Hari OM Parents,
Please find below updates from our class on Oct 18th.
We started our class with 3 OMs and the following slokas
Sahana Vavatu
Vakratunda Mahakaya
Saraswathi Namastubhyam
Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu
We continued with the Mahabharata recap.
Draupadi's swayamvara
Drupada, the King of Panchala, had a son named Dhrishtadyumna and a daughter named Draupadi. His other daughter, Shikandi's story was covered in the earlier class. The king chose an auspicious day to hold the swayamvara of Draupadi and announced it to the entire world. News reached the Pandavas and they, too, decided to travel to Panchala to take part in the festivities, still disguised as Brahmanas. The town was decked with beautiful decorations and garlands with various entertainments playing along the way. Many princes have gathered from far and near all in glamorous attires, including Duryodhana and Karna, hoping to win the hand of Draupadi. Dhrishtadyumna rode in on a beautiful horse, followed by Draupadi seated atop a majestic elephant. The coy princess ascended the stage, and all eyes were affixed on her full of awe and admiration. Dhrishtadyumna, announced to the audience the details of the contest that they needed to fulfill to attain his sister. They were supposed to shoot five arrows in succession, through the hole on the rotating apparatus at the golden fish that was fixed on top of a long pole. Many Princes eagerly participated but could not succeed. Karna managed to string the bow, but it snapped out of the loop and was even more enraged to hear Draupadi say that she wouldn't marry a Suta at any cost. Arjuna strung the bow and invoking the Gods mentally, shot all the five arrows through the disc in quick succession and hit the target. Draupadi placed her garland over the shoulders of Arjuna, much to the chagrin of the assembled Kings and Princes.
Dhrishtadyumna, wary of the fact that his sister married a Brahmana, followed them. He was elated to discover that the Brahmana was none other than Arjuna himself and was beside himself to find Kunti with all the Pandavas in their humble dwelling. He conveyed his find to Drupada and the joyous King facilitated the marriage in a solemn ceremony. Kunti had responded to the news of the Swayamvara by advising the Pandavas to share the spoils of the win equally among themselves. Drupada objected initially but then was pacified by Vyasa who revealed the prayers of Draupadi to Lord Shiva in her previous life asking for a good husband at least five times in a row. So, fate had warranted that she receives the same in this lifetime.
News of the Swayamvara was announced to Dhritarashtra by Vidura. The blind King mistakenly assumed that it was Duryodhana, who had won the hands of Draupadi and arranged for a grand reception. Much to his chagrin, he was compelled to extend the same invitation to the Pandavas and as per the court's advice, offer a half of the kingdom to them. He instructed the Pandavas to go to Khandavaprastha and establish a kingdom of their own, as did their illustrious ancestors such as Harishchandra.
Arjuna and Subhadra
Arjuna visited Krishna at Prabhasa and was captivated by the beauty of Subhadra, the latter's sister. Balarama opposed the union and so, upon Krishna's advice and as per the Kshatriya terms, Arjuna carried away Subhadra in his chariot. Balarama had no other choice than to solemnize their wedding and eventually, the couple bore a mighty warrior son named Abhimanyu.
Jarasandha
The Pandavas ruled their kingdom in all glory. Yudhishtra was urged to perform aRajasuya sacrifice and assume the title of the 'Emperor'. His interest was even more piqued on hearing from Narada, Harishchandra's inclusion in Lord Indira's court after performing such sacrifice. Krishna gave his blessings to the king but warned him that King Jarasandha would be the greatest obstacle since he was aspiring for the same status. Jarasandha had captured 86 kings and upon capturing 100 kings, was planning to sacrifice them, to crown himself as the emperor.
