MAHÃBHÃRATA --the core story-- [This core story of Mahābhārtha is presented for the benefit of those readers who may not be aware of the story at all. The original story is very long, spread over six generations, and contains a large number of secondary stories and sub-plots. We earnestly believe that this outline core story will inspire our readers to follow the full story in some good translation, or, perhaps on video. (See the footnote at the end of the story.) We hope that this core outline story will help a new reader to follow the flow of the main story. It certainly is not a substitute for the main story.] Shāntanu, the king of the swayamvara uninvited, and Hastinapura, had a short-lived proceeded to abduct the three marriage with the goddess princesses to be married to Ganga who gave him a son, Vichitravirya. named Devavrata (later to be While the younger two known as Bhishma). Devavrata princesses, Ambika and was very well educated and a Ambalika consented to marry great warrior and became heir Vichitravirya, the oldest apparent. Kaurav and Pandav armies at the princess, Amba, told Bhishma battlefield of Kurūkshetra Many years later, one day, that she wished to marry king King Shāntanu was walking on prince's children might not of Shalva. Bhishma let her leave the banks of river Yamuna honor the promise. To alleviate to marry the king of Shalva. when he saw Satyavati, the his fear, Devavrata further took However, the king of Shalva beautiful daughter of the chief a vow of lifelong celibacy to refused to marry her as he had of fishermen. He asked her guarantee his promise. been defeated by Bhishma father for her hand in marriage. Shāntanu had two sons by when the latter was returning Her father consented on the Satyavati, Chitrāngada and from Kāshī with the three condition that the son born to Vichitravirya. Upon Shantanu's princesses. Amba returned to her alone would rule the death, Chitrāngada became the marry Bhishma but he refused kingdom. Shāntanu, though king. He lived a very short due to his vow of celibacy. overpowered by his love for uneventful life and was killed in Amba was enraged and Satyavati, could not accept the a war. Vichitravirya succeeded became Bhishma's bitter enemy, condition and returned without him to rule Hastinapura. holding him responsible for her her. Meanwhile, the King of plight. Later she was reborn to Devavrata saw his father Kāshī arranged a swayamvara (a King Drupada as Shikhandī unhappy, and on enquiry he ceremony in which a girl and, with the help of Arjuna, came to know his father’s desire chooses her own husband) for caused Bhishma's fall in the to marry Satyavati. He went to his three daughters, Amba, battle of Kurūkshetra. the fisherman and vowed to Ambika, and Ambalika, but The Pāndava and Kaurava relinquish his right to the neglected to invite the royal Princes throne. However, the fisherman family of Hastinapura. To expressed the fear that the arrange the marriage of young Vichitravirya died young Vichitravirya, Bhishma attended without any heir to the throne. Volume 9, Number 2 13 March – April 2013 Satyavati asked her first son blind prince and vowed to take after the birth of Yudhishtira. Vyāsa to father children with revenge on the Kuru family. They came to be known as the the widows of Vichitravirya. One day, on a hunting trip in Kaurava brothers, the eldest Duryodhana, and the Ambika, shut her eyes when she a forest, Pandu heard the sound being second Dushāsana. saw him, and so her son of a wild animal. He shot an Dhritarāshtra was born blind. arrow in the direction of the After the deaths of Pandu Ambalika turned pale and sound. However the arrow hit and Mādri, the Pāndavas and bloodless upon seeing him, and the sage Kindama who cursed their mother Kunti returned to thus her son Pandu was born Pandu that if he engaged in a the palace of Hastinapura. pale and unhealthy (the term sexual act, he would die. Pandu Although Dhritarāshtra wanted Pandu also mean jaundiced). then retired to the forest along his own son Duryodhana to Due to the physical with his two wives. In his become king after him, under challenges of the first two absence, his brother pressure from the elders in the children, Satyavati asked Vyāsa Dhritarāshtra ruled Hastinapura court and the public sentiment to try once again. However, despite his blindness. in favor of the Pāndavas in the Ambika and Ambalika instead kingdom at large, Yudhisthira Pandu's older queen, Kunti, send their maid, to Vyāsa's was named as the crown Prince. had been given a boon by Sage room. Vyāsa fathered a third Durvāsa that she could invoke ṣh ṛ son, Vidura, by the maid. He