Goenawan Mohamad

This could be why in the fifteenth-century text the Korawaswara, the Kurawas are revived after the Bharatayudha war. And so the battle begins again: good must exist, but so too must evil.

What is the meaning of victory? After the Kurawas were defeated, the Kuru battlefield lay strewn with bodies. The stench of rotting flesh was everywhere. A sense of contampination hung in the air. Thousand of dogs whined, howled, and clawed the earth. Other than that there were just the moans of soldiers on the verge of death, lying amongst the remains of chariots and broken weapons.

The only colour was blood. There would be no more deeds of heroism.

The victors, the five Pendawas, had already taken over the palace, now empty. Speechless with exhaustion they viewed the vast empty audience hall. And now what? What more was there? Usually in such tales the storyteller will say that after such victory “the people lived happily ever after”.

But the Mahabharata is not usual history.

“The Mahabharata conclude with the Pendawas going into retreat on Mahameru Mountain,” writes Dr. Franz Magnis Suseno in his short work Kita dan Wayang [Wayang and Us]. During the course of their journey to Mahameru Mountain, one by one these victorious Pendawas die, except for Yudhistira and his dog. Suseno interesting interpretation of this wayang story is that “the Pandawa’s can no longer sustain themselves if the Kurawas do not exist”.

The Kurawas lose and are wiped out, and in this fact lies the tragedy of the story. “In the Mahabharata world,” writes Suseno, “good and evil, right and left, must both exist. The tension between them must be retained — neither one can be taken away.”

This could be why in the fifteenth-century text the Korawaswara, the Kurawas are revived after the Bharatayudha war. And so the battle begins again: good must exist, but so too must evil.

It is indeed difficult to comprehend this kind of fatalism. What is the meaning of victory if it must be relinquished? What is the meaning of glory if it does not then wipe out all potential enemies? What is te point of contest if it does not end contest?

Indeed there is not much point at all if things are viewed in this way. But life more complex than plans, intentions or ideals. Reality is more complex than a scenario. As history shown, mankind was never destined for outright total victory.

People are unable to win completely over difference of opinion. Nor can they utterly defeat opposition, or control a world without conflict, sickness and problems. Life –or history– is not spottles table that ideally has to be returned spotles. As soon as one prolem is solved, another appears.

This could be why in the Bhagavad-Gita, the dialogue that takes place between Kresna and Arjuna during the very moment before the huge Bharatayuda battle, there is mentions of tyaga. Tyaga is the attitude of detachment from the desire to achieve pf product or result from one’s endeavour. Those who look for such reward will soon be disappointed, for the reward will quickly sour. But those with an attitude of detachment the allows one to act without being dragged into such ambitions will be trully free, content and true.

Yudhistira, a man of such qualities, was sad when the battle ended and the victory lay in his hands. We can imagine how he roamed that evening along the corridors of the Astina Palace that he had just conquered. Huge pillard and wide balustrades. Cavernous, choking spaces. The flares and the torches blown by the wind, as though afraid of his power, arrogance and might. Why must mankind always chase such glory, and fight over increasingly?

We are reminded of another historical event — not in the Mahabharata. Napoleon Bonaparte, the revolutionary hero, had just been consul and was entering the Tuileries Palace for the first time. It was February 1800 and this was to be his residence. As he walked pas the huge roomss that had served as symbols of the wealth and power of the Bourbouns, and aide whispered to him, “General, this place is depressing.”

Napoleon gave a brief reply, in the silence and emptiness: “Oui, comme la gloire.” Sad, yes, like glory itself.

*Taken from Sidelines, Hyland House Publishing, 1994; page 125-126 [translated by Jennifer Lindsay]