Mahābhārata 2020-22 #2

Mahābhārata 2020-22 #2

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Harihar Saha Na Vavatu Saha Nao Bhunaktu Sahavir Yankar Vavahai Tejasvi Navadhi Tamas Thoma Vidvisavahai Om Shanti Shanti Shanti om jaya sri krishna chaitanya prabhu nityananda sri advaita gadadhara sri vasari gaura bhakta vrinda hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare so continuing with the Mahabharata chapter 2 Pandu cursed and blessed although he possessed all material opulence Pandu was by nature disinterested in sensual pleasure after enjoying with his wives for only a short while his mind turned to the more important matters although the Kuru dynasty had for many thousands of years been emperors of the globe and had upheld religious codes their hold over Kings had began to slip with the death of Shantanu and his two sons some of the Kings had become arrogant exceeding their own boundaries and agonizing weaker Kings so according to Manu then that’s that’s the only condition for actually war is that when you see other Kings rather than just sticking to the point of protecting their citizens protecting their kingdom they extend themselves and they try to you know bother the kingdoms next to them and so that will jeopardize how that one particular King can maintain his citizens so that may be a case for fighting but otherwise just because you want to become you know have a bigger kingdom or that like we see Duryodhana and that’s not actually a case for fighting that’s not proper so we see here is that he’s seeing that Kings were Shantanu not being there and not having had had a strong King in place for a long time that the the the that’s Pandu then was thinking that something has to be done to bring control back to the the kingdom that the Kings will do their duties properly everyone was one King will respect another and everything will be balanced and because the only time of peace is their prosperity right because the general public you’re protecting them right during war maybe some rich people will make money but during peace then everybody does well.

Pandu felt impelled to take action going before Bhishma he said my lord our dynasty’s greatness has suffered diminution the world is straying from the path of righteousness established by our ancestors your religion is rising it is my duty to our noble house and indeed to the Supreme Lord himself to go out and check the offenders because the idea is people should be Krishna conscious if there’s peace they can be Krishna conscious then it’s much easier for them to go about their duties they’ll be Krishna conscious things will go very pleasantly so for for Pandu he’s seeing it as service to the Lord to actually run things nicely and establish things nicely Bhishma smiled here indeed was a worthy descendant of the great Bharata after after whom the very earth had been named he replied your desire benefits our line and is praiseworthy in every way take blessings from the Brahmanas and leave with an army may victory attend you so in their line descendants of Bharata then Bharata’s then established you know has the name based on his position how glorious he was how well he protected the earth so then Pandu’s point is that that is the glory of our line our dynasty so we have to live up to that right now the earth is not being protected we have to do that right so that sense of duty and then performing that duty to please Krishna that we see that’s that’s the standard Pandu quickly assembled a vast force consisting of infantry horsemen elephants and chariots that’s because these are the four aspects of the army you always have these four the infantry horsemen elephants chariots we see also that’s anytime there’s an arrangement Akshauhini it’s always by the number of the proportion there we even see in this this game of chess like that it’s based on these the bishops are the the chariots the castles are the elephants the the horse is the cavalry and then the pawns in the front is the infantry so it’s based on the same principle you know that’s why the you say it’s the bishop but why is the bishop have to go to an angle a diagonal right because if a chariot moves if he’s going straight at you that’s not the best way to be able to fight right because you go at an angle and from that then you can shoot out the side that’s that’s the that’s the whole voice as he left Hastinapur he looked like the king of the gods surrounded by his celestial army Pandu marched to the east and defeated the king of Dasarhas who was becoming averse to Hastinapur’s rule moving south towards Magadha where the powerful King Dhirga was assailing many surrounding countries. Pandu attacked the proud king at his capital Rajgiriha and killed him. After that Pandu subjugated several other warlike kings so they go there they kill the king but the point is as we said it’s about maintaining the public and protecting the public that means he has to now establish a proper king there not that just he becomes the king because how much can he manage so the point is is he may be the emperor to see that all other kings are doing their duties but the king runs his own kingdom so therefore in this case generally speaking it would be if his son is properly trained his son now would be established on the throne so in Pandu himself would establish him do all the different things so then he has that that kind of allegiance that if not he’ll discuss with the ministers there and establish someone there they don’t have someone then from his own kingdom then he’ll bring someone and they’ll run but it’s all it’s not a matter you just go in and destroy and then move on it’s a matter of you go in you have the battle then you establish the authority then the people are protected so you don’t go in steal everything like that.

