Here's a quick synopsis of our Sunday class:
The ashram was buzzing with activity and celebrations for Radha Kalyanam. Initially, we thought class might not happen amidst all the festivities. But to our pleasant surprise, we tuned out the distractions and completed our session as usual!
We started with a brief meditation and continued Geeta chanting—Chapter 5. We've now reached up to verse 26.
Our Quirky Question (QQ) of the day was: Who is your greatest enemy?
We had some thought-provoking answers—ourselves, our mind, our thoughts, and Time.
The answer we explored: Time! It's our greatest enemy because we are constantly running out of it from the moment we are born. No one can ever win against time!
In Mahabharata, we discussed Brihannala's victory over Duryodhana and his allies during their attack on the Virata kingdom. Duryodhana believed he had exposed the Pandavas before their incognito year ended, but time was not on his side. The Pandavas had successfully completed their 13 years of exile, including the incognito year.
When asked to return the kingdom as per the agreement, Duryodhana refused. Messengers went back and forth, but all efforts failed. (We discussed these episodes in detail.)
One story we focused on was Duryodhana and Arjuna approaching Krishna for help in the war. Krishna, who was sleeping when they arrived, saw Arjuna first as he humbly stood by Krishna's feet, while Duryodhana—who had arrived first—sat arrogantly by Krishna's head.
Krishna offered them a choice: his powerful NaaraayaNi sena (army) to one and himself (unarmed) to the other, making it clear he wouldn't take up any weapons in the war. To Duryodhana's surprise, Arjuna chose Krishna, leaving the army to Duryodhana. While Duryodhana pretended to accept this gracefully, he was secretly thrilled.
We drew a few key lessons from this story:
- Sitting with crossed legs and shaking them in front of elders is considered disrespectful. As per physiology, sitting this way throws off the alignment of the spine and will lead to multiple posture issues later in life. So, our elders reinforced a good habit in a hidden manner.
- Fidgeting, shaking legs, etc. are said to be a bad habits. A jittery body means an agitated, anxious, or zoned-out mind. To keep our alertness as students, this habit was discouraged.
- Habits shape our character. Every day, we are practicing the kind of people we want to become. Practicing honesty, humility, and discipline daily is essential.
- Duryodhana's lack of discipline as a child influenced his behavior as an adult, showing the importance of consistent guidance from parents.
We wrapped up with Unique Statement Review (USR), aarati, and the pledge, as the auditorium was occupied with celebrations.
Until next time, here's something to ponder:
See you Sunday.
