01-19-2009, 07:32 PM
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Leadership & Managing Power â 3</span>
<b>Insights from Mahabharata</b>
Pradip Bhattacharya
Krishna: Power used to change the polity
Krishna presents a total contrast. He has no hesitation in surmounting loyalty to kith and kin in slaying his maternal uncle Kamsa who has become a tyrant and his cousin Shishupala who has allied himself to the imperialistic ambitions of Jarasandha. Free from greed for personal aggrandizement, Krishna refuses to become the ruler of the Yadavas, and puts old Ugrasena back on the throne. The opposite of Jarasandha in his goal, Krishna would be no samrat, for his status is that of svarat, he removes the tyrants and aggrandisers of public wealth. Finally, the killing of Jarasandha restores independence to nearly a hundred chieftains and frees the Yadava clans and indeed of the country as a whole, of the spectre of the all â constricting Magadhan python. Here is the idea of lokasangraha exemplified. Krishnaâs use of power is precisely what should have engaged Bhishma: protect the virtuous and destroy the wicked, paritranaya sadhunam vinashayaca dushkritam. 28
Krishna respects Bhishma, but prefers to stay with Vidura, for he is aware of the narrow confines of the old dharma which he has made it his mission to demolish. In this task the unknown Pandavas are chosen by him as the instruments for setting up a state founded upon the ancient principle of the raja being the person who ensures the welfare, the happiness, of the people. They are linked to him through their mother Pritha [his paternal aunt] and are free from dysfunctional traditional concepts of dharma because of the very nature of their diverse paternity. He binds them closer to himself by arranging his sister Subhadraâs abduction by Arjuna, and by training their son Abhimanyu to become a great warrior. He not only builds up the numerous Yadava clans into a confederacy to be reckoned with by the time of the battle of Kurukshetra, which is why both sides vie for their patronage, but also gifts considerable wealth to the Pandavas and guides them into becoming rulers in their own right. He gets them recognized as benevolent, righteous rulers because of their role in the removal of Jarasandha. He ensures that in each conquered kingdom they restore the ruler to his throne, asking for his allegiance only through presence in the rajasuya yajna. After the exile is over, he advises a peace-mission, despite the vociferous protests of his favourite sakhi Krishnaa, so that the Pandavas cannot be faulted for having precipitated a war.
Krishnaâs leadership in the war itself is too well known to need recital. In each case the over-riding concern is that those who use power rightfully for the new dharma of lokasangraha must be victorious. He does not suffer from the limitations of Bhishma or Karna regarding attachment to a vow as a be-all and end-all. Where necessary, he breaks his vow of not taking up arms and rushes to kill Bhishma. It is again Krishna who dexterously finds a way to prevent Arjuna killing Yudhishthira out of blind adherence to a vow. Knowing that a fresh Karna may overwhelm Arjuna, he avoids a confrontation till Karna is tired, and then browbeats Arjuna into killing him when afoot and unarmed, regardless of what others might say, because with Karna alive the Pandavas cannot win the war. For the same reason, he gets them to pursue a tiredâout Duryodhana, denying him time to recuperate. With unerring instinct he takes the victorious brothers away from their camp, otherwise they would also have been slaughtered by Ashvatthama in his manic frenzy. It is he who saves Bhima from being killed by the Narayana weapon, from losing to Duryodhana in the final duel and being crushed in furious Dhritarashtraâs embrace at the end.
