Episode # 234 – The “Jaraasandha-Vadam” – An integral part of “Sabhaa Parva”!!!

In the previous episode, we had witnessed the continuation of a detailed introduction to the “Sabhaa Parva” and what are the key contents in it. We’ve discussed the “Aadhi Parva” in a great amount of detail and now the stage is set for the “Sabhaa Parva” to commence. We had witnessed how Sage Vyaasa explains the grandeur and the beauty of Yudishtra’s courtroom at Indraprastha, which is the newly built capital for the Paandavas. As we’ve witnessed earlier, Bhagawan Krishna took special efforts to ensure that the city is magnificently built according to all the norms, rules and regulations of civil engineering and divinity. As Yudishtra sits in the center of the courtroom, it resembled Indra’s “Svarga Lokha”, wherein Indra would be shining in the midst of the entire dazzling place. As Sage Naarada pays a visit to Indraprastha once all the construction activity is over, he also describes many such similar beautiful and dazzling courtrooms like that of Indraprastha. He talks about the Indra Lokha, Varuna Lokha, Brahma’s Satya Lokha, etc. in detail and how they look. 

However, the only point that was missing in Sage Naarada’s accord was how the Vaikunta was! For some reason, Sage Naarada kept mum on this and he never touched upon this point! All of us know that if one reaches the Vaikunta, he / she never comes back to this world again. However, if we transcend to either the “Svarga Lokha”, or “Varuna Lokha” or even to Bhagawan Brahma’s Satya Lokha, we would again end up coming back to this same “Manushya Lokha” once our “Punya” account is over. We’ve witnessed this in the case of King Yayaati earlier too, isn’t it? King Yayaati had enormous “Punya” in his name and after his demise here in the “Manushya Lokha”, he transcended to the “Svarga Lokha” of Indra. However, once his “Punya” was over, Indra pushed King Yayaati upside down into the “Manushya Lokha” again! Bhagawan Krishna too mentions this in HIs Bhagawad Gita – Depending upon the strength of a person’s “Punya” account, he / she repeatedly transcends back and forth the Manushya Lokha and the Svarga Lokha, and the birth-death cycle keeps on continuing. However, if one has to come out of this, the only way is to hold on to Bhagawan’s divine lotus feet. Once we exhibit our pure “Bhakti” and “Shraddha” towards Bhagawan, He ensures that we reach the ultimate Vaikunta, from where, we’re never going to come back again to this “Manushya Lokha”. Even during the time of “Srshti” and “Samhaara” of this world, Bhagawan ensures that those people who had attained Vaikunta never come back to this world. 

Thus, the point here is that, no matter how dazzling and glamorous every “Sabhaa” looks, nothing can equal the “Sabhaa” at Vaikunta. Bhagawan would be at the center of the entire “Sabhaa” at Vaikunta, swanked by Sri Devi and Bhoodevi on either sides, and with all the “Muktaatmas” and the “Aachaaryas” surrounding Him. This is ultimate bliss, isn’t it? All these points were not explained by Sage Naarada directly to Yudishtra at the beginning. He was dilly-dallying by explaining all the other “Sabhaas” around the world that were equivalent to Yudishtra’s Indraprastha “Sabha”. However, when Yudishtra kept questioning Sage Naarada for more explanations, Sage Naarada finally says that the most dazzling and important of all the “Sabhaas” is the Vaikunta. Further, Sage Naarada explains the beauty and significance of the “Vaikunta-Sabhaa” to Yudishtra, and all these points are explained in detail in this “Sabhaa Parva”. Readers should keep in mind here that I’m only giving a jist of what is there in the “Sabhaa Parva” and we’ve not yet commenced the detailed discussion as yet. 

Next important agenda on the list is the “Jaraasandha-Vadham”. Yudishtra once wanted to perform a “Raaja-Suya Yaaga” at Indraprastha. Bhagawan Krishna was also present during this discussion, and He explained to Yudishtra that this Yaaga can be possible only if Jaraasandha is killed. Many of us might be knowing who Jaraasandha was – He was the father-in-law of Kamsa, who was Bhagawan Krishna’s uncle. Bhagawan Krishna killed Kamsa, but Jaraasandha kept on escaping Bhagawan Krishna’s ploy to kill him. Now, Bhagawan Krishna uses Arjuna and Bheemasena to take on Jaraasandha and to kill him, and this war is detailed in a big way in the “Sabhaa Parva”. 

So for today, let us understand up to this point and we shall continue this introductory discussion further in tomorrow’s episode as well! Stay tuned! 🙂