Mahabharata , more then just a story ?

reply to post by avanish


Hello and welcome to the thread .

I hope that you were not offended by me starting this thread it was done so out of respect and appreciation for the book .

Also I want to point out that I am by no means an expert on the book nore do I , or have I , claimed to be . Thats one of the reasons I started the thread , to learn .

I welcome any comment or insight that you can offer to the discussion of Mahabharata .

Edit to add. I offer no opinion on the book other then it's some great literature which has stood the test of time and I would never pretend to be an expert after reading only 100 pages .

But I do look forward to chatting about the book in this thread with other people who also appreciate the book .




[edit on 27-10-2009 by Max_TO]

Originally posted by avanish

so neither u nor I can argue ob that point

But surely we can ponder about it...?

I mean, this is fascinating information!

Originally posted by Max_TO
reply to post by avanish

 

Hello and welcome to the thread .

I hope that you were not offended by me starting this thread it was done so out of respect and appreciation for the book .

Also I want to point out that I am by no means an expert on the book nore do I , or have I , claimed to be . Thats one of the reasons I started the thread , to learn .

I welcome any comment or insight that you can offer to the discussion of Mahabharata .

Edit to add. I offer no opinion on the book other then it's some great literature which has stood the test of time and I would never pretend to be an expert after reading only 100 pages .

But I do look forward to chatting about the book in this thread with other people who also appreciate the book .

[edit on 27-10-2009 by Max_TO]

hi, I have no problem on starting the thread regarding Mahabharta, But I was shocked the Question was asked by u ,
Reagrding It's Origin and A question Put by U regarding it to be called Holy,
I saw replies to this thread which is not given by any Indian and they don't know about whole things happen at that time , U can best argue with Any hindu like me who has read the full Novel and Know the whole events take place long Years ago .
I was also disappionted when U just read about 100 pages and Ask that type of quetion's , that Inspire me to answer to your Question
so I have No problem , but Many Hindus might feel bad after reading this thread , I am toady generation people so I havn't any problem with u or this thread, but old kind of people can object this
so If u have any problem regarding epic ask me freely ...................

Originally posted by Vanitas

Originally posted by avanish

so neither u nor I can argue ob that point

But surely we can ponder about it...?

I mean, this is fascinating information!

Hi, I want to acknowledge u that Hindu Tradition is 50000 years old tradition ( as per hindu epic's), no tradition on earth have got such type of dominance or haven't got any proof of of their tradition from 50000 years.
As per hindu epic's it is said that universe is created by LORD BRAHAMA , so from last 50000 years every hindu beleive that this universe is created by LORD BRAHAMA. 82 crores people in India beleive that , and their next generation will also beleive, so their is no question can be put regarding the cretion of Universe for Hindu's ..........

reply to post by avanish


Actually my boss is Hindu and I have spoken to him about the Mahabharata . He told me a fair amount about the book and I was even told that he had to study the book in school as a child . I have asked some of the questions of him that I have posed here in this thread and he too finds some of the books descriptions to be very interesting and wonder some .

I actually picked him up an english copy of the Mahabharata for his children .

I have ordered " Ramayana " from amazon and want to read that when I finish Mahabharata . Can I ask what you though of Ramayana ?







[edit on 28-10-2009 by Max_TO]

Ramayan Is also epic , It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king.
Traditionally the epic belongs to the Treta Yuga, one of the four eons (yuga) of Hindu chronology, and is dated as far back as 880,000 years in the past
consisting the story of a king, his fous sons and the evil ravana.
It's a Interesting epic, if u read u will find powers of Lord RAMA and the powers of Evil RAVANA , who has caught lord ram wife, seeta.
I don't know that u ordered a copy of English author or Indian Author. If u ordered copy of an english author, It might contain same words used like Nuclear weapons that used in Mahabharta. But whatever it's an intresting epic. so happu reading this.

reply to post by avanish



Sorry , I hope that I didn't give you the impression that the copy of mahabharata that I have uses the term " Nuclear weapon " because it doesn't . I was only saying that the description of the " bomb / explosion " described in the book sounds very much like a nuclear explosion would , I just want to make that clear .

The author of both copies of the books that I have are a fellow named Krishna Dharma .

Once again sorry if I wasn't clear but once again for the record no where in the book that I have do they mention a " nuclear explosion "

reply to post by Vanitas


the non-existent and existent-non-existent universe

The nothing or void and the illusion (still nothing) of something that came from the nothing.

I think approaching with an open mind is the formost important neccesityon matters such as this, approaching these matters with your mind already made up isint going to help anyone.

To me all the worlds ancient texts are FAR more than meets the eye, and should most certainly not be taken at face value, just look at the knowledge encoded in some of them such as how knowledge precession turns up in ancient myths and legends, Id highly reccomend reading HAMLETS MILL or FINGERPRINTS OF THE GODS for more insight into that particular issue.



To me the significance of ancient epics, texts, myths and legends is great and the dismissal of such things as fantasy is nothing short of unscientific.


