Mahabharata Ki Pathashala _Round 3 Mann ki baat_ Voting thread

Welcome to the Mahabharat Mann ki Baat responses...

As a part of our Mahabharata Ki Pathshala, we had requested, all the participants to think as a character of Mahabharata, and respond on why they had carried out some of the acts which probably seems to be very wrong to us today...

To clarify, some of the participants had put up the responses including reasons which are nowhere supported by texts, even things which are completely against what is mentioned in the texts, I have removed those parts so that responses remain

Below are the responses from the participants, we request everyone to vote for two entries (rank 1st and 2nd). Participants can vote too...

Also welcoming our judge for the round Koeli...

1) Character Bheem

Q1- You kept harassing younger Kaurava brothers as a child, who were just learning to adjust with a new set of cousins. While I understand this was as children, but that was what sowed the biggest discord.. Justify yourself

You are right that, as a child, I often bullied and harassed my younger Kaurava brothers.

I was stronger than them, and I sometimes used that strength without thinking about the fear or humiliation I caused.

But I was also a child growing up in a house where suspicion and rivalry already surrounded us.

I never imagined that those childish acts would grow into hatred that would consume an entire generation.

That does not make my behavior right, and I will not hide behind the excuse that I was only a child.

I should have understood that the Kauravas were my cousins, not enemies to be crushed.

Yet the hostility between us was never created by me alone; resentment, jealousy, and manipulation existed on both sides.

As we grew older, what began as childish rivalry became a struggle for power and survival.

I regret the fear and humiliation I caused them when we were young, even though I cannot accept responsibility for everything that followed.

If I had known where those early wounds would lead, perhaps I would have chosen strength with restraint rather than strength used to dominate.

Q2-- You kept on reminding Dhritrashtra and Gandhari onYou how you killed their sons, on how you broke their bones, is it human? How do you justify it

You ask me whether it was human to remind Dhritarashtra and Gandhari of how I killed their sons and broke their bones.

No, not all of it was human or righteous.

I was consumed by years of humiliation, injustice, and the pain of losing those I loved.

My anger did not end when the war ended; it followed me into their grief.

I knew they were mourning their sons, yet I still spoke words that wounded them further.

I cannot justify cruelty simply because I had suffered cruelty myself.

I can explain my rage, but I cannot claim that every word I spoke was dharma.

The war gave me reasons to fight, but it did not give me the right to mock grieving parents.

I was victorious on the battlefield, but in those moments, my anger overcame my humanity.

I can defend why I fought, but I must accept responsibility for how cruelly I spoke afterward.

2) Character - Hidimba

Q1) How did you fall for Bheem the day, he killed your brother? Even if your brother was evil, you had stayed with him, no one forced you to. And he was your protector. One is devastated at the death of even a very close neighbor, and you fell in for the murderer of your family on the same day and even bore a child on that very day? Were you an opportunist

Opportunist? What opportunity? I loved Bheem before he killed my brother, not after. Hidimb ordered me to lure Bheem and his family to their deaths, but I chose to warn them. Yes, my brother protected me but even a cage can have a guard.

Bheem did not murder him; Hidimb attacked, and Bheem fought back. I could mourn my brother without defending his cruelty. And Ghatotkacha was certainly not delivered on the same day. Rakshasa biology is magical, not ridiculous! I simply rejected fear, chose courage and claimed my own future.

Q2) Why did you never try Ghatochkach or your grandson become the heir of Pandavas, especially when they were powerful, Meghvarma was definitely better than a child in Uttara's womb. Did you know they wont accept, so just ignored?

Ignored it? No. I simply did not raise my son and grandson to beg for a throne. Ghatotkacha had his own people and realm; why should Hastinapur be the only measure of greatness? He fought for the Pandavas as family, not as a candidate campaigning for succession. Meghavarma may have been powerful, but power alone does not establish a royal claim. Parikshit was Abhimanyu's son and the surviving heir of the recognised Kuru line.

Did I suspect the court might reject my forest-born descendants? Of course I was in love, not naïve. But I would rather see my children rule with dignity elsewhere than plead for acceptance in Hastinapur. Some inherit crowns; mine inherited freedom and considerably better flying skills.

3) Character - Shalya

Q1) Why were you arguing with Karna during his battle with Arjuna, and blaming him to be inefficient. As a charioteer, you duty was to support your warrior, and yet you behaved just oppositely (in fact even promised Yudhisthir to help in way you could). How do you justify this

I was deceived into promising allegiance with Adharma. I was bound by promise but could not forego my duty.

I seized the opportunity when I was humiliated into becoming a charioteer for Karna. Karna, i agree was a skilled warrior but he sided with Adharma. Abhimanyu's martyrdom at the hands of 8 yodhas was Adharma. I did not raise my weapon but made my words sharper. That way, I fulfilled my promise and my duty.

Come to think of it, i tried to persuade Karna to see beyond his blind loyalty and his own skewed beliefs.

Q2) You decided to battle with Pandavas disguised as Brahmins when they had won the Draupadi swayamvar. Was is something acceptable? They won fair, the rules didn't bar them, aside harming a Brahmin was a crime, so why do that. Justify yourself

No response Given

4) Character - Ashwatthama

Q1 - Why did you redirect the Bhrahmastra towards the womb of Uttara, they were completely unrelated to the war. How do you justify it, do you approve the punishment you got for it?

