When it comes to characters in our epics, it is not right
to take the metaphysical form of the same. They are not supposed to be taken as
human beings just as we do normally. Such characters were made to pass certain
knowledge, to pass certain morals, for the common man to learn and understand. In
one discussion once someone pointed at Draupadi and said how she was subjected
to agree to five husbands though her heart was for Arjun. This is not the right
way to think of Draupadi as any woman, there’s lot of depth into it.
In the book “God Talks with Arjuna” by Paramhansa
Yogananda, he tells in detail about the physical and metaphysical and spiritual
meaning of Gita for us to understand. He tells in details about the real inner
meaning of Gita.
According to him, the battle field of Kurukshetra
represents our own life. Dritarashtra is the blind and ignorant mind of ours
which tends to give rise to 100 sense tendencies and desires. The 100 sons of
Dritrashtra are those sense tendencies. Pandu represents the wisdom, hence
white. Hence Kurukshetra is the battlefield of our mind, body and senses. It’s
the battle of ignorant and wise, so as to find the way to rise up and get the
status of Param Brahma.
Coming to Draupadi and the Pancha Pandavas, well Draupadi
represents the Kundalini and the Pandavas the five chakras of our body. As
posted
here in this article, as the Kundalini is raised, she passes through the
chakras uniting her to each chakra.
1.
Sehdeva, the base chakra Mooldhara, it means
avoidance of attitude that prevent one from attaining Inner Peace.
2.
Nakula, Swadhishthana Chakra, represents “Niyama”.
It means adhering to attitudes that brings Inner Peace.
3.
Third Chakra Manipura is Arjuna. As per yoga,
when manipura is awakened, it brings in fiery self-control. Leaving aside that
brief moment of weakness when he saw his own people on battlefield, he was
always the representative of self-control brave one.
4.
Bhim represents the Anahat Chakra, located at
the heart. When this chakra gets awakened, it brings in intense feeling, a
feeling which can pull us up towards devotion or take us down into emotions. Bhim
represented this vigorous feeling in anything he did, be it right or error.
5.
Yudhistira is the Vishudha chakra. This chakra
when awakened brings in a deep calm feeling. It brings in the feeling of
devotion, righteousness and calmness. Yudhistira represented exactly that in
Mahabharat.
And finally the Agya/Ajna chakra, located between the
eyes, it is the doorway to soul consciousness. During meditation we concentrate
on this point and when it opens, we get to experience the bliss. This chakra is
represented by none other than Lord Krishna in Mahabharat.
Every incident in Mahabharat has bearing on life events
and carries a deep rooted meaning. The game of dice in Mahabharat represents a
game of ego versus desire that we face in life. So you see even if you reach
the state where your Vishuddha chakra is awakened, yet you have the chance to
again go down. So in spiritual journey you need to stay strong and stand erect
with determination, only then you can merge with the Supreme one. This book is
more enlightening than any I read till date.
