In Sarala Mahabharata, Kunti and Gandhari never had an easy relationship. It was bound to be so. Kunti wanted her eldest son, Yudhisthira, to inherit the throne of Hastinapura whereas her elder sister-in-law, Gandhari, wanted her eldest son, Duryodhana, to be the king. But neither encouraged her children to be hostile to their cousins; in …
FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION, FRIENDS
This is to say that my book “Life’s Little Tales” has been published. It is published by Sikshasandhan, ND – 7, VIP Area, IRC Village, Bhubaneswar – 751015. Tel: 074- 2556109, Fax: 0674- 751015. Email: sikshasandhan@gmail.com Website: http://www.sikshasandhan.org Price: Rs 195/- This book is a collection of twenty one short essays. Written in a casual …
TOWARDS A HUMANISTIC READING OF “MAHABHARATA”
About a month ago, I listened for a while to a television debate in Odia on the decision, presumably by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, to include Ramayana and Mahabharata as elective subjects in the first year Engineering programme in that state. The assumption of both the participants, both young (which was a good thing), …
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The Redemption of the Vasus
The Pandavas were already there in the lakshya griha (wax palace) in Varunavanta. Uncle Vidura had met them and advised them to live in the forest for some years. Life would be very hard there, he said, by way of preparing them for their time in the forest. They would even have to beg for …
A Moral Question for Duryodhana (which he never answered)
Was it morally justified for Duryodhana to go to war against the Pandavas? Did he really hope to win? Had he carefully weighed his chances of victory? Had he under-estimated the strength of the enemy? Forget about the cause, forget about the principles, if he had felt unsure about winning, it was certainly very unethical …
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RAI’S STORY
For a month, from the eleventh day of the waxing phase of the moon of the month of Aswina till the tenth day of the waxing phase of the moon of the month of Kartika, both days inclusive, two special rituals are held in Shri Jagannath temple (“Shri Mandira”, as it is also called) in …
CONFRONTING BRAHMINIZATION: THE STORY OF BALA DHUPA
From the Ashwina shukla ekadasi (eleventh day of the waxing moon of the month of Ashwina) till the end of the month of Kartika, a special ritual is held in the Jagannath Temple in Puri. It is an additional food offering to Mahaprabhu Jagannath. Incidentally, “Jagannath” is a popular cover term for the Chaturdha Murti …
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Sarala Mahabharata 