Example sentences: Ramayana: Though Kishkinda was the habitat of monkeys, it was no backwater; it was replete with royal luxuries. Mahabharata: Khandava had been a backwater when the Pandavas received it, but they soon converted it into a flourishing kingdom by Krishna’s grace. Bhagavad-gita: To grow spiritually, we don’t have to renounce our ambitions and
Example sentences: Ramayana: When Ravana heard that Rama had singlehandedly destroyed the fourteen-thousand-strong regiment of demons, he could no longer scoff at Rama, dismissing him as a mere human. Mahabharata: As the Pandavas walked out of the gambling match, Karna scoffed at them, “Behold the warriors who had to be saved by a woman.” Bhagavad-gita:
Example sentences: Ramayana: Ravana’s fall illustrates a universal lesson: when lust is indulged in indiscriminately, it metastasizes till it devastates not just the lusty person but many others connected with that person. Mahabharata: Duryodhana’s envy for the Pandavas had metastasized to such a degree that he couldn’t peacefully enjoy his prosperity even after he had
Example sentences: Ramayana: In the Ramayana’s Sundara-kanda, the primary protagonist is not Rama but Hanuman, which reflects the epic’s endearing shift of spotlight from deity to devotee. Mahabharata: During the ill-fated gambling match, the protagonist who acquits oneself most honorably is the one who is most dishonored: Draupadi. Bhagavad-gita: The more we immerse ourselves in
Example sentences: Ramayana: When Ramayana commentators give several explanations of certain words from the epic, some readers might find such explanations pedantic, but devotees relish those explanations as tools for mining the many levels of insight and delight in this multi-layered epic. Mahabharata: Duryodhana paid little attention to the words of the sages, for he
Example sentences: Ramayana: Though Vibhishana was a devotee at heart, he reasoned with Ravana using not devotional arguments but using diverse arguments based on his eclectic study of various sources that would be more acceptable to Ravana. Mahabharata: Arjuna was single-pointed in his devotion to Krishna, yet he was eclectic in learning various skills so
Example sentences: Ramayana: When Rama heard from Kaikeyi that he had been exiled, he showed no palpable reaction; he wanted to ensure that his response didn’t make a bad situation worse. Mahabharata: Duryodhana had expected his forceful mace attack to at least knock Bhima down, but when it seemed to have no palpable impact on
Example sentences: Ramayana: When Angada challenged the demons to budge his foot, that challenge was not his vainglory; it was his confidence in Rama’s glory, for Rama would make his devotee’s foot immoveable. Mahabharata: The incidents that Karna presented as evidences of his bravery, Bhishma downplayed as mere expressions of vainglory. Bhagavad-gita: The vainglory of
Example sentences: Ramayana: The sage Vishvamitra was a forest-dwelling hermit; his activities were largely extramural and thus his visit to Ayodhya was a surprise to everyone. Mahabharata: The way Ekalavya learned archery was not entirely extramural; though he was not admitted into Drona’s academy, he secretly observed the lessons taught there and took inspiration from
Example sentences: Ramayana: Hanuman’s feat in single-handedly setting Ravana’s Lanka on fire boggled the minds of even the gods. Mahabharata: When Bhima effortlessly uprooted a huge tree and whirled it overhead like a giant bludgeon, that sight boggled all observers. Bhagavad-gita: On beholding the universal form of Krishna, Arjuna’s mind was boggled, being filled first