avalamba

 kariya sam̐bhāra, kōsalarāya! aura ṭhaura na aura gati, avalamba nāma bihāya. 1. būjhi apanī āpanō hitu āpa bāpa na māya. rāma! rā'ura nāma gura, sura, svāmi, sakhā, sahāya. 2. rāmarāja na calē mānasa-malinakē chala chāya. kōpa tēhi kalikāla kāyara mu'ēhi ghālata ghāya. 3. lēta kēharikō bayara jyōṁ bhēka hani gōmāya. tyōnhi rāma-gulāma jāni nikāma dēta kudāya. 4. akani yākē kapaṭa-karataba, amita anaya-apāya. sukhī haripura basata hōta parīchitahi pachitāya. 5. kṛpāsindhu! bilōkiyē, jana-manakī sām̐sati sāya. sarana āyō, dēva! dīnadayālu! dēkhana pāya. 6. nikaṭa bōli na barajiyē, bali jā'um̐, haniya na hāya. dēkhihaiṁ hanumāna gōmukha nāharanikē n'yāya. 7. aruna mukha, bhrū bikaṭa, piṅgala nayana rōṣa-kaṣāya. bīra sumiri samīrakō ghaṭihai capala cita cāya. 8. binaya suni biham̐sē anujasōṁ bacanakē kahi bhāya. ‘bhalī kahī’ kahyō laṣana hūm̐ ham̐si, banē sakala banāya. 9. da'ī dīnahiṁ dādi, sō suni sujana-sadana badhāya. miṭē saṅkaṭa-sōca, pōca-prapan̄ca, pāpa-nikāya. 10. pēkhi prīti-pratīti janapara aguna anagha abhāya. dāsatulasī kahata munigana, ‘jayati jaya urugāya’. 11. Verse no. 220—[In the previous verse no. 219, Tulsidas has hinted to Lord Ram about the malfeasance and evil nature of Kaliyug. Now in this verse he requests the Lord to put a leash on the corrupt practices and pervert nature of Kaliyug.] 733 ‘Oh King of Kaushal (Sri Ram—“kōsalarāya”), protect me, save me, take care of me (kariya sam̐bhāra). Besides your holy name (nāma bihāya), I don't have any other resource and no other recourse for obtaining succour, support and solace for myself (avalamba), nor do I have any ony other destination where I can go or from where I can expect any sort of welfare for myself (aura ṭhaura na aura gati). [To wit, Tulsidas says that the Lord’s holy name is his only support and protector.]1 [1 Refer for example verse no. 216, stanza no. 1 of this Book ‘Vinai Patrika’ in this context. There are umpteen numbers of verses on this theme.] (1). When you see your devotees you willingly use your discretionary authority and powers to take such care of their good, welfare and well-being that even their parents aren't able to do (būjhi apanī āpanō hitu āpa bāpa na māya). [To wit, though a parent loves his or her child very much and would leave no stone unturned to secure the child’s welfare and good, but no matter how hard they try no parent can give eternal peace and happiness to a creature, nor can they assure him of salvation and liberation from the bondage of this mundane, gross and temporal world. It is only Lord Ram who can do it for sure.] Oh Lord Ram! Your majesty’s holy name “RAM” (rāma! rā'ura nāma) is my only revered Guru (a teacher, preceptor, guide and advisor), my only God, my only Lord, Master, Friend and Helper or Assistant in times of need (gura, sura, svāmi, sakhā, sahāya) 2 . [ 2 This same idea is expressed in the epic “Ram Charit Manas”, (i) Ayodhya Kand, Doha no. 130 where sage Valmiki reiterates it; and (ii) Uttar Kand, Chaupai line no. 2 that precedes Doha no. 47 where the citizens of Ayodhya declare this fact unanimously. Refer also to verse no. 28, stanza no. 6; verse no. 77, stanza no. 2; verse no. 79, stanza no. 3; of this Book ‘Vinai Patrika’.] (2). In your kingdom known as ‘Rāmarāja’, it is said that anyone or any entity which has a malicious Mana (mind and heart) that is dark and tainted, a Mana that is characterised by negativities, deceit, corruption and evil tendencies that are morally and spiritually degrading, sinful, pervert and unscrupulous, cannot have any influence upon any creature and disturb anyone who lives in your kingdom (na calē mānasamalinakē chala chāya). But this coward Kaliyug (kalikāla kāyara) is so frustrated, so resentful, so indignant and so angered at his failure to spread his dark shadow of influence over your kingdom that he has decided to vent his ire and wreck vengeance upon me (kōpa tēhi) because he finds me too timid, weak and humble to resist him and oppose his merciless attacks upon me. So he is thrashing me and inflicting immense pain upon me (i.e. tormenting me by trying to impose his negativities and evil characters upon me, and forcing me to fall in line with his desires) inspite of the fact that I am already in a miserable state (mu'ēhi ghālata ghāya) 3 . [ 3 Now since Kaliyug has the spiritually tormenting characteristics as outlined above and he feels oppressed and neglected in your kingdom—because he can’t confront you and disobey your laws and regulations, and therefore he can’t have his way and prey upon innocent creatures who live in your kingdom so as to expand his family of the corrupt and the sinful—he has become very frustrated, angry and agitated. 