CULTURAL QA 05202421 Q What is a brief summary of the full story of Mahabharatha?
KR 10 pages brief Mahabhartham without the JAYA and Maha might not have been known to many old people of the congregations and so a yeoman service is a glorified service rendered sir. clap clap. 2 Mahabharatham so brief: Mahabharata Summary (3 pages) Ugraśravas the Suta begins telling a story to some Brahmin seers led by Śaunaka. He says it’s called the Mahabharata and that it’s full of heroes and seers performing amazing feats. Ugraśravas heard that a great seer named Vyasa first compiled the Mahabharata, and he begins narrating the story of what Vyasa’s assistant, Vaiśampayana, told to Janamejaya while Janamejaya was in the middle of conducting a snake sacrifice. 2 Vaiśampayana begins telling the story of the Kuru lineage, of which Janamejaya himself is a member. Some of the most important members of this lineage are the Pandavas, a group of five brothers who each achieve fame in their own way: Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Bhima, and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva. Another major branch of the family is called the Kauravas, and it includes Dhritarashtra, who has 100 sons, the eldest and most notable of whom is Duryodhana. 3 A rivalry between the Pandavas and the Kauravas begins early in life, with Duryodhana at one point scheming to try to kill his cousins. Later, with the help of an advisor named Śakuni, Duryodhana gets the idea that since he can’t defeat the Pandavas in battle, he’ll steal the Pandava kingdom for himself by tricking Yudhishthira into a gambling match. Many of Dhritarashtra’s other advisors, like Vidura, tell him that it isn’t wise to let Duryodhana go through with this plan, but Dhritarashtra allows him to do so anyways. 4 Yudhishthira loses the gambling competition and has to give away everything, including his own freedom, his entire kingdom of Hastinapura, and his wife Draupadi (whom he shares with the other four Pandava brothers). Eventually, Duryodhana agrees to release the Pandavas and Draupadi from bondage, but they have to go into exile for 12 years and then spend a 13th year in disguise in a city. After the end of the Pandava exile, tensions between them and the Kauravas flare up again, as the Pandavas resent the loss of their kingdom and the way that Duryodhana treated their wife, Draupadi, as a slave. Meanwhile, the Kauravas keep encroaching on Pandava territory. Ultimately, the Kauravas and the Pandavas fight a massive war for the succession of the Kuru lineage that results in the deaths of over 1.6 trillion people. During preparations for the war, Arjuna secures the help of Krishna, a strong and virtuous incarnation of the god Vishnu, who, despite vowing not to fight, seems to assure victory for whichever side he’s on. Krishna agrees to be Arjuna’s charioteer. 5 The actual fighting, which lasts 18 days, involves great heroes on each side performing amazing feats of military prowess, sometimes using powerful celestial weapons and killing many nameless soldiers and some famous heroes as well. Duryodhana heads the Pandava forces, appointing a series of commanders that inevitably fall in battle to the Pandavas. Meanwhile, Yudhishthira leads the Pandavas and their allies with a steady hand. At the end of each day, the messenger Samajaya recounts what happened to the blind king Dhritarashtra, who laments the many losses his army suffers each day. Perhaps the most significant portion of the battle is the Bhagavadgita, a section of the poem where Arjuna has doubts about whether or not it’s right to fight, and Krishna gives a famous speech that touches on many topics of morality and spirituality. Arjuna ultimately goes on to become perhaps the fiercest warrior on the battlefield with his trusty bow and with Krishna driving his chariot. 6 Near the end of the war, when the Pandavas have defeated almost all of their enemies, Aśvatthaman (son of the dead Kaurava commander Drona) prays to Śiva and conducts a deadly night raid that kills most of the remaining Pandava army while the five brothers are away. Still, even this is not enough to change the outcome of the war, and the Pandavas take back their kingdom in Hastinapura, where Yudhishthira is reinstalled as king. 7 After the war, the survivors continue to live out the rest of their lives, with Dhritarashtra reconciling with the Pandavas before ultimately dying in a hermitage. To commemorate the occasion of regaining his kingdom, Yudhishthira conducts a horse ceremony, allowing a horse to roam across his entire kingdom under Arjuna’s protection before finally sacrificing it. 8 Eventually, it comes time for the Pandavas and Draupadi to go on one last journey. As they walk, they each fall down dead, one by one. Yudhishthira, the last one standing, is allowed to enter the heaven of the god Indra while keeping his mortal body. When Yudhishthira arrives, he’s shocked to find Duryodhana on a throne and his old allies all being tortured. He fears he’s dreaming until, at last, Indra appears, dispelling the illusion and telling him that it’s a king’s fate to go to hell before reaching heaven and that in fact, he and his allies are allowed to live in heaven for their good deeds on earth. 