King Brihadratha of Magadha was married to the twin daughters of the King of Kashi and was unable to produce a progeny for a long time. The King sought the blessings of Sage Kaushika, who uttered auspicious mantras and offered the king a Mango. He instructed the King to offer it to the Queen and blessed him with a child. The King, to avoid any inkling of partiality among his wives, split the mango and gave each of the women a half of it. The queens eventually gave birth to one half body of a child. They threw the body parts wrapped in a cloth in a garbage refuse. A demoness by the name of Jara, picked up this bundle and with the intention of consuming it, joined the two halves. The body enjoined to become a whole and a child was created. Jara, then approached the King and offered up the child, who was named as Jarasandha. He ascended the throne later, whom everyone feared and was also the father-in-law of Kamsa. When Krishna killed Kamsa, Jarasandha vowed to destroy the Yadavas. He attacked Mathura several times, forcing Krishna to flee to Dwaraka, and the latter did so to reduce the suffering of his people.
The slaying of Jarasandha
Krishna, along with Arjuna and Bhima, approached the King easily, disguised as Brahamanas, offering to engage in an academic debate with him. Krishna, then bluntly challenged Jarasandha to a mortal combat, who then chose to fight with Bhima using bare hands.A terrible fight ensued but each time Bhima would tear him apart, the body would join and become a whole. Krishna picked up a twig, snapped them lengthwise into two equal parts and placed them opposite to each other. Taking the hint, Bhima tore Jarashandha's body apart and placed the halves opposite to keep them enjoining again. The imprisoned Kings were freed, who pledged their loyalty to Yudhishtra and thus proclaimed him as the emperor.
Shishupala
Krishna was honored as the primary guest and that enraged Shishupala, who staged a walk-out by riling up a host of other Kings. He insulted Krishna by calling him a cowherd and hence refused to acknowledge the honor extended to Him by the Pandavas. He continued to shower insults on whoever tried to reason with him. Eventually, Krishna vanquished him in a fight and thus, the cursed Shishupala who was Lord Vishnu's attendant was liberated by Lord
Krishna.
Game of dice
Drupada, the King of Panchala, had a son named Dhrishtadyumna and a daughter named Draupadi. His other daughter, Shikandi's story was covered in the earlier class. The king chose an auspicious day to hold the swayamvara of Draupadi and announced it to the entire world. News reached the Pandavas and they, too, decided to travel to Panchala to take part in the festivities, still disguised as Brahmanas. The town was decked with beautiful decorations and garlands with various entertainments playing along the way. Many princes have gathered from far and near all in glamorous attires, including Duryodhana and Karna, hoping to win the hand of Draupadi. Dhrishtadyumna rode in on a beautiful horse, followed by Draupadi seated atop a majestic elephant. The coy princess ascended the stage, and all eyes were affixed on her full of awe and admiration. Dhrishtadyumna, announced to the audience the details of the contest that they needed to fulfill to attain his sister. They were supposed to shoot five arrows in succession, through the hole on the rotating apparatus at the golden fish that was fixed on top of a long pole. Many Princes eagerly participated but could not succeed. Karna managed to string the bow, but it snapped out of the loop and was even more enraged to hear Draupadi say that she wouldn't marry a Suta at any cost. Arjuna strung the bow and invoking the Gods mentally, shot all the five arrows through the disc in quick succession and hit the target. Draupadi placed her garland over the shoulders of Arjuna, much to the chagrin of the assembled Kings and Princes.
Dhrishtadyumna, wary of the fact that his sister married a Brahmana, followed them. He was elated to discover that the Brahmana was none other than Arjuna himself and was beside himself to find Kunti with all the Pandavas in their humble dwelling. He conveyed his find to Drupada and the joyous King facilitated the marriage in a solemn ceremony. Kunti had responded to the news of the Swayamvara by advising the Pandavas to share the spoils of the win equally among themselves. Drupada objected initially but then was pacified by Vyasa who revealed the prayers of Draupadi to Lord Shiva in her previous life asking for a good husband at least five times in a row. So, fate had warranted that she receives the same in this lifetime.
News of the Swayamvara was announced to Dhritarashtra by Vidura. The blind King mistakenly assumed that it was Duryodhana, who had won the hands of Draupadi and arranged for a grand reception. Much to his chagrin, he was compelled to extend the same invitation to the Pandavas and as per the court's advice, offer a half of the kingdom to them. He instructed the Pandavas to go to Khandavaprastha and establish a kingdom of their own, as did their illustrious ancestors such as Harishchandra.
Arjuna and Subhadra
Arjuna visited Krishna at Prabhasa and was captivated by the beauty of Subhadra, the latter's sister. Balarama opposed the union and so, upon Krishna's advice and as per the Kshatriya terms, Arjuna carried away Subhadra in his chariot. Balarama had no other choice than to solemnize their wedding and eventually, the couple bore a mighty warrior son named Abhimanyu.
Jarasandha
The Pandavas ruled their kingdom in all glory. Yudhishtra was urged to perform aRajasuya sacrifice and assume the title of the 'Emperor'. His interest was even more piqued on hearing from Narada, Harishchandra's inclusion in Lord Indira's court after performing such sacrifice. Krishna gave his blessings to the king but warned him that King Jarasandha would be the greatest obstacle since he was aspiring for the same status. Jarasandha had captured 86 kings and upon capturing 100 kings, was planning to sacrifice them, to crown himself as the emperor.
King Brihadratha of Magadha was married to the twin daughters of the King of Kashi and was unable to produce a progeny for a long time. The King sought the blessings of Sage Kaushika, who uttered auspicious mantras and offered the king a Mango. He instructed the King to offer it to the Queen and blessed him with a child. The King, to avoid any inkling of partiality among his wives, split the mango and gave each of the women a half of it. The queens eventually gave birth to one half body of a child. They threw the body parts wrapped in a cloth in a garbage refuse. A demoness by the name of Jara, picked up this bundle and with the intention of consuming it, joined the two halves. The body enjoined to become a whole and a child was created. Jara, then approached the King and offered up the child, who was named as Jarasandha. He ascended the throne later, whom everyone feared and was also the father-in-law of Kamsa. When Krishna killed Kamsa, Jarasandha vowed to destroy the Yadavas. He attacked Mathura several times, forcing Krishna to flee to Dwaraka, and the latter did so to reduce the suffering of his people.
The slaying of Jarasandha
Krishna, along with Arjuna and Bhima, approached the King easily, disguised as Brahamanas, offering to engage in an academic debate with him. Krishna, then bluntly challenged Jarasandha to a mortal combat, who then chose to fight with Bhima using bare hands.A terrible fight ensued but each time Bhima would tear him apart, the body would join and become a whole. Krishna picked up a twig, snapped them lengthwise into two equal parts and placed them opposite to each other. Taking the hint, Bhima tore Jarashandha's body apart and placed the halves opposite to keep them enjoining again. The imprisoned Kings were freed, who pledged their loyalty to Yudhishtra and thus proclaimed him as the emperor.
Shishupala
Krishna was honored as the primary guest and that enraged Shishupala, who staged a walk-out by riling up a host of other Kings. He insulted Krishna by calling him a cowherd and hence refused to acknowledge the honor extended to Him by the Pandavas. He continued to shower insults on whoever tried to reason with him. Eventually, Krishna vanquished him in a fight and thus, the cursed Shishupala who was Lord Vishnu's attendant was liberated by Lord
Krishna.
Game of dice
Duryodhana's quest for revenge against the Pandavas was intense and his hatred grew ten-fold upon hearing the success of Yudhistra's Rajasuya sacrifice. He attempted to hatch another plot to destroy the Pandavas, seething with anger and fury. Knowing full well that the Pandavas cannot be destroyed in a war, Sakuni advised Duryodhana to extend an invitation to the Pandavas for a game of dice. Sakuni meant to fully exploit the weakness of Yudhisthira for gambling and thus snatch the kingdom from the Pandavas. Vidura was dispatched to deliver the invitation to Yudhishtra. Though puzzled greatly, Yuddhishtra agreed to the terms of the invitation to maintain amicable relations with his cousins.
