Hari Om Parents
Previous class we covered how Lord Krishna came about to become Arjuna's charioteer.
This class we introduced to the kids, Salya the ruler of Madradesa and the brother of Madri (mother of Nakula and Sahadev).
- Pandavas left Virata Desa and camped in a place called Upaplavya. Having heard that his nephews were preparing for war he set out in support of the pandavas along with his 15 mile army. Duryodhana finds out about Salyas marching forces.
- With the ill intention of persuading him to join his army he instructs his officers to provide luxurious rest areas with all comfort provided all along the path from Madradesa to Upaplavya.
- Impressed with this hospitality and the assumption that these arrangements would have been done by none other than the pandavas, Salya calls upon the officers to thank them and send a message of gratitude to kunti;s son.
- Duryodhana who was present all along makes an appearance and reveals the truth. Impressed by how kind it was for Duryodhana to arrange for comforts for someone who was going to be fighting opposite him, he grants him the opportunity to wish for whatever he wanted.
- Duryodhana grabs this opportunity and requests him to join his side of the army.
- Stunned by this request, at the same time unable to go back on his word, Salya finds himself in a moral dilemma. But bound by his word, he requests Duryodhana that it is only fair for him to go to Yudhishtra personally and explain to him the whole situation. Duryodhana agrees.
- Salya reaches Upaplavya. explains to Pandavas the whole situation. Yudhishtra who is a follower of Dharma tells him that he should keep the promise made to Duryodhana.
- But Salya promises them that if there is a fateful event in which he is chosen to be karna;s charioteer and he has to face Arjuna he will save Arjuna.
- He continues to relate stories to drive the point home that arrogant Duryodhana will see destruction similar to Indra whose arrogance led him into difficult situations eventually even losing his throne.
- Legend goes that Sage Brihaspathi who was the high priest of the Gods, upon insulted by Indra by his arrogance, left heaven. With this court of Indra lost his splendour and dignity
- With him gone, INdra was losing strength and asuras started gaining ground. Lord Brahma advised the Gods to find a new Guru in Twashta;s son, Vishwarupa
- Since Viswarupa;s mother was an Asura, Indra could not trust him and after different attempts to weaken him, finally kills him
- Twashta angered by his son's death, wanted to avenge Indra. He creates Indra's mortal enemy from sacrificial fires by the name Vritta.
- An unending battle between Vritta and INdra ensues. Gods request Vritta to reconcile but he puts forth certain conditions for his death that the Gods agree to.
- Indra pretends to be friends with him but during twilight he attacks Vritta. Vritta then tells Indra that he will die only in the blessed hands of Lord Vishnu.
- Indra draws a plan and seeks Vishnu;s help and kills Vritta. But unable to bear the sheer shame of deceitfully defeating Vritta, Indra goes into hiding.
- Then King Nahusha takes the throne of Indra. Nahusha started off as a meritorious King but the riches of the heavens and resorted to untamed and treacherous thoughts. He laid his eyes on Indra's wife and was obstinate to make her his wife despite several pleas from sages.
- Scared, she resorts to Brihaspati for help. He encourages her to meet Nahusha and ask him for some time to find her husband. If she cannot find him she will become his wife.
- Nahusha agrees to this request. Sachidevi with deep penance finds out the whereabouts of her husband. Indra in size of an atom on a lotus flower in Manas sarovar assures her that Nahusha' end has come near and that she should trick him to come to her with fanfare and celebration.
- Nahusa falls into the trap. Arrogant Nahusha calls the great Rishis to become his palanquin bearers. While forcing them to go faster and faster, frustrated Agastya muni curses him to become a serpent on earth. Immediately he falls to the earth as a serpent and takes thousands of years for deliverance
- Indra resumes his original form and is crowned king again.
Reflecting on the story of Salya tells us that even great noble men, followers of Dharma also falter. Therefore however learned one is, humility and constant vigilance is absolutely required if one wishes to avoid evil. While Nahushas story tells us that arrogance always meets destruction, Indra and his wife's story tells us that Victory awaits the patient.
We talked about the different architecture style of temples in India
- Nagara (Northern Style
- Dravida (Southern Style)
- Vesara (Mixed Style):
- Feet/Entrance: The temple's entrance, or gopuram, is analogous to the feet, representing the grounding foundation and the beginning of a spiritual journey.
- Pillars/Arms: The pillars of the temple can be seen as the arms, supporting the structure as arms support the body.
- Assembly Hall (Mandapa): The assembly hall or mandapa corresponds to the torso, such as the stomach or chest, a space for communal gathering and sustenance.
- Heart/Neck: The vestibule, or antarala, is often linked to the heart or neck, the transitional space that connects the outer and inner realms of the temple and the body.
- Head/Sanctum: The inner sanctum (garbhagriha) is the most sacred part, representing the head or heart, where the deity (the soul) resides.
- Spinal Cord: In some traditions, the temple's flagstaff (dhvaja-stambha) is compared to the spinal cord, with the Sushumna (a spiritual energy channel) seen as a creeper entwining it.
Thank You
Hari Om