Yet, this supreme leader of men failed with his own people. The confederacy he had so laboriously built up destroyed itself. In an internecine strife as tragic and as totally annihilating as the Kurukshetra holocaust. Its seeds lay in the unrestrained indulgence in liquor and the arrogance of wealth that led to flagrant insults to sages. Once again it is unfettered individual liberty that spells doom. We are reminded of Platoâs discourse that it is the âdemocratic manâ who is the source of the tyrannical man, for in him all impulses are allowed free indulgence and he considers himself entitled to indulge whichever solicits him most powerfully at the moment instead of being ruled by a superordinate marshalling vision that pursues ends valuable in themselves, namely goodness, beauty and truth. Of these the power impulse is the strongest and establishes a tyranny over the rest. [29]
The intensely human nature of Krishnaâs own predicament is revealed in an amazing disclosure to Narada (my translation):-
âI live listening to the bitter comments of kinfolk, despite having given them half my wealth. As one anxious to obtain fire keeps rubbing the kindling, similarly my kinsmen are constantly churning and scorching my heart with their harsh words. Sankarshan is mighty but drunk; Gada is delicate and averse to labour; Pradyumna is engrossed with his own beauty. Despite such persons and others among the Andhakas and Vrishnis being on my side, I am helpless passing the days. Ahuka and Akrura are excellent friends of mine, but if I show affection for one, the other becomes furious. Hence, I do not express affection for any. And because of friendship it is very difficult to discard them⦠whoever has Ahuka and Akrura on his side is miserable beyond compare, and he whose cause they do not espouse is also immeasurably sorrowfulâ¦O Narada! Because of the need to control them, I suffer like one forced sail on two boats at one.â[30]
The utterly human nature of Krishnaâs dilemma does not, surely, need any gloss. Krishna himself states [31]
Aham hi tat karishyami param purushakaratah/
Daivam tu na maya shakyam karma karttumkathancna//
âI can express human prowess to the utmost;
but I do not have the slightest power to alter what is fated.â
It is the very human-ness of Krishna which is part of the secret lying behind the irresistible fascination he exercises over millions even in the closing years of the twentieth century. Even without going into the Gita, reading of the epic brings out powerfully the remarkable qualities of head, heart and hand which make Krishna pre-eminent among leaders of men. The finest account of this is given by Bhishma himself when he announces why Krishna ought to be honoured above all during the rajasuya yajna:
âThe sun shames all shining things,
So Krishna shames all with his
wisdom, strength, and fame.
Like the sun shining where
there is no sun,
like the air blowing where
there is no air,
Krishna comes among us,
illuminates and gladdens..
Some of the greatest Kshatriyas
have been defeated by
Krishna in battleâ¦
Which is why we revere Krishna
though there are other
great kings and elders..
O king of Chedi, do not think
we are whimsical in
Revering Krishna, or that we
want benefits from him,
or that we think of him
as a relativeâ¦
We revered him first keeping
his heroism, success,
and glory in mindâ¦
There are two reasons for
revering Govinda Krishna
All the Vedas and Vedangas
are known to him,
and he has shown boundless prowess.
Who else but Keshava can boast as much?
Generosity, shrewdness, immersion in
shruti, bravery, gentleness,
humility, enterprise, intelligence, handsomeness,
firmness, joy and success â are Krishnaâs.â [32]
And yet, what is the end of this supreme human, âPurushottamaâ? The Empire of Righteousness he has established is a veritable field of ashes, peopled by wailing widows and infants, which Karna had so vividly figured forth in a dream related to Krishna:
âPowerful Yudhishthira climbed a hill
Of human bones,
smiled and ate sweet ghee-curd from
a golden cup.â[33]
Did Duryodhana have the last word when he told the Pandavas and Krishna, after being felled by a blow below the belt (my translation) [34]:
âI have studied the scriptures, given away gifts as prescribed, ruled over the sea-girted earth, placed my foot on the heads of enemies, possessed the greatest wealth, and enjoyed that rare pleasure savoured by the gods which is the envy of other kings, and ultimately won that death in battle which is prayed for by Kshatriyas following dharma. Hence, who can have a better end than mine? Now I leave for heaven with my brothers and friends, while you all stay behind on this earth, the living-dead, with hearts wrung with sorrow.â
Here it is Duryodhana who appears to represent the successful leader! We recall the undying loyalty of Karna and Ashvatthama, and of those hundreds of kings who willingly laid down their lives in his cause. The Pandavas are overshadowed by the radiance of Duryodhanaâs nobility as he rises to the defence of Karna when his supposedly low birth is laughed at, and his rousing defence of innate worth as the true measure of nobility instead of judging it by oneâs birth. This is precisely the beauty of Vyasaâs epic. There are no easy answers in life. But we must not be swept away by the grandeur of this dying speech. His end itself depicts what happens when power is used for serving egotistic urges. It may bring immediate, illusory success. Ultimately the misuser has to share the ruinous fate of Nahusha and Yayati.
