On the occasion of Janmashtami (26th August 2024)

Warfare strategies adopted by Purnavatar (100% Incarnation) Bhagawan Shrikrushna

Bhagawan Shrikrushna used various warfare strategies throughout His life. This is an article about those strategies. Learning from Him, the present Government should adopt similar strategies against the enemies of the country !

Shrikrushna was fully aware of various supernatural powers and weapons Duryodhan and Karna had during the Mahabharat war; hence, He devised an entirely different war strategy. Karna had 2 curses. One was that he will forget how to use Brahmastra at the last minute and the other that Mother Earth would swallow the wheel of his chariot. Shrikrushna knew this. First Karna’s had Vasavi Shakti (An invincible spear that could only be used once. It had the power to kill any opponent, regardless of his strength or defences) had to be taken away. Besides, to demoralise him by divulging the secret of his birth and later kill him by making him briefly place his Parashuram bow on the ground. Thus, the war strategy was planned by Shrikrushna in 3 phases.

A. Take away Karna’s Vasavi Shakti, B. Demoralise him, and C. Make him place his bow on the ground.

Forcing Karna to use his Vasavi Shakti

Duryodhan had a demon friend named Alayudha. As per the rules, the war would end at sunset every day. When demon Alayudha came to his aid, Duryodhan broke this rule and declared that the war would continue even at night. Demons are proficient in occult arts, and their power increases manifold at night. This makes it impossible to deal with them. Shrikrushna was well aware of this aspect and that another demon with equal occult strength was needed to destroy him. At that time, Shrikrushna told Bhim to call his son Ghatotkach. Ghatotkach appeared as soon as Bhim called him. In the fierce battle between Alayudha and Ghatotkach, Ghatotkach killed Alayudha, and with his great feat, the Kaurav army was destroyed. Now it was at par in strength with the Pandav army. Duryodhan was distraught. Karna felt the same. Then, Duryodhan asked Karna to use Vasavi Shakti; however, Karna was not ready. Duryodhan gave Karna the ultimatum – ‘What will you do when we are all finished ?’ Karna then released the Vasavi Shakti and killed Ghatotkach. At that time, all the Pandavs were saddened but Shrikrushna expressed joy; because, the danger on Arjun’s life had been averted and Karna’s only reserve weapon had been used up. This made Karna’s power equal to that of any other ordinary super-hero. Thus, the first phase of the strategy, was successful.

Shrikrushna discouraging Karna by asking him to go to Kunti

The second move was to demoralise Karna as part of the strategy. For this, Shrikrushna sent Kunti to Karna to tell him the secret of his birth. Karna was not convinced to leave Duryodhan’s side even after Kunti told him. Even then, He promised Kunti – ‘I will not kill your 4 sons except Arjun. In the battle between me and Arjun, even if one of us dies, you will still have 5 sons alive’. All the same, he was demoralised from within, but he did not show it. This move was also successful.

Shrikrushna, who taught the war strategy of repulsing the enemy attack

Enraged by the burning of the Khandav forest during the battle between Karna and Arjun, serpent Takshak became the enemy of the Pandavs and wanted to kill Arjun. He was waiting for an opportunity. He told Karna about his agony and asked him to mount him on his arrow and release it at Arjun. He said – ‘When the arrow reaches Arjun I will bite him to death and thus take revenge’. Karna also agreed with Takshak that the enemy’s enemy is your friend; besides having lost his Vasavi Shakti, this was also the reason why Karna agreed to kill Arjun. He mounted Takshak on an arrow and released it at Arjun.

Watching the incoming weapon at great speed, Shrikrushna immediately realised that Takshak has been mounted on the weapon aimed at Arjun’s throat. At the right moment, Shrikrushna tilted the chariot by putting weight on the chariot’s horses, and the arrow hit Arjun’s crown. The crown was destroyed by Takshak’s poison and fell down. Arjun survived. Dejected, Takshak went back to Karna and begged him to reload him on another arrow; but Karna refused saying – ‘I experiment with a weapon only once and never repeat their use’.

In this instance, Shrikrushna disclosed the war strategy of making the enemy’s attack ineffective. This is a very good war strategy that neutralises the enemy’s attack without even retaliating.