734 Unable to oppose you and expand his field of influence on the people who have surrendered before you and have got your protection, i.e. those who are your devotees and servants, and thereby unable to propagate his family of the corrupt and the sinful, he has decided to vent his ire upon me whom he finds be too timid, weak and humble to resist him and stand against his high-handedness. Therefore, this wicked fellow Kaliyug is striking me hard; he is eying me angrily and scornfully, hurting and tormenting me endlessly inspite of the fact that I am already in a miserable and pitiable state. This situation has aggravated my pain and agony immensely. This rascal of a fellow Kaliyug is highly immoral and unscrupulous; he has no pity upon even the most helpless persons like me; he is of a most vile and sinful nature; he is of an extremely pervert mind that is full of corruption, treachery, malevolence and capriciousness. He has become so arrogant, bold and reckless that he is not even afraid of the fact that I live in your kingdom, that I have submitted myself before Lord Ram and have already made a plea before his majesty to protect me against Kaliyug, and that the Lord is so merciful that when he comes to learn how Kaliyug is tormenting me he is bound to punish him severely. Kaliyug is a “coward” because he is not able to confront you and resist your orders directly; in fact he flees when he sees you, and he refrains from disturbing those who have your protection. But inspite of this cowardice and appearance of obeying you, look oh Lord, what is he doing to me? Now therefore, it has become imperative for you to intervene and stop this wicked fellow from making me suffer more.] (3). Oh Lord, like a jackal that kills a harmless and humble frog, who is unable to resist him (bhēka hani gōmāya), to avenge its anger at the lion (lēta kēharikō bayara jyōṁ), this fellow Kaliyug has drubbed and tormented me gravely, he has hurt me deeply (nikāma dēta kudāya), because he knows me to be your servant (devotee, follower, subordinate or dependant) (tyōnhi rāma-gulāma jāni) 4 . [ 4 Here, Kaliyug is compared to a ‘Jackal’, Lord Ram to the ‘Lion’, and Tulsidas to the poor ‘Frog’. Kaliyug has a problem with you, Lord Ram. He is very spiteful, vehemently opposed and full of malice towards you, but he cannot do any harm to you, so he is tormenting this wretched and weak fellow Tulsidas in your stead because he finds me too weak to oppose him.] (4). Even the great king Parikshit, who now resides happily in the exalted abode of the Lord God (in heaven) (sukhī haripura basata hōta parīchitahi), is lamenting and is full of regret (pachitāya) on hearing his (Kaliyug's) deceitful, evil, treacherous, pervert, capricious, recklessly and unscrupulous deeds, numerous misdemeanours, unlawful and unrighteous behaviour, and the various hurdles that he puts in the path followed by the saints and those who are noble and righteous (akani yākē kapaṭakarataba, amita anaya-apāya) 5 . [ 5 The story of Parikshit is narrated in brief at the end of this verse—and marked *. He regrets that he had shown mercy on Kaliyug when he had caught him at the end of Dwapar-Yug and the beginning of Kalilyug, and had let him off instead of slaying him right then. Had the king then killed Kaliyug, the havoc and the misery he is creating in the present time would have been avoided.] (5). 735 Oh Lord who is an ocean of mercy and munificence (kṛpāsindhu)! Have a kind, compassionate, benign and merciful glance at me (bilōkiyē) so that the troubles and agonies tormenting the mind and heart of this servant of yours are calmed down (jana-manakī sām̐sati sāya). Oh the one who is benevolent and munificent towards the wretched, the deprived, the downtrodden and the lowly (dīnadayālu)! Oh Lord (dēva)! I have come to take refuge at your holy feet (sarana āyō) so that I may have your Darshan (holy viewing; holy sight) (dēkhana pāya) (6). If you have taken pity on him (i.e. Kaliyug) so much so that you do not wish to summon him to put a leash on his evil ways (his mischief, his misdemenours and his reckless behaviour—“nikaṭa bōli na barajiyē”), or to punish him severely by slaying him (i.e. vanquishing him altogether) because he would, in all probability, cry pitifully before you in a distressed voice, begging for mercy (haniya na hāya)—then oh Lord, in this situation my humble plea and earnest