Dharmaraj's Indraprastha

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Semanti Chakraborty

@DharmaPriyaa

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 8 years ago

#171

Shreya, yes something on Arya only.

Okay telling- see, we know Hidimbaa who fell in love with Bheem at first sight, we also know Ulupi who proposed Arjun. You have to imagine a girl who will fall for Arya (she can be Devika or any imaginary character, or even Draupadi, choice is yours), and also show the consequences.

I know this is sounding silly, but I have always wanted to read something where a girl is as crazy to be Dharmaraj's wife as Hidimbaa was for Bheem, or Ulupi was for Arjun 😳

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Amaya Rishikesh

@Seraphina231

Rocker

+ 2

Posted: 8 years ago

#172

Originally posted by: DharmaPriyaa
Shreya, yes something on Arya only.
Okay telling- see, we know Hidimbaa who fell in love with Bheem at first sight, we also know Ulupi who proposed Arjun. You have to imagine a girl who will fall for Arya (she can be Devika or any imaginary character, or even Draupadi, choice is yours), and also show the consequences.
I know this is sounding silly, but I have always wanted to read something where a girl is as crazy to be Dharmaraj's wife as Hidimbaa was for Bheem, or Ulupi was for Arjun 😳

I am not telling you who I am pairing him with, but I am on it. 😃

Edited by Shrinika13 - 8 years ago

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Srutha

@SriMaatangi

Sparkler

+ 4

Posted: 8 years ago

#173

Originally posted by: KanhaKiChutki

Both? Wait- Arya and Devika? 😲

Nope. The wedding one, and the court one. A TS, kind of 😉

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Amaya Rishikesh

@Seraphina231

Rocker

+ 2

Posted: 8 years ago

#174

Originally posted by: KrishnaPriyaa

Nope. The wedding one, and the court one. A TS, kind of 😉

I am killing you 😆

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Semanti Chakraborty

@DharmaPriyaa

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 8 years ago

#175

Yudhishthira's Gurus: The Four Krishnas

By Indrajit Bandopadhyay

Interestingly, at different phases of Yudhisthira's life, the four Krishnas - Vyasa, Krishna, Arjuna and Draupadi - appear as his Guru. Yudhishthira learns as much through trial and error of firsthand experience as much through debates and discourses.

Gautama Dharmashashtra places great importance on dialogic discourse as a means for arriving at the truth - nyaayaadhigame tarko.abhyupaayaH{Gaut.2.2.23 (11.23)}. Instead of blind adherence to any injunction of authority, one shall come to a conclusion through that, and shall decide properly - tenaabhyuuhya yathaasthaanaM gamayet {Gaut.2.2.24 (11.24)}

The Pandavas and Draupadi had differences in opinion on Dharma', and often had debates on the topic, and Vyasa's mimesis is impeccable in showing us the inevitable relativity of perception. There is no absolute Truth, and every human truth is relative.

At different phases of earthly life, Yudhishthira's brothers doubted his Dharma in different degrees. Only one man never said a word against him. Krishna!

Krishna, perhaps, was helpless before this man, and felt, perhaps, he was trapped' in his own philosophy in respect to this man. And yet Krishna knew his Dharma could not be translated into political action without this man. It was not for nothing that he shifted the power centre of Bharata Rashtra from Jarasandha's East to Indraprashtha-Hastinapura. There was no Yudhishthira among the Vrishnis. Is it not natural, then, the Vrishnis would kill each other in drunken debauchery?

Krishna preached Svadharma' - Dharma according to one's own Nature. If Yudhishthira stood by his own Dharma despite all obstacles and objections, and despite all practical limitations of his Dharma, it was his Svadharma' then.

In the Yaksha-Yudhishthira dialogue, God Dharma admitted -

I am greatly pleased, O thou of great wisdom, with thee, O son, by thy devotion to me, by thy truthfulness of speech, and forgiveness, and self-restraint. This, indeed, is the third test, O king, to which I put thee. Thou art incapable, O son of Pritha, of being swerved from thy nature or reason.'

Dharma uses the word svabhaavaat', acknowledging that Yudhishthira's Dharma is his Svadharma. Is there any doubt then that, Yudhishthira was the most sincere and genuine follower of Krishna's Dharma?

