Deep Gratitude before I begin – I am extremely grateful to my parents and two of my maternal cousins for being instrumental in my acquiring the comics and book that are references for this article. These were acquired over many years when I was younger, at a time when books and comics were not readily available like they are today. Thank you so very much!

Also, I must express my thanks to Amar Chitra Katha, the publishers of Tinkle Comics. Without these, my childhood would be unimaginable in hindsight! The publications by Amar Chitra Katha (IBH) were a treasure trove of learning for a kid and a gateway to further reading as an adult.

In my previous article I discussed how deception is a valid and expected part of debates and the martial arts, specifically when it is a duel. Further, when there are debates about the martial arts, deception is likely to be used in those as well. The focus of that article was more on the tradition of debates and duels, and modern day debates (including about the martial arts). The link to the previous article is seen in the notes below¹.

In this article, I will delve into how “deception” is an exalted concept which is used to express how wits, intelligence and intellectual capacities are superior to physical abilities. Also, the use of the mind (intelligence) is supposed to always prevail over the use of the body (muscles, strength, speed). In simpler terms, “Deception” is the key ingredient in “Brain over Brawn”.

There are several stories from cultures all over the world which celebrate “Brain over Brawn”. There is one key aspect that all these stories have in common, but is never highlighted. It is the presence of “LUCK”. The protagonist is always lucky though this is never explicitly mentioned. It does not need to be mentioned as the antagonist is usually physically very capable but generally stupid (even if this is not explicitly mentioned). The protagonist is vastly more intelligent compared to the antagonist while being an absolute weakling in terms of physical ability (comparatively speaking).

Let me share examples where brain over brawn is the key. In these stories, “brain over brawn” ONLY means that the opponent is deceived, nothing else.

Consider “The Brave Little Tailor” from the Grimm’s fairy tales. Here, a tailor kills seven flies and claims that he killed “Seven at one stroke”. Gullible people and giants mistake this statement to mean that he is a hero with great physical prowess. He goes on to use his wits to defeat several giants and a boar in tasks that prove him worthy of great reward, a marriage to the princess of the land and half the kingdom. In all these tasks, he talks his way out of situations. None of the giants ever looks too closely at what he is saying or doing. This is really lucky for him as even a little scratch at his statements would have meant that he was going to be crushed to pulp.

Image credits (L & R) – “The Brave Little Tailor” from “The Beacon Readers Book 6, William Tell”

Consider the Roma folktale “Stefan and the Dragon”. A Dragon which is talkative (as they happen to be!) threatens to eat Stefan, a farmer. The Dragon is supremely powerful and can fly, but of course, is stupid. Stefan outwits the dragon and also gets it give him its gold (dragons always have gold don’t they, with no economics involved). Stefan is supremely lucky, because the Dragon is stupid, for his ideas are simplistic in the extreme and would withstand no scrutiny at all!

Image credits (Top & Bottom) – “Stefan and the Dragon” from Tinkle Comics 184

Consider a tale of Pandit Ramakrishna of Tenāli in the court of Vijayanagar, more commonly called Tenāli Rama. A story related to Tanāli Rama was the key for the previous article and established deception as a norm. There is another story related to him which involves wrestlers, establishing a link between a debate and a “martial debate”, a duel in other words! 🙂

A very strong and capable wrestler challenges the court of King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar to a duel. The court wrestlers are not sure they can prevail over the challenger. So, the honour of king and court are at stake. As usual Pandit Ramakrishna takes up the challenge to defeat the wrestler. There are multiple versions of what he does to win the wrestling challenge. I will share the two I am familiar with. Both involve deception and luck.

Tenāli Rama identifies where the challenger is staying. A day before the duel, at a place near the residence, he sets up a charade. Rama is acting like he is training for the upcoming wrestling duel. But the wrestlers he is practicing with are in on the plan. They enact elaborate displays to show that they are in serious trouble against Rama and defeating them is child’s play for him. This whole act happens at a distance where the wrestler cannot see all the details clearly, but can get an idea of what is happening. Watching this display, he feels he is outmatched and either accepts defeat or runs away before the actual duel with Ramakrishna. Either way, the honour of Vijayanagar is saved. Rama was lucky of course. If the wrestler had stayed despite the act or moved in for a closer inspection, the deception would be rendered useless and Rama would have lost. But his luck held and he won a wrestling match with his wits! This is one version of the story.

In another version, Tenāli Rama challenges the wrestler to a feat of strength on the day of the duel before the wrestling match, to prove his strength. The wrestler accepts. Rama says that since he is supposedly far stronger than Rama is, he should perform with his eyes open what Rama does with his eyes closed (or is it that Rama is so strong that he can perform with his eyes closed what the challenger will need both his eyes for? I cannot recollect). Rama then proceeds to close his eyes and pours sand over the eyelids. 😀 He then asks the wrestler to do the same with his eyes open, which of course he cannot do. Thus, Rama wins and it is a case of brain defeating brawn. The wrestler does not think to refuse the challenge to a feat of strength as it was ONLY supposed to a wrestling duel. If he had he might have won, but maybe he was so used to challenges he accepted out of habit. So, it was a case of luck again, albeit considerably less than in the other cases; it could be more about knowing your opponent here.

This version of the story leads us to another story where “feats of strength” are required before a duel. In the story “The Clever Court Jester” (the Jester is always clever and a saviour isn’t he! (I have never heard of a she as a jester)), a Giant threatens to take over a kingdom if he cannot be defeated in a wrestling match. If he is defeated though, he will give a lot of gold to the king (Giants also always have gold, maybe they are the pioneers of protection rackets 😛 ). The Jester comes to the kingdom’s rescue as expected. He challenges the Giant to 3 feats of strength and outwits the “stupid” Giant to win the gold.

Image credit – “The Clever Court Jester” from Tinkle Comics 176

The Giant then invites the Jester to his home for further challenges. The Jester accepts, outwits the Giant some more, reinforcing the stupidity of the latter and wins even more gold. All through, the Jester is lucky because the Giant is stupid and never looks closely at what is going on. Did the Jester know the Giant was stupid and was this information available to him alone and no one else in the King’s court? We do not know, but it is possible, as everyone but the Jester is worried. We are never told that the Jester knew, so we can safely attribute his victory to deception, aided very heavily by luck.

Image credit – “The Clever Court Jester” from Tinkle Comics 176

This same beat relating to a physically stronger opponent being defeated at physical challenges by a weaker individual due to the use of superior intellectual abilities goes on and on and on. I am sharing a host of additional examples below. I am not going into the details of most as the point is already made, but I would recommend reading the stories. They are short and great fun, and instructive in many ways.

In “The Dreadful Guest”, in Russia, a talkative (surprise!) and stupid (surprise surprise!) Dragon gate-crashes the Tsar’s banquet and is defeated by being outwitted (it is told a variant of “look behind you” *eye rolls*). The stupidity of the Dragon is the luck of the dragon slayer Alyosha Popovich.

Image credit – “The Dreadful Guest” from Tinkle Comics 178

In “Smudgeface”, a story based on a fairy tale, the protagonist Smudgeface, captures two dangerous animals, a boar and a bull and becomes a minister! Based on the manner in which he captures the animals, which the people and the king call “monsters”, the lack of brains here seems not of the animals but of the humans! Smudgeface got lucky in having to be an administrator for a very simple folk!

Image credit – “Smudgeface” from Tinkle Comics 299

In the Irish folktale, “The Tailor from Galway” (tailor again!), Tom, the tailor, outwits a Giant with normal siege tactics (which no one else in the Kingdom of Dublin could think of!) to build a castle in JUST THREE DAYS. 🙂 He later outwits the same Giant to scare him away from the kingdom. He receives the hand of the Princess in marriage (as one is entitled to perhaps, *eye rolls*). Tom’s luck is the stupidity of the Giant and the extreme inability of everyone else in the kingdom!

Image credit – “The Tailor from Galway” from Tinkle Comics 275

In the story, “The Resourceful Woodcutter”, Gopu the woodcutter outwits remarkably stupid bandits to escape death, gets them arrested and wins reward money. All actions happen and succeed through luck alone!

Image credit – “The Resourceful Woodcutter” from Tinkle Comics 201

Now we move on to stories where the main character does not do much, but reaps rewards. This happens due to the actions of others or a lack of ability on the part of the main character.

In the Burmese (Myanmarese) folktale “Lucky Po”, Po, a poor man, who is also hard of hearing relieves four Ogres (Giants) of their gold by scaring the living daylights out of them. He does this with no effort and due to his disability. This is perhaps the epitome of luck, as the lack of ability became an advantage compounded by the stupidity of the Ogres. Of course, where there are Giants, there is always gold to be had!

Image credit – “Lucky Po” from Tinkle Comics 189

In the story “Una and the Red Giant”, Una is the wife of Sigrun, who is the strongest Giant in the land. The Red Giant (dun dun dun) wants to challenge Sigrun, who is too gentle to fight. So, Una outwits the Red Giant with food and adjectives! Peace and gentleness reign in the end. 😀 Sigrun wins without having to fight, by literally leaving things to his wise wife (LUCKY for him)!

Image credit – “Una and the Red Giant” from Tinkle Comics 266

In the story “The Drummer”, based on a fairy tale, David, the drummer, has to rescue princesses from an evil Witch. To do so, he outwits, wait for it, Giants! But this is only a part of the story. Later he has to overcome the Witch. In this, one of the princesses he has to rescue, rescues him three times! The other princesses are supposed to exist but play no role in the story. So, David is rescued by the princess and in turn rescues them. 🙂 Of course, he is handsomely rewarded for his efforts. David is lucky because the Giants are stupid and the Princess already knows how to defeat the Evil Witch!

Image credit – “The Drummer” from Tinkle Comics 307

In the last two stories above, there is an interesting segue. Character and effort of an individual leads to luck. Sigrun is gentle and hence a loving wife rescues him. David is gentle and puts in a lot of effort at things he has never attempted before, which leads to luck and reward. This leads us to one more example.

Consider the story, “The Tailor and The Hunter”, based on a German folktale (of course the hero is a tailor, no spoilers there). A tailor and a hunter go on an adventure. The Tailor is kind hearted, while the Hunter is haughty. Due his kindness, the Tailor gets lucky in several instances including in slaying a Dragon (duh!). The Hunter goes home empty handed after trying to deceive his companion while the Tailor weds a Princess in the end! The Tailor accomplishes everything only with luck, while the Hunter, a physically more capable individual, is relegated to being a villain.

Image credit – “The Tailor and The Hunter” from Tinkle Comics 284

So, we have looked a dozen stories to see how deception is the key to great achievements. And the deception would never work but for a lot of luck. But we are not done yet. Stories never end, do they?

There is an Indonesian folktale, set in Sumatra, called “The Victory of the Buffalo”. In this tale, a village is facing an attack by the army of King Sanagara, unless they give in to his suzerainty. They do not want to surrender, but cannot fight the powerful army either. So, they choose to use their wits, brain over military brawn. They make an agreement with the King that a fight between buffaloes will decide the fate of the village, instead of a fight between the army and the villagers, thus staving off bloodshed. The deal is that if the King’s buffalo wins, the village will surrender, but if the buffalo from the village wins, the King will leave them alone.

