Bits of life

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and Dushasana by saying “forgiveness is righteousness and righteousness is forgiveness.” She expressed her doubts to Arjuna. Arjuna reassured her that she would definitely be avenged. Then he went out started a bonfire. Krishna came to join him and asked him the reason for Arjuna to light a bonfire at that time of the night.

Arjuna replied that the bonfire would enrage and keep alive the fire of revenge in his heart and keep him alert and ready to take toll on the enemy.

He asked Krishna whether Durga, the goddess of war was with them and whether she would bless them with victory. Krishna advised Partha to pray to Durga and make sure of his doubts. He also told him that Goddess Durga would come if the person called her with his heart and soul and not merely with his tongue and lips.
Arjuna sat down and prayed to Durga with all his concentration. She appeared before him. He asked her if she would give him the blessing of victory in the war. She replied that there was no need for him to ask for that blessing because where Vasudeva Krishna was present victory was sure to happen to that side. Now that the Pandavas had Krishna on their side, there was also victory for them. She disappeared while Arjuna did his obeisance to her.

Later, Krishna told him that mother Durga’s blessings were sure to stay with them. Even in case of Arjuna’s doubt and hesitation in attempting to kill his grandsire Bhishma, his teacher Drona and the royal priest Kripacharya, she would see to it that he won the war.

In the tent of Shikhandi, light was still burning though it was midnight. She was sharpening her lance and getting ready for war. Her target was to kill Bhishma, who insulted her and ruined her life when he abducted her from her father’s palace. She had been carrying her revenge through many lives and it was only now that she came close to achieving her purpose of life.

We see that before the war started both Pandavas and the leaders of Kaurava army met at army chief of Kauravas’ Bhishma’s camp on the campus of the battlefield. Vasudeva Krishna appealed to him to clarify the rules of war to all. Though Bhishma was reluctant to do so, he was persuaded by Krishna to be the one to state the rules of war.

The rules of war-
Bhishma gave them the following guidelines of war.
First, he said, a man should not aim his weapons on a bisexual person (like Shikhandi.)
Second, was not to fight with someone who had no weapons in his hand. They should wait till he arms himself.
Next, one should not kill someone who would be running away from or someone who was badly injured and being carried away from the battlefield.

No weapons should be used against someone helping the injured.
The right procedure would be that infantry should fight with infantry; a chariot-borne warrior should fight with a chariot-borne warrior only. Rank must be observed. A soldier should fight with a soldier, a lieutenant with his equal, a major with a major and so on.
The war that started at dawn should be ended by sundown.

Both the sides, the opponents, could meet in private if they want to after the time of war was over. When the war would be over and those who surrender must be taken care of and given shelter by the victorious party.
These conditions, said Bhishma, could be modified if the army chief in the Pandava army so wished. The only addition made by Drustadyumna, the chief of Pandava forces, was that no man from either side should behead an old warrior.

With that addition by Drishtadyumna the meeting came to an end. The night had fallen.
And the much anticipated morning dawned. All the forces started assembling in the battlefield.
The forces of horses, elephants and the chariots with their warriors moved fast toward the battlefield of Kurukshetra also known as dharmakshetra, the field of dharma or righteousness. Dhritarashtra was restless in the palace. He too got up early and asked Sanjaya to tell him what was happening in Kurukshetra, the field of dharma, between the forces of Kauravas and the children of Pandu, Pandavas.

In Hastinapur, in the company of Dhritarashtra, Sanjaya invoked the divine vision and started narrating the events of war, at the command of the king.
This was also the beginning of the Upanishad Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, the holy scripture of the Hindus, written by Vyasa.

The first chapter of the Gita deals with the beginning of war where Duryodhana of the Kaurava army, approached the great warrior and his teacher, Dronacharya and spoke thus:

“Look at the army of the Pandavas, O teacher of mine! Let me tell you some important names of the great warriors. They are the Pandavas, their children, Kuntibhoja, Uttamauj, Drustadyumna, his father Drupada, and several others skillful in the mace war and experts in war craft. They have limited army.
Hear me O teacher! Let me tell you of the great warriors in our own army. You, Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and several great fighters are our own warriors. My grandsire Bhishma alone is enough to exterminate the army of the Pandavas. So I request you to listen to his directions and follow him.”

With that Bhishma, with tears in his eyes, blew his conch shell signifying the start of war. Everyone stood in attention in their army.

