Sanjaya

Sanjaya (Sanskrit: संजय, meaning "victory") or Sanjaya Gavalgani is a character from the epic Mahabharata. In Mahabharata—an epic poem of war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas—the blind king Dhritarashtra is the father of the principals of the Kaurava side. Sanjaya, equal to sage was born from the portions of Rishi Gavalgana (Adi Parva, Chapter 68, Verse 93), and was Dhritarashtra's advisor and charioteer. Sanjaya was a disciple of sage Krishna Dwaipayana Veda Vyasa and was immensely devoted to his master, King Dhritarashtra.

Sanjaya was telling Dhritarashtra every thing that was taking place in the battle-field without leaving even the smallest events in the order of their occurrence. Sanjaya was able to do this because of the boon granted by Vyasa. When the armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas pitched their camps on either side of the battlefield, Veda Vyasa came to Hastinapura and saw Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra heard about the preparations on either side for the battle. He did not like to go to the battle-field and see for himself the events of the battle. He said so to Vyasa. Then Vyasa called Sanjaya to him and said "Sanjaya shall see all the events of the battle directly. He shall have such a divine inward eye." Vyasa continued. "O king ! Sanjaya has inward eyes. He will tell you everything about the battle. He will be knowing all. Whenever he thinks of it he will see everything that takes place in the day and in the night in open, and in secret. No weapon will cut him and no weariness will affect him. He is the son of Gavalgana and will come away unhurt from the battle." (Bhishma Parva, Mahabharata).

Before this great war broke out, Sanjaya had gone to Yudhishtira as the Ambassador of Kauravas to negotiate on behalf of them and advises both Yudhishtira and Dhritarashtra against the war (Udyoga Parva, Mahabharata).

During the war, Sanjaya had the unpleasant duty of breaking the news to Dhritarashtra, of the fall of all his army commanders in chiefs (Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and Shalya) as well as the death of Dhritarashtra’s hundred sons at the hands of Bhima at different points of time in the battle, and offers the sorrowing king solace in his darkest hours. Despite Sanjaya's devotion to Dhritarashtra, he never hid any of the violence from him and is known to be brutally frank in his recital of the day's battle events and his own opinions, which usually would predict the utter destruction of the Kauravas at the hands of the Pandavas. Almost the entire war-Books (Bhishma Parva, Drona Parva, Karna Parva, Shalya Parva) were narrated to Dhritarashtra by Sanjaya.

When Duryodhana was killed, the cry of Ashvatthama grew louder. Sanjaya who heard this cry early in the morning, ran to the battlefield with a broken heart. With the death of Duryodhana the boon of inward eye given to Sanjaya by Vyasa was lost. (Chapter 9, Sauptika Parva, Mahabharata).

In the Bhagavad Gita, passages often start with the Sanskrit words "Sanjaya uvāca:" ("Sanjaya said:"). The entire Bhagavad Gita is Sanjay's recital to Dhritarashtra of the conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. Sanjaya was the first person apart from Arjuna to listen to the Gita as it was being instructed.

Other important occasions when Sanjaya played a role are listed as under:

1. During the Rajasuya Yajna of Yudhishtira, Sanjaya stood as the host and received the guests and showed them hospitality (Chapter 35, Verse 6, Sabha Parva, Mahabharata).
2. When the Pandavas were defeated in the game of dice and were sent to the forest, Sanjaya came to Dhritarashtra and reviled him. (Chapter 81, Verse 5, Sabha Parva).
3. There was an argument between Vidura and Dhritarashtra after the Pandavas were exiled, and in a fit of anger, Dhritarashtra asked Vidura to go away to the Pandavas. But, after repenting his angry words, Dhritarashtra sent Sanjaya to get back Vidura, who had reached the Pandavas in the Kamyaka forest (Chapter 6, Verse 5, Vana Parva).
4. Sanjaya narrated the details of how the Vrishnis led by Krishna and Balarama, the Panchalas led by Dhristadyumna and the Pandavas vowed to kill the Kauravas, then the Pandavas were living in the Kamyaka forest (Chapter 51, Verse 15, Vana Parva).
5. Sanjaya went to the court of the Pandavas and conveyed Dhritarashtra’s message to them (Chapter 25, Udyoga Parva).
6. Sanjaya who had returned from the court of the Pandavas, brought back the message from the Pandavas and reproached him much (Chapter 32, Verse 11, Udyoga Parva).
7. Sanjaya repeated the message of Arjuna in the court of the Kauravas (Udyoga Parva, Chapter 48).
8. Sanjaya told Dhritarashtra, who the prominent helpers of Yudhishthira, were (Udyoga Parva, Chapter 50).
9. Sanjaya advised Dhritarashtra to put Duryodhana under control (Udyoga Parva, Chapter 54).
10. Sanjaya gave Duryodhana a description of the horses and the chariots of the Pandavas (Udyoga Parva, Chapter 56, Verse 7).
11. Sanjaya described to Dhritarashtra the greatness of Sri Krishna (Udyoga Parva, Chapters 68-70).
12. Sanjaya told Dhritarashtra the fact that the Pandavas and the Kauravas had pitched their tents in the battlefield of Kurukshetra (Udyoga Parva, Chapter 159, Verse 8).
13. At this time Vyasa came there and gave Sanjaya the boon that he would see directly every thing that took place in the battlefield and would inform Dhritarashtra (Bhishma Parva, Chapter 2, Verse 10).
14. Sanjaya describes to Dhritarashtra, the structure and qualities of the universe and the description of rivers and kingdoms of Bharatavarsha (Bhishma Parva).
15. Sanjaya gave the names of every one who was killed on the side of the Kauravas and the Pandavas (Kama Parva, Chapters 5-6) as well as those who were alive on his side (Chapter 7, Karna Parva)
16. Satyaki took Sanjaya as a captive and was released after Vyasa intervened (Shalya Parva, Chapters 25 and 27).
    Sanjaya consoled Dhritarashtra (Stri Parva, Chapter 1, Verse 23).
17. Yudhishthira entrusted Sanjaya with the duty of post-war-reconstructions (Shanti Parva, Chapter 41, Verse 11).
18. Towards the close of his life Sanjaya went with Dhritarashtra and Gandhari to the forest (Ashramavasika Parva, Chapter 15, Verse 8) .
19. On the first day of this journey to the forest, they reached the basin of the river Ganges. On that day Sanjaya made the bed for Dhritarashtra (Ashramavasika Parva, Chapter 18, Verse 19).
20. On reaching the forest Sanjaya observed complete fast for two days (Ashramavasika Parva, Chapter 37, Verse 13).
21. Sanjaya always walked close behind Dhritarashtra and in places of ups and downs he led the King by the hand (Ashramavasika Parva, Chapter 37, Verse 16).
22. While Dhritarashtra and the others were walking along the forest a jungle-fire was seen. Instantly it encircled them. Dhritarashtra cried out to Sanjaya to run for his life. But Sanjaya did not like to forsake them in that danger. Dhritarashtra said that since they had left home and country there was no wrong in dying by jungle fire. At last yielding to the compulsion of Dhritarashtra, Sanjaya ran away from the jungle-fire. Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti died in the wild-fire. Sanjaya reached the basin of the Ganges and informed the hermits of the death of Dhritarashtra and the others, and then went to the Himalayas (Ashramavasika Parva, Chapter 37, Verse 19).