The King obviously finds a large powerful animal which cannot be defeated. The villagers resort to their wits again to overcome the lack of a powerful buffalo. They find a buffalo calf which is a few days old, separate it from its mother and starve it for a few couple of days. They also attach sharp iron horns to its tiny ones.

On the day of the fight, the calf mistakes the large buffalo to be its mother and runs to it to suckle, as it is starving. The King’s buffalo sees no threat in the calf and makes no move to attack. The iron horns on the calf badly injure the larger animal when the former tries to suckle. So, the calf defeats the larger animal and the village retains its independence.

This is deception and luck on two fronts! The iron horns were neither detected nor objected to. The larger animal choose not to harm the calf. This behaviour is not always what can be expected. Lastly, the King agreed to a buffalo fight and on losing, kept his word. The villagers got lucky with King Sanagara being a man of his word. But the efforts of the villagers, the planning they put in and identification of their own weakness, all played a part and they could be said to have earned their luck. Additionally, this shows that luck can be factor even when animals fight, even if it is at the behest of humans!

Image credit – “The victory of the Buffalo” from Tinkle Comics 225

Considering that we are discussing deception in warfare and luck saving the day, let us look at another story. The story “How the Ohias were outwitted” is based on an African folktale which describes how the gentle and outnumbered tribe of the Lumas defeated the tribe of the Ohias in the fight for the waters of the lake Lumai. The Lumas tied torches to sheep and made the Ohias think they were outnumbered during a night attack. This convinced the Ohias to surrender and retreat. This is a classic military deception trope used in many stories across cultures. The same is shown in the Hindi movie “Bajirao Mastani” and the Telugu movie “Baahubali 2”, with cattle being used instead of sheep. The side being outwitted would have won if only they had looked a little more closely. But the effort was commendable and the luck of the winning side held out, perhaps deservedly so².

Image credits (L & R) – “How the Ohias were outwitted” from Tinkle Comics 286

So, one important aspect of overcoming an adversary is to use deception and this idea is prevalent in so many stories because it is accepted as a common sense approach to a conflict. As observed in all the examples above, deception involves the use of wits, or intellectual abilities to counter physical abilities. I had discussed this aspect in an earlier article titled “Might is Right, always”. A link to the same is seen in the notes below³.

Why is this notion of “brain over brawn” prevalent across cultures? We get a partial answer in another story. In the story titled “The Stronger Strength”, two students of Sage Vishwamitra, Madhur and Rahul have a dispute over what one should pursue, strength or intelligence. Vishwamitra settles this with a demonstration. No one can break a branch that Rahul can. But 5 students together can do what Rahul can. However, only Madhur can answer difficult questions. No matter how many other students put their heads together, they cannot replicate the same. So, strength can be overcome with numbers, but intelligence is singular and cannot be overcome by numbers. Thus “intelligence is superior to strength”. This could be why “brain over brawn” has become a truism.

Image credit – “The Stronger Strength” from Tinkle Comics 308

The reason I mentioned that this was a partial answer is twofold. Firstly, there is a thread through all the stories that the strong individual is not very smart, to the point of having no common sense and being downright dumb. This is never true in reality. Physically capable people can be as intelligent as anyone else. Plus, being strong and physically capable requires intelligence in the real world, for that ability requires planned effort, among other things. The reason the opposite can be shown in stories is because monsters, who are born strong with no effort to build the strength, fill the role of physical superiority (Giants, Ogres, Dragons, Witches, Boars, Bulls, Big Cats, Bandits etc.).

The second reason is that in the current times we live in, technology has reached a stage where intelligence or knowledge is no longer singular. Just as brawn can be overcome with numbers, brain power can be easily overcome with technology. The story of Vishwamitra’s students might have held true in the past, but is no longer something that can be relied upon.

But one thing is true from the stories. The stories suggest deception to counter physical strength and also the strength of numbers. This is another way of saying that one should not give up and apply oneself with every ounce of knowledge (individual or collective) to overcome the adversary. This application will reveal a path that likely involves deception. It must be said, “use deception” only means doing something that the opponent(s) does not expect. If there are 10 people with a knife, bring a gun with a magazine of 15 bullets is roughly what the idea suggests. This again harks back to “Might is Right”. One needs to identify the might & weakness of the opponent and the self, then apply them appropriately to achieve the best outcome for oneself³.

There is a character named Cadsuane Melaidhrin in the popular fantasy series “The Wheel of Time” by Robert Jordan (James Oliver Rigney Jr.). In the 9^th book of the series “Winter’s Heart”, this character makes an interesting observation. This observation comes after she and another of the “good” characters in the series have to be anti-heroes. Cadsuane is nearly 300 years old and worldly wise. She says something to the effect that every fight is always unfair. I do not remember the exact words she uses. But the gist of it, as I would say it is this. If a fight were fair, it would be a sport. The objective of every fight is to make it as unfair as possible to the other side, so that one’s own side wins with minimal damage to achieve what is in one’s own best interest. When this is understood, deception is par for the course. If deception is par for the course, brain and brawn become the same, for brain is just another variety of brawn. There is no difference anymore.

Once we accept that deception and intellectual abilities are just another form of strength, we can see very clearly what happens when luck is not present with the help of two stories. One story is from the Panchatantra, called “The Camel who was beguiled by his companions”. The other is a story called “The King’s Choice” from Tinkle Comics. The story from Tinkle comics is clearly inspired by the one from the Panchatantra as I see it. The ending is changed for reasons I do not know, but the two different endings perfectly demonstrate how luck is needed for deception to succeed. The “luck” might be as simple as there being no unknown factors influencing the end result. I am not stating that luck is the most important factor; just that a lack of it is detrimental to the effort that went into the deception.

In both the stories, a crow, a fox and a leopard are the close associates of their king, the lion. A camel becomes a part of their group. There comes a time when the lion cannot hunt due to an injury. This leads to all of them being close to starvation. The crow, fox and leopard conspire to make the lion kill the camel, but the lion does not like the idea. So, the trio decide to make the camel offer itself up as for the lion. To do this, they decide to offer themselves up as food, following which the camel would do the same out of propriety.

So, after the crow, fox and leopard have offered themselves up as food for the lion, the camel does the same. Here the two stories diverge. In the Panchatantra, the deception is successful. The lion accepts the camel’s offer to its horror. The camel is killed and the other four fest on it. In “The King’s choice”, the lion accepts all offers and says that he will eat them in the order in which they offered themselves up. So, the deception fails and the trio take to their feet, while the friendship between the camel and lion endures.

In the story from the Panchatantra, the fox separately convinces the lion to accept only the camel’s offer, but this detail is not there in the story from Tinkle Comics. Irrespective of this detail, the observation holds. If the camel was lucky, the conspiracy would have failed in the Panchatantra as well, if the lion had disregarded the fox even after the conversation. But luck sided with the crow, fox and leopard. The opposite happened in “The King’s choice”. Luck deserted the conspiring trio and the camel survived. This should demonstrate the importance, however limited, of luck, in the success of a deception.

Image credit – “The Camel who was beguiled by his companions” from “Panchatantra: Crows and Owls and other stories” published by Amar Chitra Katha

Image credit – “The King’s Choice” from Tinkle Comics 294

Mine is a blog about the martial arts (specifically the Bujinkan) and all things Indian. So, let me now bring in some information from the Bujinkan. I have heard from several senior practitioners of the Bujinkan that Soke (Grandmaster) Hatsumi Masaaki has emphasized on the importance of luck several times over the course of many years. He is supposed to have stated that luck is more important than skill, when it comes to saving one’s life. In military history, Napoleon is supposed to have said that he preferred lucky generals to skillful or good generals⁴. This is supposedly a reiteration of a statement from a 17^th century Cardinal who was Prime Minister of France⁵, who is supposed to have said that one should ask if a General was lucky and not if a General was skillful. The same statement is also attributed to Dwight Eisenhower⁶, former US President and Allied Commander in Europe during WW2. Apparently, Eisenhower was so lucky in his career that it was called “Eisenhower’s luck”⁷.

This is not to say that the person who is lucky has nothing else going for her or him. Nor does it mean that the person has no skill. It is just an advantage that is being referred to. One senior practitioner in the Bujinkan system of martial arts once told me, “To be lucky, one needs to do something uncomfortable”. I think this statement sums it up brilliantly. Doing something uncomfortable is about putting in the effort and being in a situation where one needs luck (in case something goes wrong). This is when luck can manifest.

Effort is the key, effort is the king, in this context. I will elaborate on this with the structure of stories as the context, for this entire article is about stories. Consider storytelling in movies and then think of action movies. One part of action movies that everyone loves is the TRAINING MONTAGE, especially if it is accompanied by memorable and rousing music. Of course, I include the “preparing for war” segments as “training montage” because it is the final step before the fight, and had a lot of training behind it. It is that part of the movie that is watched over and over again. Remember the Rocky (Stallone) training montage? Remember the segment when Dutch (Arnold) readies himself to take on the Predator all alone?

The training montage is also a very short part of the film. Training and preparation is a lot of effort over a very long time. It is a process with incremental steps. And it is really boring to show in real time or even to make the primary focus of the movie. Hence, the montage is a great setup for an awesome climax fight. It is also a great outcome of the character motivations that were setup. After all, movies are about character actions, motivations and emotions, in flow and with action.

It is this slow, long and incremental effort and process of the same that leads to the manifestation of luck. This is what a martial artist thrives on. It is this effort that makes a martial artist akin to a scholar, a researcher or an academic, working on oneself and studying flow. This effort and its process is the lifeblood of the arts and what an artist really looks forward to.

It is this incredible effort that is uncomfortable more often than not, for it is in addition to everything else in life. It is an accepted burden, and this discomfort is what leads to luck. When “deception” is applied as a tool with practiced effort, “luck” is the final ingredient to iron out unforeseen variables. It is what adds the Brain to the Brawn, not just “over” it.

I will conclude this line of thought with one last reference to another set of stories. “Tantri the Mantri” is a beloved character from Tinkle Comics. He is a minister in the kingdom of Raja Hooja. Tantri wants to overthrow the king and become king himself. He makes elaborate plans, and fails every time. This makes Tantri a despicable yet funny character, something like the coyote in the roadrunner cartoon, with one crucial difference.

Image credit – “Tantri The Mantri” from several Tinkle Comics

Even though every plan of Tantri’s fails, the failure leads to Raja Hooja being saved by Tantri himself! So, every failed plan brings him closer to Hooja, who thinks of Tantri as his best friend and confidante, way more than just a minister. Perhaps this is the epitome in the play of luck we have discussed so far. Tantri is despicable, perhaps for this reason his luck deserts him, leading to Hooja being incredibly lucky. Tantri though puts in loads of effort, so he is always lucky in never being caught, and in being rewarded for efforts in the negative! Hooja is lucky because he puts in effort to appreciate Tantri and to also go out of his way to work with all of his suggestions. Tantri is always carrying out deception, which fail and work at the same time. He is incredibly lucky and unlucky at the same time! Stories of Tantri reinforce how effort leads to luck and luck is needed for a successful deception, for deception is a kind of brawn, where the brain takes centre stage.

This concludes this article, but there are a few points stemming from this and the previous article which I will delve into in a future article. They do not fit in here without breaking the flow. One of these points includes the complete absence of morality in many stories, for they are representative of reality, and are not just educational.

Notes:

¹ https://mundanebudo.com/2024/02/18/deception-debates-martial-arts-courtly-challenges-tilakashta-mahisha-bandhana/

² There is a beautiful story about luck written by Mark Twain, called “Thank you Mr. Shark” (I am not sure if this is the actual name or only the name of the adaptation of the story in Tinkle Comics). It does not involve a debate or a duel or a conflict. It just shows how one needs to act on the luck that has come one’s way. Indeed, this subsequent action is what shows that one was lucky, with the benefit of hindsight.

A young man in Australia catches a shark in Sydney and finds a London Newspaper in its belly, courtesy of a man it had devoured in England. This is in 1870 before the telegraph and when sharks swam a lot faster than steam ships. So, thanks to the shark and the newspaper, he is the only one in Australia who knows of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870.

He uses this information to buy Australian wool to trade in Europe, which is in high demand due to the war. So, before the newspapers in Australia can report the war in Europe, he has made a big profit for himself. Yes, there is conflict in the shape of the war in Europe, but a lucky Australian makes the most of it to further himself in life. 🙂

³ https://mundanebudo.com/2023/05/11/might-is-right-always/

⁴ https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1339632

⁵ https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/famous-things-napoleon-said.html

⁶ https://www.azquotes.com/quote/568694

⁷ https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2542&context=parameters

Credits for the images – (L) Many issues of Mahabharata published by Amar Chitra Katha, (C) Logo of the Bujinkan, (R) Symbol of “The Wheel of Time” written by Robert Jordan (Orbit Books), sold by Hachette India

I recently watched the second season of the web series “The Wheel of Time” on Amazon Prime. The second season is a massive improvement over the first and brought back some of the thrill and joy of the books, even though the stories are changed a lot in the series. Growing up, the books of “The Wheel of Time” series, by author Robert Jordan were one of my favourite reads. Robert Jordan is the pen name of James Oliver Rigney Jr. The author passed away before he could complete the massive series. Author Brandon Sanderson, with notes from the author and help from Jordan’s wife Harriet Mcdougal and his team completed the story with aplomb! The series ended in 2013 with 14 large books.

I loved the action sequences in the books, especially the ones with swords. There is also a lot of magic use in the action sequences. Initially, all the magic users are women who belong to an order called the Aes Sedai. As the series progresses, men start using magic too. The women of the Aes Sedai order, who I will refer to as Aes Sedai going forward, just like in the books, have one unique trait. The Aes Sedai swear three oaths that regulate, and limit, their abilities with the magic they use. These oaths are magically enforced and cannot be broken, on pain of death. So, once sworn, the oaths can never be broken. Loopholes are discovered as the series progresses, considering the disadvantages of the oaths, but that is not relevant for the purposes of this article. Most Aes Sedai stick to the oaths even at the end of the series.

One of oaths that is sworn is that the Aes Sedai will never use magic as a weapon, except in self-protection. Aes Sedai are not immune to stealth attacks and ranged weapons. So, most of them have one or more bodyguards called “Warders” to protect them from non-magical attacks. The oath allows them to use magic to protect themselves and their warders, even if it means using the magic as a weapon. I understand this as, the intention behind the use of magic as the key. If it is in self-protection, magic can be used as a weapon. If the use of magic is purely for offensive purposes, an Aes Sedai is prevented from doing the same by the oath.

The Aes Sedai swear this and the other two oaths to mitigate the lack of trust the normal/non-magical populace has towards their order. One consequence of this oath is that in any situation where the Aes Sedai has to protect anyone other than herself or her warder, she has to first actively put herself in danger to trigger the exception to the oath. There are several “forces of darkness” in the series of 14 novels, which can be defeated only by, or safely, only with the help of, or exclusively, with the use of magic.

Consider the following situation. An Aes Sedai is part of a troop of warriors fighting against the forces of darkness. An Aes Sedai has to protect civilians from the forces of darkness. An Aes Sedai is protecting civilians from mundane threats like bandits, highway men, enemy soldiers, mercenaries and the like. In all these situations, the Aes Sedai can only use magic to protect the civilians or soldiers IF AND ONLY IF she is also facing the same threat as they are, and her own life is in danger. In this case she can use magic as a weapon against the attackers, either human or the forces of darkness. If she is not in imminent danger and wants to protect other people, she cannot use magic as a weapon against the attackers. She can only use magic as a shield to protect the people. Alternatively, she can destroy the weapons used by the attackers to the extent possible.

The above limitation on MAGIC AS A WEAPON is also seen in Hindu culture. It is seen for the same reason. To prevent the misuse of the magic weapon and making the wielder of the magic weapon a tyrant, a consequence is always enforced against the user, in case of a blatant misuse of the weapon/magic. Also, the way around this misuse seems to be to actively put oneself in harm’s way. This need to protect oneself is usually the criterion that allows the use of the magic weapon.

This article is about exploring this idea. Of how putting oneself through a really tough time (if not active danger) allows the following.

• Use magical weapons in the tales.
• Human abilities that are not easy to measure or even to teach (ones that our logical minds sometimes might refuse to accept even if we instinctively know they exist, due to the lack of sufficient scientific explanation).

In the Mahabarata, during the 12 years when the Pandavās were living in the forest after losing the game of dice, Arjuna went on a quest to acquire celestial weapons. Celestial weapons are either weapons used by the Gods or weapons into which the powers of the Gods can be imbued. These are weapons with extraordinary powers and destructive capabilities. The destruction they cause in the ranks of any enemy is many magnitudes greater than those of mundane human weapons. The magic the Aes Sedai use, in the quanta of destruction, are similar to the celestial nature of these weapons in the Mahabharata and other Hindu scriptures.

The path to acquiring celestial weaponry is very hard. One has to perform specific activities and austerities, which might include meditative penance. These actions demonstrate to the God who can grant the use of the weapon that the potential wielder possesses the physical, emotional and moral capabilities to gain the use of the same. There might be instances when the wielder is only granted a “one time” use of the weapon, like in the case of Karna, who could use Indra’s Shakti (Indrāstra) only once. It could also be that one is not really desirous of a celestial/divine weapon, but due to the character of the person and the actions he or she performs, is granted the use of a celestial weapon as a boon (vara).

Arjuna can be used as an example of both the ways of acquiring the divine weaponry. Arjuna gained the use of the Pāshupatāstra by impressing Lord Shiva with this meditation and martial prowess (he had to fight Lord Shiva in the form of a Kirāta/hunter). He also gained the use of Indra’s Vajra through penance and meditation, after he proved his abilities by impressing Lord Shiva. This episode happened during the Vanavāsa of the Pandavas. But much earlier in his life Arjuna had gained the Brahmashiras from his guru, Drona. Arjuna had impressed Drona by being his best student. Towards the end of their education, Arjuna saved Drona from a crocodile. This act, along with the character he had demonstrated as a student, impressed Drona enough to make him give the Brahmashiras missile to Arjuna. The Brahmashiras is more powerful compared to the Brahmāstra. It is Brahmāstra to the power of 4, as far as I know.

Image credit – L & R, “Arjuna’s Quest for Weapons, Mahabharata – 20”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Arjuna gained the use of several other divine weapons. But consider the three divine weapons mentioned above. They are all incredibly destructive. Indra’s Vajra is a great weapon, but pales in comparison against the Pāshupatāstra and the Brahmashiras. These two weapons are what we would call weapons of mass destruction in today’s parlance. Either of those, according to the tales, could end all of creation if misused. This leads to the crux of using these weapons.

Image credit – “Enter Drona, Mahabharata – 5”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Image credit – “Enter Drona, Mahabharata – 5”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Drona, when he granted the Brahmashiras to Arjuna told him that it was never to be used against normal foes. It was to be used only against non-human foes, essentially when under great duress. Similarly, when Lord Shiva granted the use of the Pāshupatāstra to Arjuna, he was told to remember to never use it against a foe that was inferior. In both cases, a violation of this rule meant that all of creation could be destroyed by the weapon.

Image credit – “Arjuna in Indraloka, Mahabharata – 21”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Arjuna had to single-handedly defeat the Nivātakavachas and Kālakeyas as a fee in return for the knowledge of the use of the several divine weapons. The Nivātakavachas and Kālakeyas were Dānava enemies of the Devas. They were protected by a boon due to which the Devas could not defeat them*. Only a mortal could defeat them as they were not protected against the same by the boon. Usually, many Dānavās did not claim protection against mortals when they requested boons as they were considered inferior and not a real threat. But they were vulnerable against mortals who were armed with the weapons the Devas could wield. This was the loophole in the boon that was being exploited here.

So, Arjuna set out to fight them. The Nivātakavachas were extremely powerful, and Arjuna was fighting alone. He only had Mātali as his charioteer during this fight. Mātali was Indra’s charioteer and Arjuna had been granted the use of Indra’s chariot. By now Arjuna had access to Indra’s Vajra. The Vajra was so incredibly powerful that he did not consider using it while fighting the Nivātakavachas. This was despite his being alone and vastly outnumbered. Mātali had to be remind him to use the Vajra at this time. Once reminded, Arjuna deployed the Vajra and vast numbers of the Nivātakavachas were destroyed. This episode demonstrates how Arjuna instinctively knew not to resort to a divine weapon in a cavalier manner, even when the odds were heavily against him. This ingrained training in Arjuna was so strong that he needed a reminder to use a divine weapon.

Image credit – “The Reunion, Mahabharata – 22”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Once the Nivātakavachas were defeated, Arjuna set out to defeat the Kālakeyas. They had the ability to carry out aerial attacks as well. Again, Arjuna was alone except for Mātali, facing off against multitudes. The opposition was so incredible that Arjuna thought it safe to deploy the Pāshupatāstra. The deployment of Shiva’s weapon destroyed the Kālakeyas. This is the only use of the Pāshupatāstra that I am aware of. I have seen some say that the Pāshupatāstra was used when Arjuna slew Jayadhrata on the 14^th day of the Kurukshetra war. But I am not sure of this and hence am not using this as an example here.

The Brahmashiras was a weapon that was also in the possession of Ashwatthāma, the son of Drona. Arjuna and Ashwatthāma fought on opposite sides in the great war of Kurukshetra. After the Kauravas, the side Ashwatthāma was on, had been defeated, he killed the remaining forces of the Pandavas at night while they were asleep. This enraged the Pandavas and Bheema went to attack Ashwatthāma. Krishna followed Bheema with Arjuna and Yudishtira realizing that Ashwatthāma might deploy the Brahmashiras despite the warnings against using this weapon against humans. As expected Ashwatthāma used the weapon and Arjuna deployed the same weapon to counter it. Eventually Maharishi Vyasa intervened, and Arjuna withdrew his weapon. Ashwatthāma did not know how to withdraw the weapon and caused misery in the future. For this crime he was cursed and forced to endure the consequences. This is the only time the Brahmashiras was used.

