotus feet. In
Queen Kunti's prayers to Lord Krishna, she states, My dear Krishna, Your
Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from
cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the
forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved
us from the weapon of Ashvatthama. (Bhag. 1.8.24) The Pandavas and their
mother were destined for political intrigues, but because they took shelter of
Lord Krishna, they were protected in all circumstances. We can also follow in
the footsteps of Queen Kunti and her sons by taking shelter of the lotus feet
of the Lord whenever difficulties arise.



Chapter Eight



The Preceptor Drona



Seeing the princes enter adolescence, Maharaja Bhishma began searching for a
suitable teacher to tutor them in the science of warfare. One day the heroic
princes came out of Hastinapura. to play ball, and they roamed the forest areas
absorbed in the ecstasy of young boys. When the ball fell into a well, they all
tried their best to retrieve it, but found it impossible.

As they were looking in the well, a brahmana appeared who had just finished
his daily performance of agnihotra (fire sacrifice). Seeing the princes
unsuccessful in retrieving the ball, the brahmana, whose name was Dronacharya,
approached them. He was dressed in white robes and looked thin and effulgent
due to his performance of austerity and sacrifice. Shame on your kshatriya
strength! Drona chided the boys, You are born in the dynasty of Bharata and
you cannot recover this ball from the well? Witness the power of my weapons!

Drona slipped off his ring and dropped it into the dry well. The ring landed
on the ball. Taking a handful of grass, he chanted some Vedic mantras, turning
the blades of grass into arrows. He then pierced the ring and the ball
simultaneously. Piercing one arrow after another, he made a chain of arrows
that came up to the top of the well. He then pulled the ball out of the well as
the boys stood watching, struck with wonder. The boys offered their obeisances
to the brahmana and inquired from him, O great brahmana, no one possesses such
skill. Please reveal your identity and how we may render service to you.

Go to Bhishma, the brahmana replied, and describe my likeness and what you
have just seen. He will tell you who I am. The boys ran to Bhishma and
explained to him everything that had happened. Bhishma smiled and exclaimed,
This is Drona! He then went out of the city to receive the elevated brahmana.
Maharaja Bhishma brought him into the palace, and in private inquired from him,
Dear brahmana, please let us know the reason for your arrival in
Hastinapura.

In my younger years, Drona replied, I lived in the ashrama of my teacher
along with the Panchala prince, Drupada. We made a close friendship, and were
always looking after each other. He always told me that he was the favorite of
his father, and that one day he would inherit the kingdom. Because we were
close friends, he promised me that some day half his kingdom would be mine.
After he finished his studies, he left for his own country.

In time, Drona continued, I married Krpi, the daughter of the sage Gautama,
and begot a son named Ashvatthama. Because of poverty I could not even feed my
son milk, and therefore, I went to the kingdom of the Panchalas to see my old
friend, Drupada. When I entered the royal court, I greeted him joyfully, çO
tiger among men, It is Drona, your old friend.' Drupada was angered and derided
me saying, çYou are certainly senseless, because you, a poor brahmana, are
addressing me as your friend. My former friendship with you was for a
particular reason. One of impure birth can never be a friend to one who is born
of a high caste. Friendships can only exist between persons of equal rank.
There cannot be friendship between the rich and the poor, or between a coward
and a hero. O simpleton, great kings can never have friendships with poor and
luckless fellows. I do not remember ever promising half my kingdom. I will,
however, give you food and shelter for one night.' Unable to tolerate his
abusive words, I quickly left his kingdom with a vow to win half his
possessions. I have now desire to train competent students who can conquer the
pride of this vain King. I have received all the celestial weapons from
Parashurama, the annihilator of the kshatriyas. Because I am a brahmana, he
taught me the complete science of warfare.

After Dronacharya had detailed his purpose, Maharaja Bhishma humbly implored
him, String your bow, O great brahmana, and take the sons of Pandu and
Dhritarastra as your disciples. When Drona had been appointed the martial
preceptor of his brother's children, Maharaja Bhishma gave him a suitable home
that was furnished with all opulences.

After Drona had been properly situated, he soon began to train the young
princes. Drona taught the sons of Pandu and the sons of Dhritarastra the use of
many weapons, both human and celestial. Although the instruction given to them
was the same, still Arjuna, the third son of Pandu, excelled all students. His
lightness of hand and skill were beyond compare. Arjuna became very faithful to
Drona and always stayed by his side. One day, Drona gave to each of his
students a narrow mouthed vessel to fill with water. However, he gave to his
own son, Ashvatthama, a wide mouthed vessel so by filling it quickly, he could
return to his father and receive special instructions. Arjuna came to know of
this, and filling his vessel by means of the varuna astra (a celestial mantra
that could produce water on the battlefield), he would come to the preceptor at
the same time as Ashvatthama. Arjuna's allegiance and his strong appetite to
learn won the heart of Drona. It soon became evident to everyone that Arjuna
was the preceptor's favorite student.

One day Dronacharya told his cook, Never serve Arjuna food in the dark, nor
tell him that I have given this order. However, one night Arjuna was taking
food in his tent by candlelight and suddenly a turbulent wind rose blowing out
the candle. Arjuna continued to eat, although it was dark, and while he was
eating, he thought, If I can eat in the dark, why can't I practice archery in
the dark? Thus he began training at night, and hearing the twang of Arjuna's
bow, Drona came to him and embraced him lovingly, You are my foremost student,
and I give you the benediction that there will not be an archer your equal in
the world.

Thereafter, Drona began to teach Arjuna the art of fighting from a horse, from
the back of an elephant, on a chariot and on the ground. He instructed him how
to fight with the mace, sword, javelin and the dart. He trained him how to use
many weapons at one time and how to fight with many men at one time.

Hearing reports of Drona's teachings, princes flocked to him by the thousands.
Amongst them came a prince of the Nishadas, named Ekalavya. By caste he was
lower than shudra, and fearing that because he was a Nishada, who in time might
excel his high born students, Drona refused to accept him. After bowing at
Drona's feet, Ekalavya went back to the forest, made a clay image of Drona and
began to worship it. He practiced with great zeal in front of this deity of
Drona, and in due course all the science of weaponry became known to him.

One day the Pandavas and the Kurus set out for the forest on a hunting
excursion. They brought along a dog who could help them search for certain
animals. When the dog was wandering in the forest, it saw Ekalavya, the prince
of the Nishadas, releasing arrows in all directions. The prince wore black
garments and was filthy due to not bathing, as was common among the lower
classes. His hair was matted. Seeing this frightful sight, the dog began to
bark. The Nishada prince, wanting to exhibit his prowess with the bow and
arrow, shut the dog's mouth with seven arrows. The dog then ran back to the
Pandavas. When the princes saw the dog, they were struck with wonder and
immediately began searching the forest for the archer who had performed such a
feat. They soon came upon the unknown bowman and seeing his grim appearance,
questioned him, Who are you and who is your father?

I am Ekalavya, he replied, the son of Hiranyadhanus, the king of the
Nishadas. Please know that I am a disciple of Dronacharya.

After questioning Ekalavya further, the Pandavas went back to Drona and
informed him of what had happened. Arjuna thought that the Nishada prince had
come to Drona in secret and learned the art of weapons. He humbly questioned
Drona, You have embraced me and told me that I would have no equal in archery.
How then has this Ekalavya surpassed me?

After reflecting on a proper course of action, Drona took Arjuna to the
forest. In the woods they soon came upon Ekalavya. Drona saw his matted hair,
ragged clothes and filthy appearance. When Ekalavya saw Drona, he approached
him and offered his prostrated obeisances, touching his preceptor's feet. He
then stood before his teacher waiting for his command.

If you are really my disciple, Drona said, then give me my dakshina
(payment for tutorship). Ekalavya was gladdened to hear the words of his
preceptor and replied, O my teacher, what shall I give you? Command me, for
there is nothing I will not sacrifice.

If you are really intent on making me a gift, Drona said, then please give
me your right thumb. Ekalavya was devoted to obedience, and with an
unflinching mind, cut off his right thumb and gave it to his teacher. When the
prince tried to shoot again with the use of his right hand, he found that he
did not have the same accuracy as before.

