Pandavas Vanavasam Contd..

 Geeta Chanting: Listen to Geeta Chapter 13 regularly, memorize the first 8 verses.

Mahabharata Lesson    

Today (12/16) we learned a lot about the Mahabharata. We started off the class with some Likita Japa., writing "Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya". Then we did our morning prayers and started with the continuation of our story.

    At first Draupati wanted to have a 1000 petal flower, and Bheema set out for it, walking through the forest. He encountered an old monkey sleeping in a cave, who refused to give way to Bheema. Bheema was angry, he tried to lift him and cast him aside, but to his surprise found that he could not move him at all. He asked him who he was. He replied, "I am Hanuman, your older brother'.  Hanuman promised Bheema that he would be at the Pandavas side fighting the war with them. Then, after Hanuman moved out, he found Yakshas guarding the 1000 petal flowers; Bheema immediately defeated them. Finally, he got the 1000 petal flower and returned it to Draupati. The moral of the story is to always think before you act. Bheema never thought and just killed everyone that slowed him down. The God of wealth Kubera was upset with Bheema, for he owned the garden of lotuses. 

Arjuna had come back from Indraloka and showed off his new weapons. Rishi Narada came and told them, "These weapons are not toys. They can destroy everything." The Pandavas agreed and the Rishi left. Later, Bheema also got into a fight with a python. Bheema was easily defeated. The snake said, "I am the cursed king Nahusha. For me to regain my true form, someone must answer my questions." So, Yudhishtra answered the questions, and the king Nahusha regained his form. Another person to fight along with the Pandavas, in the future war.

    Next, we did an exercise on the Vanaparva (the forest chapter). In the exercise, the book quizzed us on what we know on Vanaparva. Then we played Dumb Charades on the Vanaparva.

    Continuing with the story, Duryodana restarted with the master plan to somehow kill the Pandavas and sent Rishi Durvasa and his followers to the Pandavas at night. He knew that at night, Draupati would not have food to serve, and that would anger Durvasa, resulting in him cursing the Pandavas. But his plan majorly backfired. Draupati immediately got scared when Durvasa  entered the home. She prayed to Krishna, and when he appeared before her, he asked for a grain of rice. When he ate that grain of rice, everyone's stomach got full. Then Durvasa left, fearing he would offend them by saying no to their offerings of food. 

After that, Jayadratha, another king, kidnapped Draupati. Arjuna and Bheema both got into a duel with him. Obviously, the Pandavas won. Bheema pulled out Jayadratha's hair, leaving only 5 tufts to symbolize each of the Pandavas. The insulted Jayadratha did severe penance on Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva granted him a boon that he would be able to defeat all the pandavas except Arjuna atleast once in the war.

    At the end of class we chanted our ending prayers (Aarti, Purnamadam, and Pledge) to wrap it all up. This was one of the most fun classes that we've ever had.

S.S

Pandavas vanavasam begins, Arjuna gets divine weapons

Yudhishtra and the Pandavas were banished to the forest for 13 years by the Kauravas. When people find out that the Pandavas were going to the forest for 13 years, they feel rejected and follow Yudhishtra to the forest. Dhaumya asks Yudhishtra to pray to Surya Bagwan to feed all of them. Draupadi gets a boon from the sun god where she has to cook very little food and put it in a pot called 'Akshayapatra'. The pot will then be able to feed everyone for 12 years. Only at the end when Draupadi finishes her dinner is when the pot will become empty. 

  The Pandavas first go to The Kamyaka forest. Vidura tries to advise Dritharashtra to get the pandavas back from the forest. Dritharashtra gets so annoyed that he banishes Vidura to the forest. Every rishi that comes to Drithrashra's house always advised him to change his sons actions. They foresaw the future. Maithraya tries to put sense into Duryodana . Duryodana disrespects Maythraia , and so he curses Duryodana and says that he will be killed by Bhima. Bhagwan Krishna visits the pandavas and says he is very sorry at their state. He could not help them as he was very busy protecting his people in Dwaraka from invasion. Draupadi gets angry at Krishna. Krishna promises that a day will come when the Kauravas’ wives will cry the same way Draupati does now.

Arjuna goes up north to get weapons from Indra. He meditates for a longtime and is challenged by lord Shiva, who appears in front of Arjuna as a hunter. Shiva gives Arjuna the ‘Pashupatastra’ and Indra gives Arjuna the ‘Vajarayudam.’