OUR LEGENDS, BHAGAVAD GITA, PREFACE-1, MAHABHARAT

OUR LEGEND, BHAGAVAD GITA, MAHABHARAT

BHAGAVAD GITA, PREFACE-1

Bhagavad Gita is my favourite book. This is an exceptional book of knowledge. It presents the mission of the Supreme Personality of Lord Krishna, for the upliftment of human beings. It is the source of inspiration to the human beings who believe in Lord Krishna because He connects the soul to the highest perfection of life. Since the Bhagavad Gita encapsulates most of the important aspects of the knowledge of the Vedas, it is also called Gitopnishad.

The Bhagavad Gita was originally compiled by Ved  Vyasa as a separate text. When he wrote the Mahabharat, he embedded the Bhagavad Gita in it. The Mahabharat contains one hundred thousand verses and is, therefore, the largest poem in the world. 

The Mahabharat is divided into eighteen sections. The Bhagavad Gita is set in the sixth section which is called the  Bheeshma Parva. The action of the Gita is set in the great  Indian epic  Mahabharat, which focuses on the interrelated families of the  Kauravas and Pandavas and their struggle for control of the land of Bharat (India).     

                                             

                                                  

The Gita is a dialogue between the warrior-prince Arjuna and the God Krishna. Lord Krishna is serving as his charioteer at the battle of Kurukshetra (fought between Arjuna's family and allies, the Pandavas and those of the prince Duryodhana and his family, the Kauravas and their allies). This dialogue is recited by the Kaurava counselor Sanjay to his blind king Dhritarashtra both far from the battleground, as rishi Vyas has given Sanjay mystical sight so he will see and report the battle to the king.

                                                   

When Arjuna, the powerful warrior, sees his intimate relatives on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, he becomes very unhappy and refuses to participate in the fight. He leaves determined to fight against his teachers, friends, and relatives. Unable to deal with the immediate problem, Arjuna approaches Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna did not just advise him on his immediate problem but digressed to give a profound discourse on the philosophy of life.

OUR LEGEND, BHAGAVAD GITA, MAHABHARAT

 

MAHABHARAT STORY

The Mahabharat begins with the story of Shantanu of the Kuru clan, the king of Hastinapur, who was married to Ganga with whom he had a son called Devavrat. Several years later, when Devavrat had grown up to be an accomplished prince, Shantanu fell in love with Satyavati. Her father refused to let her marry the king unless the king promised that Satyavati's son and descendants would inherit the throne.

Unwilling to deny Devavrat his rights, Shantanu declined to do so but the prince, on coming to know of the matter, vowed to renounce the throne and to remain celibate throughout his life. The prince then took Satyavati home to the palace so that the king, his father, could marry her. On account of the terrible vow that he'd taken that day, Devavrat came to be known as Bheeshm. Shantanu was so pleased with his son that he granted to Devavrat the boon of choosing the time of his own death. In time, Shantanu and Satyavati had two sons. Soon thereafter, Shantanu died. 

                                               

Satyavati's sons still being minors, the affairs of the kingdom were managed by Bheeshm and Satyavati. By the time these sons reached adulthood, the elder one had died in a skirmish with some Gandharvas (heavenly beings) so the younger son, Vichitravirya, was enthroned. 

                                  

Bheeshm captures three princesses from another kingdom as wives for his brother Vichitravirya, who was to be crowned king. One of these was released and the other two married Vichitravirya, who then died without producing an heir. The two princesses were then married to Satyavati's son from her first marriage, the sage Vyasa, in order to preserve the Kuru line. One princess gave birth to Dhritarashtra (who was born blind) and the other to Pandu. Vyasa then had a third son with a maid of the ladies who was called Vidur. 

All three boys showed exceptional skills in different areas of government. In time Dhritarashtra was married to the princess Gandhari and Pandu to Kunti. The two princes and Vidur merged the rule of the kingdom, and when they came of age, Pandu became king even though Dhritarashtra was older because a blind man could not legally rule. Pandu reigned well, and when all seemed in order, Pandu requested leave and went off to live in the woods with Kunti and his wife Madri.

OUR LEGEND, BHAGAVAD GITA, MAHABHARAT

Pandu was cursed for sin while hunting, due to which he was not permitted to unite with his wife. Kunti got a boon through her sincere service of a wise sage in her younger age, and she begot three children, Yudhishthira, Bhim, and Arjuna from Yama, Vayu, and Indra respectively. Madri had twins Nakula and Sahadeva. Dhritarashtra had a hundred sons and one daughter by his wife, Gandhari. His sons are known as Kauravas.   

