Krishna

Day 19 of reading the Mahabharata - the end approaches. Bhishma’s final teachings, the fall of the Yadavas, Krishna’s death, and the Pandavas’ final journey north.

The End. The 1008 names of Shiva, the 1000 names of Vishnu, the Anu Gita and the Purusha Suktam. Bhishma leaves Dharmaraja with this and other words of Dharma. And then, he leaves his body and Ganga mourns her son. As the sun sets on my sojourn here at Hampi, so does the sun set on the story of the Kurus. Dhritarashtra leaves for the forest, losing his life to a fire. Thirty six years after the war, the Yadavas fall, and Krishna too dies. Maddened at the loss of the Best of the Vrishnis, the Pandavas head north. One by one, Panchali and Yudhishthira’s brothers fall. ...

Day 11 of reading the Mahabharata - lamenting Duryodhana’s choices, questioning why he refused peace offers from Yudhishthira, Krishna, and even Bhima.

Oh Suyodhana! Oh, Suyodhana! Why won’t you listen to them? When Sanjaya gave you the message sent by DharmaRaja, why did you mock him? When Krishna Vasudeva himself descended with mighty Rishis, why did you ridicule his offer of peace? When even the mighty Bhimasena sent you word of reconciliation, why did you laugh at him? Oh Duryodhana! Did you think that Karna, stripped of his Kavacha and Kundala, could stand up against the likes of Dhananjeya? ...

Day 9 of reading the Mahabharata - interactions with locals and tour guides, reflecting on Hampi’s destruction and drawing parallels to Dhritarashtra’s blindness to war’s cost.

This rock that I sit on is a picnic spot, and it suits the purpose really. Many locals come here, and their kids are curious about what I’m doing here. They try to talk to me in broken English, and I smile and reply in Kannada. They are shocked. Somehow, the hair and the beard have convinced them that I’m not even an Indian, let alone a Kannadiga. ...

Day 5 of reading the Mahabharata - reflecting on dharma versus organized religion, reading of the Pandavas’ exile and their plans for revenge, the scope and expanse of this epic.

I do not believe in religion, I despise the organized rituals that exist today. That is not Sanathana Dharma. Dharma is subtle, it is imbued into the blood of people such as Prahalada and Bali. It runs through the veins of Markandeya, and it is in the pillars of the sabha Maya built for Dharmaraja. The Mahabharata’s scope and expanse is mindblowing. What words can I use to explain how the powerful Bhima had to stay his hand angry at Duhshasana? I am not bard enough to explain the rage of the otherwise calm and reserved Sahadeva. ...