Vows in the Mahabharata – the power, the lesson, the virtue
Mahabharata is a magnificent fabric, woven with the dazzling threads of individual stories, of ambitions and designs, philosophy, politics, strategies of warfare, striped with the dark forces of evil and injustice, and held together by the indomitable force of Dharma (Righteousness) and Divinity (Krishna).
At the core of the story are tough characters, defined by their determination, courage, fortitude, and moral fiber, or the lack thereof. The events of Mahabharata leading up to the Kurukshetra war are catapulted by vows and resolutions of outstanding individuals, defining destinies.
The epic is an ‘Ithihaasa’ which literally means, “So indeed it was.” Therefore, the knowledge and wisdom that Mahabharata imparts through the individuals, the events, and the stories should be trusted and accepted as true and factual.
This article is for those strong-willed, undaunted, and staunch characters, whose steely resolve created history, and is our priceless legacy. It is for us to discern the pros and cons of the choices made by these outstanding individuals.
One wonders, how the events would have unfolded had these vows and resolutions not taken!
Bheeshma’s vows for happiness, protection and upholding Dharma: The son of King Shantanu and Ganga, Bheeshma is the eldest half-brother to Dhrithashtra and Pandu, and hence the rightful heir to the throne. Shantanu longs for Satyavathi, the adopted daughter of a fisherman king, and wants to marry her. The father reveals the fact that Satyavati is of royal birth, and it is only fair to expect a guarantee from Shantanu that Satyavathi’s children should ascend the throne.
Bheeshma, in a bid to keep his father happy, takes a vow of celibacy and resolves never to ascend the throne. He further vows to protect the Kuru dynasty at any cost. Even when the dynasty is troubled with no heirs, Bheeshma stands firm on his vow and refuses to bear children.
Bheeshma’s oath to protect the throne spurs him to fight on behalf of the Kauravas, knowing that Duryodhana is in the wrong. He remains steadfast to his commitment to protect the throne even as he fights his own grandsons, the Pandavas.
Gandhari’s vow of sacrifice: Gandhari is the wife of Dhritarashtra. Knowing that her husband-to-be was blind, she readily blind-folds herself declaring that, “Of what use is sight to me, if it is deprived to my husband.” Gandhari’s choice exemplifies her courage and virtue.
She bears 100 sons and a daughter (Dussala), the eldest son being Duryodhana.
Gandhari was secure in the knowledge that she would bear her children first, and therefore the heir to the throne. However, Gandhari is smitten by anger and jealousy when she finds out that Kunti gave birth to a baby boy, before her.
While her deliberate and uncompelled decision to shut off her eyes does not directly impact the happenings in Hastinapura, she, unfortunately, fails to ‘see’ Duryodhana growing up on the poison of greed and hatred for the Pandavas. She is helpless about the erring ways of her children and is unsuccessful in her attempts to influence her eldest son, Duryodhana, to change his violent and vicious nature.
Gandhari, an able stateswoman, well versed in the Vedas, the scriptures and a knower of Dharma, has received harsh criticisms for her decision to not see the world that her husband could not.
Did her sacrifice give a free reign to her vile and vicious brother, Shakuni, whose disastrous influence on Duryodhana leads to the destruction of the Kuru dynasty?
Did her vow to blindfold herself make her vulnerable, enabling her wicked sons to commit heinous crimes?
Pandu’s vow of atonement: Pandu, the younger brother of Dritharashtra, is crowned the King of Hastinapura because Dritharashtra is born blind and unfit to be the king.
One fateful day, Pandu goes hunting with his wives Kunti and Madri, and in a brash and vain moment Pandu shoots at a rishi couple disguised as deer. The rishis curse him for his arrogance and momentary lack of remorse. He is fated to die if he were to get intimate with his wives to beget children.
King Pandu later regrets his actions and, in a bid, to atone for his deplorable deed, he vows to lead an ascetic life. Pandu delegates his kingdom to Dritharashtra and sets off into the forest with wives, Kunti and Madri, for the rest of his living years.
Consequently, the Pandavas are born in the forest, far from the kingdom. After the untimely death of Pandu and Madri, Kunti takes the brave decision to return to Hastinapura with her 5 sons...the Pandavas. From that moment, the Pandavas become victims of Duryodhana’s murderous deeds, insane rivalry, and hatred.
What if Pandu had not been so unyielding in pursuing his decision to go to the forest? The Pandavas would have been born in Hastinapura, grown up like Kshaytriya princes and crown princes.
Would their right to the throne be questioned?
Would they have been treated like outsiders?
Would there have been a war at all?
Karna’s resolve to vanquish Arjuna, vow of charity: Karna is the first-born son of Kunti born out of wedlock. Karna’s life is a tumultuous journey of unwise choices and bad decisions, arising from feelings of abandonment by his mother Kunti, and bitterness for his brothers, the Pandavas.
