Hari Om Parents
This week we analyzed some of the key characters on the Pandavas side.
Kunti
Although she was a great person, Kuntí's one fault was that she could never gather the courage until the last minute to admit that Karna was her own son. Not only did she have to live with the guilt all her life and carry the burden, she also was reason behind the rivalry between Arjuna and Karna and prolonged animosity between the two of them, Karna who was more talented than Arjuna was refused training by Drona because he did not belong to the royal lineage. History could have been different if she had told the truth
Dharmaraja Yudishtra. known the King of righteousness.
His forgiving of the Kauravas and yielding to their demands went past the limit. Here the lesson is that the policy of appeasement does not work. He was a very good person, but he had a weakness for playing dice. Consequently, he was later trapped by Shakuni and others in the dice game. Even one small weakness ends up in a disaster when one crosses the limit!
Bhima
Strongest of the five Pandava brothers. Chief protector of the family and also who was largely responsible for killing many of the great warriors of the Kaurava forces, including Dushasana and Duryodhana.
Arjuna
He was the most gifted and thus the favorite of his teacher. It was Arjuna who won the beautiful Draupadí, daughter of King Drupada. Arjuna was an outstanding warrior whose valor knew no bounds. With the guidance and protection of his dear friend Lord Krishna, he led the Pandava forces to victory in the battle of Kurukçetra and helped establish the rule of Dharma in Hastinapura
Abhimanyu
Known for the valor he exhibited during the war to break the chakravyuha a complex formation, he single handedly facing the onslaught of the Kaurava army from all directions. When the Kauravas could not defeat this brave youth fairly, they abandoned the morals of righteous warfare and treacherously killed him
Parikshit
Posthumous son of Abhimanyu. After the war, Aswadthama killed all the Pandava children while they were asleep. He then sent a Brahmastra to kill the unborn son of Abhimanyu, still in his mother Uttaras womb. Parikshit was revived by the grace of Lord Krishan to continue the lineage of the Pandavas. Yudhishtra left Hastinapura to Parikshit, who ruled the kingdom nobly for over twenty years.
Advice of Lord Krishna
The main reason of why the kauravas lost the war despite the size of their army was because
- The Pandavas fought on the side of Dharma and therefore had the help of the Lord, while the Kauravas fought on the side of adharma and thus did not have the Lord's help.
- Almost all the great leaders and armies who fought on their side really did so only for the sake of Bhishma and Drona - not out of loyalty to Duryodhana or his cause.
- Bhishma and Dronacharya themselves were divided in their hearts, for their love and blessings were with the Pandavas, and only their bodies were with the Kauravas. No matter how courageous and great the commanders of an army maybe, if they do not have the conviction that what they are fighting for is right, there will be no strength behind their efforts.
- When such a split between body and mind exists within the people, no one will be able to fight very well
- Bhishma and Drona both put their personal vows before rather than fulfilling Dharma in a larger sense, for the good of all.
- The Pandavas and other leaders on their side had the habit of taking vows, which later got them into trouble. Fortunately, however, they always had Lord Krishna with them to interpret the vows in the proper way.
Krishna stood as an example of how a personal vow can be broken if Dharma is in danger. In the war He takes a vow not to lift a weapon. But when Arjuna found it difficult to defeat Bhishma he took up a chariot wheel in his hands and rushed toward Bhishma who is elated to die in the hands of the Lord. He drops his weapons and welcomes death in HIS hands.
When the society is good but few individuals put themselves above Dharma, they bring destruction to themselves. If society as a whole is bad, an individual who stands up for Dharma becomes great. Therefore, the cause of righteousness is of greatest value and should be put above everything else. This is the great lesson of the Mahabharata
Yaksha Prashnas that were discussed were
- By giving up what one becomes dear? By giving up arrogance one becomes dear.
- By giving up what does one become free from grief? By renouncing anger one becomes free from grief.
- By giving up what does one become prosperous? By giving up lust one becomes prosperous
- By renouncing what does one become happy? By giving up greed one becomes happy.
- The world is veiled by what? The world is veiled by ignorance.
- Why does it (knowledge) not shine? Due to tamas (inertia) it does not shine
- Why does one abandon friends? One abandons friends because of greed.
- Why does one not go to heaven? Because of attachment one does not go to heaven.
Regards
Sapna ji and Vyjayanti ji.
