The story of Yudhisthira (Dharmaraja)
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira was the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, king of Hastinapura and Indraprastha, and World Emperor. He was the principal protagonist of the Kurukshetra War, and for his unblemished piety, known as Dharmaraja (Most pious one). Some sources describe him to be an adept warrior with the Spear.
Yudhisthira's father Pandu, the king of Hastinapura, soon after his marriage accidentally shot a Brahmin and his wife, mistaking them for deer, while the couple were making love. Before he died, the Brahmin cursed the king himself to die at once, the minute he engaged in intercourse with one of his two wives. Due to this curse, Pandu was unable to father children. In additional penance for the murder, Pandu also abdicated the crown to his blind brother Dhritarashtra.
Yudhisthira therefore was conceived in an unusual way. His mother, Queen Kunti, had in her youth been granted the power to invoke the Devas by Rishi Durvasa. Each god, when invoked, would place a child in her lap. Urged by Pandu to use her invocations, Kunti gave birth to Yudhisthira by invoking the Lord of Righteousness, Dharma. Being Pandu's eldest son, Yudhisthira was the rightful heir to the throne. However, this claim was contested by the Dhritarashtra's son, Duryodhana.
Yudhisthira's four younger brothers were Bhima, (born by invoking Vayu); Arjuna, (born by invoking Indra); and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, (born by invoking the Ashwini Gods). If Karna, the son of Kunti born before her marriage by invoking Surya is counted, Yudhisthira would be the second-eldest of five Pandava brothers.
Yudhisthira was trained in religion, science, administration and military arts by the Kuru preceptors Kripa and Drona. He was a master of the spear weapon, and a maharatha, capable of combating 10,000 opponents all together at a time.
Yudhisthira is also known as Bharata (Descendent of the line of Bharata) and Ajatashatru (One Without Enemies).
Yudhisthira's true prowess was shown in his unflinching adherence to satya (truth) and dharma (righteousness), which were more precious to him than any royal ambitions, material pursuits and family relations.
Yudhisthira rescued Bhima from Yama, and all of his four brothers from death by exemplifying not only his immense knowledge of dharma but also his very own way of understanding the finer implications of dharma, as judged by Yama, who was testing him in the guise of a Crane and a Yaksha.
Yudhisthira's dharma was markedly distinct from that of other righteous kings. He married Draupadi along with his four brothers, he had Bhima marry an outcast Rakshasi, he termed "prayer" as "poison", he saw an uneventful life with no credit and a belly full of food at the end of the day as happiness, he denounced casteism, saying a Brahmin is known by his actions and not his birth or education--thus portraying the real changeable dharma, the dharma that modifies itself to suit the times.
Due to his piety, Yudhisthira's feet and his chariot do not touch the ground, to symbolize his purity.
Yudhisthira and his brothers were favored by the Kuru elders like Bhishma, Vidura ,Kripa and Drona over Duryodhana and his brothers, the Kauravas, due to their devotion to their elders, pious habits and great aptitude in religion and military skills, and all the necessary qualifications for the greatest of the kshatriya order.
Yudhisthira married the Panchali princess Draupadi, who bore him his son Prativindya.
When the Pandavas came of age, King Dhritarashtra sought to avoid a conflict with his sons, the Kauravas, by giving Yudhisthira half the Kuru kingdom, albeit the lands which were arid, unprosperous and scantily populated, known as Khandavaprastha.
But with the help of Yudhisthira's cousin Krishna, a new city, Indraprastha, was constructed by the Deva architect Viswakarman. The Asura architect Mayasura constructed the Mayasabha, which was the largest regal assembly hall in the world. Yudhisthira was crowned king of Khandavaprastha and Indraprastha. As he governed with absolute piousness, with a strict adherence to duty and service to this people, his kingdom grew prosperous, and people from all over were attracted to it.
Yudhisthira performed the Rajasuya sacrifice to become the Emperor of the World. His motives were not to obtain power for himself, but to establish dharma and defend religion all over the world by suppressing the enemies of Krishna and sinful, aggressive kings.
Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva led armies across the four corners of the world to obtain tributes from all kingdoms for Yudhisthira's sacrifice. At his sacrifice, Yudhisthira honored Krishna as the most famous and greatest personality. This incensed Sisupala, who proceeded to hurl several insults at Krishna and the Pandavas for selecting a "cowherd" for the great honor. When Sisupala's transgressions exceed the hundred pardons that Krishna had promised his mother, Krishna summons the sudarshana chakra to behead him. Following which, the yajna is completed successfully.
