Krishna's Curse

 

1.

“Sanjaya”, called out Dridharashtra.

 

It was the first day of Uttrayana, the winter Solstice. Almost, two months have gone by since his son, Dhuryodana met his end at the hands of Bhima. Dridharashtra could almost feel the impact of the mace on the thighs of his son. The pain that swept through him also went through the arms of the blind man and crept up to his heart!

 

Tears welled up in his eyes every time he thought about it and grimaced every time, as if he suffered the pain.

 

He heard the soft steps approaching him and could immediately recognize that it was Gandhari. He can recognize everyone around him from the way they walked. The gait differed. The pressure on either of the feet differed. He always spotted a new person in the room with ease and élan.

 

He even identified in which direction they are facing; he would know when they turned from one side to the other. The pressure that the legs exerted on the ground was ‘audible’ to him. He could sense it as if he had some kind of vibration sensor installed under his skin.

 

Following the steps of Gandhari, he could hear the firm steps of Sanjaya.

 

“Gandhari, is Sanjaya coming behind you?”

‘Yes, my Lord!”

 

Though her words sounded normal, the voice that uttered it was not so normal. There was a tinge of sadness that brought back all the memories she harbored, of her one hundred sons in a rush. The palace used to be noisy, full of fun and frolicking. Where have they all gone? No language on this earth can ever record a Mother’s deep sense of despair at the loss of her beloved children.

 

A wordless lump went up to her throat and obstructed it from making any statement or even a syllable, whenever she thought of it!

 

Not one, not two! One hundred of them! She remembered the day on which all one hundred of them were born. After all, Duryodhana was just hours ahead of others and came to be called the eldest of the lot. As children, they were pretty noisy like everyone else.

 

How much of fun they had! She remembered the rainy days when she sat with them, with ambers of fire burning in the wood stock, telling them stories of their great grandfathers. How they lived and how they ensured that their cattle were safe in the country. No body, she had said, just nobody else in this vast green earth would dare touch the cattle owned by the people of Hastinapur.

 

She remembered the fun they had with Dhritarashtra. He had the habit of taking a nap in the afternoon, soon after a sumptuous lunch! The children would climb on him. As many of them as possible, on top of him while he snored away luxuriously. They would try to feel the loud and warm breath that came out of his nostrils and mouth. They would try to lift his large hands with their baby arms. Dhritarashtra used to give a free fall to the hand. And every time two or three of the kids would jointly lift it up only to get caught underneath the weight of his arms! They would cry for help. Immediately, three or four of their brothers would join them. And together five kids or more would try to lift his arms so that the kid caught underneath could be released!

 

How wonderful and harmless those days were! Today, as if some clueless dragon just wished them away, they are all gone. Not even a single one is alive to give her consolation. With tears swelling in her eyes, she walked up to her husband as he waited for Sanjaya to arrive.

 

Sanjaya wished his King and Master.

 

“O King of Kings! Let the lord of Himalayas bestow upon you all the pleasures on Earth!”

 

“Sanjaya, why do you say this? What pleasure do you think is going to please me? I am waiting for Yama to come and take me away. Why do you say this? I am already very sad! You are making me sadder”. 

 

After a pause he said, “Come near me and sit down”.

 

Sanjaya came up to him. The King was sitting on a long couch with a number of supporting cushions, to make sure he did not fall off easily. There were four seats in the room he was in. The room was colored in brown having made from dried barks and laid out in designs that would ensure limited heat in the room. Neither the summer heat nor the winter cold would make serious dent in the comfort of its occupants.

 

The ceiling of the room rose high above the King. He was sitting a little away from the centre of the room. The four seats were laid in such a way that people sitting on it will be facing each other. All the seats were made of wood and laid out on top of it was thick deer skin. Soft and silky, it gave enough comfort to the person who is sitting, so that he can work for a long time.

 

Sanjaya picked a seat and sat down while Gandhari did so adjacent to the King on the same long couch.

 

“Sanjaya”, said the King, “what is happening there in Kurukshetra, now that it is almost two moons since the war ended?”

 

Sanjaya who had the gift to see beyond the normal limits of human vision, waited only a few seconds before he focused on what the King wanted. He saw from wherever he sat, the battle field of Kurushetra, far away but yet so near, as if he were there, witnessing every happening first hand!

 

“O King! The battle ground that swallowed all that human blood and flesh is today very silent. There is no one there! But then the crows, the vultures and the eagles are still flying low. I see a number of foxes, jackals and scavenging dogs, trying to get a meal out of the remaining carcasses of men and animals”.

