Why did Krishna not save the Pandavas when they played dice with Duryodhana & Shakuni?

Wonderful explanation by Krishna himself:_

From his childhood, Uddhava had been with Krishna, charioting him and serving him in many ways.
He never asked for any wish or boon from Sri Krishna.
When Krishna was at the verge of completing His Avatar, he called Uddhava and said,
_‘Dear Uddhava, in this avatar of mine, many people have asked and received boons from me; but you never asked me anything._
_Why don’t you ask something now? I will give you._
_Let me complete this avatar with the satisfaction of doing something good for you also’._

_Even though Uddhava did not ask anything for himself, he had been observing Krishna from his childhood._
_He had always wondered about the apparent disconnect between Krishna’s teachings and actions, and wanted to understand the reasons for the same._
_He asked Krishna, ‘Lord, you taught us to live in one way, but you lived in a different way.
In the drama of Mahabharat, in the role you played, in your actions, I did not understand many things. I am curious to understand the reasons for your actions.*_
Would you fulfil my desire to know?’*_

Krishna said, ‘Uddhava, what I told Arjuna during the war of Kurukshetra was Bhagavad Gita.

Today, my responses to you would be known as ‘Uddhava Gita’.
That is why I gave this opportunity to you. Please ask without hesitation.’

Uddhava starts asking. ‘Krishna, first tell me who is a real friend?’

Krishna says, ‘The real friend is one who comes to the help of his friend in need even without being called’.

Uddhava: ‘Krishna, you were a dear friend of the Pandavas.
They trusted you fully as Apadhbhandava (protector from all difficulties).
Krishna, you not only know what is happening, but you know what is going to happen. You are a great gyani.

 Just now you gave the definition of a true, close friend.

Then why did you not act as per that definition.
 Why did you not stop Dharmaraj (Yudhishtra)
 from playing the gambling game?

Ok, you did not do it; why did you not turn the luck in favour of Dharmaraj, by which you would have ensured that dharma wins. You did not do that also.

You could have at least saved Dharmaraj by stopping the game after he lost his wealth, country and himself.

You could have released him from the punishment for gambling.
Or, you could have entered the hall when he started betting his brothers.
You did not do that either.
At least when Duryodhana tempted Dharmaraj by offering to return everything he lost if he bet Draupadi (who always brought good fortune to Pandavas), you could have intervened and with your divine power, you could have made the dice roll in a way that is favorable to Dharmaraj.
Instead, you intervened, only when Draupadi almost lost her modesty and now you claim that you gave clothes and saved Draupadi’s modesty;
how can you even claim this – after her being dragged into the hall by a man and disrobed in front of so many people, what modesty is left for a woman?
What have you saved?

Only when you help a person at the time of crisis, can you be called ‘Apadhbandhava’.
If you did not help in the time of crisis, what is the use?
Is it Dharma?’
As Uddhava posed these questions, tears started rolling from his eyes._

These are not the questions of Uddhava alone.
All of us who have read Mahabharata have these questions.
On behalf of us, Uddhava had already asked Krishna.

Bhagavan Krishna laughed._
‘Dear Uddhava, the law of this world is: ‘only the one who has Viveka (intelligence through discrimination), wins’.
While Duryodhana had viveka, Dharmaraj lacked it.
That is why Dharmaraj lost’.

Uddhava was lost and confused. Krishna continues :
‘While Duryodhana had lots of money and wealth to gamble, he did not know how to play the game of dice.
That is why he used his Uncle Shakuni to play the game while he placed the  bet.
That is viveka.
Dharmaraj also could have thought similarly and offered that I, his cousin, would play on his behalf.
If Shakuni and I had played the game of dice, who do you think would have won?
Can he roll the numbers I am calling or would I roll the numbers that he is asking for.
 Forget this.
I can forgive the fact that he forgot to include me in the game.
 But, without viveka, he did another blunder.
He prayed that I should not come to the hall as he did not want me to know that through ill-fate he was compelled to play this game.
He tied me with his prayers and did not allow me to get into the hall;
I was just outside the hall waiting for someone to call me through their prayers.
 Even when Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva were lost, they were only cursing Duryodhana and brooding over their fate; they forgot to call me.
 Even Draupadi did not call me when Dusshasan held her hair and dragged her to fulfil his brother’s order.
She was also arguing in the hall, based on her own abilities.
She never called me.
Finally good sense prevailed; when Dusshasan started disrobing her, she gave up depending on her own strength, and started shouting. ‘Hari, Hari, Abhayam Krishna, Abhayam’ and shouted for me.
Only then did I get an opportunity to save her modesty.
I reached as soon as I was called.
I saved her modesty._
 What is my mistake in this situation?

‘Wonderful explanation, Kanna, I am impressed.
 However, I am not deceived.
Can I ask you another question’, says Uddhava.
Krishna gives him the permission to proceed.