One day Drona, the foremost martial teacher, called his disciples together to
test their comparative excellence in the use of arms. He had placed an
artificial bird on a tree top as the proposed target. He then commanded his
students, Take up your bows, aiming at the bird in the tree. Release your
arrow and cut off the bird's head as I give the order.

Drona then called for Yudhisthira and inquired, Do you see the bird at the
top of the tree? Yudhisthira replied to his preceptor, Yes, I do. Drona then
asked him, Do you see anything else? Yudhisthira replied, I see the tree,
myself, my brothers and the bird. Drona was not pleased and ordered, Stand
aside! You are not fit to strike the target.

Drona then repeated the experiment with Duryodhana and the other sons of
Dhritarastra, and the result was the same. He ordered them all to stand aside.
When everyone had failed, Dronacharya called for Arjuna. He commanded him, Fix
your arrow to your bow and await my order. When I say so, cut off the bird's
head. He then asked him, Do you see the bird in the tree. Arjuna replied, I
only see the neck of the bird. Dronacharya again inquired, What else do you
see? Do you see the tree, your brothers or me? Arjuna replied, I only see the
neck of the bird! With his hairs standing on end out of ecstasy, Drona
ordered, Release your arrow! Instantly Partha released his arrow and severed
the head of the false bird. Drona immediately embraced Arjuna to his chest,
considering Drupada already defeated in battle.

On another day Drona called for Yudhisthira and Duryodhana, and ordered them,
My dear Yudhisthira, please follow my instructions. Go among the citizens and
find someone who has some faults. When you have found that person, bring him to
me. Drona then requested Duryodhana, Go among the citizens and find someone
who is superior in quality to you. When you find that person, bring him to me.
Both the students then left, and Drona returned to his quarters.

At the end of the day Duryodhana returned to his teacher and informed him, O
my teacher, I have searched the kingdom for a person who is superior in quality
to me, but I have not found anyone. Having concluded my inspection, I have
returned to your presence. Drona then dismissed Duryodhana.

When the sun had set on the horizon, Yudhisthira arrived and offered
obeisances to his martial teacher. Drona then inquired, Have you found someone
of inferior quality? Yudhisthira replied, I have searched all day, but I
could not find anyone. However, toward the end of the day, I saw a vaishya man
drawing water from a well, and since it was ekadasi (fasting day), I thought to
bring him to you. Just as I was about to arrest him, I saw that he fed the
water to his animals. Therefore, I have not found anyone with inferior
qualities, but I have brought myself for fault finding with others. Drona then
dismissed Yudhisthira and reflected on the qualities of the two princes. He
concluded that Yudhisthira was the personification of humility and fit to rule
the people, whereas Duryodhana was too proud to be a pious king and would
ultimately ruin the Kuru dynasty.

On another day, Drona and his pupils went to the Ganges to bathe in the sacred
waters. When Drona had entered the river, an alligator seized him by the thigh.
Although capable of killing the alligator, he called to his students, Please
kill this animal and rescue me! Instantly Arjuna released five arrows that
struck the alligator and killed it. This happened so fast that the others stood
looking dumbfounded. The alligator released Drona and died within the waters.

When Drona emerged from the river, he embraced Arjuna and said, O best of all
warriors, I award you the brahmastra weapon, which is the most powerful of all
astras (celestial weapons). It can never be used against an inferior opponent,
or it will destroy the whole universe. This weapon has no equal in the three
worlds. Keep it with great care and use it only against an enemy who is equal
to or greater than you. Drona then taught the mantras for this weapon to his
disciple, and Arjuna received them with great respect. He then pronounced
blessings upon Arjuna, There will never be a archer greater than yourself. You
will never be defeated by any enemy, and your achievements will be recorded in
the history of the world.

Thus Drona continued to instruct the sons of Pandu and the sons of
Dhritarastra. When Drona felt he had given sufficient instructions to all the
boys, he informed Bhishma that he would soon collect his dakshina (student
payment) from all whom he had trained.



Thus Ends Mahabharata Summation to Chapter Eight of the Adi Parva, entitled,
The Preceptor Drona.





Chapter Commentary



After Drona tested Yudhisthira, he saw that the prince possessed the qualities
of an exalted personality. He was completely free from envy and was the well
wisher of all. He saw only the good qualities in others. Yudhisthira considered
all others worthy of respect and himself worthy of no respect. This is the most
emphasized teaching of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, trnad api sunicena, taror
api sahisnuna, amanina manadena, kirtaniyah sada harih, One should chant the
holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than
the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all
sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a
state of mind one can chant the holy name constantly. (Shikshastaka 3)

In the material world the predominant mentality is to think oneself better
than others. However, if one is desiring to become a citizen of the spiritual
world, he has to develop the vision to see all others as more worthy of respect
than himself. This mentality is pleasing to Lord Krishna. Maharaja Yudhisthira
possessed this divine vision and therefore had great love for the citizens.
Because of Yudhisthira's humility, Drona considered him to be a fit ruler. On
the other hand, Duryodhana possessed the materialistic mentality of thinking
oneself better than all others. It is unfortunate that in the Kali-yuga, the
Duryodhana mentality has become prominent.

Historians consider the bow and arrow a primitive weapon. However, when seen
in the light of the Mahabharata, it more effective than the gross weapons of
modern times. It is possible to release an arrow faster than a bullet if the
archer is very powerful. The kshatriyas during Drona's time had the strength to
release arrows with tremendous velocity. By the power of mantra, Arjuna was
able to release hundreds of arrows from his bow at a time, and they were so
accurate that each arrow would pierce a warrior or stop an oncoming weapon.

In this chapter we have read how Drona imparted the brahmastra weapon to
Arjuna. This mantra weapon was more powerful than the combined atomic weapons
of the world. It could be directed to a single person or it could destroy the
whole universe. There were many weapons invoked by the power of Vedic mantras;
they were called astras. These astras manipulated the material energy in a
subtle way and were much more powerful than the atomic weapons of our times.
There were astras such as the vayavya astra, which created a hurricane on the
battlefield; the varuna astra, which created tidal waves; and the agneya astra,
which created intense fire capable of burning large numbers of warriors. There
were weapons capable of putting men to sleep and weapons that could bind the
enemy soldiers and stop their movement. There were weapons that could release
thousands of arrows at a time and not one arrow would miss a target. There were
these and many more. This was all possible by the use of Vedic mantras. These
mantras were able to manipulate the material energy by the use of sound
vibration as opposed to the gross manipulation used today. Any of the great
maharathis in the days of yore would be a suitable match for crude tanks,
howitzers, submarines, battleships and atomic weapons.

As Kali yuga progressed, the warrior kings gradually diminished in strength to
the point where they were unable to draw the strings of powerful bows. The
knowledge of different astras became lost, and a warrior was reduced to
releasing one arrow at a time and with not much accuracy or force. Finally, a
few centuries back, the cross bow was invented, which allowed an archer to
mechanically draw back the string. However, this was not very useful because a
bowman could not release many arrows quickly. The bow and the arrow became
obsolete with the invention of gunpowder. To compensate the loss of strength,
the rifle was invented, which, by the use of gun powder, released a bullet with
great velocity.





Adi Parva



Chapter Nine



The Curse of Parashurama





As stated in chapter six of the Adi Parva, Kunti, before her marriage to
Pandu, had conceived a child by the Surya, the sun god. Due to fear of her
relatives, she placed the child in a basket and set it afloat on the river
Ganges. The child was picked up by Adhiratha, a well known carpenter and
chariot driver, and his wife Radha. They were attracted by the beautiful
features of the child, especially his kavacha [natural golden armor] and
kundala [golden earrings]. He was given the name Karna. They raised the child
very carefully for sixteen years.

On Karna's sixteenth birthday, his father offered him a new chariot and
horses. Not feeling a desire to drive the chariot, he addressed his mother,
Today, father has brought me a chariot and horses, but I do not feel the
desire to drive a chariot; I feel the desire to hold a bow and arrow. I cannot
think of anything else. Waking or sleeping, my thoughts are ever fixed on this
desire. I want to be an archer and fight.

