Mahabharata

Reported by:
Princess Ann N. Bayan
Rey E. Palaje

BACKGROUND

 The Mahabharata which means "The Great Battle" is a Sanskrit poem that has been
described as the longest poem ever.
 It is one of the most important sources of the development of Hinduism between
400 BCE and 200 CE.
 It is said that Mahabharata took place in 3067 BCE.
 This text contains Hindu law (Dharma) and history (Itihasa).
 The poem is made of 100,000 couplets (two lines of verse) or 200,000 individual
verse lines. It is also said to be about 1.8 million words in total.
 the Mahābhārata is roughly 10 times the length of
the Iliad and the Odyssey combined, or about 4 times the length of the Rāmāyana.
 Mahabharata has been written in 18 books, called Parvas.
 Mahabharata is a powerful text which provides an insight into traditional Hindu
culture.

MAHABHARATA
 Is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a
family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who, in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the
throne of Hastinapura.
 The author of Mahabharata which is Veda Vyasa or Krishna-Dwaipayan Vyasa,
himself is a character in the epic, wherein he was the grandfather of the Kaurava
brothers.

PRELUDE

Shantanu - the King of Hastinapur, was married to Ganga (personification of the Ganges
river).
Devavrat - son of King Shantanu and Ganga.
Satyavati - the woman, King Shantanu fell in love.

Satyavati's father refused her to marry the king, unless the king promised that Satyavati's
son and descendants will inherit the throne.
 King Shantanu declined because he is unwilling to deny the rights of Prince
Devavrat.
 Prince Devavrat came to know what happened, vowed to renounce (declined) the
throne and to abstain from marriage or any sexual relations.
 The prince then took Satyavati home to the palace so that the king could marry her.

On account of the terrible vow that Prince Devavrat had taken away, he came to be known
as Bhisma.
  Shantanu and Satyavati had 2 sons before the king died.
 Since the 2 young princes are still minors, the affairs of the king were managed by
Bhisma (Devavrat) and Satyavati.

Vichitravirya - the younger son of Satyavati who take over the throne because the elder one
had died.

Bhisma (Devavrat) abducted 3 princesses of a neighboring kingdom and brought them over
to Hastinapur to be wedded to Vichitravirya.
The eldest of the princess declared that she was inlove to someone else so she was let go
while the other two princesses were married to Vichitravirya who died soon afterwards,
childless.

For the family line not to died out, Satyavati summoned her son Vyasa to impregnate the 2
queens.

Vyasa - Satyavati's son before her marriage to King Shantanu.

 According to their laws, a child born to an unwed mother was taken to be a step-
child of the mother's husband.

 So Vyasa could be considered Shantanu's son that can make the Kuru clan and ruled
Hastinapur.

Dhristarashtra - son of the elder queen.

- born blind
Pandu - son of the younger queen.
- healthy but extremely pale
Vidur - son of Vyasa from the a maid of the two queens.

Bhisma (Devavrat) brought up these three boys.

Dhristarashtra - strongest of all the princes in the country.

Pandu - was extremely skilled in warfare and archery.
Vidur - knew all the branches of learning, politics, and statesmanship.

The eldest prince Dhristarashtra, was bypassed because the laws are not allowing disabled
person from being a king.

Pandu, instead, was crowned.

Gandhari - Dhristarashtra wife.

Kunti and Madri - Pandu's wives.

Pandu expanded the kingdom by conquering the surrounding areas and brought
considerable war booty. With things, going smoothly in the country, Pandu, asked his elder
borther to look after the state affairs and retired to the forest with his two wives for some
time off.
Kindama - was a very bashful person and his overriding feelings of modesty prevented him
from having sex in the company of other humans.

