The Mahabharata (23 page)

Yudhistira went on elaborating the picture of his life as a recluse in such detail that Arjuna could not help interrupting him in anger. “Oh, that will do,” he said. “Having sacrificed so much, so many lives, and acquired a kingdom, it is your duty to rule it, lest it should fall into lesser hands than yours and suffer. It is your duty to rule and enjoy, support the poor, support sacrifices, and maintain God's justice as a ruler. You will never be able to achieve this unless you have kingly power, acquired by the legitimate means decreed for a kshatriya. You will never be able to discharge your duties in this respect unless you have prosperity and wealth. A pauper can never help others, a weakling can be of no use to his fellow men. A life of renunciation is only for mendicants and not for us. A man possessed of wealth is regarded as learned and worthy of respect; wealth brings about more wealth. Religious activities, pleasure, enjoyment, and every fulfilment of life proceed from wealth. He who has no wealth is spurned in this world as well as in the next. Quarrels and differences of opinion have their place even in heaven among the gods. When this is so, what is wrong if, in our human society too, there are also differences and fights. It is by fighting that glory is earned and
from glory proceed all the good things of life. It is all known as the gift of the goddess Lakshmi, and he who spurns such a gift offends the Goddess. Remember, we can never see wealth acquired without some harm or injury to others.”

Yudhistira still repeated his philosophy of renunciation. His ascetic outlook infuriated Bhima, who said, “Great brother and elder, please stop your narration. Your mind is unbalanced and you have lost sight of realities. You are like the parrot-like repeaters of the Vedas, who go on babbling without relevance. If you think so ill of the duties of a king, all the slaughter of Dhritarashtra's family which you led us to perpetrate was uncalled for. If we had known that this was your philosophy, we would never have consented to take up arms against anyone. Having slain our enemies, it is your bound duty to take up the reins of this kingdom and rule like a true kshatriya. However much you may dislike it, you cannot alter your caste now. Your action is similar to that of a man who has dug a well, and, after smearing himself with wet mud, retreats from the activity just when water is springing up. You are like a man who, having killed all his fearful enemies, finally also commits suicide. We have followed you and now realise that your intelligence is questionable. Please consider our position also. You are selfish in pampering your own feelings. A life of renunciation should be adopted only by kings who are incurably diseased or suffering from defeat. If renunciation and passivity are the greatest of virtues, then mountains and trees should be the most virtuous in creation, for mountains and trees always lead a life of aloofness and do not cross anyone's path.”

The twins, the most junior, added their voices, also with great trepidation. And Draupadi, who had been listening all along, added, “These brothers of yours have been lecturing and crying till their throats have dried up. You make them unhappy by your obstinacy. These brothers of yours have continuously suffered for so many years, all because of their devotion to you. Why, when you were at Dwaitavana suffering
all the cold and the heat and the wind, did you not say to me, ‘We shall fight for our rights, slaughter Duryodhana, and enjoy this earth as rulers once more.' You promised that our hardships would be forgotten when we reattained our kingdom. You yourself swore so much; why do you back out of it now? My mother-in-law one day addressed me and said, ‘Yudhistira will always keep you happy and well provided.' Now, after slaying thousands of men, I see that you are attempting to make that promise futile. When the eldest brother is mad, all those who follow him are also compelled to become mad. If your brothers had their own judgement left, they should have immobilised you, kept you in captivity, and taken upon themselves the sovereignty of the earth. The man who is afflicted with madness must be treated by a physician and not obeyed. I am the most miserable among all, but still I have the desire to live, even though I have lost all my children. You should not ignore my words or those of your brothers.”

