Hari Om,
We started our class with 3 Om chantings, followed by our regular shlokas.
Mahabharata continues- Uttara Kumara and Brihannala leave for the battle field. The prince is very eager to show off his valor. Finally, they come in front of the Kaurava army. Uttara Kumara is amazed seeing the size of the army. He is dumb-struck. Arjuna continues as if nothing has happened. He points to Duryodhana, Dussasana, Karna, Bheeshma, Drona and Aswatthama. Uttara Kumara confesses to Brihannala that he is scared. He makes his point that he, Uttara Kumara, cannot single handedly fight against such accomplished warriors. He decides to go back to the city. Arjuna calms him and gives him confidence. Arjuna reminds Uttara Kumara that he is the nephew of Keechaka. Arjuna promises Uttara Kumara that he will guide his chariot through the ranks easily. Arjuna also says he cannot go back without fighting. Uttara Kumara refuses to listen and jumps off the chariot and starts running back to the city. Arjuna in anger runs behind him trying to capture him. The Kauravas are bewildered seeing the scene unfolding in front of them. Drona, looking at Brihannala's body structure, is sure it is Arjuna in disguise. Karna mocks him. Arjuna finally catches up with Uttara Kumara and drags him back to the chariot. He reminds him that he is a Kshatriya. He tells him that he will do the fighting and that the prince can take the reins. But Arjuna wants his Gandiva and his quivers. He makes the boy turn to the direction of the Sami tree. Evil omens are seen by the Kauravas. Drona is sure that it is Arjuna and tells Bheeshma in code so that the others don't realize. Bheeshma assures in code as well that the 1 year of incognito is over and there is no danger to the Pandavas. With a great relief, Drona openly tells Duryodhana that it is Arjuna. Karna is still not convinced and is upset that Drona sees Arjuna in all. Duryodhana is happy on hearing it is Arjuna as he is still thinking that the period of disguise is not over and this will result in the Pandavas going back to the forest for a further period of 12 years.
Arjuna and the prince reach through tree. Arjuna asks the young lad to climb the tree and get the hidden weapons. As directed, the boy gets them and is astonished to see such wonderful weapons. He looks at Arjuna all confused and asks him the owner of the beautiful weapons. Arjuna talks him through the weapons, telling him which bow belongs to which Pandava. Uttara Kumara, still clueless, asks him where the Pandavas were at that moment. Arjuna, smiling sweetly, tells him that the Pandavas are in Virata. He tells him the disguise of each Pandava and the disguise of Draupadi. The young prince on hearing this is very apologetic as he feels the Pandavas were made to do many menial jobs in the city. Arjuna kindly tells him that the Pandavas were very well treated and that they spent the best year in the city of Virata. Arjuna asks Uttara Kumara to start the journey back the the battlefield and asks him to enjoy the fight. Uttara Kumara starts to head back.
Arjuna removes the lion banner of the Matsyas and fixes his own ape banner. They travel fast towards the battlefield. Arjuna blows his conch Devadatta. He approaches the front. He has the Gandiva in his hand and twangs it. Drona is thrilled to hear these sounds. He is very happy and warns his army that they will be defeated as Arjuna is here. Duryodhana is upset as the morale of his army is bound to go down after hearing Drona's words. He wants Bheeshma to tell if Arjuna revealed himself before the end of the thirteenth year. Karna assures Duryodhana that he can singlehandedly defeat Arjuna. Kripa, Drona's brother-in-law is angry with Karna as he feels that he is always talking of war and killing. Karna insults Kripa. Aswatthama in turn is upset with Karna as Kripa is his uncle and throws down his bow and sits down silently in his chariot.
Bheeshma intervenes and calms down everybody. Bheeshma confirms to Duryodhana that the one year incognito has finished. He advises Duryodhana to return the kingdom to the Pandavas and make peace. Duryodhana refuses. Drona takes charge as now war is inevitable. He says the army should be broken into four parts. One group will proceed with Duryodhana back to Hastinapur, one group will take the cattle and proceed to Hastinapur. The other half will stay back and fight against Arjuna. Bheeshma, Karna, Ashwatthama, Drona and Kripa will lead the fight. Bheeshma takes charge and arranges the army in the form of a crescent with Drona in the middle. Arjuna on seeing this arrangement is sure it is Bheeshma's and is thrilled.
The fight begins. Arjuna sees Duryodhana proceeding towards Hastinapur with a group of the army. The other quarter is going with the cows. Arjuna wants to pursue the cows and get them back. He fights all along and manages to free the cows. Duryodhana also joins the fight along with Bheeshma, Radheya, Aswatthama, Drona and Kripa. Finally, Arjuna invokes the Sammohana astra. This puts the whole enemy in a trance. Arjuna leaves the battlefield after collecting the silks and jewels of the enemies. Arjuna and Uttara Kumara proceed to the Sami tree to put away the weapons. Arjuna then takes over the reins of the chariot and the reason for the win is going to be bestowed on Uttara Kumara. Meanwhile, the Kauravas wake up from the trance. Duryodhana is silent as all his plans have gone awry.
