Thoughts on 'sauptika parva': MahaBharatha is a story of human life, human mind, messages from human life, rivalries, confusions, contests (Ramayana is all 'Ideals', messages from episodes around the life of 'uthama purusha', and around his super messenger ('doota')) -- Bhishma says in the final blessing words, '.....you are all Pandava's.....while creation lasts, again and again, you shall live in the world of men......'! Vyasa explains to the blind king, post war, '....the world (life) is wilderness... such is its way, we are each one limited to ourselves in an inaccessible part of it.....'! Yudhishtira, Dharmaputra that he is, tells Queen Gandhari (and the king), '.....one sees others to be ignorant, but seldom evaluates (surveys) oneself...one scorns fault in others, but seldom audits(assesses) oneself on the same scale&norms....Death is impartial, none dear or hateful to Death, .....Death ignores no one....'!
# 'sauptika parva' is the night soon after war -- confusion! and, nocturnal 'activity', activity in confusion, notwithstanding high level of learned-ness(learning), discipline and upbringing that the brahmin-turned-kshatriya Aswadthama represents, and his dialogue with Kripa-acharya mostly, and Krithavarma reflecting essence of Karma: 'fate-and-efforts', together 'destiny', -- 'fate' the 'vasana&samskara' and 'efforts' the 'vidhi' in every human life --, brought out as main lesson from 'sauptika parva', in the dialogue! and, some illustration in Aswadthama's instinctive assault a little later (after the debates), on the sleeping campus, Lord Siva, Lord of all Justice (Karma), briefly making an appearance as in many other purana stories!(Dhrishtadyumna, Sikhandi, Uthamouja, Yudhamanyu and other Panchala's are victims of Aswadthama assault -- Krishna, Satyaki and Pandava's are away, they are survivors, in the 'sauptika parva' story: with all those dead in kurukshetra field, MahaBharatha message is, 'in war, there are no victorious, no vanquished, there are only survivors' (".....again and again, you shall live in the world of men, .....", add, ".....and, die in wars of sorts, and, maybe survive and live in remorse ever after....": look at our world, esp. through that famous window of George Orwell (Animal Farm!), trying to tell apart humans and animals, and, then go back to 'sauptika parva' -- you cannot but admire its significance!
# just a while ago, before 'sauptika', Krishna had asked Arjuna to dismount from the chariot in a hurry, and the chariot disappeared into a heap of ashes as soon as Arjuna jumped out, Aanjaneya flag just evaporating......Krishna tells Arjuna, '....Drona had already burnt your chariot, flag, everything and reduced all to ashes....I held all that together for a minimum time, you did not realise it, it was all 'maaya'....': this is a sample of all that we see (each one of us, 'nara-naarayana'), this sets the prelude to the mood of 'sauptika parva', the debate, Aswadthama, LordSiva all inclusive!)
# a few monsters are part of the 'sauptika' story, like the 'monsters under the bed' in many stories (grandparents and children stories!): Vyasa planted them with a purpose (every line has a purpose, else Ganesa would not write for Vyasa!), with a message that 'many monsters do not warrant the fear we have of them'! Disney's "Monsters Inc.", is a case in point: highlighting how a monster and his mate (JamesSullivan and MichaelWasowski, Sullie&Mike) are reformed into loving a child, a baby (Boo), and discovering that 'laughter has ten times the power of screams' -- soon after 'sauptika', Krishna deletes screams and generates laughter (as he did all his life as the amazing yadava, making Yasoda's 'stomach' most sacred, as AandaL sang in one pasuram line!) in the womb of Uttarah, and Parikshit is protected sothat we have this great epic story! 'sauptika' is significant in setting the mood for that Parikshit delight!
# 'sauptika' message includes the advice (Ninja Chief's advice to the two adventurous 'tree house children', in MaryOsborne's 'Night of the Ninjas'!), 'use nature, be nature and follow nature' -- Aswadthama's strategy was influenced by owls stealing crow babies from banyan tree nests under cover of night! the mission was misdirected, ill-advised, but sprang from natural instincts of anger, wrath and revenge! -- again, essence of one major aspect of MahaBharatha, condensed and served eloquently!
# in the 'karma' debate in the parva, past, future and present are explained somewhat indirectly, when Aswadthama says everything about life is unfair, and Kripa, the wise uncle responds: my mind wanders to another children's story, in the GooseBumps series, "Welcome to the Wicked Wax Museum" (RLStine), where in a certain part 'past is a red button, future is black....'! Stray too much into past, and you are in red alert area, digging out reasons for remorse, revenge etc., and making the present miserable, drowning possible joys&happiness&peace of 'now'......and, future is 'black', like a black hole, worry too much about that, and you may advance the miseries of future and invite them into the present when you are not quite ready, it might work out to be pre-mature delivery......! once again, MahaBharatha in capsule form!
