593 Part-1 Will those who lose Bihar elections cover their faces with cloth and go to forest for five years? भाग १- बीहार चुनाव में हारने वाले नेता लोग, अपने मुख पर कपडे डाल कर जंगिल जाते क्या ? బీహార్ ఎన్నకలలో ఓడిపోయే నేతలు ముఖం పై గుడ్డ కప్పుకుని ఐదేళ్ళు అడవికి వెల్థారా

Bihar State's Election results will come on 8th Nov. 2015. The elections have been fought by BJP-NDA and the JDS-RDA-Congress muThAs (I am not sure whether I can use the word gangs as an English word for the Hindi word muThAs, and whether will be Parliamentary or unParliamentary).

How can you call our political parties MuthAs?

Ans: Both the parties have given tickets to candidates who have criminal Histories. (Residual Andhra Pradesh and Telangana do not lag behind Bihar in this respect). The word "jungle rAj" (Kingdom of Forest) applies to both the parties.

Question: How the losers are going to conduct themselves after their losses at the outings will become very clear.

Indian Elections are worse than the gambling bouts of dice which took place in the Great Indian Epic "Vyasa Mahabharata". This time, the battles have been fought so bitterly, that no party or politician ever might have thought about fair means or unfair means.

In reality there is not much in stake for BJP in Bihar to fight this battle so bitterly, except that if it wins more seats in Bihar Assembly, it can get more number of its candidates elected to Rajya Sabha. This helps BJP to push through all the bills and concessions which they have promised to Indian Capitalists and Foreign Capitalists. The worst thing is, BJP has brought into elections, the issue of beef-eating to polarise the electorate, on the basis of religion. There are many more issues which definitely deserve great attention from the ruling party, than the beaf eating.

Besides, if BJP loses Bihar Elections, the position of Mr. Narendra Modi may become untenable in his own party. There may be a revolt.

If BJP wins in Bihar, Mr. Narendra Modi's dictatorial tendencies will sky-rocket.

TODAY'S CONTEXTUAL VERSES

CONTEXT: In the Mahabharata Epic, a gambling binge of dice took place between Pandavas and Kauravas. According to the Epic, Sakuni used deceptive methods to defeat PAnDavas. After much turmoil in the Court of Dhritarashtra, Pandavas had to move to forests for a 13 year exile and 1 year of incognito hiding.

The following verses by Nannaya in his Mahabharata Translation of Telugu language (11th Century A.D. , older than Chaucer's Canterbury Tales) which describe with great adeptness, the manner in which the five Pandava Princes and their Queen Draupadi was walking on the path to the Forests. Roman Script and English translation for this will be provided as early as possible.

నన్నయ మహాభారతం, సభాపర్వం చివరిదైన ద్వితీయాశ్వాసము, 302వ పద్యము. సీస పద్యం. వదన సరోజంబు వస్త్రాంతమున కప్పికొనియేగె ధర్మనందనుడు మరియు

భీమ బాహులు రెండు పెద్దలుగా చాచి ఘనసత్త్వు డమ్మరుత్తనయుడరిగె

ఇసుము చల్లుచు అమరేంద్ర పుత్రుడు వోయె భూరేణు లిప్త శరీరుడగుచు

నకులుండు సనియే మానక లజ్జ చేసి యధోవక్త్రుడై సహదేవుడరిగే

ఆటవెలది
వివృత కేశభరము వ్రేలంగ ద్రౌపది
సనియె రౌద్రయామ్య సామగాన
ముఖరితాస్యుడగుచు మ్రోల ధౌమ్యుం డేగె,
సకల జనులు శోక జలధి తేల.
303. అనిన అట్లేర వార లరిగిరని యడిగిన విదురిండిట్లనియె.

304.కందం
నీకొడుకు వికృతిఁ చేసి య
పాకృత రాజ్యుడయి ధర్మపతి నిజరూక్షా
లోకన జనదాహభయ
వ్యాకులుడై చనియె దృష్టి వారించినడిన్.
క్రింద గాడిద వాణిని చూడండి.

305. కందం
సమరమున బాహుబల దర్ప
ముమెరయన్ గంటిననుచు బాహులతివిశా
లములుగ చేయుచు నరిగెను,
సమీరజుడరాతి భీతి సంజననుండై.

