Doubts on mythological answers in GG

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 14 years ago

Any of you saw today's 'Gyan Guru' just b4 DBSK? I watched it, and actually, I liked the quiz, despire the QM who seems to overact somewhat.

Anyway, today, one question they had was 'Who did the last rites for Kamsa'? Choices being Krishna, Vasudev, Ugrasena & Balarama. The answer provided was Krishna, and one of the musicians explained that after Kamsa's death, Vasudev refused to do his rites due to his behavior, and so Krishna did it as his nephew. A question did come up as to why it wasn't Balarama, since he was the eldest, but I thought Ugrasena refusing to do it was a tad petulant, no matter how much he may have hated him.

Anyway, question here - what do the different books say about Kamsa's funeral? Can't recall reading about that part.

Oh, & on a different note, really liked the Gyan Guru show.

Edited by .Vrish. - 14 years ago

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varaali

@varaali

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 14 years ago

I too tuned into the show, just when this question was being asked. My initial guess was Ugrasen, too and was surprised to hear that it was in fact , Krishna. Have to check what SB says about this.

Who was the 'musician' in the show? There seemed to be an 'expert' whom the QM was referring to as 'Guruji'. The "guruji' explained that as far as blood relations go, Krishna was more closely related to Kamsa than Balarama (Krishna's mother Devaki being Kamsa's sister) while Rohini (Balarama's mother) was not so closely related.

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 14 years ago

I thought that the expert was the musician, who was playing some devotional music in b/w.

I was surprised by the answer about Balarama - although he was born to Rohini, he was conceived by Devaki, so it's not like he was less related to Kamsa than Krishna was. I also found the statement about Ugrasena declining to do Kamsa's last rites rather strange.

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varaali

@varaali

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 14 years ago

Originally posted by: .Vrish.
I thought that the expert was the musician, who was playing some devotional music in b/w.

I was surprised by the answer about Balarama - although he was born to Rohini, he was conceived by Devaki, so it's not like he was less related to Kamsa than Krishna was. I also found the statement about Ugrasena declining to do Kamsa's last rites rather strange.

I checked the relevant parts in both SB and Hari Vamsa. In SB, there is just one terse line mentioning that Kamsa's funeral rites were performed. (Does not specify by whom).

In Hari Vamsa, the whole episode is elaborated more and it clearly states that Ugrasen, helped by Krishna, performed the last rites of Kamsa and his brothers.

Don't know from where Gyan Guru got their gyan

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 14 years ago

Today, the clincher question in the first round, which Archana-ji guessed, was 'Who forgave the killer of his/her 5 sons'? Archana-ji guessed Draupadi, which was judged as correct.

I too thought the same as Archana-ji, but that answer didn't sound right @ all! Draupadi never forgave Ashwatthama as such: it's just that since Ashwatthama was immortal, there was no way the Pandavas could deliver his corpse to her. So Draupadi settled for the next best thing, which was to get the gem on Ashwatthama's forehead, which guaranteed him no pains or illnesses, and after Bhima gave it to her, she gave it to Yudhisthir to adorn his crown.

The other reason the answer was ridiculous was that Ashwatthama was unrepentant - after killing her 5 sons and all her brothers and the rest of the Pandava army, he used the Brahmashira against Uttara, so for any Pandava to forgive such a heinous crime would have been unthinkable, and Krishna gave Ashwatthama the appropriate punishment. It's noteworthy that the danger to Parikshit hadn't passed, and it was months later when he was stillborn that Krishna came and resurrected him in front of Kunti, Draupadi, Subhadra & Uttara.

As Varaali asked above, where exactly are they getting their gyan?

Edited by .Vrish. - 14 years ago

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varaali

@varaali

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 14 years ago

Vrish,

I am not sure what constitutes as 'forgiveness', but in SB, when Ashwathama is brought before Draupadi, bound in ropes by Arjuna, she speaks in favour of his release. (Skanda 1, Chapter 7, Verses 43 to 48).

Seeing, Ashwathama, Draupadi remembers his mother Kripi and says that while she has been rendered sonless, she would not want the same to happen to Kripi. Further, killing a brahmana should not be Yudhishthira's first act as a king. Yudhishthira, ever the pacifist, agreed with Draupadi.

Krishna however argued that Ashwathama had lost all the rights to being called a bhramana (by his despicable act) and hence could be killed. Arjuna solved the problem by severing the jewel on Ashwathama's forehead.

BTW, do you know how was Ashwathama blessed with immortality?

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 14 years ago

Varaali

I moved the entire Gyan Guru discussion here, all in one place, since this forum has now opened.

I was unaware that SB even addressed this Ashwatthama issue at all, but given what you described, the QM is right, and it does constitute forgiveness, or at least mercy. It's very different from what's in the Mahabharata, which is what I was thinking of in the above context.

Also, in the Mahabharata, Ashwatthama was not immortal - Krishna told him that he'd wander about for 3000 years alone, w/o any companions & nobody to talk to. Essentially, he gave him a miserable existence to follow, followed presumably by death. On another note, I'm just as curious as to where it's said that Kripacharya was immortal.

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varaali

@varaali

Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 14 years ago

Srimad Bhagavatham only makes a passing reference to Ashwathama's last acts. The idea, I think was to lay a prelude to Uttara's pleas for protection (Chapter 8, verses 8-16) and there after Kunti's prayer of Gratitude (verses 17 to 43)

Krishna's curse on Ashwathama is not mentioned, nor is Parikshit's resurrection.

Edited by varaali - 14 years ago

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 14 years ago

Originally posted by: varaali
Srimad Bhagavatham only makes a passing reference to Ashwathama's last acts. The idea, I think was to lay a prelude to Uttara's pleas for protection (Chapter 8, verses 8-16) and there after Kunti's prayer of Gratitude (verses 17 to 43)

Krishna's curse on Ashwathama is not mentioned, nor is Parikshit's resurrection.

That's very strange, given that it's arguably the greatest thing that Krishna ever did, more than any of the enemies he killed!

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Stunner

+ 6

Posted: 14 years ago

#10

Another odd question was the multiple choice, where the question was asked on who was cursed to be a rakshasha in his previous birth? Options I forget, but the answer to that was Sudama, and Shakti Arora mentioned that he was cursed by Radha.

As many b4 him, Arora-ji mixed up Sudama & Shridama, who were completely different people.

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