Latest news with #Duryodhana
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Keeping good company
When the Pandavas leave for the forest, the people of Hastinapura follow them, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. They discuss the injustice done to the Pandavas, despite the presence of learned men like Drona in the royal court. They tell the Pandavas that success and failure are common in a war. But an enemy should not win by unfair means. The Kauravas have resorted to underhand means to defeat Yudhishthira in a game of dice. The citizens of Hastinapura do not want to remain in a city which is ruled by an unjust king. There are two kinds of people who do wicked things. Some are intrinsically wicked, like Dritharashtra and Duryodhana. Some sin because of circumstances. Bhishma, Drona and Vidura belong to the latter category. Having been with the Kauravas, they cannot abandon them suddenly, even when they know that Duryodhana is guilty of unforgivable sins. Having enjoyed the patronage of Dritharashtra for many years, how can they turn against him, when he needs them? So they stay back with the Kauravas. But the residents of Hastinapura give reasons for their decision to leave the city. We acquire the characteristics of those whose company we keep. If you add fragrant flowers to a pot of water, the water begins to smell good too. The earth smells good because of the flowers. Clothes that come into contact with the flowers also acquire a pleasant smell. The people argue that they must be with righteous people like the Pandavas. If they stay back in a city ruled by Duryodhana, they too will begin to think and act like him, casting dharma away, and behaving selfishly. We should seek the company of educated people, the elderly whose experience we can benefit from, those with good qualities, those engaged in tapas and those with self-control.
News18
17-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Karna: The Evil Counsel Of A Jealous Master
Karna's disgraceful conduct on countless occasions is the earliest and perhaps the perfect case study in the theory and practice of Communism From his teenage years, Duryodhana had cultivated a Duṣṭa-traya — a Diabolical Triad comprising Śakuni, Duśyāsana, and Karna, which assisted his self-scripted drama of evil that ultimately ruined him and the Kaurava kingdom and the nation. This is akin to the sinister cabal surrounding Indira Gandhi whose depraved counsel wrecked India and culminated in her assassination and the genocide of Sikhs — all horrors of her own making. The parallel doesn't stop here. Karna's loyalty was a personal loyalty exclusively reserved for Duryodhana. For him, Duryodhana was Hastinapura, just as DK Barooah had infamously declared that India was Indira. The iconic Kannada litterateur, journalist and philosopher, DV Gundappa fleshes out Karna's innate character and the nature of his relationship with Duryodhana: 'When Karna was mocked and humiliated for being the son of a Sūta (charioteer in this case; in general, low birth), he was unable to find a convincing counter to it and had to swallow the indignity." Indignity bred inferiority within Karna, which in turn spawned a lifelong resentment against the whole world, in a manner of speaking. Duryodhana became the perfect vehicle to channelise this misguided bitterness. Unqualified servility to Duryodhana was an agreeable cost to pay for his unceasing war against the world. Karna's disgraceful conduct on countless occasions is the earliest and perhaps the perfect case study in the theory and practice of Communism. In its ideological scheme of things, you are not a true Communist if you don't first loathe yourself, and then loathe yourself for life. By extension, a self-loather is also a perpetual blame-hunter. Thus, if I am poor, neglected, disrespected and despised, it is always someone else's fault — that someone else is the invisible but the real entity called society. Every notable Communist ideologue from Karl Marx to today's Woke champions has invariably projected their personal pathologies as injuries done to them by society. In this context, one can recall Dr SL Bhyrappa's memorable reply when he was asked why he did not become a Communist, given his painful childhood and his struggling