Sacrifices and Glory of Arjuna and Roland

¶ … violence in Bhagavad Gita and the Song of Roland

In contrast to current conceptions of violence as problematic, in ancient societies violence was an accepted part of daily life and acting violently was even seen as a heroic attribute. In the Bhagavad Gita, the struggles of the central protagonist Arjuna with Krishna are portrayed as a dialogue between Man and God. Arjuna despairs at his fate at having to kill his relatives during a time of war. It is the man Arjuna who is reticent about the violence while Krishna urges him on to do his dharma or purpose in life. "This is precisely Arjuna's dilemma: to conform to his inherent duty as a warrior and fight and by doing so slaughter his enemies that are also his kinsman, or to lay down his arms and disrupt the natural and social order" (xiv). The text of the Bhagavad Gita clearly supports the idea that Arjuna should go forth and fight: Krishna tells Arjuna to act without attachment to the fruits of his decision, thus experiencing the spiritual benefits of renunciation without shirking his duty (xiv).

This concept clearly illustrates that the social framework of Indian society did not renounce violence as a precondition for spirituality but rather recognized reacting violently as a necessary part of the living conditions of the era. Violence is not celebrated as glorious but to shirk one's duty was not commendable either. Arjuna's dilemma also reflects the Hindu caste system whereby certain individuals were given purer class status and assumed to have a duty to perform religious practices that others did not (the Brahmans) while those of the warrior class were not expected to mimic the customs or assume the obligations of the Brahmans any more than the members of the trades would be expected to fight like a warrior. What is permanent about the self cannot kill or be killed and thus detaching from the action means that one is not subjected to the negative consequences of the action. Instead of thinking "I am a violent person" or "I am a great warrior because I kill," Arjuna must simply perform the actions he must perform in a cool and dispassionate manner.

The Song of Roland similarly depicts a hierarchical society structured upon mutual obligations, in this instance between lords and vassals in feudal Europe. Roland owes a feudal obligation to Charlemagne and Charlemagne owes an obligation to God. Roland is portrayed as a great warrior, even though he eventually commits a fatal sin of pride by refusing to blow the Oliphant and ask for help from the rest of the Frankish army when ambushed. This results in the smaller Frankish forces being overcome by the godless Saracens. Yet despite this, Roland upon his death (after he does indeed finally blow the Oliphant) is taken straight away to heaven. His folly of pride does not cancel out his greatness as a warrior.

Emotionally, Roland undergoes even fewer conflicts than Arjuna. Arjuna recognizes that the opposing forces he is fighting are human beings, as they are his blood relations. Roland, on the other hand, does not see any humanity in the Saracens because they are non-Christians. Arjuna is a reluctant warrior who, under the tutelage of Krishna, eventually detaches from the idea that 'he' is the one performing the actions: he is not the reason the world is caught in a cycle of violence -- that is the nature of karma. Violence is not so much celebrated as it is accepted (although to shirk one's duty is a grievous thing and not to be celebrated as pacifism). Roland views the Saracens as mortal enemies and is, in fact, willing to try to fight them himself, however unwise this may seem, an action which almost results in his side losing the battle. However, because of Roland's greatness as a warrior, he is rewarded rather than punished for this action.

The societies portrayed in both ancient epics clearly seem more violent than the one we inhabit today, although it is important to remember that there are many societies outside of our own in the world which are equally as violent (and within our own society, there are pockets of violence which exist within many subcultures). A world in which people could 'opt out' of battle was simply not a feasible way of living, hence the celebration of the sacrifices and glory of Arjuna and Roland in their respective epics. This shows how necessity interacted with morality in these societies: violence was necessary to survive, but it was contained within various ideological systems so it was not indulged in to a completely unmanageable extent. Although Arjuna and Roland are great warriors, their greatness does not reside alone in their ability to fight but also the ideals they embody -- reflective contemplation even on the battlefield in the case of Arjuna and holy Christian service in the case of Roland.