krishna

Krishna, Maya, Deception – Part 2

Vikram M R, , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This article is the second part of a series of 2 where I delve into the use of “deception in the martial arts” and in conflict management in general, as can be gleaned from the life of Lord Krishna. Link to the first part is seen below. I would recommend reading the 2 parts in the chronological order, though this part can be read as a standalone post.

Krishna, Maya, Deception – Part 1

In part 1, I had considered in limited detail, the situations where Lord Krishna had deployed deception to manage several conflicts, both with and without the use of Maya (magic and illusions). We had looked at situations where deception and Maya as used by Lord Krishna had failed to achieve the desired outcomes and also cases where deception was used against Lord Krishna with some success. We had also looked at cases where Krishna’s use of deception had succeeded.

One of the situations which we looked at where deception was the key to Lord Krishna’s success was the 18th invasion of Mathura by Jarasandha, the emperor of Magadha. This invasion was accompanied by a simultaneous invasion of Mathura by Kāla Yavana. We will continue further in this article from this invasion.

The twin invasions of Kāla Yavana and Jarasandha also led to another act of deception. While the Yavana was defeated and his army destroyed, Jarasandha was still on the war path. The forces of Mathura were exhausted and could not face a second attack. Even Balarama did not want to fight another army right away.

Lords Krishna and Balarama defeat the Yavana army but are exhausted to face the army of Jarasandha immediately after. Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

This would be a situation similar to what Harold Godwinson would have faced during the twin invasions of England in late 1066. His army could overcome the Norwegian forces of Harald Hadrada but were defeated by the Norman forces of William of Normandy. Harold had to contend with the two invasions over the course of a few weeks and could not succeed.

Jarasandha chases Krishna and Balarama as they retreat to Mount Pravarshana and sets fire to the mountain to kill them. Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

In a similar situation, the brothers Krishna and Balarama again chose escape. They retreated in the face of Jarasandha’s army, which pursued them up the mountain called Pravarshana. Assuming the brothers trapped, the army set fire to parts of the mountain. Krishna and Balarama managed a surreptitious escape, but Jarasandha believed them dead. Much later, when Jarasandha learnt that the Yadava brothers had escaped to Dwaraka, he was content with having chased them out of Mathura.

Jarasandha believes Krishna and Balarama are finished, but is satisfied at chasing them out of Mathura when he learns of his failed attempt. Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

This bought Lord Krishna to take out Jarasandha’s vassals one by one and build alliances of his own to eventually slay Jarasandha. One of Jarasandha’s allies was the ruler of Pundra (in modern day Bangladesh) whose name was Vāsudeva. Krishna was also called Vāsudeva as his father was Vasudeva. The king or Pundra is referred to as Paundraka Vāsudeva as he was the king of Pundra. Thus, Krishna and Paundraka shared a common name.

A courtier of Paundraka’s suggests that his king should proclaim himself the true incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Image credit – “Krishna and the False Vaasudeva” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

In a bizarre case of early psychological or intelligence warfare some courtiers of Paundraka convinced him to claim that he was the real Krishna! Paundraka started flaunting a peacock feather and a flute to support his claims! Some in his kingdom started believing this fiction and started worshipping Paundraka! This came to a head when Paundraka sent a messenger to Krishna asking him to handover the Sudarshana Chakra and Garuda, the divine being who was Krishna’s vāhana!

Paundraka believes himself to be the real Vaasudeva and dresses to imitate Krishna. Image credit – “Krishna and the False Vaasudeva” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna, who was in Dwaraka, acceded to the request! He agreed to come alone on Garuda and hand over the Sudarshana Chakra. The courtiers and the King of Kashi, a friend of Paundraka and another vassal of Jarasandha knew that the situation was fraught for Paundraka. But their king had started believing his own lies and waited with his own army and that of the King of Kashi.

Krishna surprised (read deceived) them all by flying in on Garuda. This gave him an aerial advantage while neither of the 2 armies awaiting him on the ground had this advantage. Using this advantage, Krishna killed Paundraka with the Sudarshna Chakra and killed a large number of enemy troops. Krishna even made Paundraka drop his guard by saying he was handing over the Chakra while in reality it was discharged to kill! Paundraka foolishly hoped to catch the Chakra while it went on to behead him!

Pundraka is slain in battle by Krishna. Image credit – “Krishna and the False Vaasudeva” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Here, Lord Krishna used deception by agreeing to submit. This was Menkyo Kaiden. He chose to receive the attack by coming alone. This was Uke Nagashi. In this case though, he did not wait for the attack, he attacked first. He chose to be Uke (attacker) rather than Tori (defender). Krishna also chose an aerial assault over a confrontation on the ground. On the ground, he would be overwhelmed with opposition numbers. This meant that he would have to bring the army along from Dwaraka. The distance between Dwaraka and Pundra, or even Kashi was large and bringing an army meant immense wasted logistics. So, he came alone. This is doing what is best in a situation. This is Issho Khemi. All of these are concepts I delved into in the previous part of this article.

The aerial aspect, where Krishna fought from the sky, brings into focus another important aspect of the martial arts. There is a concept that is regularly referred to in the Bujinkan system of martial arts called “Juppo Sessho”. This refers to fighting in 3 dimensions. While training in the dojo, there are mats on the floor and the ground is flat, most of the times. This might make practitioners lose sight of the variations in height that affect a physical conflict.

“Juppo Sessho” seeks to remedy this misconception. In reality a fight might be on a slope, on uneven ground, on a staircase, or with opponents of vastly different heights (image someone who is 5’6’ training with someone who is 6’7”). One needs to adapt their movements, postures and weapons and the forms used, depending on the terrain and variations in altitude.

This deficiency is exactly what Lord Krishna used while destroying Paundraka. He used a massive height advantage against an opponent who had no conception of what this advantage meant! Add to this the sheer stupidity of a leader and the benefit of deception, Krishna was a giant facing ants, literally!

Lord Krishna uses the advantage of an aerial attack to defeat the armies of Pundra and Kashi. Image credit – “Krishna and the False Vaasudeva” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

The advantage of height is starkly visible in modern warfare where aircraft, long range missile and drone swarms have altered the battlefields of the coming decades. The advantage of height is also very well known to every Indian even without having to consider the air force. Indian troops took the heights of Kargil back from Pakistani forces who held the heights. They had to deploy heavy artillery and fighter aircraft to nullify the height advantage.

In 2020, Indian troops carried out Operation Snow leopard during the face off against Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh, in the aftermath of the clash at Galwan where soldiers from both sides lost their lives. Indian troops captured the heights around the Chinese positions in a rapid night operation. This forced talks and eventually calm was restored slowly, over the course of a few years. But the taking of the heights and the surprise move to attempt this was the start of the thaw between the 2 sides.

