THE BHISHMA WAY or THE JATAYU WAY

 Response by Shri Kesava Rao Tadipatri - denoted by KT

 >> No two people react to the same situation in a similar way.

>> Here are examples of two legendary personalities who were faced with a >> very similar situation, but thier responses were diagonally apart.  

 KT: That is really comparing apples and oranges. They may sound similar, but not the same situation at all. Surely both are situations where woman needed help. Surely Bhishma did not act, which is wrong and Jatayu did a noble thing. Also note that the same Lord in the form of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna acted differently. Lord Sri Krishna protected Draupadi, the wife of His devotees, showing His Supreme power.
On the other hand, Lord Sri Rama, though all-powerful, pretended as if He could not help His own wife. Lord Sri Rama used this as a precursor to punish all the evil demons, later on. Lord Sri Krishna used that as a precursor to punish the Kauravas later on. Draupadi needed help immediately and Sri Krishna rose to the situation. Draupadi’s own husbands, who were a lot more powerful than all the Kauravas, were also right there and could not also help.
Kauravas used “mAyA dyuta” as a cover to make an effort for atrocity, where the husbands of Draupadi as well as all the Kuru elders and Kuru gurus Drona and Kripacharya were also silenced. Only Vidura could snap out of that snare. In case of Ravana, he openly committed a crime and Jatayu had no prior bindings. Surely Bhishma was overcome by the effect of Kali from inside. Bhishma could not help even in many other situations like burning of Lakshagriha, or poisoning Bhima, etc (of course he was not even aware).

 >> One has been elevated but the other only recognised. 

KT: Both were elevated and recognized overall. Bhishma regretted for his act of keeping silent. Jatayu had no reason for regret.

>> It's in between Bhisma and Jatayu.

>> Both, of them were confronted with character defining asssault on

>> womanhood.

>> One chose to die protecting the victim while the other chose to be a

>> mute spectator of the crime.

 KT: Bhishma thought that he was bound to protect the person committing the atrocity. No such binding is there for Jatayu and so he could fight and try to stop. In other words, Bhishma thought that his hands were tied, but Jatayu did not feel that his wings were tied.

>> 1) POWERFUL or POWERLESS

>> Bhisma was a powerful and capable warrior and if he wanted, he could

>> have stopped the disrobing of Draupadi - the Queen

>> But he chose to be a silent witness of this act; 

KT: His own power of oath acted against him and no such anti-power was there for Jatayu. There was no mental clash for Jatayu, but there was one for Bhishma.

>> Where, Jatayu was old and invalid and knew that in all probability,

>> Ravana would kill him. Still, he chose to try his best to protect Sita - >> the Queen.

>> Bhisma was powerful yet acted powerless, where Jatayu was powerless yet >> acted powerful.
KT: That gives the wrong impression that the reason for Bhishma keeping silent is because he valued his life. That was not the reason. He valued his vow to protect the sitter on the throne and even though Dhritarashtra was on the throne, it practically implied that he had to protect his progeny as well. Bhishma valued his word more than his life. He was confused about his course of action in that condition. When in fact in the battlefield, to save dharma, he gave away the secret of his own defeat to the Pandavas.

>> "Real power is not about physical strength but about the deep desire to >> help."_ 

KT: This also gives the wrong impression that Bhishma did not want to help. Finally he was very happy that Sri Krishna helped Draupadi. But due to the effect of Kali, he gave more importance to protecting his word and the throne than the true dharma of protecting the great woman in distress.

>> 2) ALIVE or DEAD

>> Bhisma lived on but died everyday to his conscience;

>> Where Jatayu died once but lived eternally true to his conscience. _

>> "Our only constant companion is our concience - better to be true to it."_ 

KT: Again, it is giving a wrong message. Bhishma did not do that mistake for the love of his life. It was his love for his vows and not being able to judge the higher dharma. It is temporary confusion due to effect of Kali. As I mentioned earlier, he was fearless and was willing to give away the secret of his life to the Pandavas to help dharma, in the hour of need. He did have a good conscience, otherwise why would he regret for what he did. Even that one mistake is due to confusion and not due to any evil nature or love of life. Even today he is considered a noble soul and a special tarpaNa called Bhishma tarpana is given to him, thus he lived eternally.

>> 3) FAME or INFAMY

>> Bhisma's name and fame went down in history because of this one act of >> not stopping the disrobing of Draupadi.