9 The frame story ends with Ugraśravas repeating that the Mahabharata is a tale about victory and that just hearing it or telling it brings good luck. He offers a hymn that people can say every morning to try to get closer to perfection. KR IRS 21524 22524 ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: 'gopala krishnan' via iyer123 <iyer...@googlegroups.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2024 at 09:07 Subject: [iyer123] CULTURAL QA 05-2024-21 To: Patty Thatha <thatha_patty@googlegroups.com>, Kerala Iyer < keralaiy...@googlegroups.com>, Iyer <iyer...@googlegroups.com> *CULTURAL QA 05-2024-21* *The below QA is from Quora digest to me on 21-05-2024.* *.Compiled **and posted by R. Gopala krishnan, on 21-05-2024* Q What is a brief summary of the full story of Mahabharatha? A Ánush Gudimetlá, Reading the BORI Mahbharata(2022-present)Updated 2y It is quite hard since Mahabharata is full of interconnected and interwoven stories. I will give the briefest summary. There was a king named Shantanu and he had Ganga as his wife. They had a son, whose name was Devavrata. He became a good prince. My addition- After the birth of Devarata, Ganga left king Santhanu according to the agreed marriage condition by king Santhanu with Ganga. Years passed. One day Shantanu fell in love with Satyavati. Shantanu asked Satyavati’s father whether he can marry her. He agrees but on one condition - The person to inherit the throne shouldn’t be Devavrata and it should be Satyavati’s children to inherit it. Shantanu, however, didn’t like this and he declines. But Devavrata, on coming to know this, went to Satyavati’s residence ,met her father, and took a vow that he would remain celibate throughout his life and will remain bound to the throne.Because of this vow he took, Devavrata came to be known as Bhishma, one of the most wisest and most powerful characters in Mahabharata. Then Satyavati and Shantanu marry, and give birth to 2 children, named Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Chitrangada should inherit the throne, but he dies in the battle with Gandharvas. Then Vichitravirya becomes the ruler and he marries two women named Ambika and Ambalika. But before they gave birth to children, Vichitravirya died. Satyavati had another son named Vyasa(he is also author of the Mahabharata). She requests him to grant children to both the women through the niyoga tradition. Then Ambika and Ambalika gave birth to two sons. They were - Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Dhritarashtra should rightfully have been king after his father passed, but since he was a blind person, he was disqualified from kingship. His younger son, Pandu was made the king. Pandu ruled his kingdom nicely for a time. However his happiness was short lived. One day he was hunting and he kills a deer. He realizes that the deer is actually a sage. The sage, then curses him that, he can’t reproduce, and won’t be able to produce a heir. Upset by this, he handed the empire to Dhritarashtra and went to the forest with his 2 wives, Kunti and Madri. Dhritarashtra was then happy that, now there no longer will be anyone to claim the throne(Pandu can’t have children), and the next throne will belong to his sons only. But however, there was a loophole — Kunti had a boon from sage Durvasa, that she could have a child by any god whom she respects without having any marital affair. She had to chant a mantra with great devotion focusing on a god of her choice, and that god would come down to Earth and give her a child. Kunti, in the forest, chanted the mantra to 3 gods — Yama, Vayu, and Indra and bore three sons — Yuddhistira, Bhima, and Arjuna respectively. She taught this to Madri too, and Madri chanted mantra to the Ashwini twin gods, and got two sons - Nakula and Sahadeva. These 5 sons are known as Pandavas. Another important story to note - When Kunti first had this mantra, she dedicated it to Surya the sun god to see whether it worked or not. It gave birth to a boy. This boy is Karna, who is