Mahabharata – 221
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
    Aadivamsa avatarana Parva

Dronacharya requests the Kuru king Dhritarashtra to arrange a tourney

 Dronacharya met the Kuru leaders and king Dhritarashtra only to tell them that the Kaurava and Pandava princes had completed their studies in the art of war .Hearing this good news the king Dhritarashtra jumped up in pride and joy.These princes were born as Kshatriya. Allthough they must be taught the Vedas  and they should be at the same time skilled in the art of war. Because a Kshatriya is supposed to save the state and the people from wounds and injury if any. The people must not take law in their own hand.The Kshatriyas look after the law and order of the state and the society.If a good’s train is looted at every station on its way from Kolkata to Kurushkhetra whatever goods reached Kurushkhetra despite the loots will be sold at a very high price.Hence Kshatriyas are necessity in a country where economic activities are brisk and the people take to wagon breaking as their profession. Besides when a neighbouring country attacks the country it is the Kshatriyas who defend the country.The kings and princes of a state are born Kshatriyas.Their apriori leanings should be to save the country and people from wound and injury if any.Now the Dronacharya said that the education of princes in the art of war was completed, a tourney lay in the logic of affairs to test their attainments. So king Dhritarashtra presently asked his wise brother Vidura to arrange a tourney among the princes in presence of the people and dignitaries of the society so that they could have firsthand experience of the prowess of the government that ruled them.