Yudhisthira was unable to refuse when Duryodhana's maternal uncle Shakuni, challenged him to a game of dice. Thanks to Shakuni's cheating, Yudhisthira lost each throw, eventually gambling away his kingdom, his wealth, his brothers and finally his wife. Owing to the protests of Vidura, Bhishma and Drona, Dhritarashtra returned all these losses. However, Shakuni challenged Yudhisthira one more time, and Yudhisthira once more lost. This time, he, his brothers and his wife were forced to discharge the debt by spending thirteen years in exile, with the condition of anonymity in the last year, in the forest before they could reclaim their kingdom.
Yudhisthira was criticized by Draupadi and Bhima for succumbing to temptation and playing dice, an art he was absolutely unskilled at, making the Pandavas prey to Shakuni and Duryodhana's evil designs. Yudhisthira reproached himself for weakness of mind, but at the time he argued that it was impossible to refuse a challenge of any nature, as he was a kshatriya and obliged to stand by the kshatriya code of honour.
During the thirteen years, he was repeatedly tested for staunch adherence to religious values in face of adversity.
The conditions of the debt required the Pandavas to disguise themselves and not be discovered during the last year of exile. Yudhisthira learned dice play from Narada Muni and assumed the guise of a brahmin courtier and dice player in the Matsya Rajya of king Virata.
When the period of exile was completed, Duryodhana and Shakuni nevertheless refused to return Yudhisthira's kingdom. Yudhisthira made numerous diplomatic efforts to retrieve his kingdom peacefully; all failed. To go to war to reclaim his birthright would mean fighting and killing his own relatives, an idea that appalled Yudhisthira. But Krishna, Yudhisthira's most trusted advisor (whom he recognized as the Avatara of Vishnu, the Supreme Godhead, Brahman), pointed out that Yudhisthira's claim was righteous, and the deeds of Duryodhana were evil. If all peace efforts failed, war was therefore a most righteous course. There are many passages in the Mahabharata in which Yudhisthira's will to fight a bloody war for the sake of a kingdom falters, but Krishna justifies the war as moral and as the unavoidable duty of all moral warriors.
In the war, the Kuru commander Drona was killing of thousands of Pandava warriors. Krishna hatched a plan to tell Drona that his son Ashwathama had died, so that the invincible and destructive Kuru commander would give up his arms and thus could be killed.
The plan was set in motion when Bhima killed an elephant named Ashwathama, and loudly proclaimed that Ashwathama was dead. Drona, knowing that only Yudhisthira, with his firm adherence to the truth, could tell him for sure if his son had died, approached Yudhisthira for confirmation. Yudhisthira told him: "Ashwathama has died". However Yudhisthira could not make himself tell a lie, despite the fact that if Drona continued to fight, the Pandavas and the cause of dharma itself would have lost and he added: "naro va kunjaro va" which means he is not sure whether elephant or man had died.
Krishna knew that Yudhisthira would be unable to lie, and had all the warriors beat war-drums and cymbals to make as much noise as possible. The words "naro va kunjaro va" were lost in the tumult and the ruse worked. Drona was disheartened, and laid down his weapons. He was then killed by Dhristadyumna.
When he spoke his half-lie, Yudhisthira's feet and chariot descended to the ground. However, Yudhisthira himself killed Shalya, the king of Madra and the last Kuru commander.
At the end of the war, Yudhisthira and the Pandava army emerged victorious, but Yudhisthira's children, the sons of Draupadi, and many Pandava heroes like Dhristadyumna, Abhimanyu, Virata, Drupada, Ghatotkacha were dead. Millions of warriors on both sides were killed.
Yudhisthira performed the tarpana ritual for the souls of the departed. Upon his return to Hastinapura, he was crowned king of both Indraprastha and Hastinapura.
Out of his piousness, Yudhisthira retained Dhristarashtra as the king of the city of Hastinapura, and offered him complete respect and deference as an elder, despite his misdeeds and the evil of his dead sons.
Yudhisthira later performed the Ashwamedha yagna (sacrifice) to re-establish the rule of dharma all over the world. In this sacrifice, a horse was released to wander for a year, and Yudhisthira's brother Arjuna led the Pandava army, following the horse. The kings of all the countries where the horse wandered were asked to submit to Yudhisthira's rule or face war. All paid tribute, once again establishing Yudhisthira as the undisputed Emperor of the World.