 

“No, Sanjaya, no! I am not talking about the battle field where the gory war took place. I want to know what is happening at that place where my grand Uncle, Bhisma, is lying, wounded and hurt. On the bed of arrows built by Arjun. What is he doing? Who is with him? It had been a long time since he laid himself there waiting for the arrival of the time he chose to die!”

 

He continued.

 

“O Gandhari! What a gifted man, who can choose his time of death! If only, we had the option, we would be dead by now”.

 

“That possibly, my lord”, said Gandhari, “could be the reason why you and I do not have that option. Because we might kill ourselves at the slightest turn of events, that could hurt us”.

 

“Gandhari, are you saying that this is a ‘slight’ turn of events? whatever has happened to us now?”

 

“Certainly not, my lord. How can I say that? But still, men cannot die even for the largest of calamities that might forbear them from life. Can they?”

 

“Of course not. You are right! People who are weak at heart, would find solace in death. Bold people live on to win. Not only that, Gandhari, God makes every creature with a purpose. If He allows a creature to live on, it means that the creature has not completed all of its jobs yet! We are alive, Gandhari, because we have not fulfilled this purpose of our birth. And so it is with Uncle Bhisma. Only after fulfilling every job for which he came to earth, can he die. Before that, he cannot even will himself to death!”

 

“How deeply true are your statements, O King!” said Sanjaya.

 

“Sanjaya, are you able to see Bhisma Pithamaha in his death bed of arrows? Where are his wounds and how painful are they? Is my Uncle able to bear the pain of the deep wounds caused by the sharp arrows of Arjuna? How is he faring? Is he asking for someone in particular to see?”

 

“O King! Today is the 58^th day since the war ended. This is the day of Shukla Ashtami in the month of Maha, the first day of Uttrayana*. O King, I hope you remember, yesterday Bhisma had sent message through his attender that he desires to die today! The message did reach us as well as the princes of Pandu. 

 

“Therefore, O King, now as I look at what is happening at the place where Bhisma is lying, I could see all the Princes of Pandu arriving in their own ways, walking, on the horse and in the chariot. O King, what do you think we should do?”

 

“Sanjaya, we should also be there in time to pay our obeisance to my Uncle. Tell me what is Vidhura doing?”.

 

“I could see Vidhura is leaving his palace, my Lord. He should be reaching Bhisma’s place before the sun reaches the zenith”.

 

“Then, let us also go there in time. Who else is reaching the place now?”

 

“I see Vasudeva, his brother Balarama and the ladies of all of the families. Today, after the war, there are hardly any men to attend the funeral of the grand old man. Yudhishthara will be lighting the pyre, I presume”.

 

“Let us start now, Sanjaya, so that we can have a short talk with the old Uncle before he passes away at the appointed time”.

 

They got ready quickly and set out to meet Bhishma before death took him away from this earth.

