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Siva to create the world. iva knew quite well that creatures would have
their limitations and defects ( bhta - dosa - darivat , Ila). Hence, standing
in water for a long time, iva performs penance so that creation may be
the world. The creatures are very hungry from the moment they come
into existence (" srstamtrh ksdhith," 16&). Hence, they run to devour
their own creator. Brahma then assings the plants as food for the animals, and
also the weak animals as food for the strong. Emerging from the water,
iva is annoyed that Brahma asked someone else to create the universe.
He severs his Unga - the symbol of creative energy - as a gesture of protest.
The Unga gets rootd in the earth, and iva returns to Majumat to
continue his tapas.1
"the summary of events of this parvan as given in the Parvasamgrahaparvan in the critical edition (1. 2. 178-90)." 2 What surpises me is that
this episode is "fully supported by all the MSS of both the recensions
[Northern and Southern]. "3 Thus we are faced with a problem. On the
one hand the text tradition of the Sauptika-parvan considers the
creations story as an integral part the tenth book of the Epic. On the other
1 In the colophons of some MSS of the Sauptika-parvan, chapter 17 is designated as svaramhtmyam,or iva-mhtmya-kathanam,or Liga-utpattih. See the Sauptikaparvan (The
Mahbhrata, cr. ed.), Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1948, p. 102.
2 Hari D. VELANKAR, "Introduction", The Sauptikaparvan, p. xxix.
3 Idem.
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hand, the reader may get the impression that the final redactor of the
whole Epic - if ever there was one - did not quite understand the
significance of this story. He includes it in his edition because he is faced
with a strong text- tradition, but without realizing its importance. This
explains why when he summarizes the books of the Mahbhrata in the
parva- sagr aha (1.2.72-232), he does not think it necessary to mention the
story of iva severing his liga in the summary of Sauptika-parvan. There
could be another reason for its non-inclusion: chapters 17 and 18 are not part
of the main narrative of the Mahbhrata. The Sauptika-parvan would be
complete even if those two chapters were to be omitted.
main story of the Sauptika-parvan, and thereby see its significance not
only to this parvan, but also to the whole Epic. "The eighth Adhyya is the
longest, and contains in about 150 lokas the details of the nightly attack
on the Pndava camp by Asvatthman, which has given its name to the
why the story of iva severing his liga, though not enumerated in the
summary of events in the first book, is still important for the Sauptikaparvan. We can do this by trying to explain its meaning and consequently
4 Idem.
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These two scenes mark the beginning and -nearly - the end of the Sauptika-
parvan (chs. 1 and 17). They are so to say the brackets within which
the narrative unfoldes, while the two stories in which iva appears as the
central character, at first sight, seem to be an appendix. There are certain
similarities in these two accounts, a) Both the elders use almost the same
expressions to describe their pain - Dhrtarstra: ' putro nihato mama ,' (1 .8a);
4 putro mama niptitah (7b, 9b); Yudhisthira: ' nihath ' (17.2b); ' tmajh ...
ptith , (3b). b). Both weep in a special way for a particular warrior Dhrtarstra for Duryodhana (1. 16b). and Yudhisthira for Dhrstadyumna
(17. 4b). c). These two heroes were considered invincible. Dhrtarstra
thought that Duryodhana had the life of ten thousand snakes or elephants
(nga-ayuta-prna, 1. 7b), that no creature could kill him ( sarva-bhta-a -
is convinced that his son was the victim of foul play ( adharma , 1.16a).
Yudhisthira believes that his sons were killed by a sinful act (papat 17. 2a).5
Yudhisthira wants to know from Krsna what meritorious act had
Krsna could have stopped with this. But he did not. why? He narrates
two stories that illustrate iva's unequalled greatness. Hence a first
5 The word ppa is also used as an adjective. For Yudhisthira Avatthaman is a sinful
person, precisely because he killed the Pndava warriors while they were asleep.
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would ensure protection from all harm and guarantee full success.
Avatthman succeeded in gratifying him and obtaining his blessing. This
was the secret of his success. Towards the end of the Parvan Krsna once
again tells Yudhisthira that Avatthman had placeted iva, and that
explained his prowess (18. 24).