Radha then explained to her foster son Karna all that had happened; how she
had found him at the bank of the Ganges wrapped in precious silk and floating
in a basket. Hearing about his mysterious past, he was struck with wonder.
After consulting with his mother and father, he took permission from them and
left for the city of Hastinapura, desiring to find a martial guru.

Karna's goal was to learn archery. He approached the great Drona who was
teaching the Pandavas in Hastinapura. After receiving an audience with him, he
pleaded, My lord, please accept me as your pupil. I want to learn the science
of archery. I am the son of Adhiratha, a carpenter and chariot driver by
caste. Drona did not like the idea of teaching archery to the son of a suta
(chariot driver) and sent him away.

Karna was determined to learn archery. He decided to approach Parashurama, the
chastiser of the kshatriyas. Previously Parashurama had annihilated the warrior
race twenty-one times because of the death of his father. Knowing that the
great sage hated warriors and kings, Karna decided to tell him that he was a
brahmana, a pri st. Actually Karna's foster father was born of a mixed caste, a
brahmana and a kshatriya; therefore he decided to request tutorship from the
rishi despite the fact that he might be cursed or even killed.

With this plan in mind, Karna approached Parashurama's hermitage. When Karna
first saw Parashurama, he was seated in meditation. Upon his head were matted
locks of hair, and his eyes were burning like fire. Falling at the feet of this
awesome personality, Karna requested, I have come to you with a deep longing.
Please do not send me away without granting me your mercy. Karna was weeping
and his body was trembling. Parashurama picked up Karna, and asked him, Are
you a kshatriya? Karna replied, No, my lord, I am a brahmana. Parashurama
smiled at him and said, I will certainly impart to you the military science. I
am pleased with your humility, and because you are a brahmana, I have a natural
affection for you.

Karna's education began, and he spent many months in the ashrama of the
renowned sage. He forgot the pain in his heart of being a carpenter's son. He
even forgot the mystery attached to his birth. Karna was only interested in
education--how to become a powerful warrior. He learned all the astras; even
the brahmastra and the very powerful hhargavastra. He pleased his martial
teacher in all respects. When his education was complete, Parashurama advised
him, Your presence in my ashrama has brightened my life. I have taught you the
complete science of military arts. You are very honest, fond of those who are
elder to you, and you are eager to walk the path of righteousness. You must
never use the knowledge I have given you for an unrighteous cause.

It was now noontime, and the sun was at it's meridian. Feeling tired,
Parashurama told Karna to bring him a roll of deerskin to use as a pillow. My
lord, Karna replied, please use my lap as a pillow. I can at least do this
service for the foremost of men. Parashurama then laid his head in his
disciple's lap and fell fast asleep. Karna was meditating on all that had taken
place over the past year. He had lied to the great sage telling him that he was
a brahmana. Would the reaction to this ever come upon him? His only desire was
to acquire knowledge. The wise declare that the end justifies the means. He had
not tried to commit any sin. Surely his small offense would be forgiven.

As Karna was thinking in this way, he felt a pain in his right thigh. The pain
became unbearable. He looked down and saw a boar-like insect cutting into his
skin. Karna could not stop it from penetrating his flesh. But what could he do?
He did not deem it proper to awaken his guru. The insect bored right through
his thigh and blood touched the face of Parashurama. The great brahmana awoke,
and seeing the blood exclaimed, Where did the blood come from?

My lord, It came from my thigh, Karna answered. While you were sleeping, an
insect bit me on the leg. It caused me pain for some time but I did not want to
awaken you. Parashurama flared up with anger, You say this insect stung you,
and you tolerated it? Why did you not awaken me and stop the pain?

My lord, replied Karna, you were asleep, and I did not want to disturb you.
For this reason I have tolerated this pain. Parashurama was furious, How
could a brahmana bear so much pain? Only a kshatriya could have done so. Have
I, after all this time, taught my astras to a sinful warrior? I will never
forgive you for this deception.

Karna fell at the feet of his teacher and tears flowed from his eyes thinking
that all he had learned would be futile. He held onto the feet of his guru and
pleaded, Forgive me, my lord. You have been more of a father to me than my own
father. A father should forgive the faults of his son. I am not a brahmana, but
neither am I a kshatriya. I am the son of a carpenter named Adhiratha. I only
wanted to learn the science of archery. I told a lie to you, but it was only to
become your student. I have been devoted to you, and you are more dear to me
than anything else in this world. Please show mercy and forgive me.

Parashurama was furious, and he was not moved by Karna's prayers. The only
thought in his mind was that this person had told a lie and a kshatriya is
supposed to be truthful. He then remembered the kshatriyas who had killed his
father and, becoming angry, he cursed Karna, You have learned the science of
archery under false pretenses. I curse you that when you are in desperate need
of an astra, your memory will fail you. You wanted fame, however, and I say
that here after you will be known as one of the greatest archers of all time.
Parashurama then left and went back to his ashrama leaving Karna in tears.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Karna began walking aimlessly. He walked for
days thinking of the curse of the great rishi. Suddenly, what he thought was a
lion flashed by him, and out of instinct, he took an arrow from his quiver and
shot the animal. However, it was not a lion but a cow. Karna was horrified. He
went to the brahmana who owned it and told him that he had shot the cow in
ignorance. Karna tried to appease him, but the brahmana was not to be pacified.
He cursed Karna saying, When you are fighting with your worst enemy, the wheel
of your chariot will sink into the mud, and just as you killed my poor innocent
cow when she was unaware of danger, you will also be killed by your opponent
when you are least prepared for it. Karna was stunned that all these things
were suddenly happening to him.

Karna then understood that this was his karma. Otherwise how could these
events take place without his control. He took it that he was the chosen target
of providence and thought how cruel she was. He remembered his mysterious birth
and the stigma of his being a sutaputra (son of a chariot driver). He might
have overcome it by being the student of the great Parashurama, but his teacher
had cursed him and gone away. Now he had been cursed by another brahmana. This
was all his fate. He accepted it as such and went back home to his mother. His
mother was proud when she heard that he had learned from the great Parashurama,
but he did not tell her of Parashurama's curse, or of the curse of the
brahmana. After some time he heard about a tournament of weapons at Hastinapura
and decided to go there to enter the competition.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata summation to the Ninth Chapter of the Adi Parva,
Entitled, The Curse of Parashurama.





Chapter Commentary



Materialistic people are very worried about their status in society. If one
takes a high birth, he or she is considered fortunate by common people. In this
world there is always competition to get to the top. Those on top want to push
down those who are rising. Those, who are at the bottom, strive to climb to the
top. Therefore, there is always friction. Fortunately, God does not care for
our pedigree. He is attracted only to loving devotion. The rich man or poor
man, the black or white, the man or woman, the young or the old, all have an
equal opportunity to approach the Lord. Lord Krishna states in the
Bhagavad-gita, One can understand the Supreme Person as He is, only by
devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Lord by such
devotion, he can enter the kingdom of God. (Bg. 18.55) Queen Kunti considered
it an impediment to have a high birth. In her prayers to Lord Krishna she
states, My Lord, Your Lordship can be easily approached, but only by those who
are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of material progress, trying
to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education
and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling. (Bhag. 1.8.26) As
long as one is trying to advance materially, one will experience frustration.
There is only one person at the top and that is Lord Krishna. We should just
desire to remain the servant of His humble servant.

When Karna was cursed by his guru, karma took its effect. Nothing happens by
accident. Everyone in this material world is under the law of Karma--action and
reaction. It is impossible to tell where it begins or where it ends. For every
action we perform, there is an opposite and equal reaction. If a person
performs a sinful act, he gets a sinful reaction. If he performs a pious act,
he gets a pious reaction. Sinful or pious actions cause us to take birth again
in this world. Karna was suffering the reactions to past sinful activities, and
they took the shape of curses from great personalities. The only way to stop
the waves of repeated birth and death is to become Krishna conscious.
Fortunately for Karna, he died on the battlefield with his vision fixed on Lord
Krishna and Arjuna. Thus, ultimately, he was elevated and purified of all the
offences he had committed against the Pandavas. As confirmed by Lord Krishna in
the Bhagavad-gita (8.5), And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body,
remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.

