Character Sketch

• Śakuni, the maternal uncle of Duryodhana embodies the pattern of self-hatred, which is cunningness personified.

• Droṇa represents all the best knowledge one imbibes and the teachers one encounters, who guide us but are unable to take us through to the ultimate flowering of enlightenment. It is difficult to give them up since one feels grateful to them. This is where the Enlightened Master, the incarnation steps in and guides us.

• Duryodhana, represents one's ego or root-pattern, the most difficult to conquer as it leads one to self destruction. One needs the full help of the Master here. It is subtle work and even the Master's help may not be obvious, since at this point, sometimes the ego makes us deny and disconnect from the Master as well.

• Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate act of compassion that one can offer to the world. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion.

Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities and all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic, conflict-free way.

Karṇa is the repository of all good deeds and it is his good deeds that stand in the way of his own Enlightenment. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has to take the load of Karṇa's puṇya, his meritorious deeds, before he could be liberated. The Enlightened Master guides one to drop one's attachment to good deeds arising out of what are perceived to be charitable and compassionate intentions. He also shows us that the quest for and the experience of enlightenment is the ultimate Till now everyone blames Bhagavan Sri Krishna for this Kurukshetra war but that's the greatest sacrifice Bhagavan Sri Krishna did to save the planet Earth. If Kurukshetra was not conducted at that time under the controlled conditions and direct supervision of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, planet Earth would not have survived more than three years.

act of compassion that one can offer to the world. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa, the 8th most powerful purnāvatar of Ṃaha Viśnu, is the embodiment of pure celebration, boundless love, compassion, and completion. Bhagavan Ṣri Kṛṣṇa is the only incarnation demonstrating and expressing Ṣarva Ṃangalatva all the auspicious qualities a nd all dimensions of an avatar during His physical happening. The līla Bhagavan Ṣri Krsna is one of sheer innocence and The wide spread availability of the Astra shastras without Shastra, without the knowledge and vision, was posing a huge threat to the whole of humanity and planet Earth, and for life itself. The greatest achievement of Bhagavan Sri Krishna is destroying all the weapons in one controlled condition and saving planet earth, eliminating the nuclear weapons and the knowledge of these nuclear weapons to save humanity from total annihilation.

conflict-free way.

simplicity, in a peace-loving, diplomatic,

Bhagavad Gītā appears in the heart of Mahābhārat in Bhīṣma Parva, the sixth chapter of its eighteen chapters. Veda Vyāsa, the narrator, in glorifying the Gītā sings, 'the one who drinks the water of Ganges (the sacred river for Hindus) attains liberation, what to speak of the one who drinks the nectar of Gītā?

Gītā is the essential nectar of the Mahābhārat, bhāratamṛta sarvasvam as it is directly spoken by Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān kṛṣṇa Himself.'

The armies assembled in the vast field of Kurukṣetra, now in the state of Haryana in modern day Bharat. All the kings and princes were related to one another, and were often on opposite sides. Facing the Kaurava army and his friends, relatives and teachers, Arjuna was overcome by remorse and guilt, and wanted to walk away from the battle out of total powerlessness unbecoming an invincible warrior among warriors.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa's dialogue with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra out of His utmost concern and love for him and humanity is the content of Bhagavad Gītā. Of its seven hundred and forty-five (745) verses, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa sings the Gītā in six hundred and twenty (620) verses responding to Arjuna's fifty-seven (57) enquiries.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa persuades Arjuna to give-up his powerlessness unfitting an Ārya—the spiritually evolved one who understands human life and urges him to raise himself again as Parantapa—the conqueror of enemy, and take up arms and vanquish his enemies. They are already dead,' says Śrī Kṛṣṇa, 'All those who are facing you have been already killed by Me. Go ahead and do what you have to do. That is your responsibility. Do not worry about the outcome. Leave that to Me.'

arjuna uvāca sannyāsasya mahābāho tattvamicchāmi veditum tyāgasya ca hṛṣīkeśa pṛthak keśiniṣūdana

O mighty armed Kṛṣṇa, I wish to understand what is the essence, tattva of renunciation, tyāga and the renounced order of life, sannyāsa, and the difference between the two, O Hriśikeṣa, O Killer of the demon Keśī.'