We noted that eighteen armies ( astdasa-aksauhiiii ) were involved
in the war. Each aksauhin consisted of 21870 chariots, 21870 elephants,
65610 horses and 109350 foot-soldiers.6 After the war is over those who
survived were very few : only three from the Kaurava side - Avatthman,
Krpa and Krtavarmamn, and only seven on the other side-the five
Pndavas, Krsna and Styaki (9.47b). He,nce I am inclined to believe that
there was a deeper but not articulated question in the agonizing heart
of Yudhisthira : "The whole story of Kauravas and Pndavas seems
of iva are meant to answer. They are placed outside the two brackets
precisely because they answer the questions not only of Yudhisthira, but
also of Dhrtarstra.
In this article I shall confine myself to the first story alone.7 There is,
however, one element common to both the stories, and this can only mean a
self-destructive act. As Avatthman reflects on what he is about to do,
Protection of iva
As Avatthman approaches the camp of the Pficlas, a big-bodied
any share to iva. He comes and destroys their sacrifice. This story looks to be a version
of the story about the sacrifice of Daksa, which we find elsewhere in the Mahbhrata
(12.274. 18ff). I hope to take up this story in a future study.
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3a). iva too has a big body ( mah-kya , 13. 17. 34a. 82b),8 a face like the
moon ( candra-vaktra , 103b). His movement is like that of the sun and moon
(candra-srya-gati, 37a). He is the very sun (ravi, 102a).
The gatekeeper was dressed in the skin of a tiger ( vaiyghra-carma , 4a).
while his face was encircled by a wreath of flames ( jvl-ml-kula anana, 5b). iva has long arms (mah-hasta, 82b), and not just two but
many ( bahula-bhu , 126b). He too carries not just great arms ( mah yudha, 98b) but all the weapons (sarva-yudha, 125a). He is dressed in
the skin of a snake ( sarpa-cira-nivsana , 63), and is also known as a
snake (ahi, 100a).13 He too is surrounded with great flames (mah-jvlin, 56a;
agni-jvla, 79b).
8 The references for the gatekeeper are taken from chapter six of the Sauptika-parvan, and
9 A Tamil text, koyil Purnam , records for us a charming story. Once some heretical sages
were performing penance in a forest. iva, wanting to test them, approached their
habitation. They were annoyed by his intrusion and sent a tiger to attack him. iva killed
the tiger and used his skin to cover himself. See Subhash Anand, Hindu Inspiration for
Christian Reflection : Towards a Hindu-Christian Theology , Anand (Gujarat) : Gujarat
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6b). iva too has great teeth ( mah-danta , 83b, 85), teeth like those of
a lion ( simha-damstra , 108). He has many eyes ( bahu-locana , 123b), nay,
a thousand eyes ( sahasra-aksa , 36b), seeing all ( sarva-locana , 126b).
The gatekeeper has hundreds and thousands of troopers who have a
control over their senses ( hrslka-isa , 9b). He appears like the fire within the
yudha-abhva, 17a). He admits that he does not know who this mysterious
being is (" na ca etad abhijnmi...," 29b). In the third book of the Mahbhrata
that bow from him. At last they have a hand to hand fight (40. 20-50).
Arjuna does not recognize iva and wonders who this man could be ( ko'yam ...,
30a; ayam ca purush ko' pl..., 37b). Thus without naming him, the
narrator makes iva appear as the gatekeeper, as will be clear from the
vision Asvatthman has of him. iva does this for two reasons. He obstructs
" jijnsat may," 62a), and thereby choose him for a special task :
symbolically putting an end to an evil age. iva also wanted to protect the
14 For a detailed analysis of this episode see Subhash ANAND, "Kirta-arjunya: weapons
for world peace", Journal of Religious Studies, 21 (1992), pp. 74-97.
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in the darkness of night (nisi, 1.43a; 3.26b). b. The crows are sleeping
blissfully ( sukham , 1.35), feeling secure ( visrabdha , 36a). The Pndava
heroes are asleep, confident ( vivasta , 1.2.181a; 10.3.25a) that no harm
will come to them. c. The owl kills the crows not because he need
something to eat, but just bcause he is their enemy,15 their destroyer ( vyasa -
antaka, 1.39b).16
Asvatthman kills the Pficlas and their companions not because
he is trying to get something and they are obstructing his path, but just
because they are his enemies ( atru , 44a, 46a), who are responsible for his
father's death, and hence by slaughtering them he will become free from
the debt ( an-rna , 3.31b) he owns his father.
