World War II.
About 3% of the world’s population died as a result of the conflict, somewhere between 70 and 85 million people.
It was an outrageously bad conflict that even I have grown up in the shadow of.
But it wasn’t the worst possible outcome. The worst would have been the Nazi’s winning.
What can be more sorrowful, O Janardana, than this, that I am unable to maintain my mother and my friends? Having the Kasis, the Panchalas, the Chedis, and the Matsyas, for my allies and with thee, O slayer of Madhu, for my protector, I prayed for only five villages, etc., Avishthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata, with any other, O Govinda, as the fifth;--Grant us, we said, five villages or towns, O sire, where we five may dwell in union, for we do not desire the destruction of the Bharatas.
Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section LXXII
2. Bhima surprisingly went for Peace.
Bhima said, 'Speak thou, O slayer of Madhu, in such a strain that there may be peace with the Kurus. Do not threaten them with war. Resenting everything, his wrath always excited, hostile to his own good and arrogant, Duryodhana should not be roughly addressed. Do thou behave towards him with mildness. Duryodhana is by nature sinful of heart like that of a robber, intoxicated with the pride of prosperity, hostile to the Pandavas, without foresight, cruel in speech, always disposed to censure others, of wicked prowess, of wrath not easily to be appeased, not susceptible of being taught, of wicked soul, deceitful in behaviour, capable of giving up his very life rather than break or give up his own opinion. Peace with such a one, O Krishna, is, I suppose, most difficult. Regardless of the words of even his well-wishers, destitute of virtue, loving falsehood, he always acts against the words of his counsellors and wounds their hearts.
Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section LXXIV
3. Arjuna too was for Peace.
"Arjuna said, 'O Janardana, Yudhishthira hath already said what should be said. But, O chastiser of foes, hearing what thou hast said, it seemeth to me that thou, O lord, does not think peace to be easily obtainable either in consequence of Dhritarashtra's covetousness or from our present weakness. Thou thinkest also that human prowess alone is fruitless, and also that without putting forth one's prowess one's purposes cannot be achieved. What thou hast said may be true, but at the same time it may not always be true. Nothing, however, should be regarded as impracticable. It is true, peace seemeth to thee to be impossible in consequence of our distressful condition, yet they are still acting against us without reaping the fruits of their acts. Peace, therefore, if properly proposed, O lord, may be concluded. O Krishna, strive thou, therefore, to bring about peace with the foe.
Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section LXXVIII
4. Nakula was prepared for anything Peace or war. He said it depends on how Enemies behave.
Nakula said, 'Much hath been said, O Madhava, by king Yudhishthira the just who is conversant with morality and endued with liberality, and thou hast heard what hath been said by Falguni also. As regards my own opinion, O hero, thou hast repeatedly expressed it, Hearing first what the wishes of the enemy are and disregarding all, do what thou regardest to be proper for the occasion. O Kesava, diverse are the conclusions arrived at as regards diverse matters. Success, however, O chastiser of foes, is won when a man doth that which ought to be done in view of the occasion. When a thing is settled in one way on one occasion, it becometh unsuitable when the occasion becometh different. Persons, therefore, in this world, O foremost of men, cannot stick to the same opinion throughout. While we were living in the woods, our hearts were inclined towards a particular course of action. While we were passing the period of concealment, our wishes were of one kind, and now, at the present time, O Krishna, when concealment is no longer necessary, our wishes have become different. O thou of the Vrishni race, while we wandered in the woods, attachment for the kingdom was not so great as now. The period of our exile having ceased, hearing, O hero, that we have returned, an army numbering full seven Akshauhinis hath, through thy grace, O Janardana, been assembled. Beholding these tigers among men, of inconceivable might and prowess, standing equipped for battle armed with weapons, what man is there that will not be struck with fear? Therefore going into the midst of the Kurus, speak thou first words fraught with mildness and then those fraught with threats, so that the wicked Suyodhana may be agitated with fear.
Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section LXXX
5. Sahadeva was for all out war. He was supported by Satyaki.
Sahadeva said, 'What hath been said by the king is, indeed, eternal virtue, but thou, O chastiser of foes, shouldst act, in such a way that war may certainly happen. Even if the Kauravas express their desire for peace with the Pandavas, still, O thou of Dasarha's race, provoke thou a war with them. Having seen, O Krishna, the princess of Panchala brought in that plight into the midst of the assembly, how can my wrath be appeased without the slaughter of Suyodhana. If, O Krishna, Bhima and Arjuna and king Yudhishthira the just are disposed to be virtuous, abandoning virtue I desire an encounter with Duryodhana in battle.'
Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section LXXXI
6. Panchali Draupadi the sixth Pandava also wanted war and she Expressed her sorrow to krishna how badly she was treated.
O Janardana, thou knowest all these sorrows of mine. Rescue me, O lotus-eyed one, with my husbands, kinsmen, and relatives, from that grief. Morally, O Krishna, I am the daughter-in-law of both Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. Though such, I was yet forcibly made a slave. Fie to Partha's bowmanship, oh, fie to Bhimasena's might since Duryodhana, O Krishna, liveth for even a moment. If I deserve any favour at thy hands, if thou hast any compassion for me, let thy wrath, O Krishna, be directed towards the sons of Dhritarashtra.'
Draupadi even said that if Pandavas led by Bhima and Armuna don't fight her father, brother will fight and alos her 5 sons led by Abhimanyu will fight for her.
If Bhima and Arjuna, O Krishna, have become so low as to long for peace, my aged father then with his war like sons will avenge for me in battle. My five sons also that are endued with great energy, with Abhimanyu, O slayer of Madhu, at their head, will fight with the Kauravas. What peace can this heart of mine know unless I behold Dussasana's dark arm severed from his trunk and pulverised to atoms? Thirteen long years have I passed in expectation of better times, hiding in my heart my wrath like a smouldering fire.
Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section LXXXII
After Draupadi had spoken she began to cry and then Krishna spoke and assured her that he will get justice for her.
The mighty-armed Kesava then spoke, comforting her in these words, 'Soon wilt thou, O Krishna, behold the ladies of Bharata's race weep as thou dost. Even they, O timid one, will weep like thee, their kinsmen and friends being slain. They with whom, O lady, thou art angry, have their kinsmen and warriors already slain. With Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, at Yudhishthira's command, and agreeably to fate, and what hath been ordained by the Ordainer, I will accomplish all this. Their hour having arrived, the sons of Dhritarashtra, if they do not listen to my words, will surely lie down on the earth turned as morsels of dogs and jackals. The mountains of Himavat might shift their site, the Earth herself might spilt into a hundred fragments, the firmament itself with its myriads of stars might fall down, still my words can never be futile. Stop thy tears, I swear to thee, O Krishna, soon wilt thou see thy husbands, with their enemies slain, and with prosperity crowning them.'"
Udyoga Parva: Bhagwat Yana Parva: Section LXXXII
So in all Yudhisthira, Bhima and Arjuna went for Peace, Draupadi and Sahadeva wanted war and Nakula was prepared for any evenuality.
Image courtesy:- Google.
These are the five eldest warriors in Kurukshetra war :-
He was elder brother of Shantanu and uncle of Bhishma Pitahma .
He was killed by Bhimasena .
Then Bhima, for Satyaki's sake, afflicted the illustrious Valhika with nine shafts and pierced him therewith at the van of battle. Then the mighty-armed son of Pratipa, Valhika, filled with great fury, hurled a dart at the chest of Bhima, like Purandara himself hurling the thunder. Struck therewith, Bhima trembled (on his car) and swooned away. The mighty warrior then, recovering his senses, hurled a mace at his opponent. Hurled by the son of Pandu, that mace snatched away the head of Valhika, who, thereupon, fell down lifeless on the earth, like a tree struck down by lightning.
He was eldest son of Bahilika and since Bhishma Pitahma was eight child of Shantanu and Mata Ganga , it is very likely he was older than Pitahma .
