INDIA. PART II. own name, I have been the real Raja: Shall I then forsake HISTORY OF the Kauravas, who have heaped upon me such favours, and desert Duryodhana in the hour of his utmost need? Moreover, on your side there is Arjuna, and his fame is equally great on the side of the Pándavas, as mine is on the side of the Kauravas; but if I accompany you, men will never be persuaded but that I am inferior to Arjuna: As for myself, I know the valour of Arjuna, and in many combats we have learnt each other's measure; yet now destiny must decide between us: This war is like a sacrifice, and when the fire is kindled our lives will be offered up: I have seen bad omens, and I know I shall be slain; but I have eaten the bread and salt of the Kauravas, and I am resolved to fight on their side." Krishna and to the Pandavas them to prepare the plain of After this discourse Karna and Krishna both wept very Parting of much, and embraced each other, and Karna then took leave Karna. and returned to Hastinapur. And Krishna went his way to Krishna returns the camp of the Pándavas, and he told to Yudhishthira and and desires his brethren everything that had occurred from the day on for war upon which he had left them until that of his return; and he Kurukshetra. assured them that the Kauravas were preparing to march their forces to the plain of Kurukshetra, where the battle was to be fought, and that they must now in like manner prepare for war, and assemble their forces on the same plain. in Foregoing le gend of the embassy of Krishna to be treated as a myth. episode of mo The mythical character of the foregoing legend of the embassy of Krishna may now be readily ferred from a consideration of the narrative. The Evidently an story bears every appearance of being an episode, dern origin. for it is altogether devoid of results, and might be omitted without creating any break in the main tradition. Its modern origin seems to be indicated by its references to Krishna as an incarnation of the Supreme Being; though upon this point it may be remarked that the original form of the episode seems Marked differ ence between Krishna as a hero and as an incarnation of to have been considerably modified by later interpolations. In the first instance, the Brahmanical the Supreme Being. INDIA. HISTORY OF Compilers appear to have represented Krishna merely PART II. as a hero endeavouring to mediate between the racter of the le sentation of the between the Kauravas and Kauravas and Pándavas; whilst the abrupt manifestation of Krishna as the Supreme Being, having innumerable armies at his command, seems to have been the work of a later and more daring interpolator; and indeed is so clumsily introduced, and so suddenly brought to a close, that it is difficult to realize the awful spectacle, and still more difficult to estimate the effect which it ought to have had upon the Suspicious cha beholders. Again, if the supernatural matter be gend as a repre- eliminated from the episode, the narrative of the actual relations embassy can only be regarded as a misrepresentation of the actual relations subsisting between the Kauravas and the Pándavas; for it is imbued with a spirit of such strong partisanship towards the Pándavas, and such bitter hatred towards Duryodhana and his party, as to be almost incredible. If the Maharaja and the elders of the house of Bhárata were so warmly opposed to the pretensions of the Kauravas, and so decidedly in favour of the claims. of the Pandavas, as the reports of the speeches would seem to imply, it is almost impossible to believe that they should have been induced to join in the war which followed. It might also be noticed that the bassy irrecon proceedings of the embassy can in no way be reconciled with the previous myth that Krishna made Drybarmy to over his army to Duryodhana; but a conflict between two myths only proves that one must be false, Turbulent cha. Whilst both may be false. Further, it is somewhat Proceedings of the alleged ein cilable with the myth that Krishna made over his Duryodhana. racter of the Council at Has singular that the proceedings of the Council at Has tinápur, indica tive that myth belongs to tinápur, at which Krishna is said to have been pre the Krishna group of legends. sent, are decidedly of a turbulent character; and as such, they not only form a striking contrast to the INDIA. PART II. sober character of the more authentic Councils held HISTORY OF by the Kauravas or the Pándavas, but bear a close resemblance to the turbulent Councils of the Yádava tribe, of whom Krishna was peculiarly the hero. Accordingly, whilst treating the narrative of the embassy of Krishna as a later interpolation, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that it belongs to the Krishna group of legends, and that it has been grafted on to the Mahá Bhárata for the double purpose of deifying the hero, whilst associating him with the leading events in the great war. CHAPTER XI. HISTORY OF PREPARATIONS FOR THE GREAT WAR. THE events which intervened between the alleged return of Krishna from his mythical embassy, and Four important the actual commencement of the war, are curious the alleged em- and significant, and appear to have occurred in the following order : events between bassy of Krishna and the commencement of the great war. 1st, March of the Pándavas to the plain of Kurukshetra. 1st, March of the Kauravas and Pándavas to the plain of Kurukshetra, and inauguration of a Generalissimo on either side. 2nd, Humiliation of Rukmin, Raja of Vidarbha. 3rd, Interchange of challenges between the Kauravas and Pándavas. 4th, Rules agreed to on both sides for ameliorating the horrors of the coming war. The first action of the rival parties which folKauravas and lowed the return of Krishna to the camp of the Pándavas, appears to have been the march of both armies to the famous plain of Kurukshetra. This plain seems to have been selected as the area of the coming war, and was probably situated in the immediate neighbourhood of Hastinapur.' In the centre of the plain was a lake, and the Kauravas The plain of Kurukshetra is generally identified with the field of l'aniput, which lies to the north-west of the modern city of Delhi. This plain is famous in modern history as being the site of two of the greatest and most decisive battles that have been fought in modern times. It was here that Baber, in A.D. 1525, overthrew the Afghan rulers at Delhi and established the dynasty of the Moguls; INDIA. PART II. appear to have entrenched a camp on the eastern HISTORY OF side of the lake, whilst the Pándavas entrenched a similar camp on the western side. Accordingly, during the war which ensued, the warriors on either side marched out at sunrise into the open plain, and there engaged either in single combats or in general charges; but at sunset they returned to their respective camps, and passed the night in perfect security. The detailed description of these entrenched encampments, and the inauguration of a Generalissimo on either side, may now be related as follows: holds a Council Now when Krishna had departed out of Hastinapur, Duryodhana Duryodhana held a Council, and said :-"The Pándavas have at Hastinapur. several times sent us envoys with proposals for peace, to which we have not agreed; and when Krishna came we sent him back in despair of persuading us, and he has stirred up the Pándavas to commence a war: Now a time of war is not a time for discussion, and there is nothing for us to do now but to fight valiantly, resolving to slay or to be slain, and at least die on the field of honour, and gain for ourselves great names: Be all of you of one mind, and bind yourselves with us, that so long as our souls continue in our bodies, we are sworn not to fly." Then all present at that Council made a solemn covenant together according to the word of Duryodhana. And Duryodhana summoned all his people, small Kauravas. and great, on the plain of Kurukshetra, and he encouraged them all separately with commendations and presents, according to their several conditions; and he ordered the ranks Duryodhana enand arranged the standards and ensigns, and he commanded forces on the that a deep trench should be dug in the flank of his army, shetra. and he fortified the trench with towers, and on the top of the Pots of snakes towers he placed pots full of snakes and scorpions, and pans of burning sand and boiling oil. and it was here, in 1761, that Ahmed Shah Abdalli, the Sovereign of Cabul, inflicted such a crushing blow upon the Mahrattas as indirectly cleared the way for the establishment of British supremacy. Solemn cove- nant of the the side of the trenches all his plain of Kuruk and scorpions. |