[Advaita-l] What we could learn from Mythology

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

Samba and Ashwatthama played similar roles in Mahabharata. Ashwatthama
destroyed Pandavas sons and Samba destroyed his own dynasty. Both have
Amsha of Shiva in them. What will Shiva do? He is a destroyer. He is
playing perfect role after Vishnu's role has ended. After the war Krishna's
role ended. He had nothing to do. His Yaadava Vamsha is practically useless
and they are simply wasting time. Therefore at that time Shiva as
Ashwatthama and Samba destroyed everything.  Why should anybody or DP get
upset with this? He should not blame Krishna. It is all Ishwara's Leela.

Moreover Krishna cannot mistreat Samba because he is coming from Shiva's
boon. Krishna showed lot of respect for Durvasa Rishi - another Amsha of
Shiva. Therefore Krishna cannot neglect Samba like that. He was giving
equal treatment to all sons and all wives. Rukmini and Satyabhama were
favourites but other wives never complained He was neglecting them.
Similarly no son complained He was neglecting him.

On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 7:47 PM, Nithin Sridhar via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> Why would I say such a thing? Devdutt Pattnaik may say though!
>
> On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 7:42 PM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 7:12 PM, Nithin Sridhar via Advaita-l <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> >> The central issue with DP's arguments is that Krishna is a bad father.
> >>
> >
> > The Srimad Bhagavatam portrays Rama as someone who showed to the world
> by
> > his misery that such would be the fate of those attached to wife/woman.
> >
> > https://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/9/10/11
> >
> > //  Thus He showed by His personal example the condition of a person
> > attached to women.//
> >
> > Would you say that the Bhagavatam is accusing Rama as a lustful person
> and
> > a bad husband when it came to his banishing his pregnant wife on the
> words
> > of a washerman? How many Rama bhaktas would agree with this assessment of
> > Rama?
> >
> > regards
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> While Samva's failings are a given, to consider Krishna as a bad father
> is
> >> incorrect and misleading. This is what the rebuttal points out.
> >>
> >> DP's misleading portrayal of Hinduism is well established now and his
> >> articles must be taken with a pinch of salt.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Nithin
> >>
> >> On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 6:58 PM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> >> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >>
> >> >  I think the response by Nadumuri has gone tangential. DP's emphasis
> >> was on
> >> > the moral aspect of Samva while Nadumuri is completely highlighting
> >> Samva's
> >> > valor. Valor does not come from father's training, etc. But the morals
> >> > require that. Nadumuri did not have even a word against DP's instances
> >> of
> >> > Samva's misadventures on the moral side. Why would he earn a curse
> from
> >> his
> >> > own father who had all appreciation for him as a warrior? For that
> >> matter
> >> > even Ashwaththama was extremely valorous and yet turned out a villain.
> >> DP
> >> > had only these issues to say and he said that all perfectly well and
> he
> >> > could thereby convey his point.
> >> >
> >> > On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 6:53 PM, Sudhakar Kabra via Advaita-l <
> >> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > >  Beautiful rebuttal. Thanks Mr Nitin Sridhar for the link.Shows how
> >> half
> >> > > baked ideas work and anybody writing anything.
> >> > > Regards,Sudhakar Kabra
> >> > >     On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 5:10:39 PM GMT+5:30, Nithin
> Sridhar
> >> > via
> >> > > Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > >  Pl see this rebuttal to Devdutt's article-
> >> > > http://indiafacts.org/no-mr-devdutt-patnaik-krishna-not-
> >> > negligent-father/
> >> > >
> >> > > On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 1:34 PM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> >> > > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > > This message was received by WhatsApp group: ( As written By
> Devdutt
> >> > > > Pattanaik):
> >> > > >
> >> > > > One of the most disturbing stories that we find in the Puranas is
> >> the
> >> > > story
> >> > > > of Krishna's son Samba, whose mother was the bear-princess,
> >> Jambavati.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > He dupes his father's junior wives by disguising himself as
> Krishna
> >> and
> >> > > is
> >> > > > cursed by Krishna that he will suffer from a skin disease that
> will
> >> > > enable
> >> > > > his wives to distinguish father and son. Samba is cured after he
> >> builds
