Mahabharata

The Kurukshetra War, a consequence of politics, deceit and vengeance planned by the Kauravas in an
attempt to overtake what rightfully belonged to the Pandavas. Draupadi’s insult was the seed of this
war, combined with the disrespect to Lord Krishna and the scheme to assassinate the Pandavas. The
start of the war found Krishna beside Arjuna who chose him to be his charioteer in exchange of
Kauravas having the mighty army of Krishna.

Arjunas Dilemma

Arjuna was ready to withdraw from the impending war based on contemplation of past experiences
and future consequences. During the scrutiny of the battlefield, Arjuna was perplexed, shrouded with
inner weakness, and was left questioning the relevance of his actions and the necessity of the war.
He was dreaded with the decision of having to fight against his brethren, his guru and his grand-
father. It was a great detriment for the Pandavas when Arjuna, the foremost warrior who has to lead
by example decided not to fight the war at all. Struck in a dilemma which is both moral and
psychological in nature, he approached Krishna for assistance.

“One attains peace in whose mind all desires enter without creating any disturbance, as
river waters enter the full ocean without creating a disturbance. One who desires
material objects is never peaceful.”

“One who abandons all desires and becomes free from longing and the feeling of ‘I’ and
‘my’ attains peace.”

Sthithpragya

Krishna told him not to be a sanyasi by renouncing the actions but be a tyagi by renouncing the
fruits of actions. Krishna, being aware of the inner fortitude of Arjuna, tries to pull him out of his
helpless situation. Grasping the intensity of Arjuna’s pain, Krishna teaches Arjuna to be mindful of
pain, develop awareness and understand the play of the mind wherein “emptying the mind is not
important as being mindful of what the mind is doing”. Step-by-step, Arjuna is prepared to establish
himself in the state of sthithpragya. Sthita means steady and pragya means wisdom. He who
withdraws his senses from their objects in every respect, and is neither delighted nor dejected by
good or evil is in a state of stithpragya. As the war progressed, Arjuna saw the death of his grand-
father, his mentor and his sons. Completely liberated from the sense of loss, in state of detachment
or dispassion Arjuna continued to fulfil his duty as warrior

Why was it necessary to fight the war?

The primary aim of the Mahabharata was to uproot Adharma and establish Dharma. The battle was
not a compulsion for Arjuna neither a necessity. It was his duty as a Kshatriya warrior to not
waver. There is nothing more auspicious for a warrior than a righteous war and hence it is his
kartavya to participate in it. The kauravas were the embodiment of adharma and it was the ethical
duty of Arjuna to defeat his enemies and restore compassion, losing his entire dynasty in the process.
The act of killing his brother which otherwise seen as an immoral act of fratricide was Arjunas prime
duty as a warrior. It was a case of ethical killing where the death of the kauravas was necessary in
the greater picture of re-establishing dharma