Ingratitude - Arjuna Pāṇḍava Speaks

1 years ago

BrhannadaArmour

@BrhannadaArmour

Ingratitude - Arjuna Pāṇḍava Speaks

If I had known that my brothers and the Pāñcālas were incapable of protecting Abhimanyu, I would have protected him myself. I trusted weaklings, cowards, idlers ... I should only blame myself for their lapses. Their armour, weapons, and bows are mere props for fancy speeches in war councils! Fighting alongside me in this war for our inheritance, are they proving that they can't protect our own children?

Yudhiṣṭhira is telling me that they were following Abhimanyu into the opening in Droṇa's army formation, when Jayadratha of Sindhu blocked them. Jayadratha had Rudra's blessing to do it. He was able to worship Rudra because I let him live after he grabbed Kṛṣṇā. A wife-abductor should be killed even if he begs for his life - that's what Kṛṣṇā told us, and Bhīma was ready, but I felt disgusted at the sight of that coward Jayadratha running for his life. I didn't kill him; he grew stronger and trapped my child; I should only blame myself for that.

Droṇa, Kṛpa, Karṇa, Aśvatthāman, Bṛhadbala, and Kṛtavarman were the six warriors who surrounded Abhimanyu together and disabled him. It wasn't a fair fight, but we're enemies in this war. Dauḥśāsani slew Abhimanyu in single combat, each of them fighting in obedience to his father and uncles. I still love my bhrātṛvya nephew Dauḥśāsani; I see my own Abhimanyu in his slayer. The one I can't pardon is Jayadratha, the repeat offender, a bad saṃbandhin brother-in-law from an immoral country. He owes me his life, and it's time to collect his debt.

Not for one more day will I shirk my duty to punish Jayadratha. Two years ago, many Trigartas and soldiers of his army lost their lives for his offence, and yet we let the deserter of his own battle live because Yudhiṣṭhira instructed us to consider Duḥśalā and Gāndhārī. This time, we are at war and Jayadratha has attacked my śrāddha piṇḍa, while the caretaker of his afterlife, my bhāgineya nephew Suratha, remains safe in Sindhu. Duḥśalā will have to understand why I must slay her husband tomorrow.

If Jayadratha abandons the war or takes refuge with us, he's worse than dead and unworthy of slaying by a true warrior. Otherwise, if I fail to punish the ingrate Jayadratha, may I suffer the afterlife of an ingrate who harms or disrespects the elders, brāhmaṇas, and cows who nourished him, an ingrate who cheats those who trusted him, an ingrate who slanders decent people and past lovers, an ingrate who eats food alone, an ingrate who defiles fire or water, or an ingrate who abuses his position in society. Jayadratha is as guilty of ingratitude as any of them, and if I don't punish him, so am I.

Abhimanyu, you gave your life honouring the skills that I imparted to you. I blame only myself for not teaching you completely. I learned too late to save you, my self and my afterlife, today, but I promise, I won't leave my duty incomplete tomorrow.

Arjuna speaks to Yudhiṣṭhira and others (Droṇaparvan 51.20-39):

satyaṃ vaḥ pratijānāmi śvo'smi hantā Jayadratham

na ced vadha-bhayād bhīto Dhārtarāṣṭrān prahāsyati

I swear to you truly, tomorrow I'll kill Jayadratha unless he, afraid with fear of being slain, abandons Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons.

na c'āsmāñ śaraṇaṃ gacchet Kṛṣṇaṃ vā puruṣ'ottamam

bhavantaṃ vā mahārāja śvo'smi hantā Jayadratham

And if he doesn't take refuge with us, or with Kṛṣṇa the supreme being, or with you, great King! tomorrow, I'll kill Jayadratha.

Dhārtarāṣṭra-priyakaraṃ mayi vismṛta-sauhṛdam

pāpaṃ bāla-vadhe hetuṃ śvo'smi hantā Jayadratham

He does what Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons want, and has forgotten goodwill to me, that wicked cause of a child's death - tomorrow, I'll kill Jayadratha.

rakṣamāṇāś ca taṃ saṃkhye ye māṃ yotsyanti ke cana

api Droṇa-Kṛpau vīrau chādayiṣyāmi tāñ śaraiḥ

Whoever protects him in battle and fights with me, whoever they may be, even the valiant Droṇa and Kṛpa, I'll cover them with arrows.

yady etad evaṃ saṃgrāme na kuryāṃ puruṣa-rṣabhāḥ

mā sma puṇyakṛtāṃ lokān prāpnuyāṃ śūra-saṃmatān

If I don't do this just so in the war, bulls among people! may I truly not reach the rebirths of those who do well, approved by the brave.

