Neither friend nor foe

War was imminent. Drupada, father of Draupadi and father-in-law of the Pandavas, was addressing an assembly of kings in Virata's court. The Pandavas had just completed 14 years in exile with the final year being spent incognito in King Virata's service. Drupada thundered: "Let us send word to our friends that they may collect an army for us. Let speedy messengers go to Salya and Dristaketu and Jayatsena and the prince of the Kekayas."*

The Pandavas could not fight this battle on their own and Drupada was signing up allies. Marriage, old friendships and favours bestowed in times of need - the Pandavas played every chip they had as they readied for battle; just like present-day political parties. Smart alliances, data indicates, have helped increase vote shares of the national parties in every election.** No surprise then that the political landscape is bustling with frenetic parleys between friends, foes and strangers for seats and votes; quite like the way it must have been in the time of the ancient epics.

The Pandavas were masters at sewing up strategic alliances. Arjuna's marriage to Ulupi, the sea princess, and Bhima's to Hidimba from the rakshasi clan were hugely advantageous relationships. Ghatotkacha, son of Hidimba and Bhima, killed several Kauravas and forced Karna to use a weapon that he had been saving up for Arjuna against him. Ulupi provided access to the might of the Naga army. In the larger Mahabharata narrative, however, both were treated poorly. Krishna rejoiced at Ghatotkacha's death and Ulupi was never allowed to live in the main palace with the other wives. The victor does not always play fair.

Another powerful partner for the Pandavas was Virata - his daughter had married Abhimanyu, Arjuna's son. He supplied soldiers and elephants and his sons fought valiantly on the side of the Pandavas. Choosing the right ally was always critical. In Odyssey, Athena who plays mentor to Telemachus, son of Odysseus, tells him to seek out his true friends to find his father. He finds Nestor, Menelaus and Helen who help him by providing him with clues and moral support.

The Kauravas were not as fortunate in their choices. Few kings and princes were willing to ignore their deep familial bonds with the Pandavas and even fewer believed in Duryodhana's cause. Karna was the exception, but he sat out most of the battle because of his grouse with Bhisma; somewhat like Achilles in the battle of Troy.

To add to his woes, Duryodhana also chose poorly. He accepted and was even elated at the prospect of having Krishna's army by his side, while Krishna chose to be Arjuna's charioteer. Without their commander, the soldiers were not as effective; and Krishna provided a huge moral, tactical and psychological advantage to the Pandavas, even though he did not fight on the battlefield. Some of Duryodhana's choices also did more damage than good. Shalya, uncle to the Pandava twins, was tricked into joining him. Shalya was on his way to align with the Pandavas. But Duryodhana's men intercepted him and his army, asking them to rest a few days before resuming their journey. Unaware that he was Duryodhana's guest, Shalya and his men agreed. And so pleased was he with the attention and care he received that when he discovered that it was Duryodhana and not Yudhisthira who was his host, he felt obliged to ally with the Kauravas. However he asked to meet Yudhishthira and his nephews before the battle to which Duryodhana agreed. At the meeting, Yudhishthira asked Shalya "for my sake though it may not be proper to be done"* to break Karna's spirit in the battlefield. Shalya as Karna's charioteer did just that, demoralising him and shattering his resolve as he went to battle against Arjuna. Snatching friends of rivals is never a good idea or an enemy's friend is never a good ally.

Strategic relationships have been a critical aspect of the mythology of the subcontinent. Vishnu, for instance, who is part of the trinity and highest in the hierarchy of gods, rides on the Garuda (a mythical bird) and rests on the Ananta Nag (the world serpent). The two were strong animistic deities who were assimilated into the Vedic fold, albeit in positions lower than the main gods. Alliances with tribal gods helped spread the Vedic way of life. They widened their influence.

Fighting wars and elections can't be done without allies. Not only do they provide access and influence, they can also be invaluable in the propaganda war. Drupada, for instance, not only brought in an army of kings, he also sent his priest to Dhritarashtra and asked him to sing the glory of the Pandavas: "If you speak words of righteousness unto Dhritarashtra, you will certainly gain the hearts of his fighting men. Vidura will also make use of those words of yours and will thus alienate the hearts of Bhisma, Drona and Kripa and others." Breaking the enemy's spirit was important and Drupada knew that. Given the scramble for alliances today, Drupada would definitely have been a sought-after campaign manager for the 2014 elections.

