Bhagvad Geeta and Dharma: Part 2

 Bhagvad Geeta and Dharma: Part 2

DHARMKSHETRE KURUKSHETRE SAMAVETA YUYUTSAVAH I MAMAKA PANDVASHAIV KIMKUTVAT SANJAY II 1:1 II

The Geeta opens wth the word DHARMA. It it first word of first stanza combined with the word KSHETRA. Something like Teerthkshetra or place of pilgrimage.  The next word is KURUKSHETRA. Kshetra related to the piece of land like large open ground or long river bank Etc. Here it is used to tell the name of battlefield. The question arises as why two names for one battlefield. KRUKSHTRA is easy to understand as the In wider sense one owned by KURUs. In wider sense Pandvas also hailed from same KURU VANSH as cousin brothers. But they came to be called as PANDAVAs after their father King Pandu when he was awarded the kingdom of INDRAPRASHTA  So the battlefield named after KURU descenters is easy to digest but why DHARMKSHTRA ? In modern time we do not distinguish between TEERTHKSHETRA and DHARMAKSHETRA and visualised as a place with lot of Temples. How ca such a place be selected as battlefield ? We have been told thta it was so named before war and Shrikrushna has visited it on his way from Brindaban to Dwarka. Still it is difficult to visualize as a place interlaced with temples. 

We believe it has more to do with rules of war. A war which was DHARMYUDHHA  A war that was declared when the demands wer ade denied followed by plenty of peace breaking efforts. A war that was joined by contemporary rulers either on this side or that side. A war that saw Eighteen Akshhini ( a term of larger count than any term known to English language ) soldiers. A war which was fought s long as the Sun is shining in the sky only. A war where attack was ot allowed on any woman or  one who without any weapon to fight or one who has surrendered. The size and the rules made it war termed as MAHAYUDHHA .

The DHRITARASHTFZ rightly called it as Dharmaksehtra and ordere SANJAY to report who did what by those assembled with war fever. 

तुकाराम भजन भाषांतर माला १

 मराठी भजन.                                          शुध्द बीजापोटी | फळे रसाळ गोमटी || १ || मुखी अमृताची वाणी | देह देवाचे कारणी | २ ||  सर्वांगी निर्मळ | चित्त  जैसे  गंगाजल  || ३ || तुका म्हणे जाती | ताप दर्शने विश्रांती  ,|| ४ ||                                                                       हिंन्दी।     रूपांतर                                 

शुद्ध बीज के अंदर। फल रसीली सुंदर ||१||।   मुहमें अमृत जुबान | देह ईश्वर कारण||२ ||   सर्वांग निर्मल | चित्त जैसे गंगाजल || ३ ||   कहे तुका ताप जाय | दर्शन विश्राम पाय ||४ ||

Bhagvad Geeta and Dharma

 Bhagvad Geeta and Dharma:

The word "Dharma" has appeared in more than 25 stanzas of Geeta.On every occasion it's meaning changed with the reference. The references don't change but interpretations do depending upon the intellectual ability and point of view adopted. From same text interpretations change as per Adwait vad, Dvaitvad, Vishistdvaitvad, Gyan yogi, Karmyogi,Bhaktiyogi and so on. We have come across a Geeta wg=hich gives 11 interpretations under each stanza for ready reference.Our effort will not be to interprete Geeta but limit to the search dor the word DHARMA and how the meaning need to be taken in our opinion. DSince the search had over 25 occurance it cant be done at one go. That is beyond our ability, Will keep on writing till every reference is commented on.  

BHISHMA BHARAT part 8

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BHISHMA BHARAT part 8

Q-4  Can the action of BHISHMA to abduct three daugthers of the Kashi Nareshn can be justified ?