ye lokā mātṛ-hantṝṇāṃ ye c'āpi pitṛ-ghātinām

guru-dāra-gāmināṃ ye ca piśunānāṃ ca ye tathā

sādhūn asūyatāṃ ye ca ye c'āpi parivādinām

ye ca nikṣepa-hartṝṇāṃ ye ca viśvāsa-ghātinām

bhukta-pūrvāṃ striyaṃ ye ca nindatām agha-śaṃsinām

brahmaghnānāṃ ca ye lokā ye ca goghātinām api

pāyasaṃ vā yav'ānnaṃ vā śākaṃ kṛsaram eva vā

saṃyāv'āpūpa-māṃsāni ye ca lokā vṛthā'śnatām

tān ahn'aiv'ādhigaccheyaṃ na ced dhanyāṃ Jayadratham

The rebirths of those who kill their mothers, and of those who murder their fathers, of those who consort with elders' wives, and also of those who are disloyal, of those who envy decent people and of those who slander, of those who steal deposits, of those who betray trust, of those who first enjoy a woman and then censure her by revealing sin, the rebirths of those who kill brāhmaṇas, and of those who kill cows, of those who eat milk-pudding, barley-grains, leafy vegetables, or even gruel, cakes, dumplings, and meats without consecration - may I proceed there within a day if I don't kill Jayadratha!

ved'ādhyāyinam atyarthaṃ saṃśitaṃ vā dvij'ottamam

avamanyamāno yān yāti vṛddhān sādhūṃs tathā gurūn

And where one goes by disrespecting a Veda-student, or an extraordinarily disciplined, excellent twice-born brāhmaṇa, or old people, decent people, and elders.

spṛśatāṃ brāhmaṇaṃ gāṃ ca pāden'āgniṃ ca yāṃ labhet

yā'psu śleṣma purīṣaṃ vā mūtraṃ vā muñcatāṃ gatiḥ

tāṃ gaccheyaṃ gatiṃ ghorāṃ na ced dhanyāṃ Jayadratham

The fate that they may attain who touch a brāhmaṇa, a cow, or fire with the foot, or who discharge mucus or feces or urine into water - may I go to that terrible fate if I don't kill Jayadratha!

nagnasya snāyamānasya yā ca vandhy'ātither gatiḥ

utkocināṃ mṛṣo'ktīnāṃ vañcakānāṃ ca yā gatiḥ

ātm'āpahāriṇāṃ yā ca yā ca mithyā'bhiśaṃsinām

bhṛtyaiḥ saṃdṛśyamānānāṃ putra-dār'āśritais tathā

asaṃvibhajya kṣudrāṇāṃ yā gatir mṛṣṭam aśnatām

tāṃ gaccheyaṃ gatiṃ ghorāṃ na ced dhanyāṃ Jayadratham

The fate of one who is naked while bathing, of one whose guest is frustrated, the fate of those bribed, of those whose speeches deceive, of those who cheat, of those who misrepresent themselves, of those who falsely advertise, also of those who are fully visible to their dependents to whom their children and wives resort, the fate of those who eat pure food without sharing with the poor - may I go to that terrible fate if I don't kill Jayadratha!

saṃśritaṃ vā'pi yas tyaktvā sādhuṃ tadvacane ratam

na bibharti nṛśaṃs'ātmā nindate c'opakāriṇam

arhate prātiveśyāya śrāddhaṃ yo na dadāti ca

anarhate ca yo dadyād vṛṣalī-patyur eva ca

madyapo bhinna-maryādaḥ kṛtaghno bhrātṛ-nindakaḥ

teṣāṃ gatim iyāṃ kṣipraṃ na ced dhanyāṃ Jayadratham

Or even the cruel-natured one who abandons his follower, a decent person satisfied with his orders, doesn't maintain him, and censures his benefactor, and the one who doesn't give śrāddha to a neighbour as he should, and the one who may give it where he shouldn't, even for a disreputable woman's husband, the drunkard who crosses limits, the ungrateful brother-censurer - may I go to their fates promptly if I don't kill Jayadratha!

dharmād apetā ye c'ānye mayā n'ātr'ānukīrtitāḥ

ye c'ānukīrtitāḥ kṣipraṃ teṣāṃ gatim avāpnuyām

yadi vyuṣṭām imāṃ rātriṃ śvo na hanyāṃ Jayadratham

Any others who stray from dharma, but weren't mentioned by me here, and those that I mentioned - may I promptly reach their fate if this night reaches daybreak and tomorrow I don't kill Jayadratha!

imāṃ c'āpy aparāṃ bhūyaḥ pratijñāṃ me nibodhata

yady asminn ahate pāpe sūryo'stam upayāsyati

ih'aiva saṃpraveṣṭā'haṃ jvalitaṃ jāta-vedasam

Also, listen again to this other vow from me: if the sun sets while this wicked one isn't killed, right here I shall enter a burning fire, whose property is whatever is born.

asura-sura-manuṣyāḥ pakṣiṇo v'oragā vā

pitṛ-rajanicarā vā brahma-devarṣayo vā

caram acaram ap'īdaṃ yat paraṃ c'āpi tasmāt

tad api mama ripuṃ taṃ rakṣituṃ n'aiva śaktāḥ

Asuras, Suras, and humans, or winged ones, or snakes, or forefathers and night-roamers, or brāhmaṇa sages and divine sages, even this animate and inanimate world, and even what is beyond it, even they are surely unable to protect that enemy of mine.

yadi viśati rasātalaṃ tad agryaṃ

viyad api devapuraṃ diteḥ puraṃ vā

tad api śara-śatair ahaṃ prabhāte

bhṛśam abhipatya ripoḥ śiro'bhihartā

Whether he enters that finest underworld-base or the sky, even a divine city or Diti's city, even then, in the morning, I will attack forcefully with hundreds of arrows and snatch off my enemy's head.