Mahabharata Characters 29 – Yudhisthira 07 – Steadiness through wisdom amidst the war’s worries

This talk is a part of the “Fascinating Mahabharata Characters” series. To know more about this course, please visit: bhakticourses.com

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Welcome back to the Mahabharata character series. We are now discussing about Yudhishthira.
The Pandavas, after living there 12 years, decided to enter for their 13th year into the kingdom of Virat. They told their servants headed by Indra Sen that they should go to the kingdom of the Yadavas and stay over there. The Pandavas had discussed their plan confidentially so that no one would know about it.
And you can tell them that one day Yudhishthira told Indra Sen that you should tell them that one day suddenly the Pandavas disappeared, not telling us where they were. And then he turned towards Dhaumya and offered his respects and told him that you can go to the kingdom of Drupada and there Drupada will maintain you properly. Respect.
Thank you for your services. We will meet after the period of the war. And when the Pandavas were about to depart, they had already discussed early and made a plan.
Yudhishthira, when he was discussing, he said that as per the promise of Dharma, blessing of Dharma, we will be protected, but still we should take precautions. That means that whenever there is some blessing, that blessing does not mean that blessing is not a license for responsibility. The Pandavas took adequate caution.
So how will you disguise yourself, O king? The Pandavas asked Yudhishthira, you are such a regal person. How can you hide yourself? So Yudhishthira said, I will act as a Brahmana named Kanka. Yudhishthira knew that Duryodhana might again challenge him for a gambling match and he wanted to be prepared.
So while he was in the forest, the different sages had different skills. So from a sage, Rishi Parva, he had learned actually about gambling and he had become quite an expert gambler. He had no intention to gamble to lose wealth.
But if he were challenged again, Yudhishthira had learned from his mistake and he had ensured that again he would not commit the same mistake. He knew that if he challenged, he would not be able to refuse, but he was determined that now he would not be cheated or outwitted and defeated and dispossessed as it happened in the past. So he said, I will go to the kingdom as a Brahmana named Kanka and I will serve the king as a Brahmana serves and I will also entertain him by playing dice with him.
And when they asked Bhima, Bhima said, I will be an expert cook. Bhima is a giant appetite. He loves to eat a lot and he was also an expert cook.
So he said, I will serve in the kitchen. And he turned towards Arjuna who was famous. Arjuna was the greatest archer.
He said, who will you be? And Arjuna had been cursed by Urvashi when he was in heaven that he would become a eunuch and Indra had said that this blessing will turn out to be good for you. He said, I will act as a eunuch and I will be named Brihannala. I will act as a dance teacher for Virata’s daughter Uttara.
Pandavas were amazed to think that epitome of virility and manliness, Arjuna, he would become a eunuch. How inconceivable were the ways of destiny! Nakula said that I will become, I am good at taking care of horses and I will become a person who takes care of horses named Granthik. And Sahadev said, I will become a cowherd.
I love to take care of cows and I have observed and learned a lot about them and I will take care of them. And my name will be Tantripala. He knew that each of them had to maintain their disguises.
So he allowed them to choose and they all chose according to their interests. We see the individuality of the Pandavas. Although there was unity, but there was also individuality.
And all of them were united and under the guidance of Yudhishthira. But Yudhishthira gave them abandonment. Then they turned towards Draupadi.
And Draupadi said that I will become a Shirendri woman. Shirendris are a class of maidservants and no respectable woman would ever become like that. So no one will suspect me.
And Virata’s queen is the Sudeshna. I will serve her. Now for a royal lady to become a servant, a maidservant of a royal lady could have been quite a denigrating thing.
But Draupadi was so chaste and so determined to serve her husband whatever be required that she was ready for this. And then the next day, Pandavas decided not to enter simultaneously. One by one they decided to enter.
Yudhishthira went straight into the palace because he was a Brahmana. He was allowed entry immediately into the palace. And the Pandavas had grown long beards.
That’s how their identity was not immediately apparent. They had lived in the forest and they had performed austerities also. Just living in the forest itself was austerity.
So they had also become lean. That’s why it was not easy for anyone, even those who had met them, to recognize them easily. So when he entered, he went straight into the stone of the palace and then he told that, I was a Brahmana who had served Yudhishthira and I would like to serve you now.
And the king was expert and just by seeing him, he understood he was such a qualified person. He said, I am honoured to have you. Surely you can be with me.
And then he heard that he was expert at dice. He said, yes, you can entertain me by playing dice and you will be my counsellor and you will travel with me on my own chariot and you will live in my own palace. And in this way, all the Pandavas started living together.
So after that, one year got over. We will discuss about the stay of Virat when we talk about Bhima and Arjuna. And then finally, when they were detected, when the one year got over, then the Pandavas revealed their identity and Uttara, Virat’s daughter Uttara was married to Arjuna’s daughter Abhimanyu.
