Mahabharata Adiparva Adivansavataranaparva section 60-61
Sri Sadgurubhyoh namah
After the sarpayaaga (snake sacrifice) was concluded, King Janamejaya listened to sacred scriptures as was the practice. While all the brahmanas assembled there, rendered Vedas, Rishi Vyasa (a.k.a. Krishna dvaipayana) recited Bharata.
Rishi Sauti continues with the story telling to Rishi Saunaka. King Janamejaya, propitiates his great grandfather Vyasa, and prays to him to recount why there has been a great war between Kurus and Pandavas in which all of them became extinct. Vyasa directs his disciple Rishi Vysampayana, to recount the history of Bharata.
Vysampayana after prostrating to his Guru Vyasa, touching his eight limbs to the ground and starts recounting the bharata in brief.
The five Pandava brothers came to Hastinapur after their father's demise and started excelling in all princely studies like archery, law, justice etc. They were gifted with Strength, Valor, Intelligence, Energy, Power of mind. Pandavas were admired by the citizens. The sons of blind King Dhritarashtra, the hundred Kauravas, are cousins of Pandavas. Kauravas became jealous of Pandavas, and they feared them. Kauaravas started devising means to eliminate Pandavas by hook or crook. The eldest son o f Dritharashtra is Duryodhana. He along with his friend Karna, and maternal uncle Sakuni , started scheming to kill Pandavas. They gave poison to Bhima, who digested it. They tied Bhima and threw him in threw him in Ganga. There Bhima was bit by Snakes. But he survived.
Vidura who is the minister and brother of Dritarashtra, helped and saved Pandavas from many diabolical schemes of Duryodhan.
The kauravas constructed a house of Lac (which can be easily burnt down) and with the full knowledge of Dritarashtra asked Pandavas to go there and stay. Pandavas stayed there for 1 year, and constructed a subterranian passage beneath the house, and wakefully kept themselves alive in that 1 year from fire. After the tunnell is built they burnt down the house and left through the tunnel. Kauravas though that Pandavas are dead.
Pandavas fled through forest and lived in a place called Ekachakra and lived like Brahmacharins. It was there that Bhima of immense strength killed a Rakshasa Vaka to help the people. Bhima married Hidimba and begets a son named Ghatotkacha. Pandavas married Draupadi of Panchala, and moved back to Hastinapur as their Identity is known.
Dhritarastra and Bhishma directs Pandavas to move to Khandavaprasta and live there to remove any dissensions between cousins. Pandavas conquer all kingdoms in all directions and expand their kingdom.
Then for some reason Arjuna went into forest and stayed there for 12 years. During that time he met Lord SriKrishna, Married his sister Subhadra. Arjuna alonnm with Krishna offered the Forest of Khandava to God Agni to cure Agni of indigestion. Agni gifts the bow Gandiva to Arjuna. Arjuna rescues an Asura named Maya from that fire. Maya builds a grand palace for Pandavas called Mayasabha.
Duryodhana smitten by jealosy on beholding the palace, tricked Pandavas into dice play and wins entire kingdom and sends Pandavas into exile for 12 years and 1 year exile in concealment of their identities.
On 14th year Pandavas return and wage a war against Kauravas to reclaim their Kingdom and slay the wicked.
This is the history of Pandavas who never acted under evil influence.
My Commentary :
Jealosy, Greed, blinded the blind king Dritarastra further. He couldnt see beyond his own Son's benefits. Duryodhana is Adharma (injustice) personified.
Kama, Krodha, Moha, Mada, Matsarya (desires, anger, greed, pride, jealousy) are the five enemies of any person. Pandavas are ones who conquered these enemies. Yudhistir never desired for Kingdom. Bhima could easily kill all the Kauravas whenever he wanted. But when he actually killed all of them in war, he did it for the sake of justice but not out of anger.
Arjuna the greatest Archer in the world, was humble enough to follow his brother in all trials and tribulations. Similary Nakula and Sahadeva showed how to conquer greed and jealousy.
Sri Sadgurubhyoh namah
After the sarpayaaga (snake sacrifice) was concluded, King Janamejaya listened to sacred scriptures as was the practice. While all the brahmanas assembled there, rendered Vedas, Rishi Vyasa (a.k.a. Krishna dvaipayana) recited Bharata.