After that Pandu subjugated several other warlike kings he ranged across the globe like a fire his far-reaching arrows and the splendor of his weapons resembling brilliant flames as his fame spread monarchs submitted without resistance right so people here kings have their people out they that’s their business to know what’s going on they have their spies they have their informants they have just people and you know properly going and visiting other kingdoms and so the word gets out that he’s going and establishing you know I say law and order so then as he goes first we see the first kings fight but after this then we see the kings don’t fight they just know yes and they accept the rule because before that they were they accepted Shantanu’s rule and like this so now again soon the entire world’s kings recognized him as the most powerful ruler on earth they bowed to him or joined palms and offered tribute of various kinds.

After his this one-year campaign Pandu returned to his capital with the wealth he had obtained all the Kurus with Bhishma at their head came out to greet him they viewed with delight the train of elephants, oxen, camels, horses, and chariots all laden with riches and stretching farther than the eye could see right so all these elephants, oxen, camels, horses, chariots they’re all bringing all this wealth so as he’s going he’s just collecting the he’s collecting tribute so he’s not going in and ransacking the place and stealing stuff they’re coming out and giving him tribute like that and so then they have that then they can do they can do things with that they can take care they can rule they can see they can go out like in the kingdom has a problem they go with their army and take care of it they pay for it not the local king.

Pandu presented to the Kuru elders precious stones, pearls, gold, coral, and silver piled in heaps along with millions of cows, horses, and other animals. He showed them innumerable costly blankets, rugs, and skins from the rare black Renku deer.

So all these nice things and he would have made arranged them nicely they all these things the cows then now they can give in charity like you see King Krishna every day would give so many thousands of cows in charity so this way they could just maintain and do all these nice things so it’s not that they get these things and hoard them then things that they require they keep and others are given in charity because they’re always rewarding the Brahmins or doing different things or performing sacrifices so all these things will be used. Pandu bowed at Bhishma’s feet as he presented all this wealth and Bhishma tearfully embraced the young king. Surrounded by Brahmins uttering prayers and benedictions the two men then mounted a golden chariot and proceeded to the royal palace. Heralded by a fanfare of trumpeters, conches, and kettledrums.

Pandu ensured that his two brothers were each given much wealth. He had little personal interest in wealth. Being more attracted to forests and plains than luxurious palace life. Right so whatever is required for the managing the kingdom and all that that’s there but his own personal he wasn’t attracted much like that he had grown up in the forest he liked the forest. It’s like the Pandavas you see they grew up in the forest and so they preferred the forest but you know to run a kingdom that is advantageous to be in the kingdom. You know be in a palace and be in the city so they would do that but otherwise he himself was not. But he arranged that his brothers were you know had nice facilities and everything like that. So that means Dhritarashtra and Vidura.

He loved to mount his stallion and ride out on long hunting expeditions.

A few months after returning to Hastinapur he decided to make his permanent residence in a forest among the Himalayan mountains taking his two wives with him. He left his magnificent palace and moved to a simple dwelling on the mountainside. The local people would see the monarch roaming the woods with his wives encased in beautiful blazing armor and armed with bows and swords. He resembled the God wandering on earth. So then we many times we see that out in the forest then in the Himalayas the demigods would come down with their wives they’d be moving around and they would have all their celestial outfit and armor on and moving so then those those who are living in the forest then it looked to them like the demigods were there. So it was Pandu and his two wives.

Dhritarashtra officiated as the king in Hastinapur on behalf of his younger brother. At his command the forest people would supply Pandu with every object of enjoyment. Pandu had mastered his senses so although he gracefully accepted their gifts he continued to live simply. Right so they offer him he would take them. He wouldn’t say oh no I’m living simply. He would accept them and then he would use them for guests and other things like that and giving. He would still continue to live simply but you know the reciprocation the dealings were very very pleasant because the idea is that if the senses are actually controlled and you have no material desire then you don’t need anything. You also don’t need to reject anything because you have no need so so nothing is what you want or what you don’t want because what you don’t want it’s the opposite of what you want.

Right so therefore then you see persons like this people come and bring them things then they accept them you know because then the relationship but then afterwards they’ll give them to someone who can actually properly use it. You know some brahmins some other sages and like this and that you know some guests comes they feed them they give them gifts.

