Tag: #mahabharat

Game of Dice and its Significance in Mahabharat

 Mahabharata is one of the greatest epic in the Hindu Mythology which has universality all around the world. We all are familiar with Mahabharata and its crucial turning point which was the Game of Dice. This great epic can be considered as a real breakthrough nondiscriminatory future for universal humanity. We find the existence of 18 Parva in which the book is divided where there are various episodes present.

Game of Dice has a significant role in this great epic as it sown the seeds of the most destructive Kurukshetra War. It all started with the establishment of the new city at Indraprastha which was opposite to Hastinapur where the Kauravas lived. Yudhishthira was the eldest of all the Pandavas and decided to invite large numbers of king which also includes their cousin’s Kauravas. As Duryodhana visits The Place of Illusion which was the Maya Bhavan made by Maya Sura he faced an extremely insulted from the harsh comment of Draupadi. She commented as:
                  “Is a blind man’s son blind man too?”
Duryodhana felt deeply humiliated and after returning to Hastinapur he narrated this entire scenario to his cunning uncle Shakuni and thus he planned to invite the Pandavas for the Game of Dice. After Dhritarastra permission, Yudhishthira accepted the invitation with his brothers. Shakuni who was the master of the magical dice placed on behalf of Duryodhana whereas on the other side it was Yudhishthira. As the game started Yudhishthira stared to lose everything. First his lost his entire wealth, then his loving brothers, then his own self and finally her Draupadi. When Draupadi was called to the court she refused this proposal and was extremely horrified as well as angry on Yudhishthira. Revengeful Duryodhana ordered Dushana to bring Draupadi vehemently which he did by forcing her and dragging her long hairs to the court. Duryodhana insulted her even more by slapping in his thigh and asking her to sit there. But this was not the end furious Duryodhana ordered Dushana to disrobe Draupadi. Finally, to prevent herself from such grave humiliation Draupadi prayed Lord Krishna to help her and unexpectedly a miracle happened where Dushana keep on unwrapping the layers and parts of her clothes but unable to do so due to exhaustion. Seeing this disheartening scene Dhritarastra was extremely depressed and decided to return Yudhishthira the entire thing which he lost in the game. As Duryodhana started to find everything going against his will he requested for a second chance of Game of Dice in which the Pandavas lost and have to succumb all their wealth, kingdom and have to go for an exile for 13 years and 1 year in incognito.

The Game of Dice was the traumatic turning point and had a crucial significance in the great epic Mahabharata because if there would have been no Game of Dice there would have been no disgrace and humiliation of the Pandavas and molestation of Queen Draupadi. This molestation was the real provocation point which sown the seeds of the Kurukshetra War and the destruction on the Kuruland. This Game and its consequences can be taken as a great lesson for generation to generation that woman are meant to be respected and admired and the one who disrespects or humiliate them have to face grave consequences with the course of time.

Mahabharata: A Myth or Reality

Some stories are at the heart of Indian history.  The mythological stories of Mahabharata are one of these.  This epic of Maharishi Ved Vyasa was written by Lord Shri Ganesh.

 The characters in these amazing stories of the epic have many amazing powers.  Even Narayana himself, through his wisdom, diplomacy and deceit, had led the right Pandavas to victory in this great war of Mahabharata.

Mahabharata war has a great aspect of the number 18.  There are 18 chapters in this epic.  Lord Krishna gave the knowledge of Gita to Arjuna for a total of 18 days.  The Mahabharata war lasted for 18 days.  The Gita also has 18 chapters. Army of  the Kauravas and the Pandavas  had a total number of 18 Akshohini army of which 11 belongs to Kauravas and 7 to Pandavas were Akshohini army. The main initiators of this war was also 18. Also only a number of 18 warriors survived in this war.

 Some such skeletons were found in Mohenjo daro which had the effect of radiation. In Mahabharata, the results of Brahmastra were given from the chapter number 13 to 15 of the Saptik festival.  Historians believe that the Brahmastra left 5561 BC was the atomic bomb.

 There were no zodiac signs during Mahabharata.  Astrology at that time was totally based on 27 constellations, not on 12 zodiac signs.  In the constellations,not Ashwini but Rohini was the first place.  Various civilizations experimented in astrology and created zodiac signs based on the moon and the sun and began to predict the future of the people, while in the Vedas and the Mahabharata there is no mention of such learning to show that the planetary constellation would make a person’s life  They affect.

The Mahabharata is written by Ved Vyasa.  Actually, Ved Vyas was not a name, but a title, which was given to people with knowledge of Vedas. There were a number of 27 Ved Vyas before Krishnadvapayana and he was himself the 28 Ved Vyas.  He was named Krishnadvapayan because he was born as a dynasty and was born on an island.

 Ghatotkacha, son of Bhima and Nagakanya Ahilavati had a son named ‘Barbarika’.  At some places, it is also said that he was born from the stomach of Murmant’s daughter ‘Kamakantakata’.  When the war of Mahabharata was decided, Barbarik also expressed his desire to join the war and promised his mother to support the loser.  Barbarik rode his blue horse with three arrows and a bow to the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

 Three arrows were enough for Barbarik, on whose strength he could destroy the entire army of Kauravas and Pandavas.  Knowing this, Lord Krishna appeared in front of him in the form of a Brahmin and asked him to trick Barbareek into charity.

 Barbarik prayed to Krishna that he wanted to see war till the end, then Krishna accepted his statement.  He donated his head to the Dwadashi of Falgun Mas.  Lord Krishna watered that head with nectar and placed it on a hill near the battlefield, from where Barbarik could see the entire Mahabharata war.