Upon the onset of the Kali yuga and the death of Krishna, Yudhisthira and his brothers retired, leaving the throne to their only descendant to survive the war of Kurukshetra, Arjuna's grandson Parikshita. Giving up all their belongings and ties, the Pandavas made their final journey of pilgrimage in the Himalayas.
While climbing the peaks, one by one Draupadi and each Pandava in reverse order of age fell to their deaths, dragged down by the weight of their guilt of few, but real sins. But Yudhisthira reached the mountain peak, because he was unblemished by sin or untruth.
The true character of Yuddhisthira is revealed at the end of the Mahabharata. On the mountain peak, Indra, King of Gods, arrived to take Yudhisthira to heaven in his Golden Chariot. As Yudhisthira was about to step into the Chariot, the Deva told him to leave behind his companion dog, an unholy creature not worthy of heaven. Yudhisthira stepped back, refusing to leave behind the creature who he had taken under his protection. Indra wondered at him - "You can leave your brothers behind, not arranging proper cremations for them...and you refuse to leave behind a stray dog!"
Yudhisthira replied, "Draupadi and my brothers have left me, not me [them]." And he refused to go to heaven without the dog. At that moment the dog changed into the God Dharma, his father, who was testing him...and Yudhisthira had passed with distinction.
Yudhisthira was carried away on Indra's chariot. On reaching Heaven he did not find either his virtuous brothers or his wife Draupadi. Instead he saw Duryodhana and his evil allies. The Gods told him that his brothers were in Naraka (hell) atoning their little sins, while Duryodhana was in heaven since he died at the blessed place of Kurukshetra.
Yudhisthira loyally went to Naraka (hell) to meet his brothers, but the sights and sounds of gore and blood horrified him. Tempted to flee, he mastered himself and remained on hearing the voice of his beloved brothers and Draupadi...calling out to him, asking him to stay with them in their misery. Yudhisthira decided to remain, ordering the Divine charioteer to return..preferring to live in hell with good people than in a heaven of evil ones. At that moment the scene changed. This was yet another illusion to test him on the one hand, and on other hand to enable him to atone for his sin of using deceit to kill Drona. Indra and Krishna appeared before him and told him that his brothers were already in Heaven, along with his enemies, for earthly virtues and vices don't hold true in heavenly realms. Krishna yet again hailed Yudhisthira for his dharma, and bowed to him, in the final defining moment of the epic where divinity bowed down to humanity.
The story of Yuyutsu
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Yuyutsu in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was the son of King Dhritarashtra, and one of the palace maidservants. He was a half-brother to Duryodhana and the other Kauravas. Disgusted by the treatment of the Pandavas by the Kauravas, he joined the side of the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war and was the only son of Dhritarashtra to survive the war. He was younger to Duryodhana but elder than Dushasana
Om Tat Sat
End
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
The story of Vidura
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Vidura was half-brother to Dhritarashtra and Pandu. He was a son of a maid-servant who served the queens of Hastinapura, Ambika and Ambalika. In some accounts, he was an incarnation of Yama or Dharma Raja, who was cursed by the sage, Mandavya, for imposing punishment on him that exceed the sin.
Both queens were married to King Vichitravirya of Hastinapur, who died childless. Vichitravirya's mother Satyavati was anxious to ensure that the royal line was carried on. She called upon her other son Vyasa, to go to the beds of the two queens to father children. Vyasa was a hermit, and came to the palace, unkempt as he was. He went to Ambika who closed her eyes when she saw him, and to Ambalika who became pale. Hence the children they bore were blind and weak.
When Satyavati asked Vyasa to go to Ambika's bed again, to ensure that there would be children, she placed her maid-servant instead in her bed. The maid-servant was not frightened. Hence her son was not born flawed like his half-brothers. Thus, Vidura was born who was raised as brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu.
With his half-brothers he was raised and educated by Bhishma, whom they called father.
As he had no royal blood, he was never considered for, or had any chance of obtaining the throne of the kingdom. He served his brothers as a minister.
After Krishna, he was the most trusted advisor to the Pandavas and had warned them repeatedly about Duryodhana's plots. In particular, he warned the Pandavas from Duryodhana's plan to burn them alive in a house of wax he had made for them. He was known for speaking the truth and for his intelligence.
