Austerity

महाभरत

Mahābharata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

Amba

Bhishma kidnaps Amba and sisters

"I rode my battle chariot to the walls of Kashi and swept the maidens from the swayamvara. defeating the princes gathered there. And when it was time to marry, Vichitravirya refused. She had been betrothed to another. I set her free. 

"You may go," I said.

"You have shamed me." she said.

"Return to Shalva."

"I will have my revenge."

"Go, now," I said.

Bhishma spat blood. 

"When I gave Amba leave to depart the great city of Hastinapura, she first went to the city of Shalva, the prince she had loved, accompanied by her nurse and some brahmaṇas. Arriving in the court of King Shalva after such a long journey, she approached that mighty warrior and said, “I come at last, my Lord, having escaped the hands of Bhiṣma, who would have killed me and my sisters had we not surrendered to his grasp. I come to surrender myself to you, O my Lord as your wife. Please accept me.”

"At this, the proud Shalva laughed, and said, 'O fair one, you were taken from me by Bhiṣma, who insulted me. You have dwelt in his court as the betrothed of Vichitravirya, and now, spurned by both, you dare to come before me. You have been used by another, and I have no wish to eat the remnants of Bhiṣma’s plate. Go. You were pleased when he abducted you, and smiled, pleased to have such a mighty suitor. Go to him, or anyone else who might have you. I have no use for you.' And so saying, his royal guard approached to remove Amba."

           

" Amba, devastated, replied, 'O Lord, it is not so. If I grimaced when Bhiṣma took me by force, it was not a smile. I had to grit my teeth at the horror of being molested by such a brute. Didn’t you see my tears, O great one? Take me, for I am yours.' She said, weeping, as the royal guard approached to escort her from the hall of the great king Shalva.

            

“The son of the Ganges never laid a hand on me after bringing me to the court of Hastinapura. I swear that I have not been so used or violated. I appealed to his good mother Satyavati and told her that I am meant for you, O Shalva. Do not reject me. I am meant to be your wife, and you my husband, as these brahmaṇas here are my witness. I have never been in love with any other. I am a humble maiden who comes to you to surrender myself - as you are my Lord!”

        

   

 "The King of Shalva would have none of this and merely smiled and waved his hand at the royal guards. “Take here away. I have no interest in women who have been used by other men. Such women may be found selling themselves in the rudest sections of the public market. I can have my pick of dancing girls and servants. There are many fair maidens in my court who would give themselves freely for a night. Why should I accept one whose charms have been known by a beast like Bhiṣma? Go now. Go home to your father, the King of Kashi and see if he will accept you after having spent so many nights in the house of other men.”

          

" With this, Amba was led in tears of despair from the court by the royal guard of the King of Shalva, crying, 'The truth shall prevail! The righteous shall protect me!' She wandered to the gates of the city. Stolen by Bhiṣma and shamed, she could not return to Hastinapura. Now rejected by King Shalva she had no where to go.

            

"So she walked into the forest, burning with rage cursing the day I was born and saying, 'Cursed be Bhiṣma! Cursed be my wretched father, cursed be Shalva! I shall revenge myself on Bhiṣma, through mystic power earned by long austerities or by the force of arms of a champion in battle. What king or prince will be my champion in battle? Who shall take up arms to protect me? So she wandered deeper into the forest until she reached the ashram of a mystic named Shaikavatya.

Hearing her story, he said, “My dear girl, how can we poor forest sages help you? You speak of great kings and dangerous warriors. We live a meek life here in the forest. We live on honey and roots and berries and pass our time in meditation. How can we help you?”

The rejected and desperate Amba said, “Let me live here with you. I have renounced the world. Show me the way of mystic yoga, that I may acquire such power that I can revenge myself with mantras and mystic weapons.” 

The sage replied, “This is not our way. Austerity and renunciation are not meant for revenge. Both renunciation and exploitation are dangerous, but renunciation is more dangerous than exploitation. Do not act in anger. We cannot help you. Go to your father.” 

But Amba was determined and said, “I shall never return to my father’s court in the kingdom of Kashi. I have been shamed. I shall live here with you and practice the austerities of a forest sage. Please accept me.”

Disciple asks for acceptance from guru.

Comment: In Bhagavad-gita, we find:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 TEXT 34

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

SYNONYMS

tat--that knowledge of different sacrifices; viddhi--try to understand; pranipatena--by approaching a spiritual master;pariprasnena--by submissive inquiries; sevaya--by the rendering of service; upadeksyanti--initiate; te--unto you; jnanam--knowledge;jnaninah--the self-realized; tattva--truth; darsinah--the seers.

TRANSLATION

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.

PURPORT

The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. TheBhagavatam says: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam--the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master, but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.

Conquered by love.

Another short clip from different interviews made in Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2014. I was asked to speak on the different books published at Guardian of Devotion Press. Here I discuss the concept of being "Conquered by Love."

A Woman Scorned

महाभरत

Mahābharata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

Amba Swears Revenge

"Do your worst to stop me!"

I passed through rivers, forests, hills, and trees, and arrived in fair Hastinapura at the court of Vichitravirya with those three virgins, the daughters of the King of Kashi, who shrank from me in fear. I was covered in my own sweat and the blood of the princes who had died contesting their hands.   

"And, just as a tiger takes an antelope, I stole the daughters of the King of Kashi for my brother, the gentle Vichitravirya, the boy prince. 

A boy prince of India

 In this way those three fair maidens, Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika were taken by me to the court of Kings. 

Three Sisters

They stayed in the apartments of my step-mother, the queen Satyavati. They were all betrothed to my brother, the gentle Vichitravirya that he might have wives and beget heirs. After I rested from the battle for a fortnight, I consulted with Satyavati, my father’s widow, who was pleased with me and smiled and told me how all the arrangements for the wedding had been made.

            Now just before the nuptial sacrifice was to take place, I was approached in private by Amba, the eldest daughter of the King of Kashi. She smiled at me and penetrated my heart with the warmth of her eyes. She told me confidentially, “Oh tiger among men. Please listen to my pleas. You must know that before the Swayamvara ceremony of King Kashi, I had fallen in love with King Shalva. He in turn loved me. I was to marry him, and my father had also approved. I was to select him at the Swayamvara ceremony in Kashi. Now you have carried me away,  your Lord Vichitravirya can be very happy with two wives. My sisters can provide him with all the heirs the family of Bharata needs to continue the royal line.

            “Spare me, O great one.” She said.  “Let me return to the house of Kashi. Allow me to marry with the king of Shalva, your rival at the Swayamvara and fulfill my destiny. Please do as you wish, O Lord of the Bharatas. I am your humble servant.” Amba was fair and lovely. She was tall and comely with the complexion of molten gold. She had black, curly hair and fine hands decorated with henna and red fingernails. Her hips were round and full, and her proud breasts were full. She moved passionately as she spoke of her love for Shalva. She would have made a fine wife to Vichitravirya.

"Let me return to the house of Kashi"

Then again, perhaps Amba believed that after all, I would break my vow and make her my queen. As she was the eldest daughter of the King of Kashi and I was the eldest son of Shantanu, we would rule as King and Queen and her children would continue our dynasty. It was not to be. I am a man. I cannot tell you what my feelings were for Amba. She might have made a fine wife for me, Bhiṣma, the tiger among men. 

I had been cursed by my own mother, the goddess of the river Ganges, that never would I have my own dynasty. I had taken a terrible vow never to marry. I had vowed that I would always be the vassal of my brother Vichitravirya.  I sent Amba away and left her to her fate. She tried to return to Kashi, but her father would not take her back. She had been robbed and shamed, her chastity had been violated by having been taken violently. As for the King of Shaubha, he too refused her.  Amba swore her eternal revenge against me.

What did Nanda Maharaja do?

Here's another clip from some interviews I did in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This one's about Nanda Maharaja and Vrindavan. What kind of yoga did Nanda Maharaja do?

Virgins

महाभरत

Mahābharata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

Three Sisters

Amba, Ambika, Ambalika

Saying this, I rode like the wind, clutching those damsels to my heart as they tried to escape my chariot. The gathered kings were enraged.  They impatiently donned their armor and shields, mounted their war chariots and whipped their horses into the frenzy of battle. These young and arrogant princes, desperate for the virgins I had plundered appeared like raging meteors, their eyes red with fury, their swords and armor dazzling in the sun.

Ancient War Chariot

They pursued me by the banks of the river Ganges, my mother, and into the valleys of Varanasi outside the city of Kashi. I had bound the girls to my chariot and rushed on with my horses, fiery steeds who had seen many a battle.

When at last they caught me on the plains of Varanasi, I wheeled my chariot and stood my ground. The assembled princes blackened the sky with their arrows, so I unleashed a shower of my own arrows, guided by the mantras I was taught by the terrible Paraśurāma, my arrows blocked the onslaught of darts. They attacked me on all sides and rained more arrows down on me like masses of thunderclouds. I fired back, piercing the noble chests of those great monarchs and sending them to the kingdom of Yamaraja, he who judges all. 

Men of courage and valor cringed to see such terrifying battle. I cut men down with my arrows, slicing their heads off and piercing their armor. Their screams were terrifying as men fell all around, shocked at seeing their entrails spilled upon the thirsty earth.

