In English
’s example and ideal is to make you recognise your duty. His second ideal is to show people that for the sake of justice, they should be willing to sacrifice everything, even life. (For the sake of justice, even life must be sacrificed.) In this context, it is necessary for us to understand the inner meaning of the conversation between and . When was conducting negotiations for peace, was very apprehensive and he asked , “The are not going to accept peace in any way, so why are you conducting these negotiations and spending so much time in negotiating for peace which is not going to come about anyway?” explained that an individual who stands by and watches being overcome by and truth being destroyed by falsehood is better dead than alive. One should not remain passive when injustice pushes aside justice. To that asked, “Is it possible to get , the immortal liquid, from poison? Is it possible to put flowers in a raging fire? What is the use of talking of peace in these impossible conditions? The have such a narrow vision; are they going to come and accept our peace offers? It is better that you stop here. Is it possible to bring the north pole and the south pole together? This is an impossible task, and we should undertake the war as everything is ready for the war.” When we listen to these words of and contemplate on how regarded peace as an impossible achievement, we can understand how much had done and to what lengths he went in order to negotiate for peace. But many writers and citizens of India have characterised as one who never cared for peace, not recognising the efforts that he made for peace. They thought that he was wanting to promote war. This is not right. , who regarded peace as impossible said just before the battle began, “How am I going to kill so many people who are my relatives! This is impossible. My head is reeling, let us abandon the battlefield and go home.” Here took the contrary view, and admonished , “You have come into the battlefield like a hero and now you talk like a coward. Battle is not something which has come suddenly at this moment. There is a long background for this and the preparations have been going on for a whole week. You have all taken out your rusty weapons, cleaned them, and made them ready. All the arrows, which gathered cobwebs, have been cleaned. You have asked for the help of all your relations in the battle. Having made all these preparations, what is the meaning of all this talk of going back home without fighting? If you had told me this earlier, I would not have taken all this trouble. This is disgraceful. You are turning into a coward. You must fulfil your duty and not become a coward.” Here taught how he should be prepared to fulfil his duty. Here we see a conflict. Till then was trying to negotiate peace and avoid war; but at that critical juncture, the same , who wanted to avoid war, is telling that he must take part in war.