93. THE PANDAVAS REPROACHED :

WHEN the war was nearing its end,
Balarama arrived at Kurukshetra after
completing his tour of holy places. He
came just when Bhima and Duryodhana
were engaged in their last mortal combat.
He saw Bhima aiming the deadly blow
which broke Duryodhana's thighs, and his
anger flamed up at this great breach of the
rules of single combat.


"Fie upon you all! Would any kshatriya
hit below the navel? This Bhima has
offended the law most disgracefully," he
exclaimed and impatiently going up to his
brother Krishna, shouted:


"You can look on and tolerate all this. But
I cannot bear to see such unclean
fighting!" Saying this he advanced
towards the offending Bhima with
upraised plough. The plough was
Balarama's weapon on supreme occasions,
as the discus was Krishna's. Krishna was
alarmed when he saw his elder brother
advancing in a passion towards Bhima.


He rushed forward and, intercepting him,
said: "The Pandavas are our friends and
closest relations. They have been the
victims of insufferable wrongs at the
hands of Duryodhana. When Draupadi
was insulted in the Assembly Hall, Bhima
vowed: 'I will one day in battle break the
two thighs of Duryodhana with this mace
and kill him.' He proclaimed this solemn
oath at that time and everyone has known
it. It is the duty of a kshatriya to fulfil the
vow he has solemnly taken. Do not let
your anger mislead you and do not be
unjust to the innocent Pandavas. You
should, before condemning Bhima, take
into account all the wrongs that the
Kauravas have done to the Pandavas.


Nothing but error can result if one
proceeds to judge conduct without taking
into account the chain of events leading
up to it. You cannot snatch a particular act
out of its context and proceed to give
judgment on it alone without gross
injustice. The era of Kali has arrived,
when the laws of a previous age cannot
apply. It was not wrong for Bhima to
strike below the navel an enemy who had
wickedly contrived against his life on
many occasions. It was because of
Duryodhana's foul instigation that Karna
sent a shaft from behind and broke
Abhimanyu's bowstring when he was
defending himself against heavy odds.


Arjuna's young son was attacked by
numerous warriors who surrounded him,
when he stood all by himself in the field,
deprived of bow and chariot, and in a
most cowardly manner, killed him.


Duryodhana thought evil and practised
deception from the time of his birth and
has brought about the destruction of his
people. There is no sin in Bhima killing
this man. Bhima bore the wrongs done
and kept his wrath within himself for
thirteen long years. Duryodhana knew
well that Bhima had sworn to break his
thighs and kill him. When he challenged
the aggrieved Pandavas to battle, he knew
very well that he invited Bhima to make
good his oath. How can you think that it
was wrong for Bhima to do this?"


Krishna's words did not change
Balarama's opinion, but his anger
subsided. "Duryodhana will attain the
happy regions reserved for the brave.
Bhima's fame has been tarnished for all
time. It will be said among men that the
son of Pandu broke the laws of war in
attacking Duryodhana. It will remain
forever a great blot on his good name. I
hate to stay here any longer." So saying
the indignant Balarama immediately left
for Dwaraka.


"Yudhishthira, why this strange silence?"
asked Krishna.


"O Madhava, it hurts me to see Bhima
leap on cousin Duryodhana's mortally
wounded body and trample on his head. I
see the end of the glory of our race. We
were wronged by the Kauravas. I know
the full measure of grief and anger in
Vrikodara's heart, and don't wish to blame
him beyond reason. We have killed
Duryodhana, who was afflicted by
uncontained greed and poverty of
understanding. What serves it now to
debate the ethics of it or nicely to weigh
the propriety of a much wronged man's
revenges?"


Yudhishthira was greatly oppressed in
mind. When men transgress the law,
extenuations and excuses are of no avail
in giving mental satisfaction.
Arjuna, of penetrating intellect, was silent.
He did not show approval of Bhima's act.
Nor did he say anything by way of
detraction. The rest of the people, who
were there, were however loud in
condemnation of Duryodhana and were
reminding one another of all his misdeeds
and errors. Krishna turned towards them
and said:


"Warriors, it is not proper that we go on
speaking against an enemy who has been
defeated and is lying mortally wounded.
We should not speak ill of a dying man.
He was stupid and brought about his own
end. He fell into the company of bad men
and was ruined. Let us go."