౩౦౬. కందం
వెరచరవన్ ఇంతకంటెన్
తరచుగ బాణంబులేసి తడయక పగరం
చెరుతునని ఇసుము చల్లుచు ,
ఉరుక ధనంజయుడు రణజయోన్నతుడరిగెన్.

౩౦౭. వచనం.
మరి దుఃఖానుభావంబున కనుచితంబైన తన సుందర రపంబు సూచి జనులు దుఃఖింపకుండవలయు నని ధూళి ధూసరిత శరీరుండై నకులుండరిగె. దీనంబైన తన యాననంబు సూచిన వారికి నెల్ల నెగ్గగునని అవనత వదనుండై సహదేవుడరిగె.

౩౦౮. చంపకమాల.
తడసిన ఏక వస్త్ర పరిదానముతోడ విముక్త కేశయై
తొడరుచు దుఃఖ భావమున ద్రోపది వోయె మహా పాపంబునం
బడిన నిజేశ మిత్ర బంధుజనంబుల శోక వేదనం
కడుకొని యట్ల యేగుదురు కౌరవ భామిను లవ్విధంబునన్.

పై పద్యంలో ధర్మరాజు గారు దృష్టి వారించి నడిన్ అంటే తన దృష్టిని మళ్ళించి నడిచాడనే ఉంది గానీ ముఖంపై తుండు గుడ్డ కప్పుకుని వెళ్ళాడని లేదు. కాని క్రింద వ్యాసుడి రచన ను చూడండి. వస్త్రేన సంవృత్యా ముఖం కుంతీ పుత్రం యుధిష్ఠిరః అన్నాడు.
భీముడిని అర్ధం చేసుకోవాలంటే, పాండవ వన వాసం సినిమాలో ఎన్ టీ ఆర్ ను గుర్తుకు తెచ్చుకోండి. తెలీని వాళ్ళు ఎన్ టీ ఆర్ ఏమిటి ఇలా భుజాలు విస్తరించుకుని విరుచుకుంటూ నడుస్తున్నాడు అనుకుంటారు. (పైనే ఉంది భాహులతివిశాలములు గ చేయుచు నరిగెను అని నన్నయ గారు అన్నారు కదా.)

అర్జునుడుగా ఎవరు నటించారో నాకు గుర్తుకు రావటం లేదు. అతడు ఇసుము (ఇసుక) చల్లుకుంటూ నడవటం నాకు గుర్తుకు ఉంది. ధర్మారాజు తన ముఖానికి గుడ్డ అడ్డం వేసుకున్నట్లు నాకు గుర్తుకు రావటం లేదు. కానీ పాండవ వనవాసం దర్శకుడు మటుకు, ఈ వనవాసానికి వెళ్ళే సీనును చిత్రించటపుడు మటుకు చాల లోతుగా పరిశోధించాడనే చెప్పాలి.
సికత వపన్ సవ్యసాచీ అని వ్యాసుడు అంటే, ఇసుము చల్లుచు ఉరుక ధనంజయుడు అని నన్నయ గారు అన్నారు.

How Sage VyAsa (Krishna DvaipAyana) depicted this in his Sanskrit MahAbharata?

Sabha071 001 dhritarAshTra uvAca
Sabha071 001 katham gacchati kauntEyo dharmarAjo yudhishThirah-
BhimasEnah savyasAcI mAdrIputrau ca tAv ubhau
dhaumyaS caiva katham kshattar draupadI vA tapasvinI-
Srotum icchAmy aham sarvam tEshAm angavicEshTitam


vidura uvAca: vastrENa samvritya mukham kuntIputro yudhishThirah-
bAhU viSAlau kritvA tu Bhimo gacchati pANDavah
sikatA vapan savyasAcI rAjAnam anugacchati-
mAdrIputrah sahadEvo mukham Alipya gacchati
pAmsUpaliptasarvAngo nakulaS cittavihvalah-
darSanIyatamo lokE rAjAnam anugacchati

