Mahabharata

by Anonymous

It was first composed in Sanskrit some five thousand years ago by Vyasadeva, a mystic residing in the Himalayas. Its central theme is the true story of the lives of five powerful rulers, the Pandavas.

Pandu bowed at Bhishma's feet as he presented all this wealth, and Bhishma tearfully embraced the young king.

Taking his two wives with him, he left his magnificent palace and moved to a simple dwelling on the mountainside.

resembled a god wandering on earth.

Pandu had mastered his senses, so although he gracefully accepted their gifts, he continued to live simply.

sages, see my afflicted state and be merciful. I beg you to beget children in my wives, just as Vyasadeva begot myself and my brothers.”

"By our ascetic powers we have seen that you will undoubtedly have children like the gods themselves. Indeed, your progeny will fulfill the purpose of the celestials. All this we can clearly see.

Please, therefore, accept another man and conceive a child for me."

Kunti should thus accept a qualified brahmin, who was superior to him, in order to have a child.

Pandu, who had known nothing about the boon, was overjoyed upon hearing Kunti's words. This was surely the Lord's arrangement. Sons from the gods would be far superior to any born of earthly men.

"Success in this world depends upon exertion, but exertion is always subordinate to destiny. Yet even destiny is controlled by the will of the Supreme Lord.

Pandu was delighted. He now had three matchless sons.

Assisted by Bhishma, Dhritarastra ruled the kingdom on Pandu's behalf.

the scriptures clearly state that an individual can be abandoned for the sake of a family. Indeed, a family can be abandoned for the sake of a village, a village for the sake of a city and the world itself can be abandoned for the sake of the soul.

Among all the boys Arjuna excelled at his lessons. He remained always at Drona's side, eager to learn any little skill or extra tips. His ability, speed, perseverance and determination were unequalled by the other princes. Arjuna became foremost; Drona felt none could match his skills.

Over-attachment for one's close relatives is simply born of ignorance. Every creature in the world is born alone and dies alone. He experiences the results of his own good and evil deeds and in the end leaves the present

body to accept another. The belief that one person is the relation of another is nothing more than illusion.

"I do not feel that Arjuna has insulted us. Indeed, my feelings are that he has enhanced our glory. Partha knows that we would not accept payment or gifts for our princess. What man on earth would sell his child to another? Nor would Arjuna accept the maiden as a gift, as if she were an animal. He has therefore selected the method always favored by powerful heroes."

Draupadi had never seen Subhadra and did not realize who she was, but seeing her humble demeanor and being reminded of Krishna by Subhadra's rustic dress, Draupadi's heart melted. She raised her hands and blessed her, saying, "May you become the wife of a hero and the mother of a hero. May you be without a rival."

Arjuna was unconquerable as he stood on the battlefield releasing his deadly arrows, with Krishna skilfully guiding the chariot.

Narada was fully acquainted with every aspect of the Vedic teachings, and he was renowned as a great devotee and servant of the Supreme Lord. He knew the Lord's desire, and his movements and actions were always arranged to assist the divine plan.

The whole aim of the monarch, Narada explained, was to keep his people on the path of progressive spiritual life, helping them advance toward life's ultimate goal of emancipation, while ensuring that they were protected and had all their material needs provided.

"Scriptural knowledge is

successful when it results in humility and good conduct, wealth is successful when it is both enjoyed and given away in charity, and marriage is successful when the wife is enjoyed and bears offspring." Concluding his instructions, the rishi said, "Be sure, great king, that you are always free of the five evils which assail men: excessive sleep, fear, anger, weakness of mind and procrastination."

Brahma's hall.

The self-effulgent hall knows no deterioration and it continuously increases the happiness of its occupants. Brahma sits there surrounded by the personified forms of Mind, Space, Knowledge, Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, Scent, Nature, all the elements and the Prime Causes of the universe. Present also are the Sun, Moon, all the stars and constellations, Joy, Renunciation, Asceticism, Understanding, Patience, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Fortune and all the Vedas.

There were presently many evil kings and kshatriyas

inhabiting the earth. Before beginning the sacrifice, Yudhisthira would need to overpower them. Only then would he be able to perform the Rajasuya, and only then would he be able to establish piety and virtue throughout the world.

Arjuna then spoke. "We are born in a race famed for its valor and prowess. How can we, like weak men, shrink back in fear of an enemy? We are kshatriyas. Our duty is to fight and––if necessary––lay down our lives in battle. There can be no higher act for us than to fight Jarasandha and try to rescue the imprisoned kings. If we do not go, men shall revile us as worthless. Such dishonor would be worse than death."

"By your grace, dear Krishna, anything can be achieved," he said. "Indeed, it is only by your power that anyone else can exhibit power. We are kings and rulers only as long as you permit; yet although you are the unlimited Supreme, devoid of mundane desire and hatred, you still appear as an ordinary human being."

