We are in the throes of Mahabharat. Over 450 participants from all over the world have come to take part in this grand epic, a story that happened over 5,000 years ago, but in many ways is as relevant today as ever. Over 100,000 verses depicting a few thousand characters from their births to their deaths – their conquerings, joys, miseries and previous lives. For these eight days, we are not covering the story as a story, but as it is relevant to us. It is an opportunity for people to live through the story, to experience the depth and dimension of what it means to be a human being.
Panchali
So full of fire she had to be of fire.
Of passion, pride, shame and rage.
Too fiery to rise, too fiery to fall.
Her beauty and passion consumed all.
What a lovely snare.
Yudhisthira
A good man
a good man
And a good man.
As tedious as
Only good can get.
But when life gets mean
You will want a good man.
Even Krishna is not free from what it means to be a human being. He says, Now that I have come as a human body, I am subject to all the limitations of being human, though I am capable in a different way. When I wish to, I can move to another sphere. But I am born out of a mother’s womb. I will die and I will go through everything else that every human being goes through.
That is dharma. Many things that you did when you were 14 years of age, don’t you look back and say, Was this me? I had to do all these things? If you don’t think so, that means you have not grown at all, you are still only 14. So, there is a certain process. Once you take this body, there is a certain natural law about this process. But it also leaves you with one end open; this is the thing about being human. For every other creature, nature has fixed both ends. For a human being, nature has fixed one end. Krishna clearly says, Even for me, one end is fixed. The other end is open. And I want to see that this is open for everyone else.
Destiny
Destiny is not a done thing
it is a string that makes
a garland of flower, bead or bone
You may wear it now or later
here or there. Or you may
place it upon the bosom of another
But even a flower shall not fall
without the tug of the string
Yaksha kicked off Monday night, and we had a glorious performance by Bharatanatyam dancer Alarmel Valli in front of the Linga Bhairavi Temple. Am now off to Day Two….it’s been a nonstop celebration at the ashram, and there is more to come — Mahashivarathri is less than one week away.
Love and Blessings,
*Poems written by Sadhguru.
**See live blog featuring hourly updates of Mahabharat and Yaksha.
