Mahabharatha - Adi Parva - #3

Hello there!! Hope everything is fine at your end. In continuation to my previous blog on Mahabharatha - Adi Parva - #2, I am continuing with the narration of Ugrasrava Sauti which goes on about how Veda Vyasa conceived and composed Mahabharatha...

Let's Proceed…

Sauti continued, "The sage Vyasa, through penance and meditation deeply analysed the eternal Vedas and composed this holy history. When the noble sage Vyasa had finished this great narrative work, he began to ponder how to teach it to his disciples and propagate it to the society at large. While he was thinking thus, Brahma, the world's preceptor, knowing sage Vyasa's anxiety came in person to the place where the latter was. Sage Vyasa was gratified by lord Brahma's presence. Sage Vyasa, surrounded by all the tribes of ascetics, approached lord Brahma with joined palms, he bowed reverentially and ordered a seat to be brought. After the lord was seated, sage Vyasa went around him once with devotion and stood near his seat. On being commanded by lord Brahma with affection, he sat down near the seat, smiling in joy."

Vyasa's request to Brahma

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Once they all were seated comfortably, sage Vyasa, addressing Brahma said, "O divine Brahma! A profound poem has been composed by me which is greatly respected. It explains various subjects which include the mystery of the Vedas, the various rituals of the Upanishads with their Angas (different parts), the compilation of the Puranas and history formed by me spanning the past, present, and future; the nature of fear, disease, decay, existence, and non-existence; of creeds and of the various modes of life; rule for the four sections of a society, and the essence of all the Puranas; about asceticism and duties of a religious student; the dimensions of the sun and moon, the planets, constellations, and stars, together with the duration of the four ages; the Rig, Sama and Yajur Vedas; also the Adhyatma (spirituality); the sciences called Nyaya (justice), Detection and Treatment of diseases; charity and Pasupata dharma (A way of disciplined lie style following the Shaiva principles); celestial and human births for specific purposes; also a description of places of pilgrimage and other holy places like rivers, mountains, forests, the ocean, of heavenly cities and the kalpas (time calculation); the art of war; the different kinds of nations and languages; the nature of people and their manners; and the all-pervading spirit; all represented within this peom. I have conceived this work in my mind, but I am unable to find a writer on earth who can pen down of this work."

Lord Brahma's suggestion

"Lord Brahma said. 'Dear Vyasa, I respect and admire you for your knowledge of divine mysteries amid the whole body of celebrated Munis distinguished for their sanctity of lives. I know that you have revealed the divine word, even from its first utterance, in the language of truth. Since you have called your present work a poem, so it shall be. There shall be no poet in this world whose works may equal the descriptions of this poem. Just like merits of the following 3 modes of like viz. Balashrama (childhood), Vanaprastha (post middle-aged mode of life where humans retreat into the woods to lead a life of rigid vows)and Sanyasa (ascetic mode of life) can never equal to Grihastashrama (disciplined marital mode of life), so will be the merit of your poem in comparison to other works. Propitiate Lord Ganesa, O Muni, for the purpose of writing the poem.'

MyNote: Of the 3 modes of life, the life of a disciplined married man is the most meritorious and admirable as it the only path filled with the toughest of challenges. Most of you might agree that it is the toughest mode of life even today. Taking care of elders, spouse and children while playing an amicable host to you guest, all the while following the strict discipline as prescribed in the scriptures is indeed very challenging.

Conversation between Vyasa and Ganesa

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Sauti said, 'Lord Brahma having advised Vyasa thus, retired to his own abode. Then Vyasa began to propitiate lord Ganesa in his mind. And the merciful lord Ganesa, being the remover of obstacles, the fulfiller of the desires of his votaries, repaired to the place where Vyasa was seated no sooner than he was thought of. And when he had been saluted, and was seated, Vyasa addressed him thus, 'O guide of all living beings! please be the writer of my poem Bharata, which I have conceived in my imagination, and which I am about to repeat." "Ganesa, upon hearing this request answered, 'I will agree to be the writer of your work on a condition. You should not let my pen cease writing even for a moment." To this request of the lord, sage Vyasa said, 'Dear lord, in that case grant me a wish that wherever you do not comprehend something from my verses, you will cease to continue writing.' Lord Ganesa assented to this request. As Vyasa began, lord Ganesa uttered the eternal cosmic sound Om! and proceeded to write. Sage Vyasa began knitting the knots of composition exceedingly close; by doing which, he dictated this work keeping the lord busy with his penmanship without break.

To be continued….