Ramanisblog

Tag: Mahabharata battle

  • Krishna Abandoned His Army Narayana Sena?

    The questions the younger generation asks of about Hinduism are very intelligent and thought-provoking.

    They do not accept anything at face value.They ask questions that are very pertinent and if we answer them, they are motivated to study Hinduism.

    Vishnu,Brahma,Rama, Shiva, Krishna.Image.jpg
    Vishnu,Brahma,Rama, Shiva, Krishna.

    Asking them to follow Hinduism, because it ought to be followed puts them off.

    As I have been mentioning in many of posts that my  desire is to explain Hinduism, to the extent I know, in simple terms and many youngsters have been on to me over phone, email with questions.

    Recently I had this question.

    In The Mahabharata, Duryodhana chose the army of Lord Krishna, the Narayana Sena, instead of  the unarmed Krishna for the Mahabharata Battle.

    Krishna acceded the request and was with the Pandavas during the Mahabharata Battle.

    The question is,

    Did not Krishna abandon His army and desert them?

    Why did He do so?

    Was He not responsible for the deaths of his army personnel?

    For no fault of their own?

    Where is Krishna’s Dharma?

    When we study the Avatars of Rama and Krishna we may notice that while Lord Krishna was aware of the fact that he was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu at all times, Rama did not have any idea that he was , save the occasion when the Sakthi Ayudha od Ravana, granted to him, neared Rama’s Chest.

    He remembered He was Lord Vishnu,chanted the Pranava, OM and the Sakthi Syudha, which never fails, was shattered.

    Even this instance Rama for got immediately.

    And Rama had this feeling of Aham.

    That is He identified Himself as human Being and went through the gamut of emotions and sufferings that are unique to Humans.

    He was attached To Dasaratha, Brothers, Sita,Hanuman and considered Ravana as enemy as a Human would!

    But Krishna had no-no such attributes.

    In fact it does not mater to him personally by way of gains whether Duryodhan won or Pandavas succeed.

    Both were his cousins.

    Yet he chose the Panadavas, though army wise they were weaker.

    Why ?

    Because it was to protect Dharma .

    He never had any personal feelings or score to settle with any one though they have wronged Him.

    He killed them because they had to be killed to protect Dharma.

    Sisupala was Krishna’s nephew and Krishna promised his mother that He could bear with 100 insults but would bear no more.

    At the Rajasuya Yaga of Yudhistra,at the time of performing the Akrora Pooja, paying the first respect in an assembly,when Krishna was chosen for the honor, Sisupala started abusing Krishna in the vilest terms.

    Krishna was listening tho all of them with a smile.

    Bhima asked Krishna as to why Krishna was tolerating  Sisupala instead of killing hi, Krishna replied that He has promised Sisupala’s mother that he (Krishna) would bear 100 insults.

    Bhima asked what if Sisupla were to stop one short of 100 insults.

    Krishna replied that it is Destiny that Sisupala would complete 100 and be killed by Him.

    Such is the detachment and performance of duty as a Karma Yogi by Krishna.

    When Krishna’s son was cursed by the Rishis and they came to Krishna requesting His forbearance Krishna replied that there was nothing wrong in their curse as his son deserved it!

    Or when the Hunter who slew Krishna by an arrow, prostrated before Krishna and asked for His mercy, Krishna replied that He was being killed by the hunter for His  killing of Vaali hiding behind a tree and he blessed the Hunter!

    Rama was elevating Himself as Divine, without Knowing He was Divinity, Krishna was Divinity posing as a Human.

    The purpose of Krishna Avatar is to reduce the burden of the earth and restore Dharma.

    Nothing more.

    So he had no personal attachment to any one including his army.

    It may also be noted that Krishna had never been a King , but only a Prince because of a Curse to Vrishnis.

    Balaram was the King.

    Interesting to note that Balarama was av Avatar of Adi Sesha as Lakshmana was in the Treta Yuga.

