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Why do people conflict over ideas? Wise words from Ashwatthama.

From Mahabharata Sauptik Parva, subchapter 3, verses 1 to 15.


After Bhima defeated Duryodhana in the dual and Duryodhana was rendered incapable of moving from his place due to broken thighs, Ashwatthama was made the 'Senapati' the chief of the Kaurava army. Kaurava's army was now left with only three great warriors - Ashvatthama himself, Kripacharya, and Kritaverma.


Ashwatthama was considering the idea of massacring the Pandava army, along with the sons of five Pandavas, while they were all asleep. It was, he said justifiable for all the wrongdoings and wrong methods that the Pandavas had employed that were inconsistent with the prevailing code of war. This included Bhima striking Duryodhana with his mace below his waist, which was considered unfair in a mace-dual.


While Kritavarma and Kripacharya were against the idea of murdering the Pandava army along with sons of Pandava in their sleep, and offered many arguments tu dissuade Ashwatthama, he was resolute about it. And spoke the following words to support his own arguments. In a gist, he states that everyone has a different perspective about what is right.


 "The faculty of understanding is different in different men. Each man, however, is pleased with his own understanding. Every man regards himself as more intelligent than others. Everyone respects his own understanding and accords it with great praise. Everyone's wisdom is a subject of praise with oneself. Everyone speaks ill of the wisdom of others, and well of his own, in all instances. Men who agree on opinions in a community become gratified with and applaud one another. The opinions of these same men, when change and differ within the same community, by the influence of time, they become opposed to one another. "

Different people unite when they agree with the same idea. But with time, individual opinions change, and individual understandings evolve, and they may no longer agree with each other igniting dissensions and discord within the community. Perhaps Ashwatthama is indicating that despite being on the same side, Kripacharya, Kritavarma, and Ashwatthama have conflicting views on the matter of avenging Pandava's wrongdoings by a night ambush.


"A skillful physician, having duly diagnosed a disease, applies his intellect to prescribe a certain medicinal cure. Similarly, to accomplish a certain act, man uses his intelligence, aided by his wisdom, bears a certain opinion. But it is disapproved by others."

Every individual, owing to a different development of his intellect, leads to suggesting different solutions to the same problem. Multiple men can have conflicting ideas about such solutions as Kripacharya, Kritavarma, and Ashwatthama have at this point in Mahabharata


"Since everyone's intellect is different, each responds and reacts to the circumstances differently forming different opinions."
"A man, in youth, is enamored by certain idea. In middle age, the same does not prevail with him, and in the period of decay, a different kind of idea becomes agreeable to him. When fallen into terrible distress or when visited by great prosperity, the understanding of a person, is seen to be much afflicted. In one and the same person, through want of wisdom, the understanding becomes different at different times. That understanding which at one time is acceptable becomes the reverse of that at another time."

Opinions change with age and circumstances. And especially in extreme times, human wisdom and intellect falters


"Having resolved, however, according to one's wisdom, that resolution which is excellent should be endeavoured to be accomplished. Such resolution, therefore, should compel him to put forth execution. All persons, joyfully begin to act, even in respect of enterprises that lead to death, in the belief that those enterprises are achievable by them. All men, relying on their own judgments and wisdom, endeavor to accomplish diverse purposes, knowing them to be beneficial."

Here Ashwatthama is concluding this part of his speech indicating that he is resolute to execute the act that he has decided to undertake at any cost.


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