Epics of India Fall 2020

                                 Bibliography:  Indian Myth and Legend  by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913) While the Pandavas are in exile they meet many Bhramins and sages.  Throughout this Draupadi rebukes Yudhishthira for not protecting her, but his wise words make them thing twice.  One sage tells them to send Arjuna to the Himalayas so he can get the sacred weapons they need.  Arjuna meets Shiva while praying and Shiva gives him divine weapons.  Arjuna goes to Swarga with his father Indra and spends five years there learning how to wield celestial weapons and annihilates his father's enemies. The Pandavas have many adventures during their exile and meet many gurus and sages. At the end of their exile they fight against Duryodhana in a raid and beat him which makes him angrier.  Soon the Pandavas and Kauravas start assembling their armies and Arjuna gets ...

 For this story lab I decided to conduct more research for by storybook about Indra. I found a lot of new information, and pictures, that I think will be very useful when writing my storybook. This new information pertains Airvata his elephant mount and one of his most powerful weapons Vajra. Airvata :  Indra's mount is a white elephant named Airvata which means "elephant of the clouds". He is depicted to have ten tusks and five trunks, also he is a pure white color. The connection of elephants with water and rain is emphasized in the mythology of Indra, who rides the elephant Airaavatha when he defeats Vritra. This mighty elephant reaches down his trunk into the watery underworld, sucks up its water, and then sprays it into the clouds, which Indra then causes to rain forth cool water, thereby linking the waters of the sky with those of the underworld. Airvata Vajra :  This is Indra's most powerful weapon and also the one he used to defeat Vritra. It is a ritual...

Bibliography: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913) Vidura, the Pandavas uncle, helps them figure out Duryodhana's evil plot and they escape their death. However, Duryodhana thinks they actually died. The Pandavas hide in the wilderness and Bhima meets a femal rakshasa who loves him. He defeats her evil brother and they wed and have a son. Draupadi is the beautiful daughter of Drupada. The king has a swayamwara to find a husband for her. Duryodhana and his brothers are there as well as Karna.  Karna tries to win her but Draupadi is against marrying him since he is low-born so Arjuna wins her. All 5 Pandavas have to share Draupadi due to a previous declaration so Drupada and Krishna give them gifts. Yudhishthira receives his own kingdom to rule which he does well.  The Pandavas make a pact that when one of them is with Draupadi none of the others can enter. Arjuna breaks this and has to go into exile for 12 year. Arjuna meets Ulupi and they have a child, Iravat....

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...