Exploring Dharma and Sacrifice in the Mahabharata: The Complexities of Arjuna, Bheeshma, Karna, and Yudhishthir

Arjuna May be you are shocked. Allow me to elaborate and put forward my thoughts.

Bheeshma takes a vow on the purity of her mom and says he will not marry, will not become a king and stay loyal to the throne of Hastinapur.

To keep his promise, he allows the unrighteousness happen in front of his eyes, he allows the family to break, he allows the kingdom to break, etc.

There are two angles to look at it.

Angle 1:

Bheeshma is a good man. He sacrificed everything and kept the promise he made. Went through all the situations and events bravely. In the end, he even died.

Angle 2:

No doubt Bheesma sacrificed everything. He was one of the great sacrificer. He sacrificed everything. But he couldn’t sacrifice his promise for the sake of dharma (righteousness).

Karna was rightly called Dhaanveer. Prabhu Krishna offered the throne of Hastinapur. He rejects and says I will be loyal to my friend Duryodhana. Only a great man can do.

However, there is an other angle to look this.

Sometime Dharma needs sacrifice. It is hard to reject the throne and stay with a friend who helped you. But it is harder to leave the friend for the sake of Dharma, which Karna could not.

Yudhistira never lied in his life. Which is again the toughest things to do. But when situation araised where he had to lie for the sake of Dharma, he couldn’t.

Poor elephant had to be killed to maintain the vow of Yudhistra.

Is this his strength that he doesn’t lie or is it his weakness that he couldn’t lie?

Now we have Arjuna, reputed as one of the best archer in the world.

Just imagine, how hard it might have been for him to hide behind a woman (Shikandi) and shoot arrows at his own loved great grandfather?

Just imagine, how hard it might have been for him to kill Karna when he was weaponless.

Yet the man does it. Only for Dharma. He is the biggest donor because he gave up his pride, which others couldn’t.

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