- yadā mṛdhe kaurava-sṛñjayānāṁ
- vīreṣv atho vīra-gatiṁ gateṣu
- vṛkodarāviddha-gadābhimarśa-
- bhagnoru-daṇḍe dhṛtarāṣṭra-putre
- bhartuḥ priyaṁ drauṇir iti sma paśyan
- kṛṣṇā-sutānāṁ svapatāṁ śirāṁsi
- upāharad vipriyam eva tasya
- jugupsitaṁ karma vigarhayanti
So Drauṇi, Droṇācārya's son, a brāhmaṇa, but he took the profession of a kṣatriya. That is degradation. When a brāhmaṇa takes the occupation of a kṣatriya, it is degradation. So this Drauṇi, although he belonged to the brāhmaṇa family and he accepted the profession of a kṣatriya, he degraded so much that he cut off the heads of five sons of Draupadī while they were sleeping. So much degradation. A kṣatriya never slains anybody who is sleeping. Kṣatriya's business is to challenge, and if the other party has no weapon, he supplies weapon. Then there is fight, then it is decided. One must die. That decision is there. When there is fight between two kṣatriyas, the decision is that one must die. Unless one dies, the business, the fighting, will never stop. That is called vīra-gatim. Vīra-gatim. If a kṣatriya dies in fight, he gets the promotion of vīra-gatim, means he goes to the heavenly planet. This was advised by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, that "You fight. If you are victorious, then you will enjoy this kingdom, and if you are killed, then you'll go to the heavenly planets. Then where is your loss? Both ways you shall gain. Why shall you not fight?" This advice was given by Kṛṣṇa.
So here it is said yadā mṛdhe kaurava-sṛñjayānām. In the fight all the parties who died, they all obtained vīra-gatim. And most of them they achieved svarūpa. That is described in a different place. Svarūpa means his original, spiritual form. All the soldiers or the kings who died, and at the time of death who were seeing Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa was there in the battlefield—all of them achieved their original, spiritual form. Svarūpam. And those who did not see Kṛṣṇa, they got promoted vīra-gatim, in the heavenly planet. So fight is not always bad. If it is dharma-yuddha, according to the prescribed rules, not whimsical fight, dharma-yuddha, then there is gain. This science is lost. There is no such thing. Now fighting means hooliganism, vandalism, guṇḍā-ism. That is not fight. Here is fight: vīra-gatim gate. They are all promoted.
Then at last the fighting was between Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Bhīma. This vṛkodara... Vṛkodarāviddha-gadābhimarśa. Both of them, Duryodhana and Bhīma, they were very expert in fighting with gadā. So when they were fighting, Balarāma... Balarāma... Kṛṣṇa was neutral, but He was taking the side of Arjuna. He was driving the chariot. That means He was on the side of the Pāṇḍavas. But actually He was not fighting. So Balarāma also did not fight, and in order to avoid any parties, He went to holy places at that time. He was traveling all over India from different holy places, one place to another. So when He returned, He had some sympathy with Duryodhana. Because Duryodhana was His disciple to learn how to fight with this gadā, club, naturally He was sympathetic, Balarāma was sympathetic. So when He came, they were..., fighting was going on. So just to show Him respect, they stopped fighting and everyone was silent. Because the Pāṇḍavas knew that Balarāma was sympathetic with Duryodhana, and if He takes the side of Duryodhana, then everything will be spoiled, because He is the Supreme Person. But He did not do so. He advised them, "My dear Duryodhana, I know you are a great fighter. You have got strength. You have learned, you know the art of fighting. But you are not so strong as Bhīma." And He advised Bhīma, "My dear Bhīma, you have got the strength of ten thousand elephants. Naturally you are superiorally stronger. So he knows the art better than you, and you are bodily stronger than him. So there will be no decision. The fighting will go on. Can you not stop? Because there will not be decision. The fighting will go on. Unless one is dead, the fighting will go on. So what is the use? Nobody will be victorious. The fighting will go on. Better stop."
But they remained silent. Silent means they did not like the idea. Because Bhīma had many old grudges against Duryodhana, because when Draupadī was being insulted, they had to sit down silent, no protest. There were so many incidences-rivalry, insult and counterinsult. So they took the opportunity of feeding the old grudge by fighting. Everyone was determined, "I must kill." Duryodhana was determined to kill Bhīma, and Bhīma was determined to kill. So when they did not listen to the instruction of Baladeva, the