No, I am not playing the devil’s advocate. But I am only trying to look deeper and see whether there is any justification to whatever Krishna did; Whether Vyasa really convey the intricacies of righteousness or Dharma through his master piece namely the Mahabharata.
Showing posts with label Mahabharat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mahabharat. Show all posts
Saturday, October 26, 2019
MB21-Why was Krishna right in doing what he did
No, I am not playing the devil’s advocate. But I am only trying to look deeper and see whether there is any justification to whatever Krishna did; Whether Vyasa really convey the intricacies of righteousness or Dharma through his master piece namely the Mahabharata.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
MB20-Was it really a war of righteousness?!
For the past several weeks, we have been discussing the great Indian Epic namely the Mahabharata.
As we saw, the most significant part of this story is the final war in which millions were massacred – brothers killed brothers, students killed their teachers, sons killed their parents and grandparents, friends killed their friends, and so on. It was a saga of brutal killing and ‘fight unto death’ with utter disregard to right and wrong.
In that case, how was the war called the war of righteousness? Apparently, the author of this Epic, namely Vyasa, is supposed to have written it to convey what righteousness is all about!
Saturday, October 19, 2019
MB19-One last act of deceit!
As we discussed in the previous episode, the stage was all set for the final act of this drama of war of righteousness!
Duryodhana had emerged from his hideout from beneath the lake. Though tired, he was ready to fight his archrival Bhima in a last ‘do or die’ act. Bhima who was waiting all along for this opportunity was all the more ready.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
MB18-The devil quoting the bible
Well, we are discussing a story that probably took place when Bible was not even there. I am just using a popular phrase!
After the death of Karna, that we discussed in the previous episode, the Kauravas were totally disarrayed. Duryodhana was struck by immense grief. He not only lost his best friend, but also lost the last surviving warrior who could possibly win him the kingdom that seemed to go into the hands of the Pandavas.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
MB17-The Sun finally sets
Many of us remember righteousness only when we are at the receiving end. When all is well with us, we don’t care for right and wrong. But, when we are helpless, suddenly we remember righteousness and start preaching others about how they should act!
Thursday, October 10, 2019
MB16-Ashwatthama’s last minute bid to end the war
Having promised his elder brother Yudhishthira that he would slay Karna that day, Arjuna along with Krishna rushed to the battle field looking for Karna.
Karna too was all set. He had made up his mind that either he would kill Arjuna that day or get killed by him. There was no way both could return from the war field live that day.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
MB15-Frustration blinds even the wisest!
Most of us tend to make silly mistakes when we are frustrated and desperate. Our wisdom evades us and we make fool of ourselves. Probably, that is what happened to Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
MB14-You are helpless if fate conspirers against you!
That is what happened to Karna, the great friend of the Kaurava King Duryodhana.
Karna was actually an abandoned child brought up by a poor charioteer. So, all through his life, he was ridiculed as a ‘Soota Putra’, meaning a charioteer’s son.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
MB13-Drona killed by deceit!
After the slaughter of great warrior Abhimanyu by deceit, the saga of deceit continued with either side resorting to all kinds of unfair means to kill each other.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
MB12-All is fair in love and war!
At least that is how the saying goes and many of us really think so! But not so in a war that was meant to be a war of righteousness – or Dharmayuddha.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
MB11-Drona – The Ancient Indian test-tube baby!
Today we are all familiar with the procedure called In-Vitro Fertilization, which has come as a boon to many a mother who cannot conceive naturally.
In common parlance, the babies born by such a procedure are called ‘test tube babies’, though they are really not born in a test tube per se. Only the fertilization of ovum by the sperm takes place outside the body of the would be mother, in a Petri dish – ‘test tube’ under controlled conditions.
But not so, in the case of Drona – if you believe what the story says. Drona was a true test tube baby!
Thursday, September 19, 2019
MB10-Winning by ‘hook or crook’!
After the fall of Bhishma, there was some hope that the war would end. Bhishma tried his best to dissuade the Kauravas from further massacre.
But the evil Kauravas were far from reforming. They somehow wanted to eliminate the Pandavas ‘by hook or crook’ as they say.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
MB09-Amba finally takes her revenge!
Having come to know about Bhishma’s decision not to confront Shikandi, or Amba in her previous birth, both sides, Kauravas as well as Pandavas were charting out their way ahead.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
MB08-Shikandi – a transgender hell bent on revenge!
Even great people commit heinous mistakes. So did Bhishma. And the result was Shikandi.
In his previous birth, Shikandi was the eldest of the three daughters of King of Kashi. In that birth his name was Amba. How Amba became Shikandi is a sad story which we will discuss now.
Saturday, September 7, 2019
MB07-Bhishma’s Achilles heel!
As promised to the Kauravas, Bhishma continued to wreak havoc on the Pandava army day in and day out. Thousands of soldiers and great warriors on the Pandava side were killed by raging Bhishma.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
MB06-What do you do if God wants to kill you?!
When you are in difficulties and when your life itself is at stake, you pray to God for help. What if God himself tries to attack you? You have no one else to turn to. Nor you can do anything to protect yourself.
That is what exactly must have happened to Bhishma.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
MB05-Bhishma – the man the terrible!
In the previous episode we were discussing the strange behavior of Bhishma. On one hand he was all for the Pandavas. But at the same time, he was hell bent on vanquishing them by siding with their opponent. Why?
Let us dig a bit into Bhishma’s past.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
MB04-Seeking enemy’s permission before killing him!
Have you ever heard of anyone seeking the permission of the enemy before killing him? That sounds ridiculous and insane. But Yudhishthira did exactly that.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
MB03-Humiliation is impossible to forget!
Many of us who have undergone humiliation know how difficult it is to forget and forgive. We may be very righteous, endowed with clarity, broad minded. But still, if we are humiliated, that too over and over again, we hardly forgive the person who has humiliated us.
That is exactly what happened to Dhritarastra.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
MB02-Vyasa – A dark boy born on an island!
Probably, there is no other author in the entire Indian history who is as revered, as versatile, as multifaceted, and as proficient as Vyasa who also happens to be the author of Mahabharata we are talking about.
His actual name was Krishna Dvaipayana – literally meaning ‘a dark boy born on an island!’ What a strange name!
Let me give a bit of his background.
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