Chapter 4: Principal Characters – Śiva Sankalpam
Chapter 4: Principal Characters – Śiva Sankalpam
We
see that several beings took part in this grand leela. For example, In Rāmāyana
kāla, we saw son of Indra and Sūrya were on opposite sides, i.e. Vāli and
Sugreeva respectively. Similarly in the era of dvāpara, we see Arjuna and Karna
are on opposite sides. However, unlike the Rāmāyana kāla, in Mahābhārata,
Arjuna is on the side of dharma (i.e. son of Indra), whereas son of Sūrya –
Karna, is on the side of adharma. The five pāndavās are born to mother kunti
and mother mādri, through a divine leela, of Lord Śiva.
The
instrument of Lord Śiva’s leela here is Brahmarṣi Durvāsa. Durvāsa is an amśa
of Lord Śiva. Sri Krishna, who knew of this, tells Yudhiṣthira in anuśāsanika
parva chapter 160 “The Mahadeva, took birth as the Brāhmana Durvāsa of great
energy (“brāhmaṇo bhūtvā durvāsā nāma vīryavān” – 13.145.35a CE). In the
Shvetaki upākhyāna, in the Adi parva (i.e. khāndavana dahana upapara –
1.249.54/55 KE) we see Bhagavān rudra referring to Durvāsa as an amśa of
Himself – “mamāmśastu kṣititale mahābhāgo dvijōttamaḥ durvāsā iti vikhyātaḥ” -
1.249.54/55 KE [There is on this earth an illustrious brāhmana, who is born out
of a portion of my Self, renowned by the name of durvāsa]
Unlike
Narā and Nārāyana, who themselves incarnated and took on the roles of Arjuna
and Krishna, in the ādi bhautika plane (i.e. mundane plane), Lord Śiva appears
in the mundane plane, on rare occasions as Himself. However, he is seen more
active in the ādi daivika plane (i.e. mystical divine plane where deities
operate). But in the ādi bhautika plane, His presence is felt, through the
agencies of Mahātmās such as Durvāsā and Bhagavān Paraśurāma. So, in this
chapter we shall briefly look at how Lord Śiva is enacting the bhārāvataranam leela,
as the karma phala dhāta – seeding boons, causing birth of special jīvas, etc.
Bhagavān
Durvāsā’s boon to Kunti (Sections 1.104/105 CE and Sections 1.111 KE)
There
was an excellent king among the Yādavas (yaduśreṣṭho) a chief named Sura. He
was the father of Vasudeva (vasudeva pitābhavat) And he had a daughter called
pr̥thā, who was peerless in her beautiful appearance (tasya kanyā pr̥thā nāma
rūpeṇāsadr̥śī bhuvi). Sura, always truthful in speech, gave from friendship (due
to his earlier given promise ~ pratijñāya) this his firstborn daughter (pr̥thā)
unto his childless cousin and friend, the illustrious kuntibhojā, the son of
his paternal aunt. And pr̥thā in the house of her adoptive father was engaged
in looking after the duties of hospitality to brāhmanas and other guests.
On
one such occasion came Bhagavān Durvāsā, who was not to be easily pleased.
However, she gratified this great rṣi by her sincere attention to detail and
service. Highly gratified with her respectful attentions, the great rṣi well
versed in subtle essence of all dharma, anticipating by his spiritual power the
future difficulty of Kunti (i.e. due to
the curse that will be pronounced upon Pandu for his unrighteous act of slaying
a deer while serving its mate) imparted to her a mantra.
The Rṣi said : -
yaṁ
yaṁ devaṁ tvam etena mantreṇa āvāhayiṣyasi
tasya
tasya prasādena putras tava bhaviṣyati – 1.104.7 CE
Whosoever
divine being that you shall invoke with this Mantra shall certainly
approach you and bless you with children (born out of their veeryam).
Having
received this mantra, Kunti in her curiosity (kautūhalam) while still in her
maidenhood (kanya parvam), invoked deva arka ~ devam arkam ājuhāva (i.e.
arka = surya bhagavān). Immediately
Sūrya came therein to bless her with a child. Kunti however, being unready to
bear a child, sought pardon for his impulsive invocation. Yet, Sūrya knowing
the devarahasyam (i.e. larger divine play) and the Śiva sankalpam (i.e. in the
form of durvāsā giving the boon), did bless Kunti with Vasusena. Who in later
years came to be known as Karna, due to him cutting of the kavacha, at the
behest of Indra.
