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Lessons from the Mahabharata Epic

- The document provides background information on the Hindu epic Mahabharata, describing the two groups of cousins at war, the Pandavas and Kauravas. It summarizes some key events in the story, including the Pandavas losing everything in a game of dice and Draupadi being insulted but saved by Krishna. - The second section describes the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita, with Arjuna expressing grief and confusion upon seeing his friends and family assembled on the battlefield. He questions whether fighting is right and drops his weapons. - The third section discusses the Sankhya Yoga chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna explains to Arjuna

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145 views7 pages

Lessons from the Mahabharata Epic

- The document provides background information on the Hindu epic Mahabharata, describing the two groups of cousins at war, the Pandavas and Kauravas. It summarizes some key events in the story, including the Pandavas losing everything in a game of dice and Draupadi being insulted but saved by Krishna. - The second section describes the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita, with Arjuna expressing grief and confusion upon seeing his friends and family assembled on the battlefield. He questions whether fighting is right and drops his weapons. - The third section discusses the Sankhya Yoga chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna explains to Arjuna

Uploaded by

Megha
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Module-1

Background of Mahabharatha:
Mahabharata is a great epic in the Hindu religion. It is considered as a sacred
book by Hindus. ‘Bhagavad Gita’ is a part of Mahabharata. The main story of
Mahabharata is about the two groups of cousin brothers known as the Kauravas
and the Pandavas.

Mahabharata teaches us many lessons through different stories and characters in


it. Kauravas are a hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra.

Pandavas are five sons of King Pandu. Pandavas are honest, dutiful and skilful.

The Kauravas are jealous of them since their childhood. One day, Kauravas use
a trick to deceive the Pandavas and invite them to play a game.

Yudhishthira, the eldest brother of Pandavas loses all his wealth in the game.
After this, he challenges again and loses himself, his four brothers and their
wife- Draupadi.

The Kauravas insulted Draupadi the Pandava’s Queen in front of everyone.


Draupadi prays to Lord Krishna and he saves her. Lord Krishna makes the Saree
of Draupadi endless and everyone gets shocked with this miracle. Kaurava gets
tired and stops the wrong act.

After this event, Pandavas spend thirteen years in exile and life disguise for last
one year. At the end of their exile, they try to negotiate a return to Indraprastha.
Pandavas become extremely angry and announce a war against the Kauravas.
They say that this war will end the wrongdoings in the world and create a new
world which is good.

Conclusion: Mahabharata teaches us the lesson of truth, peace and


rightfulness. From the character of Bhishma we learn about patriotism and from
Draupadi we learn to fight for our rights. From the character of Kauravas and
Shakuni we learn that jealousy and revenge ruins everything. Mahabharata
shows us that goodness always wins.

Arjuna Vishada Yoga:


Bhagavad Gita starts with Arjuna vishada yoga. It starts with
Drutharashtra(father of kauravas) asking  Sanjaya( who got a boon from
Vedavyas to see kurukshetra war from any place)
what pandavas and kauravas doing in kurukshetra(war
field). Sanjaya starts explaining both armies. Everyone in the war field
has blown their shank and are ready to start the war.

Then Arjuna asked lord Krishna to take the chariot in between the two
armies so that he can view kaurava army. Lord Krishna has taken the
chariot in between both the armies and stopped the chariot and asked
Arjuna to look at Bhishma , Dronacharya and other important kings.

Then Arjuna saw his grandfather (Bhishma) ,


guru(Dronacharya),brothers , friends, sons(brother sons),relatives
standing in kaurava army. Seeing all this people, Arjuna was struck by
grief and started speaking to lord Krishna.

Arjuna : Hey Krishna after seeing my people Iam unable to think, my


mouth is getting dried, I am unable to stand, my gandiva(bow) is
slipping from my hand.

Keshava(lord Krishna) Iam unable to understand what good is going to


happen by killing our own people.

Hey Krishna, I don’t want victory, I don’t want kingdom, I don’t want
luxuries. There is no use in enjoying these things after killing our own
people.

