Curse of the King.

CURSE OF THE KING:

In this episode I wish to write about Karna, my favorite character in any epic that I have read. I base my writing on the original "Mahabharatham" translated from Sanskrit by Shri Kisri Mohan Ganguli published between 1883 and 1896.

This is taken from Shanti Parva of the Great Epic Srimath Mahabharatham. This I would consider  the most poignant scene in the great epic.

The war was over.  King Yuthishtira followed by his brothers and the grieving Kshatriya ladies who had lost their husbands and kins proceeded slowly to the mother Ganga to perform  last  rites to the departed souls in the form of Tharpanam (Oblations) as prescribed by scriptures. After completion of the ritual,Yuthishtra looked at his mother and told that he had complted his duty to the departed souls of all his relatives who had given up their lives in the battle. But he saw his mother shedding tears and tried to express some thing more.

Rajamatha Kunthi could not control her tears and turned to Sri Krishna in despair. Then Sri Krishna looked at Rajamatha  and nodded his head.   Rajamatha Kunthi told King Yuthishtra that there is one more Kshatriya soul for which he should perform Tharpanam, he was none other than Karna her first child and their elder brother.. She continued  telling the story in a feeble voice, about her first child Karna, whom when she was Princess Kunti got through by testing the boon bestowed on her by Sage Durvasa and how she hid the truth all these years.

Shocked by the sudden revelation Pandavas could not control their grief, but performed the oblations to the departed soul of their elder brother Karna.

However, King Yudhishthira, with tearful eyes and heart agitated by grief, said these words,

'In consequence of thyself having concealed thy counsels, this great affliction has overtaken me!' Possessed of great energy, the righteous king, then, in sorrow, cursed all the women of the world, saying, 'Henceforth no woman shall succeed in keeping a secret.' The king, then, recollecting his sons and grandsons and kinsmen and friends, became filled with anxiety and grief. Afflicted with sorrow, the intelligent king, resembling a fire covered with smoke, became overwhelmed with despair."

9 ity ukto dharmarajas tu matra ba?pakulek?a?a?
      uvaca vakya? dharmatma sokavyakula cetana?
  10 bhavatya gu?hamantratvat pi?ito 'smity uvaca tam
     sasapa ca mahateja? sarvaloke?u ca striya?
     na guhya? dharayi?yantity atidu?kha saman vita?                            
                                           MB: 12-6(  9 &10)

 

MAYA

Maya:
Here is my understanding of "Maya"
The word "Maya" literally means "that is not". All that we perceive and experience through our body, mind and intellect are not true (real). They are transient and fleeting manifestations of the world. There is a perceiver in us who or that is permanent, unchanging and true. We are endowed with all these at birth.
The physical World which we perceive through our senses is real as well as unreal. At the time of happening it looks real. But,the world which we experience is unreal because it is unstable, impermanent, transient and illusory and changing. We see the changes every second. So this changing world, which is not permanent is caused by Maya or illusion, not real, or the changeless.
Confusing indeed.

In Srimath Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 7 Paramahamsa Vijnana Yoga (Knowledge of Ultimate Truth)
Lord tries to explain Maya to Arjuna in the following words:

Ye chaiva saattvikaa bhaavaa raajasaastaamasaashcha ye;
Matta eveti taanviddhi na twaham teshu te mayi. (12)

Whatever being (and objects) that are pure, active and inert, know that they proceed from Me.
They are in Me, yet I am not in them.

Tribhirgunamayair bhaavairebhih sarvamidam jagat;
Mohitam naabhijaanaati maamebhyah paramavyayam.(13)

Deluded by these Natures (states or things) composed of the three qualities of Nature,
all this world does not know Me as distinct from them and immutable.

Daivee hyeshaa gunamayee mama maayaa duratyayaa;
Maameva ye prapadyante maayaametaam taranti te. (14)

Verily this divine illusion of Mine made up of the qualities (of Nature) is difficult to cross over;
those who take refuge in Me alone cross over this illusion.

Thinking Aloud. . . . . “Change (parivarthan) is the essence of Life (niyam)” declares Lord Krishna in the Bhagwat Geetha. Very significant statement indeed. But are we aware of this. No Sir, not exactly. But Change is a continuous process that takes place whether we are aware of or not.  The Lord  says again in Geetha:- ”What belongs to you today, Belonged to someone yesterday. Will be someone else's Tomorrow” How true are these Statements!  Look at our own life.  It has been changing slowly but surely  without our noticing it. Let us examine our own life in the past and present.   Years back our parents, grand parents and their parents were living in a different environment.  They led a leisurely life. Their time and space were their own. They relied more on Nature. Agricultural activities formed the centre of all activity, especially in our Country, where nature has given everything in plenty. Fixed Seasons, a blessing of Nature to our continent, dictated every activity of our people. Religious and social Festivals and even marriages were conducted in tune with Agricultural operations, which again depended on Nature. Well,when I look at our life today, I wonder where we have lost all that . Look at our own City life. The Cities are cramped with everything, population, commodities, consumables etc. etc. But are we happy. No I don't think so. There is only Speed and Speed. Rush for every thing whether they are essentials or otherwise. If we do not compete with somebody or something, we will lose the race and peace of mind as well. Our lives are basically molded by the environement where we live and how we live. Take for instance the accommodation. Cities are cramped with highrise buildings with hundred of flats fitted-in like jigsaw puzzle, Sometimes I feel beehives give more space to its occupants! The restricted space certainly affect our attitude towards life. Just compare this with the spacious buildings the previous generations built and lived. In my parental House we had plenty of space in front and back of the building to maintain gardens, where we used to run and play when we were children. That too we were just a middle class family. Compare this with today's position. Unless we are lucky to have independent houses nearby the work place,  our life is regimented by outside forces. Cramped flats set in claustrophobia, which is not good for happy  life. Our time is not our own, except on weekends and holidays. We have to attune ourselves to the timings fixed by somebody in the Office, Bus Service or Railways,or conditioned by traffic to reach our work place which will be far away.  All these raise a question in my mind. Are we really free or living inside a Golden cage? Don't we miss a lot of our own in this mad pursuit of money making ?  Please don't mistake me for a Sanyasin who forsakes every thing which we call as pleasures to seek the truth. I am pretty much a middleclass householder, well aware of the importance of money.  Yes, money is very much required to get our life going smoothly. But my life taught me an important fact that money is only means to run our life and not the end itself.  The end is real happiness. Real Happiness is difficult to define. Happiness is the state of Mind. It is within and not to be found outside. We can increase our comfort or pleasure by Money, by adding things useful and useless, to satisfy our sensual needs. But Happiness is linked with contentment.