 To satisfy his sexual desires, Kindama used his powers to turn himself into a deer
and took a female deer as mate. Once he and his mate were having intercourse in the
woods. King Pandu of Hastinapur, who had been hunting there, shot them mistaking
them for deers, seriously injuring them. Enraged Kindama (still in deer form)
berated the king for having killed him before he had finished the act of copulation.
Before dying, Kindama cursed Pandu that he would die the moment he engaged in
intercourse with any woman.

 After Kindama’s curse, Pandu renounced everything and became a hermit.

Dhritarashtra the blind brother of Pandu, became the king of Hastinapur. His first
wife Kunti managed to give birth to three sons (Yudhishtira, Bhima and Arjuna)
with the help of gods, without Pandu's involvement. Kunti later gave a portion of
this power to Pandu's second wife Madri, who also gave birth to two sons (Nakula
and Sahadeva).

 Then, after a long time, Pandu was so fascinated by his second wife, Madri's
womanly manners, that he could no longer contain his desires. As soon as he
attempted intercourse with Madri, he died. Madri take her own life in her husband’s
pyre.

KAURAVAS & PANDAVAS

A few years later, Kunti returned to Hastinapur. With her were five little boys, and the
bodies of Pandu and Madri. The five boys were the sons (Yudhishtira, Bhima and Arjuna,
Nakula and Sahadeva) of Pandu, born to his two wives with the help of gods.

In the meanwhile, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari too had had children of their own: 100 sons
and one daughter. The Kuru elders performed the last rites for Pandu and Madri, and Kunti
and the children were welcomed into the palace.

PANDAVAS

Kripa and Drona - teacher of the 105 (100 Kaurava and 5 Pandava) princes.

Karna - of the Suta clan was one of the boys in Drona’s school in Hastinapur.

 It was here that the hostilities quickly developed between the Kauravas (derived
from their ancestor Kuru) and Pandavas (derived from their father, Pandu).

Duryodhana - eldest Kaurava.

Duryodhana tried and failed to poison Bhima (2nd Pandava). Karna, because of his rivalry in
archery with the Arjuna (3rd Pandava), allied himself with Duryodhana.

 In time where all the princes learnt all they could from their teachers. the Kuru
elders decided to hold a public skills exhibition of the princes.
  Duryodhana and Bhima had a heavy fight that had to be stopped before things
turned ugly.

 It was also around this time about Dhritarashtra (blind king) occupying the throne
because he was supposed to be holding it in trust of Pandu, the crowned king.

Yudhishtira - eldest Pandava

- declared as the crown prince and the heir for the throne by Dhritarashtra (blind king) to
keep peace in realm.

THE FIRST EXILE

Duryodhana (eldest Kaurava) plotted to get rid the Pandavas by burning them. He
requested to his father send to Kunti and the Pandavas to the nearby town in a pretext of a
fair that was held there.

 The house where the Pandava settled in was made of inflammable materials by the
agent of Duryodhana.

 However, Pandavas were alerted to this fact by their other uncle, Vidur. And so, they
dug an escape tunnel undernaeath their chambers.

 Pandavas gave out a huge feast which all the townfolk came to. At that feast, a forest
women and her 5 sons were so drunk they could no longer walk straight and passed
out on the hall.
 That night, Pandavas set the fire and escape through the tunnel. When the flames
had died down, they saw the bones of the woman and her children, and mistook
them for Pandavas.
 Duryodhana thought his plan had succeeded and that the world was free of the
Pandavas.

ARJUNA and DRAUPADI

The Pandavas went in hiding, moving from one place to another and passing as a poor
family.

 They would seek shelter with some of the villager for a few weeks. The Pandavas
would go out daily and beg for food, retrun in evening and hand over the day's
earnings to Kunti who would divide the food.

During their wanderings, they heard about the swayamvar (a ceremony to choose a suitor)
being organized for the princess of Panchal Draupadi.

Princess Draupadi was famed for her beauty and every prince from every country had come
to swayamvar, hoping to win her hand.
CONDITIONS OF THE SWAYAMVAR:
 A long pole on the ground had a circular disc spinning at its top. On this moving disc
was attached a fish. At the bottom of the pole was a shallow urn of water.
 A person had to look down into this water-mirror, use the bow and fives arrows that
were provided and pierce the fish spinning on top.
 5 attempts were allowed.

