Pandavas in Hastinapur!

         

Hastinapur!!!

          With the epic Kurukshetra war ending finally, the Pandavas along with Krishna, Draupathi, Subhadra, Uththirai, Satyaki, Yuyutsu, Krpacharya and Kritavarman returned to Hastinapur with a heavy heart. There was no smile of victory. In fact, the smiles were turned as the base for a painful, regretful and contrite memory that’s going to say that this throne is not worth to sit after taking so many lives. Even the Pandavas had their heads lowered signifying that than their surviving, death of the warriors in the war has taught them more about life and dharma. The entire city was filled with cries of women who lost their loved ones. The elderly people cried on the loss of their son. Not knowing why their mom is crying, the kids were sitting in front of their houses with a sad face waiting for their father. Unable to face them, Draupathi and the Pandavas with their head lowered, walked towards the palace in serene silence, with no answers for the questions asked by the kids or the crying wives. Sage Vyasa came to Hastinapur knowing the arrival of the Pandavas. King Drithirashtra, Vidhura, Sanjaya, Gandhari and Kunti were informed about the arrival of the Pandavas to Hastinapur. King Drithirashtra and Queen Gandhari who were weeping on the loss of their sons, did not wish to see or even welcome the ones who were responsible for the death of their sons.

        Vidhura spoke in a soft and concerned voice, “Brother! Listen to me, please. What’s done cannot be undone. It’s must for the King and the Queen of the lost Kingdom to welcome the new King who has won in the battle. The new King has even got rights to arrest or even to punish you both even before he is sworn as the King. So, kindly listen to my words and welcome Yudhistra and his brothers.”

King Drithirashtra who was with full of rage on Bhīma spoke,” Oh! They have rights to punish me! Do you think their killing or punishing me is going to affect me more than what they have done to me? Vidhura, they have killed my hundred sons! Not one or two...but hundred! And my grandsons. It’s all because of them now we are left alone in this world. Even after having hundred sons! How do they expect me to welcome them with a big smile and a happy heart when they have killed all my sons and grandsons? Just because dharma and Krishna is on their side, does it mean that they have the guts to look at a father’s eyes and say to him that they have returned after killing his sons? Is that why I should welcome them? No! I don’t want to even see them. I don’t want to see their faces. But, yes, I will go and welcome them. I have to see Bhīma. The one person I would love to meet will be Bhīma. I will welcome him and hug him when he asks for apology. And will crush him to death while he is within my arms.  I, the King, though I am older, do have the strength of thousands of elephants in my arms. And my heart is full of rage to kill that Bhīma. I will definitely kill that Bhīma for killing my hundred sons. Sorry Kunti, but as a father, I have to kill the person responsible for the death of my sons.” Saying so, King Drithirashtra left the room to avenge Bhīma.

"King Yudhistra, I forgive you!"

Kunti who is supposed to welcome the Pandavas did not go to the palace doors to welcome them as she stayed alongside Gandhari to share her grief. She didn’t even try to warn the Pandavas or Krishna about the plan of King Drithirashtra, understanding their loss and pain. The Pandavas were welcomed by King Drithirashtra, Vidhura and Sanjaya at the Palace entrance. Yudhistra and his four brothers seeks apology from King Drithirashtra for the death of Duryodhana and his brothers. He embraced all of them with a smiling face. Bhīma was hesitant as he felt the burden of killing his hundred brothers while facing King Drithirashtra. When Bhīma stood without words, King Drithirashtra spoke, “Bhīma, where are you? Don’t feel sorry. You have to take care of this old man and his old lady on behalf of the sons I have lost. I know you will do it. So, forget everything and come to me so that I can embrace you with my love for you.”

Listening to King Drithirashtra’s words and looking at his expressions Krishna sensed that the emotions were unalike. He saw Bhīma moving towards King Drithirashtra. He suddenly pushed Bhīma aside and pushed an iron statue that was nearby into King Drithirashtra’s embrace. Filled with grief and raged at the loss of his sons, King Drithirashtra thought that the statue was Bhīma and he started crushing it. His anger and wrath were filled in every single muscle of his arms and as a result of the strength, his arms crushed the iron statue into junk, in matter of seconds.

