question_answer

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end of it:

Why Kinfolk quarrelled?

This is an except from the Adi Parvan (literally, the first section) of the Sanskrit Mahabharata, describing why conflicts arose amongst the Kauravas and Pandavas:

The Kauravas were the ... sons of Dhritarashtra, and the Pandavas... were their cousins. Since Dhritarashtra was blind, his younger brother Pandu ascended the throne of Hastinapura ... However, after the premature death of Pandu, Dhritarashtra became king, as the royal princes were still very young. As the princes grew up together, the citizens of Hastinapura began to express their preference - for the Pandavas, for they were more capable and virtuous than the Kauravas. This made Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas jealous. He approached his father and said, "You yourself did not receive the throne, although it fell to you, because of your defect. If the Pandava receives the patrimony from Pandu, his son will surely inherit it in turn, and so will his son, and his. We ourselves with our sons shall be excluded from the royal succession and become of slight regard in the eyes of the world, lord of the earth!?

Passages such as these may not have been literally true, but they give us an idea about what those who wrote the text thought. Sometimes, as in this case, they contain conflicting ides.

(1) Why did the citizens of Hastinapur express preference for Pandavas?

(2) Explain the reactions of Duryodhana against Pandavas.

(3) Explain the criteria of patrilineal succession.

Or

Fatalists and materialists

Here is an excerpt from the Sutra Pitaka, describing a conversation between king Ajatasatru, the ruler of Magadha, and the Buddha:

On one occasion King Ajatasatru visited the Buddha and described what another teacher, named Makkhali Gosala, had told him:

Though the wise should hope, by this virtut. ...by this penance I will gain karma ... and the fool should by the same means hope to gradually rid himself of his karma, neither of them can do it. Pleasure and pain, measured out as it were, cannot be altered in the course of samara (transmigration). It can neither be lessened or increased ... just as a ball of string will when thrown unwind to its full length, so fool and wise alike will take their course and make an end of sorrow." And tills is what a philosopher named Ajita Kesakambalin taught:

"There is no such thing, 0 king, as alms or sacrifice, or offerings...... there is no such thing as this world or the next...A human being is made up of the four elements. When he dies the earthy in him returns to the earth, the fluid to water, the heat to fire, the windy to air, and his senses pass into space...

The talk of gifts is a doctrine of fools, an empty lie ... fools and wise alike are cut off and perish. They do not survive after 'eath'.

The first teacher belonged to the tradition of the Ajivikas. They have often been described as fatalists those who believe that everything is predetermined. The second teacher belonged to the tradition of the Lokayatas, usually described as materialists. Texts from these traditions have not survived, so we know about them only from the works of other traditions.

(1) Explain what had Makkhali Gosala told the King Ajatasatru.

(2) Explain what did the philosopher named AJita Kesakambalin teach.

(3) Describe the beliefs of fatalists.

 

Answer:

Why Kinfolk quarrelled?

(1) The citizens of Hastinapur preferred the Pandavas because the eldest brother Yudhisthir, son of Pandu, was older than Duryodhana, the first son of Pandu?s brother Dhritarashtra. Though hierarchically speaking, Dhritarashtra had the first claim to the Hastinapur?s throne, since he was blind, Pandu, his younger brother was made the king. But soon Pandu died. As the princes were young Dhritarashtra became the king. Hence, the Pandavas had direct claim to the throne. Also, they were courageous and chivalrous warriors and thoughtful about the welfare of the people of Hastinapur, hence preferred by the citizens of Hastinapur as the rightful heirs to the throne.

(2) Duryodhana claimed that Dhritarashtra had been forced to relinquish his rightful authority upon the throne of Hastinapur and was penalized for being handicapped. Owing to his inability the line of succession has passed on to the other branch in the family. In this way, by forsaking the throne once he has lost the opportunity of making his sons the rightful owner. As Pandu was the last ruler the line of succession would always be in the name of his five sons and their successors.

(3) Patrilineal succession ensures the eldest son of the ruler to succeed to the throne. Upon the death of the eldest son, the throne would pass on to the next brother in line of succession. If there are no male siblings, the throne would pass to the eldest grandson of the first son of the ruler.

Or

Fatalists and Materialists

(1) Makkhali Gosala told the king, "Though the wise shows hope, by this virtue by this penance I will gain Karma pleasure and pain, measured out as it were, can?t be altered in course of Samara. It can neither be lessened nor increased.....to its full length, so fool & wise alike will take their course and make an end of sorrow."

(2) Ajita Kesakambalin, a philosopher, taught, "There is no such thing, 0 king as alms or sacrifice or offerings, there is no such thing as this world or the next. The talk of gifts is a doctrine of fools. They do not survive after death.

(3) The fatalists believe that everything is predetermined. Pleasure and pain, measured out as it were, can?t be altered in the course of samsara. It can neither be lessened nor increased.