Sanskar Gurukul Weekly Update

Class Name: Bhargava Week# 20: February 22nd, 2015 General Assembly Sridhar Uncle started the GA with three Omkars followed by the Shanti Mantra. This was followed by a chanting of the Shri Guru Stotram. Two volunteers from Valmiki class explained the meaning of the 6th verse of the Gita Dhyanam after everyone chanted the first five verses. Bheeshmadronatataa jayadrathajalaa gaandhaaraneelotpalaa; Shalyagraahavatee kripena vahanee karnena velaakulaa; Ashwatthaama--ghora-makaraa duryodhanaavartinee; Sotteernaa khalu paandavai rananadee kaivartakah keshavah. With Kesava (Lord ) guiding them (navigating the boat), the crossed the battle-river, whose banks were and , whose water was , whose blue lotus was the king of Gandhara, whose crocodile was Salya, whose current was , whose billow was , whose terrible alligators were Vikarna and Asvatthama, whose whirlpool was . This situation applies in our everyday life. As we live our lives, we will encounter, lots of problems (just like the Pandavas did). There will be lots of obstacles, but staying focused and keeping faith will help us overcome them. Class We started the class with the chanting of the Shishyaanushaasanam. class joined us!

Then we continued on to the Mahabharatha. In Dwaitavana, after the departure of sage Maitreya, the Pandavas settle in and as the argument between Yudhistira, and Bheema about revenge and the time to act finishes, age Veda visits them. He assures them that Yudhistira’s path to live out the 12 years of exile and the year of disguise, is the right way, besides with such great warriors on the side, such as Radheya, Drona and Bheeshma, all students of Sage Bhargava and blessed with divine astras, the Pandavas as they were today wouldn’t stand a chance. He recommends that do the same as he did when he went intro exile from Indraprashtha, travel to the Himalayas, and appease Lord and be granted divine weapons. He then recommends that they go back to Kamyaka forest, and takes his leave.

The Pandavas return to Kamyaka and Arjuna then is bidden by Yudhistira to do as Sage Vyasa had recommended. This was the 6th year of their exile. Arjuna leaves – the parting amongst the brothers and Draupadi is sad, but they realize it is important. Arjuna then travels North….he crosses Gandhamadana mountain and the Himavan and reaches Indrakila. Here he meets an ascetic who challenges him and asks him why he, as an warrior is disturbing the peace of the meditator at that peaceful place. Arjuna asures him that he is there to meditate as well, although he would not abandon his weapons. After an argument where Arjuna successfully convinces the ascetic of his sincere wishes, the ascetic reveals himself as none other than Lord . Arjuna explains to him, why he is there, and Indra blesses him to receive the Pasupata astra from Lord Shiva. He would come again after. Arjuna then starts a sincere penance Lord Shiva saw the sincerety of his prayers, and takes the form of a hunter. He and Ma appear in the guise of a hunter and huntress, just as a wild boar, none other than the Mooka, disturbs Arjuna’s penance. Both Arjuna and the hunter let loose their arrows at the same time, and Mooka falls dead. The boar changes into the Rakshasa’s body. Arjuna and the hunter get into an argument on whose kill it is, and this argument escalates into a fight. But no matter what weapon Arjuna uses, they have no effect on the hunter. Arjuna then finds his quiver to be empty – something that has never happened to him. He throws his sword at the hunter, and it does him no harm. By now, Arjuna is exhausted. He closed his eyes and meditated on Lord Shiva, he made a mental lingam of him, a garland of flowers from the nearest tree, and prayed for strength. When he opened his eyes, he saw the hunter wearing that same garland of flowers that he had mentally made. Arjuna realizes this is none other than Lord Shiva and falls at his feet. Lord Shiva is very happy, his devotee had won the test he had set for deserving the Pasupata. He give the astra to him and teaches him how to deploy and withdraw it. He then disappears. Arjuna is overjoyed – even as he recognize what he has just been given, he sees Lord , Lord , Lord Indra and Lord , the lords of the 4 directions appear, They each bless him with their own astras, all except Indra who invites him hom to Indraloka, where he plans to give Arjuna all his astras. As promised Lord Indra sends his chariot and charioteer Matali to bring Arjuna to Indraloka. Arjuna washes himself in the holy waters of the , and prays to the environment in which he was blessed, and then heads to Indraloka.

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They arrive in Amaravati - Lord Indra’s capital city. Indra was overjoyed to receive him, and treats him to all kinds of entertainment and food. Arjuna sees the – , , and . Among them Urvashi is smitten by Arjuna and asks him to marry her. Arjuna refuses, as he sees in her – a mother figure. Angry – Urvashi curses him to be a eunuch – dancing amongst other women. Arjuna is aghast and turns to his friend Chitrasena. Between Chitrasena and Lord Indra, they get Urvashi to reduce the curse to a period of one year – and tell Arjuna that this one year would be very useful to apply in the 13th year of exile/disguise. Arjuna is at peace.

We ended the class with all the closing prayers. Homework None Announcements None

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