CHAPTER XIV.

THE RECONCILIATION OF THE LIVING AND BURIAL

OF THE DEAD.

It is

INDIA.

reconcile the

the Pandavas.

of Krishna and

A NEW Scene now opens in the story of the History of Mahá Bhárata, namely, the reconciliation between PART II. the blind Maharaja and the men who had murdered Attempts to his sons. This reconciliation is said to have been Maharaja with previously effected by Krishna during his night visit Mythical efforts to Hastinapur; but, as already indicated, this portion Vyása. of the narrative appears to be an interpolation of modern date. Like most of the mythical accounts of Krishna it contains some beautiful expressions of sympathy; but at the same time it is evident that such a mission would be ill-timed and useless. also worthy of remark that a similar visit is ascribed to the officious Vyása, and is of course equally mythical in its origin and character. Indeed, the language of both Krishna and Vyása is strained and artificial. It is impossible to conceive that parents, Impossibility of whose sons were still lying dead upon the field of parents and the battle, could be consoled by the assurance that those their sous. sons had perished in consequence of their injustice; or by the still more extravagant assurance that the murderers would take the places of those sons, and would prove themselves to be even more loyal and

a real reconciliation between

murderers of

INDIA.

sympathy on the

part of the Brahmanical compilers.

Interview be

tween the Pán

Maharaja on the

day after the

war.

Necessity for a feigned reconciliation.

HISTORY OF Obedient. Such an idea may be justly regarded as PART II. the ignorant conception of some Brahmanical comWant of family piler, who had led a life of celibacy, and who was utterly unable to realize that enduring affection and unreasoning devotion which the true mother feels for the worst of her sons. But the story of the indavas and the terview between the Maharaja and the Pandavas on the day after the battle seems to fall under a different category. The Pandavas were victors who had established their claim to the Raj against the sons of the Maharaja by force of arms, but who were yet desirous of appearing to be on good terms with the Maharaja whose sovereignty they would be expected to acknowledge. The Maháraja, on the other hand, although nominally the Sovereign, was virtually the representative of the defeated party, and his very was at the mercy of the conquerors. of the conquerors. Thus whilst a real reconciliation was perhaps impossible, a feigned reconciliation was absolutely indispensable to both parties. Accordingly, it will be seen that the Pándavas prostrated themselves in turns at the feet of the Maharaja and the Rání, and that some sort of explanation or apology was offered and accepted; Real feelings of but the real feelings of the bereaved parents will be readily perceived from an attempt of the Maháraja to crush Bhíma in his embrace, and from the sudden shriek of the Rání that the smell of her son was upon them.

the Maharaja

and Rání.

Narrative of the reconciliation.

The Pandavas,

accompanied by

and meet the

life

The narrative of this reconciliation, real or feigned, is as follows:

Meantime Yudhishthira had heard that Maháraja DhriKrishna, go out tarashtra had left the city of Hastinápur for the field of battle; and he went forward to meet him, accompanied by his brethren and by Krishna, and by Draupadí, and by all the

Maharaja.

INDIA. PART II.

selves at the

image in his

image to pieces

against the

women of Dhrishta-dyumna. And after a while, Yudhish- HISTORY OF thira saw the Maháraja approaching; and all the women of the Kauravas accompanied the Maháraja, and rent the air with their lamentations; and Yudhishthira passed by the women, and went on to the Maháraja, and fell at his feet. Prostrate themThen the other Pándavas, each one declaring his name to feet of the Maharaja. the blind Maháraja, fell at his feet in like manner. And Dhritarashtra embraced Yudhishthira, and said:-"Where The Maharaja calls for Bhima, is Bhíma?" Now as it was well known that Bhíma had and receives his slain Duryodhana, as well as a great number of the sons of stead. Dhritarashtra, Krishna had been fearful of introducing him, lest the aged Maharaja should vent his wrath upon him. And it so happened that in former days Duryodhana had ordered to be made an image of Bhíma, upon which image he was accustomed to try his strength; and when the Maháraja called for Bhíma, Krishna gave him this image, and said:"Here is Bhíma." Then the Maharaja opened his Crushes the arms, and under pretence of embracing Bhíma, he crushed in his wrath the image to pieces; and he then fell down exhausted and murderer of his fainting, with blood issuing from his mouth. After a long Repents the time he came to himself and began to weep; and when those deed, and weeps. around him asked why he wept, he replied:-" Bhíma was as one of my own sons, and his death has not brought any of my other sons to life, and I have slain him to no purpose." Then Sanjaya, his charioteer, who stood by, told him what Undeceived by Krishna had done, and how it was not Bhíma that he had crushed, but the iron image which Duryodhana had made. And Dhritarashtra turned to Krishna, and said :-" O Krishna, you have done excellently well." He then called for the Embraces the five brethren one by one, and again embraced them; and turn. when Bhíma presented himself, the Maháraja laughed, and said:-"What if I should now give you another squeeze?" Bhíma replied:-"I am your slave, and if you order me I will be my own executioner." Dhritarashtra said:-" You The reconciliaare now all my sons, and the only remaining children of my brother Pándu: All that has happened to my sons was of their own seeking, and arose from their envy against you." And Dhritarashtra began to weep again, and Yudhish

sons.