                   

                                             

When Pandu died at an early age, his sons, the Pandavas, came under the care of Dhritarashtra, who in effect became, for the time being, the king. The Kauravas and Pandavas were all brought up by Dhritarashtra. They grew up together. All the 105 princes were subsequently entrusted to the care of a teacher: Kripa at first and, additionally Drona later. Both were trained in the military arts by the expert Dronacharya and counseled by the revered "grandfather of the clan, Bheeshm". Due to the braveness and intelligence of the Pandavas the Kauravas especially Duryodhana, the eldest hated and envied the Pandavas. Krishna favored the righteous sons of Pandu and protected them. Hence the Pandavas decided to live separately, sharing half of their kingdom.                                               

                                        

The Pandavas pomp, wealth, and glory displayed during the Rajasuya Yajna aroused deep jealousy and greed in the mind of Duryodhana, the chief of the Kauravas, who with the cunning advice of his uncle Shakuni, invited Yudhishthira to a game of dice and fraudulently defeated him, whereby all his wealth and possessions, including Draupadi, were lost. Duryodhana and his brothers took possession of Draupadi and insultingly tried to strip her naked before the entire assembly of the princes and kings. 

Krishna's divine intervention saved her, but the Pandavas lost their kingdom in gambling, which was rigged. Finally, it was settled that the Pandavas, including Draupadi, would repair to the forest for twelve years in exile, after which they would have to live incognito.

Dhritarashtra wanted his own sons to inherit the kingdom. Yudhishthir being the crown prince and his rising popularity with the citizens was extremely distasteful to Duryodhana, who saw himself as the rightful heir. Thus Duryodhana, with Dhritarashtra's consent, plotted to kill the young sons of Pandu, and it was only by the careful protection of their uncle Vidur and their cousin Lord Krishna that the Pandavas escaped the many attempts against their lives. 

                                                                                 

Now Lord Krishna, the supreme Godhead himself, who was the nephew of Pandu's wife Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, so as the eternal upholder of religion for another year, untraced by the Kauravas. During this period, the kingdom was to be ruled by the wicked Duryodhana.                                                           

Pandavas successfully completed thirteen years of exile. During their exile, they have faced many obstacles and dangers instigated by the Kauravas. As per the terms of the agreement, Pandavas approached the Kauravas for their share of the kingdom. Duryodhana, however, bluntly refused to yield it. They reduced their request to a mere five villages. But Duryodhana arrogantly replied that he wouldn't spare them enough land into which to drive a pin.

                               

                                             

At that time, Lord Krishna took the role of messenger for the sons of Pandu and went to the court of Dhritarashtra to plead for peace. When His pleas were refused, war was now certain. Duryodhana and Arjuna, from the side of the Kauravas and the Pandavas respectively, were sent to Dwarka to seek the help of the Yadav hero, Lord Krishna, in the battle. They both found Krishna resting on a couch in His Palace. Duryodhana went in and occupied a seat at the head of the couch while Arjuna stood near the feet of the Lord. The moment Sri Krishna opened His eyes, He naturally saw Arjuna first, and then Duryodhana sitting on a chair.

                                                     

After inquiry of their welfare and the purpose of their visit, Sri Krishna, according to the prevailing custom, gave the first choice to Arjuna, because of his age and also because of His sight of Arjuna first. Krishna asked Arjuna to fulfill his desire by selecting Him unarmed or His powerful army called Narayani Sena. 

OUR LEGEND, BHAGAVAD GITA, MAHABHARAT

                                               

Arjuna, who was a devotee of Sri Krishna, expressed his desire to have the Lord with him, neglecting the powerful Narayani Sena, even though the Krishna warned that He would remain a witness, bound by the laws of not participating in battle and not taking up arms. Duryodhana, with great delight, thinking that Arjuna was foolish, expressed his wish for the powerful army to help his side in the battle. 

                                                

The Pandavas, men of the highest moral stature, recognized Krishna to be the supreme personality of Godhead, whereas the impetuous sons of Dhritarashtra did not. When Krishna asked Arjuna why he chose him when He was not for taking up arms, Arjuna said (Oh Lord! You have the power to destroy all the forces by a mere sight why then should I prefer that worthless army?) I have for a long time been cherishing a desire in my heart that you would act as my charioteer. Kindly fulfill my desire in this war.                                                                   

                                                        

When both sides were prepared to commence the battle, the sage Veda Vyasa approach blind Dhritarashtra and said, "If you wish to see this terrible carnage with your own eyes I can give you the gift of vision." The Kaurava king replied (Oh chief of the Brahmarishis! I have no desire to see with my own eyes this slaughter of my family, but I should like to hear all the details of the battle. 

                                                   

Then the sage conferred the gift of divine vision on Sanjay, the trusty counselor of the king, and told the king, Sanjay will describe to you all the incidents of the war. Whatever happens in the course of the war, he will directly see, hear or otherwise come to know. Whether an incident takes place before his eye or behind his back, during the day or during the night, privately or in public, and whether it is reduced to actual action or appears only in thought, it will not remain hidden from his view. He will come to know everything, exactly as it happens. No weapon will touch his body, nor will he feel tired. 

                                           

                                                       

After the continued war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, when the great warrior Bheeshm was thrown down from his chariot by Arjuna, Sanjay announces the news to Dhritarashtra. In agony, the king asks Sanjay to narrate the full details of the previous war, from the very beginning, in all details as it happened. Here commences the Bhagavad Gita. 

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES 

Read Also:

• OUR LEGENDS, BHAGAVAD GITA, (PREFACE-2), in English 

• HUMARE MAHAPURUSH, BHAGAVAD GITA, (POORV-2), in Hindi