A crown bedecked with a peacock feather on his head.
The lord is dressed in yellow.
With a smile on his lips
speaks Kishan Bihari.
Mahabharat.
A story of the conflict between the righteous and unrighteous
that every child remembers to this day.
By heart.
It is said that history is always
biased towards the victor.
Is this story truly about
the conflict between the righteous and the unrighteous?
Or is this merely a perspective
which has been prevalent for years, in the guise of truth?
Because if one takes a closer look
the lines between righteous and unrighteous
seem just as blurred
as the decisions made by both parties in this war.
Were the Kauravas completely evil?
Were the Pandavas the guardians of good?
Was deceit employed by only one side?
Were the Pandavas completely absolved of sins?
These are some of the questions
whose answers are needed.
They will be asked on this show
Mahabharat.
The end or the beginning.
Arjuna is right.
When it was decided
that the Pandavas and Kauravas would go to war
then Arjuna's bow, the Gandiva was the topic of discussion.
People believed
that his bow, the Gandiva had no match.
It was said
that after Arjuna bathed in the morning
and when he fixed the bowstring and pulled it
the vibration it caused
used to make the birds fall out of the trees.
But when the war commenced
and Bhisma Pitamaha shot his arrows
Arjuna's bow, the Gandiva broke.
After sunset Arjuna requested Bhishma Pitamaha
most humbly
to tell him how he could be killed.
Bhishma Pitamaha said to Arjuna
that if he brought someone who was gender fluid
in his carriage
then he would shoot at Arjuna.
The next day Arjun
brought Shikhandi along with him on his chariot.
Bhishma Pitamaha saw Shikhandi
and put his bow down.
He didn't wish to use his bow to hurt a transgender person.
He turned his back on Arjuna.
Arjuna shot his arrow
on Bhishma's back when he turned away.
And he shot so many arrows
that a bed of arrows was created.
When he fell
he was lying between the earth and the sky.
Meanwhile Karna was an archer who could match Arjuna's skills.
To defeat him, Shri Krishna
sent his mother Kunti to him.
Mother Kunti said to her son, Karna.
You are my eldest son.
You were born before I got married.
That is why I set you afloat on the river.
Now you should come back.
Then Karna said.
Mother, are you telling me now?
I am in Duryodhana's faction now.
I will fight only for him.
Then Kunti said.
I have five sons.
You can kill all of them.
Nobody will survive.
I won't have any son left.
Karna said.
No, mother. That isn't true.
All five of your sons will live.
I will not kill four of them.
I will only kill Arjuna.
After that, I, your son will survive.
So you will still have five sons who are alive.
When Indra learnt of this
that Arjuna's life is in danger
he appeared as a Brahmin
to meet Karna.
He said.
Give me your armour and earrings as alms.
Then Karna said.
Priest
they are a part of my body.
When I was born
the armour and earrings were on me.
As I grew from that time onwards
the earrings and the armour grew too.
So you can ask for something else.
The Brahmin said.
No.
Give me the armour and the earrings.
So Karna said, priest, I understand.
At the beginning of the war
you are asking me for my armour and earrings.
I am sure you must be Arjuna's father, Indra.
Indra felt very ashamed.
But Karna took his dagger out.
He cut off the armour.
He took off the earrings and gave them.
Arjuna's bow, the Gandiva was broken.
When Bhishma's arrows were shot
Shikhandi was used as a shield.
What kind of brave warrior are you?
You, Bhima
the sons of Madari
have been granted life by Karna.
You called me son of a lower caste man all your life
and insulted me.
Indra himself had come asking
for alms to Karna.
He cut the armour off his body
that is what a brave warrior is like!
Even without his armour and earrings
he was too much for Krishna and Arjuna to handle.
He was also killed by deceit.
He was a warrior
who deserved glory.
On the 15th day of the Mahabharat
when Karna and Arjuna fought
the wheel of Karna's chariot was stuck in the mud.
As per the rules of the war
the war was halted.
Karna got off the chariot and used all his power to
budge the wheel of the chariot.
Karna's horse Vayujit also
used all his might.
The charioteer Shalya held on to the reins.
Suddenly, the horse neighed loudly.
Karna saw
that Arjuna has lifted his bow and shot an arrow at him.
Before Karna could understand what transpired
the arrow hit him.
And thus during the pause in the war
Arjuna killed Karna by deceit
who had already granted amnesty to his four brothers.
Then Duryodhana said.
You said so a long time ago
choose any weapon you want.
We are the five Pandavas and we stand
fight anyone of us you want.
If I win, I'd promised
we would go away with the victory.
The flag of the Kuru army will fly
and the Pandavas will go back.
Arjuna and Sahdev don't know
how to battle with the mace.
With you or Nakul
I would have fought as an equal.
I had thought for a moment
I would call you out.
I would strike out twice with my mace
and end the war.
But every easy victory
is not one I can savour.
Measuring, gauging and comparing
sullies a victory.
I chose Bhimsen
as per the ideals of war.
The sect mark of victory is on my forehead
and you must concede defeat.
With helpless eyes all the five Pandavas
look toward Krishna.
Use another ploy of righteous ethics
and untie this tangle of victory.
"A crown bedecked with a peacock feather on his head."
"The lord is dressed in yellow."
"With a smile on his lips"
"speaks Kishan Bihari."
That ends another chapter
of the great epic
within which reside millions of stories.
But this is the beginning of this attempt
to view this great story
and re examine it from a truthful perspective.
To decide for oneself
which side are we on?
The righteous side?
Or the unrighteous side?
Or perhaps...
Keep watching, Mahabharat.
The end or the beginning