Sanjaya Goes to Yudhishthir

Later Dhritraashtra called Sanjaya (his Saarathee) and said - "Sanjaya, I have heard that Paandav have come to Upaplavya Nagaree, so you go there and greet them on my behalf. Tell them that we are very happy they have completed their period safely. It is only because of their own valor that they have won all their prosperity. They were always dutiful to me. I cannot find even a single fault for which I can blame them. They are ever pleasant to everybody. It is childish on the part of Duryodhan that he can rob Paandav. It is wise to give Paandav's share to them before war. Arjun alone is enough to devastate the whole world. Saaatyaki is like Krishn. In fact Krishna and Arjun's activities of past leave me in no peace. If my stubborn son decides to fight with those Krishn (Arjun and Krishn) both will destroy the whole Kuru race. Sometimes I am not afraid even of Arjun, Bheem, or Krishn but of Yudhishthir's wrath, because when he is angry, because of his severe Tap, his all wishes will always be fulfilled. You should always address them in loving terms and you should tell all these things in the presence of all and in soothing manner so that it may not provoke war."

Note: From Mahabharat Serial
Dhritraashtra said to Vidur - "I am very upset with Duryodhan, therefore you go as my messenger and tell Paandav that they should live happily wherever they are. Because nobody can defeat them that is why war is not good. I have committed many mistakes, I accept that. I am so ashamed of them that I even cannot say that they could forget them. There is no enemy here except Duryodhan's stubbornness. Please convince Yudhishthir for peace."

Sanjay came to Viraat Nagar, greeted Yudhishthir and said to Paandav - "Mahaaraaj is very happy to know about your welfare and has sent his blessings to you." Yudhishthir also asked the welfare of everybody separately living in Hastinaapur. Then he reminded Sanjaya all the bad events Kaurav did with Paandav. Yudhishthir said - "I hope Duryodhan remembers every incident of his life as how he behaved with us and how we behaved with him. He should not forget that he owes his life to my brothers when Gandharv had caught him. We want peace and we will be at peace only after getting back our Indraprasth. But Sanjaya, this is clear, and I am sorry for that, that we were not able to win the love of Duryodhan by any means."

Sanjaya said - "Dhritraashtra is always sorry for all his actions day and night, and he always remembers the greatness of Arjun. But what the future holds for us cannot be changed by anyone. Listen to the message carefully that I have brought from him." So Yudhishthir asked all the known well wishers to be present there - Krishn, Saatyaki, Drupad, Viraat, Dhrishtdyumn and his four brothers. Then Sanjaya spoke - "I have brought his blessings to you and your four brothers, also to dear Krishn, Saatyaki, Viraat and Drupad. I request you to be for peace. You are set on destroying the world, it is sin. Many are there who are ready to give their lives for you or for us. Whether you lose or win is immaterial. If you will fight, you may be able to kill all Kaurav, but what will you get then? I do not see any good in either in victory or in defeat, I therefore hold my hands and stand in front of Krishn and Drupad that this war should be averted."

Yudhishthir was amazed to hear Dhritraashtra's message, he said - "Sanjaya, Did you hear any word of war from me? This is unfair that my uncle is blaming me for cruelty. Of course I want peace, I never want war. Who will prefer war if peace is available. I sent this message through my priest that I am not for war. It seems that the king himself is in trouble that is why he is trying to seek protection in the nobleness and might of others. He always thinks of the pleasure of his son who is proud, and arrogant. He doesn't know even how to behave with elders. Vidur is their best friend but both consider him as their enemy. They don't listen to Vidur who is the wisest among us all.

When I was playing the dice game, I was thinking that now Kutru's destruction day is near, because whatever Vidur said at that time they did not listen to it, rather on that day, he never tried to stop the game, his only words were "Who won", "Who won" at every throw of dice. It seemed that he was more excited in the game than his sons. We know at least where we stand with Duryodhan, but our uncle is different. He has his son's heart but not courage. Duryodhan says that he will not give our kingdom, but he cannot even say it. He is more crooked than Shakuni. He is saying that "I (Yudhishthir) want war, but he (Dhritraashtra) is for peace".

Sanjaya, he has taken the kingdom by cheating and has clung to it as if a child clings to a toy snatched from another child. I do not know how he can flourish like this. Absolute peace is impossible. Karn thinks that when Arjun lifts his Gaandeev, he can withstand him? Many battles have taken place in the past. Has he ever won even one of them? Everybody knows that Arjun is invincible. Dhritraashtra's sons are alive because they have not yet heard the sound of Gaandeev. O Sanjaya, For your respect, I can forgive all that they have done to us.  Tell him that "I am asking only my kingdom, my Indraprasth, let him return that to me, and there will be no war."

