Beginning prayers
- 3 times ॐ chanting, Meditation
- Daily Prayers (click here for script)
- bhagavadgItaa 14th adhyaaya 1 - 27 shlokas
- What do we take away from mahaabhaarata to our current day life?
- last days of the war
- yudhishtira becomes king
- journey to heaven
- sarve bhavantu sukhinaH, pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam
- aarati and pledge - in the auditorium
Rashmi aunty and Sitaram uncle's class:
Today, we started the class by saying our prayers. Then, we chanted all 27 slokas of bhagavadgIta chapter 14.
After that, we talked about how everyone knows dharma and everyone can tell right from wrong. It is just a matter of doing it or not! We also talked about how there has to be some correlation between our thought, speech, and actions.
Continuing the story, we went back to the war scene. On the 10th day, Karna finally gets to fight after the fall of bhIshma. He is very happy about it. On the 16th day, he is the commander in chief, after Drona died (15th day).
A fierce battle ensues between Karna and Arjuna on the 16th day. Karna aims the Sarpa weapon at Arjuna. At that moment, Krishna presses Arjuna's chariot down 4 inches so instead of hitting Arjuna's forehead, it knocks off his crown. Then, Karna's wheel gets stuck in the mud and because of Parashurama's curse, he can't remember anything he learned. Karna begs to stop and to be fair and let him pull the chariot out first. But, Krishna tells arjuna how unfair Karna, Duryodhana and the rest of the Kauravas were, to Draupadi and Abhimanyu. Even as Karna tries to remember his mantras, Arjuna shoots an arrow at him and Karna dies.
The same day, bhIma kills dushshaasana and washes draupadi's hair with his blood to fulfill his oath. Sahadeva kills uncle Shakuni as per his promise. So, at the end of the 16th day, Karna, Dushashana, and Shakuni are dead. By the 17th day, out of Dhritarashtra's 100 sons, only Duryodhana was remaining. Out of grief and fear, Duryodhana goes and hides in the water. Bhima enrages him, asking if he is afraid. Duryodhana comes out and they both have a mace dual. Before the war, Gandhari (Duryodhana's mother) had asked duryodhana to come before her the way he was born. She would remove her blindfold and make his body strong like a diamond, due to the powers of her penance. Duryodhana was going to Gandhari, naked and Krishna came. He says a king should at least cover himself to some extent to save his shame. So, duryodhana takes a banana leaf and covers himself below the waist and goes to his mother. Because of this, his thighs remained weak. Only Krishna knows this. Gandhari isn't worried because in the war, one can only hit above the hip. Krishna tells Bhima to hit Duryodhana on the thighs. Duryodhana falls to the ground. He is begging for death due to pain, but he doesn't die.
Back on the battlefield, Aswathama is devastated. After sunset, he kills all of Draupadi's sons and driShTadyumna, thinking they are the Pandavas, He informs Duryodhana of this. Duryodhana dies happily! In the morning, Aswathama finds out that the Pandavas are still alive and is furious. Uttare, abhimanyu's wife, is pregnant at that time. Aswathama makes a blade of grass into a brahmaastra and shoots the unborn child. Aswathama wants to kill the heir of the Pandavas. Krishna's power protects baby Parikshitha. Aswathama is cursed to live for 3000 years in sorrow and humiliation for almost killing an unborn baby. Also, Aswathama had a jewel on his head for being so learned. Vedavyaasa de-jewels him and asks him to give it to yudhiShTira. His head never heals.
The Pandavas have won. Dhritarashtra wanted to hug Bhima. Krishna pushes a metal statue of Bhima in front of him instead. The statue turns to a powder. Gandhari curses Krishna for not avoiding the war and letting her sons die. Kunti tells the Pandavas that Karna was their brother. They are so sad and angry, especially Yudhistira. He curses that women will never be able to keep a secret! YudhiShTira becomes king.
On the bed of arrows, Bhishma tells Yudhistira how to be a good king and he chants the 1000 names of Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranamam) looking at Krishna. He leaves his body after almost a month from the war.
Many years later, Krishna dies at 116. A hunter sees Krishna lying down on a tree and thinks it is an animal. He shoots an arrow. Krishna dies. The hunter was Vali in his previous life and as Rama killed Vali, the hunter killed Krishna. Consequences, consequences!
Arjuna goes to greet Krishna and finds out that he is dead. Dwarika sinks under the ocean and all its residents get moksha. The Pandavas and Draupadi go to Himalayas. They all slowly die. Yudhistira is the only one who reaches the top. Along the way, a dog befriends them and joins them. Indra comes to take him to heaven. But, not the dog. Yudhistira says it's either nobody or them both. Indra allows the dog to enter. Yudhistira sees Duryodhana. He is surprised. Duryodhana went to heaven because he died in the battlefield and he is there for a short time and in hell for a long time. The other Pandavas are in hell for a short time for the small sins they had comitted. Yudhistira visits them one time. So, his time in hell is served as well. Then they all enjoyed heaven for a long time to come!
