Hari OM Dear Families,
Happy New Year!
Opening prayers and Shlokas
Slokas: Class began with 3 OMs followed by
Om Saha Navavatu
Vakratunda, Saraswatyai Namastubhyam, Gurur Brahma, Buddhir Balam
We then continued with the Mahabharata:
The Pandavas, along with their mother, proceed to Kampilya. On the way, they meet a gandharva named Angaaravarna, who suggests they get a kulaguru and he recommends Dhaumya. They reach out to Dhaumya, who is also very pleased with their humility and behavior and readily agrees to be their guru.
In Kampilya, the Pandavas stay in a potter's house. They hear the news from their daily wanderings that their king is certain that Arjuna is alive and will participate in Draupadi's swayamvar. This first entails stringing the divine bow Kindhura shooting the eye of a rotating mechanical fish - five arrows can be used, but the shooter looks at the reflection of the fish in a pond, rather than at the fish itself.
Kings from all over arrive to participate in the swayamvar. The Pandavas are there disguised as Brahmins, along with the Kauravas, Duryodhana, Radheya, all the Yadavas, including Krishna and Balarama, and others, like the Bhojas, Vrishnis, and Andhakas. Dhristadyumna leads the beautiful Draupadi to the center and proclaims the challenge and that the winner will win the hand of Draupadi. He also shows her the kings who are present for the swayamvar. Krishna spots the Pandavas in the crowd and is excited to see them. The yadavas do not participate as they are sure Arjuna was alive and will wield the bow. King after King fail to even string the bow and those who manage to do it miss the mark. Duryodhana, Jaradandha, Sisupala, Salya are some of those who fail. Even Radheya who strings the bow missses the eye . No one dares to try after this failure. Arjuna stands up and offers to give a try. Krishna recognizes him.
Dhristadyumna gives a go ahead, and Arjuna successfully completes the feat. Flowers rain on Arjuna from the sky, and Draupadi walks up to Arjuna and garlands him. They make a beautiful pair. The kings are upset with the outcome and challenge Arjuna. The rest of the Pandavas jump to his rescue, and big fight starts. Radheya takes on Arjuna. Radheya admits defeat in the competition and enquires who he is. Finally, Krishna intervenes and claims it is not right to fight as the Brahmin has won fair and square. All kings take the advice. The Pandavas leave along with Draupadi and reach the potter's house. They announce their coming with the words:"Mother , we have brought a bhiksha". Kunti does not look up but says all of you share the biksha. Kunti repents her words but after the words are spoken, Arjuna feels Yudhishthira should marry Draupadi as he is the oldest, while Yudhishthira feels it is their duty to obey their mother and suggests all of them marrying Draupadi.
Krishna and Balarama come to meet the Pandavas and Kunti. This is the first time the cousins are meeting each other. They embrace each other and Krishna warns them against revealing their true identity for the moment. He suggests to let the world know who they are when it is safer. Meanwhile, Drupada is upset that a Brahmin married Draupadi and not Arjuna as he envisioned. He sends Dhristadyumna to find out more about the Brahmins. Dhristadyumna hides himself snd watches the Pandavas, Kunti and Draupadi. He finds his sister very happy but he is very surprised to hear the 5 Brahmins talking about arms, weapons, astras etc. They seemed to be at home in these matters. He is convinced that these are the Pandavas and he gladly informs his father. Drupada is happy and sends purohits and costly dresses and gifts to his son in law. He decides to set a date for the wedding and welcomes the brothers along with their mother to the palace.
The Pandavas and their mother arrive at the palace. They are warmly welcomed. Drupad asks them to introduce themselves. Yudhishthira decided to reveal their identity and introduces himself and his brothers. Drupad is extremely happy with this turn of events. He tells the Pandavas not be wary of the Kauravas and decides to get Arjuna married off quickly to Draupadi. Yudhishthira corrects him saying that he being the eldest should marry first. Drupad agrees to him marrying Draupadi instead of Arjun as well. Yudhishthira then says that all 5 of them will marry her, but Drupad is shocked and does not think it is Dharma for a lady to have 5 husbands. At that opportune moment, Vyaasa arrives . He informs them that Draupadi in her previous birth was blessed by Lord Shiva to have 5 husbands. He gives them his word and asks Drupad to marry off his daughter to the 5 Pandavas.
News spreads like wild fire: the Pandavas are alive as well as their marriage. The Kauravas are in deep shock as all their plans have failed. Sakuni suggests to challenge the Pandavas in a fight. They march to Kampilya but they are routed by the Pandavas. Dejected, they come back to Hastinapur. Dhirtarashtra is also very upset, and Radheya again talks of winning over them in the battlefield. The elders, like Bheeshma, Drona, etc, think that the best way of gaining back their reputation is to call the Pandavas back to Hastinapur and give them half the kingdom for them to rule. Dhirtarashtra has no reason to disagree. Vidura is sent as an envoy to bring back the Pandavas, Kunti and Draupadi. The Pandavas return to Hastinapur accompanied by Krishna.
An official reception is arranged for the Pandavas. Dhritarashtra tells Yudhishthira that he has a right to the kingdom as well, but since his son is also there, he suggests that the kingdom be divided. He implores Yudhishthira to become the king of Khandavaprastha. Yudhishthira of course agrees to this. On an auspicious day, the coronation is celebrated in Hastinapur. Kripa, Bheeshma, Drona, Dhaumya, Vyaasa and Krishna bless the newly coronated king. Yudhishthira and his brothers are asked to leave and proceed to their country. Khandavaprastha was the old capital of the Kurus and was ruled by Pururavas, Nahusha, Yayati, etc. It was later destroyed by the curse of the Rishis to punish the misdemeanor of the son of Budha. It is now barren and no one can survive here. Krishna on looking at this land, summons Indra to beautify the place and to make it fertile as before. Krishna decides to name the place Indraprastha. Vishvakarma, the divine architect, takes charge to transform the whole land. Once it is done, Yudhishthira starts to rule the place. People from other places head to this fertile land. Krishna, after settling the Pandavas here, decides to head back to Dwaraka.
