Sunday, April 13, 2014

Mahabharata - an Indian Epic




Mahabharata-sacred texts

The question was something like "....Excellent but I also have one more question I read in few books that yudushtira was the only one to be offered heaven and all his brothers and wife were offered hell duryodhana who caused the war was offered heaven why? They also say that after the war the kingdom was full if sorrow and unhappy compared to the time duryodhana ruled please explain ...."


After the war of Kurukshetra, like in every war and after every war women lost their sons, husbands and brothers and children became orphans.  The worst hit during and after war is always women and children - both innocent and who don't like and want war.  Pandavas too like them didn't want and like war.  But, they were forced by Duryodhan and his allies to wage war.  They fought not for themselves.  Never make a mistake of coming to that conclusion.  (Usually people justify their fight out of greed and envy using Pandavas stand as an eg...).  If it had been so, they wouldn't have asked for Khandava Vanam (A forest infested by dangerous snakes and demons) to build their empire as their share from King Dhritarashtra.  They could've asked for a prosperous, fertile and equal portion of land as their share from Dhritarashtra and he couldn't have said no to them.

This they asked after Duryodhan tried burning them alive in Vanavrat - building made of wax.  They didnot even fight after this injustice was meted out on them.

Later, when they converted Khandavavan into a prosperous city of Indraprasth, Duryodhan out of envy wanted to take away all their wealth and so hatched a plan along with Shakuni.  According to that plan, Pandavas were invited to Hastinapur, Capital of Kauravas and Pandava's entire kingdom was snatched in gambling by Kauravas.

Later, they were forced to live in forests for 12 years and incognito for one year and the condition kept that if they were recognised, then they had to go and live in forests again for 12 years.....

......contd......

No comments: