Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A

Reading Notes

Mahabharata Part A:

1.  Vyasa and Ganesha

- Vyasa is the narrator of the story.  He was born from a fish and the god Indra.  Vyasa dictates the Mahabharata to elephant-headed god Ganesha.  

2.  King Shantanu and Ganga

- Devavrata (later called Bhishma) = son of King Shantanu and goddess Ganga.  

    --> human being

    --> has powers of 8 gods (Vasus)

** Devavrata's origin story**

3.  King Shantanu and Satyavati

- Satyavati = mother of Vyasa

    --> becomes love interest of King Shantanu after he is deserted by Ganga, his first wife. 

4.  Devavrata's Vow

- Devarata -> Bhishma

- Bhishma = "terrible vow" BECAUSE, Devavrata made a vow to renounce the throne so that his father could marry Satyavati.  

- Styavati: 2 sons

        - Chitrangada (bad ruler)

        - Vichitravirya

5.  Bhishma at the Swayamvara

- Bhishma takes 3 daughters of King Kashi to be brides for Vichitravirya

        -> he does this, not by winning a contest like Rama, but seizes them in battle

6.  Amba

- Amba = eldest of the 3 seized brides

    - refuses to mary Vichitravirya

    - vows to get revenge on Bhishma

7.  Dhritarashtra and Pandu

- Sons born to Vyasa

    - Dhritarashtra - blind

    - Pandu - pale

    - Vindura (reincarnation of Dharma, god of justice)

8.  Kunti and Her Son

- story of Karna, who is the future son of Kunti and King Pandu

- was born before Kunti became Pandu's wife

9.  Pandu and His wives

- Pandu cursed to live in solitude

10.  The Sons of Pandu

- Pandu receives children (despite his curse)

- his 5 sons = Pandavas

11.  Gandhari and Dhritarashtra

- sons of Dhritarashtra = Kauravas

- leader = Duryodhana (eldest)

12.  Pandavas and Kauravas

- Kunti raises pandavas alone with help from sages in the mountains

- Dhritarashtra raises Pandavas and Kauravas together as 10 brothers

- story of brotherhood (or lack thereof)

13.  Bhima and the Nagas

- story of revenge

- snakes in the underworld

14.  Drona, Son of Bharadwaja

- Drona - brhamin by birth

    -> will become guru to Pandavas and Kauravas

15.  Drona Trains the Princes

- jealousy

16.  Ekalavya

- story of an outsider of the caste system: the Bhil people

17.  The Contest

- Pandavas and Kauravas fight eachother

- Arjuna has greatest skills of all princes

18.  The Arrival of Karna

- first son of Kunti reappears

19.  Drona's revenge

- dakshina - revenge

20.  Duryodhana's Jealousy

- jealousy drives him to want to destroy kunti and Pandavas

Mahabharata.  Flikr. 

The link to this reading can be found here.  The Public Domain Mahabharata includes a collection of various authors from various sources that can all be found in the link above.