The war strategy used by Shrikrushna to kill Karna

In the battle between Karna and Arjun, Shrikrushna deliberately rode Arjun’s chariot over marshy land. During the chase, Karna’s chariot got stuck in soft soil. This was the final move of the 3-phase plan. Since the chariot wheel was stuck in the soil, Karna dropped his bow to the ground and started pulling out his chariot wheel. At that time, Shrikrushna ordered Arjun to kill Karna with an arrow. Seeing Arjun take aim at him, Karna exclaimed, ‘This is unrighteous’. Shrikrushna quickly narrated to Karna all his evil deeds and asked – ‘O son of Radha ! What stopped you from being righteous then ?’; at that very instant, Arjun released an arrow and killed Karna. Shrikrushna ordered Arjun to release the arrow while Karna was disarmed and pulling out the chariot wheel, because He was aware that if Karna mounted the chariot and held Parashuram’s bow, no archer in the world could defeat him. When Karna died, Shrikrushna cremated him (no one else was cremated by Shrikrushna) to honour his charity and heroism. The war strategy applied here was ‘मरणान्‍ती वैराणी’ (With death, the purpose of enmity ends).

Shrikrushna identified the enemy’s weak links to plan warfare

At this stage of the war, Duryodhan was left with one warrior – Ashwatthama – the son of Sage Drona. He was a warrior gifted with immortality; but Duryodhan had already fled the battlefield and hid in a reservoir. All the Kauravs and their army had perished. Here, it is appropriate to first narrate an incident about Duryodhan that reveals Shrikrushna’s foresightedness. Gandhari was a chaste woman and remained blindfolded throughout her life to experience what her husband was experiencing. She told Duryodhan, “Disrobe completely and come before me. I shall remove the blindfold and look at your body. It will make your whole body vajra (Impenetrable)”. Shrikrushna influenced Duryodhan by saying, ‘It is not proper to undress in front of your mother; hence, cover your body from waist up to knees with garlands of flowers before going’. When Duryodhan went in front of Gandhari thus, his body, except that portion which was covered with garlands, turned into vajra. This move helped Bhim keep his promise (‘I will break Duryodhan’s thighs with a mace’) made at the time of Draupadi’s disrobing. Else, Duryodhan would have been invincible. Even Gandhari understood that this was a part of Shrikrushna’s strategy.

When Duryodhan, who was hiding in a reservoir, was forced to come out after a tirade, he and Bhim started fighting with their maces. All the Pandavs, Shrikrushna, Balram saw this mace battle. Bhim made all-out efforts to win; but could not defeat Duryodhan, whose body was like vajra. Then, Shrikrushna slapped His thigh and indicated to Bhim to strike Duryodhan’s thigh with his mace (the rule in a mace battle is not to strike below the waist). Accordingly, Bhim hit Duryodhan’s thighs with his mace. Duryodhan fell to the ground almost dead. Since Duryodhan had covered his body from the waist up to knees when he visited Gandhari, that portion had not turned into vajra. Balram was enraged by the prohibited technique adopted by Bhim (of striking below the opponent’s waist), and was about to attack him with his plough. At that time, Shrikrushna reminded Balram of Bhim’s promise and said, ‘This act is not unrighteous’.

Here, we can see how well-planned this war strategy was. Even when Bhim wrestled with Jarasandha, Shrikrushna signalled by slicing a stick vertically and throwing its 2 parts in opposite directions. Accordingly, Bhim parted Jarasandha in two pieces and threw each in opposite directions; else, Jarasandha was invincible. This is a skilful war strategy in which the enemy’s weak link that will ensure his death is identified, and the war is waged accordingly.

Shrikrushna’s curse on Ashwatthama

Acharya Drona’s son Ashwatthama remained till the end. He was made Commander by the dying Duryodhan; and he in turn, used the most indecent tactics and killed all the Pandav sons while they were asleep. He was Avadhya (One who could not be killed).

When he was caught by the Pandavs, he used the Brahmastra in the battle with Arjun; but, was unable to retrieve it. Hence, he diverted it at Abhimanyu’s wife Uttara’s unborn child. Later, Shrikrushna averted the Pandav Kulakshaya (End of lineage) by bringing the dead infant back to life. Using His Sudarshan Chakra, Shrikrushna removed the gem from the evil Ashwatthama’s forehead and cursed him that he would roam in the forests Era after Era, with blood and pus oozing out of his injuries, and with no one to talk to; thus, immortality became a curse for him.

Shrikrushna’s counter strategy after sensing the concealed deceit of the enemy

After the war, Dhritarashtra finally expressed his desire to meet Bhim. Shrikrushna realised Dhritarashtra’s power and purpose. So, Bhim was substituted by an iron statue; mistaking the statue for Bhim, Dhritarashtra hugged and crushed it – this is also a war strategy. Else, Bhim would have been killed. This is an example of a counter strategy by sensing the enemy’s concealed deceit.

– Mr Vasant Godbole

Learning from the war strategies adopted by Shrikrushna, the Government should use them against the enemies of the country !