<b>Insights from Mahabharata</b>
Pradip Bhattacharya
Krishna: Power used to change the polity
Krishna presents a total contrast. He has no hesitation in surmounting loyalty to kith and kin in slaying his maternal uncle Kamsa who has become a tyrant and his cousin Shishupala who has allied himself to the imperialistic ambitions of Jarasandha. Free from greed for personal aggrandizement, Krishna refuses to become the ruler of the Yadavas, and puts old Ugrasena back on the throne. The opposite of Jarasandha in his goal, Krishna would be no samrat, for his status is that of svarat, he removes the tyrants and aggrandisers of public wealth. Finally, the killing of Jarasandha restores independence to nearly a hundred chieftains and frees the Yadava clans and indeed of the country as a whole, of the spectre of the all â constricting Magadhan python. Here is the idea of lokasangraha exemplified. Krishnaâs use of power is precisely what should have engaged Bhishma: protect the virtuous and destroy the wicked, paritranaya sadhunam vinashayaca dushkritam. 28
Krishna respects Bhishma, but prefers to stay with Vidura, for he is aware of the narrow confines of the old dharma which he has made it his mission to demolish. In this task the unknown Pandavas are chosen by him as the instruments for setting up a state founded upon the ancient principle of the raja being the person who ensures the welfare, the happiness, of the people. They are linked to him through their mother Pritha [his paternal aunt] and are free from dysfunctional traditional concepts of dharma because of the very nature of their diverse paternity. He binds them closer to himself by arranging his sister Subhadraâs abduction by Arjuna, and by training their son Abhimanyu to become a great warrior. He not only builds up the numerous Yadava clans into a confederacy to be reckoned with by the time of the battle of Kurukshetra, which is why both sides vie for their patronage, but also gifts considerable wealth to the Pandavas and guides them into becoming rulers in their own right. He gets them recognized as benevolent, righteous rulers because of their role in the removal of Jarasandha. He ensures that in each conquered kingdom they restore the ruler to his throne, asking for his allegiance only through presence in the rajasuya yajna. After the exile is over, he advises a peace-mission, despite the vociferous protests of his favourite sakhi Krishnaa, so that the Pandavas cannot be faulted for having precipitated a war.
Krishnaâs leadership in the war itself is too well known to need recital. In each case the over-riding concern is that those who use power rightfully for the new dharma of lokasangraha must be victorious. He does not suffer from the limitations of Bhishma or Karna regarding attachment to a vow as a be-all and end-all. Where necessary, he breaks his vow of not taking up arms and rushes to kill Bhishma. It is again Krishna who dexterously finds a way to prevent Arjuna killing Yudhishthira out of blind adherence to a vow. Knowing that a fresh Karna may overwhelm Arjuna, he avoids a confrontation till Karna is tired, and then browbeats Arjuna into killing him when afoot and unarmed, regardless of what others might say, because with Karna alive the Pandavas cannot win the war. For the same reason, he gets them to pursue a tiredâout Duryodhana, denying him time to recuperate. With unerring instinct he takes the victorious brothers away from their camp, otherwise they would also have been slaughtered by Ashvatthama in his manic frenzy. It is he who saves Bhima from being killed by the Narayana weapon, from losing to Duryodhana in the final duel and being crushed in furious Dhritarashtraâs embrace at the end.
