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].

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Introduction to a Bajan Animal Enthusiast

Image
Hi everyone! :) My name is Daana Roach, and I am a Chemical Biosciences (Pre-Vet) major with minors in Psychology and Biological Conservation. With this odd combination, I am (hopefully) going to pursue a programme in Veterinary Conservation Medicine after I graduate. I want to work with endangered species and in conservation efforts, especially concerning marine life or big cats of the genus Panthera : Amur leopard ( Panthera pardus orientalis ), listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Source : Wikimedia Commons Psychology isn't necessarily tied to any of these plans, but I really enjoy it. I grew up in Barbados , an island in the Southeast of the Caribbean, and finished up secondary school in Canada before coming to OU. I may  be biased, but Barbados has some of the most beautiful beaches in the region. It's 166 sq miles big (or small maybe haha), and has a population of about approximately 300, 000. Personal image taken of Miami Beach at sunset, Barbados. 
Read more

Week 5 Story: "Sita, Warrior of the Earth"

Image
A warrior of the Earth. Source : Flickr Let me tell you the version of the story they never tell. I was not just the daughter of the Earth, I was her warrior. At the time of my birth, my parents believed I was only a gift from the goddess. Some called her Bhudevi, others called her Bhumi, but while growing up in the kingdom of Videha, she was only known to me as Mother Earth. There were times I thought I felt her presence with me, watching and guiding with a gentle care. When I was very young, I had a keen interest in weaponry and martial arts. I felt as though I was stitched together with fight in my bones, a quick wit and sharp tongue as my aid when physical strength failed me. Although my father forbade me from learning the art of war publicly, he allowed one of his trusted soldiers to train me privately. It was only so lucky that he had seen the incident with Shiva's bow.  My sister and I had been playing nearby when our ball flew under the resting place of the sacre
Read more