Hector versus Yudhisthir
This battle never took place. Hector would have won hands down though. We never remember Yudhisthir as the fighting kind anyway, even though he has “Yudh” (meaning war) in his name for some reason.
This is not about their fighting skills; or fighting in general. This piece is about people. And the decisions they make.
Like history, mythology and fiction also have enough lessons for those who seek them. I personally try to peek through the characters in such tales and think about which traits of these characters would make sense in the real world. Can the current-real-world idealism ever be found in fictional tails or narratives of the ‘golden’ era? It is these trail of thoughts that brought me to Hector and Yudhisthir.
Hector is really close to an ideal man in my eyes. He is good at what he is supposed to be — he is a skilled warrior and army commander, a dutiful son, a responsible brother, and a loving husband. But he makes a decision that brings doom to everything he values. He chooses to bring Helen home and in a few days, he loses his life, followed by everything he ever stood for.
Yudhisthir is no different. He has been constantly called the knower and keeper of Dharma, a doctrine which is arguably the least understood concept in Hindu mythology. From what I’ve understood, Yudhisthir’s Dharma is about lawfulness and discipline — the same as Lord Ram’s, whose kingship is still a legend in common terminology. But this Dharma fails him. Because Yudhishir knows best how to uphold his values and stand his ground but he never questions them. That is why Duryodhana and co. are able to refer to ancient legal clauses and get his affirmative on the same before trying to disrobe Draupadi in front of his own eyes.
Would Hector ever do the same mistake Yudhisthir did? Hell no. He saw things for what they were. He mocked the superstitious courtiers and god himself in his father’s court — something that Yudhisthir could never fathom doing. He was a law-abiding prince but knew just when to break out of it. This can be seen when Paris, his brother had agreed to duel his girlfriend’s beastly husband in front of all of Troy. Legally, he wasn’t allowed to call the battle off in between and run away. But when he did, Hector supported him and even murdered Paris’s revengeful opponent to save his life. Call him wrong, but he would not lose his brother over a technicality.
Where did Hector go wrong then? Well, who am I to judge? But, in the episode where they sail Helen to Troy, he had ample time on the ship to think about what shall happen if the Greek armies sailed behind them. He understood very well that Troy stood no chance and that is why, the first thing he suggests Priam, his father and the king of Troy is that they send Helen back. But he himself does not let Helen run away later, since Priam has warned him that Paris could follow her. He does not let Paris pay the price of what was clearly Paris’s wrongdoing. And later, the entire people of Troy pays for it. Hector fails at just one thing — sacrifice. The ‘good’ person in him does not allow him to give up on his brother. He is always aware of what his decision entails and takes full responsibility for it. He even dies fighting as an after-effect. Fortunately, Hector is remembered for his valiance and his iconic duel with Achilles and not for bringing destruction upon his state.
This is where Yudhisthir would shine. He would not think twice to sacrifice all of his brothers if that’s what the books say. It is astonishing to see how much faith Yudhisthir had in the legislature and the “guidelines of conduct”. He was wronged at every step of his life but he remained loyal to the law and proud of what he was doing.
I find this really interesting. Here are two men who are revered as one of the best men in their respective books but who for different reasons, made pretty horrendous decisions. I guess that’s how we can tell they were human and that is why these books are amazing stories.