Upon their arrival at the court in Hastinapura, Yuddhishtra was afflicted with doubts regarding the validity of gambling as a viable recommendation by the Shastras. But Sakuni advocated for this practice, saying "when two people fight, the better man wins. Victory is always the aim but if you are afraid, you can always withdraw". As a Kshatriya, Yuddhishtra could not withdraw when challenged thus proclaiming "Destiny is all powerful", prepared to play the game. The entire court watched in rapt attention, as the dice started rolling. Sakuni was designated to be Duryodhana's representative, who managed to win every game they played using manipulative methods to roll. Yudhishtra waged and lost his treasury, attendants and his kingdom. Soon, he lost his brothers one by one, himself even and upon Sakuni's treacherous words waged Draupadi and lost her as well. An ecstatic Duryodhana, instructed his charioteer, Prathikami to escort Draupadi to the court and expressed his intention to make her a servant.
Draupadi's grief
Draupadi was infuriated at this insolence and demanded to know if Yudhisthira lost himself before he wagered his queen. Draupadi refused to enter the court each time, Prathikami requested her to do so, waiting for a viable answer to her question. The elders in court tried to dissuade Duryodhana from performing such a despicable task but he was adamant in his decision. Eventually, he ordered Dussasana to bring Draupadi to the assembly by force, if needed. Dussasana dragged the distraught woman to the court by her hair and hurled on its floors. Upon Duryaodhana's cruel instructions, proceeded to remove her clothing stating that those too, along with those of the Pandavas, belonged to the Kauravas and Shakuni. Draupadi desperately appealed to the court to revise this evict but found no supporters. She fervently prayed to Lord Krishna, surrendering herself to him completely. Lo and behold! The garment grew in leaps and bounds, kept increasing in sheer length that Dussasana collapsed on the ground out of sheer exhaustion. Bhima, overcome with wrath and anger towards Dussasana, vowed to tear his heart out and drink his blood. Many ominous signs sounded all around them. The blind King, aware of the calamity that could befall his race if this situation continued, returned the kingdom to the Pandavas and sent them away advocating peace and calm.
Duryodhana became more determined to bring about the ruin of the Pandavas and lobbied the court to play one more game of dice. This time around, the wager would be that the Pandavas would give up their Kingdom, if they lost and retire to the forest for thirteen years. On top of that, they need to live in hiding for another year without the Kauravas knowing their living situation. In case of discovery by the Kauravas, they would need to continue living in the forest for another set of thirteen years.Thus, the Pandavas were lured into another game of dice play, which they eventually lost and were banished to live in the forest for thirteen years.
Kamyaka forest
The Pandavas proceeded to the forest to begin their Vanavasa for thirteen years. All the citizens lamented this unfortunate turn of events and the sudden departure of the Kind sons of Pandu. They followed them to a long distance in-spite of Yudhishtra's request for their return back to Hastinapura. Yudhishtra was deeply troubled by his inability to provide food to the people and implored Daumya to help with this situation. Daumya instructed him to pray to the Sun God and Yudhishtra compiled. The Sun God granted him a vessel called Akshaya Paatra that will provide plenty of food until Draupadi eats for the day. Thus, the vessel dissipated their hunger for the next twelve years during their stay in the Kamyaka forest.
Back in the capital city of Hastinapura, Vidura advised Duryodhana to bring the Pandavas and offer their kingdom back, to maintain amicable relations between the cousins. Dhritharashtra lost his patience eventually and ordered Vidura to leave the Kauravas and join the Pandavas in their exile. Later, he regretted his decision, worrying that he had driven Vidura, one of the most knowledgeable and wise ministers into the arms of the Pandavas, thus strengthening the enemy camp. He dispatched Sanjaya to follow Vidura and persuade him to rejoin the Kauravas court. Sanjaya managed to complete his mission, largely due to Vidura's affection for his unhappy brother, Dhritarashtra.
During their stay in the forest, Sage Vyasa visited the Pandavas. He advised Arjuna to go to the Himalayas, practice austerities for the purpose of getting new weapons from the devas. He foresaw war and wanted the Pandavas to be well equipped.
Arjuna took leave of his brothers and Draupadi. He passed through a dense forest and reached the mountain of Indrakila where he met an old brahmana. The ascetic spoke affectionately to Arjuna and asked the intent of his visit. That was Indra, the king of gods who came to have the pleasure of meeting his son. Arjuna bowed to his father and said that he sought arms and sought Indra's blessings. Indra advised Arjuna to do penance on Lord Siva. Arjuna then went to the Himalayas and did penance to obtain His grace.
Arjuna now humbly sought divine aid and meditated on Lord Siva and as he did so, a light broke on his troubled mind and he at once recognized who the hunter was. He fell at the feet of the Lord and prayed for forgiveness. Lord Siva forgave him and gave back his Gandiva as well as other weapons. He also bestowed on Arjuna the marvelous Pasupata weapon.
Arjuna's battered body was made whole by the divine touch of the Lord and he became a hundredfold stronger and more brilliant than before. He then beckoned Arjuna to visit his father Indra in the heavens. Arjuna reached the heavens and spent time with his father and learnt music and dance. While he was there, Urvasi tried to persuade Arjuna to marry her. But Arjuna rejected her amorous overtures saying that she was like a mother to him. This angered Urvasi and she cursed Arjuna with a loss of manhood. But through Indra's grace the curse would hold good for only a year and the time would be for Arjuna to choose. So Arjuna decided to utilize that opportunity during this thirteenth year to disguise as a eunuch and to teach the women singing and dancing.
Bhima and Hanuman
The Pandavas yearned for the return of their beloved Arjuna and Draupadi shared in their wretchedness from the separation from the great hero. Sahadeva suggested a remedy to alleviate the sorrow by traveling to distant places and indulging in adventurous jaunts. Yudhishtra welcomed the idea and planned a pilgrimage to many shrines and holy places. They eventually reached Kulinda, the kingdom of Subahu, in the Himalayan regions and enjoyed the hospitality offered by the king. They then proceeded to the dense forest of Narayanasrama and camped on the banks of a river. One day, a north-easterly breeze carried a beautiful and fragrant flower to the proximity of Draupada who gathered it in awe and wonder. Declaring her intent to gift the flower to Yudhishtra, Draupadi implored Bhima to find the plant to take to Kamyaka forest to grow a garden full of those heavenly fragrant flowers.
Anxious to please his beloved Draupadi, Bhima journeyed in the direction of the wind and presently came to a forest of plantain trees at the foot of a mountain. His path forward was blocked by a giant monkey that lay across the way, fast asleep. Bhima commanded the monkey to move but the old monkey sermoned on the proper etiquette of the strong behaving benevolently towards the weak, such as himself. Bhima asserted his status as the mighty Hanuman's brother, and threatened to jump over the lazy monkey but stopped short since the scriptures do not advise it. The monkey pretended to be in awe of the mighty Hanuman and implored Bhima to push his tail side and carry on further. Bhima reluctantly flicked the tail aside but was astounded to see it not move an inch, He mustered all his strength and tried to lift the tail but to no avail. Bhima was shocked into a realization that this was no ordinary monkey and upon asking, was overjoyed to discover the identity of the monkey. Hanuman embraced him and directed him to the location of the flowers, away from the path to the spirit world, where unspoken dangers lay. He blessed Bhima with a vision of his Vishwaroopam and promised to accompany him in the war with the Kauravas, by presiding on the flagpole of Arjuna's chariot, guiding them to victory.
Upon their arrival at the court in Hastinapura, Yuddhishtra was afflicted with doubts regarding the validity of gambling as a viable recommendation by the Shastras. But Sakuni advocated for this practice, saying "when two people fight, the better man wins. Victory is always the aim but if you are afraid, you can always withdraw". As a Kshatriya, Yuddhishtra could not withdraw when challenged thus proclaiming "Destiny is all powerful", prepared to play the game. The entire court watched in rapt attention, as the dice started rolling. Sakuni was designated to be Duryodhana's representative, who managed to win every game they played using manipulative methods to roll. Yudhishtra waged and lost his treasury, attendants and his kingdom. Soon, he lost his brothers one by one, himself even and upon Sakuni's treacherous words waged Draupadi and lost her as well. An ecstatic Duryodhana, instructed his charioteer, Prathikami to escort Draupadi to the court and expressed his intention to make her a servant.