 

~~~~~

2.

 

Bhishma was lying on a bed of arrows, created by the great Arjuna. His beard and moustache had grown in the last few days. Obviously, he looked unkempt. His assistant was still pestering him to attend to his personal needs. But he was dissuading him from doing them. Instead, he kept giving him other errands to run for. He did not want his assistant to touch him, shave him or clean him.

 

He had had his bath on the bed of arrows just a few hours back. But his hair had grown wild, not only on his head but also on his face and on his arms. They were white with age. His eyes were twinkling and had the brilliance that comes into the eyes just before a man dies. His mouth was curved into a smile that almost mocked the world that had gathered there, at the place of his final sojourn.

 

When Drudharashtra and his entourage arrived at Bhishma’s place, almost everyone who mattered was there. As King and Emperor of the Hasthinapur, he had the right to come at the end. Important people always come last, don’t they? All the Pandava princes were there. Bhishma was talking to Yudhishtra when Drudharashtra stepped down from his chariot.

 

Sanjaya, Gandhari and finally, Drudharashtra stepped down from a chariot that was gracefully decorated, drawn by four brown horses. Horses were tall and their bushy mane was shining in the midday sun.

 

As Drudharashtra started walking towards the place where Bhisma’s bed of arrows was laid down, he concentrated ahead of him, in the front. He could hear faint voices. His hearing was legendary. His memory was one of the best in the country. And his hearing was never second to anyone else’s. He had a very strong sense of touch that he used to his advantage in many places. 

 

Now, he could hear the old and mature voice of Bhishma, deep from the throat and almost a lullaby, coming in slow, long drawls. He was advising to Yudhishtra. May be, his last few words before he calls it a day and decides to die.

 

He could hear Yudhishtra say:

“O Grandfather, I listened to you fully and understood all the different rules and laws for a king. On your instructions, I had gone home and informed everyone to come here to meet you. Also, I have made everything that you wanted ready as per your final wish”.

 

There on the bed of Arrows lay Bhishma. Around him, all the five Pandavas, their mother Kunti and wife Panchali were all standing. Apart from them, Sanjaya could make out Sri Krishna, Balarama, Vidhura who were standing just behind the Pandavas. There were a number of soldiers and guards who were standing further away along with their captains. Their swords were drawn but they were calm and pained by the sad event that was taking place before their eyes.

 

A gusty wind was blowing from the North East crossing the Himalayan ranges. Since it was the beginning of the movement of Sun from the South to the North, the winter has started melting away to Summer. The land was parched and was devoid of water. Monsoon rains had long dried up and the land was hungry for more rain, even after drinking large volumes of blood that ran from the bodies of all those dead soldiers.

 

Bhishma was pleased with the statement made by Yudhishtra. He just looked up and saw the entire clan of Bharata in front of him, waiting for his words. He looked at Yudhishtra and said,”I am very happy to see all of you here. My time to go has come. Allow me, O Son of Pandu, to take leave”.

 

He then, looked at Dhrutarashtra and told him,”O King of Hastinapur! Don’t you worry about all that has happened in the past. They have all come to pass. In this universe that is driven by time, the whole world, including the mountains and oceans, will vanish as surely as you and I would. So, there is nothing to worry or lament over. Your sons are enjoying the hospitality of the Gods in Heaven”.

 

He then, turned to Sri Krishna who was also standing there and bid him farewell. “O Lord of the Universe, give this world peace of mind. And allow me to go!”

 

Sri Krishna said, ”Yes, King of all Kings! You may attain salvation. Doors of heaven are always open for brave kshatriyas (warriors) who lay down their lives for the defense of Dharma. You will always be remembered in this world as the mightiest of all mighty warriors. I salute you, O King! For all the great work that you have done in this world. For all the great advice you have given Yudishtra and the Pandavas. You are the beloved granddad of all grandchildren and great grandchildren. You will, no doubt, be in Moksha (Heaven) that you fully deserve”.

 

On hearing this Bhisma closed his eyes for hardly a minute! His soul departed from the body immediately thereafter. And as it left the body, every one of the arrows that pierced the body and rendered its soul to have a painful departure, fell off one by one. The wounds created by them, healed immediately and skin looked fresh and pure. So much so, when his soul had fully left the body, it turned luminescent, devoid of any wounds, fully healed, smooth and so bright, he could have been alive!

 

The Pandavas on the instruction of Yudishtra, laid a pyre of sandal wood. Lifted the body of Bhishma, the bravest of them all, placed it on the pyre and did all the last rites, as laid down in the scriptures. All through this, the women of the clan were crying aloud, shouting out how wonderful his life had been and how graceful he walked this earth. As their wail rose in a crescendo, the pyre was lit, a multitude of  conches were loudly blown and flames leaped high into the air as if they were trying to reach the heaven too! The smell of the burning sandal outlived the smell of the burning body. Body of Bhisma merged with the elements of the earth, while the soul moved to heaven only to take a rebirth years later!

~~~~~

 

3.

Tears had long dried in their eyes. 

 

The clan had reduced in size. Hundreds of sons and daughters, hundreds of grandsons, granddaughters, great grandsons and great granddaughters have been reduced to a handful. While the men died fighting in many battles, O God, how may young women jumped into the pyres of their husbands to get burnt to death? Countable few walked past the burning pyre lit by Yudhistra towards their chariots and horses. A few decided to walk back to their homes.

 

As the crowd started to move away from Bhisma’s burning body, Dhrithrashtra could not bear this any longer. A long deep howl emanated from his throat, as he started to lament the death and destruction of his clan. He broke into a loud, horrendous cry that shook the heart of everyone there. 

 

“Behold, O Krishna!” he shouted amidst his cries of despair. His blind eyes were twitching due to lack of sleep. His voice quivered with anger, that blinded the mind of the man. He walked an old man’s walk; the walk of a man in deep sorrow. A lion that has lost every one of its cubs to the foxy treachery of people around him. A slow gait that reflected his relenting faith in truth and justice! He staggered towards Sri Krishna.

 

On hearing this, Sri Krishna stopped immediately. He came over to the old man who was an embodiment of sorrow that besieged the once large swelling clan. The all-knowing Sri Krishna held him by his shoulders to steady him and encouraged him to speak his mind.

 

“Krishna, you are the sole destroyer of this clan”, continued Dhrithrashtra. “You, Krishna, I accuse you! You could have stopped this destruction from happening. But did not! On the contrary, you encouraged it, supported it and aided it. You have done a great adharma, O Krishna! You are the head of all personalities of God! You are the saviour of the poor and arbiter of justice. You have failed in your duty. Krishna, what shall I do? I have lost all the people who made my clan”.