A-4 BHISHMA abducted them at the instance of SATYVATI as the mother of the KIng of Hastinapur.HISHMA had committed himself to serve who so ever was on the throne. The king mother is nit the king and her need not have been taken as the order of the King.Abducting a woman to marrying her is not uncommon. But abducting for step brother has no parallel any where any time. That too not 1 or 2 but 3 of them to marry with a single man makes it uncivilized act not befitting a Kshatriya.Polygamy was prevailing at that time ( Not only for men but for women too ) but there is hardly any parallel instance of marrying three women at a time setting a bad example. Even today the practice of abducting girls and not marrying them is prevailing. Perhaps origin of such mind set goes to BHISHMA.

Q-5 How justified was his treatment to AMBA after abduction ?

A-5 AMBA was in love with the king SHALV. therefore was  set her free and sent to him. SHALV refused to accept her , called her polluted and adivised her to go back and marry the fellow who abducted her. She came back to BHISHMA and asked him to marry her which he refused under excuse of hi famous BHISHMA PRATIGYA. . After all he was not oath bound to abduct but was oath bound to marry !!! What a dual standard ! As a result AMBA cursed and vowed to destruct him. Who emerges as wrong in this sequence AMBA or BHISHMA ?

Q-6 How is the lack of action by BHISHMA at the time DRAUPADI was attempted to be disrobed justified ?

A-6 There were many seniors present in the court when the instance was taking place. ALL of them chose to be mute spectator of the event. BUT they were not PITAMAH like him. If all of them are to be blamed for the inaction BHISHMA has ti take biggest part of the blame. It wss DRAUPADI who argued i vain and not BHISHMA  and was eventually saved from disgrace by kRISHNA. 

to be Contd.

BHISHMA BHARAT PART 7

 BHISHMA BHARAT PART 7

Bhishma Pitamah is the longest living character of Mahabharat.and cause or reason for the many events in it. Some praiseworthy, some not so praiseworthy and some worthy of criticism. Let us try to examine and analyse his acts and deeds as told in Mahabharat in self raised question and answered format

Q-1 Was it not a duty of a crowned prince to be ready to take over rule of the kingdom as promised obligation ?

A-1 It was but he gave it up while his father Shantanu was alive, So it cant be said as running away from the duty.

Q-2 The oaths taken by him which became famous as BHISHMA PRATIGYA since then were really for a noble cause ?

A-2  The cause was to fulfill the desire of his father to marry for second time. The second marriage of father can not be said as a noble cause.  The desire of his father did not came from any duty as a King but purely personal one guided by the lust. The conditions laid down by SATYVATI drove him to a situation of choosing between the duty as a father of crowned son and his own lust. The brooding was too much or him to handle when his son came to the rescue . BHISHMA on his own took the oaths. When the cause is dubious the act also becomes dubious. 

At he end the calculative SATYVATI emerges as victorious for her two purely selfish objects a] making crowned prince to forgo his right to the throne and b] make him unfit ti produce another heir who could possibly make claim to the throne. Noting of great moral value in any of these acts and deeds.

Q 3 Was it not fit for BHISHMA to rethink of his oaths instead of allowing physically unfit step Brother VICHITRVEERYA  to ascend the throne after the death of Shantanu ?

 A 3 His thirst to prove greater than the lesser mortals ( LOKESHNA ) prevailed over what would have been normal  as the only other pure biological heir of SHANTANU. He succeeded in creating that special nitche for himself which proved to be thousand times better than a stint as a KING. 

VICHITRAVEERYA was at least biological son of dead king odf SHANTUNU. Thta was the case of DHRITRSASTRA and PANDU. Both were born to the widows of VICHITRVEERYA by so called NIYOG method of conceiving. In a way BHISHMA can be blamed for bringing end t the direct biological lineage of KURU wansh. It lacks terribly in ethics .

To be contid. 

BHISHMA NHARAT Part 6

BHISHMA BHARAT 

THE life of BHISHMA  between the death of his father SHANTANU and his own.