    Rama vowed to serve Lakshmana in the next Avatar to Lakshmana for the devotion he exhibited to Rama nd Sita,

    This He repaid in the  Krishna Avatara when he took a back seat and carried out Balarama’s orders.

    All the machinations Krishna indulged in th Mahabharata were when Balarama was conveniently absented at Krishna’s request!

    But Balarama never knew until Krishna’s job was done.

    Related articles

  • Greeks Yavanas Of Turvasu Yayati’s Son Fought Mahabharata War

    The connection between the Greeks and Sanatana Dharma ,Hinduism goes back a long time.

    The Vedic Literature,Puranas, Tamil Sangam Literature and Tamil Epics speak of Greeks, their riches and their valor.

    It is also noted that the Greeks lived among the Vedic Hindus.

    The
    The “Yona” Greek king of India Menander (160–135 BCE). Inscription in Greek: “BASILEŌS SOTĒROS MENANDROU”, lit. “of Saviour King Menander”. “MenanderCoinFront” by Wikipedia :en. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MenanderCoinFront.jpg#/media/File:MenanderCoinFront.jpg

    The Greeks participated in the Kurikshetra War along with Duryodhana on the advice of Karna.

    India Greece Trade Route 300 BC.Image.jpg
    India Greece Trade Route 300 BC.

    The Greeks were known as Yonas and Yavanas.

    The Yavanas, Greeks  were a part of those people considered as Mielchas, meaning those who strayed from the Vedic Dharma.

    Thee were initially following the Sanatana Dharma.

    They had caste system along the lines of Hinduism.

    Many of them were considered to be Kshatriyas and Vaisyas.

    ‘

    Yavanas were described to be beyond Gandhara. There was another country mentioned in the epic as Parama Yona, in the far west of Yavana. This could be the Ionia ofGreece, somehow related to Indian Ionians or Yavanas. The name Yavana could be the Sanskritized form of the name Ionia. Yavanas, Sakas, Pahlavas and Hunas were sometimes described as Mlechhas. Sometimes along with them, the Madras, Kambojas, Kekeyas, Sindhus and Gandharas were included. This name was used to indicate their cultural differences with the Vedic culture, prevailed in the Kuru-Panchala Kingdoms.

    “… in the ports of southern India, where the early Tamil poems of uncertain date speak of a settlement of the Yavanas.”(1) The same author (2) does not follow the assumption that Yavanas were Roman traders, although she points out that between the first-second cent BC up to and included the third-fourth cent AD, rightly or wrongly “the term yavana denoted an Ionian Greek”.(3) On pages 83–5 she makes mention of early Indian literature where foreigners were dubbed “yavana”, and points to an Asokan inscription where a border-people is given this appellation. In central and western India, she says, Yavana “figure prominently as donors to the Buddhist Sangha”.(4)

    (1) H.P.Ray, The Winds of Change, Delhi, 1994:49, 84; (2) ibid p. 52; (3) ibid p. 54; (4) ibid p. 84..

    Thus the Vedic society acknowledged their extra ordinary skills, but kept them as outcasts. An account in the epic depicts Yavanas as the descendants of Turvasu, one of the cursed sons of king Yayati. Only the fifth son Puru’s line was considered to be the successors of Yayati’s throne, as he cursed the other four sons and denied them kingship. Pauravas inherited the Yayati’s original empire and stayed in the Gangatic plain who later created the Kuru and Panchala Kingdoms. They were the followers of proper Vedic culture.

    Yavana was the name of one of the sons of Maharaja Yayati who was given the part of the world known as Turkey to rule. Therefore the Turks are Yavanas due to being descendants of Maharaja Yavana. The Yavanas were therefore kshatriyas, and later on, by giving up the brahminical culture, they became mleccha-yavanas. Descriptions of the Yavanas are in the Mahabharata (Adi-parva 85.34). Another prince called Turvasu was also known as Yavana, and his country was conquered by Sahadeva, one of thePandavas. The western Yavana joined with Duryodhana in the Battle of Kurukshetra under the pressure of Karna. It is also foretold that these Yavanas also would invadeIndia in the Kaliyuga . (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.4.18 [1])

    It later proved to be true in 326 BC.

