The Mahâbhârata: Book 2: The book of assembly. Book 3: The book of ... - Google Books Resultby Johannes Adrianus Bernardus Buitenen, James L ... - 1981 - Religion - 871 pages The aerial city is nothing but an armed camp with flamethrowers and thundering cannon. no doubt a spaceship. The name of the demons is also revealing: they ... books.google.co.in/books?isbn=0226846644...
Dear SPS, thank you for the great information links. I very much enjoyed reading the extract from 'Search for the historical Krishna' and will truly wait for the book to be published.
Just a small correction to below, the Shambala is not a 'vedic' city it is regarded as tibetan buddhist paradiase or 'Beyul' and there have been many places attributed to it - mostly the explored regions of eastern Himalayas/Tibel and the Tsangpo Gorge which supposedly are the deepest gorge and 108 foot high waterfall which nobody has really seen, legend has it that people who go there do not come back. Even the National Geographic has had many expeditions to that area but none truly into the heart of the region due to its difficult geographic terrain, and as legends say it is not accessible to the ordinary man.
I have not heard of any connection to Shambala and pyramids as the Shambala is a very eastern concept.
I have read the "Search for the Historical Krishna" and was not terribly impressed. The author gives some evidence from astronomy (using astrological charts mentioned in the VEdas, etc) to set the year as around 3100 BC for Krishna. Also some geological evidence for Saraswathi. Then he goes into a retelling of the Mahabharatha which is pointless. He makes allusion to epigraphical evidence in terms of the Indus script, but doesn't really show anything.Regards,
Thanks Arun. Actually I was impressed by what the author said on Krishna not being the stereotyped version of the playful machiavellian hero - who is somewhat of an odd mix of divine and human but more of a warrior, very intelligent politician who was ahead of his times. It might just be his idea but noone i think has thought about it that way.
Malathy, That is not quite an original thought. I would recommend that you read Krishnavatara by KM Munshi. Wonderfully written. He makes Krishna a human albeit with wonderful qualities and the interplay between Krishna and the Pandavas is awesome. He makes Bhima into this jovial giant who keeps playing pranks on all. Also, all the "miracles" such as the raising of Mount Govardhan etc are explained very rationally and scientifically. Unfortunately, Munshiji died before he could complete it but the 7 volume set is still a treasure. I think Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan are the publishers.
Belongs to my wife and she has had it from before we got married. Am not sure if it is still in print, but it should be if you check up with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. http://www.bhavans.info/store/bookdetail.asp?bid=173&bauth=K.+M.+Munshi This site lists all the 7 books as well as other books by Munshi.
He even has a wonderful way of dealing with Radha and Krishna. He doesn't mince words. Radha and Krishna were lovers and very much in love. But when Krishna's image starts expanding and he starts growing past Vrindavan, he implores Radha to go with him.. but Radha refuses and tells him: Here you will always be my Kanhaiyya.. outside you won't. I would rather live here with your memories rather than become one among many who love you etc. In later books he shows Krishna as remembering Radha with a lot of love.
Yes. Krishna series books, enough to know about the whole mahabharatam and also bhagavatham. The book for children, youth and elders.
Part 1 - How Krishna was born with four shoulders and taken by Vasudeva, Krishna's Gokulam and His playful tactics of killing Putaki and frightening Kalinga snake at yamuna river, his subsequent love towards Radha and his voyage to Mathura and atlast killing his own uncle Kamsa. Here, on Radha's love towards Krishna, KMM mentioned that he has taken the Radha Story after verification from Elango's silappathikaaram, where Radha was called as Nappinnai.
(For those who want to read in Tamil (first part), GITA SAMBASIVAM, writes in her blog. I wll find out the blog address and put it here)
Part 2: How Krishna rejected the offer of King at Madhura by Ugrasena and meeting first time with Pandava Brothers at Mathura, and smart love story of Rukmini and excellent war methods of Jarasandh to capture Krishna brothers, who escape to Goa, then defeated Jarasandha in a war and dejected Jarasandha plan for grand alliance against Krishna and asked Rukmi, brother of Rukmini to prepare a fake swaymvar for tghe benefit of Sisubala, finally skuttled by SriKrishna
Here, KM Munshi narrating in suberb way about the love affairs of Shaibya and Rukmini with Krishna, and finally how Rukmini realise Krishna is meant for others and not only for her own self. Excellent part.
The most thrilling series is Part-3, Five Brothers, the complete story of early Pandavas, Krishna's association with them and how Krishna plans their escape route, how the cousin of Krishna Uddhava fails to learn of love with Naga beauties, and finally the real swayamvaram arranged by Krishna himself for Drowpathi and how he thwarted the efforts of Jarasandha to take away the bride violently and atlast how Drowbathi accepts all five as her husbands. This is important and a justifiable theory was found by KM Munshi for this particular aspect where actually Krishna tells every one in the whole series He is for establishing dharma in the earth. VERY CLEVERLY HANDLED.
In fact, Drowbathi (Krishnaa) first opted for Sri Krishna as her Husband, but the clever Krishna avoided her and saying that she is suitable to more worthy person who can oppose their enemy, i.e. Dronacharya. The Love became friendliness and finally as saviour of her prestige too in various encounter of hers in future. Not only Drowbathi, Krishna gives equal importance to Bhanumathi (Dhuriyodhana's wife) here in this story. well handled by KMM.
The fourth part, fifth part and sixth part (Bhima, Yudhirstra and Vedha Vyasa) all are told in very well narrated style. How Trivedham became chathurvedham is well explained in Vedha Vyasa Book.
I always purchase and present the Krishna series stories set to important people whenever I attend on them. The books are available in all major stores everywhere apart from BVB stalls. Very less priced. But worth is priceless.
I suggest strongly our PS group members also. You do not find any sort of dullness and you are assured of briskness while reading the book, even though you are well aware the end as well the happenings. That is KMM., the Great and guide for any writer.
Hello Dhivakar Sir Your description of the series has kindled waves of iterest i acquiring a set & reading the same. Thanks for the woderful write up on the series.
Actually the whole RAdha story is somewhat controversial which is one of the reasons probably why Radha is not worshipped as much as Rukmini(atleast in southerin india). Radha was a married woman and older to Sri Krishna.
I am very surprised at the Draupadi wanting to marry Sri Krishna, Draupadi is technically Sri Krishna's sister, blue in complexion and her other name is Krishnaaa too. I have to verify if this is there in the Ganguli Mahabharat Translation.
"In fact, Drowbathi (Krishnaa) first opted for Sri Krishna as her Husband, but the clever Krishna avoided her and saying that she is suitable to more worthy person who can oppose their enemy, i.e. Dronacharya. The Love became friendliness and finally as saviour of her prestige too in various encounter of hers in future. Not only Drowbathi, Krishna gives equal importance to Bhanumathi (Dhuriyodhana' s wife) here in this story. well handled by KMM"
Dhivakar
HI I thought Draupadi and Krishna are like sister and brother. Draupadi was shakthi amsa and Krishna Vishnu amsa. This is a new view.
Draupadi and Krishna were not brother and sister. THe name Krishnaa was due to their dark color (not blue please :) let's call it what it was. Draupadi however, did consider Krishna as a savior, well-wisher and brother. As for the religious (Vishnu-amsa etc) I am not going to comment on that.
Nothing is true. Mahabharata and Sri Krishna belong to Dhwapara Yugam as per Vedas. Unfortunately, nobody can search his background and the true period, and that is perhaps what everyone calls "God!!!!"
The History of Ancient India (B.A. History) first year book mentioning that the Krishna was one of the Arian king ruled the north part of India and supproted the Pandavas.
Dear Dhivakar, it is very debatable if Nappinnai was Radha, since tamil folklore and tradition celebrate her 'marraige' to Sri Krishna. Nappinnai has sometimes been argued to be Neela Devi, the south indian princess Sri Krishna married after subduing 8 bulls.
There is no Radha in the Bhagavatam or Mahabharat. Radha was intrduced during the Bhakti movement and predominantly in the north. Jayadeva does not make any bones about thinking of her as Sri Krishna's mistress, a woman who taught him the secrets of love. He even goes far to describe how Sri Krishna created 'maya' around Radha's husband and friends and made them invisible when they came looking for her and the lovers were together.
