Hari Om,
We started our class with 3 Om chantings and followed by our regular shlokas. We continued with our learning of Saints of India with a presentation on Swami Tapovan Maharaj. He was born in Paalghaat district in Kerala in 1889. His birth name was Chippu Kutty and his guru was Hrdayaananda. He chose to remain in a humble, mud plastered one room kutiya with a small veranda in Uttar Kashi. The Swami used a kamandalu, an asana of deer skin, a mat, a pair of spectacles, a thin mattress, a blanket, and an old and battered trunk. It was under the strict teacher in Swami Tapovan Maharaj, that our Pujya Gurudev was trained. Swami Tapovan Maharaj authored a few books like Sri Saumya Kasisa Stotram, Wanderings in the Himalayas, Isvara Darsana, and Kailasa Yatra. The key messages of Swami Tapovan Maharaja are to be humble, be simple, be truthful, and keep vows.
Mahabharata continues- An official reception is arranged for the Pandavas. Dhritarashtra tells Yudhishthira that he has a right to the kingdom as well, but since his son is also there, he suggests that the kingdom be divided. He implores Yudhishthira to become the king of Khandavaprastha. Yudhishthira of course agrees to this. On an auspicious day, the coronation is celebrated in Hastinapur. Kripa, Bheeshma, Drona, Dhaumya, Vyaasa and Krishna bless the newly coronated king. Yudhishthira and his brothers are asked to leave and proceed to their country. Khandavaprastha was the old capital of the Kurus and was ruled by Pururavas, Nahusha, Yayati, etc. It was later destroyed by the curse of the Rishis to punish the misdemeanor of the son of Budha. It is now barren and no one can survive here. Krishna on looking at this land, summons Indra to beautify the place and to make it fertile as before. Krishna decides to name the place Indraprastha. Vishvakarma, the divine architect, takes charge to transform the whole land. Once it is done, Yudhishthira starts to rule the place. People from other places head to this fertile land. Krishna, after settling the Pandavas here, decides to head back to Dwaraka.
One day a Brahmin comes to Arjuna asking for help as his cows have been stolen. Arjuna agrees to help him but realizes that his weapons are in Yudhishthira's house wherein he is with Draupadi. Before this, the Pandavas had a pact amongst themselves that Draupadi will spend one year in the house of each of the brothers. If she is alone with one of them, then the other brothers cannot intrude on their privacy, but should they, then they will go to the forest for a year. This was decided on the behest of Sage Narada who comes to meet the Pandavas in Indraprastha. He advises them the advantages of being united as this is the only way to defeat one's enemies.
Arjuna is now in a fix, as he does not want to upset his brothers, but looking at the condition of the Brahmin decides to get this weapons nevertheless. The cows are found and handed over. Arjuna then decides to self implicate himself and leave Indraprastha. Yudhishthira tries to stop him knowing the reason for his imposition. Arjuna refuses to listen and leaves the place. In one of his journeys, he marries Ulupi, the naga princess. Then he marries Chitrangada, the daughter of King Chitrasena of Manalur. They have a child together. Arjuna leaves both these princesses in their own kingdoms.
He finally reaches Dwaraka. He had heard about the beauty of Subhadra, the sister of Krishna, and had fallen in love with her even without seeing her. As he does not want to be recognized, he disguises himself as an ascetic. Krishna, on hearing about the arrival of this ascetic, realizes it is Arjuna in disguise. He welcomes his cousin and Arjuna tells him about his love for Subhadra. Krishna tells him that if Subhadra also starts to reciprocate his feelings, Arjuna can take her to Indraprastha and get married.
Arjuna sits under a tree and meditates. Balarama, not recognizing him, asks to host him, and also suggests that he could stay at the gardens by Subhadra's palace, where she could attend to his needs. Krishna is happy to note the turn of events but does not reveal his feelings to Balarama, since he knows that Balarama actually wants Subhadra to marry his favorite student, Duryodhana. Subhadra asks 'the ascetic' about his worldly travels and asks if he has met her aunt Kunti and the great Arjuna. To which he responds that he has indeed met them and that he could produce Arjuna before her, if she wishes. Her shy smile gives him his answer, and he removes his disguise, revealing his true self. Subhadra flees to her palace, burning red with embarrassment.
Realizing that both Arjuna and Subhadra wish to be united, Krishna suggests that they elope on a day when Balarama and Krishna are not in Dwaraka. That day comes soon, and Arjuna and Subhadra flee towards Indraprastha. The guards at the gates of Dwaraka inform Balarama and he blames Krishna, knowing his soft corner for Arjuna. Balarama decides to follow Arjuna's chariot and bring Subhadra back, but Krishna tells him that Subhadra decided to elope because she loves Arjuna and that the best solution is to conduct the marriage.
Meanwhile, Arjuna and Subhadra arrive at Indraprastha. Subhadra, with her sweet nature and mild disposition charms Draupadi, who readily blesses her to be the wife and mother of heroes. Krishna and Balarama come to Indraprastha and conduct the marriage.
Krishna stays on for a while longer in Indraprastha. One hot summer day, Arjuna and Krishna go to the banks of the river Yamuna to cool off. Right by the banks of the Yamuna is Khandava - a terrible forest, where there lives a serpent king Takshaka.
A hungry Brahmin appears before them all red and angry. It is Agni. He tells them of his dilemma, that he needs to consume (burn) the Khandava forest, which is being stalled because of Takshaka's friend Lord Indra who brought down rain every time Agni would try to burn it. This place was the home for Takshaka and his family. Varuna's (god of the ocean) Gandhiva bow given by Soma is summoned, along with quivers with unlimited arrows. A chariot is also given with a flag which has an emblem of a monkey. This is yoked to four white horses who can fly faster than wind. Varuna also gives a mace named Kaumodaki to Krishna. Agni also gives a chakra to Krishna. This is Sudarshana chakra, which is returned to him after a long time. Agni takes form and begins the destruction of the Khandava forest. Indra hears about the destruction and tries his hardest to save the forest of Khandava, but the flames are so hot that the water turns to steam before they reach Earth. Takshaka's son Asvasena and his mother try to get out but Arjuna doesn't let them. To save her son, she sacrifices herself by leaping to the sky, knowing that Arjuna will shoot her down, allowing her son an opportunity to escape. An Asura named Maya who is the architect of the Asuras is also caught in the flames and tries to get out. Krishna raises his sudarshana chakra, but Maya runs to Arjuna, begging for mercy, who allows him to live.
Finally, a voice from the heavens say, "Indra, give up your fight. Your friend Takshaka is not in the forest and his son has escaped. You cannot win against Nara and Narayana". Indra, proud of his son's achievement, tells Arjuna to ask him for anything. Arjuna asks for all his astras. He says he will give him all weapons after he receives the Pasupata astra from Shiva. This marks the end of Adi parva.
We also continued with our learning of verses 11 and 12. I have sent the link for these verses in our WhatsApp group. Please use these available resources to familiarize the kids with Geeta chanting. We also practiced Ganesh Pancharatnam. We ended our class with closing prayers and pledge.
See you all next week when we continue our class presentation on Swami Sivananda.
Regards,
Raji and Rekha
