Artha to Anartha

Bhisma said to Dhritrāshtra-O King! Pāndavās are virtuous souls & they are unalloyed devotees of Sr Krsna. Because of their adherence to religious principles, you’ll never be able to deceitfully deprive them of their kingdom

Dronācharya then said-What Bhisma has said exactly expresses my feelings. I thus advise you to immediately send a messenger to Drupada. After giving him costly gifts for his daughter, the messenger should express your desire for a peaceful alliance. He should then extend an invitation to Pāndavās to return to Hastināpur so that they can take their parental kingdom back

At this point Karna impudently exclaimed-Just see the behavior of these two! Although they have been pampered with royal luxuries by King’s kindness, they are trying to turn against him. He said to Dhritrāshtra-O King! By destiny you’ve gained possession of the royal throne. If destiny wills, then you can continue to remain in control & keep the royal throne. Do allow yourself to be dissuaded by Bhisma & Drona’s wicked advice

Drona said with great indignation-It is you Karna, who is wicked, for you desire to harm the innocent Pāndavās. It is for this reason alone that you find fault in us. You should know that whatever I’ve spoken is for the welfare of everyone & for the prosperity of Kuru dynasty. If my advice is ignored & your evil words are heeded, I predict destruction of Kurus will soon take place

Vidura now said-My dear brother! Bhisma & Drona are speaking for your welfare. However, since you’re generally unwilling to listen to good advice, I can understand that their words will not have any affect on you. Bhisma & Drona are elderly, wise & respected authorities & they’re not motivated by base desires for wealth, power, or fame. They’re your true well-wisher & so how can you dare to imagine that the intentions are wicked?

I consider Pāndavās to be invincible. Besides, their claim to the royal throne is more valid than yours & hence it behooves you to treat them fairly. Also learn that Sri Krsna is their avowed ally. You must know for certain that wherever there is Krsna, there must also be victory. Don’t listen to the advice of your foolish son, Karna, or Sakuni, for all of them are sinful & inexperienced

After hearing all these arguments, Dhritrāshtra made up his mind & said-Bhisma, Drona & Vidura have spoken what is truthful & beneficial. I also believe that my & Pandu’s sons deserve equal share of kingdom. Let Pāndavās & their mother be called to Hastināpur at once & let Sri Krsna of transcendental beauty accompany them. It is by good fortune that Pāndavās are still alive & have obtained Draupadi

Artha, wealth & Anartha, inner weakness, have a close relationship. While Artha is vital for living & gets our necessities to fulfill our dreams, it also can give rise to anartha of greed leading to our fall. Here Karna on account of his anartha is speaking so impudently & blaming people who were known for their upright principles. Greed transforms Artha from a necessity for living to the very purpose of living. Such greed makes one heartless, remorseless & conscience-less. They then start scheming to eliminate their competitors at all costs

BG 16 13~14

idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye manoratham
 idam astīdam api me bhaviṣyati punar dhanam
asau mayā hataḥ śatrur haniṣye cāparān api
 īśvaro ’ham ahaṁ bhogī siddho ’haṁ balavān sukhī

The demoniac person thinks: “So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed him, and my other enemies will also be killed. I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer

Do we see parallels in today’s world? Thoughts? #gameoflife


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