>> But Jatayu's name and fame went high in history because of his act of

>> trying to save Sita. _

>> "Many of us are going to be mere names in history, sooner or later. Will >> we be equated with the bad or the good - is our choice."_

 KT: No, that is completely wrong. Bhishma’s name did not go down in history despite that one single act. People respected him then and people respect him even now for many of his selfless and brave acts. He was bound by his vows. He was not mere name in history, nor was he equated with bad. It is a wrong paint brush. If that were a right paint brush, no one would give Bhishma tarpaNa today. Every one who recites Sri Vishnu Sahasra Naama remembers Bhishma. It is not that only in his last days, Lord’s Supremacy dawned on him. When Yudhisthira asked him that who should get “agrya pUje” during Rajasuya, Bhishma did not suggest Parashurama or Vedavyasa, who were also the same Lord’s forms, but suggested Sri Krishna as in that form, He was doing the JagannATaka at that time. Thus Bhishma was a great j~nAni, fearless being and also a man of great stature and so his name went high in history. Even that one wrong act was not due to any evil nature or love of life. Even that one single wrong act, Sri Krishna did not ignore and refused to take Atithya in his house, but went to Vidura’s house during Sri Krishna raayabhaara. Also he met his end due to the presence of Shikhandi in Arjuna’s chariot.

>> 4) CULTURE or VULTURE

>> Bhisma was supposed to be a highly cultured human but acted highly

>> insensitive and stooped low in values like a vulture;

>> Where, Jatayu was supposed to be a lowly uncultured vulture but acted

>> highly sensitive and soared the skies in values like an evolved human. _

>> "One doesn't become a human, by being born as a human - only becomes a >> human by being a human."_ 

KT: Again a wrong picture and wrong paint brush. Just because Bhishma kept silent in that juncture, though he was physically strong, if one concludes that he did not act like cultured human, but acted highly insensitive and stooped low in values like a vulture, then what about Pandavas? They were also physically strong and kept silent too. Remember it was their wives and so they have greater responsibility than Bhishma. So, would anyone say that the Pandavas did not act like cultured human, but acted highly insensitive and stooped low in values like a vulture? This is like seeing an object with a convex or concave lens and claiming that the object is all skewed. Surely Jatayu is great. There is no need to push Bhishma’s name to its nadir so as to see Jatayu’s name in its zenith. 

Further this seems like a play with words and thoughts than any reality. We know the old adage – truth is stranger than fiction. But here we see an effort to make the fiction more real than truth.

>> 5) SPOKEN or UNSPOKEN WORDS

>> Draupadi begged and pleaded protection from Bhisma because she knew if >> someone could protect her it was only him but still Bhisma didn't

>> protect her;

>> Where, Sita didn't even ask Jatayu for protection - she just wanted him >> to inform Rama about her kidnapping by Ravana because she knew Jatayu

>> was not powerful but still Jatayu tried to protect Sita.

>> "The language of heart is more powerful than the language of words."_ 

KT: Again another wrong and twisted message, which is far from truth. 

Draupadi did not beg and plead Bhishma explicitly at all. She asks the question and accused the sabha collectively. 

This is what Draupadi told - 

idaM tvanAryaM kuruvIramadhye\, rajasvalA.n yatparikarShase mAm .

na chApi kashchitkurute.atra pUjAM\,dhruvaM tavedaM matamanvapadyan || 61-32 ||

 dhigastu naShTaH khalu bhAratAnAM\, dharmastathA kShatravidAM cha vR^ittam.

yatrAbhyatItAM kuru dharmavelAM\, prekShanti sarve kuravaH sabhAyAm || 61-33 || 

droNasya bhIShmasya cha nAsti sattvaM\, dhruvaM tathaivAsya mahAtmano.api .

rAGYastathA hImamadharmamugraM\, na lakShayante kuruvR^iddha mukhyAH || 61-34 || 

इदं त्वनार्यं कुरुवीरमध्ये, रजस्वलां यत्परिकर्षसे माम्।

न चापि कश्चित्कुरुतेऽत्र पूजां,ध्रुवं तवेदं मतमन्वपद्यन्॥ ६१-३२॥ 

धिगस्तु नष्टः खलु भारतानां, धर्मस्तथा क्षत्रविदां च वृत्तम्।

यत्राभ्यतीतां कुरु धर्मवेलां, प्रेक्षन्ति सर्वे कुरवः सभायाम्॥ ६१-३३॥ 

द्रोणस्य भीष्मस्य च नास्ति सत्त्वं, ध्रुवं तथैवास्य महात्मनोऽपि।

राज्ञस्तथा हीममधर्ममुग्रं, न लक्षयन्ते कुरुवृद्ध मुख्याः॥ ६१-३४॥ 

“It is an unworthy act that you are dragging me before these kuru heros, despite my being in my menstrual season. But none is reprimanding you here, indicating that they concur with you. 

