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Symbolism Of Mahabharata
Though there are lives of thousands of kings , why was Mahabharta, a
great epic was composed on the kings of Kuru , Pandu and Yadava dynasty?.
This is because their lives still continue to inspire lives of not only
ruling class but down to every human being on Earth. Mahabharata is the
biggest book ever written which includes all branches of life.
Mahabharata is a powerful and amazing text
that inspires awe and wonder about cosmos and humanity. The Mahabharata and
the war is not a fictional story but a historical event. But the author of
the epic used the real incident and weaved symbolic images to reflect our
own inner conflicts. Using these images if we dive deep into our inner self,
we will be able to appreciate the mystery of our own mind and life. Through
this epic we will be left with no unanswered question.
The 100 sons
We already discussed that the eldest son of the blind
son Drita-rashtra is Dur-yodhana, who symbolize the Ego. To the blind king
who symbolize the blind mind marries Gandhari. She out of emotionally love
to her blind husband , ties a bandage on her eyes. Thus Gandhari
symbolize the blind intellect following the blind mind. This
blind mind and blind intellect breeds many desires through ten sense organs.
Five are senses of knowledge or perception the eyes, nose, ears, tongue and
skin (Gnanendriyas). The other five are the senses of action-mouth, hands,
feet, genital organ and anus (Karmendriyas). There are 10 directions north,
south, west, east, north east, south east, south west and northwest and up
and down.
When the
mind and intellect run blindly in all 10 directions and functions through 10
sense organs , give rise to hundred (10 x 10 = 100) propensities, desires,
thoughts, ambitions, expectations and dreams. These are the children of the
mind and symbolized as the 100 sons in Mahabharata. The eldest of these
thought is Dur-yodhana which means the one whom it is difficult to fight.
"Duh" means difficulty, "yodh" means to fight and represents the Ego , which
is difficult to fight or indomitable. The second son and brother to
Dur-yodha is Dus-asana , the name means one who is difficult to control.
Pandavas - The Five
Pandu was the
younger brother of the blind king Drita-rastra. Pandu represents wisdom
(represented by white color). But this wisdom matures with experience and
hence gives the ruling power to the blind mind, until the children of wisdom
are ready. Pandu's wife is kunti, which means to invoke. She invokes
powerful inspiration of nature and bears children. The first child is
Yudhi-stra. Yudhi means in the battle, sthira means tranquil or undisturbed.
Yudhi-stra is the symbol of peace and the sky element of Pancha
Bhootas. Sky is the bridge of transcendence to the conscious state and
represented as throat chakra.
Peace should be the ruler of
us. But the Ego demands that it should be the take control over. This fight
for the throne is Mahabharata war. In the war, Bhima the second son of the
Pandavas who killed all 99 sons of Drita-rastra. Bhima represents the
life force or breath, the Air element in Pancha Bhoota. Bhima is the
breath that brings the awareness of "Oneness". The ignorance of duality
dissolves in the purity of "Love" and is represented as heart chakra.
Arjuna the third represents fire
element. Rajju means rope or bondage and na means no. This represents that
we are really not bonded, but free. Arjuna represents the liberating
thoughts in us and brings peace. Arjuna is the enquiring mind. The enquiring
mind burns like fire and destroys the darkness of ignorance. This burning
fire is what needs to be given direction and that is why out of the five
brothers Arjuna was taught Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna represents the mastering
the "Heat or Power" of senses symbolized as the navel chakra.
Na-kula , na means no and kula is
bank of a river or shore. Nakula means boundless or endless flow of water.
He represents the flowing energy of desires, the energy to reproduce. Water is
the element of nature that sustains life and reproduction. This sexual energy should be directed
for our higher evolution towards
peace.
Sahadeva is the youngest of the Pandavas.
He represents the Earth element, the solidness (reality) of manifestation.
Earth is the discriminating element, the food factor. It is through enquiry
of real and unreal that drives us to seek wisdom. Earth is the foundation of
"enquiry".
Nakula and Sahadeva are twins and is interesting to know their symbolism.
Nakula represents the sexual energy that produce life and Sahadeva
represents the enquiring attitude. According to Vedas, life began when
the cosmic consciousness wanted to know itself. Hence Life (Sahadeva) and
knowing (Sahadeva) are twins.
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