> >> > > > temples to the sun. All sun temples in India, from Konark in
> Odisha
> >> to
> >> > > > Modhera in Gujarat to Markand in Kashmir, are attributed to this
> >> son of
> >> > > > Krishna.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Samba also attempts to kidnap Duryodhana's daughter and this leads
> >> to
> >> > war
> >> > > > between the Kauravas and the Yadavas. Peace is restored, and the
> >> > marriage
> >> > > > is solemnised, only after Balarama, Krishna's elder brother, and
> >> > Samba's
> >> > > > uncle, in a fit of fury threatens to drag Hastinapur into the sea.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Then there is the story of Samba pretending to be a pregnant woman
> >> and
> >> > > > duping sages who were visiting Dwaraka. They sages were not amused
> >> and
> >> > > > cursed Samba that he would give birth to an iron mace that would
> be
> >> > > > responsible for the end of the Yadu clan.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Must not Krishna's son be as noble and divine and wise and loving
> as
> >> > > > Krishna? But that is not so. Samba comes with his own personality
> >> and
> >> > his
> >> > > > own destiny over which Krishna has no influence. Or does he?
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Can we wonder if Samba was a product of his father's neglect? For
> >> was
> >> > not
> >> > > > Krishna spending most of his time with Arjuna and the Pandavas and
> >> in
> >> > the
> >> > > > politics of Kuru-kshetra?
> >> > > >
> >> > > > There are hardly any stories of Krishna as father. He is friend,
> >> > > > philosopher and guide to Arjuna, but the only stories of father
> and
> >> son
> >> > > are
> >> > > > of tension, rage and violence.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > In conversations about corporates, we often forget about the other
> >> half
> >> > > of
> >> > > > our lives, the personal one. As more and more people are working
> >> 24x7,
> >> > > > thanks to Internet, and smart devices, the lines between
> >> professional
> >> > and
> >> > > > personal, work and life are getting blurred. In fact, people feel
> >> noble
> >> > > > when they sacrifice family for work and guilty when they take a
> >> holiday
> >> > > to
> >> > > > take care of their family.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Family is not seen as achievement. Children are not seen as
> purpose.
> >> > They
> >> > > > are seen as obligations, duties, by-products of existence, even
> >> > > collateral
> >> > > > damage.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > We admire leaders who sacrifice family for a 'larger' cause. Like
> >> > freedom
> >> > > > fighters who neglect their wives and children. Like business men
> and
> >> > > > entrepreneurs and consultants who spend most of their time in
> >> office.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > With the rise of feminism, women are also working. Parenting has
> >> been
> >> > > > outsourced to maids, teachers, computers, videogames and
> >> grandparents.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Women who work in the office have not been compensated by their
> >> > husbands
> >> > > > spending more time at home. Instead women are made to feel guilty
> >> for
> >> > not
> >> > > > being good mothers. No one questions men for not being good
> fathers.
> >> > > > Eventually, the office wins. Absent parents rationalise how office
> >> is
> >> > > more
> >> > > > important than the children: we need the money, the children
> >> eventually
> >> > > > grow up, surely our needs are also important.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Many great Krishnas in the workplace discover that they have
> >> nurtured
> >> > > Samba
> >> > > > at home: sons who either follow destructive paths as they seek
> >> > attention,
> >> > > > or sons who make their way away from parents, as they have grown
> >> used
> >> > to
> >> > > > not having them around. Who wins?
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Corporates were supposed to create wealth for the family. Now
> >> families
> >> > > are
> >> > > > creating only workers for the corporates.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > We have many more Krishnas in this generation and maybe many
> Sambas
> >> in
> >> > > the
> >> > > > next.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > As written By Devdutt Pattanaik............
> >> > > > _______________________________________________
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> >> > > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > --
> >> > > Nithin S
> >> > > _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >> --
> >> Nithin S
> >> _______________________________________________
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>
> --
> Nithin S
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-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh