10 PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT TIPS FROM MAHABHARATA

Mahabharata is an absolutely breathtaking exploration of the "Greatest story ever told" whatever language it is written. It is called Panchama Veda, for the knowledge, it has delivered. Why it should be read by everyone? The answer is, it is a great personality development book. From kids to elders, everyone has something to learn from it. Let get into this:

1. Parenting:

Mahabharata shows both good and bad parenting. Drutarastra loved his son so much that he could not find faults in his behaviour. And he encouraged Duryodhana, so he became jealous.

Kunti never discriminated Madris sons. Instead, he took more care for them. Likewise, Drona, the teacher for the Kuru clan, taught Brahmastra to Arjuna only, not even his son Aswathama, because he knows about his son. As a parent, he knows how tempered his son was.

2. How hobbies are useful: 

Things we learnt as a hobby can save our life sometimes. Just like the hobbies of Pandavas saved them during 'exile'. Bhima was a great cook, Nakula and Sahadeva have very good knowledge about cows and horses. With these hobbies, they found their living, when they were in exile. 

3. Overcoming the challenges and changing it to positive:

Pandavas life is not a cakewalk. They lost their father at a very small age. Their uncle was not ready to give their kingdom. Their cousins were not in good terms with them. They tried to kill Pandavas many times. Still, they got the positive side of it and learnt to live without a kingdom. During their exile, Urvasi, Indra's maiden cursed Arjuna to become a eunuch. He accepted that and used it during the exile.

4. Handling bad situations:

By reading Mahabharatam, you can know how to handle bad situations. Pandavas were born to a king, but right from childhood, they didn't experience royalty. Right after they got their kingdom, Pandavas lost in Dice game and went to the forest. They didn't sit idle during their exile period. Yudhishthira learnt Aksha Sastra, the study of dice and Arjuna got Pasupatam most powerful Astra required for the war. 

5. Be humble :

When Duryodhana tried to kill them in a fire accident, they ran off and literally begged for food. They were rulers for India, but when time is not in their hands, they were very humble and served a small king Virata. 

6. Be Ferocious:

Whenever they got chance, Pandavas has shown their power. At the time everyone thought Pandavas were killed, Arjuna won Draupadi, by solving Matsya yantra, which is a very tough task for archers. Bakasura, Hindimbasura, Keechaka, all these demons were killed by Bheema when they were unidentified. Finally, in Kurukshetra, the number of the army didn't bother them. They had very less number of the army when compared to Kauravas. They believed themselves. 

7. Don't be straight forward always:

Being brave means not going after trouble. To kill Keechaka without being spotted, Draupadi acted like she loved him. Yudhishthira murmured the truth to kill his enemy. Sometimes being cunning also works.

8. Handling emotions:

Yes, Pandavas also got depressed when they lost their kingdom overnight. But they patted themselves to go on with the situation and learnt what to do. Duryodhana on another side, he didn't handle his jealousy properly. If he did, he would have lived. Duryodhana, Drutarastra had the kingdom but they were very restless all the time. Their bad intentions destroyed their clan. 

9. Discipline:

5 men had 1 wife. Isn't the reason is enough to fight among themselves?  But they didn't fight. It's because of their discipline. Wherever they were Pandavas did their rituals. When they were in exile, to feed the priests who came along with them, they got Akshaya Patra. They didn't have thought "Wait, why to feed these people? We ourself didn't have anything". They respected their Dharma or discipline. Bheema was the most ferocious and aggressive in nature. During exile, he didn't even utter a word without Yudhistara's acceptance. 

10. Advantage of being together

During Ghosha yatra Yudhishthira asked Bhima to help Duryodhana, even though Duryodhana was his enemy. Just because they were brothers and the Gandharva is an outsider.

I quoted only a few. It is an ocean if you are willing to learn from it.

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LOVE STORY NARRATED BY MOM

Don’t know how Mr Valentine loved. But I know a love story, my mother said as a bedtime story, told by her mother and so on. This story came up from generations together. A love story of a King and Queen, More than their royalty they are Mr He and Mrs She.

Coming to the story, it was Once upon a time, there lived a Mr He and Mrs He. Unfortunately one day his father ordered Him to go to forest for 14 years. Knowing that she came with him. Even though his father didn’t ask her to leave.

He asked him to stay in the castle. She deliberately rejected it.

 She couldn’t leave him. She loved him so much.

His brother started with them.

Three of them went to the forest. Her birth was a miraculous one not from the womb. She was adopted by a king. She was brought up in a royal family. Still, l she didn’t get depressed when they went to the forest. Just because he was with her.

Years passed. They were in the forest.

Not a single moment she thought of her kingdom, her luxuries in the castle. Same is the case with him.

Days passed.

