Acharya Prashant explains that there is fundamentally only one form of unrighteousness ('Adharma'): keeping a person tied to their animalistic center, the center of nature ('Prakriti') and evolution. Conversely, righteousness ('Dharma') is the path of ascension, a rise towards what one truly is. He clarifies that the human journey begins not from this true center but from an animalistic state. Therefore, the entire journey of 'Dharma' is about reaching the place where one is already located, becoming what one already is, and "unbecoming" what one has erroneously become. The rise of consciousness is the path of 'Dharma'. He applies this understanding to the Mahabharata war, explaining it was not fought for personal reasons like revenge or restoring the Pandavas' rights. For a wise person like Shri Krishna, such matters are small. The war was not about settling past scores but about preventing future catastrophe. Power in the hands of Duryodhana would have meant the promotion of rampant, all-pervasive unrighteousness through state policies, which would have had a derogatory effect on millions, as Hastinapur was a highly influential kingdom. The war was necessary to stop Duryodhana from wreaking havoc on the country in the future. Shri Krishna's actions were based on a higher, righteous ('Dharmik') justice, not on tradition or personal favoritism. The conflict was not about who was the rightful heir by lineage. Shri Krishna's criterion for leadership is wisdom; he states that the eldest is the one who is the wisest, and that person should ascend the throne to guide the population on the path of 'Dharma'. Therefore, even if traditional justice favored Duryodhana, Shri Krishna would have supported the Pandavas to establish a righteous rule for the welfare of all.
