Episode
41
Pandavas
with Paramatma[i]
(Attack
on Dwaraka – Death of Sāḻva)
Vana Parva is replete with stories which are
intended to teach a few lessons of life. The war between Krishna and Sāḻva
and Krishna’s assurance of help to Pandavas is the theme of this story. The
consequences of perils when the god is forgotten are beautifully discussed by
Ved Vyasa. The story also talks of the importance of forts, the methods of war
preparedness, and the war strategies which were in vogue in ancient India.
The Story
In
the last episode we have read Ved Vyasa’s arrival to Hastinapur and his
counselling to Dhritarashtra about the necessity of restraining the evil
strategies of Duryodhana and other Kauravas. After hearing the death of Kirmira
in the hands of Bhima, Dhritarashtra got depressed. He could not restrain his
own son despite the curse of Mytreya and wise counselling of Ved Vyasa.
While
this was the condition in the Kaurava court, Pandavas were also a depressed lot
in Kamyaka vanam. But suddenly they saw the Lord Krishna arriving to see the
Pandavas. The warriors of Bhoja, Vrishti and Andhaka clan also descended to
console the Pandavas with Krishna as their leader. Krishna was very angry at Kauravas
and wanted to destroy all Kauravas immediately. He declared, ‘Those who deceive others and enjoy luxuries are worthy to be
punished and that is Sanatana Dharma’ [ii].
Sensing Krishna’s deep anger, Arjuna pacified him.
Draupadi
came about to Krishna and poured out her grievances. She was almost weeping for
her pathetic plight in the court of Duryodhana where she was dragged and
disrobed. She could not digest the insult when Karna smiled at her and she was angrier
with Karna than that of with Dussasana. She was wondering why Bhima and Arjuna
became spectators and what was the use of their strength when they could not
protect their wife in an open court.
शाश्वतोsयं धर्मपथः सद्भिराचरितः सदा |
यद्भार्यां परिरक्षन्ति भर्तारोsल्पबला अपि || [iii]–
It is the noble duty of a husband to protect his wife even
if he is weak and this is the eternal dharma.
Krishna
consoled Draupadi by declaring that good days are not far away. ‘If winter
comes, can spring be far behind?’, he reasoned. He assured that all Kaurava
warriors will fall as locusts before the fire of Arjuna’s arrows. ‘Had I been in Dwaraka at the time of Game of Dice, you would
have been saved from these difficulties and I would have prevented the game. I would
have explained the sātatya dosha [iv]
inherent in the game’ [v]).
No one among the Pandavas knew where Krishna was at that time and Dharmaraja
curiously asked where he was at that time. Krishna started narrating the
events.
Description of Dwaraka fort
When
the news of the death of Sisupala reached his cousin Sāḻva,
he got enraged. He was possessing a vimāna
(aero plane) cum nagara (city) which used to move into any direction freely. He
attacked Dwaraka with all force and might from all the directions both on land
and on the skies. Dwaraka was well fortified with a high wall surrounding the
entire fort. Over the walls there were bastions to protect and boost the armed
forces. The top of the protecting wall was infected with iron thorns dipped in
poisonous liquids. The bastions were full of firearms with launchers to shoot
down the enemy weapons. Plethora of weapons like tomara, ankusa, sataghni,
langula, bhusundi, asma gola and the like were available in plenty.
All entries
both on land and sea were closed and all the trenches were filled with thorns. In
all the four directions of Dwaraka up to a distance of a krosu (roughly three-kilometer
distance) all the wells were filled with mud to starve enemies from thirst and
hunger. A red alert was given out throughout Dwaraka and sale of liquor was
prohibited. No one can enter or go out without proper permissions. In all
important roads, the army was posted with enough number of horses and
elephants. All soldiers were given special salaries and daily expenses. New
weapons were bought in plenty. It was
ensured that Dwaraka was full with grains to feed all soldiers and populace for
any number of days.
Invasion by Sāḻva
Despite
the impregnability, Sāḻva
attacked Dwaraka with a deadly effect. He was having all the four forces- armed
men, elephants, horses and chariots. The able warriors of Dwaraka, Pradyumna
(Krishna’s son with Rukmini) and Sāṃba
(Krishna’s son with Jāṃbavati)
stood like forts and tried to prevent the onslaught of Sāḻva
who was indulging in demonic māya
in the warfare. The fight was bitter and brutish with many deaths on both sides
and the fall of many palaces. Pradyumna was prevented by gods when he tried to
aim the Brahmastra at Sāḻva.
Sāḻva was defeated but did not die. He
left the place leaving a trial of misery behind him.
When
Krishna came back, he saw his Dwaraka destroyed by Sāḻva.
He invaded Sāḻva’s kingdom and
destroyed his vimāna. Sāḻva
got aggressive and with his māya
hit Krishna and make him swoon on the chariot. He was escorted away by the
charioteer, sūta and after a while,
Krishna gained conscience. Sūta
spotted Sāḻva from a long distance
and provoked Krishna to kill him fast.
योsपि स्यात् पीठगः कश्चित् किं पुनः समरे स्थितः |
स त्वं पुरुषशार्दूल! सर्वयत्नैरियं प्रभो || [vi]
‘Hi, Krishna! The enemy
deserves death even if he is sitting in his house. If that is the case, can we
spare him in the battlefield?’
