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Showing posts from December 2, 2016


Story of Chirakari in the Mahabharata

Story of Chirakari in the Mahabharata is found in the dialogue between Bhishma and Yudhisthira after the Mahabharat war. A wise, young ascetic Chirakari, finds himself in a tricky situation when his father, suspecting his wife’s fidelity, tells him to kill his mother, and then angrily goes to the forest. The son, true to his name Chirakari (one who deliberates thoroughly before deciding), always takes his time to analyze the pros and cons of any issue before arriving at any conclusion, and then acts only after due contemplation. Here he was caught in the crosscurrents of allegiances: memories of his mother’s selfless love competing against the respect he owed his father. Reeling under great stress, the young ascetic continued to mull for days on end over the options available to him, ultimately deciding to abide by the command of his father. He procured a sharp sword, which he spent endless hours honing and filing, driven by the thought of sparing his mother any more p