Sanjaya.

five Pandavas in

tion.

HISTORY OF thira and Krishna and all the others began to weep with INDIA. him.

PART II.

Affecting scene between the

Pándavas and

hárí.

excuses.

Gándhárí's resignation.

Bhima for hav

blood of Duhsá

After this Yudhishthira and his brothers, together with Krishna, took leave of the Maháraja and proceeded to wait the Rání Gand- upon Gándhárí. Yudhishthira advanced and kissed her feet, and she took him in her arms, and they both wept aloud. Gándhárí then said: "The smell of Duryodhana is upon you all;" and screaming out she fell down in a swoon. Yudhishthira's When she recovered Yudhishthira said to her :-"O mother, it must be clear to you that we had no alternative in the affair of Duryodhana; for what could we do when he would not allow us bread to eat as the condition of our service?" Gándhárí replied:-"Say nothing, O Raja, about it, for I know that you speak only what is true and right, and that all which has befallen my sons was but the fruit of their refusal to take the advice of myself and my husband; and now that they are gone, may God preserve you to me in the room of Duryodhana." Arjuna then came and kissed her She reproaches feet, as did Bhíma also; and Gándhárí said to Bhíma:ing drank the "You drank the blood of my son Duhsásana." Bhíma replied:—" No, I did not drink it: I took some of it in my hands and rubbed it about my face, but I did not drink it; and I only said that I drank it for the sake of frightening the others." At this moment Raja Yudhishthira stepped blame upon him- forward, and laid his head at the feet of Gándhárí, and said :"O mother, it was I who killed your sons, and do you lay all the blame upon me, and say nothing to the others." Gándhárí then asked for Draupadí, and said to her:-" You and I are in the same affliction, for your sons also are slain; but what can I do? There is no remedy against the behests Gandhári sends of the great god Siva." She then said to Yudhishthira and his brethren :-"It is now nearly fourteen years since your mother Kuntí had the pleasure of seeing you: Go now and see her!" And the five Pándavas went accordingly; and when Kuntí heard that her sons were coming she fainted for joy; and when Yudhishthira and his brethren came up and found her in that condition, Yudhishthira took hold of his mother's hand, and after a time she came to herself.

sana.

Bhima's denial.

Yudhishthira

takes all the

self.

the Pandavas to their mother Kunti.

Joy of Kunti.

INDIA. PART II.

Her five sons

at her feet.

and Kunti.

And the sons of Kuntí came and laid their heads at her feet HISTORY OF one by one, and she embraced and kissed each of them in turn, and wept at seeing the wounds they had received in the great war. Then Draupadi approached her, and Kuntí, lay their heads knowing that her children had been so lately slain, wept for Affecting meether; and Draupadí laid her head at Kuntí's feet and fainted ing of Draupadi away, and when she recovered, both the ladies wept so abundantly that all the bystanders were moved to tears. Meantime Gándhárí came forward with all the widows of her sons who had been slain, and she said to Draupadí :"Weep not, my daughter, for your sorrows are not greater Draupadi. than mine: We cannot tell what is decreed by fate: Thank God that the war is over, and weep not for the dead: Let us now perform the necessary rites for the souls of the departed."

Gándhárí piously consoles

foregoing narra

The foregoing narrative requires no comment. Review of the A general truthfulness to human nature is perceptible tive. throughout. The story of the image said to have been made of Bhíma may appear somewhat apocryphal, but yet is not altogether beyond the bounds of probability.'

funeral cere

field of battle.

gards the war

lasting eighteen

The next scene, which comprises the lamenta- Narrative of the tions of the women on the field of battle, and the monies on the subsequent burning of the dead, is very affecting. One point however is open to question. If the war Difficulty as rereally lasted eighteen days, and the general burning of the bodies did not take place until the day after the conclusion of the war, the corpses of those who were slain in the earlier battles must have lain in a state of perfect putrefaction. The question, however, is

1 Duryodhana is said to have made an iron image of Bhíma to try his strength upon it; or he may have made an ordinary figure-head to knock about as a manifestation of his hatred towards the original. In Mr Dickens' novel of "The Old Curiosity Shop," Quilp, the evil character of the story, purchases an old wooden figure of an Admiral, to represent Kit, whom he hates; and he strikes and mutilates the image accordingly. The incident is true to human nature, and merely exhibits the natural force of the imagination. A mob will in like manner burn the effigy of the object of their detestation.

days.