| A race for the throne
The Roots of War
 ‘Truth has many shades,’ wrote poet Subramania Bharati in his Gnana Ratham (Chariot of Wisdom). Not only truth, but also Dharma has many shades. It is not always possible to put one’s foot firmly down and declare that ‘This is right and that is not,’ in every case. Of course, it is possible to do so in most cases. However, there are times when it is not possible to hold the balance so very accurately, weigh every point with precision, and arrive at a conclusion about what is right and what is not. The Mahabharata gives us hundreds of such moments when even the wisest is perplexed about the right and wrong of things. That is what ‘dilemma’ is all about. It is a situation when one is not able to pick and choose from the alternatives available to him or her. Pursuit of one course would be in contravention of one principle and the other course would equally have another lacuna, while both the courses could generally be accepted as good, right and proper. We read about the intervention of Lord Krishna at many such instances and pronouncing the verdict with a self-confident smile. This one took place much before the birth of Krishna.
The question of inheritance of kingdom is the central theme around which Mahabharata revolves. Dhrthrastra, the eldest of the family, could not be crowned initially because of the fact that he was born blind. Dhrthrastra could not reconcile himself to the fact that he could not become the king because of his handicap, though kingship was his rightful due, by virtue of his being the eldest in the family.
But the point is kingship did not pass on always to the eldest in the family as a matter of natural course. There are instances of younger brothers coming to the throne by popular acceptance and other reasons. Seniority among brothers was merely one of the options, a quick, easy and most preferred option, to choose the successor from the children of a king, who were equals in all other respects. But it was not the only option. The public, the subjects, had their say in the matter.
Kings were really worried about the opinion of the general public. It appears that ‘public opinion’ enjoyed greater respect in the days of monarchy, looking at the way our democratic leaders hold it and considering that we live in times where we have to vote for one dictator or the other .We know that the kings initiated action, sent feelers and gathered information on the general body of opinion on important matters. If we think about it, Krishna was not the eldest in his family after all! However, this is no place to discuss the circumstances that led to his becoming the king. That is for a later day.
Dhrthrastra, however, did not think so. Though he does not say so openly, Vyasa points to his desire for the crown in hundreds of instances. Let’s say that it was his desire, if not greed. The crown went to Pandu because of Dhrthrastra’s handicap. Technically speaking, Pandu was a caretaker king. But the role that Pandu played was not restricted to that. He expanded the kingdom and contributed to its growth in size and prosperity. People respected him and loved him for that.
The river of History is full of eddies and tides. Circumstances soon led to a situation when Pandu decided to step down from the throne and the question of kingship rose again. Dhrthrastra was the only choice and the crown fell on his lap. Observe that it did not go to Vidura, who was a better choice in all respects – wisdom, valour, administrative ability et al – just because he was born to a maidservant, though to the same father. And also observe that the thought of inheritance of the throne – or the denial of it – never troubled him.
If Pandu was a caretaker king when he assumed office, Dhrthrastra was in that position after Pandu stepped down from the throne. Pandu was a king who ruled Hastinapur. When the question of choosing the successor arose, the question of the seniority of his children had also to be taken into consideration! Pandu did not merely maintain the kingdom. He had contributed to its growth and had expanded its territory.
 And that was why Dhrthrastra was greatly troubled at heart when the news that Kunti had conceived for the first time, reached him. He was under the impression that Pandu would never beget children, because of the curse on him, and that the path would be clear for his children to reach the throne. Gandhari was in fact pregnant too, at that time. But that was strangely a very long and extended pregnancy, for about two years!
It so happened that Kunti delivered the eldest child of the family. Fate had its say in the matter that Gandhari, eldest of the queens, in whose care was the kingdom, did not beget the first child – though she conceived before
Kunti.
The race for begetting the leader of the race thus ended up in a fiasco, at least as far as Dhrthrastra and Gandhari were concerned. The question that tantalised them now was that of inheritance of the throne. That troubled Gandhari for a short time. Dhrthrastra could not accept that situation. Remember. The crown belonged to him when the dice was rolled and also when the war was sanctioned.
Right can be right only if the path that is chosen leads to what is right.
Hari Krishnan
harikrishnan@vsnl.net
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