Suicide Squads in Mahabharatha
I started reading Rajaji’s Mahabharatha during my trip to Chidambaram. I could manage only about 100 odd pages during that train journey and the hotel stay.
I continued to read as and when time permitted during the weekends.
Finally, I managed to complete the epic today! Very satisfying and thought provoking in my opinion.
The beauty of Mahabharatha is its contemporary feel in spite of being thousands of years old. For instance, we have been reading with awe and fear about the suicide squads mounted by various terrorist outfits throughout the world.
My first exposure to this concept was on May 21, 1991 when Rajiv Gandhi was killed in Sriperumbudur. Then came 9/11 which will remain unforgettable for the generations to come.
But it’s interesting to see that this concept as such is finding a place even in Mahabharatha.
Duryodhana wants to capture Yudhishtra alive. Dronacharya says that is impossible so long as Arjuna is near Yudhishtra. So they decide Arjuna should be drawn into a battle with someone else so that time lapse can be used to attack and capture alive!
Please read the excerpts for more…
77. The Twelfth Day
The chief of the Trigartadesa who heard Drona say this talked it over with his brothers, and they made a plan. They resolved to take the samsaptaka oath and challenge Arjuna to battle and draw him away from Yudhishthira’s side.Accordingly, together with a large force, they gathered, and sat before the fire, dressed in matted grass, and went through funeral gifts and ceremonies for themselves as if already dead, and took their oath: “Not till we have killed Dhananjaya will we turn back. If we flee in fear from battle, may we be punished as for deadly sin!”
Having adjured themselves thus before the sacred fire, they marched south for that was the direction of Death, and shouted “O Arjuna!” challenging him to battle.
It was a great suicide squad organized to achieve what Drona had pointed out to be essential.
Readers interested in reading the translation of Rajaji’s classic can click here.
This version by Rajaji is also known for its simplicity. I chose this because I was not very confident of finishing any deep scholarly versions. Planning to read Cho’s version sometime in the future.
There are a few more observations I want to share with. Maybe will do that in the days to come now and then.
April 10th, 2006 at 7:24 pm
My dad’s (granddad’s may be…) copy of Rajaji’s Mahabharat used to lie untouched in the shelf gathering dust. But then, I was too young to follow such a complicated and labyrinthic epic. Then, when I really wanted to read it, contemporary books overtook my interest. Thanks for the link…Rajaji is closer than ever now:))
“There are a few more observations I want to share with. Maybe will do that in the days to come now and then.”
Welcome…I’m game for it.
April 10th, 2006 at 7:26 pm
Good observation PK.
And thanks for the link - even I wanted to read the writing of Rajaji.
April 10th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
casement,
welcome.
actually rajaji oda tamil padikaradhukku avlo simple and straightfwd.
that really helps for an epic of such a grand scale.
will write my observations in a day r two.
ksprabhu,
danks man,
thamizh version kedaicha miss pannadhey.
the thing is we all know the crux of the story. but adhu koda vara kutti kutti ubakadhaigal and main characers la irukara shades of grey ellam makes u think.
April 11th, 2006 at 12:22 am
PK, i was about to point to the link when I found you already discovered it. About the suicide-strategy, discovered a similar view of Drona here a few months ago(Sachi Srikantha is a diehard eelam apologetic but I am impressed by his somewhat amusing vocabulary and a tireless nose for extracting the most minute of info. sometimes writes on cricket, tamil cinema and literature too)
April 11th, 2006 at 1:06 am
PK
LOTR and HP patthi dhaan namma younger generationnukku theriyum
nobody cares of our own epic.
Kaalathin kolam
I am looking forward to your new piece.
Note:myself and thennavan has come up with a new ghana do check it out and let me know.
April 11th, 2006 at 11:42 am
Prabhu Karthik
Very interesting observation.. There is so much we can glean from the great epics.
I read Rajaji’s Mahabharatha some time back.. now your post has made me read it again..
Thanks.. Looking forward to more insightful posts on this from you..
April 13th, 2006 at 10:55 am
talkative man,
yep i saw that article too:)thanks for the pointer
ganesh,
sad yet true:(
unga gaana ketten. coming to yr blog for comments:)
ram vishwanathan,
thanks:) a bit held up will write something soon
April 13th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
aavaludan edhirparkiren..Mahabharatam does have a lot of side stories which is what I like about it (better than Ramayana!). Reading about a honest, straightforward, serious Rama somehow is not as much fun as reading about a cunning, playful, fun Krishna!:)
Hopefully, Hindutva groups won’t terrorize me for that statement..:)
April 14th, 2006 at 10:05 pm
subha,
ofcourse krishna is cunning and hindutva groups draw inspiration from krishna’s character while playing political con games:)