THE MAHABHARATAM : 3.

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Tuesday, March 01, 2022. 20:00.

Prelude to the Bhagavad Geeta :

Meditation on the Bhagavad Geeta.

In 18 Episodes : 

Post-3.

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Reflections by Swami Gurubhaktananda on the Series of 13 Lectures by Swami Advayananda Acharyaji, 15th Batch Vedanta Course at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai Mahabharata: October 8th – October 18th , 2012 (10 Lectures) Geeta Dhyanam: October 25th– October 27th, 2012 (3 Lectures).

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Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda

SERVE  LOVE  GIVE  PURIFY  MEDITATE  REALISE

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Episode - 4: The Story of Vidhura :

There was one Rishi Mandavya who had his Ashram on the outskirts of a city just where the forest began. He was engaged in Tapas, austerities, worship of the Lord and as a Rishi he spent most of his time in meditation.

The security guards of the King’s palace were in pursuit of robbers who had stolen some priceless jewels of the Queen. The robbers had come to this Rishi’s Ashram. They flung the bag of stolen jewels behind the Rishi who was in meditation and hid themselves in the trees.

When the guards came they looked at Mandavya Rishi. The chief guard asked the Rishi rudely “Did you see any robbers running this way?” The Rishi did not stir from his meditation. One of the guards then found the bag of jewels near him, and reported the find to the chief guard. He assumed that the Rishi must have been the boss of the thieves. They tried to shake the Rishi out of his prayer, saying, “You impostor! Don’t pretend to be meditating. We have caught up with you.”

When the King heard the guard’s report, he took it at face value and thought, “If Tapasvins wear sacred clothes and then rob the people secretly, that will make people lose faith. I should give this Rishi the most severe punishment.” He ordered that the Rishi be impaled – which meant slow, torturous death. The Rishi was placed on top of a sharp cone.

Slowly the word went around to the other Rishis. Mandavya found the pain intolerable. He went deeper into meditation and lost consciousness of his body, but survived despite the torture. He told the other Rishis he did not steal anything, but that it must be some Prarabdha Karma of his to suffer like this. The Rishis told the King it is a big mistake. The King begged for forgiveness. Rishi Mandavya did not blame the King as he had only acted in good faith. But he was upset why the Lord of Dharma would allow such a thing to happen.

He met with Lord Yama and asked him for what crime of his he had to suffer so much. Lord Yama told him that when he was still a child of 3 years or so, he used to play violently with ants and killed many of them. The sage then became angry with Lord Yama saying that at that age a child is exempt from Karma because it cannot understand right from wrong. Yama admitted his error. The sage then said, “For this mistake there is a remedy. You will have to take birth as a human being on earth. That is your punishment.”

Yama, the Dharmaraj, then took birth as Vidhura, the son of Ambalika, who was married to Vichitravirya. He was a towering adherent of Dharma, and played a key role in standing for righteousness during the Mahabharata War. 

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Next : Episode 5: The Story of Queen Kunti

To be continued ....

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