 

He went on lamenting for a few minutes. As he cried hoarsely, it was as if he was going through his death throes. Krishna put his hands around his shoulders, to calm him down.

 

Dhritharashtra continued.

 

“Why, Krishna, why am I alive? I should have been the first person who should have died in this family. It is said, that in the family of good, older men and women die first followed by the young. Only the cursed, will see the death of their own progeny. I therefore, am cursed. What wrong have I done in this world? I have upheld the best of Dharma that I know of. Whereas, people who have been on the side of adharma have won! How can you allow such a thing to happen in this world? 

 

“You who are the protector of all things dharmic, allowed, connived and ensured that adharma wins. O Krishna, is this fair?”

 

All the people in the entourage that was walking back from the burning pyre, stopped to listen to the lament of the old man. Vidhura, Pandavas, the ladies of the family that included Kunti, mother of the Pandavas, Panchali, their wife and other wives that they had, their children and all the soldiers who were alive at the end of the war, were there, standing and listening to what was happening in Bhisma’s funeral. They were worried that their King Dhrithrashtra would die of sorrow. No man would survive such sadness, they thought.

 

Krishna held the King by his shoulders. He took out a cloth and wiped the tears that flowed freely from the blind eyes of the King. As he wiped, tears kept flowing down as if there is a perennial spring, displaying uncontrolled show of a heavy heart that no amount of words could lighten. Is there a way to stop the tears of a loving heart, laden with sorrow?

 

If a bereaved father could be so sad, how sad would the mother be? Gandhari, blind folded in a dark diamond-studded cloth, was in her own misery, thoughtless, not knowing what to say and unable to fathom her own depths of sorrow. She, just stood there, by the side of her husband, as a dumb spectacle, as if she did not have anything to say. Having lost everything that this world could ever take away from a mother, she was left only with her blind husband. 

 

Kunti walked up to her. Held her hand and pulled her into an embrace and lamented with her, loudly, just to make sure Gandhari understands that Kunti is also bereaved.

 

As the two ladies continued crying, Krishna said these words:

 

“O King of all kings! In every war, either of the parties think that their side is where dharma is. It is only natural that we have two sides to every coin. No doubt, Duryodhana had his own reasons for doing everything that he did. Every man does, doesn’t he? It is said, O Intelligent benefactor of the family, that there are always two sides to every truth. Let me tell you, sir, truth has multiple sides. Not just one or two. Every person has his own perception. And every perception is the truth of that person. So, in what way do we demarcate the real truth from the perceived truth?

 

“Every man, O King, would say, what he saw was the truth. But what we see is not what happened! Do people not say, do not believe your eyes! They also say do not believe your ears! The truth is known not by listening; neither by seeing; truth is known only by deep introspection of all known perceptions. There, O king, is the truth! And truth is where Dharma is! So, I request you, my Uncle, to not give way to emotions. You are the grand man of this clan of Kuruvamsa.

 

“You, O Sir, should not be stung by sadness of an incident that is very normal in every human life. There is but only one guarantee when a man is born. That is, he will surely die one day. What has happened is only a natural process of death. You should not moan their death so much. You being the eldest of all the living people of Kuruvamsa, you should take this in its stride and allow this to pass over. There are young men and women who have lost all of their children in this war. Panchali has lost her five sons. Looking at you grieve your sons, she is also besieged by grief that would render her incapable of meaningful life. Look at Aswathama, he has also lost everyone and bereaved by his father’s demise. Everyone is sad and forlorn. 

 

“So, O Man of Brave Heart, you should lead the way for others. Allow this huge sadness to pass over and live a meaningful life hereafter”.

 

So saying, Krishna patted the back of Dritharashtra slowly, trying to comfort the old man with words. But Dritharashtra was not the one to be convinced so easily. He walked away a foot from Krishna and then said:

 

“Krishna, you are the knower of everything in this world. You are the maker of every situation in this world. While so, how can you say such words? I look at these as words uttered to comfort me. But, are these words, right? While many others died for defending Adharma, O Krishna, my sons died defending Dharma.

 

“Krishna, it is always the victorious who write the history. It is always the victorious whose words are believed, simply because the vanquished do not exist to defend themselves. The words of Pandavas and that of yours are considered Dharma, whereas the great work done by the defeated is burnt with them. I do not moan for the death of my sons. They fought hard to defend what they considered Dharma and died in the battle. I moan the death of Dharma!