One day a Brahmin comes to Arjuna asking for help as his cows have been stolen. Arjuna agrees to help him but realizes that his weapons are in Yudhishthira's house wherein he is with Draupadi. Before this, the Pandavas had a pact amongst themselves that Draupadi will spend one year in the house of each of the brothers. If she is alone with one of them, then the other brothers cannot intrude on their privacy, but should they, then they will go to the forest for a year. This was decided on the behest of Sage Narada who comes to meet the Pandavas in Indraprastha. He advises them the advantages of being united as this is the only way to defeat one's enemies.
Arjuna is now in a fix, as he does not want to upset his brothers, but looking at the condition of the Brahmin decides to get this weapons nevertheless. The cows are found and handed over. Arjuna then decides to self implicate himself and leave Indraprastha. Yudhishthira tries to stop him knowing the reason for his imposition. Arjuna refuses to listen and leaves the place. In one of his journeys, he marries Ulupi, the naga princess. Then he marries Chitrangada, the daughter of King Chitrasena of Manalur. They have a child together. Arjuna leaves both these princesses in their own kingdoms.
He finally reaches Dwaraka. He had heard about the beauty of Subhadra, the sister of Krishna, and had fallen in love with her even without seeing her. As he does not want to be recognized, he disguises himself as an ascetic. Krishna, on hearing about the arrival of this ascetic, realizes it is Arjuna in disguise. He welcomes his cousin and Arjuna tells him about his love for Subhadra. Krishna tells him that if Subhadra also starts to reciprocate his feelings, Arjuna can take her to Indraprastha and get married.
Arjuna sits under a tree and meditates. Balarama, not recognizing him, asks to host him, and also suggests that he could stay at the gardens by Subhadra's palace, where she could attend to his needs. Krishna is happy to note the turn of events but does not reveal his feelings to Balarama, since he knows that Balarama actually wants Subhadra to marry his favorite student, Duryodhana. Subhadra asks 'the ascetic' about his worldly travels and asks if he has met her aunt Kunti and the great Arjuna. To which he responds that he has indeed met them and that he could produce Arjuna before her, if she wishes. Her shy smile gives him his answer, and he removes his disguise, revealing his true self. Subhadra flees to her palace, burning red with embarrassment.
Realizing that both Arjuna and Subhadra wish to be united, Krishna suggests that they elope on a day when Balarama and Krishna are not in Dwaraka. That day comes soon, and Arjuna and Subhadra flee towards Indraprastha. The guards at the gates of Dwaraka inform Balarama and he blames Krishna, knowing his soft corner for Arjuna. Balarama decides to follow Arjuna's chariot and bring Subhadra back, but Krishna tells him that Subhadra decided to elope because she loves Arjuna and that the best solution is to conduct the marriage.
Meanwhile, Arjuna and Subhadra arrive at Indraprastha. Subhadra, with her sweet nature and mild disposition charms Draupadi, who readily blesses her to be the wife and mother of heroes. Krishna and Balarama come to Indraprastha and conduct the marriage.
Krishna stays on for a while longer in Indraprastha. One hot summer day, Arjuna and Krishna go to the banks of the river Yamuna to cool off. Right by the banks of the Yamuna is Khandava - a terrible forest, where there lives a serpent king Takshaka.
A hungry Brahmin appears before them all red and angry. It is Agni. He tells them of his dilemma, that he needs to consume (burn) the Khandava forest, which is being stalled because of Takshaka's friend Lord Indra who brought down rain every time Agni would try to burn it. This place was the home for Takshaka and his family. Varuna's (god of the ocean) Gandhiva bow given by Soma is summoned, along with quivers with unlimited arrows. A chariot is also given with a flag which has an emblem of a monkey. This is yoked to four white horses who can fly faster than wind. Varuna also gives a mace named Kaumodaki to Krishna. Agni also gives a chakra to Krishna. This is Sudarshana chakra, which is returned to him after a long time. Agni takes form and begins the destruction of the Khandava forest. Indra hears about the destruction and tries his hardest to save the forest of Khandava, but the flames are so hot that the water turns to steam before they reach Earth. Takshaka's son Asvasena and his mother try to get out but Arjuna doesn't let them. To save her son, she sacrifices herself by leaping to the sky, knowing that Arjuna will shoot her down, allowing her son an opportunity to escape. An Asura named Maya who is the architect of the Asuras is also caught in the flames and tries to get out. Krishna raises his sudarshana chakra, but Maya runs to Arjuna, begging for mercy, who allows him to live.
Finally, a voice from the heaven says, "Indra, give up your fight. Your friend Takshaka is not in the forest and his son has escaped. You cannot win against Nara and Narayana". Indra, proud of his son's achievement, tells Arjuna to ask him for anything. Arjuna asks for all his astras. He says he will give him all weapons after he receives the Pasupata astra from Shiva.
This marks the end of Adi parva.
Gita Chanting –
Please continue practicing at home
Likitha Japa time- Kids continued with likitha japa. Please be sure to bring the book with you on Jan 8th.
Hari OM
Best regards
Indira and Raji
