The Kuru's

For all casual readers of the blog I may suggest you directly skip to Sons of Satyawati where the direct story of Pandavas and Kauravas starts and don't leave the blog without reading the analysis.



When we left the book before Demon's were taking birth on Earth as humans.

Before I move further I may clarify something by brief knowledge of the Vedas. Demons are not enemies of the gods but they are of Devtas. Devtas like Indra or Surya are not permanent but are like posts in a cabinet where Indra is prime Minister. Through time 14 Indras are elected and do not hold eternal knowledge and are occasionally corrupted by materialistic object. One such story that I have picked up from Wikipedia helps illustrate this

In this story from the Brahmavaivarta Purana, Indra defeats Vṛtrá and releases the waters. Elevated to the rank of King of the gods, Indra orders the heavenly craftsman, Vishvakarma, to build him a grand palace. Full of pride, Indra continues to demand more and more improvements for the palace. At last, exhausted, Vishvakarma asks Brahma the Creator for help. Brahma in turn appeals to Vishnu, the Supreme Being.

Vishnu visits Indra's palace in the form of a Brahmin boy; Indra welcomes him in. Vishnu praises Indra's palace, casually adding that no former Indra had succeeded in building such a palace. At first, Indra is amused by the Brahmin boy's claim to know of former Indras. But the amusement turns to horror as the boy tells about Indra's ancestors, about the great cycles of creation and destruction, and even about the infinite number of worlds scattered through the void, each with its own Indra. The boy claims to have seen them all. During the boy's speech, a procession of ants had entered the hall. The boy saw the ants and laughed. Finally humbled, Indra asks the boy why he laughed. The boy reveals that the ants are all former Indras.

Another visitor enters the hall. He is Shiva, in the form of a hermit. On his chest lies a circular cluster of hairs, intact at the circumference but with a gap in the middle. Shiva reveals that each of these chest hairs corresponds to the life of one Indra. Each time a hair falls, one Indra dies and another replaces him.

No longer interested in wealth and honor, Indra rewards Vishvakarma and releases him from any further work on the palace. Indra himself decides to leave his life of luxury to become a hermit and seek wisdom. Horrified, Indra's wife Shuchi asks the priest Brihaspati to change her husband's mind. He teaches Indra to see the virtues of both the spiritual life and the worldly life. Thus, at the end of the story, Indra learns how to pursue wisdom while still fulfilling his kingly duties.

Indra hold precedence over the Visnu who only appears briefly in Rig Veda. But in the later Vedas Brahma Visnu Mahesh come out as the supreme god. I do not realize when but present knowledge Brahma Visnu Mahesh as side of the supreme energy thereby satisfying the theory that all religions are same form of different energy.

Now returning to The Mahabharata

All Kaurava's except Duryodhan were born with a portion of demons in them. Duryodhan was born with a portion of Goddess Kali in him. he brought disgrace to the Kuru dynasty and the base man who sparked the terrible enmity which led to deaths of millions of men

Apsara's born on earth became Narayans(Krsna vasudeva) harem of 16000 queens. Draupadi was born with a portion of Sri.

Story of King Pratipa

King Pratipa had settled himself on the river ganga for the welfare of all. One day Ganga in all her splendor rises from the river and sat upon his right thigh and asked him to make love to her. In accordance to his Dharma the king declines and offers the hand of his future son to which Ganga agrees.

After years if austerities performed by Pratipa and his wife were awarded with a son whom they named Samtanu. When Samtanu came of age the king informed him that a women once approached him for his sake and he should not ask her for her identity and accept as she is.
Soon enough King Pratipa retired to a life as a ascetic naming Santanu as his successor.

One day while he was out for hunting, a supremely beautiful woman appeared before him and he asked for her hand in marriage. She in return asked him to never question or stop him whatever she does or undertake. If she is chided or stopped once she shall leave the king. The king accepts the proposal and took all care to never displease her.
So rapt was he in love that he had no notion of how many seasons or years had passed. He had fathered  8 sons and all  8 sons were killed by Ganga by drowning. The king puzzled by her activities finally accumulating courage enough to question her about it. She answered " Best of fathers, longing for a son, I shall not kill your son! But now my time with you has run out , in accordance with agreement I mad with you. These eight sons were the Vasus, blessed gods of mighty power who, through the fault of Vasistha's curse, took on Human form".

One day a boy appeared to the king in front of the Ganga. As he had only seen his son as a new born could not recognize him from memory so asked Ganga to appears to him and confirmed to him he was the eighth son he had fathered. He is my gift to you whom he name Devratara.