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*Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva, Translated by K M Ganguli
**"The mathematics of the Modi Wave,"Praveen Chakravarty, Business Standard, March 3, 2014

Arrogant ignoramuses and wretches in the third state...

With elections round the corner, abuse peppers the hyperbole and rhetoric employed by candidates to boost their image. They are calling each other frauds, imposters and murderers. Some have cast aspersions on their opponents' virility, some others have flaunted their own.

Interestingly, several examples of employing abuse as a battle axe can be found in the epics. In the Mahabharata, the Sisupala-Krishna encounter is a case in point. Yudhisthira was conducting the Rajasuya Yagna - a sacrifice meant for the gods at the end of which a king is anointed emperor - and he offers arghya (water from the ritual or fruit and sweets from the sacrifice) to the assembled kings. Yudhisthira asked Bhisma to point out the foremost among the kings gathered at his court so that he could offer him the first arghya. Bhisma pointed to Krishna. At this, the king of Chedi, Sisupala, let loose a barrage of insults. He called Krishna a wretch born in the race of the Vrishnis and Yudhisthira a mean fool who had abandoned the path of dharma. Bhisma he called arrogant and ignorant and an old and infamous wretch living in the third state (celibacy).

Sisupala had never forgiven Krishna for eloping with Rukmini, whom he had sought to marry, and for killing Kansa, Krishna's own uncle, and Putana, a rakshasi - he felt both had been wronged - and his friend Jarasandha. His hatred found release in the vitriolic attack which also caused his end. Sisupala, who had been born with three eyes and four hands and had brayed like an ass when he came into the world, was fated to be killed by Krishna. His parents had wanted to abandon him but were held back by a heavenly voice that assured them that the deformities would disappear once the baby was placed in the lap of the right person but that the same person would cause Sisupala's death. That is what happened when Krishna picked up Sisupala. At Sisupala's mother's insistence Krishna had agreed to forgive her son one hundred insults before he took his life. Sisupala tipped the scale and lost his life.

Pentheus, king of Thebes, faced a similar fate for his abuse of Dionysus. Pentheus found the Dionysian cult strange and horrifying and called Dionysus an "eastern stranger", refusing to accept him as a god. When Dionysus visited his kingdom, Pentheus insulted and imprisoned him. But Dionysus broke free and led Pentheus to a horrific death at the hands of his mother.

 

An ungainly sight: Duryodhana slips and falls

Harsh words are used in most epics as triggers and turning points. Duryodhana's desire for revenge was apparently hardened when he saw Draupadi mocking his gauche inspection of the Pandava's palace at Indraprastha. He mistook a crystal surface for a lake and then a lake for a crystal surface, tripping and falling as he made his way around the palace. Draupadi laughed out loud and, according to one version, called him "blind as a blind man's son". Overly sensitive, Duryodhana bore her a lifelong grudge, as did Karna against Arjuna and Bhima for calling him a low-caste interloper.

In the Iliad, an insult, at least a perceived one, was also the reason for Helen's abduction. Eris, the goddess of strife, was piqued at not being invited to the wedding of a mortal, King Peleus, and a sea-nymph, Thetis. She sent a golden apple for the nuptial feast inscribed with the words: "For the fairest". Athene, Hera and Aphrodite laid claim to the apple. Zeus appointed Paris as judge. Each goddess promised Paris special favours in return for the prize: Hera said she would give him royal power, Athene wisdom and victory in war, and Aphrodite said she would get him the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris chose Aphrodite and earned the enmity of Hera and Athene for life. The battle of Troy followed soon thereafter.

Epic literature is full of insulting words and acrimonious exchanges, some fatal and some amusing. Our modern-day politicians could use them to find new swear words and, perhaps, to learn when to stop.

(This article appeared in the Business Standard (March 8, 2014) under the headline Abuse of Power)