He and She were delightful. Because they have each other.

Again on an unfortunate day, a demon took her away when he and his brother was not around.

The demon wanted to marry her.

Demon took her beyond an ocean, to demon’s house and kept her in his backyard

When he came back, she was not there. His heart skipped a beat.

He checked all surrounding. She was not there.

His voice echoed her name. There was no reply.

He didn’t know where she went. His agony was limitless.

Almost he went into a condition, which he asked every tree and animal to show where she went.

In her absence, he didn’t want to eat or sleep. It was too heart-wrenching to look at lotus flowers because it reminded him of her eyes.

He cursed two birds which are cuddling each other. It reminded of her. He didn’t want to live without her. He wanted to fire up the world

Her situation is not even better.

She cried her heart out. No one was there to listen. The demon gave her 1 year to time to marry him.

Every day demon came and pressurized daily and gave her all the luxuries, in fact, more than she had, she simply rejected and chanted his name.

He accumulated some army, fought with Demon, and killed the Demon.

After the war, she is eagerly waiting to meet him. As a King, he doesn’t want to take back his wife who was there in Demon’s custody. He said she was free to go anywhere. (This is story happened million years back. There was no concept of Divorce)

She was devastated.

She doesn’t want to live even after she saw him.

She jumped into the fire in front of him & his whole army. Everyone in the army was crying their heart out. No one cared enough to question their leader. They were devoted to him.

No one was ready to stop her. Her decision was unstoppable.

She jumped into the fire.

Fire God along with her came out, and handed her to him and said “Don’t doubt her! She is as pure as I am”

He cried out of joy “I know!! I know her heart. But as a leader to these millions of army, there should be no solider should question me afterwards. I need to talk like this. It is my duty!! It doesn’t mean I doubt you”.

They lived happily ever after is the last word for every story. But for them, the story continued.

They happily came back to their kingdom after exile.

He crowned as King. She became Queen. He was a brilliant King. People loved him to the core.

Another unfortunate day, a citizen in their kingdom commented on her. As a king, He ordered her to leave the kingdom.

He said this as a king, but as a husband of her, he doesn’t want to lose her again. She was pregnant at that time.

With a heavy heart, she left the kingdom and went into the forest. A sage named Valmiki saved her.

She gave birth to twin baby boys.

As a king, He has an opportunity to marry again. But he didn’t.

She being a rejected wife, she has the right to blame him. But she didn’t.

She loved him until her last breath.

He loved her till his last breath.

When I heard this story tears rolled out of my eyes. They didn’t have a happy ending. Still today, anyone wants to quote about best lovers, they talk about them.

His name is RAM

Her name is SEETHA.

 Pic credits: Google

Why adversities are good??

No person life is a cakewalk. It has both difficulties and luxuries. Thus it attains equilibrium. From the time of Ramayana and Mahabharata, this cycle continued. It makes me realize few things.

1. Difficult times brings the most bravest person within us : Comfort and ease cannot bring out the brave side of us, only difficult times does. Of course it gives agony, but it makes us fight, makes us strong and brave. In Ramayana, Lord Hanuman seeing his soldiers tensed faces, he decided to fly to Lanka. Until then he doesn't know he can do it. Adverse conditions makes us brave.

2. It blows off the masks of the people: When you are in misfortune, you can see the real colors of your family or friends. During Draupadi's Disrobement (Draupadi Vastrapaharanam) her own father-in-law, the King turned blind eye on her. Our problems will show the true colors of people.

3.There is something that we can learn from this: "Every lesson comes with the mask of problem". In Mahabharata, during exile Pandavas didn't waste time of 12 years. Arjuna got "Pasupatastram",  most powerful astra in war, and Yudhistara learnt "Aksha satra", science of dice, by which, even if he invited to dice game again, Yudhistara can win.

4. Teaches us how to let go and accept the present: Some times, we cannot do with problems, either is financial, psychological or physical, other than accepting it. There's nothing wrong in that. Pandavas who ruled whole India, once were on exile and did their daily chores by themselves, served a small king Virata. They accepted the situation and acted upon.

5.Makes us strong and balanced: It's obvious that difficult times throws us in unstable mental condition. In order to come up we need a strong and balanced mind. In Ramayana, Lord Rama was in deep agony when Seetha Maa was kidnapped. Her didn't lose his temper on Laxmana, who left her behind. With balanced mind, he fought for Seetha Maa. 

Many people may not believe Ramayana and Mahabharata was happened. But there's nothing wrong in taking lessons from those.

If you encounter a wolf, and you have no help, take "bravery" as a sword from your soul, and fight with wolf called "Problem".

If you fail or succeed, you will know how to deal with wolves. Remember there's no place for cowards in forest!! Nothing can substitute Experience!!!!