Contents
Intent of this Book
Part-A
Introduction
Chapter 1
Introduction to the MAHABHARATA
Chapter 2
Hindu Way of Life, Modern Religion and Rituals
Chapter 3
Gods and the Hindu Way of Life
Chapter 4
Dharma and the Hindu Way of Life
Chapter 5
Hinduism and the Caste System
Chapter 6
Mahabharata and the Bhagwad Gita
Chapter 7
The Mahabharata’s Unique Construct and Characters
Part-B
Mahabharata: The Great Epic
Chapter 1
Early History of the Kuru Dynasty
Chapter 2
King Shantanu’s Marriage and Bhishma’s Birth
Chapter 3
King Shantanu Marries Satyawati
Chapter 4
Succession Vacuum in Hastinapur
Chapter 5
Ved Vyas Invited to Perform Niyoga
Chapter 6
Young Princes Grow up
Chapter 7
Marriage of Dhritarashtra
Chapter 8
Pandu Crowned King Marries Kunti and Madri
Chapter 9
Pandu along with his Wives Goes into Exile
Chapter 10
Dhritarashtra, the Blind King and his 100 Sons
Chapter 11
Kunti Returns with the Five Pandava Sons
Chapter 12
The Young Princes Growing Up
Chapter 13
Dronacharya, the Royal Tutor
Chapter 14
Karna Seeks out Parashuram as his Guru
Chapter 15
Passing Out Parade and Entry of Karna
Chapter 16
Dronacharya Seeks Dhrupad’s Humiliation
Chapter 17
Outcomes from the Passing Out Parade
Chapter 18
Power Struggle and the Assassination Attempt
Chapter 19
Pandavas Escape and Bhima Marries Hidimbi
Chapter 20
The Killing of Bakasura
Chapter 21
The Stage is Set for King Drupad’s Revenge
Chapter 22
Draupadi’s Swayamwar
Chapter 23
Arjun Wins at the Swayamwar
Chapter 24
Pandavas take Draupadi Home to Meet Kunti
Chapter 25
Draupadi Marries the Five Pandavas
Chapter 26
Pandavas Return to Hastinapur
Chapter 27
The Great Partition
Chapter 28
Pandavas Take Charge of Khandavprastha
Chapter 29
Mayasura and the Building of the Capital – Indraprastha
Chapter 30
Life in Indraprastha – the Tragedy Begins
Chapter 31
Arjun’s Year of Celibate Exile
Chapter 32
Arjun Returns to Indraprastha with Wife Subhadra
Chapter 33
Krishna Returns to Exert His Influence over the Pandavas
Chapter 34
The Assassination of Jarasandha
Chapter 35
Rajsuya Yagna and the Seeds of Discord
Chapter 36
Honouring of Krishna and Assassination of Sisupala
Chapter 37
Emperor Yudhisthir and Duryodhana’s Humiliation
Chapter 38
Shakuni and His Plan
Chapter 39
The Game of Dice
Chapter 40
The Exile
Chapter 41
Abduction of Draupadi
Chapter 42
Arjun Rescues Duryodhana
Chapter 43
Pandavas brought Back to Life
Chapter 44
Pandavas and their Final Year of Exile in Disguise
Chapter 45
Kichaka and Bhima and the Fight to Finish
Chapter 46
Kauravas Wage War on Virata
Chapter 47
Kauravas: A Divided Camp
Chapter 48
The Claim for Return of Kingdom
Chapter 49
Krishna Arrives at Hastinapur as a Pandava Emissary
Chapter 50
Krishna Presents the Pandava Claim
Chapter 51
The Preparation for War
Chapter 52
Kunti meets Karna
Chapter 53
The Conduct for War
Chapter 54
Ved Vyas Grants Sanjay Distance Vision
Chapter 55
Final Act before the Start of the Battle
Chapter 56
The Great War
Chapter 57
Pandavas Discover their Relationship with Karna
Chapter 58
Pandavas Return to Hastinapur
Chapter 59
Yudhisthir is Now King
Chapter 60
Dhritarashtra Leaves Hastinapur
Chapter 61
The Curse of Gandhari Takes Effect
Chapter 62
Parikshit is the New King of Hastinapur
Chapter 63
The Pandavas’ Last Journey
Chapter 64
Rewards and Punishment versus Heaven and Hell
Chapter 65
The Concept of Second Chance
Chapter 66
Mahabharata—Study of Relationships
Chapter 67
Pandavas—Were They Five or One
Chapter 68
Spousal Relationship in the Mahabharata
Chapter 69
A Look at the Life Stories of the Departed Souls
Chapter 70
Friendship in the Mahabharata
Chapter 71
Yudhisthir Moment in our Lives
Chapter 72
Relationships and Hurt in the Mahabharata
Chapter 73
Bhima – The Ideal Husband
Chapter 74
Krishna in the Mahabharata
Chapter 75
The Objectives of Our Epics – A Perspective
About the Author
Part-A
Introduction
Chapter 1
Introduction to the MAHABHARATA
Krishna Dvaipayana, also known as Ved Vyas, composed the Mahabharata about 5,000 years ago in verses. Often referred to as the fifth Veda, it is recited either as a poem or played on the stage. Vedas are the oldest scriptures that deal with the Sanatan way of life. The story revolves around two groups of cousins of a royal household, involved in a bitter dispute of succession. Scholars date the Mahabharata to about 3,200 BCE.