Yet, this supreme leader of men failed with his own people. The confederacy he had so laboriously built up destroyed itself. In an internecine strife as tragic and as totally annihilating as the Kurukshetra holocaust. Its seeds lay in the unrestrained indulgence in liquor and the arrogance of wealth that led to flagrant insults to sages. Once again it is unfettered individual liberty that spells doom. We are reminded of Platoâs discourse that it is the âdemocratic manâ who is the source of the tyrannical man, for in him all impulses are allowed free indulgence and he considers himself entitled to indulge whichever solicits him most powerfully at the moment instead of being ruled by a superordinate marshalling vision that pursues ends valuable in themselves, namely goodness, beauty and truth. Of these the power impulse is the strongest and establishes a tyranny over the rest. [29]
The intensely human nature of Krishnaâs own predicament is revealed in an amazing disclosure to Narada (my translation):-
âI live listening to the bitter comments of kinfolk, despite having given them half my wealth. As one anxious to obtain fire keeps rubbing the kindling, similarly my kinsmen are constantly churning and scorching my heart with their harsh words. Sankarshan is mighty but drunk; Gada is delicate and averse to labour; Pradyumna is engrossed with his own beauty. Despite such persons and others among the Andhakas and Vrishnis being on my side, I am helpless passing the days. Ahuka and Akrura are excellent friends of mine, but if I show affection for one, the other becomes furious. Hence, I do not express affection for any. And because of friendship it is very difficult to discard them⦠whoever has Ahuka and Akrura on his side is miserable beyond compare, and he whose cause they do not espouse is also immeasurably sorrowfulâ¦O Narada! Because of the need to control them, I suffer like one forced sail on two boats at one.â[30]
The utterly human nature of Krishnaâs dilemma does not, surely, need any gloss. Krishna himself states [31]
Aham hi tat karishyami param purushakaratah/
Daivam tu na maya shakyam karma karttumkathancna//
âI can express human prowess to the utmost;
but I do not have the slightest power to alter what is fated.â
It is the very human-ness of Krishna which is part of the secret lying behind the irresistible fascination he exercises over millions even in the closing years of the twentieth century. Even without going into the Gita, reading of the epic brings out powerfully the remarkable qualities of head, heart and hand which make Krishna pre-eminent among leaders of men. The finest account of this is given by Bhishma himself when he announces why Krishna ought to be honoured above all during the rajasuya yajna:
âThe sun shames all shining things,
So Krishna shames all with his
wisdom, strength, and fame.
Like the sun shining where
there is no sun,
like the air blowing where
there is no air,
Krishna comes among us,
illuminates and gladdens..
Some of the greatest Kshatriyas
have been defeated by
Krishna in battleâ¦
Which is why we revere Krishna
though there are other
great kings and elders..
O king of Chedi, do not think
we are whimsical in
Revering Krishna, or that we
want benefits from him,
or that we think of him
as a relativeâ¦
We revered him first keeping
his heroism, success,
and glory in mindâ¦
There are two reasons for
revering Govinda Krishna
All the Vedas and Vedangas
are known to him,
and he has shown boundless prowess.
Who else but Keshava can boast as much?
Generosity, shrewdness, immersion in
shruti, bravery, gentleness,
humility, enterprise, intelligence, handsomeness,
firmness, joy and success â are Krishnaâs.â [32]
And yet, what is the end of this supreme human, âPurushottamaâ? The Empire of Righteousness he has established is a veritable field of ashes, peopled by wailing widows and infants, which Karna had so vividly figured forth in a dream related to Krishna:
âPowerful Yudhishthira climbed a hill
Of human bones,
smiled and ate sweet ghee-curd from
a golden cup.â[33]
Did Duryodhana have the last word when he told the Pandavas and Krishna, after being felled by a blow below the belt (my translation) [34]:
âI have studied the scriptures, given away gifts as prescribed, ruled over the sea-girted earth, placed my foot on the heads of enemies, possessed the greatest wealth, and enjoyed that rare pleasure savoured by the gods which is the envy of other kings, and ultimately won that death in battle which is prayed for by Kshatriyas following dharma. Hence, who can have a better end than mine? Now I leave for heaven with my brothers and friends, while you all stay behind on this earth, the living-dead, with hearts wrung with sorrow.â
Here it is Duryodhana who appears to represent the successful leader! We recall the undying loyalty of Karna and Ashvatthama, and of those hundreds of kings who willingly laid down their lives in his cause. The Pandavas are overshadowed by the radiance of Duryodhanaâs nobility as he rises to the defence of Karna when his supposedly low birth is laughed at, and his rousing defence of innate worth as the true measure of nobility instead of judging it by oneâs birth. This is precisely the beauty of Vyasaâs epic. There are no easy answers in life. But we must not be swept away by the grandeur of this dying speech. His end itself depicts what happens when power is used for serving egotistic urges. It may bring immediate, illusory success. Ultimately the misuser has to share the ruinous fate of Nahusha and Yayati.