    Among the tribes of the north and west are the Mlecchas, and the Kruras, the Yavanas, the Chinas, the Kamvojas, the Darunas, and many Mleccha tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the Hunas, and the Parasikas; the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas. These countries are, besides, the abodes of many Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra tribes. Then again there are the Sudra and Abhiras, the Dardas, the Kasmiras, and the Pattis; the Khasiras; the Atreyas, the Bharadwajas etc. (6:9)

    King Yayati a king of the Lunar Dynasty is mentioned to have 5 sons, all of whom became the founders of many royal dynasties.

    The sons of Yadu are known by the name of the Yadavas: while those of Turvasu have come to be called the Yavanas. ..

    ‘

    The word “Yona” in the Pali language, and the analogues “Yavana” in Sanskrit; “Unan” in Urdu and “Jôbon” in Bengali, are words used in the ancient Indus Valley to designate Greek speakers. “Yona” and “Yavana” are transliterations of the Greek word for “Ionians” (Homeric Greek: Iaones, Ancient Greek: *Iawones), who were probably the first Greeks to be known in the East.

    The Yavanas are mentioned in the Buddhist discourse of the Middle Length Sayings, in which the Buddha mentions to the BrahmanAssalayana the existence of the Kamboja and Yavana people who have only two castes, master or slave. The direct identification of the word “Yavana” with the Greeks at such an early time (6th-5th century BCE) can be doubted.[1]

    Examples of direct association of these with the Greeks include:

    • The mention of the “Yona king Antiochus” in the Edicts of Ashoka (280 BCE)
    • The mention of the “Yona king Antialcidas” in the Heliodorus pillar in Vidisha (110 BCE)
    • King Menander and his bodyguard of “500 Yonas” in the Milinda Panha.
    • The description of Greek astrology and Greek terminology in the Yavanajataka (“Sayings of the Yavanas”) (150 CE).
    • The mention of “Alexandria, the city of the Yonas” in the Mahavamsa, Chapter 29 (4th century CE).

    In Sanskrit sources, the usage of the words “Yona”, “Yauna”, “Yonaka”, “Yavana” or “Javana” etc. appears repeatedly, and particularly in relation to the Greek kingdoms which neighbored or sometimes occupied the Punjab territories over a period of several centuries from the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD, such as the Seleucid Empire, the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and the Indo-Greek kingdom.[citation needed] The Yavanas are mentioned in detail in Sangam literature epics such as Paṭṭiṉappālai, describing their brisk trade with the Cholas in Tamilakam.

    The Legend of Krishna along with Balarama, Greek Ambassador worshiping Vishnu, establishing a Stupa In India being worshiped in Greece ma by found in this site under Hinduism.

    Citation.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yona

     

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yavana_Kingdom

    Related articles

  • Mother Sings Baby Claps In Womb Recall Mahabharata

    The Mahabharata Has an interesting anecdote.

    Lord Krishna, while His sister, Subhadra was advanced state of pregnancy,sat by her side and explained the intricate Battle formation called Padma Vyuha.

    On being asked he replied that He was teaching his nephew,Abhimanyu in the womb.

    Abhimanyu Entering the Padma Vyuha.image.jpg
    Abhimanyu Entering the Padma Vyuha. “Halebid2”. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Halebid2.JPG#/media/File:Halebid2.JPG

    The child responded by saying ‘Hmmmmm)

    Scroll down for Video.

    He completed the part about entering the Formation and was about to continue with the process of emerging from it, he had to leave the place.

    Later in the Kurukshetra Battle, Abhimanyu entered the Padma Vyuha set by Drona, was unable to come out and was killed by Jayathratha, while Ajuna wnad the pther Pandavas were lured away in the battle filed elsewhere.

    Consider this with the advanced genetics and gynaecology known to ancient Indians.

