a hero or villain?

[Guest guest]

HARI AUM

 

What is real and unreal??? Info, knowledge, wisdom,

beliefs, attitudes, events, perceptions, advice..any

number of things clour one's view and opinions. Does

Shakuni deserve sympathies??? I know our minds revolt

at such thoughts!! Read on.

 

Regards

 

Balagopal

 

NARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANA

 

Here is a little known story based on the Mahabharata

found in Andhra Pradesh. Before Gandhari, mother of

the Kauravas, married Dhritarashtra of the Kuru clan,

she had been – on the advice of astrologers, to avert

a calamity – ‘married’ to a goat and the ‘husband’ had

been sacrificed promptly thereafter. Technically, this

made Gandhari a widow and Dhritarashtra her second

husband. Fearing a scandal if this information became

public, the elders of the Kuru clan put Gandhari’s

entire family under house arrest. They were served

just one fistful of rice every day. Realizing that

this was an elaborate plan to starve them to death,

Gandhari’s father declared that none but his youngest

son would eat the sparse food being served, so that at

least one amongst them would survive the avenge the

death of the rest. This youngest survivor of

Gandhari’s family was Shakuni. He swore vengeance. He

used the knuckle bones of his father and dead brothers

to make the dice with which he was able to defeat the

Pandavas in the gambling match, a victory that

eventually led to the war at Kurukshetra and the

entire Kuru clan was annihilated.

 

This folk story transforms the villain of the Sanskrit

epic into a victim and an avenging angle. So who is

Shakuni – a hero or villain? It all depends on the

story we are told, and stories we choose to believe.

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear Balagopalji,

 

This is interesting. I have never heard this side of the story of Shakuni. Thanks for sharing. People with aasuri sampath were prevalent in all yugaas, not just in Kaliyuga. But the number of people with this kind of attitude are more in this yuga. The only consolation is

 

Yathra yogeswara: Krishno

yathra paartho dhanurdhara:

thathra sreervijayo bhoothi:

Druva neethirmathirmama

 

 

Regards and prayers

 

Savitri

On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 2:51 AM, balagopal ramakrishnan <rbalpal wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

HARI AUMWhat is real and unreal??? Info, knowledge, wisdom,beliefs, attitudes, events, perceptions, advice..anynumber of things clour one's view and opinions. DoesShakuni deserve sympathies??? I know our minds revolt

at such thoughts!! Read on.RegardsBalagopalNARAYANA NARAYANA NARAYANAHere is a little known story based on the Mahabharatafound in Andhra Pradesh. Before Gandhari, mother ofthe Kauravas, married Dhritarashtra of the Kuru clan,

she had been – on the advice of astrologers, to averta calamity – 'married' to a goat and the 'husband' hadbeen sacrificed promptly thereafter. Technically, thismade Gandhari a widow and Dhritarashtra her second

husband. Fearing a scandal if this information becamepublic, the elders of the Kuru clan put Gandhari'sentire family under house arrest. They were servedjust one fistful of rice every day. Realizing thatthis was an elaborate plan to starve them to death,

Gandhari's father declared that none but his youngestson would eat the sparse food being served, so that atleast one amongst them would survive the avenge thedeath of the rest. This youngest survivor ofGandhari's family was Shakuni. He swore vengeance. He

used the knuckle bones of his father and dead brothersto make the dice with which he was able to defeat thePandavas in the gambling match, a victory thateventually led to the war at Kurukshetra and theentire Kuru clan was annihilated.

This folk story transforms the villain of the Sanskritepic into a victim and an avenging angle. So who isShakuni – a hero or villain? It all depends on thestory we are told, and stories we choose to believe.

(for complete reading log onto:http://devdutt.com/178)Did you know? You can CHAT without downloading messenger. Go to http://in.messenger./webmessengerpromo.php/