Friday, 15 November 2019


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)

[iii] śāśvatosya dharmapatha sadbhirācarita sadā |
yadbhāryāṃ parirakanti 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) 

[vi] Vana Parva 22.24


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