Yuganta (1)

YUGANTA The End of an Epoch Presented By:Abhirup Das Adarsh Gautam Nikhil Kumar Saurabh Kanojia

Ashwattama • Son of Drona • Brahmin by birth • Chose to be warrior and grew up with Pandavas • Close to Duryodhana

Ashwattama • Enrage that is father was killed such a cunning manner • He seeks punishment through revenge (Like his father) Revenge • Was blinded by revenge, so much so, that he lost the of sense of right and wrong

Crime

• He kills the children of Draupadi and Dharma during their sleep • He proves that he is nor a Brahmin nor a Kshatriyas. • Justifies his revenge by the fact others also did not follow the code of war

• His own punishment, he is condemned to worse than death by Punishm Khrisna ent

Early Life • Born Kshatriya

Karna

Positive Traits • Skillful warrior

• Illegitimate son of Kunti

• Known for his abilities

• Was abandoned and brought-up by a family of Suta

• Also known as ‘Dan-Veer’ Karna

• Learned to fight like Kshatriya but never accepted as Kshatriyas through rituals 

• Incorruptible person – Refuses to join Pandavas as the eldest member

Identity Crisis • Suta or Kshatriya? • Wants to prove himself superior

• Very Loyal

Negative Traits • Impulsive - wanted to show his prowess by fighting Arjuna • Big Ego – Doesn’t fight in the initial days of war • Took part in killing Abhimanyu • Jealous - Didn’t criticize Draupadi’s disrespect; Competitiveness with Arjun • Lacks Values of a Commander or Kshatriya

Karna • He learned to fight like a Kshatriya but did not learn their values system. Impulsive actions as an outsider he took part in a family quarrel and insulted Draupadi • He wanted to take a personal revenge for being rejected by Draupadi even when he had won the challenge in Swayamvara • He dishonoured a well-born woman for no reason but hatred and jealousy • He showed that under stress he could forget all humane considerations • He was tied to his foster family and friends by love and duty and does not attend to betray them, this shows him as an incorruptible person • These are moments where his thoughts and actions were clear and decisive because he knew who he was

Karna Protection of King Karna ran away while Duryodhana was captured. • He did not fulfilll his duty to be with and protect his king. This is in contrast to his claim of loyalty to Duryodhana. • He acted as a coward and selfish person. 

Refused to fight He refused to fight as long as Bishma commanded the army, since he was upset about what Bishma had said. • He put his own pride before the good of his friend Duryodhana who needed him in the fierce battle. This again questions his claims of loyalty.

Obsession When he was made the commander of Kuru army, he wanted a chariot similar to the one that Arjuna had. He also wanted a Kshatriya king to be his charioteer.  • He should have chosen the chariot he was comfortable with & not something like the one Arjuna had. This shows his obsession.

Real interest? He was still not over with the insult by Bhishma, and by putting a king as his charioteer, tried to humiliate him. • This shows that he was more interested in proving his points than winning the war for his king. • As he was approaching Arjuna in the battlefield, he encountered Dharma, but he did not kill him. He preferred to fight & kill only Arjuna. • Had he killed Dharma, the war would be over, but he let his personal ambition override his duty as the commander. 

Krishna, the Vasudeva Objective

Personal

Avenge his family and clan (killing Kansa)

Security of his clan (killing Jarasandh)

Political

Establish a Kshatriya code

To become “VASUDEVA”

Krishna, the master strategist • Kills Kamsa in combat to get rid of a whimsical ruler

For the Yadava Clan

• Moves his capital to Dwarka to avoid backlash from Jarasandha • Makes his brother the king, to avoid dissent within the clan • Forms alliances with powerful kings to ensure safety for his clan • Convinces his brother on the importance of alliance with Pandavas

For the Kshatriya Order

For Pandavas

• Gets Jarasandha killed by Bhima in combat, knowing that he was tough to beat in battlefield. • Kills Shishupal in open Indraprastha court to avoid a catastrophe

• Helps them form strong political alliances with Panchalas & Viratas so that their political claims are not brushed aside • Makes their entire strategy during the course of war • Works on strategy around the weaknesses of their opponents to eliminate them Khrisna, the mentor and friend A dispassionate & determined counselor to Pandavas

Personality Traits • Long Term Vision & Foresight • Compassionate • True to his words • Trustworthy • Dispassionate & determined • Convincing, never imposing • Calm un-involvement • Do what needs to be done

Discussion Questions Dharma & Smriti • Can a leader be the fruit of a dual upbringing? How important are your origins in building you value system? • Is it possible to adopt a value system which is alien to you? • Can a leader be effective without resolving his own internal conflict? Purpose • Can a true leader's sole motivation be revenge? • Can a leader value 'loyalty' as the upper most quality at the cost of standing up for righteousness? • Is it possible for a leader to set aside his personal ambition and obsession when his position demands him to? Or is it just a myth? Vision vs. Reality • Is it possible for a leader to not loose sight of the larger perspective in the midst of a war? • What are the necessary qualities to keep this perspective? • Should a leader do all the compromises required to achieve the higher goal? • Is it correct to use unfair means with an opponent who indulges in them? • What is more important - TO BE RIGHT OR TO WIN?