Lord Krishna used the aerial attack again when he attacked Narakāsura. This was very similar to a modern-day aerial night assault against an enemy stronghold. Krishna, with his wife Satyabhama attacked Narakāsura’s sleeping garrison. Narakāasura was also sleeping. A lot of challenges were overcome by Krishna in this attack. But the mission was a success.

Garuda fights Naraka’s army from the air. Image credit – “Krishna and Narakasura” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

 The surprise attack killed Naraka. The distance between Dwaraka and Pragjyothispura (likely modern-day Assam) was great, and this also prevented the costly and time-consuming logistics of marching an army across the lands of multiple enemies! I have explored this attack in greater detail in a separate article, the link to which is seen below.

Deepavali – Light on the Martial Arts

In the events following the defeat of Paundraka Vāsudeva, Krishna also killed both the King of Kashi and his successor Sudakshina. This eliminated two powerful allies of Jarasandha. Two other powerful allies of Jarasandha were Shishupāla, the ruler of Chedi and Salva, the King of Saubha. One other potential ally of Jarasandha was Vidarbha. Events that occurred in Vidarbha post the Yadava migration to Dwaraka precipitated the slaying of Paundraka and the king of Kashi.

Vidarbha was neutral. But the crown prince of Vidarbha, Rukmi wanted to ally with Jarasandha. So, he wanted his sister Rukmini to marry Shishupāla, who was also an ally of Jarasandha’s. Fortunately for the Yadavas at Dwaraka, Rukmini was in love with Lord Krishna who reciprocated her feelings. The king of Vidarbha, Bhishmaka was not certain about an alliance with Jarasandha and was quite happy to see his daughter wed Krishna. This created an opportunity for Lord Krishna to once again demonstrate his consummate use of deception.

Rukmini plans her own abduction in a letter to Krishna. Image credit – “Krishna and Rukmini” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Rukmi could convince his father to get Rukmini married to Shishupala. Jarasandha and his allied kings arrived in Vidarbha with their armies as guests, and to prevent any machinations by Krishna. Krishna & Balarama too arrived in Vidarbha with some troops as guests at the wedding. But Krishna abducted Rukmini and escaped to Dwaraka where they were married. Balarama and his troops fought a rearguard action to help Krishna escape.

Krishna arrives in peace to attend Rukmini’s wedding. Image credit – “Krishna and Rukmini” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Of course, the entire abduction was enabled by the actions of Rukmini herself with the tacit support of her father Bhismaka. Rukmini revealed her location and activities that enabled Krishna plan the abduction. Bhishmaka also shared information that helped the Yadava brothers plan their actions. It was more an abduction enacted by Rukmini than anyone else. But Krishna did use his status as a guest at a wedding to achieve his goal. He did deceive the bridegroom and all the other guests!

Bhishmaka helps with the abduction of Rukmini. Image credit – “Krishna and Rukmini” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

This deception is what got Paundraka to attempt usurping Krishna’s divine reputation. He was so depressed with the continued success of the Yadavas in general and Krishna in particular, that his courtiers sold him the lie of his own fake divinity. This in turn led to the events I described earlier in this article.

Krishna abducts Rukmini. Image credit – “Krishna and Rukmini” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna used the status of being a guest to eliminate the last of the allies of Jarasandha. Of course, this happened after Jarasandha himself had been slain by the Pandava Bheema. Yudishtira was performing the Rajasooya Yajna. This was to achieve the title of Chakravarthy for himself. Both Krishna & Shishupala were guests at the final event of the Yajna.

Krishna was selected as the person to receive the first honours among all the assembled kings, lords, elders and sages. Shishupala was infuriated at this choice and insulted Krishna a whole lot. Krishna forgave 100 insults according to a promise he had made to Shishupala’s mother. When this limit was crossed, he beheaded Shishupala with the Sudarshana Chakra.

Shishipala insults Krishna at Yudishtira’s Rajasooya Yajna. Image credit – “Krishna – An ally of the Pandavas” (Kindle version) published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna killed an unarmed Shishupala in a pious assembly and not on a battlefield. Observe this; Krishna was a master in the use of the chakra (discus). This is a small weapon that is easily concealed, unlike swords, maces and other sidearms. Of course, Krishna is supposed to have been able to summon the Sudarshana Chakra at will without having to carry it around. But even if this magical aspect is ignored, the discus would be a weapon of choice in this situation due to its size and concealability.

Shishupala challenges Krishna. Image credit – “Krishna – An ally of the Pandavas” (Kindle version) published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Also, Krishna did choose to accept the challenge to a duel that Shishupala threw at him in the assembly. He simply shocked Shishupala and the others in the assembly with his quick action. This was the use of surprise and deception at its best!

Shishupala is beheaded by Krishna. Image credit – “Mahabharata 17 – Yudishtira’s Rajasooya Yajna” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

In the Bujinkan, we study a concept called “Kakushi Buki”. This translates as “hidden weapons”. In my personal opinion, the discus, given its properties and dimensions, was a hidden weapon that Krishna deployed to sort out the problem of Shishupala, when he least expected it! He had thus eliminated the last of Jarasandha’s allies. The death of Shishupala resulted in the battle against Salva, the King of Saubha, which was described in part 1 of this set of 2 articles.

In the events that led to the slaying of Shishupala, it must be noted that Shishupala was doing a lot of talking, as were a lot of others in the assembly, including Lord Krishna. But Krishna was the only one who deployed a weapon. An exact reverse of this happened earlier in Krishna’s life, when he used just words to pervert others from using their weapons. We will look at this next.

The reasons Krishna was revered by the Pandavas were manifold. One of these reasons would be his contribution to their defeat of Jarasandha. The other would be that the Yadavas and Pandavas had a matrimonial alliance (apart from Krishna being a cousin of Kunti’s (the mother of the Pandavas)). Arjuna had married Subhadra, Krishna’s sister. This occurred before the Jarasandha was killed.

Arjuna was on exile from Indraprashta and on a pilgrimage across the lands of Bharata. His last stop was Dwaraka, where he fell in love with Subadhra, the sister of Lords Krishna and Balarama. The feeling was reciprocated by Subadhra. It is said in some stories that Balarama wanted Subadhra to marry Duryodhana. To prevent this, Krishna suggested to Arjuna that he should abduct Subadhra.

Rishi Vaishampaya narrating to King Janamejaya how Krishna instructed Arjuna to abduct Subadhra. Image credit – “Mahabharata – 14, Arjuna’s 12 year exile”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

After Arjuna abducted Subadhra, the Yadavas, including Balarama were on the warpath. They wanted to defeat and punish Arjuna. But Krishna talked them out of it in an assembly meant to plan the offensive against Arjuna. In this assembly, while the Yadavas were arming themselves, Krishna used his words to prevent any war-like situation.