My skill at destroying my enemies was so great that even the contending warriors now began to applaud me as I sped away, returning to Hastinapura. I had not yet escaped danger. As I fired my shafts at the retreating wariorrs, all the while holding the three virgins closely in my grasp, a mighty chariot warrior appeared on the field of battle.

 It was Shalva of great might, and as I rode away he called from behind the dust of my chariot enraged, saying, “Stay! Hold! Do not run like a dog from Shalva, who challenges you to a fair test of arms! Stay, you dog of Bharata, who dares steal my wife!”  I wheeled my chariot and turned to face him in a duel of arms. I told him, “This is no dog you face! It is I, Bhiṣma, tiger among men, grinder of hostile armies, who will now chastise you like the dog you are.” I waited for him.

Thousands of warriors now stood quiet and still as spectators, waiting to see our great duel at arms. I set the girls down at a little distance where they could not run, but could see the battle. Then we closed, the mighty Shalva like a raging bull, and I, Bhiṣma, the tiger of men.  Shalva was a formidable foe. He covered me with darts from his bow. The gathered kings and princes were in awe to see such intense clouds of arrows issue from the bow of Shalva and cover me.

 They applauded his speed and agility. I thought I might fall before his onslaught.  The virgin daughters of King Kashi were now weeping and wailing hysterically to see such slaughter.  The spirit of the tiger overwhelmed me, I was shaken with wrath and guided my chariot to Shalva. I said, “Hold, Shalva, and do not run like the dog you are.

 “As an eagle takes a snake and cuts him to pieces, I shall now rob you of your life.  As Garuda slays a serpent, I shall now slay you.” So saying, and without thinking, I fixed the weapon of Varuna on my bow-string and shot down the four horses of Shalva’s chariot. As they fell in death, I killed Shalva’s chariot-driver. Helpless, Shalva was left standing on the ground.  Shalva, now stripped of his weapons, I left to fight another day and I rode fast to where the girls stood, weeping, and grabbed them onto my chariot. As the sun was low in the sky, I made hard for Hastinapura.  

Message of Mahabharata

महाभरत

Mahābharata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

Message of Mahabharata

 Bhishma's vow

It may be said that the story of the Mahabharata proper really begins when Bhishma returns to his father, Shantanu. Thus begins the real story of the dynastic struggles of the Kurus. Bhisma's vow raises many questions. 

Mahabharata is at the same time history, legend, mythology, scripture and religious instruction. And yet, Mahabharata is not a moral fable. It is much too complex a history to satisfy our need for simple moral conclusions. In this great epic we find heroes involved in all too human problems. And the solutions to questions are not always given. It allows us to reflect on the tragic consequences of karma while following the lives of great personalities. Our own struggle towards right living may be enlightened by seeing how these great souls struggled with their dharma and karma.

Bhishma's vow has terrible consequences. By renouncing the kingdom, Bhishma changes the succession. As prince did he have a right to decide the succession? His decision has grave consequences.

Consequences

Was his vow the spontaneous emotional reaction of a young man, or was it based on thoughtful consideration? Sometimes our emotions lead us into trouble. 

Shantanu himself was an older man. Yet he fell prey to his emotions by succumbing to an infatuation with a young woman. His infatuation with Satyavati brings about the downfall of his dynasty. Bhisma was a worthy successor to Shantanu. Neither the hot-blooded Chitrangada nor the gentle Vichitravirya were really qualified to succeed. Bhishma's vow impels him to create a new line of succession, one that disintegrates into dissension and finally war. Could the war have been avoided if Shantanu had controlled his emotions? 

Old age brings infirmity. It reminds us of our mortality. Shouldn't Shantanu have concentrated on his spiritual life in his old age, instead of chasing after a young woman? 

Bhishma was learned, and had been trained to rule as  king. But with his blind obedience to his father he deprives the kingdom of Hastinapura of his capable leadership. His self-abnegation leads to the corruption of an empire. All this so that his aging father can satisfy his lust for a young woman. Parashurama was Bhishma's guru. He was an example of blind obedience to his father and guru. But Bhishma's father made him renounce the kingdom so he could court a young maiden. Is blind obedience towards superior authority a good thing?  When is obedience a virtue?

 Bhishma is a righteous personality, but sometimes he appears to be  exploited for his sincerity and dedication by his selfish relations, from Shantanu to Duryodhana. We find numerous such evidences in the Mahabharata. He is a man of his word and always keeps his promise. Is following a vow always a good thing? Or should one be more flexible and try to do the right thing according to time, place, and circumstances? These are some of the difficult ethical questions posed by Mahabharata. 

And yet, while many questions remain unanswered and the heroes and champions display human flaws, Mahabharata insists on integrity. It is never right to do wrong. 