I did not seek to punish Uttara; I sought to end the lineage of those whom I held responsible for my father's death.

Drona was brought down through deception, and Dhrishtadyumna slew him when he had laid down his weapons.

As his son, I could not separate the unborn heir from the lineage that had taken my father from me.

My mind was consumed by grief, humiliation and vengeance, not by hatred of Uttara herself.

I knew Krishna would condemn my deed, yet in that moment I believed I was answering a blood-debt that had never been avenged.

I bear the consequence of my action, but I will not deny the grief that gave birth to it.

Q2) How do you justify your approach of attacking sleeping enemies and in fact beheading a sleeping Prativindya?? That is not a war crime, that is inhumanity

You call them sleeping enemies; I saw those who had destroyed my father after he had laid down his weapons.

Dhrishtadyumna had slain Drona when he was no longer fighting, and I could not accept that as a righteous victory.

The war had already shattered the boundaries I had believed warriors were bound to honour.

I had sworn to Duryodhana that I would avenge the destruction of our side and those who had caused it.

That night, I chose vengeance over honour, believing that those who had shown no mercy had forfeited mine.

I knew what I was doing; I acted as a son avenging his father, not as a warrior seeking glory.

5) Character - Bheeshma

Q1) How do you justify abduction of Amba, Ambika and Ambalika for your brother? As someone who wasn't even powerful enough to abduct the wives himself, does it make sense to get him 3 girls without even asking their wishes. And to make matters worse, you had Amba leave after her abduction claiming if she loves someone else she cant marry your brother, when you clearly knew that world don't easily accept abducted girls. That made her life a mess

- Bound by my sacred oath to protect Hastinapur, my duty was to secure the royal line and defend the empire's honor.

- Winning maidens in open contest against rival kings was an accepted Kshatriya custom, done openly rather than through deceit.

- As regent, it fell on me to secure noble brides for the newly crowned Vichitravirya to ensure the dynasty's survival.

- My intent was never to demean the princesses, but to elevate them to the highest status as queens of Bharatvarsha.

- When Amba revealed her devotion to Salva, righteousness forbade me from forcing a woman to marry against her heart.

- Releasing her with full honor was the only moral path, believing a righteous king would accept her untouched purity.

- I could not foresee that Salva's rigid pride would lead him to reject her, casting her into an unjust plight.

- Marrying her myself was impossible without violating the absolute vow of celibacy that anchored my entire existence.

- Forcing my brother to accept a bride devoted to another would have violated marital dharma and poisoned the realm. I carried the burden of her tragic fate with a heavy heart, yet I acted strictly within my vows and Kshatriya duty.

Q2) What is your justification for never trying to sort out the issues between children Kauravas & Pandvas. If Vidur could find it out, there is no reason why you couldn't, yet you did nothing to ensure that a seed of enmity isn't sown.. How do you justify it?

- As the elder statesman and guardian of the throne, my primary mandate was the preservation and unity of the Kuru empire above all else.

- I recognized the simmering rivalry early, but as a counselor bound to the throne, my authority was strictly advisory while Dhritarashtra held the sovereign power of the King.

- Vidura possessed the freedom of a minister to speak without political restraint, whereas my grand position required me to maintain absolute neutrality so as to not openly fracture the royal court.

- I trusted that the shared upbringing, common Gurukul education under Drona, and fundamental values of Dharma would eventually temper the cousins' animosity as they matured.

- Stepping in with brute force or open taking of sides would have fractured the kingdom into civil war decades earlier, destroying the very empire I was sworn to protect.

- When Dhritarashtra's blind affection continuously overruled my counsel, I was left to navigate a tragic compromise to hold the fragile peace together.

- My forbearance was not out of ignorance or apathy, but a desperate effort to shield Hastinapur from an immediate collapse while upholding the delicate order of the realm.

6) Character - Karna

Q1) Why did you leave Duryodhana and others to die while escaping yourself the moment you got a chance while your fight with Gandharvas.. Isn't it being highly unloyal. How do you justify it

I will not disguise my defeat as something noble I was overpowered by the Gandharvas and I fled. But fleeing a battle I could no longer win was cowardice in that moment, not a decision to betray Duryodhana. I had neither the strength nor the means to rescue him once I was defeated. Should I have surrendered myself as well merely to prove loyalty, when I could no longer fight? I accept that I failed my friend on that day what I reject is the claim that my failure was born from disloyalty. My loyalty to Duryodhana was a choice I made knowingly, and I stood by that choice even after learning that the Pandavas were my own brothers.

Q2) What were your exact thoughts during your promise to Kunti about not killing others except Arjun? Like Kunti never asked you to spare her children (which might have given you an excuse that you can't not give anything to someone who asks for). If you would have killed or captured Yudhisthir you would have won the war for Duryodhana (which ideally you should have done), but you didn't do that even when you had a chance, didn't even try for it, while on the other hand by deciding to still kill Arjun, if possible, you made it difficult for Pandavas to win. This makes it seem that the war was nothing but just personal platform to show that you are better than Arjun.. This seems the act of a very opportunistic person. How do you justify it

You ask why I spared Yudhishthira when his death might have strengthened Duryodhana's chances. Because choosing Duryodhana's side did not mean that I had to extinguish every bond of blood and become the slayer of all my brothers. When Kunti revealed the truth, I had already chosen Duryodhana over the kingdom Krishna offered me; my promise to Kunti did not change my allegiance. I could fight the Pandavas without making the death of four of them my personal objective. I spared them not to help them win, but because there was a line even my loyalty to Duryodhana could not make me cross. And my resolve against Arjuna was not a separate agenda it was simply one battle within the war I had already chosen to fight.

