Swami BAP | 089 | The World Vaishnava Association




The BapCast Network show

Summary: There is a story in the Mahabharata about the Kauravas who sent the Pandavas into the forest to be in exile. And these Kauravas they thought: "Let us make the Pandavas envious by having a big party right next to were they are exiled, we are going to have a big feast and we are going to sing and dance and these guys (the Pandavas) cannot come out because they are in exile, let's really torture them in this way." So they (the Kauravas) were in the middle of their partying when suddenly the Gandharvas, who are some very powerful people, they found out about their party. Having a grudge against the Kauravas, the Gandharvas came and invaded their party and they took everybody prisoner. One messenger went to Yudhishtira and said: "Somebody took the Kauravas as prisoners, their whole party was destroyed by the Gandharvas." And then Yudhishtira said: "Oh, then we have to go and free them, we have to protect them, Bhima go and get your weapons, we are going to go and help the Kauravas." Bhima said: "Never, never I will do this, move one finger for these Kauravas. No Yudhishtira, you cannot ask me that, anything else you can ask me." Then Yudhishtira said: "Listen Bhima, you are right, they are rascals and they should be chastised, they are real nonsense and they have done real stupid things, but when we are under attack we are 105 (The Kauravas are 100 brothers and the Pandavas 5 brothers), because we have a family relationship. If a foreign interest, a foreign danger approaches, even though I have a misgiving with my brother or with my nephew, when we are under attack we are 105." In India the junior submits to the senior unlike in the west where we even fight with our father. We have no understanding of tradition, of keeping something unified and strong. So Bhima finally said that if this is your order Yudhishtira I obey. They went and they freed the Kauravas and defeated the Gandharvas. This shows you how powerful these 5 brothers were, what the whole Kauravas could not do. So in the same way when we are under attack, we are one Vaishnavas, doesn't matter wether we are Ramanujas, Madhvacharyas or Vallabhacharyas.