Vidura is famous also for being a true devotee of Lord Krishna. When the latter visited Hastinapura as a peace missary of the Pandavas, he shunned Duryodhana's offer to stay in his stately guesthouse, instead choosing the humble dwellings of Vidura.
In protest against the Mahabharata war, Vidura resigned from the post of minister.
After the great battle, he helped Yudhishtira when he became ruler. Later, he accompanied Dhritarashtra, and his sisters-in-law Gandhari, and Kunti, when they left on their last journey to the forest. He died before his companions, on the banks of the Ganga.
The story of Virata
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Virata, in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was a king in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. Virata was married to Queen Sudeshna and was the father of Prince Uttara and Princess UttarÄ. He finally gets killed by Drona during the great war along with his three sons, named Uttara, Shveta and Shankha.
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
The story of Uttara (wife of Abimanyu)
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Uttara, the princess, married Arjuna's son Abhimanyu. She was widowed at a very young age when Abhimanyu was killed in the Kurukshetra war. Her son, Parikshita, was the sole surviving dynast of the Kuru clan and eventually became king of Hastinapura.It is also believed that Uttara had learnt dance from Arjuna as a princess during the 14th year of exile of the Pandavas when Arjuna lived a life of a eunuch and practiced his art of dance learnt from the apsaras in heavens.It is during this phase that Arjuna admired Uttara's qualities and later proposed her marriage to his son Abhimanyu.
The story of Vichitravirya
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Vichitravirya in the Hindu epic Mahabharata is the younger son of queen Satyavati and king Santanu. His elder brother, Chitrangada, succeeded king Santanu to the throne of Hastinapura. But when he died childless, Vichitravirya became a king.
Vichitravirya was still a child when he was crowned king, thus Bhishma ruled as his regent. When the young king became at proper age to marry, Bhishma searched for him for a suitable bride. And he heard the king of Kasi was holding a swayamvara for his three daughters. Since Vichitravirya himself was yet too young to stand any chance of being chosen by the young women, Bhishma himself went to the swayamvara.
Bhishma won the swayamvara and brought the Princesses Amba, Ambika and Ambalika to marry Vichitravirya. But Amba had already given her heart to another, therefore Ambika and Ambalika were married to Vichitravirya.
Unfortunately, shortly after his marriage, Vichitravirya died of consumption tuberculosis. As he died heirless, Vyasa was summoned to subsequently father Pandu, Dhritarashtra and Vidura.
Vyasa came to help Ambika and Ambalika have children with his Yogic power. Vyasa told that they should come alone near him. First did Ambika, but because of shyness and fear she closed her eyes. Vyasa told Satyavati that the child will be blind. Later this child was named Dhritarashtra. Thus Satyawati sent Ambalika and warned her that she should remain calm. But Ambalika's face became pale because of fear. Vyasa told that child will suffer from anaemia, and he will not be fit enough to rule the kingdom. Later this child was known as Pandu. Then Vyasa told Satyavati to send one of them again so that a healthy child can be born. This time Ambika and Ambalika sent her maid in the place of themselves. Maid was quite calm and composed during the Yogic process, and so she got a healthy child later named as Vidura.
The story of Subhadra
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Subhadra is an important character in the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic. She is the half-sister of Krishna, wife of Arjuna (third of the Pandava brothers), and mother of Abhimanyu.
Subhadra is the only daughter of Vasudeva, born to him by his wife Rohini Devi. She is born after Krishna rescues thier father, Vasudeva, from prison and is thus much younger than both her brothers. Subhadra therefore grows up in comfort as the princess, and escapes the travails that haunted her family before her birth.
Arjuna, the Pandava, once spends 1 year in exile for breaking a vow. He spends the last portion of this exile in Dwaraka, at the residence of his cousins Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra. They are his cousins because their father, Vasudeva, was the brother of Arjuna's mother Kunti. During his sojourn at Dwaraka, a romance ensues between Arjuna and Subhadra. This matter was abetted by Krishna, who had always been particularly attached to Arjuna, and wished nothing but the best for his sister Subhadra.
