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Thread: Shades of Gray in the Mahabharata

  1. #1
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    Shades of Gray in the Mahabharata

    Vannakam All,

    I am currently reading the entire unabridged Mahabharata of Vyasa, I'm reading the ganguli translation and am roughly 1300 pages in. I have begun to notice that there is more moral ambiguity than is originally seen. The characters of the Mahabharata (both the pandavas and the kauravas) have much more gradients when analyzed.

    Take for example, Bhima. he is the strongest man, he is an ideal character: versed in the vedas, warfare and overall knowledge. But he can also be quick to anger, and is much more vocal about his discontent than his other brothers, which makes him seem rather hotheaded.

    Yudishthira, the son of Dharma, he is the personification of Justice. He is the eldest and a good king. However, he has a problem with gambling. He is the exact opposite of his brother, almost a foil to Bhima, being more contemplative and overall a more peaceful person, but when war is needed, he is ready. He does some things (which escape me at the moment) that are questionable, all in the name of virtue.

    then there is Arjuna, son of indra, the best of the brothers (although the terms foremost, best, and other such superlatives refer to multiple people in the translation I am reading) the conflagration of the khandava forest, while done for agni, is still fairly brutal in the way he annihilates almost all of teh life in the forest. He also commits adultery during his twelve year exile because of walking in on draupadi and yudishthira.

    Nakula and Sahadeva, I have found to be very little developed and are generally pushed aside.

    Now perhaps the most striking moral ambiguity lies within Duryodhana, Karna, Drona, and Bhishma. Duryodhana, while undoubtedly an evil character and the main antagonist, apparently has a good side.

    A great example is Karna, he is the most conflicted character in the work. A highly virtuous character and undeniable fighter. He is a pandava, but his allegiance with duryodhana leads him to act against the pandavas, and is considered bad due to his acts against them.

    Now I'm not saying that they are horrible people, they are all ideal characters, But the fact that they have more human qualities (i.e. fallability) makes the book an interesting read.

    I hope I have not offended anyone with my thoughts, and as always, I encourage some debate. I know I could find many more examples of my point, but I will leave it at this.


    Namaste

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    Re: Shades of Gray in the Mahabharata

    namaste Eric.

    My prima facie thought on the incongruous aspects in the characters you find in MahAbhArata, with the PANDavas and the Kauravas both, is that they are all kShatriyas, possess kShatriya guNas and follow the kShatriya dharma. Although the celestial counterparts of the PANDavas can be traced, none of them are an avatar of BhagavAn, who is himself present as shrI KRShNa in MahAbhArata.

    I have read only Rajaji's abridged version of the ItihAsa, but you would also find as you read on, shrI KRShNa doing many things siding with the PANDavas that seem adharmic. In this case you have to know that shrI KRShNa is a pUrNAvatar of MahAViShNu, descended to establish dharma when things were in a mess at the end of DvApara Yuga, and understand whatever he does in that context.

    Incidentally, KM Ganguli's unabridged version is over 5800 pages, whose download link is: http://www.scribd.com/doc/14126117/M...-Mohan-Ganguli

    MahAbhArata is not about a simple fight between good and evil. The characters are not Asuras or RAkShasas, only human beings with a varied mixture of guNas. The ItihAsa celebrates the victory of the overall dharmic side against the adharmic, under the personal guidance of BhagavAn KRShNa. It is in one sense like the modern war fought on the battlefield, between people with a mixture of both good and bad in them, the difference being that unlike a modern war, the dharma yuddha of MahAbhArata did not affect the civilians.
    रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
    ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥

    To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.

    --viShNu purANam

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    Re: Shades of Gray in the Mahabharata

    Namaste, Eric,

    I'll preface this by saying that I have yet to read the entire Mahabharata, only pieces of it and stories based upon it. So, what I'm offering up here is only a guess...but I have read before that the main characters are not only the children of the Devas, but are partial incarnations of them.

    Yudishthira seems to show a certain overconfidence in Dharma; if one believes that the workings of justice will even everything out eventually, then one has nothing to lose in gambling. Surely balance will restore things in the end, the next big hit is just around the corner, and any losses are only temporary.
    Bhima has the strength and intelligence of his father (or self), Vayu, but too much 'wind' can translate into bluster, mercurial thoughts and actions.
    Indra is described in scriptures as vigorous, a peerless warrior, and 'best' at pretty much everything, but his son/incarnate Arjuna falls into two pitfalls, as you describe: brutality and adultery, which are perversions of vigour and virility.

    The rest of the characters can potentially be understood the same way. To me, they provide vividly illustrated examples of the importance of maintaining self-control and the rigorous pursuit of self-knowledge; in the personalities of the Mahabharata, we see how noble, godly qualities can become flaws when too much or too little developed.

    If I'm completely off-base, feel free to point and laugh.

    Indraneela
    ===
    "I wait the power of one like thee, O Indra, gifts of a Helper such as thou art, Hero.
    Strong, Mighty God, dwell with me now and ever."
    Om Indraya Namah.
    Om Namah Shivaya.

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