So Dhritarashtra because he’s taking care then Dhritarashtra you know told that the people living in that region should you know take care of Pandu. One day Pandu went out hunting. He saw a couple of large deer mating. They bolted when they saw the king right because the king means he’s out there with his weapons and all that but he quickly fired five swift arrows after him. As the golden feather shafts pierced the male deer it fell down crying. To the king’s surprise the dying deer began to speak in a pained voice because deers generally don’t talk. This one talked. Oh how shameful this is the deer speaking even degraded men who are slaves of their senses never act so cruelly. No man’s judgment can ever prevail against scriptural ordinance. How then have you the king and a descendant of the noble Bharata race acted in this way so in conflict with Vedic direction.

So that’s why you see is that let’s say we’re fighting is there you’re on a battlefield and on the battlefield then everybody’s ready you know it’s all it’s all done properly so it’s equal then you see the Pandavas are there the Kauravas are there you know the conscious are blown everything’s ready then they start the battle like that in the evening the conscious blown they stop the battle you know so everything’s done because it’s about relationship it’s not just about winning like Duryodhana it’s about winning but for the for the others it’s not actually about winning means winning happens in the process but it’s it’s about maintaining the proper relationships with it with the citizens the state with the other great warriors and everything that’s why you would see that they would in the evening then they would go into each other’s camp and you know sit and and eat and do all these different things so therefore someone is is sleeping you don’t fight with them they’re eating their lunch you don’t fight with them you know so you see so many times these modern things someone’s eating so he’s compromised then they come in and try to kill them or something so that’s what the deer is talking about right so the deer is spending that time intimately with his wife and so that’s not the time you come in and and attack the deer is on their own they’re moving about they’re grazing they’re running that’s the time because then the deer is ready to run but when they’re spending time together then then that’s not the time ponder stood before the deer which was weeping bitterly and replied as a king it is my duty to hunt right so he’s pointing out i hunt i must control the forest making it safe for the rishis at the same time i am able to practice the kingly art of weaponry right so there’s too many animals this and that they come they create problems so he then controls what’s in the forest because it’s not just deer so it’ll also be the tigers the lions the wild boars and these things like that that can really make trouble and so then but at the same time he gets to practice his fighting art so both things could happen and he’s saying it’s according to shastra which it is but at the same time what the rishi said you know the deer is saying is also according to manu is that you don’t bother somebody when you know the senses are engaged and they’re absorbed like that because then they won’t they will not be ready for any other interaction why even great sages in the past have killed deer in the forest by offering them in sacrifice oh dear why then do you reprove me so the so the the other aspect they’ve killed the deer but then when the deer is offered in sacrifice then the deer is liberated from the deer position and they’re elevated to the human birth or even farther up to the heavenly planets so everything’s everyone’s benefited in this way because if you ask all the deer so nice what are they doing but then they get this benefit so the point about the deer is they’re very quick and they they don’t run like other animals other animals will generally run kind of in a straight line a little bit this way that the deer have this ability they can run and change directions just immediately like an english would say on a dime a dime is very small you know so it’s just immediately they can change course so that’s the uniqueness of them that’s why it’s so hard to catch them you know a lion or tiger wants to catch them then they can they can outmaneuver them they can’t necessarily outrun them but they can outmaneuver them so that’s why then they’re also part of what is is being being uh hunted the deer replied that it did not condemn panda for injuring it but not taking into consider consideration that it was mating the animal then told panda that it was a rishi named kindama he’d assumed the form of a deer because he had no dwelling place and could not unite publicly with his wife in a human form right because humans they they spend their time intimately inside and all that but they he did had no place they were so poor so then they decided to take the form of a deer he had therefore transformed himself and his wife into deer the king had killed him just as he was trying to beget a child kendama continued no creature should be attacked at that moment your act was cruel and sinful and is liable to lead you to hell it is especially reproachful as you are a king and are meant to chastise the wicked and protect the tenets of religion right so they’ll make mistakes because of this element of passion but it doesn’t mean that it’s not not corrected and not pointed out because if it’s not pointed out like this then others won’t take it seriously that’s why there’s always a proper example pandu gazed at kindama in shocked silence the sage has spoken correctly it has certainly been sinful to shoot a deer at this time how had he allowed himself to be so overcome with passion because they get into this mood of fighting and all that and they just see that part of the shastra which is correct but you also have to see the complete circumstance like that because he wasn’t taking into consideration of the environment in which it was going on right because you have the time you have to place and then the circumstance