submission before you (bali jā'um̐) is that you should at least quietly signal Hanuman to warn Kaliyug to mend his ways. At your hint, Hanuman would glare sternly at his (Kaliyug’s) face with a contemptuous scorn and a fierce scowl (dēkhihaiṁ hanumāna) even as a lion looks at the face of a cow (gōmukha nāharanikē n'yāya) 6 . [ 6 Tulsidas guesses that since Lord Ram is exceptionally gracious and merciful, he is probably reluctant to take any stern action against Kaliyug because the latter is also one of the Lord’s subjects. People of varying nature, different characters and diverse qualities reside in a great king’s kingdom, and all of them are his equal subjects whom the king is expected to deal with friendliness, equanimity, mercy and justice. So is the case with Kaliyug. Perhaps Lord Ram takes pity on him because the Lord has a soft corner in his heart for those subjects of his kingdom who are lowly, fallen and devoid of any goodness. Even Tulsidas has acknowledged this great quality of the Lord that he is especially kind to the lowly, the wretched and the sinful—for instance, refer verse no. 215, stanza no. 1, and verse no. 216, stanza no. 5 of this book Vinai Patrika. Its alright then, says Tulsidas, for the Lord not to severely punish Kaliyug for his evil nature and misdemeanours because the Lord takes pity on him when he cries “Oh Lord, alas, I am too sinful to be cast away by you; where will I go if even you throw me away from your kingdom?”, just like the way Tulsidas himself pleads before the Lord—refer verse no. 217, stanza no. 6 herein above in this book Vinai Patrika. But at the same time, Lord Ram must also keep in view the way Kaliyug is horrifying Tulsidas. Say, how would a just king react if he finds that someone in his kingdom is causing immense hardship and suffering to others even though the king may have pardoned this tormentor for his evil nature in some time in the past. A prudent king may not directly punish the offending subject, but he can at least direct one of his senior ministers to take the matter up and teach this wayward subject some good lesson so that he would mend his ways, and threaten him with severe punishment if he won’t. Likewise, Lord Ram can signal Hanuman, his most trusted and able aide, to warn Kaliyug to stop his mischief and desist from tormenting those who are humble, helpless and hapless like Tulsidas.] (7). [Having got a signal from you, and having taken cognizance of the pervert, deceitul, cunning, evil, vile and unscrupulous nature of Kaliyug and the horrifying deeds done 736 by him—) When Hanuman will make his face red (aruna mukha), his eyebrows curved menacingly (bhrū bikaṭa), and the yellow of his eyes turned into red with anger, contempt and hate for him (Kaliyug) (piṅgala nayana rōṣa-kaṣāya), then by mere remembrance of (or vision of) such a ferocious and stern feature of the brave ‘Son of the Wind God’ (i.e. Hanuman) (bīra sumiri samīrakō), all the enthusiasm and zeal that this fickle minded, unstable and irreverent fellow Kaliyug has for creating mischief, nuisance and trouble would simply vanish (ghaṭihai capala cita cāya) 7 .’ [ 7 To wit, as soon as Kaliyug sees the angry face of Hanuman, he would lose his wits and forget all his tricks, his crookedness, his perversities, turpitudes and wickedness—for he knows very well how unforgiving Hanuman is against those who torment the devotees of Lord Ram and the followers of the path of righteousness and noble conduct.] (8). Tulsidas says that when Lord Ram heard his prayers and arguments, the Lord smiled (binaya suni biham̐sē) and explained to his yonger brother Laxman the implications of all that I have said (and how clever I was) (anujasōṁ bacanakē kahi bhāya). At this, Laxman laughed and said, ‘Yes, what Tulsidas says is correct.’ (‘bhalī kahī’ kahyō laṣana hūm̐ ham̐si) That was enough; my purpose was served (banē sakala banāya). [To wit, I had achieved success in my endeavour to put a leash on this miscreant Kaliyug and teach him a lesson. At least now I can be assured that my torments and miseries caused in the hands of Kaliyug will stop fortwith, and so will the torments and tribulations of all other devotees of Lord Sri Ram whom Kaliyug subjects to immense suffering.] (9). The news that justice has been done to this wretched and humble Tulsidas who was terrified and tormented by Kaliyug spread far and wide (da'ī dīnahiṁ dādi). It made all the households of saintly people erupt in joy even as they sang their thanks for the Lord (sō suni sujana-sadana badhāya). [All