There ends the Mahabharata.
Reminiscing the values in mahaabhaarata, we finished the class with ending prayers. We bade good bye to our friends until next year.
Today, we started the class by saying our prayers. Then, we chanted all 27 slokas of bhagavadgIta chapter 14.
After that, we talked about how everyone knows dharma and everyone can tell right from wrong. It is just a matter of doing it or not! We also talked about how there has to be some correlation between our thought, speech, and actions.
Continuing the story, we went back to the war scene. On the 10th day, Karna finally gets to fight after the fall of bhIshma. He is very happy about it. On the 16th day, he is the commander in chief, after Drona died (15th day).
A fierce battle ensues between Karna and Arjuna on the 16th day. Karna aims the Sarpa weapon at Arjuna. At that moment, Krishna presses Arjuna's chariot down 4 inches so instead of hitting Arjuna's forehead, it knocks off his crown. Then, Karna's wheel gets stuck in the mud and because of Parashurama's curse, he can't remember anything he learned. Karna begs to stop and to be fair and let him pull the chariot out first. But, Krishna tells arjuna how unfair Karna, Duryodhana and the rest of the Kauravas were, to Draupadi and Abhimanyu. Even as Karna tries to remember his mantras, Arjuna shoots an arrow at him and Karna dies.
The same day, bhIma kills dushshaasana and washes draupadi's hair with his blood to fulfill his oath. Sahadeva kills uncle Shakuni as per his promise. So, at the end of the 16th day, Karna, Dushashana, and Shakuni are dead. By the 17th day, out of Dhritarashtra's 100 sons, only Duryodhana was remaining. Out of grief and fear, Duryodhana goes and hides in the water. Bhima enrages him, asking if he is afraid. Duryodhana comes out and they both have a mace dual. Before the war, Gandhari (Duryodhana's mother) had asked duryodhana to come before her the way he was born. She would remove her blindfold and make his body strong like a diamond, due to the powers of her penance. Duryodhana was going to Gandhari, naked and Krishna came. He says a king should at least cover himself to some extent to save his shame. So, duryodhana takes a banana leaf and covers himself below the waist and goes to his mother. Because of this, his thighs remained weak. Only Krishna knows this. Gandhari isn't worried because in the war, one can only hit above the hip. Krishna tells Bhima to hit Duryodhana on the thighs. Duryodhana falls to the ground. He is begging for death due to pain, but he doesn't die.
Back on the battlefield, Aswathama is devastated. After sunset, he kills all of Draupadi's sons and driShTadyumna, thinking they are the Pandavas, He informs Duryodhana of this. Duryodhana dies happily! In the morning, Aswathama finds out that the Pandavas are still alive and is furious. Uttare, abhimanyu's wife, is pregnant at that time. Aswathama makes a blade of grass into a brahmaastra and shoots the unborn child. Aswathama wants to kill the heir of the Pandavas. Krishna's power protects baby Parikshitha. Aswathama is cursed to live for 3000 years in sorrow and humiliation for almost killing an unborn baby. Also, Aswathama had a jewel on his head for being so learned. Vedavyaasa de-jewels him and asks him to give it to yudhiShTira. His head never heals.
The Pandavas have won. Dhritarashtra wanted to hug Bhima. Krishna pushes a metal statue of Bhima in front of him instead. The statue turns to a powder. Gandhari curses Krishna for not avoiding the war and letting her sons die. Kunti tells the Pandavas that Karna was their brother. They are so sad and angry, especially Yudhistira. He curses that women will never be able to keep a secret! YudhiShTira becomes king.
On the bed of arrows, Bhishma tells Yudhistira how to be a good king and he chants the 1000 names of Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranamam) looking at Krishna. He leaves his body after almost a month from the war.
Many years later, Krishna dies at 116. A hunter sees Krishna lying down on a tree and thinks it is an animal. He shoots an arrow. Krishna dies. The hunter was Vali in his previous life and as Rama killed Vali, the hunter killed Krishna. Consequences, consequences!
Arjuna goes to greet Krishna and finds out that he is dead. Dwarika sinks under the ocean and all its residents get moksha. The Pandavas and Draupadi go to Himalayas. They all slowly die. Yudhistira is the only one who reaches the top. Along the way, a dog befriends them and joins them. Indra comes to take him to heaven. But, not the dog. Yudhistira says it's either nobody or them both. Indra allows the dog to enter. Yudhistira sees Duryodhana. He is surprised. Duryodhana went to heaven because he died in the battlefield and he is there for a short time and in hell for a long time. The other Pandavas are in hell for a short time for the small sins they had comitted. Yudhistira visits them one time. So, his time in hell is served as well. Then they all enjoyed heaven for a long time to come!
There ends the Mahabharata.
Reminiscing the values in mahaabhaarata, we finished the class with ending prayers. We bade good bye to our friends until next year.
Written by Kripa Srinivasan.
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