Thus,
we see that Lord Śiva through Durvāsa caused Sūrya amśa to be born as Karna.
Later
in Ādi
parva, we see that other children were born to Kunti Devi through the
invocation of the Durvāsā mantra thrice – once to dharma (i.e. Yamā to beget
Yudhiṣthira), once to vāyu to beget bhīma and once to Indra to beget Arjuna.
Kunti, upon Pāndu’s request initiated the mantra to Mādri and twins (Nakula and
Sahadeva) were born to her, upon a single invocation to Aśvinis.
Birth
of Arjuna
It
was a divine occasion indeed. An occasion of great joy to mother earth, for
Nara rṣi was born as Arjuna, to later joined forces with Nārāyana to do
bhārāvataranam.
Remember
that the day Bhīma was born was also the same day Duryōdhana was born. Bhīma
was born with foremost of strength, even as a baby, when he fell on a rock, it
shattered to pieces, but nothing happened to Bhīma.
However,
Pāndu reflected upon himself – “How can I obtain a son, who will be the best of
men?”. He further reflected that unless one gains the special grace of divine,
no earthly desire can come to fruition at the right time. Hence, he prayed to
the foremost of the celestials – Indra.
“Indeed,
Indra is endued with immeasurable might and energy and prowess and glory (aprameyabalotsāho
vīryavān amitadyutiḥ). Gratifying him with my asceticism, I shall obtain from
him a son of great strength (taṁ toṣayitvā tapasā putraṁ lapsye mahābalam).
Indeed, the son he shall bless me must be superior to all and capable of
vanquishing all (men and those other than men) in battle (amānuśānmānuśāmścha
samgrāme sa haniśyati). I shall, therefore, practice the severest austerities,
with thought, word, and deed (karmanā manasā vāchā tasmāt tapsye mahattapaḥ -
1.132.4/5 KE)”.
Again,
here we must keep in our minds the divine significance of invocation to Indra
and the link to Lord Śiva. At Ādi daivika level, Indra is king of celestials,
but at adhyātmika level – Indra is another name for Ātman, identical with Lord
Śiva (as discussed earlier).
After
a long time that Pāndu spent in tapas, Śri Indrā blessed Pāndu with a vision of
Himself. He gave the boon that the next son born to Pāndu will be celebrated
all over the three worlds (triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam) and who will be protect the
brāhmanas, gavām (i.e. cow) and all virtuous people (devānāṁ brāhmaṇānāṁ ca
suhr̥dāṁ cārthasādhakam) – 1.114.23 CE
Thereupon
rejoicing with gratitude at the word of Śri Indra, Pāndu spoke to Kunti and
requested her to invoke Indra. She did invoke the lord of celestials, with the
same mantra given to her by Lord Śiva’s amśa Durvāsā. Arjuna was born as a
result.
jātamātre
kumāre tu vāg uvācāśarīriṇī
mahāgambhīranirghoṣā
nabho nādayatī tadā – 1.114.28 CE
As
soon as the prince was born, an invisible voice filled the whole sky with a
loud deep roar.
This
voice was heard by every dwelling creature in the hermitage. It further
declared : -
kārtavīryasamaḥ
kunti śibitulya parākramaḥ
eṣa
śakra ivājeyo yaśas te prathayiṣyati – 1.114.29 CE
adityā
viṣṇunā prītir yathābhūd abhivardhitā
tathā
viṣṇusamaḥ prītiṁ vardhayiṣyati te arjunaḥ - 1.114.30 CE
'This
child of yours, O Kunti, will be equal unto kārtavīrya in energy and Śibi in
prowess. Invincible like Śakra (Indra) himself he will spread your fame far and
wide. As Viśnu (the youngest of Aditi's sons) had enhanced Aditi's joy, so
shall this child Arjuna, shall enhance your joy.
