Section ends with importance of reading Mahabharata

MAHA-P010

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"Rishi Sauti said, 'Dhritarashtra, lamenting his fate in these words, was overcome with extreme anguish and for a time became numb; After recovering, he addressed Sanjaya in the following words:

"After this Sanjaya, I wish to put an end to my life without delay; I do not find the least advantage in cherishing it any longer."

"Muni Sauti said, 'The wise son of Gavalgana (Sanjaya) then addressed the distressed emperor (Dhritarashtra) while thus talking and bewailing, sighing like a serpent.

"You have heard, O King, of the greatly powerful men, spoken of by Vyasa and the wise Narada; men born of great royal families, resplendent with worthy qualities, versed in the science of celestial arms, and in glory emblems of Indra; men who having conquered the world by justice and performed sacrifices with worthy offerings (to the Brahmins), obtained renown in this world and at last succumbed to the sway of time.

[The above text and the following paragraph show names of kings who were indomitable supreme emperors. We must ask ourselves, why is it important for me to know all these kings? Why are these names presented in an epic of great spiritual value? Yes there is a bit of History that all of us must know!! But the most important thing to note in the above paragraph is ‘at last succumbed to the sway of time’. All of these supreme rulers, who enjoyed vast riches, made enormous effort to expand their kingdom and wealth. They were waging epic wars and were toiling to achieve their ‘supreme position’. Yet all of them were defeated in one single battle by Time. All these emperors perished and all their efforts wasted.

When we compare ourselves with these emperors, our effort and riches will certainly be meager? It will definitely be lost one day or the other. Of course!! We all know this. But we never ask ourselves this question, ‘What are we trying to achieve in this life?’

I won’t try to answer this question as it is your problem. But certainly I will tell you this, ‘If you find this answer, you will never have any problem in life. Problems are created by confusion or ignorance. If you have a meaning for your life, you will never get confused at any point of life. No confusion means!! No problem!!’

Of course!! Mahabharata contains answers to your problem. But like a blind man cannot see the bright sun that is shining in his face, our own ignorance blinds our eye from finding simple answers that stand naked in this great epic.]

Such were Saivya; the valiant Maharatha; Srinjaya, great amongst conquerors. Suhotra; Rantideva, and Kakshivanta, great in glory; Valhika, Damana, Saryati, Ajita, and Nala; Viswamitra the destroyer of foes; Amvarisha, great in strength; Marutta, Manu, Ikshaku, Gaya, and Bharata; Rama the son of Dasaratha; Sasavindu, and Bhagiratha; Kritavirya, the greatly fortunate, and Janamejaya; and Yayati of good deeds. These kings performed sacrifices and they were blessed by the celestials. These kings marked their presence all over the world.

These twenty-four Rajas were formerly spoken of by the celestial Rishi Narada unto Saivya when much afflicted for the loss of his children. Besides these, other Rajas had gone before, still more powerful than they, mighty charioteers noble in mind, and resplendent with every worthy quality. These were Puru, Kuru, Yadu, Sura and Viswasrawa of great glory; Anuha, Yuvanaswu, Kakutstha, Vikrami, and Raghu; Vijava, Virihorta, Anga, Bhava, Sweta, and Vripadguru; Usinara, Sata-ratha, Kanka, Duliduha, and Druma; Dambhodbhava, Para, Vena, Sagara, Sankriti, and Nimi; Ajeya, Parasu, Pundra, Sambhu, and holy Deva-Vridha; Devahuya, Supratika, and Vrihad-ratha; Mahatsaha, Vinitatma, Sukratu, and Nala, the king of the Nishadas; Satyavrata, Santabhaya, Sumitra, and the chief Subala; Janujangha, Anaranya, Arka, Priyabhritya, Chuchi-vrata, Balabandhu, Nirmardda, Ketusringa, and Brhidbala; Dhrishtaketu, Brihatketu, Driptaketu, and Niramaya; Abikshit, Chapala, Dhurta, Kritbandhu, and Dridhe-shudhi; Mahapurana-sambhavya, Pratyanga, Paraha and Sruti.

These, chief, and other Rajas, enumerated by hundreds and by thousands, and still others by millions, princes of great power and wisdom, quitting very abundant enjoyments met death as thy sons have done! Their heavenly deeds, valour, and generosity, their magnanimity, faith, truth, purity, simplicity and mercy, are published to the world in the records of former times by sacred bards of great learning. Though endued with every noble virtue, these have yielded up their lives.

Your (Dhritarashtra’s) sons were malevolent, inflamed with passion, avaricious, and of very evil-disposition. You are well versed in the Sastras, O king, and you are intelligent and wise; they never sink under misfortunes whose understandings are guided by the Sastras. You are acquainted with the lenity and severity of fate; this anxiety therefore for the safety of your children is unbecoming.