Everyone stood speechless. King Drithirashtra who thought that he has killed Bhīma felt that the revenge and rage has left his heart. Sensing the silence and the sound of the crush, he felt that Bhīma is dead and he started crying.“Bhīma! Forgive me. Forgive me for what I have done. I should not have killed you, my son. I was blinded on fury and my rage for you. My loss made me kill you. Every day when I listen about the way you have killed my sons; my vengeance towards you was very assertive to kill you. I realize it’s not your fault but mine. I was not an effective king in preventing the war. I was not a good father in stopping my son Duryodhana. Yudhistra, killing Bhīma just because he has killed my sons doesn’t make things right. Punish me. Hang me or even kill me right now, right here. You, as a king and as a brother, have the right to kill me. Punish me. Hang me or behead me.”

King Drithirashtra moaned on his ineffectiveness. Everyone stood silent looking at King Drithirashtra. Krishna came towards King Drithirashtra and placing his hands on King Drithirashtra’s shoulders, he spoke in much concerned voice,”King Drithirashtra! Don’t be so harsh to yourself. What’s happened has happened. Nothing can be done to undone it.”

“No Krishna! I was never a good uncle to the sons of Pandu. I was never a good father to my sons. I was not a good brother to my brother Pandu and Vidhura. I was never a good son to Pithamaha Bhishma. It was all because of me and my greed, this war has happened. I am the one who is responsible for the death of all my sons. Though my heart knew all this, it still had the vengeance on Bhīma. Now the animal in me has killed Bhīma too. I’m the one who is supposed to take care of them after the death of my brother. But greed took me in a different path. I was in over my head. Sanjaya mentioned repeatedly that dharma is on the Pandavas’ side and war against them could not be easily won definitely. I was not able to accept it in my heart. My greed and my love for my son to rule Hastinapur made me blind. I lost not only my eyes but also my vision. It was entirely my fault. All because I was blind in my vision, I killed my own sons. Why was I even born blind? Why? I did take care of my people. I was kind to my people and to my family. Why is it I was born like this to be responsible for the death those who trusted me and those whom I was supposed to take responsibility?”- King Drithirashtra sobbed in Krishna’s arms.

Krishna held King Drithirashtra firmly and consoled him. He spoke in a soft voice, “King Drithirashtra, don’t blame on yourself. It’s all the way of Karma. Things happen based on Karma. In your previous incarnation you were a tyrant king. One day, while you were walking by the lake side, you saw a swan surrounded by hundred cygnets. You ordered to kill the hundred cygnets and also asked to attack the swan right in its eyes. You did this just to have fun. Just for fantasy.  As a result, in this birth you were born blind and all your sons were killed in the war. It’s the way of Karma. And don’t worry about Bhīma. He is safe. You crushed an iron statue and not Bhīma.”

"Bhima...forgive me!"

Relieved on Krishna’s words and realizing the path of Karma, King Drithirashtra thanked Krishna and asked for an apology from Bhīma. He said that he realized what the truth is and that now he has totally forgiven the Pandavas. The sons of Pandu along with Krishna, Sage Vyasa, King Drithirashtra and Vidhura went to see Gandhari and seek her apology.

Gandhari, mother of hundred sons who has lost everyone and also her grandsons in the war was weeping all day from the day the war has started.  On hearing Yudhistra’s voice, recalling her sons, Gandhari started weeping more. She wept thinking of her sons who had a brutal death. She wept thinking of her Grandsons who too died without even living life at its fullest. She wept thinking of her widowed daughter-in-laws whose wailing has been echoing in the palace and in her heart all these days.  Tears rushed out of her eyes making her blindfold soggy. Everyone stood silent understanding her situation and having no idea on how to console a mother who has lost all her sons.

Sage Vyasa broke the sheer silence -“Queen Gandhari, You are aware of the war and the outcomes. You yourself have taught your sons about dharma and also that "victory follows righteousness". This war was fought for righteousness. So accept dharma and karma.”