Lāk ag ha (The House of any deity using a special mantra. was born healthy and grew up Lac) Kunti used this boon to ask to be one of the wisest Shakuni, Duryodhana, and Dharma (the god of justice), characters in the Mahābhārata. Dushasana plotted to get rid of Vayu (the god of the wind), and He served as Prime Minister to the Pandavas. They persuaded Indra (the lord of the heavens) Kings Pandu and Dhritarāshtra. Dhritarāshtra to send them to for sons and gave birth to three Kāshī on a diplomatic mission. When the princes were sons: Shakuni called the architect grown up and Dhritarāshtra . Yudhisthira; Purvanchan to build a palace was about to be crowned as . out of flammable materials like king of Hastinapura by Bhima; and lac and ghee at Kāshī for the Bhishma, Vidura asserted that a . Arjuna. Pāndavas to live. The plan was blind person could not be the Kunti also shared her mantra to set the house on fire with the king, because a blind person with the younger queen, Madri, Pāndavas in it. However, the could not adequately control, who gave birth to the twins: Pāndavas were warned by their protect, and look after the . wise uncle, Vidura, who sent welfare of his subjects. The Nakula; and . Sahadeva them a miner to dig a tunnel throne was then given to under the house to safety. They Pandu. through the celestial beings, the Ashwini twins. were able to escape to safety Pandu married twice, to and go into hiding. Back at Kunti and Mādri. Dhritarāshtra One day, Pandu and Madri Hastinapura, the Pāndavas and married Gandhari, the princess indulged in sex, and Pandu Kunti were presumed dead.[ of Gandhara (present day died. Madri died, out of During the course of their Kandhar in Afghanistan). remorse, on the funeral pyre of hiding, the Pāndavas learnt of a Gandhari blindfolded herself so Pandu. Kunti raised the five swayamvara for the wedding of that she might share the pain children, who, from then on, the Pānchāla princess, that her husband felt. Her were referred to as the Pāndava Draupadī. The Pāndavas brother Shakuni was enraged by brothers. entered the competition in the marriage of his sister to the Dhritarāshtra had a hundred disguise as Brahmins. The task sons through Gandhari, all born was to string a mighty steel bow Volume 9, Number 2 14 March – April 2013 and shoot at the eye of a it was not water and fell in it. Virata, and were discovered moving artificial fish on the Draupadi laughed at him and only after the end of the year. ceiling, while looking at its ridiculed him as a “blind son of As their exile ended, they reflection in oil below. Most of a blind father”, referring to tried to negotiate their return to the princes failed, many being Dhritarāshtra, blind father. He Indraprastha. However, all unable even to lift the bow. then decided to avenge his efforts for a peaceful settlement Arjuna succeeded in the humiliation. failed, as Duryodhana refused competition. Shakuni, Duryodhana's to give even an inch of land to The Pāndavas returned home maternal uncle, arranged a game them. Even Krishna went to with Draupadi and informed of dice, playing against the court of Hastinapura as a their mother that Arjuna had Yudhishtira with loaded dice. messenger of peace, but to no won a competition and to look Yudhishtira lost all his wealth avail. War became inevitable. at what they had brought back. and his kingdom. He then even The Battle at Kurūkshetra Without looking, Kunti asked gambled his brothers, himself, them to share among and, finally, his wife into The two sides summoned themselves whatever it was that servitude. The jubilant vast armies to their help and Arjuna had won. Thus, Kauravas insulted the Pāndavas lined up at the field of Draupadi ended up being the and tried to disrobe Draupadi Kurūkshetra for a war. Krishna wife of all five brothers. in front of the entire court, but took part, in a non-combatant her honor was saved by role, as the charioteer for Indraprastha Krishna who miraculously Arjuna. After the wedding, the created lengths of cloth to Before the battle, Arjuna, Pāndavas were invited back to replace the ones being seeing himself facing his great Hastinapura. The Kuru family removed. grandfather Bhishma and his elders negotiated and brokered teacher Drona on the other a split of the kingdom, with the Dhritarāshtra, Bhishma, and side, has doubts about the Pāndavas obtaining a new the other elders were aghast at battle and he fails to lift his territory. Yudhishtira had a new the situation, but Duryodhana Gāndīva bow. Krishna wakes capital built for this territory at was adamant that there was no him up to his call of duty in the Indraprastha.