And then after that, they sent a message. None of the peace proposals worked. Yudhishthira was so eager for avoiding conflict that he said that, I will be satisfied even with five villages.
But Duryodhana was utterly adamant and then finally war became inevitable. Now earlier, Yudhishthira had told Bhima that we should not fight a war. But now, he became ready for war.
Why was that? Because earlier, the path of duty required him to stick to his promise that, I will stay in the forest for 12 and 1 year, 13 years. Now he had stuck to his word. Now, in any relationship, there are words given by different people.
So there are two people again, both of them have given their word. So he had stuck to their, he had honoured his word, although it had been extremely difficult for him to do that. But the Kauravas, they had failed to honour their word.
And the Pandavas, they did not even want the full kingdom, although at one level they could have said, the full kingdom is what is ours. But if not at least half the kingdom, half the kingdom also not, they are ready to be satisfied with five villages. But when that was not possible, then there was no alternative left.
So they had to accept. And then they accepted, they had to fight a war. And when the war started, then on the, just before the first day of the war, Yudhishthir got off his chariot, took off his armour and started walking towards the Kauravas.
The Pandavas were shocked. They also got up and started, Yudhishthir, oh king, what are you doing? The Kaurava soldiers started jeering from their side. And they said, this is a coward, seeing our great army.
Yudhishthir has become, has lost courage and he has come to beg for a peace pact. But Yudhishthir walked on, unmindful of the calls of the Pandavas, unmindful of the jeers of the Kauravas. He went straight to Bhishma.
He folded his hands and he sought his blessings. Oh venerable Grandsire, it is you who have been like a father for us and have always protected us. Before we fight this war, I seek your blessings.
Please bless me. Bhishma’s tears came from his eyes, seeing the humility and nobility of Yudhishthir. And he said, oh king, I am touched by your blessing.
If you had not come to seek your blessings, my blessings like this, you would not have been successful. But you have come for blessings, I bless you. And ask for some specific blessing from me.
I cannot fight from you. But whatever you want, I will give you, apart from that. Yudhishthir’s tears came from his eyes.
How stern were the duties of a Brahmana, of a Kshatriya that they had to fight against their own loved ones. He said, oh Grandsire, how can we be able to overcome you? Because without overcoming you, we will not be able to win this war. So Bhishma said, the time has not yet come.
Come to me another time and I will tell you the answer to this question. And similarly, he went to Drona. And Drona was also said, if you had not come, inauspiciousness would have come to you for not seeking blessings from your elder.
I will bless you. What can I do for you? And then he said, please tell us how we will be able to kill you, overcome you. It was a very difficult thing to ask from one’s elder, but such was the duty.
And Drona said, I cannot be overcome in war, but when on hearing a false news from a trustworthy source, I give up my weapons, then I will be overcome. So here, all these elders, they gave ideas about how they could be overcome. They touched by Yudhishthir’s humility.
Kripacharya also blessed and he said that, I cannot be defeated, but go ahead and win the war. He said that he did not have knowledge of celestial weapons. So although he would be undefeatable, but he would not be a major obstacle.
And Yudhishthir also went to Shalya. Shalya was his uncle. He was the brother of Madri.
So he sought his blessing. And Shalya also said that, I am touched by your… I will do what you want. And actually, Shalya had been tricked to fight against the Pandavas.
He had come when the war had started to come, by the side of the Pandavas only to fight. But along the way, Durudhana had made wonderful arrangements for hospitality. And Shalya was very pleased by it.
And he said that whoever has done these arrangements, I am extremely grateful to that person and I will give up my life for that person. And he told the attendants, please call Yudhishthir and ask him what I can do. And the attendants looked bewildered.
And Durudhana, he had been just waiting for such an opportunity. And he came forward and said, O king, it is I who have made these arrangements. I will be very grateful to you if you can fight on my side.
Now, the Madras king realized that he had been duped. But he had given his word and he couldn’t go against his word. So he said, I will come to your side, but let me go and meet Yudhishthir.
And he had to meet Yudhishthir and told, rejected what had happened. Yudhishthir was also disappointed that his uncle was fighting against him and not for him. But he said, you have to honor your word.
But nonetheless, I request you one thing. And what that one thing was, we will discuss when we talk about Karuna. And Shalya also blessed Yudhishthir and then they came back and started fighting.
So here, you see Yudhishthir’s nobility, how he kept his virtuous conduct still going on throughout. And then just before the war started again, Yudhishthir called out. He said, all the warriors here know that our cause is righteous.
If any of you, those on the Kauravas side feel that they would like to be on the side of virtue, then come, we will welcome you on our side. So at that time, Yudhishthir was the 101st son of Dhritarashtra, born through a maid servant. Gandhari had a very long pregnancy and during that time, Dhritarashtra united with the maid servant and Yudhishthir had been born.
