In the Bharatiya culture spirituality is integral to weapon-wielding, but you can’t eschew violence, if needed, to subjugate the Evil
Ajay Bhardwaj
Almost every God or Goddess in the pantheon of Bharatiya culture is shown carrying a shastra (weapon). The obvious message being that benevolence and benedictions, yes, but if need be, one should not shy away from wielding the shastra to decimate evil.
Such a telling message from our Gods and Goddesses, then how come we, the Bharatiyas, in the course of history, became pacifists and allowed
ourselves to be ruled by the evil forces coming over from the foreign lands. They made deep inroads and subjugated us, physically and mentally.
Did we not pick up shastras (weapons) at all, or could we not wage an organised and a concerted defiance to neutralise the attempts of invaders? Historically, it would always be intriguing, and baffling too, to realise that a civilisation that worships weapon-wielding Gods and Goddesses could be so decisively subjected to servility, that too for centuries.
The sword-brandishing Goddess Durga, bow and arrow always in the accompaniment of Lord Rama, Sudarshan Chakra in the finger of Lord Krishna, a Gada (mace) on the shoulder of Lord Hanuman.
All these images carry an inspiration and a clear message that evil should necessarily be decimeted with weapons, if it cannot be tamed gently.
Though Lord Shiva is scarcely depicted in an aggressive or a violent posture, yet the Trident by his side is, perhaps, symbolic enough to suggest that if a situation warrants prahaar (attack) is inevitable. On the spiritual plane though, the Trident carries a far more significant spiritual message.
Even the Vedic gods make no bones about demonstrating their chivalry to conquer the forces of Evil.
Later in Bhagavadgita, the message becomes all the more succinct and explicit when Lord Krishna exhorts Arjuna to become Yudhyasva vigatjwarah…, par excellent in warfare. Because there was no other way out. For Arjuna the battlefield was not bloodshed for the sake of it, or for any greed or
temptation. It was, as Lord Krishna put it, yagnyarth tat karmanah… It was a yajna which would help him attain salvation. If he refrains from the war and leaves the battlefield beset with infatuation and cowardice, Lord Krishna says, “It would bring undying infamy, despise disparaging your might whereby you would heap sin on yourself”.
(Chap 2, cantos 35-36)
In a way waging a war is as sanctified for Arjuna as it was for Lord Rama doing it against Ravana or for Goddess Durga to do against Mahishasur ?
In fact, a seer and a warrior traverse a similar spiritual journey, so long as a warrior would not engage himself in the act with devious and selfish motives.
Look at the way the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, invoked Chandi (A form of Goddess Durga) in his epical work, Chandi di vaar. He waged a war against injustice and cruelty. So he would always be adorable.
Samar shoor, krur nahi (valiant in battle, but not cruel) as Nirala would say in one of his poems for Guru Gobind ji.
The weapon used with a purpose to salvage the humanity and to decimate the evil would, in fact, lead to bliss, something that was the core of our Bharatiya civilisation.
Shastra shodhan is what the demon Durg acquired through the sword of Goddess Durga. It was his destined way to achieve salvation. And mind you Goddess Durga did not annihilate him for personal gains.
There lies the vital difference. All our seers, when
tormented by demons, would seek assistance from the weapon-wielding class termed later as kshatriyas.
If weapon was an integral part of our ethos and culture, how come we could not annihilate the evil forces that ultimately subdued us, nay enslaved us. Shouldn’t Bharat look for an answer?
