Jain Journal 2010 07

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 40

DIVINE VISION TO SANJAYA - AN ILLUSION
Devendra Yashwant
An often narrated incident of the Mahābhārata tells us that king Dhịtarāstra being blind wanted to have the knowledge of the happening of the war. Being king, to have the knowledge of all incidents was his natural duty. It is narrated in the IInd chapter of the Jambūkhand Nirmāṇāparva falling under bhīşmaparva that Veda Vyāsa, the composer of the Mahābhārata on his own wanted to provide Dhstarāştra with divine vision so that he could see the war in the field. It is also narrated in this very chapter that Vyāsa had told his son Dhrtarāstra about the outcome of the war in his defeat as well death of his sons. Unable to face the death of his sons and his own defeat he could not gather courage in seeing by his own eye, but requested that he will like to have the information narrated to him. Sanjay a chariot driver and a close confidante of Dhstarāștra was granted this divine vision by Vyāsa for a limited period. Vyāsa said to Dhstarāștra :---
"yadi cechasi sangrāme drastumetān visāmpte cakşurdadāni te, putra Yuddham tatra nišamaya.
Dhstarāsțra replied that he does not wish to see the killing of his family members, but will like to hear the details of the war, he said :
na rocāye jñātivadham drastum brahmarşisattam, yuddham etat tvašeşena șrunuyām tava tejasā. Then Vyāsā gave the divine vision to Sanjay, he said :-- cakşuşā Sanjayo rājan divyenaiva samanvitaḥ, kathayişyati te yuddham sarvasașca bhavisyati. But was it correct ? In his narrations of war Sanjay in next 2