Karna is a strong and mighty warrior capable of defeating any of the powerful warriors among the Kauravas or the Pandavas. However, his character is weakened by feelings of insecurity and an inferiority complex. He befriends Duryodhana, who sees in Karna a worthy opponent to fight Arjuna in war.
Karna pledges unconditional and eternal friendship for Duryodhana and revels in pleasing Duryodhana at any cost - even stooping to aid and abet Duryodhana in his misdeeds.
After the Pandavas lose their wealth and themselves in the game of dice, Draupadi is dragged, by her hair, to the courtroom, by Dusshasana. Karna addresses Draupadi as an animal (gour), calls her a slave (daasi) and a woman with low morals. He further goads Duryodhana to order the disrobing of Draupadi, the ultimate act of degradation and disgrace.
Seized with a single-minded ambition to defeat Arjuna, Karna vows that he would not wash his feet, eat meat, or send any solicitor empty handed, until Arjuna is vanquished.
What was the result of Karna’s friendship with Duryodhana? What came of his vow of charity?
Karna’s friendship with Duryodhana is directly responsible for the deadly war of Kurukshetra. Afraid of losing Duryodhana’s friendship, Karna keeps many secrets from Duryodhana…especially the secret of his birth, the curses that he had to bear for deceiving his gurus and misrepresenting himself.
He unhesitatingly gives away his protective armor and earrings to Indra, knowing that it would weaken him and the Kaurava army in the war. He pledges to Kunti, that he will not touch any of her sons, except Arjuna. This pledge does not work in his Duryodhana’s favor.
Yudhishtra’s vow to obey elders and surrender to avert war: As the first-born son of Pandu, and the legal heir to the throne, Yudhishtra or Dharmaraja, walks the fine line of Dharma till the end of his life.
When it was predicted, by Vyasa, that a terrifying and ghastly war was impending 13 years into the future, he takes a vow to unquestioningly and unconditionally obey the words of the Kuru elders.
To keep his vow, Yudhishtra accepts the invitation to the fraudulent game of dice – twice. The result - a disastrous defeat, and humiliation of Draupadi the first time; the second defeat was an exile of 12 years and one year of living incognito. Soon after, the deadly and destructive war ensues.
If he had not taken the vow of silence, would that have given him and his brothers the opportunity to stand up to the unfairness in the game? Could it have averted the dishonor and degradation caused to their wife and the royal queen, Draupadi? More importantly, did the vow indeed avert the catastrophic war?
King Drupada’s vow of vengeance: Disgraced by the defeat at the hands of Drona, Drupada vows to avenge the insult. He performs a sacrificial prayer to beget two children: a daughter who will marry Arjuna and bring him fame and victory, and a son who will kill Drona.
The fruit of that prayer: Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna. There would be no Mahabharata to write about if there was no Draupadi.
Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna have an older sibling, the famous Shikhandi. Shikhandi is Amba in her previous birth, who vows to kill Bhishma for the injustice done to her.
Duryodhana’s decision not to yield to justice: Duryodhana is an egocentric, arrogant, scornful, envious, and a vengeful character, who has neither the legal right nor the competency to the throne.
Despite numerous pleas and counsel to choose peace, Duryodhana vows not to part with even a needle point of land to his cousins, the Pandavas. He declares he would rather go to war than give the Pandavas their rightful share.
Eventually, war becomes inevitable causing monumental loss of lives to both sides of the army. Even until the last breath, Duryodhana is hopeful to hear the good news that the Pandavas have been killed.
His dear friend Ashwatthama vows to bring that news to him. Ashwathama is unsuccessful in killing the Pandavas; however, he resorts to the dastardly act of killing the sons of Pandavas, while they are sleeping in their war tents.
Krishna’s divine pledge as proclaimed in the Bhagavat Gita – Krishna's birth in itself is a vow to deliver His people from the cruel reign of His uncle, Kamsa. The theme of His childhood past times and His actions later on, convey one central message: Those who surrender to Him with complete trust and faith will receive protection, liberation and enlightenment.
The ultimate pledge that reflects and resonates with Krishna avatara, as told to Arjuna in the battlefield of Kuruskshetra is, “To protect the righteous, to destroy the wicked, and to re-establish Dharma, I shall appear time after time.”
What do vows mean for us? Do such persons of nerve exist only in epics?
Every Indian household, even today, has a grandmother, a mother, an aunt, an uncle, or father, who have taken oaths of silence, abstinence of food, or a trek up to a religious place, for the welfare of a house, health of a child, or for overcoming unsurpassable obstacles.
Our ancestors and forefathers have upheld their vows, with grit and fortitude, till the end of their lives.
The power of a promise and a vow is immeasurable and beyond the grasp of logic or reason. A pledge, an oath taken for a higher purpose and goal, rooted in the consciousness of Dharma, can make every person’s story an epic for generations to come.