Mahabharata

by Anonymous

It was first composed in Sanskrit some five thousand years ago by Vyasadeva, a mystic residing in the Himalayas.

It is due to Krishna's presence that the work is revered as a sacred text.

dharme charthe cha kame cha mokshe cha bharatarshabha yad ihasti tad anyatrayan nehasti na tat kvachit "In the realm of dharma, artha, kama, and moksha, (ethics, economic development, pleasure, and liberation), whatever is found in this epic may be found elsewhere, but what is not found here will be impossible to find anywhere else." Mahabharata, Adi Parva 56.33)

Satyavati had convinced Ambika and her co-wife Ambalika to stay and fulfill their husband's duty and thereby secure the welfare of his soul. The scriptures allowed that in times of emergency a man's elder brother could conceive children in his wife if he was unable. This was such an emergency. Ambika felt more peaceful. Her union with Bhishma would not be a betrayal of the love she felt for her husband, but a service to him and to the kingdom. She stopped her restless pacing and lay down on the ivory bed in bashful anticipation. Bhishma was a powerful and righteous man. Who better to sire the future king? She should ensure that he felt completely honored by her.

Bhishma, son of the goddess Ganga. There was no greater hero on earth. As the eldest son of the righteous King Shantanu, he was the natural heir to Hastinapura's throne, but the kingdom's good fortune had been thwarted by her foolish father on her behalf.

Her father had stipulated that he could only marry her if he promised the throne to her son. But the emperor already had a qualified son in Devavrata, who he had already consecrated as the prince regent.

"From this day his name shall be Bhishma, one of a great vow."

"Mother, please do not ask me to stray from the path of truth. It can never be as you suggest. The sun may renounce its splendor, water its wetness and the sky its sound, but I will never renounce truth."

All the kings on earth had paid tribute to Satyavati's eldest son, Chitrangada. His reputation for prowess in battle and unwavering virtue had reached the heavens. It was thus that the mighty king of the Gandharvas, who bore the same name, became envious upon hearing his glories. The jealous Gandharva could not tolerate another famous and powerful Chitrangada. He came to earth and challenged his rival to battle. The battle raged for years but in the end the valorous son of Satyavati was slain and the proud Gandharva returned triumphant to the heavens. Then the powerful Vichitravirya ascended the throne, but died from an illness after only seven years of ruling. Neither he nor his brother left a child.

It was she who had summoned the powerful rishi Vyasadeva, her first-born son.

she still remembered how the celestial rishi Parasara had one day come onto her boat and begotten the great Vyasadeva in her womb.

Parasara had told her that Providence had destined her for greatness. He was giving her an illustrious son who would play an important part in that great destiny. Parasara had then granted her the boon of keeping her maidenhood even after union with him––and it was he who had blessed her with the celestial fragrance which had captivated Shantanu.

Vyasadeva had grown to maturity immediately upon his birth and had left her, saying, "Dear Mother, should you ever be in difficulty simply think of me. I shall come to you at once from wherever I may be."

"The queen will bear a son who will be as strong as ten thousand elephants. He will be vastly intelligent, wise and prosperous. He will have a hundred sons. But, pious lady, for the fault of his mother he will be born blind."

In a land without a monarch even the rains would not fall regularly and the gods would not be propitious.

"As you have turned pale upon seeing me, so your son shall also be pale. He will therefore be named Pandu, the ‘pale one'."

In due course of time Ambika gave birth to a blind child who was named Dhritarastra. Ambalika delivered a pale child who was nevertheless effulgent and endowed with many auspicious marks on his body, and who was named Pandu in accord with Vyasadeva's words.

Vyasadeva was pleased. After laying with the girl, he said, "Dear child, you shall be a maidservant no longer. Your son from our union will be wise, fortunate and the foremost of all intelligent men upon this earth."

due course the maidservant gave birth to a child named Vidura, who later became the chief minister and advisor of the Kuru house.

Bhishma said that there was a princess in the Yadu kingdom named Kunti, another named Gandhari, who was a daughter of the mountain king Suvala, and a third princess named Madri, in the southern land of Madra. He suggested that two of these girls could be sought for Pandu and the other for Dhritarastra.

Suvala assented to the marriage. He had his son Shakuni bring Gandhari to Hastinapura. When the princess heard that she was to marry the blind Dhritarastra, she took a cloth and bound her own eyes, not wanting to be in any way superior to her lord.