Image credit – L & R, “After the War, Mahabharata – 39”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Consider the conditions under which the three celestial weapons under consideration were used. The Vajra was used when Arjuna was severely outnumbered and under relentless attack. The Pāshupatāstra was used under the exact same circumstances as earlier to which was added aerial attacks by superior foes. Lastly, the Brahmashiras was wrongly deployed against humans by Ashwatthāma. Arjuna deployed the same only to counter a misuse of the weapon. In all of these cases, the divine weapon was used when one’s life or all of creation was in imminent danger, against odds that were insurmountable. The celestial weapon was, for all practical purposes, the factor that balanced the situation and saved the life of user. The Aes Sedai putting themselves in danger to be able to use magic as a weapon, in my opinion, is the same as the conditions imposed on the use of certain celestial weapons in stories from Hindu culture.

Image credit – L & R, “The Reunion, Mahabharata – 22”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

The above examples are all from stories, either modern fantasy literature or from Hindu culture. So, is the act of putting oneself in danger or at least through the ringer useful in modern life? Is there anything good that comes out of putting ourselves though extreme training and fatigue? Can some ability of ours become clear or be unlocked by this kind of activity? I would opine that the answer is a yes.

To be clear, I am not saying that one’s life has to be in danger or even that the potential of physical injury or disability has to be exist. It is just that we do some activity, mainly physical, to exhaust ourselves to a great extent. This opens up a new vista for ourselves; this is what I mean. I will share one aspect, partially based on personal experience to suggest that this is possible even in modern day life.

In a previous article of mine I have described the Sakki test**. This is the test taken to achieve the 5^th Dan in the Bujinkan system of martial arts. The link to this article is seen in the notes below. In brief, it requires the person taking the test to sit in Vajrāsana. A Shihān with a 15^th Dan is standing behind the person taking the test. Both have their eyes closed. The 15^th Dan strikes the head of the person in Vajrāsana with a padded sword (or stick). The person taking the test is expected to move out of the way of the strike by intuitively knowing when the strike happens. This ability to intuitive realize what is happening and survive, by moving spontaneously, is a demonstration of Sakkijutsu. Sakkijutsu refers to the ability to intuitively get a sense of things, and hopefully use this to one’s benefit, typically by moving (or doing anything necessary) without the need for logical thinking.

Sakkijutsu is not a one-time thing that works only during the test. It is something everyone is supposed to use, at all times in one’s life. All of us martial arts’ practitioners and even people with no martial experience use this ability. Everyone has intuitions and people use it unconsciously many a time in their lives. Typically, based on personal experience and the talking I have done about this with people who are not martial artists, this is how Sakkijutsu occurs. People are busy doing something or thinking of something, when out of the blue there is this strong feeling, and they act on it. This act in turn leads to something beneficial. The realization of the feeling is only in hindsight. An example of this can be while driving. One might feel like not overtaking another vehicle, when suddenly a third vehicle zooms past in the path that would have been taken for the overtaking. A potentially risky situation was avoided by the feeling. Another case might be when someone is busy at work, they look at their phone for no reason, and get a call from someone they know or a client.

This is not magic; it is just something most of us do without ever thinking about it. The Bujinkan emphasizes this as part of martial training. I suspect most martial artists use it, whether or not they actively think on it. In a physical conflict a fraction of a second might help avoid injury and this is the reason Sakkijutsu is held in great regard.

In my personal understanding, Sakkijutsu works as a combination of training and life experience. One trains the martial art diligently and lives life by learning as many things as possible. Living through life, we build a large repertoire of experiences. These include multiple physical spaces, times of the day, people, attitudes and feelings associated with all of these in a myriad of combinations. It is these experiences that make one move as one has trained. The trigger for the move is intuition, which is based on an unconscious trigger from the environment we are in, or the people we are around, at a given time, based on life experiences (these include the knowledge gained from various media and the knowledge of others as well). All of this is my own opinion. Others might have different ways of thinking of Sakkijutsu.

Sakkijutsu in daily life happens in far too many ways to be able to explain it easily. If I consider the examples I mentioned above, the intuition will be about something people are not actively thinking about. They might be doing something similar, but not the same. While driving, we do not think of specific vehicles, we consider the spaces on the road. But the intuition might be about a specific vehicle. While working, we might be busy thinking of something work related, but the intuition might be about specific individuals, either at work or among friends and family.

Based on the previous paragraphs, the mind is full of one aspect, but empty of others. The intuition would be about one of these aspects which was absent in the mind. This is the unconscious trigger for the intuition. In other words, when the mind is empty of something, that is likely the thing about which the intuition might occur. In daily life this is fairly easy, as we are all thinking of something or the other, all the time. So, the mind is full of something, but empty of everything thing except that one thing. And therefore, it is always open to intuition.

This is entirely reversed in the Sakki test I described earlier. Everyone, including me, who has passed the test, will say that the way to pass the Sakki test is to keep one’s mind clear or empty. The Sakki test has removed all other senses from the situation, as the eyes are closed, smell and taste are of no help, there is no tactile sense until one is hit on the head. Also, it is too late to move if one assumes one can move based on the sound the 15^th Dan makes while striking. Further, there is the awareness that this is a test. So, one is not thinking of anything except the test at that point in time. This is because, as students, we are raised to focus on the test when taking one. It is also a case of focusing on the task at hand, and in this case it is the Sakki test.

So, external senses are of no use and the one thing that enables intuition, which is to fill the mind with something that is not the aspect that we need the intuition about is not possible! J If we could think of or keep our mind busy with something(s) other than the test, Sakkijutsu will work! But, this being a test, one is busy thinking only of the test! So, that is the one thing that there will NOT BE intuition about. 😀

This is why people say keep the mind empty. If the mind is empty of all things, the Sakki will be there when needed. Similarly, if one can be immersed completely in something other than the test, the intuition is likely to be there as well. But either of these are insanely hard at the time of the test!! But then, it cannot be that hard because everyone gets it in a matter of a few days at best. Once the test is passed, for the rest of one’s life, it is a continuous realization that Sakkijutsu works when one is not actively thinking or looking for it. It works when needed if one can just know that it works without second guessing the same or trying too hard with logical reasoning of trying to explain the same. It is an innate ability that all of us humans possess.

That said, to help each other pass the Sakki test, there is one thing that is done among my Buyu (fellow martial practitioners/martial family) in our dojo. There could be several things and ideas about this in other dojos, I am only referring to our way of thinking here. We usually get the person taking test to train really hard on the day of the test and maybe on the day or two before the same.

The person taking the test is encouraged to train only with her or his senpai (seniors). And the senpai train hard with the person. The intention in the attack is far stronger that it otherwise might be. And any attack is relentless. The person faces a really hard time, and no quarter is given in the training. Of course, there is no major injury in this as the senpai has good self-control. But the threat of one is ever present and minor knocks, chokes, throws etc. are present for sure. The idea is that the person taking the test should feel wrung out by the end of the session when he or she goes to take the Sakki test. Multiple senpai might train with this person to achieve the necessary fatigue.

The level of fatigue at the time of taking the test is such that he or she is too tired to even think at the time of test. In other words, the training has been so intense that the person is just happy to be sitting and not having to survive anymore. Hopefully, this level of fatigue makes the person tired enough to make her or his mind blank, i.e., too tired to think! Thus, the mind is blank and the test can be passed. Once this is done, the experience lasts a lifetime, and the person has the rest of her or his life to fine-tune and improve Sakkijutsu.

Thus, when a person goes up against an opponent who is far superior in experience, the ability to have intuition is unlocked or at least unblocked. This is very similar to putting oneself in danger to gain the ability to use magic, or to be able to use weapons that can nullify extraordinary foes. Of course, intuitive ability is not magic, or divine in nature. But it definitely feels so with hindsight, when one realizes the trouble avoided due to Sakkijutsu in real life. This is true irrespective of whether or one is in an active, recognized conflict.

Of course, I am not suggesting that the fatigue caused in a training session is in anyway equal to one facing certain death or major physical injury. Nor am I equating the situations faced by warriors in real battlefields to a dojo setting. There is no equivalence. But I am suggesting that the situations are similar, and the end results are beneficial. It is something that one can learn from stories and the experiences of real warriors to apply in life. Put oneself through an uncomfortable situation to gain something positive, even if it is just the realization of how lucky one was to get out of that situation. Perhaps the luck itself was Sakkijutsu at work.

I could be off or wrong in my understanding. If someone feels that way, I would gladly welcome alternate points of view. In conclusion, I suggest that this concept of hardship to unlock or reveal abilities has always been known. A reminder of this is what we see in the stories, both old and new.

Notes:

* This sounds like there was a treaty between the Nivātakavachas and Kālakeyas respectively with the Devas, which required mutual non-aggression. Indra could not violate the same. This treaty does not include mortals/Mānavās. So, Indra equipped Arjuna with celestial weaponry (the weapons the Devas would use) and got him to defeat the afore mentioned groups of Dānavas. This is just me speculating with my modern-day sensibilities. I do not have any evidence to support the same.

** Sakkijutsu article

https://mundanebudo.com/2023/08/31/shabdavedi-sakkijutsu-and-why-charioteers-are-awesome/

The previous two articles I posted were related to the festival of Deepāvali and the stories of the Dashāvatāra respectively. The article related to Deepavali was related to the stories about Naraka Chaturdashi and Bali Pādyami. In both the articles I identified concepts from the martial arts in the stories related to the festivals and the Dashāvatāra, and expanded on those. This article is an addition to those two and perhaps the last in the series, where I will try and delve into the last few concepts originating from the first article. A link is seen in the notes below to the two previous articles*.

In the previous article the main concept that I explored was “Issho Khemi”. “Issho Khemi”, based on my experience, was translated as either, “do whatever is necessary” or “do just enough”. Further, I referred to the biography of sword master Yamaoka Tesshu and his way of training the sword, to understand this concept. The biography of Yamaoka Tesshu referred to was ““The Sword of No-Sword: Life of the Master Warrior Tesshu”. I remember the book saying that Tesshu encouraged his students to train hard but did not focus on specific techniques or forms. In other words, in my opinion, he preferred that his students train the sword to use “Issho Khemi”.

Considering that we are referring to swords and doing whatever needs to be done, we need to consider another concept that I have learnt as part of the Bujinkan system of martial arts. This is the concept of “Katsujiken and Satsujiken”. Katsujikan means “the life-taking sword” and Satsujiken means “the life-saving sword”. Simply put, if the sword can be used to do whatever is necessary, the necessity could be, as the situation calls for, to save a life or take a life – Issho Khemi.

There are many ways of understanding “Katsujiken and Satsujiken”. The context in which it is used in reference to a real fight is “if you are not ready to kill, do not draw the sword”. This notion is not unique to Japanese martial arts. I have heard it said with respect to guns as well, where it is said that one should not draw the gun if one is not willing (or ready) to pull the trigger. There is a similar saying with Kalari Payattu as well. Kalari Payattu is the martial art form originating in the state of Kerala.

In Kalari Payattu, there is a saying which goes, “Thodaade Thodaade, thottaal vidaade”. It translates to “do not touch, do not touch; if someone else touches, do not spare that person”. Of course, what is being said is, avoid physical contact in a conflict, but if it is initiated by someone else and there is no choice but to fight, do not spare the other person (opponent). I am sharing a link in the notes below where a Gurukkal (teacher), Dr. S Mahesh, teacher and practitioner of Kalari Payattu makes this statement and explains the same**.

In this context, avoiding the drawing of the blade is one saving the life of the opponent. The objective is to avoid any injury to anyone. So, the sword is not drawn, hoping the situation can be deescalated. To this end, there are forms and techniques that are trained in the Bujinkan system of martial arts where one defends oneself with the sheathed sword. This sometimes looks like forms trained with the hanbo (3 foot staff). This then goes on to forms where the opponent is controlled without drawing the blade completely. The blade is partially unsheathed when necessary to ensure that the opponent realizes that pressing the attack further is detrimental to her or his health and the defender is offering an opportunity to disengage and end the attack. The blade is also sheathed as soon as this message is complete to avoid any escalation. Thus, without drawing the blade (completely), the lives of the attacker(s) and defender are saved. Thus, Satsujiken, the life-saving sword, is achieved.

In case the situation is too far gone and there is no hope of surviving a physical conflict without incapacitating the opponent(s), Katsujiken has to be adhered to. Of course, it does not mean that anyone needs to lose their life. It means causing injury to the attacker(s) is acceptable to survive the physical conflict. Here, to save one’s own life, the life of another might have to be taken; at least physical harm may be caused to someone else. The imperative to cause injury to others might be more urgent when the safety or others is involved. If someone or something being attacked is dear to someone, that person might have to resort to the life-taking sword to save the others, especially if the individuals being attacked cannot escape or do not know how to survive without help.

When a situation calls for Katsujiken, one really needs to let go of thoughts of consequences of causing harm to others and focus on survival. This means being in the moment and doing whatever it takes to survive, with no motivations regarding the future. If one is lucky, this attitude might deescalate a situation and mitigate the need for Katsujiken (if the opponent is wise enough to sense the same).

Of course, it is never really clear when Katsujiken or Satsujiken have to be used. The choice might move from one to the other and depends entirely on the gut feel of the individual(s) involved in the situation at a given time and space. A change in the time, space or people will alter the consequences. Apart from this, hindsight might show what was possibly a better choice, but that is not much use except as experience for a future conflict.

Everyone hopes that Katsujiken is never needed. Satsujiken itself should be a last resort. This is possible with external factors like societal norms and behaviour. Another important aspect that prevents anyone from even considering Katsujiken is the efficiency and effectiveness of the legal and justice system of a place. The effort and negative consequences of having to deal with the legal system itself is huge motivator for people to avoid escalating a conflict to physical levels and then to a case where bodily harm is caused. The punishments one faces for physical harm to others are a deterrent to any life-taking of even injurious actions. This of course, is only possible if the individuals involved in the conflict cannot act with impunity, which means they are not afraid of the legal or other consequences of their violent actions.

Even though Katsujiken and Satsujiken have “ken” at the end which represents a sword, the concept is not restricted to swords. The life-saving and life-taking aspect is with relation to any weapon or even unarmed conflicts. It could perhaps even be expanded to violence which is emotional or intellectual (consider gaslighting, ragging/hazing, demeaning narratives, and the like).

In a previous article where I discussed the festival of Āyudha Pooja, I had mentioned that the word “Āyudha” means weapon. But based on the manner in which the festival is celebrated, “Āyudha” can be any tool. A link to the article where this is discussed in detail is seen in the notes below.⁺ Based on the previous paragraph and the Āyudha Pooja festival, where any tool can be considered a weapon and vice versa, the life-taking and life-saving nature can be attributed to any concept (idea or theory included) or tool applied as a solution in a conflict.

An example of this was seen in my previous article relating to the festival of Deepavali (link to the article in the notes below)*. In that article I had discussed how stealth and deception were the real weapons applied against both Narakāsura and Bali. In the case of Narakāsura the deception was to carry out an unexpected aerial attack against him at night and catching him by surprise. In the case of Bali, the deception was to get him to make a promise that he would not be able to keep and hence be defeated. Both actions were driven by knowledge of the opponents. Bali was honourable and righteous and would never break a promise, guaranteeing his defeat. Narakāsura would never back down from a fight and hence would be slain.

The outcome of the application of deception, however, was completely different in two cases. Bali was defeated without any violence while Narakāsura was killed and many of his troops lost their lives as well. Bali was defeated by the Vāmana avatāra of Vishnu and Narakāsura was killed by the Krishna avatāra. Further, Bali was rewarded by being named the next Indra while Naraka’s name is forever remembered as that of a tyrant. Based on this, the application of deception against Narakāsura is “Katsujiken” or life-taking sword, while it is “Satsujiken” or life-saving sword in the case of Bali. The “ken” or sword in both cases is the concept of deception.

Before the segue into the use of deception against Bali and Narakāsura, I had mentioned how only those involved in a conflict can identify when Katsujiken or Satsujiken is applicable in a given situation. Perhaps even they do not actively think of it in these terms. They “feel” the situation and while going with the flow of the conflict determine the necessary actions. In hindsight the action taken can be classified as either life-taking or life-saving.

So, how do those participating in the conflict identify what the preferred course of action or response is? I opine that the answer is to “listen” to the opponent and therefore the situation. This is not unlike being a good listener in daily life. We all try to be good listeners at work, with friends and with family. The idea is that this will help us identify the actual problem a client is facing and if the people near and dear to us are saying anything that is not explicit in the words being used. In the case of a conflict, specifically a physical one, even if it is a sport, the word “listen” means one should “feel” the fight.

“Feel the fight” or “feel the situation” does not mean just the tactile aspects. It means one should be aware of the opponent(s) and the time and space where the fight is taking place. The word “mindful” can be used instead of “aware” in the previous sentence. One needs “awareness” of a situation, or an individual needs to be “mindful” of a situation. The awareness here includes not only what is happening, but also the intent of the opponent(s) and even the abilities of the same.

In order to be mindful of a situation, during training sessions, it is suggested that one let go of all motivations except to survive. It is suggested that one not try to win, see if a technique works, focus on a given form, try to make the opponent feel bad or anything else. One should focus on Issho Khemi. I discussed this concept in my previous article*. Issho Khmei is to do whatever is necessary to survive.

An example of this, based on my personal understanding, is the is the use of the tachi. The tachi is the curved Japanese sword that was a precursor of the katana. It was worn differently and used very often by cavalry. The tachi also tended to be a bit longer and more curved compared to the later katana, though this is not a hard and fast rule. Also, it was a weapon that came up against Japanese armour (yoroi) often. I was taught by my mentor that since any sword, including the tachi cannot cut through armour, the tachi was not used as a sword.

The yoroi forced the tachi to be used as a hammer or an axe and also as a knife. Additionally, the tachi was used as a lever and a shield as well. The hammer or axe aspect comes as one strikes the opponent with the sword with no guarantee of achieving a cut. This strike allows the sword to be placed somewhere on the armour. Once this positioning is done, one tries to maneuver the tip of the blade into a gap in the armour where a stab can be achieved, fatal or at least debilitating to the opponent. I have been told by some folk with a lot of experience that the initial strike sometimes happened with the back (mune – blunt edge) of the tachi. Also, only the last few inches of this weapon was sharpened to aid in effective stabbing. The rest of it was not necessarily very sharp as it was more for striking and could not cut through armour anyway.

When two opponents in armour and swords go up against one another, they tend to end up grappling. This is because a cut is not possible and a stab in the gaps of the armour is the objective. One of the ways of getting a stab is to get the opponent down and then stab from a dominant position. Also, when the tachi is more a metal rod and less a sword against armour, it is effective as a lever to grapple with and take down an opponent. This is not unlike the way we are taught to use a hanbo in the Bujinkan. Of course, if the sword is a metal rod that can hit, it can also act as a shield to block the same. Thus, the tachi is a staff, axe, hammer and a knife, disguised as a sword.

This same way of using swords is also seen in European martial arts. When armour development improved greatly and full plate harness was used in Europe during the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th centuries, swords also evolved to the new reality where a cut was useless against armour. Swords became more pointed to enable stabbing. A highly specialized stabbing sword called an “Estoc” was developed which had a square or rhomboid cross section, but a very sharp point. This meant that it was a metal rod with a point, so, no cutting at all, but great thrusting. This also enabled half-swording where one could hold the blade at any position with no risk of being cut.

Of course, even when swords were sharp half-swording is possible. The same is true with a tachi. It just depends on learning how to handle a sharp edge. Based on what I have seen of half-swording, they do seem similar to the ways of using a hanbo as well, just like a tachi. All of this can be simplified and explained by considering how we would use an unsheathed sword. In both European and Japanese martial arts, individuals carried a dagger or a tanto for stabbing once both opponents were down. This was more efficient as it was easier to control on the ground, unlike a longer sword. I am personally not aware of any manuals or specific forms from Indian martial arts where armour was considered and grappling was resorted to, to overcome the same. Please do let me know if anyone knows of the same.

The morphing of a sword into a hammer, knife and shield is an example of being aware of the opponent (wearing armour as a simplistic example in this case) and using a tool, sword in this case, however possible, to achieve survival. So, when the tachi is a shield, it is Satsujiken and when it is a hammer or a dagger, it is Katsujiken.

I started off with this example to show how one must be mindful of the situation in a conflict. But when we consider the development of arms and armour over centuries to counter one another, we realize that the duration of a conflict need not be a short one. It could short for individuals, based on how long they are a part of the same. But the conflict itself might go on for durations which last the lifetimes of multiple generations. In this situation, being aware of opponent(s) is something like the Government of a nation always needing to be aware of the threats to its citizens. Here the intelligence gathering arms of the state are the main enablers of being mindful of the world, beyond just the known enemies of state or opponents of government. This is “listening” or “being aware” in perpetuity.

Tales from Hindu culture are replete with the need to be mindful of the opponent(s) abilities. Several avatāras and forms of our Gods and Goddesses were specifically born in that form to counter the ability of a given threat to the world, the threat in most cases being an asura. In my previous article, I have described the purpose of each of the 10 avatāras of Lord Vishnu. The link to this article is seen in the notes below*. I will share specific examples here to elucidate how awareness of the opponent led to the form of God. I am leaving out Narakāsura and Bali as they have already been discussed in great detail above and in an earlier article^* (link in the notes).

Lord Narsimha

The Asura Hiranyakashipu had a boon (vara) due to which he could not be killed by any man or animal, inside or outside, during the day or during the night. Lord Vishnu took the form of Narasimha to specifically exploit the loopholes in the boon. The boon is the armour/ability in this case and the loophole in the boon is the gap in the armour that can be exploited. Narasimha was neither man not animal, he was both. He killed Hiranyakashipu on the threshold, which is neither inside nor outside, at twilight, which is neither day nor night.

Image credit – “Prahlad”, published by Amar Chitra Katha

Devi Durga

The Asura Mahishāsura had a boon which specifically protected him from all living beings except women. He believed no woman could harm him and hence did not ask for protection from them at the time of requesting the boon. Devi Durga is a form of Devi Parvati or Shakti who came into being to eliminate Mahishāsura. Durga received the weapons of all the Gods which made her the greatest warrior. Mashisha had no protection against Durga as she was a woman and with her martial abilities, she destroyed Mahishāsura.

Image credit – “Tales of Durga” (Kindle edition), published by Amar Chitra Katha

Lord Karttikeya

The Asura Tāraka had a boon due to which only a son of Lord Shiva could defeat him. Lord Shiva was in deep meditation and had no wife at the time the boon was granted. Hence, there was no one who could threaten Tāraka. Eventually Devi Parvati married Lord Shiva and Lord Karttikeya was born of them. He eliminated Tārakāsura. I am cutting the story really short here!

Image credit – “Karttikeya” (Kindle edition), published by Amar Chitra Katha

The above just a very small set of the examples from Hindu culture of being aware of the abilities of the opponent to be able to overcome the threat. I would strongly encourage everyone to read the stories in full. They are a very enriching experience. Hindu tradition is literally chock full of examples that are constant reminders of the need to be mindful of any given situation.

Since we are speaking of identifying a gap or an opening in the armour or ability of an opponent, and the notion in this article is originating from the Bujinkan, which is Japanese in origin, I must share the beautifully poetic words to express this concept. Tsuki, in Japanese, is to punch. Suki is the hole or opening that can be punched. So, many stories from Hindu tradition are all about “Suki to Tsuki”. Identify a Suki or opening to Tsuki, or punch. In other words, find an opening and attack it, exactly like the avatāras did.

Staying with Japanese culture, there are legends of the Muramasa and Masamune blades from medieval Japan. I am not aware of all the stories associated with these swords, but I am sharing a gist of what I know. Blades made by the swordsmith Masamune were supposed to be blades that saved lives. Swords made by the swordsmith Muramasa were supposed to be cursed. They always took lives and brought misfortune to the owners of the same. I have heard some opinions that Muramasa was an apprentice of Masamune’s.

One interesting story about these is about the comparison of which sword was sharper. A sword by both Masamune and Muramasa were left suspended in a stream to check which was a sharper blade. The Masamune blade did not harm any fish swimming past. The fish avoided the sword and never swam into the dangling blade. Vegetation that floated past was cut effortlessly. However, with the Muramasa blade, fish swam into the blade were cleaved effortlessly. But vegetation got tangled on the blade and was not cut. I could be wrong about the details of the story, but I hope the essence that one was a life-saving blade while the other was a life-taking blade is clear. Muramasa is Katsujiken, Masamune is Satsujiken.

There is a manga (Japanese comics) called “Crying Freeman”. In one volume of this manga, the protagonist gets possession of a Muramasa sword and is subject to misfortune⁺⁺. His wife believes that the Muramasa sword brings misfortune because people try to get rid of it and not learn to use it. She feels that the blade needs its owner to learn to use it in the best manner possible. So, she takes up this responsibility and trains with the Muramasa blade. Send turns out to be right and the string of bad luck ceases. I think this is a wonderful take on learning to be mindful, even of inanimate objects!

Since we are referring to pop culture by discussing manga, I will share one beautiful description of the concept of “do not draw if you are not ready to kill”. In the second novel of the acclaimed science fiction series “The Expanse”, titled “Caliban’s War”, there is face off followed by a shoot-out. Two groups, one of the protagonists who are heavily armed with guns and another of a group of security personnel who are similarly armed are facing off against each other.

Neither wants to start shooting but both are extremely suspicious of the other and on a hair trigger response. One of the protagonists, who has no combat experience, based on his viewing of movies, thinks he can threaten the other group into withdrawal and cocks his gun. This immediately triggers a shoot out and all the security personnel have to be killed. Later one of the protagonists relieves the non-combatant of his weapon and explains that any one with real combat experience assumes that a cocked gun is a prelude to a definite firing of the same and will not wait to see what happens next, they will simply shoot. The person who did it had no idea of this and cost several lives in a tragic and inadvertent situation. I believe the character in the novel who starts the shoot out accidentally is Praxidike Meng.

One last point before we conclude this post. I mentioned earlier in this article that societal norms and a robust legal and justice system can be a deterrent to violence. In other words, there is a systemic incentivizing of Satsujiken over Katsujiken. There is a Sanskrit phase that says “Dharmo Rakshatih Rakshitaha”. It means “Dharma protects those that protect it”. Dharma can be “the right thing to do”. It can also be “that which sustains”^&.

If there is a set of rules and practices put in place by a system and this system by efficient and effective performance mitigates violence in society, then that system could be a Dharma. Individuals who follow the system by not violating the rules are upholding the Dharma. In turn, the Dharma or system protects those that follow the rules, or laws. Individuals are protected as those that might consider violence against others are discouraged by the knowledge that they have to bear the brunt of the system if they violate the law (rules). This makes the violators ones that do not protect Dharma. Thus it is a symbiotic relationship; follow the rules to protect the Dharma, and the system, Dharma, protects you because when everyone follows the same, there can be no violation, and hence no violence.

Here, both definitions of Dharma hold good. If one considers Dharma to be “the right thing to do”, following the system/Dharma is the right thing for people to do. Similarly, the right thing for the Dharma/system to do is protect those that practice it. If one considers Dharma as “that which sustains”, the system/Dharma can only be sustained if people practice it. By practicing it, practitioners are letting the Dharma/system sustain them as it protects them from violence and hence get on with lives with less fear.

With that observation, I conclude this series of 3 articles starting with the one about Deepavali. The festival of Deepavali and the Dashāvatāra are indeed a treasure trove of concepts that lead to a plethora of learning from the martial arts.

Notes:

* Deepavali – Light on the Martial Arts

Deepavali – Light on the Martial Arts

* Dashāvatāra & Budo, Part 1 – Issho Khemi

Dashāvatāra & Budo, Part 1 – Issho Khemi

** Link to the video where the statement is made by Gurukkal, Dr. S Mahesh – watch between the 22^nd and 25^th minute mark

⁺ https://mundanebudo.com/2023/10/23/aayudha-pooja-vijayadashami-the-most-important-festivals-for-the-martial-arts/

^& I am taking this definition of “Dharma” from the book “Mahabharata Unravelled” by Ami Ganatra. The link to the book is seen below

⁺⁺ Link to “Crying Freeman Volume 3”

https://www.amazon.in/Crying-Freeman-3-Kazuo-Koike/dp/1593074891/ref=sr_1_1?crid=311ADMT6QJ85G&keywords=crying+freeman+vol+3&qid=1701959502&sprefix=crying+freeman+vol+3%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1

The Dashāvatāra – Balarāma is included instead of Buddha in the above image

In my previous article I attempted to explore martial art concepts that can be gleaned from the festival of Deepavali. This is a continuation of the same. Here, I will delve into the concepts that I could not consider in the earlier article as it was already very long. It might be useful to read the earlier article before getting into this one. But in case one does not, this article can be read as a standalone. The link to the previous article is seen in the notes below*.

A good starting point to delve into these concepts is the Dashāvatāra. The Dashāvatāra are the 10 incarnations (Dasha – 10, Avatāra – incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. This is not to say that there were only 10 avatāras of Lord Vishnu. The most popular list of incarnations of Vishnu is of 10 and this has been so for a few centuries based on the little that I know. If I am not wrong, there are also lists of avatāras that have 23 incarnations. The avatāras that are a part of the Dashāvatāra are not always the same.

Based on my understanding, the first 7 incarnations are the same in most lists. These are,

• Matsya (1^st), Kurma (2^nd), Varāha (3^rd), Narasimha (4^th), Vāmana (5^th), Parashurāma (6^th) and Rāma (7^th)

Of the remaining three, there are differences of who are considered the avatāras. I am sharing below a couple of the variations that I am aware of.

• Balarāma (8^th), Krishna (9^th), Kalki (10^th)
• Krishna (8^th), Buddha (9^th), Kalki (10^th)

The list with Buddha is the most common one that I am aware of. There are opinions where Lord Panduranga and Lord Jagannath are a part of the Dashāvatāra and not Buddha.

For the purposes of this article am going with the 10 incarnations where the Buddha is included and not Balarāma, simply because that is the one I was taught as a child and not because I am sure that that is the correct list. Also, I am sticking to only 10 avatāras and not considering the lists which have more than 10. Again, this is only because I do not have extensive knowledge about these.

Each incarnation had a specific purpose. I am adding a sentence or two about each avatāra and the purpose of the same in the notes below**. I am also adding a couple of examples from beyond the 10 incarnations where an incarnation or form of a God or Goddess eliminated a specific problem. I am going to be referring to these to make the points in the article, but the little detail is in the notes to try and keep the article to a “reasonable” length. 😊

The exact purpose of each of these avatāras is mentioned in the notes. But in general they fall into one of two categories, as far as I can tell.

• Protect and save people from a tyrant.
• Preserve the ecosystem, which includes the guardians of the same, which is why the Devas, who are the Lokapālas or guardians (of natural phenomena), are saved every time. If the Lokapālas are affected, the ecosystem is affected, and hence the people.

Considering the above, the objective of every avatāra has very high stakes. If the stakes are very high, how are the problems resolved? Yes, violence is one solution. But violence is neither the only solution nor the preferred one. Let us consider the other solutions that were employed by the avatāras.

• The solution by the Matsya and Kurma incarnations were two-fold. One involved identifying leaders who could bring people together for specific enterprising activities. The second was providing support to an engineering project of epic scale against enormous environmental adversities. So, they were perhaps Management solutions in modern day terms.

Matsya (L), Kurma (R)
Credit for the images – “Dasha Avatar”, published by Amar Chitra Katha, Kindle edition

• The Varāha, Narasimha and Parashurāma avatāras were warriors who used violence to solve problems. Varāha & Narasimha were protective warriors. Lord Parashurāma went on to spread the knowledge of the martial arts after his task as an avatar was complete.

Narasimha (L), Varāha (Top R), Parashurāma (Bottom R)
Credit for the images – “Dasha Avatar”, published by Amar Chitra Katha, Kindle edition

• The Vāmana incarnation was about deception and negotiation. It specifically abhorred violence. It was, by modern day standards, the signing of an inter state agreement (peace treaty in other words).

Vāmana
Credit for the images – “Dasha Avatar”, published by Amar Chitra Katha, Kindle edition

• The Rāma, Krishna and Buddha incarnations of Lord Vishnu lived a life that could serve as a case study. These incarnations served many purposes and hence used many solutions. During their lifetimes, they used administration, violence and negotiation to solve problems. It is almost like these incarnations combined all that was used by earlier avatāras. Their lives served as examples when they were no longer present in their mortal form. So, storytelling, entertainment and case studies were also a part of the plethora of solution types that they used. Considering that these options need documentation, add that to the list as well, as these are potential solutions that can be used by populations for centuries to come. The documents include, the Ramayana, Mahabharata (including the Bhagavad Gita) and the teachings of the Buddha.

Rama (L), Krishna (Top R), Buddha (Bottom R)
Credit for the images – “Dasha Avatar”, published by Amar Chitra Katha, Kindle edition

The above also apply to the other examples I have mentioned in the notes, which are not incarnations of Lord Vishnu. That said, the information regarding all the avatāras have also reached us through stories. And we can identify that the solution used in the stories fits into any of the categories mentioned because we still use the same in daily life. Of course, the violence in daily life refers to displays of anger and disappointment, which could constitute emotion or intellectual violence. This is a lot more common in our lives, compared to the use of physical violence.