Another point to be learned from this chapter is that a person should be
judged by his quality and not by his birth. Karna's birth was celestial, his
father being Surya and his mother being Kunti. Although he was rasied by lower
caste parents, his quality was that of a kshatriya or warrior. He should have
been accepted by his quality and not by the caste which he was raised in.
Narada Muni states in the Srimad Bhagavatam, "If one shows the symptoms of being
a brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya or sudra, as described above, even if he has
appeared in a different class, he should be accepted according to those
symptoms of classification (Bhag. 7.11.35). Drona should not have rejected
Karna on the basis of his foster parents. He should have judged him by quality.
It is a fact that in the glorious days of Vedic culture a person born of a
particular caste had the qualities of that caste, but there are always
exceptions to the rule, and Karna was an exception.



Adi Parva



Chapter Ten



The Tournament of Arms



When Dronacharya saw that his students had been sufficiently educated, he
assembled the Kuru elders and informed them, O best of the Kuru kings, your
children have now completed their education. I suggest there be a tournament of
arms where the youths may display their prowess.

O invincible brahmana, King Dhritarastra replied, you have indeed
accomplished something wonderful. I envy those who have eyes and can see the
achievements of my children. Vidura will make the necessary arrangements so
that all will be able to witness the prowess of these mighty youths.
Understanding the intentions of the King, Vidura left the palace and began
making preparations for the tournament of arms.

When the day for the tournament came, all the Kings and elders of the Kuru
dynasty assembled in the arena in their respective seats. The ladies headed by
Kunti and Gandhari also entered the arena and took their seats on the platforms
assigned to each of them. The inhabitants of Hastinapura were so anxious to
witness the exhibition that there was an instant crowd at the arena. The whole
sky was filled with the sounds of conchshells, drums, kettledrums and
trumpets.

Dronacharya entered the arena and announced the students one by one. He then
called them forward in their chariots and ordered them to display their prowess
with different weapons. With Yudhisthira at their head, the boys came forward
and released their arrows at selected targets. Fearing that some of the arrows
might miss their target, some of the spectators lowered their heads. However,
others fearlessly gazed on in wonder. After exhibiting their skill with the bow
and arrow, they showed their ability with other weapons such as the sword and
shield, the javelin and celestial darts.

Then Bhima and Duryodhana, both eager for combat, entered the arena with mace
in hand. They began to exhibit their energy, roaring like two lions. As they
were fighting, Vidura was describing to Dhritarastra and Gandhari all the feats
of the two princes. When the fighting became too intense, Dronacharya ordered
his son, Ashvatthama, to stop the fight. The spectators in the crowd were
taking sides, and the whole atmosphere of the competition became tense.

To ease the mood of the competition, Drona called for Arjuna and announced to
the crowd, Now all behold Partha, who is dearer to me than my own son. He is
the master of all arms, the son of Indra himself. Arjuna then entered the
arena of competition carrying his bow and a quiver of arrows. He was dressed in
golden mail and appeared like a streak of lightning in the bright sun. There
arose a great uproar of appreciation from the assembly exclaiming, This is the
graceful son of Kunti! The son of the mighty Indra! This is the protector of
the Kurus! Unequalled of those versed in arms! The annihilator of all unwanted
elements! Upon hearing those exclamations, tears flowed from Kunti's eyes and
milk filled her breasts.

Arjuna then began to exhibit his celestial weapons. By the agneya weapon, he
created fire, and by the varuna weapon he created water. By the vayavya weapon,
he created a hurricane, and by the parjanya weapon he created clouds. With the
bhauma weapon, he created land, and with the parvatya weapon he brought
mountains into being. By the antardhana weapon all these were made to
disappear. Within a short time, he exhibited all the astras given by Drona, and
the crowd was struck with wonder.

When Arjuna had finished, and the excitement of the crowd had died down, a
personality dazzling like the sun appeared at the gate of the arena. Struck
with wonder, Duryodhana stood up along with his one hundred brothers. Not
knowing who the celestial person was, Drona, as well as the five Pandavas,
stood to receive him. He was actually Karna, Kunti's first born son. He was the
son of Surya, the sun god and was endowed with his power. Natural golden mail
and exquisite golden earrings were a part of his body from birth. The
spectators talked among themselves about the unknown person whose effulgence
was spreading in all directions. Karna offered his obeisances to the preceptors
Kripa and Drona, and then challenged Partha (Arjuna), I shall perform feats
before this crowd that will excel yours. You will be amazed to behold them.

On hearing these challenging words, Duryodhana was delighted, and his
affection for this unknown warrior increased when he saw the rivalry with
Arjuna. Karna introduced himself to all present and then with the permission of
Drona, he accomplished all that Arjuna had accomplished. Witnessing the
superexcellence of this great warrior, Duryodhana and his followers embraced
Karna saying, Welcome, O mighty-armed warrior! I have obtained you as my
friend by good fortune. Live as you please in the kingdom of the Kurus.

Arjuna welcomed the competition and addressed Karna with challenging words,
Exhibit the weapons you have learned from your preceptor. I shall counter all
of them, and prove my superiority with the bow and arrow. Stand and prepare to
fight!

O Phalguna [Arjuna], this arena is meant for all, Karna replied, not only
for you. Why do you fight with words only, O Bharata. You may release your
arrows until I strike off your head before the great Drona himself!

Encouraged by his brothers, Partha, with the permission of Drona, advanced for
combat. On the other side, Karna, having been embraced by Duryodhana, took up
his bow and arrows and stood ready for the fight. Indra shaded his son Arjuna
with many clouds, and the sun god dispersed the clouds above his son Karna.
Understanding that a fatal competition was about to take place, Kunti fainted
to the ground. She was brought back to consciousness by Vidura. When she saw
her two sons dressed in armor, she was seized with fear.

Kripa, the son of Saradwat, who was conversant with the rules of fighting,
questioned Karna, This Pandava, the youngest son of Kunti, belongs to the
Kaurava race. But, O mighty-armed one, you must also announce the royal dynasty
to which you belong. Upon hearing this, Partha will fight with you as he sees
fit. Sons of kings never fight with men of lower castes.

When thus addressed by Kripa, Karna's vanity disappeared like a lotus flower
during the rainy season. Rising up from his seat, Duryodhana hastily said, O
Kripa, the scriptures say that there are three classes of persons who lay claim
to royalty: persons of royal blood, heroes, and lastly, those who lead armies.
If Phalguna is unwilling to fight with one who is not a king, I will establish
Karna as the king of the Angas.

At that time Duryodhana called for a golden throne, and seating Karna on it,
anointed him King of the Angas. This was done under the direction of some
brahmanas well versed in Vedic mantras. He was fanned with yak tails, and the
royal umbrella was held over his head. The crowd loudly applauded and signaled
their approval. Feeling grateful to Duryodhana, Karna said, O tiger among men,
what shall I give you that can compare to this gift. I will follow your
instructions and become your faithful friend. And Duryodhana said to Karna, I
am eager for your friendship. Thus the two embraced. This was the beginning of
a strong bond of friendship that would annihilate the Kuru dynasty.

At that time Adhiratha, the foster father of Karna, entered the arena. He
embraced Karna and tears of joy wetted his son's head. Bhimasena thought Karna
to be the son of a charioteer, and thus addressed him, O suta, do you desire
death at the hands of Partha? You are not worthy to rule over the kingdom of
Anga anymore than a dog deserves butter from the sacrificial fire.

Hearing these words, Duryodhana rose up in anger, and addressed Bhimasena,
These are not truthful statements. Heroism and courage in battle are the
symptoms of a kshatriya, and even a kshatriya of inferior birth should be
fought with. Can a she-deer bring forth a tiger like Karna? Can this warrior,
who resembles a demigod, born with natural golden mail and earrings, be the son
of a chariot driver? This prince among men deserves the sovereignty of the
world. If there is anyone who cannot tolerate what I have done for Karna, let
him ascend the chariot and string his bow.

