From Mahabharata to Iran

Soulless politicians often seem to believe that diplomacy is nothing more than a matter of deception and manipulation. What is particularly troubling, however, is the decision of Donald Trump to send two ideologically driven representatives — fresh from meetings with well-known Israeli leaders — to negotiate with Iran. Convinced that he can impose his will through force and intimidation, he shows little interest in building a balanced compromise, even though such compromise is the very foundation of diplomacy between responsible nations.

This historical sequence brings to my mind an episode from the Mahabharata, which I would like to place in parallel.

As preparations for the Kurukshetra War are underway, Duryodhana makes one final attempt to persuade his opponents, the Pandavas, to renounce the conflict and return to the forest.

“O King Yudhishthira, I am Uluka, son of Shakuni. My duty is to convey the words of King Duryodhana exactly as they were entrusted to me. I add nothing of my own, nor of anyone else’s.

— Speak as you should. We are listening.

— O King Yudhishthira, you and your brothers have taken solemn vows that you will find very difficult to fulfill. For all these years, you have presented yourself as a man devoted to Dharma. But today, how do you intend to abandon this prestigious identity in order to wage an unjust war?

Did you not lose everything by your own hand in the game of dice? Did you not acknowledge and accept that defeat? Did you not accept its consequences according to the rules of the warrior class? Do not be a sore loser. Why do you now insist on reclaiming these possessions by force, you who claim to stand for Dharma?

This war will not be child’s play. It will cost the lives of millions of human beings. Make no mistake: this conflict is not of my making; it is not my choice. You have imposed it upon a people who long for peace.

Today, you demand war. Yet only a few days ago, you claimed that five villages would satisfy you rather than bloodshed. Before that, you wanted nothing at all. You lost everything in the game — your kingdom, your dignity, your wife Draupadi, even your own life. You and your brothers then withdrew into the forest like hermits.

Tell me, then, so that everything is clear: what do you truly want? Are you certain that, even if you win this war, you will once again gamble away your empire and lose it? Do you really believe that the people long for such a king?

If justice were truly on your side, would you have asked, through the mediation of that cunning Krishna, for five villages in that shameful diplomatic episode? The problem is that you placed your trust in him… in vain, alas.

Even now, I am ready for peace — on one condition: that you agree to retire to the forest.”

Uluka then turns toward Krishna, who had been listening with the others, a faint smile on his lips.

“And you, Krishna, subtle enchanter that you are! You bewitched us all by diverting our minds toward what you called your ‘Universal Form,’ a mere hallucination. Let us now see whether you can perform that same magic trick on the battlefield…”

Facing my battle-hardened army, you may perform as many magic tricks as you wish. I, too, can create illusions — and far more enduring than yours. Your true talent lies in spreading inflated tales of heroism among naive and gullible crowds, not among rational men like myself. You live off baseless glory and blind admiration.

Those five followers of yours are nothing but eunuchs, poor wretches who will soon awaken from their illusions. Go tell that glutton Bhima, that oversized colossus with barely a trace of a mustache, that he is free to challenge Duryodhana to single combat on any day he chooses. Ask him who forced him to become a cook in Virata, if not Duryodhana himself. What became of his oath to break the thighs of the man who had wronged his wife Draupadi? Let him dare approach me!

Let him strike down all my brothers as he swore he would, if he truly has the courage. (Uluka now fixes Bhima with an unwavering gaze.) His so-called expertise is limited to cooking, eating, and other servile tasks. Everyone knows it now. Let the twins, and that eunuch who spent a year dancing in Virata’s harem, remember how we dared to humiliate their wife before their very eyes.

O King Yudhishthira, how could this war turn in your favor if you cannot defeat the invisible heroes of our camp? They are your true masters, literally. And yet you will fight against them, you who claim to be men of honor?

"If the deal we make is not a very fair and very good deal, then it is going to be a very difficult time for Iran." --Donald Trump

These politicians seem, curiously, to regard diplomacy as a matter of deception and manipulation. Yet what is most troubling is Trump’s decision to send two ideologically driven representatives —who had just returned from meetings with “well-known” Israeli leaders, Revisionist Zionists of the worst kind— to negotiate with Iran. Convinced that he can impose his will through force and intimidation, he shows little interest in building a balanced compromise, which is nevertheless the very foundation of diplomacy among responsible nations.
(Yet even in the business world he comes from, where economic interests are at stake, people often show greater flexibility when negotiations become difficult. Still, one must actually be willing to negotiate!)

Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, journalist Rick Sanchez interviewed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and asked him the following question:

“What would be your retaliatory strategy if the United States attacked your country?”
— We would defend ourselves.
— How?
— (Hesitant.) You know how.
— Would you attack American bases in the Gulf countries?
— We would attack the United States, their interests, and their facilities—everything they own in our neighborhood.
— You seem almost uncomfortable saying this. Are you?
— Uncomfortable? No, I am not uncomfortable. The only point is that I do not want to express something that I do not wish to see happen. Of course, I am a man of diplomacy and dialogue. I am a man of negotiation, and everyone knows me. I have done it in the past, and I can do it again. I am not a man of war, even though I am myself a war veteran. My country and our armed forces are fully prepared for any eventuality, but my preference is for diplomacy.

From here, we can go back to our story with the emissary of Duryodhana, Uluka.

More here: Lies and wars, politics and devotees — a potpourri of thoughts