 One by one, the kings and princes tried to shoot the fish and failed. After every one
of the royals had failed, Arjuna (3rd Pandava), stepped up to the pole, picked up the
bow, put all 5 arrows in the bow, looked down into the water, aimed, shoot and
pierced the fish's eyes with all the 5 arrows in a single attempt. He had won
Draupadi's hand.

Pandava brothers, still in disguise as a poor famiy, took Draupadi back to the hut they were
staying and shouted for Kunti to see what they've brought back. Kunti replied back saying,
"Whatever it is, share it among yourselves", she came out of the hut and saw that it wasn't
alms but the most beautiful woman she had ever set her eyes on.

 Dhrishtadyumna (Draupadi's twin) was unhappy that his royal sister should be
married off to a poor commoner, secretly followed the Pandavas. Together with him
were the princes of Yadava Clan, Krishna and Balaram -- who had suspected that the
unknown archer could be none other than Arjuna. These princes were related to
Pandavas -- their father was Kunti's brother, but they had never met before. By
coincidence, Vyasa (grandfather of Pandavas/Kauravas) also arrived at the scene.

 To keep Kunti's word, it was decided that Draupadi would be a common wife of all
the Pandava brothers.
 Dhrishtadyumna (Draupadi's twin) and King Drupad were reluctant with the
unusual arrangement but were talked around by Vyasa and Yudhishthira (eldest
Pandava).

INDRAPRASTHA & THE DICE GAME

 After the wedding in Panchal, the Hastinapur palace invited the Pandavas and their
bride.

 Dhritarashtra (blind king) made a great show of happiness on discovering that the
Pandavas were alive after all.

 He partitioned the kingdom and give them a huge land to settle in and rule over. The
new kingdom, Indraprastha, prospered and transformed into a paradise.
Yudhishtira was also crowned there.

AGREEMENT OF PANDAVAS FOR DRAUPADI (their common wife)

 she was to be of each Pandava by turn every year.
 if any Pandava was to enter the room where she was present with her husband-of-
that-year, that Pandava was to be exiled for 12 years.
  When Draupadi and Yudhishtira, her husband of that year were present in the
armoury, Arjuna entered to it and take his bow and arrows.
 To fulfilled the agreement, Arjuna went off in exile.

 The prosperity of Indraprastha and the power of Pandavas was not something that
Duryodhan (eldest Kaurava) liked.

DICE GAME

Duryodhana and Shakuni trick Yudhistira and the Pandavas into losing all their wealth and
possessions, including themselves and their wife Draupadi.

- Duryodhana (eldest Kaurava) invited Yudhisthira (eldest Pandava) in a dice game.

- Shakuni (other uncle of Duryodhan) a skilled player played on Duryodhana's behalf.
- Yudhisthira staked and lost step by step his entire wealth, his kingdom, his brothers,
himself and Draupadi.
- Draupadi was dragged to the dice hall and insulted.
- Bhima (2nd Pandava) lost his temper and vowed to kill all the Kauravas when an attempt
to disrobe Draupadi happened
- Dhritarashtra (blind king) intervened unwillingly, gave the kingdom and the freedom back
to the Pandavas and Draupadi

SECOND DICE GAME

- Dhritarashtra's decision angered Duryodhan and invited Yudhishthira to another dice

game.

CONDITION OF THE SECOND DICE GAME

 the loser would go on exile for 12 year followed by a year of life incognito.
 if they were to be discovered during the incognito period, the loser would have to
repeat
the 12+1 exile cycle.

 Again, Yudhishtira lost the game.

