{| Doubts and Discussions about Mahabharata - 2 |}

First Previous

Page

Next Last

Frequent Posters

Cherry

@chirpy_life19

Inactive

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

#61

Originally posted by: .Vrish.
CnF

Bhima did vow to drink Dushashan's blood - which he later told Gandhari was symbolic - but neither did Draupadi vow to tie her hair in his blood, nor did Bhima do her that favor.

Bhima kills Dushashan in Karna Parva, just b4 the battle b/w Vrishasena & the Pandavas, which ends in Arjun killing Vrishasena.

Uhh!These substandard imaginations.Can't even imagine them...🤢 I don't understand who spread all these!?

Thank You so much for clarifying!

Edited by Cool-n-Fresh - 11 years ago

Quote

TheWatcher

@TheWatcher

Voyager

Posted: 11 years ago

#62

Since hanuman will be entering tommorow, I guess I can ask a quick question about him.

Was he really an "Ansh" of Mahadev?, I've read somewhere that it just a theory. Though I believe he was an ansh, Some of the things and readings have confused me. Enlighten me anyone

Edited by TheWatcher - 11 years ago

Quote

Looks like you are new here. Register for free, learn and contribute.

Bhaskari

@bhas1066

Navigator

Posted: 11 years ago

#63

This episode is found in the Aranya Parva of the epic, the Mahabharata. It is Yudhisthir's attempt to answer the Yaksha's questions. I have never read anything so beautiful, so subtle, so deep with layers of significance as these questions and answers. Through Yudhishthira, Bhagawan Vyasa has distilled the entire philosophy of the Hindus into an enquiry comprising some one hundred questions. The questions cover a lot of ground and a wide range, jumping from one topic to another. This question and answer session lays a firm framework for the gems of wisdom that are to come later in the teachings of the Srimadbhagavadgita.The 33 questions of yaksha to yudhisthir:

"What makes the sun shine everyday?"
"The Power Of Brahman."

"What rescues man in danger?"
"Courage is man's salvation in danger."

"By the study of which science does man become wise?"
"Not by studying any sastra does man become wise. It is by association with the great in wisdom that he gets wisdom."

"What is more nobly sustaining than the earth?"
"The mother who brings up the children she has borne is nobler and more sustaining than the earth."

"What is higher than the sky?"
"The father."

"What is fleeter than the wind?"
"The Mind."

"What is more blighted than withered straw?"
"A sorrow-stricken heart."

"What befriends a traveller?"
"Learning."

"Who is a friend of one who stays at home?"
"The Wife."

"Who accompanies a man at death?"
"Dharma. That alone accompanies the soul in its solitary journey after death."

"What is the biggest vessel?"
"The earth, which contains all within itself is the greatest vessel."

"What is happiness?"
"Happiness is the result of good conduct."

"What is that, abandoning which, man becomes loved by all?"
"Pride - for abandoning that man will be loved by all."

"What is the loss which yields joy and not sorrow?"
"Anger, for giving it up, we will no longer be subject to sorrow.""

What is that, by giving up which, man becomes rich?"
"Desire - getting rid of it, man becomes wealthy."

What is the sole means of Dharma?
Dexterity in the discharge of one's Dharma is the sole means of Dharma.

What is the sole means of fame?
Charity is the sole means of fame!

What is the sole means of heaven?
Truthfulness is the sole means of heaven!

What is the sole means of happiness?
Good conduct is the sole means of happiness

Who is the soul of man?
Who else but one's son? Son is the soul of man!

Who is a person's fate-ordained friend?
One's wife is the fate-ordained friend!

What could be the greatest of gains?
Health is the best of gains!

What is the greatest happiness?
Contentment is the greatest happiness!

What is greater than Dharma in the world?
Benevolence is greater than Dharma!

Which Dharma remains eternal for ever for all time to come?
What else but the Vedic Dharma which is eternal and fruitful for all time.

Subduing which, do men not grieve?
Men grieve not, by subduing their minds.

With whom does friendship never age?
Friendship with the good and wise never ages!

By abandoning which does man become loveable?
By abandoning pride, man becomes more loveable.

By abandoning which, do men not grieve?
By abandoning avarice, men do not grieve!

By abandoning which, does man becomes richer?
By abandoning desire!

By abandoning which man becomes happier?
By abandoning avarice, man will become happier!

What is penance (tapas) and how is it defined?
Penance is observing one's own Dharma!

What is self-control?
Self-control is the control of the mind!

What is said to be the greatest forbearance?
One's capacity to put up with the pairs of opposites such as heat and cold, richness and poverty, happiness and sorrow is what is called forbearance!

What is the sense of shame said to be?
Turning away from what ought not to be done is sense of shame!

What is supreme sympathy?
Wishing for the happiness of all is sympathy!

What is straight forwardness?
Equanimity of mind is straight forwardness!

