R. Radhakrishnan's Blog, page 10

Gandhara

Bhishma and Satyavati had decided that it was time to get Pandu married which meant that Dhritrashtra had to be married first.

Who would marry a blind prince? A prince who would never be king due to his blindness. None of the big kingdoms would willingly give their daughters to a blind man.

The solution was to find a kingdom small and far away, and intimidate them to surrender their princess.

Who could intimidate better than Bhishma? Queen Satyavati and Bhishma decided and for them t...

Pandu, the Emperor.

Pandu was crowned King and soon proved to be an able ruler. He would listen to Bhishma and his other advisers. He would seek Queen Satyavati’s counsel. But he would make the final decision.

Bhishma had trained him well and though Pandu went against his wishes sometimes, Bhishma was proud of Pandu. The King showed due respect to everyone and was never arrogant. But he also made it clear who was the boss. The buck stopped with him. Lol

Satyavati and Bhishma accepted the situation with good...

Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura

The three boys were conceived around the same time and born within a few days of each other.

Dhritarashtra, which means pillar or support of the Rashtra, was a strong boy,  tall, good-natured, and loving his two half brothers. He had all the necessary qualities to be a king except for one, he was born blind. He was the eldest and in normal circumstances would be the king. Being blind he could not use weapons properly, a necessary attribute for a king. His mother was Ambika.

Pandu was not...

The Mahabharata, what is it?

When the Mahabharata as a serial was telecast on the Indian Government owned Doordarshan between 1988 and 1990. Such was its popularity that it emptied the streets during its telecast.

Everyone in India knows what the Mahabharat is. It is the story of the great war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas! What a silly question to ask. But is it just that?

No, say the scholars. They know it all; you see. The longest poem in the world is this one. It has 100,000 verses; it is philosophy, histo...

The pains of widowhood. Mahabharata 17

Ambika and Ambalika comforted each other sharing their grief over the loss of their husband. They had spent only a few years with King Vichitravirya but it had been blissful years.

Their parents had come for the funeral and the death rites but had offered little comfort or solace. They advised them to trust and obey Satyavati and left soon after.

The loss of their husband was not just losing a loved one, Ambalika and Ambika found that they had lost their status too.

There was a subtl...

Vyasa : Mahabharata 16

Vyasa was in the forest deep in meditation. It had been a long time since he had met with any other human. He had been away from society for a long time. He had forgotten the ways of men as he immersed himself in his search for answers to life and dharma.

He received his mother’s call in his mind, his spiritual powers were strong enough for him to have powers that ordinary mortals would not have. His was a divine birth and he was Chiranjeevi, an immortal. He was a part of Vishnu himself. He ...

Vyasa

Vyasa was in the forest deep in meditation. It had been a long time since he had met with any other human. He had been away from society for a long time. He had forgotten the ways of men as he immersed himself in his search for answers to life and dharma.

He received his mother’s call in his mind, his spiritual powers were strong enough for him to have powers that ordinary mortals would not have. His was a divine birth and he was Chiranjeevi, an immortal. He was a part of Vishnu himself. He ...

Niyoga: Mahabharata 15

Hastinapur was plunged in sorrow. Bhishma and Satyavati were worried. Ambika and Ambalika were lost in their grief.

Satyavati shook off her grief. Her plans were in shambles, she had lost the kingdom. Queen Satyavati was a woman who had lived a hard life. Nothing had come easily to her. Throughout her life, only two men remained loyal and supportive of her.  Bhishma and the fisherman who had brought her up as a daughter.

Satyavati took stock of the situation and called her advisers. When...

Niyoga

Hastinapur was plunged in sorrow. Bhishma and Satyavati were worried. Ambika and Ambalika were lost in their grief.

Satyavati shook off her grief. Her plans were in shambles, she had lost the kingdom. Queen Satyavati was a woman who had lived a hard life. Nothing had come easily to her. Throughout her life, only two men remained loyal and supportive of her.  Bhishma and the fisherman who had brought her up as a daughter.

Satyavati took stock of the situation and called her advisers. When...

A crisis at Hastinapur: Mahabharata 14

When Amba walked out of Hastinapur everyone forgot about her. The two new queens, Ambika and Ambalika were beautiful, young, and fun-loving. King Vichitravirya was enamored with his new brides. In the two queens, he found love and acceptance. The two adored their husband and the three of them were together all the time.

The King spent most of his time with his wives and they indulged in all the pleasures of youth.

The Queen mother Satyavati, and Bhishma were happy that the King had given...