the circuit the time is what you know a time meaning you know what time of the day it is or what season or what’s the occasion like this the place will be then what is the environment and what it’s actually suitable for all right so you have the time and its suitableness the place it’s suitable in this the circumstances means the ingredients right so that will mean the king that will mean these deers it’ll mean you know his chariot his arrows whatever is going on there than in this but so he considered himself and the forest and all that that aspect of the circumstance but he didn’t properly consider the circumstance of the deer so he didn’t see that they were unsuitable for his hunting like that so that was a mistake on his part though the part that he mentioned about the kings they they hunt and the sages approve of that you know then that’s that’s not that’s that’s Shastric but he’s pointed out here is that he wasn’t complete and so being the king he has to see completely otherwise the common person will all ponder did what’s the big deal and what would and what would come from having killed a Rishi this was a calamity right because shooting a deer that’s one thing you know because that’s all that like shooting a Rishi that’s not very authorized the king gazed downward and sunk in shame and regret seeing ponders crestfallen condition kin kin dhamma said you need not fear the sin of killing a brahman as you did not know my true identity but as you’ve killed me when i was indulging in pleasure so too shall you meet your death at such a time right so just as the king was trying to beget a child with his wife it means this Rishi if the king ever tries the same thing he will also die the Rishi wanted to free Pandu from a sin right because he’s the king he didn’t know you know like that but at the same time as sees he wouldn’t have been worried because he because he’s considering the situation the king would consider that so they consider themselves safe so all the thing they’d have to worry about is if it was a lion or a tiger by cursing the king kendama knew that panda would immediately receive the reaction for his misdeed and thus not have to suffer after death right because otherwise it’ll go on so then he’s punishing him in this way so then it’s cleared then next life will be be free struggling struggling to speak as his life blood ebbed away kin dhamma uttered his fearful in imprecation when next you approach your wife out of desire you will immediately fall dead o king as i was plunged into grief when i was happy you shall also meet with grief at such a time the deer then gave up its life panda stood for some moments unable to move as he gazed at the deer’s dead body hot tears ran down his cheeks gathering his wits he returned to his hut he immediately told his wife’s what had happened afflicted by sorrow the king cried aloud with his two queens he condemned himself again and again holding his head and lamenting panda spoke in an anguished voice i have heard that my father although born of a virtuous man was himself a slave of lust and died as a result having been begotten in the wife of a lustful king i too have become afflicted with lust i become devoted to sin my life is simply spent in killing innocent creatures because they are the what’s his name their father but he had also he because we see pandu had spent some time you mentioned here a short while you know after getting married spend that time with the wives get to know each other like this so his father continued for a long time you know so so uh so that’s why then he had died because he just spent all his times with his wives and all that he didn’t he didn’t actually you know get so much into his duties he left the king the ministers and that to run everything so he’s saying i’m the son of such a person so one could say is no but vyasadev you know begot begot him and his brothers on on on his on his father’s wives you know who in other words vyasadev and is is the brother right so therefore then uh say this would be in in previous ages it was something that was allowed like if the if the husband died and there was no no child then the brother of the husband could beget children on the wife but it’s not allowed in the kali yuga because then one has to be very very sober or very detached and it’s not really a nice thing anyway but in the other ages it can be used it’s not a standard thing so he’s pointing out is so one could say is no but vyasadev with his father but actually not because because his his whoever his his father that’s the line he’s coming in that’s the nature we have right because the arrangement it’s not based so much as much on the body it’s based on the nature of the living entity and then that living entity is given that body does that make sense so the mentality and that match so the material energy will arrange it so as he’s saying here i too have become afflicted with lust i have become devoted to sin my life is simply spent in killing innocent creatures the gods have forsaken me and i stand cursed panda resolved to live a life of austerity he declared because because otherwise for the the kings then they’re going to be living a great hostile life and everything like that but now is that because he can’t actually have children and all that then he and because of the how it came about is by killing a sage then he just wanted to move on to vanaprastha like that that was his idea he declared that from from that moment he would accept a vow of celibacy as bhishma had done he would seek salvation by renouncing all pleasure the great impediment to spiritual understanding so panda makes the point the gods have forsaken me and i stand cursed panda resolved to live a life of austerity he declared that from that moment he would accept a vow of celibacy as bhishma had done he would seek salvation by renouncing all sensual pleasure the great impediment to spiritual understanding panda spoke to his horrified wives i shall shave my head and cover my body with dust sorrow and joy will be equal to me right because otherwise in grihastha ashram when there’s happiness