ENIGMATIC QUESTIONS : YAKSHA PRASHNA

Life is a riddle because it harbours unexpected twists and turns which leaves us all bewildered. One such incident of a riddle is mentioned in Mahabharata.When the Pandavas ended their twelve years of exile in the forest, and discussing about their agnata vasa (incognito life) for one year. Yudhistira suddenly found himself face to face with Yaksha and his questions when the pandavas wanted to help a Brahmin. Thus started a riddle between Yudhistira and Yaksha.

When the Pandavas were discussing about their incognito life there came a Brahmin running to them seeking their help in securing back the wooden blocks to generate fire by friction from a deer which took the brahmin’s wooden blocks and ran away. The Pandavas agreed to help the Brahmin and went in quest of the mysterious deer. They couldn’t see, let alone catch the mysterious deer and become exhausted and thirsty. Nakula climbing a tree saw a pond full of water at a distance and he set out to bring the water to his brothers. This paved the way for an interesting and intriguing yaksha prashna.

When Nakula took water into his palms from the pond, a mysterious voice was heard. “O.... Nakula the water of this pond will turn into poison if you don’t give satisfactory answers to my questions”. Nakula ignored this warning and drank the water and instantly fell dead. Nakula’s twin Sahadeva went in search of his brother and was similarly warned by the mysterious voice. Sahadeva too ignored the warning and fell dead upon drinking the water. Arjuna and Bheema met the same fate. Finally Yudhishtira himself came in search of his brothers and found all his brothers dead.

Yaksha warned Yudhistira too and Yudhishtira thought and asked the mysterious voice to ask questions. Yaksha asked as many as eighteen questions. Yudhishtira answered all his questions. Yaksha prashna had philosophical and metaphysical ramifications. To quote one interesting question ‘What is the greatest wonder?’ For this question yudishtira answered that ‘day after day countless people die. Yet the living, wish to live forever. This is the greatest wonder’.

After Yudhishtira answered all his questions satisfactorily, Yaksha revealed himself to Yudhishtira. The mysterious voice (yaksha) was none other than Yama Dharma, Yudhishtira’s father. Then Yama blessed him .All the dead brothers became alive. Yama assured Yudhishtira that they would’nt be recognised during their incognito life.

Careful study of the Yaksha Prashna and Yudhishtira’s answers would be of immense benefit to those who long for knowledge and spirituality.

THOUGHTS ON THE KURUKSHETRA WAR

God does not paly dice, but shaitan does. This is what Shakuni did in Mahabharata. Shakuni by his wicked powers helped Duryodhana to win the game of dice by deceit. Thus Pandavas had to surrender  their kingdom to Duryodhana and go into exile for 13 years. After the exile Duryodhana refused to hand over  the Pandavas’ territory as agreed upon. This is the background of the Kurukshetra war.

The Kurukshetra war has been the subject of scholarly discussions and disputes. The kurukshetra war wasn’t mentioned in the Vedic literature. It is difficult to assign the exact date as to when the kurukshetra war took place. However 3000 BC might be the time for the war because from the war the transition from the Dwapariyuga to Kaliyuga started. The war lasted for eighteen days. At the end of the eighteenth day the only major warriors including the Pandavas and Krishna survived.

It is the greatness of Mahabharata that guide  life, a simple philosophy with deep meaning namely Bhagavad-Gita was explained to the mankind through Arjuna’s queries by lord Krishna amidst the great war. Lord Krishna even displayed his divine form to Arjuna. Only course left to uphold the principles of virtue and righteousness was the inevitable war- the Kurukshetra war.

India that is Bharat’s ancient wisdom “Vedas” is a tough subject that couldn’t be understood by common man. Hence that great poets Vyasa and Valmiki wrote the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana and an attempt was made in these two stories to explain the essence of Vedas in a simple way, says an argument.

Duryodhana rejected all peace proposals of Krishna. When all the hopes of peace vanished the Pandavas organised their armies. The Pandavas accumulated almost 7 Akshohini  army while the Kauravas had 11 Akshohini army.  In the battle ground the Kouravas stood facing west and the Pandavas stood facing east.  They fought with each other for eighteen days resulting in the victory of the Pandavas.

Krishna was the hero of the Kurukshetra war. Krishna advised Arjuna in the battle ground that ‘Iam the doer and you have to comply your Kshatriya dharma that is fighting in the war’.

To conclude, the kurukshetra war was the war between ‘Good and Evil’.

FREEDOM AT MIDNIGHT

When the union Jack was brought down and the tricolor flag went up at the stroke of midnight of 14-15^th August 1947, India attained political freedom. When the whole world was sleeping India awoke to life and freedom. A moment that comes rarely in the history, we step from old to new. India, whose voice was suppressed for a long time found its voice. We gave unto ourselves the constitution on 26^th January 1950 and India became republic.

Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister of free India. Panditji is considered as the architect of modern India. ‘Long years ago we made a tryst with Destiny. Now the time has come to redeem the pledge’. Nehru thus spoke after assuming the power of Prime Minister Ship. Nehru knew that the bedrock of modern India was to be democracy and the culture of India was and is ‘Unity in Diversity’. He knew that India can progress only through pluralism.

Nehru, adopting five year plans laid the foundation for the growth of industries, agriculture, science and technology. India which was importing rice and wheat saw green revolution. The foreign policy was based on ‘Panchsheel’. The dream run of free India into a powerful and democratic India for the last 2-3 decades received a blow. The wicked China attacked India in 1962. India under Nehru thought that since India was a peaceful country run on panchsheel wouldn’t be attacked by any country. Hence the defense preparedness was not given that much of attention. After the blow India prepared well enough to defend itself militarily. India is strong militarily and with nuclear forces to defend the motherland.

After the Gandhi-Nehru dream and 70 years later India saw many ideological somersaults. Today it is shouting patriotism (television channels). The mood of the people that prevailed at the time of independence has gone. The thoughts that the wounds of partition would heal has gone wrong.

Idealism of the Gandhi-Nehru era has gone and the politics of opportunism prevails now. Democracy has become an instrument of power. Votes can be got by inciting communal hatred among people. India’s culture ’Unity in Diversity’ is put in the back burner. In such a situation what a thinking person can do?

‘Light a new candle’.

THOUGHTS ON BHAGAVAD-GITA

Amidst death life persists.  Perhaps to prove this old saying, Bhagavad-Gita, a philosophy and a guide to life was explained by lord Krishna to Arjuna .   Bhagav-Gita is in  a dialogue form between Lord Krishna and Arjuna in the battleground of Krurukshetra .

Bhagavad-Gita trains the body and the mind.  Gita deals with Dharma.  “Every man is unique in nature (Svabhava).   Swadharma  for each and every individual is also unique.   Kshatriya Dharma is to fight in the war.   Do not yield to unmanliness ” tells Lord Krishna to Arjuna when Arjuna expressed his sorrow at the prospects to killing his uncles, relatives and teachers in the war.

Sri Krishna was perhaps the first psychologist in the world of man.  The subject psychology deals with the matters of the mind.  Krishna analyses the three types of Gunas (Swabhavas) of the mind.  Sattva (illumination) Rajas (passion) and Tamas (ignorance).  Overpowering Rajas and Tamas  Sattva prevails.  Overpowering Sattva, and Tamas Rajas prevails and over powering Sattva and Rajas Tamas prevails.

When the light dawns in the body as well as in the mind and the senses then Sattva predominates.  When Rajas predominates greed prevails.   When tamas predominates disinclination to perform one’s duty prevails.  Therefore when the mind is controlled and all the senses are controlled it leads to righteous path, says Krishna.  The reward of the righteous act is Satvika that is faultless in the form of joy, wisdom and dispassion.

Gita contains divine words, Gita embodies the supreme spiritual mystery and secret.  Gita contains the essence of all vedas.  Kurukshetra war is only an allegory.  Gita sums up esoteric significance which means the war which is constantly going on in the mind of man between the tendencies of good and evil.

Bhagavad-Gita remains eternally new.

VISHWAROOPA DARSHANA

Vishwaroopa Darshana or cosmic form is a revelation by the one without a second existence, which is Krishna, the eighth avatar (reincarnation) of Lord Vishnu. Virat roopa is also the reaffirmation of the Advaitha philosophy (monism).  The empirical reality, that this world is Maya. When Arjuna expresses his sadness to kill his relatives in the battle ground of Kurukshetra war, Krishna tells Arjuna that “I am the doer”.  Vishwaroopa is considered as the supreme form of Lord Vishnu and the entire Universe is contained in Lord Vishnu. 

Naughty Krishna was the embodiment of mischief.  Krishna displayed his cosmic form more than once.  As a young boy growing up in Gokula, Krishna displayed his cosmic form to his foster mother Yashoda.  When playing along with his young friends. Krishna started eating mud as if he was eating a rare dish prepared at home.  His young friends were horrified and rushed to his mother Yashoda to inform her about Krishna eating mud. Yashoda rushed to young Krishna and asked him to open his mouth. When Krishna opened his mouth Yashoda saw the whole universe in his mouth.

Krishna displayed his cosmic form to Duryodhana when he went to him as a messenger to try stopping the inevitable war between the Kouravas and the Pandavas. Duryodhana true to his wicked nature wanted to arrest Krishna. To his astonishment he saw Krishna wherever he turned. Everyone and everything looked like Krishna. Krishna appeared with many arms and weapons like the sudarshan chakra, gadhe and inside his body he had deities, sages and even Kouravas and Pandavas. Duryodhana couldn’t withstand this sight.

The third time Krishna displayed his cosmic form was in the battleground of Kurukshetra war between the Pandavas and the Kouravas. Faced with moral dilemmas Arjuna tells Krishna ‘How shall I kill my cousins and relatives in the war’. Then Krishna tells him about life and death and reveals his Vishwaroopa to Arjuna. All creatures of this universe were a part of him. He is the infinite universe without a beginning or an end, containing peaceful and ghastly forms. Unable to bear this terrible sight of Krishna’s Vishwaroopa Arjuna begs Krishna to return to the form he knew.

Krishna is an amazing phenomenon. Through his cosmic forms, Krishna cautions all the wicked characters in the universe, not to tempt ‘The Providence’.

(Next week discussion on: Bhagavad-Gita).