student life: 'The same society that treated me unkindly in those early days also gave me opportunities to study and become something. The same society continues to respect me as a writer. I should be grateful and not wage war against it." This is an obvious and rather straightforward truth that anyone can realise if they set aside their ego and self-pity and look inward. Thus, Karna's ego operated as a self-induced shame for being labelled as a Sūta. It blinded him to the existence of another stalwart, Vidura — one of the most profound characters in the Mahabharata. Vidura too, hailed from Karna's social strata and he held a place of great dignity in the court of Hastinapura. Two early episodes in the epic reveal how Karna, like Karl Marx, recasts his personal pathology as a war against the world. In the Vidurāgamana-Parva of the Adi-Parva, this is what Karna says about women in general but his real target is Draupadi: 'women think that it is desirable to possess more than one husband. Draupadi has attained that." In the same Parva, we notice Karna admitting that the Pandavas are intrinsically Dharmic and that Duryodhana cannot defeat them on the plane of Dharma. He gives a line by line rebuttal to Duryodhana's strategies to wreck the Pandava unity. In this portion of the Parva, Duryodhana operates from pure jealousy while Karna operates at a fouler level: he knows that the Pandavas are innately virtuous, yet he wants to deliberately injure them. For two basic reasons: One, to please Duryodhana, and two, to extract his personal vengeance against Draupadi. His sickening advice to Duryodhana is breathtaking for its sheer evil: 'Duryodhana! O Lord of the Earth! It is impossible to win against the Pandavas through Sāma, dāna, and bhēda. Victory is possible only through valour (Vikrama)." Here, Karna gives the honourable trait of valour to justify the launch of an unprovoked, Adharmic war to fulfil his itch for spite. We invoke Gundappa once again: '… Karna was bereft of the ability to distinguish between Dharma and Adharma in his loyalty towards his benefactor. Karna never felt the need to tell Duryodhana: 'this is good for you, this isn't." Indeed, more than anybody, Karna unerringly knew that wicked counsel would please his master. To be continued… (The author is the founder and chief editor, 'The Dharma Dispatch'. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views) view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
May 12, 2025
People may face difficulties and struggles, and their problems may follow them wherever they go. A person may face certain consequences if he becomes an ingrate, quarrels or fights with elders, or thinks ill of the host who entertained him, allowed him to stay and offered food. Trichy Sri Kalyanaraman said in a discourse that the Mahabharatha provides apt examples of how various people led pious and straightforward lives. We should show pity and sympathise with our relatives who suffer. Because his brother Pandu's sons lived in the forest, Vidhura chose to stay in a small hut, though he occupied a significant position in the Kauravas' kingdom. Even the grandsire Bhishma, though he lived in the palace, led a simple life. We should not go after name, fame, or money. Only a steadfast and disciplined life will bring God's grace. Saint Thiagaraja refused to accept a coveted post offered by the king. Swamy Vedanta Desika, who eked out his living by seeking alms, once found a small gold coin in the rice pot dropped by a household, and the Acharya pushed it as a worm. On His mission to Hastinapura, Lord Krishna chose to stay at Vidura's hut, who was excited in great joy, told whether his hut was the milk ocean or the reclining bed of Adisesha or the peepal leaf on which Lord Vishnu rested during the time of great Deluge. Krishna vehemently refused to stay at the palace of Duryodhana, and when questioned, He replied that one could not think ill of a person who offered food and shelter. Duryodhana floated in the air, boasting that he had mustered the support of hundreds of kings to defeat the Pandavas in the war, but failing to recognise that he was bereft of Lord Krishna's support. Lord Devendra praised Karna, for although his mortal coil may vanish, his name and fame for charity will last forever.
