Barbarika was son of Ghatotkacha, grandson of Bhima and Hidimba whose conjugal relationship developed while five Pandava brothers were wandering in northern jungles as a measure of reward of their undertaking Dyuta with devious Duryodhana and Shakuni. When war of Mahabharata (First World-War in recorded and known history) was heralded, Barbarika was keen to participate in the war along with Pandava-s. However his mother didn’t permit him to proceed albeit he continued with his insistence. Finally his mother did yield to his obstinacy but with a rider that he would fight only on the weaker side of war i.e. underdog only and not on the side of Dharma i.e. moralistic righteousness.
As Dharma-incarnate Vasudeva Shri Krshna was peregrinating all over in search of warriors who could eventually vanquish Pandava-s to ensure their victory as they were on the side of Dharma, He encountered Barbarika in jungles, scrutinised his strengths and warfare capabilities. Highly impressed with his warfare skills, Vasudeva Shri Krshna inquired his perceptions and plans about the impending war, learned from him that Barbarika wished to combat on the side of Pandava-s as they had only seven Akshauhini-s large army while Kaurava-s had eleven. Keshava then picked up cudgels to explain to Barbarika that whichever side he would fight for, become mightier than the other side, then he would be changing side in favour of the weaker one, so on and so forth. As he would be swinging from one side to the other, he would decimate both leading to himself being the lone survivor. That would have nourished no purpose at all hence Barbarika sacrificed himself to remain a mute eye-witness of the impending Dharma-yuddha. Thus a mighty warrior bereft of Dharma-wisdom was denied participation in the war by the Dharma-incarnate Vasudeva Shri Krshna.
II Yato Krshnaha Tato Dharmaha II
When a Naxalite-Maoist commented on Twitter not long ago, “Naxal movements have used violence — this is undeniable. But what is often lost in the analysis is this — the violence of the powerful cannot be equated to the violence of the powerless”, he precisely sounded like Barbarika whose commitments were not guided by tenets of Dharma but preposterous understanding of power dynamics. ‘Power’ is a creature quite esoteric in characteristics. Who is more powerful between a well-educated ordinary native with his family dwelling in his home with all necessities and dreams to prosper or a Naxalite/Maoist who can threaten him to extort or kidnap his children to demand ransom ? Do security apparatus respond promptly if not instantly ? A poor, deprived and exploited Naxalite-Maoist wields the power by throwing laws and social norms to winds while a law-abiding citizen is weakened by following the same laws and norms that empower those desperadoes. If privileged ones are deprived and dispossessed by the deprived ones pursuing so-called Maoist ideology, will they then fight for the newly deprived ones ? Moot question that arises is whether tyranny of the deprived and dispossessed is felonious and burdensome or the virtual or otherwise tyranny of the privileged one.
Empathy, sympathy, compassion etc. are beautiful emotions but when allowed to roughshod principles of Dharma, these turn poisonous for the social order and well-being of all. It threatens national integrity as well if allowed uninterruptedly. Those who peddle the doctrine ‘Powerlessness is the real idealism’ even if it contravenes principles of Dharma, are hostile to civility, are one of the most dangerous enemies of nation. Whether arrows of Barbarika or bullets of Maoist AK-47, belong to the same class of dangers that must be neutralized earliest. Even advocates of dubious #MeToo Movement who believed ruination of innocent falsely accused men is merely a collateral damage, belong to the same class of enemies of social order who must be destroyed earliest possible. If Naxalite/Maoist violence on behalf of and for the powerless is justified then why British occupation of Bharata is less evil than colonization of Congo by Belgium ? All such narratives like all men are patriarcal rapists, wealth is devilish, women are always victims, poors are infallible… are all Barbarika commitments. Barbarika-s must never be allowed to fight anywhere whether in the form of Naxalites, Maoists or Urban-Naxals. They must either surrender to join the mainstream of life or be ruthlessly neutralized. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set the target date of March 2026 to wipe out Naxalism/Maoism from the face of this nation and he has been moving ahead resolutely to realize that. When completed, it will be remembered as a remarkable vertical in nations history.
Discussion about this post