Hari OM,
This week we started our class with prayers. We then reviewed the first cut of the video film recorded for the class program and gathered feedback from the students. These will be incorporated in the final version of the video that will be shown to the Sunday PM Balavihar on Apr 25th.
This was followed by the continuation of the Mahabharata:
- Arjuna chastises Satyaki for his unjust slaying of Bhoorisravas, but Lord Krishna tells him that it was OK given the circumstances. Arjuna then meets Jayadratha and fulfills his vow by killing him just as the sun is setting, catching Jayadratha off guard.
- That evening neither army sleeps and the fighting continues in brutal fashion throughout the night. Karna uses his divine astra to kill Ghatotkacha during the night. Bhima and Yudhishthira are despondent, but Lord Krishna is happy that Karna exhausted his astra now itself, anticipating the future duel between Arjuna and Karna. He reminds the Pandavas that all will be well and go according to plan.
- Afterwards, Duryodhana is upset and accuses Drona of being partial to Arjuna after he fails to capture Yudhisthira. Drona vows to fight hard the next day. On the following day, Drona fights harshly and kills King Virata and his old friend Drupada. He fights in a very unrighteous way, using divine astras over a large, defenseless army.
- Lord Krishna realizes that Drona must be stopped by any means necessary. Bhima goes out to kill an elephant named Aswatthama and announces that "Aswatthama is dead". Drona hears this and is unable to believe it. Drona asks Yudhisthira if this is true. On Lord Krishna's advice, Yudhisthira tells one lie that, indeed, Aswhattama is no more. Yudhisthira's chariot finally falls to the ground after he commits this act of sin.
- Drona is crestfallen and unable to fight anymore. The rishis descend from the heavens to tell Drona his time has come. While Drona is sitting down, Dhristadyumna kills him and fulfills his promise. Afterwards the Pandavas discuss the unjust manner of fighting. Dhristadyumna says this was only right to kill Drona as such since Abhimanyu was killed in a similarly unjust manner.
- Lord Krishna has the final word, saying that the war has progressed from a dharmic way of fighting to an adharmic way on both sides, and fate dictated that Drona finally died as such.
- That night, Duryodhana asks Karna to be his commander. Karna is overcome with emotion and embraces Duryodhana one last time as a dear friend. Salya is appointed as the charioteer of Karna.
Pranaams!
Krishna and Vijay