Arjuna now expounded the duties of a king as a chastiser. “What a king holds in his hand is called danda, because it restrains and punishes the wicked; it is only the fear of punishment that will keep most persons on the path of truth, obedience, and discipline. Without piercing, no fisherman can ever succeed in catching a fish. Without slaughter nothing can be achieved. Those among the gods who are fierce are most respected—Rudra, Skanda, Agni, and Varuna are all slaughterers. All people quail before them. I see no creature in this world that supports life without injuring another. Animals live upon animals, the stronger upon the weaker. The cat devours the mouse, the dog devours the cat, the dog is eaten by the leopard, and all things again are devoured by Death. Even ascetics can never support their lives without killing creatures. In water, on earth and vegetables there are many lives which are minute and invisible, but they are killed when the ascetic takes his nourishment. This kingdom is ours now. Our duty is to cultivate happiness
and rule the earth, employing the danda when necessary.”

Yudhistira allowed everyone to express his views, but rejected the outlook and philosophy of his brothers and wife, doggedly repeating his plan to go into the woods and do penance. At this moment Vyasa intervened. “You must practise the duty enjoined upon you as a king. There is no other way. Retirement is not for your order. You must adopt a kingly life, a domestic life, and a kshatriya life. Stop thinking negatively. You have to rule the kingdom that has come to your hands. There is no choice for you. Be cheerful and accept it.”

Yudhistira went on lamenting the death of each one of his adversaries, one by one, and kept asking, “How am I to atone for this, how am I to atone for this?” He thought particularly of Bhishma, on whose lap he had played as a child. “When I saw him attacked by Sikandi, and found him trembling and shaking throughout the attack, when I saw his body pierced by arrows and falling down like a stricken tower on the floor of his chariot, my head reeled and my heart was wrung in pain. He had brought us up and I had to arrange for his destruction through my covetousness. Drona, my master, who took my hand and taught it to hold a bow… how can I forget these scenes and parade myself as a king?” He tormented himself with such memories again and again. More than all other memories, the echo of the lamentations of the women on receiving news of the casualties was too much for Yudhistira.

Krishna finally lost patience with him. “It is unseemly to pamper your grief. You cannot go on like this for ever. Forget yourself and your own feelings and act for the sake of those who have gone through so much suffering in obedience to your orders. You will have to accept the kingdom.”

Yudhistira suddenly realised the reasonableness of their arguments and said, “O Krishna, my mind is clear now. I obey your command, as well as our grandsire, Vyasa's. Let us now proceed as you desire.”

After offering prayers to the gods, Yudhistira ascended a chariot yoked with sixteen bullocks bearing special auspicious marks, covered with satin and silk, and sanctified with mantras. Bhima held the reins of the animals, Arjuna held an umbrella over the King's head, Nakula and Sahadeva stood on the sides and fanned the King with yak tails. Kunthi and Draupadi followed in a chariot driven by Vidura. Krishna and Satyaki and many others were in the procession. The streets were festooned with greenery and flowers and perfumed water was sprinkled all along the path, and the gates of the city were adorned as never before when Yudhistira entered. The city was alive with music and the roar of cheering from the crowds.

Passing through the multitudes jostling in the main streets, Yudhistira finally entered the palace of Dhritarashtra. Yudhistira, as the King, went up to the household gods and worshipped them. He then took his seat on a golden throne, facing east. On another golden seat, facing him, sat Krishna and Satyaki. On either side of the throne were Bhima and Arjuna. On an ivory seat Kunthi sat, with Nakula and Sahadeva by her side. Dhritarashtra was given a special seat. Yuyutsu, the only son of Dhritarashtra left alive, who had crossed over to the Pandava camp at an early stage of the battle, was seated beside him with Sanjaya and Gandhari. Important citizens approached the King with presents. Jars of holy water and vessels of gold and silver inlaid with gems were arrayed around the altar.

Yudhistira, with Draupadi at his side, lit the holy fire and poured libations into it, repeating the mantras chanted by the priests. Krishna poured holy water out of his conch and anointed Yudhistira. Drums were beaten and Yudhistira was cheered again and again.

Acknowledging it all, Yudhistira warmly proclaimed, “King Dhritarashtra is still the head of our country. If you wish to please me, show him your respect and obedience as unwaveringly as ever. You must bear in mind this request
of mine. The whole world, including ourselves, belongs to him, remember.”

