Ashvatama

[Guest guest]

Ashvatama. Why was he immortal?

 

Kind Regards

Tony Blair

[Ashvatama 0]

As someone earlier said, why was ashvatama cursed and not killed? If one thinks about it, what Krishna did was the prefect thing to do. Firstly, Ashvatama was born with a boon of immortality; hence he could not be killed. So the question of killing him couldnt arises. If we analyse his sin then in the eyes of Krishna it is unforgivable

 

A: He tried to kill an unborn child. Killing a child in the ages of Mahabharata was a grave sin.

 

B: He killed the children of Draupadi, who were young, which added to his bag of sins.

 

C: He tried to destroy the Panadavas future generation, who without, our earth would be plunged into adharma.

 

D: Think about it, if Pariksit was killed we would never have received the Srimad Bhagavatam which was narrated to him by Shukdevji.

 

E: If Pariksit was killed, Krishna’s mission of establishing dharma on our earth would have been wrecked, as who would have succeeded the Pandavas to keep dharma going?

 

Basically Ashvatama was literally a demon, as he tried to ruin Krishna's mission of dharma. So, Krishna cursed him to remain on this earth forever, carrying the guilt of his crimes against humanity on his shoulders, deprived of compassion and pity and always in pain from the wound in his forehead where a gem was removed.

 

I believe this is the worst punishment God gave him as at least demons who died at the hands of God went onto a better afterlife, Ashvatama will never attain the happiness of God and will be condemned to living alone on earth forever in pain. Now you tell me, Isn’t that a good punishment to give an asura (demon) like him?

 

To be ignored by Krishna is worse then being punished by Krishna and his devotees.

 

The seven immortals mentioned in the puranas (Ashvathama, Bali, Vyasa, Hanumana, Kripa, Vibhishana and Parashurama), none can, except perhaps Hanumana, claim divine status.

[tackleberry 1]

Ashwatama wasn't an asura, but an incarnation of Lord Shiva. So it's not nice to speak ill of such a superior soul.

[Ashvatama 0]

After the last great battle, in which Duryodhana was mortally wounded, Ashvatama with two other warriors, Kripa and Kritavarman, were the sole survivors of the Kaurava host that were left effective. Ashvatama was made the commander. He was fierce in his hostility to the pandavas, and craved for revenge upon Dhrishtadyumna, who had slain his father, Drona.

These three surviving Kauravas entered the pandava camp at night. They found Dhrishtadyumna asleep, and Aswatthaman stamped him to death as he lay. He then killed Sikhandin, the other son of Drupada, and he also killed the five young sons of the Pandavas and carried their heads to the dying Duryodhana. He killed Parikshit, while yet unborn in the womb of his mother, with his celestial weapon Brahmastra, by which he incurred the curse of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comOn the next morning he and his comrades fled, but Draupadi clamoured for revenge upon the murderer of her children. Yudhishthira represented that Ashvatama was a Brahman, and pleaded for his life. She then consented to forego her demand for his blood if the precious and protective jewel which he wore on his head were brought to her. Bhima, Arjuna, and <st1:place>Krishna</st1:place> then went in pursuit of him. Arjuna and <st1:place>Krishna</st1:place> overtook him, and compelled him to give up the jewel. They carried it to Draupadi, and she gave it to Yudhishthira, who afterwards wore it on his head...

Ashvatama (the son of Dronacharya, the guru of the Pandavs and Kauravs) had killed the Pandavs' five children and Dhrishtdymn , draupadi's brother, while they were sleeping in the night. Which was agaist the law of war.

Arjun got into fight with Ashvatama after the Mahabharat had ended. Both of them used Brahmastras. <st1:place>Krishna</st1:place> intervened and asked both of them to stop and retract it.

Arjun retracted the powerful brahmasheera weapon (or brahmaastra) that he released to neutralize Ashvatama released brahmaastra. Ashvatama, on the other hand, was unable to retract the brahmaastra (that he released to kill Bhima and the Pandav brothers), and rather sent it to kill the unborn child, Parikshit, of Uttara and Abhimanyu (son of Arjun and Subhadra). Parikshit died. Abhimanyu was already killed by the Seven Maharathees in a shameful way.

<st1:place>Krishna</st1:place> brought back the dead Parikshit back to life. But as a punishment Asvtthama's mani was taken out ,His boon of immortality turned into a curse as he has to remain alive forevever and bare this disgrace for his cowardly acts.

[Sephiroth 0]

tackleberry :

 

 

Ashwatama wasn't an asura, but an incarnation of Lord Shiva. So it's not nice to speak ill of such a superior soul.

 

I have read in a Mahabratha book that Ashwatama was born due to a boon from Lord Shiva, and not an incarnation of Lord Shiva Himself.

 

Matter a fact, it is stated that Lord Shiva does not incarnate Himself as a human, but bestow His powers and boons to others to do His biddings.

[naazsakhi 0]

[indulekhadasi 0]

The seven immortals mentioned in the puranas (Ashvathama, Bali, Vyasa, Hanumana, Kripa, Vibhishana and Parashurama), none can, except perhaps Hanumana, claim divine status.

[vishuluck 0]

There are two more immortals who are waiting for Lord Kalki's Incarnation. They are kings Devapi and Maru in a village by the name of Kalpa