King Virata enters the city in triumph along with the cows he has rescued. He is received with great pomp and splendor. His wife and daughter tell him about Uttara Kumara going to fight with the Kauravas. The king is very saddened by the news as he is aware that his son is no match for the mighty Kauravas. They tell him that Brihannala is the charioteer. Yudhishthira, on hearing the news, reassures the king that there is no match for the greatness of Brihannala and that success will be theirs. The king on hearing this becomes silent. After a few hours, some cowherds come with the news that they have come from the other battlefield and that Uttara Kumara has vanquished the enemy and that all the cows have been rescued. This was conveyed to them by Brihannala who also tells them to inform the king and to make preparations to welcome the new undefeated prince. Yudhishthira smiles and tells the king that he is not surprised with the news given the fact that Brihannala was the charioteer. The king is very happy and now wants to play a game of dice with Yudhishthira. He spots Sairandhri and asks her to get him a dice. Yudhishthira forbids the king against playing as he feels that the game of dice should not be played when the mind is either too happy or sad. He reminds him of what happened to Yudhishthira in Hastinapur. But all this falls on deaf years and the king insists on playing. The game begins. The king is extremely thrilled and speaks highly of the valor of his son. Yudhishthira on the other hand also keeps talking about the powerful Brihannala. The king on hearing this gets upset and throws the dice towards Yudhishthira which hits him on the forehead and blood starts flowing. Yudhishthira cups his hands and tries to stop the blood from falling to the ground. Sairandhri, on seeing this immediately rushes to Yudhishthira with a bowl of gold filled with water. Yudhishthira washes his hands in it. Draupadi wipes the brow of Yudhishthira with her garment and tries to stop the bleeding. The king is surprised on seeing Sairandhri doing this and questions her. Sairandhri tells him that even if a drop of blood of this good man touches the ground, the kingdom will not have rain for one year and that the king will be killed by the one who has sworn to do it. She says she is doing this to save the king and his kingdom. The king is still angry with Yudhishthira. A messenger enters the court letting them know that the prince along with Brihannala is entering the court. Yudhishthira secretly tells the messenger to make sure that only the prince enters first and that Brihannala enters after sometime. The prince enters and is warmly embraced by the king. Uttara Kumara on seeing the wound is horrified and asks the king the reason for the wound. The king tells him what happened. The prince immediately asks his father to apologize to Yudhishthira. The king, though puzzled, asks for forgiveness. Now Brihannala enters. The king is still praising his son. Uttara Kumara, a little ashamed, tells his father that the war was won only because of the help of a divine being. The king wants to meet this person and wants to give his daughter in marriage to him. Uttara Kumara tells him that the divine being vanished and might appear in a day or two. The king thanks Brihannala for all he has done. Arjuna tries to glance at Yudhishthira, but Yudhishthira tries to avert his face and refuses to look at Arjuna. Arjuna is stumped by this attitude and reaches out to Bheema for the reason of this behavior. Bheema is equally flabbergasted and both decide to approach Yudhishthira secretly. Yudhishthira on seeing Arjuna warmly hugs him congratulates him. He tells his brothers the whole story. He tells Arjuna that he averted his face as he did not want Arjuna to see the wound inflicted by the king. Arjuna and Bheema are extremely angry on hearing this and decide that the king deserved to be killed. Yudhishthira calms them down and tells them that they will show the king who they are the next day and will occupy the throne. If the king still defies them, he will be killed.
It is a beautiful morning. The five brothers wake up early and bathe themselves in perfumed water. They dress in costly robes and jewels. They come to the court and Yudhishthira ascends the throne. Draupadi sits by his side and the others sit around them. Meanwhile, Virata enters the court and is shell shocked seeing these men. He addresses Yudhishthira and taunts him the audacity to do so. Arjuna tells the king who Kanka is and his greatness. Virata is speechless. He asks Yudhishthira where his brothers and wife are. Yudhishthira introduces everybody. Uttara Kumara enters and seeing the secret out, tells his father who fought the war. Virata is very happy. Yudhishthira thanks him for the difficult year of exile which was happily spent in Virata. Virata as promised wants to give his daughter Uttara in marriage to Arjuna. Arjuna tells him that he considers her to be his daughter and so would not be right to wed her. He instead accepts her as the bride for his son Abhimanyu. Now a messenger arrives from Hastinapur with a message from Duryodhana, asking them to again go to the forest for 12 years as they had seen Arjuna before the expiry of the thirteenth year. Yudhishthira laughs out and sends out his message asking their grandfather Bheeshma to be the judge and decide if the year was completed or not before Arjuna was recognized.
News flies around the world that the Ajnaatavaasa of the Pandavas was over. Everybody is curious what Duryodhana will do now. The Pandavas occupy the city of Upaplavya, a city in Virata. Yudhishthira sends messengers to all his friends and well wishers. Krishna and Drupada are the first to arrive. Krishna and Balarama meet the Pandavas and Krishna tells Draupadi that it is time to fulfill the promise he made in Kamyaka forest thirteen years back. In short he is promising them back their kingdom. The marriage of Abhimanyu and Uttara is performed. All are happy and for the time being the possibility of war is forgotten. They refuse to think of anything except the love in the eye of Abhimanyu and the shy response in the eyes of Uttara. The guests have come with their armies and this is to give assurance that their army is ready to fight for the Pandavas. This concludes Virata Parva.
Next Sunday, we will celebrate Pujya Swami Chinmayanandaji's 105th birthday. There will be a virtual paduka pooja which will begin at 9:15 am. We will send the zoom link later this week. We request all families to make a concerted effort to participate in the paduka pooja and prayers. See you all next week!
Regards,
Raji and Rekha