The deer replied that it did not condemn Pandu for injuring it, but for not taking into consideration that it was mating. The animal then told Pandu that it was a rishi named Kindama. He had assumed the form of a deer to mate with his wife in the woods. The rishi had no dwelling and could not unite publicly with his wife in a human form. He had therefore transformed himself and his wife into deer. The king had killed him just as he was about to beget a child in his wife's womb.

After his attendants had left, Pandu made his way into the forest with his wives. They walked steadily north for many days and finally arrived at Saptasrota, the hundred-peaked mountain.

At last, Kunti, seeing her husband's determination, said to him, "I shall tell you of a boon I received while in my maidenhood, which may yet prove to be our deliverance. When I was a girl in my father's house, he would engage me in serving guests. One day the powerful mystic Durvasa arrived. By my service and constant attention to all his needs I greatly pleased that rishi. As he was leaving he called me aside and said, ‘Gentle maiden, I shall confer upon you a boon. Listen as I recite a mantra. This mantra, uttered by you, will summon any of the celestials you desire. Whether agreeable or not they will then be obliged to do your bidding.'"

Kunti already had experience of the mantra's power. As soon as she had uttered it once and thought of Surya, that blazing deity had appeared before her. He had then conceived a son.

"This child will be the best and most virtuous of men. He will be devoted to truth, highly powerful and famous throughout the three worlds. Known as Yudhisthira, this boy will rule the earth."

Pandu and Kunti were even more joyful to see their second son, whom they named Bhima.

"O Kunti, this child will be equal in strength to Indra and indeed Shiva himself. He shall be called Arjuna and he will spread your fame everywhere. He will subjugate many powerful kings and greatly increase the prosperity of your dynasty. Agni, Shiva and Indra will all be gratified by this boy's service. He shall have no equal in prowess and will be famous throughout the three worlds."

"O learned man, even in times of emergency it is never sanctioned by scripture for a woman to have intercourse with more than three men.

Bashfully, she asked that they unite with her to conceive children and they immediately agreed. They begot upon Madri two boys of incomparable beauty who were named Nakula and Sahadeva.

Vyasadeva replied that his words could never prove false. He asked the servants to bring one hundred one pots filled with ghee. He sprinkled cool water on the lump of flesh and it gradually divided into one hundred and one parts, each the size of a thumb. These were placed in the pots which were sealed and placed in a concealed spot. Vyasadeva instructed that the pots should be opened only after two more years had passed. He then departed for his lonely mountain ashram.

Dhritarastra was the monarch; his word was final.

After Vyasa left, Satyavati reflected on his words. She decided to follow his advice. She told her two daughters-in-law of her intentions, and asked Pandu's heartbroken mother, Ambalika, to accompany her. The two royal ladies soon left for the forest to dedicate themselves to asceticism. In time they gave up their bodies and went joyfully to the higher regions. Ambika remained at Hastinapura with her son, Dhritarastra.

Dushashana, the next eldest of the hundred Kauravas.

Their virulent poison proved to be the antidote to the plant poison Duryodhana had administered.

Bhima sat facing the east and, as he always did before eating or drinking, offered prayers to the Lord.

doted

Besides Gandhari's one hundred sons, Dhritarastra had conceived another son by a servant maid who had waited on him during his wife's lengthy pregnancy.

nymph,

Gautama fled after seeing the Apsara, not realizing that he had miraculously sired the children. Soon after he left, some of the king's soldiers found the two babies and brought them into Hastinapura.

Drona also wished to impart extra lessons to his own son, Ashvatthama.

One day, a prince of the Nishada tribe of forest dwellers asked Drona to teach him. His name was Ekalavya.

Generally, the lower caste tribespeople lacked the virtuous qualities of royalty, and they did not follow the Vedic religion. To give a low-class man great martial power could be dangerous.

By taking Ekalavya's thumb, he was also removing any threat he or his race might pose to the Kurus.

wish to give you the greatest of weapons. Take from me the knowledge of the Brahmastra, the irresistible missile endowed with Brahma's power. This weapon should only be used against supernatural foes, for if released against others it may destroy the very world."

"How blessed I am by Kunti's three sons. They are like three sacrificial fires and Kunti is like the sacred fuel."

But Dhritarastra burned secretly within himself. Why had the people not cheered his own sons in this way? Was not Duryodhana Arjuna's equal? If only he could see what was happening.

asunder?

"I am Karna. With your permission, good brahmin, I shall show skills equal to those of Arjuna. Indeed, I shall excel all the feats displayed by Kunti's son. Watch them and be amazed."

Duels were fought only among equals.