Gandhari who was weeping all this time consoled herself and stood on her knees and spoke in a firm voice, “I know that the war was fought to sustain Dharma. I accept and forgive the war but the injustice that was done to my sons and to my grandsons… I am not able to forgive those. All those done against my sons are purely unjust. I, as a mother and as a Queen, demand to know the reason on why the rules were not followed, why adharma was followed to sustain dharma? Everyone speak of dharma but have you all ever thought about the soldiers and their family before going against the rules? Those soldiers have no reason to fight and die. This is all for the throne. Between Duryodhana and Yudhistra. But why do those allies, Kings, friends and their army should come and fight for you all? They came trusting on you all but you all killed them by following adharma, in the name of dharma. How glorious they would have looked while they marched out of their city to fight for dharma, leaving their house and beloved family! The entire Kurukshetra is filled with bodies of those people who came in the name of dharma. I demand to know the answers for those lost lives and their families.”

Sage Vyasa and other sages present provided her the reply and about karma. They responded stating that all these are the ways of karma and we can’t question it and should accept it in the heart. Sage Vyasa explained further, “Gandhari, you are wise. You know that this will happen. You know that your sons did not follow the path of dharma. You know the destiny of you sons when they asked for war. For the sake of your country people, would you wish adharma to win or your sons to win? The sons of Pandu too were sinned for gambling with their wife and kingdom. But they were punished in their years of exile. When they entered Kurukshetra, they were sinless. But were your sons sinless? Have they washed away their sin for publicly disrobing a woman? Were they free from their sin of insulting Draupathi and also for being adamant that they will not give the sons of Pandu their share to live peacefully? When Krishna, Sanjaya, Vidhura and wise people like Bhishma and Dronacharya advised them, your sons were adamant like an arrogant kid not ready to share. By then already you knew that victory will not be yours. Grief is not going to reduce your pain. Dwelling on those thoughts will not bring peace to your mind. Enlighten yourself on the path of dharma.”

Sage Vyasa consoling Queen Gandhari

Listening to Sage Vyasa’s words, Gandhari’s fury grew more. She went towards Sage Vyasa and spoke in a resilient voice, “Sage Vyasa, Do you realise that you are talking about your grandchildren? The Kauravas are the sons of King Drithirashtra…your son. Those whom you tag as villains or followers of adharma are your grandchildren. You, being a sage, considering yourself as a follower of dharma, why is it that you did not preach the same to your grandchildren? Detached from worldly pleasure may mean that the happenings will not affect you but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any responsibility. Being a sage, it is fine with you for having no feelings for me or my sons but do have respect for other’s pain for they are not like you. Because they had responsibility and they took it but you failed in it.”

Gandhari paused for a moment and tried to console herself. But unable to control herself she continued, “From where and how is a human tagged as a hero or a villain? Who creates them? What is the scale that you use to measure a man based on his qualities? Yudhistra and his brothers gambled with their wife. Yet, Yudhistra follows the path of dharma. Does that put them under hero or villain? A man is filled with both good and bad within him. It’s what he shows out the most and how people react to it is what makes him a hero or a villain. My sons chose to be the wrong typed person or villains, as you tag them. But to a mother, in a mother’s heart, there is no such scale or tag. To her, no matter what, it’s her son. The pain that a hero’s mother and villain’s mother go through is always the same. The pain that Kunti or Radhaey go through for Karna’s death is same as what I go through now. Do mothers of villains doesn’t have the right to weep? Hero or villain, soldier or robber, terrorist or martyr, to a mother it’s her kid. A mother will always weep for her son, no matter how he is. For, every mother wants her children to be good in heart and not as a villain.”

Gandhari grasped her breath for a moment and continued,“When their sons die, every mother will cry saying that her son was innocent and why is it that he has to leave the earth while she is alive. No one will say that their son deserved death. The war killed both heroes and villains. My sons died because they didn’t follow the path of dharma. But yet, they were my sons. Heroes or villains, they were my sons.”