We also notice certain resemblances between the owl and iva. Both
are frightening to look at ( ghora-darana , 36b; / ghora, 50a; mah-ghora,
79a).17 Both make a great noise ( mah-svana , 79b; / sumah-svana , 134b;
mah-nda, 48a). Both have a big body ( mah-kya , 37a; . mah-kya, 34a,
sahasra-nma (13.17). The references for iva are placed after a forword slash (/).
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known as nis-cara ,18 and it was at night when the crows were sound
asleep that the owl killed them (10.1.35). iva too is the night-waker
(, nis-cara , 13.17.48b, 66a; nis-crin, 72a, naktam-cara, 46b), nay, he is
night itself (nakta, 91b).
There are, however, some reasons to believe that Asvatthman was
more than an instrument. In some way he is iva himself. Let me explain.
In his proposed attack on the Pficlas, Asvatthman compares himself to
(pau, 8.122a).
Defection from Dharma
Many peoples, who have not read the Mahbhrata, have the
impression that the Pndavas were treated unfairly by the Kauravas these being the villains. This is not quite correct, what surprises me is that
even those who have read the Epic tend to paint the Pndavas in a
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"The royal sage Pndava - Yudhisthira - will not try to get victory by
resorting to foul play (" na hi adharmena rjarsih pndavo jetum icchati,"
15.26b). As we shall see, Yudhisthira will indulge in double-talk to ensure
the death of Drona.
1.2.18a; 10.3.25a) that no harm will come to them, because all fighting
had to stop with sunset. Further it would be against the rules of war to
attack a person who is unarmed and asleep. He admits that were he to
engage the Pndavas in a just manner ('nyyatah' , 10.1.46a) he would
surely die, and hence the only alternative is to resort do deceit ( chadma ,
46b). He reminds Krpa and Krtavarman that at every step pade pade')
the Pndavas had perpetrated all (sarva) the possible censurable acts (49).
When Krpa tried to dissuade him from this crime by telling him that it was
unethical to strike people who are asleep ( supta , 5.9a), and that persons
who are guilty of such a crime would find themselves in the bottomless
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His own father Drona and Bhisma were killed when they had laid down
their arms. Kama was attacked and slain when his chariot got stuck in the
mud. Bhrisravas was killed while he was observing prya.21 Duryodhana
too was the victim of play (5.17.22). Hence he concludes that the Pndava
(bhinna-maryda, 24b). They have no right to expect fair play from the
Kauravas.
Yudhisthira about the truth of the news, because he expected the truth
from him even from his- Yudhisthira 's - childhood ( blya , 90b). Yudhisthira
proclaimed openly that Avatthman had been killed and then added in a
hushed {avyakta, 106b) tone that it was an elephant named Asvatthman
that had been killed . In the vulgate edition this chapter is marked as yudhisthira-
asatya-kathana ,22
The news that his son had been killed benumbed Drona. He put away
his arms and sat down in the middle of the battel-field. Taking this
21 This is a vow by which a person sits down in prayer and seeks death by abstaining from
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unfair manner, he too will kill the sinful (papa ) son of the king of
Piiclas - Dhrtadyumna - in a sinful way (ppa-karma, 10.5.33).
When the Pficlas and their companions realize that they cannot
stop Avatthman from slaughtering them, they implicitly acknowledge
that what was happening was the result of their being unfaithful to
dharma. They said that, had the son of Kunti been with them, this would
Even before the war actually began both the Pndavas and the
Kauravas resorted to unethical behaviour. Yudhisthira invites the Kauravas
they wanted to strip her naked, but failed to do so as she was being
protected by Krsna (61, 40-41). Later on the Kauravas arrange for a palace
to be constructed using highly inflammable material and then urge the
Pndavas to reside there. Their intention was to set the palace on fire and
thus burn the Pndavas to death (1.132-136).
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unfair means to escape death from being burnt in the palace specially
prepared for them. They invited a tribal woman and her five sons for a feast,
gave them liquor in good measure, making them drunk. In that state they set
the house on fire and themselves got away (131-32; 136. 1-10; 199.24).
This enabled them to create the impression that Kunti and the five Pndavas
were dead. Thus to think that only the Kauravas practised adharmci would
not only be incorrect but also unfair. The story of the Kauravas and the
alive (" yadi jhati..., 10.8. 151b). This is the last line of chapter eight. Even
in their victory they cannot get away from the tragedy of death.
