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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00096 Dec 2003

 
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Dear Bhagavatas:
Sri Tatachar has explained the points well. Further discussions, if any, may be 
taken up directly with the Bhagavata who raised the questions and NOT posted to 
Sri Ranga Sri.  However, copy may be marked to my personal id 
Ramanbil@xxxxxxxxxxx for my information.
Thank you
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy
=================================================================
There are several questions here which comes to our mind from time to time. 
Here is my humble attempt to answer them to the best of my ability.
>>1. Krishna was asked by Yudhishtra to go to 
Dhuryodhan and seek only 5 villages for 5 Pandav 
brothers, which Krishna being God himself, could have accomplished with ease. 
Then why did Krishna allowed the situation to go out of control, that 
ultimately lead to
war between brothers?<<

Krishna did get the issue under control. Thus, at the end, everyone pretty much 
got what they exactly deserved. He gave ample opportunities for everyone to 
sort it out themselves. Negotiating  for 5 villages is one such example.


>>2. During the war also Krishna made Yudhishtra 
tell a half lie to `Dhronacharya' about the death
of `Ashwathama', (Ashwathama was the name of 
Dhronacharya's son and also a name of an elephant 
which was killed by Bishma because of Krishna's 
strategy, so as to reduce Dhronacharya's morale 
in the war, specifically because Dhronacharya
alone could have defeated the Pandavas?) Why did 
Krishna firstly allow the war to start and after it
started made the truthful person like Yudhishtra tell 
a lie (or half-truth) to Dhoroacharya about
Ashwathama's death? So is lying allowed for war?<<


One correction. Elephant was killed by Bheema 
and not Bhishma. 
The war started out with many 
strict ground rules that eroded as the war 
progressed. Drona was among the pack of warriors 
that killed Abhimanyu when he was all alone and 
devoid of weapons. There goes Drona's greatness. 
He paid for this mistake  when Yudhishtira's 
half-lie resulted in his premature death
in the hands of a Drupada's son, who 
was out there to settle an old score!

>>Why krishna chose Yudhishtira?<<

Yudhishtira was among the most honest, thus, Krishna
used him for this purpose. Drona trusted Yudhishtira 
words and did not bother to double check. Perhaps,
if the same half-lie was uttered by anybody else, 
Drona would have probably double-checked it.

>>3. What was the cause for Mahabharata when Yudhishtra
 with his wife and brothers renounced the same kingdom 
after they won the war. Yudhishtra completely disagreed
 with Krishna's teachings and reason for war and Krishna 
also could not stop Yudhishtra from renouncing the thrown 
at that point? Why? (Had Yudhishtra renounced the request
for 5 villages as per the 2nd question. Could this war 
between brothers be prevented?)<<

They ruled the kingdom for as long as they liked. It was their decision to quit 
and pass it onto their own grand progeny Parixit. I have not come across this 
COMPLETELY DISAGREED business. I hope you are not feeding words in 
your question. Yudhishtira is well known for pashchattapa (that is worrying 
over and over some past deed). Unlike Arjuna, who displayed poorva taapa 
(worrying before the deed). Even if Yudhishtira completely disagreed- the 
ultimate golden standard to follow is Krishna and not yudhishtira. 

>>(Had Yudhishtra renounced the request for 5 villages
 as per the 2nd question. Could this war between
brothers be prevented?)<<

I get the impression you have not understood Duryodhana. The amount of envy and 
hatredness he had for PaaNDavaas, would have made him to get them killed, even 
if they renounced everything short of life (because, Duryodhana would have felt 
insecure as long as any paaNDava lived). The only renounciation that would have 
worked is that the paaNDavaas together with their kith and kin renounce their 
life.


>>4. Did Yudhishtra go to Heaven or Hell? (Because he had the
chance to visit both because of Lord Indra). (The above stated books
give different answers to the above situation)<<


He went to heaven. He did get a brief taste of hell.



>>5.Why did Krishna took Ghandhari (Dhuryodhan's mother) to the battlefield and 
>>make her see the dead bodies of all 
her 100 sons? Then, why did Krishna allow the extinction 
of himself and his whole clan (due to Ghandhari's Curse)? 
(I have learnt that hurting oneself is better than hurting others. So this 
question.)<<


Looking at the dead body (charama darshanam), especially of dear ones is most 
sacred thing to do. Even to day, that is part of death ceremony, whether in 
Hindu tradition or other religious systems. People travel 10s of thousands of 
miles just for this. Seeing them getting killed is a different thing than 
seeing them after being killed. 
That is why Dritarashtra opted to listen the war happenings than see (Vyasa had 
offered to restore his vision, instead Sanjaya got teh power of television so 
that he could narrate the happenings).



>>6.Arjuna asked the question to Krishna, as to 
`Under what authority is he giving advice to him on the battlefield'? So is my 
first question to u all, as to 
`Under what authority are you all going to base your answers?'<<


I have never read anywhere  in Bhagavadgita  
Arjuna asking Krishna for his qualifications 
to preach. Arjuna submitted himself as Krishnas
 desciple.






>>>Krishna also could not stop Yudhishtra from renouncing the thrown at that 
>>>point>>Why?<<

Krishna is not a dictator. He is an adviser of the ultimate truth. For 
instance, he taught the Gita to Arjuna, and yet concluded saying- do as you 
wish (ya-taa i-cchha-si ta-taa ku-ru). 




General:

A basic problem with Hindus is that by and large, we did not progress beyond 
the first chapter of Gita. 


K. Sreekrishna



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