Yudhistira announced that Bhima was the yuvaraja, his next in command. He appointed Vidura his counsellor in all matters pertaining to war, peace, defence, and administration. Sanjaya was to look after the finances of the state. Nakula was in charge of the register of the armed forces. Arjuna was to defend the country and “chastise the wicked,” a task appropriate to his philosophy. Dhaumya was to be the Chief Royal Priest, managing all the religious affairs of the palace and the state. Yudhistira chose Sahadeva to be his personal companion and aide at all times, feeling that the youngest needed his own protection. He appointed Yuyutsu, the only son left to Dhritarashtra, to be in special charge of the old King and to see that his wishes were fulfilled at all times.

W
ITH THE CORONATION
of Yudhistira and all the tranquillity following it, one would have thought there was nothing more to say; but it is not so. The writer of the epic has a disinclination to conclude a story. Just as all the action seems to be ending, one suddenly realises that the last line is only the beginning of a new phase of the narrative, of fresh thoughts and experiences. There is a reluctance to close the subject. This may be one way of creating a semblance of life itself, which is apparently endless. Nothing is ever really conclusive.

Yudhistira, after his enthronement, found Krishna rather reflective and moody and enquired as to the cause of this state. Krishna said, “I realise that with the coming of Uttarayana,
*
Bhishma will give up his life. He is a storehouse
of knowledge of the world, kingship, and human conduct; and when he passes away, it will be gone with him, and the world will be the poorer. I want you to meet with him. There is not much time left.” Yudhistira was doubtful how he would be received by Bhishma, but Krishna went in advance and prepared the old master for this meeting.

Lying on his bed of arrow heads, Bhishma received Yudhistira with much affection and spoke to him on the duties of a king.
*
The discourse continued for several days. At the end of it, Bhishma bade everyone farewell and breathed his last. Yudhistira took his body off the arrows and performed the obsequies due the eldest member of the family. He cremated the body on the banks of the Ganges, where the deity of the river, Ganga, Bhishma's mother, once again appeared to receive his soul and conduct it to his original home in the realm of the celestials.

Yudhistira ruled for thirty-six years, at the end of which his old uncle, Dhritarashtra, expressed a desire to adopt vanaprastha and retire into the woods with Gandhari and his brother's wife, Kunthi, to spend the rest of his life in contemplation. Yudhistira made every arrangement for such a retirement and visited them often at their retreat and looked after their welfare—until one day, a forest fire started, and in that conflagration, Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, and Kunthi perished.

Krishna's clan, the Vrishnis, destroyed each other in a civil war, and became less than a memory, leaving no trace of themselves. Krishna himself departed as he had prophesied. On the bank of a river, while he was resting in deep thought, lying on the sands, a hunter from a distance mistook
the soles of his feet for a bird and shot an arrow, thus ending the tenure of the eighth avatar of Vishnu on earth.

Depressed by the news of the death of Krishna and the Vrishnis and the submerging of Dwaraka in the sea, the Pandavas decided to leave the world. One by one, the Pandava brothers and Draupadi died. Vidura had such a devotion to Yudhistira that at one point by his yogic power he transmigrated into Yudhistira's soul and merged with it.

Yudhistira alone was gifted with the power to reach heaven in his physical body. The story describes Yudhistira's passage to heaven, the peep he has into the glooms of hell, and his discovery of many familiar faces there.

At the end of
The Mahabharata
story, the stage becomes blank and not a single familiar character is left except Abhimanyu's child, who had had the protection of Krishna even when he was in his mother's womb. He grew up to be crowned the King of Hastinapura and thus continue the Pandava lineage.

ashram
—hermitage

astra
—weapon, missile, or arrow powered by supernatural forces

aswametha
—grand sacrificial ceremony performed by victorious kings

asura
—a demon

bhiksha
—alms

brahmin
—a member of the priestly caste

Brihaspathi
—the High Priest and preceptor of gods, known for his intelligence and wisdom

danda
—staff of authority (mace)

desa
—country

dharba
—a stiff grass generally collected for ritual purposes