Arjuna abducts Subadhra. Image credit – “Mahabharata – 14, Arjuna’s 12 year exile”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

He compared Arjuna’s actions to those of his own vis-a-vis Rukmini. He also convinced the assembly that this was the best alliance possible. Of course, this alliance set the pieces needed for Krishna to destroy Jarasandha for good. Here again Krishna was using surprise to his advantage. In an assembly meant to plan a war, he shocked everyone by saying they were in the wrong and got his way. 😊

Yadavas on the warpath. Image credit – “Mahabharata – 14, Arjuna’s 12 year exile”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

This event with Subadhra and Arjuna is an exact reverse of the events that led to Shisupala’s death. Here Krishna used words to get the Yadavas to drop their arms, while at the Rajasooya Yajna, Shishupala and everyone else was doing the talking while Krishna used arms! Krishna’s use of words to win over a situation leads to some interesting observations, which we will look at a little later in this post.

Krishna calms the Yadavas. Image credit – “Mahabharata – 14, Arjuna’s 12 year exile”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Similarly, Arjuna’s abduction of Subadhra is an application of deceptive means against the people of Dwaraka. Arjuna was a guest at Dwaraka and he deceived his hosts, with the help of the same people of course (namely Subadhra and Krishna). This is the same means used by Krishna against the people of Vidarbha, where he was a guest and abducted Rukmini as described earlier in this article. Krishna was thus party to deceiving his own people as he initiated the entire abduction of Subadhra!

The Yadava assembly which Krishna calmed was essentially a debate on the next course of action. Krishna’s contrarian view was a shock that won the day. I had mentioned in the first part of this series that I consider surprising an opponent to be the same as deceiving one, for in both cases, the opponent is put on the back foot.

Debates in ancient India all the way till at least the 16th century carried real consequences. The outcome of debates caused social and religious changes in society. It is said that Ramanujachārya’s victory in a debate led to a large number of the populace of the Hoysala kingdom to convert from Jaininsm to Hinduism (Vaishnavism specifically) in the 12th century CE.

Even if not all debates had such consequences, the reputational gain or loss for a court was considerable, as were the economic rewards for those involved in the debates. The story of how Tenali Rama won a debate for the court of Krishnadevaraya, the king of the Vijayanagara kingdom in the 16th century, is well known to a lot of us.

I had written an entire article dedicated to the use of deception in debates a couple of years ago. I am sharing a link below to that article. This use of deception in a debate is applicable to this day when we have meetings at work and in the corporate world, where the choice of words and the spin of narratives drive the movement of money and business outcomes. The same is true in the political arena, as we live in a world where narratives on legacy and social media move the fate of nations (read civilizations) and societies.

Deception, Debates, Martial Arts & Courtly challenges – Tilakāshta Mahisha Bandhana

Krishna’s actions in ensuring a matrimonial alliance with the Pandavas gave him access to the most potent weapon against Jarasandha, Bheema, the second Pandava known for his physical prowess. Bheema was one of the few in that era who could take on Jarasandha in single combat. This set in motion the events that led to Jarasandha’s downfall at long last.

As mentioned earlier, Yudishtira, to perform the Rajasooya Yajna, needed to defeat Jarasandha. But leading an army against Jarasandha was almost impossible, even with the defeat of allies like Paundraka and the rulers of Kashi. So, Krishna again resorted to an act of deception. He travelled to Girivraja, the capital of Magadha with only Arjuna and Bheema as companions. They travelled disguised as brahmanas.

Krishna, Bhima and Arjuna disguised as brahmanas as they enter Jarasandha’s capital unmolested. Image credit – “Mahabharata – 16, The Pandavas conquer the World”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

The brahmana disguise gave them an audience with the emperor Jarasandha who agreed to grant them their wish. He did this despite doubting the authenticity of the visitors being brahmanas. The confidence of Jarasandha in his own abilities and that of his forces was absolute, he had no concern for his safety and never even considered the possibility of defeat.

Jarasandha welcomes the 3 disguised heroes. Image credit – “Mahabharata – 16, The Pandavas conquer the World”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna asked Jarasandha to take on one of the 3 in single combat. Jarasandha, in his supreme confidence, or perhaps arrogance, chose Bheema, the toughest opponent, even though Arjuna and Krishna were no pushovers in the art of the duel. The duel between Bheema and Jarasandha lasted days! I read in one version that it lasted 28 days and in another that it lasted 15. Either way, Bheema killed Jarasandha in the end.

Jarasandha chooses Bheema as his opponent. Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna had used disguises to stop anyone preventing their access to Jarasandha. He had then used his knowledge of Jarasandha’s hubris to ensure that he would face off against Bheema, the one person who could defeat him. This also prevented Jarasandha’s powerful armies from getting involved and protecting the emperor.

Bheema kills Jarasandha. Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

There are quite a few parts of the stories relating to Lord Krishna where Maya or magic is involved, situations where he can achieve things due to his divine nature. This includes the use of the divine Sudarshana Chakra and the presence of Garuda, the divine bird-like entity. But some of the actions carried out by him are simply those of an extremely capable human. These actions point to someone who is always mindful of a situation, aware of all necessary information and is a keen observer of human nature. He was also someone who believed in action and improvisation, not analysis paralysis.

Let us consider these aspects without the need for magic or anything beyond human.

  • When Krishna & Balarama used Mount Pravarshana to avoid fighting Jarasandha and ended up making him believe they were dead, it was knowledge of the terrain, not Maya at play.
  • When Krishna agreed to surrender the Garuda and Sudarshana Chakra to Paundraka, it was awareness of the character of Paundraka, not magic.
  • When Krishna abducted Rukmini, it was an awareness of the political machinations at play and mindfulness of the true desire of Rukmini. There was no magic.
  • When Krishna convinced and aided Arjuna to abduct Subadhra, it was again an awareness of his sister’s choice and the political need of the Yadavas; there was no magic involved.
  • When Jarasandha chose Bheema as his opponent, Krishna was working on his awareness of the emperor’s hubris, not working any illusions.

This awareness of the situation and objectives coupled with a high level of information of the terrain and people’s motivations drove a lot of Krishna’s successes and are some of the reasons we consider him a God, an avatāra of Lord Vishnu.

If we consider just mundane physical fights, a similarity is seen in some of the tactics used by Lord Krishna and in the duels of Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi is one of the most famous historical swordsmen, who lived in 17th century Japan.

Consider Musashi’s most famous duel, against Sasaki Kojiro. Musashi is supposed to have arrived very late to the designated ground for the duel. This agitated Kojiro and made him angry, perhaps causing him to be reckless. Also, Musashi is supposed to have used a very long bokken as the weapon against Kojiro.

A bokken is a wooden sword commonly used for practice. The bokken Musashi used was very long and carved out of a boat oar. Musashi knew that Kojiro fought with a blade that was considerably longer than the usual swords used by most swordsmen of that time. To overcome the reach advantage of Kojiro’s tachi (sword), Musashi used the long bokken.

Musashi won the duel and later in life, went on to become a famous martial philosopher apart from a great warrior. Now consider the event where Lord Krishna slew Shishupala. Krishna let Shishupala stew in his rage and let him insult him amply. When the number of insults reached 100, the promise he had made to Shishupala’s mother was fulfilled. He then killed Shishupala with a discus. Here, Krishna let Shishupala become agitated and reckless, exceeding the number allowed and used a weapon against which his opponent had no defence! This is much like a long bokken which can overcome the reach of the opponent’s tachi.

Krishna’s promise to Shsishupala’a mother. Image credit – “Krishna and Shishupala” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Now consider another fight of Musashi’s, his fight against the students of the Yoshioka Ryu (Yoshioka school of swordsmanship). I am not sure if the fight I am referring to is historical or quasi-historical, but it definitely is informative. Musashi is supposed to have fought single-handedly fought against some students of the Yoshioka Ryu after he had defeated 2 of their senior teachers.

Since he was outnumbered Musashi arrived at the designated location of the fight early and waited for his opponents to arrive. Once they arrived, he attacked without any formal commencement of the fight. He caught them by surprise and gained the upper hand initially. He eventually won this fight as he used the terrain to launch repeated surprise attacks.

This fight of Musashi’s is similar to Krishna’s attack on the combined armies of Paundraka and Kashi. He had brought them to the place where he wanted to fight. He used the terrain to his advantage by taking the aerial route! He then went on to attack and destroy his enemies without any opening lines of discussion and with zero fanfare.

Krishna has the armies of Pundra and Kashi exactly where he wants them. Image credit – “Krishna and the False Vaasudeva” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

As I conclude, I must address 2 points with respect to Krishna’s successes in various conflicts. The first is LUCK and the second is a TEAM TO BACK HIM UP. Let me begin with the role played by luck.

  • The presence of Muchukunda near the battlefield where the forces of Mathura fought the army of Kāla Yavana was sheer luck.
  • That Rukmini was in love with Krishna and Subadhra with Arjuna was sheer chance having a positive impact on events.
  • The combined armies of Paundraka and Kashi having no counter to an aerial attack was luck. This was not the case when Salva of Saubha attacked Dwaraka. He had an aerial component in his attack.
  • Paundraka being narcissistic and perhaps dim-witted was happenstance.

Paundraka is narcissistic. Image credit – “Krishna and the False Vaasudeva” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

If any of these was not the case, events could have transpired very differently, or perhaps Lord Krishna would have found a different solution to the same conflicts. There is no way to tell as these are counterfactuals. But the role played by “Luck” is unquestionable. It could be a case of “fortune favouring the brave”. No one could ever accuse Lord Krishna of not always trying to resolve every conflict (this is bravery in the face of adversity).

I had written a couple of articles some time ago addressing the role of luck in conflict management, which has always been recognized by humankind. I am sharing links to these articles below.

Brain over Brawn – Deception laced with Luck
Effort, luck, effectiveness, morality – some thoughts. Also, why do you train?

Krishna had a team or at least one extremely capable individual backing him in many of the situations when he was managing conflicts. Consider the following events.

Balrama slows the angry Yadavas. Image credit – “Mahabharata – 14, Arjuna’s 12 year exile”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

  • When Krishna led Kāla Yavana away from the battlefield, he had Balarama leading the troops of Mathura against the enemy forces.
  • When Krishna abducted Rukmini, Balarama fought a rearguard action to help Krishna escape to Dwaraka.
  • When Arjuna abducted Subadhra, Balarama slowed the Yadavas who wanted to attack Arjuna until Krishna could convince them of their folly.
  • When Salva attacked Dwaraka, Krishna & Balarama were away from the city. Pradyumna, Krishna’s son held off the attacks until the brothers got back.
  • Bheema and Arjuna were both more than ready to follow Krishna to Girivraja to execute his plans against Jarasandha.

Pradyumna fights Salva. Image credit – “Krishna and Shishupala” published by Amar Chitra Katha.

As can be seen above, his elder brother Balarama always had Krishna’s back. This allowed him to carry out some of the incredible actions he executed. I had written a post a few weeks ago about the martial abilities of Lord Balarama. I am sharing the link to the same below.

Balarama Jayanti – The Plough as a Weapon

But Krishna did not always have a backup. When he was on his peace mission to Hastinapura to prevent the coming war, he had no one to rely on. Similarly, when he convinced Arjuna to pick up arms, there was no option to let someone else do the heavy lifting, he had to rely on only himself. The same was also true in the slaying of Jayadratha. If Krishna had failed in his deception, there was no Plan B, Itihāsa could have been very different.

This concludes my observations regarding Lord Krishna’s use of deception as a martial strategy, either with or without the use of Maya (magic and illusions). These are aspects we see to this day in warfare and in conflict management in life as a whole.

Krishna, Maya, Deception – Part 1

Vikram M R, , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Sep 4th, 2026, is Krishna Janmāshtami, when we celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna’s life is full of stories which serve as case studies to learn from. Literally every aspect of his character has been written about by several people. This post will also stick to the concepts and learnings that can be gleaned from the life of Lord Krishna. I will as usual stick to the martial aspects and the learning from them that I see in the stories associated with Lord Krishna.

Even if one is to consider just the martial aspects in the several conflicts that Krishna managed over the course of his life, this article would be too long. So, I will stick to one specific attribute related to the martial arts in this article and delve into the examples of its application through stories of Lord Krishna. This attribute I am focusing on is “Deception in martial arts”, which can be read as “Deception in Conflict Management”. Even with this limited focus, this exploration will be split over 2 parts.

Lord Krishna used deception, sometimes with illusions (Maya) to get an upper hand over opponents in war and negotiations. This happened multiple times over the course of his life. Deception was used against him as well. There were times when his use of deception failed and occasions when he was deceived by the illusory means deployed by others as well.

I will list the few occasions when any of the above situations occurred, with a few observations of my own. I will attempt to layer my knowledge of deception in the Bujinkan system of martial arts to identify how the concepts in the stories related to Lord Krishna could be real world tactics, without the magic part of the Maya.

I consider “surprising the opponent” to be the same as “deceiving the opponent” when I consider examples where I believe deception was deployed against opponents.

Lord Krishna in perhaps his most iconic role as Arjuna’s charioteer during the Kurukshetra War. Image credit – “Mahabharata 30 – The War Begins”, published by Amar Chitra Katha (this is the cover image).

In the Bujinkan system of martial arts, Soke Hatsumi Masaaki used to share yearly themes that used to inform the training for a given year. This practice lasted from 1992 (some say 1988) through 2019. The theme of the year for 2007 was “Menkyo Kaiden”. “Menkyo Kaiden” has 2 meanings as far as I know.

The first is the license that a Grandmaster hands out to one of his senior students. This license grants the student the license to teach and build upon the teachings of her or his teacher. The teachings that can be built upon are usually specified, like a specific weapon or a defined form of fighting and need not encompass all that a given teacher has taught.

The other meaning is the one that Hatsumi Sensei used as the theme of the year. This one referred to “transmitting falsehoods into the mind of the opponent”. This essentially meant causing confusion in the opponent however one can, in simpler terms, “deceive the opponent”. The difference in the 2 meanings of “Menkyo Kaiden” was brought about by the use of different Kanji when Sensei Hatsumi wrote the characters.

Another term that means something similar is “Kyojitsu Tenkan Ho”. This translates to “transmitting truth and falsehoods alternatively to an opponent”. The “kyojitsu” refers to alternating truth & falsehoods. “Tenkan” is a revolving door and “ho” is way or path. So, this could mean that the opponent is made to receive truth & falsehoods regarding one’s intention and movement through a revolving door, such that he or she has no idea which is the truth and which the fakery. This in essence also leads to confusion in the opponent and gives one an advantage. This is also for all practical purposes, a deception during a fight.

An example of this in a one-on-one fight could be landing a punch a little short of the impact or making a cut with a sword in the air without making contact. The opponent is drawn to block the punch or the cut. The block to the punch, gives the one who threw the “fake punch” an opportunity to take the forearm into a lock or to take the balance of the opponent. Similarly, if a “fake cut” is parried, the action reveals one or more openings in the opponent that can be exploited.

In the real world, deceiving opponents was a continuous attempt throughout the ages. A few examples of this could be the following.

  • Many Turkic armies used the feigned retreat to draw their opponents out to more favourable ground or to surround them or to thin out their lines.
  • Peshwa Baji Rao 1st convinced the Nizam of Hyderabad that he had a numerical advantage during the Battle of Palkhed in 1728, with fast cavalry movements while the truth was the opposite. The Nizam agreed to terms with very little fighting!
  • The Allied forces during WW2 created a phantom Third Army to convince German forces that the attack would occur on Pas de Calais while the real attack came on Normandy.

A lot of these actions have precedents in the stories relating to Lord Krishna. Let me share a few. First let us consider the cases where deception was used against Lord Krishna.

Salva, King of Saubha, uses deception against Krishna. Image credit – “Krishna and Shishupala”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Salva, the king of Saubha was an ally of Jarasandha and an enemy of the Yadavas (and consequently their city of Dwaraka). He acquired a flying chariot to counter Krishna’s ability to use Garuda to carry out aerial attacks. But this was not the deception. When Krishna and Salva were fighting, Salva, using Maya, created an illusion of having taken Vasudeva, Krishna’s father, hostage. The trick worked and gave Krishna pause. While Krishna eventually defeated and killed Salva, the illusory deception he used gave Salva a temporary advantage.

Krishna realizes that Maya has been deployed against him. Image credit – “Krishna and Shishupala”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

During the Kurukshetra War, the Samshaptakas of Trigarta challenged Arjuna to battle repeatedly. Arjuna had to accept and Krishna, being Arjuna’s charioteer had to go along. This distraction took Krishna & Arjuna away from the Chakrayuha, which resulted in the death of his son Abhimanyu.

The Samshaptakas distract Arjuna and Krishna from the Chakravyuha. Image credit – “Mahabharata 34 – The Slaying of Abhimanyu”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Now consider a case where Krishna used Maya but failed to achieve his objective.

Before the Kurukshetra War, Lord Krishna visited Hastinapura in a peace mission. His objective was to avert the war by convincing Duryodhana to hand over at least 5 villages to the Pandavas, if not Indraprastha itself. During the negotiation, in an act of bad faith, Duryodhana attempted to imprison Krishna. The foolhardy act resulted in Lord Krishna revealing his divine Vishwaroopa in the court at Hastinapura.

Krishna reveals his Vishwaroopa. Image credit – “Mahabharata 29 – Krishna’s Peace Mission”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

This form showed that Krishna was Lord Vishnu himself and the master of all creation. The converse of this revelation was a clear message – GOING AGAINST LORD KRISHNA IS FOOLHARDY IN THE EXTREME! But the message was lost on Duryodhana himself, while the elders of the Kuru court got the message and tried to convince the crown prince.

The revelation of the Vishwaroopa can be considered Maya, as it was not information mortals could otherwise visualize. It could also be considered a surprise move in a negotiation, where Krishna scared the other side to come to terms. It could also be considered a psychological weapon being deployed against an opponent to get an opening in the talks. The attempted imprisonment could have been a ruse to deploy the Vishwaroopa as a weapon.

But the Vishwaroopa failed in its objective. Peace was not achieved as Duryodhana chose war, convinced that he would win. Thus, it can be said that Krishna’s use of deception and Maya failed in this instance. But there is another aspect of learning from this part of the Mahabharata, which comes from the Bujinkan.

The theme of the year for the year 2008 in the Bujinkan was “Kuki Taishou” (sometimes spelled “Kuki Taisho” or “Kuki Taishō”). I remember this phrase being translated as “The smile of the Ninth Demon”. I am going to reproduce the description of “Kuki Taishou” by a mentor of mine, Arnaud Cousergue.

Imagine a demon who is incredibly capable in the martial arts and can destroy you at will. This demon is just hanging around, maybe guarding a place. You can choose to attack him. But he will definitely not initiate any hostilities. He also knows that you plan to attack him. He just looks at you, smiles and goes on just being. But you will dare not attack him because you know that it is suicidal. You know this because of the aura of competence and confidence he exudes.

This sense that pervades the demon is “Kuki Taishou”. It is a feeling that is caused in an opponent, which could be similar to a feeling of aggression, that prevents a fight from ever taking place. It is this exact feeling of “let’s not fight” that Krishna induced in all the elders of the Hastinapura court when he revealed the Vishwaroopa. They all realized the futility of a fight against a side Krishna was on. But Duryodhana failed to see this, the mission failed and the rest is “history” (itihāsa).

But this exact technique succeeded with Arjuna. And as we look at that example, we move into examples of cases where Krishna’s use of deception, with or without Maya, achieved its objective.

At the start of the Kurukshetra War, Arjuna lost his will to fight, when the fact that he would be trying to kill his Gurus, Grandsire and cousins hit him hard. Krishna used several methods, from inspiring him, consoling him and rebuking him to get him out of the low he had sunk to. Eventually, Lord Krishna revealed his Virātaroopa to Arjuna. This convinced Arjuna to pick up arms again and even led him to ask queries that touch every aspect of living.

This entire episode is the Geetopadesha, when Lord Krishna shared the Bhagavad Gita with Arjuna. The Virātaroopa that Arjuna witnessed showed that Krishna was Parabrahman and all creation was contained in him. The revelation of this form of Krishna was similar to the episode with the Vishwaroopa.

Krishna reveals his Virataroopa to Arjuna during the Geetopadesha. Image credit – “Bhagavadgeetha” (Kannada edition), published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Arjuna also realized the awesome power and entity that Krishna was. He also realized that Krishna was so far beyond him in knowledge that he could simply follow without question. This is the concept of Kuki Taishou at work. The revelation of the Virātaroopa itself involved Maya, for mortals could never witness this form of Krishna’s. This act of revelation was also a surprise, a jolt to Arjuna’s system. Because of the surprise element, we could say that deception was used, albeit with a positive connotation.

If we move forward in the Kurukshetra War, we have the famous episode of Arjuna slaying Jayadratha, the king of the Sindhu region, to avenge the killing of his son Abhimanyu. On the 13th day of the war, Abhimanyu has been killed in the Chakravyuha, as he singlehandedly faced multiple great warriors. Jayadratha had held off the rest of the Pandava forces from assisting Abhimanyu. All this happened as Arjuna was drawn away by the Samshaptakas (as mentioned earlier).

In the grief of the loss, Arjuna vowed to kill Jayadratha on the next day, the 14th day of the war, before the sun went down. Arjuna also declared that if he failed to kill Jayadratha, he would give up his own life! Come the 14th day and Jayadratha was very well protected. Arjuna came close to his objective, but he would not be able to kill Jayadratha before the sun set for the day.

The Sun disappears before the actual sunset on the 14th day of the Kurukshetra War. Image credit – “Mahabharata 35 – Arjuna fulfills his vow”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

At this time, Krishna caused the sun to appear to have set. Krishna is supposed to have used his Maya to make this happen. But it is generally accepted that a total solar eclipse occurred on that day which seemed like a sun set before the actual sunset. Either way, when the sun appeared to have set, a confident Jayadratha revealed himself.

Jayadratha is deceived. Image credit – “Mahabharata 35 – Arjuna fulfills his vow”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

On Krishna’s suggestion, Arjuna slew Jayadratha. Once the act was done, either the Maya was lifted or the eclipse ended and the sun was visible again. Arjuna had fulfilled his vow before sunset. Irrespective of whether it was a natural phenomenon or Krishna’s powers at work, deception had been used in achieving the objective of killing Jayadratha.

If it was a natural phenomenon, it just means that Krishna’s awareness of all information that could be relevant to the war is mindboggling! His ability to possess information and do whatever it takes to achieve objectives in worthy of emulating to this day! Krishna had hidden even from Arjuna the fact that the sun would appear to have set, just to ensure Arjuna’s despair would be real, and the Kaurava forces would fall for it! This is the definition of “doing whatever it takes”.

Jayadratha is slain. Image credit – “Mahabharata 35 – Arjuna fulfills his vow”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

“Doing whatever it takes” in encapsulated in another concept that is routinely discussed and applied to the extent possible in the Bujinkan system. This is the concept of “Issho Khemi”. I have heard 2 translations for “Issho Khemi”. One is, “do whatever is necessary”. The other is, “do just enough”. The second translation refers to not doing too much. A loose example could be overdoing an attack, for it might expose one to a counterattack.

I had explored the concept of “Issho Khemi” in greater detail in an earlier article of mine, the link to which is seen below.

Dashāvatāra & Budo, Part 1 – Issho Khemi

The concept of “Issho Khemi” and the idea of a feigned retreat both came together with the idea of “Uke Nagashi” when Mathura was attacked by Kāla Yavana. Mathura was simultaneously attacked by both Kāla Yavana and Jarasandha. This was the 18th invasion Mathura was facing. Jarasandha had previously attacked Mathura 17 times with his vast armies and resources. Mathura led by Krishana and his elder brother Balarama had successfully led the defence and beaten back Jarasandha each time.

But the simultaneous attack was one step too far. Mathura could no longer take the attacks. Dwaraka was built on the coast of Gujarat and the Yadavas of Mathura moved to Dwaraka to escape the incessant spate of attacks. The population of Mathura was moving to Dwaraka when the attacks came. Krishna and Balarama led the armies of Mathura against Kāla Yavana while the people moved.

The Yadavas choose strategic retreat over perpetual war against Jarasandha. Image credit – “The Bhagawata, Special Edition” (Kindle version), published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna, by himself, acted like he was running away from the battlefield. Kāla Yavana gave chase alone. Krishna led him into a system of caves. In the caves Kāla Yavana was burned to a crisp when he disturbed the sleep of Muchukunda. Kāla Yavana’s armies dispersed when their leader was killed and a large number of them were killed in the retreat.

Krishna chooses to “absorb” the Yavana’s attack by feigning a retreat. Image credit – “The Bhagawata, Special Edition” (Kindle version), published by Amar Chitra Katha.

This was a classic decapitation strike where the elimination of the leadership breaks the army. Krishna running away from the battlefield gave him the moniker “Ranchod Das” or “one who runs away from the battlefield”. Leaving the field of battle was anathema to the Kshatriyas of that era! Yet, Krishna did what he had to do to protect his army and his people. This is literally what “Issho Khemi” means, doing what is necessary!

At the same time, the other translation of Issho Khemi is demonstrated by Kāla Yavana. He had no idea of what awaited him in the caves. Yet, in his hubris, he chased Krishna alone! Krishna had local knowledge and used it to his advantage. He knew what Muchukunda was capable of and where he was. He used this information to destroy Kāla Yavana.

Kaala Yavana over commits in his attack and pays the price for it. Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

The Yavana on the other hand, “did more than necessary”, he “over committed to the attack”. He could have brought more troops with him or let Krishna go while he led his army to victory. He did neither and pushed himself into an attack that exposed his own self to grave danger, and paid for it.