So, if we say we use management and administrative solutions (processes), violence (non-physical), engineering and storytelling (documentation, presentations and meetings) on a daily basis, another aspect becomes clear. We use all of these without specifically thinking of the same. We use them in any combination as required, according to the situation. We do not actively classify what we do into the silos I mentioned. The classification is only in hindsight. This means that we do “whatever we need to”, “however we can” as the situation demands.

“Whatever we need to” and “However we can” are key aspects of the martial arts. This means exactly what it sounds like in the context of a physical conflict, with or without weapons being involved. One does whatever one has to, to survive however one can. All the training and experience comes down to be being able to use all the learning, intuition, learning, techniques and forms in a short duration to come out of the situation alive and with as little physical injury as possible.

There is no conception of what technique is being used in a real situation. The body reacts thanks to all the training, and does whatever it can instinctively, even if it means to escape from the place. Escaping only means that all the experience paid off in being able to identify that a fight was simply not worth it. This is especially true if one has around, people or things very dear to oneself when the fight begins. Seldom can one protect oneself and others, especially if weapons or multiple opponents, or both(!) are involved. Before the escape happens, what is done instinctively based on one’s training is never a specific technique or form, it is a variation or combination of what was learnt over the years of training.

This is true even in the case of combat sports, just that one does not need to escape. There are rules, weight categories and time limits to prevent life threatening injuries. The competitors still use variations of what they have trained. They “feel” the fight and flow with whatever can be done to win the fight.

Most martial art practitioners realize this pretty early on, if they are training regularly. My teacher and couple of my mentors repeat this incessantly in class, in case one does forget. One hears, “do whatever is necessary” and “however you can” time and time again. They in turn heard this from their teacher, all the way back to Soke Hatsumi Masaaki, who drilled in this idea for most practitioners in the Bujinkan system of martial arts.

This notion can be expanded further. I have heard this said from the same people mentioned above, “Don’t depend on the waza in a real situation. Kata will get you killed.” A simple way to put it, in my opinion, would be, “Learn the form to gain the concept. Use the concept to adapt. Adapt to do whatever is necessary. Do whatever is necessary, however it can be done. Do it however you can, to survive.”

Another statement with a similar meaning is “Don’t depend on the book. The book will not fight for you (or the book will not save you)”. The book being referred to here is the book with the details of all the waza (technique) or kata (form/set of forms) and how to perform the same. “The books” might protect you, like how Shaastra or Bun (knowledge) might protect you. It is more like saying “The library of knowledge” will save you. But one book of techniques will not! So, don’t fall in love with waza or kata, because they can’t save you. Fall in love with waza and kata as doorways or pathways to experience, awareness, knowledge; all of which enhance the probability of survival in a physically threatening situation. An extension of this is to not think any martial art or style is “the best” or to think one must support it no matter what, simply because it is the style one trains.

One Japanese phrase that I have heard from my teacher and some senpai during training is “Issho Khemi”. I have heard two translations for this phrase. The first is “do just enough” and the second is “do whatever is necessary”. The second translation is literally what we discussed earlier. When the first translation is implied, in my experience, it is used in the context of reminding one to not get bogged down in trying to use a fixed technique or movement.

In any conflict, whether physical or otherwise, the opposing sides do various things. It is extremely rare for any one side to be able to predict, read and plan for all the actions of the other side. And if this is possible by some extraordinary fluke, executing the “perfect plan” exactly as intended is as difficult and rare as the making of the same is. This is easy to see in a one-on-one fight. A given technique might work on an individual. But the same might not work on another person and the same might not work on the same individual at another time, maybe not even in the very next instant. This is true even while training that specific form, let alone in sparring or a real situation.

So, a given technique needs to be modified (applied as required) from person to person and every time it is executed. This means that if a given technique does not work, one should move on to something else and keep repeating this iterative process until something works. This means two things. First, identify when something is not working. This in turn means not expending too much effort on trying a single way of doing a specific technique. Secondly, it means that when a technique works, it usually does not require too much effort. The identification of the effective technique might be harder than getting said technique to work.

These two notions mean that one should do just enough to verify if a given technique will work, and if that is not sufficient maybe it is time to try something else that might require just sufficient effort. In either case, it is not useful to develop tunnel vision in making the execution of a technique the objective. The real motive is always to survive by doing what is necessary, however that can be done, not to determine the effectiveness of a given technique.

I remember that a few years ago Soke Masaaki Hatsumi had displayed in the dojo, calligraphy by Yamaoka Tesshu. These were acquisitions of his and he had used the writings as an inspiration for that particular class. Yamaoka Tesshu lived in the second half of the 19^th century and was an advisor and teacher to the then Japanese emperor (I think it was the Meiji emperor). He was also a sword master who taught at his own dojo.

There is a book by author John Stevens, which is a biography of Yamaoka Tesshu. The book is titled “The Sword of No-Sword: Life of the Master Warrior Tesshu” (link to this book is seen in the notes below)***. In this book, as I recall, there is a very interesting observation made by the author. He says that when Tesshu was teaching his students, he always exhorted them to train harder. But he never taught or focused too much on specific techniques and forms. In other words, Tesshu wanted his students to focus on training as a whole, not consider mastering individual forms or techniques one after the other and use them as stepping stones. This idea along with the tile of the book makes me think that the focus was on the situation and what one could do in that time and space. This is the same as “Issho Khemi” and doing “whatever is necessary”, “however one can”.

So, we see that the Dashāvatāra from Hindu tradition and the martial arts have concepts that are the same. The concepts relate to problem solving and surviving a situation. Is this seen in modern life as well? I would say yes. I will share an example and my observation regarding international diplomacy and then get back to life in general.

In modern day diplomacy we hear the words, “based on shared values”. Considering that all nations only work in self-interest, the words should ideally be “based on shared interests”. But there are constituents and groups, especially in democracies, that put a great premium on “values” and expect that the leaders of their nations keep these at the forefront even when they are working towards national (self) interest, while working with other nations. If these nations do not share the value, like when democracies deal with dictators, these constituents are upset. So, realpolitik requires that the words be “values” instead of “interests”, even if it is a lie or a half-truth at best. The deal will be the same, irrespective of the words, but choosing specific words pacifies some sections of the society. So, why not use a lie to get the job done in the self-interest of a nation? After all, that is the purpose of a government, not the “promotion of values”. Has anyone ever seen the manifesto of any political party anywhere in the word state that they will work towards and allocate national resources to ensure that institutional democracy takes root successfully in a country not their own? I think not. If anyone knows otherwise, do let me know. This play of words is a case of “Issho Khemi” in statecraft.

Similarly, all of us do this in life and at work as well. How often do we vaguely agree with a client just to end a call, so that you can get back later with objections after further analysis? How often do we give a non-committal smile and a nod with close relatives when our minds are preoccupied, to get them to let us off at that moment? I would say often enough for us all to recall the last time we did it. Is this any different from the example of diplomacy, where sugar coated words that are not really meant are used to get on with real business? And is this any different from training forms only to do whatever is necessary, however one can? I would say they are the same. We are all getting on with our mundane lives, in the best way that we can. If this is something we can deduce starting with the Dashāvatāra, it adds to the notion that martial concepts are embedded in the cases studies that are the stores from Hindu tradition, apart from the life lessons that are expounded upon in many books.

Notes:

*Link to Deepavali article –

Deepavali – Light on the Martial Arts

***Link to the biography of Yamaoka Tesshu –

https://www.amazon.in/Sword-No-Sword-Master-Warrior-Tesshu-ebook/dp/B00GXE93CS?ref_=ast_author_dp

**The Dashāvatāra

Sl. No.	Avatāra	Objective	Activity
1	Matsya	Protect people from the flood	Survive The Flood – only a divine fish could get the ship of refugees to safety
2	Kurma	“Support” a joint enterprise (Samudra Manthana)	Support Mount Mandāra – only a divine being with attributes of an a powerful aquatic animal could support the mountain, hence Kurma, the tortoise
2a	Mohini	Protect the nectar from Asuras to protect the ecosystem	Deceive the Asuras – only an individual who was non-threatening and convincing could prevent the Aruras from starting a fight to steal the Amrita
3	Varāha	Protect the planet from the flood & people from an Asura	Eliminate Hiranyāksha – only a being that had attributes of a God, and an animal that could function in marshy areas and dig through the earth could kill him, hence Varāha (boar). I am going with the common assumption that since a boar digs through the earth, it can lift Boomi from the flood (of the cosmic ocean of milk)
4	Narasimha	Protect people from an Asura and establish peace	Eliminate Hiranykashipu – only a being that was neither man not animal could kill him (among other conditions), hence Narasimha (Man & Lion)
5	Vāmana	Protect the guardians of the ecosystem by negotiating a peace	Thwart Mahabali – only a being of divine intellect who was non-threatening could get Mahabali to negotiate and avoid violence, hence a small built brahmana, Vāmana
6	Parashurāma	Protect people from arrogant rulers, and establish the idea of  violence as punishment and protection	Eliminate the arrogant Kshatriyas – only a divine Brahmana with the attributes of a warrior could single-handedly defeat the Kshatriyas
7	Rāma	Establish a benchmark for administration, personal conduct and protect people from an Asura (a lifetime’s effort)	Eliminate Rāvana – only a mortal could kill him, hence Rāma
8?	Balarāma	Support Krishna	I am not sure
8 or 9	Krishna	Establish the idea of Dharma as the foundation of administration and personal conduct, supplanting reputation (and supplementing personal conduct) – another lifetime’s worth of effort	Eliminate Jarāsandha – only a duel would result in his being eliminated without a devastating war Eliminate Narakāsura – only an aerial attack would result in his being eliminated without a devastating war Defeat Kaurava army – only a divine being could possess the abilities to guide the Pāndavas to victory All of the above were possible through a divine being not worried about honour and inclined to the objective of Dharma.
9?	Buddha	Initiate the idea of a limitation of ritual, a limitation of connections, limitation of violence and an abundance of personal reflection – a look at aspects internal, which is an addition to a look at all external aspects from the previous avatāras	Minimize ritual and attachments – hence an individual who had it all and renounced the same – Siddartha Gautama, the Buddha
10	Kalki	Not sure, as this is in the future. Supposed to be to protect people from bad rulers and hordes  of bad people. More like a reminder of the avatārās before Buddha, for they might be forgotten in the time that has elapsed. The earlier incarnations are a perpetual activity, and they lead to conditions that allow reflections, which might lead to more Buddhas.	Yet to happen

Mohini (L), Kalki (R)
Credit for the images – “Dasha Avatar”, published by Amar Chitra Katha, Kindle edition

A few other cases where specific solutions were achieved through divine births and incarnations are mentioned below.

• Lord Ayyappa – He was the son of Shiva and Vishnu (in his form as Mohini), born to end the terror of Mahishi, the sister of Mashishāsura.
• Lord Karttikeya – He was the son of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati, who was born to end the terror of Tarakāsura.
• Devi Durga – She was a form of Devi Parvati (Shakti) who was created and armed specifically to defeat Mahishāsura
• Devi Kāli – She was a form of Devi Parvati (Shakti) who was created specifically to defeat Raktabeeja

The Goddesses mentioned above killed Asuras other the ones I have mentioned, as did Lord Karttikeya. I would highly recommend everyone to go and read the original stories. They are wonderful; not just entertaining, but also have a lot of symbolic value if one goes into the detail and serve as case studies as well.

