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The Drona Parva Event can help us understand Satya
Dronacharya is a character from the Mahabharata, who cannot be hated, but also cannot be appreciated either. We shall look into a specific event of the Drona Parva of the Mahabharata to understand the Nature of Satya or Truth. The definition of Satya is not that simple as many try to interpret it, according to their own conditioning, whims and fancies.
What is Satya and What Defines Asatya?
Truth has many shades. It takes a lot of depth in understanding the true nature of Truth. The world knows Satya (Truth) and Asatya (Lies) as factual and non-factual respectively. In my humble opinion, this understanding is grossly incorrect.
Fact is an event in the material world, as experienced by the senses and that which is non-factual is something that has not transpired as an event but something that is expressed as a figment of imagination, for self-centered purposes, wholly for the sake of manipulating the other.
Truth stands for that which is Dharma, in alignment with the Self. Falsehood is anything that is not aligned to the Self. The Nature of Satya as per the revealed scriptures are known only to two entities namely the Guru (Sat-Guru, the Realized One) and Bhagawan.
Other than for these two entities, it is almost impossible for anyone to understand or even grasp the Nature of Satya . Satya may or may not be factual, but is eternal and has infinite value in cementing our relationship to the finality of all life. Asatya on the other hand is that which is manipulative and delusional, that which takes us astray from the Absolute.
Sri Krishna Urges Dharma Raja Yudhisthira to “Lie”
In the Drona Parva, Bhagavan Sri Krishna advises King Yuddhisthira to utter a “lie” so as to get the better of the chief of the Kaurava Army at that time, Dronacharya. The apparent lie that Sri Krishna asked Yuddhisthira to utter had a deep point of Dharma ingrained in it. There is an inner and an outer reason for this utterance of lie, that Krishna expected Yuddhisthira to blurt out, so that it fell into Dronacharya’s ears.
The Pandava Army were losing warriors one after the other, since Dronacharya was unstoppable. His arrows were routing the Pandava camp, and it was just a matter of time, a loss in the battle was staring straight into the eyes of the Pandava Camp. Sri Krishna had to do something fast, immediately, to put an end to the woes of the losing Pandavas.
Does Adharma Stand a Chance?
Even the valiant Arjuna, was no match for his preceptor and the Pandavas were fast losing hope. Other than the Lord, the Pandavas had nothing to look forward to. Duryodhana was also getting confident of a win in the battle. Adharma seemed to be winning over Dharma. But then, this can never be. Dharma always triumphs and Sri Veda Vyasa writes, “Wherever there is Sri Krishna, accompanied by his soul mate, the great warrior Arjuna, there lies victory.”
7/8 Questions from Sanatana Dharma
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Dronacharya’s Pain and his attachment to Ashwatthama
How could then, the Truth of Sage Vyasa’s statement manifest? Sri Krishna knew Dronacharya’s parental attachment to his son, Ashwatthama. The story of the father-son attachment dated back to a time, when Ashwatthama was a five year old. Dronacharya was insulted by his childhood friend, the king of Panchala, Drupada, father of Queen Draupadi. Dronacharya was extremely poor.
The five year old Ashwatthama pined for milk. His friends had their stomach full of milk, while Ashwatthama did not know the taste of milk. So, his mother Kripi, to satisfy the desire of her son, mixed some white flour in water and fed it to her five year old.
Now Ashwatthama beamed in satisfaction and showed off to his friends that he too had milk by pointing to the white colored residue of the admixture on his lips. His friends knew what had transpired and had a hearty laugh while Ashwatthama gaped at them quite perplexed.
Not knowing why his friends laughed. Dronacharya stood at the entrance of his hut and watched his young son’s predicament and felt hurt and humiliated. He could not even provide milk to his son. To top it all, the one whom he considered his life, his erstwhile friend Drupad, insulted him.
Dronacharya Diverges from the Dharmic Path
Dronacharya now worked only to satisfy the desires of his son and swore that he shall bring up his son like a prince. He raged with anger and ambition, unknown to the Brahmin class of those days. He undertook the service of training the Kuru princes, which included the Pandavas.
He was perhaps the first Brahmin to have violated the Varna Ashrama Dharma and worked for a salary, giving up the 6 major duties assigned to the Brahmin class by Varna Ashrama Dharma. His attachment to Ashwatthama was untold, unheard of, very much opposed to what is expected of Brahmins.
The Duty of Class One Brahmins
Brahmins were supposed to guide the other 3 Varnas in the direction of Dharma, remaining unattached to position, possession and money. But here was Dronacharya, on the side of Adharma, for the sake of revenge, for the sake of self-centered interests, forgetting the hand of Bhagavan, in events and circumstances.
Here was a so-called Brahmin called Dronacharya who was ready to sacrifice Dharma, for the sake of money and attachment to his undeserving progeny, who was also infected by the disease of anger and power. Dronacharya deserved to be punished. This responsibility was now on Lord Krishna’s shoulders. This is the inner reason why Dronacharya deserved to be punished.
Dronacharya trusted Yudhisthira Alone
Now Dronacharya, only believed that other than Yudhisthira, no one else could be trusted when it came to uttering the Truth, no even Sri Krishna. Dronacharya was intelligent and knew that Sri Krishna can utter a “lie” in order to establish perfect Dharma and although, Dronacharya believed that Sri Krishna was the Supreme Lord, he would not trust him, because he knew that he was in the wrong and the Lord can go to any extent to eliminate those, who resorted to Adharma.
Sri Krishna plans to trick the invincible Brahmin
Yudhishthira, although known as Dharma Raja, still had to learn some lessons in Dharma. He flatly denied uttering falsehood, that Ashwatthama had been slain. Sri Krishna wanted Yudhishthira to get this lie across to Dronacharya, taking advantage of the Brahmin’s weakness towards his son.
If Yudhisthira were to lie, it was certain that Drona would put down his arms and sit motionless on the battlefield, unable to bear the pain of separation from his son. Yudhisthira, was unable to see Dharma, in its purest form, as intended by Sri Krishna. This was the outer reason for the urgency to eliminate Dronacharya.
Yudhisthira failed to Recognize Sri Krishna as Satya Incarnate
Sri Krishna is Satya, the Highest Satya. Yudhisthira did not grasp the true meaning of Dharma and Satya to the fullest. Whatever Sri Krishna or Bhagavan says or intends is Satya, all else is falsehood. This simple Truth, Yudhisthira failed to imbibe. So Sri Krishna, in order to get some factuality into the scheme of things, ordered Bhima to slay an elephant by the name Ashwatthama.
Now, the exasperated Lord, asked Yudhisthira to reveal the Truth that “Ashwatthama was slain.” Yudhisthira, did so, so that Dronacharya could hear it from Dharma Raja’s mouth. But before he could complete the sentence that “Ashwatthama is the Elephant”, Bheema and the rest of the Pandava Army started blowing their conches and made tumultuous sounds so that Dronacharya could not hear out the “entire Truth” from Yudhishthira’s mouth.
Dronacharya dropped his weapons and sat motionless. The chief of the Pandava Army Drishtadyumna took advantage of the situation and brandished his naked sword, as he rushed towards the silent Acharya. With a single swish of his sword, he beheaded the Acharya, bringing an end to Dronacharya’s illustrious but not so Dharmic life.
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