THE SECOND EXILE

- Pandavas left their mother Kunti behind at Hastinapur, in (uncle) Vidur's place.
- Pandavas lived in forests, hunter game, and visited holy spots.
- Yudhishtira asked Arjuna to go to heavens in quest of celestial weapons.
 they know that their kingdom will not be returned to them after the exile.
 Arjuna learn the techniques of several divine weapons and he also learnt
how to sing and dance from the gods.
 After 12 years, Pandavas went incognito for a year.

Virat Kingdom - Pandavas lived into this kingdom for one-year (incognito period).
IN VIRAT KINGDOM:
Yudhishtira - King's counselor
Bhima - worked in the royal kitchen
Arjuna - a eunuch and taught the palace maidens how to sing and dance
Nakula and Sahadeva (twin Pandavas) - worked in a royal stables
Draupadi - handmaiden to the queeen.

- Pandavas were not discovered despite Duryodhan's best effort.

- Virat king was overwhelmed to their incognito and offered his daughter to Arjuna, but he
declined it.

Abhimanyu (Arjuna's son) married the princess of Virat.

- at the wedding ceremony, a large number of Pandava allies gathered to draw a war
strategy.

 the missions to demand Indraprastha failed because Duryodhan refused to give

away as much land.

- Kauravas also gathered their allies around them for the war.

THE KURUKSHETRA WAR

Before the war started, Arjuna saw his relatives – his great grandfather Bhisma, his teachers
Kripa and Drona, his brothers: the Kauravas, and, for a moment his resolution wavered.
Arjuna said to Krishna, "Take me back, Krishna. I can't kill these people. They're my father,
my brothers, my teachers, my uncles, my sons. What good is a kingdom that's gained at the
cost of their lives?"

Krishna - Arjuna’s charioteer in the war.

He explained the importance of doing one's duty and of sticking to the right path. Arjuna
picked up his bow again.

Bhagavad Gita – a philosophical topic that was created after Arjuna and Krishna’s conversation
(separate book).

 The battle raged for 18 days.

 Casualties on both sides were high.
 Pandavas won the war but lost almost everyone they hold dear.

 Duryodhana and all of the Kauravas had died, all the men in Draupadi’s family, including
all of her sons from the Pandavas, their great-grandfather Bhisma, their teacher Drona
and Karna –which was revealed to be a son of Kunti before her marriage to Pandu, the
eldest Pandava and the rightful heir to the throne.
 In about 18 days, the entire country lost almost three generations of its men.
 After the war, Yudhishtira became the king of Hastinapur and Indraprastha and they ruled
the land for 36 years.

Parikshit – Abhimanyu’s son (Pandu’s son) succeeded the throne.

Pandavas and Draupadi, proceeded on foot of the Himalayas intending to live out their last days
climbing the slopes heavenwards.

One by one, they fell on this last journey and their spirits ascended to the heavens.

LEGACY

Since that time, this story has been retold countless times, expanded upon, and retold again.
The Mahabharata remains popular to this day in India. It has been adapted and recast in
contemporary mode in several films and plays.

Beyond India, the Mahabharata story is popular in south-east Asia in cultures that were
influenced by Hinduism such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

SOME OF THE MORAL LESSON OF THE STORY

1. Unconditional support and loyal friends can take you anywhere.

 the Pandavas had krishna, and the Kauravas had Karna. Both of them always backed
the two parties, no matter what. In fact, Duryodhana was really weak without
Karna.
2. You need to fight for what you think belongs to you.
 the Pandavas never stopped fighting for what rightfully belonged to them. Their courage
and determination is definitely something to admire and learn from.
3. A revengeful instinct can only lead to one’s doom.
 the story may revolve around the war of duty, but, we cannot escape the fact that the
major reason behind the destruction of all was revenge. The Kauravas lost everything to
their blinded desire to ruin the Pandavas .
4. Stand by what’s right; even fight for it.
 Arjuna was hesitant to wage war against his family but Krishna reminded him that one
has to stand by duty, even meant going against one’s own family.
5. Don’t be swayed by greed.
 this is when Yudhishtira lost everything he possessed – his kingdom, his wealth, his
brothers and even gamble away their wife, Draupadi.
6. Stay strong together because unity is the strength.
 this is what the Pandavas taught us in the epic.
7. A good strategy is what you need to sail your boat.
 if Pandavas didn’t have a plan, they wouldn’t witnessed the victory they did. Always
have a plan.

