Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part A
- Mahabharata is a story of a war
- The storytelling is a perspective of
karma
- King Shantanu of Hastinapur fell
in love with Ganga
- Promised to never question her decisions
- Couple had a child, Queen Ganga drowned
the child, and continued to do so with the next 6
- Shantanu never asked why he killed
their child to keep his promise
- Shantanu questioned why she is
killing their children
- The eight spirits were born and
killed right away to free them from mortality
- Ganga left Shantanu with the one
son
- A young archer was taming the Ganga
with arrows
- Ganga appeared out of the water
- This man was his eight son – Devavrat
- He was taught the art of world by
Parshuram, and Sage Vasishta that taught him the knowledge of the shastras
- Proposed marriage to Satyavati,
who refused Shantanu
- Her children would never be kings
- Devavrat decided to ask the fisherman
why he wouldn’t marry
- The fisherman didn’t allow his
daughter to marry Shantanu
- Devavrat took an oath that he would
never marry or have children
- He became Bhishma
- He granted Bhishma a boon – he would
choose the moment of his death
- Bhishma watched over Hastinapur
- King Shantanu died
- King Chitrangada dies, Vichitravirya
becomes king
- Bhishma acted like a father to his
two half brothers
- Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika were
princesses taken away by Bhishma
- Bhishma allowed Amba to go to her
lover
- Amba went to meet Shelva’s and he denied
her
- Amba begged Bhishma to marry her,
and rid her of the shame
- Amba accused Bhishma of ruining
her life
- Amba went to sage Parashurama and
convinced Bhishma to marry her
- Bhishma and Parashurama fought, at
the end of 23 days no one won
- Amba did not get her revenge that
day
- Vichitravirya dies, Satyavati
decided that Bhishma must father the children of Ambika and Ambalika
- Satyavati had another son before
she met Shantanu
- Vyas the hidden son – only appear
when her mother summons him
- Ambika was scared seeing Vyas –
she closed her eyes – child would be blind
- Ambalika turned pale with fear –
child would be pale and have bad health
- Servant girl accepted the sage –
- Ambika gave birth to Dhritrashtra –
strong and king
- Ambalika gave birth to Pandu – great
archer
- Servant – Vidura – wisest man in
the land (avatar of Yama – god of truth and death)
- Pandu who ruled Hastinapur even
though Dhritrashtra was king
- Gandhari closed her eyes for life
to support Dhritrashtra
- Pandu married Kunti and Madhuri
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