Pearl 15

BEWILDERED BY MAYA, DURYODHAN FALLS INTO WATER THINKING IT TO BE SOLID FLOOR

This account refers at large to the underlying reason which led to the Mahabharata war.

Chapter 75, verse 32: Many of us believe that Draupadi is the main cause of the Mahabharata war since She antagonised Duryodhana, the son of blind Dhritrashtra. But in this verse Shukdevji reveals that the actual reason behind the battle of Kurukshetra was Duryodhana’s infatuation with Draupadi! Precisely like Ravana's obsession for Sitaji, Lord Rama’s wife, resulted in the Lanka war. On the other hand Bali’s fascination for younger brother Sugriv's wife was the basis of his being killed.

Verse 36-37: Duryodhana, afflicted with anger and arrogance, is humiliated because of this very weakness. “Proud Duryodhana, holding a sword in his hand and wearing a crown and necklace angrily went into the palace in the company of his brothers, O King, insulting the doorkeepers as he entered. Bewildered by the illusions created through Maya Danava’s magic, Duryodhana mistook the solid floor for water and lifted the end of his garment. And elsewhere he fell into the water, mistaking it for the solid floor.” Powerful kings like Ravana, Duryodhana and Bali were disgraced because of being smitten by somebody else’s wives, leave alone us humans in such a situation.

Continuing our journey of spotting fresh pearls from chapter 75, Xth canto, we come across:

Verse 5: Lord Krishna took upon Himself the duty of washing the guests’ feet during the Rajsuya Yagna. Most of us consider it a demeaning job but Lord Krishna willingly opted for it!

Verse 14-15:- Milk and butter flowed freely by the residents of Indraprastha, in celebration of Lord Krishna’s presence in the famous Rajsuya yagna. “Men and women, all adorned with sandalwood paste, flower garlands, jewellery and fine clothing, sported by smearing and sprinkling one another with various liquids. The men smeared the courtesans with plentiful oil, yogurt, perfumed water, turmeric and kunkuma powder, and the courtesans playfully smeared the men with the same substances.” The scenario emphasises the importance of milk and its products in the Holy Scripture.

Verse 19-21:-King Yudhistir takes a bath in the Holy Ganges which absolves Him of all sins since the river flows directly from the feet of Lord Vishnu. The priests led the King through the execution of the final rituals. “Then they had him and Queen Draupadi sip water for purification and bathe in the Ganges. The kettledrums of the gods resounded, along with those of human beings. Demigods, sages, forefathers and humans all poured down showers of flowers.” All the citizens then bathed in that place, “where even the most grievous sinner can immediately be freed from all sinful reactions.”

Verse 30:- In class with other Kings, Maharaj Yudhistir also had certain desires and ambitions but due to the grace of Lord Krishna, attained satisfaction, the greatest wealth of all. This is a virtue of every Devotee who akin to Arjuna, seeks refuge solely in Lord Krishna. “Thus King Yudhistir, the son of Dharma, was at last relieved of his burning ambition, having by the grace of Lord Krishna successfully crossed the vast and formidable ocean of his desires.”