Which is the enemy difficult to be overcome by men?
Anger is the enemy hard to be conquered!

Which is the endless disease?
Avarice(Extreme greed for material wealth) is the endless malady!

What makes one a good man and what makes one bad?
A good man is one who is kind to one and all and a bad man is one who has no sense of sympathy!

What is the greatest bath?
Discarding one's mental impurity is the greatest bath!

What is the greatest gift in this world?
Protection of beings is the greatest gift!

What is greater than the earth?
Mother.

What is higher than the skies?
Father.

What is faster than the breeze?
The mind.

Who are the living dead?
A person who does not pay the dues to his servants, offer hospitality to his guests or prayers to God.

What is the wonder of wonders of human existence in this world?
Day after day, living beings pass away to the abode of Death in this world and every living human remains an eye-witness to it. But still, the rest desire to live. What greater wonder can there be than this?

Quote

Diala D

@...Diala...

Sparkler

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

#64

Bhas.. Thanks a lot for sharing.. the last one is easily the best of all

Quote

Vrish

@Vr15h

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 11 years ago

#65

One question about the Yaksha lake incident. Where did Yudisthir leave Draupadi? There was one account where Draupadi was the first to go to fetch water, and ignored the Yaksha's command & died, followed by NSAB in that order. Yudisthir came and did the rest.

Wouldn't it have been dangerous for Yudisthir to just leave Draupadi there alone? When it was down to just 2 of them, should he just have taken her w/ him?

Quote

Surya Sundarraj Sriram

@Surya_krsnbhakt

Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

#66

This is a very primordial doubt... from the gurukul days of the princes.

Commonly, everyone believes that Karna was rejected by Drona and then he went to Parasurama to learn, and this rejection was due to caste reasons.

Why do people think so, when in the Mahabharata, it is clearly stated that Karna learnt from both Dronacharya and Parasurama?

Karna was a student of Dorna, but he went to Parasurama to gain knowledge about divine weapons.

[quote] Then Drona endued with great prowess taught the sons of Pandu (the use of) many weapons both celestial and human. And, O bull of the Bharata race, many other princes also flocked to that best of Brahmanas for instruction in arms. The Vrishnis and the Andhakas, and princes from various lands, and the (adopted) son of Radha of the Suta caste, (Karna), all became pupils of Drona. But of them all, the Suta child Karna, from jealousy, frequently defied Arjuna, and supported by Duryodhana, used to disregard the Pandavas. [/quote]

[quote]And seeing that in process of time his son had grown up, Adhiratha sent him to the city named after the elephant. And there Karna put up with Drona, for the purpose of learning arms. And that powerful youth contracted a friendship with Duryodhana. And having acquired all the four kinds of weapons from Drona, Kripa, and Rama, he became famous in the world as a mighty bowman. And after having contracted a friendship with Dhritarashtra's son, he became intent on injuring the sons of Pritha. And he was always desirous of fighting with the high-souled Falguna. And, O king, ever since they first saw each other, Karna always used to challenge Arjuna, and Arjuna, on his part, used to challenge him.[/quote]

So from the above, its clear that Karna also studied under Dronacharya.

Quote

Surya Sundarraj Sriram

@Surya_krsnbhakt

Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

#67

Originally posted by: .Vrish.
One question about the Yaksha lake incident. Where did Yudisthir leave Draupadi? There was one account where Draupadi was the first to go to fetch water, and ignored the Yaksha's command & died, followed by NSAB in that order. Yudisthir came and did the rest.

Wouldn't it have been dangerous for Yudisthir to just leave Draupadi there alone? When it was down to just 2 of them, should he just have taken her w/ him?

What? Draupadi died?

Which version is this? Some one describing the event later in the story or some other Mahabharat?

Quote

Diala D

@...Diala...

Sparkler

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

#68

Karna went to Parasurama as Drona rejected to teach him the Brahma weapon on caste grounds.. I think this got developed and distorted into Drona never taught him anything for Karna was a Suta..

Quote

Surya Sundarraj Sriram

@Surya_krsnbhakt

Dazzler

Posted: 11 years ago

#69

Originally posted by: ...Diala...
Karna went to Parasurama as Drona rejected to teach him the Brahma weapon on caste grounds.. I think this got developed and distorted into Drona never taught him anything for Karna was a Suta..

Exactly what I was talking about

Quote

Justitia

@Justitia

Rocker

Posted: 11 years ago

#70

ALL 18 parvas of the Mahabharata now form the longest epic poem in the world. But, what did Vyasa's "Jaya" originally comprise of? Did it originally contain ALL 18 parvas?

If not, then what was the main reason for the "later" addition of the "extra" parvas?

Technically speaking, shouldn't we consider that "Jaya" itself might've been "distorted" through these "later" additions?

Edited by -Shani- - 11 years ago