He was killed by Satyaki .
Then Satyaki, inflamed with rage, aiming at Somadatta's chest, shot a new and terrible Parigha equipped with a golden staff and hard as the thunder. The Kuru warrior, however, smiling the while, cut off that terrible Parigha advancing with speed against him in two parts. That formidable Parigha of iron, then, thus cut off into two fragments, fell down like so many crests of a mountain riven by thunder. Then Satyaki, O king, with a broad-headed arrow, cut off in that encounter Somadatta's bow, and then with five arrows, the leathern fence that cased his fingers. Then, O Bharata, with four other shafts he speedily despatched the four excellent steeds of the Kuru warrior to Yama's presence. And then that tiger among car-warriors with another straight shaft, smiling the while, cut off from his trunk the head of Somadatta's driver. Then he sought at Somadatta himself a terrible shaft of fiery effulgence, whetted on stone, steeped in oil, and equipped with wings of gold. That excellent and fierce shaft, shot by the mighty grandson of Sini, quickly fell like a hawk, O Lord, upon the chest of Somadatta. Deeply pierced by the mighty Satwata, the great car-warrior Somadatta, O monarch, fell down (from his car) and expired.
The great son of Maa Ganga and Shantanu .
He was brought down by Arjuna fairly .
Fierce was the battle fought there between thy troops and those of the enemy on that the tenth day, O king, when Bhishma and Arjuna met together. Like unto the vortex that occurs at the spot where the Ganga meets the Ocean, for a short while a vortex occurred there where the troops of both armies met and struck one another down. And the Earth, wet with gore, assumed a fierce form. And the even and the uneven spots on her surface could no longer be distinguished. Although Bhishma was pierced in all his vital limbs, yet on that the tenth day he stayed (calmly) in battle, having slain ten thousand warriors. Then that great bowman, Partha, stationed at the head of his troops, broke the centre of the Kuru army. Ourselves then, afraid of Kunti's son Dhananjaya having white steeds attached to his car, and afflicted by him with polished weapons, fled away from the battle. The Sauviras, the Kitavas, the Easterners, the Westerners, the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sayas, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and the Kaikeyas-these and many other illustrious warriors,--afflicted with arrows and pained by their wounds, abandoned Bhishma in that battle while he was fighting with the diadem-decked (Arjuna). Then a great many warriors, surrounding that single warrior on all sides, defeated the Kurus (that protected him) and covered him with shower of arrows. Throw down, Seize, Fight, Cut into pieces,--this was the furious uproar, O king, heard in the vicinity of Bhishma's car. Having slain in that battle, O monarch, (his foes) by hundreds and thousands, there was not in Bhishma's body space of even two fingers' breadth that was not pierced with arrows. Thus was thy sire mangled with arrows of keen points by Phalguni in that battle. And then he fell down from his car with his head to the east, a little before sunset, in the very sight of thy sons. And while Bhishma fell, loud cries of alas and oh, O Bharata, were heard in the welkin uttered by the celestials and the kings of the earth. And beholding the high-souled grandsire falling down (from his car), the hearts of all of us fell with him. That foremost of all bowmen, that mighty-armed hero, fell down, like an uprooted standard of Indra, making the earth tremble the while.Pierced all over with arrows, his body touched not the ground. At that moment, O bull of Bharata's race, a divine nature took possession of that great bowman lying on a bed of arrows. The clouds poured a (cool) shower (over him) and the Earth trembled. While falling he had marked that the Sun was then in the southern solstice.
He was son of Bharadwaj and is the only one with a clear age in Mahabharata which was supposed to 405 years .
He was slain by Drishtadyumna unfairly .
