Hari Om All,
This past class we 'graduated' from recapping the Mahabharata to diving deeper into the main characters of the epic, specifically the Pandavas. Our goal is to now understand their individual characteristics and apply the good values we can learn from them into our own daily lives.
We started off the class with Yaksha PrashNa questions.
Upon explaining specific situations and discussing those, we delved into our lesson on the Pandavas. The characters that were analyzed were Kunti, Yudhishtira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula & Sahadeva, Draupadi, Abhimanyu, and Parikshit.
Main points about the characters :
1. Kunti
Daughter of Shurasena, adopted by King Kuntibhoja. Kunti was one of the greatest devotees of the Lord. All her children were born of celestial deities due to the secret mantra given to her by Rishi Durvasa. Karna, her eldest son was raised by a charioteer's family. Married Pandu and gave birth to the Pandavas. Her one greatest flaw was not telling Karna that he was her son until the very last minute. History could have been different if she had told him sooner! Arjuna and Karna's rivalry would have not existed.
2. Yudhishtira
Yudhishtira is the eldest of the Pandavas. He is known as DharmarAja (the King of Righteousness).
The students were told about his virtue of always telling the truth through a story. Moral of the story was : Learning a lesson is not just memorizing it, but actually using it in your life.
Another story about the wee end of the Mahabharata was taught. After everything, at the end of their lives, the Pandavas made their final trip up the Himalaya mountains. The trip was very strenuous and one by one, the Pandavas 'fell' and did not make it to the top. The only members who reached the very top were Yudhishtira and a loyal dog who had been following him throughout the journey. They were met by Indra at the top who told Yudhishtira he was ready to go to heaven. However, Indra made it clear that there was no place for a dog in heaven and so only Yudhishtira could enter the carrier chariot. Yudhishtira, being a DharmarAja, was adamant and said he would not go anywhere without the loyal dog. The dog turned out to be the actual form of DharmarAja and welcomed Yudhishtira to heaven!! The lessons learned here are to always live by Dharma, have the attitude of gratitude, and understand that God is in and through everyone.
While he has an abundance of good qualities, Yudhishtira's one weakness was gambling/playing dice. We can see how even one small weakness ends up as a disaster when one crosses the limit!
3. Bhima
Born through Vayu and the strongest of all the brothers. There are innumerable stories of his bravery and strength from when he was a small child until the end. Has killed many great Kaurava warriors such as DusshAsana and Duryodhana.
4. Arjuna
Born through Indra and the youngest son of Kunti. Was the most gifted and favorite student of his teacher, Dronacharya. It was he who won the hand of Draupadi by completing the challenge at her svayamvara. He was an outstanding warrior and Krishna's favorite. Krishna recited the Bhagavadgeeta to him.
5. Nakula & Sahadeva
Born through Ashvini Kumaras (the divine physicians). Nakula was gifted in Ayurveda, horse keeping, and swordfighting. Nakula was the most knowledgeable amongst his brothers, was skilled in astrology, swordsmanship, and axemanship.
6. Draupadi
Daughter of King Drupada of PanchAla. Wife of all 5 Pandavas, won by Arjuna at her svayamvara.
7. Abhimanyu
Heroic son of Arjuna and Subhadra. Married Uttara, daughter of King Virata. Bravely entered ChakravyUha (a complex, circular battle formation) on the 13th day of battle but could not come out. Was killed through unjust means by the Kauravas.
8. Parikshit
Posthumous son of Abhimanyu. Saved by Krishna when Ashvatthama attempted to kill him in the womb through use of the BrahmAstra. Went on to rule Hastinapura for over 20 years.
We ended the class with more Yaksha Prashna.
Lots of material covered this class! Next class will focus on analyzing the Kauravas and their qualities and learning what not to do in our daily proceedings.
Looking forward to another fun filled class next week. Students, please keep your awesome questions coming!
Regards,
Nikhita & Partha.
