![\"\"](\"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/photo.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nMy friend Vasant was up in town for a coupe of days to catch David’s retirement and get some work done. We took advantage of his being in town to get together for lunch.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vasant is a really smart guy and quite a Hindu scholar. We were talking about our kids.. and specifically Sam. Vasant once told me that there is no word in Sanskrit for a father that has lost a son.He told me a story from the Mahabharata today on that theme..\u00a0\u00a0 It was about Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya… or Drona… who was a powerful warrier that could not be killed while he had his bow in his hand. The story tells how Lord Krishna\u00a0 defeated Drona with a lie. He made up a story about Drona’s beloved son, A\u015bvatth\u0101ma, having been killed.. He knew that Drona would stop fighting when if he heard his son was dead. … and that Drona would have to hear the news from a truthful man, Yudhisthira<\/a>.<\/em>, to believe it was true.. Now,\u00a0 Yudhisthira<\/a> could not lie.. and\u00a0<\/em>A\u015bvatth\u0101ma was not really dead.. so Krisha arraigned for a complicated lie about the killing\u00a0 of an elephant with the same name of A\u015bvatth\u0101ma.He then had Yudhisthira<\/a><\/em> say to Drona\u00a0 “A\u015bvatth\u0101ma hatha\u1e25 iti, narova ku\u1e43jarov\u0101….” (Sanskrit<\/a>: “\u0905\u0936\u094d\u0935\u0924\u094d\u0925\u093e\u092e\u093e \u0939\u0924\u0903 \u0907\u0924\u093f, \u0928\u0930\u094b\u0935\u093e \u0915\u0941\u0902\u091c\u0930\u094b\u0935\u093e…” meaning ‘A\u015bvatth\u0101ma is dead. But, I am not certain whether it was a human or an elephant’. at the moment Yudhisthira<\/a><\/em> said the … “But, I am not certain whether it was a human or an elephant” part, Krishna blew his Conch so that Drona couldn’t hear that part. Drona only hear the part “A\u015bvatth\u0101ma is dead<\/em>“. he fell down in grief and was killed<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n It’s quite a story.. read here from wikipedia..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the war, Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira<\/a> was targeted by Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya to get captured. For this plan to be successful, Duryodhana invited King Bhagadatta<\/a>, who was a son of the asura<\/a> Narak\u0101sura<\/a>, in order to fight against the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Bhagadatta was the King of Prajokiyatsa<\/a> (in present-day Assam<\/a> or Burma<\/a>). As Krishna<\/a> had killed his father Narakasur<\/a>, Bhagadatta<\/a> agreed to join the Kauravas opposing \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But in spite of Bhagadatta’s support, Dro\u1e47a failed to capture Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira alive. The Kuru commander and preceptor did, however, kill hundreds and thousands of P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0dava warriors, thus advancing Duryodhana’s cause.<\/em><\/p>\n On the 15th day of the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata war, Dro\u1e47a got instigated by King Dhritarastra<\/a>‘s remarks of being a traitor. He used the Brahmadanda<\/a> against the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas. Brahmadanda was a spiritual divine weapon that contained the powers of seven greatest sages of San\u0101tana Dharma (Sapta \u1e5a\u1e63is<\/a>). But Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya did not impart this knowledge either to Arjuna or to A\u015bvatth\u0101ma<\/a>. Thus, he proved to be unconquerable on the 15th day of war.<\/em><\/p>\n Observing this, Krishna<\/a> devised a plan to bring down the invincible Dro\u1e47a. \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a knew that it was not possible to defeat Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya when he had bow and arrow in his hands. \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a also knew that Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya loved his son A\u015bvatth\u0101ma very dearly. So, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a suggested to Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira and other P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0dava brothers that, if he were convinced that his son was killed on the battlefield, then Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya would get dejected to such an extent that he would lay down all his arms on the ground and it would be easier to kill him.<\/em><\/p>\n In order to find a way out, \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a suggested Bh\u012bma to kill an elephant by name A\u015bvatth\u0101ma and claim to Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya that he has killed Dro\u1e47a’s son A\u015bvatth\u0101ma. Following this plan, Bh\u012bma<\/a> located and killed an elephant named A\u015bvatth\u0101ma, i.e. the same name as Dro\u1e47a’s son. He then loudly proclaimed that he had slain A\u015bvatth\u0101ma, so as to make Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya think that his son was dead.<\/em><\/p>\n Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya however, did not believe Bh\u012bma’s words and approached Yudhisthira<\/a>. Dro\u1e47a knew of Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira’s firm adherence to Dharma<\/a> and that he would never ever utter a lie. When Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya approached Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira and questioned him as to whether his son was truly slain in the battle by Bh\u012bma, Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira<\/a> responded with the cryptic Sanskrit phrase “A\u015bvatth\u0101ma hatha\u1e25 iti, narova ku\u1e43jarov\u0101….” (Sanskrit<\/a>: “\u0905\u0936\u094d\u0935\u0924\u094d\u0925\u093e\u092e\u093e \u0939\u0924\u0903 \u0907\u0924\u093f, \u0928\u0930\u094b\u0935\u093e \u0915\u0941\u0902\u091c\u0930\u094b\u0935\u093e…” meaning ‘A\u015bvatth\u0101ma is dead. But, I am not certain whether it was a human or an elephant’).<\/em><\/p>\n Just previously, revered sages of old, come to Drona and chastise him for his cruel acts and unrighteous fight.[16]<\/a><\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n \u015ar\u012b K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a also knew that it was not possible for Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira to lie outright. On his instructions, the other warriors blew trumpets and conches, raising a tumultuous noise in such a way that Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya only heard that “A\u015bvatth\u0101ma is dead”, but could not hear the latter part of Yudhi\u1e63\u1e6dhira’s reply.<\/em><\/p>\n Out of grief, and believing his son to be dead, Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya descended from his chariot, laid down his arms and sat in meditation. Closing his eyes, his soul went to Heaven in search of A\u015bvatth\u0101ma’s soul.<\/em><\/p>\n In the meantime, Drupada’s son Dh\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101dyumna<\/a> took this opportunity and beheaded the unarmed Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya who was not aware of the whole proceedings on Earth. This was considered an act of cowardice on Dh\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101dyumna’s part. All fifteen sons of dhristadyumna were killed by drona.<\/em><\/p>\n In this way, Dro\u1e47a was killed in the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata War. His death greatly aggrieved and enraged Arjuna<\/a>, who had immense affection towards his teacher, and had hoped to capture him alive rather than killing him.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A wild story.. told to me by a good freind.. who was trying to tell me that he felt for our loss…<\/p>\n Thank you for that<\/p>\n -nite all, nite sam<\/p>\n -me<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My friend Vasant was up in town for a coupe of days to catch David’s retirement and get some work done. We took advantage of his being in town to get together for lunch. Vasant is a really smart guy and quite a Hindu scholar. We were talking about our kids.. and specifically Sam. Vasant … Continue reading tuesday night – Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya<\/span> ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/johncohn.org\/base\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/436px-Mahabharata04ramauoft_0679.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p><\/blockquote>\n