Epoch Times
03-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Seeing the Invisible World
The company that I run, Motivational Maps, has a slogan: 'Making the invisible, visible.' Now that's something, isn't it? At some intuitive level, we all know what 'motivation' is, but what actually is it? Our company trades on the basis that we can accurately describe and measure motivation; by doing so, we make it visible. What before was a gut feeling, now is something much more substantial. Many other things are invisible: our personalities, our psyches, the past, the future, all our values, and even abstract nouns like love. We don't doubt that love exists, though we don't see love itself; we experience it through actions, our own and others'. In fact, the most important things in this world are all invisible, and yet everything depends on them. To put it another way, the material, visible world depends upon the immaterial invisible one. One of the great Chinese philosophers expressed it this way, in the ' Those who in ancient times were competent as Masters Were one with the invisible forces of the hidden. They were deep so that one cannot know them. Because one cannot know them Therefore one can only painfully describe their exterior. (Translation by Richard Wilhelm) The Power of Invisibles In his wonderful book, 'Beauty, Spirit, Matter: Icons in the Modern World,' Aidan Hart commented on this ancient painting technique: 'One task of iconography is to unveil this logoi [explanation/meaning] hidden within creation to make the invisible visible. ... Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of icons is the virtual absence of shadow. This is because the icon reveals all things as living and moving and having their being in God. As God is light, there can be no shadow.' "Inspiration Chretienne," by Pierre Cecile Puvis De Chavannes. Monks painting icons on the wall of an abbey in France. Smithsonian American Art Museum/CC0 This invisible world is the powerful one. As British author Karen Armstrong Related Stories 4/9/2025 2/8/2025 This powerful reality is a major source of hope and comfort to us; it is also a source of terror and admonishment—a warning, if you will. Disregarding the invisible world is a calamitous mistake. There are two wonderful and dramatic examples of this in the 'Mahabharata,' the ancient Indian epic, and the Bible, which seem to me in parallel. According to Donald A. Mackenzie's 'Indian Myth and Legend,' in the 'Mahabharata' epic, the evil cousin, Duryodhana, decides to capture and imprison the god Krishna, who is present in his earthly, incarnate form. Duryodhana wants to do this to prevent Krishna from deciding to support Duryodhana's cousin, Arjuna, in the forthcoming war. But the god perceives his intentions and 'Ah! thou of little understanding, is it thy desire to take me captive? Know now that I am not alone here, for all the gods and holy beings are with me. Having spoken ... Krishna suddenly revealed himself in divine splendour. His body was transformed into a tongue of flame; gods and divine beings appeared about him; fire issued from his mouth and eyes and ears; sparks broke from his skin, which became as radiant as the sun. All the rajas closed their eyes; they trembled when an earthquake shook the palace. But Duryodhana remained defiant.' Notice the phrase 'I am not alone here' and the manifestation of divine beings. Similarly, in the Old Testament, the king of Aram, enraged by the prophet Elisha's revealing his plans to the king of Israel, sends an army to capture him. Elisha's servant is terrified by the army, but Elisha ''Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.' Then Elisha prayed and said, 'Lord, please, open his eyes so that he may see.' And the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.' But how does this knowledge influence our lives, our decision-making? Will we see these angelic beings and their hosts even if we pray to do so? Well, both the 'Mahabharata' and the Bible have two other stories which take this concept to the next level. Trusting in the Invisible Duryodhana and Arjuna both seek Krishna's help for the impending war. Duryodhana arrives first and chooses to sit near Krishna's head as he sleeps, while Arjuna arrives later and sits near Krishna's feet. Upon awakening, Krishna sees Arjuna first and offers him the first choice between two options: either Krishna's personal involvement on his side, with the condition that he will not wield any weapons, or use of Krishna's mighty Narayani Sena (army). Arjuna opts for Krishna's personal, albeit unarmed, support, and Duryodhana gleefully accepts the vast Narayani Sena army. Clearly, Duryodhana believes that Arjuna has made a dreadful mistake. But this choice underscores Arjuna's devotion and strategic insight, valuing Krishna's counsel over sheer military might. In other words, he valued the invisible over the visible, and, because of this, prevails against Duryodhana. Krishna and Arjun in the chariot, "Mahabharata," 18th–19th century, India. Public Domain Belief in the invisible—in the invisible world—has tremendous ramifications, and ultimately becomes a matter of life and death, or more accurately: life or death. So where is the key moment in the Bible that shows the importance of decision making on this epic scale? It is of course Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane ( We make decisions on the basis of only what we know or think we know; oftentimes, what we know is only what we see—a speck of reality. The greatest of us in this world see far more than what can be seen materially, because they look to the invisible. As the Irish poet, priest, and philosopher John O' Donohue expressed it: 'You cannot see your thoughts, which shape your mind and the world, and you have never seen the inner world hidden behind the faces of those closest to you. You cannot see the future that is already claiming you and you cannot see the divine, so the invisible world holds our deepest treasures and it is only through the gift of the imagination that we can sense these adjacent worlds and cross over their thresholds. The imagination is the great friend of possibility. For the alert and awakened imagination, possibilities always beckon towards new pathways of creativity, belonging and love. Each of us has been created by the Divine Artist, made in the image and likeness of the Divine Imagination. … The imagination knows that it is at these thresholds that new worlds rise into view.' New worlds rise into view? Exactly—seeing the invisible—surely, a mission for our whole lives. 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