Sabha071 006 krishNA kESaih praticchAdya mukham AyatalocanA-
darSanIyA prarudatI rAjAnam anugacchati
dhaumyo yAmyAni sAmAni raudrANi ca viSAm patE-
gAyan gacchati mArgEshu kuSAn AdAya pANinA
dhritarAshTra uvAca: vividhAnIha rUpANi kritvA gacchanti pANDavAh-
tan mamAcakshva vidura kasmAd Evam vrajanti tE
vidura uvAca: nikritasyApi tE putrair hritE rAjyE dhanEshu ca-
na dharmAc calatE buddhir dharmarAjasya dhImatah
yo asau rAjA ghriNI nityam dhArtarAshTrEshu bhArata-
nikrityA krodhasamtapto nonmIlayati locanE


Sabha071 011 nAham janam nirdahEyam drishTvA ghorENa cakshushA-
sa pidhAya mukham rAjA tasmAd gacchati pANDavah
yathA ca Bhimo vrajati tan mE nigadatah SriNu-
bAhvor balE nAsti samo mamEti bharatarshabha
bAhU viSAlau kritvA tu tEna Bhimo api gacchati-
bAhU darSayamAno hi bAhudraviNadarpitah
E cikIrshan karma Satrubhyo bAhudravyAnurUpatah
pradiSaJ SarasampAtAn kuntIputro arjunas tadA-
sikatA vapan savyasAcI rAjAnam anugacchati
asaktAh sikatAs tasya yathA samprati bhArata-
asaktam SaravarshANi tathA mokshyati Satrushu

Sabha071 016 na mE kaS cid vijAnIyAn mukham adyEti bhArata-
mukham Alipya tEnAsau sahadEvo api gacchati
nAham manAmsy AdadEyam mArgE strINAm iti prabho-
pAmsUpacitasarvAngo nakulas tEna gacchati

EkavastrA tu rudatI muktakESI rajasvalA-
SoNitAktArdravasanA draupadI vAkyam abravIt
yatkritE aham imAm prAptA tEshAm varshE caturdaSE-
hatapatyo hatasutA hatabandhujanapriyAh
bandhuSoNitadigdhAngyo muktakESyo rajasvalAh-
Evam kritodakA nAryah pravEkshyanti gajAhvayam

Late Kishore Mohan Ganguli's transaltion of the above verses which describes the demeanour of the Pandavas when they were leaving to the forest exile.

Sabha Parva Chapter 079

Vaisampayana said,--As soon as Vidura endued with great foresight came unto him king Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, timidly asked his brother,--'How doth Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, proceed along? And how Arjuna? And how the twin sons of Madri? And how, O Kshatta, doth Dhaumya proceed along? And how the illustrious Draupadi? I desire to hear everything, O Kshatta; describe to me all their acts.

Vidura replied,--'Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, hath gone away covering his face with his cloth. And Bhima, O king, hath gone away looking at his own mighty arms. And Jishnu (Arjuna) hath gone away, following the king spreading sand-grains around. And Sahadeva, the son of Madri, hath gone away besmearing his face, and Nakula, the handsomest of men, O king, hath gone away, staining himself with dust and his heart in great affliction. And the large-eyed and beautiful Krishna hath gone away, covering her face with her dishevelled hair following in the wake of the king, weeping and in tears. And O monarch, Dhaumya goeth along the road, with kusa grass in hand, and uttering the aweful mantras of Sama Veda that relate to Yama.

Dhritarashtra asked,--Tell me, O Vidura, why is it that the Pandavas are leaving Hastinapore in such varied guise.

Vidura replied,--'Though persecuted by thy sons and robbed of his kingdom and wealth the mind of the wise king Yudhishthira the just hath not yet deviated from the path of virtue. King Yudhishthira is always kind, O Bharata, to thy children.

Though deprived (of his kingdom and possessions) by foul means, filled with wrath as he is, he doth not open eyes. 'I should not burn the people by looking at them with angry eyes,'--thinking so, the royal son of Pandu goeth covering his face.

Listen to me as I tell thee, O bull of the Bharata race, why Bhima goeth so. 'There is none equal to me in strength of arms,' thinking so Bhima goeth repeatedly stretching forth his mighty arms. And, O king, proud of the strength of his arms, Vrikodara goeth, exhibiting them and desiring to do unto his enemies deeds worthy of those arms.

