Putra Moh in Devtaa

Dhritraashtra has been all the time blamed for his Putra Moh (intense love for his son) by everybody in the whole Mahaabhaarat. Everybody blamed Dhritraashtra that he was not doing his duty as a king, and was after Putra Moh only. I am asking why shouldn't he love his son? People worship Devtaa, keep fasts, perform Yagya (Dasharath did Yagya to get sons), do Tapas (Krishn did it to get sons) then why they should not love their sons?

When even Devtaa favor their sons and do all kinds of dirty work to save them from all kinds of calamities, then, in comparison to them, Dhritraashtra was only a human being. When the Soul is Immortal... or one should do his duties and leave the rest on God, as Geetaa says, then why these Devtaa who are very learned and Tapaswee were so much worried about the so called "body" of their sons? One can go even thus far that why should people care even for their own body?

Here are  a few stories of Devtaa showing their extreme love, affection and interest for their sons and what they did to save them.

(1) Pavan Dev
Pavan Dev or Vaaayu Dev had two sons on Prithvi - Hanumaan and Bheem. Once Hanumaan got hungry and looked for food. He saw rising Sun and thought him a red sweet fruit, so he started flying towards him to eat him. As he reached near the Sun, he confronted Raahu who was also coming to eat him. He saw a small Vaanar obstructing his way in getting his food. He fought with Hanumaan but Hanumaan pushed him back, so he went to Dev Raaj Indra and told him that he saw a child coming to Sun to eat him, and although he fought with him but he pushed him back. Indra got surprised to know this and came riding on his Airaavat elephant with Raahu to see that wonderful boy who pushed Raahu back.

He saw a Vaanar child. Coming Airaavat towards him, Hanumaan attacked Airaavat also. Seeing this Indra got angry and hit him with his Vajra on his chin. The child Hanumaan fell down and got unconscious. Vaayu Dev saw his son falling down, so he caught him in his arms on his way to coming down. He took him in a cave and sat down sad carrying him in his arms. Angry with Indra Dev, he stopped moving in the world.

As Vaayu stopped moving in the world, all living beings got worried and became like half dead. Seeing this all Rishi Muni etc came to Brahmaa Jee to please Vaayu Dev. Brahmaa Jee came to Vaayu Dev and requested him to move about. Vaayu Dev said - "Hey Pitaa, See my son is lying in my arms unconscious, how can I move about?" In the meantime Indra also came there. Then Brahmaa Jee, Indra and other Devtaa brought Hanumaan to life and bestowed many boons on him.
Thus even Vaayu Dev took such a serious step to end the world when Indra hit his son with his Vajra. If Brahmaa Jee and other Devtaa did not confer Hanumaan boons, perhaps this whole world would have finished without air. Was Dhritraashtra at fault not to love his son?

(2) Soorya Dev
Although Soorya Dev did not hurt anybody else, but he did care for his son. When Hanumaan was born, Soorya Dev said to him that when he would grow up, he would educate him; so when Hanumaan had grown, he went to Soorya Dev to get educated. Soorya Dev said - "I cannot stop to teach you like that, so how I shall educate you?" Hanumaan was very clever and a devout disciple. He immediately said - "No problem. I will walk in front of you with your speed so that you can teach me. Besides, I cannot keep my back facing you, so I will walk backward so that I can always face you." Soorya Dev was very happy to hear this. He taught Hanumaan with a great devotion. Thus Hanumaan obtained his education walking backward tirelessly with the speed of Soorya.

After Hanumaan's education was complete, he asked his Guru as what Guru Dakshinaa he could offer to him. Soorya Dev said - "I am very happy with you and your devotion, you need not to give me any Guru Dakshinaa. You may go just like that." But Hanumaan insisted. At this Soorya Dev said - "If you really want to give me Guru Dakshinaa, go and serve my son Sugreev on Prithvi." And that is how Hanumaan came to Sugreev and served him throughout his life.

Soorya's another son was Karn. As soon as he came to know that Indra was planning to beg for Karn's life protective Kavach and Kundal (armor and earrings), he immediately appeared in Karn's dream and warned him about this future incident and guided him not to give them to him as they were his life savers. When Karn did not move from his vow, he advised him to ask for the Shakti (Power) from Indra in return of the Kavach and Kundal, for which Karn agreed with great difficulty. So even Soorya Dev also wanted to save his son.
Then if Dhritraashtra was favoring his son, what was wrong in it?

(3) Indra Dev
Indra had two sons on Prithvi - one was Baali and the other was Arjun. To protect Baali, he had given him a gems necklace which made him invincible. Besides, he had another boon that with whoever he would fight, his half strength will come to him. For the same reason Raam had to kill him from the behind, otherwise He would lose His half strength to Baali. Thus he favored his son Baali also by special boons.

His another son was Arjun. Indra was so much worried about him that when he came to pray Krishn after Krishn saved Brij from his continuous rains, he asked Him only to protect his son and Krishn promised him to do so.

Not only this, as if this was not enough, he went to Karn to beg for his life, in the form of Kavach and Kundal (armor and earrings) so that he could save his own son Arjun's life from him. Shame to him. He saved his son by killing another Devtaa's son? This cannot be expected from the King of Devtaa whose duty is to take care of his people (Prajaa), not that he should kill the son of his one Prajaa.
Then if Dhritraashtra was favoring his son, what was wrong in it?

(4) Chandra Dev
When Krishn was incarnating on Prithvi all Devtaa were requested to send their Ansh (part) on Prithvi to help Him in carrying out His objective. So Dharm Raaj produced Yudhishthir, Indra produced a son named Arjun, Pavan Dev produced the son named Bheem etc etc. When Chandramaa was asked to send his Ansh, he said - "I cannot send my son on Prithvi, because I cannot live without him." Then all Devtaa explained him that they all were sending their Ansh in some way or the other, so he should also send his son. After a long persuasion, he agreed but put a condition that since he cannot live without his son, his son should come back at the end of 16 years and another thing that he should die in the way that he should always be remembered. So he produced a son Abhimanyu, and that is why Abhimanyu did not live long and died at the age of 16 years. Besides he fought so bravely that he made a place in everybody's memory. He fought alone with 7 Mahaa Rathee (great warriors). This case shows that Chandramaa also loved his son so much that first he he did not want to send him on Prithvi, and secondly if he sent him, he would not be able to leave him for long, because he would not live long without him. 
So when Chandramaa knew that his son was going to help Bhagavaan, why was he so much possessive of his son? And when he being a Devtaa loved his son so much then why only Dhritraashtra should be blamed for his Putra Moh?

Dhritraashtra is not comparable to anyone of the above, They are Devtaa and immortal, while Dhritraashtra was only a mortal human being. Then why he should be blamed all the time for his Putra Moh. Everybody loves his son. People do so much worship, Tapasyaa (Krishn did to get His sons), Yagya (Dasharath did it to get his sons) to get sons and died in separation of his beloved son Raam who was exiled for 14 years, then why shouldn't they love them? Mahaabhaarat says that the son is one's own image born from his own field.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com