Dharma and Mahabharata
... goal? Obviously, one should follow dharma; but what is the dharma that one should follow in order to attain the goal. The answer is not easy because there is not just one certain dharma that one should follow in order to attain the goal. There are several dharmas mentioned in the Mahabharata. They are broken down in accordance with the social classes a person is born into, different stages of social life and other duties. They include varna-dharma, duties according to the social class a person is born into; asramadharma, duties of person in the different stages of social life; rajadharma, duties of a king to its kingdom; kuladharma, duties of a family; stridharma, the duties of a women; etc. One of the dharma that is prominent in the epic is the Varna-dharma. According to this dharma one should do the duty asigned to each individual on the basis of varna (social class) into which he is born. Each of the four varnas has a social function to fulfill and has specific rules of conduct and modes of life that circumscribe the behavior of its member. The Pandavas belong to the Ksatriya varna; and hence, are seen struggling with the dharma corresponding to it. In fact, Yudhisthira engages in the war with the Kauravas in order to perform his Ksatriya-dharma. After the gambling game, he arrives at a position where his dharma suffers diminution deeming it impossible for him to perform his dharma as a ksatriya. Bhima, in convincing Yudhisthira to action, points out that he should perform his dharma, the duty pertaining to his own varna, and destroy his enemy. He was asking Yudhisthira to act according his Ksatriya-dharma. Another character that struggles with his Ksatriya-dharma is Arjuna. When the war is about to start, Arjuna refuses to pick up his weapons to kill his own relatives. It is then, Krsna convinces Arjuna that in order to act according to dharma; he should perform his own duty adequately than to excel in someone else?s. And according to Ksatriya-dharma, Arjuna?s duty is to fight. It is after a long discourse with Krsna that Arjuna picks up his weapons and engages in the war that leads to the destruction of his own relatives. Another dharma that is given importance in the epic is the Raja-dharma. According to Raja-dharma, a king?s duty is to make sure that the members of all four varnas in the society are treated appropriate to their status. Raja-dharma is of political nature as well as of ethical nature. By following the Raja-dharma, an individual not only becomes a great king but also attains the goal of dharma in life. In the epic, Yudhisthira learns about Raja-dharma from the great Bhisma and other well-versed teachers in dharma. It is because of his knowledge and him following his dharma that he is able to lead a life of a great king. The women?s highest dharma is considered to be the Stridharma. According the Stridharma, a woman?s duty is to serve her husband. The model character for following the Stridharma in the epic is Gandhari. Gandhari decides to blindfold herself when she learns that her husband is blind. She sacrifices herself because she does not want to have the pleasures and the joys her husband couldn?t have. She follows her Stridharma very well by putting her husbands? needs before hers. By following the dharma that one is supposed to follow, an individual can attain victory in the battle of life. This is one of the various points that the epic tries to get across that victory is where dharma is. This is true in case of the Pandavas who come out victorious at the end of the Mahabharata War. Even though the Pandavas are said to be fighting on the side of dharma, they, however, do not achieve their victory by strictly following dharmic ways. At many instances, they use adharmic ways in order to get rid of their enemies. One such incident is where Yudhisthira tells a white lie in order to kill Drona. The Pandavas knew that Drona would be weakened by news of the death of his son, Asvatthama. Yudhisthira utters that Asvatthama is dead within the hearing of Drona and only adds softly whether it be the man or the elephant. Drona not hearing the latter gives up his weapons because he feels that he can?t go on anymore, and the Pandavas go on and slay him. It is somewhat the same situation with the death of Karna. Arjuna kills Karna when his chariot wheels get stuck in the mud. It is against the ksatriya laws to kill someone in distress; but the lord Krsna himself tells Arjuna to go ahead and slay the enemy. Bhisma?s death was also by deceive where the Pandavas take shelter of a man named, Sikhandin who was a women in his previous life; and Bhisma had vowed to not to use weapons against a woman. The Pandavas take advantage of this very fact and get rid of Bhisma. These violations of dharma by the Pandavas and Krsna are questioned by Duryodhana who was also killed by the Pandavas by adharmic means and Gandhari who could not understand the fact that how can they be preaching dharma when they are acting adharmic themselves. The violations of dharma are justified since they were taken in abnormal times. It sanctions any means to desired end. The epic also gives another explanation for justification of its dharmic characters? acts; and it is that while dharma can only be practiced towards a dharmic person, it is alright to act adharmic towards an adharmic person. One can make several efforts in trying to the grasp the concept of dharma but will not succeed in fully grasping the idea due to its subtle nature. There have been instances in the epic where the subtlety of dharma becomes evident. One of such...