# if 'shanti parva' and 'anusasana' (with VishnusahasraNama content), are for the spiritual mind, in philosophy zone, 'sauptika parva' is for the worldly, complete with LordSiva, LordJustice, in attendance!
________________ peaceful Saturday night: happy Sunday!
# 'sauptika parva' is the night soon after war -- confusion! and, nocturnal 'activity', activity in confusion, notwithstanding high level of learned-ness(learning), discipline and upbringing that the brahmin-turned-kshatriya Aswadthama represents, and his dialogue with Kripa-acharya mostly, and Krithavarma reflecting essence of Karma: 'fate-and-efforts', together 'destiny', -- 'fate' the 'vasana&samskara' and 'efforts' the 'vidhi' in every human life --, brought out as main lesson from 'sauptika parva', in the dialogue! and, some illustration in Aswadthama's instinctive assault a little later (after the debates), on the sleeping campus, Lord Siva, Lord of all Justice (Karma), briefly making an appearance as in many other purana stories!(Dhrishtadyumna, Sikhandi, Uthamouja, Yudhamanyu and other Panchala's are victims of Aswadthama assault -- Krishna, Satyaki and Pandava's are away, they are survivors, in the 'sauptika parva' story: with all those dead in kurukshetra field, MahaBharatha message is, 'in war, there are no victorious, no vanquished, there are only survivors' (".....again and again, you shall live in the world of men, .....", add, ".....and, die in wars of sorts, and, maybe survive and live in remorse ever after....": look at our world, esp. through that famous window of George Orwell (Animal Farm!), trying to tell apart humans and animals, and, then go back to 'sauptika parva' -- you cannot but admire its significance!
# just a while ago, before 'sauptika', Krishna had asked Arjuna to dismount from the chariot in a hurry, and the chariot disappeared into a heap of ashes as soon as Arjuna jumped out, Aanjaneya flag just evaporating......Krishna tells Arjuna, '....Drona had already burnt your chariot, flag, everything and reduced all to ashes....I held all that together for a minimum time, you did not realise it, it was all 'maaya'....': this is a sample of all that we see (each one of us, 'nara-naarayana'), this sets the prelude to the mood of 'sauptika parva', the debate, Aswadthama, LordSiva all inclusive!)
# a few monsters are part of the 'sauptika' story, like the 'monsters under the bed' in many stories (grandparents and children stories!): Vyasa planted them with a purpose (every line has a purpose, else Ganesa would not write for Vyasa!), with a message that 'many monsters do not warrant the fear we have of them'! Disney's "Monsters Inc.", is a case in point: highlighting how a monster and his mate (JamesSullivan and MichaelWasowski, Sullie&Mike) are reformed into loving a child, a baby (Boo), and discovering that 'laughter has ten times the power of screams' -- soon after 'sauptika', Krishna deletes screams and generates laughter (as he did all his life as the amazing yadava, making Yasoda's 'stomach' most sacred, as AandaL sang in one pasuram line!) in the womb of Uttarah, and Parikshit is protected sothat we have this great epic story! 'sauptika' is significant in setting the mood for that Parikshit delight!
# 'sauptika' message includes the advice (Ninja Chief's advice to the two adventurous 'tree house children', in MaryOsborne's 'Night of the Ninjas'!), 'use nature, be nature and follow nature' -- Aswadthama's strategy was influenced by owls stealing crow babies from banyan tree nests under cover of night! the mission was misdirected, ill-advised, but sprang from natural instincts of anger, wrath and revenge! -- again, essence of one major aspect of MahaBharatha, condensed and served eloquently!
# in the 'karma' debate in the parva, past, future and present are explained somewhat indirectly, when Aswadthama says everything about life is unfair, and Kripa, the wise uncle responds: my mind wanders to another children's story, in the GooseBumps series, "Welcome to the Wicked Wax Museum" (RLStine), where in a certain part 'past is a red button, future is black....'! Stray too much into past, and you are in red alert area, digging out reasons for remorse, revenge etc., and making the present miserable, drowning possible joys&happiness&peace of 'now'......and, future is 'black', like a black hole, worry too much about that, and you may advance the miseries of future and invite them into the present when you are not quite ready, it might work out to be pre-mature delivery......! once again, MahaBharatha in capsule form!
# if 'shanti parva' and 'anusasana' (with VishnusahasraNama content), are for the spiritual mind, in philosophy zone, 'sauptika parva' is for the worldly, complete with LordSiva, LordJustice, in attendance!
________________ peaceful Saturday night: happy Sunday!
( hari krishnamurthy K. HARIHARAN)"'' When people hurt you Over and Over
think of them as Sand paper.
They Scratch & hurt you,
but in the end you are polished and they are finished. ''
think of them as Sand paper.
They Scratch & hurt you,
but in the end you are polished and they are finished. ''
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