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May 14 - May 17, 2022
As per some Vedic marriage rites, a woman is first given in marriage to the romantic moon-god, Chandra, then to the highly sensual Gandharva named Vishwavasu, then to the fire-god, Agni, who cleanses and purifies all things, and finally to her human husband. Thus, the ‘four men’ quota is exhausted. Clearly this was an attempt of society to prevent Hindu women from remarrying.
Some scholars believe that even the tale of Kunti’s premarital tryst with Surya is an attempt to hide the truth, that she was asked by her father to satisfy all the needs of the sage Durvasa in keeping with the laws of hospitality.
The Mahabharata has at least two tales that refer to sex hospitality, according to which a guest was allowed access to the host’s wife or daughter for pleasure. Even Satyavati’s tryst with Parasara on the boat is interpreted sometimes as a case of sex hospitality. This practice, once glorified, came to be frowned upon with the passage of time.
The gods invoked by the two wives of Pandu are early Vedic gods known as Devas: Yama, Indra, Vayu and the Ashwini twins. Neither Kunti nor Madri invokes Shiva or Vishnu or Brahma who are forms of Bhagavan or God. The notion of an all-powerful God is a later development in Hindu thought. This clearly indicates that the epic first took shape in Vedic times which were dominated by belief in elemental spirits. Later, with the rise of bhakti or path of passionate devotion to the almighty, the ideas of God and Shiva and Vishnu and Krishna were added to the tale.
Vedic funeral rites refer to the practice of the widow being asked to lie next to her husband’s corpse, but then she is asked to stand up and return to the land of the living. She was allowed to remarry or at least cohabit with other male members of her husband’s family, usually the younger brother.
The epic age was one of tension between those who believed the purpose of life was to enjoy material pleasures and those who believed the purpose of life was to renounce the same.
there can be no dharma without the spirit of generosity. Without genuine love, laws and rules are worthless.
Wealth in Vedic times took three forms: livestock which included cows, horses and elephants, land which was turned into pastures, fields and orchards and finally gold and gems. Most Vedic warfare was over livestock and pasture lands.
Gudakesha, he who has conquered sleep.
Arjunas moniker
Arjuna also was able to shoot his bow using either his left or his right hand. Hence, he came to be known as Sabyasachi.
Arjuna is considered to be the greatest archer in Indian epics, second only to Ram, the protagonist of the Ramayana. More than talent, Vyasa portrays him as one with grit and determination.
The bow is the symbol of poise and balance. The third of the five Pandavas is an archer, suggesting his role in balancing his brothers. His two elder brothers represent royal authority (Yudhishtira) and force (Bhima), while his two younger brothers represent royal splendour (Nakula) and wisdom (Sahadeva). He is neither as aggressive as his elder brothers nor as passive as his younger brothers.
greatness need not be achieved by being better than others; it can also be achieved by pulling down others who are better.
Indra and Surya were ancient rivals, each claiming supremacy in the Vedic pantheon. In the epic Ramayana, this rivalry takes the form of a conflict between Vali, who is the son of Indra and Sugriva, who is the son of Surya. God in the form of Ram sides with Sugriva over Vali. In the Mahabharata, God changes allies and prefers the son of Indra, Arjuna, over the son of Surya, Karna. Thus the balance is achieved between the two gods over two lifetimes.
In the Indonesian telling of the epic, Karna is born out of Kunti’s ear, hence his name Karna which means ‘ear’. This is why Kunti is still a virgin when she gets married to Pandu.
Nagas or hooded serpents lived within rivers, beneath the earth, in the realm known as Rasa-tala in a gem-studded city known as Bhogavati that was ruled by the great serpent-king, Vasuki. Besides being highly venomous, they were also guardians of gems that fulfilled all wishes, cured all ailments, resurrected the dead, restored fertility, granted children and brought good fortune.
Anthropologists believe that the Nagas referred to in the epic were actually settled agricultural communities who worshipped serpents who they regarded as guardians of fertility. Even today serpents are worshipped for children as well as for a good harvest.
Although the words Rakshasa and Asura are used interchangeably, they need to be distinguished. Rakshasas reside in the forest while Asuras reside under the ground. In mythology, the Asuras fight the Devas while the Rakshasas harass humans.
‘It is difficult to forgive when one has suffered so.’
In Vedic times, as per ashrama-dharma, a man’s student days came to an end with marriage while his householder days came to an end when his son bore a child.
Jupiter or Brihaspati served as the guru to Indra, king of the Devas. Venus or Shukra served as guru to Bali, king of the Asuras.
The Mahabharata is a Vaishnava epic, that is it focuses on the virtues of Vishnu, the world-affirming form of God. Shiva, the world-renouncing form of God, appears repeatedly in the epic as the deity invoked by characters burning with vengeance such as Amba, Drupada, and later, Arjuna.