an important character in Mahabharata. But, she was unmarried that time. Hence, Kunti abandoned the newly born Karna adrift in a basket on the Ganges, in the hope that he finds foster parents. The basket was discovered and Karna was adopted and raised by foster Suta parents named Radha and Adhiratha. They requests Surya to give Karna the Kavach Kundal, a powerful shield to protect body. __________________________________________________ But unfortunately one day, Pandu died. Heart-broken, Madri flung herself into his funeral pyre and died, leaving Kunti to take care of all 5 boys alone.She decides to head back to Hastinapura. A lot of things had happened in the Hastinapura during all this time. Dhritarashtra and his wife Gandhari, gave birth to, well, 100 sons and a daughter. They were all born at almost same time, and not naturally too. Once Vyasa granted Gandhari a boon, and she requested hundred sons. She became pregnant, gave birth to flesh, which was cut into hundred and one pieces by Vyasa, and were incubated in a mud pot. Coming back to story now. Kunti arrived at Dhritarashtra’s place. He allowed them to stay in there. The 105 princes grew up together. They were taught lessons under Drona. Even Karna whom I told before was taught here. In all the lessons and departments, the Pandavas outran everyone. Yuddhistira was the most honest and upright(he was called Dharmaraj), Bhima was strongest, Arjuna was the best archer, Nakula and Sahadeva were best horsemen. This made the Kauravas, especially Duryodhana very jealous. Once, he along with Shakuni and Karna decide to poison Bhima. But Bhima survives. Then after all the education of the princes, there was an event. After this, Yuddhistira was crowned as the king. This was against the will of Duryodhana and Shakuni. So, again they plot a plan to kill Pandavas. They build a palace made of inflammable material and invited Pandavas to stay at night.Vidura, the prime minister at Hastinapura warns Pandavas of this plan. That night, Pandavas, before the house was set on fire, escape from that place.This was the time they understand Duryodhana’s enmity on them.Pandavas went undercover. One day they heard of Draupadi’s swayamwara.In her swayamwara, the person had to shoot a bird by looking at its reflection. Everyone failed. Then Arjuna who was in disguise shot the target with precision. Draupadi then weds Arjuna. (One important note- This event is when Krishna first appears in Mahabharata. Then he becomes friends with Arjuna. Little did Arjuna know that the man who he was friends with was the parabrahman itself.) After the event, Arjuna brings Draupadi home. He says, “Mom, look what I brought home!” Kunti misunderstands what Arjuna brings home for a fruit and says, “Whatever you brought share it among yourself”. Now mum had spoken, the was no going back. Draupadi then became the wife of all the Pandavas. Hearing about the person who shot the target at Draupadi’s swayamwara, Duryodhana realizes that it was Arjuna, since only he could shoot with such precision. Dhritarashtra then comes to know this. He gave them some land. The land was barren and a wasteland.But, Pandavas turn this barren land into their beautiful kingdom. This kingdom is called Indraprastha. This kingdom was a beautiful paradise and prospered under their rule. Duryodhana becomes really jealous after seeing their prosperity. He plots another cunning plan. He decides to exploit the weakness and the bad quality of Yuddhistira - Gambling and Pachisi, the game of dice. He invites Yuddhistira for the game. Duryodhana asks Shakuni to play on his(duryodhana’s) behalf. The game of dice is a game of pure chance and luck. There is no way to guarantee winning. Shakuni, was a grandmaster of cheating in this game, Throughout the whole game, Yuddhistira kept losing and Shakuni kept winning. But Yuddhistira didn’t stop playing, convinced that luck would turn his way soon(he didn’t know that the game was rigged). In each round in the game, both sides had something big at stake - palaces, territories etc. Yuddhistira lost everything. He then staked his 4 brothers, Draupadi, and himself too.He lost everything. Entire kingdom, his family, himself, and his beloved wife. Then, the Kauravas, dragged Draupadi to the middle of the whole assembly. In the midst of the assembly, Karna orders Dushasana to disrobe Draupadi in front of everyone. Draupadi prays to Krishna. Krishna then makes the saree of Draupadi infintely long, saving her. Dhritarashtra then sets in, and insists on giving back Pandavas everything. Then after all this, Krishna promises Draupadi that he will punish all of them