Bhima vs. Arjuna

Madhva's Point of View: Bhima vs. Arjuna

Great teachers who spend a lifetime contemplating the deep meaning of a work go on to found  their own schools of interpretation. One such teacher was Madhva (1238-1317 AD). Also known as Madhvācārya, he founded the dualist school of Vedanta known as Tattvavada. He opposed the ideas of Shankara known as Mayavāda. http://www.iep.utm.edu/madhva/

Madhya Acharya

Shankara’s view is that reality is one. Spiritual energy is the basis of all existence and the entire material manifestation is an illusion. This is an extreme form of idealism. The world exists only as a mental phantasm. Madhva strongly disagreed with this view. Tattvavada means “realism.” God is real, but the world is also real, in his view. Since there are two distinct realities, spiritual and material, his school is called dualism or Dvaita.

Chaitanya Mahābprahu  found much of value in the teachings of Madhva, and where he had some differences with him philosophically, he accepted sannyāsa from Iśvara Puri who was in the Madhva line. Śrīdhara Mahārāja described Mahaprabhu’s acintya-bheda-abheda-tattva Vedantic view as “ideal realism.”

Madhva dismisses the idea that the Mahābhārata is merely a motley collection of fantastic stories and considers it to be holy scripture revealed by the hand of Vyāsa, an incarnation of Krishna Himself. For Madhva, Mahābhārat is something like the Hindu Bible. His commentary the Mahabharata tatparya nirnaya  is written from the Vaishnava point of view. 

As we have said, normally Arjuna is considered the hero of Mahābhārata, but Madhva differs. He finds that Bhima is most heroic figure among the five Pandavas and does his best to support his claim citing evidence from other scriptures such as HariVamsa, Vishnu Purana, Śrīmad Bhagavatam and Garga Saṃhita. 

Detail from Bhima's Gate at Hampi, India. Bhima slays Kichaka while Draupadi ties her hair

According to Madhva, Bhima should be considered superior to Arjuna because he strictly followed Bhagavata dharma in all his activities.  He was a better student than Arjuna. 

Bhima learnt the use of weapons bettter than everyone else, and yet he never makes us of supernatural weapons, relying only on his mace. To make use of supernatural weapons one has to appeal to different gods. Krishna advises us against this in Bhagavad-Gita. 

The use of weapons given by the gods is also for achieving certain material results. Bhima never relies on the gods. Such dependence is against Bhagavata dharma. He never worshipped any other deity other than God Himself, Krishna.

Arjuna receives the Bow of Shiva

Bhima never opposes Krishna, nor does he ever oppose the devotees of Hari; in fact Bhima is never even friendly to nondevotees. Where Arjuna doubts Krishna and questions him again and again, Bhima never doubts Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor does he question Bhagavata dharma. Krishna never calls him a coward as he does Arjuna. Bhima never gives Krishna cause to censure him, his own character prevented such a talk. 

Bhima never uses his knowledge and learning for his own person livelihood or survival as does Yudhisthira. This is why he doesn’t argue with Death when he appears as a Yaksha. Bhima doesn’t plea with any gods when he is trapped by Nahusha the Naga and almost crushed to death but relies on Krishna’s mercy. Bhima fights  Ashvathama only at Krishna's instructions. 

Draupadi also strictly follows Bhima in respect of Bhagavata dharma.She never opposes Krishna. Both Bhima and Draupadi tolerate the stripping of her garments by Dusshasana ad teh insults of Duryodhana, since their faith is greater: they realised the intention of Krishna to provide the garments enflessly. They trust Krishna completeley and surrender to him. 

Draupadi at the dice game

( For more on Madhya's commentary see Professor K.T. Pandurangi’s translation of Mahabaratha Tatparya Nirnaya   http://www.mahabharatatatparyanirnaya.com)

As Madhva himself is considered an avatar of Vaya as were Hanuman and Bhima before him, perhaps there is some partiality in his comment.