We have committed a big sin by getting ready to kill our own people for
the sake of kingdom. I will leave my weapon, even if the kauravas kill
me it will do good to me.

After saying all this Arjuna fell down in his seat and started crying. With
this Arjuna  vishada yoga has been completed.

Arjuna Vishada Yoga:


Arjuna’s anguish and confusion - symbolism of
Arjuna’s chariot:

Each part of the illustration—depicting Arjuna (whose mind is "obstinate and


very strong") and his encounter with Krishna—is a symbol for something else.
Arjuna, who has not-yet seen Krishna's Universal Form, does not realize that:
 The chariot represents the human body.
 The five horses are the five senses—tasting, seeing, hearing, smelling
and touching.
 The chariot’s reins, which the charioteer uses to drive his vehicle,
symbolize the human mind.
 The driver represents human intelligence while the passenger
symbolizes a person’s spirit/soul.
Even though Arjuna has not-yet witnessed Krishna's Universal Form—
because Krishna has not-yet revealed it to Arjuna—the reluctant warrior
follows the charioteer's advice.
Sankhya Yoga: The Bhagavad Gita, where it is explained as the path
of correctly discerning the principles or tattva of existence.
In this chapter, Arjun reiterates to Shree Krishna that he is unable to
cope with his current situation, where he has to kill his elders and
teachers. He refuses to take part in such a battle and requests Shree
Krishna to be his spiritual teacher and guide him on the proper path of
action. Then the Supreme Lord starts imparting divine knowledge to
Arjun. He begins with the immortal-nature of the soul, which is eternal
and imperishable. Death only destroys the physical body, but the soul
continues its journey.  Just as a person discards his old clothes and
adorns new ones, the soul keeps changing bodies from one lifetime to
another.

The Lord then reminds Arjun that his social responsibility as a warrior is
to fight for upholding righteousness. He explains that performing one’s
social duty is a virtuous act that can take him to the celestial abodes,
while dereliction only leads to infamy and humiliation.

At first, Shree Krishna tries to motivate Arjun at a mundane level. Then


he moves deeper and starts explaining to Arjun the Science of Work. He
asks Arjun to perform his deeds without any attachment to their fruits.
This science of working without desire for rewards is called the yog of
the intellect or buddhi-yog. He further advises that the intellect should
be used to control the desire for rewards from work. By working with
such intent, the bondage-creating karmas get transformed into bondage-
breaking karmas and a state beyond sorrows can be attained.
Arjun is curious to know more about those who are situated in divine
consciousness. Shree Krishna, therefore, describes how persons who
have attained transcendence are free from attachment, fear, and anger.
They are undisturbed and equipoised in every situation. With their
senses subdued, they keep their minds always absorbed in God. He also
explains the progression of afflictions of the mind—such as greed, anger,
lust, etc. and advises how these can be overcome.

Conclusion:
Thus, we can see that the Samkhya Yoga of the Bhagavadgita has many
parallels with the original Samkhya philosophy of Kapila. In the
subsequent chapter, we will also find that with regard to the practice of
detachment, dispassion, sameness, concentration, cultivation of sattva,
self-purification, meditation, stabilizing the mind in the Self, and self
absorption, etc., the Yoga philosophy of Krishna bears close resemblance
to similar ideas that are present in Patanjali’s Yogasutras.

Sankhya Yoga- Being established in


wisdom qualities of a sthita prajna:

Shree Krishna continues with his answers to Arjuna’s question about the
characteristics of sthita prajna – the enlightened souls – and how their
enlightenment manifests in their day-to-day behaviour. where Shree Krishna says,
“one whose mind remains undisturbed amidst misery, who does not crave for
happiness or pleasure, and who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is called a
sage, a man of steady wisdom.”

As Shree Krishna says, a sthita prajna is free from all attachment, fear and anger
and never craves for either happiness or pleasure. Thus, a sthita prajna is called a
sage, a man of unwavering wisdom.