7) Character - Balarama

Q1) Why did you support your nephew Samb, when he was captured by Karna after attempting to abduct Duryodhana's daughter Lakshmana, you were even trying to bring natural disaster in Hastinapur if Samb wasn't freed. Is it really OK for you? Like punishing normal citizens because their king captured someone who was trying to abduct a girl?

No, I will never say what Samba did was right; he was wrong, and I knew it.

But he was my nephew, I am his guardian, and being a family man I have always stood by my family.

Protecting him never meant approving his actions I would have punished and guided him in my way.

I went to Hastinapura without an army, willing to settle the matter peacefully.But they were too arrogant to even listen, and that is when my anger took over. You all know I am known for my anger

Yes, I threatened Hastinapura, cause that's the only I know those people will listen they have that fear so I used that against them

Samb was worng, but whatever they were doing was wrong too, being his elder and guardian; it was my duty to protect him and make him face his mistake.

Q2) Why didn't you participate in the Mahabharat war? Justify your absence

The Pandavas were my cousins, while Duryodhana and Bhima were my students Yes, Duryodhana was my favourite, but affection could never make adharma into dharma. I knew that, he would use that asking me to support him

How could I fight for him when I knew his cause was wrong? Yet how could I simply refuse my own student if he called upon his Guru? That's against my principles

And then there was my Kanha, my younger brother, standing with the Pandavas. How could I raise my weapon against him? He himself has taken oath not to raise weapon, then how come I?

There was no side I could choose without betraying my people nd my principles

So I chose the only path I could I went on pilgrimage. I knew the consequences I knew how they will react so I choose this path

8) Character - Shikhandi

Q1) At the time of your marriage, you were a woman, and while there was a blessing of God Shiva that you would become a man eventually, that hadn't happened. So why did you marry the girl, didn't you fear it would ruin the girl. In fact when she retuned to her father and told you weren't a man, and her infuriated father came against your father, you have a Yaksha and yourself exchange the gender temporarily so that when her father checks, he finds you as a man, before you again return your gender. Don't you think that this would mean that she would even lose the support of her father, and would be stuck as a wife of a woman and someone who is believed by no one. Did you never feel for her? For her spoiled life.. How do you justify it

I married her because my father believed in Lord Shiva's boon that I will eventually become a man. He raised me as his son and not daughter even though I was born as a girl and expected that Lord Shiva's boon will work on the day of my marriage. Unfortunately that didn't happen and my wife got to know the truth about my gender. I did feel guilty and sorry for her for ruining her life as well as for being partially responsible for her father declaring a war on my kingdom hence I decided to give up my life but then I met a yaksha named Sthunakarna who agreed to temporarily exchange his gender with me to avoid the war. Yes, I exchanged the gender to avoid the war between the two kingdoms though I once again betrayed my wife. I stopped a war but ruined my wife's life again as she came across as a liar in front of her own father. I really feel sad for her and would like to apologize to her but I did all these to avert a war between her father's and my father's kingdoms. I guess our marriage was destined to happen because I became a man as per Lord Shiva's boon only because of this marriage.

Q2) How do you justify your role in Bheeshma's Vadh

totally justify my hand in Bheeshma's death and I feel he deserved it because he was responsible for my painful death in my previous birth. I was born as Amba, the princess of Kashi in my previous birth. I was in love with Salva and wished to marry him. When my father arranged a swayamvar of mine and my sisters I had firmly decided that I will choose Prince Salva as my husband but then all of a sudden Bheeshma arrived from nowhere and kidnapped me and my sisters to take revenge from my father for not inviting his brother to the swayamvara. It was unfair for me as well as my sisters to face the wrath of our father's act. When I was sent back to Salva it was too late and he decided not to accept me as his wife. Bheeshma was responsible for my plight that's why I wanted him to marry me to give me justice but he straightaway refused. He didn't care about my life, all he cared about was his promise to his father. I still didn't give up and went to Sage Parshuram for justice but Bheeshma defeated him too and refused to accept me as his wife. I had no choice but to end my life and the only man responsible for my condition was Bheeshma. He ruined my life and was responsible for my death so I was reborn as Shikhandi to avenge my death in my previous birth and become responsible for his death.

9) Ashwathama

Q1) Why did you participate in the war in the first place? You were a Brahmin and that gave you a sudden shield because people don't generally try killing a Brahmana fearing getting a Brahmahatya dosh. That means you had an undue advantage. Aside primary duty of Brahmanas is imparting education and sustaining law. How do you justify your participation

I fought not as a mere Brahmana, but as a warrior bound by loyalty. My dharma was to protect my father and king, and in war, duty outweighed tradition's bounds.

Q2) On the day 18, after Duryodhana appointed you the Commander in Chief, one would expect that you would at least try taking your king out of the humiliated fall position, so that he could at least die in a peaceful place and not somewhere being howled by wild animals. Why didn't you leave him there instead while still claiming to be completely loyal to him

I did not move Duryodhana because his own wish was to remain where fate had struck him. My loyalty meant honoring his will, not imposing mine. I vowed to annihilate the Panchalas & Upapandavas and avenge Duryodhana humiliation / death.

