Yudhishthira: The Higher Hero

- By RyanFeest

Publish Date : 2021-02-25 06:06:47

Mahabharata is an intellectual, spiritual and emotional journey of our incomplete lives finding answers through intuitive awareness or universal mind.

Each character creates their own unique mettle and excellence qualities that transforms them into a great hero but even the epithet of a hero cannot delete their numerous faults and mistakes. Immortal, these characters, sole doers of their Karmas, have engraved a rich legacy of their own thoughts, actions, and values for us to reflect upon. The unexpected twists of circumstances that happened in their lives find a stimulus for thinkers like us to analyse their personality or derive interesting inferences that bless us with wisdom to endure our own journey.

"No other epic born in the land of Bharat than Mahabharata,

Has given birth to so many heroes of brilliance and excellence,

Each manifesting their own qualities,

Invigorating with penance and practice,

Some human, some celestial, descended by fate,

To meditate on revenge,

Embrace death with pride,

But not willing to surrender in any plight."

MAHABHARATA: THE GOOD AND THE BAD -

Interesting stories of their previous incarnations, the birth of the characters, mythological secrets that reveal their purpose, and beautifully versed saga traces how their lives turned them into legends. The womb of this grand epic has mothered and cried in pain for her five hundred children born over five generations. Each character outshines with their own combination of skills, personality and qualities in the monumental panorama. An epic vast enough to accommodate each character, regardless of gender, age, caste or status as they play a prominent role as a sparkling ripple to create a momentary glitter in the vast ocean of Mahabharata. So many characters but only one of them accumulated karmas to reach the shores of Nirvana through deeds and dharma.

The strengths and the accomplishments of Bhishma, the great grandsire was immeasurable. The valor of Pandavas and Kauravas the paternal cousins had no metaphor. Warriors like Drona, Dhrishtadyumna, Karna, Eklvaya, Ashwathama could defeat anyone on the earth. Braver than their fathers were the royal sons of Pandavas - Ghatotkacha, Abhimanyu, Yaudheya, Sarvaga, Niramitra, Suhotra, UpaPandavas.

The sacrifice made by Barbareek, the grandson of Pandavas, at the time of war is remarkable. Lord Shiva's blessings had endowed him mystical powers that could finish off the entire war in a duration of five minutes leaving no scope for Arjuna, Karna or Bheeshma to display their valor. So extraordinary were his strengths and powers that lord Krishna had to demand his life to eliminate him from the war. To appease Goddess Kali for victory in Kurushektra, Iravaan the son of Arjuna and Naga princess Uloopi, had sacrificed his life without a moment's hesitation. Such noteworthy was the sacrifice that he gained the status of worship and gratitude.

When had we seen so powerful war deities plotted together at the same time in the epics written by history?

Pandavas were willing to accept five villages or if required agreed to settle for one village instead of their kingdom of architectural splendor and marvelous beauty - Indraprastha to avoid the losses suffered by war. Arjuna, Shri Krishna and Lord Agni together burned the Khandava Prastha forest causing death to the entire species of nagas, birds, animals, giants destroying the inhabitants to construct the great kingdom of Indraprastha. Different stories of Mahabharata reflect contradictory values and conflicting interests that leave deeper questions for thinkers like us to meditate on.

Duryodhana tricked Yudhishthira using fraud means to convert the friendly game into a disastrous trap of shame, loss and destruction. The consistent egoistic outlook and jealous feeling against the Pandavas forced Duryodhana to order the public humiliation of Draupadi that invoked an immortal wrath in the heart and mind of Pandavas.

To blunt the edge of the fate he refused to give one ounce of land to Pandavas. This was the same Duryodhana who had no lust for throne and had no intention of becoming a king by snatching his father's crown. Duryodhana lived and died as the crowned prince of Hastinapura. History has no records of Duryodhana torturing or inflicting any cruelties on the people of Hastinapura including the womenfolk. Desirous to expand his kingdom, he was unlike many other barbaric kings and loved his elders, kingdom and dear ones inspite of knowing their love for the Pandavas. The original Mahabharat inked by Vedvyasa mentions that Duryodhana was a man of his words and followed the Kshatriya code with due diligence. Few of his positive images as a true friend, a good brother, a dedicated husband who loved Bhanumati so much that he never married a second time to create any alliance relationships for the anticipated war are worth appreciating. He had requested Karna not to do anything for him under the obligation of his friendship. Though painted as a villain, Duryodhana had a progressive mind and guts to create a social change at the time when traditions ruled, Duryodhana accepted him as his friend, crowned him the king of Anga, honoring Karna's potential than his low-caste identity inherited from his adopted parents. Karna inflated to a heroic stature expanding his skills with divine weapons and celestial boons that posed a threat to the life of Pandavas and needed Krishna's divine intervention.