Parimalam - an Internet magazine dedicated for Dvaita Philosopy

When you analyze the life of Ashwattama you can understand the bad activities done by him. During lot of occassions, he did against Sri Krishna. Once Ashwattama went to Sri Krishna to ask his weapons. He thought that he can conquer the entire world using that weapon. Why? He wanted to conquer the entire world and to give it to the Duryodhana who was against Pandavas. Like this Ashwattama wanted to use Sri Krishna to do activities against Sri Krishna.

The occassion of killing the Upapandavas (sons of pandavas) is also similar. Ashwattama fought against Rudra Deva who is his Moola roopa who came against while entering the Pandava's camp. Carrying the shastras(weapons) Aswattama did Manasa yagjya - "After my death let this body be offered to Sri Vishnu". Thinking like that, he offered himself. Sri Krishna was happy with that offer and asked Rudra Deva to return. Then only Ashwattama was able to kill the Upapandavas.

Like this in all the occassions, he got the help of Sri Krishna and was doing bad activities. Why did he kill upapandavas? Out of anger with Pandavas or could be any other reason?

"Bhartuhu priyan Drounirithi Sma Pashyan" - Out of affection towards his owner Duryodhana. Only for this reason, Ashwattama cut the head of Upapandavas from their body. Didn't Ashwattama felt bad for doing such bad activities? Yes, he didn't. Becasue his intention was "Duryodhana preranaya Duryodhana preetyartam". With this intention all the activities that are started will be bad activities only.

But activities done with the intention of "Bharati Ramana Mukyapranantargata Lakshmi Narayana Preranaya Lashmi Narayana Preetyartam" will become good activities only. Ashwattama did't had this intention. What was the result for him? Duryodhana had put sands in Ashwattama's head. It's not exaggeration. Duryodhana did that really. While Duryodhana was in the death bed, he called Ashwattama and told "Cut the head of Upapandavas and bring it and make this world without Pandavas. How can I die? In future, you will become the king on behalf of us. Will do Pattabisheka now itself!". Duryodhana who was there near the lake, took sands in his hands and did abhisheka to Ashwattama. Like this, Ashwattama worn sand in his head from the hands of Duryodhana.

Brahmastra on Sparrow:

Ashwattama throw Brahmastra on the womb of Uttara. That too after the completion of war, towards a woman who was pregnant. Ashwattama threw Brahmastra, Why? "Apandavamimam Kartum"- His intention was even Pandava's successsion should not live. At that time Sri Krishna told "Vacha Nivarayastram Vai" - "Atleast even by word, take back the Astra. Atleast tell once that your astra will not affect the womb". Even after asking several times, Ashwattama didn't open his mouth. LIke this he acted against Sri Krishna and obtained the fruits. Till death Ashwattama had to suffer from sore in his whole body with bad smell and roam with that body.

While Duryodhana was dying, Ashwattama took a oath. "I'll ensure that your Vamsha (clan) will not stop growing. I will give birth to a child through your wife, after your death". Is't a correct statement for one who is Brahmachari since birth? That too from Duryodhana's (kali's) wife, that too after the death of Duryodhana. What could be the reason for such statement from the mouth of Ashwattama? The reason is he drank the milk from Duryodhana's house. The first milk that Ashwattama ever drank was given by Duryodhana. Ashwattama drank the water mixed with flour given by his mother and drank original milk from Duryodhana. That's the reason he did all these bad activities.

Ashwattama's life conveys these messages to us. We should get things from people of good heart. Instead we should not drink milk or coffee from wicked people. Because "Annam ashitam trida Vibhajyate". The food that we intake will become three parts. Physical part (sthoola) will become excrement. Middle part (madhya) will become flesh. Essence part (sookshma) will become mind. Therefore food has to be taken with pure mind and from people with pure mind. Then only mind will become pure. The nuts in salt water also will also become salt. Similarly from wicked people, food that has not been offered to Sri Hari, if we consume, will make our mind dirt and Hari Bhakti, Virakti will not come in our mind. Let us be careful.

By Late M Rama Rao, Kumbakonam

Now Pandit Trivikrama, a veteran scholar of Advaita and court poet of Jayasimha, was a scion of the Likuca family, which was noted for the manifold virtues of head and heart. He was born as the worthy son of the worthy father, Pandit Subrahmanya, by the joint graces of Lord Sri Hari and Hara. He was a poet even at the age of lisping and grew up to be a genius in the three branches of literature viz. Vedas, Philosophy (Brahmasutras) and Poesy, true to his name. He mastered the whole lakh and a quarter of Advaita and was an authority on Monism. His learned father gave him his considered counsel, that the meditation of a formless and attributeless God (nirguna brahman) will lead to the annihilation of self and so he should medidate upon Lord Sri Krishna, who is endowed with countless attributes of knowledge, bliss and so on, for attaining eternal bliss.

This motivation spurred him on to further research and analysis as follows. Sri Vyasa has compiled the sutras for determining the true import of the Vedas and so they are the valid and final authority (Para Vidya). The bhasyas thereon are twentyone and are not only mutually contradicting the very sutras. There is no other gloss available and so we have to study the Sankarabhasya alone simply because it is our traditional one. There is no point in clinging to it, simply because of its tradition without freedom of thinking and firm conviction. Its statement that the Brahmin is formless, does not impress me. There can be no compromise in the matters of metaphysics and philosophy. Either Dvaita or Advaita must be true. We cannot have the cake and eat it. Perhaps the God does not want the secret to be known by men. So let me study the Vedas, Puranas, Bharata, and other lore by myself meditate upon Lord Sri Krishna as per the advice of my father and other scholars.