There were mixed feelings in the crowd upon hearing Duryodhana's statements.
The sun, however, set on the horizon signaling the end of the days activities.
Some thought Arjuna to be the victor of the day, and others thought Karna to be
the champion. And Kunti, recognizing her lost son by various auspicious marks,
was pleased to see him alive and faring well. Upon seeing the gifted genius of
Karna, Yudhisthira was convinced that there was no warrior on earth who could
equal his bowmanship.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata summation to Chapter Ten of the Adi Parva, Entitled,
The Regatta of Arms.



Chapter Commentary



When Duryodhana was chastising Bhima for considering Karna's birth, it seems
that for once in his life Duryodhana spoke some truth. A person was placed in
the divine varnashrama (caste) system by quality and not by birth. In the
fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says that he created the divine
varnashrama system according to quality of work. Generally, in those days a
person of priestly quality, warrior quality, business quality or worker quality
took birth in their respective classes. However, as the age of Kali (quarrel)
progressed, men born in priestly families exhibited lower class qualities but
were not put into those classes due to their pride. Also saintly persons were
born in lower families, but not allowed to elevate themselves socially due to
the pride of the priestly class. When this happened the whole system collapsed.
One should be classified by quality and not by birth. Here Duryodhana states
that Karna had the quality of a warrior, and therefore he should be held in
esteem as a warrior. Although what Duryodhana said was truth, he was motivated
by his own ambitions. If it had suited his purpose for Karna to be called a
chariot driver, he would not have hesitated to award him that classification.

In all societies and countires these classifications exist. Some men are
naturally inclined toward priestly activities; some are inclined to be warriors
and fight; some men are attracted to business, farming or banking; and some men
are interested in labor activities. In the Vedic culture some 5,000 years ago
civilization was set up along these lines of brahmana (priest), kshatriya
(warrior), vaishya (merchantile) and shudra (labor). There was also four
divisions of ashrama or spiritual life. The first division was brahmacharya
where a student was trained in spiritual and material knowledge. The brahmana,
kshatriya and vaishya were trained in spiritual knowledge and received the
brahmincal initiation or sacred thread as an indication of second birth or
reformation of character. This teaching was given to instill in a person that
the goal of life was not to be happy in this earthly realm, but to prepare
oneself for entering the kingdom of God. The laboring class was not given this
training due to their inability to control the senses. The student training
lasted for different amounts of time according to a person's classification.
The vaishya spent till his twelfth year in his guru's ashrama. The kshatriya
could spend more years, say to this fifteeth year, and the brahmana could staty
with his guru till his 24th year, and if he remained a brahmacharya, he could
spend the rest of his life in the ashrama.

The next division was the grihasta ashrama where the student took permission
from his teacher and married according to his classification. The marriage
institutition was called an ashrama because it was meant for spiritual
cultivation and not just to enjoy the senses. Marriage was mandatory for all
classes except the brahmanas who could accept the order of sannyasa without
going through the different stages. The third stage was vanaprastha or retired
life. In this stage the children are grown and married. The man and woman visit
different places of pilgrimage for spiritual upliftment and detachment. The
brahmana, kshatriya and vaishya can accept this order. The last stage is the
sannyasa ashrama where the husband leaves the wife with the eldest son and
dedicates his life to preaching the glories of the Lord. This ashrama was meant
for the brahmana class only. This may sound cruel by western standards, to
leave the wife behind, but the reward is very great. If the husband attains
perfection by gaining birth in the kingdom of God, the wife automatically
attains that positon. This is the greatest gift a husband can give his wife.
This ashrama was held in high esteem by the people in general, because the
sannyasis or itenerant preachers were decorated with spiritual qualities such
as compassion, austerity, forgiveness, learning and sense control.







Adi Parva



Chapter Eleven



Tuition for Drona



Drona saw that all his students were now adept in the use of weapons, and
therefore their training period was over. It was time to ask for daksheen
(tuition) from them. One day he assembled them and gave the following order,
Challenge Drupada, the King of the Panchalas, to battle. Capture him and bring
him to me. This will be suitable payment for my teaching.

All the students readily agreed and mounted their chariots eager to fulfill
the desires of their martial teacher. Drona followed them. As the Kurus
approached Drupada's capital, they informed the King of their desire for
battle. The Kuru army was led by Duryodhana, Karna, Yuyutsu, Duhshasana and
Vikarna. King Drupada, not tolerating the attack on his kingdom, mounted his
chariot and along with his brothers met the Kuru army head on. Duryodhana and
his followers then competed with one another to see who could capture King
Drupada first.

Before the battle started, Arjuna saw the vanity of Duryodhana and his
brothers. He therefore informed Drona, O best of the brahmanas, we shall
refrain from fighting until Duryodhana has displayed his prowess. The King of
the Panchalas can never be captured on the battlefield by any of these
warriors. Having made his plan, Arjuna, surrounded by his brothers, waited
outside the town about a mile away.

Meanwhile, King Drupada, beholding the Kuru army, rushed forward releasing
hundreds of arrows from his powerful bow. The Kuru ranks were so afflicted that
they thought that there were many Drupadas opposed to them. There arose from
the Panchala army a war cry that shook the firmament. Duryodhana and his
brothers became furious and began to shower their arrows upon the enemy. But
the mighty bowman Drupada was not affected and began killing the enemy with
greater vigor. He challenged Duryodhana, Vikarna and Karna, and sent them
running from the battlefield. The arrows from the Panchala army began to rain
upon the Kurus, breaking their ranks and causing them to flee for their very
lives.

The Pandavas, seeing the fun, offered their obeisances to Drona and mounted
their chariots. Arjuna asked Yudhisthira to stay in the background and
appointed the sons of Madri as the protectors of his chariot wheels. Bhimasena,
mace in hand, rushed into the center of the army. He headed for the elephant
battalion and began to destroy those huge beasts with a single blow from his
powerful club. The elephants screamed and fell to the ground, their heads
cracked in many places. With his invincible club, Bhima began to destroy
chariots, horses, infantrymen and elephants. As a cowherd man controls
countless cows with his staff, so Bhimasena controlled the army of Drupada with
his fierce club.

Meanwhile, Phalguna (Arjuna), wanting to please his martial teacher,
innundated King Drupada with a deluge of arrows and caused him to fall from the
back of his elephant. With his arrows, Arjuna then killed soldiers, elephants,
and horses by the thousands. The Panchala army challenged Arjuna head on with a
downpour of arrows, and sending up courageous shouts, fought desperately with
him. The battle became furious and frightening to behold. The son of Indra was
filled with fury and released thousands of arrows intending to annihilate the
Panchala army. Those who were watching Arjuna could not see any interval
between his fixing the arrows on the bow string and releasing them. The King of
the Panchalas, accompanied by his commander in chief, Satyajit, assaulted
Arjuna with the speed of the wind. Arjuna covered King Drupada with hundreds of
arrows. Partha then rushed at King Drupada to apprehend him. Seeing Arjuna
coming forward, Satyajit tried to stop him. As the two warriors approached for
combat, they began to destroy each other's army. Suddenly Arjuna pierced
Satyajit in the chest with ten arrows. Unaffected by the force of those arrows,
Satyajit released one hundred shafts at the son of Pandu. Arjuna, not wanting
to waste anymore time, released an arrow that cut the bow of Satyajit in two.
Taking up another bow, the commander-in-chief of the Panchalas attacked Arjuna
again. This time Arjuna cut the bow, killed the horses and charioteer, and
shattered the chariot. When Satyajit found his bow useless and his horses
slain, he desisted from fighting.

Seeing his general defeated, the Panchala king began to rain arrows upon the
Pandava prince. Arjuna immediately cut King Drupada's bow and pierced his
chariot driver with five arrows. Setting aside his bow, Arjuna took out a
scimitar and, sending forth a loud battle cry, jumped from his chariot to the
chariot of Drupada. He seized King Drupada as Garuda would seize a snake, and
at the sight of this, the Panchala army fled the field of battle.

Thus Dhananjaya [Arjuna], having exhibited the strength of his arms, sent up a
loud roar and made his way from the battlefield to the presence of Drona. He
asked Bhima to desist from any further slaughter, as the Panchalas were related
to the Kurus. Bhimasena was unsatiated in battle, but agreed to Arjuna's
proposal. They then took the King of the Panchalas to Drona. Drona, seeing King
Drupada brought under his complete control, remembered how Drupada had formerly
humiliated him in his court.