Subjugating
the madrās, the kurūs along with the sōmakas, and the people of chedi, kāśi and
karuṣā, he will maintain the prosperity of the kurūs. (Due to Arjuna) Agni will derive great
gratification from the fat of all creatures dwelling in the Khāndava forest (to
be burnt down) by the might of this one's arms. This mighty hero, vanquishing
all the weak kings of the earth, will, with his brothers perform
three great sacrifices (trīn medhān āhariṣyati – 1.114.33 CE). In prowess, O
Kunti, he will be even as Paraśurāma or Viśnu (jāmadagnya samaḥ viṣṇu tulya parākramaḥ
1.114.34 CE). The foremost of all men endued with prowess (eṣa vīryavatāṁ śreṣṭho),
he will achieve great fame.
eśa
yuddhe mahādevam tośayiśyati śankaram .
astram
pāśupatam nāma tasmāt tuśtādavāpsyati .. 1.132.26 KE
He
will gratify in battle (by his heroism) Sankara, the god of gods (Mahadeva),
and will receive from him the great weapon named Pasupata.
This
your son of mighty arms will also slay, at the command of Indra, those Daityas called
the Nivatakavachas who are the enemies of the gods. He will
also acquire all kinds of celestial weapons, and this bull among men will also
retrieve the fortunes of his race.”
The
divine thrilling description continues.
“The
sounds of the (invisible) drum filled the entire sky. There were shouts of joy,
and the whole region was covered with flowers showered down by invisible
agents. The various tribes of celestials assembled, began to offer their
respectful adorations to the son of Pr̥thā. The sons of kadru (nagas), Garudā,
the Gandharvas, and the seven great Rishis, viz.,
Bharadwaja, Kasyapa, Gautama, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Vasishtha, and the
illustrious Atri who illumined the world of old when the Sun was lost, all came
there. And Marichi, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Daksha the lord of
creation, the Gandharvas, and Apsaras, came there also.
The various tribes of Apsaras, decked with celestial garlands and
every ornament, and attired in fine robes, came there and danced in joy,
chanting the praises of Vibhatsu (Arjuna). All around, the great Rishis
began to utter propitiatory formulas. And Tumburu accompanied by the Gandharvas began
to sing in charming notes.
Lord
Śiva in the form of the eleven rudrā also came there - mr̥gavyādha, śarva,
nirr̥ti, ajaikapād, ahirbudhnyaḥ, pinākī, dahana, Iśvara, kapālī, sthāṇu &
bhava. The twin Aśvins, the eight vasus, the mighty maruts, the Viswedevas, and
the Sādhyas, also came there. And karkōtaka, vāsuki, kachchhapa, kunda and the
great nāga takṣaka, these mighty and wrathful snakes possessed of high ascetic
merit also came there.”
Thus
was the magnificent moment of Arjuna’s birth described in Ādi parva, by Sri Krishna dvaipāyana.
The
Five Indras as Five pāndavās
Lord
Śiva’s involvement in the birth of the Pāndavās is not just limited to Brahmarṣi
Durvāsā granting boons to mother Kunti and the subsequent birth of Pāndavās. It
started long before then.
In
ancient times, the devatās had commenced a grand yajna, in the forest of naimiṣāraṇya.
At that yajna, Vaivasvata Yamā became engrossed in the yajna kratu and
consequently the mortals of the earth, started enjoying long life (without
death). Then the other deities prayed to Lord Brahma, to find a remedy to this
unnatural phenomenon. To them Brahma assured that as soon as Yamā finished his
ritual, death shall sweep away multitudes of the mortals away from the earth. (Again,
a reminder of the impending bhārāvataranam). Consequent to this assurance
provided by Brahma, an interesting incident transpired, by Śiva sankalpam.
Indra
while seated at the Yagya noticed golden lotus flowers were flowing in ganga.
He became curious and started tracing the golden lotus flowers to its source,
wherein Indra beheld a woman possessing the splendor of fire. It was her tear drops
which when shed into Ganga, were being transformed into golden lotuses. The
wielder of the thunderbolt, beholding that wonderful sight, approached the
woman and asked her, 'Who are you? Why are you weeping?'
The
woman answered, ‘Please come with me’. Hearing these words, Indra followed her as she
led the way. And soon he saw, not far off from where he was, a handsome youth
with a young lady seated on a throne placed on one of the peaks of Himavat and
playing at dice. Beholding that youth, Indra said to Him, ‘Know, intelligent
youth, that this universe is under my sway.’