Fie all! The moral stance of BhArata clan is destroyed and the character of Kshatriyas are destroyed, when in this assembly of Kuru heroes silently witness the transgression of the very boundaries of Kuru values. 

Drona, Bhishma, the king and others lost their strength indeed as all these kings, princes, heroes and elders of Kuru clan silently witnessed this unvirtuous and vile crime.” 

Bhishma replied - 

tyajeta sarvAM pR^ithivIM samR^iddhAM\, yudhiShThiraH satyamatho na jahyAt.

uktaM jito.asmIti cha pANDavena\, tasmAnna shaknomi vivektumetat ||61-41|| 

त्यजेत सर्वां पृथिवीं समृद्धां, युधिष्ठिरः सत्यमथो न जह्यात्।

उक्तं जितोऽस्मीति च पाण्डवेन, तस्मान्न शक्नोमि विवेक्तुमेतत्॥६१-४१॥ 

“YudhiShThira may forsake the whole world full of its wealth, but he will never forsake morality. YudhiShThira himself uttered ‘I am won’. So, I am unable to decide this matter.” 

After this all the events of attempts of disrobing Draupadi and Lord Sri Krishna coming to the rescue happened. Then Vidura speaks out denouncing the whole thing.

 Bhishma uttered the following words -

 nUnamantaH kulasyAsya bhavitA nachirAdiva .

tathA hi kuravaH sarve lobhamohaparAyaNAH || 63-17 ||

नूनमन्तः कुलस्यास्य भविता नचिरादिव।

तथा हि कुरवः सर्वे लोभमोहपरायणाः॥ ६३-१७॥ 

“As all these Kurus have become slaves of greed and delusion, very soon this entire Kuru clan itself will be destroyed.” 

Then Sita did ask Jatayu for help - 

“jaTAyo pashya mAmArya hriyamANAmanAthavat || 

anena rAkShaseMdreNAkaruNaM pApakarmaNA |

naiSha vArayituM shakyastava krUro nishAcharaH || 

sattvavAn jitakAshI cha sAyudhashchaiva durmatiH |

rAmAya tu yathAtattvaM jatAyo haraNaM mama ||

 lakShmaNAya cha tat sarvamAkhyAtavyamasheShataH ||” 

"जटायो पश्य मामार्य ह्रियमाणामनाथवत्॥ 

अनेन राक्षसेंद्रेणाकरुणं पापकर्मणा।

नैष वारयितुं शक्यस्तव क्रूरो निशाचरः॥ 

सत्त्ववान् जितकाशी च सायुधश्चैव दुर्मतिः।

रामाय तु यथातत्त्वं जतायो हरणं मम॥ 

लक्ष्मणाय च तत् सर्वमाख्यातव्यमशेषतः॥" 

“Oh Jatayu, look at me, as I am dragged like an orphan. This wretched sinner is stealing me with cruelty. It is not possible for you to prevent this wicked and cruel demon Ravana. This wretch and wicked person is strong, victorious and is bearing arms. Convey this entire account of my being stolen as is to Sri Rama. Convey this entire tiding of my being stolen in detail to Lakshmana.” 

Jatayu, who was asleep, gets woken up by her cries.  

>> 6) CLARITY or CONFUSION

>> Bhisma was confused regarding his Royal duty that he forgot that he had >> a higher duty - a moral duty;

>> Where, Jatayu was so clear about his moral duty that no other duty was a >> consideration for him.

>> "When caught up in dilemmas, best is to follow the higher principles - >> to follow our heart because it always knows the truth." 

KT: It is easier to give arm-chair suggestion, as one cannot conceive how the hot seat is. As I mentioned before the two situations are not the same. It is not right to club both under the same head. 