'Does it mean that you will come only when you are called!
Will you not come on your own to help people in crisis, to establish justice?’, asks Uddhava.

Krishna smiles. ‘Uddhava, in this life everyone’s life proceeds based on their own karma.
I don’t run it; I don’t interfere in it.
I am only a ‘witness’. I stand close to you and keep observing whatever is happening. This is God’s Dharma’.

_‘Wow, very good Krishna. In that case, you will stand close to us, observe all our evil acts; as we keep committing more and more sins, you will keep watching us. You want us to commit more blunders, accumulate sins and suffer’, says Uddhava.

Krishna says, ’Uddhava, please realise the deeper meaning of your statements.
When you understand & realise that I am standing as witness next to you, how could you do anything wrong or bad. You definitely cannot do anything bad. You forget this and think that you can do things without my knowledge.

_That is when you get into trouble._
_Dharmaraj’s ignorance was that he thought he can play the game of gambling without my knowledge._

If Dharmaraj had realized that I am always present with everyone in the form of ‘Sakshi’ (witness), then wouldn’t the game have finished differently?’

_Uddhava was spellbound and was so very  overwhelmed by Bhakti._

 _He said,_ ‘What a deep philosophy, Kesava.
What a great truth!

Even praying and performing pooja and calling Him for help are nothing but our feelings / beliefs.
When we start believing that nothing moves without Him, how can we not feel his presence as Witness?
 How can we forget this and act?
Throughout Bhagavad Gita, this is the philosophy Krishna imparted to Arjuna.

He was the charioteer as well as guide for Arjuna, but he did not fight Arjuna's War’:-
Realize that the Ultimate Sakshi / the one who is the Witness is within & within you!

And Merge in that God Consciousness!

Discover Thy Higher Self- The Pure Loveful & Blissful Supreme.
Please realise that God is with us all the time at the time when u do good as well as when you commit mistake...
Every time I read this gives a smile on my face...

What is CBSE? Why am I Proud to partner with CBSE?

Look at the facts provided below... I Don't think anyone who knows about CBSE may differ from me....

Kindly visit the following links to know about CBSE affiliated schools in Kerala with Govt. of Kerala's No Objection Certificate:

http://cbseaff.nic.in/cbse_aff/schdir_Report/userview.aspx

These schools follow NCERT (National Council for Education Research & Training) syllabus and teaching methodology. To know about Syllabus, National Curriculum Frame Work and Subject & Language wise Position Papers on methodology, approach and objective visit:

1. For text books:
http://epathshala.nic.in/e-pathshala-4/flipbook/

2. NCF & Position Papers:
http://www.ncert.nic.in/rightside/links/focus_group.html

3. Syllabus - Grade I to XII:
http://www.ncert.nic.in/rightside/links/syllabus.html

4. CBSE website link: www.cbse.nic.in

5. CBSE Academic Unit Website:
CBSE has a special and unique site for catering to the needs of schools affiliated to it in India and around 65 countries abroad:
http://cbseacademic.nic.in

6. Link to know how Teacher Training, Innovation & Research are conducted for CBSE Schools:
http://cbseacademic.nic.in/tir/

7. CBSE Curriculum for 2018-19:
http://cbseacademic.nic.in/curriculum.html

8. Vocational Education under CBSE:
http://cbse.nic.in/newsite/curriculumVocational.html

9. Heritage Education under CBSE:
http://cbseacademic.nic.in/heritage/

10. National level entrance exam - NEET:
https://cbseneet.nic.in/cbseneet/Welcome.aspx

Browse the links above and understand how well CBSE is organised.

Its hard to find in the world an education board which is so updated, innovative, research based and value all internationally accepted principles of Quality Management Principles... It's demographic reach all over India and abroad is envious to everyone around the globe....

Be proud to partner with such a national education board as a student, teacher, parent, admin staff, trainer, alumni, consultant, management or as a well-wisher!

By Radhakrishnan C
Serving in the education sector for last 25 yrs....Exposed to K-12 State, CBSE, ICSE, IB & IGCSE and Higher Education Sectors.

Syllabus Reduction – Are We Aiming Creation of Brainless Data Banks?

By Radhakrishnan C

Most of us felt much relieved when we heard about government’s decision to reduce the syllabus. I have a different take on this. I don’t think syllabus or curriculum is the root cause of learner stress. More than syllabus, how we approach syllabus or curriculum must be looked into. The current curriculum or syllabus is driven by learning outcomes, and if we are able to focus on this, there is no need to cut. Reducing the content becomes a right approach only if the outcome we expect is mugging up and presenting it as it is in a standardized assessment. To survive in the current world, learners need to go even beyond the current curriculum or syllabus, and understand how to apply the theories learned in day to day life and real life situations. Learners must be able to innovate to improve upon the current practices and solve the issues coming up, to create a better tomorrow for all.