The Epic is based around a pan-India settlement, focusing on the so-called Indo-Aryans, their culture and society. It details how kings govern their subjects and how they influence culture. It acknowledges the diversity of race, colour and cultures and their inter-action with other communities, often referred to as serpents or nagas, demons or rakshas or as vanars.
Every event in the Epic comes with a comprehensive background. The characterization is detailed, often originating in a past life. The story of an individual may begin from his previous birth and may end upon this death or may continue even beyond. Some episodes involve many characters in a single event, adding to its complexity, together with a narrative of their pain, love, suffering and attachment. It unravels their financial conditions, upbringing and social background and how these influence their behaviour.
The purpose of the Epic is to help us follow the rules of Dharma, a set of moral and social laws by which a person is bound. The author wrote the Mahabharata to bring out the significance of the Vedas, necessitating their dramatization, projecting larger-than-life characters, to convey its wisdom in the form of plays or folklore.
The Epic aimed to educate even those who could not study the Vedas, basing Dharma on examples. This has helped sustain interest in the Mahabharata until the present day. The authors dramatized the core message with the sudden materialization of a god or a celestial being. The divine intervention facilitated the move between acts.
Characters may have a divine or an undivine aura to help convey the teachings of the Vedas and of Dharma. Together they create a single reference book of what is right or wrong in the individual context and situation. Good guys are not always good, nor are the bad guys always bad. This is often perplexing as it introduces us to grey shades.
In the Indic Way of Life, we do not judge an individual; we judge his actions, because he is not always regarded as evil. His actions may be right or wrong, depending on several factors. The authors of the Mahabharata have conveyed this reality through several episodes. They have described the motivations and the circumstances of characters which predispose them to act in certain ways, through which they explain the concept of Dharma.
The Epic initially comprised 8,400 verses, but expanded to 100,000 verses, resulting from later additions. Many individuals memorized the epic down the ages, adding their own interpretations of events and episodes, which helped reinforce or elaborate its central theme to connect with the listener/reader. These nuances also reflect the social customs, culture and folklore specific to a region. These also represent the prevailing views of society when the additions were made during successive phases ever since the Epic was first composed centuries ago. Although several versions exist, the basic story remained unchanged.
There are several versions of the Mahabharata. One version does not include the Bhagwad Gita. Bards carried these versions orally over many centuries, but now they are available in written form. The Pune-based Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute undertook an examination of the different versions and published a unified narrative, known as the critical edition. Their study showed that reciters/enactors added many local nuances to existing versions to help preserve the interest in the Epic. Lately, the Epic has also been appropriated by the entertainment channels. A number of authors have narrated the story in their own style, highlighting certain perspectives to connect with the readers.
The Epic incorporates the Bhagwad Gita comprising some 700 verses, rich in meaning and content with multiple layers. The discourses of thinkers and preachers have mesmerised listeners. Fathom then the power that must be there in the 100,000 verses that make up the entire Mahabharata.
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