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As epics go, there is nothing bigger than the Mahabharata ! At 100,000 verses, it is more than six times bigger than other epics, like Iliad, and bigger than all other scriptures from around the world. Mahabharata has a very complex plot with myriad subplots that all swirl into one mega vortex of activities, culminating in the great war at Kurushetra. The epic continues even after the war and deals with a huge number of questions on politics, ethics, morality, philosophy etc.
At the heart of the epic, is the intestinal feud between the royal cousins
Kauravs and Pandavs. Born in the
divine Lunar dynasties of Yayati, they are the descendants of Bharata, Kuru and
Shantanu, they are the sons of Dhritrastra and Pandu. Both brothers sat on the throne and
hence both sets of princes claimed sole rights to the
The epic has more twists and turns than most novels, more foundlings and hidden secrets than any Bollywood movie, tons of melodrama and long eternal monologues to rival Greek orators. The epic is full of beautiful verses, poetic nuances, emotive speeches, sublime prayers, romance, tragedy, comedy, philosophy, grand rituals and profound insight into human behaviour. There are detailed description of places, people and their habits. The Bhagvad Gita is just one of many
It all starts with King Shantanu’s love for a maiden on the banks of
Shantanu has a brief period of family bliss. His eldest son is a doting sibling to his two sons by his new bride. However, the king dies before the sons are mature enough to marry. One of the princes dies in a hunting accident and the other prince is not warrior enough to procure a bride for himself. Bhishma took care of this necessity and kidnapped three princess of Kashi to wed his brothers. Two princesses acquiesced to this plan but a third did not. She had planned to marry prince Shalwa she was in love with. Bhishma delivered the princess to her lover, with full honours, but he refused “to take what has been touch by others” ! Despite fierce threats from Bhishma, Shalwa refused and in turn the princess of Kashi also refused to marry anyone other than Bhishma – as he is responsible for ruining her chances of marital bliss. Despite several people’s interventions and a deadly dual with Parshurama, Bhishma refused to abandon his vow of life long celibacy. Kashi princess Amba decided to perform terrible tapas to avenge her humiliation and Shiva granted her a boon that in her next life, she will be the cause of Bhishma’s death.
Her sisters did not have an easy life either. Though married to handsome prince, they were widowed without having secured a crown prince for the kingdom. The old Fisherman had not counted on his gene pool drying up so soon. Bhishma refused to marry even when the throne was in jeopardy. As a final solution, Satyavati, the widowed queen of Shantanu than revealed that as fisher woman, she had an illegitimate son from a one night stand with sage Parashar !!
Austere Veda Vyasa, the author of many scriptures, was Satyavati’s secret love-child. He was persuaded to sire sons with the widowed wives of the dead prince. Fearful and tearful, they complied but once. On the third occasion, they sent a maid. Hence, eldest was born blind, next one ill and third – though brilliant – socially inferior to his siblings. Vyas told his mother to be satisfied with three grandsons he had granted her and left for his sylvan retreat.
Bhishma saw to it that the three grandsons of his step-mother were taught all the arts befitting princes of royal descent. However, the throne could only be passed to Pandu, the “ill prince” as he had the least disadvantage of the three. Dhrutarastra was blind, and hence unfit due to his disability. Vidur was unacceptable due to his ancestry as the son a maid. Merit was sacrificed in place of social acceptability and Kuru dynasty suffered the consequences.
Pandu married two princesses from different parts of
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