Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part A

Bibliography:  Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913)

• The authors of the Mahabharata are Vyasa and Ganesha.
• Vyasa dictates everything to Ganesha who constantly writes. 
• Vyasa has an interesting birth as his mother, Satyavati, is coerced by Parashara to make Vyasa on the condition of her not losing her virginity and her fish-like smell is replaced with a sweet-smelling fragrance.
• Bhishma is the son of King Shantanu and the goddess Ganga. Who helps the 8 Vasus and in return they they give a portion of their power to her son who becomes really powerful.
• King Shantanu has a kid with Satyavati, a son named Vyasa. Shantanu wanted to marry Satyavati but to do that he had to renounce Bhisma's claim to the throne which he did not want to do. 
• Bhisma, originally known as Devavrata, went to Satyavati and renounced his claim to the throne earning the name Bhisma.
• Shantanu and Satyavati wed and have two sons but the first one dies early and the second is too young to rule so Bhisma acts as regent.
• Bhisma wanted to get a bride for the young king so he went to another kingdom where a tournament was happening for the three princesses hand in marriage. 
  
• Bhisma took all three of them and since his archery prowess was unrivaled he was able to take the three princesses easily.
• Amba, the oldest of the three, tells Bhisma how she is in love with another king so he allows her to pursue this but that king rejects her. She feels betrayed and spends a long time making penances and fasting. So much that Shiva comes down and grants her one boon and she asks for the death of Bhisma who she thinks started all this. 
• She then walks into her own funeral pyre so that she can be reincarnated into a form that can defeat Bhisma.
• Since the young king died before he could have sons with the princesses Satyavati calls upon Bhisma, but he cannot have sons due to the vow he made. So, she calls upon Vyasa, a sadhu, who spent his life in prayer.
• He had three sons, one with each of the princesses, but he was scary to look at so one of the princesses closed her eyes during the deed and her son was born blind, his name is Dhritarashtra. The second princess was pale with fear and his name is Pandu, or the pale one. The last son is with the eldest princess' handmaiden who she made go in her stead and his name was Vidura but he is also the reincarnation of the god Dharma who was put under a spell to be born again as a human. 
• Pandu wed Kunti, but he also had a second wife who he loved more. Kunti was very pious and helpful and one day she was saying prayers and Surya the sun god came to her and impregnanted her with a boy, Karna.
• To hide him she put him in a basket and he floated down the river and was adopted by a family. He grow up to be a formidable archer.
• Kunti was mother of Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, god of justice, and of Bhima, son of Vayu, the wind god, and also of Arjuna, son of Indra. Madri was the mother of Nakula and Sahadeva, whose sires were the twin Ashwins, sons of Surya
• These 5 are known as the Pandavas.
•  Dhritarashtra, had ascended the throne to reign over the kingdom of Bharatavarsha with Bhisma as his regent.
• He had a hundred sons with Gandhari, the eldest of who is Duryodhana who is evil.
• Kunti brings the Pandavas to Duryodhana who gives them his protection. The cousins lived together and worked together but there was still strife between them as Duryodhana was jealous of Bhima the one who always won contests and sporting games.
• Duryodhana poisons Bhima and throws him into the Ganges where he is bit by snakes, but their poison counteracts the previous one and he breaks his bonds. 
• He finds himself in the underworld where he is treated well by Vasuki the king of the nagas.
• We meet Drona who is the teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He becomes their teacher on the condition that they help him fight Drupada.
• The Pandavas excel in their training and this makes Duryodhana even more jealous especially of Arjuna who is Drona's favorite.
• Duryodhana and Bhima fight a heated mock battle where they show off their skills. Then Arjuna gets to show his skill as well showing why he's the best.
• Suddenly, Karna shows up and outshines even Arjuna. Duryodhana then uses this as an opportunity to get Karna on his side, and people start doubting the Pandavas.
• Drona then tells the Pandavas to fight Drupada and a huge battle ensues and the Pandavas, and Drona, take half the kingdom.
• Duryodhana gets even more jealous, and concocts a plan to to kill the Pandavas and Kunti by burning their palace to the ground with them in it.

The Pandavas