Duryodhana, who was stretched on the
ground in intense, agony, when he heard
Krishna say this, went into a paroxysm of
rage. He half raised himself on his arms in
spite of the excruciating pain, and
exclaimed:


"Wretch! Son of a slave! Was not your
father Vasudeva Kamsa's slave? You have
no business to sit or move with princes.
You speak like a shameless wretch. I saw
you instigate Bhima to aim his blow at my
thigh! Do you think I did not see you,
making as though casually talking to
Arjuna, pointing to your thigh, but really
indicating to Bhima that he should strike
me on the thighs, disregarding the laws of
single combat? Till then it had been equal
battle. You have neither pity nor shame.
Did you not contrive the death of the
grandsire Bhishma through stratagem?
You advised Sikhandin to be placed in
front when attacking Bhishma, knowing
that the grandsire would scorn to fight a
woman, and would let himself be mortally
wounded without resistance. You brought
about the end of Dronacharya through
making Dharmaputra utter a falsehood.
You were the father of that deadly lie that
issued from Yudhishthira's mouth, and
made Dronacharya throw his bow away.
Did you not look on without protest, and
rejoice, when that, wretch
Dhrishtadyumna attacked and killed the
acharya who had stopped fighting,
throwing away his weapons, and settled
down in yoga posture for meditation on
the Supreme? Was it not you who
wickedly contrived to make Karna hurl
the fatal spear at Ghatotkacha instead of
reserving it for Arjuna as he had all along
resolved to do? O great sinner, surely it
was you who instigated Satyaki to butcher
Bhurisravas when his right arm had been
foully cut off and he stopped fighting and
spread his arrows for a seat for holy
meditation. It was you who brought about
the death of Karna by inducing Arjuna to
attack him in a cowardly manner when he
was engaged in lifting his chariot wheel
which had sunk and stuck in the mud in
the field of battle. Oh worthless man, sole
cause of our destruction, the whole world
has condemned your act when by sorcery
you made it appear as if the sun had set.
You made Jayadratha, the Sindhu king,
believe that the day was over and he was
past danger, and thus he was slain when
he was off his guard."


Thus did Duryodhana pour his
denunciation against Krishna and then,
exhausted by the pain of his wounds and
the violence of his rage, he fell prostrate
again.


"Son of Gandhari," said Krishna, "why do
you let your anger add to the pain of your
last moments? It is your own misdeeds
that have brought about your end. Do not
attribute it to me. Bhishma and Drona had
to die on account of your sins. So also
were you the cause of the death of Karna
and others. Need I recount all the wrongs
that you were guilty of against the sons of
Pandu? What punishment can be too
severe for the great outrage, which you
inflicted on Draupadi? The animosities
and passions that resulted from your
misdeeds cannot be made ground for
condemning others. All the deceptions
and lapses you charge us with were forced
on us by reason of your wicked conduct.
You have paid off on the battlefield the
debt incurred by your greed. But you are
dying the death of a brave man. You will
go to the happy regions reserved for
kshatriyas who lay down their lives on the
field of battle."


"Krishna, I go to swarga with my friends
and relatives. But you and your friends
will live on earth to suffer," said the
stubborn Duryodhana. "I studied the
Vedas. I have given gifts ordained by law
and I have reigned supreme over all the
sea-girt earth. While I lived, I stood upon
the humbled heads of foes. All human
joys, such joys as even the Gods cannot
despise and kings sigh for in vain, the
very pinnacle of power, were mine. Dying
now, such death as warriors deem the
crown of kshatriya life, I go to meet in
heaven my friends and brothers gone
before, eager to welcome me. Who is
more blest, I, or you who, doomed to
linger here, mourning for slaughtered
friends in desolate homes, find the long
sought triumph but ashes in your mouth?"
said Duryodhana. And the gods showered
flowers down on the dying warrior and the
gandharvas played music and the sky was
illuminated. Vasudeva and the Pandavas
felt small.


"There is truth," said Krishna, "in what
Duryodhana said. You could not have
defeated him by fair means. This wicked
man was invincible in battle."


Next : 94. ASWATTHAMA


Continues..