Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part B

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part B

Pandavas

• Kunti has a secret in her past
• Kunti did not fear the sage, in return he told her a mantra that she could use when she wanted to summon a god
• Kunti found a child after she summoned Suryadev
• She sent her son in a basket in the river
• Pandu, Kunti, and Madhuri went to the forest
• The many residents thought they were gods
• Pandu was fond of hunting, he shot an arrow at a couple
• The hermit cursed Pandu, the moment Pandu becomes intimate with a woman, he will die
• Pandu, Kunti, and Madhuri went into sannyasa
• Kunti called Yama and gave her a son: Yudhishthira – keep calm in the heat of battle
• Kunti called Vayudev – Bhim – unmatched strength
• Kunti called Indra – Arjuna
• Kunti summoned the Ashwin twins – Nakul and Sehdev
• Pandu was no more – he wanted to be intimate with Madhuri – Madhuri fell into the fire
• Gandhari gave birth to flesh – will have 100 sons – divided the flesh into 100 pieces
• Duryodhana – was the first son of Gandhari
• Kunti and her five sons came to Hastinapur
• Duryodhana was irritated that the Pandavas were having more attention
• Shakuni became a mentor for Duryodhana
• Duryodhana decided to make a lakeside retreat and fall into a poisonous trap
• Bhim decided to take a nap. Duryodhana decided to tie Bhim’s hand and push him into the lake
• Poisonous serpents’ bit Bhim – the son of Vayu woke up.
• Bhim had the strength of a thousand elephants by Vasuki
• The princes grew into young men
• The Brahmin, named Drona, threw a reed to the ball and pulled the ball out of the well
• The Pandavas begin to learn the ways of war under Drona
• Yudhishthira a good charioteer
• Nakul and Sehdev good swordsmen
• Strongest son of Pandu – Bhim
• Arjuna – perfect warrior – Archery required discipline of the mind
• Ashwatthama (Drona’s son) and Arjuna – worthiest of students
• Ekalavya a hunter was approached by Arjuna
• Drona had taught Ekalavya
• Drona told Ekalavya to cut off his right thumb, he would not be a good archer

Mahabharata, Part B by Epified