And Yudhishthira himself said - I do not practice Dharma to obtainKarmaphala -

dharmam.caraami.suzroNi.na.dharma.phala.kaaraNaat. (CE-3.32.4)

- and this is his svabhaavaa'

If Krishna exemplifies Nishkaama-Karma, Yudhishthira exemplifiesNishkaama-Dharma, and both are same because both have their base in Karma and Jnyana - two sides of the same coin, for Krishna himself has said that all Karma has its base in Dharma, and more importantly in svabhaava'- svadharma. If Krishna's Dharma is the practice of Detached Attachment', Yudhishthira's is Attached Detachment'!

And the courage with which Yudhishthira defended his own Dharma, like one protecting a lamp amidst storm, would not have been possible, unless Yudhishthira had Viirasukha in this Karma of living in his own Dharma.

Viirsukha is the spirit of living, nay, the art of living, in an ever hostile world, a Kurukshetra forever. Viirsukha is also the art of survival. Deciding to stay in Naraka with his brothers, sons and wife, what was his motivation, if not viirsukha'?

Yudhishthira's nishkaama Dharma' is similar to Krishna's nishkaama karma' in that, though he practices Dharma not for any phala', the phala' nevertheless is there.

He tells Draupadi - O thou faultless one, if the virtues that are practiced by the virtuous had no fruits, this universe then would be enveloped in infamous darkness. No one then would pursue salvation, no one would seek to acquire knowledge not even wealth, but men would live like beasts. ... Knowing it for certain that God is the giver of fruits in respect of virtue, they practice virtue in this world. This, O Krishna, is the eternal (source of) prosperity. When the fruits of both knowledge and asceticism are seen, virtue and vice cannot be fruitless. (CE-3.32.23-29)'

Yudhishthira thinks his Dharma has no personal attachment to phala', but his belief in a universal moral value and order' - virtue and vice cannot be fruitless - sa.ca.ayam.saphalo.dharmo.na.dharmo.aphala' is the cause of his personal attachment to phala' of which he is not aware of. His reaction to Duryodhana's presence in heavenly glory is born of an error - moha', and he learns about the unconscious side of his mind and self through that error.

Yudhishthira's theory' has its base in dRzyante phalaani', i.e. in perceived reality, which is also similar to Krishna's dRSTa.phalam' (5.290.6)

Yudhishthira's Dharma places more importance on pramaanaH' offered by Rishis than on own reasoning - aatma.pramaaNa'.

The fool that doubteth Dharma and disregardeth virtue, proud of the proof derived from his own reasoning, regardeth not other proofs and holdeth the Rishis, who are capable of knowing the future as present as mad men. (CE-3.32.14-15)'

Here he is diametrically opposite to Krishna's Dharma that places more importance on aatma' -

uddharedaatmanaatmaanaM naatmaanamavasaadayet.h .
aatmaiva hyaatmano bandhuraatmaiva ripuraatmanaH -

One must elevate, not degrade, oneself by one's own Self. The Self alone is one's friend as well as one's enemy.' (Gita-6.05)

To Yudhishthira, a cynic in Scriptural proof goes to Naraka -

A rejector of proofs, a slanderer of the interpretation of the Vedic scriptures, a transgressor urged by lust and covetousness, that fool goeth to hell. O amiable one, he on the other hand, who ever cherisheth Dharma with faith, obtaineth eternal bliss in the other world. The fool who cherisheth not Dharma, transgressing the proofs offered by the Rishis, never obtaineth prosperity in any life, for such transgression of the scriptures. (CE-3.32.18-19)'
Vashishtha Dharmashahstra defines ziSTa' as one whose aatma' is free from kaama' - ziSTas^punar akaama.aatmaa (Va.1.6)

Yushishthira is not yet ziSTa'. He, however, learns with an open mind, because when Narada advises him to give up discrimination, he listens silently. In silence, is his recognition of the kaama' in his heart.

His faith is in ancient Dharma practiced by shishta'. He argued with Draupadi - Doubt not, O Krishna, the ancient Dharma that is practiced by the good and framed by Rishis of universal knowledge and capable of seeing all things! (CE-3.32.21)'

To the Yaksha he said the same thing. When the Yaksha asked Yudhishthira, What is the path - kah panthah?' he replied - Argument leads to no certain conclusion, the Srutis are different from one another; there is not even one Rishi whose opinion can be accepted by all; the truth about Dharma and duty is hid in caves: therefore, that alone is the path along which the great have trod - mahaajano jeno gatah sa panthah.'