 

“I have been sitting with my wife and my minister, Sanjaya for days and weeks together doing introspection. We have spent hours arguing and thinking over what is right and what is wrong. I am not passing a comment without thought. I have taken into my consideration all of the points and perceptions, as you said, of all of the parties and stake holders in our family and elsewhere. I am saying after deep consideration of all facts of my life and lives of all others and knowing fully well I am on the side of dharma do I talk to you, O Krishna!

 

“Please tell me, O Krishna, is it Dharma to deny the right to throne just because a person is disabled? If a disabled man is not qualified to occupy the throne, why did you allow that man to occupy the throne later? Obviously, there is no disqualification when one is disabled. It is just the understanding and specific circumstances that aided in decision making at that point of time. Do you not agree, Lord of the Universe, that every disabled man is differently abled too? Do you not subscribe to the view that disability is but the ability of the man to perceive things differently? A blind man’s vision is something that no one else in this Universe can ever dream of! Believe me!

 

“A blind man’s dreams may not be colorful the way you are used to. But they are colorful all the same. They have their own ways of placing priorities on events that are closer to life. What we consider colorful, is not even known to normal human beings”.

 

Krishna smiled at this and murmured an ‘Hmm’ in consonance. Dritharashtra continued in his vehemence to establish his right over the wrong done to him.

 

“Krishna, I was wronged. An adharma was done to me by making my younger brother Pandu, the king. Please tell me, why was Vidhura who was intelligent and smart not made king but Pandu who was having a skin disease made. Because Vidhura was of a low birth? Krishna, Lord of the People, tell me! Is it not true then in God’s world, all men are created equal?

 

“Next my son was wronged. He should have been the heir to the throne if I had been made the king. What should have been his right, was now bequeathed to my brother’s son with no apparent reason except that he was born ahead of Duryodhana. In what way was he better? Pandu, who was forced to go on an exile for killing the family Vaidhya, came back dead. Only Kunti was alive. And whatever Kunti said, everyone believed. Was Yudhistra by brother’s son or was he someone else’s? How do we know, O Kesava? But still, he was given priority over my properly born son who however, should have been the king, if they had given me the kingship in the first place.

 

“Nandakumara, this whole war was to defend the great adharma that has been done to the Kuru dynasty. And in this war, you have sided with adharma!”

 

Drutrashtra gave this long talk and paused to catch his breath. His breath came heavy with anger and sadness. His voice trembled. His hands darted forward and held on Gandhari’s shoulders so that he could avoid showing the weakness in his hands to the world. Even his lips quivered as he paused. His face had reddened with the sudden rush of blood to his face. Saliva had come to his lips and a few drops spewed all over as he spoke oblivious of all this.

 

“Tell me, O Krishna, tell me! Why did you side with Adharma and then rewrite the history to make it appear as if, Pandavas were on the side of Dharma?”

 

Krishna smiled, as if to himself and then said the following to Dritharashtra and, therefore, to the world.

 

“O mighty king! What you are saying is not true. It is your perception. According to you, this is true. But in realty this cannot be construed as true or dharma. To allow a blind man to sit on the throne might be dharma to the blind man but it is adharma to the people of the country! What a grave mistake it will be, to make a king out of a blind man! Imagine the dangers the country will get into by doing this. Why are you short sighted?”

 

Drutarashtra interrupted and said:

“How true it is, Krishna! In this world driven by greed and power, the short-sighted calls the other short sighted. Loud mouthed call the rest loud mouthed. Greedy call the others greedy and so on. Is this a pre-emptive strike, Krishna? If a blind man could put the country at risk, why did you make me king now? I have been the king of Hastinapura for a longer period than my brother, Pandu. What harm has my kingship caused to the people of Hastinapura? That was an excuse to cheat me and deny me, what I deserve”.

 

“Pandu was the king and Yudistra was the son of Pandu. Therefore, the throne rightfully belongs to Yudhistra. And that is the one he claimed. Son of the king should become the king and inherit the kingdom. Is that not dharma? How can Duryodhana become king and what adharma has been done to him?”

 

“My dear Krishna, when Yudistra came to this country as a child brought by Kunti from the forests of the Himalayas, I was the king of Hastinapura. I continue to be the king of Hastinapura, till today. While I am king, who should be the next king? Who should be crown prince? What does Dharma say about it? You please tell me. My understanding is that son of the king should be the crown prince. Nowhere it says, that son of any of the brothers if he is elder to King’s son should be made crown prince! Please tell me where it says so”.

