Short stories from Mails...Teachings From Mahabharata

1. Mahabharata will always be one of the greatest epics of India It explains love, courage, truth, lies, deceit, selfishness, foolishness and every other human emotion.

Today when we see people of selfish interests all around us and when we find nations fighting with each other for frivolous reasons, one can remember the lessons explained in the Mahabharata.

2. The characters in Mahabharata are many. Each have their own specialty. The circumstances play different roles in shaping destinies and this gives us a lot to learn from Mahabharata.

3. Kunti teaches us the lesson of lie. She spoke lies about birth of Karna and suffered all her life.

4. Bhishma teaches us the lesson of what happens, if you become a mute observer to great injustice.

5. Dhritrashtra teaches us the lesson of misplaced love, which in the end, killed all his sons.

6. Karna teaches us the lesson of undying friendship with a man of no principles. This led to Karna's death.

7. Duryodhana teaches us about the reasons of hatred and destruction. He managed to get all his brothers and friends killed because of his hatred.

8. Bhima teaches us about why one should never forget a wrong, done to oneself.

9. All the Pandava brothers, teach us about how the correct orders of the eldest brother are to be followed.

10. Love between Kunti and Maadari, teaches us about how love can be sustained between step wives.

11. Pandu's death teaches us about how he could not control his sexual desire at the cost of his life.

A. As a daily activity the Pandavas used to go out in search of alms and donations to make both ends meet. On their way back home, Arjun was advised not to mention Draupadi as part of alms to their mother; however Arjun insisted that they could always play a prank with their mother and surprise her later.

B. They declare their arrival to their mother and inform about having returned with alms received during the day, not breaking the news about Draupadi at all, who was not part of the donations. There is a surprise in waiting when Kunti promptly directs them to divide ‘it’ equally amongst themselves, without being aware of the contents of the alms they bring.

C. Obeying one’s elders religiously was one’s duty in those days and there was no way they could disobey this and overturn the directive. Kunti is surprised and speechless on knowing this and is clueless about handling this. While they are trying to find a fitting solution to the grave mistake, Krishna arrives and finds a place in their discussion.

D. Apart from warning them of playing prank with their mother, he also draws their attention to one of Draupadi’s irrational blessings, where she had persuaded Lord Shiva for a husband with all the qualities that could not be found in one person, but in five separate individuals only. Hence to make good his promise, she is awarded with Pandavas as her husbands.

E. This only re-inforces the Mahabharata's teachings on extremely strict discipline and obedience to one's elders and also teaches the elders not to be careless in their own decision making.

Every character of Mahabharata teaches us something.

It is for us to understand the lesson and follow a path in life that brings joy and peace in life.