Even Lord Sri Krishna says in Bhagavdgita -

 “gahanA karmaNo gatiH”

“The path of karma is very complex and deep”. 

Yes it is best to follow the higher principles. But recognizing it is difficult for the ones, who are committed to some path. People are aware of the story of Satya Harishchandra, who was ready to behead his own wife. Some may argue “Is it proper to behead his own wife? Why could not Harishchandra take the higher principle of saving his own wife?”. Why did he not follow his heart? He should have sacrificed truth so that he could have followed his heart and that is really the truth? Now the truth is on which side – on the side of his heart or on the side of his vow to speak truth? 

It is not only Bhishma, who was all confused. Even Drona and Kripacharya were all confused. Only Vidura had clarity of thought. 

This kind of dramatization in fact confuses people even more.

>> 7) GOOD or BAD EXAMPLE

>> Bhisma set a very bad precedent for generations to come;

>> Where, Jatayu set the most ideal precedent for generations to come. _

>> "If we can't be a great example atleast let us not be a bad one."_ 

KT: Hmmm! Bhishma did one mistake and he becomes a bad example? Surely he accepted that it was a mistake. No worries. People cannot follow the path of Bhishma, taking his example. Who will take the serious vow of forsaking the throne and not marrying at all for the sake of one’s father? Of course he added the clause of seeing the image of ultimate ruler in who ever sits on throne and protecting him always. 

Even if one claims that Bhishma set up a bad example just in this case, one must understand the complexity of the situation, rather than using the wrong paint brush. YudhiShThira played the dice, which was the root cause and he bet his wife, which further made it complex. Is there a point in brushing aside all this and comparing apples and oranges? 

Was Satya Harishchandra, who was ready to behead his wife, a bad example or good example? It is not proper to draw rash conclusions, when matter is very complex. I am reminded of the video by Sadhguru, which projected Bhishma as a man of little intelligence, which was even more illogical.

>> 8) RELATIVE or STRANGER

>> Another interesting point is that Bhisma was an elderly relative of

>> Draupadi but acted as a total stranger in this episode;

>> Where, Jatayu was not at all related to Sita, he was a stranger but

>> acted more than a dearest relative.

>> "True relationships is based on heartly connections not just bodily

>> connections."_

 KT: This is way off. What has relative or non-relative to do with this kind of situation? The very basic assumption that one will be always good to a relative is wrong. Pandavas were relatives to Kauravas. So were Kauravas nice to Pandavas? In fact that itself became a problem. It is a wrong statement that Bhishma acted like a stranger. In those times, many good people saw beyond relationships. Was Guha relative to Rama, was Shabari relative to Rama? What is this relationship business? 

Shalya was relative to Pandavas and came to take part in the war on the side of the Pandavas, but was tricked to fight on the side of the Kauravas. The reason for Bhishma’s silence has nothing to do with any relationship, but his confusion. 

Jatayu was not a total stranger at all. He introduced himself as a close friend of Dasharatha and promised to protect Sita. People must realize that friendship creates even stronger bond than relationship.

>> 9) THE SAINTLY or THE WICKED

>> Both, Bhisma and Jatayu had a few moments to decide what to do.

>> Life, sometimes puts in situations where in a few moments we need to

>> take crucial decisions.

>> What we decide very much depends on the kind of inner integrity we have >> cultivated by the association we keep. 

>> Bhisma's intelligence was clouded and it failed the test of life because >> he associated with the wicked minded, selfish Kauravas;

>> Where, Jatayu's intelligence was crystal clear and it passed the test of >> life because he associated with the saintly, selfless Lakshman and the >> All-pure Lord Rama. _

>> "After all, who we are solely depends on whom we associate with."_ 

KT: This is again a wrong picture. Bhishma associates with both Kauravas and Pandavas and he kept supporting Pandavas always. That is why he was called “pANDava pakShapAti” and Duryodhana always had big gripe about it. 

It is not the association that made him go through such path. He was bound by his vows. He reluctantly did what he did. If Pandavas were on the throne and he was alive, he would have been extremely happy and lived a great and excited life. It was a roller coaster life for him. 

Jatayu was free bird and free to make decisions. Bhishma was bound to the throne and unfortunately, that was the wicked Duryodhana. Bhishma never wished for it, but was left with it. They just came with different baggages. Karna’s case was different. He was free to choose, but he chose Duryodhana’s side. Vidura was also in the midst of all and was fortunate to snap out of that snare and he did not have to go through that path. Drona was not tied to the throne, but he had to tread that path as he thought that he had to repay the debt of eating the salt that was fed.

