Depending upon the maturity and understanding ability of the individual concerned in grasping the true purpose of the EPIC Mahabharata, one can draw conclusion as to why the Kauravas lost, despite having an overwhelming army with them, the war.
One can put forward arguments that
- Bhishma and Drona did not fight to their full capacity and with their heart in winning the war
- Bhishma was not protected properly
- Karna did not participate for the first 10 days of the war
- Karna was afflicted with curses in the nick of the moment
and so on and so forth.
——
According to my understanding the above arguments or any other supplementary arguments cover only the peripheral part.
The main reason lies elsewhere.
——
If we pay attention to what Sage Krishna Dwaipayana or Vyasa, who composed the EPIC Jaya Samhita - the original version of Mahabharata, said to Gandhari after the war, we can realise as to what was the cause of the defeat of the Kauravas.
After the war, when Gandhari was weeping, Sage Vyasa consoles her and advises to forgive Pandavas, as follows:
उक्तास्यष्टादशाहानि पुत्रेण जयमिच्छता । शिवमाशास्स्व मे मातर्युध्यमानस्य शत्रुभिः ॥
सा तथा याच्यमाना त्वं काले काले जयैषिणा । उक्तवत्यसि गान्धारि यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः ॥
न चाप्यतीतां गान्धारि वाचं ते वितथामहम् । स्मरामि भाषमाणायास्तथा प्रणिहिता ह्यसि ॥
सा त्वं धर्मं परिस्मृत्य वाचा चोक्त्वा मनस्विनि । कोपं संयच्छ गान्धारि मैवं भूः सत्यवादिनि ॥
For eighteen days, your son, eager for triumph, pleaded with you daily during the battle: "Mother, bless me as I fight my enemies." Every day, he sought your blessing with such words, and your constant reply was: "Victory lies where righteousness dwells!"
Gandhari, I recall no instance where your words proved false. Therefore, the words you spoke to Duryodhana at his urging must hold true. You always seek the welfare of all beings. Undoubtedly, the Pandavas have crossed the sea of battle and certainly won both victory and a greater measure of righteousness.
You once valued forgiveness; why abandon it now? Conquer unrighteousness, you who understand righteousness. Victory lies where righteousness prevails. Remember your righteousness and your own pronouncements; restrain your anger, Gandhari! Do not deviate from this path, you of fair speech.
The above words of Sage Vyasa explains everything:
- Though Duryodhana deviated from the path of Dharma, his mother Gandhari never deviated from that.
- Duryodhana sought Gandhari’s blessing everyday and each day Gandhari’s blessing was “यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः - Victory lies where righteousness dwells!”
—-
Hence, Gandhari was physically on Kauravas side, but her blessings were given to the side, which stood for Dharma - Righteousness.
We have to remember that at the end of the war, when Kauravas lost everyone, even the Pandavas were not left with great army. The number of warriors survived on Pandavas side was 10,000 warriors, 2,000 Chariots, 700 Elephants,and 5,000 Horses, out of 7 Akshauhinis.
रथानां द्वे सहस्रे तु सप्त नागशतानि च । पञ्च चाश्वसहस्राणि पत्तीनां च शतं शताः ॥
एतच्छेषमभूद्राजन्पाण्डवानां महद्बलम् ।
Even the above balance army was eliminated by Ashwatthama on the 18th day night.
—-
So, as per the blessings of Gandhari, Pandavas won the war, but lost everything.