8.9a), and no human would escape. The narrator says that as Asvatthman
walked about in the Pndava camp, he had a horrible look, just like death
( ghora-rpa-klavat , 44a). When he gets drenched in the blood of his victims
make sure that nobody can escape (100, 141). They also set the camp on
fire from three sides (103b). At the end of that carnage, Avatthman
24 For a detailed analysis of this episode, see "Svitri and Satyavn : Death-Conquering
Widsom", in Subhash ANAND, Story as Theology : An Intrepretative Study of Five
Episodes from the Mahbhrata, New Delhi : Intercultural Pubs., 1996, pp. 1 17-50.
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claims that he has killed all the sons of Draupadi together with their
allies : the Pacalas, the Somakas and the Matsyas (150). Asvatthman
entered the camp when the Pacalas and their companions were in very
deep sleep ( samsusupta-jana , 139a) thereby suggesting the quiet of death,25
and when he has completed the slaughter, he leaves quietly (' niabde ' 139b)
Kali-yuga.
Kali-yuga is characterized by the breakdown of dharma. If there was
Dictionary , pp. 585a, 605a. Thus the word sam su-supta indicates not merely deep but
very deep sleep.
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out by the fact that the Pficlas and their companions, while they are
being attacked by Avatthman, see the black Night of Death, the night of
she had bound together with strong ropes (10.8.64-65). They had seen
her earlier in their dreams ( svapna , 66a). Now their nightmares have
become a reality (" darsanam paurvaklikam idam iti amanyanta," 69b).
As Avatthman continues the slaughter, there is a lot of confusion in the
Pndava camp, and a lot of dust fills the atmosphere, and so the night
becomes doubly dark ( dviguna-tamas , 90b). Due to the dust she becomes
frightening ( ghor ) and terrible in appearace ( druna-darsana , 112b). Even
Now only the fire that will burn the rot of Kali-yuga and usher in the
Satya-yuga can purify us. Avathman is like that fire that will reduce
all things to ashes at the end of Kali-yuga (" yugnte sarvabhtni bhasma
krtv iva pvakah," 137b).
and that of Arjuna and Krsna burning the Khndava forest (1.214-25),
where we not only find the word pralaya used frequently, but it also
has pralaya-im&geTy .28 Jacques Scheuer draws our attention to the
following similarities between the two episodes :
Khndavadha-parvan Sauptika-parvan
a. Agni reveals himself to Krsna iva reveals himself to
and Arjuna Avatthman
b. Krsna and Arjuna receive their Avatthman receives from iva a
arms from Agni. spotless sword.
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e. Fire devours the forest. Krpa ans Krtavarman set fire to the
forest, while Asvatthman himself
is compared to fire.
f. Krsna and Arjuna stand at the Krpa and Krtavarman stand at the
entrance of the forest and do gate of the camp and do not allow
not allow any living creature any person to escape.
to escape.
and their companions, as a blazing fire devours a heap of grass (" kaksam
p. 318.
30 ANAND, Story as theology, pp. 92-3.
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The story of the burning of the forest too tries to fill the reader
with disgust that points the rottenness of Kali-yuga.30 When dharma is
and their companions have been killed by Asvatthman, she wants the
Pndavas to go in search of him and kill him and bring the gem
adorning his head as a proof of his defeat (11.20). Krsna cautions
Yudhisthira: Asvatthman has the weapon known as Brahmairas which
can even set the whole earth on fire (" dahed yat prthivim api," 12.4b).
When the Pndavas succeed in finding Asvatthman, he gets so frightened
that he unleashes the Brahmairas (13.19). There appeared a fire that could
burn the three worlds, like Yama, the final destroyer ("pvakah... lokns tritt
kla-antakayama-upamah, "20). Arjuna has no option but to use the weapon
which could destroy all weapons ( astra-nivrana , 14.3b). As soon as this
weapon is let loose, there appears a mighty fire, like the fire which puts an end
all its hills, forests and trees, begin to shake (9-1 1). There is a cosmic crisis.
In this crisis situation Nrada and Vysa appear on the scene. They are
conversant with all their obligation (" sarvadharmajau sarvabhtahitaisinau," 13a). They stand between the two weapons, neutralizing the
weapons as they are eager to do good to humanity ( hitakmy , 15b).
