Utsaha Camp - Why do bad things happen to good people?

Character Description
SCENE 1
Narrator This is the time when the pandavas were spending their time in vanavasa, wherein they faced a lot
many problems and sufferings. On one day, Yudhisthira Maharaj was lying down on the chatai and
Bhima and Draupadi are speaking to each other.
Draupadi O my dear husband Bhima, I don’t understand why we all have to go through such a condition in our
lives. Look at this Yudhishthira maharaj. This personality is supposed to sit on an elevated asana but
now his forehead is touching the dirt on the ground, still he is not ashamed that we have been driven to
the jungle. He is simply delighted in hearing the vedic chants of the brahmanas in the jungle. Just look
at him! Is there any person like him in this whole world. There is no anger in him for the kauravas. What
do you think, Bhima?
Bhima Yes yes Draupadi! What you are saying is true. In fact even when you were dragged into the assembly
of kauravas, and they were trying to trouble you by vastraharan, I was immediately ready to vanquish
all the kauravas. I even asked for permission but Yudhisthira maharaj didn't permit me so I was forced to
tolerate because of him. He is too mild and if this is the way he is going to guide us, we will never get
the kingdom and we will forever remain bereft of wealth and opulance and everything. and then our
(Approached king Yudhisthira) Get up o king! This is high time now. We must go back and fight a battle
Draupadi suferings will have no end.
against kauravas, destroy them and get the kingdom back. A kshatriya should never forgo his duty of
fighting.
Yudhisthira (Very calmly) My dear wife, anger is the cause of all evil! For 12 years we are sent in the jungle and
right now our dharma is to be in jungle. When we will return back then the kingdom will be given to us
and then ruling that kingdom will be dharma for us. so everybody in this world should perform his
dharma at appropriate time. Right now our dharma is to stay here. And one should never become
overcome by anger. When we become angry, we become blind by passion and then we lose
discrimination. And then we will act in a way which will bring great disgrace to our entire kingdom. So,
learn to subdue your anger by devotional service and become peacefully situated. There is an important
role of destiny in our life. Right now our destiny is to stay in this jungle and when destiny will favour us,
we will surely rule the whole world by the grace of Krishna. I undestand that whatever destiny is there in
our lives right now, is all because of arrangement of Krishna. So we should accept it gratefully,
graciously and without any grudges in our heart.
Now hear these sweet singing of birds, hear the recitation of brahmanas and see the beauty and
serenity of the life in this jungle. I feel more happy to be in jungle that to be in the kingdom.
Draupadi Yes my dear husband, what you are saying is very correct. Please forgive me. I got overdriven by anger.
Bhima Sorry, my dear brother. Please forgive me. Evey now and then we become wild by our emotions. If only
you are not here to control our acts, we will fall pray to our passion and we will act immaturely.

SCENE 2
Narrator Few days passed, now the pandavas were staying in their hermitage in the kamyaka vana. One day
Krishna approached pandavas when they were spending time in the forest.
Yudhisthira Oh Krishna! Please come. How did you come to know that we are in this kamyaka vana?
Krishna Ha ha ha ha! I just came to meet all of you and to understand your situation here in the forest.
Narrator Just after Krishan began to excahnge loving words with the pandavas, the great sage Narada Muni
appeared there.
Krishna (allgreat
O of them including
sage, pleaseKrishna
tell allbow
of down to Narada
us some Muni
histories with all
which aretheir respect)
filled with some moral and spiritual
Narada instructions.
Narayana ! Narayana ! Yes yes why not? I would surely like to serve you all by giving this knowledge.
Narrator Narada Muni was just about to start speaking his advice, but suddenly Sri Markandeya Rishi appears at
the scene.
(wearing black deer skin)
Narada (including Narada
It's our great everyone
fortune to havebows down as he
Markandeya is far
Rishi senior
with to is
us. He allthe
of them)
seniormost amongst us. So he is the
right person from whose mouth we shall hear some message. Please instruct us O great sage
Markandeya!
(Markandeya Rishi is given an elevated asana to sit and he starts speaking)
Yudhisthira O my dear sage, please accept these gifts. Right now we don't have anything better than this to offer
you. So please accept these. ( Rishi happily accepts)
O great sage, we all are very fortunate to have you amongst us. Can I ask some questions to you?
Markandeya Yes my dear king, please go ahead.
Yudhisthira Why in this world the sinful people prosper and the pious people are forced to suffer?
(Draupadi indicates Bhima that actually he is asking for our pleasure. Both of them smile at each other
and start paying attention to the answer of Makandeya Rishi)
Markandeya I am very pleased with this question of yours. Please listen the answer very carefully.
My dear Yudhisthira, there are 4 types of people staying in this world. First are those who enjoy now and
suffer later, second are those who suffer now and suffer even later. third are those who enjoy now but
suffer later and the last are those who suffer now bu they will enjoy later in the future and this is all
happeing due to the karmic reactions of these people.
You pandavas, you all are charitable householders, you are so pious and pure devotees of Krishna.
Please know that whatever suffering you are undergoing in the jungle now is all orchastration of
Krishna. You all are so pure hearted and so you are not at all supposed to suffer but Lord Krishna wants
to teach the world so many valuable lessons. Krishna wants to teach how a pure devotees never give
up the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord even in great adversity. Similarly Lord will enact the life of
devotees in such a way that He will destroy the evil, reestablish the dharma and protect the devotees.
So whatever is happeing in your life, please accept it as His will and go on with your dharma. Very soon
you all will prosper as the kings of the whole world.
Narrator Destiny brings bodily beauty, fame, wealth, position, duration of life. Similarly the past sinful reactions
give results now because of which we have to suffer from family problems, poverty, illness, diseases
illiteracy etc. But as far as a devotee is concerned, whatever situation he is put by the destiny, he
accepts it as Krishna's mercy and goes on with his duties of becoming Krishna conscious. In this way a
devotee rises above the material platform and becomes pure and this happens by experiencing
emotions only in his relaitonship with Krishna.
On the other hand, a devotee is never lazy blaming the destiny and not performing his dharma. and he
also doesn't become passionate to counteract the destiny where he just struggles and hurts himself and
even others. He understands the arrangements of Krishan and pusues his dharma nicely.
Characters
MUST Optional
Yudhisthira Arjuna
Bhima Nakula
Draupadi Sahadeva
Krishna
Narada Muni
Markandeya Rishi
Narrator