Hyderabad: As the clock strikes 6.30 pm every day, at least 10,000 people hook to Facebook to watch an ongoing marathon discourse on the Mahabharata by Sri
Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamy, Peethadhipathi of the Avadhootha Datta
Peetham of Mysore.
The discourse lasts about two hours, with the Swamiji explaining a multitude of stories from the epic, dotting the discourse with do’s and don’ts aimed at inculcating good values among people. The differences between the angelic and demonic characteristics, the boons and banes experienced by the blessed and the cursed through the life and actions of different characters form a part of the discourses.
When Covid-19 struck India with its subsequent lockdowns, the Datta Peetham ashram was no exception, as was the case of other ashrams of the Peetham in other parts of the country. With people staying put at home, Swamiji decided to begin an online discourse of the Mahabharata, an epic with an enormous breadth and dept of characters and storyline, that could help people stay at home and take their minds off the pandemic associated worries.
So far, discourses on 11 of Mahabharata’s chapters, starting from Adiparvam, to
Streeparvam, have been completed. Currently, the discourses are on the
Shantiparvam, and the remaining six chapters are expected to be covered in a month or so.
According to Ashram sources, edited versions of the daily discourses, with added special effects, are posted on the Ashram's YouTube channel.
