Hari OM,
This week we started our class with prayers. We started learning Mahishasura Mardini stotram in this class. We will continue learning two slokas in every class. This will help our class in participating in the upcoming Slokathon competition.
This was followed by the continuation of the Mahabharata:
- Duryodhana hatches a plan to capture Lord Krishna while he is visiting Hastinapura as peacemaker on behalf of Yudhishtra. Lord Krishna shows his Vishwaroopa to all in the Kaurava court and easily escapes this ill-fated plan. Even Dhritarashtra is able to see this divine form and asks him to take pity and return to his original form. Krishna tells Dhritarashtra to prepare himself mentally for the upcoming consequences of the war.
- Then Lord Krishna stops to see Kunti and tells her that her sons will soon be victorious. Duryodhana immediately begins the preparations for the war and sends his eleven Akshauhinis to Kurukshethra.
- Just before Lord Krishna leaves for Upaplavya, He has a long conversation with Karna. He reveals to Karna his true identity and origin: Karna was the unfortunate first son of Kunti with Surya. Karna wonders why he was kept in the dark for so long and becomes emotional. Lord Krishna asks Karna to leave Duryodhana and join the Pandavas as the rightful future king. Karna says that this is not possible as he owes a tremendous debt to Duryodhana for his friendship. Karna laments that fate has been cruel to him as his true name has been unknown to the world, but he cannot abandon his current name and status among all. Karna refuses to leave Duryodhana and realizes that the Pandavas in all likelihood will win the war with Lord Krishna on their side.
- Lord Krishna returns to Upaplavya and tells Yudhisthra the happenings in the Kaurava court, and preparations are made for war. The Pandavas appoint Dhristadyumna as their commander.
- Meanwhile, Bheesma is appointed the first commander of the Kaurava army. Bheesma and Karna again get into a disagreement, and Karna vows to not take up arms while Bheesma is still fighting.
- Kunti seeks out Karna and reveals her true identity to him while he is meditating to the Sun. Karna and Kunti share a warm and emotional embrace. Kunti asks Karna once again to switch sides in the war, but Karna is unable to do so because of his devotion to Duryodhana. Feeling bad for having denied his mother her boon, Karna agrees to instead never fight with any Pandava except Arjuna. He also vows that in this climactic battle, either Arjuna will die or he will die and thus, Kunti will still be left with 5 sons.
- Balarama visits the Pandavas and tells them he will not take sides in the war due to his love for Duryodhana and devotion to Lord Krishna. War is imminent, and Sri Vyasa comes to bless Sanjaya with all seeing powers so that he may relate all the proceeding events and actions to Dhritarashtra.
- Duryodhana is seen at the center of his army with a banner of a serpent. Lord Krishna drives Arjuna's chariot to the forefront, with the great Sri Hanuman on the banner. Yudhisthra first prostrates before the Kaurava elders and seeks their blessings. However, Arjuna is overcome with emotion and steps down from the chariot, unable to fight his grandfather, teachers, cousins, etc. He becomes mentally weak and desires to run away from the battlefield. It is at this time that Lord Krishna begins narrating the famous Bhagavad Gita.
We concluded the class by memorizing the first 2 verses of Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 2. We also learnt two new verses 17-18 in this class. This was followed by the Chinmaya Pledge.
Pranaams!
Krishna and Vijay