Arjuna looked at the ocean like army of the Kauravas and then at his grandfather, teachers, priests, uncles, brothers, and so many dear and near. He stood stunned and completely emotionally disturbed. He came under the impact of emotional turmoil and was not able to get ready for the war.

Krishna was the charioteer of Arjuna. He turned back to him and asked him what was he looking at.

Arjuna replied with eyes full of tears said that he was looking at all those people who were near and dear to him. He played and enjoyed his childhood days with some of them. He had his education under those teachers and sat on the lap of his grandfather, who loved him most.

Then Arjuna had asked Bhagavan Krishna to drive the chariot in between the armies and stop there. He wanted to look at them from close quarters, he said.

As per his wish, Vasudeva Krishna drove the chariot to the midway between the two armies. Arjuna once again looked at the Kuru army and said that it would be impossible for him to fight with all those people whom loved and lived with. He added that by killing his relatives and friends and obtaining the kingdom had no more charm for him. What would he do he said with a kingdom attained after killing the most beloved of them. He said he would rather not fight. He also reiterated that after the war many of the women will become widows at young age. Then they would be corrupted by sinning men and the country would go to dogs. This would be so because when the women of the land lost character the very backbone of the country would be broken. Therefore he said with determination, “I won’t fight” Arjuna put down his bow and arrows and sat down on the floor of the chariot depressed and disillusioned.

Krishna looked at his grief stricken face and said,
“Hey Arjuna, what is this weakness? This kind of last minute losing of courage makes you comparable with a unach. It would be a shame for you if you don’t fight. Get up and be like a worthy warrior and fight. It is not for you decide the outcome of war. All you have to do is to do your duty. Leave the rest to the Supreme soul.

Then Krishna inspired him by driving home the message of detachment. He said that it was not worthy to cry over the loss of people because they were not worthy of his lament. Then Arjuna asked Krishna if a person like Bhishma was not worthy enough to cry over. Then Krishna explained the real truth. The real truth, he said was not about the physical body but it is ingrained in the soul. The soul was permanent and it was the root of our very existence. Death was not the end of journey for the soul. The journey of the soul was endless. After the death, which was the logical end of the body, the soul would travel to wear another body. The body the housed the soul would become decayed and die. Therefore, the soul would shed it just as we shed old and torn clothes and wear the new ones. And then it would take another body to be in.

He said,
“Hey Partha! A steadfast man is he, who would be untouched by sorrow and happiness for he knows that both these phases are temporary. He knows that it is the soul that is permanent. Nothing can destroy it. It cannot be destroyed by swords or by fire or wind. It is deathless and immortal.”

Then Arjuna felt sorry that he had to kill those gurus and dear relatives. Krishna replied that they had to die because death is a definite truth. Those who were standing before him lived and living and will live. Soul lives on.

Arjuna then wanted to know what his duty was.
Vasudeva Krishna asked him his identity. Arjuna replied thus:
“I am the son of Kunti and disciple of Dronacharya. And I am a Kshatriya.”

Krishna said,
“Of all these identities the most important is the fact that you are a Kshatriya (one who was born in a family of rulers). The duty of a Kshatriya is to fight against the unrighteous and protect the righteous. So fight on and do your duty Partha.”

He continued saying,
“Just do your duty. Don’t ever be in a dilemma as to fight or not to fight. Your duty is fight. Doing duty itself is holy and therein lays your salvation. It is also meant for the welfare of the society. Attending to your duty by itself gives you the result. But if you mix the motives of the benefits of the society with your own benefits, then that duty becomes impure. So don’t ever think of yourself while doing duty. Go for nishkama karma (desireless action). You have authority only on doing your duty, not on the fruits of it.”
Arjuna had a doubt.

“How can people do their duty without expecting fruits of action? It is the result that makes a person do a duty.”

Krishna replied,
“You cannot think of the result of action because you do not know what the result will be. All you have to do is to attend to duty. Either you fight or not fight you have to decide. You have only that much choice, and not beyond that. So you have to either fight or not fight. You don’t know whether you are going to win or lose. You will have to fight without considering success and defeat in the war. You are fighting because fighting the war is your duty. A man who is devoted only to doing duty is not affected either by defeat or by victory. Such a man is (sthita pragya) steady minded or steadfast in his work. Such a man is also known as karma yogi. He is the one practicing karma yoga. The principle behind karma yoga is to do duty without expectation of reward. You are a great archer. Your duty is to aim well and find the targets. But you have no way to rule the minds actions of the people on the other side. You don’t know what will happen after you have shot an arrow. Yoga tells that a man’s action must be detached. He goes on doing his