The Mahabharata: A Brief Narrative of the Epic

To specify a certain date of the events of the Mahabharata, historians follow particular rules and compare various texts with actual historical incidents. Thus, they can calculate few dates such as when, for example, Krishna died. Although doubts can be cast on various conclusions of such approaches, for Hindus the death of Krishna ushers in the new age of Kali Yuga. Most Hindu scholars, historians and sages agree on the year 3102 BC (January 23). The Mahabharata ends with the death of Krishna and there is a general consensus on the earlier date.

The earliest known historical records of this valuable book were written by Panini, an Indian Sanskrit grammarian from the 4th century BC. Although there may be other historical records, Western scholars often distort India’s history and only ruin it as far back as 2000 BC. A typical example is a statement in the Encyclopaedia Britannica (2005 Deluxe Edition) where it says: “The traditional date of the war that is the central event of the Mahabharata is 1302 BCE, but most historians prefer a later date”. However, no source is given and no reference is presented to how Hindus perceive the concept of “ages of Brahma” (Dvapara Yuga, Kali Yuga, etc.). As we can see above, the distortion is too obvious. It’s not a “preference” of course, but only an in-depth study backed up with (cited) arguments can say that a particular date is correct or not. In Western literature, many such misrepresentations appear and the claim that Panini was the first person to record the story of the Mahabharata may also be false. The Mahabharata presents the important history that archaeologists can also document in a series of excavations prior to the 4th century BC. C., where you can see illustrations of the events of the Mahabharata.

The Mahabharata had gradually developed as history and was later supplemented. Regarding the date of Krishna’s death, it must have occurred before 3102 BC On the Indonesian island of Java there is a version of the Mahabharata that developed territorially independently of the Indian subcontinent: Kakawin Bharatayuddha is an ancient poetic interpretation of the Mahabharata.

Krishna and Arjuna are not just cousins

Vasudeva (father of Krishna) and Kunti (mother of the Pandavas) were brother and sister. Later, Arjuna married Krishna’s sister Subharda, thus he was also Krishna’s brother-in-law.

The history

The authorship of the epic is traditionally attributed to Vyasa, who is also one of the most important characters in the book. The first section of the Mahabharata introduces some things and characters like Ganesha who, at the request of Vyasa, writes the epic uninterruptedly in time while Vyasa continues to dictate it.

The main plot begins to evolve with the story of King Shantanu (King of Hastinapura). Shantanu was captivated by Ganga’s beauty and she bore him children. But Ganga, to protect the desire to save her children from the curse Vashishta had once placed on them, decided to kill them. By agreeing with Shantanu to become her mate, she sets the condition that he will never ask her anything.

When, after the birth of her eighth child, Ganga goes to the river to throw her innocent little boy into the river, Shantanu is so depressed that he erupts in anger, asking Ganga why she keeps killing all her children. However, breaking her promise not to ask questions, Ganga decides to leave, but the King is promised that his last child will one day return.

Ganga keeps her promise and after some time she returns and returns her eighth son, Devavrata. When Devavrata becomes a handsome prince, Shantanu meets Satyavati and falls in love with her. But their marriage is impossible, as Satyavati’s father asks the King that they must be his daughter’s sons, no one else in the world who will ever inherit the throne.

King Shantanu cannot agree. If he had agreed, Devavrata would have lost his rightful claim to become the successor to the throne. But Devavrata decides to help the direction of the Fates by taking an Oath that will force him into eternal celibacy. As soon as he takes an oath before Satyavati’s father, he becomes a new man with a new name: Bhishma.

Shantanu and Satyavati have two sons: Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. But they don’t live a long life and Shantanu gets sick and dies too. Satyavati faces Hastinapura without a king: there is no successor to the throne. She therefore asks Vyasa, a saint and her firstborn son, to help her. Vichitravirya was married to Ambika and Ambalika. Satyavati asked Vyasa to procreate a successor to the throne. Vyasa, although reluctant, agrees after a while and goes first to Ambika (Vichitravirya’s first wife), but she is so frightened by her dirty ascetic body that, while they make love, she keeps her eyes closed in anguish. She later gives birth to Dhritarashtra who is sadly blind. Therefore, Satyavati asks Vyasa to help her again. She is now the turn of Ambalika, Vichitravirya’s second wife, but she, after seeing Vyasa, gets so scared that she loses all color from her and turns pale. She gives birth to Pandu, who is also pale.

Pandu becomes king, but one day he makes a fatal mistake and shoots a Kindama sage while making love to his wife in the forest, transforming into animals. As a consequence of this, the mating deer pair was severely injured and they transformed back to their human form. The male part, Kindama, after being shot by Pandu’s deadly arrow, becomes so angry that his inescapable curse mutilates all of Pandu’s afterlife; the verdict is: if Pandu ever associates sexually with a woman, he falls into the hands of death immediately. After the curse, Pandu renounces the material world and Dhritarashtra, his half-brother, becomes king of Hastinapura.

Pandu has two wives: Madri and Kunti. One day he can’t defend himself against Madri’s sex appeal, which makes him so eager that Kindama’s curse straightens her waiting hand of death.

the pandavas

Kunti wants to fulfill her maternal expectations, but she doesn’t have a man. She remembers the time when her first child, Karna, was conceived from an arcane mantra that a sage had once given her. Surya, the Sun God, then appeared to him. Thus, Kunti remembers the secret mantra and gives birth to five sons, whom she refers to as the Pandavas.