The words of a Master are energy.

Arjuna will stop speaking soon. He has just a few words. He is not questioning. He just expresses a few doubts. The arrogance or violence in Arjuna's being has disappeared. He has become like a flower due to the experience of the cosmic vision that Kṛṣṇa showered on him. I cannot even call these words doubts. He just wants to hear the truth from Kṛṣṇa again and again.

Sometimes after listening to the whole discourse, disciples ask me to repeat a joke or a story once more! They have heard it once but want to hear it again. Especially from the master, listening to certain things again and again gives great joy. The words of a Master are energy. These words drill deep into you and transform you. At the time of listening, you may not realize their impact. But they never fail to impact and enrich you. Arjuna asks some of these questions to listen to Kṛṣṇa again.

sannyāsasyā mahā-bāho tattvam icchāmi veditum I tyāgasya ca hṛṣīkeśa pṛthak keśi-niṣūdana II 18.1

Arjuna says, 'O Mighty One, I wish to understand the purpose of renunciation and of the monastic life of Sannyāsa. O Hriśikesa (another name of Kṛṣṇa, one who is in complete control of His senses), please tell me the truth.

As I told you, it is not that Arjuna does not know. He has just heard the whole thing. Still, he wants to listen to it once more. Sometimes we enjoy listening to the same thing over and over. It is not that we do not understand, but it gives us great joy to listen to the same thing again and again! Like that, Arjuna wants to listen to the same truth again and again.

Arjuna wants to know why a person would want to sacrifice everything and what is the process of renunciation.

"I tell my disciples, 'When in doubt treat the beggar as if he were a monk. If you have money to give, what harm is there if you give it to enrich another person?' Some people tell me, 'But Swamiji, they are cheating us!' So what?"

So, giving alms to a Sannyāsi is like taking out insurance. You expect that your merits are getting noted down in a Cosmic record to decide whether you go to hell or heaven. . Make it simple. Give out of your completion. Give unconditionally if you can afford it. Give even if you cannot afford it. that is when giving becomes truly enriching. When you sacrifice what you cannot afford to sacrifice, by the mere act of giving, you become a renunciate, a Sannyāsi. How noble it is!

Arjuna is confused about the act and the actor. What is important is the act. Anyone can be the actor.

Helping children understand that giving should always come from a space of completion. Helping children differentiate between "act" and "actor". Helping children understand the space a Sannyasi carries.

• ❖ Why is Arjuna asking Krishna a few questions here?

• ❖ What makes the words of the Master so powerful?

• ❖ What does Arjuna want to know at the beginning of this chapter?

• ❖ What is the advice THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM gives to anyone who has a doubt as to whether the person asking for alms is a beggar or a sannyasi?

• ❖ What is the space we should carry when we give to others?

• ❖ When does giving become truly enriching? Who becomes a Sannyasi?

• 1. Coloured Papers,
• 2. Markers,
• 3. Scissors,
• 4. Glue,
• 5. Pencil,
• 6. Eraser,
• 7. Sparkles

Ask the children to close their eyes and to visualize a true Sannyasi. Then, ask them to give life to their visualization through art.

The act and the space from which the act is performed determines who is Sannyasi.

One food item for each child/teenager (except for the two who will be designated as "beggar" and "sannyasi").

-Choose two children or two acharyas and tell one that he/she is a beggar and the other one that he/she is a sannyasi but do not tell the rest of the class who is who.

-Give the rest of the children one food item to offer.

-Then tell the beggar and the sannyasi to go around asking other children for alms in any way that they want.

-The children get to decide who they want to offer to/what they want to offer. Give them the freedom to act in any way that they want.

-At the end, ask everyone to sit in a circle and ask each child about the decision they made and what giving felt like. Also ask the beggar and the sannyasi what their experience of asking for alms felt like..