I have now taken possession of your capital and your kingdom, Drona said.
You need not fear for your life. I once again desire your friendship. O mighty
warrior, previously you told me that only one who was a king could be a king's
friend. I therefore will give you half of the kingdom south of the Bhagirathi,
and I shall rule over the land north of that river. And if it pleases you, I
ask again for your friendship.

On hearing these words, Drupada answered, You appear to be an invincible
brahmana, and your prowess is superior to a kshatriya. Therefore, O brahmana, I
am not surprised at what you have accomplished. I am very satisfied with you
and desire your eternal friendship. Drona then released Drupada, and from that
day on the King of the Panchalas resided in the city of Kampilya in the
province of Makandi on the banks of the Ganges.

King Drupada was convinced that by kshatriya strength alone he could not
defeat Drona. He began to wander the earth searching for a sage who could help
him obtain a son to kill Drona. He also desired a daughter who would be a
suitable wife for Arjuna. King Drupada was so impressed with Arjuna that he
thought there was no warrior comparable to him. Therefore, by means of
marriage, he wanted to unite the two families.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata Summation to the Eleventh Chapter of the Adi Parva
Entitled, Tuition For Drona.



Chapter Commentary



Formerly the kings of this earth were endowed with an heroic nature. They
would face the enemy and not retreat. They were convinced that by dying in
battle they would attain a higher state after death. They did not sit behind
the lines and command ordinary soldiers to do their work for them. We have seen
in the course of history that generals began to stay behind the lines and order
their soldiers to fight. These days the leader of a country doesn't even appear
anywhere near the battlefield. He sits behind his comfortable desk in his
capital and orders others to do the job. This is why no one has respect for
modern leaders.

By the push of a button millions of people can be wiped out by atomic weapons,
not just fighting soldiers, but innocent women, children and old men. In the
glorious days of Vedic culture such barbarianism was unheard of. As we see in
this pastime Arjuna and Bhima were the first ones into battle and they would
not retreat. For a great warrior to leave the battlefield would cast him to
shame. He would be unable to face the citizens or his relatives. This spirit of
heroism and chivalry has been lost as human society regresses in quality in
this age of quarrel and hypocrisy. We are not advancing in good qualities but
descending into the mentality of barbarians despite so much progress in the
field of technology.







Adi Parva



Chapter Twelve



The House of Lac at Varanavata



A year after this incident, Dhritarastra decided to appoint Yudhisthira, the
first son of Pandu, as the heir-apparent to the kingship of the world. His
firmness, fortitude, patience, benevolence, straightforwardness and unswerving
honesty won the hearts of the people of the earth. Within a short time, he had
overshadowed the accomplishments of his father, the great Pandu.

The second son of Pandu, Bhimasena, began to receive instructions from
Balarama, the brother of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. He received
continued lessons in the use of the mace and sword. After Bhima's education was
finished, his strength and prowess with the mace were unsurpassed except for
the all-powerful Lord Balarama.

Arjuna, the third son of Pandu, was esteemed for his mastery of the bow and
arrow. Drona certified that there was none in the world who was Arjuna's equal
in the use of weapons. Sahadeva obtained the whole science of morality and
duties from Brihaspati, the heavenly priest of the demigods, and Nakula, the
favorite of his brothers, became known as a skillful warrior and a great
chariot fighter.

Indeed, Arjuna and his brothers became so powerful that they killed in battle
the great Sauvira, who was powerful due to his sacrifices to the heavenly gods.
The King of the Yavanas, whom Pandu had failed to subjugate, was conquered by
the mighty bow of Arjuna. While riding on a single chariot, Arjuna and Bhima
conquered the kings of the East backed by ten thousand chariots. The five
Pandavas conquered all the kings of the earth and extended their influence to
all parts of Bharatvarsha. Seeing the great prowess of the sons of Pandu,
Dhritarastra's sentiments towards them suddenly changed. The blind King, who
was also blind spiritually, was overcome with envy and began a plot to kill the
Pandavas.

Dhritarastra called to his side one of his chief ministers who was expert in
the art of politics and inquired, O best of the brahmanas, Kanika, the
Pandavas are daily growing in power and influence. I am envious of them. Tell
me whether I should make peace with them or endeavor to destroy them. I will
act on your advice.

Kanika, who was crooked by nature, then ill advised the blind king who was
intent on sovereignty for his own sons, Listen to my words, O sinless King and
do not be angry with me. If your son, friend, brother, father, or even the
spiritual preceptor--anyone who becomes your enemy--should be killed by all
means. By curses or mystic power, by gift of wealth, by poison or fire, or by
deception, the enemy should be slain. To maintain the interests of the Kurus
and your own self, you should not let the enemy know what you are thinking.
Comfort your foe with sweet words, give him a gift of wealth, and then kill him
when he is not looking. You should burn the house of the person you wish to
kill. You should act with the greatest cruelty, and sharpen your teeth to
inflict the greatest pain. You should strike him in such a way that he will
never raise his head again. O King, protect yourself from your brother's sons
for they are stronger than your own sons. The so-called brahmana, Kanika, then
returned to his own chambers, and the King contemplated the ill advice of the
crooked brahmana.

The citizens of Hastinapura became affectionate to the sons of Pandu because
of their good qualities and desired Yudhisthira as their King. In the market
places, in the homes, in the countrysides, the glories of the Pandavas were
spoken. The sinful Duryodhana, hearing the citizen's discussions, became
distressed. Inflamed with envy, he went to King Dhritarastra and said, O
father, I have heard the words of the citizens favoring the Pandavas. They
desire Yudhisthira to rule the kingdom. What then will be our fate? If
Yudhisthira does indeed become King, we and our children shall be excluded from
the royal line. We should act quickly to acquire the kingdom and win the hearts
of the citizens.

Overcome by affection for his sinful son, King Dhritarastra made a plot to
kill the Pandavas by fire in the town of Varanavata. One day, in the court at
Hastinapura, some of the King's counsellors began to speak of the glories of
Varanavata. These counsellors, instructed by Dhritarastra, spoke of the beauty
of the town and its pious citizens. Hearing these descriptions, the Pandavas
became attracted to go there. King Dhritarastra noticed that the curiosity of
the Pandavas had been awakened, and he then advised them, My counsellors have
spoken of Varanavata and the activities that go on there. If you desire to
witness the festivities in this beautiful town, then take your followers and
friends and enjoy the atmosphere. Give away charity to the brahmanas and the
citizens, and after living comfortably for some time, return to the city of
Hastinapura.

Yudhisthira fully understood the motives of his blind uncle, but because he
was in a helpless condition, he had to agree with the proposal. He took
permission from the leaders of the Kuru dynasty and prepared to leave for
Varanavata. Previously, Duryodhana had summoned his counsellor Purochana and
ordered him, O Purochana, this world is destined to be mine, and you can share
in it equally. It is in our best interests to protect it. I have no more
trustworthy counsellor than you to consult with. Therefore, help me to kill my
enemy by doing as I ask. My father will request the Pandavas to go to
Varanavata to enjoy the festivities there. I want you to construct a palace
made of flammable materials. It should be constructed in such a way as to
deceive the Pandavas. Soak the walls with ghee, resin, oil and a large quantity
of shellac. Do it in such a way that they will not think it flammable. Make
sure the palace is of the finest workmanship, and with the greatest humility,
request the Pandavas to live there. On a certain day chosen by me, you will
burn the palace of lac while the Pandavas and their mother are sleeping.
Agreeing to all of Duryodhana's proposals, the sinful Purochana went to
Varanavata and did all that he was told.

As the Pandavas and their mother were leaving Hastinapura, Vidura approached
Yudhisthira and instructed him in a Mleccha (lower class) language which no one
else could understand. Vidura lovingly said to him, One who knows the schemes
of his enemy should act in such a way as to avoid all danger. He who knows that
there are sharp weapons capable of cutting the body which are not made of
steel, and understands the means of avoiding them, can never be harmed. One who
knows that the consumer of straw and wood and the drier of dew never burns the
inmates of a hole in the forest, lives to see another day. Remembering this, be
on guard. One who is given a weapon by his foes that is not made of steel, can
escape from his enemies by making his abode like unto the jackal [one who lives
underground]. By wandering, a man can acquire certain knowledge, and by the
stars he can ascertain direction, and he who keeps his senses under control can
never be oppressed by his enemies.

