The Bhishma Way Or The Jatayu Way

Indisputably it is an excellent share thanks to madam sister @umaakumar .
I enjoyed Bhishma vi’s-a-vi’s Jadayu Behaviour at the hour of crisis , a chalenging moment indeed. As a third party to a situation of grave crisis, many would be perplexed to take the route - Bhishma way or Jadayu way. Majority would be glad to remain as a spectator and a Samaritan might appear in the scene from nowhere to help - to diffuse the crisis.

I read a beautiful passage which I stored in my archive as to whatlead Bhishma to remain a mute spectator . It is tad long but I reproduce it here for convenience of reading.
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Before this question can be answered, we need to rewind a bit, to understand how the game of dice got organised in the first place. If we fail to identify the main players and the dynamics within the Kuru Dynasty that was at play around this time, we will fail to understand, why, the wisest and most senior of the Bharat Dynasty that was present during this most ignominious incident, failed to protest.

The seeds of antipathy towards the Pandavas by the Kauravas were actually sown much before the princes were born; ever since, Dhritarashtra, despite being the eldest, could not sit on the throne of Hastinapur, on account of his blindness as the Shastras, pointed out by Bhisma, doesn’t allow a blind person to be a king. Dhritarashtra had no choice, but to accept his fate. On account of this, however, Dhritarashtra continued to remain bitter. His ambition that was thwarted, however, found a chance in being fulfilled by elder son, Duryodhona, who he had expected would be able to ascend the throne. But even here, fate dealt a blow, as Duriyodhona, though conceived earlier than Yudhistira, was born later. Thus, it would be Yudhistira, that would inherit the throne and not Duryodhona.

When the Pandavas escaped from being burned alive at Varnavat and started moving around disguised as Brahmins, they heard about the Swyamvara at Panchal. Though the main reason was alms (the Brahmins told them that there are possibilities of getting good alms from Panchal) they decided to attend the swyamvara along with the other Brahmins. We all know the stories of how Arjuna ultimately won Draupadi by hitting the target.

By marrying Draupadi, the Pandavas won a very strong ally in Drupad. Even Krishna presented them with a lot of wealth and arms. Suddenly from destitute, the Pandavas became a powerful force. Hence, when the Pandavas returned to Hastinapur with their new bride Draupadi, Dhritarashtra was forced to grant them some land to set up their kingdom. However, this was a wasteland, called Khandava. But the Pandavas, by their own prowess, created a prosperous and rich kingdom out of this wasteland, with its capital at Indraprastha.

Yudhistira conducted the Rajsuya Yagna and became the emperor, a title that was even bigger than Dhritarashtra. It was during this yagna, that Duryodhona got to see the wealth of the Pandavas and returned to Hastinapur morose and dejected with a heart full of jealousy. He realised that the Pandavas, whom he had hated all his life, had now become far more prosperous and powerful than the Kauravas. Over and above, Yudhistira had managed to obtain the support of the people. It was from this state, that he narrates his experiences at Indraprastha to his father. He literally tells Dhritarashtra that, he just cannot tolerate this prosperous state of the Pandavas and if nothing is done to subjugate them, he will commit suicide. In order to convince his depression to his father, he even lies about how Draupadi along with others had laughed at certain mishaps, when he landed in the water, thinking it was dry land (though Draupadi was not even present when this happened).

By this time, a coterie had already formed in the palace of Hastinapura. The senior coterie, consisting of Bhima, Drone, Kripa and Vidur (along with Ashwathama) and a junior, more powerful coterie of Karna, Shakuni and Dushashana, led by Duryodhana. Duryodhana in his desperation to destroy the Pandavas started making all kinds of idiotic plans. One was to create a rift among the brothers by tempting each with a beautiful woman. This plan was summarily rejected by Karna. Karna told Duryodhana that this plan will not work, because, all the Pandava brothers were besotted with Draupadi. They will never leave Draupadi. The chances of Draupadi leaving the Pandavas was also slim, as Draupadi had selected the Pandavas at a time when she thought that they were destitute. Secondly, a woman who has five husbands to have fun with will never leave them (this was how Karna would always view this relationship, in strong sexual terms). Karna suggested that they should be attacked without haste before the Pandavas could obtain military help and consolidate their power. This too was rejected as Dhritarashtra would probably never permit a war especially with Bhisma and Vidur around. It was around this time that Shakuni came up with the plan of inviting Yudhistira to a game of dice and take away everything.

However, the invitation had to come from Dhritarashtra, for which it was important to disclose the plan. Duryodhana took the responsibility of doing this. Though Dhritarashtra, initially could not agree to this plan of Duryodhana, he relented when Duryodhana clearly told him that this was the only way to take over the kingdom of the Pandavas. Either he gives in or Duryodhana will commit suicide. Actually, Dhritarashtra, after giving it a thought realized that this plan had a chance of working. His thwarted ambition, never far, had a chance to be fulfilled.

Vidur of course, immediately protested. But Dhritarashtra brushed off his protests by saying that, there’s nothing wrong in a friendly game of dice between cousins. He, therefore, orders Vidur to invite Yudhistira.

