CHARACTER

BACKGROUND
The Mahabharata
THE WIVES OF
KING PANDU

Kunti and Madri

Birth of Yudhishthira
Birth of Bhima
Birth of Arjuna
Birth of Nakula and Sahadeva
THE FIGHT FOR DRAUPADI

Arjuna won the said contest.

PANDAVAS
Derived from their father’s name ‘Pandu’
(the descendants of Pandu)
 THE PANDAVAS

There are other epithets given to the Pandavas:

○ Pāṇḍuputra — sons of Pandu
○ Pāṇḍavakumāra — young Pandavas
○ Kaunteya — sons of Kunti (Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna)
○ Mādreya — sons of Madri (Nakula and Sahadeva)
Yudhishthira
 steadfast at all times
 blessed by Yama to King Pandu and his first wife, Kunti
Bhima
 the mightiest among the brothers
 blessed by Vayu to King Pandu and his first wife, Kunti
Arjuna
 won the contest for Draupadi
 blessed by Indra to King Pandu and his first wife, Kunti
Nakula
 Most skilled with animals, especially horses and elephants
 Known as the most beautiful and charming among the brother
Sahadeva
 Wisest and most mysterious of the Pandava
 Has the most knowledge of the past, present and future
Karna
 Matchless in skills, weapons, charity
 Son of the sun god Surya
Draupadi
 The wife of the five Pandava brothers
 Most beautiful woman of her time
 Extremely intelligent and virtuous
AGNI — The Deity of Fire
 INDRA

Lord of all the deities

Lord of the Past and the Present
DHARMA — The Deity of Righteousness
YUDHISHTHIRA
AND HIS DOG

The Book of the Great Journey

By Mahaprashthanika Parva
There is no place in Heaven
for person with dogs
Section 1
PREPARATIO
N OF THE
PILGRIMAGE
 THE
PILGRIMAG
E
The Deity of Fire
Section 2
The Sights
The Deaths
Section 3
The Conversation with the Gods
References
◦ https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/42373/is-yudhistira-a-yogi
◦ https://larryavisbrown.com/mahabharata/
◦ https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/mahabharat-karna-and-pandavas-initially-
went-to-hell
 THE IMAGES
AND

VOCABULARY
by: MALLARI, PATRICIA MAE | NAGUIT, NICHOLAS ANGELO | ONG, PSALM ISAIAH
THE IMAGES
“Those heroes reached the sea
of red waters”
“Dhananjaya had not cast off
his celestial bow, Gandiva
(Arjuna bow)”
“The deity of fire standing before
them like a hill”
“Himavat, that very large
mountain”
“Shakra and Indra came on a car
and ask him to ascend it”
VOCABULARY
 VOCABULARY
JAYA
01 ja·​ya |  jāyā
victory

VIAND
vi·​and | \ ˈvī-ənd
an item of food especially: a choice
02
or tasty dish
 VOCABULARY
PRECEPTOR
pre·​cep·​tor | \ pri-ˈsep-tər
the headmaster or principal of a school
03
MAHABHARATA

04 ma·ha·bhar·a·ta | \ mahābhārata
one of the two Sanskrit epic poems of ancient India (the other
is Ramayana). It is an important source of information on the
development of Hinduism between 400 BCE and 200 CE.
 VOCABULARY
DENIZEN
05 den·​i·​zen | \ ˈde-nə-zən
government: a person admitted to residence in a
foreign country

SRADDHA
srad·​dha | \ ˈs(h)rädə \
a Hindu rite or ceremony performed in
06
behalf of departed ancestors
 VOCABULARY FELIC
ITY
fe·lic·i·ty | /fəˈlisədē/
the ability to find appropriate expression for
07
one's thoughts

DESTITUT
E

08 des·​ti·​tute | \ ˈde-stə-ˌtüt

lacking something needed or desirable

 VOCABULARY
LIBATION

09 li·​ba·​tion | \ lī-ˈbā-shən
an act of pouring a liquid as a sacrifice (as to a
deity)

BEHEST
be·​hest | \ bi-ˈhest 
an authorative order 10
 VOCABULARY SHAKR
A
11
sha·​kra | \ śakra
any of several points of physical or spiritual energy in the
human body according to yoga philosophy

SVARGA

12 svar·ga |  \ ˈsf|ärgə
also known as Swarga or Svarga Loka, is one of the
seven higher lokas (esoteric plane) in Hindu
cosmology. A Hindu heaven
 VOCABULARY
DHARM
A

13 dhar·ma |   \ ˈdär-mə
religious concept and key concept with multiple
meanings in Hinduism

ADHARM
A
adhar·​ma | \ ¦ə-ˈdər-mə \
is the Sanskrit antonym of dharma. It means "that which is
14
not in accord with the dharma“ (unrighteousness, wickedness,
injustice)
 VOCABULARY
PAAP
pa·ap | pāp
is an offense or a sin against oneself, i.e., it damages
15
one’s own standing.