Krishna
decided to kill Sāḻva and took
out the arrow of fire (āgneyāstra)
and hurled it along with Sudarsana Chakra (the disk weapon of Vishnu). They
just tore Sāḻva into two pieces in
fraction of seconds. With victory, the forces of Krishna returned back to
Dwaraka.
Krishna
narrated the story and told, ‘Hi Yudhishtir! I was thus away from Dwaraka and
could not protect you in the dubious game of dice. I would
have either prevented the game or I would have killed Duryodhana’. Then
Krishna took leave from all Pandavas and left for Dwaraka with Subhadra and
Abhimanyu. Drishtadyumna also left for his city and he took all five sons of
his sister Draupadi (Prativindhya with Dharmaraja; Sutasoma with Bhima;
Srutakirti with Arjuna; Satanika with Nakula; and Srutakarma with Sahadeva).
Drushtaketu, the king of Chedi kingdom took his sister, Karenumati (the wife of
Nakula) to his place. Thus, the five Pandavas were left with Draupadi and their
purohit, Dhaumya for an arduous journey of vanavasa (forest dwelling).
Dharmaraja
decided that they should move further west and enter Dwaita Vanam which was
full of thick vegetation, lakes, ponds and surrounded by lovely birds and
flowers. In Dwaita vanam, they saw the celestial entities like Siddhas, sages
and rishis who thronged around Dharmaraja and other Pandavas with all love and
affection.
Understanding the story
The
story is a upākhyāna
(a side story) not directly connected to the Pandavas’ narrative. We find several similar stories in Vana Parva to educate the
readers certain subtle points embedded in sruti (vedas) literature. The
story is significant if we understand the internal and hidden meaning intended
in this story.
Dwaraka
was in the midst of a sea (It means our physical body is in the midst of
household or family). Due to
forgetfulness, the god had left Dwaraka (the body)- (two meanings – Krishna was not there in
Dwaraka; Pandavas did not remember Krishna before starting the game of dice). When god is forgotten or removed from the memory lane,
Pandavas suffered defeat and humiliation. Only Draupadi cried for god and she
was protected. With regard to Dwaraka- when god was not there, Sāḻva
roamed with manoratham (his aero plane has kāma
gamanam) or with free for all mind. Pradyumna and Sāṃba
were like Yagna and Dharma and even they could not conquer the manoratham of Sāḻva.
Only the god with Brahmastra (Brahma vidya) destroyed
the wavering mind (Sāḻva) and saved Dwaraka.
When Krishna
repeatedly tells that the tragedy of the game would have been avoided had he
been there mean that Pandavas had forgotten Krishna and started the game on
their own, and so, they suffered defeat. (Nilakanta vyakhya).
In
Sabha Parva we come across the description of individual palaces (sabhas) and
in this Vana Parva we have a description of two forts- Saubha of Sāḻva
and Dwaraka of Sri Krishna. If we carefully see the description of Dwaraka, we
will be struck with awe at the war-ready nature of the warriors and the fort in
those days. The main points that emerge are:
1.
Increasing the
salaries and allowances of armed forces during war times
2.
Ban of liquor, ban of
dances, dancing girls etc through out the state and especially near kosa
(treasury of wealth).
3.
The strategy of ‘scorched
earth policy’- depleting the resources for enemies for sustenance (the wells
were packed with mud on the outskirts of Dwaraka to ensure that enemies should
die of thirst).
4.
The strategy of
surgical strikes (sūta or chariot
driver suggesting Krishna the dharma of killing enemy even if he is sitting in
his own house).
What was discussed by Ved Vyasa with regard to war preparedness was
effectively used by kings of Bharat like Shivaji, Krishna deva Raya, the kings
Rajastan like Kumbha, Rana Pratap and the kings Sikh community till nineteenth
century.
Kautila
further developed the theory of fortifying the forts with his concept of four
durgas (forts) – Jal durga (surrounded by water), Giri durga (surrounded by
mountais), Van durga (surrounded by thick forests) and Danvan durg (surrounded by
deserts).
In
history, we have read about the scorched earth policy being pursued during Genghis
Khan’s invasion of Europe.
Maha
Bharata is like a treasure for seekers of wisdom in all areas of day to day
living.
Points to ponder
1.
How can a person be
redeemed from the vicious cycle of births and death which are associated with
Samsara?
2.
Describe the
political thought of Kautilya and Sukracharya with regard to ‘Saptanga’ theory
of State and the importance of forts.
3.
Discuss the war
strategies of ancient Hindu thought.
4.
Write a note on Sātatya
dosha.
Footnotes
[i]
This story is taken from Vana Parva of Maha Bharata written by sage Vyasa.
[ii]
(Vana Parva 12.7)
yadbhāryāṃ
parirakṣanti bhartāroslpabalā
api || Vana Parva 12.68
[iv]
sātatya dosha- Even after every defeat,
people have the confidence of winning the final battle is termed as sātatya
dosha and that is associated with the game of dice. In Management terminology
it is described as ‘sinking boat risk’ - where the investor keeps on investing
in a venture even after knowing that it would be a loss.
[v]
(vana Parva 13.1)
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