Asuras

[Guest guest]

OM TAT SAT

Namaste, What is the significance of Asuras in Mahabharata, Ramayana and other

puranas. Do they signify evil thoughts or something else ? I ask this question

because if we have shraddha in Bhagavad Gita and its wisdom, then what about

all the paraphernelia surrounding Bhagavad Gita. Why pick and choose ?

 

thanks,

OM TAT SAT

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Sri Brhmavir wrote:

 

""""I ask this question because if we have shraddha in Bhagavad Gita

and its wisdom, then what about all the paraphernelia surrounding

Bhagavad Gita. Why pick and choose ?""""

 

Dear Brahmhavir, Could you elaborate upon what youexactly meant

by "Paraphernelia surrounding Bhgavatgita" and also pick and choose

what?.

 

Regards

 

Chandra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin, Brahmarpanam Brahmhavir

<mahadevadvaita> wrote:

>

> OM TAT SAT

> Namaste, What is the significance of Asuras in Mahabharata,

Ramayana and other

> puranas. Do they signify evil thoughts or something else ? I ask

this question

> because if we have shraddha in Bhagavad Gita and its wisdom, then

what about

> all the paraphernelia surrounding Bhagavad Gita. Why pick and

choose ?

>

> thanks,

> OM TAT SAT

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

--- chandramauli_s <chandramauli_s wrote:

> Dear Brahmhavir, Could you elaborate upon what youexactly meant

> by "Paraphernelia surrounding Bhgavatgita" and also pick and choose

> what?.

 

OM TAT SAT

Dear Chandramauli-ji, My first question was what exactly are Asuras - real

species existed at that time or they are simply symbolic of the havoc thoughts

can play on an individual . It seems like the very reason for writing

Mahabharata was Bhagavad Gita so I wonder what others think about the rest of

the Mahabharata - simply a story or something that actually happened in

history.

 

thanks,

OM TAT SAT

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

First, let me provide you with my understanding of Gita's portrayal

of Asuras. The entire chapter 16 (The Yoga of the Divine and

Demoniacal) of Bhagavad Gita contains the answers to your question

with great amounts of details. This chapter is important and very

instructive to all persons who wish to gain happiness, prosperity and

blessedness, and to seekers who wish to attain success in their

spiritual life.

 

Lord Krishna brings out quite the intimate interrelation between

dharma (ethics) and other virtues of life, Self-realization and

liberation. Listing two contrasting sets of qualities, Lord Krishna

classifies them as divine and demoniacal, and asks us to cultivate

the divine qualities and discard the demonic qualities.

This chapter focuses on the following key questions that often arises

in the minds of the truth seeker:

What kind of nature that I should develop?

What conduct must I follow?

What way should I live and act if my ultimate goal is God-

realization?

 

The answers to these questions are provided through verses 1 to 24.

 

The pure divine qualities are conducive to peace and liberation and

the demonic qualities lead to bondage. Purity, good conduct and truth

are indispensable to spiritual progress and even to an honorable life

here. When we fail to pay attention to purity, good conduct and

truth, and if we demonstrate no faith in God or a higher Reality

beyond this visible world, our divine nature will degenerate to a

demon. We become a two-legged beast of ugly character and cruel

actions and fall into darkness. We grow to be our own enemy and the

destroyer of our peace and happiness as well as others around us.

Caught in countless desires and cravings, a slave of sensual

enjoyments and beset by a thousand cares, our life ultimately

culminates in misery and degradation.

 

According to Gita, the three gates that can lead to hell are the

gates of Kama (passion), Krodha (anger) and Lobha (greed). Implicitly

Gita recognizes that those who are ruled by Kama, Krodha and Lobha

are demonic!

 

For understanding Vedanta or the morals for human life, it doesn't

really matter whether the Asuras exists with ugly rupa and swarupa.

Honestly, Vedanta's main focus is on the "Atman" and the vedantic

discussions want all of us to detach our attention from 'body, mind

and intellect' to the spirit. I believe that we have lot more to gain

by focusing on the 'symbolic' interpretation for the demons and

devils of the puranic stories and the epics of Ramayana and

Mahabharata.

 

Let us look at the character Ravana of Ramayana who is a Rakshasa

(worst among the asuras) with 10 heads. According to Ramayana, Ravana

was a Brahmin by birth with all the virtues and he was a greater

scholar than Rama. The ten heads symbolizes his mastery over the six

Sastras and the four Vedas. It was a symbolic way of saying that he

was an expert in all the 10 branches of knowledge. It should be

pointed out also that Ravana was also considered as a great devotee

of Lord Siva. Then why is he declared as a "Rakshasa?" Ravana in

spite of his gained knowledge and wisdom, was only interested in

his `own enjoyment' and was drowned by Kama, Krodha and Lobha. The

beauty of Ramayana is the symbolic message that it conveyed through

the contrasting characters of Rama and Ravana representing the good

and ugly. In Mahabharat, more contrasting situations and episodes

are presented to help us to understand the perils of life and how to

learn from the characters and events.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Ram Chandran

 

advaitin, Brahmarpanam Brahmhavir

<mahadevadvaita> wrote:

> OM TAT SAT

> Dear Chandramauli-ji, My first question was what exactly are

Asuras - real

> species existed at that time or they are simply symbolic of the

havoc thoughts

> can play on an individual .