Thus addressed by Bhima, the mighty-armed Dhrishtadyumna speedily took up a strong, a new and a superb bow capable of bearing a great strain. Filled with rage, and shooting his arrows in that battle at the irresistible Drona, Dhrishtadyumna covered the preceptor, desirous of withstanding him. Those two ornaments of battle then, both foremost of fighters and both filled with rage, invoked into existence the Brahma and diverse other celestial weapons. Indeed, O king, Dhrishtadyumna covered Drona with many mighty weapons in that encounter. Destroying all the weapons of Bharadwaja's son, the Panchala prince, that warrior of unfading glory, began to slay the Vasatis, the Sivis, the Valhikas and the Kurus, that is, them, who protected Drona in that battle. Indeed, O king, shooting showers of arrows on all sides, Dhrishtadyumna at that time looked resplendent like the sun himself shedding his thousands of rays. Drona, however, once more cut off the prince's bow and pierced the vitals of the prince himself with many arrows. Thus pierced, the prince felt great pain. Then Bhima, of great wrath, holding the car of Drona, O monarch, slowly said these words unto him: If wretches amongst Brahmanas, discontented with the avocations of their own order, but well-versed in arms, did not fight, the Kshatriya order then would not have been thus exterminated. Abstention from injury to all creatures hath been said to be the highest of all virtues. The Brahmana is the root of that virtue. As regards thyself, again, thou art the foremost of all persons acquainted with Brahma. Slaying all those Mlecchas and other warriors, who, however, are all engaged in the proper avocations of their order, moved thereto by ignorance and folly, O Brahmana, and by the desire of wealth for benefiting sons and wives; indeed, for the sake of an only son, why dost thou not feel ashamed? He for whom thou hast taken up weapons, and for whom thou livest, he, deprived of life, lieth today on the field of battle, unknown to thee and behind thy back. King Yudhishthira the just hath told thee this. It behoveth thee not to doubt this fact.' Thus addressed by Bhima, Drona laid aside his bow. Desirous of laying aside all his weapons also, Bharadwaja's son of virtuous soul said aloud, 'O Karna, Karna, O great bowman, O Kripa, O Duryodhana, I tell you repeatedly, exert yourselves carefully in battle. Let no injury happen to you from the Pandayas. As regards myself, I lay aside my weapons.' Saying these words, he began loudly to take the name of Aswatthaman. Laying aside his weapons then in that battle, and sitting down on the terrace of his car, he devoted himself to Yoga and assured all creatures, dispelling their fears. Beholding that opportunity, Dhrishtadyumna mustered all his energy. Laying down on the car his formidable bow, with arrow fixed on the bow-string, he took up a sword, and jumping down from his vehicle, rushed quickly against Drona. All creatures, human beings and others, uttered exclamation of woe, beholding Drona thus brought under Dhrishtadyumna's power. Loud cries of Oh and Alas were uttered, as also those of Oh and Fie. As regards Drona himself, that large head of Bharadwaja's son before the warriors of thy army. Thy soldiers, O monarch, beholding the head of Bharadwaja's son, set their hearts on flight and ran away in all directions. Meanwhile Drona, ascending the skies, entered the stellar path. Through the grace of the Rishis Krishna (Dwaipayana), the son of Satyavati, I witnessed, O king, the (true circumstances about the) death of Drona. I beheld that illustrious one proceeding, after he had ascended the sky, like a smokeless brand of blazing splendour. Upon the fall of Drona, the Kurus, the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, all became cheerless and ran away with great speed. The army then broke up. Many had been slain, and many wounded by means of keen shafts. Thy warriors (in particular), upon the fall of Drona, seemed to be deprived of life. Having sustained a defeat, and being inspired with fear about the future, the Kurus regarded themselves deprived of both the worlds. Indeed, they lost all self-control. Searching for the body of Bharadwaja's, son, O monarch, on the field covered with thousands of headless trunks, the kings could not find it. The Pandavas, having gained the victory and great prospects of renown in the future, began to make loud sounds with their arrows and conchs and uttered loud leonine roars. Then Bhimasena, O king, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, were seen in the midst of the (Pandava) host to embrace each other. Addressing the son of Prishata, that scorcher of foes, viz., Bhima said, 'I will again embrace thee, O son of Prishata, as one crowned with victory, when that wretch of a Suta's son shall be slain in battle, as also that other wretch, viz., Duryodhana.' Having said these words, Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, filled with transports of joy, caused the earth to tremble with slaps on his armpits. Terrified by that sound, thy troops ran away from battle, forgetting the duties of the Kshatriyas and setting their hearts on flight. The Pandavas, having become victors, became very glad, O monarch, and they felt great happiness, derived from the destruction of their foes in battle .