18 PARVAS (BOOKS) OF MAHABHARATA

1. Adi Parva - Book of Beginning

 It lays the basic story startup. The early life of the Pandava and Kaurava prince
families is also depicted in this parva.

2. Sabha Parva - Book of the Assembly Hall

  Contains the popular story of Game of Dice, the event that was the turning point in
the lives of the Kauravas and the Pandavas.

3. Vana Parva or Aranya Parva - Book of the Forest

 This is one of the longest Parvas of the Mahabharata, and contains detailed
accounts of the life of the Pandavas during their exile in the forest, for the period
of twelve years.

4. Virata Parva
 Largely deals with the thirteenth year of exiled life lived in incognito in the
Kingdom of Virat. The five brothers stayed there in disguise, and Draupadi too
stayed in the kingdom for a year, in disguise. All of them were disguised in
accordance with their skill and quality.

5. Udyoga Parva - Book Of Effort

 This book describes the effort to keep peace after their half of the kingdom had
been denied to the Pandavas. After the failed attempts to maintain peace, the
preparation for the Great War, Kurukshetra War, began.

6. Bhisma Parva - Book of Bhisma

 It is centered on the life story Bhisma, the son of Shantanu.

7. Drona Parva – Book of Drona

 Denotes how the Great War became brutal with each passing day. Drona had to
fight for the Kaurava army, though he knew that the Pandavas were right. This
was because he was indebted to the kingdom of Hastinapur for all the assistance
that they provided.

8. Karna Parva – Book of Karna

 Revolves entirely around the life story of Karna, starting with his birth, till his
death in the Great War in the hands of Arjuna.

9. Shalya Parva
 Details of the last day of the great Kurukshetra war. Out of the entire Kaurava
army, only three survive by the end of the battle.

10. Sauptika Parva – Book of the Sleeping

 Deals with revenge of the three survivor of the Kaurava army. They take their
revenge on the night after the 18th day, when they go to the Pandavas army
camp and killed all those who were sleeping. However, the Pandava brothers
and Krishna survived, as they weren’t sleeping.

11. Stri Parva – Book of Women

 Dealt with impact of the war on the women, whose husbands and sons and
fathers dies in the battlefield of the great Kurukshetra War.

12. Shanti Parva – Book of Peace

 It deals with aftermath of the great battle, and the crowning of Yudhishtira as the
king of Hastinapur and and the instructions given by Bhisma (before he died) to
the new king.
 Also deals with the attempt to restore peace in the kingdom.
13. Anushasana Parva – Book of Instructions
 Deals with Bhisma (before he died) giving the final instructions to Yudhishtira, in
continuation with what he started in the Shanti Parva. Bhishma discusses with
him and the sages and the duties of a ruler.

14. Ashvamedhika Parva – Book of the horse Sacrifice

 This accounts of the royal ceremony of Ashvameda or horse sacrifice conducted
by Yudhishtira, on the instructions of Krishna.

15. Ashramavasika Parva

 Describes the period of prosperous and golden rule under the kingship of
Yudhishtira after the Kurukshetra war.

16. Mausala Parva – Book of Clubs

 It has accounts of the death of Krishna 36 years after the Kurukshetra war.

17. Mahaprasthanika Parva - Book of the Great Journey

 It recites the journey of Pandavas across the Indian Territory and finally their
ascent to the Himalayas.

18. Svargarohana Parva - Book of the Ascent to Heaven

 It describes Yudhishtira’s arrival to heaven and how he deals with the people in
heaven and hell.