As the period of Arjuna's exile draws to a close, and his departure homeward becomes imminent, Arjuna proposes marriage to his cousin, and she acquiesces. Knowing that the entire family would view with disfavour the prospect of Subhadra becoming the fourth wife of her much-married cousin Arjuna, Krishna facilitates the elopement of the couple and their departure for Indraprastha. He gives the couple a crucial piece of advice related to their elopement: it was Subhadra, and not Arjuna, who drove the chariot away from Dwaraka and towards Indraprastha. Krishna later uses this fact to persuade his family that Subhadra had not been abducted; on the contrary, it was she who had kidnapped Arjuna!!
Subhadra and Arjuna soon have a son, the valiant Abhimanyu. Not long afterwards, the celebrated game of dice ensues between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Pandavas leave Indraprastha to spend 13 years in exile. It is decided that Subhadra and her infant son must spend the period of exile in Dwaraka, so that Abhimanyu may profit from receiving Krishna's tutelage and gain a suitable education, that would prepare him for the struggles and responsibilities that he, Abhimanyu, is expected to bear in later life.
At the end of the period of exile, Arjuna sends for his wife and son. Abhimanyu is wed to Uttara, daughter of king Virata. To Subhadra's great grief, the young Abhimanyu is killed during the Kurukshetra war which ensues soon afterwards. Uttara is pregnant at that time and is later delivered of a son, who is named Parikshita.
Parikshita is destined to become the sole surviving dynast of the entire Kuru dynasty, Pandavas and Kauravas combined. When he comes of age, the Pandavas (being his grandfather Arjuna and four grand-uncles) anoint him king of their realm and retire to the Himalayas. Subhadra remains behind to guide and mentor her grandson.
The story of Uloochi (or Uloopi)
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Uloopi(or Uloochi), in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, was one of Arjuna's wives. While Arjuna was in Manipur, the Naga princess became infatuated with him. She caused him to be abducted after he had been intoxicated with potent concoctions and had him conveyed to her realm in the netherworld. There, Uloopi induced an unwilling Arjuna to take her for a wife. She was the mother of Iravan. She later restored Arjuna to the lamenting Chitrangadaa, one of Arjuna's other wives. She played a major part in the upbringing of Arjuna and Chitrangada's son, Babruvahana. She was also able to restore Arjuna to life after he was slain in battle by Babruvahana. When Arjuna was given a curse by the Vasus, Bheeshma's brothers, after he killed Bheeshma in the Kurushtra war, she redeemed Arjuna from thier curse.
The story of Shantanu
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Shantanu is the father of Bhishma and a king of Hastinapura in the great epic of the Mahabharata. He is a descendant of the Bharata race, of the lunar dynasty and the ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapur and had been born in the latter's old age. The eldest son Devapi suffered from leprosy and abdicated his inheritance to become a hermit. The middle son Bahlika devoted his life to conquer the old Aryan territoties near Balkh and hence, Shantanu become the King of Hastinapur by default.
Shantanu and Ganga
Once while strolling on the banks of the river Ganga, Shantanu saw a maiden of exceeding beauty. So enthralled was he by her charm, that he asked her to be his wife. She agreed, but put forth a condition, that at no stage shall the king question her actions, or she would leave him. He agreed to her condition and their marriage was solemnised.
In due course she bore him a child, but at its birth she flung the baby into the river Ganga and returned smiling to the king. Pained and bewildered as he was by her action, he did not question her, for fear of her leaving his side. This act, of drowning their babies continued for six more children.
When, at the birth of their eighth child, his wife left to throw the baby into the river, Shantanu, who had so far bore his children's fates with fortitude to honour his promise, could no longer suppress his anguish. He finally burst out and questioned her as to why she would perform such an act upon the birth of a child. Thus he broke his promise. The maiden revealed her identity. She was Ganga, the goddess of the river. As the king had gone back on his words, she would have to leave him. She told him that she would not kill this 8th child, but would take him with her, and present him to the king in due course.
Shantanu was saddened by her departure and waited many years for the return of his son. As promised, the goddess returned his son, now grown into a young lad. His name was Devavrata and would become famous by the name of Bhishma, a central character of the MahÄbhÄrata.
Shantanu and Satyavati
When Bhishma had grown into a young handsome prince, Shantanu came across Satyavati, a ferryman's daughter, and fell in love with her. The ferryman agreed to the marriage on condition that any child Satyavati bore him would inherit the throne.
King Shantanu was unable to give his word on accession as it would be unfair to Bhishma, the rightful heir to the throne. However, Bhishma came to know of this and in a magnificent gesture of renunciation and sacrifice for the sake of his father, gave his word to the ferryman that he would renounce all claims to the throne, in favour of Satyavati's children. To reassure the sceptical ferryman further, he also vowed life-long celibacy to ensure that future generations borne of Satyavati are also not challenged by his offspring.