He and his twin sister were children of Maharishi Sharavadat Gautam .
He was one of the few survivors of wars .
Having said these words unto the king deprived of his senses and lying with broken thighs, Ashvatthama once more cast his eyes on him and uttered these words, "If, O Duryodhana, thou hast any life in thee still, listen to these words that are so pleasant to hear. On the side of the Pandavas, only seven are alive, and among the Dhartarashtras, only we three! The seven on their side are the five brothers and Vasudeva and Satyaki; on our side, we three are myself and Kripa and Kritavarma! All the sons of Draupadi have been slain, as also all the children of Dhrishtadyumna! All the Pancalas too have been slain, as also the remnant of the Matsyas, O Bharata! Behold the vengeance taken for what they had done! The Pandavas are now childless! While buried in sleep, the men and animals in their camp have all been slain! Penetrating into their camp in the night, O king, I have slain Dhrishtadyumna, that wight of sinful deeds, as one kills an animal.
Then there are some other such as Drupada who was classmate of Drona , Shalya who was present in Kashi Swayamvara were Bhishma had fought him , Bhagdutta was supposed to be very old , Bhurishava was very old too .
Jai Sri Krishna .
The brothers, the five Pandavas, the son of Draupadi, and the invincible son of Subhadra, will all embrace thy feet. All the kings and princes, again, that have been assembled for the Pandava-cause, and all the Andhakas and Vrishnis, will also embrace thy feet. Let queens and princesses bring golden and silver and earthen jars (full of water) and delicious herbs and all kinds of seeds and gems, and creepers, for thy installation. During the sixth period, Draupadi also will come to thee (as a wife). Let that best of Brahmanas, Dhaumya, of restrained soul, pour libations of clarified butter on the (sacred) fire, and let those Brahmanas regarding all the four Vedas as authoritative (and who are acting as priests unto the Pandavas), perform the ceremony of thy installation. Let the family priest of the Pandavas who is devoted to Vedic rites, and those bulls among men-those brothers, the five sons of Pandu,--and the five sons of Draupadi, and the Panchalas, and the Chedis, and myself also, install thee as the lord of the whole earth. Let Dharma's son Yudhishthira, of righteous soul and rigid vows, be thy heir presumptive, ruling the kingdom under thee. Holding the white chamara in his hand (for fanning thee), let Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, ride on the same car behind thee. After thy installation is over, let that other son of Kunti, the mighty Bhimasena, hold the white umbrella over thy head. Indeed, Arjuna then will drive thy car furnished with a hundred tinkling bells, its sides covered with tiger-skins, and with white steeds harnessed to it. Then Nakula and Sahadeva, and the five sons of Draupadi, and the Panchalas with that mighty car-warrior Sikhandin, will all proceed behind thee. I myself, with all the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, will walk behind thee. Indeed, all the Dasarhas and the Dasarnas, will, O king, be numbered with thy relatives. Enjoy the sovereignty of the earth, O thou of mighty arms, with thy brothers the Pandavas, with yapas and homas and auspicious rites of diverse kinds performed in thy honour.
However Karna rejected such a grand proposal of Shri Krishna (perhaps the grandest proposal ever made by any mahabharata character, that too Shri Krishna himself), to evade an all-out war and the ambition to see himself as the sovereign ruler of the entire earth at that time, solely due to his intimate bond with his inseparable friend Duryodhana, the Kuru prince, whom Karna wished to see as the emperor of Aryavrata, and whom (Duryodhana) Shri Krishna, the epitome of dharma, would have been the last person to visualise as the emperor of aryavrata, since Shri Krishna, the knower of everything, knew that Duryodhana was the incarnation of Kali Purush (the evil Kali Yuga, the era of morale deterioration and adharma), and the unjust rule of Duryodhana would have led to the establishment of adharma, greed, the six sins, and all kinds of unrighteousness possible.