Seeing,
however, that the person addressed was so engrossed in dice that he took no
notice of what he said, Indra was possessed by anger and repeated, ‘I am the
lord of the universe’.
The
youth who was none else than Mahādeva (the god of the gods), seeing Indra
filled with wrath, only smiled & cast a glance at him. At that very glance
itself, Indra was immediately paralyzed and stood there like a statue. Iśāna in
the form of the youth continued playing the game of dice. Then when the game at
dice was over, Iśāna addressed the weeping woman said, 'Bring Indra here, I
shall deal with him such that pride may not again enter his heart.'
As
soon as Indra was touched by that woman, Indra unfroze and fell-down on the
earth. The illustrious Iśāna of fierce energy, in the form of the youth then
said unto him, ‘Act not, O Indra, ever again in this way. Remove this huge
stone and enter the hole wherein await some other Indras who are similar, to
you.’
Indra
removed that stone and beheld a cave, within which he found there were four
others resembling himself. Then Girīśā, looking at Indra said, ‘Enter this cave
without loss of time, for you have insulted me’ (as a punishment of the offence).
Thus, addressed by bhagavān Iśāna, the chief of the celestials, Indra was
deeply pained, and with his limbs weakened by fear trembled like the
wind-shaken leaf of a Himalayan fig (at the prospect of the punishment). Indra
then with joined hands and shaking from head to foot, addressed that fierce god
of multi-form manifestations, saying, 'Thou art, O Bhava, the over-looker of
the infinite Universe!' Indra recognized that it was Lord Śiva, who appeared as
the youth and taught him a lesson (so that Indra can get rid of his pride).
Hearing
these words, Lord Śiva smiled and said, ‘Those that are filled with pride never
obtain my grace. These others (within the cave) had at one time been like you.
Enter this cave, therefore, and lie there for some time. The fate of you all
shall certainly be the same. All of you shall have to take your birth in the
world of men, where, having achieved many difficult feats and slaying many, you
shall again by the merits of your respective deeds, regain the valued region of
Indra’.
Then
those Indras, of their shorn glory said, ‘We shall go from our celestial
regions even unto the region of men where salvation is ordained to be difficult
of acquisition. But let the deities Dharma, Vāyu, Maghavat, and the twin Aśvins
beget us upon our would-be mother. Fighting with men by means of both celestial
and human weapons, we shall again come back into the region of Indra.’
Hearing
these words, the current Indra said, ‘Instead of going myself, I shall, with a
portion of my energy, create from myself a person for the accomplishment of the
task, you have assigned’.
The
five Indras were Vishwabhuk, Bhutadhāman, Sibi, Sānti the fourth, and Tejasvin.
The
illustrious Iśāna, pinākapāni from his kindness, granted unto the five Indras
the desire they cherished. And he also asked that woman (who brought Indra to
this mountain top) to be their common wife in the world of men. This Women was
an amśa of Sri (i.e. Śakti of Śiva). Iśāna directed those Indras, to Nārāyana
of immeasurable energy, the Infinite, the Immaterial, the Uncreate, the Old,
the Eternal, and the Spirit of these universes without limits. Narayana
approved of everything. Those Indras then were born in the world of men,
including Arjuna.
Then
Hari (Narayana) took up two hairs from his body, one of which hairs was black
and the other white. And those two hairs entered the wombs of two of the Yadu
race, by name Devaki and Rohini. And one of these hairs viz., that
which was white, became Baladeva. And the hair that was black was born as
Kesava's self, Krishna.’
Thus,
in this pancha Indra upākhyāna, we see how Lord Śiva, Brahma and Nārāyana have
guided the events which culminated in the birth of the Pāndavās. In this story
we saw how the women who was an amśa of Śri Śakti, was to take birth as their
wife. Now let us study the story arc,
wherein Lord Śiva directly caused the birth of Draupadi.
Birth
of Draupadi and Lord Śiva
Long
ago, an illustrious Rishi, living in a certain hermitage, had a beautiful daughter
possessing excellent virtues. Due to past karma this beautiful & chaste
maiden did not a husband.
So
she took upon herself to do ascetic penances with the object of obtaining a “worthy”
husband. Her Iśta was Lord Śiva. She soon gratified by her severe asceticism, Bhagavan
Śankara who appeared before her and said, ‘Ask what you desire.’
