KRISHNA STORY 92

[jksivan]

Dear Children

                       92 ''The final combat''

Hindus are blessed with two great epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharatha. If any one reads them once, no doubt, they will be tempted to read dit again and again. It is a known fact to all of you that the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharath are being told repeatedly ever so many speakers and lecturers all over in public places and temples and still these lectures and discourses attract many people. They know these stories and yet they wish to hear them again and again. They wish to read them and think about the characters frequently. Why because they are special and just because of two main characaters, viz., Rama and Krishna, the matchless and personalities of great qualities and divinity.

To tell these stories again there is no restriction, as to where it should be started and ended. Any part of it is found quite interesting because in Mahabharath particularly, it cannot be without Krishna's presence somewhere. It is more than enough. Take for instance our stories on Krishna. You can find it not in any chronological order or in any systematic arranement. It is absolutely not necessary. Each story is different and strangely without it there is no complete compilation. Many write to me and tell me over phone, they are very happy and look forward to these stories by mail daily, because of this specific reason only.

The Kurukshethra war between Pandavas and Kauravas almost came to a completion with both sides losing considerably, in fact the Kauravas losing more than the Pandavas

Duryodhana had lost all his brothers. When all his other commanders lost the war Duryodhana was not worried, but ultimately, when Karna, the great warrior, best friend and a talented archer, too had gone, everthing looked disastrous for Duryodhan. There was little hope after he lost brothers also. He was all the time relying on Karna's ability to destroy the Pandavas. There is no one left now to come to his rescue. There is no meaning in still hoping for a win in the war.

Duryodhan had only one option or a choice to decide. How to die? To fight the Pandavas and die like the others who fought for him. To escape until he is ready again to surface for a fresh fight. Is it possible? Where to hide? Duryodhana knew the art of staying under water for long. Hence it came to his rescue now. He got into a lake. The very few generals who supported the Kauravas like Kripacharya, Aswaththama, and others, searched for Duryodhana and found him in the lake.

Kripacharya, the only senior leader left, advised : ''Duryodhan, dont lose heart. You are not a coward. You are our king and supreme commander no. I feel there is only one choice now which you can exercise and still win the war. ''

''Gurudeva, what are you telling? What is the choice you are talking about? Please make it clear to me''

Duryhodhan came out of the lake and they sat and discussed. After the discussions, they all left and reached the battle field.

''Duryodhan, we give you a last opportunity. You can select one of us and let there be a duel between you and the selected one. You may select the weapon of your choice for the duel. If you win, you will be allowed to go and live somewhere. There is no alternative, because in the duel if you get killed, there is no need for any reward as you willl join brothers, generals and others who fought for you in the war''

''You tell me whom you wish to select for the duel and the weapon you wish to use. ''

However bad he was otherwise, Duryodhan was a brave warrior and a proud Kshathriya. In any duel, they select people of equal strength and capability. Mismatches were discredited. Dhuryodhan knew of all the Pandavas, his only arch enemy was Bheema. Right from childhood he had been entertaining a grouse with Bheema only. Bheema and Dhuryodhan were both of same strength and training in mace handling. At times it was difficult to say who was better in using the mace as a weapon because both had the training under Krishna's brother Balaram. Now Dhuryodhan was better placed because he was in this duel, fighting for his life!! He had to survive by beating or killing Bheema in this last chance afforded to him to fulfil his long time wish. He therefore chose Bheema for the duel to commence.

In presence of everyone there, the duel started between Bheema and Dhuryodhan. It began with both fighting hard and trying to outwit the other and prolonged for a very long duration. Still no one was able to bring it to an end.

Krishna realised that Bheema was losing energy and becoming exhausted while Dhuryodhan was taking advantage of this. He was encouraging Bheema and gave some signs which Bheema failed to notice and make use of.

At onel stage, Krishna drew the attention of Bheema by shouting ''Well done Bheema, you are too good..."" The happy Bheema looked at Krishna whose hand was slapping and tapping his thighs distinctly. The message was given and taken appropriately by Bheema.
He remembered his vow to kill Dhuryodhan by blasting his thighs when in the presence of every one in his court, he slapped and tapped his thighs and directed Draupadhi to come and sit on his thighs. This memory when recalled by Bheema, infuriated him more than before and he began a fresh combat this time with Dhuryodhan hitting him with his mace everywhere and in between he smashed the thighs of Dhuryodhan. It was not acceptable in a combat to hit anyone below waist but since he had vowed Bheema had to do this. There was also the advantage for Bheema in this because once Dhuryodhana had earned the curse of a Rishi , and so had to die thus.

Dhuryodhan's mother Gandhari was a woman of grat virtues. Though she was blessed with good eye sight, she chose to remain blind like her husband Dhritharashtra, by not viewing anything using her eye, with a cloth wound tightly around her eyes. There was a boon given to her that if she opened her eyes and saw anyone his body would be strong like an iron mould. The person thus seen by her would be an iron man and cannot be beaten by anything or any one and so shall be a very strong person. When Dhuryodhana was a boy one day he was asked to come completely naked without any clothes to be seen by his mother Gandhari so that his entire body would be iron-like and he will be a strong man. Krishna prevented this by advising Dhuryodhan, ''It is not correct, proper, or modest or decent to stand before even a mother, completely naked. So you cover yourself between waist and knee.'' So when Gandhari opened her eyes and saw Dhuryodhan she did not see his thighs and it was the weakest spot in his body vulnerable to cause pain and death. Krishna knew this and hinted to Bheema by slapping and tapping his thighs at the right time during the combat. “this is injustice and unfair'' shouted Aswaththama, when Bheema smashed Dhuryodhan's thighs and killed him finally. Krishna replied him ''love begets love and hate begets hate'' injustice therefore begets injustice'' as Kauravas where the ones who began the game of cheating and unfair treatment. Aswaththama was silenced.

Dhuryodhan was a personification of jealousy, enmity, hatred and injustice and was the cause of the war which took many lives as the toll. He was good to a few like Karna, who gave their lives to him in his war against his cousins, the Pandavas. There ended their gratitude. He never regretted and died an egoistic king , unreasonable and even after Krishna tried to transform him, he remained the same old Dhuryodhan is a pity.