Reading Notes: Week 9 Reading Part A

Epified: The Mahabharata, Episodes 1-8
-Online video, narrated with illustrations
An Introduction
  • "foundation of a culture"
  • Vyasa narrates the Mahabharata to Ganesha (the Lord of beginnings)
  • The Mahabharata is a story of kings and queens, heroes and villains 
  • Contains the "spirit of India"
1. Shantanu the Unfortunate
  • Looking at The Mahabharata and specifically following all of the stories, as an "account of how Karma happens"
  • Here the story of Ganga and Shantanu is told again; how Ganga must drown her first seven babies to release them from mortality as they are actually the Vasus
  • The last baby, Devavrat, she takes with her when Shantanu finally stops her
2. Devavrate Returns
  • Shantanu sees an archer taming the river Ganges; Ganga appears and tells her it is actually his son and leaves Devavrat with Shantanu
  • His son had been taught the art of war and religion by many of the great sages and deities
  • Later on, Shantanu falls in love again but Satyavati refuses him in the same way
  • Devavrat goes to plead with her on his father's behalf
3. Devavrat becomes Bhishma
  • Devavrat swears an oath that "shook the Earth and the heavens"; never to marry or father children on behalf of his father's happiness
  • He becomes Bhishma which means he of the terrible oath
  • *King feels bad for his son's sacrifice
  • Grants son a boon- he cannot die without his own consent
4. Desperation of  Bhishma
  • The son of Ganga is legendary now
  • Follows the same storyline here as before with the brothers born to Satyavati
  • He kidnaps Amba, Ambika and Ambalika
5. Amba's Ruin
  • eldest princess Amba asks to go back to her actual love and Bhishma allows her too but her 'love' refuses to accept her now
  • She swears to get revenge on Bhishma and on her behalf the sage Parshurama (known as an avatar of Vishnu) fights Bhishma for 23 days
  • Bhishma wins while Amba promises to have her revenge
6. Satyavati's Secret
  • Follows the same story of how Vyasa (who was not pleasant to look at) comes to father the children of the remaining two princesses
7. Sons of Vyasa
  • The first son born is Dhritarashtra (the blind), then Pandu (the pale), then Vidura (known as the wise)
  • They grew up under their uncle Bhishma but he did not see the springing rivalry between Dhritarashtra and Pandu
8. The Blind Bride
  • Ghandari becomes the blind bride to Dhritarashtra and her brother is infuriated and plots
  • Pandu has two wives, Kunthi and Madri
"Sage Vyasa". Source: Wikimedia Commons

Reference: Epified, Mahabharata Episodes 1-8. [Youtube].

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