    For those who doubt hat a Fetus would not respond, we now have Ultra Scan better see while scanning takes place.

    Now we have a real Life Video showing a Baby clapping its hands while its Mother sings a nursery Rhyme.

    In Hinduism it is stressed that those around pregnant women and they also must refrain from unhealthy words and behaviour as this would affect the child.

    It is recommended that one should recite the Sunadara Kanda of Ramayana, that part that describes Hanuman’s efforts to find Sita, to ensure that the child is born healthy and wise

    (Knowing Krishna’s ways, I suspect it was a deliberate ploy for None can ask Krishna do other than what he intends, as Balarama observes on one occasion).

    Related articles
  • Krishna Died Age 89 ? 18 February 3102 Verified

    Krishna Died Age 89 ? 18 February 3102 Verified

    Hinduism does not deal in Fiction.

    It states facts, however improbable it might seem to us.

    While we are not competent to say what is probable or possible in the scheme of things in the Universe,what we can do is to ascertain verifiable facts mentioned in the Puranas and Ithihasa, Epics of Hinduism.

    I, after reasonable research , am convinced of the veracity of the verifiable facts in these Texts, with available knowledge we possess, and the technology we have now.

    Lord Krishna as a child.Image.jpg
    Krishna as a child

    Hence I treat the Puranas and Ithihasas as facts as I would a modern-day scientific paper.

    While the modern-day scientific papers keep changing,for clarity, the facts mentioned in these texts have stood the test of Time, right from the Rig Vedic Period, currently dated at 5000 BC.

    Some times , while sticks to this view, one comes across some seemingly contradictory facts .

    For example the death of Lord Rama preceded the Death of Lord Krishna by a mere 200 years, while according to Puranas these two events were separated by thousands of Years.

    By diligently following the Hindu Texts one can solve these riddles.

    Please read my post on Rama’s death precedes Krishna by 200 Years.

    Now at what did Lord Krishna shed His mortal coil?

    The Bhagavata Purana verse 11.6.25 says that Krishna lived for 125 years on earth. The first verse of Mausal Parva, Mahabharata says that Yudhisthira saw bad omens (because of Krishna’s departure from the earth) after 36 years of ruling after they won the Kurukshetra war. So that means Krishna was about 89 years old at the time of war.
    This corroborates with the view that the age of Kali-yuga started in 3102 BCE, according to Dr. Achar. As stated in the Puranas, Kali-yuga had already begun, but its full influence was held back because of the presence of Lord Krishna. Then when Lord Krishna departed from this world, which is said to have occurred 35 years after the war of Kurukshetra in 3067, making it the year of 3032 BCE, then Kali-yuga began to show more of its effects.

    According to Puranic sources,Krishna’s disappearance marks the end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali Yuga, which is dated to February 17/18, 3102 BCE.

    Astronomically simulated Eclipses and Greek Records place the year at 3031 BC

    The Greek records go on to record that Heracles (Krishna) lived 138 generations before the time of Alexander and Sandrocottas, which was about 330 BCE. This then calculates, based on about 20 years per generation, to roughly 3090 BCE, which is about the right time considering 3102 BCE is the date when Kali-yuga began. Thus, Lord Krishna was a genuinely historical figure who lived about the time of 3200-3100 BCE, having lived to 125 years of age. “According to the epic Mahabharata, Krishna first appears [in the epic] at the time of Draupadi’s wedding, and His departure is exactly 36 years after the war. No information about His birth is available in the epic itself, although there is information about His departure. Krishna observes omens (Mahabharata 14.3.17), similar to the ones seen at the time of the war, now indicating the total destruction of the Yadavas. [Astrological] Simulations show that in the year 3031 BCE, thirty-six years later than 3067 BCE, there was an eclipse season with three eclipses. A lunar eclipse on 20 October was followed by an annular solar eclipse on 5 November, followed by a penumbral lunar eclipse on 19 November, within an interval of 14 days and at an aparvani time. Thus the date of departure of Lord Krishna is consistent with the popular tradition that He passed away 36 years after the war. The information about His birth can be gathered from the Harivamsha and the Bhagavata Purana…. It should be understood, however, that the date of His departure from this world is established on the information in the epic and on the basis of [astronomical] simulations, and it turns out to be 3031 BCE’

    Refernces.