Rishi Sauti continues with the story telling to Rishi Saunaka. King Janamejaya, propitiates his great grandfather Vyasa, and prays to him to recount why there has been a great war between Kurus and Pandavas in which all of them became extinct. Vyasa directs his disciple Rishi Vysampayana, to recount the history of Bharata.
Vysampayana after prostrating to his Guru Vyasa, touching his eight limbs to the ground and starts recounting the bharata in brief.
The five Pandava brothers came to Hastinapur after their father's demise and started excelling in all princely studies like archery, law, justice etc. They were gifted with Strength, Valor, Intelligence, Energy, Power of mind. Pandavas were admired by the citizens. The sons of blind King Dhritarashtra, the hundred Kauravas, are cousins of Pandavas. Kauravas became jealous of Pandavas, and they feared them. Kauaravas started devising means to eliminate Pandavas by hook or crook. The eldest son o f Dritharashtra is Duryodhana. He along with his friend Karna, and maternal uncle Sakuni , started scheming to kill Pandavas. They gave poison to Bhima, who digested it. They tied Bhima and threw him in threw him in Ganga. There Bhima was bit by Snakes. But he survived.
Vidura who is the minister and brother of Dritarashtra, helped and saved Pandavas from many diabolical schemes of Duryodhan.
The kauravas constructed a house of Lac (which can be easily burnt down) and with the full knowledge of Dritarashtra asked Pandavas to go there and stay. Pandavas stayed there for 1 year, and constructed a subterranian passage beneath the house, and wakefully kept themselves alive in that 1 year from fire. After the tunnell is built they burnt down the house and left through the tunnel. Kauravas though that Pandavas are dead.
Pandavas fled through forest and lived in a place called Ekachakra and lived like Brahmacharins. It was there that Bhima of immense strength killed a Rakshasa Vaka to help the people. Bhima married Hidimba and begets a son named Ghatotkacha. Pandavas married Draupadi of Panchala, and moved back to Hastinapur as their Identity is known.
Dhritarastra and Bhishma directs Pandavas to move to Khandavaprasta and live there to remove any dissensions between cousins. Pandavas conquer all kingdoms in all directions and expand their kingdom.
Then for some reason Arjuna went into forest and stayed there for 12 years. During that time he met Lord SriKrishna, Married his sister Subhadra. Arjuna alonnm with Krishna offered the Forest of Khandava to God Agni to cure Agni of indigestion. Agni gifts the bow Gandiva to Arjuna. Arjuna rescues an Asura named Maya from that fire. Maya builds a grand palace for Pandavas called Mayasabha.
Duryodhana smitten by jealosy on beholding the palace, tricked Pandavas into dice play and wins entire kingdom and sends Pandavas into exile for 12 years and 1 year exile in concealment of their identities.
On 14th year Pandavas return and wage a war against Kauravas to reclaim their Kingdom and slay the wicked.
This is the history of Pandavas who never acted under evil influence.
My Commentary :
Jealosy, Greed, blinded the blind king Dritarastra further. He couldnt see beyond his own Son's benefits. Duryodhana is Adharma (injustice) personified.
Kama, Krodha, Moha, Mada, Matsarya (desires, anger, greed, pride, jealousy) are the five enemies of any person. Pandavas are ones who conquered these enemies. Yudhistir never desired for Kingdom. Bhima could easily kill all the Kauravas whenever he wanted. But when he actually killed all of them in war, he did it for the sake of justice but not out of anger.
Arjuna the greatest Archer in the world, was humble enough to follow his brother in all trials and tribulations. Similary Nakula and Sahadeva showed how to conquer greed and jealousy.
dear prasad
ReplyDeletei may be mistaken but I feel that Bhima did not act for the sake of justice purely,he had lot of anger.His treatment of Duryodhana after he falls down shows that he had lot of resentment inside.the beauty of mahabharata is that maharshi VedVyas had shown all the shades in between black and white.you see negative emotions/thoughts both in pandava and kaurava sides. degrees may differ.
uma akka
Bhima is the unsung Hero of Mahabharata.
ReplyDeleteWhile Arjuna cornered all the Glory since SriKrishna is his charioteer, It is Bhima who has done impossible deeds. All the 99 Kaurava brothers met their gory death at the hands of Bhima. Bhima is the general of Pandava army.
He has channelised his energies for the sake of justice. A kshatriya fights as is his natural instinct. And it is not a sin to be angry at adharma. You seem to imply that whatever Duryodhana does , the other side has to impassively fight back. That is neither being alive nor being wise.