Shantanu and Satyavati went on to have two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. After Shantanu's death, Satyavati continued to rule the kingdom with her two sons, with help from Bhishma.
The story of Shikandi
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Shikandi is a character in the Hindu epic, the MahÄbhÄrata. The son of Drupada, he fought in the Kurukshetra war on the side of the Pandavas.
He had been born in an earlier lifetime as a woman named Amba, who was rejected by Bhishma for marriage. Feeling deeply humiliated and wanting revenge, Amba carried out great prayers and penance with the desire to be the cause of Bhishma's death. Amba was then reborn as Shikhandini.
From her birth, a Divine voice told her father to raise her as a son. So Shikhandini was raised like a man, trained in warfare and eventually married. On her wedding night, her wife insulted her on finding out the truth. Contemplating suicide, she fled Pancala, but was saved by a Yaksha who exchanged his sex with her. Shikhandi came back a man and had a happy married life with his wife and had children too. After his death, his masculinity was transferred back to the Yaksha.
In the battle of Kurukshetra, Bhishma recognised him as Amba reborn, and not wanting to fight 'a woman', lowered his weapons. Knowing that Bhishma would react thus to Shikhandi, Arjuna hid behind Shikhandi and attacked Bhishma with a devastating volley of arrows. Thus, only with Shikhandi's help could Arjuna deal a death blow to Bhishma, who had been virtually invincible until then. Shikhandi was finally killed by Ashwatthama on the 18th day of battle.
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
The story of Shalya
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
King Shalya was the brother of Madri, the mother of Nakula and Sahadeva and the ruler of Madra-desa or the kingdom of Madra. Thus, he was the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva and was loved and revered by the Pandavas. When he was young, he entered a competition among princes and nobilities to marry Kunti, but subsequently lost to Pandu. Madri was married off to Pandu as part of a secret deal between Shalya and Pandu. Shalya was a skilled archer and formidable warrior.
The Pandavas had counted on Shalya joining their side with his huge army. On the way to assist the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War, Shalya was tricked by Duryodhana, who arranged a huge feast for Shalya and his men. When Shalya was impressed by the hospitality of his host who he mistakenly thought to be Yudhisthira, he offered to be at his host's service. Unable to turn down Duryodhana's request to join the Kauravas, Shalya met Yudhisthira and apologized for his error. Yudhishtira knowing that Shalya was a great charioteer and forecasting that Shalya would someday be asked to be the charioteer of Karna, extracted a vow from Shalya to the effect that Shalya will demoralise Karna and dampen his spirits. Yudhishtira, a person of immaculate character, for once, stooped to a low level. It is still unclear as to why Yudhishtira did so. Anyway, Shalya assured the Pandavas that he would do everything possible to demoralise Karna and dampen his spirits.
Shalya reluctantly entered the Kurukshetra war on the Kauravas' side. Shalya served as Karna's charioteer during the latter's battle with Arjuna, while continuously praising the Pandava prince and citing Karna's shortcomings. Shalya took over the leadership of the Kaurava army on the eighteenth and last day of the great battle after the death of Karna when it was becoming rapidly clear that the war was a lost cause, and close to the end of the battle he was killed by Prince Yudhishtira with a spear. Shalya was the second to last Kaurava commander-in-chief and after his death, the Kauravas were left leaderless and broke ranks fleeing from the slaughter despite Duryodhana's best efforts.
The story of Shakuni
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
The villain Shakuni, an avatar of Dwapara, the personification of Dvapara Yuga, was the brother of Gandhari in the MahÄbhÄrata. He was very fond of his nephew Duryodhana. He won the kingdom of the Pandavas' for his nephew, as a wager in a rigged game of dice. The dice that were used were made with Shakuni's father's thigh bones and would always do his bidding.
