Advisor!

Duryodhana after encouraged by his father said-There are many plans I’ve been considering. Dissension can be sown amongst Pāndavās so their strength of unity can be broken. Or as they are married, they can be urged to settle down in Pāncāla kingdom. In this way we could become unrivaled rulers of Hastināpur. Also if somehow Bhima is killed, then all Pāndavās would be cut as they depend on his strength

Another possibility is to influence Draupadi so that she becomes dissatisfied with her husbands. Everyone knows about the fickle nature of women & since she has 5 husbands, it should not be hard to create jealousy amongst them. Once Draupadi begins to neglect Pāndavās, they will gradually wither away, not able to bear her separation

O King! You’re our father & so we cannot do anything without your sanction. Pls select a plan you feel to be effective so that we can plan to execute it, said Duryodhana. He also asked Karna what he thinks. Karna said-It doesn’t appear to me that your reasoning is well founded. We already tried many times in past to vanquish Pāndavās & in each case were unsuccessful. It’s not possible to defeat them by intrigue. It is also foolish to think that we can create dissension amongst brothers or between them & Draupadi

Pāndavās are completely dedicated to each other & I’m sure Draupadi couldn’t be turned against them. Only way to deal with them is to attack them before they accumulate more allies. We must act quickly before Lord Krsna & other Yadavās help them to regain their rightful share of kingdom. Dhritrāshtra applauded Karna’s words & said-I like idea of showing prowess in battle rather than resorting to trickery. Still, I would take advice from Bhishma, Drona & Vidura before making final decision of what should be done

Dhrita called for Bhisma, Drona & Vidura & after they were seated comfortably, described to them about in detail his son’s grief. Being so requested, Bhisma said-I can never approve fighting with Pāndavās for I consider your sons & Pāndu’s sons equally. Instead of acting with partiality, why not divide the kingdom in 2 parts so that both live independently. Actually it is the Pāndavās alone who are rightful heirs to the entire kingdom & so this compromise should be quite acceptable to you & your sons

Don’t you know that ever since attempt was made to burn Pāndavās & their mother at Vārnavāta, the world regards you with more contempt than Purocana? A peaceful settlement with Pāndavās is imperative if you want to restore your good reputation

A good advisor is one who despite all odds makes an honest evaluation of the situation and advises truly. Karna despite knowing about who is the rightful heir to kingdom, still advised Duryodhana to fight. On the other hand, Bhisma correctly advised Dhritrāshtra & spoke truth (despite it was not pleasant to hear)

indriyāṇi mano buddhir asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate

etair vimohayaty eṣa jñānam āvṛtya dehinam

The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him

True friend is affectionate but not attached

Be careful about who is your advisor?

Thoughts? #gameoflife