He wants not merely to create but also sustain life. In this process of
sustaining life he wants the cooperation of his creatures. He gives us a
way to sustain life, and to be creative in our turn. Authentic creativity
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flourishing kingdom, without willing to pay the cost. To get what they want
they are prepared to ignore the demands of dharma. When Brahma gets
impatient and creates another creator ( srastr , 10.17.12) and commissions
him to bring forth the universe, and when the latter produces the universe
is symbolic of the cosmic womb, while the ascetical heat (tapas) is the
creative power. By immersing himself within the water iva, so to say,
fecundates that water and thus makes a new creation possible. In mythic
language iva is always with Prvat. Every river is Prvat, because it flows
down from the hills (parvata). The Shaiva theological tradition insists on
the presence of the male and the female within the ultimate Reality. Just as
in Sanskrit and Tamil the word iva without the vowel sign i would only be
ava, so too without Prvat iva would be acorpse (5a va). The ultimate Reality
is Ardhanrivara: half male and half female.31
The idea of heat'fire and water being the two necessary elements
for life to emerge are already found in Rg-veda 10.129.3-5. Here we are
told that in the beginning there was darkness (tamas) - the darkness of death.
iva surpasses all the Devas in penance and power (10.6.34). This
explains why Avatthaman praises him: if he is blessed by the supreme
God, then nobody can obstruct him. iva not only does penance, he is
penance. We have the following names listed in the long litany (13.17.30-
iva, while the left Prvat. This can be seen both by the anatomical and ornamental
differences.
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way, before creation iva's liga was a small part of his body. Now it
parvades the whole of creation. In the Siva-purna, Rudra-samhit, Prvati-
the whole of creation. That is why creation, with all its beauty, can
seduce us away from iva, the merciful God. In some way this explains
why there is so much violence, why the story of the Mahbhrata keeps
on repeating itself, why we do not seem to learn from the painful lessons
of history. When we all want to possess creation then there are bound
to be clashes, because creation is limited.
iva too pervades the whole of creation. Being the maker of the
universe ( viva-karman , 13.17.94a), he is also the form of the universe
Long ago a seer of the Rg-veda chanted this mantra: " rtam ca
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between all beings - living and non- living {ra). When dharma and ra
are realized then we have not only existence {sat)f but also well-being {satya).
wood to explain how through tapas we can experience the Atman within us,
33 The word dharma is derived from the root dhr = to support, to sustain, etc.
34 The prefix abhi signifies intensity. (APTE, The Student's Sanskrit-Engish Dictionary ,
p. 39ab). Hence when it is added to the past participle iddha - kindled, then abhiddha
indicates very intense fire, thereby suggesting very severe penance.
35 The text wants to emphasize the importance of tapas , and hence we have " sa tapo ' tapyata
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it one can obtain all because all is grounded in tapas (9.47.13b). The great
happiness - moksa - is rooted in penance ( tapo-mla , 14b). While Bhisma is
lying on a bed of arrows (sara- taipa- gata, 12.53.24a), Yudhisthira and the
surviving Pndava warriors come to ask his advice. In the course of a long
conversation, Yudhisthira wants Bhisma to explain to him the duty of a
Brhmana who is intent on righteousness (dharma-kma) and who is trying
to attain that which is better ( sreyas , 154.1b).36 Bhisma, the best among those
commited to righteousness ( vara-dharma-bhrt , 38), presents Yudhisthira with
a long list of good qualities to be acquired and faults to be avoided and winds
up by saying that all what has been taught is rooted in tapas (155.1a). This
is the reason why through tapas everthings (sarvam) can be obtained (184.2b).
up by killing each other and, in the process, doing tremendous violence to the
earth too. We can see this happening today, living as we do, in a highly
technologized world, in a highly competitive society . Ours is a society in which
many are asleep (supta). Ours is the Sauptika-yuga. When we are not alert,
when we do not critique the culture which surrounds us then we are asleep,
thereby giving the powers of darkness the upper hand. The purpose of the
Sauptika-parvan, for that matter of the whole of the Mahbhrata is to wake
us up from the slumber of complacency. If we do not wake up we will die in
our sleep. We are on the verge of a nuclear holocaust.
