• Mahabharata - world’s longest epic • Subject -fight over a kingdom between two branches of a family: • Pandavas • Kauravas The Pandavas • Pandavas - five brothers, brought up by King Pandu • Fathered by various Hindu Gods, semi-divine themselves • Arjuna is one of the Pandavas • All five brothers are married to the same woman- Draupadi • King Drupada arranged a contest to find the sharpest shooter of the time • Bachelors from all over contested • Arjuna, the master of the bow and arrow, won • Arjuna brought bride home • To mother Kunti, "Mother, look what I have won!” • Busy and distracted, Kunti replied, "Whatever the prize is, share it equally among your brothers!” • No virtuous Indian can disobey his mother = five Pandavas obeyed & shared Draupadi. The Kauravas • Kauravas = 99 sons of King Pandu’s brother. • Pandu’s brother should have been king - blindness disqualified him • Leader = Duryodhana, rigged dice to beat Pandavas leader gambling • Pandavas lost the kingdom, banished to forest. Dharma • Duties of a person as required by caste • Person’s obligations, moral law governs world • Aspect = keeping one’s word even at a cost to oneself. The Bhagavad-Gita • Famous part of the Mahabharata, can be read as a separate text • Translated more often & into more languages than any other Sanskrit text. • During struggle for India’s independence, Ghandi often read the Gita for inspiration. • The Gita narrated by Sanjaya • Famous part = Arjuna & Krishna • Arjuna = aPandava brother • Krishna = incarnation of Vishnu, personified power of preservation • Vishnu = “one third” of Brahman/God. • Lord Vishnu's protecting powers =Avatars • One or more of his divine attributes = embodied in human or animal shape • Great strength & supernatural powers • Appeared in world to correct evil or effect good on earth • True of Avatar Krishna & his dealings in the Gita In this scene, Arjuna doesn’t know Krishna = god Knows him only as brother-in- law and charioteer Krishna battles Bhishma, son of the river goddess Ganges. • Arjuna faces a dilemma = knows it’s wrong to kill his family in the opposing army • Knows it’s his duty to fight • Arjuna weeping with frustration & confusion - refusing to fight • Dropping his bow - asks Krishna for advice .