The challenge is – in our traditional classrooms, every page and every word in textbooks is expected to be taught and mugged by students. Nobody is bothered about its applicability and practical skills. Assessment is standardized, hence all must mug up to have a better score. In this assessment system there is no chance for individualized leaning based on the interest or aptitude of the learner. This creates stress and makes people feel that content is heavy. We must first focus and build an attitude on what to teach and what to achieve as learning outcome? Our focus must be on balancing the school calendar events, providing sufficient weightage for co-scholastic – sports, literary, cultural and life skill activities along with individualized learning and assessment practices to strengthen academic foundation. I do not believe cutting syllabus will help us to have more experiential learning, co-scholastic activities and life skill oriented programs in schools. We need to restructure our approach on lesson delivery and assessment. Actually, by withdrawing the CCE, without having a better system, we pushed back the system to a more traditional one.

If CBSE continues the present confusing and frequent altering of policies, parents may move to some other international boards, which would cater to the needs of learners in a better manner and prepare them for the future. Policy makers must reform the system to alleviate the root causes rather than looking for a peripheral change just to prove someone in the past was wrong. Changes we implement must be to improve the learning outcomes. It shouldn’t be for producing more certificate holders who are incapable to convert the knowledge they gained into wisdom and apply in real day to day situations. Hence, we need to look for a curriculum which can really bring forth the hidden talents in learners and prepare them with the much needed life skills to be successful. In short, creating ‘data bank brains’ won’t help our current school going generation to thrive in the future.

Your comments after introspection are most welcome…..

Look what a speech Pope Francis gave in yesterday's homily / sermon! It's to read and reread several times ...
This is the Pope with the greatest spirituality since Peter.

"You can have flaws, be anxious, and ever angry, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. Only you can stop it from going bust. Many appreciate you, admire you and love you. Remember that to be happy is not to have a sky without a storm, a road without accidents, work without fatigue, relationships without disappointments.To be happy is to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the stage of fear, love in discord. It is not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness.It is not only to celebrate the successes, but to learn lessons from the failures.It is not only to feel happy with the applause, but to be happy in anonymity. Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel within themselves. To be happy is to stop feeling like a victim and become your destiny's author. It is to cross deserts, yet to be able to find an oasis in the depths of our soul. It is to thank God for every morning, for the miracle of life. Being happy is not beig afraid of your own feelings. It's to be able to talk about you. It is having the courage to hear a "no". It is confidence in the face of criticism, even when unjustified. It is to kiss your children, pamper your parents, to live poetic moments with friends, even when they hurt us. To be happy is to let live the creature that lives in each of us, free, joyful and simple. It is to have maturity to be able to say: "I made mistakes". It is to have the courage to say "I am sorry". It is to have the sensitivity to say, "I need you". It is to have the ability to say "I love you". May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness ... That in spring may it be a lover of joy. In winter a lover of wisdom. And when you make a mistake, start all over again. For only then will you be in love with life. You will find that to be happy is not to have a perfect life. But use the tears to irrigate tolerance. Use your losses to train patience. Use your mistakes to sculpter serenity. Use pain to plaster pleasure. Use obstacles to open windows of intelligence. Never give up .... Never give up on people who love you. Never give up on happiness, for life is an incredible show. "
(Pope Francisco).

Traditional Leaders Vs Collaborative Leaders

Read, Learn & Flourish!

Grow, Glow & be Great!

What Great Teachers Do Differently: 14 Things That Matter Most

By Todd Whitaker

1. Great teachers never forget that it is people, not programs that determine the quality of a school.

2. Great teachers establish clear expectations at the start of the year and follow them consistently as the year progresses.

3. When a student misbehaves, great teachers have one goal: to keep that behavior from happening again.

4. Great teachers have high expectations for students, but even higher expectations for themselves.

5. Great teachers know who is the variable in the classroom: THEY are.

6. Great teachers create a positive atmosphere in their classrooms and schools.

7. Great teachers consistently filter out the negatives that don't matter and share a positive attitude.

8. Great teachers work hard to keep their relationships in good repair--to avoid personal hurt and to repair any possible damage.

9. Great teachers have the ability to ignore trivial disturbances and the ability to respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation.

10. Great teachers have a plan and purpose for everything they do.

11. Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, great teachers ask themselves one central question: "What will the best people think?"

12. Great teachers treat everyone as if they were good.

13. Great teachers keep standardized testing in perspective.

14. Great teachers care about their students, and understand the power of emotion to jump-start change.

Adopted from:

What Great Teachers Do Differently: 14 Things That Matter Most

By Todd Whitaker

Read, Learn & Flourish! 

Grow, Glow & be great!

What Great Principals Do Differently: Eighteen Things That Matter

By Todd Whitaker

Read, Learn & Flourish!

Grow, Glow and be Great!