ALL was ready for the battle. The
warriors on both sides gathered together and solemnly bound themselves to honor
the traditional rules of war. The code of conduct in war and methods of warfare
vary from time to time. It is only if what was in vogue at the time of the
Mahabharata war is kept in mind that we can understand the epic. Otherwise, the
story would be puzzling in places. From what follows, the reader may have some
idea of the rules of warfare followed in the Kurukshetra battle. Each day, the
battle was over at sunset, and the hostiles mixed freely like friends.
Single combats might only be
between equals and one could not use methods not in accordance with dharma.
Thus those who left the field or retired would not be attacked. A horseman
could attack only a horseman, not one on foot. Likewise, charioteers, elephant
troops and infantrymen could engage themselves in battle only with their
opposite numbers in the enemy ranks. Those who sought quarter or surrendered
were safe from slaughter. Nor might one, for the moment disengaged, direct his
weapons against another who was engaged in combat. It was wrong to slay one who
had been disarmed or whose attention was directed elsewhere or who was retreating
or who had lost his armor. And no shafts were to be directed against
non-combatant attendants or those engaged in blowing conchs or beating drums.
These were the rules that the Kauravas and the Pandavas solemnly declared they
would follow.
The passage of time has witnessed
many changes in men's ideas of right and wrong. Nothing is exempt from attack
in modern warfare. Not only are munitions made the target of attack, but dumb
animals such as horses, camels, mules and medical stores, nay, non-combatants
of all ages, are destroyed without compunction. Sometimes the established
conventions went overboard even in the Mahabharata war. We see clearly in the
story that occasional transgressions took place for one reason or another. But,
on the whole, the accepted rules of honorable and humane war were observed by
both sides in the Kurukshetra battle. And the occasional violations were looked
upon as wrong and shameful.
Addressing the princes under his
command, Bhishma said: "Heroes, yours is a glorious opportunity. Before
you, are the gates of heaven wide open. The joy of living with Indra and Brahma
awaits you. Pursue the path of your ancestors and follow the kshatriya dharma.
Fight with joy and attain fame and greatness. A kshatriya does not wish to die of
disease or old age in his bed but prefers to die on the battlefield," and
the princes responded by ordering their trumpets to be sounded and shouted
victory to the Kauravas. On Bhishma's flag shone brightly the palm tree and
five stars. On Aswatthama's the lion tail fluttered in the air. In Drona's
golden-hued standard, the ascetic's bowl and the bow glistened, and the cobra
of Duryodhana's famed banner danced proudly with outspread hood. On Kripa's
flag was depicted a bull, while Jayadratha's carried a wild boar. Likewise
others and the battlefield thus presented a pageant of flags.Seeing the Kaurava
forces ranged in battle array, Yudhishthira gave orders to Arjuna: "The
enemy force is very large. Our army being smaller, our tactics should be concentration
rather than deployment that will only weaken us. Array our forces, therefore,
in needle formation." Now, when Arjuna saw men arrayed on both sides for
mutual slaughter, he was deeply agitated and Krishna
spoke to him in order to quell his agitation and remove his doubts.
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