Jai Sriman Narayana !!
The great epic Mahabharath was
composed by Maharishi Veda Vyasa/Krishna Dwaipayana, son of Sage Parasara and Sathyavati,
a woman from fishermen clan. Mahabharath
describes the legend of Bharatha Dynasty.
It was written in 18 Parva such
as Adhi Parva, Sabha Parva, Vana Parva, Virada Parva, Udhyoga Parva, Bhishma
Parva, Drona Parva, Karna Parva, Shalya Parva, Soupthika Parva, Stri Parva,
Shanthi Parva, Anushasana Parva, Ashwamedha Parva, Ashramavasika Parva, Musala
Parva, Mahaprasthanika Parva and Swargarohana Parva and each Parva has divided
into many Upaparva and has chapters in detail.
Adhi Parva depicts the life of
King Dushyantha and his wife Shakunthala and their son Sarvadhamanan, who was
famously known as Bharatha, a righteous ruler of Bharatha Empior.
Lord Brahma created deities,
Sages and Prajapathis. It was the
beginning of the growth of human race from the sixty daughters of Daksha
Prajapathi. Pururavass, Yayathi, Puru, Dushyantha,
Bharatha, Shanthanu were born in the family of Dithi, one of the
daughters of Daksha Prajapathi.
Life of Amba, Ambika & Ambalika
:
King Shanthanu married to
Sathyavathi with a promise that the child born to the couple would be the heir
to the throne of Hasthinapur. This
couple had two sons Chithrangadha and Vichithraveerya. King Shanthanu lived happily with Sathyavati
for quite some time and passed away.
Chithrangadha was killed in a battle with a celestial Gandharva. Vichithraveerya was declared as the King of
Hasthinapur by Bhishma. According to
Sastra, legal heir to the throne should be married to pronounce him as a King. During this period of time, the King of Kasi
announced the Swayamvaram of his three daughters Amba, Ambika and
Ambalika. The elder daughter Amba was
already in love with the King Swalya of neighboring country and was keenly
waiting for the opportunity to get married to him. Bhishma was assigned to meet the King of Kasi
with the marriage proposal of Vichithraveerya.
Bhishma arrived at the glorious assembly of the King of Kasi and
declared his purpose of visit to Kasi, moreover his intention to take three
daughters with him to Hasthinapur. It
created a huge chaos in the assembly, King Swalya was furious at the
declaration of Bhishma, eventually they both had huge fight. King Swalya was defeated by Bhishma, the
Kings assembled were anxiously left without the courage to fight against
Bhishma. The three daughters of King of
Kasi were brought in a chariot to Hasthinapur.
Ambika and Ambalika had no objection to marry Vichithraveerya but Amba
who was already in love with the King Swalya was opposed to the marriage with
Vichithraveerya. Bhishma advised her to
return to King Swalya. King Swalya was
in utter shame and guilt refused to accept Amba, he turned down Amba due to the
abuse he had to undergo in the Assembly.
Amba was crestfallen at the decision of King Swalya, returned to
Hasthinapur with all the vengeance towards Bhishma. She blamed Bhishma as the reason for her
distress and insisted to marry her.
Bhishma revealed his inability to marry her as he was promised to remain
unmarried all his life.
Amba was totally distressed and
wandered through the wood land. Amba underwent
severe penance for 16 years and worshipped Sage Parasurama, Acharya of Bhishma to
get fair judgment in her pathetic life. Finally,
Sage Parasurama appeared before her with a decision to find solution for her
wretched life, advised her to approach Bhishma who is blameless, honorable and
upright could help her to wave off her agonies.
Amba retaliated that Bhishma was the reason for her distress; she
narrated her pitiable state to Sage Parasurama with a request to kill Bhishma. A war was conducted between Sage Parasurama
and Bhishma and it continued for several years.
There was no sign of the end of the war, Lord Shiva appeared before them
and brought peace in them. Lord Shiva offered a boon to Amba that she
would be capable to kill Bhishma on her next birth as Shingandi. Amba
sorrowfully moved to the Kingdom of King Durpada, a garland she had already received from Lord
Subramanya with a promise that the Kshatriya who wore the garland would be competent
to kill Bhishma was hanged on a tree in the palace of King Drupada. Soon, Amba sacrificed her life into Yoga
Agni.
Amba was born as Shigandini to
King Drupadha. Shigandini has the
memories of her previous life, wore the garland she had already preserved on
the tree in the palace. King Drupadha
worried about her malicious act and exiled her from the Kingdom. Shingandini wandered through the wood land
and met celestial Gandharvas, with their help she transformed herself into
Shigandi. Shigandi had to wait for
several years until the great war of Mahabharath on the righteous of land
Kurushetra to encounter with Bhishma.
In the Great War of Mahabharath,
Arjuna enquires Lord Krishna about the technique to defeat Bhishma. Lord Krishna narrates that Shingandi’s arrow
would be capable to conquer Bhishma.
Later, Shigandi appeared before Bhishma with the arrow, Bhishma remained weaponless the moment he saw
Shigandi, refused to hold bow and arrow against Shigandi, with a thought that
it would bring disgrace to him to fight against neither a man nor a woman. At this point of time, Arjuna showered the
arrows against Bhishma and defeated him.
Although Bhishma was plunged upon the bed of arrows, it was his determination
to decide the time of death. Bhishma
waited for the arrival of Utharanaya Punyakala and breathed for last. It was this period of time; Bhishma narrated
the glorious verses of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama to Yudhishtira.
Jai Sriman Narayana !!
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