Yudhisthira’s father was Yama; Bhima’s father was Vayu, Arjuna’s father was Indra. Then it was Madri who gave birth to two of her children: the twins, whose parents were Ashwins (divine twins). Madri’s sons are Nakula and Sahadeva. All these are the five Pandavas.

The Kauravas

Pandu and Dhritarashtra are half brothers and their descendants, the Pandavas and Kauravas, then fight for the throne of Hastinapura. Dhritarashtra had a son, Duryodhana, who was very wicked. Although the Mahabharata writes that Dhritarashtra had a hundred sons, when the story unfolds in reference to the Kauravas, the epic pays more attention mainly to Duryodhana, Karna, Gandhari (wife of Dhritarashtra), Shakuni (brother of Gandhari) and some other people in the Kaurava family. Let’s go.

The Kauravas are also supported by important advisors and teachers like Drona (unrivaled martial arts master), Kripa (chief priest), Ashwattama (son of Drona), Bhishma, Vidura (the third son that Vyasa had conceived with a maiden – Vidura later became the prime minister in the kingdom of Dhritarashtra).

Conflicts between the Pandavas and Kauravas

The rules for becoming successor to the throne had historically followed only the hereditary principle. When Satyavati decided that the crown of Hastinapura should shine on the offspring of Vyasa, his only wish was for the presence of the successor in the kingdom, who became Dhritarashtra in harmony with all laws. Yudhisthira was older than Duryodhana and after Dhritarashtra’s death the rightful successor to the throne would be Yudhisthira. For Duryodhana, the first-born son of King Dhritarashtra, this was an indigestible confrontation and therefore he went to great lengths to devise all unthinkable intrigues and plots with the aim of killing the Pandavas.

exile and war

By inviting the Pandavas to a game of dice, Duryodhana is only manipulating their kindness, as they always showed cooperation. The game turns out to be an evil decoy in which, with the help of the treacherous and two-faced Shakuni, the Pandavas lose everything, including themselves. They had a wife, Draupadi, and when the Kauravas ordered that she should appear before them and look at her humiliated husband, the Kauravas longed to see her naked. But a miracle happens and her dress unrolls as if it were made of endless strips of cloth. Draupadi then speaks loudly to Dhritarashtra and asks: Did Yudhisthira put her into play before or after he became a slave? An emotional and impressive self-defense monologue from Draupadi keeps everyone quiet for a long time until suddenly, under the pressure of honesty and well-argued words from Draupadi, King Dhritarashtra annuls the outcome of the game.

Duryodhana gets so angry that he invites the Pandavas to play a second game where exile is at stake: Either the Pandavas or the Kauravas spend 12 years in exile. The Pandavas lose again and go into exile.

After 12 years (with one more year of anonymity, which was Duryodhana’s condition), they return and war between the two family clans is imminent. Duryodhana refuses to accept his concealment during the year of anonymity; both family clans communicate only through messengers. Krishna also becomes one of them and, intending to stop the war, demands only five villages for the Pandavas. Duryodhana also rejects this offer.

Divine Weapons

In the Mahabharata, divine weapons are used and here is a brief description of them:

Agneyastra is the firearm, which belongs to the God Agni, master of the flames. Drona and Arjuna used it.

Brahmastra is the weapon of Brahma. It is the most sinister weapon and few reliable scholars suggest that it could have the power of atomic destruction.

Gandiva is a miraculous bow given to Arjuna by God Agni.

Kaumodaki is the invincible heavenly mace of Lord Vishnu.

Narayanastra is the projectile weapon of Lord Vishnu.

Pashupatastra is Lord Shiva’s most destructive weapon.

Vajra is Indra’s weapon, a combination of sword, mace and spear.

Vimana (also Viman, Vihmana, Viwan) is the Sanskrit term for a flying machine and has several appearances in the Mahabharata. It is translated with words like “heavenly car” or “heavenly vehicle” and an example from the Mahabharata (English translation of Gangli) is: “The gods too, with their wives, respectfully invited to them, came in their heavenly cars and sat above them shone like flames of fire.”

Vishnu’s chakra (Sudarsana discus) is a sharp spinning disc that Krishna used as a very dangerous weapon.

conclusion

The Mahabharata is the book about the two family clans: the Pandavas and the Kauravas, where Krishna is understood as the avatar of God Vishnu and who also appears in His true form to Arjuna in a dialogue on the battlefield for a few moments. before the war takes place. This probably the most precious historical dialogue is written in a particular part of the Mahabharata – Bhagavadgita, where Krishna sheds light on many Arjuna’s doubts about going to war. For example, Arjuna asks, “How can I fight with people I respect?” But Krishna replies that leaving without responding to such humiliation would result in historical records referring to the Pandavas as cowards. In addition to many other things, Krishna also gives Arjuna answers to questions from many religions, including those about life after death and the immortality of the soul.

Finally, the Pandavas win the war.

Ganguli’s English translation of the Epic Mahabharata is the only complete translation of the work in the public domain.