PANDU AND DRITARASHTRA SYMBOLISM

     In the story of Mahabharat there are subplots and then there are characters that we have heard many times and some that are mentioned in Geeta , but we have never heard of them . This becomes confusing . There is symbolism in Mahabharata and and it is present at many a times. Sometimes that may be masked and sometimes people have added stories that can be explained . 

We all know the PANDU and the DRITARASHTRA. When the Ved Vyas was asked to get a heir for the dynasty. Bhishma had kidnapped ABALIKA nd AMBIKA. Vyas went to see AMBIKA and she closed her eyes and so she had a son who was blind  and that was named DRITARASHTRA . The other wife , AMBALIKA saw Vyas and became white with fear and had a son and was named PANDU. At one time they had a maid and Vyas had a son with her and that was called VIDOOR . This is the story that we are told. 

   This is very difficult to interpret. Firstly we cannot explain Bhishma kidnapping 2 girls against their wish, secondly Vyas - the great Rhrishi having kids through them and on top of that the kids are born with some defects. As is explained, this was the concept at that time that if the king /prince cannot have children then his elder brother can do it and Vyas was elder half brother.so he could do the job.

   When one looks at the whole picture, we know that there must be some symbolism. The Pandoo represents the Intellect and the  Dritarashtra represents mind . Our Mind is in a way BLIND like the King Dritarastra, while the Intellect is pure like color white. Le us take an example. We are at a party and we are hungry.. The food is displayed but the host has not started the dinner . Our Mind says - no one is looking , grab something and eat , But our intellect tells us that that is not a right thing to do. So the Intellect analyses the situation  and gives UN EMOTIONAL opinion and so that is PURE and not tented by emotions . The Mind on the other hand acts on impulse and doe snot take in to account the consequences of the action . It may be a matter of saying something when we have an argument or it may be acting on desires  and so in a way it is BLIND. 

   When we thinks of 100 children called KAURAVS, we know that they are all BAD. They represent 100 bad habits of our 10 INDRIYAS namely 5 organs of perception and 5 organs of action.

 We will talk about that and Pandavas next time.

DRONA AND DRUPADA SYMBOLISM

   In the Mahabharat story, there is an incidence. Drona was poor and did not have good food to eat. He used to be friends with Drupada, who became the King of PANCHAL So, Drona decided to go to Drupada and ask him for favors , help. The king was not very happy and he scorned Drona . So dejected Drona went home feeling insulted and ask Pandawas for help. The Arjun went and had fight with Drupada and the King lost and so was arrested in battle and was brought to Drona. Drona took away his norther part of kingdom and allowed him to retain southern part of the kingdom. The king Drupada was not very happy with this defeat in the battle and so did penance. He was rewarded with a son, who had the courage and ability to defeat Drina. His name was DRUSTADYUMNA .He came out of sacrificial fire. He fought from Pandawa's side in the battle and he killed DRONA.

  It is difficult to make anything out of this story if there is no symbolism . But then when you realize that Drona represents 'past life impression', then it can be explained . Our past life impression are mixed -good and bad . And they do shape our behavior in present life . So they will affect our ability to meditate or do things right and also make us indulge in bad habits and behavior. The Drupada is the devotee who wants to mediate and his past lives SAUNSKARA or impressions come to him and they disturb him . He the devotee tries to shun and they come with extra help and then the devotee  loses the war. If one has tried to mediate , he will realize that we try to wake up early and then do mediation , try to avoid going to parties late at night and not drink alcohol or indulge in spicy food etc. . But then one day we succumb and come home late  and then cannot wake up early or concentrate . But if we have done enough practice, we may still have control over LOWER CENTERS ,namely procreation excretion and hunger etc. . But we do not have control over higher centers . The Lower centers are the SOUTHEREN PART OF OUR BODILY KINGDOM and Northern part is higher centers.

  Now that makes sense , Drona the previous life impressions are disturbing and we shun them but then at one tome we lose and give up to bad habits and impressions and then we have a ste back and then with determination we are successful and that gives us a tool- a son who defeats the bad impressions.

GANGA AND ASHWATTHAMA

   I just want to add to the understanding of Ganga and also talk little bit on Ashwatthama. As I had mentioned in the last Blog , the Ganga is universal consciousness and the Shantanu is the PARABRAHMA. The Ganga is also considered as MAHA PRAKRUTI or Holy Ghost of the CHRISTANITY . We can also call it the CHAITANYA. We Hindus have a custom of cremation of the body after the death. We then throw the ashes in Ganga river. And if not we use other rivers that are considered sacred .The consciousness pervades  everything. One could look at it in a little different way. The Universe CAME OUT OF the MAHAPRAKRUTI and so there is nothing OUTSIDE od MAHAPRAKRUTI . So everything must have same origin . The example that is given in scriptures is that of a spider and the web that it weaves . The spider weaves web out of secretions that come out of the spider . The same way the universe comes out  Ishwar or the God  and so everything has the Ishwar. When we die, we want OUR consciousness or Chaitanya to be one with the Universal consciousness and not be LIMITED by the ASTRAL or SUKSHMA body -SHARIR and CAUSAL body or KARAN SHARIR. We achieve NIRVANA or MUKTI when we have no separate existence from the ultimate CONSCIOUSNESS. So we spread the ashes to Ganga  and the Ganga symbolizes with universal consciousness 

   The Ashwatthama is son of DRNA and as I mentioned in past blog , the Drona represents our past life SAUNSKARAS or impressions stored in abstract forms .There are many - many lives  may be thousands or millions of lives . So the stores  Saunskaras or impressions are limitless and so ordinary person can not 'exhaust' the desires. We continue to do Karma and then we accumulate more effects and that becomes endless. So the effects of SAUSKARAS are IMMORTAL or AMAR ,have no death. Ashwatthama is the son of DRONA and if DRONA is the Saunskaras ,then the the son of Saunskaras has to be immortal. .So he is immortal. 

We will try to talk about Pandawas and DAUPADI next time.