So he said, I want to come on your side. Will I be welcome? He says, come, come. You will be the saving grace of the Kuru dynasty and you will perform the funeral rites of all the other Kauravas.
And through this open defection by one of the Kaurava brothers itself, Yudhishthir, he demonstrated his moral superiority. First he demonstrated moral superiority by seeking blessing. Secondly, by pointing out to all the Kshatriyas that his side was righteous and getting one of the Kauravas himself to come on their side, he raised the morale of his side and decreased the morale of the opposite.
Now, whenever there is a team, the team has to feel good about themselves. Now, about the cause that they stand for, about the leaders that they are working with, Yudhishthir was such a virtuous leader and he attracted so many kings towards him and those who were on his side, he attracted them further. Now, we may wonder how were there 11 Akshahunis on the side of the Kauravas if Yudhishthir was so virtuous.
Yes, he was virtuous, but it was nearing the start of the age of Kali and there were vicious kings also at that time. And normally in the material world, those who favour quick gains through vice are greater in number than those who want gradual gains through virtue. And Duryodhana had been at work very needlessly, not so much in taking care of the citizens, but in forming alliances.
Duryodhana had no intention of giving the kingdom and he had worked strategically, meeting various kings and forming alliances. That is how he had developed good relationships and in the absence of Yudhishthir, the Kurus had become like the emperors of the world and few could oppose him. So the alliances which had been formed, they had become quite weighty and that’s how he had 11 Akshahunis.
But despite the superior strength, Yudhishthir had superior moral strength and he boosted the morale of his team by this. And then the war started. We discussed the first 10 days of the war and how Bhishma wreaked havoc and how Yudhishthir was demoralized at the end of the first day.
But eventually Krishna reassured him and then when Drona took command at that time, Duryodhana asked from him the benediction that please arrest Yudhishthir alive so that we can challenge him to gamble and defeat him and send him to the forest again. Little did Duryodhana know that Yudhishthir was prepared, that Yudhishthir knew how to outwit Shakuni at his own game now. But not knowing this, he wanted to have Yudhishthir arrested and the Pandavas decided that we will protect.
So Arjuna was the person whom Drona said I will not be able to defeat him. On the 11th day when he failed, he said that we have to get Arjuna out of the way. So Susharma and the Sampatakas challenged Arjuna and on the 12th day, he came almost close to arresting Yudhishthir.
Yudhishthir fought fiercely but Drona destroyed his chariot, broke his armor and he almost had arrested Yudhishthir. But then Dhristadyumna and others, they came and defended and somehow Yudhishthir was saved at that time. On the 13th day, again Arjuna was diverted and the Chakravyuha was formed.
So when the Chakravyuha was formed, only Abhimanyu was the warrior. He was the only warrior available because Arjuna had already gone to another side who could penetrate the Chakravyuha. Now Abhimanyu was just a 16 year old boy.
How could Yudhishthir possibly engage him, risk his life for the sake of protecting his own life? But Yudhishthir knew that this was not just a matter of protecting his life. The Chakravyuha was such that if it was not countered, not only would Yudhishthir be arrested but thousands and thousands of soldiers would also be killed and the whole war could end in one day if the Chakravyuha was not checked. And moreover, when he approached Abhimanyu and asked him, can you penetrate the Chakravyuha and Abhimanyu told that I was in my mother’s womb.
Actually, that’s how we had got that knowledge and I know how to penetrate into Chakravyuha. So Bhadra had been hearing this. How? But then she was never going to fight.
So she was not interested. She nodded off to sleep at that time and then Arjuna had told only how to break into Chakravyuha, not how to come out of it. So because of that, he said, I don’t know how to come out of it.
If I go inside and not able to come out, I will be trapped. So Bhima had also come. Bhima said, don’t worry.
If you just break inside, then we will follow you and we will also enter into Chakravyuha through the bridge that you have created and we will destroy the Chakravyuha from inside. When he was assured in this way, Abhimanyu immediately marched into breaking the Chakravyuha, breaking it apart and charging inside. Yudhishthira, Bhima and the other Pandavas followed.
But unfortunately, Yudhishthira had no knowledge of Jayadratha. Jayadratha had got a benediction that he would be able to check all the Pandavas except for Arjuna on one occasion. He had got his benediction from Shiva.
And Yudhishthira found that all of the Pandavas fought fiercely still none of them could check, could break through Jayadratha and Jayadratha stopped all of them. And the Chakravyuha closed and Abhimanyu was trapped. And eventually after a fierce fight, when the Kauravas’ victory conches started blowing, Yudhishthira understood.