This is similar to the Luftwaffe attacking British cities during the Battle of Britain during WW2. The Luftwaffe initially targeted the RAF (Royal Air Force) but switched tactics to hurt the population of Britain by attacking cities instead. If they had stayed with attacking the RAF, the battle might have gone differently. But they extended themselves to attack cities and ended up losing focus on the main enemy, who made them pay the price for it. Britain successful defended itself in the Battle of Britain and defeated the Luftwaffe.

Muchukunda is used by Krishna to kill Kaala Yavana. Image credit – “The Bhagawata, Special Edition” (Kindle version), published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna also demonstrated the classic feigned retreat in the fight against Kāla Yavana. He led the leader of the enemy force away by enacting a retreat and the technique worked perfectly. This act of retreating is similar to what is trained regularly in the Bujinkan as part of the basics. This is the concept of “Uke Nagashi”. “Uke Nagashi” refers to “receiving the opponent”.

One manner of “receiving the opponent” is to “absorb the attack”. This means that if the opponent attacks with a punch, the one being attacked cedes space by moving back. The punch lands in the space where it was supposed to, just not on the target. The target moves back, or away, to protect oneself. Once the attack has been absorbed, the defender can look for opportunities to exploit, as openings might have revealed themselves when the opponent attacks and comes into the range of the defender.

This is exactly what Krishna did with Kāla Yavana. He let the Yavana attack and retreated, ceding space, triggering the chase that changed the outcome of the battle. Similarly, when the Yadavas retreated to Dwaraka from Mathura, they were absorbing the attacks from Jarasandha by moving away from the city that was always targeted. Krishna plotted Jarasandha’s demise from the safety of greater distance. We will come to this incident in the next part of this post.

What the Yadavas did when they moved from Mathura to Dwaraka, has been seen multiple times in world history. Babur, lost Samarkand in Uzbekistan and retreated to Kabul, from where he conquered Delhi and established the Mughal empire in Northern India. If one goes back in time further, the movements of the Xiongnu in Central Asia led to the Yuezhi moving west and south, first to the Tarim Basin and then to parts of modern-day Afghanistan.

The Yadavas absorb Jarasandha’s attacks by using distance to protect themselves. Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

The Yuezhi later became the Saka or Shaka that invaded ancient Northwestern India. This process of people being displaced from Central Asia continued for another 700 years! The Kushanas replaced the Sakas. A few centuries later, the Hunas (Huns) were pushed out of Central Asia, and they invaded both the Gupta Empire in North India and the Roman Empire in Eastern Europe!

I will stop here in this part one of exploring the use of deception deployed by Lord Krishna several times in his life. We will look at the incidents with Paundraka Vāsudeva, Narakāsura, Jarasandha and Shishupāla in the next part. We will also look at the incidents involving Krishna & Rukmini and the Arjuna & Subhadra in the next part.

WISH YOU ALL A WONDERFUL SHRI KRISHNA JANMĀSHTAMI!

The Bujinkan = The continuous transition between Lords Rama & Krishna

Vikram M R, , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The stories in Hindu culture are case studies to understand life experiences and perhaps identify paths to follow when times of travail are experienced at various points in an individual’s life. These stories include the various tales depicting instances from the lives of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna.

Lord Rama is called “Maryada Purushōttama”. Lord Krishna is called “Leela Purushōttama”. The word “Purushōttama” is made up of the words “Purusha” and “Uttama”. “Purusha” means human or generically “man”. “Uttama” means excellent or of the highest order. So, “Purushōttama” means an extraordinary or excellent human or an individual who is of the highest calibre.

“Maryada” has multiple meanings, from “respect” and “honour” to “norms” and also “limits”. When we say “limit”, it specifically refers to “self-control”. “Leela” can mean “play (of the divinities)” or “tale” or “story”. A story is nothing but a possible (plausible?) or potential scenario.

I had written a whole post about the “Maryada” aspect of Lord Rama, a link to which is seen below. Lord Rama was a God. He needed to follow no rules that applied to the people he lived with. He was not even subject to the laws that applied to kings who were responsible to their citizens. But he followed every rule that applied to humans diligently, even when it resulted in great personal tragedy. He followed the rules even when the rules were not just, at least by modern standards.

Maryāda Purushotham Rama and the Martial Arts – Control is the key

Lord Rama could have broken every rule with absolutely no consequences to either himself or anyone dear to him. He could have protected them with divine abilities. But he CHOSE a life of hardship by foregoing the abilities of the divine. This was his SELF-CONTROL, the ability to stay human by limiting the use of the divine. This demonstrated ability throughout his life is what makes him Maryada Purushōttama.

Lord Rama’s life shows the benefits of self-control despite the pain it causes. This fact is what makes his life a case study. To demonstrate some instances from Lord Rama’s life when he chose hardship due to self-control instead of the loophole divinity provided, are seen below.

Lord Rama was going to be anointed heir apparent, but he lost this position due to a promise his father had made. He further lost his home and the company of his family in the same sequence of events when he was exiled to the forest. He accepted this loss because it was his responsibility, as he saw it, to uphold the word of his father.

Lord Rama chooses to keep his father’s word despite Bharata requesting him to change his decision. Image credit – “The Ramayana”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Even when his father was no more and he could have chosen to reverse the exile, as the person whose word he was upholding was no more, he did not. His brother Bharat, in whose interest he was exiled, beseeched him to return and yet he let the exile continue, for the word of his father was a sacred contract to be upheld. It was like he was the heir apparent to even his father’s promises, even if the consequences of the promise were not in his best interests, and the promise was being extracted in bad faith. Lord Rama was not obligated to do keep his father’s word, yet he did.

Lord Rama rescued Devi Sita from Ravana. But this came at the cost of a very large number of lives. And despite all the effort, Devi Sita had to endure the Agni Pariksha to satisfy the norms of society as it existed then. He did not stop this either as a God or as a man who commanded enormous respect, because this would put him above the rest of humanity.

Devi Sita has to endure the Agni Pariksha. Image credit – “The Ramayana”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Eventually, he had to abandon Devi Sita again, to prevent setting a wrong precedent to a society that used his life as an example to cover up their mistakes. He never tried to create an exception despite his ability and right to do so. This was despite doing so would be the right thing, as we see it today. He put the sanctity of societal norms above what we would consider the “right thing”.

These events reveal that the purpose of the Rama avatāra was not just the elimination of Rāvana; it was to render a life as a case study in restraint and self-control.

Lord Krishna is the one who shows possible situations and outcomes through the story of his life. The “possibilities” that are shown highlight how rules and norms can be challenged, especially if they seem wrong at any given time. This is despite all of society or any individual of power or even a God choosing to disagree and uphold a norm that is wrong.