You always blamed the Kauaravas for your humiliation and even asked Krishna to get you a revenge. But never did you think of having your husbands punished even a bit. Was it bias? Or was it just a way to have your protectors safe when they are no less participants.. How do you justify that10) Character--Virat

Q1) How do you justify your rule? You were powerful and yet always engaged in self pleasures and hardly ever carried out the duties of a king? You were easily influenced. In fact all Panadavas entered your palace and you never could understand even after seeing Yudhisthir daily.. This only shows your incompetence

Virat was not only a pleasure-seeking king but also an established and powerful ruler of the Matsya Kingdom as well which was also the main reason as to why the Pandavas chose the Matsya Kingdom to spend their agyaatvaas in. Pandavas' disguise was meant to be as concealed and deliberate as possible, because they couldn't afford to get recognised and then again spend another 12 years roaming around in the forest and 1 year of agyaatvaas. Virat not recognising them was the consequence of the carefully planned disguise. Even though at certain times, Yudhishthir had provided his words of wisdom, that alone cannot contribute to Virat recognising him or the Pandavas. Recognising Yudhishthira would have been a failure of the Pandavas' disguise, not necessarily proof of Virat's incompetence.

Q2) When Draupadi (as Sayandhri) came to you telling about Keechak and his evil intentions towards her, you ignored, as if powerful people can exploit weak in your kingdom. Do you have any justification for it?

Virat's failure to protect Sairandhri from Keechak is undoubtedly one of his greatest weaknesses as a king. But if viewed from the political context of Matsya, Keechak was not merely a powerful courtier; he was Virat's brother-in-law as well. On top of that, he had enormous influence over the kingdom's army. Influential to the point that he was the ruler under the hood, while Virat simply sat on the throne. Virat's reluctance to confront him may therefore have arisen from political dependence and fear of destabilising his kingdom, combined with his relationship status. Nevertheless, this cannot fully excuse his inaction. As king, Virat was supposed to protect even the most vulnerable person in his kingdom. Virat's passive response was morally wrong, yet politically calculated on his part.

11) Character--Gandhari

Q1). How did you suddenly blame Krishna for the destruction of your family? And that too to the level that you cursed for destruction of entire Yadava clan (not just Vrishni lineage of Krishna since you were blaming Him), You spared Pandavas in your curse and included the likes of Kritvarma in it who actually fought for your son? Justify

You ask me to justify why a grief-stricken mother cursed Lord Krishna.

Then first ask yourself what that mother witnessed.

Judge my words if you must, as the final cry of a mother who stood among the dead and realized that her entire world had disappeared. I lost all one hundred of my sons in a war that 'He and ONLY He' could have prevented or stopped.

I did not suddenly blame Keshava, nor did I claim that he had personally killed my sons. My curse was to make the one who possessed the power to prevent the destruction understand what it meant to lose an entire lineage.

If the Supreme Lord Janardhan can prevent a catastrophe but chooses to allow it, how can he not bear the consequences of that catastrophe?

I did not use my spiritual power, accumulated in life through utmost devotion and penance to save myself from grief. Instead, I stood on that battlefield and saw what remained of my world. Not only my sons but an entire generation of husbands, fathers, brothers and children were wiped out. The battlefield was not merely covered with corpses, it was covered with the broken lives of countless families.

And in that moment, I did not speak as a queen. I spoke as a mother. My curse was born from that agony.

I cursed Krishna and the entire Yadava clan because I believed that those who stood under his protection should not remain untouched by the consequences of the destruction that had consumed my entire family. My curse therefore extended to the clan as a whole, even to Kritavarma, who had fought loyally for my son Duryodhana.

If Keshava could stand before the destruction of my entire lineage and allow it to happen, then in the intensity of my grief, a mother's curse demanded that he too experience the agony of watching his own people perish.

As for my beloved Pandavas, their victory itself had become their punishment.They had to spend the rest of their lives carrying the memory of the dead and the burden of a kingdom built upon a battlefield.

And do not forget that Krishna accepted my curse. He did not fight it, because he understood the destiny that lay beyond my suffering.

I spoke from grief - He accepted from knowledge.

I saw the destruction of my family - He saw the end of an age.

I cursed from a mother's pain - He accepted it knowing the wheel of time had turned.

Q2 ) Why do you think covering your eyes was something great? I really admire your love an admiration/dedication for your husband, but at the end of the day, is getting the same deformity as your husband really love? You should have become his eyes, rather than another blind in the room. This seems emotionally high, but practically devastating, in fact if you had your eyes, probably, you would have responded better to what was going on around you.

Who says covering my eyes was something great? That is your assumption. It was not great at all, but simply a choice I made at a time when I was not given any choice.

I, Gandhari, daughter of King Subala and Queen Sudharma of Gandhar was a young princess, given in a political marriage to Kuru Prince Dhritarashtra, who was born blind. It was my choice to share his darkness. To me, it was an act of solidarity with the man I had married and in my own way, a silent protest against a fate that had been decided for me.

You say I should have become my husband's eyes rather than another blind person in the room.