Horrified when she realized that Krishna would kill her son, Sishupala's mother had begged, "Please grant me a boon, Krishna. Pardon my son for any offence he may give you. I desire his welfare and long life."

Krishna replied, "Blessed lady, even when Sishupala deserves to be killed I will forgive him. Indeed, I shall tolerate one hundred offenses from him."

Then Krishna also decided to return home. As he was departing he spoke affectionately to Yudhisthira. "O King, cherish all your subjects with ceaseless vigilance and patience. As the cloud is to all creatures, or the large tree to the birds, so should you become the refuge to your dependants."

Lección de Krisna al rey del mundo

After Krishna's departure the Pandavas approached Vyasadeva, who had not yet left. Yudhisthira asked him if the sacrifice had been successful. The rishi replied, "O Kuru child, this sacrifice will yield great results for thirteen years. You shall be the undisputed emperor of this wide earth, but at the end of that period you will be the cause of a war which will rid the world of kshatriyas."

"I have no desire to gamble, but if I am challenged I will not be able to refuse, because the kshatriya code is to always accept a challenge. Surely this world moves according to the will of supreme Providence. All-powerful fate deprives us of our reason and we move according to its dictates as if bound by a rope.

"The great ordainer of the world has ordained this without doubt. Happiness and misery come in turn to both the wise and the unwise. Morality is said, however, to be the highest object in this world. If we preserve morality, it will pour blessings upon us. Let not that morality now abandon the Kurus. Go back, good sir, and speak these words to the virtuous Kuru elders. I am ready to obey whatever command those moral-minded men may give, for they are conversant with all the precepts of virtue."

"Desist, brother. Great men never care for the harsh words uttered by inferior men. Even if able to retaliate, they do not take seriously acts of hostility, preferring instead to remember even a little good that their enemies may have done them."

About great men

Dhritarastra replied, "Go in peace, Ajatasatru. You are full of humility and you always wait upon your elders. Therefore you are wise. The wise do not remember an enemy's hostility. Instead, they see only the good in them. Only the worst of men use harsh words in a quarrel, while superior men do not react when

provoked. Knowing their own feelings, they can understand the feelings of others. Therefore they always act with compassion, even toward their enemies."

Surely the gods deprive that man of his reason to whom they have ordained defeat and disgrace. He sees everything in a strange light. When destruction is at hand, his mind is polluted by sin and evil then appears as good. That which is improper appears proper, while that which is proper appears otherwise."

"A thousand causes of grief and fear overwhelm the ignorant day by day, but they never overwhelm the learned. O King, intelligent men like you are never cast into illusion. Reverses cannot bewilder you, who well knows the eternal truths of the Vedas. Bring that wisdom to mind now."

Forgiveness is virtue, forgiveness is sacrifice and forgiveness is the Vedas. Forgiveness is purity and penance; it is truth, piety, religion, and the holy Narayana. Through forgiveness the universe is sustained, and by practising forgiveness a man can attain to everlasting regions of bliss.'

None should ever perform virtue with a desire to gain its fruits. Such a sinful trader of virtue will never reap the results. I practice virtue only because I desire to follow the Vedas and satisfy the Lord.

But besides destiny there is exertion. A man who does not exert himself will eventually be ruined. I feel you should exert yourself now to recover your kingdom.

"O king, although remaining fixed in virtue, you still cannot see the truth, like an ignorant man who has memorized the Vedas without knowing their meaning. You are a kshatriya, yet you act like a brahmin. A king's duties are fraught with crookedness and cunning. You know this well."

Fixing his narrow eyes upon Yudhisthira, the serpent said, "How can we recognize a true brahmin, and what is the highest object of knowledge?" "A

brahmin is characterized by the qualities of honesty, purity, forgiveness, self-control, asceticism, knowledge and religiosity. The highest object of knowledge is the Supreme Brahman, which can be known when one has transcended all duality."

Knowing himself to be the cause of the Pandavas' suffering, Dhritarastra cried, "Alas, how is it that Yudhisthira, who has no enemy on earth, now lives in a lonely forest and sleeps on the bare ground? How is the ever-wrathful Bhima able to tolerate the sight of Draupadi clad in barks and lying upon the earth? Surely he restrains himself only out of devotion to his elder brother. Arjuna, seeing Draupadi and the twins in such misery,

must be breathing the hot sighs of an angry serpent. All those heroes and their wife should not be suffering such pain. Duryodhana's cruel words at the dice game must burn them day and night, and I can imagine Bhima's anger increasing day by day like fire fed with oil."

With a desire to attain heaven, he began to observe the Praya vow of fasting until death. He stopped speaking, and ceasing all other external activities, half-closed his eyes. Soon he was meditating.