The Moral Standard of the Mahábhárata period

The people were ignorant. But they were not immoral – this was their greatest quality.

There was no spiritualism nor philosophy in support of the morality of the people of that time.

They would accept the naked facts, and in that sense they were moralists. “I will say just what has happened” – this was their way of practising satya.

This very thing is quite natural.

They had no intellect to ponder over the consequences of practising such satya.

A crooked intellect is essential to deviate from satya, and this the people of the Mahábhárata period did not possess.

A thief when caught will concoct statements in different ways with the police and in court.

So cunningness is needed for any deviation from the path of satya.

In the absence of cunningness, the people of the Mahábhárata period were naturally moralists.

Those who tread the path of spirituality become moralists after grasping spirituality well.

There is a gulf of difference between the moralists of the 2 types mentioned above.

The people of the Mahábhárata period were supporters of the naked facts, and in just this sense were moralists.

This does not mean that they were spiritualists.

The masses were not spiritually elevated.

On the contrary, the number of spiritualists in the present time is greater.

But the percentage of moralists of that period was rather greater.

The greatest gain in becoming a moralist is that a man has tremendous moral force.

That one has not committed a wrong, is not doing so nor will do so – this very awareness generates in one a force, the moral force.

A sinner (pápii) does not possess this moral force.

A ruffian might have a lot of physical strength, but is afraid of the police.

But a moralist, even if physically weak, is not.

A ruffian is devoid of moral force. The moralist is full of it.

Bhisma

After the war between the Pandavas and the Kaoravas:

• dharma was with the Pandavas
• adharma was with the Kaoravas

Bhisma was a great hero in the Mahábhárata.

He accepted the food of Duryodhana, of the Kaoravas.

• But because he did so, he could not go against Duryodhana out of the simple moral obligation.

Bhisma supported them even if he knew well that the Kaoravas were unrighteous.

This was the simple morality of the prehistoric age.

He was a righteous man and even desired the victory of the righteous Pandavas.

But being guided by the simple prehistoric morality, he supported the Kaoravas.

This simple morality was greatly appreciated in the society of that time.

A man had to act up to his promise.

Arjuna promised that he would slay Jayadratha before sunset or commit suicide.

At the moment of sunset, the people were sure that Arjuna would now commit suicide as he had promised. This is considered to be heroism.

In the present age, people make so many promises and break them.

Immorality has become the order of the day. So people had gathered to see the suicide of Arjuna. Jayadratha, who had so far stayed hidden, also came to see.

Lord Krsna had applied His occult power and covered the sun with dark clouds even before the actual time of sunset.

He now uncovered the sun – it was still day – and seeing Jayadratha, his enemy, Arjuna killed him and fulfilled his promise.

The value of simple morality is less than spiritual morality. But it is still included within human cardinal values.

Therefore, Lord Krsna attached a lot of importance to simple morality also.

Spiritualistic morality was in few people as the number of spiritualists was so very small.

Very few people had the opportunity to learn the hard and complicated processes of intuitional practice.

This is because the people then were intellectually deficient even if they were more moral than present people.

Bhisma was a moralist and had a great reputation in the society.

Bhisma, respected Lord Krsna, but he was not his devotee.

Lord Krsna respected Bhisma because he was a moralist.

Krsna used to greet Bhisma. At the time of Bhisma’s death, when he lay on a bed of arrows for so many days, Lord Krsna used to sit near him and look after him with the Pandavas.

Moralistic values, thus, were prominent in the life of the Mahábhárata age.

[The following section was also printed separately as part of “The Righteous Gandhari” in The Awakening of Women. This is the The Awakening of Women, 1st edition, version.]