This warrior is important for your evolution
Dhrishtadyumna is a son of Drupad and brother of Draupadi. He too was born of the fire along with Draupadi when their father performed a Yagya for son under the guidance of Maharishis Yaj and Upayaj. Drupad already had a son Satyajit, but he was too academic and saintly to take revenge from Dronacharya-- his childhood friend who had usurped half of his kingdom with the help of the then young Pandavas.
Great Warrior
Dhrishtadyumna is a great warrior and knower of the Vedas. He joins the Pandavas against the Kauravas. But, his main aim was to kill Dronacharya and take revenge for his father’s humiliating defeat. He is appointed army chief of the Pandavas at the advice of Krishna. Dhrishtadyumna beheads Dronacharya, who gives up weapons after hearing a canard that his son Ashwatthama had been killed. Dronacharya believes it as it came from Yudhisthir, who he thought would never lie. But, Krishna prevails on Yudhisthir and the latter presents the death of elephant Ashwatthama sound like that of Dron’s son. Dhrishtadyumna beheads Dron when he was sitting in meditation. Later, Ashwatthama kills Dhrishtadyumna. But, before that Dhrishtadyumna amazes Dron with his 21 steps of swordsmanship in the battle.
The significance
This is history. Dhrishtadyumna in Sanskrit means ‘a cruel attacker symbolising a karmic impulse’. A karmic impulse is born when the kingdom of Sanskaaras (established genetic characteristics) is taken over by the individual memory’s link (Dronacharya). We will have to understand the difference between the acquired genetic traits and the memory. The genetic traits are transferred from the father to the son. However, the son too has a chain of past-life memories. The memory remains intact as a universal access link in the individual brain as it doesn’t get snapped by transmigratory journey (from one body to the other) of the soul. This memory is independent of the genetic dominance. It is the difference in memory that alone makes for a difference between the son and the father. This difference is not dominant during the childhood. When the son is grown up, memory takes over half of the genetic kingdom. His actions are governed by memory and genetic traits too. The genetic traits want to regain their kingdom. However, Satyajit—the established essence of the genetic wisdom— is no good for Drupad to do so because Satyajit is aware of the jurisdictional necessity of the memory required for evolution. He, therefore, represents the genetic memory which takes over only when karmic impulse and individual memory have served their purpose.
Drupad's fire sacrifice
Finding Satyajit's inefficacy, Drupad goes for a fire sacrifice for a son under the guidance of Yaj and Upayaj (the cause and effect). Dhrishtadyumna (karmic impulse) is born. He is not his genetic son, but of a god—called daiva in Sanskrit. Daiva, represents a supervening element, which majorly stands for death or the transformative event and is often unchangeable. It can be taken as an unavoidable karmic impulse in the human system. We will have to understand one more thing to get how a karmic impulse beheads memory and that whether it is a real killing at all or just an evolutionary change. It has already been discussed in the blog on Dronacharya. But, here I try to make it more clear. After hearing the false news of his son’s death, Dronacharya is depressed facing Dhrishtadyumna in the battlefield yet he fights on. Saptarishis appear before him and ask Dronacharya that it is time for him to join the heavenly abode. He lays down his weapons, sits in meditation of Lord Vishnu and leaves his body. Everybody watches him leave as a sun-like light. Sanjay defines the event in the Dronaparava as, " मुखं किंचित् समुन्नाम्य विष्टभ्य उरमग्रत:।निमीलिताक्ष: सत्तवस्थो निक्षिप्य हृदि धारणम्।।ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म ज्योतिर्भूतो महातपा।स्मरित्वा देवदेवेशमक्षरं परमं प्रभुम्।दिवमाक्रामदाचार्य: साक्षात् सद्भिर्दुराक्रमाम्।।द्वौ सूर्यावित नो बुद्धिरासीत् तस्मिंस्तथागते ।। "Sanjay says, " Dron sat down lifting his head a bit up and bringing the chest a bit out, fixing his eyes half-open on the heart region, uttering Om and meditating on the brilliant source of this vibration, became one with that light and left the body. It looked as if two suns have overwhelmed the entire space with their brilliance."
This description proves how memory evolves into the universal brain. This state is beautifully defined by Arjuna in the Gita, Chapter 18, Shlok 73, as नष्टोमोह: स्मृतिर्लब्धा...गतसन्देह: करिष्ये वचनम् तव the veil of separation is gone, have gained memory beyond doubt --gaining memory beyond duality is the universal brain. Now I (the body complex under Satyajit) will work out your (Krishna , the universal brain's) command. This is the final state of individual evolution, when he literally turns headless and becomes a universal brain.
Significance of beheading
Later, Dhrishtadyumna beheads Dron. Saptarishis are the seven principle light vibrations of the three Vedas. The Vedas are called Shrutis (the sound vibrations). Dron is Smriti ( memory, the retained sound vibration). Lord Vishnu represents the eternal continuity of light which vibrates as Saptarishis. Dron becomes one with light. Smriti merges into Shruti and Shruti into seven principle light vibrations and then into the Eternal light. Memory goes back to its cause—called Shruti which means that is what is heard. And what is heard goes back to its cause—that is what is seen as the light. In the face of the Karmic intervention, the individual memory merges into the universal vibration. What remains thereafter is the body complex under Satyajit--genetic memory. He now solely governs the body organs of the headless body. The headless body is now directly under the universal brain. Dron leaves his son Ashwatthama behind. That is a root-like network of energy channels which kills the karmic impulse. After the event, the karmic impulse has no utility. Dhrishtadyumna has no jurisdiction beyond body. What happens then? The karmic impulse dissolves into the channelised energy system. The system is, therefore, shown as eternal Ashwatthama, who has the Eternal brain to go by. Satyajit maintains the Panchaal--the body of five elements.
The entire episode indicates a great evolutionary trend. The karmic impulse is courageous and intervenes ruthlessly. However, it is good for evolution. The karmic impulse loses itself to Ashwatthama after it has served its purpose. This also means that if your energy channel system is strong, you can dissolve the karmic impulse after it has served its purpose. All karmic effects are just indicators to an evolutionary trend. They seem like killers. But, the apparent killing happens only after the memory assumes its brilliant universal dimension. Therefore, Dron is never killed. He evolves. Likewise, memory is never killed, it evolves into universal brilliance or brain. Unless this happens, evolution is not complete. Dhrishtadyumna is very important in life’s journey. Due to him, we get the necessary evolutionary push.
Dhritadyumna's 21 sword steps
Before attacking Dron, Dhrishtadyumna amazes him with his 21 tricks of sword play.
Actually, this shows the power of the karmic impulse. A karmic impulse is a multiple of three Vedas' gunas (Raj, Tam and Sat) and seven ruling principle vibrations (Saptarishis) 7x3= 21. It means, it has the sanction of the seven governing principles and the three gunas of Nature. Therefore, it will do what it is meant to--give you the evolutionary push. No escape.
Takeaway: Your memory is gradually evolving into a universal brain, thanks to the karmic impulse--Dhrishtadyumna.
Next: Who is Ashwatthama?
Vivek Sharma