But my Aryaputra, Maharaj Dhritarashtra, was not blind only in his eyes. He was blinded by his attachment, ambition and love for his sons - a blindness that even a wife who could see couldn't have simply cured.

My biggest regret is that my darkness stopped me from seeing the evil growing in my sons. I did not approve of their actions. I tried to counsel my sons, even warned them.

And yes, I accept that had I not kept the blindfold over my eyes, I could have seen more, challenged more, and acted sooner.

It was a choice born of love, circumstance, and the little control I had over my own destiny. But like many choices in life, it came with a price and I lived with it's consequences for the rest of my life.

Perhaps that was my greatest tragedy -
not that I could not see,
but that I chose not to.

12) Character--Draupadi

Q1) For someone who claims to love all her husbands equally, why did you select to free Yudhisthir as your first boon after the humiliation at DyutSabha? When the entire thing was primarily his fault. Aside you asked for remaining 4's freedom in next, so there was no reason to have one boon exclusive for Yudhisthir. How do you justify it

• It was not about loving Yudhishthira more. I chose him first because he was the eldest, the king, and the head of our family. His freedom was necessary to restore the position and dignity of the Pandavas.

• I was not choosing between my husbands. I did not see my husbands as individuals to be rescued according to whom I loved more. I saw the Pandavas as my family, and restoring their head was the first step towards restoring the whole.

• If I had asked for myself first, I would have saved only myself. I was already dishonoured in that Sabha; my greater concern was that my entire family had been reduced to slavery. I wanted to break that condition at its root.

• I refused to accept the logic of the dice game. That game had already reduced people to stakes and possessions. I would not stand there and bargain for my husbands as though each of them were another object to be won back.

• My second boon made my intention clear. Once Yudhishthira was freed, I immediately asked for the freedom of the remaining four. I did not leave even one of my husbands behind in captivity.

• So my first boon was a choice of responsibility, not preference. I did not free Yudhishthira because he deserved it more than the others, nor because I loved him more. I freed him first because, in that moment, restoring the eldest and the king was the first step toward restoring all of us.

Q2).You always blamed the Kauaravas for your humiliation and even asked Krishna to get you a revenge. But never did you think of having your husbands punished even a bit. Was it bias? Or was it just a way to have your protectors safe when they are no less participants.. How do you justify that

• I never absolved my husbands. I questioned Yudhishthira in the Sabha itself, if he had already lost himself, by what right could he stake me? I did not remain silent about the wrong done by my own husband.

• But failure and deliberate humiliation are not the same. My husbands failed to protect me when they should have; the Kauravas, however, consciously chose to insult me, drag me into the Sabha, mock me, and attempt to strip me of my dignity.

• My anger was therefore directed at the perpetrators of my humiliation. Dushasana laid hands on me, Duryodhana sought to dishonour me, and Karna added to that humiliation. They did not merely witness my suffering, they actively participated in it.

• I had already confronted my husbands; I did not need to turn my pain into vengeance against them. What I demanded from the Kauravas was accountability for the humiliation they had deliberately inflicted upon me.

• And yes, I wanted my husbands to survive. They were my family, the fathers of my children, and the men who could stand against those who had wronged us. Wanting them safe did not mean I considered them innocent.

• If you call that bias, then call it the bias of a woman defending herself. I could acknowledge my husbands' failure while still demanding that those who deliberately violated my dignity answer for what they had done.

13) Character--Yudhisthir

Q1)Simple question, justify you staking everything in the dice game? If it was the rule in your mind that you would continue till you have anything to stake, why didn't you stake Prativindhya before saying you have nothing left (in fact while we are here, what made you think, it were better to stake Nakul and your other brothers before Prativindya? You definitely had more rights on the latter), and if you could really get up without staking everything, then why not stop before staking the kingdom itself?

It is not justifiable in any means but I know I might have staked Prativindhya but they paused the game to humiliate Druapadi, Nakul and my other brothers have been with me since childhood, I have looked after them like my children, they were my children in my heart that's why my mind automatically went to them rather my son. I could have got up without staking everything but then I only had 2 weaknesses, my Dharma and Gambling and they did not allow me to leave the game, somewhere in my mind, I thought I could win everything back and that greed became my motivation along with my words to keep playing

Q2)After nearly winning the war, after so many lives lost, you reduced the final battle of Duryodhan as the decisive one. Allowing Duryodhan to select his opponent & weapon. Which means, you were ready to stake all the sacrifices done until then just for your whim to sound holier than everyone? What if Duryodhan selected Nakul with mace? You would have lost in the first minute? How do you justify this?

It was not my whim to sound holier than everyone, it was what I thought is the right way to end the war, Duryodhan had already lost everything, I wanted to give him one more fair chance at win. I knew Duryodhan would not have selected anyone except Bheem, Duryodhan and Bheem always had a competition of who is better mace fighter, I knew he wanted to win over Bheem to satisfy his ego and also wanted revenge for his brothers killed by Bheem, I just intercepted what Duryodhan could think and trapped him in his game, he thought he could easily kill all of us after defeating Bheem and I knew that's why he would first go with Bheem rather than going with any of us. It might look like a gamble to everyone but it was not one.

14) Character--Ghatochkach

Q1)Why did you never fought for your children to get some position in Pandavas? You were the eldest child of theirs, so your children deserved a position there probably as the heir, but you never fought for their rights. Why?