When offered good counsel, Yudhisthira replied, I have understood you.
Vidura then bade them farewell and returned to his own house. When Vidura had
left, Kunti approached Yudhisthira and questioned him, What did the pious
Vidura say to you? He spoke in such a way that no one could understand him. If
it is not improper for me to know, then I should like to hear everything that
he has spoken. Yudhisthira replied, The pious Vidura has told me that the
palace in which we are to live is built of flammable materials. He further
said, çThe path of escape will be known to us, and that he who has controlled
his senses can acquire sovereignty of the world.' The reply that I gave to him
was, çI have understood you.'

The Pandavas had set out on the eighth day of the waning moon in the month of
Phalguna when the star Rohini was in ascendance. Upon arriving in the city of
Varanavata, the townspeople came to greet them. The assembly consisted of many
thousands of people who were anxious to see the pious Pandavas. The sons of
Pandu were presented many auspicious articles and taken on a tour of the town.
The scheming Purochana then took them to the palace made of lac. The foremost
of all virtuous men, Yudhisthira, upon inspecting the palace, said to Bhima, O
chastiser of the enemy, this house is truly made of burnable materials. Our
adversaries, by the aid of trusted artisans, have built this house with hemp,
resin, straw and bamboos, all soaked in ghee. The wicked Purochana is also
staying in this palace to burn us to death when we least expect it. Our well
wishing uncle Vidura has warned me that Duryodhana has had this house
constructed for our death.

If this is the fact, Bhima replied, then we should live in another house in
Varanavata.

It seems to me that we should continue living here, Yudhisthira said,
seemingly unsuspicious. However, we should always be on guard and know all
means of escape. If Purochana has found out that we have understood his plans,
he may try to burn the house immediately. If we leave here, Duryodhana may try
to have us killed by spies. While we have no rank and power, Duryodhana has
both. We also have no friends and allies, and Duryodhana has both. While we
have no wealth, Duryodhana has a full treasury. Duryodhana should think that we
have died by fire. Deceiving him in this way, we shall escape from here when
the occasion presents itself.

After some time, a friend of Vidura's, well skilled in excavation, arrived at
the palace of the Pandavas. In private he talked to Yudhisthira, I have been
sent by Vidura for excavating a tunnel under this house. Purochana will set
fire to this palace on the fourteenth day of the dark moon. This is all the
plan of the wicked Duryodhana. Previously, Vidura instructed you in the mleccha
language, and you replied in the same language. I am saying this so you will
know that I am actually acting on Vidura's behalf.

I know you as a trusted friend of our uncle Vidura, Yudhisthira replied.
This large mansion has been built of flammable materials, and there are few
doors. I want you to build a large tunnel beginning from the center of the
house and ending by the river Ganges. We will spend our days hunting in the
forest so that the sinful Purochana will not detect that you are working. Make
sure the floor is covered well, so no one will suspect that there is a
tunnel.

On hearing these instructions, the miner agreed, and the next day he began his
work. Every day the Pandavas would go to the forest accompanied by Purochana,
and they seemed very happy to be under Purochana's care. Thus they lived in
that palace for one full year.

Seeing the Pandavas living in the palace cheerfully and without any suspicion,
Purochana felt content that his plan would be successful. Beholding Purochana
in a happy mood, Yudhisthira, the pious son of Kunti, spoke to his brothers,
The cruel-hearted Purochana has been well deceived. I think the time has come
for our escape. Let us set fire to the mansion and burn Purochana to death.
Then we shall leave here unobserved by anyone.

Yudhisthira planned a festival in the palace of lac and invited many of the
leading citizens of Varanavata. At the end of the night all had left, and
Purochana had become so drunk with wine that he lay on the floor unconscious.
It so happened on that occasion that a nishada (lower class) woman and her five
sons had come to the festival in hopes of receiving charity. They also became
drunk and laid on the floor unable to move. They fell fast asleep in a part of
the palace that few people frequented. When everyone had left the house, it was
late at night and suddenly a violent wind began to blow outside. Yudhisthira
ordered Bhima to set fire to the house. Bhima first of all set fire to the
place where Purochana was sleeping and then to other parts of the house. Soon
the whole mansion was ablaze, and the Pandavas and their mother escaped through
the tunnel excavated by the miner. They came out near the bank of the Yamuna,
and in the distance, as they looked back, they could see the palace of lac high
in flames.

The heat of the fire became intense and awakened the townspeople. Seeing the
house ablaze, the citizens with sorrowful faces began to exclaim, The wicked
Purochana, guided by Duryodhana, has built this death house. O, to hell with
Dhritarastra who has such a wicked heart. He has burnt to death the sinless
sons of Pandu.

The citizens thus lamented the loss of the Pandavas, and waited the whole
night until the flames died down. They extinguished the fire and searched
through the ashes. They then found the burnt body of Purochana and the bodies
of the nishada woman and her five sons. The people began to weep saying,
Indeed, this is the plan of the evil Duryodhana. By his wickedness, he has
brought about the death of the Pandavas. There is little doubt that Duryodhana
has, with Dhritarastra's permission, burnt to death the heirs of Pandu. Let us
send a message to King Dhritarastra saying, çYour desire has been achieved! You
have burnt to death the sinless Pandavas!'

Upon receiving news of the supposed death of the Pandavas, Dhritarastra and
Duryodhana were jolly at heart, but outwardly expressed great regret. They
arranged for the last funeral rites of the Pandavas, and Lord Krishna Himself
attended the ceremony. Neither Vidura nor Lord Krishna were in lamentation
because they knew that the Pandavas and their mother were happy and alive. The
deceitful Duryodhana felt his desires had been fulfilled, and in due course of
time began to rule the kingdom under the direction of his father Dhritarastra.



Thus Ends the Mahabharata Summation to Chapter Twelve of the Adi Parva,
Entitled, The House of Lac at Varanavata.



Chapter Commentary



The burning of the Lac house was the second in an ongoing series of attempts
to kill the Pandavas. It is said that whoever God protects, no one can kill,
and whoever God doesn't protect, no one can save. It is obvious that the
Pandavas were divinely protected by Lord Krishna, and therefore, no amount of
scheming plots by Duryodhana could possibly kill them. Asuras cannot understand
the divine protection of the Lord. They think that sheer numbers, power, or
wealth alone can defeat the pious.

Whatever harm we try to do to others always backfires on us. When we try to
hurt someone else, the reaction always comes back to us. Instead of hurting
someone else, we suffer more. Similarly, if we do good to others, good will
come to us. Because Yudhisthira was always looking after the welfare of others,
his welfare was automatically looked after. Everytime Duryodhana tried to to
harm to the Pandavas, the Pandavas simply became stronger. We will see the
result of Duryodhana's attempt to kill the Pandavas in the upcoming chapters.
The Pandavas simply gained by the attempted murder designed by Dhritarastra and
Duryodhana.

What is required to receive the protection of the Lord? It is simple; one has
to surrender everything to the Lord and become His obedient servant, as did the
Pandavas. Anyone can receive this protection. One has to take the Lord into the
heart and remember Him at all times. Lord Krishna will then carry what we lack.
This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, But those who worship Me with
devotion, meditating on My transcendental form+to them I carry what they lack
and preserve what they have. (B.g. 9.24) If we always think of Krishna,
Krishna will always think of us. The Pandavas were eternal associates of the
Lord and always carried the beautiful form of Lord Krishna in their heart of
hearts. Thus, they could not be harmed under any circumstances.

One may wonder how it was posssible for the Pandavas to allow the nisadha
woman and her five sons to die in the house of lac to cover their own trail.
Yudhisthira has been pictured as a kind hearted soul who could not hurt anyone.
The fact of the matter is that the palace was very big as was most palaces in
those days and it could may have well been that the Pandavas did not know that
they had fallen asleep due to intoxication. Yudhisthira or any of the Pandavas
would not unnecessarily hurt anyone. It is not stated that they knew the woman
and her sons were there. The could have fallen asleep in some room not seen by
any of the Pandavas.



