Character Sketch
- Śakuni, the maternal uncle of Duryodhana embodies the pattern of self-hatred, which is cunningness personified.
- Droṇa represents all the best knowledge one imbibes and the teachers one encounters, who guide us but are unable to take us through to the ultimate flowering of enlightenment. It is difficult to give them up since one feels grateful to them. This is where the Enlightened Master, the incarnation steps in and guides us.
- Duryodhana, represents one's ego or root-pattern, the most difficult to conquer as it leads one to self destruction. One needs the full help of the Master here. It is subtle work and even the Master's help may not be obvious, since at this point, sometimes the ego makes us deny and disconnect from the Master as well.
- Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate act of compassion that one can offer to the world.
Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion.
Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities and all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic, conflict-free way.
Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate Till now everyone blames Bhagavan Sri Krishna for this Kurukshetra war but that's the greatest sacrifice Bhagavan Sri Krishna did to save the planet Earth. If Kurukshetra was not conducted at that time under the controlled conditions and direct supervision of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, planet Earth would not have survived more than three years.
Character Sketch act of compassion that one can offer to the world. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities a nd all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and The wide spread availability of the Astra shastras without Shastra, without the knowledge and vision, was posing a huge threat to the whole of humanity and planet Earth, and for life itself. The greatest achievement of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is destroying all the weapons in one controlled condition and saving planet earth, eliminating the nuclear weapons and the knowledge of these nuclear weapons to save humanity from total annihilation.
conflict-free way.
simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic,
Bhagavad Gītā appears in the heart of Mahābhārat in Bhīṣma Parva, the sixth chapter of its eighteen chapters. Veda Vyāsa, the narrator, in glorifying the Gītā sings, 'the one who drinks the water of Ganges (the sacred river for Hindus) attains liberation, what to speak of the one who drinks the nectar of Gītā?
Gītā is the essential nectar of the Mahābhārat, bhāratamṛta sarvasvam as it is directly spoken by Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān kṛṣṇa Himself.'
The armies assembled in the vast field of Kurukṣetra, now in the state of Haryana in modern day Bharat. All the kings and princes were related to one another, and were often on opposite sides. Facing the Kaurava army and his friends, relatives and teachers, Arjuna was overcome by remorse and guilt, and wanted to walk away from the battle out of total powerlessness unbecoming an invincible warrior among warriors.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa's dialogue with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra out of His utmost concern and love for him and humanity is the content of Bhagavad Gītā. Of its seven hundred and forty-five (745) verses, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa sings the Gītā in six hundred and twenty (620) verses responding to Arjuna's fifty-seven (57) enquiries.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa persuades Arjuna to give-up his powerlessness unfitting an Ārya—the spiritually evolved one who understands human life and urges him to raise himself again as Parantapa—the conqueror of enemy, and take up arms and vanquish his enemies. They are already dead,' says Śrī Kṛṣṇa, 'All those who are facing you have been already killed by Me. Go ahead and do what you have to do. That is your responsibility. Do not worry about the outcome. Leave that to Me.'
bhīṣma droṇa pramukhataḥ sarveṣāṃ ca mahīkṣitām uvāca pārtha paśyaitān samavetānkurūniti
In the presence of Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the kings and said, 'Arjuna, behold the Kauravas assembled here
The expression of Arjuna's dilemma starts here. The theme of Gītā is the story of Arjuna's dilemma, his incompletion and its completion by Kṛṣṇa.
tatrā paśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitṛ-n atha pitāmahān ācāryān mātulān bhrātṛ-n putrān pautrān sakhīṃs tathā śvaśurān suhṛdaś caiva senayorubhayorapi
There Arjuna saw, stationed there in both the armies his uncles, grand uncles, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, and friends, as well as his fathers-in-law and well-wishers
Utter confusion, dilemma is the first thing any person has to face in his life for Enlightenment. If we have not yet faced the dilemma, the possibility for transformation has not yet opened. When we are in dilemma, be very clear, the seeking has started in us.
Krsna parked the chariot between the two armies and said to Arjuna, 'Here are the people you wished to see.' Arjuna wanted to see those who were about to fight him and die. Krsna, with no mercy at all, showed him that these were Arjuna's near and dear ones.
Assembled in front of Arjuna were grandfathers and great grandfathers such as Bhisma, his own teachers such as Drona and Kripa, uncles such as Sakuni, brothers and cousins as all the Kaurava princes were, friends and well wishers. At one time or another, each of them had been an object of affection and respect to Arjuna. Now, they were part of this enemy army.
As a ksatriya, Arjuna was no stranger to death and violence. As long as those who faced him were his enemies, Arjuna had no difficulty in carrying out the execution. However, those in front of him now were his relatives - father, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, sons and grandsons. He could not bear to kill those whom he could relate with himself in one way or another. The bonds of family were rooted in his ego and to cut these bonds was to destroy himself. This was Arjuna's dilemma.
To help the child understand the emotions experienced by Arjuna as he realised all of whom were once dear to him, now he has to fight against them, so this created a feeling of "a dilemma"
- 1. Why did Arjuna feel like he was in an dilemma?"
- 2. Have you ever felt as if you were in a dilemma?
- 3. Who are some of the people Arjuna saw on the opposite side of the battle field?
- 4. What happens when you believe death is terrifying?
MATERIALS NEEDED:
- 1. Pictures of deer eating grass,
- 2. The lion eating deer,
- 3. The hunter catching the lion
- 4. Plain sheet paper cut in Circular format
- 5. Glue
PROCEDURE
Encourage the children to stick the pictures in the order of life circle. Stick the pictures in the circular form of deer eating grass, the lion eating deer, the hunter eating lion.
Inference:
Connect them to the fact that our life is a circle between birth and death.
Material Needed:
Bucket with water
Procedure:
Encourage the children to dip a foot in the water and keep the foot print on the outdoor floor and ask each child to observe how it just disappear behind them. They can also observe the friend's footprint disappearing in no time. Ask each child to explain what they understood from this.
Inference:
Death happens everyday. Everything is unstable, everything is changeable.
Explanation:
Place the children into groups where they can discuss: "The bonds of family were rooted in his ego and to cut these bonds was to destroy himself."
Our ego is built from those around us who we identify with, our bonds of family. Our ego fears that cutting these bonds will be our destruction