Sanjaya again said - "Raajan, he has said something else also. He said - "Life is very short, so why one should desire for many things. Desire for material things makes one lose all senses and makes him commit all kinds of sins. Concentrate on acquiring the wealth for next world. Besides, 13 years ago when this injustice was done to you, you should have fought with my sons, but you did not fight. Now after 13 years you yourself are making us angry. A wise man should avoid all these things but you yourself are inviting war. You may kill all Kaurav plus Drone, Kripaa, Karn etc but then what will you get by their death? I know that you are very gentle, you will surely regret this massacre.  If you don't get your share of kingdom without war, I ask you to go back to forest and spend the rest of your life there, or live with your friend and cousin Krishn. You can live on alms collected in the kingdom of Vrishni. If you wanted to have a battle, why didn't you fight before? Why did you allow your enemy to grow so powerful? What is the use of fight now?"

Sanjaya got silent and everybody got stunned hearing all this as Dhritraashtra's message. Bheem could not sit down, he got up and began to stride up and down. Arjun looked at Krishn. Yudhishthir was too distressed to speak anything. After all these years of devotion to his uncle, he had to hear these accusations from him. He was shocked and hurt, he said weeping - "Whatever the king has thought, might be right. We youngsters are nobody to find fault with their elders. You are only a messenger, I cannot show my anger to you. As for my reply, I leave it to Krishn. Whether I should fight after hearing this message, or because of this message, will be decided by Him. I abandon all my Dharm and fall at His feet. I am not worried for anything as long as He is with me."

Krishn said - "Hey Sanjaya, My first wish is the welfare of Paandav. Then I would wish for the long life of king. I still prefer the peace for both Kuru and Paandav. But I did not understand your king's message. Because in spite of our instigating to kill Kaurav, Yudhishthir preferred to follow his Dharm and completed his term of exile, and your king blames him for that? He is a true Kshatriya, he will punish Kaurav according to his Dharm. Your king has no right to talk about Dharm to Yudhishthir. Braahman have different opinions about Dharm. Some say that success depends on the actions done; some say that action should be stopped and the salvation is attained by knowledge; and yet others say that one may have knowledge of eatables but one is not satisfied unless one actually eats them - a thirsty person's thirst is never gone until he has drunk water, and this result proceeds from work. If anyone thinks that something is better than work (actions), I consider his work and words meaningless. Even in the other world, Devtaa flourish only by their actions. It is by virtue of work that everything happens in the world. The Sun, the Moon, rivers, even Indra, Yam, Kuber all are busy doing their work. You must take the division of the four castes and the assigned duties to each one. The king protects all these and see that all observe their duties properly.

About war, why these weapons came into being? To punish the criminals, sinners. If a king is bad, the war comes in and for which came into being weapons, armors, and armors. Indra invented these things to punish. Since Dhritraashtra has unlawfully seized other's belongings, he has to be condemned. O Sanjaya, Tell me what is the difference between a thief and a robber? Thus how Dhritraashtra is different from them? Paandav's share is fixed.

We do not want to destroy anything or anybody, if Duryodhan returns our kingdom. Tell your king that Draupadee's insult is enough to kill all of them at once, tell Karn that what he talked about Draupadee is not forgotten by Arjun - in fact nobody in the hall showed any sympathy with her except Vidur. All responsible people were sitting there. If anybody had prevented her insult, I should have been pleased with Dhritraashtra's behavior. At that time you did not say anything, and now you have come to instruct Paandav? While Draupadee stood helpless in the hall, Karn said in the presence of her father-in-law - "O daughter of Drupad, You have no refuge, better be slave of Duryodhan. Your husbands have lost you so you accept someone else as your husband." Arjun has not forgotten these words.

And tell Dushaasan that Paandav still remember the words he spoke about them seeing dressed them in tree bark and deer skin. He called Bheem "cow" and said - "They are all eunuchs damned for a length of time." At the time of dice game, Shakuni said - "Nakul has been won by me, now what else have you got? You should better put your wife Draupadee on stake." These were the words spoken by a responsible king. Bheem remembers it all. Tell Duryodhan that Bheem has not forgotten his behavior also with Draupadee and sees only his thigh 24 hours. Everything is known by the world, you also know it, still you have brought this message from him?

