Ques on MahaBhrarta. Peep in/ DT Nt pg 25 - Page 24

Happy Maha Shivratri to all.

Happy Maha Shivratri to all.

Thanks Viswasruti for bringing those questions to light. Beautiful explanation on Lord Shiva, so concise but so deep. 👌

As for me, abstract concepts with too much technical detail, as I have found in my limited reading of some texts such as Advaita Vedanta and few Upanishad texts to be too hard to grasp for my intellectual level and actually felt depressed reading them, similar to when I was reading the core concepts of Buddhist philosophy. I found them to be on the Nihilistic patterns, which was hard for me to digest. I have started reading Yog Sutras of Maharishi Patanjali and they thus far seem to be to the point, devoid of abstract concepts, brief and with practical application. Need to read it more and think through on them, the journey has only just started.

I believe God is with unlimited potential, so to me praying to Lord Shiva in imagining him in human form is comforting. As per my understanding, there is a universal ruler, and can take physical form as and when needed. I don't have any doubt in the existence of the Almighty, or the concept of karma. The stumbling block which has always been uncomfortable for me, had been the reason for our existence, what circumstances led to our creation. After creation, I understand the concept of karma plays a role in the cycle of birth and death but what actually led in the first place to our creation and the reason for such. Not all answers satisfied me fully on this question.

As per my understanding, one can become divine, if he is able to conquer his desires. That is what our texts say so and that is what our revered sages said so. But, as mnx12 had said earlier, just like practicing of Brahmacharya is not possible for everyone at this point in time, so does conquering of desires. But, we can have some reasonable yardstick to start with, like slowly controlling your wants, and start to lead life with purity. I think Patanjali Maharishi is on the money, when he says absolute Brahmacharya at some point in time will bring one Kaivalya. This I find is the biggest exam one can endure in life, no other test is more difficult than to practice absolute Brahmacharya in thought, deed and in word.

The "Shiva Sutras", an exceptional text for understanding Lord Shiva & soul, very important for seeker, a must read. Please go through this book, whenever time permits.

https://archive.org/details/SwamiLakshmanjooShivaSutrasTheSupremeAwakening354pAnomolous/page/n3/mode/2up

Thank you mnx12 for sharing the link.

I just saw this thread. See each festival for me is symbolic with the stories associated with it. They contain the deeper meaning of the festival and practices that are suitable for our times. In South Shivratri is believed to be the day shiva consumed the poison for the welfare of the world and Parvati held it in his neck. Fasting and staying awake the whole night is believed to bring auspicious tidings. But for me Shivratri denotes the churning of our own minds. Understanding ourselves where just like ocean churning involved devas and asuras good and bad will emerge from that churning. Just before ur real potential or amrit emerge we will get the darkness within us as poison.we need to accept it without allowing it to destroy us invoking the power within us just like Parvati or shakti held shiva throat to stop poison from spreading.for me this is the message of shivratri.churn ur mind.eliminate the darkness and reach for the light for larger good.as more individuals find light within society will improve.

Originally posted by: shruthiravi

I just saw this thread. See each festival for me is symbolic with the stories associated with it. They contain the deeper meaning of the festival and practices that are suitable for our times. In South Shivratri is believed to be the day shiva consumed the poison for the welfare of the world and Parvati held it in his neck. Fasting and staying awake the whole night is believed to bring auspicious tidings. But for me Shivratri denotes the churning of our own minds. Understanding ourselves where just like ocean churning involved devas and asuras good and bad will emerge from that churning. Just before ur real potential or amrit emerge we will get the darkness within us as poison.we need to accept it without allowing it to destroy us invoking the power within us just like Parvati or shakti held shiva throat to stop poison from spreading.for me this is the message of shivratri.churn ur mind.eliminate the darkness and reach for the light for larger good.as more individuals find light within society will improve.

How do you guys see Panchali disrobing as symbolic of the degradation of women?

Thanks for this thread

Do you guys think that gandhari was being unfair when she cursed lord Krishna for the destruction even though he did try for peace on terms which according to me was completely fair to both the parties concerned?? It was duryodhan who rejected the term so wasn't he responsible for the destruction

Originally posted by: Y12345

How do you guys see Panchali disrobing as symbolic of the degradation of women?

Throughout MB, as the story progresses, we see a steady decline in the moral strength of the people. Vyasa, and all other authors dealing with a given time-frame, indicate the same principle. Society's treatment of women throughout the epic is just another example of the same.

If, suppose, Kunti or Gandhari had been in Panchali's place, i.e. the dyuta sabha took place with Pandu and Dhritarashtra's generation in the forefront, the incident would probably not have have escalated that much.

Just two generations prior, another woman was dragged into the same court (Amba, and this is metaphorical) through another Kuru prince's mindless flexing. Amba's treatment by the royal court was so drastically different from Draupadi's.

There's a theory, that whenever the political atmosphere of a country settles down, people, both in power and on the streets, begin to take peace for granted. That is when a Mahabharat happens.

Draupadi's humiliation was the clearest manifestation of this arrogance on all those who were in power. They thought they could get away with that. They did not acknowledge the power of the karma-phal that ultimately drowned both sides- Kaurava AND Pandava into the ocean of destruction and subsequent repentance.

Originally posted by: Poorabhforever

Thanks for this thread

Do you guys think that gandhari was being unfair when she cursed lord Krishna for the destruction even though he did try for peace on terms which according to me was completely fair to both the parties concerned?? It was duryodhan who rejected the term so wasn't he responsible for the destruction

Gandhari's curse was the result of a mother's desperate grief for the loss of her sons. She had been appealing to the divine side of Krishna. Krishna! He is the Lord of the three worlds, father of all things living and non-living! Surely HE would not allow them to kill ALL of my children?! That curse came from Gandhari's blind putra-sneh. At that point, she was blinded by rage and grief and wanted someone to blame other than her and Dhritarashtra's upbringing, Krishna just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

She was always a very knowledgeable women and did try to influence everyone from day one- be it calming Draupadi at the dyuta sabha, or rebuking Duryodhan when he celebrated the Varnavarta and Dyuta Sabha incidents, or be it desperately pleading with Dhritarashtra to ignore Duryodhana accept the peace proposal! But neither her husband nor her children ever paid her any attention.