We see the karmic consequences of bad judgment and harmful conduct everywhere. The Mahabharata teaches us that there are consequences for our deeds. “Whatever you sow, that you will reap.” Wrongdoing is always punished; not with eternal hell, but with failure in this life and an unhappy next life.

Right Action

So, while Mahabharata is not a moral fable, we find in its verses that right action is rewarded in well being and success. Intelligence, goodness, wisdom, and integrity are to be practiced. Ignorance, dishonesty, avarice and fraud are to be avoided. We should reject the temptation to be dishonest and unscrupulous.

Apart from the higher wisdom teachings on the nature of self, karma, the origin of the universe and the perfection of yoga in bhakti, in dedication to Krishna, Mahabharata gives very practical ethical instructions through the stories of its heroes.  It teaches that to believe that it is necessary on occasion to be less than honest is false. A life of discipline, of dharma is exalted. A lawless society cannot long survive.

The ultimate teaching of Mahabharata is found in Bhagavad-gita, where Krishna teaches the lesson of immutable reality and absolute love:

Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 10 text 8 (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami)

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

SYNONYMS

aham—I; sarvasya—of all; prabhavaḥ—source of generation; mattaḥ—from Me; sarvam—everything;pravartate—emanates; iti—thus; matvā—knowing; bhajante—becomes devoted; mām—unto Me; budhāḥ—learned; bhāva-samanvitāḥ—with great attention.

TRANSLATION

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts

Bhagavad-gita Verse 10.8 - Commentary by Bhakti Rakshaka Shridhar 

Verse 10.8

aham sarvasya prabhavo, mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam, budha bhava-samanvitah

aham prabhavah - I am the Supreme Absolute Truth, svayam Bhagavan or the original Supreme Lord, the cause; sarvasya - of all causes, including Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan, i.e., the all-comprehensive aspect of the Absolute, the all-permeating aspect of the Absolute, and the personal aspect of the Absolute, which is endowed with all the qualities that attract everyone to serve Him. sarvam- All attempts in the universe of matter and spirit, and the Vedas and allied scriptures with their functions; pravartate - begin; mattah - Realizing; iti - this mystery; budhah - persons blessed with fine theistic intellect; bhava-samanvitah- endowed with their internal devotional nature of servitude, friendship, parenthood, or consorthood; bhajante - devote themselves; mam - unto Me.

I am Krsna, the Sweet Absolute. I am the root cause of the all-comprehensive aspect of the Absolute, the all-permeating aspect of the Absolute, and also the personal aspect of the Absolute - the Master of all potencies, who commands the respect of everyone - Lord Narayana of Vaikuntha. The universe of mundane and divine flow, every attempt and movement, the Vedas and allied scriptures which guide everyone's worship - all are initiated by Me alone. Realizing this hidden treasure, the virtuous souls who are blessed with fine theistic intellect surpass the standards of duty and nonduty, and embrace the paramount path of love divine, raga-marga, and adore Me forever.

These lessons are instilled in our minds by the incidents and episodes of the Mahabharata as well as by the wisdom teachings of Krishna in Bhagavad-gita.

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Queridos amigos y lectores : Ustedes me están dando mucha inspiración y estoy continuando mi blog, en la actualidad con el relato del Mahabharata . Estoy hasta 8.496 páginas vistas desde hoy en la mañana. Significa mucho para mí que la gente sigue leyendo. Si te gusta la historia, por favor trata de compartir el blog. Estoy tratando de mantener mi número de "pageviews" a 100 por día .

Chers amis et lecteurs : Vous me donnent beaucoup d'inspiration . Je continue mon blog , avec l'histoire du Mahabharata . Je suis jusqu'à 8496 pages vues . Merci pour la lecture . Si vous aimez l'histoire se il vous plaît partager le blog .

Dear friends and readers:  You are giving me a lot of inspiration and I'm continuing my blog, at present with the retelling of the Mahabharata. I'm up to 8,496 page views as of this morning and I'm going for 10,000. It means a lot to me that people are reading. If you like the story please share the blog. I'm trying to keep my readership over 100 page views a day.

 প্রিয় বন্ধু এবং পাঠকদের : আপনি আমাকে অনুপ্রেরণা অনেক প্রদান করা হয়. আমি মহাভারতের গল্প , আমার ব্লগ অব্যাহত করছি. আমি 8496 পৃষ্ঠাদর্শন আপ করছি. পড়ার জন্য ধন্যবাদ. আপনি গল্প চান, তাহলে ব্লগ ​​শেয়ার করুন.

Дорогие друзья и читатели : Вы даете мне много вдохновения. Я продолжаю мой блог , с историей Махабхараты . Я до 8496 просмотров страниц . Спасибо за чтение . Если вы любите историю , пожалуйста, поделитесь блог . 


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