Śivānubhavam in Mahābhārata

  Chapter 4: Principal Characters – Śiva Sankalpam   In the previous discussion we saw how bhārāvataranam is to be put into effect by Īśvara, with the advent of Nara Nārāyana and other deities, to counter the presence of asūric tendencies amongst human and sub-human beings. The popular story of Pāndava and Kauravas, is the front-end of the itihāsā – at ādi bhautika level (mundane/earthly level), while the underpinnings are at ādi daivika level (i.e. at mystical level wherein divine operates ~ namely bhārāvataranam and the advent of Nārāyana Himself). We see that several beings took part in this grand leela. For example, In Rāmāyana kāla, we saw son of Indra and Sūrya were on opposite sides, i.e. Vāli and Sugreeva respectively. Similarly in the era of dvāpara, we see Arjuna and Karna are on opposite sides. However, unlike the Rāmāyana kāla, in Mahābhārata, Arjuna is on the side of dharma (i.e. son of Indra), whereas son of Sūrya – Karna, is on the side of adharma. The five ...

  Chapter 3: Bhārāvataranam – the devarahasya   The main characters of Mahābhārata be it bhīṣma, droṇa, kripa and so on, or the kuru princes like yudhiṣthira, duryōdhana, bhīma, arjuna and so on, or the wife of Pāndavās – Draupadi, were all born through divine sankalpam, at various points in the story. One of the key driving divine factors which determined the secret of their respective birth, their marriage, motivations behind their actions and the consequences of the actions – is the devarahasyam of bhārāvataranam {= bhāram (burden) + avataranam (removal) – i.e. unburdening} Hence, we shall first understand this background aspect first (i.e. about bhārāvataranam) before we move to studying Lord Śiva’s leela in making this bhārāvataranam unfold, through the principal characters of this itihāsā. The cycle of creation persists for the jīva so long as the jīva is ever entranced by the driśya prapancham (visible universe), due to the persistence of ajnāna (ignorance of on...

  Chapter 2: The Glory of Mahābhārata   Even the sarvajna (omniscient) ganeśa took time to ponder over the inner meaning, bhagavān vyāsa continued to compose other verses in great abundance. [1.1.119 KE, 1.1.83 MND] The wisdom of this work, like unto an instrument of applying collyrium, has opened the eyes of the inquisitive world blinded by the darkness of ignorance. As the sun dispels the darkness, so does the  Mahābhārata,  by its discourses on dharma, artha, kama, mokṣa dispel the ignorance of men. As the full moon by its mild light expands the buds of the waterlily, so this Purana, by exposing the light of the Sruti illumines the intellect. By the lamp of itihāsā, which removed the darkness of ignorance, the whole of nature is properly and completely illumined. [1.1.84-87 MND] atropaniṣadaṁ puṇyāṁ kr̥ṣṇadvaipāyano abravīt.[1.1.191a CE] vidvadbhiḥ kathyate loke purāne kavisattamaiḥ - [1.1.279 KE] kr̥ṣṇa dvaipāyana composed this upaniṣad,  riding ...

  Chapter 1 Śri Ganesh . 1 Reflection: Mahābhārata as pañcamaveda – the fifth veda . 4 Reflection: Indra and Lord Śiva . 6 Reflection: Agni ḥ and Durga . 10 Reflection: Taking further dip into Lord Śiva’s stuti in Vedas . 11 Śri Rudra’s descriptive features . 11 Reflection: Lord Śiva in śvetāśvataropani ṣ ad . 16 Reflection:: How to train a parrot? . 18   Śri Ganesh 222 nārāyaṇaṁ namaskr̥tya naraṁ caiva narottamam devīṁ sarasvatīṁ caiva tato jayam udīrayet Om! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted being, and to Divine Mother Saraswati, must the word  Jaya  be uttered. The word “Jaya” refers to Mahābhārata. Sauti, also called ugraśravāḥ, was son of lomaharṣaṇa. He came to naimiṣāraṇya forest and he was soon surrounded by eager śrōtā (i.e. listeners of Vedic wisdom), and was asked questions w.r.t what Sauti had heard earlier at the sacrifice organized by janamejayaḥ. Sauti said “Shall I repeat to you the pu...