61. NON-COOPERATION :

61. NON-COOPERATION :


IT was the day before the commencement
of the great battle. The grandsire, now the
Kaurava Generalissimo, was with
Duryodhana seeking to inspire him with
his own heroic spirit and cheerfulness.
Bhishma spoke of the strength, skill and
prowess of the warriors ranged on the
Kauravas' side. Duryodhana was cheered
up. Presently, Karna became the subject
of their talk.


"Karna has earned your affection," said
Bhishma, "but I do not think much of him.
I do not like his great hatred of the
Pandavas, and he is too boastful. There is
no limit to his arrogance and he is much
given to disparaging others. I would not
place him in the highest rank among the
warriors of the land. Besides, he has given
away the divine armor with which he was
born. He is not therefore likely to be of
great help to me in this battle. The curse
of Parasurama is on him too. His
command of supernatural weapons will
fail him in his hour of need, for he will not
be able to remember the mantras. And the
battle that will ensue between him and
Arjuna will prove fatal for Karna."


Thus spoke Bhishma without mincing
matters, and this was exceedingly
unpalatable to Duryodhana and Karna. To
make matters worse, Drona agreed with
the grandsire and said:
"Karna is full of pride and
overconfidence, which will cause him to
be neglectful of the finer points of
strategy, and through carelessness, he will
suffer defeat."


Enraged by these harsh words, Karna
turned to the grandsire with flaming eyes.
"You sir," said he, "have always slighted
me through mere dislike and envy and
have never neglected an opportunity of
humiliating me, though I gave you no
reason. I bore all your taunts and thrusts
for the sake of Duryodhana. You have
said that I would not be of much help in
the impending war. Let me tell you my
settled conviction, it is you, not I, who
will fail the Kauravas. Why hide your real
feelings? The fact of the matter is that you
have no genuine affection for
Duryodhana, but he does not know it.


Hating me you seek to come between me
and Duryodhana and poison his mind
against me. And in furtherance of your
wicked design, you have been belittling
my strength and running me down. You
have stooped to behavior unworthy of a
kshatriya. Age alone does not confer a
title to honor and respect among warriors,
but prowess does. Desist from poisoning
our relations."


Turning then to Duryodhana, Karna said:
"Illustrious warrior, think well and look to
your own good. Do not place too great a
reliance on the grandsire. He is trying to
sow dissension in our ranks. His
appraisement of me will injure your cause.


By running me down, he seeks to dampen
my enthusiasm. He has become senile and
his time is up. His arrogance does not let
him have regard for anyone else. Age
must be respected and experience is useful
but, as the sastras warn us, there is a point
when age becomes senility and ripeness
falls into rottenness and decay. You have
made Bhishma your Generalissimo who
will, I have no doubt, earn some fame
from the heroic deeds of others. But I will
not bear arms while he is in command.



Only after he has fallen will I do so."
The arrogant man is never conscious of
his own arrogance. When accused of it, he
charges the accuser with that very fault.
His judgment is warped and he considers
it a crime on the part of anyone to point
out his defect. This is well illustrated in
this episode.


Controlling his anger, Bhishma replied:
"Son of Surya, we are in a crisis and that
is why you have not ceased to live this
moment. You have been the evil genius of
the Kauravas." Duryodhana was in
distress.


"Son of Ganga, I need the help of you
both," he said. "You will both do deeds of
great heroism, I have no doubt. At the
break of dawn, the battle joins. Let there
be no fighting among friends, with the foe
in full force before us!"


But Karna was adamant in that he would
not take up arms so long as Bhishma was
in supreme command. Duryodhana
eventually yielded to Karna and suffered
him to carry out his threat.


Karna kept out during the first ten days of
the battle, though all his men participated
in it. At the end of the tenth day, when the
great Bhishma lay on the battlefield
covered all over with arrows, Karna went
to him and bowed reverently and asked
for forgiveness and blessings, which he
received.


Thereafter, Karna cooperated and himself
proposed Drona for the command of the
Kaurava forces in succession to Bhishma.
When Drona also fell, Karna took over the
command and led the Kaurava forces.

Next : - 62. KRISHNA TEACHES :


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