She
replied ‘Swāmi give me, a husband endued with every accomplishment.’ She said
this five times.
Then
Iśāna, foremost of all speakers, replied unto her, saying, ‘O blessed one, thou
shall have five husbands from among the Bhārata princes’.
The
maiden was surprised by this blessing of Lord Śiva. She said unto Īśvara 'O
lord, I desire to have only one husband through thy grace.' Then Īśvara addressed
her again and said, ‘You have, O girl, said full five times, 'Give me a
husband.' You shall therefore, in another life have five husbands!’
That
maiden in her next life, was re-born in the line of Drupada, by Lord Śiva
Sankalpam.
Why
to Drupada?
To answer this question, we must comprehend the understand the animosity
between Drōna and Drupada. Here too, Lord Śiva’s touch is seen. Drōna and
Drupada when they were students together at Bharadwāja āśrama, were friends
with each other. Later Bhagavān Paraśurāma became the teacher of Drōna and made
him master par excellence, while Drupada went on to become a King. Drōna’s son
was Aśvattāma, who was born of an amśa of Lord Śiva, for the sake of
bhārāvatanam (except to fight on the side of Kauravās, in the final battle).
Drōna despite being a repository of knowledge in astrā and śastra, could not
uplift his family from poverty. So when he approached his childhood friend
Drupada (by then a King), he was insulted by Drupada. This led to Drōna teaching
Drupada a lesson, through the kuru princes led by Arjuna. So to avenge Drōna
and the Kuru kingdom, Drupada conducted a sacrifice. Out of the fire in that
sacrifice emerged kanya - Draupadi, as directed by Lord Śiva, to be the cause
of the destruction of the Kurus. When this girl of fair hips was born an
incorporeal voice said, 'This dark-complexioned girl will be the first of all
women, and she will be the cause of the destruction of many Kshatriyas. This
slender-waisted one will, in time, accomplish the purpose of the gods, and
along with her many a danger will overtake the Kauravas.' Because this daughter
is so dark in complexion, she should be called Krishna (the dark One).
Here
too we see how Lord Śiva as the karma phala dhāta, is the puppeteer who is
unfolding the cosmic play as it were. The birth of Pāndavās and Draupadi, was
directly due to Lord Śiva’s leela.
Three
Generals and Paraśurāma
Bhīṣmā,
Drōna and Karna were to become the three generals of the Kauravā army. Each of
them was a disciple of Bhagavān Paraśurāma. It is well known in tradition that
Paraśurāma, an avatāra of Viṣṇu, was a devotee and disciple of Lord Siva. Thus,
Lord Śiva ensured that even the generals of Kaurava army, were primed for the
bhārāvataranam.
Gāndhāri
and Duryōdhana
Gāndhāri
was a devotee of Lord Śiva. She had obtained a boon from Lord Śiva that she
will have 100 sons. Bhishma, the grandfather of the Kurus, having heard this,
sent messengers unto the king of Gandhara. King Subala at first hesitated on
account of the blindness of the bridegroom (i.e. Dhrtarāśtra), but taking into
consideration the glory of the Kurus, their fame and noble conduct, he gave his
virtuous daughter unto Dhrtarāśtra. The chaste Gandhari upon hearing that Dhrtarāśtra
was blind and that her parents had consented to marry her to him, from love and
respect for her future husband, blindfolded her own eyes.
Thus,
we see that Gandhari’s marriage into Kuru clan, was triggered by Lord Śiva’s
boon to her, that she will be mother of 100 sons. Later Rṣi vyāsa also blessed her with the
same boon. However, when she was pregnant, she heard the news that Kunti had
given birth to Yudhiṣthira, Gāndhāri could not bear the news out of jealousy. She
struck her womb, in a impulsive violent act and thereupon from her womb came
out a mass of flesh. Bhagavān vyāsa immediately arrived at the juncture and
using his ascetic power, divided the mass of flesh into 101 parts. Each part,
he put into a pot full of ghee that had been placed at a concealed and
supervised spot. The illustrious Vyasa then said to Gandhāri that she should
open the covers of the pots after full two years. And having said this and made
these arrangements, the wise vyāsa went to the Himavat mountains for devoting
himself to asceticism.
