Heroes and their failings

THE MAHABHARATA - An English Version Based on Selected Verses: Chakravarthi V. Narasimhan; Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 41, U.A. Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi-110007. Rs. 195.

A TALE told by the wise man, Vyasa, signifying immensities, the Mahabharata, has been presented in various versions and summaries down the centuries. Along with the Ramayana, it has been a great unifying agent for the Indian sub-continent. Complete English translations have also been available ever since Kesari Mohan Ganguli published his version 100 years ago. Prof. P. Lal is at present engaged in a verse-by-verse translation, the facsimile edition of the work done so far suggests a lasting contribution to Mahabharata studies.

All the same, each new version gets a warm welcome, for the epic incidents seem like a part of our everyday life. Living through a career of administration and diplomacy, Mr. C. V. Narasimhan must have found the tragic in Vyasa's history repeating itself as a force in real life quite often.

Since the common reader of the speed-borne 20th century cannot tarry over the one-lakh verses in the original, he has decided to limit himself to about 4000 verses and has avoided any leisurely walk through the innumerable branches.

The resulting mass is formidable enough and begins in the traditional mode: ``At one time there lived a king named Parikshit, born in the race of the Kauravas.'' Rather provocative, for the statement necessitates a footnote that the generic term ``Kauravas'' actually includes Pandavas. Fortunately, he keeps footnotes to the minimum, retains the Pandava-Kaurava nomenclature and has simplified the structure of the epic to one of uncomplicated narration.

All the 18 Parvas are represented here, including the brief, heartrending Stri Parva. There is the strange marriage between a king and a fisherwoman made possible by a prince's vow of life- long celibacy. Births and deaths; arrivals and departures. The childhood, boyhood and youth of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. A prolonged series of jealousy and rivalry culminating in the unforgivable insult offered to womanhood by Karna seeking Draupadi's disrobement in the royal hall. Krishna's grace, wanderings in forest, the failure of diplomacy and the suicidal war coming to an end with the Pandava line given a new lease of life by the survival of Parikshit.

Mr. Narasimhan has performed his near-impossible task with administrative efficiency. He has also presented a challenging appetizer in his introduction. This is welcome as the severe abridgement takes away the whorls of suggestion that help in our in-depth study of a character.

According to him, even in this epic of heroes, the human failings are many. Bhishma's ``strange indifference'' when Draupadi was being disrobed by Dussasana cannot be explained away. Dhritarashtra is ``extremely weak when dealing with his own son.'' Vidura ``is the only one who has the courage to protest their insult to Draupadi'' (actually Vikarna also speaks out strongly in protest but is shouted down by Karna). Duryodhana ``is short-sighted, stubborn and unrelenting in his jealousy of the Pandavas, and completely regardless of any standard of justice or fairness in his dealing with them.'' So many heroes, all of them stained by a fault or two. Karna's pride, Yudishtra's love for gambling, Bhima's readiness to take offence, Arjuna's fickleness and Krishna, no human standards can apply to the Prince of Dwaraka. His masterly summary of the whole of the Gita is itself a comment on this godly hero of the Vrishni clan.

All the same, despite their failings, the heroes of the epic rise to great heights according to him. But not the women. Satyavati is ``just a scheming mother'' and Kunti ``a weak character''. Interestingly enough, when one sits down with the entire Mahabharata in hand one gains different perceptions. When Vichitravirya dies, Satyavati requests her stepson Bhishma to put an end to his vow since a land without a king will be in ruins. It is only Bhishma's refusal that leads her to invoke alternative action. Kunti's is a heroic saga of motherhood.

But to commend Gandhari for blindfolding herself ``in order that her husband, who is born blind may not feel a sense of inferiority'' is strange logic. Surely a king who is ``full of decent instincts'' should not have deprived his wife of God's greatest gift to mankind. Mahatma Gandhi criticised Gandhari for this act of hers in a personal letter, ``We may not take the Mahabharata literally. Gandhari would certainly have served her husband better by using her eyes. Hence Gandhari blinding her eyes must be taken metaphorically.''

This explains Gandhari's silence when Draupadi was dishonoured in the court. This version tells us how she wished to curse Yudhishtra and scorched the nail on his toe. Well, Gandhari is simply a victim in a male- dominated society where the male was considered supreme, one who could get away with everything.

Again, he finds Draupadi's character ``somewhat harsh because of her continuous cries of vengeance.'' Apparently when a man seeks revenge, it is heroism but when a woman stands up against public rowdyism and the murder of her children, it is but the despicable screech of the furies. Instead of ``screaming for vengeance'' should Draupadi have sung lullabies to Dussasana, Jayadratha and Keechaka?

However, Mr. Narasimhan's handling of the narrative section is admirable. There is a gentleness about the telling, a smooth flow of the language that takes us on to the inevitable ending. Though the thematic content includes violence, destruction and moral turpitude, the narrator indicates the truth beyond what is seen, on the need for introspection and on the value of ``Iti-hasa''. Beware! This is what happened. The stamp of one who was in charge of human unity at the United Nations Secretariat underlines the value of the epic: It (the epic) may also be said to have a special application to our troubled times, when (like the Pandavas and the Kauravas) great nations vie with each other in lining up alliances and mastering the science of missiles.

The Mahabharata addresses the nations that the choice is imperative - peace or universal annihilation. The handy paperback comes with genealogical tables, a glossary and a list of alternative names that are helpful. Another welcome attempt to teach us the wisdom path - ``Esha Dharma Sanatanah.''

PREMA NANDAKUMAR

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