I mean just imagine how unbelievable it would sound to someone 4000 years into the future, if they read a tale of the wonders of the 21st century, (this is of course factoring in the very real possibility that we have, for the most part, wiped ourselves out, or been wiped out by some natural disaster)

To the it would be unbelievable, it would seem like magic, nothing more than a fairy tale, doesint mean it didint happen of course, lets not be so quick to discount the unconventional, I think thats been one of the problems thats dogged cartesian science.


Personally I do currently hold the stance, note I didint say belief, that there were great civilizations of antiquity that possesed at the very least notably higher knowledge than we though, though more likely, amazingly high technologies that we couldint surpass today!!

The more you research these matters, the more fascinating it becomes, to me, the evidence presents a very logical conclusion that there was at least one lost civilisation that held advanced knowledge in all spheres of learning, with teh account in the Mahabrata being one of MANY fragments of memory of such amazing times, although with the amazing detail in the Indian texts, it hardly constitutes fragments, and I really dont see why that is so hard for people to consider.

Just a small study of OOPARTS and ancient texts should at least present the possibility!!!


I also wonder Avanish, if you are coming at this from a religious perspective?



[edit on 31-10-2009 by Outlawstar]

Nothing resembling the sub-microscopic precision equipment required for implementing nuclear fusion or fusion has ever shown up in at an archeological site. The fundamental stage development of these have never appeared in among the tens of thousands of tools found from the past.

An advanced society with technologies capable of producing 20th Century instrumentation would be expected to build other things beside atomic weapons. Did they grow their crops all day and work on their nuclear reactors at night? What was their power source?

If we're going to rely on magical explanations why don't we just leave it at that without trying to insert some mysterious found and lost science into it?


Mike

Originally posted by mmiichael


Nothing resembling the sub-microscopic precision equipment required for implementing nuclear fusion or fusion has ever shown up in at an archeological site. The fundamental stage development of these have never appeared in among the tens of thousands of tools found from the past.

An advanced society with technologies capable of producing 20th Century instrumentation would be expected to build other things beside atomic weapons. Did they grow their crops all day and work on their nuclear reactors at night? What was their power source?

If we're going to rely on magical explanations why don't we just leave it at that without trying to insert some mysterious found and lost science into it?


Mike

Obviously your not taking into account the fact that almost every trace of such an ancient civilisation would be DESTROYED by now, oxidised and turned to dust, except of course for those monuments made of stone, of which we have many.

If our civilisation was suddenly destroyed by a cataclysm, it would probably take less than 500 years for every trace of it to be completely forgotten.

Dont be so quick to jump to conclusions

indeed, look at the remains of the Romans.. not so long ago..

but if it is indeed 50.000 years ago, most traces would be gone..

flagged for the effort.....
IMO mahabharat has all the makings of a exciting novel....like krishna's birth,killing uncle kans.......saving the family of pandav's by krishna and then leading them to WAR with kauravs (evil ones...?) and winning and giving out a mangement lesson about war.

Ramayan is also similar ...its about two guys RAM and RAVAN.
ram is the god and ravan is the demon god king but he is more powerful ,he kidnaps sita (rams wife) and ram kills him ..........sounds good.

source:i read them when i was a kid.

Here's something interesting about Vimanas with some explanations about the translations which is helpful:

www.atlantisquest.com...

I have to extend thanks to faulconandsnowjob for this - she linked to it on another thread, and I've 'borrowed' it.

I really enjoyed this thread. I know it is old, but I am S & F - ing ing it anyway. The Mahabharata is definitely more than just its description of weapons and flying vehicles, it is a very deeply philosophical epic. Every character in this story is like a representation of a certain philosophy of life. It is very much applicable to everyday life today. What I really like about the Mahabharata is just how every character seems to speak philosophy and logic. You can really tell that India is the motherland of philosophy.

By the way the "non-existent existent non-existent existence" is probably a reference to the Nasadiya Sukta(creation hymn) in the Rig Veda. It says in the beginning there was neither existence nor non existence, there was only the one self-existent. The idea here is closely tied to Vedic metaphysics that all being is only existent when there is something to perceive it and therefore existence is all imaginary. The ONE absolute is beyond all distinction of existence and non-existence. It is a profound mystery, even to the most enlightened of sages.

[edit on 12-1-2010 by Indigo_Child]

Originally posted by Vanitas


From the Mahabharata:

Herein also hath been described the eternal Vasudeva possessing the six attributes. He is the true and just, the pure and holy, the eternal Brahma, the supreme soul, the true constant light, whose divine deeds wise and learned recount; from whom hath proceeded the non-existent and existent-non-existent universe with principles of generation and progression, and birth, death and re-birth.

Anyone cares to comment (seriously, please) on the passage in red?

Maybe they're talking about Vidya and Avidya with Brahman, standing above.

I thought that the Mahabharata was only about a war! Anyway... Thank you very much, this is the next book I'll read.

[edit on 12-1-2010 by D1ss1dent]