After the war, he has a discourse with Bhisma on Dharma. He explains why he has settled on ziSTair . aacaritam . dharmam' as true Dharma.

It appears from his conversation with Bhisma, he is in search of a universal Dharma. It seems he is confused at the variegated form of Dharma and its application, at the relativity of Dharma that apparently defeats possibility of universality -Duty and its reverse, therefore, cannot be ascertained, O Bharata, by study of the scriptures alone...what is meant by conduct of the good remains unsettled... No such conduct, therefore, is to be seen (as observed by any man), which is fraught with universal benevolence.'

The contradictions in Scriptural authorities confuse him; the subjection of Dharma to the conditional bound of Time-Space-paatraveda' confuses him -

...the ordinances of the Vedas disappear gradually in every successive age. ...all the declarations in the Vedas do not apply equally to all the ages, the saying that the declarations of the Vedas are true is only a popular form of speech indulged in for popular satisfaction. ... When, however, the Shrutisand the Smritis contradict each other, how can either be authoritative? (CE-12.252.7-9)'

If present' experience leaves him confused, the only option left to him is to hold on to a strong pole, which would be his secure' base. Like Sri Ramakrishna's sea-bird perching on the mast of a ship surrounded on all sides by sea with land nowhere in sight, he would fly over the sea only to return safely to the mast of the ship- It seems, therefore, that only that which the learned of ancient times called righteousness is righteousness to this day: and through that course of conduct (which the learned so settled) the distinctions and limitations (that govern the world) have become eternal. (CE-12.252.20)'

Thus Yudhishthira is a follower of conduct of great men.

In Gita, Krishna says -

yadyadaacharati shreshhThastattadevetaro janaH .
sa yatpramaaNaM kurute lokastadanuvartate -

Because, whatever noble persons do, others follow. Whatever standard they set up, the world follows. (Gita-3.21)'

Edited by DharmaPriyaa - 8 years ago

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Amaya Rishikesh

@Seraphina231

Rocker

+ 2

Posted: 8 years ago

#176

Thanks for posting that,Sema! I am not entirely in agreement with a couple of things in that, but we can debate stuff later 😳

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Srutha

@SriMaatangi

Sparkler

+ 4

Posted: 8 years ago

#177

This is a fantastic article Sema 👏👏

It goes to show Bhaiya's fantastic personality, where he was humble and learnt mistakes from those younger to him as well.

As Shre, said, I am also not in agreement with a few things, but overall, it is a great article 😳

Edited by KrishnaPriyaa - 8 years ago

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Semanti Chakraborty

@DharmaPriyaa

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 8 years ago

#178

Even I don't agree with some of this researcher's views, though I like him for not bashing my Arya in his articles 😆

I mainly loved how he showed the unique bonding between Krishna and Dharmaraj. There is another article where he had shown the inner significance of the bird eye test. There also he explained Yudhishthir's unique style of seeing things very nicely. And I really love his article on Mahaprashthan episode where he compared Yudhishthir as the soul of all Pandavas.

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Semanti Chakraborty

@DharmaPriyaa

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 8 years ago

#179

There is popular belief regarding Dharmaraj that he was responsible for the Kurukshetra war. But people who blame him for the war also don't spare him for preferring peace and non-violence in the other cases. I wonder how can a man be blamed from totally two opposite viewpoints.

What's your take on this? Do you too think that it was he who caused the war?

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Janaki

@RamKiSeeta

Achiever

+ 6

Posted: 8 years ago

#180

Originally posted by: DharmaPriyaa
There is popular belief regarding Dharmaraj that he was responsible for the Kurukshetra war. But people who blame him for the war also don't spare him for preferring peace and non-violence in the other cases. I wonder how can a man be blamed from totally two opposite viewpoints.
What's your take on this? Do you too think that it was he who caused the war?

Dharmaraj can never win.

People are so ignorant when it comes to him, they are hell bent on hating him no matter what. 😆

The same people who hate his peace and non-violence approach blame him for the war.

Like...come on. How does that even make sense? 🤪