During the fighting on that day there was a dreadful and thrilling battle…Which increased the domain of the god of Death......................................As a mountain receives heavy rainfall,So Karna received those warriors in battle.
Although the heroic Karna fought bravely, he was no match for Arjuna and Krishna:
Cut off by Arjuna’s arrow and deprived of life,
The tall trunk of Karna,
With blood gushing from every wound,
Fell down like the thunder-riven summit of a mountain of red chalk
With crimson streams running down its sides
After a shower of rain.
From The Mahabharata, Book LXIX
The Mahabharata is one of the worlds’ oldest epic myths. Like all good myths, The Mahabharata is an engaging narrative contains timeless and universal truths, jewels waiting to be discovered. The jewels aren’t always apparent. Many people hear or read a myth and come away with only the enjoyment of a good story. Those that are willing to ask questions and make connections can come away with the deeper meanings, the jewels that separate mere existence from a rich, purposeful life.
A line jumped out at me when watching Peter Brook’s Mahabharata video:
When one prefers one’s own children to those of others, war is near.Do you think this is true? Do you think this is true of blind King Dhrtarastra (to whom it was said)? Do you think it is true in families? Are families a microcosm of nations?
What do you think of Yudhisthira’s truth from Book XL:
In all cases, war is evil. Who that strikes is not struck in return? Victory and defeat, O Krsna, are the same to one who is killed. Defeat is not very much better than death, I think; but he whose side gains victory also surely suffers some loss.
You singled out one of my very favorite lines--Y's comment about victory and defeat being the same. It's one of those observations which, on the face of it, seem contradictory, but which when chewed a while makes one realize that the jewels of which you speak (and there are so many in this text!), are sometimes buried pretty deep and require a lot of digging, a lot of pondering.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to the first quotation, preferring one's own children to another's, here again on first read we think "but of course, silly!" Not so. The point is made in such a powerful way--such curious phrasing makes us pause, makes us work harder, and in the end, provided we think on it long enough, it makes perfect sense. Not only does this apply to Dhrtarastra, but to us all--we are all blind where our loved ones are concerned, where our own interests are concerned, and such blindness can, and too often does, lead to bad places.
I want to consider both of these quotations and questions more, but I feel like I understand the first more, so I will start there for now. I do think that when we prize our own concerns more -- our children, our particular situations, etc -- we place ourselves in the path of conflict because things become us versus them, mine versus yours. Admittedly, this is an extremely hard thing not to do -- we are our own constant companions and that which is 'ours' seems therefore more/most important -- but I think that if considered and placed into practice it will allow us to be more receptive of how the world is connected as opposed to how it is separated or segregated. "Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for you" seems to express this idea as well.
ReplyDelete"In all cases, war is evil. Who that strikes is not struck in return? Victory and defeat, O Krsna, are the same to one who is killed. Defeat is not very much better than death, I think; but he whose side gains victory also surely suffers some loss."
ReplyDeleteThese kind of quotes make me sad. Ok. Not like I need medication or anything but its the truth of the matter of war. People die. Resources are spent. Families and economies are affected on both sides. War may be evil but it seems to be a necessary one. You know, since some people can't find a peaceful solution to disagreements.
What would have happened if Paris would have given Helen back and apologized and Menalaus was like, "No worries man! I know my wife is smoking! Next time, keep your royal oates to yourself!" The Illiad would have been really really short.
The American Civil War is another good example. Like the Mahabharata, we have kin against kin. The American lifestyle may have been improved in the long run, but this conflict effectively divided the country. To this day, some folks still harbor ill feelings about it. (Wierdos!)
Yeah, sometimes it is worth the sacrifices we make for "the greater good" but often we fail to see how the outcome affects families on a personal level. Perhaps maybe we should play a couple of games of (loaded) dice instead?
Heh. Reminds me of the The Three Stooges short "You Natzy Spy!" Moe orders Curly to shoot a spy and Curly pulls out a pair of dice.
Moe: "Hey! How can you shoot her with dice?"
Curly: "Their loaded! Nyuk nyuk nyuk!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIZeE9BHxc0
(start from 2:05)