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consumer market. This kind exposure brings about not only a cultural
neocolonialism, but also an alienation from traditional ethical values and
a windfall for some Indian so-called gurus and bhagwans with their posh
ashrams, who further dehumanized them by exploiting the gullibility of the
frustrated westerners.37 But Asia does have a solid tradition that still shapes
the lives of many and can be a source of real enlightenment for contemporary
humans. In fact, the major religions of the world today -Hinduism, Buddhism
in its many forms, Judaism, Christianity and Islam- are of Asian origins. It
is in this context that the story of Siva being entrusted with the task of creating
into existence (sat). Their full wellbeing ( satya ) must be ensured, their basic
needs being taken care of. He alone can give immortality ( amarat , 7a), and
this is the most important element of human wellbeing. Hence he performs
tapas for a long time ( dirgh-kla , 1 1 b; su-mah-kala , 1 2a; cira-kla , 23a). The
narrator wants to make sure that reader des not miss this, and so he says that
the great heater heated heat ("tapas tape... mahtaph " lib). iva stands still
(sthnu, 14b), the stillness needed for deep reflection.
To understand the importance the Hindu tradition gives to the practice
of tapas for our, wellbeing, we can use the image of atomic power. When this
power is let loose without any control, then we have an atom bomb: a weapon
37 We find a satirical presentation of this phenomenon in Gita MEHTA, Karma Cola, London
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the nuclear reactor does. This energy can be utilized for different peaceful
purposes. The ascetic through his tapas tries to awaken and gather the energy
present in him and focus it on a higher goal in life. In our competitive world
many people do go through a very rigorous schedule to be on the top of their
class in school or college , to excel in some profession , to be first on the athletic
field, etc. But the tapas of iva is altruistic - it is totally for our welfare. That
is what the svetsvatara-upanisad means it speaks of authentic austerity ( satya -
tapas, 1 .15b). This spirit of tapas makes authentic creativity not only possible
but also sustains it because it continues even after the creative act is over.
practise tapas.
When Asvathman discloses his plans to Krpa and Krtavarman, they
tell him that he should wait for the night to pass away. But he is filled with
anger and impatience ( krodha-amarsa-gata , 10.1 .6a). He wants to hit back at
the Pndavas as early as possible. He is in a hurry ( tvar ), and feels himself
being pushed to action ( tvaramna ) by his desire for vengeance, and so he will
not get sleep till he has fulfilled his desire (5.26). Like Asvatthman we are
impatient. We do not give enough time to think out the implications of what
we are doing . What is more tragic , many of us just do not think at all . We allow
the victims without becoming aware of the violence being done to them. To
succeed in the consumer market means we must have plenty of buying power,
plenty of money. This is the reason why there is so much corruption in our
world today. The consumer market has become our temple, our place of
worship! God has been displaced by Mammon.
Authentic creativity is situated within a community with its tradition.
History tells us that great artists, mystics, sages and scientists were rooted in
their tradition and, even when they in some way deviated from their tradition,
it was because they knew what was good and not so good in their patrimony.
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( virabdha , 14b). Ignoring Siva, he tells him that there is no other before him
(< agraja , 14b). He fails to understand why Siva is standing without moving.
10.2b). They were, so to say, intoxicated (pr amatta, 2b) with their victory.
Yudhisthira too, who moans his dead, is convinced that the success of
Asvatthman and his companions was the result of their not being heedless
(( a-pramatta , 10.14b). On the other hand the Pndava warriors were killed
because of their heedlessness ( pramda , 16b, 18b, and 21b). He thinks that
parmda is the greatest destroyer ( parama-vadha , 19a) of human life. When
a person is pr amatta then prosperity abandons him ( 1 9b) . One who is pramatta
cannot obtain wisdom, he cannot perform penance, and as a result he will not
have glory and prosperity (" na hi pramattena narena labhy vidy tapah
rirvipulam yao v." 22a). On the other hand, one who is free from
heedlessness ( a-pramda ) can destroy all (sarva) his enemies (22b). Because
the Pndava warriors, who survived the war, were not free from heedlessness
(a-pramda), they were killed by few non-significant persons (a-visesa, 23a).
We notice how the narrator wants to emphasize the fact that the Pficlas and
their companions were slaughtered at night ('nisi,1 2a, 3b). The night is symbolic
of the darkness that can cloud our minds when we become intoxicated with
our success. Only persons who are a-pramatta can succeed in life.
Contemporary humans too are very confident of their expertise. They
think no other generations have been as knowledgeable as they are. They are
rash and restless. But they are deceived. The recent devastating Tsunami tells
us how vulnerable we are . We are even becoming victims of our own invention .