Common questions

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Arjuna's emotional turmoil reflects the conflict between his duty as a warrior and his personal relationships. Overcome by grief at the prospect of fighting against relatives and mentors such as Bhishma and Dronacharya, Arjuna feels unable to stand and expresses a moral crisis about the consequences of war . He argues that killing his own kin for the sake of victory and kingdom is a sin, preferring to lay down his weapons even if it leads to his own death . This highlights the central Gita theme of prioritizing one's duty (dharma) over personal attachments and emotions.

Krishna advises Arjuna to perform his duty as a warrior without attachment to the outcomes, a concept known as buddhi-yog or the yoga of the intellect . Krishna emphasizes that actions should be conducted without desire for rewards to transform karma into a liberating force rather than a binding one . This advice helps Arjuna understand his duty as a means of upholding righteousness, enabling him to commit to the battle without being paralyzed by his personal affiliations and emotional turmoil.

Divine intervention is depicted in the Mahabharata through Lord Krishna's actions, particularly when he saves Draupadi from humiliation by making her saree endless, showcasing his protective role for the righteous . Additionally, Krishna serves as a charioteer and guide for Arjuna, imparting the spiritual teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to resolve Arjuna's moral dilemma . These instances highlight Krishna's role in guiding the Pandavas towards victory and justice, emphasizing the epic's theme that divine will supports righteousness and dharma.

Krishna advises Arjuna to overcome the afflictions of the mind by practicing detachment and maintaining steady focus on God. He emphasizes the importance of controlling desires and adopting an attitude of selflessness toward the outcomes of actions. This composure and focused state of being help to transcend negative emotions like greed, anger, and lust .

Dharma, or righteousness, plays a crucial role in the decision-making process of Mahabharata's characters. The Pandavas, especially Yudhishthira, adhere to dharma in their actions, embodying principles of truth and integrity even during challenges, such as during the dice game and their exile . In contrast, the Kauravas, driven by jealousy and pride, frequently violate dharma, leading to disastrous outcomes. The conflict resolution through the Kurukshetra war epitomizes the struggle for righteousness, with Krishna guiding the Pandavas to align their actions with the divine law, thus restoring order and justice.

In Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the chariot symbolizes the human body, with its various components representing different aspects of the human experience. The chariot's horses symbolize the five senses, the reins represent the mind, and the charioteer symbolizes human intelligence. Arjuna, the passenger, represents the spirit or soul . This symbolism illustrates how the human experience involves harmonizing the mind and senses under the guidance of intelligence, akin to how a charioteer controls horses. This analogy emphasizes the importance of controlled, purposeful action in life.

Samkhya Yoga shares several philosophical similarities with Patanjali’s Yogasutras, as both emphasize detachment, dispassion, and the cultivation of sattva (purity). Shree Krishna's teachings also involve meditation, concentration, self-purification, and stabilization of the mind, paralleling these concepts in the Yogasutras. Both philosophies advocate transcending material desires to attain spiritual wisdom .

The Mahabharata teaches the lessons of truth, peace, and rightfulness, emphasizing that acting in accordance with these principles leads to victory and success. Through various characters and stories, it imparts ethical values and moral guidance, underlining that ultimately, goodness and righteousness prevail over deceit and wrongdoing .

A ‘sthita prajna’, according to Shree Krishna, is an enlightened soul who remains undisturbed by misery and does not seek pleasure. They are free from attachment, fear, and anger, and possess steady wisdom. Such a person is described as possessing a mind that remains equipoised in all situations, demonstrating profound spiritual and emotional stability .

Arjuna's refusal to fight stems from his moral conflict concerning the ethical implications of killing his own kin, which he perceives as a sin contrary to righteous war or dharma . As a Kshatriya, his duty mandates upholding righteousness by engaging in battle. Krishna addresses Arjuna's dilemma by explaining Sankhya Yoga, where he emphasizes the immortality of the soul and the fleeting nature of the physical body . Krishna teaches that duty is paramount and abandoning it leads to infamy and spiritual downfall, thus aligning action with spiritual goals without personal attachment.

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