Why did Lord Krishna not personally fight in the war of Mahabharata as invisaged by me on the f.b. of June 2,2011.

Bishwa Nath Singh
While, I was delivering a key note address in a social gathering of intellectuals the other day, some one had raised the question as why did Lord Krishna not personally fight in the war of Mahabharata if he had come all the way on this worldly earth to establish dharma and destroy adharma?

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(Photo of Lord Krishna being begged by Warrior Arjuna with folded hands)


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Bishwa Nath Singh :

He had further questioned as if Lord Krishna could personally kill Kansa, Shishupal and many other great warriors and could engage himself in other wars, why did he then not fight in the Mahabharata war?Well, it was a very good question... that often haunts our mind. Let me reproduce my reply that I had mentioned to his inquisitiveness on this count: In the Holy Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Warrior Arjuna: Nimittamatram bhava savyasachin. Be thou, Oh Savyasachin, a mere instrument in the hands of the divine and that is what Lord Krishna had wanted. The fact was that the battle was actually being fought by him and at the same ,it was true that he did not take up any weapon in his hand, but each move being made was planned by him, each step was being taken as he per his wish. It’s almost like personally fighting the war, even if one does not take up the weapons in his/her arms.One will recollect that in Rajasthan, we have the legendary story of Barbareek who is also known as Khatu Shyamji. According to legends, Krishna and Arjuna, dressed as ascetics, were roaming in search of warriors who could fight on their side in the Mahabharata war. It was while they were resting under a papal tree that they came across a strong, robust and physically built young man on a horse. Who was asked by them to disclose his identity as who is he riding the horse. He very politely replied to them as he was Barbareek, the grandson of Bheema though as per another version, he was the son of Bheema himself and the Naga maiden Ahilavati and was on his way to join the Mahabharata war, as asked by his mother. They enquire on whose side he would fight and he says on the side of those who lose – that is the instruction he had been given by his mother. Soon, Krishna asked him what he can do and could he demonstrate his warrior skill with arrows by tying up all the leaves of the Papal tree with a single arrow shot from his bow. The story also tells us that Krishna hid one fallen papal leaf under his foot and that the arrow, after piercing all other leaves and threading them together approached Krishna’s foot and hovered above it until Krishna lifted his foot and the arrow succeeded in piercing and collecting it too, after which the arrow went back to Barbareek’s quiver.Sensing how dangerous Barbareek could be if he joined the Kaurava side, Krishna, as a monk, asked for “bhiksha” (alms) Barbareek’s head. Barbareek readily gave it, and requested for a return favor that he should be allowed to see the war. His head should be placed on the top of the papal tree from where he would be able to see the Kurukshetra battle. Krishna did it so and Barbareek’s head had watched the entire war from atop that Papal tree.Legend also says that when the battle was over the Pandavas argued among themselves about who was responsible for victory in the war.Krishna suggested that better they ask Barbareek – after all, he had seen the entire war from the tree top.When Barbareek was approached, he answered very quickly that he could see only two things in the entire war: Krishna’s Sudarshana wheel slaughtering Kaurava warriors and Draupadi drinking up all the blood, having transformed herself into Mahakali.There is every possibility that Lord Krishna did fight in the Mahabharata war. Maybe, it was He alone who fought the entire battle with care and wisdom under garb of Pandavas!


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f.b.
June 2,2011