And Arjuna the son of Kunti, capable of using both his arms (in wielding the Gandiva) followeth the footsteps of Yudhishthira, scattering sand-grains emblematical of the arrows he would shower in battle. O Bharata, he indicateth that as the sand-grains are scattered by him with ease, so will he rain arrows with perfect ease on the foe (in time of battle). And Sahadeva goeth besmearing his lace, thinking 'None may recognise me in this day of trouble.'

And, O exalted one, Nakula goeth staining himself with dust thinking, 'Lest otherwise I steal the hearts of the ladies that may look at me.'

And Draupadi goeth, attired in one piece of stained cloth, her hair dishevelled, and weeping, signifying--'The wives of those for whom I have been reduced to such a plight, shall on the fourteenth year hence be deprived of husbands, sons and relatives and dear ones and smeared all over with blood, with hair dishevelled and all in their feminine seasons enter Hastinapore having offered oblations of water (unto the manes of those they will have lost).

Question: Who are Pandavas and who are Kauravas in the Bihar Electoral Battle? Do you mean to say that whoever loses in the elections should be called Pandavas, and they should go to exile (a sort of person-a-nongrata status in this Capitalist world) covering their heads and faces with towels?

Na. Na. There is no such distinction. If we study Mahabharata thoroughly, we can realise that neither Pandavas nor Kauravas were truly noble. Both like our today's politicians were afflicted with animosities, greed, hatred, pride, rudeness, sloth, treachery, and above all, "LEAST CONCERN FOR THE PEOPLE THEY RULE". न. न. ऐसा कभी नहीं मानना.। क्योंकि, पांडव और कौरव दोनों क्रूरात्म थे, जैसे आजके राजकीय नेता रहते हैं। आजके राजकीय नेतओं के तरह, पांडव, और कौरव भी निरंतर शतृ चिंता, दुराशा, द्वेष भाव, अहंकार, पारुष्य, अलस्तव, द्रोह चिंता, और सब से ज्यादा, "अपने जनता के बाधाओं के विषयों में अत्यल्प आसक्ती" इन सभी अवगुणों से वे ग्रस्त और व्यस्त थे. इसीलिये, एक को उत्तम और दुसरे के मध्यम या अधम कहना उचिन नहीं रहेगा। द्यूत में जीतना या हारना और चुनाव में जीतना हारना, इन दोनों के मध्य फरक एक बाल (शिरोज) से भी कह होता है। (TO CONTINUE, WE MAY HAVE TO WRITE A THOUSAND PAGES, SOME DAY).

570 Did truthful, forbearing, patient, discriminating, dispassionate, God devotee YudhishThira gamble betting his employees or his slaves? क्या सत्यवान, क्षमावान, सहनशील, विचक्षणाशील, दैवभक्त युधिष्ठिर, शकुनि से द्यूत में अपने नौकरों को बॆट्टिंग किया या अपने स्लेव्स को बॆट्टिंग किया ? మన సత్యవాన్, క్షమావాన్, సహనశీల, విచక్షణాశీల, దైవభక్త ధర్మరాజుగారు శకునితో ఆడిన జూదంలో తన నౌకర్లను పణంగా పెట్టాడా లేక బానిసలను పణంగా పెట్టాడా ?

What sort of man are you? Of all the incidents of Yudhisthira's life, you remember only his seeing hell. You don't remember his truthfulness, his forbearance, his patience, his discrimination, his dispassion, his devotion to God.' I was about to say many more things, when Hriday stopped my mouth. After a little while Jatindra left the place, saying he had some other business to attend to. It isn't good to be clever. The crow is very clever, but it eats others filth.'

... At my blog No.Click to go to http://sankaracharyayb.blogspot.com/search/label/008', Shri Ravi commented as under (part of the comment is quoted below) citing what Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said to one of his devotees by name Jatin :--

This made me very angry. I said to him: 'What sort of man are you? Of all the incidents of Yudhisthira's life, you remember only his seeing hell. You don't remember his truthfulness, his forbearance, his patience, his discrimination, his dispassion, his devotion to God.' I was about to say many more things, when Hriday stopped my mouth.

After a little while Jatindra left the place, saying he had some other business to attend to.

2.It isn't good to be clever. The crow is very clever, but it eats others filth.'