Lord Rama chooses to abandon Devi Sita despite knowing it is not the right decision. Image credit – “Sons of Rama”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

This act of identifying possibilities is the act of upholding Dharma (that which sustains) even when that results in actions that endanger one’s self, reputation and legacy. Some instances from Lord Krishna’s life when he chose to circumvent the “norms and rules” to sustain Dharma, are seen below.

Lord Krishna encouraged the worship of a mountain (Govarhdana) over the worship of Lord Indra, because the worship of Indra was carried out due to fear of retribution and not genuine devotion. This act incurred Indra’s wrath and Lord Krishna chose to employ his divinity to protect his fellow citizens. Not for him were the need to live as a human and suffer unjust retribution.

Lord Krishna suggests that Govardhana Giri (mountain) is worthy of worship over Lord Indra. Image credit – “Tales of Krishna”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Lord Krishna chose retreat(!) over a need for victory against Jarasandha, the mighty ruler of Magadha. Dwaraka was built on the coast, far away from the reach of Jarasandha. The people of Mathura had to endure several invasions from Jarasandha. While Krishna and his brother Balarama, with their inhuman abilities defeated each of the invasions, prosperity could only be ensured by retreating from the Jarasandha’s sphere of influence.

Lord Krishna holds up Govardhana Giri (mountain) with his little finger! Image credit – “Tales of Krishna”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna used deception several times during warfare. This was despite his having to live by the code of the Kshatriyas and fight fair. Some instances when Lord Krishna chose deception to end conflicts are,

  • Running away from Kālayavana, to lead him into a trap in cave where Muchukunda inadvertently killed him. This act made him earn the epithet, “Ranchod Das”, or “one who runs from a battle”, which is not really a flattering adjective.
  • Krishna used the Pandavas to eliminate Jarasandha, and that was by tricking the king of Magadha into a duel against Bhima, the only person who could defeat Jarasandha, away from the battlefield.
  • Krishna defeated Narakāsura by bypassing his armies and carrying out an air raid on the latter’s palace at night, where Narakāsura was sleeping! Not only did Krishna violate norms by attacking at night, but he also used Garuda, who was a divine being, to circumvent a large part of Naraka’s troops.
  • During his peace mission to Hastinapura, in a last-ditch effort to prevent war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, Krishna revealed his divine form (Vishwaroopa) to try and convince Duryodhana to make peace. If Duryodhana had been a bit more reasonable, he would have seen the futility of going up again a God.
  • Krishna used an illusion to enable Arjuna to kill Jayadratha and a lie to defeat Drona during the Kurukshetra War.

Mathura survives 17 invasions by Jarasandha! Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Thus, the Krishna avatāra was a case study in the need to uphold the essence of Dharma and not just the rituals and norms that seem to lead to Dharma. Dharma evolves and this necessitates evolution in ways of life; rigidity (rules and norms) itself could become the enemy of Dharma. This vision of what evolution could lead to is perhaps what the many “Leela” of Lord Krishna demonstrate.

Krishna runs away from the battlefield despite being a Kshatriya! Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

The Bujinkan system of martial arts, among many other concepts, emphasizes self-control and a need to adapt. The two concepts are interlinked. In a situation of real physical conflict, one can never apply techniques as they are taught and trained in a dojo. The forms and techniques trained in class are just options that are available to a practitioner, they are “possibilities”.

The form or technique or even just a concept that can be applied in a conflict against a single or multiple opponents, is a choice to be made by the individual(s) participating in the conflict. The consequences of the choices lead to further choices and so on, until the conflict is hopefully mitigated. Each choice is like a “Leela” (though not divine) we discussed earlier in this article.

Krishna and the Yadavas retreat to Dwaraka to survive further invasions by Jarasandha. Image credit – “Krishna and Jarasandha”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

For example, if there are multiple opponents, receiving the attack by not trying to escape might not be wise. If an opponent is unarmed, strikes against this person might be viable. If the opponent is being violent and high on substances, subduing the opponent might be the need of the hour. One needs to adapt to the situation and “THE SITUATION” changes every INSTANT. This continuous adaptation is to flow with the changing situation.

This is no different than being able to see the “possibilities” at every instant. If one can train oneself to be able to see multiple possibilities at all times and adapt, one is as close to being “limitless” as possible. I am referring to a physical conflict, but the same principles will apply even if one is involved in a verbal altercation or a tough negotiation, which is nothing but a conflict over a favourable deal.

Krishna carries out an aerial attack on Narakaasura, while mounted on Garuda. Image credit – “Tales of Krishna”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

A key ingredient in being close to “limitless” and able to see several options at all times is SELF-CONTROL. At its simplest level, self-control could simply mean not expecting any form or technique applied in a fight to result in an expected outcome, specifically the outcome seen in a dojo during regular practice. Different opponents have vastly different physical abilities and skills based on their background, genetics and experience in different martial arts. This means doing what needs to be done to survive and not expect anything one does to work in a specific manner.

If any action does not have a desired outcome, one must adapt instantaneously. There is no room for anger at the opponent, doubt in the self because a technique did not work or any analytical paralysis. This stopping oneself at an emotional level and staying in the moment to stay alive and use all opportunities available is SELF-CONTROL. This needs to be applied at all times. SELF-CONTROL and FLOW (BEING LIMITLESS) are both equally important and two sides of the same coin in any situation that needs conflict management.

Krishna attacks a sleeping Narakaasura, violating the norms of war! Image credit – “Tales of Krishna”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Thus, one needs to apply the traits demonstrated by both Lord Rama and Lord Krishna during their respective lifetimes. In my opinion, the continuous application of both self-control and flow is like switching between Lord Rama and Lord Krishna incessantly!

So, practicing the Bujinkan and perhaps other martial arts as well, is akin to celebrating the interplay between Lord Rama and Lord Krisha all the time! 😊 Rama to control the self and decide when to limit one’s own “need to do” or “expect something” and Krishna to “stay limitless in going beyond form” and “seeing the endless possibilities in any movement”.

Krishna uses a deceptive illusion to enable Arjuna’s slaying of Jayadratha. Image credit – “Mahabharata 35 – Arjuna fulfills his vow”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

Krishna convinces Yudishtira to lie, against his nature, to stop Drona. Image credit – “Mahabharata 36 – The Battle at mindnight”, published by Amar Chitra Katha.

An aside – Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, has spoken several times about how the core of Lord Rama’s and Lord Krishna’s lives was the debate between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Lord Rama’s life was about living a life as described by the law, even if the law seemed unjust at times, while Lord Krishna’s life was about not following the law when it went against the spirit of the justice or the law itself. What I have described about Lord Rama and Lord Krishna in relation to the martial arts is not very different as concepts go, from this view expressed by Mr. Sanyal. Seen below is a video where Mr. Sanyal is expressing his views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITER_dobOB0