Krishna and others stood silent allowing Gandhari to express her inner pain and anger. Gandhari continued, “Why is it my sons are considered as villains? Is it because of what they have done to the Pandavas? Why did my sons refused to share the Kingdom with the Pandavas? I know we could have housed the Pandavas too. Hastinapur is vast. The reason my sons refused was all because of greed. But, is it all just their fault? Why is it Pithamaha Bhishma or Dronacharya or Krpacharya did not advise my sons when my sons were following the path of adharma? Why is it they favoured only Kunti’s sons and not my sons? If they have treated my sons and Kunti’s sons equally, then the situation would not have gone this far, right? They hold the responsibility, for my sons to be called as villains. And Karna! He accompanied my Duryodhana everywhere. He was so righteous in everything that he did. He was altruistic who donated everything without saying a “no”. But all those money that he donated came from the kingdom that my son gave to him. Why didn’t he talk about charity or dharma to my son and change him too? As a friend, isn’t it his responsibility to make sure his friend follows the path of dharma? He holds the responsibility too, for my Duryodhana to be called as villain. My sons would have been generous if the people of Hastinapur respected my husband as a King. But my husband was not allowed to be a king even though he was the eldest of all, all because he was blind. My husband is talented and he has ruled Hastinapur all these days as a great ruler. Hastinapur under his ruling was safe and wealthy. Doesn’t that say that my husband is worthy to be a King? Why is it he was refused to be hailed as a King, the rightful ruler even after seeing his brilliancy? Is it all just because the law states that a blind man cannot be permitted to be a ruler? Who made such rules? Our ancestors! Then, they too hold the responsibility for my sons to be tagged as villains. The people of Hastinapur had a happy and protected life under my husband’s reign and under my Duryodhana as Prince. Yet they never considered him as a Prince or his father as a King. The people too hold responsibility.”

Gandhari who was standing strong all this time felt a tremor passing through her nerves. Her knees were weak, unable to hold her. She went down on her knees and wept with a broken heart, “May be, my sons became greedy and villains because of me! Their father was blind and so he couldn’t see them. I, their mother, refused to see them. In order to laze as a noble wife, I blindfolded my eyes without realizing that I have blindfolded my sons too from dharma. I never saw their new born faces. I never saw their birthmarks. I never saw how beautiful and strong they were. I never saw how they smiled or even when they wept. I never saw them when they were hurt or sick. I never tried to see them when they were angry or even confused. All these years, all that I know from my sons was only their breath, sound of their footsteps, their voice and their touch. I hold responsibility for my sons to be tagged as villains. I hold the responsibility for their behaviour, their greediness and their sheer disgraceful doings and also for their death.”

Krishna came towards Gandhari and tried to console her. “Don’t cling to the past, Queen. A pain will remain until another pain comes along. This is all Karma and that’s life.”

“No Krishna! You will never understand a mother’s pain. And this pain is not something that will pass by with time. It will stay for ever. Henceforth, every day, when I see Kunti smiling and having fun with her sons, it will remind me of my sons. Every day when I hear Bhīma’s voice, I will be reminded of him killing my sons. When I walked in these corridors, there were hundred sons of mine whose hands clung to my hands. Now, I have none. The breeze will remind me of the emptiness. It will be the same for Draupathi too.”-saying so, Gandhari turned towards Draupathi who was standing next to her and spoke, “Draupathi, is this what you wanted? I have lost everything that was the world to me. Of course, what my sons did to you was not acceptable. They do deserve to be punished. They teased you, your husbands killed them. But the one who is affected the most because of your curse is me. I and my husband will be the ones who will live holding your curse till our last breath. From now on, this world will label me and my husband as the example of poor parenting who turned their sons into criminals. We will be called as worthless and shameful parents responsible for the death of their own sons. Does it make you happy to see us like this? Is this what you wanted us to go through for our poor parenting? Look at you.  You lost your sons too! Your curse was not only responsible for my sons’ death but for your sons too. Your curse was responsible for many young women to live as widows at a very young age, including Abhimanyu’s wife, Uthhara. Will it make you feel happy when you see them while you are sitting as a Queen with Yudhistra? I weep for my sons who have done a mistake but how about you? What is the need for you to weep? Was it all worth?”            

"Witness the death of your beloved!"