then everybody’s happy when there’s sorrow then there’s that but when you’re on this point of the it doesn’t matter if it’s a nice situation not nice you’re balanced like that that’s the whole point of vanaprastha is to become indifferent to the situation that’s there right sometimes it’s taken yeah so you’re you’re renounced from engaging the senses pleasurably but you’re not you don’t have it you’re not disturbed by the senses not being engaged so you’re trying to get to this balance so it’ll be a little bit you know effort so it’s just you don’t get involved in sense gratification you’re engaged in all these positive activities but vanaprastha is more focusing on pulling out from the grahastha ashram so there’ll be an emphasis on not engaging the senses so that’s what he’s talking about so that’s why you see his horrified wives right i will entirely renounce anger and devote myself to the good of all creatures right so that good is you know dealing with them and seeing them all in context of krishna i will accept no gifts and attain my food by begging in this way i shall transcend the dualities of this world and rise to the highest regions where the lord himself resides and so by giving up that material consciousness then you’re able to situate yourself and always see our krishna and everything that’s what you’re trying to get to is that how everything’s connected to krishna and how i and my situation are connected to krishna so not being distracted by sense pleasure you know position authority wealth riches all these different things so that’s what he’s saying is that what you normally do what what devotees would be trying to do all the way through and then externally they do at the end of the life he’s going to externally do that now the king asked his wives to return to the capital and inform his elders of the turn of events they should gratify the brahmins on his behalf giving them much wealth right because then then that benefit is there for him and it’s for his wives and then that will just make everything go much nicer be able to be more absorbed in krishna consciousness for his part he would immediately retire and retire into the wilderness and leave society forever kanti and madri were torn by grief they could not face the prospect of separation from their husband in pity in piteous voices they begged that he allow them to follow his path because vanaprastha can be sapatni or without his wife so he can go alone into the forest or he can go with his wives so he sees many it’s either way like dritarashtra went with his wife kunti also went alone went there vidura went so it’s just a matter of if they’re all comfortable with that kind of lifestyle now if they would feel uncomfortable with that them going back to the palace that’s also a standard part of vanaprastha they become recluses in the palace and the husband is a recluse in the forest but if they like they can also if they’re comfortable they go with the husband to the forest so then it’s a matter of he’s thinking that naturally they as young princess princesses that they’ll be more comfortable in the palace you know with family and everything in all facility and he’ll go out to the forest but they’re pointing out no they’d rather be in the forest with him right they’re living in the forest now so they don’t have a problem both queens were prepared to accept whatever austerities he accepted right because whatever he’s doing that’s what they would do like they only live by begging then that’s how it works you know they live in a little little hut then that’s what they’re in or they’re at the point where they’re not living in a hut they’re just living under a tree they’re willing to do that on behalf of both of them kunti said let us together accept the order of vanaprastha retirement in the forest we shall be happy happy practicing asceticism with you if you leave us today we shall not bear our lives any longer seeing their distressed condition pandu relented then he made it clear that he intended to perform the strictest austerities his wives were not deterred they wished only to be with him wherever he went pandu resolved to embark on his ascetic life immediately he would not return to the city he removed all his royal ornaments and gave them along with his riches to the forest brahmins then he said to his attendants go back to hastinapur and inform bheeshma everything that has occurred right so he was in the forest as the king you know he preferred to live there and all that and so managing on hand and dritarashtra was doing but he was still there and he had all his weaponry he was still a king how he’d deal his duties were that of a king you know so he’d be giving charity to brahmins doing all these things so so he had his attendants they would take care of things they would arrange things and all that but now with this then they’re all going back so it’ll just be pandu and his wives because vanaprastha there’s no attendance but other members of the family want to come and take part that’s okay but there’s no attendance as such that you’re taking care of and paying and all he then said to his attendants go back to hastinapur and inform bheeshma of everything that has occurred the royal attendants accompanied by the brahmanas left sorrowfully for hastinapur the citizens lamented loudly when they heard of pandu’s plight dritarashtra was especially afflicted thinking of pandu living so austerely in the forest he could no longer derive pleasure from the comforts of his bed servants and royal opulence right because he’s thinking pandu’s arranged this he’s living very comfortably and he’s very happy and pandu even though he may not be living so comfortably he’s in the forest that’s where he’d like to be so it’s comfortable for him so he’s comfortable dritarashtra is comfortable they’re all happy but now that he’s going to go into vanaprastha and just be austere then it’s very hard for him to enjoy the pleasures of the palace he continually wept and brooded over om hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

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