Resolving Controversies in Mahabharata

Some of the topics covered in this session: 

1.    Types of pramanas and the importance of sabda pramana

2.    Difficulties in studying the vedas

3.    The importance of Itihasas and puranas

4.    The roles of Mahabharatha, Ramayana and Srimad Bhagavatam

5.    The difference between itihaasa and history.

Some of the topics covered in this session:

 1.     Divine aspects of Vyasadeva's birth

2.     Contribution of vyasadeva

3.     Honesty and sensitivity of Vyasadeva

4.     The conversation between Narada and vyasa

5.     Udasina vs. neautrality

6.     Vyasadeva' role in Mahabharatha

7.     Vyasa- the greatest school of critique

Some of the topics covered in this session:

1.     How could Bhishma suggest procreation through widows by another man?

2.     How could Satyavati agree to such an absurd proposal?

3.     How could Vyasadeva agree for a bizarre act of procreating through widows?

4.     In which shastra compiled by him is such a sanction given?

5.     Why couldn't they simply find a qualified king to rule?

6.     Do vedic scriptures support dynasty politics and power rather than qualification and empowerment of people?

Some of the topics covered in this session:

1.     Objective analysis of the sufferings of Kunti and Karna

2.     The story of Kunti abandoning Karna

3.     The character of kunti

4.     The response of Kunti and karna to their suferrings

5.     Vyasadeva's pacification of Kunti

6.     The story of the births of Pandavas

Some of the topics covered in this session:

1.     How could one woman marry 5 husbands?

2.     Types of marriages

3.     Events that led to the svayamvara of draupadi

4.     The past life of draupadi

5.     The personalities who approved the marriage of draupadi with Pandavas

6.     How to respond to the event is more important than the actual event.

7.     Draupadi represents the power to unite

8.     The concept of unity in diversity

Some of the topics that will be covered in this session: 

1.     How could drona ask for Ekalavya s thumb as guru daksina even though he did not teach him directly?

2.     How could Arjuna be so ruthless in making himself great at the cost of ruining ekalavya's prospect?

3.     Higher classes always exploit the lower classes?

4.     The understanding of the caste system - varnashrama Dharma

5.     Sanatana dharma is dharma centric and not person centric

6.     Application of the knowledge is more important than the actual knowledge

7.     Qualification for education

8.     Bhakti siddhanta saraswathi thakur's insights on the character of ekalavya

9.     Selfishness used for a selfless cause vs. selflessness engaged in the service of selfish people

Some of the topics that will be covered in this session: 

1.     Nature of gambling

2.     The events that led to gambling match in Mahabharatha

3.     Yudhishtira's reasons for participating in gambling

4.     The sarangathi of draupadhi

5.     The ill effects of gambling

6.     Analysis of the story from 3 perspectives

7.     The 3 natures of a person

8.     Yudhishtira s attitude after the gambling match

9.     The concept of integral dharma and isolated dharma

Some of the topics that will be covered in this session: 

 1.     Why did dharmaraja lie?

2.     Why did he use that lie to kill the foremost of fighters and the teacher of the Pandavas?

3.     Does krishna follow any rules for himself?

4.     Does he have the license to act whimsically?

5.     The character and personality of drona

6.     The analysis of the friendship between drona, drupada and sudama, krishna

7.     Drona - a teacher with an agenda.

8.     A life full of lies or lying once to put an end to a life full of lies

Some of the topics that will be covered in this session: 

1.     Is Karna the unsung hero of Mahabharatha?

2.     Casting Karna as dharmik is like portraying a terrorist as a martyr.

3.     Absolute dharma vs. isolate dharma

4.     Karna- a life of fruitless loyalties

5.     Loyalty to person vs. Loyalty to principle

6.     The death of Karna

7.     The ingrained belief system of Karna

8.     Krishna gives the audit report of Karna's life and Karna's response

9.     Svadharma and loka sangraha

10. Imaginary versions of Karna

11. "Personalities like Karna spell doom to public" 

Some of the topics that will be covered in this session: 

1.     People say, " It doesn't matter whether you are pandavas or kauravas. Both are different sides of the same coin."

2.     Departure of Pandavas - Mahaprasthan

3.     How dharma judges different people?

4.     The 3 tests underwent by yudhishtira

5.     Conclusive lessons from this episode

Some of the topics that will be covered in this session: 

1.     Do the avataras like Krishna and Rama also have to suffer for their reactions and perish one day?

2.     The concept of avatara and the types of avatars

3.     The purpose of avatara

4.     The story of the curse on yadu dynasty by the brahmanas and the lessons

5.     The story of Gandhari's curse and the lessons

6.     The maushala lila

7.     Sukadeva goswami's arguments after the description of maushala lila

8.     Krishna's protection of devotees

9.     Objections in Krishna marrying 16108 princesses and its explanation

10. Krishna's departure from this world

11. Magnanimous nature of an avatara to act within the limitations of this world