saintly people now felt happy that their sorrows, miseries and worries caused by Kaliyug would now end.] The swarming hordes of sorrows, miseries, tribulations, worries, deceit, conceit, perversions, treachery, sins, vices, evils, faults, crimes etc. (saṅkaṭa-sōca, pōca-prapan̄ca, pāpa-nikāya)—all of them were eliminated (miṭē). [To wit, all these negative influences of Kaliyug hid from the devotees of Lord Sri Ram, the saints and pious people; they stopped tormenting them any further.] (10). Tulsidas says (dāsatulasī kahata) that when the exalted sages, hermits and saintly people (munigana) observed Lord Ram showing such grace and selfless affection on his servant and devotee (i.e. on Tulsidas) (pēkhi prīti-pratīti janapara aguna anagha abhāya), all of them felt extremely happy and exhilarated; they exulted in joy and proclaimed “Glory to the Lord who possesses such excellent virtues and noble characters that has made him immensely famous and aquire matchless honour and respect in the world. Hail him and his famed glories!” (‘jayati jaya urugāya’) (11). [Note—*5 Kaliyug and king Parikshit: King Parikshit (the grandson of Arjun) was hunting in a deep forest at the fag end of Dwapar Yug when he saw a dark savage looking man chasing a cow and a lame bull. On enquiry, it transpired that the man was Kaliyug, the cow was mother earth and the bull was Dharma. The king drew his 737 sword to slay the persecutor Kaliyug when the latter fell at the king's feet pleading mercy and forgiveness. Being righteous and merciful, the king stopped short in his tracks because killing of a refugee was highly unrighteous, and excused him. The savage and cunning Kaliyug extracted a promise from him that he could stay at 14 specific places, and one among them was gold. The king had a crown of gold, so the treacherous, wicked rascal (Kaliyug) immediately leapt and hid there, thereby corrupting the intellect, wisdom and discriminatory power of the king. On the way back, he passed by the hermitage of a sage in deep meditation. When the latter did not answer the king's calls, the by-now pervert and corrupted king put a dead serpent around the sage's neck in derision and to mock him. The sage's son cursed the king that he would die of a snake's bite on the 7th day. The king was full of remorse and lamented; so, in order to obtain redemption, he heard the recitation of the Srimad Bhagwat for 7 consecutive days and attained heaven. This is how Kaliyug managed to survive and unleash a reign of most unrighteous, unscrupulous demeanours and reckless sins, turpitudes and vices which have shackled, pilloried, tormented as well as polluted and defiled mankind even till this date.

bharōsō jāhi dūsarō sō karō. mōkō tō rāmakō nāma kalapataru kali kalyāna pharō. 1. karama upāsana, gyāna, bēdamata, sō saba bhām̐ti kharō. mōhi tō ‘sāvanakē andhahi’ jyōṁ sūjhata raṅga harō. 2. cāṭata rahyō svāna pātari jyōṁ kabahum̐ na pēṭa bharō. sō hauṁ sumirata nāma-sudhārasa pēkhata parusi dharō. 3. svāratha au paramāratha hū kō nahi kun̄jarō-narō. 749 suniyata sētu payōdhi paṣānani kari kapi-kaṭaka tarō. 4. prīti-pratīti jahām̐ jākī, taham̐ tākō kāja sarō. mērē tō māya-bāpa dō'u ākhara, hauṁ sisu-arani arō. 5. saṅkara sākhi jō rākhi kahauṁ kachu tau jari jīha garō. apanō bhalō rāma-nāmahi tē tulasihi samujhi parō. 6. Verse no. 226—[This verse further elaborates on the idea expressed in the preceding verse no. 225—that Tulsidas relies exclusively on Lord Ram for all his worldly needs and spiritual goals. He does not seek anything from anyone else.] If anyone wants, then let him go anywhere else to seek and find support, succour, solace and reliance from anyone he chooses (bharōsō jāhi dūsarō sō karō). As for me (Tulsidas), Lord Sri Ram's holy name is like a Kalpa Tree in Kaliyug as it bears fruits of auspiciousness, welfare and all round well-beings (mōkō tō rāmakō nāma kalapataru kali kalyāna pharō) 1 . [ 1 To wit, it is only by the good effects of the holy name of Lord Ram that I have become respected, honoured and praised in this world. I can now claim emancipation and salvation for myself, something that evaded me throughout my different births. Though I am totally worthless otherwise and possess aught naught anything that can be regarded as being meritorious, but it is the positive effects of the Lord’s holy name that I can now say with confidence that I have a standing in this world, that I have a direct contact with the Lord who is the redeemer of the soul of all, and that I have finally found abiding peace and tranquility for myself and my soul.] (1). Though it is true that the different paths for one’s spiritual well-being and liberation that have been enumerated and sanctioned in the Vedas (bēdamata), such as ‘Karma’, ‘Upasana’ and ‘Gyan’2 (karama upāsana, gyāna) are all true and effective in every respect (sō saba bhām̐ti kharō), but for me they are all useless and meaningless like a man who becomes blind after having seen the greenery of the rainy season (mōhi tō ‘sāvanakē andhahi’ jyōṁ sūjhata raṅga harō) 3 . [ 2 The word ‘Karma’ means doing meritorious deeds for one’s spiritual welfare. The word ‘Upasana’ means religious excercises such as offering of prayers, worship, devotion etc. that one undertakes for attaining his spiritual goals. And the word ‘Gyan’ refers to acquisition of wisdom and true knowledge for achieving the same goal. Tulsidas asserts that it is true that all these spiritual paths as outlined in the Vedas and other scriptures are definitely correct and effective, there is no doubt about it, but for him they mean nothing, for he has decided to rely upon Lord Ram and his holy name for all his worldly as well as spiritual needs and goals in life. 3 A man who suddenly becomes blind after the rainy season will always remember the sight of the picturesque green fields, the trees laden with green leaves, colourful flowers and fruits, and the vibrant colours of Nature that he had last seen before he lost his sights. So even during the winter season or during droughts, if someone asks him to describe his surroundings, he would always cite the last scene of greenery he had seen before losing his sight. Tulsidas alludes to this metaphor to mean that he has become virtually ‘blind’ to, or un-interested in, all other means and sources that can help a person to attain spiritual welfare. He has chosen to rely exclusively on the mystical powers of the holy name of Lord Ram for all his spiritual as well as temporal needs. 750 Tulsidas avers that just like a blind man, who has lost his eyesight during the rainy season, sees or imagines that there is no other colour except green—the last colour he saw before becoming blind, so likewise he too sees no other help or succour for himself from any quarter other than Sri Ram.] (2). Earlier I had roamed about like a dog who licks at discarded platters of food (cāṭata rahyō svāna pātari jyōṁ), but my hunger was never satisfied (kabahum̐ na pēṭa bharō). But today I see nectar in front of me by virtue of remembering and chanting Lord Sri Ram's name so much so that I can partake of this nectar as much as I want (sō hauṁ sumirata nāma-sudhārasa pēkhata parusi dharō) 4 . [ 4 Tulsidas says that though he had enjoyed reasonable comforts in life earlier but he had never found permanent contentment and an abiding sense of fulfilment anywhere at any time. Though he had had happiness and joy on many occasions, but they were all transient and gross in nature. True and complete happiness, joy, bliss and tranquility of a sublime nature had always eluded me. Now he feels so fortunate that just by remembering the Lord's holy name, he has discovered an eternal fount of bliss and beatitude as if a bowl of sweet nectar had been offered to him on a platter. In other words, liberation, deliverance, emancipation and salvation is there for him for the asking. He can access them whenever he so wishes. But he says that at present he wishes to enjoy sucking and sipping at the sweet nectar of bliss and contentedness that comes with remembering the Lord and his holy name.] (3). For me, Lord Sri Ram's holy name is a means to serve both my ends—i.e. it serves my interests in this temporal world by making me happy and blissful, and at the same time it ensures my spiritual welfare by providing me with the reward of the final liberation and deliverance from the bondage of this world and the endless cycle of transmigration of my soul (svāratha au paramāratha hū kō). In all sooth and without gainsay, I am very definite and positive about what I say; it is not like the confusion that was created (during the epic war of the Mahabharat) when it was declared that ‘an elephant’ had been killed in the battle-field (nahi kun̄jarō-narō)#5 . [#5 This alludes to the incident in Mahabharat war when cunning, treachery and half-truths were used to cheat the opposing side. An elephant whose name resembled that of a warrior named Aswathama was killed, and it was made to appear that the warrior himself had died.This story is outlined in brief at the end of this verse.] I have heard about the marvellous mystical powers and the tremendous potentials of the holy name of the Lord (Ram) that says that the monkey-army had constructed a wonderous floating bridge of stones (boulders) on the mighty ocean and had crossed it effortlessly (to reach the demon capital of Lanka). (suniyata sētu payōdhi paṣānani kari kapi-kaṭaka tarō) 6 . [ 6 The holy name of Lord Ram was etched by Hanuman, the monkey warrior, on each stone before it was was thrown on the water of the ocean. Instead of sinking, these stones floated to form a bridge from the shore of the mainland to the island capital of Lanka where the demons had ensnared Sita, the wife of Lord Ram. The most remarkable and astonishing thing is the fact that the ferocious and turbulent ocean, with its powerful buffeting, heaving and splashing waves that could even capsize huge ships or turn them turtle, could not dismantle this bridge. The ocean was forced to be tamed itself. Such is the glory of the Lord's holy name that heavy 751 boulders could float on the rough and choppy waters of the ocean as if they were light planks of wood or small balls of paper.] (4). It is said that a person is able to achieve what he desires if he has a firm faith and conviction in the path he adopts or follows for the fulfilment of his desired goal. This will be possible only when he loves and enjoys the path he follows (and does not treat it as a burden thrust upon him)—because then he won’t be distracted, and his faith and commitment would help him to achieve success (prīti-pratīti jahām̐ jākī, taham̐ tākō kāja sarō). Following this principle I can say honestly and with conviction that for me the two syllables ‘Ra’ and ‘Ma’ of Lord Sri Ram's holy name “RAM” are like my parents (the former representing my ‘father’ and the latter representing my ‘mother’) (mērē tō māya-bāpa dō'u ākhara) 7 . [ 7 To wit, I am so firm in my beliefs and convinced beyond doubt that the holy name of Lord Ram will surely and certainly take good care of me and all my needs, whether related to my welfare in this temporal world or to the welfare of my spiritual future. This being the case, I need not follow any other paths as devised by the Vedas and outlined in stanza no. 2 herein above.] This is the reason why I have determined to stubbornly remain at the holy feet of Lord Ram just like a child stubbornly seeks something from his parent and refuses to move away till his wishes are granted (hauṁ sisu-arani arō) 8 . [ 8 To wit, I will stick to my demand of seeking liberation and deliverance by the virtue of the grace of Lord Ram and his holy name, and would not divert my mind and attention from my goal no matter what temptations are proffered to me. I wot naught aught else; I know of no other Lord or spiritual paths other than this.] (5). If I tell a lie or have any kind of pretensions, deceit and falsehood when I say what I say, or if I conceal anything, then honestly, with Lord Shiva as a witness (saṅkara sākhi jō rākhi kahauṁ kachu), let my tongue get either be burnt or fall out in guilt (tau jari jīha garō) 9 . [ 9 To wit, what I have been saying in all these verses are not merely fanciful flights of my imagination as a poet who would be inclined to employ hyperbole to say what he wishes to say, but it is an expression of the actual state of affairs.] I (Tulsidas) have come to understand and am convinced that my welfare, my wellbeing and my good lies only with the holy name of Lord Sri Ram (apanō bhalō rāma-nāmahi tē tulasihi samujhi parō) (6). [Note—#5 The story of Aswathama: During the Mahabharat war, Dronacharya was fighting ferociously on behalf of the Kaurav's and started creating havoc in the Pandava army. It was felt necessary to kill him, but Arjun refused because the former had been his teacher. So, Krishna used a trick. He asked Bheem to kill an elephant called Aswathama, which also happened to be the name of Dronacharya's son whom he loved dearly. When the news reached him, in order to confirm its veracity, Dronacharya asked Yudhisthir, who was renownd for his truthfulness. The latter replied, 'Aswathama had died, man or elephant....' But before the words ‘or elephant’ could be pronounced , Krishna blew his conch so loudly that the words were inaudible to Dronacharya. Shocked at the possiblility of the death of his beloved son, he fainted. Then Dhrista Ghumna (/k`"V ?kqEu) cut off his head. Ever since this event, the phrase ‘Ashwathama, man or elephant’ has been used to denote ‘half truths’, or deceitful, cunning, tricky utterances and dubious behaviour.]