Image credit: Original art by Vishnu Mohan (Goobe Art) , above rendition by Chirag Hasyagar (Goobe Art), art concept by Vikram M R

Today is Aayudha Pooja and tomorrow is Vijayadashami. Aayudha Pooja is celebrated on the ninth day (Navami) of the Dasara festival and Vijayadashami on the tenth (Dashami – it is built into the name) and last day of Dasara. Dasara is pronounced Dussehra by many. I use “Dasara” instead of “Dussehra”, thanks to my heritage in Karnataka. In some parts of our country the festival of Dasara has a lot of association with the Ramayana, while in others it is associated with Mahishasura Mardhini. Culturally of course, it is simply awesome; with festive fervour, great food and school holidays. If one is an adult and not in school, at least one of the two days are off, if not both. Many people go on leave on the day that is not off.

Aayudha Pooja is the day when tools and implements that either allow us to earn a livelihood or allow us to lead a comfortable life are shown the gratitude and the respect they are due. Vijayadashami is simultaneously a celebration of the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana in Lanka and of Devi Durga over Mahishasura.

The Goddess Durga had access to the weapons of all the other Gods and Devatas. She used all of these in the fight against the Asura Mahisha. The weapons include the Trishoola of Lord Shiva, Sudarshana Chakra of Lord Vishnu, the Vajra of Indra and a whole host of others. It was these weapons that aided in Durga defeating Mahishasura. Hence, the occasion when Durga’s victory is celebrated is used as an opportunity to offer prayers, gratitude and respect to the “weapons” that we use in our daily lives, which are the tools of our trade. These include our vehicles, laptops, pumps, electrical equipment, the practice weapons we use as martial artists and just about anything we think are important to us. The choice of the “Aayudha” selected for Pooja is a personal one.

Aayuda is generally used to denote “weapon”. But it also refers to tools as mentioned above, which we might not consider weapons. A “Shastra” or an “Astra” specifically denotes a weapon, where a “Shastra is a handheld weapon and an “Astra” is a weapon that is discharged. With that said, as martial artists, everything we use to train becomes an aayudha, like the training mats, punching bags, weights, practice weapons, protective apparel, the very space we train in (dojo/Kalari/akhada/gym) is something that is deserving of obeisance on the day of Aayudha Pooja.

None of this of course, is special or specific to practitioners of the martial arts. A look at any plant in the manufacturing sector or anyone in the transportation sector shows how important a festival Aayudha Pooja is. The shop floor and all machines are cleaned. The same goes for vehicles and mechanic shops as well. The cleaning might happen a day or two before the Pooja itself. Vehicles of course are decked up in the day of Aayudha Pooja.

Aayudha Pooja as a whole is a very grounded and simple act. Use the opportunity provided by the victory of Goddess Durga to appreciate and offer gratitude and respect to the inanimate objects that make our lives and livelihoods possible. If one is a martial artist, the analogy is exponentially greater, for the closeness to weaponry and their knowledge are that much greater, and the opportunity to explicitly remember/observe this fact is what the festival is all about.

Vijayadashami is an out and out celebration of victory, whether it is of Devi Durga over Mahishasura or of Lord Rama over Ravana. However, there are other aspects associated with this festival that make it all the more important. In Karnataka, a concept called “Seemollanghana” is associated with Vijayadashami. And this concept is the reason everyone is always encouraged to start something new or anything that is long pending/challenging on the day of Vijayadashami. “Seemollanghana” means “violate the border”. “Seema” is “border” or “boundary” and “Ullanghana” means to “vilolate”. This is all in a very positive sense, and just because the word “violate” is used, it is not anything negative.

From what little I know, historically, the campaign season (war campaign that is) started after the Dasara festival. It is the time when the monsoon season is tapering off. So, movement of troops becomes easier, and the winter is not far away. In southern India, at least in most parts of it, the winter is not harsh, and the weather is better for a military campaign. Summers are scorching hot, and the monsoons are muddy and wet, both of which are less conducive for supply chain management and fighting. So, the post monsoon season and the winter are better suited to military action. I am not aware if the same pattern was followed in northern India, as the weather patterns there are a little different. Either way, as part of the campaign season, geographical and political borders were crossed or violated. So, there is a literal “Seemollanghana” taking place, after the festival of Vijayadashami.

But the historical precedent is not what any of us is raised with, when the word “Seemollanghana” is used. It refers to something far more personal, not necessarily just symbolic, and definitely relates to us violating our own boundaries. We were encouraged to start something new on the day of Vijayadashami. Even if it is something we have stopped for quite a while, it would be a good time to restart the same. If there is something that we have been putting off, due to uncertainty, lack of confidence or just due to procrastination, starting that activity, even if in a small way, on the occasion of Vijayadashami is the thing to do. The general belief is that a start on this special day leads to a favourable outcome. Again, the celebration of a victory against all odds from tradition, along with historical precedent, gives an opportunity to start something new, just as Aayudha Pooja created an opportunity to give a respectful thought towards all the tools we use.

Starting something new is the same as breaking a boundary. One has to go past the jitters or second thoughts or plain old nerves. Each of these qualifies as a boundary and violating them leads to a start, which will hopefully lead to a good outcome in the future. This is why the violation of a boundary is a positive thing when considered with the festival of Vijayadashami⁺.

In my opinion, Vijayadashami is a constant reminder of “Shin Ken Gata”. “Shin Ken Gata” is a test some Bujinkan dojos have their students go through. This test happens at any of the kyu levels as the dojos decide. In my dojo, it was at the 6^th kyu (kyu are levels before one achieves a black belt, and dan are levels after achieving the same). Shin Ken Gata in Japanese means, “form where your spirit/will is the only weapon”. This test involves performing various set techniques multiple times against multiple opponents. In all, this comes to about 15 minutes of moving, fighting and staying alive and pushing oneself, with no breaks, while incessant attacks come from multiple opponents who are all around the one taking the test. It is incredibly tiring and scary. Shin Ken Gata leaves an exhilarating feeling of having survived, after the test is done.

One great learning from the test is that, when one has to keep going continuously against multiple opponents, even if they attack one at a time, the chances of survival are zero, if it was a real situation. One realizes that one keeps going despite this becoming clear, hoping one comes out alive at the end of it. This is the will or spirit of the person driving her or him. This is why the spirit or the will to live is the only weapon; hence the name Shin Ken Gata.

When one takes the Shin Ken Gata test, one has to go past the fatigue, self-doubt, giddiness, exhilaration, rage, fear of the opponents, fear of failure and a whole host of limiting factors. Each of these is a boundary violated as the test progresses. And this is reason why “Shin Ken Gata” is a wonderful exhibition of “Seemollanghana” in real life.

I will make a pop culture reference here. I stated earlier that Shin Ken Gata makes one realize that in a real fight there is a good chance that one might not survive. Yet one strives to achieve that goal no matter what, until the very end. This is very close to the “Kobayashi Maru” test in the Star Trek franchise. The Kobayashi Maru is a test that cadets in the Star Fleet Academy have to go through. It is a test which has no success or passing. It is designed such that one will always fail. It is meant to teach cadets that despite the realization that there is no success or victory and the certainty of defeat, even death, one has to keep going and do one’s best as a leader and to save as many crew mates as possible. This objective and its realization make the Kobayashi Maru test almost identical to the experience of the Shin Ken Gata; only one of these if real though. 😊

The Shin Ken Gata test reveals two other concepts. One is Ganbatte and the other is Gaman; both are Japanese words. Ganbatte is used to mean “keep going”, “keep fighting”, “good luck”, “all the best” or “do your best”. It is used to cheer someone on in any activity of theirs. I have also heard the term “Ganbatte Kudasai”. My friend Santosh*, who knows Japanese, tells me that this is used while addressing someone senior (Senpai). So, it is a slightly more formal usage of the word. It is used to mean, “keep your spirits up”, again a form of cheering someone on.

Gaman, as I have heard it, means, “take the pain” or “endure the pain”. Santosh tell me this is used to mean “endure your suffering with patience”. Also, “gaman” is supposedly used more as a term with spiritual significance.

So, the two words signify endurance, or forging ahead however one can in the face of adversities, irrespective of whether they are internal or external. This, in my understanding, is very close to the third of the five gojo¹, “Shizen no niniku”, which is “forbearance of nature”. It suggests that one should forbear troubles like nature itself does, with no complaints. This in turn leads into the term “Ninjutsu” itself, where “nin” refers to perseverance (jutsu being “art of” leads to Ninjutsu to being the “art of perseverance” or “art of persevering”)**.

Back when I was a beginner, I was advised by my teacher to consider injuries as an opportunity to learn and hence try to attend classes while nursing or recovering from injuries, irrespective of whether they were sustained while training in the dojo or outside, while going about one’s daily life. This was because, being conscious of an injury forces the body to adapt; to protect the injured part of the body and to stay safe, to avoid further aggravation of the injury or the possibility of a new one. This also inspires the body to move more efficiently, which has many revelations that can hopefully be used when one returns to normalcy. This entire exercise is nothing but violating the boundaries set by worry, fear and pain, either due to our own preconceptions or those we have imbibed from others around us.

Enduring hardships and hindrances is nothing but breaking boundaries of concern and fear and moving ahead, both of which dissuade one from doing or starting something one either needs or wishes to. In this sense, the festival of Vijayadashami addresses the very heart of what the Bujinkan represents, to keep going, enduring and achieving flow in the face of adversity. This makes Vijayadashami perhaps the most important festival for practitioners of the martial arts, as it is a reminder of all things this art stands for.

Thus, Aayudha Pooja is a reminder to be grateful to our surroundings (dojo, implements) and Vijayadashami is a reminder to respect our own selves, by going past limitations and constantly expanding our abilities.

Notes:

*I would like to thank my buyu (martial sibling) and friend, Shihan Santosh Nagasamy, for sharing his knowledge of the Japanese language with me.

**My teacher and mentors used to change the forms we used often. My teacher said that this is to enable neuroplasticity. I am no expert on this topic and hence am adding this point in the notes. When one trains the same forms multiple times, changing it and exploring it differently after a duration of time leads to new learning and fine-tuning of the same forms, with each iteration of training the same. Also, moving differently in response to the same initial attack also leads to different outcomes and the form being practiced leads to interesting revelations. This continuous change helps overcome any reliance on form and technique, while also mitigating a worry of what could happen against an unfamiliar attack or in a real situation. In other words, it helps one accept that in the real world, one needs to adapt to what is faced and not believe in the techniques as a textbook. It is fine to rely on the basics and concepts, but not to trust the forms as a religion.

⁺The story of Durga defeating Mahishasura itself is seen in a symbolic manner by some. Mahishasura is seen as an embodiment of animalistic tendencies (Mahisha means buffalo) in humans, like ignorance, a focus on desire and the like. So, these are boundaries that are holding back the progress of individuals as humans. And the breaking of the barriers present due to these tendencies is seen as the victory of Durga (the divine mother) over Mahishasura.

¹https://mundanebudo.com/2023/03/16/the-gojo-a-personal-understanding/