3.The right intelligence is that through which one attains God; but the intelligence that enables one to become a deputy magistrate or a lawyer, or to acquire a house, is a mean intelligence. It is like thin and watery curd, which merely soaks flattened rice but does not add any flavour to it. It is not like thick, superior curd. But the intelligence through which one attains God is like thick curd." ...

ybrao-a-donkey's humble views. You need not agree with me. You have every right to express your views and criticise me. Welcome. वैबीराव गधे के विनम्र राय। आप मुझ से सहमत होने के निर्बंध नहीं है। आप को अपने अभिप्रायों को व्यक्त करने के और मुझे खुरदा पकडने के सभी हक हैं। स्वागत. వైబీరావు గాడిద వినమ్ర వ్యాఖ్య. మీరు నాతో ఏకీభవించవలసిన నిర్బంధం లేదు. మీ అభిప్రాయాలను వ్యక్తం చేసే స్వేఛ్ఛ, నన్ను విమర్శించే అన్ని హక్కులు మీకున్నాయి. స్వాగతం.
Just as people are afraid of exploring and speaking truth about Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and Swami Vivekananda, people are equally afraid of thinking or exploring about YudhishThira (dharma rAja). Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in the above quote, is very convinced about the discriminative abilities of Yudhishthira. This is probably because his convictions are based on anecdotes he heard from preachers and discoursers (ప్రవచనకర్తలు प्रवचनकार). We shall see from Vyasa's Sanskrit Mahabharata:-

Vyasa MahabhArata , Sabha Parva (Book 2 dealing with Assemblies), Chapter 85 (deals with the betting and gambling process between YudhishThira and Sakuni), verses 17 to 19.

Sanskrit verses in Roman Script.

Satam dAsI sahasrANi taruNyO hEma bhadrikAha
kambu kEyUra dhAriNyO nishka kamThyaha svalamkritAha

mahArha mAlyAbharaNAha suvastrAs candanOkshitAha
maNIn hEma ca bibhratas catuh shashTi viSAradAha

anusEvAm carantI mAh kuSalAn nritta sAmasu-
snAtakAnAm amAtyAnAm ragnAm ca mama SAsanAt.
E tad rAjan mama dhanam tEna dIvyAm aham tvayA.

శతం దాసీసహస్రాణి తరుణ్యో హేమభద్రికాః।
కంబుకేయూరధారిణ్యో నిష్కకంఠ్యః స్వలంకృతాః॥ 2-85-17

మహార్హమాల్యాభరణాః సువస్త్రాశ్చందనోక్షితాః।
మణీన్హేమ చ బిభ్రత్యశ్చతుఃషష్టివిశారదాః॥ 2-85-18

అనుసేవాం చరంతీమాః కుశలా నృత్తసామసు।
స్నాతకానామ్ అమాత్యానాం రాజ్ఞాం చ మమ శాసనాత్।
ఏతద్రాజన్ మమ ధనం తేన దీవ్యాంయహం త్వయా॥ 2-85-19

In dEvanAgari script
शतं दासी सहस्राणि तरुण्यो हेम भद्रिकाः
कंबु केयूर धारिण्यो निष्क कंठ्यः स्वलंकृताः

महार्ह माल्या भरणाः सु वस्त्राश चंदनोक्षिताः
मणीन् हेम च बिभ्रत् यश चतुः षष्टि विशारदाः।

अनुसेवां चरंतीमाः कुशलान कृत्त सामसु-
स्नातकानाम अमात्यानां राज़ञां मम शासनात।

ए तद राजन मम धनं तेन दीव्यां अपं त्वया।

ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE ABOVE SANSKRIT VERSES BY KISHORE MOHAN GANGULY, slightly modified by me.

Yudhishthira said,--‴I have a hundred thousand serving-girls, all young, and decked with golden bracelets on their wrists and upper arms, and with coins round their necks and other ornaments, adorned with costly garlands and attired in rich robes, daubed with the sandal paste, wearing jewels and gold, and well-skilled in 64 arts, especially versed in dancing and singing, and who wait upon and serve at my command the celestials, the Snataka Brahmanas, and kings. With this wealth, I will stake with you !‴

How did 11th Century CE Telugu translator of Mahabharata, the great Nannaya mahAkavi handled this scene? నన్నయగారు శ్రీ మదాంధ్ర మహాభారతం, సభా పర్వంలో దీనిని ఎలా అనువదించారు.