DEVAVARTA is the maiden name of BHISHMA born as the 8th son of GANGA and SHANTANU  All 8 were born as the result of the curse given to ASHTA-VASU  by Muni VASISHTH for the crime of stealing his holy COW KAMDHENU  Seven VASU's born earlier were drowned by their Mother Ganga as soon as they were born. The eight  VASU by name DYU was spared by interference of father SHANTANU and lived long life as human for estimated 186 years. 

SHANTANU died natural death due to old age. BHISHMA became self appointed guardian of the heirs of his father SHANTANU who left behind VICHITRA VEERYA as heir. . His elder brother CHITRANGAD was killed by an angel of the same name earlier. Vichitrveerya too died without bearing child to any of his two wives AMBIKA & AMBALIKA . Two sons were produced to the two widows by NIYOG practice that was prevailing then using =Maharahi VYASA. Ambika gave birth to DHRTITARASHTRA who was born blind and AMBKIA to PANDU who was born with pale complexion.  TWO kingdoms were carved out for two. The elder DHRITARSHTA was made king of old HASTNAPUR and new kingdom with the capitol INDRPRASTHA in Barren part of Khandav van was given to PANDU as king. Hundred sons of Dhritarashtra came to be called as  KAURAVSAs while five or PANCH sons of PANDU came to be called as PANDVAs. BHISHMA continued to be in HASTINAPUR. 

How Pandvas lost their KIngdom in DYUT their kingdom and DRAUADI , How attempt was made to disrobe, How they were sent on exile for 14 long years and one more year at unknown and unseen conealing themselves, How they came back to claim back  their lost KIngdom , How it was refused and How it led to MAHAYUDHH is better part of MAHABHARSAT. Point to note is BHISHMA continued  by the side of Kaurav and fought the war as SENAPATI (General) for 10 long days, He was almost killed by ARJUN by an arrow from behinnd SHIKHANDI. He continued on bed of arrows for many days and chose to die at the start of Uttarayan as per the boon of ICHHAMARAN given to him.

During this long life many acts of COMMISSIONS AND OMISSIONS were made by him which makes him KEY character of MAHABHARAT. This will be covered in next part of BHISHMA BHARAT 

BHISHMA BHARAT PART - 5

 TESTING OF BHISHMA PRATIGYA

Looks like even if not crowned as the King,BHISHMA was ruler de facto ruler  Hastinapur for generations. Satyavati gave birth to two sons Chitrangada and Vichotrzveerya. After the death pf their father SHANTUNU , SATYAVATI now step mother of BHISHMA put her two juvnile sons of to the throne one after other and ruled with the help of BHISHMA. he elder was killed before marrying by an Angle of same name. The younger VICHITRAVEERYA was put of the throne but was dummy King. The real ruler continued to e BHISHMA. SATYAVATI ordered him to get three daughters of King KASHI named AMBA, AMBIKA & AMBALIKA to marry VICHITRVEERYA.  It happened to be SVAYAMWAR declared by their father. BHISHMA fought with all Kings assembled to win them including SHALV with whom AMBIKA was secretly in love. Having discovered HISHMA send her to SHALV who refused to accept her having been won over by another person and prompted her to marry one who has abducted her. Insulted AMBA came back asked BHSHMA toi marry her and save her from disgrace .He refused citing his VOW as the reason.THIS WAS THE FIRST TEST OF HIS VOW.

Angry AMBA cursed BHISHMA and vouched to destroy him and left for forest for severe penance.Other two princesses were married to VICHITRAVEERY. He too died without bearing any child from any of them. STYAVATI wanted BHISHAto father sons for his widows by then established niyog method. He refused citing his second VOW as the reason. THIS WAS ANOTHER TESTING OF HIS VOW.  Mahabharat tells us how VYAS his half bother and her son ( born before marriage ) was used for the purpose. Thus VYAS becomes not only a story teller but part of story . Very Very rare distinction.

To be continued/