for insulting her like this. After few months, they invited Yuddhistira again. This time, the loser would have to go on exile for 12 years followed by 1 year of spending in incognito. If they get caught during this time, they should go on an exile again. Yuddhistira played again, and… lost again.He, his wife, and all his brothers go on an exile. During this time, Arjuna goes to the heavens to train himself in warfare. Then in the final year, the Pandavas successfully spend their time in incognito in the Virata kingdom. Yuddhishthira took up employment as a king's counsellor, Bheem worked in the royal kitchens, Arjuna turned himself into a eunuch and taught the palace maidens how to sing and dance, Nakula and Sahadeva worked at the royal stables, and Draupadi became a handmaiden to the queen. They weren’t caught. And, they returned to Duryodhana, to reclaim their land. But Duryodhana refused to give back the kingdom.Yuddhistira asked for just 5 villages, and Duryodhana refused and said that he won’t give land that would fit on the needle-head. Krishna went on a peace mission and failed.o, there was only one option left - to declare a war. Preparations started from both the sides. The Kauravas gathered a lot of rulers from throughout the subcontinet. Then for the war, both Duryodhana and Arjuna reach Krishna for help. They both wanted Krishna on their side. Krishna smartly made an offer - one can have his whole powerful army - the Narayani Sena and the other can have Krishna himself. But on one condition that, Krishna wouldn’t pickup weapons in the war and would just be the charioteer. Duryodhana chose the Narayani Sena, and Arjuna, was happy to have Krishna himself on his side, even as the charioteer. The day of war has come. The war was set at a place called Kurukshetra. Just a small time before war, some one hour before, Arjuna asks Krishna to drive him through the battlefield. Then Arjuna, saw that the people from the enemy side were none other than his own relatives, his uncles and cousins and everyone. He gets depressed. He says Krishna that he doesn’t want to fight. This was when Krishna says Arjuna to fight, and why he should fight. This was when, Krishna reveals Arjuna the wisdom of Bhagavad Gita. After listening to Krishna, Arjuna decides to fight and picks up his bow. People from both the sides fiercely fight the war. Pandavas, whose army was much smaller than Kauravas fight courageously. The war was 18 days long. Krishna guided Arjuna throughout the course. Mighty warriors from both sides were killed. After 10 days of the war, Bhishma was defeated. Then 5 days later, Drona was killed. 2 days later, Karna was killed. On the last day, Duryodhana was killed and war ended. After the war, Yuddhistira was crowned as king of Hastinapur and Indraprastha. The Pandavas ruled for 36 years, after which they abdicated in favour of Abhimanyu's son, Parikshit. The Pandavas and Draupadi proceeded on foot to the Himalayas, intending to live out their last days climbing the slopes heavenwards. One by one, they fell on this last journey and their spirits ascended to the heavens. Only Yuddhishtra doesn't fall but enters heaven and then leaves his life. Draupadi, Pandavas, and Dharmaraj Yuddhistira ascended to heavens together As for Krishna, it ended in tragedy.He and his clan was cursed by mother of Kauravas Gandhari that, they would fight among themselves and die. She did this in the sadness that her children died. Krishna’s clan Yadava was destroyed.He, then, one day goes to a forest and lies under a tree. A hunter mistakens him for a deer, and shoots an arrow at his foot.he hunter asks for forgivence. Krishna forgives him, and leaves the material body. It was after Krishna’s departure that made Yuddhistira gives up throne. Vyasa(whom I talked about in the starting) narrated this story to Lord Ganesha. After Yuddhistira, his son Parikshit becomes the ruler. He dies because of a bite from a naga named Takshasa.Then, Parikshit’s son, Janmejaya, decides to start a snake sacrifice, Sarpa Satra. Just before going on the sacrifice, Vaisampayana, the disciple of Vyasa, says the epic to Janmejaya.This whole telling, came to be known as the Mahabharata. Thanks for reading! ~Ánush Gudimetlá (అనుష్ గుడిమెట్లా) EDIT : Thanks to Kavana.N , Sūrya S A (सूर्य.एस्.ए), Mahi Soni, Nischal R, and Prakhar (प्रखर) sir for pointing the mistakes and/or suggesting the edits. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "iyer123" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to iyer123+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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