One has to have a fairly liberal concept of love to accept Radha as what it is,assumign she existed. The over exaltation of the Radha concept in the north and more by ISKCON (who actually turned her into Rukmini and obliterated the origins of everything into their own culture) has blurred the imaginative origins almost completely. Most of our saints did not want to do so and they probably coined Nappinnai to mean a married wife he had.
Draupadi was not born by human birth she was born out of fire. There is nothing in the Mahabharat that says she was 'attracted' to Sri Krishna and she is regarded as his sister, not just by color but by divinity in origin.
It is a very tough task to read mythology with acknowledging some spiritual connection. Myth is on the fine line between human stories and spiritual super human connections - and that is an extremely difficult line to walk. We usually have two parties, one who want to toally humanise everything such as in puranic movies like Karnan where Karna's story is reduced to one of an abandoned kid in 20th century, or we have the whole reengineering spiritual crowd that reverse engineers the whole story as divine ordain and takes out all the humanness out of it. It is a fine line between both and often times one that can only make sense to an individual as they see it.
Shree Krishan Katha is to be read and learn either with Gyan or with Bhakti.. In Gyan understand the message preached from any event or epic. In Bhakti just read and enjoy his will. Just enjoy Shree Krishan Leela as Shree Padupad says, "Whatever attracts is Krishan".
With regards
Manish Kumar Aggarwal +91 92 16 38 39 40
Your Dreams Are Waiting Be In Time www.aggarwalsahib.blogspot.com
There is a theory (I read somewhere on the web) that there was never a character called Radha originally. She was a creation of Jayadeva who wanted a foil for Krishna in his romantic ashtapadis.
Radha is not mentioned anywhere in Mahabharatha, Srimad Bhagavatham or Vishnu puranam or any of the pasurams! There is no mention of any "special" gopi in these works, but Jayadeva used some suggestions of a favorite gopi to create Radha and make her the embodiment of Krishna bhakthi.
This creation was later adopted by many poets in Bengal, Chaitanya, etc, and soon there was no separating Radha from Krishna!
Its curious why south india did not adopt Radha as enthusiastically. Was it her married state and hence her adulterous relationship with Krishna that south did not accept? You don't see Radha in temples, etc. The only time you hear of Radha is in the bhajan sampradayams where they perform Radha kalyanam. Interesting!
A query. Assuming Radha was created at later ages by Jayadeva, Why would Jayadeva create a character that is married and create an adulterous relationship? It is not logical for an author to create an uncomplicated character and link with Krishna? I guess an adulterous relationship would have been a no-no even at that times. Would it not have been easy and quite acceptable to create an girl character who is unmarried and of the same age as Krishna and spin a love story ?? Any probable reasons ??
Ganesh, Jayadeva was not the first person to write on Radha's affair - it was quite a popular folk legend in Bengal and he popularised it that is all. Jayadeva is a great poet actually - his poetry is love based where there are no rules. He portrays Krishna as the embodiment of love for which gopis would sacrifice anything including their families and moral status. Radha is not the only married woman, all gopis are, she is just the gopi in lead who tries to possess Krishna through her love and realises He belongs to everyone.
Jayadeva's poetry and lot of subsequent poets in his tradition talk of love, not morals or scruples and looking at it that way would be better than forcing our 20th century ways of life on it. BTW there is no shortage of adultery/polygamy or polyandry in Mahabarat itself.
I think radha is the embodiment of mankinds love for krishna it was typical of many saints to imagine themselves as the bride to the lord ramana's akshara malai is written as a bride welcoming the groom format
I am sorry to inform that I don't have the text book with me now. But I can say that the name of subject is "History of Ancien India" before christ (B.A. History 1st year). It says about invation made by the Arians through the Sindh Valley. They destroyed the civilizations of Sindh and it saying that they took long time and hardly demolished the Sindh people those who lived in the banks of River Sindh. It is hard to me now to get the book from my home. But I will try.