One day the King Santanu goes out the forest and meets a girl who ferries travelers across the river enchanted by her beauty he asks the fisherman king her hand in marriage. Fishermen king agrees only on the condition that their son should become prince regent. Disappointed from this demand King Samtanu  returns to his kingdom.

One Devavrata approaches his father and asks him " Father you are safe on all sides, the kingdom is prospering even why are you always grieving?". He replies that he is worried by his lack of son. If something happened to to you and great line of Bharata would end.

When he learned of the full reason of his fathers grief, set forth, thinking of matter once over. Then Devavrata together with a few Kshatriya went over to the fisher king ask for her daughter's marriage to the king. He promised with all his honor that his daughter's son will be his king. The king replied that that he is not fearful that Devavrata might break his promise as he is bound by Dharma but he fears one day he may have a child who may endanger his daughters sons authority. In response Devavrata promised he will perform holy Celibacy or Brahmacharya and though he shall be sonless, he will gain imperishable realms in heaven.

When the fisherman heard Devavrata words come out he felt his hairs rise on his body and shouted 'I give her' and proclaims Devavrat to be Bhisma. So Satyawati was wedded to King Samtanu.

Satyawati bears two Chitragada who dies in battles as king and Vichitravirya who marries ambavati and Ambika but soon dies of consumption leaving no heirs. Satyawati asks Devavrata to wed Ambika and Ambavati to continues Bharata's lineage but he declines due to his divine pledge. He suggests her that they should call a brahmin like Krsna Dvaipayana Vyas to consumate with Ambika and Ambavati to give them heirs who agrees to their pleas. Ambika gives birth to Dhristrashtra who is blind so unable to be a king. Ambavati gives birth to Pandu who is pale but fit to be king. Growing uncomfortable with Vyasa for the third time instead of going herself she sends her maid servant who impresses the Vyasa to such degree that he rewards her with a son who is a brother to Dhristrashtra and Pandu and wisest among men, free from all desire and anger.

Sons of Satyawati 

Dhristrashtra could not take kingship due to his blindness, Vidura because of his mixed parentage, so Pandu became king.

Bhisma looking for suitable brides for his sons came to know of Subala's daughter Gandhari who had worshipped Shiva and was bound to give birth to a 100 sons. When Gandhari learned that her parents wanted to marry her to a blind man she herself wore a piece of cloth on her eyes and was determined to take no form of precedence over her husband. She married Dhristrashtra and pleased all the Kurus with her behaviour.

The ruler of Yadus, Vasudeva's father (so grandfather to Krsna Vasudeva) had promised her firstborn to be given away to Kuntibhoja. In her new father's home she served to both man and gods alike. One day she served a learned seer with such fierce resolve that he awarded her with a mantra which allowed her to call upon any god to bestow upon her a son.

Excited to experiment with her new found mantra she called upon surya who made love to her and restored her virginity after the act. Out of this act was born a child clad in armour who became famous in the world as Krna.

Then wishing to conceal the wrong she had done she decided to cast her son away at the river where he was picked up a charioteer of great renown and his wife Radha.

At Kunti's swayamvara she chose Pandu as her husband impressed by his tiger like chest and calm demeanor.

Bhisma now travelled to Madras and there purchased at great cost the daughter of Madra king Madri famed throughout the world for her unrivaled beauty. Bhisma marries Vidura to an illegitimate daughter  of King Devaka who bears him many sons.

Pandu after leading many victorious campaigns retires to a life in the forest with his two wives. Here he is cursed to die if he ever makes love to any woman. So to console her husband who constantly demands from her to give birth t o his heirs through a Brahmin she tells him of her mantra. Overjoyed with this informations he ask her to fulfill her Dharma.

• Kunti call upons Dharma to give birth to an righteous son and Yudhisthir is born.
• Pandu asks her as Kshatriyas excel in strength they call upon Vayu and so was Bhima born. On the day of birth of Bhima Duryodhan was also born.
• In his desire for the perfect son he asks Kunti to invoke Indra which results in birth of Arjuna.

When Pandu asked for another son Kunti declined answering that having more than 3 sons the woman striving for more is driven by lust and having more than four is a whore. He tells her that is the dharma of a woman.

Madri asked Kunti if she could help her bear child to which Kunti replied that think of any god and he would oblige you with bestowing you with sons. So were born Nakula and Sahdev from the two Ashwins devtas. There beauty was uncomparable in the two worlds. All sons were born one year after one another.

After having two sons Madri again asked Kunti for sons but Kunti having felt betrayed from Madri having two sons declined her request. In this way were born the five mighty sons of Pandu, as gifts of gods.

Gandhari gave birth to 100 sons after through a iron embryo which was in 100 earthen pots. Dhristrashtra also had a son out of wedlock with a Vaishya woman.