    Matchett, Freda, “The Puranas”, p 139 and Yano, Michio, “Calendar, astrology and astronomy” in Flood, Gavin (Ed) (2003). Blackwell companion to Hinduism. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-21535-2.

    http://www.dandavats.com/?p=13686

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna

    * Counter claims to this date shall be discussed in another Post.

    Related articles

  • Chinese Descendants Of Mahabharata King Pururava?

    The origin of Chinese and Japanese are a mystery.

    While there are claims that the Japanese descended from the Chinese there is yet to be a conclusion.

    One does not find much beyond Buddhism in China , thanks to their self censorship.

    However , there are materials available to indicate that Hinduism was in existence in China before the advent of Buddhism.

    Chinese worship Hindu Gods.Image.jpg
    Chinese worship Hindu Gods.

    Please read my post on this.

    Now there are references in the Mahabharata that the Chinese  fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Epic Battle of Mahabharata, they, being the friends of Bhagadutta, who was close to Duryodhana.

    Vagadatta of Pragyotispur joined the Kurus and we find that the Chinese people sided with Vagadatta, the king of Pragyotispur. It is also found that Vagadatta was present in Yudhisthiras court with many Kirat, Chin, and other soldiers.

    However, during the Rajasuya Yaga of Yudhishtra,Bhagadutta agreed to Arjuna to pay Homage to Yudhistra and be his ally.

    It is also stated that the Chinese were the descendants of the son of Pururavas,Ayu.

    There is a reference in the Chinese tradition that the ancestors of the Chinese people came to China after crossing the high mountain ranges to the South.

    Lost Chinese History supports that King named Vikrama conquered all the parts of Modern China.

    He gave Chinese culture a new life which was lost due to internal conflicts.

     

    This probably refers to Vikramadtiya.

    ”

    King Yudhisthira wanted to perform the greatest of all sacrifices viz. the Rajasuya sacrifice. This involved military activity along with the usual sacrificial rites. The king’s armies would march under his appointed military generals in four cardinal directions and defeat all the kingdoms encountered in their paths. Any kingdom can chose to accept the sway of the king peacefully or choose to battle against the king’s military general. King Yudhisthira obtained a huge army by defeating the rising Magadha empire of king Jarasandha as Bhima slew Jarasandha in a dual of mace-fight. Taking a portion each of that army, the four brothers of king Yudhisthira, viz. Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva marched from Indraprasthato the four cardinal directions. Arjuna was responsible for the military expedition towards the northern direction.

    Like Jarasandha, king Bhagadatta was another impediment for Yudhisthira’s Rajasuya sacrifice. Jarasandha was slain by Bhima by executing the clever strategy formed by Krishna. Bhagadatta was however a friend of Pandu, the father of the five Pandavas. Arjuna chose to use diplomacy to subdue Bhagadatta, rather than slaying him in battle.

    Pragjyotisha,Captal of Bhagadatta.

    Pragjyotisha is mentioned as a city only once (Mbh.5.48) in Mahabharata. The name Pragjyotisha is applied to the whole of the territory controlled by Bhagadatta, which included the regions north to Indraprastha as well. As a result, confusion arose in the location of the city of Pragjyotisha.Gohati in Assam is usually considered to be the Pragjyotishapura or the city of Pragjyotisha. The location of the city can be in Himachal Pradesh as well. There is a village named Kamaru (Kamru) in Baspa Valley (Sangla Valley) of Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. This is a candidate location of Pragjyotisha city. The name ‘Kamaru’ could be the remnant of the name ‘Kamarupa’ another name of Bhagadatta’s territories. The name Kamarup is however not found in Mahabharata. This name is not used in Mahabharata to denote any territory of Bhagadatta. The name Kamaru or Kamru is also found in Tibet to the north of Bhutan as well. It is not clear if this territory belonged to the Chinas mentioned as allied to Bhagadatta. Mahabharata mentioned about a China territory close to Sindhu river in Tibet as well.