Karna accepting the proposal of Shri Krishna, as the sovereign of bharatvarsha , the husband of Draupadi, just at the advent of Kurukshetra could have easily prevented the all-devastating war itself. But unfortunately was not.
Image courtesy : Perplexity AI
Roughly 500 days until World War Three. That's when we will reach March 2027 from today. Winter will be over, and the conditions for ground operations will start looking promising. It might be a little longer until summer weather, but it's still 2027.
The North Koreans and Chinese are working hard to build up it's military capabilities. The Russians have been keeping things sharp and Putin fell into a time paradox in Ukraine where 3 days turned into 4+ years. The Russians will as they have children turning into adult's daily. They are two scenarios as we see China is going into Russia because this is what happens if Russia fails in Ukraine. The Chinese have been bankrolling putins 3 day special military operation and it's over budget. Putin loses and they don't get paid back. They will take territory and replace the government of Russia with pro Chinese Communist Party. The United States will help Russia in this and North Korea fights for scraps.
The Taiwan initiative… with the Dams the Chinese are building to cut off india water supply.
India cuts off Chinese shipping in the Indian Ocean in return and we get into ww3. Venezuela is red currently but it's regime change could happen sooner with American military strikes about to start.
“I offer my homage to all my superiors who are in this assembly of Kurus. That I could not do this before cannot be my fault. The assembled kings set their eyes on me in the arena of the svayamvar. Until being brought to this sabha, I have never been seen by anyone since, anywhere.
One who has earlier not seen the wind or the sun in her house, has today been seen by this assembly of Kurus in the middle of the sabha. I think time has deviated, since the Kurus permit their daughter and daughter-in-law, unworthy of such treatment, to be thus oppressed.
Earlier, it has been heard that pure and chaste wives are not brought into the middle of a sabha. Where is the dharm of the lords of the earth? According to dharm, it has earlier been heard that wives are not brought into an assembly hall. Has that earlier eternal dharm been lost among the Kauravs?O Kauravs! I am Dharmaraj’s wife and I was born in the same varn as he. Tell me whether I am a slave or not a slave, and I will act accordingly. O Kauravs! Have I been won or have I not been won? I want you to answer, whatever you might think, and I will act accordingly.”
(BORI CE, Chapter 287)
Despite all these events, Dharmaraj was not angry and didn't want war. He clearly told Bheem one year into the exile that they were not mighty enough to wage war against Dhartarashtras, with Bheeshm, Drona and Karn on their side! If not for Karn, the war would have occurred 13 years back, and Radheya should rather get the credit of acting as a deterrent to war. Draupadi argued humbly with Yudhishthir at that time (it was unusual for wives to argue in the times), but could not convince Dharmaraj. This is what Draupadi had said –
“There is no sorrow over us in the mind of that evil, cruel and evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra. O king! When you were banished to the forest with me and your brothers, attired in deerskins, the evil-hearted and evil-minded one felt no torment.
O supreme Bharat! It is certain that there is no anger left in you. Despite seeing your brothers and me, your mind is not miserable. The sacred texts say that there is no kshatriya in the world without anger. But in you, today, I see that which is contrary to kshatriyas.”
(BORI CE, Chapter 325)
“Therefore, one should neither always be overpowering, nor always be gentle. One should adopt gentleness and harshness at different times. He who is gentle at the right time and harsh at the right time always finds happiness in this world and the next.
O lord of men! Therefore, I think that the time for displaying your energy has come. The avaricious Dhartarashtras are always engaged in doing harm. This is not the time to exhibit forgiveness towards the Kurus. The time has come to show energy, and punishment must be displayed.”
(BORI CE, Chapter 326)
“A man never obtains prosperity in this world through dharm, gentleness, forgiveness, uprightness and tenderness. O Bharat! Else, this miserable calamity would not have befallen you, which neither you, nor your immensely energetic brothers, deserve.
