Hari Om ,
We started our class with 3 Om chantings, followed by our regular shlokas.
We continued with our study of the Saints of India. This week was Samarth Ramdas Swami. His birth name was Narain and he was born in Jamb, Maharashtra in 1608. He was a big devotee of Lord Ram and Hanuman. Lord Ram came and gave him his new name Ramdas. Ramdas liked doing meditation and religious study, and at the age of 12 arrangements were made for his marriage but he ran away. Ramdas was an Advait and a Bhakta in one. He loved all religions but his main goal was to spread Hindu religion. Ramdas was Shivaji Maharaj's guru, who placed the sandals of his guru on the throne and acted as a regent of the kingdom under the orders and guidance of his guru. Samarth Ramdas built temples of Hanuman in towns and cities to tell the importance of exercise and taught us to get together and fight the enemy. He highlighted warrior's role in society. Samarth Ramdas has many study centers across the country and also understood the importance of the role of women and encouraged them to participate in religious work. He generally preferred to live in the forest to do better meditation. His important instructions were, Do not think much of your bodily wants, Have satsang with devotees, Keep the image of Lord Rama in your heart, Repeat the image of Lord Rama always, Remove anger and ego, See Lord Rama in all creatures and finally Lova all. He passed away at the age of 73.
Mahabharata continues- Virata Parva begins. Yudhishthira bids farewell to all the dwellers in the forest who have been with the Pandavas these last 12 years. The next year has to be in disguise. Dhaumya and the Pandavas select a lonely place and start discussing their future plans. The first hurdle is to select the country where they can spend the whole year. Arjuna suggests Virata in the Matsya kingdom and everybody agrees to the suggestion. Next comes the disguise each of them have to be in. Yudhishthira creates a plan wherein he be a friend to the king. He will tell the king that his name is Kanka and he is proficient in the game of dice. Next, Bheema's plan is to take up charge of the king's kitchen and the gymnasium, and his name will be Valala. Arjuna will take the form of a eunuch because of a curse, and he will be well versed in dancing, singing and playing all musical instruments. He will train the women to be excellent singers and dancers and will go by the name of Brihannala. Nakuka will be in charge of the king's horses and will call himself Damagranthi. Sahadeva will be in charge of the cows and will be called Tantripala. Draupadi will be a hairdresser for the Royal women and will be called Sairandhri.
Yudhishthira is very pleased with the plans. All of them leave Dwaitavana and go to Kamyaka from where they walk south towards the kingdom of Matsya. Here, they part ways with Dhaumya. He goes to Panchala and the others proceed on to City of Virata. The next problem is to hide the weapons. They see a tall Shami tree and decide to hide them there as its branches are dense and strong. The weapons can be safely hidden and not visible to the people. It is heartbreaking for the Pandavas to give up their weapons albeit for a year. They cover the weapons with the carcass of a dead cow so that they can be protected from the weather. All are very sad as they have to be separated from each other. They have to behave as strangers. They decide on names for themselves which would be used as codes in case of emergencies. The names are Jaya, Jayesha, Vijaya, Jayatsena and Jayadbala. The Pandavas enter Virata. Yudhishthira puts on his disguise and walks towards the palace. He sees the king but does not salute him. The king is mesmerized and does not feel offended that the new person is not saluting him. King Virata walks up and asks for introduction. Yudhishthira says he is a very good friend of the king Yudhishthira and that he is also very fond of dice. Virata is impressed by his dignity and is happy to have him in his kingdom, invites him to stay there as his friend. He also is happy to learn the game of dice. Yudhishthira says his name is Kanka, and asks for a boon that he will not eat food touched by anyone and will eat only once at night for a year.
A few days later, Bheema enters the city carrying a ladle. He goes straight to the court in the palace and asks the king for a job as a cook. Bheema says he can cook a thousand different tasty dishes. The king looks at him and feels he looks more apt to be a prince and more fit to command an army. Bheema says he is actually a wrestler and that cooking is his hobby. The king gives him the job to teach the cooks all he knows and puts him in charge of the gymnasium. Bheema says his name is Valala.