I was Bhima's son, but I never believed my birth gave me a right to claim the Pandava throne.
My life belonged to the forest, and I was content with the place destiny had given me.Why should my children inherit a position merely because I was born to a Pandava?They had their own destiny to fulfil, just as I had mine.For me, being a son was not about inheriting a kingdom, but standing by my father when the time came.

Q2) During the war, you used illusion and magic to trick the opponents, this was a proper war of ethics. "Dharmayudha", how do you justify using something beyond what was accepted?

My Maya was not deception; it was the power I was born with as a Rakshasa warrior.Why should I abandon my greatest strength merely because my enemy could not match it?I used my powers openly against those who had come to fight, not to betray or harm the innocent.If a warrior must use his natural abilities to protect those he loves, I saw no dishonour in it.For me, fighting with the strength I was born with was not abandoning Dharma, but fulfilling my duty.

15) Character--Kunti

Q1) When the Pandavas were exiled, you decided to stay in Hastinapur, while everyone else from your family (other daughter in laws/grand children etc.) had left for either their marital home, or to their maternal grandparents . Why so? Can we really think that it was nothing strategic? Not meant to keep an eye on enemy? Not meant to always remain as a reminder of something tragic? Using you acceptance by same enemy as a family member, you strategized against them? It could be brilliant? But was it moral

When the Pandavas were exiled to the forest I decided to stay back in Hastinapur and not accompany my son's and daughter-in-law to the forest while rest of the extended family dispersed because At this advanced stage of my life, my body could no longer withstand the physical trauma of the wild. Instead I chose to live in my brother-in -law Vidura house who deeply respected me was compassionate towards me and he opposed the injustices of the Kauravas.My decision was strategic .My physical presence in Hastinapur served as a living, breathing accusation against the Kauravas. Had our entire family completely evacuated the capital, the Kauravas would have easily erased the Pandavas from the consciousness of the Kuru kingdom. I stayed back to ensure that the flame of our claim was never extinguished in the heart of Hastinapur. I remained the anchor, waiting patiently for thirteen years, keeping our allies informed, and preparing for the inevitable day of reckoning.My decision was moral according to kshatriya Dharma because for a queen, the highest morality is the protection and reclamation of the kingdom for her rightful heir

Q2) Why did you blame Madri for the death of Pandu. You could clearly see that she is as devastated. And she also told that she lured Pandu? While she was actually forced upon. Pain is understandable, but blaming someone in equal or even greater pain is it justified

I and Madri knew that king Pandu was under a severe curse from the sage Kindama if he ever approached a woman with sexual desire, he would die instantly die.I had successfully maintained boundaries whereas Madri was the one present when the curse triggered. .As I saw her weeping at my husband's lifeless body.In the state of intense grief and anger I said the words that she was trying to lure my husband.It was a humanitarian reaction. Anyone at my position could have done the same.

16) Character--Arjuna

Q1)Did it never hit you that you did the Bheeshma Vadh when he was also engaged with Shikhandi and that too when he was actually trying to only neutralize Shikhandi and not cause him real harm. Bheeshm had always loved you. So how do you justify it

Bhishma's lap was my childhood sanctuary; every arrow pierced my own soul first. He was invincible and had ichcha mrityu. An ace on the battlefield whose power shielded Duryodhana’s tyranny, supporting injustice and guaranteeing the triumph of unrighteousness.

Bhishma himself told me the sacred secret of his mortality. He was imploring for release from the oath that chained him to the throne. Bhishma vowed never to strike a former woman (Shikhandi). So with a heavy heart and eyes filled with tears, I struck him without forcing him to break his sacred word and granting him release from karmic guilt.

My arrows were not from malice but agonising devotion, a grand-nephew executing his ancestor's deepest unspoken command. I did not betray his love but used the gift of archery he nurtured in me to shatter earthly shackles. I granted him an honoured death he deserved.

Q2)You abducted Subhadra from her house for marriage, without ever asking her if she wanted that, just at the advice of your brother. Do you think it was justified

I had fallen deeply in love with Subhadra. It did not feel like fate alone but divine intervention led me to my soulmate.

Balarama wanted Subhadra's to marry Duryodhana without Subhadra's consent. Duryodhana's primary motive for the marriage was to unite the Kaurava and Yadava armies. This would enable Duryodhana’s despotic, tyrannical power and cause suffering.

Krishna (her brother) guided me to do Rakshasa vivaha to ruin Duryodhana's political trap. I think she steered towards freedom with a sweet smile, as a willing partner taking control of her own destiny. Subhadra is not my conquest, but recognition of soulmates who belong to each other.

I did not steal Subhadra from her family. I rescued my true love from marriage of helplessness. I gave her the love, strength, honour, and freedom she truly deserved.

17) Character--Dhristadhyumna

Q1) Drona was your teacher and yet you killed him. At a time when he was mourning his son's (fake) death. In fact you even mocked and chided Arjun for feeling for Drona. Did it never occur to you that it was wrong?

