written update 31 jan ’08: Astre Vidya

Written update 31 January

The episode begins with Sita praying before Lord Vishnu. Gurudev, her two nieces and their parents watch Sita and admire her.

Gurukul

Ram and his brothers return to Gurukul with their alms. Gurumata tells them that they should put the alms into a basket, and that they can rest a little. Bharat says no, they have a lot of work to do before they can rest. Gurumata asks them to tell her what they have to do. The Rajkumars starts with telling her all the work they have to do. Gurumata says that yes they have a lot of work to doo, but if they do all the work what will she do? Shatrughna says that there is work for her: she should give her love to them! Gurumata smiles and orders them to go rest, she will take speak to Gurudev. The boys leave and Gurudev enters. He asks Gurumata what she has to say to him. Gurumata answers that eavesdropping is not honorable. Gurudev replies that it is also not honorable to stimulate the students into something rebels. Gurumata says that those students are the Rajkumars of Ayodhya. She cannot bear to see them do so much work. Gurudev asks her that how can she forget that there are no Rajkumars in Gurukul? Everyone is equal. All are his students. He says that those four students will be the rulers of a great kingdom and therefore they have to know every aspect of life. Gurudev wants to make them humble and honorable. Gurumata replies that he must make them honorable, but not stones. The must remain human, so that they can feel the pain of their people. Gurudev laughs and asks Gurumata where she has learned such words? She answers that she has learned from him, he is her husband, but also her Gurudev. Gurudev gives Gurumata the task to see that the boys will not forget humanity.

Ayodhya

A storm blows trough the streets of Ayodhya. Kaikeyi runs to her balcony to look outside the palace and Manthara asks her if Bharat is all right. Sumitra is running towards the diya she has lit for her sons to protect it from the wind. The queens go to Dasarath and express their feelings about the Rajkumars living in Gurukul without any protection from the storm. They ask him if he doest not worry about his sons. He says NO. The queens are shocked. The king explains that he knows that the Rajkumars are protected by the blessings of Gurudev. He knows that Gurudev will take full care of all his students. He trusts him with his whole heart.

Gurukul

Gurumata attends Gurudev at the storm. She worries about Ram, because Gurudev send them to the forest. Gurudev asks her why she only worries about Ram. He is not the only student in the forest. Why does she not ask about them? Gurumata answers that she does not know why she is only worried about Ram. Gurudev replies that she is not only Ram his Gurumata but she is the Gurumata of all the students. Gurumata replies that Gurudev is not only their Guru, but their parents, protector and God. It is his duty to protect them. Gurudev says: And I send them into to forest. He asks; what do you want that I make them weak, so that they will get blown away? No, there will be a lot of storms in the lives of my students and if they cannot beat these storms they will lose the battle of life. He points to the three and says the three lost, but I want to make the roots of my students strong, so they will conquer every storm in life. This storm is a blessing for his students. He gives Gurumata the advice to stop worrying about Ram. Ram is born to make the worries of the people go away.

Ayodhya

The queens are looking outside and pray that their sons will be all right. The storm is stopped. Sumitra is happy that God has listened to their prayers. Kausalya says that they have to go to Gurukul to meet the Rajkumars. Dasarath orders his ministers to take care of the damages.

Gurukul

Lakhsman gets into a fight over some piece of wood. Ram stops him and gives the pieces of wood he collected to Vivasvaan, but he slaps the pieces and says that he does not want Ram pieces. Lakhsman gets angry and says that he will beat the guy if he dares to disrespect his Ram bhaiya. Ram says No, he is also our Gurubhai. Vivasvaan disagrees and screams that he has not brothers. He walks away in anger and he attempts to chop a tree. Gurudev stops him. He says that Gurumata is worried, but they are fighting. He asked Vivasvaan what he was going to do. Vivasvaan says he was going to chop some wood. Gurudev explains what the meaning is of a piece of wood which falls of the tree by the tree himself, otherwise the yagna fire has no meaning. A three is their friend; therefore they have to respect the threes. Without a three there is no oxygen and if there is no oxygen there is no water and if there is no water the world would be destroyed. If someone cannot plant a tree, than he has no right to chop one. They leave the place, except Vivasvaan. Ram touches him and ask him to come along but Vivasvaan goes the other way.

The boys are washing the cows. Vivasvaan starts a water fight. He dares Lakhsman and orders him to move his cow. Then a Guru screams because a crocodile has bitten him. The boys are helpless and don't know how to rescue him, but Ram is already going to the Guru. Bharat says to Ram that it is dangerous because of the crocodile. Lakhsman, Shatrughna and Bharat go to help Ram. Ram reach the crocodile and fights with it. The crocodile let go of the Guru and a boy appears from underneath the crocodile. Gurudev says that this was a test. All his students were searching for a weapon, but Ram did not wasted time and rescued the Guru with his bare hands. He took the right decision and trusted on his own power. Gurudev is proud of Ram.

Later that evening Ram is sitting with Gurudev. Gurudev says that Ram has learned a lot and he has learned more than his other students. Gurudev feels that Ram is ready to learn Astre Vidya; the science of warfare. He asks if Ram wants to learn Astra Vidya. Ran wants to and Gurudev says that he has to sit right in front of him. Gurudev starts by saying that whenever Ram gets trapped without any weapons he must not feel unarmed. He will teach Ram such a mantra that even a blade of grass will turn into a weapon. Gurudev gives the power of the mantra to Ram.

The episode ends

Devi