तस्य सञ्जनयन्हर्षं कुरुवृद्ध: पितामह: | सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चै: शङ्खं दध्मौ प्रतापवान् || 12 || |
|---|
“Then, the eldest of the Kuru dynasty, the great patriarch Bheeshma, roared like a lion, causing joy to Duryodhana. He blew his conch shell, which was powerful and resonant.”
Commentary
After Duryodhana gives his instruction to Dronāchārya and all the commanders, Bheeshma, who is highly respected and revered by both sides of the war, responds by generating enthusiasm and confidence among the Kaurava warriors.
Bheeshma, sounds his powerful and resonant conch shell, which serves as a traditional announcement and call to battle. The blowing of the conch shell by a renowned warrior like Bheeshma signifies the beginning of the war and sets a courageous and heroic tone for the battlefield. This action of Bheeshma fills Duryodhana with joy and reassurance. Let us consider an example of a person by name Joe, who has developed a habit and addiction to alcohol. In this context, we will use the symbolic quality of Arjuna to represent Joe’s fiery determination and resolve. As Joe makes a firm decision to quit alcohol, an interesting interplay between Desire, Habit, and Ego unfolds within his consciousness. The innate Desire, personified as Duryodhana, senses the potential loss of its grip and immediately springs into action. It rushes to the deeply ingrained habit of alcohol, symbolized by Drona, having formed through repeated actions over time. Now Duryodhana mobilizes other commanders representing negative patterns within Joe’s consciousness. These commanders embody various detrimental traits such as attachment to pleasure, complacency, lack of foresight, and many more, all serving Prince Desire, Duryodhana. Together, they join forces to protect the ego. Bheeshma who represents ego – the sense of individual identity and self-importance, is bolstered by Prince Desire and his army of negative patterns. He blows the conch, symbolizing the powerful force of restlessness and craving that arises within Joe’s mind and body, cheering up his desire to continue alcohol consumption. By sounding the conch of restlessness, the ego reaffirms its strength and dominance over Joe’s thoughts and actions. Its aim is now to undermine Joe’s fiery determination to quit alcohol, encouraging desire and its soldiers of negative patterns to engage in a fierce battle against the virtuous intention. Within this ongoing internal battle, Desire and its army strive to maintain the status quo, resisting any positive change and striving to perpetuate the addictive behavior. They generate loud sounds in the form of thoughts, cravings, and rationalizations aimed at undermining Joe’s resolve to quit alcohol. This example demonstrates how the innate desire, driven by the fear of losing its grip, mobilizes past habits and negative patterns to safeguard the ego’s attachment to the addictive behavior. The ego, in turn, reinforces its strength through restlessness, goading desire and its soldiers to combat the virtuous intention. By comprehending this interplay and persistently striving for positive change, Joe can triumph over negative patterns and regain control over his body and mind. These verses prompt us to reflect on the motivations behind our actions, understand whether our desires arise from self-centeredness, attachment, or a genuine pursuit of higher ideals. By cultivating self-awareness and embracing a broader spiritual perspective, we can transcend the limitations of ego, harmonize our desires with higher principles, and navigate life’s complexities with wisdom and integrity.