Regret is a luxury for those born of ordinary choices, not for one whose every breath was a weapon forged to destroy Drona. I was forged from the sacrificial fire of a yagna performed by my father, King Drupada, with a singular, unyielding purpose: to slay Drona. Drupada and Drona were once friends, but Drona later returned with the Kuru princes, defeated my father, and deeply humiliated him, leaving him burning with bitter resentment and desperate for justice. My entire life was a constructed destiny engineered to right that profound historical wrong. Moreover, war is rarely fought with absolute purity, and the Kauravas had already rewritten the rules of engagement by murdering a trapped child, Abhimanyu, in cold blood. Drona stood as the supreme commander of that camp, yet remained silent, offering tacit approval as unrighteousness consumed their ranks, proving that a leader and teacher who fails to check moral decay shares the guilt of his allies. You speak of his grief over Ashwatthama's death as a sacred pause, but Drona had already wreaked devastating slaughter upon our ranks and laid down his physical arms only to enter a withdrawal of senses; if I had hesitated out of sentimentality while he remained a lethal threat at the head of the enemy host, he would have destroyed us all.

As for Arjuna, his hesitation was born of misplaced nostalgia, and someone had to shatter that illusion. Duty often demands the crushing of sentiment, and I did not kill a grieving father, but rather executed the mandate of justice for which the universe itself breathed breath into my lungs.

Q2) In continuation to previous point, you knew that you have been born to avenge your father and kill Drona, which was your objective since day 1. And yet you approached Drona to be your teacher? Drona knowingly that you are destined to kill him, trained you.. You think you act was justifiable?

I did not go to Dronacharya out of innocence, nor out of a sudden forgetting of my sole purpose of existence. I went because a weapon that does not know its wielder is bound to shatter. From the day I emerged from the sacred fire, I knew my destiny. But knowing why you were born is not enough; you must have the supreme capacity to fulfill that purpose. Drona was the ultimate pillar of his age, unrivaled in military science. If I was destined to face him, I needed to understand his mind, his discipline, his strategies, and his blind spots better than anyone else alive.The path to defeating Drona ran directly through Drona himself. Approaching him as a student was not hypocrisy or betrayal; it was supreme strategic necessity. I entered his fold to absorb the very power he possessed, turning his own teachings into the foundation of his eventual undoing.

And let us be clear about Drona's own agency in this. He was no blind victim. He knew who I was - he knew the purpose of my existence and the bitter enmity of Drupada. Yet, driven by his absolute pride as a master of arms and his code as a guru, he accepted me. If he believed that teaching me threatened his life or violated his duty, he had the power to refuse. Instead, he fulfilled his tradition and taught me without flinching from his fate. He willingly forged his own destined executioner.

The bitter irony of that choice does not escape me. Drona crafted the very blade that would one day cut him down. When we met on that final battlefield, it was not a betrayal of the guru-shishya bond, but its tragic and inevitable culmination - where the student mastered everything the teacher had to give, and used it to fulfill the absolute reason for his existence.

18) Character--Bheem

Q1) Why did you kill Keechak during the Agyatawas. The reason Yudhisthir was ignoring Draupadi's pleas was that if Keechak died and news spread, it would be impossible for Duryodhan to not guess they were there, and that is exactly what happened. You could have ensured safety of Draupadi over killing of Keechak

Eliminating Keechak was an absolute moral duty (Dharma) where Draupadi's immediate safety and dignity outweighed the strategic risks of breaking our Agyatvas. A husband's highest duty is to protect his wife from immediate harm, and leaving Keechak alive meant exposing Draupadi to inevitable sexual assault. There was no peaceful alternative because Keechak had already publicly kicked and humiliated Draupadi in King Virata's court while the King and Yudhisthira watched helplessly. We could not appeal to King Virata because he was entirely terrified of Keechak, who held immense power as the commander-in-chief. Having already endured the humiliation of the dice game in Hastinapur, this secondary blow drove Draupadi to her breaking point where she contemplated taking her own life.Saving Draupadi from suicide and further violation was vastly more important to me than winning back a kingdom or avoiding another exile.To maintain our cover, we carefully planned the assassination in secret and lured him to the dark dance hall at night. I pulverized Keechak into an unrecognizable mass of flesh to make it look like he was killed by Sairandhri's mythical Gandharva husbands.Fleeing Matsya was impossible without breaking our exile, but staying my hand would have allowed Keechak to force himself on her and completely destroy our honor.Ultimately, the gamble paid off because Draupadi was saved, the threat was eliminated, and the one-year Agyatvas technically expired just as Duryodhana confirmed our identities.

Q2) Why did you hit Duryodhana below the waist while that is strictly prohibited in mace wars. For someone claiming to be on the side of Dharma, this was evil (the story of Vajra shareer of Duryodhana due to Gandhari's vision is not in Mahabharata, so don't use that)

I did what had to be done to end a cycle of absolute injustice. The rule of Dharma was broken by Duryodhana long before our duel through repeated acts of treachery against my family. He attempted to burn us alive in the house of lac, poisoned my food, send us for exile and cheered when my wife Draupadi was humiliated in open court. A mace fight requires two honorable warriors, but Duryodhana had forfeited his honor. He and the Kauravas systematically abandoned every rule of righteous combat throughout the war,when he conspired to murder the unarmed, teenage Abhimanyu using a circle of veteran warriors. He hid in a lake like a coward, and only fought when he was backed into a corner. My oath to break his thighs was born out of a righteous rage. When he patted his thigh and insulted Draupadi, ordered the forcefully disrobed Draupadi to sit on his lap, I vowed in that very assembly to crush that very thigh, and a true kshatriya must never break his word (pratigya). Krishna himself signaled me to strike where it would end him. Our guide and the ultimate judge of Dharma knew that allowing Duryodhana to win would mean the triumph of absolute evil over the world. Strict rules cannot protect an unrepentant sinner. If I had followed the rigid rules of mace warfare, a tyrant who stole our kingdom and caused a massive war would have walked away victorious. My strike was not out of evil, but out of necessity. Sometimes, a lesser rule must be broken to uphold the greater, ultimate balance of the universe.When the cosmic balance is pushed to its absolute limits, Dharma must sometimes destroy the letter of the law to preserve its spirit.