Next, Arjuna enters the court draped in a red saree with long hair and necklaces. He offers to teach Uttara, the king's daughter, music and dance. He says his name is Brihannala. The king offers him the job.
Nakula approaches the king as he inspecting his horses. He offers to be put in charge is the stables and says his name is Damagranthi. He gets the job. Next, Sahadeva offers to look after the cows. He challenges that there is no one more knowledgeable about cows than himself. He also is confident that the cows will yield more milk when he milks them. He is gladly given the job and he goes by the name, Tantipala. Thus all the the five Pandavas enter the city.
Draupadi enters the city in the guise of Sairandhri. Everybody is awestruck by her beauty though she is in old and tattered clothes. The queen sees her from her balcony and is disturbed by the taunts of the people towards Draupadi. She sends her maids to fetch her. Draupadi sees the queen and is still trembling with fright because of her experiences with the people who were taunting her. The queen wants to know who she is is, how she is still unmarried and what she does for her living. Draupadi says that she used to be the hand maiden to the queen Draupadi, and that she is married to five gandharvas who had to leave her because of a curse for 1 year. Draupadi is happy to stay with the queen but says that she will not eat food which is leftover and will not massage the feet of others.
The Pandavas and Draupadi are very happy in Virata. Three months are over. During the fourth year, there is a big celebration in the city in honor of Shankara. The celebrations include an exhibition of wrestling. There is one wrestler from a foreign country who is invincible. No one is able to defeat him and the king is disappointed. Yudhishthira suggests to him that the only wrestler who can defeat the foreign one is Valala. He goes on to say that he has seen Valala in Indraprastha. Virata is extremely happy and summons Valala. Bheema as Valala is overjoyed seeing his brother's faith in him. A gruesome fight takes place and the foreigner is finally killed.
Indra had promised Yudhishthira through Lomasa that he would take care of Radheya as Radheya was a better archer. Finally, in the thirteenth year, Indra decides to fulfill his promise. One night, as Radheya is sleeping, Surya comes to him in the disguise of a Brahmin and warns him not to part with his Kavachas and Kundalas no matter who asks him. These are essential for his own survival as they are dipped in the nectar of immortality, the divine Amrita, which is the food of the gods. Surya warns him that Indra will come asking him for those object as he is a well wisher of the Pandavas. Radheya without these will meet with certain death. Surya tries convincing Radheya many times but unfortunately Radheya does not agree as he had taken a vow to give whatever was asked of him. Finally Surya gives up and asks Radheya to ask Indra for his Shakti weapon. This will to a certain extent make up for the loss of his armor. Surya as a Brahmin disappears from the dream of Radheya.
The sun rises slowly as if it is unwilling to usher in the day which means the death of Surya's son. Radheya, after his worship waits for Indra to arrive. As expected, Indra arrives in the disguise of a Brahmin. He asks Radheya for his Kavacha and Kundala. Radheya tries to offer him other armors, earrings, and even his kingdom. He tries to reason with Indra that his very life depends on his Kavacha and Kundala. But Indra refuses all and taunts him about the reputation he has earned about being truthful and righteous. Radheya agrees to part with his Kavacha and Kundala. He cuts them from his body and hands them over to Indra. He also tells him he knows that this is Indra and the reason for him asking for the Kavacha and Kundala. Indra is amazed at the greatness of the mortal man. He asks Radheya to ask for something in return. Radheya asks for his Shakti, the reason being that the future will not talk badly of Indra but will justify the trade. Indra gives him the Shakti but will warn him that it can be used only once. He also grants a boon to remove the scars in his body and gives him the name Karna. Karna asks Indra to disclose the mystery of his birth, and the name of his parents. Indra says that it is not his place to reveal the secret but to wait for some more time for the disclosure. Indra disappears.
We spoke about what we did for our New Year last week. It was enlightening to see the different customs each of us follow. See you all next week !
Regards,
Raji and Rekha