    Prag-jyotisha (Praag:- East; jyotisha: light, astronomy) means the eastern light. Hence it lied to the east, but probably from the point of view of the land of the five rivers (Punjab). Mahabharata also mentions another city or territory with similar name viz. Uttarayotisha (Uttara-jyotisha) meaningthe northern light. Jyotisha also means astronomy. It is not clear if these cities has anything to do with astronomy or if Prag-jyotisha and Uttara-jyotisha had some relationship. Uttarayotisha is mentioned as part of Nakula‘s military expedition to the west.

    According to French art historian Rene Grousset, the name China comes from “an ancient” Sanskrit name for the regions to the east, and not, as often supposed, from the name of the state of Ch’in,” the first dynasty established by Shih Huang Ti in 221 B.C.

    The Sanskrit name Cheena for China could have been derived from the small state of that name in Chan-si in the northwest of China, which flourished in the fourth century B.C. Scholars have pointed out that the Chinese word for lion, shih, used long before the Chin dynasty, was derived from the Sanskrit word, simha, and that the Greek word for China, Tzinista, used by some later writers, appears to be derivative of the Sanskrit Chinasthana. According to Terence Duke, martial arts went from India to China. Fighting without weapons was a specialty of the ancient Ksatriya warriors of India.

    The story of Sun Hou Tzu, the Monkey King, and Hsuang Tsang. It is a vicarious and humorous tale, an adventure story akin to the Hindu epic of Ramayana, and like Ramayana, a moral tale of the finer aspects of human endeavor which come to prevail over those of a less worthy nature. The book ends with a dedication to India: ‘I dedicate this work to Buddha’s Pure Land. May it repay the kindness of patron and preceptor, may it mitigate the sufferings of the lost and damned….’

    (source: Eastern Wisdom, Michael Jordan, p. 134-151)

    Hu Shih, (1891-1962), Chinese philosopher in Republican China. He was ambassador to the U.S. (1938-42) and chancellor of Peking University (1946-48). He said:

    “India conquered and dominated China culturally for two thousand years without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.”

    Lin Yutang, author of The Wisdom of China and India:

    “The contact with poets, forest saints and the best wits of the land, the glimpse into the first awakening of Ancient India’s mind as it searched, at times childishly and naively, at times with a deep intuition, but at all times earnestly and passionately, for the spiritual truths and the meaning of existence – this experience must be highly stimulating to anyone, particularly because the Hindu culture is so different and therefore so much to offer.” Not until we see the richness of the Hindu mind and its essential spirituality can we understand India….”

    “I see no reason to doubt,” comments Arthur Waley in his book, The Way and its Power, “that the ‘holy mountain-men’ (sheng-hsien) described by Lieh Tzu are Indian rishi; and when we read in Chuang Tzu of certain Taoists who practiced movements very similar to the asanas of Hindu yoga, it is at least a possibility that some knowledge of the yoga technique which these rishi used had also drifted into China.”

    Both Sir L. Wooley and British historian Arnold Toynbee speak of an earlier ready-made culture coming to China. They were right. That was the Vedic Hindu culture from India with its Sanskrit language and sacred scripts. The contemporary astronomical expertise of the Chinese, as evidenced by their records of eclipses; the philosophy of the Chinese, their statecraft, all point to a Vedic origin. That is why from the earliest times we find Chinese travelers visiting India very often to renew their educational and spiritual links.

    Citation and References.

    http://aryaculture.tripod.com/vedicdharma/id3.html

    http://ancientvoice.wikidot.com/travel:arjuna-in-pragjyotisha

    http://www.indiadivine.org/news/history-and-culture/the-vedic-roots-of-china-and-japan-r826

    Related articles