 

“Oh King of Hastinapura, please understand you were made the King only on this pretext that you are the eldest. Secondly, nobody objected when you made Duryodhana Crown Prince. It is your right and there is clarity that the eldest son of the King should be made prince. But why did you not give the Pandavas even the five villages that they asked for? That would have avoided the war and all of the Kurus will be alive today”.

 

“Krishna, what a precedent do you want us to set? If we were to accept division of a country whenever someone wants a part of the land for themselves to rule, there would never be an end to such divisions thereafter. How many people in this world will accept such a partition of the kingdom into individual fiefdoms whenever someone wants a piece of land for themselves to administer? If I were to accept this division of five villages for the families of two brothers, my grandchildren will also ask them of the same. There is no law or rule which says that sons of younger brother have a right to kingdom. Please, Krishna, knowing fully well the Dharma that govern the king and his kingly duties, why do you ask such questions? You should have advised them not to divide the country. And, instead support the Gauravas who are the rightful heirs to the throne”.

 

“Surprising, father of Duryodhana, that you have an answer to every question that I pose!”

 

“That is not an answer, Krishna! It is the voice of a soul. A soul that has been wronged”.

 

“O Mighty King of Hastinapura, you have explained many of your actions that Gauravas, your one hundred sons, have done in the last few years. But I am sure, nobody in their right mind would deny the inhuman and adharmic actions of Duryodhana and Duchasana, in playing the vile dice game and grab the kingdoms that belonged to Yudhishtra. Not just that, they played, along with Saguni, a cheating game of dice, that not only made him to throw the country away but also his wife, Panchali. I am sure, O King, you will not call this also Dharma!”

 

While saying this, there was a faint smile on Krishna’s lips. The curve of the lips indirectly said a thousand words. It seem to say, ‘You Dhritharashtra, will put the blame on the Pandavas for all of your activities, now how will you justify this game of dice. A game that was at once, cunning and illegal; unethical and immoral’.

 

Dhritharashtra stopped short. He did not answer immediately. Tears started to flow down his eyes once again. 

 

“Krishna!” cried Dhritrashtra,”I cry for that immoral game. It is a foul, illegal and unethical game”, he said as if he read Krishna’s mind.

 

After a brief pause, he continued: “Krishna, such illegal games are not played by good people on this planet. They fear it like they fear a snake. They stay away from it. But people with ulterior motives, people with greed in their minds and people who are plain stupid only play this game. Now, tell me as a king should Yudhistra have played this game? Do you think Duryodhana should have played this game? In my opinion, neither of them should have played this game. One was a king of a few villages and the other was the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hastinapura. They should be role models to all the people living in these kingdoms and future generations to come. They should have detested playing such a game.

 

“Is that not true, Krishna? While Duryodhana who thought for a while and felt that he should be a role model for all the future generations, stayed away from the game, Yudhishtra whom you say is the embodiment of Dharma, chose to play that game! The rule makers, Krishna, should never be rule breakers. Can the rulers tell everyone to stay away from the game and then they themselves play it? Is that not hypocrisy? Rulers should be the first set of people who practice what they set as rules. Instead of doing this, my dear Krishna, how can Yudhishtra choose to play a game of dice which is illegal and then blame Duryodhana and his brothers for the outcome?

 

“Since they decided to play, Duryodhana nominated Saguni to do the job. Yudhistra could have asked one of his representatives, even you, Krishna, to play on his behalf. But he himself was lured into it because he had greed in his mind. He wanted all the land that Duryodhana had, all to himself to rule. Therefore, he accepted. Now, tell me please, Krishna, who is at fault? Duryodhana or Yudhistra? Is pawning your own wife in a game of dice correct? Is that what he wants to let the progeny learn from him? And he is embodiment of Dharma? What a shame to Dharma!”

 

Dhridharashtra said so and patiently waited for the Lord of Lords, Krishna to reply. Krishna said: “Maybe, it was wrong on the part of Yudhishtra to play the game and to pawn his land and even his wife. But that does not mean that once you win these you will misuse them to suit your whims and fancies”.

 

“Krishna, you are the person who made most of the laws and rules in this land of Indus and Ganges. While so, if you are asking me this question what answer do you want me to give you? Have you forgotten the story of the robbers, Dhoosuman and Shobaman? The judgment in the case was given by none other than Bhishmachari himself. Let me repeat the judgment for you, O Madhusudhana. He said that when there are partners in crime or illegal activities, they have no right to claim any compensation or share in the booty. Shobaman’s killing was not compensated for his wife because Dhoosuman, who killed him and Shobaman were partners in an illegal activity.