I think that you can give up Bhimasen, Arjun, Madreyas and me, but you will never forsake dharm. I have heard from aryas that a king protects dharm and dharm in turn protects him. But I think it does not protect you.”
(BORI CE, Chapter 328)
“We have now been overtaken by misfortune. However, if you engage in action, there is no doubt that this misfortune will be removed. Even if you are unsuccessful, you will have the pride
and this is also true of Vrikodar, Beebhatsu and the twin brothers.”(BORI CE, Chapter 330)
It is evident from the forest discussion that Draupadī was not angry upon Yudhishthir, but on Dhārtarāshtras. She was not hurt due to her molestation or insult, but was angry upon the unfair loss of kingdom and exile. She wanted the king to express his anger as a kshatriya and strive to get his kingdom back and punish the Dhartarashtras. Draupadi had great anger deep inside her, and she was thus mentioned to have arisen from fire to indicate her anger.
But Yudhishthir was determined to bear all the hardships quietly for 13 years, including the painful life as servants during incognito, and get his kingdom back as per the exile agreement. Dharmatma Suyodhan would certainly have returned his kingdom, following their agreement (the elders Bheeshm, Dhritarashtra and Vidur too would ensure that; Yudhishthir himself mentioned this in the discussion). Hence, the Pandavs would have got back their kingdom, and would have lived peacefully in Khandavaprasth once again, as they did earlier after the Partition. No war would have happen, despite all the preceding events and the Gamble. But Draupadi was not just looking to get back the kingdom, but wanted to take revenge from the Dhartrashtras.
Let us consider the scenario two days before the exile and incognito were about to end. Virat had left to fight Susharmā at the southern front, taking along all the Pandavs except the eunuch Brihannada. Kauravs attacked from the northern front, and Uttar was bragging, amidst women, that he could fight the Kaurav army alone, if he had an accomplished charioteer. Virat and Pandavs had won against Trigarts, and were about to return shortly. Draupadī then hatched a plan to break the incognito, and asked Uttar to take Arjun (Brihannada) as his charioteer. Draupadi knew that –
Yadavs came to attend the wedding of Abhimanyu next, and we find Krishn strongly provoking war in the meet after the wedding! What made him do so? Achyut was not bothered about the rivalry between Kurus. If he had any revenge against Bheeshm (for Shantanav provoking all the kings against him during Rajasooya), why would he wait for so long and show no interest to incite a war earlier? The close bond of the three Krishnas (Vāsudev, Arjun, Draupadī) was no secret, and the camaraderie between them was quite evident during the Khandav expedition (this was the main significance of Khandav in the text). It was Draupadi who asked Krishn to incite war, when she met him during Abhimanyu wedding. Krishn became active in the Mahabharat only after that, and took an important part in the war. Earlier, he had only plotted the Jarasandh murder, to take his personal revenge. Krishn was any way never keen for wars in his life. Why would he wage a war amongst the Kauravs, and participate in it too risking his own life? Krishn did all this for his soulmates Draupadī and Arjun.
Then, Krishn completely took over. He first managed to provoke Drupad in the AM meet, and made him send an aggressive message to Kauravs, warning a war! Karn accepted the challenge of the war as expected. Sanjay then came to ashame Dharmaraj for going towards a fratricidal war. Krishn again sent a stern warning of defeat with Sanjay. He convinced Yudhishthir and Bheem that they were trying for peace only, and that he would personally attempt the same, going as a peace ambassador to Hastinapur. When Krishn reached Nagasahrya, he again privately met Karn-Suyodhan and misbehaved with them, further provoking them. He then delivered his message in the assembly next day, putting the blame squarely on Kurupati. Suyodhan then defended himself in strong words, dismissing all his allegations, and declaring war, as expected. Kunti too was rooting for war, to take revenge like Draupadi, and delivered a motivational message to Pandavs with Krishn.