SAMSARA

16 sam·​sa·​ra |   \ səm-ˈsär-ə
the indefinitely repeated cycles of birth, misery, and death caused
by its own past deeds (karma)
 VOCABULARY
KARMA

17 kar·ma |  \ ˈkär-mə
the universal causal law by which good or bad
actions determine the future modes of an
individual’s existence

ATMAN
at·​man |  \ ˈät-mən
the universal self, identical with the eternal core of the personality that
after death either transmigrates to a new life or attains release
18
(moksha) from the bonds of existence
 VOCABULARY
DHARAMRAJ
dhar·am·raj
king of dharma
19

VRISHNI

20 vrish·​ni | vṛṣṇi
were an ancient vedic Indian clan who were believed to
be the descendants of Vrishni, a descendant of Yadu.
 VOCABULARY
ANDHAKA
andha·ka
in Hindu mythology it refers to a malevolent Asura whose pride
was vanquished by Shiva for asking for his wife, Pārvati
21

PANDAVAS

22 pan·​da·​vas | pāṇḍava
refers to the five brothers namely, Yudhishthira, Bhima,
Arjuna , Nakula and Sahadeva, who are the main characters in
the epic Mahabharata
YUDHISHTHIRA
AND HIS DOG
Book of the Great Journey
Mahaprasthanika Parva
XVIIth of the Mahabharata

the relevance to their origin

culture
Hinduism is the largest religion in India, with
79.8% of the population, accounting for 966
million Hindus.

It is the world's largest Hindu populated

country with around 94% global Hindu
population concentrated there.
Hinduism Beliefs
Present in the Text
Mahabharata is one of the
Sanskrit epic poems that is
considered essential to the
development of Hinduism.

It is regarded as a text about

dharma (Hindu moral law) and
itihisa (sacred history)
In India, it is often called “the fifth Veda”.

The epic has described in details of the

places of pilgrimages in India. These
places have been intimately linked with the
Hindu religion. The divinities of gods are
closely related with these places.
 SAMSARA KARMA
the continuous cycle of life, death, and
the universal law of cause and effect
reincarnation

ATMAN DHARMA
code of living that emphasizes good conduct and
the belief in soul
morality
 SAMSARA
the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation

Mahaprasthanika Parva narrates the journey of the five brothers,

their wife Draupadi, and the dog to heaven
 After Lord Krishna left his mortal
presence on the earth, the Pandavas and
Draupadi lost all interest in w o r l d l y
l i f e , and decided to set their journey to
heaven.
 KARMA
the universal law of cause and effect

• In the reading, Yudhisthira, his four brothers, their wife Draupadi, and a dog,
travel a long journey to reach heaven but the four brothers and Draupadi all die along the way.
This is because it was stated that they either didn’t adhere to their dharma or was struck by their karma.
D R A U PA D I
 Fallen for her partiality in
her affections for Arjuna
 Modern interpretations say
that she died first because
in Indian culture, it is
inauspicious for a woman
to be a widow
Bhimasena of great strength addressed
king Yudhishthira the just, saying,
‘O scorcher of foes, this princess never did
any sinful act.’
“Yudhishthira said,
‘O best of men, though we are all equal
unto her, she had great partiality for
Arjuna.”
S A H A D E VA
Bhima addressed the king, saying,
 Regardless of his
‘He who with great humility used to serve
obedience, he was still us all, alas, why is that son of Madravati
fallen because of pride of fallen down on the Earth?’
his knowledge
“Yudhishthira said,

‘He never thought anybody his equal in

wisdom. It is for that fault that his prince
has fallen down.’”
 Bhima once more addressed the king,
NAKULA saying,

“This brother of ours who was endued with

 Even though truthful, righteousness without incompleteness, and
who always obeyed our behests, this
Arjuna too suffered from Nakula who was unrivalled for beauty, has
the vice of pride and fallen down.”
vanity, thinking he was
the most skilled, most Yudhishthira said,
powerful hero in the
“He was righteous soul and the foremost of
world, disregarding all persons endued with intelligence. He,
others. however, thought that there was nobody
that equaled him in beauty of person.
Indeed, he regarded himself as superior to
all in that respect.”
ARJUNA Bhima said unto the king,