Then
in time, Duryodhana was born from among those pieces of the ball of flesh that
had been deposited in those pots. According to the order of birth, Yudhishthira
was the oldest. The news of Duryodhana's birth was carried to Bhishma and the
wise Vidura. The day that the haughty Duryodhana was born was also the birthday
of Bhima of mighty arms and great prowess.
As
soon as Duryodhana was born, he began to cry and bray like an ass. And hearing
that sound, the donkeys, vultures, jackals and crows uttered their respective
cries responsively. Violent winds began to blow, and there were fires in
various directions. Then king Dhrtarāśtra in great fear, summoning Bhishma, Vidura
and other well-wishers and several Brahmanas, addressed them and said, ‘The
oldest of those princes, Yudhishthira, is the perpetuator of our line. By
virtue of his birth, he has acquired the kingdom. But what of my son?’
As
soon as he asked jackals and other carnivorous animals began to howl ominously.
Noting this and other ominous omens, the wise Vidura replied, 'O king, when
these frightful omens are noticeable at the birth of your eldest son, it is
evident that he shall be the exterminator of your race. The prosperity of all
depends on his abandonment. O king, if you abandon him, there remain yet 99
sons. If you desire the good of your race, abandon him, O Bharata! O king, do
good to the world and thy own race by casting off this one child of thine.
tyajed
ekaṁ kulasyārthe grāmasyārthe kulaṁ tyajet
grāmaṁ
janapadasyārthe ātmārthe pr̥thivīṁ tyajet – 1.70.32 CE
For
the sake of one’s kulam (i.e. family, lineage) an individual can be let go,
whereas for the sake of one’s village, one family may have to be sacrificed.
For the sake of larger humanity, a village may be abandoned. The entire earth
(along with all promises of enjoyment here and hereafter) must be given up
(with bhakti), for the sake of realizing Oneself.
When
Vidura and those Brahmanas had stated so, king Dhrtarāśtra out of affection for
his son had not the heart to follow that advice.
Then
within a month, were born a full hundred sons unto Dhrtarāśtra and a daughter
Dushāla. This daughter was born to Gāndhāri, due to her prayer to Bhagavān
vyāsa. Dushāla in later years, ended up
marrying Jayadhrata, who was a source of grief to Pāndavās. This Jayadhrata was
also a votary of Lord Śiva and Lord Śiva made him an instrument, in the
bhārāvataranam – by making him an instrumental cause of Abhimanyu’s death in
the Mahābhārata war. This in turn triggered Krishna and Arjuna to unleash havoc
in the kuru army and hasten bhārāvataranam.
Asuras
and Duryodhana
Coming
back to Duryodhana, we must understand the secret origins of this prime
antagonist in the entire Mahābhārata.
In
the Vana parva, there is the gosha yātra upaparva, wherein Arjuna and Bhima
save Duryodhana from the Gandharvas. This is perceived as an insult by
Duryodhana, who then proceeds to give up his life, by fasting onto death. At
this time, many fierce daityas and dhānavas, who had been defeated in the past
by the celestials, ascertained Duryodhana’s intent. They had pinned their hopes
on Duryodhana to fight their battle against Dharma. So, to dissuade Duryodhana
from fasting onto death. They performed a ritual, wherein they used their
powers to tele transport Duryodhana, to their hidden location.
They
then spoke to him as follows “O Suyodhana, O great king? O perpetuator of the
race of Bharata, you are ever surrounded by heroes and illustrious men. Why have
you then, undertaken to do such a rash act as the vow of starvation? O exalted
king, know the truth about your celestial origin. In days of old, O king, we
have obtained you, by our ascetic austerities from Maheśvaraḥ. Your body is
thus, O best of kings, the creation of Maheśvaraḥ himself and Maheśvari”.
Thus
again, we see even the Asurās are votaries of Lord Śiva, just as Devās are.
Duryodhana was also born for the special purpose, from Asura point of view.
The
Asurās continued “Therefore, let this grief of yours cease. You have not cause
for fear. For aiding you, many heroic Dānavās have been born
on the earth. Other Asuras will also possess Bhishma, Drōna and Karna and
others. Possessed by those Asuras, these heroes will cast away their kindness
and fight with your foes. The soul of the slain Naraka hath assumed the form of
Karna. Recollecting his former hostility, he will encounter both Kesava and
Arjuna. We also have for that reason appointed hundreds upon hundreds and
thousands upon thousands of Daityas and Rakshasas,
viz., those that are known by the name of Samsaptakas. These celebrated warriors will slay the heroic Arjuna. Therefore,
grieve not, O king. You will rule the whole earth, O monarch, without a rival.
