Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Week 12 Reading Diary: The Great War, the sin of Yudhishthira

In Mahabharata, we learn about the five brothers who fought for each other and who fought for their kingdom with their own blood, their brothers and family members. It was the fight between the right and wrong. Pandava brothers had a strong bond between them. However, in this week’s reading I found it amazing to read about the dispute between Yudhishthira and Arjuna. When Yudhishthira found that Karna was still alive in the war, he taunted Arjuna in anger for being a coward and saying that a better man deserves the Gandiva. Upon hearing this Arjuna drew his sword and vowed to slay Yudhishthira. Shri Krishna came as a savior and talked Arjuna out of his vow to slay the man who asks him to give Gandiva to another man. Arjuna first thinks he should kill himself for the disrespect but again with some good reasoning that Shri Krishna gives him, he vows to slay Karna.




Arjuna's Statue
Source: Link

It is amazing how deep connection that these five brothers shared that you would think that it could never be broken. But, if Shri Krishna was not there at that time to consult Arjuna, there would have been a huge fight between Arjuna and Yudhishthira for the disrespect that Yudhishthira did to Arjuna, while he was angry about Karna still being alive in the battlefield.

Link to the story
Author: Annie Besant
Year: 1899

Monday, April 11, 2016

Portfolio Guide





The brothers - This is the story about four brothers who fight and also love each other. This story relates to the relationship of brothers that is reflected in the story of Ramayana PDE Version.

When Rama was Angry - This is the story about Rama, when he wanted to go across the sea to Lanka, where Ravana had taken Sita.

A normal life - This is the story of therapy in session. This story relates with the conversation that Arjuna and Krishna had in the battle field of Mahabharata, after Arjuna hesitated to fight against his family members.

The Choice  - Annie Besant writes about the time when the Pandava brothers gets ready to leave Hastinapur. This is just my version of the same story.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Week 11 Storytelling: The Choice

My name is Bhima. Thirty years ago, I was in grade five. We were best friends. His name is Duryodhana. We used to go to the school together, study together, eat, play and visit parks. For me he was the day and night. We spent most of our time together as a child.
                  My father was a Police. His name is Pandu. While I was in grade 5, he got a job transfer and we moved from Norman to Kansas City. From that day I never saw Duryodhana again till today.
                  I am driving towards the Kansas City police department in my police car. I took my father’s job after he retired. I have him on the back seat, Duryodhana. He knows it is me, Bhima. I don’t know his story.
                  After we moved to Kansas City, I missed my dear friend Duryodhana. I had no other option but to make other friends. I made three new friends and life moved on. We four friends always kept out of trouble, walked in a path of what our parents wanted us to follow, went to church every Sunday. Our main goal was to be good because that what our parents taught us to be.
                  I could not resist but to ask Duryodhana of where did he go wrong. He story began with a new friend named Dushashana that he made after I left with my parents. Dushashana had a bad record from childhood of bullying other friends and fighting with other students for no particular reason. Slowly but surely Duryodhana was like him. As they grew up they started doing the same with the strangers while walking down the road.
                  Last night Duryodhana and his friend was walking down their street and doing what they had been doing for last thirty years. There was a huge fight and someone ended up in hospital. He flew away from the scene.
                  Today I got a call from one of the bar in the city that they had spotted the man who is wanted in the news. I rushed there in my car and now Duryodhana, my best friend of fifth grade is the passenger of my car.
                  I remember the story that I read in one of my class from Annie Besant, the thirteen years of exile. It was the story about the Mahabharata and I remember reading that our behaviors are like diseases that could transfer from one person to other. I remember the part of the story where it emphasized that staying around good company would lead you to become a good person and a bad company would lead you to not so good place.

                  Me speaking to Duryodhana:  One thing to remember is that, it is never too late to change. Sometimes we never realize our mistake till the ground beneath us shakes and we fall apart. But we can always stand up and move on start fresh again.

Pandavas
Source: Link


Author’s Note:

 In the story, the thirteen years of exile, Annie Besant writes about the time when the Pandava brothers gets ready to leave Hastinapur. In the story it tells us that what we become depends on who we are now. If we choose a good company and stay around good people we will catch their habits just like a disease and it goes the same with bad company. The book also tells us that we should always surround ourselves with a good company.
This week story is based on this theory of a good company versus a bad company and where it would lead us. I decided to choose two friends as a characters and their choices that they made in their early life and the life they are living when they are in their thirty’s.

Bibliography:
                  Story Title: The Thirteen Years’ of Exile
                  Book Title: The Great War
                  Author: Annie Besant
                  Year of Publication: 1899
Source: Link

Week 11 Reading Diary: The Great War, Peace or War

In this week’s reading I found it interesting to read about the face that Shri Krishna was very positive about the power that Yudhishthira possessed. Shri Krishna wanted to stop the battle, so he wanted to visit Kurus to stop the war. Shri Krishna knew that no one could stand Yudhishthira in a battle field. Shri Krishna wanted to stop the slaying of hundreds and thousands of people if this battle between Kurus and Pandava was to happen. Shri Krishna tries to reach an agreement with Duryodhana to give the throne back to Pandava. It is amazing to learn about how hard Shri Krishna tried to stop this war between the two brothers. Shri Krishna talks with Vidura, King Dhritarashtra and even Duryodhana to stop the war and save all those innocent life that would be lost if the war was to happen. After numerous attempts to stop the war, all those attempts proves to be useless and the preparation for the war begins.


It amazes me to learn about Bhishma. Even though Pandava brothers were fighting against the Kurus with Bhishma on their side the war began with the permission of Bhishma. Yudhishthira took permission with Bhishma for to begin the war. The respect and love that Bhishma has seems untouchable. The words spoken by Bhishma while he granted permission to Karna to fight sounded wise. Bhishma asked Karna to fight with the desire of heaven. He asked Karna to fight without anger, without any guilt and with power and courage.

Shri Krishna
Source: Link

Source: Link
Author: Annie Besant

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Week 11 Reading Diary: The Great War, The Thirteen Year’s Exile



In this week’s reading I really liked the part where it talks about the time when the princes gets ready to leave Hastinapura. A crowd of people gathered around and wanted to go with the princes instead of living under Duryodhana’s rule. The most touching part is the one when they talk about associating with the good. It goes on explaining that who you become when you grow old depends on who you are while you are young. It tells us that choosing a good company during our young age would lead us to a better person when we are old. It also describes the character as a disease that we catch from other people, like smallpox. You will catch smallpox if you stay around people suffering with it. It sounds real and practical and this can be really helpful for us for a better future. Be around the people who are leading a good life and discard bad company.

The other interesting part is the when sage answered Yudhishthira with the course of conduct he should follow. The sage tells Yudhishthira to be merciful and love all the creatures, be truthful and protect the people. He also adds that mistakes made from ignorance and carelessness can be washed away by charity. The other course of conduct was to renounce pride and vanity and be in complete control of humility and good behavior. I really think this course of conduct could be very useful to us if we want to live a good life

Link to the story
Author: Annie Besant
 
Good Company(Source: Link