Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part A

This week, we are starting the Mahabharata, which was composed by Vyasa and written down by Ganesha. I did a bit of research before starting to get a grip on the setting since that really helped me a lot for the Ramayana and ended up stumbling upon an old class blog of Laura's which explained the timing. The Ramayana took place in a Hindu time period called the "Treta Yuga," which is compared to a cow standing on three legs and wobbling a little, with the world being about 75% righteous. The Mahabharata takes place at the end of the next period, the "Dwapara Yuga" which is compared to a cow on two legs, very unstable! By the end of the story, we're entering the "Kali Yuga," a cow standing on one leg, with the world fully corrupt and unstable.

I'm going to start off with the basics so I can reference them throughout the reading for reminders!

Vyasa and Ganesha
By: John Mandeville Macfie

• Vyasa - author of the Mahabharata and the Vedas, the oldest Hindu scriptures. 
• Couldn't write and he was desperate for a scribe to write his texts - said nobody was worthy of writing them down
• Brahma appears and tells him to go to Ganesha for a scribe
• Ganesha - The remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences, the god of intellect and wisdom, and the god of beginnings. He is also the patron of letters and learning. 
• Son of Shiva (destroyer of evil, supreme being in some practices, part of the trinity with Brahma and Vishnu) and Parvati (goddess of fertility, love devotion, divine strength, and power)

King Shantanu and Ganga

By: Donald A. Mackenzie

Ganga (goddess of the Ganges river) makes a deal with Indra's eight attendants (Vasus) saying that she would become human to help return them back to their celestial state if they vowed to each give 1/8 of their power to her future son. Not long after striking this deal, Ganga appeared to King Shantanu who was walking beside the Ganges and he was stricken with her beauty and asked her to marry him then and there. She agreed under the condition that he never speak harshly to her or prevent her from doing her own will. She had seven babies and cast each one into the Ganges to the horror of her husband, but he could not stop her due to the terms of their marriage. Finally at the eighth baby, the king had had it and berated his wife, breaking their marriage. She revealed who she was to the awestruck king and vanished with the baby. Not long after, she returned with their son who had now been given the power of the Vasus and left him with the King, who named the boy Devavrata. 

Devavrata's Vow

By: Donald A. Mackenzie

Devavrata takes a vow that he will never inherit his father's crown so that King Shantanu can marry Satyavati (who happens to be the mother of Vyasa already at this point in the story, but she became a virgin again?), who will only marry if her sons are destined to become king. He is very noble in making this choice, as he has every right to the throne as the first born, but he wants his father to be able to marry this woman that he loves. Devavrata's name is changed to Bhishma ("terrible") because of the terrible vow he made. 

Dhritarashtra and Pandu

By: Donald A. Mackenzie

Both of Queen Satyavati's sons are dead with no sons to take the throne and Bhishma is held by his vow, so the queen summons her first son, Vyasa. He agrees to become king and then fathers two sons by his half-brother's widows. The first, Dhritarashtra, son of Ambika, who was born blind because his mother closed his eyes when approached by the ghastly Vyasa. The second, Pandu, son of Ambalika, whose name means "the pale one" because his mother turned pale when with Vyasa. Ambika sent her maid to Vyasa to bear him a son without issues, and they had Vidura together. Vidura was Dharma's (the god of justice) incarnation. When it was time for a new king, Pandu was chosen.

Kunti and Her Son

By: Donald A. Mackenzie 

King Pandu had great success and married two wives: Kunti (chief queen) and Madri (his true love). Kunti had a celestial past, with a nymph mother, a brahmin father, and a brother who fathered Krishna. When she was a young girl, she became the mother of Surya's (the sun god) son. She was ashamed and put her son, Karna, in a wax covered basket and put him on the river (Moses??). 

The Sons of Pandu

By: Donald A. Mackenzie

Pandu can't sleep with his wives because of his curse, but Kunti still has her charm. She uses her charm to summon gods to her and have their sons. First she has Yudhishthira, son of Dharma (god of justice), then Bhima, son of Vayu (the wind god), and lastly Arjuna, son of Indra (king of the gods). She shares her charm with Madri who has Nakula and Sahadeva, fathered by the Ashwin twins (sons of Surya, the sun god). Pandu ends up dying after embracing Madri and she follows him into his funeral pyre, leaving Kunti to raise the sons, who together were known as the Pandava brothers. 

(The Pandavas; Image Source)