Do not yield to despondency”.
This
from this interesting episode in the Vana parva, we learn that Lord Śiva was
behind the origin of Duryōdhana, as well.
Origin
of Aśvattāma
We
had briefly mentioned that Aśvattāma, son of Drōna was born with the amśa of
Lord Śiva. This is mentioned multiple times in the Mahābhārata. In the Drōna
parva, Bhagavān vyāsa reminds Aśvattāma of this fact.
Bhagavān
Vyāsa said to him “You also, have been born as a portion of Rudra, by virtue of
all your religious acts and ascetic austerities, endued with great energy and
wrath (tathaiva karmaṇaḥ kr̥tsnaṁ mahatas tapaso ’pi ca | tejomanyuś ca vidvaṁs
tvaṁ jāto raudro mahāmate – 7.172.82).
You
were in your former life endued with great wisdom and equal to a deva. Your
devotion was such that, you regarded the universe to consist only of Mahādeva (sa
bhavān devavat prājño jñātvā bhavamayaṁ jagat – 7.172.83 CE). You had emaciated
yourself by diverse vows from desire of gratifying Parameśvara. You had
worshipped Mahādeva with mantras, with homa, and with
offerings. Thus, adored by you in thy former life, Mahādeva became gratified
with you, and granted you numerous boons. Like Kesava's and Arjuna's your ascetic
austerities are also superior. Like them, in your worship, your have, in
every Yuga, adored Mahādeva, in his form as Śiva lingam.
Thus,
we see even Aśvattāma is an amśa of Lord Śiva. We shall see later, how he was
also a key instrument, at Lord Śiva’s hand.
Postscript:
Reflection
It
is indeed the blessings of Bhagavān Vyāsa that we can even today witness how
Lord Śiva intervened and directed the proceedings of the epic. It is indeed
amazing that everyone in their respective capacities is a bhakta of Lord Śiva.
Yet, all that bhakti did not prevent Duryōdhana from straying deep into adharma
or Aśvattāma from taking
sides with Duryōdhana. Even someone as wonderful as Arjuna, whom the whole
world praises, also struggled in the choosing the right path, at the cusp of
the war. All this shows that bhakti which despite being a primary motive force
in all beings, when not tempered by ātmavidya (i.e. knowledge of Self as Pure
Infinite Consciousness), directs one’s attraction towards unātma vastu, with
the superstitious belief that unātma has the potential to complement and
complete oneself (ātman). This kind of reliance on unātma to complete oneself,
leads the individual towards greater and greater sorrow and suffering.
Dharma
is key to ensure kāmā and artha are kept within bounds. In this context certain
measure of sacrifice is called upon the individual, or group of individuals to
make. But this can find appeal, only in the context of the larger backdrop of
ātmavidya – which reveals ātman as the infinite pure consciousness, in which
the visible universe is but only a finite appearance. Like a speck of dust
dazzling, in the beam of light. This knowledge of one’s infinite nature frees
the individual from thralldom of reliance on the unātma (i.e. world of names
and forms, time, space, and causation – starting with one’s thoughts, body, etc.
to all that we interact with). So, the motivation for Dharma is not only to
keep artha and kāmā under bounds, but also to enable one to raise oneself by
oneself and manifest one’s infinite nature.
It
is in this context that Vidurā’s utterance at Duryodhana’s birth, becomes all
the more significant. Let us revisit that ślōkā again here.
tyajed
ekaṁ kulasyārthe grāmasyārthe kulaṁ tyajet
grāmaṁ
janapadasyārthe ātmārthe pr̥thivīṁ tyajet – 1.70.32 CE
For
the sake of one’s kulam (i.e. family, lineage) an individual can be let go,
whereas for the sake of one’s village, one family may have to be sacrificed.
For the sake of larger humanity, a village may be abandoned. The entire earth
(along with all promises of enjoyment here and hereafter) must be given up
(with bhakti), for the sake of realizing Oneself.
This
is again raised in the vidura neeti sections of the udyōga parva (5.37.17)
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