 

“When you are a partner of an illegal activity, how can you say that the other party is involved in an illegal activity against you and therefore, you require justice? A thief has no recourse to law, even if he is murdered. When you are ready to play this game of dice which is illegal and unethical, you have no recourse to dharma. Even adharma within another adharma is acceptable as dharma. Therefore, to term it as adharma and therefore, you strived for upholding of dharma is not an acceptable remark, O Krishna! How can we accept such a statement?”

 

Krishna was surprised at the sudden turn of target. It was now clear to Krishna that he is the aim of these parents of slain Kurus and not Pandavas, though the Pandavas were also standing and listening to the entire conversation as it progressed.

 

“O King! I realize the deep sadness that rocks you hard; to break your heart. My sympathies are with you. I feel very sad for you. But in what way, am I responsible for this war. I have been someone who stood outside and watched, much like you. I did not pick up weapon to fight your sons and their men. There is no way, you can blame me for any adharma or lack of dharma that was carried out in this war. I did everything possible to stop the war.”

 

Now, Gandhari spoke, in place of Dhritrashtra. Her words were sharp, hard and that of a wounded mother.

 

“True, Krishna, you did not take weapons as promised, against my sons. You went as an ambassador to stop the war. But you equipped the Pandu puthras (sons) with the needed weapons for victory. You gave them the right ideas that ensured victory. You guided them and answered their prayers. You were, O Krishna, who should have been a savior of the poor and weak, have taken sides with adharma and with the strong. Strong people do not require God nor the King to support them. Only the weak and the poor require the support of both God and the King. That is why, laws are always made to support the weak and the poor. But you, O Krishna, instead have started to support the strong and the mighty! We never expected such an action from you, Krishna!”

 

Gandhari’s words came in sharply. Dhritarashtra started to pacify Gandhari. “No, Gandhari. He does not mean it. He went ahead with his plan and would call it fate”.

 

“So be it!” Gandhari said. “Let it be fate. But I can never forgive you, Krishna for siding with adharma and fighting for the victory of this adharma. At the same time, Pandavas and you have spread the canard that you are on the side of dharma! How mean it is! How can dharma be different for different people? Your dharma cannot be different from mine. As my Lord and the King, so clearly pointed out, Pandu and the leaders of this nation did a grave injustice to the King when he was not offered the kingly crown of Hasthinapura. The same injustice was being repeated when Duryodhana was denied the crown again and they tried desperately to crown Yudhistra. 

 

“A grave injustice was done to us by not presenting the royal understanding of the issue, to the people of this country. False hoods were spread telling the people of Hastinapura, that it was the Gauravas who did adharma by denying five villages to Pandu’s sons and later in a game of dice. 

 

“Whereas the truth is far different. Dividing the country is not in the best interest of anyone and so is the case with the dice which is an illegal game and no king should have played it. And then, Yudhistra pawns his own wife in the game! Will any sane individual do such a job? While this is the biggest adharma anybody can think off, the canard spread by the Pandavas blamed Saguni for it! How inane are the comments made by them!”

 

Gandhari was very upset and her voice was rising to a fit of rage. Kunti walked up to her and took her again in her arms. Gandhari started crying in a loud voice. And she continued to speak as she cried as she spurned the arms of Kunti which extended in consolation.

 

“Krishna, O Krishna, how can you do this to us?” The desperation in her voice was hard to miss. “Duryodhana, my son! There was no one to save you. And none of my one hundred sons could stand the onslaught of the wicked Pandavas aided by their friend and brother-in-law, Krishna. They connived together to bring death on the entire clan of Kurus. The entire kuru vamsa stands exterminated but for a few people who we believe, would carry forward this proud inheritance. Such people who destroy their own clan will have to answer the questions raised by the Lord of Dharma when they die. And they will not die an honorable death”.

 

“No, Gandhari, no! Please do not curse my sons!” Kunti sobbed loudly. Everyone around tried to assuage her. Even Dhritharashtra tried to calm her down. But Gandhari ignored everyone. 

 

Like a Lioness fighting for her cubs, Gandhari roared at everyone there. Her disheveled hair fell all over her shoulders, she raised her voice and swinging her arms at the people and at Krishna, she shouted. 

 

“O Krishna, hark my words! None of the Pandavas will have an honorable death! They will not die in a battle field so they will not get to heaven immediately on death. They will die lonely and away from the people they love most. In a forlorn desert or a snowy mountain or in a stormy sea where even animals fear to wander.

 

“And you, O Krishna, you will not be commuted of your wartime crimes. I hold you responsible for the murders of my one hundred sons. I hold you responsible for the crimes that surround the death of Karna, Drona and many others, apart from my sons including Duryodhana. You took the side of adharma and favored the Pandavas. 