వ. ఇట్లు యుధిష్ఠిరుండు బద్ధమత్సరుం డయి పెఱిగి యొండొండ యొడ్డుచు నిష్కసహస్ర భరితానేకాయుత కుండమండితంబు లయిన సువర్ణ భాండాగారంబులును, వజ్రవైదూర్య మరకత మౌక్తి కనీల ప్రవాళ పద్మరాగాది వివిధ శుద్ధ విపుల రత్న పరిపూర్ణంబు లైన రత్న భాండాగారంబులుం, బ్రత్యేకంబ పంచ ద్రోణ కాంచన సంచితంబు లయిన చతుశ్శత నిధులును మణికింకిణీ జాలాలంకృతంబు లయిన యసంఖ్యాతహయయూధంబులును, జాతరుప వరూథంబులుం, గనక కక్ష్యాకుథసనాథంబు లయిన మదాంధగంధసింధుర సందోహంబులుం, బరార్థ్యరత్నభూషితంబు లయిన యోషిత్సహస్రంబులును, ననుదినాతిథిజన భోజనపాత్ర హస్తులయిన శతసహస్ర పరిచారకులును నర్జునునకు జిత్రరథుం డిచ్చిన గంధర్వహయంబులందొట్టి దుగ్ధపాన శాలితండులఖాదనంబులం బెరుఁగుచున్న జాత్యశ్వా నేకాయుతంబులు, నజావి గోమహిష ఖర రాసభనివహంబులు నొక్కొక్క యొడ్డునన యొడ్డి యోటుపడినం జూచి విదురుండు ధృతరాష్ట్రునకు రహస్యంబున నిట్లనియె. 177

Vyasa, in Chapter 85 of Book 2 (Sabha parvam, Adhyayam 85) used 40 verses to describe how betting between Yudhishthira and Sakuni. Vyasa maintained a depictive drama. Nannaya, disposed off the whole process in seven lines of prose given above. Nannaya wrote yOshita sahasrambulu which means 1000 girls. Vyasa's verse 2-85-18 mentions 100,000 girls. Vyasa described them as apart from being decorated, and adorned, as experts in 64 arts. Nannaya condensed everything. Nannaya used one attribute to describe Yudhishthira: "baddha matsarunDu" = "one who is bound by envy". In my humble opinion, Nannaya should have either adhered to original of Vyasa or alternatively used the adjective "durASA baddhunDu" = "one who is bound by greed" which aptly describes YudhishThira's State of Mind at that time. Anyway these are all minor abherrations. It will be suffice to say that those who want to explore probable facts and truths should analyse Vyasa Mahabharata instead of depending on Indian Language translations.

Why I am writing this is, All India Radio (AkASa vANi), Vijayawada Station, is every Friday morning at 9.30 broadcasting a Mahabharata analysis program based on Telugu Bharatam. Better thing ought to have been: comparing both Vyasa and Andhra Mahabharatas.

Back to wreckless betting of 100,000 girls made by Yudhishthira: As ybrao-a-donkey my mind thinks on behalf of the working class. Okay, let Yudhishthira bet himself, his own brothers including his step-brothers, their common wife. We shall concede his right for the time being. But does Yudhishthira have a right to gamble with the lives of servant girls? Are they slaves? Are they bettable commodities?

Now, our Great Preacher Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says that Yudhishthira's truthfulness, his forbearance, his patience, his discrimination, his dispassion, his devotion to God were not seen by the visitor Hriday or Jatin.

This is not the sole instance of Yudhishthira lacking discriminating abilities, particularly when he is caught by covetousness a la Dhritarashtra. These negative instances outnumber the instances where Yudhishthira acted with equanimity and justice. One such rare positive instance is Yaksha prasnalu (Yaksha's Questions) episode in the Book of Forests (Aranya Parvam). These yaksha prasnalu were already dealt with in our blog post No. 153. Click to go to http;//problemsoftelugus.blogspot.com/search/label/153'. (To continue. सशेष. ఇంకా కొనసాగించాలి.)