The Actions of Mahabharat (an Indian Epic): An Analysis from Action Science Perspective

Abstract

This paper analyses the actions of Mahabharat from the point of view of action science. From the point of view of action science, the source of the problem of Mahabharat is the undiscussable issue of who should be the king of Hastinapur. The paper then analyses the actions of different actors of this epic. It concludes that Yudhishthir displays the Model I governing value of ‘minimize generating or expressing negative feelings’. Duryodhan displays the Model I governing value of ‘maximize winning and minimize losing’. Vidur, Bhishm and Dronacharya display the Model I governing value of ‘be rational’. Together these actors create the ‘limited learning system’ of Model O-I. The primary inhibitory loops created by this limited learning system finally lead to secondary inhibitory loop of polarisation of different actors into two groups and the emergence of win-lose group dynamics in the form of war as the only action which can settle the original undiscussable issue of who should be the king of Hastinapur.

Appendix I

In ancient India, Shantanu was the king of Hastinapur. He had a son Devavrat. Devavrat now in his adolescence, was known for his valour, political acumen and knowledge of Holy Scriptures. Shantanu was a widower. Once Shantanu wanted to marry the daughter of a boatman. However, the clever boatman insisted that he could permit the marriage only if the king agreed that after his death, the boatman's grandson would ascend to the throne. Shantanu could not do such a great injustice to his son Devavrat even though he was desperate to marry the boatman's daughter. When Devavrat learnt about his father's anguish, he went to the boatman and vowed before him that he will not crave for the kingdom after his father's death. However, the boatman was not satisfied. He said ‘O mighty warrior, though I do not doubt you, there is always the risk that after you, your child can snatch the kingdom from my grandson. How do I discount this possibility’? Devavrat replied without wavering, ‘I hereby vow not to marry and to remain a celibate throughout my life’. Upon hearing this severe (in Sanskrit Bhishm) vow, all the Gods threw flowers on him. They also gave him the boon that he would die only when he wanted. Then onwards, the adolescent boy Devavrat began to be called Bhishm. Also, then onwards, Bhishm ordained upon himself to look after the welfare of the offsprings of his father and his stepmother.

The genealogy of Shantanu is given below:

After the death of Shantanu, Chitrangada became king. He died prematurely in a war. Thus Vichitravirya, then a minor, became the king and Bhishm looked after the affairs of the state till Vichitravirya became an adult. When Vichitryavirya attained adulthood, he was married to the daughters of the king of Kashi (present Banaras). Both the wives could not bear Vichitryavirya any child. He was advised by the sage Vyas to ask his wives to parade before him naked. Ambika walked past the sage naked but with her eyes closed. Her sister Ambalika walked past the sage but with her body smeared with yellow mud. They had a maid who was also issueless. She also decided to try her luck. She too walked past the sage. Being a maid, she had no hesitation to walk past the sage naked. Ambika gave birth to a blind boy (Dhritrashtra). Ambalika gave birth to a yellowish (sickly) boy Pandu and the maid gave birth to a healthy boy Vidur who later became the prime minister of the kingdom. After the defeat of Kauravs, he also became the prime minister of Yudhishthir.

After the death of Vichitryavirya, since the elder son Dhritrashtra was blind, Bhishm made Pandu the king. After a few years, Pandu cursed by a sage, left for the jungle. In the jungle, the two wives bore him five sons. Together they came to be known as the Pandavs. A few years later, Pandu and Madri died. Kunti then returned back to Hastinapur with the five boys. The eldest Yudhishthir was then sixteen years old. Dhritrashtra had one hundred sons called the Kauravs. The eldest was Duryodhan. From the point of view of primogeniture, Yudhishthir was the eldest among the Kauravs and Pandavs. At Hastinapur, the Kauravs and the Pandavs were trained in various techniques of warfare by the respected guru (teacher) Dronacharya. With time, Yudhishthir grew into a great leader who scrupulously followed the dictums of dharma (the righteous way), Bhim grew into the strongest man on the earth, Arjun grew into a warrior par excellence, Nakul and Sahdev developed great knowledge about animals and plants. Among the Kauravs, Duryodhan also grew into a strong man who alone could match the strength of Bhim. Kunti also had another son Karna born to her before her marriage. The fear of social stigma made her leave the infant who was then brought up by a charioteer as a commoner. Karna grew into a mighty worrier who one day had both the guts and the ability to challenge the undisputed king of archery—Arjun. This pleased Duryodhan no end. He declared Karna the governor of a part of his kingdom. This gave respectability to Karna who was otherwise considered to be of low caste because he was the son of a charioteer.