Draupadi's grief
Draupadi was infuriated at this insolence and demanded to know if Yudhisthira lost himself before he wagered his queen. Draupadi refused to enter the court each time, Prathikami requested her to do so, waiting for a viable answer to her question. The elders in court tried to dissuade Duryodhana from performing such a despicable task but he was adamant in his decision. Eventually, he ordered Dussasana to bring Draupadi to the assembly by force, if needed. Dussasana dragged the distraught woman to the court by her hair and hurled on its floors. Upon Duryaodhana's cruel instructions, proceeded to remove her clothing stating that those too, along with those of the Pandavas, belonged to the Kauravas and Shakuni. Draupadi desperately appealed to the court to revise this evict but found no supporters. She fervently prayed to Lord Krishna, surrendering herself to him completely. Lo and behold! The garment grew in leaps and bounds, kept increasing in sheer length that Dussasana collapsed on the ground out of sheer exhaustion. Bhima, overcome with wrath and anger towards Dussasana, vowed to tear his heart out and drink his blood. Many ominous signs sounded all around them. The blind King, aware of the calamity that could befall his race if this situation continued, returned the kingdom to the Pandavas and sent them away advocating peace and calm.
Duryodhana became more determined to bring about the ruin of the Pandavas and lobbied the court to play one more game of dice. This time around, the wager would be that the Pandavas would give up their Kingdom, if they lost and retire to the forest for thirteen years. On top of that, they need to live in hiding for another year without the Kauravas knowing their living situation. In case of discovery by the Kauravas, they would need to continue living in the forest for another set of thirteen years.Thus, the Pandavas were lured into another game of dice play, which they eventually lost and were banished to live in the forest for thirteen years.
Kamyaka forest
The Pandavas proceeded to the forest to begin their Vanavasa for thirteen years. All the citizens lamented this unfortunate turn of events and the sudden departure of the Kind sons of Pandu. They followed them to a long distance in-spite of Yudhishtra's request for their return back to Hastinapura. Yudhishtra was deeply troubled by his inability to provide food to the people and implored Daumya to help with this situation. Daumya instructed him to pray to the Sun God and Yudhishtra compiled. The Sun God granted him a vessel called Akshaya Paatra that will provide plenty of food until Draupadi eats for the day. Thus, the vessel dissipated their hunger for the next twelve years during their stay in the Kamyaka forest.
Back in the capital city of Hastinapura, Vidura advised Duryodhana to bring the Pandavas and offer their kingdom back, to maintain amicable relations between the cousins. Dhritharashtra lost his patience eventually and ordered Vidura to leave the Kauravas and join the Pandavas in their exile. Later, he regretted his decision, worrying that he had driven Vidura, one of the most knowledgeable and wise ministers into the arms of the Pandavas, thus strengthening the enemy camp. He dispatched Sanjaya to follow Vidura and persuade him to rejoin the Kauravas court. Sanjaya managed to complete his mission, largely due to Vidura's affection for his unhappy brother, Dhritarashtra.
During their stay in the forest, Sage Vyasa visited the Pandavas. He advised Arjuna to go to the Himalayas, practice austerities for the purpose of getting new weapons from the devas. He foresaw war and wanted the Pandavas to be well equipped.
Arjuna took leave of his brothers and Draupadi. He passed through a dense forest and reached the mountain of Indrakila where he met an old brahmana. The ascetic spoke affectionately to Arjuna and asked the intent of his visit. That was Indra, the king of gods who came to have the pleasure of meeting his son. Arjuna bowed to his father and said that he sought arms and sought Indra's blessings. Indra advised Arjuna to do penance on Lord Siva. Arjuna then went to the Himalayas and did penance to obtain His grace.
