Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharatha, Part A


  • The scribe of the Mahabhartha is supposedly Ganesha - although the author is Vyasa 
    • Sage Vyasa is the son of Satyavati - a fishy-smelling girl who was seduced by the sage Parashara...then she gave birth to Vyasa
  • King Shantanu (descendent of King Hastin and King Kuru) wed Goddess Ganga (who threw 8 of her sons into the Ganges) and gave birth to Devavrata (Bhishma) 
  • Shantanu is then attracted to Satyavati (who becomes a virgin again by power of Parashara...) but cannot marry her because her father wants her son to become King
  • Bhishma steps in and says he will give up the throne so that her sons can become heirs...
  • Ambika closed her eyes as Vyasa begot her kids - so Dhirtarashtra was born blind
  • Ambalika turned pale - so Pandu was born pale 
  • Pandu became King because Dhritarashtra was blind and the other son was of humble origins 
    • He was a mighty king; his wives were Kunti and Madhuri
    • Kunti is technically the aunt of Krishna (her brother Vasudeva was Krishna's father)
  • Kunti had an illegitimate son with Surya named Karna 
  • Pandu hurt a couple of Brahmins - including one who was having sex with his wife in the form of a deer; he was cursed to a similar death 
  • Kunti's sons: Yudhistira, Bhima, Arjuna; Madri's sons: Nakula, Sahadeva
    • Madri committed sati...
  • Gandhari wed Dhritarashtra and remained blindfolded because her husband was blind; she bore 100 sons, eldest of which was the infamous Duryodhana 
  • After Pandu passed away, Dhritarashtra let the five Pandavas grow up in his palace amongst the Kauravas 
    • Duryodhana was jealous of Bhima, so he poisoned his food and threw him in the Ganges
    • Bhima was actually given boons by the Nagas, who saw his prowess
    • Drona was chosen to help teach the brothers/cousins the ways of war (he had a dark and sad story himself); agrees to teach them under the condition that they fight his brother Drupada
    • Arjuna was his best student
  • Prince of the Bhils - cut off his thumb to offer as a reward to Drona 
  • Karna was taken in by Duryodhana 
  • The Pandavas defeat Drupada, and Drona gets half of his kingdom 
  • Duryodhana wants to kill the Pandavas and Queen Kunti by moving them to a wooden palace and setting it on fire

A picture depicting the baby Karna, son of Kunti and Surya

Bibliography: Bibliography: PDE Mahabharatha, Public Domain, http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/mahabharata-online-public-domain-edition.html

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