‘I do not recollect any untruth uttered by this

 Suffered from the vice of high-souled one. Indeed, not even in jest did he
pride and vanity, thinking say anything false…’”
he was the most handsome
person in the world “Yudhishthira said,

‘Arjuna had said that he would consume all our

foes in a single day. Proud of his heroism, he
did not, however, accomplish what he had
said… This Phalguna disregarded all wielders
of bows. One desirous of prosperity should
never indulge in such sentiments.”
BHIMA
 He had a vice of gluttony,
who used to eat too much
without thinking about
the hunger of others and
he also use to boast of his
strength
Bhima addressed king Yudhishthira the
just, saying,
“O king, behold, I who am thy darling have
fallen down. For what reason have I
dropped down?”
“Yudhishthira said,
“Thou wert a great eater, and thou didst use to
boast of thy strength. Thou never didst attend,
O Bhima, to the wants of others while eating.”
 DHARMA
code of living that emphasizes good conduct and morality

The five brothers and Draupina tried to lived according to their

dharma or duty with guidance of Krishna.

The one who follows Dharma and is righteous will obtain merits.
The one who does not follow dharmic path attains sin
 Yudhishthira
refused the chariot
“It has been said that the abandonment of one
that is devoted is infinitely sinful. It is equal to
the sin that one incurs by slaying a Brahamana…

… that I never give up a person that is terrified,

nor one that is devoted to me, nor one that
seeks my protection, saying that he is destitute,
nor one that is afflicted, nor one that has come
to me, nor one that is weak in protecting
oneself, nor one that is solicitous of life. I shall
never give up such a one till my own life is at an
end.”
Reverence to All Creatures

Yudhishthira did not want to go heaven

without the dog because to him,
abandoning it would have been a sin
equal to killing a woman, robbing a
Brahmin, or harming a friend.
It also shows that even though loyalty to
a God is obedience, loyalty to other is
also important aspect as well as seen in
Yudhisthira, who never left his dog who
was with him through the long journey.
In Hinduism, ‘Dharma’ refers to duty,
righteousness, or proper conduct. It is the
only way to attain peace and happiness.

Even when Yudhisthira lost the war and

almost succumb to his weakness, it was
his dharma that let him pass into
heaven.
ATMAN
the belief in soul
In Hinduism, they believe that there are
multiple paths to God, and there is the idea
of devotion to their God Brahman and
other gods and goddesses
 It is also shown that there are
numerous paths to reaching God
or heaven as stated in the While the five brothers and Draupadi reached afterlife
through death, Yudhisthira reached heaven through his
beginning.
own body because he was deemed an exceptional
being.’
Historical and
Cultural
Relevance
Considered as an encyclopedia
Shows the history of Lunar dynasty kings –
the warrior princes called the Pandavas and
Kauravas, the two branches of the royal clan
who lived in northern India thousands of years
ago.

The line of succession was stated

in the beginning of 17th book after
king Yudhisthira retired.
Considered as an encyclopedia
Geography information:
Through the narration of Great Journey, geographical information was narrated such
as city of Dwaraka in the west, the Himavat mountain and the desert behind it, salt
sea in the south, the mountain of Meru, and others.
 Dogs in Early Hindu
Traditions
 During the time of the Mahabharata, dogs were
far from being man’s best friends. They are
considered impure or unclean.

 However, Yudhisthira did not want to harm the

dog no matter how lowly he may be which
represents a key Hindu value –
non-cruelty.
 Caste System
 The nobles had the upper hand in society while
the ‘underdogs’ and slaves who were born to
servitude had no rights and possessions.
 Indra’s argument that there is no cruelty in
casting aside a lowly dog.
Moral Test of Life

 One Hindu’s belief about morality is to live a

good life one without desiring personal
pleasures, appreciation and/or rewards from
this earthly world.
 Yudhisthira's character portrays a significant
Hindu value for being a great role model for
unselfishness and sense of righteousness under
any circumstance throughout his life.
Mahaprasthanika Parva speaks of the moral
relations between men, their duties, good or
bad, vices and virtues and qualities.
It reflects India’s society from thousand of
years ago and the development of religion.
References
1. Fragments Of Narratology In Socio–political Thoughts Of Mahabharata. From
https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/192003/9/09.chapter%203.pdf
2. Mahabharata. From
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mahabharata#The_end_of_the_Pan
davas
3. Interested in the Mahabharata? Know how the Pandavas died. From
https://www.timesnownews.com/spiritual/religion/article/interested-in-the-mahabha
rata-know-how-the-pandavas-died/575675
4. Maheshwari, K. Mahabharata. From http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Mahabharata
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