Hence, Krishn was suddenly activated to ensure war by none other than Draupadi (he had met Kunti only just before war). Panchali was burning in revenge ever since the Gamble. She first tried to motivate Yudhishthir for war, in the forests, but could not succeed. Then she managed to break the incognito using Arjun. Still Dharmaraj and Bheem were not keen for the war, and Krishn was trying hard to convince them for the same before his mission. Draupadi then spoke up (it was unusual for women to speak up in such important discussions in those times). She nearly instructed Krishn to unleash his anger upon Dharatrashtras and ensure war, in front of her husband Dharmaraj, who was rooting for peace (Bheem had changed his stance after being taunted by Vasudev)! This was like cutting Yudhishthir, and was a premeditated move by Draupadi to provoke war. This is what Draupadī said that time –
On hearing the king’s words, which were in conformity with dharm and arth and ensured welfare, Krishna was afflicted with grief, and spoke to Dasharh, who was seated there. On seeing that even Bhimasen spoke in favour of peace, she was extremely dejected. With tears in her eyes, the spirited one spoke these words —
“O Madhusoodan! O mighty-armed one! You know about dharm. O Janardan! You know how the Pandavs were deprived of their happiness through the deceit of Dhartarashtra and his advisers. You know about the advice that the king secretly gave to Sanjay..
While the Kauravs, Panchals and the Vrishnis were alive, I was brought to the middle of the assembly hall and made a servant maid to those evil ones. O Krishn! According to dharm, I am the daughter-in-law of both Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. Yet, I was forcibly made a slave.O Krishn! If you wish to show favours towards me, if you are compassionate towards me, you should direct your entire wrath at Dhartarashtras. Thirteen years have passed, while I have waited. I have hidden my anger in my heart, like a kindled fire.
(BORI CE, Chapter 743)
Draupadi was the silent killer in Mahabharat. No wonder it is commonly said that ‘one woman can lead to Mahabharat’ or ‘wars are caused by women’! Mahabharat delivered the important message that how a helpless and hurt woman can strike back and take revenge against the patriarchal society. One needs to understand the pain of Draupadi throughout her life to understand what made her do so –
Thus, it was the vengeance of Draupadi against the patriarchal society and the Kurus that lead to the destructive war of Mahabharat. Her real anger was directed against the gambler Yudhishthir, but societal norms didn't allow her to resent, or even express her anger against, her husband, the king, the Dharmaraj. The subconscious mind then resents in such a way. She just wanted to go against Yudhishthir and destroy his plans. She did not want him to get back his kingdom peacefully, and wanted to make him face a war. She could not tolerate the Kauravs to live peacefully despite insulting her badly during the Gamble. All those who were responsible for her humiliation got killed during or shortly after the war — Bheeshm, Drona, Suyodhan and Karn were killed in the war, and Dhritarashtra died soon after the war. And her revenge ended with Dharmaraj committing suicide next, with his brothers. She even accompanied him in his final journey, as a dutiful wife!
Vyas has captured the injustices to women by the patriarchal society beautifully in his text. Not only Draupadi, Kunti too had great angst against society – her father (who abandoned her), foster father (who left her with Durvasha), Durvasha (who raped her), Pandu (who gave up the kingdom, retired to woods and asked her for repeated niyogs). She too rooted for war, and motivated her sons to fight. Interestingly, none of the men (except Krishn who was helping Krishna), both on Pandav and Dhartarashtra side, were interested in the war, but it was the women – Draupadi and Kunti, who lead to the war.
To conclude, it was Draupadi who was the silent killer in Mahabharat and was the one most responsible for the fratricide. Had she not asked Arjun to go with Uttar during VW, the incognito would not be broken and the KW would never happen! The Kauravs were greatly virtuous, with Dharmaraj on one side and Dharmatma on the other. It was extremely difficult to strike a war between such strong-minded people, but it was the resolve of Draupadi and then the mind of Krishn that could cause a war in the virtuous clan. It was the fire of anger kindling inside Yajnaseni that caused the Kurukshetra War and destroyed all the Kurus. The fire was finally extinguished with her life in the waters!