We not only have machines that work very fast, but we also want to make them
work as fast as possible. Acceleration tends to generate a lot of stress, and that
brings about lack of sleep. This in turn leads to other problems. Like
Asvatthman, contemporary humans are heading for self-destruction (tma-
vinsa, 1.46a). Global warming may lead to more devastating Tsunamis and
powerful earthquakes. A world war with nuclear weapon will lead to the end
of our modern age (yuga-anta , 8.137b). As somebody has said, any war after
that will be fought with sticks and stones. The survivors will find themselves
once again in the primitive times.
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Real creative action needs much reflection, a reflection that will give
birth to a vision, a vision which will guide us towards authentic creativity and
development. As Krpa moans the death of his companions he puts the blame
Creativity jnust take into account all the aspects of life. So too,
authentic development must benefit not merely the upper classes of the
society, not merely people who have surplus money, but all humans.
Development must ensure the basic needs of all humans, that too not just
of those who are living today, but also of the generations to come. When
we look around we have ample reasons to believe that much of the development
taking place today will make the rich more rich, the poor more poor. This
will be all the more true within a globalizing economy that lacks a human
run. Humans who do not have adequate jobs, or no job at all, and as a
result not enough of the basics of life tend to become violent. Even if they
do not, we will destroy our true humanity by making gods out of the work of
our hands.
over the whole earth and held sway over all people (1.13a), would now
submit to the Pndavas. Thus he is only worried about himself and his
comfort. Modern humans, in their search for wealth and power, harden
their hearts. They are not moved by the thought that others, even their
children, born and yet to be born, will suffer as a result of their foolish
pursuit.
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other (paraspara . 8.84a, 93a), killing each other (sva, 124b). Fathers do not
recognize their sons, and the young men do not recognize their brothers (91b).
In a world where things are primary, human relations get the back seat, and
even when they are celebrated, the celebration becomes one occasion for
consumer glamour.
In order to healthy creation, iva stands in water and performs penance.
in the fact that the continuity of life needs the cooperation of the male
woman not given her due, but she is also used to promote the consumer
market. Beauty contests are increasing, because they promote the sale of
cosmetics. This in a way, is understandable. What is more tragic is that
women are cooperating in being exploited. They are prepared to act in
pornographic movies, to parade as scantly dressed models for the launching
want to strip Draupad naked and humiliate her. The Pndavas have no
qualms of conscience in burning a woman and her children to death to serve
their purpose.
Brahm , who is eager to create the universe ( sisrksu ,17.1 Oa) , is symbolic
of our times where doing (karma) is so important. The creator who acts on his
behalf produces the Prajpatis, starting from Daksa (daksa-di, 15a). Daksa
is symbolic of dksinya, the competence we need to do things effectively. We
38 See "Natarja: The Lord of Dance", in ANAND, Hindu Inspiration for Christian
Reflection , pp. here pp. 150-51.
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also need Nrada, who taught us the greatness of devotion ( bhakti |,39 and
to do effectively, and bhakti - the devotion we need to act with the right
intentions, to act with the welfare of others as our goal. All this is possible if
we are sober {apr amatta). For this we need to become still ( sthnu ) and reflect
can we cooperate with Siva. History tells us that we always used our freedom
with a concern for the happiness of all creation. We have deformed God's
creation. Then Siva intervenes in our lives not to destroy us, but to change us,
so that we become co-creators with him, working with him to make a new earth
and a new heaven, and thus usher in Satya-yuga, where dharma will reign
supreme, and all will be well.
with different kinds of trees and creepers. It was the abode of animals and
birds of different species. There were many lakes, wherein grew lovely
lotuses. The sky was clear, adorned with planets, stars and constellations,
and it looked like a beautiful mantle (preksaniya-amuka , 25a). The sun
disappears to make way for night* the mother of all (sarva-jagat-dhtri, 24a).
All this evokes in us a sense of life. Even though so many have been
killed in the fierce fight, life continues, and it will continue. In the forest
there was a mighty banyan tree, having thousand branches ( skh-sahasra ,
21b), hence a tree that has survived years and years. It was the best among
all the trees (srestha, 22a). It has the stamina to survive... Humans may
try to destroy the earth with their destorted approach to development.
39 Nrada's teaching is presented in his Bhakti-stra.
40 Vysa is believed to have arranged the Vedas, compossed the Mahbhrata, and the
Vedan ta-stra.
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and god's merciful love is more powerful than all our selfishness.
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