Adi Parva



Chapter Thirteen



Hidimba Slain



While the palace of shellac was burning intensely, the Pandavas escaped
unnoticed. Upon immerging from the tunnel, they looked back and saw the palace
blazing in the distance. They then looked toward the bank of the Ganges and saw
a man sitting in a boat. The man was sent by Vidura, and by signals he
indicated that they should board the boat. He convinced the Pandavas by certain
messages that he was actually sent by their uncle. The Pandavas then boarded
the boat and the boatman lead them across the river Ganges to safety. They
thanked the boatman and sent a message back to Vidura that they were heading in
a southerly direction.

Then Bhimasena, who was endowed with supernatural power, placed his mother on
his shoulders, the twins on his sides, Yudhisthira and Arjuna on his arms, and
proceeded quickly through the darkness. The son of the wind god ran at the
speed of the wind, breaking the trees and bushes before him. With every step he
caused the earth to tremble. The motion of his legs created a wind so intense
that it was comparable to the March winds. Indeed, so great was the force with
which Bhima moved that his brothers and mother seemed to faint on his body.
Before the day was over, Bhima had covered a distance of one hundred and sixty
miles.

Towards the evening Bhima reached a densely dark forest where fruits and water
were scarce and which echoed terrible cries of wild birds and beasts. The wind
blew strongly, breaking the branches of the trees. Afflicted with hunger,
thirst, and sleep, they were unable to proceed further. Bhimasena carefully
lifted his mother and brothers off his body. Exhausted, they all lay down to
sleep with the exception of Bhima, who stayed awake to guard against
Duryodhana's spies or any Rakshasas who lived in the forest. As Bhima glanced
over his mother and his brothers, he felt a deep pain in his heart. After all
it was just a night ago that they were sleeping in the finest beds, and eating
the finest foods. Did Queen Kunti, the wife of the great Pandu and the daughter
of King Surasena, deserve to lie on the bare ground? Did the sister of Vasudeva
and the mother of the Pandavas deserve leaves as a bed sheet? Yudhisthira, the
son of Yamaraja, was lying on the bare ground. Did he deserve such a fate? Did
he not deserve sovereignty of the three worlds? Did Arjuna, the greatest bowman
the world has ever known, deserve to lie on the ground like an ordinary man?
Did Nakula and Sahadeva, who are like demigods in appearance, deserve to be
soiled by the dust of the earth? Bhima then spoke as if the sons of
Dhritarastra were present, You sons of Dhritarastra have little foresight. You
wicked fellows may enjoy your temporary success. You still breathe only because
Yudhisthira does not command me to take your lives. If ordered by him, I would
send you all to the region of Yamaraja this very day! Having said this, the
mighty armed Bhima squeezed his palms, breathing heavily in anger. Looking over
his dear brothers and mother, he continued to guard the rest of the night.

Not far from where the Pandavas were sleeping, there lived a rakshasa (man
eater) named Hidimva and his sister Hidimvi. Hidimva was not an ordinary
rakshasa for he ruled over all others in his race. He had sharp teeth and a
protruding belly. His shoulders were like the neck of a tree, and he was
reddish in hue. Longing for human flesh, he sat in a tree along with his
sister. Understanding by the scent in the air that some humans were nearby, he
ordered his sister, O Hidimvi, I smell human flesh close by. My mouth waters
at the thought of eating, for I have not satisfied my hunger all day. Go and
see who has come. Attacking the human throat and opening the veins, I shall
drink to my full satisfaction a large quantity of human blood. Go and bring to
me any human beings who are nearby. We will feast on human flesh and dance
together in happiness.

Thus commanded by Hidimva, Hidimvi proceeded to the spot where the Pandavas
were resting. She saw four brothers lying asleep with their mother and the
invincible Bhima guarding them. Beholding Bhimasena, unrivalled in strength and
handsome appearance, the rakshasi immediately fell in love. She thought to
herself, This person has a body like molten gold, and his shoulders are like
those of a lion. His neck is shaped like a conchshell, and his eyes are like
lotus petals. Truly he is worthy of being my husband. I shall disobey my
brother's order, because affection for one's husband is greater than for one's
brother.

The rakshasi, capable of assuming any form at will, assumed the form of a
beautiful celestial woman. Approaching Bhima with a mind enchanting smile, she
said to him, O bull among men, where have you come from and who are you? Who
also, O sinless one, is this lady of transcendent beauty sleeping here so
contently as if in her own chambers? Do you know that this forest is the abode
of a rakshasa named Hidimva? I am his sister, and he has sent me here with the
intention of killing you all. Speaking truthfully, I tell you that after
beholding your celestial handsome features, I can accept no one else as my
husband. My heart as well as my body have been pierced by the arrows of Cupid.
I will rescue you from this brother of mine who eats human flesh. By my mystic
power, I will take you wherever you like. Traveling to the celestial gardens,
we can enjoy to our hearts content.

Hearing the affectionate words of the rakshasi, Bhima replied, O beautiful
woman, how can I leave my brothers and mother simply to satisfy lusty desires.
I will never run from fear of any rakshasa, for Rakshasas are never able to
bear the prowess of my arms. What to speak of Rakshasas, neither mortals nor
Gandharvas nor Yakshas can bear my strength. O celestial lady, you may either
go or send your cannibal brother. I care not.

Hidimva, the chief of the Rakshasas, seeing that his sister had not returned,
got down from the tree and proceeded quickly to where the Pandavas were. He saw
that his sister had taken a celestial form bedecked with garlands of flowers
and silken garments. The rakshasa, beholding her in that charming form,
understood her motives. He was red hot with anger and scolded her, Why, O
sister, have you thrown obstacles on my path when I am now overcome with
hunger? O Hidimvi, don't you fear me in the least? You are desiring to enjoy
intercourse with my evening meal. You are ready to sacrifice the good name and
honor of all the Rakshasas for some gratification of the senses. Therefore, I
will kill you this very moment!

Upon seeing the rakshasa rushing toward Hidimvi, Bhima, the foremost slayer of
man eaters, jumped up and exclaimed, O Hidimva, what need is there to awaken
these sleeping persons. O wicked cannibal, challenge me first, and do not touch
your sister. Why do you want to kill a woman who is scarcely responsible for a
desire that pervades all living entities? She does not deserve to be punished
for this offense. Come and fight with me, O rakshasa, and I shall send you to
the court of Yamaraja without delay!

Replying to Bhima, Hidimva said, What need is there for all this boasting.
Accomplish what you have said and then crow with your tongue! You have wrongly
calculated my strength, or else you would not have challenged me to combat. Let
your brothers sleep comfortably, and after killing you and drinking your blood,
I shall devour them one after another!

The most powerful Hidimva, whose eyes were burning like molten copper, ran at
Bhima desiring to kill him. Very quickly Bhima grabbed the outstretched arms of
Hidimva and began dragging him away from where his brothers and mother were
sleeping. The Rakshasa, humbled by the might of Bhima, became furious, and
squeezing the body of Bhima, sent forth a loud roar. The mighty son of Pandu
then dragged the demon a further distance so the cries of the Rakshasa would
not awaken his brothers. Fighting like two full grown elephants, they
pulverized the nearby trees and bushes.

From the sound of falling trees, the sleeping brothers awoke. Kunti also awoke
from sleep and gazed in wonder at the beautiful woman who was standing before
her. Desirous of knowing her identity, Kunti said, O beautiful woman, whose
complexion resembles the lotus, where have you come from, and what is your
name? Hearing the inquiry of Kunti, Hidimvi replied, The forest that you have
taken shelter in belongs to my brother Hidimva, the powerful Rakshasa. I have
been sent here to kill all of you on his order. However, seeing the handsome
features of your son Bhima, I have fallen in love with him and have chosen him
as my husband. My name is Hidimvi. Presently your son Bhima has dragged my
brother to a great distance, and they are engaged in combat.