Finally Pandu was overcome by his lust for Madri and made love to her. He died a peaceful death and Madri performed Sati and jumped into his funeral pyre. Kunti returned to Hastinapur with all her sons.

Hastinapura

In Hastinapura all children are loved by Dhristrashtra equally and treated Yudhisthira as the rightful heir of the throne even though Duryodhan and Karna were immensely jealous of them and grabbed every opportunity to hurt or harm them. Pandavas did not report these activities to Dhristrashtra on the advice of Vidura.

Drona a very learned man becomes the teacher of the young kuru princes. He is really fond of all the princes but his favourite is Arjuna to whom he gives the weapons of Brahma's head.

Duryodhan convinces Dhristrashtra to send Pandavas to Varanavatra (out of Hastinapura) where he had built a highly inflammable house where the Pandavas were to stay. Having learned of Duryodhan plan through Vidura the Pandavas escape the house untouched leaving others in the impression that they had died.

They lived as Brahmins in the forest where Bhima was wedded to Hidimba and was blessed with a son called Ghatotkach. Here Pandavas decide to visit Draupadi's swayamvara who was born to Gandharva king Dhrupad after years of performing Yagya.

Draupadis Swayamwara

Draupadi's swayamwara was attended by hundreds of famed Kshatriya's including Duryodhan and Karna. The Swayamwara was won by Arjuna after he performed the task that was required of him with relative ease.

After realizing that Swayamwara was won by a Brahmin and Kshatriyas lead by Karna angrily revolt and try to attack the Pandava's.

Now faced by a dilemma of marrying a younger brother before his elder brother the Pandava agree to invoke Dharma to solve their problem. Dharma ask Yudhisthira to marry first to which he replies that they should Marry her all to which Draupadi agrees.

Krsna Vasudeva (krishan) and Balaram also congratulate Arjuna for his victory.

Coming to hear of Draupadis Swayamwara Dhristrashtra request the counsel of Bhisma, Drona and Vidura to decide the future course of events. He decides to give half of the kingdom to Pandavas rather than agreeing with Duryodhan and Karna who wanted attack Pandavas at this time when they are weak. Dhristrashtra sends Vidura to act as his ambassadors to Pandavas and invite them back to the great town of elephants Hastinapura.

Pandavas agree to return to Hastinapura and set off from their humble settlement with Krsna, King Dhrupad, Draupadi and Kunti. In Hastinapura, Dhristrashtra asks them to settle in Khandavaprastha and rule independently half of the kingdom to which the Pandavas Happily agree.

Arjuna asks Krishna's permission in attending her sisters Subhadra Swayamwara. Krsna rather than asking him to attend the Swayamwara asks him to kidnap her and then marry her. Arjuna finally succumbs to Krsna wishes and kidnaps Subhadra before marrying her

Interpretation

One of the things I did not expect in  the Mahabharata is birth control. Here Kunti declines her husbands wish to have more than three offsprings. One could not have realized importance of such restraint could so useful in this time of society. Here in India where our religious texts ask us not to have more than three offsprings, the country to implement the first birth control laws to have a major problem of birth control and no one of significant resolve to take any concrete steps to solve.

One here also realizes the difficulty and the importance of children have on any human's mind. All characters the Mahabharata strive for suitable heirs to their lineage and having immense difficulty in their endeavor.


Dharma is the sole driver of human activity in the Mahabharata. Dharma takes preference over all at this point in the epic. How does one realize his Dharma at any point of time is however ambiguous.

Sex and Dharma are the only reasons that have forced man to take decisions. Pandu had followed his dharma throughout his life but one lustful evening changed all. Here I would like to say that according to me it is Duryodhan's Dharma to pursue power as a Kshatriyas.

By this time the paragraphs have abrupt ending as I have been skipping paragraph which bear no importance to the main plot.

Finally Krsna Vasudeva of Dwarka came into the plot but still had no major role to play. Krsna somehow has a knack of bending Dharma to his will where he asks Arjuna to kidnaps to his sister rather than rightfully gaining her hand in marriage which is a sign of things to come.


I have now covered about 80 pages which corresponds to around 10% of the book. I would like to course through a little faster but amount information that is in the book cannot be parsed quickly without skipping the essence of the plot. I had initially decided to blog this entry with All knowledge derives from the Mahabharata but the shear size of the thwarted my attempt and I ultimately decided to publish them divided. This entry rather than having to many spiritual interpretations mainly deal with the plot of epic.


Ironically I have realized that the last time I visited a bookstore with Harshit I bought three books, "The Mahabharata", "Sufism: The heart of Islam" and "God is not great". I have never bought so many books related to god and the first time I do I buy a book so terrifyingly atheistic that it has been banned in Vatican.