The Mahabharata War was over. There was both elation and dejection in the Pandav camp. They had won the war, but the ravages were depressing. However, another emotion reared its head: arrogance.
Arjun looked at the vast battlefield and exclaimed, ‘Despite the hardships, I’m happy I could get victory for us.’
‘Really!’ Bheem thundered. ‘We fought the Kauravs, and in case you forget, it was I who killed them all.’
Arjun was dismissive: ‘What mattered were invincibles like Bheeshma and Karna. Any guesses who vanquished them?’
When the other Pandavs couldn’t pacify the two brothers, they turned to Krishna. ‘How would I know?’ Krishna shrugged his shoulders. ‘I was busy manoeuvring Arjun’s chariot. The rest of the battlefield was beyond my sight. However, Barbareek was a witness to each event. He can help us solve this issue.’
As they trudged up the mountain, where Barbareek’s head was perched on top of it, Arjun wasn’t too pleased. After all, Barbareek was Bheem’s grandson, and he might side with his grandfather. Krishna pacified him by saying that Barbareek followed Dharma and would never lie.
When the war was announced, Barbareek promised his mother that he’d fight for the weaker side. Krishna knew that swinging fortunes on either side could compel Barbareek to switch sides, which could be catastrophic for setting the Dharmic order that Krishna hoped the war would achieve. Krishna asked for Barbareek’s head since traditionally the head of the bravest warrior was sacrificed. Barbareek agreed, though with the request that he be allowed to witness the war, a wish Krishna fulfilled. And, that’s how Barbareek’s head was placed on the mountaintop. Barbareek stared at Arjun and Bheem when Krishna asked him to resolve the issue as to who among the two was instrumental in winning the war. ‘Where were these two in the war?’ Barbareek asked incredulously. ‘I couldn’t spot them.’ The Pandav brothers were flabbergasted. They wondered if Barbareek was mad. Pacifying them, Krishna asked Barbareek: ‘Then what did you see?’
‘Krishna, I saw you severing the heads with your Sudarshan chakra and Goddess Kali drinking their blood,’ Barbareek replied.
The words hit both Arjun and Bheem as they realised their folly. With arrogant, ego-laden minds, the two Pandavs missed an important lesson as most of us do: That we are merely mediums in the larger game of life.
Rajessh M. Iyer is a storyteller who explores human relationships through meaningful anecdotes, parables, and stories; he shares his work on www.rajesshmiyer.com.