But still we are for peace. Your king wants peace because he is afraid only for his sons, but we want peace because because we are afraid not only for ourselves but for them too. Tell Dhritraashtra, that I myself will have to come to Hastinaapur to settle all this matter. And I will try to convince that foolish Duryodhan for peace. If I will be able to do it I will feel proud that I was able to save the world. Paandav will never fight, if and only if, Duryodhan returns their Indraprashth, I take that responsibility, that there will be no war, otherwise, you take it granted that Arjun and Bheem will burn Dhritraashtra's all sons. 

Duryodhan is a big tree of evil passions, Karn is its trunk, Shakuni is its branches, Dushaasan is its blossoms and fruits, while Dhritraashtra himself is its roots. While this side Yudhishthir is a big tree of righteousness, Arjun is its trunk, Bheem is its branches, Nakul and Sahadev are its blossoms and fruits and its roots are I myself and all religious men. Paandav are ready to wait upon Dhritraashtra, let him do whatever he thinks proper.

At this Sanjaya got up and said - "Now I take leave, please permit me to go back, O Janaardan, Yudhishthir, Bheem, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev. You should consider my situation in which I have been put. I am just the messenger of the king and nothing else. I know everything but I cannot do anything. Yudhishthir said - "Sanjaya, We know you very well. You are our well wisher. We love you very much and so do you since we were children. You have seen everything that how we have suffered. I am not angry with you at all. Convey our best regards to all and say all of them individually that "I wish them well". Tell Duryodhan, "Give my Indraprasth back to me or fight with me.

Hey Sanjaya, All, the righteous and the unrighteous, the young and the old, the weak and the strong, are under the control of Bhagvaan. He is the One who imparts knowledge to the child and the childishness to the learned according to His own will. If Dhritraashtra asks anything about us tell him the truth only. When you reach there touch his feet on behalf of me and say that "We live happily under your power. It was under your grace that we got the kingdom. After giving them the kingdom, now he should not be indifferent to us, because our destruction would never overtake them. We desire peace. Give us only Kushasthal, Vrikasthal, Makandee, Baaranaavat and one any other one. Even this will end the quarrel." Tell Duryodhan that we are five brothers, so at least he should give us five villages."

Sanjay came back to Hastinaapur and entered the inner chambers of Dhritraashtra and said to him - "I went to Paandav Yudhishthir, after enquiring about your welfare they have sent their regards to you and said that you should be all right with your sons and grandsons. He desires only those possessions which he owned formerly. For him abstention of injury is superior to virtue; and virtue is superior to accumulation of wealth. Your deeds are sure to terminate in misery. Renouncing all sins, as a serpent leaves off its worn out skin (slough), Yudhishthir shines in natural perfection. You have bad reputation on Earth and are going to reap misery in the next world.

Calamity overtakes him who is deficient in wisdom, or who is cruel, or is of low birth, who observes hostility for a long time, or who is not steady in Kshatriya virtues, or is devoid of energy, or is of bad disposition. It is by virtue of luck that a person is born in a good race, becomes strong, or famous, or versed in various lore, or possesses the comforts of life, or becomes to be able to subduing his senses, or be able to discriminate in virtue and vice that are always linked together. If Yudhishthir, provoked by the offences, wishes for misery to you, then Kuru will be destroyed prematurely, and the blame will b on your head. Our five Gyaan Indriyaan (the eye, the ear, the nose, the touch, and the tongue) are the five doors of knowledge. If desires be curbed, these would be gratified by themselves, therefore one should cheerfully control his senses.

Children are grown when duly tended with food and drink. Men become subject to love and hate, pleasure and pain, praise and blame. A man is praised when he behaves honestly. You will be blamed because you will be responsible for so many innocent deaths. If the peace is not brought then Arjun will consume Kuru as a blazing fire consumes a large heap of dry grass. I am tired mentally as well as physically so please allow me to go to rest, I will tell the message tomorrow in the court." and Sanjaya went away after saying this.

Dhritraashtra could not sleep because he could not digest Yudhishthir's decision so he called Vidur and told him everything. He said - "Sanjaya has come back from Paandav. He has gone after rebuking me. He will deliver the message of Yudhishthir tomorrow in the court. I have not been able to understand what will be his message. And since Sanjaya has left I have not been able to sleep.

Vidur said - "There are five types of people who cannot sleep - a thief, a lustful person, who has lost all his wealth, who has failed to achieve success, and a wek person who has been attacked by a much strong person. I hope that you are not grieved by taking other people's wealth." Dhritraashtra said - "I wish to hear from you as your words are of high morality."