1. A Brahmin’s head. A teacher’s head. The worst crime in Vedic society. But it was done. For dharma, said Krishna. But is it right, we ask? To lie.To kill an unarmed man. How can Krishna recommend such a dastardly act?
Yes - Because a Brahmin is a Brahmin till he keeps himself to Teaching. The moment he started fighting/killing men - he lost his right to protection.
Bhima abuses Drona as " A Brahmin - who is fighting" .
2. Drupada laughed and said, You cannot hold me to statements made when we were children.The situation is different now. We cannot be friends because friendship exists only between equals. You are a Brahmin and I am a king. I can either give you dakshina, fees for your services. Or I can give you daan, charity. Don’t expect me to treat you differently because we were once friends.
Correct - Drona stopped thinking that he is Brahmin right from the begining. As per rule he has to do his 6 duties 1) Learning 2) Teaching 3) Doing Yagas for welfare of the world 4) Doing Yagas for Others 5) Begging - strictly for doing Yagas 6) Distributing the balance wealth to the needy
Refer the Purananooru song on Parppan Kaunian Vinnanthaayan.
Drona Skipped that dharma also.
3. This cruel act is justified on grounds that the caste hierarchy had to be respected.
No way. Drona was more worried that a person better than Arjuna will help Drupada. That is the reason for his dislike for Ekalyva.His own vengence was more importatnt for him.
This why our epics are interesting. They say the Truth as such - whether it is Rama or Krishna or Udishtra.
Drona did not stop fighting when he heard that Aswathama is dead. He continued fighting. Only when the Sapta Rishis came and told him that he was he not fighting but massacaring people and leading Adharma to victory, He left down his arms and sat on meditation, only for Dritadumya to come down and cut his head !!
Krishna asking Yudhitra to say a lie that Aswathama is dead is nothing but adding to the pathos scene by the later sutas. Can Refer Dhirendranath Pal on this.
It is true Krishna breaks his promises and breaks some conventions, but that is only for saving Dharma.
When Mahatma Gandhiji was in Santiniketan, a student asked him to give her a thought for the day in her note, Gandhiji wrote like this "Never make promise in a haste, and if you make it keep it at the cost of your life !" Tagore who was standing with him, immediately got the Notebook and wrote like this 'Fling away your promise if it is found to be wrong" Krishna's attitude was the second one.