Whatever his greatest fear had come true that Abhimanyu had died and Yudhishthira was devastated. And he, how will I be able to face Arjuna? What will I tell that I sent his son to slaughter? He says, what great calamity has come upon us? At that time, Narada Muni came over there and that sage instructed. He told him that there are very great living beings in this world, but no living being, no matter how great, can overpower the law of death.
There were many virtuous kings even before Abhimanyu and even they had to succumb to death. But although death cannot be avoided, what is important is where one goes after that. Abhimanyu had a virtuous life.
His life was short but glorious and he has met the end of a great warrior. So, he shines even now in a glorious abode of everlasting happiness. He says, as compared to the fortune that he has attained, those of us who are in this world, it is we who are unfortunate.
Instead of lamenting his plight, we should lament our plight because in this world, even if we are living a path of virtue, this is the world of temptation where one can be dragged away from virtue at any moment. But Abhimanyu has attained an abode which is beyond the arena of temptation and therefore, do not lament for him. And Anudishthir heard from the sage about how so many great kings, all far greater than Abhimanyu had also met with death, but cannot be avoided.
He says, the will of the Supreme Lord is inscrutable. But if you follow it in due course, you will understand how it is for your good. And hearing this wisdom, Anudishthir was consoled.
And how the revenge was taken for Jaidrath’s brutal conspiring in killing Abhimanyu, that we will discuss when we talk about Arjuna. But then, again on the 15th day, Drona fell and after 10th day, Karna had come in. So on the 14th night, Ghatotkach fought fiercely and eventually was killed by Karna.
And at that time, Karna used Shakti weapon. Again Anudishthir got very angry and he said that wretched Karna, he has killed our beloved Ghatotkach, who was like a son to us, Vimasa’s son, but he was son for all of us. And he had served us so nicely.
And he had, Suta’s son also had a role in Abhimanyu’s killing. Arjuna is meant to kill him, but he has not done so. I will kill him today.
And Anudishthir charged forwards. As he charged forward, Krishna became alarmed and told Arjuna, oh, you should not let the king fight against the Suta’s son. Stop him.
Go and challenge Karna. So at that time, Vyasadev came and he told, oh king, do not become impetuous. Do not become impetuous.
He had the Shakti astra, Karna, with which anybody could have been killed. Now that the Shakti astra has become exhausted, now Karna, his might has become much lesser. And in just three days, in just four days from now, you will become the king of the world.
Do not lose patience. Do not act impetuously right now. And then Anudishthir became calmed down.
So Anudishthir, he was very responsible and considered his dependents, he considered himself the protector of the dependents. Although he did not have as much military prowess or skill as Bhima or Arjuna had, still he had the determination to do all that he could to protect those who were under his care. And then on the 17th day, there was a fierce fight.
On the 16th day, Karna became the commander and somehow there were fights among many people. Karna wreaked havoc, but there was no fight with Arjuna. 17th day, Anudishthir and Karna met and Anudishthir fought fiercely and he matched Karna arrow to arrow and he stunned Karna by his attack.
And Karna was swooned, amazed by the skill. Karna had always been very contemptuous of all the Pandavas. He knew that Arjuna was a formidable archer, but he had thought that others were easy.
But Anudishthir overpowered him. Karna finally regained consciousness and he was furious and he vomited his full breath on Anudishthir and Anudishthir fought as heroically as possible. But Karna’s archery skills were far superior.
And he shot arrows and destroyed Anudishthir’s charioteer, horses and Anudishthir’s armour was also destroyed. His bow and arrow were destroyed. He tried to take new bows and arrows, but even that he could not take.
He took new bows and arrows, but Karna was breaking it all. Karna was flaunting his superiority. Anudishthir, realizing he was helpless, he had just got off his chariot and withdrew, going towards another chariot.
Karna taunted Anudishthir. Anudishthir was wondering why Karna is not killing. He was expecting one arrow will come.
Now he was defenceless because there was no armour on his body. But Karna, having given a word to Kunti, did not kill. But Anudishthir felt utterly humiliated.
He was wounded. He was battered and mortified. And he withdrew from the battlefield.
And Arjuna got the news that Anudishthir had been wounded by Karna. He marched towards Karna to fight and take revenge. But Krishna told, first you should go and see the king whether he is alright.
And then you can come back and fight. In the meanwhile, Karna, by fighting with others, will also get exhausted and you will have a better chance to defeat him. So, Arjuna went to Bhima and asked him whether he could take care of the army in his absence.
He said, I will go and see the king. Bhima nodded and he said, yes. I am also worried about how the king fares after he has been wounded so badly by the Suta’s son.
So, and then Arjuna withdrew. And here, we see the first major conflict that happens within the Pandavas. Bhima had once exploded on Yudhishthir in the gambling match.
But now, something which could have turned into a disaster happened between Arjuna and Yudhishthir. We will discuss that in our next session. Thank you.
Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna. Welcome back to the fascinating