Reading Notes: Mahabharata: Part A

The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic

The story begins with Shantanu who is the ruler of Hastinapura. While at the a river he see's a woman that he falls in love with and wishes to marry. The woman agrees to marry him, but only under one condition; that he never question her. To Shantanu's astonishment she later begins to drown their children in the river. Nevertheless, she explains why she has done this and with their eight child she takes him into the river and does not return with him until he is fully grown. The child is called Devavrata, but is also known as Bhishma. Shantanu ends up falling in love with another woman named Satyavati, but her father objects to this. Devavrata renounces his title so that his father can marry the other woman. He then has two sons with her, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. His first son claims the throne, but he dies soon after and the throne goes to Devavrata. In a neighboring kingdom the king holds a swayamvara for his three daughters. Bhishma takes all three of them for his younger half brother that is still alive. One of the daughters - Amba - is already promised to another king - Shalwa - who ends up rejecting her because she has been in Bhishma's house. She then vows to take revenge on Bhishma while the other two sisters marry the younger brother. The youngest brother - Vichitravirya - dies without any sons to take his place. Bhishma cannot do this because he has swore vows of celibacy. Parashara had a son who slept with Vichitravirya's widows and then they produced sons that had deformities. Dhritarashtra was born blind and Pandu was born looking pale. The only child that is born without deformities is Vidura. Dhritarashtra marries a woman who shares his blindness and Pandu has two wives. Kunti is able to obtain sons from the gods. Even though Pandu cannot have sons he ask Kunti to have her obtain one for him from Yama. Eventually, Pandu has five sons from different gods and they are called Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva. Pandu eventually dies because he succumbs to making love to Madri and his curse kills him. After this the Pandavas and Kauravas are raised together. Drona than trains the boys because he is their guru. He makes them perform a test in which only Arjuna is able to accomplish. Drona then rewards him with a weapon. Time goes on and there is a ceremony held in Arjuna's favor and Karna comes to challenge him, but he cannot as the day is coming to an end. Dhritarashtra had Yudhishthira as the heir, but he is not popular with the people which is problematic for him. The people come after him and him and his brothers escape into the forest. In the forest Bhima kills a rakshasa. Bhima is still able to kill the the other rakshasa's that come his way. The Pandavas go to King Drupada who is holding a swayamvara for his daughter. The brothers end up marrying her and they all have to share her between themselves.  

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