>> 10) EMBRACE or NEGLECT

>> The Supreme Lord as Sri Krishna was not at all happy with this attitude >> of Bhisma so much so that when He came as a peace messenger to

>> Hastinapur, He didn't even bother to look at Bhisma;

>> Where, The Supreme Lord as Ramachandra was so happy with the attitude of >> Jatayu that he embraced him and personally did his final rites - a

>> honour that even Dasharath - His father didn't receive. _

>> "The scriptures explain that the ultimate test of any activity is, if

>> the Supreme Lord is pleased with us."_

>> It is very clear, Bhisma displeased God; where Jatayu pleased Him.

>> This recount is not meant to criticize Bhisma - he is undoubtedly a

>> great personality, but we do vehemently criticize his inaction. 

KT: There is nothing wrong in criticizing this particular act of Bhishma. Surely it was a mistake. The problem is only in comparing apples and oranges. Both the situations are not the same, though both concern the honor of a woman. In one case, the husbands themselves were present and one husband led to that kind of situation. In the other case the husband was not even around and no one else was there. In one case there is binding from prior vows and in the other case there was no such binding.  

Sri Krishna did look at Bhishma and did not offer to go to Bhishma, but offered to go to Vidura. Knowing the intent of Sri Krishna, Bhishma did not even ask Sri Krishna to come to His place. When Duryodhana tried to capture Sri Krishna, He showed His vishvarUpa. With divine sight, Lord Krishna blessed Drona, BhIShma, Vidura, and Sanjaya unasked. Is that neglect? Then He granted divine sight to DhritarAShTra too just to see Vishvarupa when he appealed to Sri Krishna. After Bhishma was made to rest on the bed of arrows, It is Shri Krihna who asked Pandavas to go to BhiShma and receive the lessons of Dharma. Does that mean that Sri Krishna was displeased with Bhishma or pleased? Does that indicate that Lord wanted to neglect BhiShma? Bhishma gave to the world Sri Vishnu Sahasra nAma and Lord Sri Krishna blessed him sitting right next to him. Did the Lord select Bhishma or neglect BhiShma?

Surely Jatayu was great. Lord Sri Rama blessed him. But why play the game of drawing a needless comparison and make an effort to put down Bhishma? Surely Sri Krishna himself did not perform the final rites of Bhishma, but He blessed Bhishma by physically being next to him for hours in his last days. That was a great honor to Bhishma. Just as the Lord was physically present next to Jatayu in his last moments, He was physically next to Bhishma in his last days. Was that not an ultimate test? By doing all that, did Bhishma displease God? Did God neglect Bhishma?

 >> Moral: 

>> When we see some injustice, some problem, we have only two options - 

>> Either close your eyes to it or do something about it - follow "the

>> Bhisma way" or "the Jatayu way". 

>> Whichever way we choose remember there will also be a result - "the

>> Bhisma result" or "the Jatayu result"._ 

KT: The judgment is passed not by us, but by the Lord. To see what Bhishma result is, note the following. 

There is a beautiful verse in Sri Harikathmrit Saara “Bhishmana avaguNagaLenisideno karuNALu?” Seeing the svarUpa yogyata of Bhishma and blessing the great devotion and dharmachintane of Bhishma, the Lord forgave the mistakes of Bhishma. “To err is human and to forgive is divine”, is to be seen in the backdrop of shAstra-sammata dharmAdharma chintane (conclusion of dharma and adharma in scripturally granted fashion)

For someone to vehemently criticize with just one incident and turning blind eye to all his rest of the actions is not wise. 

Surely Jatayu result is good. With the above description of the grace of the Lord on Bhishma, would anyone think that Bhishma result is bad? Note the words of Gita - “gahanA karmaNo gatiH” (“The path of karma is very complex and deep”.). We never take the kind of vows Bhishma took and so the scope for making the right decision is much easier for us relatively and yet we do not tend to take right decisions. Learning from any incident is good, but in a picture, we see a black dot and then paint the whole picture with black color, we will not see the true picture, but we just see only black paint all over. 

So, the true moral is to see the whole picture in its true colors, rather than our painting the picture with just one color.

Shri Krishnarpanamastu !
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