Without getting into the details. since we all know what happened, let’s go back to the events immediately after Yudhistira kept Draupadi as the bet and lost to Shakuni. By then, an eager question from Dhritarashtra “What happened. Has he won?”, has become a common refrain. Dhritarashtra by then had shed all pretences of being neutral and was openly supporting Duryodhana and Shakuni. And this had an immediate impact on Duryodhana and team. The instant Yudhistira lost the bet, Vidur stood up and vehemently protested. He pointed out that, as Yudhishthira had lost himself earlier, legally, he had lost the right to stake Draupadi. But Duryodhana was by then in no mood to listen to finer points of law. He instructed a sutacalled Pratikami to bring Draupadi to the Kuru Sabha. Draupadi till then was actually unaware of all that had happened in the Kuru Sabha. On hearing from Pratikami the manner of her status, she immediately raised the same point that Vidur had raised and sent him back. This went on a couple of times, after which Duryodhana realized that some strong force needed to be applied. He, therefore, ordered his idiot brother Dushashana to haul her to court.

It was from this moment that, the destiny of every Kshatriya in Aryavartha changed. A great war would be fought and millions would die. But before that, an empress had to go through a fate usually reserved for slave women. When Dushashana was hauling her around by her hair, it was Bhima that stood up and chastised Dharmaraj Yudhistira in choicest of language. He clearly told Yudhistira that, we would burn the hands of Yudhistira that was responsible for this plight of Draupadi.

Seeing this, Duryodhona’s stepbrother Vikarna stood up and in a clear gesture of support, endorsed the same points raised earlier by Vidur and later Draupadi. He clearly stated that, since Yudhistira had lost himself earlier, he had lost the right to stake Draupadi. There was a chance that his views would have been echoed by others in the court. Sensing this, for the first time, Karna stepped up to lead the attack. First, he attacked Vikarna by trivializing his protests (a kid should never speak when “elders” are talking). He pointed out that, no one in the court had responded to the same question raised by Draupadi earlier. Didn’t that prove anything? Also, Yudhistira had bet “everything in his possession”. Is Draupadi outside “everything in his possession?”. So cock up and sit down. Let us elders decide this. He then instructs Dushashana to take off the clothes of the Pandavas and Draupadi as they were slaves.

All this time, Bhisma was silent. He had earlier expressed his helplessness when Draupadi had asked him to decide. He had quietly observed how the balance of power had shifted from the elders and has inexorably passed to Duryodhona and Karna under the passive support from King Dhritarashtra. Bhisma the Wise, that had built this dynasty through utmost sacrifice to his personal interest, for the first time perhaps felt helpless. He knew that trying to protest was futile. Duryodhana and Dushashana were determined to perpetrate all kinds of bestiality that day to vent their frustrations and anger on the Pandavas. He knew that if he opened his mouth, he too would be insulted mercilessly.

He also realised that even though Yudhistira had lost himself, as a husband his possession over wife Draupadi remained (even a slave wife continued to remain under the possession of her slave husband). However, as per Draupadi’s demand, if Yudhishthira was to relinquish this control over his wife, just because he had lost himself in a bet, it would render Draupadi open to possession by any and all (and we all know what that means, don’t we?). Bhisma clearly understood this problem, and therefore, silently, left the response to Yudhistira. Only he had the right to decide on this. Would Yudhistira relinquish his claim as a husband on his wife and set Draupadi “free”? It's a difficult question to answer. He, therefore, tells Draupadi, with sadness in his voice that, even the wisest at times cannot decide between dharma and adharma. Sometimes even the most dharmic ends up on the side of adharma and vice versa. And as far as social rights and wrongs are concerned, it is always the politically powerful ones that determine which is right and wrong. And that is what is followed by the people. The weak, even if he is on the path of dharmagets trodden under the heavyweight of politically powerful.

What Bhisma said is true even now. Bhisma says this after observing the most heinous of crimes perpetrated on the daughter-in-law, where, in the open court, she is dragged around by her hair, clad in a single cloth while she was menstruating, and where every attempt was being made to strip her naked in front of her in-laws. She had to see, Duryodhana flashing her in open court. Bhisma the Wise, had already marked the end of the Kuru dynasty by then.

I will end by citing a small story told by Vidur. He says, that once there was this fisherman trying to catch fish using baits covered with rice balls. A goat comes and swallows the baits which get caught in its throat. It tries to free itself, but in the process, the bait embeds ever more deeply in its throat and the goat dies. Remember that, Draupadi is that bait the end of the line is in the hands of the Pandavas. Don’t make the mistake of swallowing it.
(Unquote)

 

I think the comparisons are not apt.

But that aside, a lot of people take the likes of Bheeshma, Drona, Karna etc to task on not standing up against Draupadi's humiliation. Whatever happened to the Pandavas. Why not take Yudhistra to task for playing his wife as a possession in the game. Why were the pandavas sitting silent when drapadi was humiliated, if being human is first and the morals, duties are next. How are Pandavas any less guilty in this than Bheeshma.

 

Exactly.
Draupadi's humiliations started with her husband(s) using her to gamble. But like all women, she didnt blame her husband(s), she swore revenge on others. Not on the man who put her in that position, not on the man who took a vow to protect her for life and failed miserably. We blame the evil MIL, FIl, SIL, society - the poor innocent husband is always a good man, but helpless adult , influenced by others, and hence doesnt stand up for the wife. It is not his "fault" .He will be forgiven.Sorry, forgot he was not even "blamed" in the first place

And what is sad is not just the disrobing of Draupadi. The fact that it happened in public in the presence of powerful men and even when they knew it was wrong morally they didnt do anything to stop it. Why? Because it was alright for a man to do what ever he wanted to his dasi. So that was a kingdom where a dasi could be treated in whatever way the "owner" wanted. Krishna came for Draupadi. Who rescued the other dasis? Why was that considered ok ? Draupadi got her revenge/ her justice. What about the others who were probably assualted? And this was in a rich flourishing kingdom!