19) Character--Janmejaya

Q1) Justify what made you think Sarpa Satra was justified. Killing so many innocent Nagas because one of them killed your father? Could there be anything worse than that

Yes because he killed my father.Now no one should dare to do that from Nagas clan.So killing them was necessary.As Takshak naga not only killed my father King Parikshit but used trickery to by pass my fathers heavy protection.He even bit the priest Kashyapa who had the power to heal my father .There is no bigger deceit than this.

Q2) You exhibited similar traits when before the Sarpa Satra, your brothers unnecessarily beat an innocent dog (the son of divine Dog goddess Sarma), & you pay no heed to it, didn't even try to reason with them. Is the life or others so trivial to you?

My brothers acted in a state of high anxiety to protect the sanctity of the ritual.They did not know this was the celestial offspring of the divine dog Sarama.To them it was a stray animal wandering dangerously to the altar .I did not command the beating.Nor did I encourage it.I was completely focussed on the unyielding duties of the ongoing sacrifice.I accept the moral weight of consequence

20) Character--Draupadi

Q1) While responding to Satyabhama you defined the true duties of a wife, and why your husbands love you.. But did you ever tell your husbands their duties? Or their failures at it? The duties of wife you listed were something that one today might feel as that of someone who is miles below. As an epitome of femineity, do you think this was OK to present as a future roll model?

That Satybhama conversation happened after the Dyut Sabha. She dared to walk up to me and talk about how lucky I am to have husbands with such great love for me. COUGH *Great enough to bet on me like I am some commodity and then watch while I was molested right in front of them* COUGH. She asked how I have such "obedient husbands". So I told her. I mean, the sarcasm could not have been any clearer than that

Q2) At your fall during the Swargarohana, Yudhisthir said that you didn't love all 5 of your wives equally, but were biased towards Arjuna, that is something probably everyone felt (that answers why you were angry at Subhadra when she came, but not at anyone else's wife, like Karenumati etc.) How do you justify this

I don't need to justify it because it's not true. That allegation was one final attempt by my dearest eldest husband to put all the blame on me. "Look, here is a woman who was meant to love five husbands, but she was biased toward one. How did you guys think I put up with such a woman for so many years? People blame me just for gambling." *cry* *Cry*

I have one answer for such baseless allegations - NOTHING. People are free to think whatever they want. I mean, this is not the first, nor will it be the last, allegation that my dearest eldest husband and the people of Kaliyug have put on me. I really dont care

21) Character--Karna

Q1) Why did you deny participation into the war till the time Bheeshma was the commander in chief. He had just listed his views on who are best warriors and you were placed as Ardh Rathi.. even if that was humiliating for you, your non participation caused a loss to Duryodhana. What kind of a logic was it??

I refused to participate alongside someone who left no stone unturned in terms of insulting me or humiliating me & my ability. It was like a public declaration that Bhishma did not consider me fit or worthy enough to fight beside the warriors. There would have been conflict of interests because Bhishma merely wanted the Pandavas to lose, even that half heartedly. My friend wanted to kill them,, maybe humiliate them if anyone was left standing and reclaim the throne for himself.

I would not merely be fighting the Pandavas; I would be fighting the authority of my own commander.

And Bhishma had already made his position clear: he would not fight wholeheartedly alongside me. So my participation while he commanded would have created a divided command structure.

Yes, it was costly to Duryodhana. But from my perspective, entering before Bhishma fell would have given Duryodhana a commander who was compromised, morally and ethically, constantly a state of conflict. I believed that was worse than keeping one powerful warrior in reserve.

Q2) Why did you order Dusshashan to undress Draupadi and Pandavas during the Dyuta Sabha. Even if they were defeated and"Dasas" then, you weren't their owner. How do you justify it ...

If people think I did that because I was humiliated by her in the swayamvara, they are only partially correct. First off, I didn't want Draupadi to plant a seed of doubt in the minds of the people present in the sabha. Yudhishthira had entered the dice game as the representative of the Pandavas and had successively wagered their wealth, kingdom, brothers, himself, and finally Draupadi. Once he had lost himself, the question became whether he still possessed the legal/moral authority to stake anything afterward.

If the Sabha accepted Draupadi's argument-that Yudhishthira had lost himself first and therefore had no right to wager her afterward-the entire result of the gambling match could be challenged and the Pandavas could reclaim their status.

Duryodhana's victory could be declared invalid and his humiliation could not be avenged. So I took an action that had a favorable outcome for my friend. If she was a slave, she had no right to ask questions, and therefore every other consideration becomes moot. Once the Pandavas were publicly and politically humiliated, it would be easy to lord over them. I did not claim to own her or the Pandavas. I didn't want them to negate Duryodhana's victory, even if my soul realized the means were unfair.

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