 

“Therefore, Krishna, you as the God of all universe, will be prayed to in the upcoming yuga of Kali. In that yuga, you shall be the God of adharma! The God who supports adharma; people will come and pray to you not for salvation; not for renunciation. They will not come to you for happiness by casting aside desire. Instead they will come to you, to pray for adharma. They will pray after having committed crimes that would destroy empires, kingdoms and societies. They will pray for more and more wealth. They will pray to you to be the benefactor of their greed!

 

“Krishna, of what use is the wealth after one’s death. They will not realize that. Instead, they, your bakhtas, will pray for immeasurable wealth; a life that will not end in death; they will also make you a partner in their wildest dreams and even offer you a bribe to answer their prayers. Inane, they will be!”

 

Her breath came in short gasps as she caught her breath. Having given the curse, she felt relieved. She felt at ease and her anger appeared subsided. How long had she harbored the anger in her heart and mind! Since the day her sons started to die one after the other, she had sat down moaning their deaths. Her anger grew day after day and became unbearable for her.

 

How many times she thought of meeting Krishna and tell him of her feelings? But then, she was hesitant when the war was on. She was hesitant even after the war but was waiting for an opportune moment when she can meet him and tell him in no small words of her mind.

 

Krishna was stunned by the curse! He, not even in the wildest of his dreams ever realized that someone like Gandhari would curse him for the next twenty thousand years! Who thought of this? He just stood there stunned by the curse looking at Gandhari, without batting an eye. Is that what she wanted? To curse him for the next yuga?

 

All the people at the funeral just stood there watching the proceedings, sad and silent. Krishna just mulled over the thought of the curse and its impact. Then after a long silence, he spoke to Gandhari, these words:

 

“Mother, I am stunned and shocked to say anything. You have cursed me, for having done my duty. In my opinion, I have sided with dharma. However, as the King says, from his perspective it looks like I have been with adharma. But this is not a known mistake, even if you presume that to be a mistake. And this curse is way too harsh for this mistake, even if you think it had happened.

 

“Mother, therefore, I request you to help me get out of this curse at the earliest, since I know you cannot take back the words you have once uttered”.

 

He continued to plead her using different examples and reasons. He told her that it is in the interest of the Kuru dynasty and the rest of the people of Bharat, who will be the losers if this curse continued to bear down on Krishna. Having said all this, with his eyes full of tears that reflected the setting sun, Krishna spoke to Gandhari again.

 

“Mother, I fully understand the deep sorrow you are suffering now. It is important that the people have the right god to pray to. So please help me come out of this curse, so that I can be the God that the people look forward to in the upcoming yuga”.

 

After much cajoling and pleading, Gandhari had calmed down and finally said these words that would help Krishna to come out of the curse that was thrown at him.

 

“O Krishna, I agree with you that the wellbeing of so many people is involved in this. Therefore, I would let you know the day when you will be relieved from this curse. You will be relieved from this curse fully and completely, one hundred years from the day all the Hidden Stories of Mahabharata is made public. You and the Pandavas have weaved a web of lies, stories impregnated with lies; that puts you and the rest of your friends in the light of Dharma. 

 

“This world needs to know the true stories of Mahabharata! When, O Krishna, the Hidden Stories of Mahabharata are revealed to the world, from then, one hundred years shall pass before your curse is removed. When the lies told by you and your people are set right and the truth is told to the world, then and only then will you be relieved of this curse”.

 

Gandhari was breathing heavily as if she had given birth to her hundred sons. The curse literally, ate out all of her strengths and penances. She felt weak and sick. But stood erect like a statue, her eyes covered with her traditional piece of black cloth.

 

So, said Gandhari for the complete relief of the curse on Krishna as the whole world watched her in wonder and amazement. Here was a lady who dared to curse Krishna! Only a mother has that privilege. The privilege of tying up the God can only happen when He faces the motherly love!

 

And everyone in the royal entourage, walked towards their chariots and other modes of transport for going back to their palaces. While people at the funeral still mulled over the implications of the curse that was dropped on the great God of the Earth, Sri Krishna, everyone stood silent, watchful and disciplined.

After everyone had left the funeral site, Sri Krishna was still standing there, all alone! His eyes were fixed on the burning pyre. His mouth hosted a faint smile as his mind raced onwards to Kali Yuga and back! All knowing, his smile was enough to tell the world that this is going to be a great entertainment.

 

It is only right that the hidden stories of Mahabharatha are revealed to the world to assuage the curse on Krishna and bring Him back as the savior of mankind, that he is!

 

So read on, right here, the Hidden stories of Mahabharatha…

Disclaimer: Stories are all fictional creations and I do not claim correctness neither historically nor mythologically.