At Hastinapur, after the departure of Pandu, Bhishm duly advised by Vidur anointed Dhitrashtra the king. His son Duryodhan looked forward to becoming the king after the death of Dhritrashtra. Needless to say, he resented the arrival of the Pandavs as he looked upon Yudhishthir as a threat to his future. This was the beginning of the cold war between the Kauravs and the Pandavs. Duryodhan with the acquiescence of his blind father, made many unsuccessful attempts to physically eliminate the Pandavs, but he failed. Bhishm and Vidur advised Dhritrashtra to give half of the kingdom to the Pandavs much to the chagrin of the Kauravs. Dhritrashtra who always vacillated between his love for his son Duryodhan and his duty towards his nephews—the Pandavs, agreed. The three elders, Bhishm, Dronacharya and Vidur stayed with the Kauravs.

Duryodhan with the help of his maternal uncle Shakuni, plotted to get the kingdom of Yudhishthir back. He prevailed upon his father to invite Yudhishthir for a game of chausar (gambling). Yudhishthir, after initial prevarication, fell to the tricks of Shakuni and lost his kingdom, himself, all his five brothers and their common wife Draupadi to Shakuni. To add insult to injury, one of the Kauravs—Duhshashan dragged Draupadi from the women's quarter and tried to disrobe her in the court where all the elders—Dhritrashtra, Dronacharya—the guru of Kauravs and Pandavs, Bhishm—the self appointed protector of his father's linage, Vidur—the prime minister and another righteous man in the Mahabharat and the five Pandavs were present. None moved to help her. The helpless Draupadi began to pray to Lord Krishna who was far away from the scene. Krishna, an incarnation of God and a well-wisher of Pandavs used his celestial powers and saw to it that the robe which Draupadi was wearing became endlessly long. A tired Duhshashan had to give up. At this point, hearing celestial bad omens, Dhritrashtra consoled Draupadi and returned back all that was lost to Yudhishthir. But Duryodhan did not give up. He once again prevailed upon his father to invite Yudhishthir to play chausar. The condition this time was that whosoever loses would have to leave for the jungle for twelve years and then live incognito during the thirteenth year. However, if they were discovered during the thirteenth year, the twelve-year cycle would be repeated. On his part, Yudhishthir, once again after initial prevarication, agreed to play. Predictably, Yudhishthir lost and the Pandavs went to the jungle.

After completing thirteen years, the Pandavs were not given their kingdom back. Duryodhan argued that having lost the kingdom in the gambling, the Pandavs had no right to claim it back just because they have done the thirteen years in the jungle. Convinced that he was of his military superiority, and the unstinted support of Bhishm, Dronacharya and Karna, he made it clear that he will not part with an inch of land without war. The Pandavs after detailed discussions, minute analysis of pros and cons and due consultation with Krishna concluded that war was inevitable. The entire fraternity of the then kings then got divided on the sides of Kauravs and Pandavs. Kunti the mother of Pandavs feared for her children. She secretly met Karna, told him the story of his birth and beseeched him to come to the side of Pandavs, as ‘he is the eldest Pandav’. Karna refused to betray Duryodhan but promised her that other than Arjun, he would not kill any of the Pandavs. ‘So whether I die, or Arjun dies, you will still be left with five sons’. Bhishm and Dronacharya sided with Duryodhan. Vidur, not being of warrior caste, did not fight. Krishna, the incarnation of God agreed to become the charioteer of Arjun with the condition that he will not fight in the war. He would only drive Arjun's chariot. At the battlefield, Arjun wilted at the sight of his elders and teachers as his enemy, got dejected and decided he could not fight his own kith and kin for the sake of kingdom. Thereupon Krishna gave him the gyan (knowledge) of Gita which is a theory of action. The opening section of Gita raises the question of the problem of human action—how we can live in the Highest Self and yet continue to work in the world? (Radhakrishnan, p. 13). The knowledge of Gita made Arjun return to his appointed action of fighting with the Kauravs not with an egoistic mind but with self-knowledge (Radhakrishnan, p. 381).

In the fierce battle that followed, the Kauravs were killed, so were Bhishm and Dronacharya. Both sides resorted to all sorts of treachery, double speak and broke all formal rules of war. The five Pandavs finally gained a phyrric victory. They also lost all their sons and all their relatives in the war. The five brothers were left only with the unborn grandson of Arjun.