Lord Siva disguised as a hunter accompanied by goddess Umadevi entered the forest in pursuit of a game. A wild boar started charging Arjuna who shot an arrow into it with his Gandiva at the same moment that the hunter Siva transfixed it with a shaft from Pink, his bow. This angered Arjuna, but Lord Siva added that it was his shaft that killed the boar and not Arjuna's arrow and if Arjuna thought differently he was welcome to fight with him.
Arjuna immediately consented to fight with the hunter and showered a snake like arrows at Lord Siva. To his amazement, they seemed to have no effect on the hunter. When he had no more arrows, he started to strike Siva with his bow but Lord Siva wrenched the bow with ease from Arjuna's hands. Arjuna was struck with amazement. He then drew his sword and continued the combat. The sword was shivered to pieces. The hunter caught him in an iron clasp so close that Arjuna was helpless. Arjuna now humbly sought divine aid and meditated on Lord Siva and as he did so, a light broke on his troubled mind and he at once recognized who the hunter was. He fell at the feet of the Lord and prayed for forgiveness. Lord Siva forgave him and gave back his Gandiva as well as other weapons. He also bestowed on Arjuna the marvelous Pasupata weapon.
Arjuna's battered body was made whole by the divine touch of the Lord and he became a hundredfold stronger and more brilliant than before. He then beckoned Arjuna to visit his father Indra in the heavens. Arjuna reached the heavens and spent time with his father and learnt music and dance. While he was there, Urvasi tried to persuade Arjuna to marry her. But Arjuna rejected her amorous overtures saying that she was like a mother to him. This angered Urvasi and she cursed Arjuna with a loss of manhood. But through Indra's grace the curse would hold good for only a year and the time would be for Arjuna to choose. So Arjuna decided to utilize that opportunity during this thirteenth year to disguise as a eunuch and to teach the women singing and dancing.
Bhima and Hanuman
The Pandavas yearned for the return of their beloved Arjuna and Draupadi shared in their wretchedness from the separation from the great hero. Sahadeva suggested a remedy to alleviate the sorrow by traveling to distant places and indulging in adventurous jaunts. Yudhishtra welcomed the idea and planned a pilgrimage to many shrines and holy places. They eventually reached Kulinda, the kingdom of Subahu, in the Himalayan regions and enjoyed the hospitality offered by the king. They then proceeded to the dense forest of Narayanasrama and camped on the banks of a river. One day, a north-easterly breeze carried a beautiful and fragrant flower to the proximity of Draupada who gathered it in awe and wonder. Declaring her intent to gift the flower to Yudhishtra, Draupadi implored Bhima to find the plant to take to Kamyaka forest to grow a garden full of those heavenly fragrant flowers.
Anxious to please his beloved Draupadi, Bhima journeyed in the direction of the wind and presently came to a forest of plantain trees at the foot of a mountain. His path forward was blocked by a giant monkey that lay across the way, fast asleep. Bhima commanded the monkey to move but the old monkey sermoned on the proper etiquette of the strong behaving benevolently towards the weak, such as himself. Bhima asserted his status as the mighty Hanuman's brother, and threatened to jump over the lazy monkey but stopped short since the scriptures do not advise it. The monkey pretended to be in awe of the mighty Hanuman and implored Bhima to push his tail side and carry on further. Bhima reluctantly flicked the tail aside but was astounded to see it not move an inch, He mustered all his strength and tried to lift the tail but to no avail. Bhima was shocked into a realization that this was no ordinary monkey and upon asking, was overjoyed to discover the identity of the monkey. Hanuman embraced him and directed him to the location of the flowers, away from the path to the spirit world, where unspoken dangers lay. He blessed Bhima with a vision of his Vishwaroopam and promised to accompany him in the war with the Kauravas, by presiding on the flagpole of Arjuna's chariot, guiding them to victory.
The children continued to participate very well in the class, few of them narrated the incidents from the Mahabharata and few asked several questions as the stories were being discussed.
At 8 pm the kids assembled in the prayer hall and performed Saraswati Pooja.
Next class is on Friday, Oct 25th at 7 pm.
Thank you!
Pranāms
Purnima & Anupama