You must not grieve for what has happened: for who can avert, by his wisdom, the decrees of fate? No one can leave the way marked out for him by Providence. Existence and non-existence, pleasure and pain all have Time for their root. Time creates all things and Time destroys all creatures. It is Time that burns creatures and it is Time that extinguishes the fire. All states, the good and the evil, in the three worlds, are caused by Time. Time cuts short all things and creates them anew. Time alone is awake when all things are asleep: indeed, Time is incapable of being overcome. Time passes over all things without being retarded. As you know that, all things of past and of future and all things that exist at the present moment are the offspring of Time. So, it is behooves you not to throw away thy reason.'

"Muni Sauti said, 'The son of Gavalgana(Sanjeya, the chariot driver) having in this manner administered comfort to the royal Dhritarashtra overwhelmed with grief for his sons, then restored his mind to peace.”

Taking these facts for his subject, Rishi Dwaipayana (Vyasa) composed a holy Upanishad that has been published to the world by learned and sacred bards in the Puranas composed by them.

[The following paragraph describes the fruits of learning Mahabharata. But I must warn you not to take these benefits too figuratively. If you cannot understand the text given in red, don’t worry. It is the motto of this book to take you a step onward towards the meaning of that and thus help you attain salvation. Yet for people who understand this text, I will make a short blog soon, to explain it further.]

"The study of the Bharata is an act of piety. He that reads even one sentence, with belief, has his sins entirely purged away. In this Devas, Devarshis, and immaculate Brahmarshis of good deeds, have been spoken of; and likewise Yakshas (Demi gods) and great Uragas (Nagas). Herein also hath been described the eternal Vasudeva (Lord Krishna) possessing the six attributes. He is the true and just, the pure and holy, the eternal Brahman (Not to be confused with the creator Brahma), the supreme soul, the true constant light, whose divine deeds wise and learned recount; from whom has proceeded the non-existent and existent-non-existent universe with principles of generation and progression, and birth, death and re-birth. That also hath been treated of which is called Adhyatma (the superintending spirit of nature) that part takes of the attributes of the five elements. That also has been described, who is purusha being above such epithets as 'undisplayed' and the like; also that which the foremost yatis(self realized men) exempt from the common destiny and endued with the power of meditation and Tapas behold dwelling in their hearts as a reflected image in the mirror.

"The man of faith, devoted to piety, and constant in the exercise of virtue, on reading this section is freed from sin. The believer that constantly hears recited this section of the Mahabharata, called the Introduction does not fall into difficulties. The man repeating any part of the introduction in the two twilights is freed from the sins contracted during the day or the night. This section is the body of the Mahabharata. It is the essence of truth.

As butter is in curd, King Bharata among bipeds, the Aranyaka (section of vedas) among the Vedas, and Elixir among medicines; as the sea is eminent among receptacles of water, and the cow among quadrupeds; As the above mentioned things are superlatives of their respective classes so is the Mahabharata is said to be the greatest among the histories and epics.

"He that makes even a single foot of Mahabharata to be recited to Brahmins during a Sradha (A ritual performed in memory of a departed soul), his offerings of food and drink to the manes of his ancestors become inexhaustible.”

"By the aid of history and the Puranas, the Veda may be expounded; the learned man who recites to other this Veda of Rishi Vyasa (The Mahabharata) reaps many fruits. It may without doubt destroy even the sin of killing the embryo and the like. He who reads this chapter of Mahabharata and understands it has attains the benefit of reading the entire Mahabharata. The man who with reverence daily listens to this sacred work acquires long life and renown and ascends to heaven.”

"In former days, having placed the four Vedas on one side and the Mahabharata on the other, these were weighed in the balance by the celestials assembled for that purpose. And as the latter weighed heavier than the four Vedas with their mysteries, from that period it has been called in the world Mahabharata (the great Bharata). Being esteemed superior both in substance and gravity of its content, it is denominated Mahabharata (the great Bharata). He that knows its meaning is saved from all his sins.

'Tapas (Meditation) is innocent, study is harmless, the ordinance of the Vedas prescribed for all the tribes are harmless, the acquisition of wealth by exertion is harmless; but when they are abused in their practices it is then that they become sources of evil.'"

Many of the paragraphs given above may be absurd to you. You may be plagued with questions. I purposefully ill explained the above paragraphs. I want you to think a little and come up with a few questions. I want you to ask ‘Why?’ Hinduism gives authority to its followers to ask any question. No question desecrates the values Hinduism as it is rooted in sanity. This is confirmed in the italicized sentence in the above paragraph. I will start with a few general questions to help you get started. Why do we get the above said benefits by merely reading Mahabharata? Why should we get the above said benefits if the Mahabharata in itself propounds that all worldly benefits are of vain?

If you know answers to any of these questions, you can comment your answers. If you have more questions, you can comment them too….As mentioned before, I shall soon write a small explanatory blog to throw some light on the above mentioned issues and questions. People!! Pls comment….I won’t know what you understand from the blog unless you respond.

----------Anand Hariharan.