Shiva is considered Ardha-nareshwara, a god who is half woman.
in life, there are situations that you cannot win, no matter what happens.
‘You will get all five men that you want for no single man, except God, can have all those qualities.’
There are a few tribes in India such as the Todas in the south and the hill tribes of Uttaranchal where polyandry is followed to prevent division of property. The household always has one kitchen and one daughter-in-law. The sons have the freedom to either share the wife or become ascetics or find pleasure elsewhere with mistresses and prostitutes, who have no legal right over the family property.
All suffering has its roots in karma.
Balarama was an incarnation of Adi-Ananta-Sesha, the serpent with a thousand hoods in whose coils rested Vishnu,
Arjuna and Krishna are said to be Nara and Narayana, two ancient Rishis, both incarnations of Vishnu.
The cow is the most sacred symbol in Hinduism. This may be taken literally as a legacy of the Vedic past when cows were the only means of livelihood. Or it may be taken symbolically to mean the earth. In Vishnu Purana, which narrates tales of Vishnu, the earth comes before God in the form of a cow, Go-mata, and seeks protection. He promises to be the cowherd of the earth, Go-pal. To ensure harmony between earth and human culture, Vishnu establishes the code of civilization known as dharma. Each time this code is broken, Vishnu descends on the earth as an avatar. The scriptures say that the
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Ultimately, it is not about behaviour alone; it is about intent.
the relationship of Radha and Krishna that takes place in secret, at night, outside the village, is at once clandestine, erotic and spiritually sublime. In time, Radha became a goddess in her own right, the symbol of sacrifice, surrender and unconditional love.
Realizing that discretion is the better part of valour, Krishna organized for all the Yadavas, including himself, to slip out of Mathura while the city was set ablaze by Jarasandha’s soldiers. This act of withdrawal earned Krishna the title of Ranchor-rai, the deserter.
Know the price of ownership. Bear the burden of civilization.’
the conch-shell trumpet called Devdutt.
Devas and Asuras had great architects who built vast citadels based on the principles of Vastu-shastra. Devas had Vishwakarma while Asuras had Maya.
Krishna has other weapons too—a sword called Nandaka, a mace called Kaumodaki and a bow called Saranga. Balarama called his pestle Sunanda.
Draupadi bore the Pandavas five sons. They were: Prativindhya, son of Yudhishtira; Satsoma, son of Bhima; Shurtakirti, son of Arjuna; Shatanika, son of Nakula; and Shrutasena, son of Sahadeva.
Besides Draupadi, each Pandava had other wives. Yudhishtira married Devika, the daughter of Govasana of the Saivya tribe, and begat upon her a son called Yaudheya. Bhima married Valandhara, the daughter of the king of Kashi, and begat upon her a son named Sarvaga. Nakula married Karenumati, the princess of Chedi, and begat upon her a son named Niramitra. Sahadeva obtained Vijaya, the daughter of Dyutimat, the king of Madra, and begat upon her a son named Suhotra.
During his exile, Arjuna fell in love with many women and many women fell in love with him. Some he married and some he did not. Vyasa refers only to three of these women: Ulupi, Chitrangada and Subhadra. In Tamil lore, there are tales of his romantic liaisons with the daughters of Devas and Asuras. One of Arjuna’s many wives was an amazon queen called Ayli, who he seduced while she slept, taking the form of a serpent and slipping into her bed.
what cannot be understood by the human intellect need not be feared because it ultimately comes from God.
Strength alone is not enough in this world; divine grace is needed.
Without Krishna you are nothing. You are Nara and he is Narayana.’
‘Krishna is wisdom. You are action. One without another is useless. All your battles you will win only when you are together.’
In popular belief, men have vestigial nipples as a mark of the feminine within them. Arjuna had only one nipple, not two, because he was more man than others. Krishna had no nipples because he was a purna-purusha, a full man.
In Jain traditions, every world cycle witnesses sixty-three great heroes known as the Salaka-purushas. They include twenty-four hermits or Tirthankaras, twelve kings or Chakra-vartis and nine sets of three warriors comprising the righteous and peaceful Baladeva, the righteous but violent Vasudeva and the unrighteous Prativasudeva. Krishna and Jarasandha are considered to be Vasudeva and Prativasudeva, fated to fight. Krishna’s elder brother, Balarama, is the gentle Baladeva who prefers peace to war. In the next world cycle, say the Jain scriptures, Balarama will be reborn as a Tirthankara much
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Civilization comes into being when the small fish is rescued from the big fish; civilization comes to an end when the fish keeps growing bigger than its pond.
Krishna embodies intelligence and Draupadi luck. The Pandavas enter the gambling hall with neither.
God had stood up when man had not.