Draupathi on listening to Gandhari’s words started weeping. Gandhari continued, “My sons were sinned and so they were killed. What about your sons? Your vengeance is all that’s responsible for the death of your sons. The pain that you hold is the same as what I hold now and we are going to regret it till our death. You started this war only because you had Krishna by your side and you were sure that he will protect you all. But see what he has done. He failed you too.” Gandhari turned her rage towards Krishna and roared, “Krishna, you supported the Pandavas. I know who you are. Why is it that you favoured only the Pandavas? Why is it that you did not try to persuade my sons to follow the path of dharma and prevent war? You have the power to prevent the war and yet you did not choose to use it. What happened is an outcome of your unjust act. I remember you reciting Gita to Arjuna in the battle field. Sanjaya narrated to us. That’s not an excuse to go to war with family and friends. You did fail to say those to my sons. Is this the way of teaching Karma and dharma?  How can you say that a pain matters only when until another pain hurts the heart? Have you ever seen the death of your sons? This war is a cruel lesson. For both the sides. You were merciless. You were callous to your own creatures.”-Saying so, Gandhari screamed, “You are the only one who is responsible for the death of my sons. For me and my husband to suffer like this. For everyone to feel ashamed and hurt. You are responsible for the death of those innocent soldiers, for the pain and sufferings of those soldiers’ wife and mother. You are solely responsible for everything, right from the start. May you, Krishna, witness the death of your sons and grandsons. I curse you to witness the devastation and demolition of your city and the Yadava clan. I curse you, the almighty, to stand and just witness the death of your beloved ones and be unable to do anything about it. May you face death by being hunted like an animal!”-cursing Krishna Gandhari cried heavily.

On listening to Gandhari’s curse, everyone was stunned. Draupathi went on her knees, howled and begged to Gandhari, “Matha, This war was my fault. I was the one who had vengeance in my heart. If you are to curse, curse me. Kill me and my husbands, right now. Don’t blame Krishna.” Krishna was silent. He was not shocked or even sad. He hugged both Gandhari and Draupathi. He said nothing. He allowed both of them to vent out their ache. Gandhari and Draupathi were almost exhausted crying for a long time.

He held both of the shattered women within his arms. Krishna who was silent all this time, spoke kindly, “Matha, I accept your curse. For all those pain I have caused to you and to Draupathi and to all the mothers and wives, if it takes the annihilation of my clan, then let be it. But, let me tell you something. You know that I have tried to speak to Duryodhana about the effects of war and asked him to go in the path of peace. But he refused. As a mother, you should have stopped Duryodhana from doing malevolent activities, when he was a child itself. You stood silent when your brother, Uncle Saguni was leading your sons in the path of evil. You do know what dharma is. It was your love for your sons that stopped you from scolding or amending them. And it was the same love that destroyed your sons’ lives. Your sons failed to share, be affectionate and listen. You failed in making them understanding dharma. Dharma is not in giving when you have everything. It’s when a man with a lesser amount of food in his hand shares it with another. Dharma is not only in understanding and talking but in practicing, preaching and also in opposing when there is adharma. Fate throws only questions to us. But the answer...the choice is in the hands of the human soul. Which path to follow…which way to walk…how to walk…the decision is all decided by the respective human. And based on those decisions, destiny plays its part. Duryodhana chose greediness as his path.”

“Draupathi chose revenge as her path. She was not able to forgive your sons. She demanded vengeance. And so, in getting the lives of your sons, the cost she paid was her sons’ lives. Humans should discover that dharma is in forgiving and sharing. They both uproot the cause of violence. Domination works only in Jungle. Not for humans. Domination will destroy humans. When they try to dominate, it means they are following adharma. It’s only the desire to be on top makes man go greedy, makes him think he is more powerful, makes him enforce his power on others and makes him to indulge in all sorts of adharma. Dharma is about affection and love which leads to listening, giving, helping and forgiving. Matha Gandhari’s sons died because their sons refused to share. Draupathi’s sons died because she could not forgive. Dharma will be the only thing that will bring peace to this world.”

"Fate only throws questions!"

Gandhari and others accepted Krishna’s words and enlightened on what real dharma is, Gandhari forgave the Pandavas and Draupathi. She also apologised to Krishna for her misunderstanding and curse. She even tried to take back the curse but Krishna informed her that once cursed, it’s irrevocable. That’s the power of words and curse and he told that he will face it for it is in his destiny. With Krishna’s words and the effects of war, everyone realized that starting a war or following adharma is always easy but the consequences are really heavy to handle and is excruciatingly extensive.