Some sources say Shakuni had been insulted when his beloved sister has been married to the blind Kuru king Dhritarashtra and swore to destroy the Kaurava clan. He achieved this by poisoning the mind of his volatile nephew, and influenced Duryodhana into instigating the war with the Pandavas, which resulted in the destruction of the Kauravas. Thus, he is seen by many as the ultimate cause of the destructive Kurukshetra War
When the Pandavas were given the arid part of Hastinapura, with their great labor and effort, they managed to convert this arid and barren land into a great city called Indraprastha. Soon word of this fabulous city spred and Duryodhana himself came to see the palace. He mistook water for a floor, and fell into it. Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandavas, burst out laughing and insulted Duryodhana by saying that the son of a blindman can only be a blindman. Enraged, Duryodhana returned to Hastinapur. Reading his nephew's state of mind, Shakuni plotted a clever plan to strip Pandavas of Indraprastha. He invited the Pandavas to a friendly game of dice against Duryodhana, being a pastmaster of the game himself. When the game started, he stoked Yudhisthira's gambling urges by letting him win a few minor victories. Soon however, Shakuni used his skills in the game to good effect, and before Yudhishtir could be persuaded to stop playing, he had already lost all his wealth and kingdom. Then Shakuni suggested that he would return all Yudhistir had lost and more if he would put up his brothers at stake. He also taunted Yudhisthira whenever he hesitated from playing. After two more rounds of play, Yudhisthira lost his brothers and their wife, Draupadi, to Duryodhana, thus ensuring his revenge.
Shakuni took Duryodhana's side in the great war at Kurukshetra. He was killed on the battlefield by Sahadeva, one of the Pandava brothers.
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
The story of Satyaki (Yuyudhana)
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Satyaki, also called Yuyudhana, is a powerful warrior belong to the Yadava-Vrishni dynasty of Lord Krishna, in the MahÄbhÄrata epic.
Satyaki is devoted to Krishna and his best friend Arjuna, with whom he trained under Drona in military arts. He was born in the line of Shini of the Vrishni clan, and was a son of Satyaka. He was strongly and passionately favors the cause of the Pandavas over the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War. Satyaki accompanies Krishna to the Kuru capital with Krishna as the emissary of peace which is ridiculed and turned down by the sons of Dhritarashtra.
In the Kurukshetra war, Satyaki and Kritavarma were two important Yadava heroes who fought on opposing sides. Satyaki fought on the side of the Pandavas, Kritavarma joined the Kauravas. Satyaki was a valiant warrior and on one particular occasion, stunned Drona by allegedly breaking his bow for a successive 101 times. In the course of the fourteenth day of the conflict, Satyaki fights an intense battle with his archrival Bhurisravas with whom he has a long standing family feud. After a long and bloody battle, Satyaki begins to tire, and Bhurisravas batters him and drags him across the battlefield. Arjuna is warned by Lord Krishna of what is happening. Bhurisravas prepares to kill Satyaki, but he is rescued from death by Arjuna, who shoots an arrow cutting off Bhurisravas' arm.
Bhurisrava wails out that by striking him without warning, Arjuna had disgraced the honor between warriors. Arjuna rebukes him for attacking a defenseless Satyaki. He reiterates that protecting Satyaki's life at all costs was his responsibility as a friend and comrade in arms.
Satyaki emerges from his swoon, and swiftly decapitates his enemy. He is condemned for this rash act, but every soldier present realizes that the power of Krishna made Satyaki end Bhurisravas' life, which was going to happen anyway.
Satyaki and Kritavarma both survived the Kurukshetra conflict . Kritavarma is involved in the slaughter of the Panchalas and the sons of the Pandavas in the undeclared night attack with Kripacharya and Ashwatthama. 36 years after the war, the Yadavas, including Satyaki and Kritavarma are involved in a drunken brawl with Satyaki accusing Kritavarma of killing sleeping soldiers and Kritavarma citicizing Satyaki for his beheading of the unarmed Bhurisravas. In the ensuing melee, Satyaki, Kritavarma and the rest of the Yadavas are exterminated, as it was ordained by Gandhari's curse. Krishna desired to remove the Yadava clan from earth at the same time as his Avatara is fulfilled, so that the earth may be free of any possibly sinful and aggressive warriors, which was the wider purpose of the Kurukshetra war.
The story of Satyavati
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Satyavati is the great-grandmother of the Pandava and Kaurava princes, principal characters of the Mahabharata, one of the principal texts in Hindu mythology. She is nevertheless a commoner, daughter to a ferryman or fisherman. She is also known as Matsyagandha (one who has the smell of fish).
As a young woman, she met the wandering rishi Parashara, by whom she had a son, Vyasa. His birth took place in secret on an island in the river Yamuna. This island in the shallow river Yamuna exists even today, and is enigmatic to say the least. At this point, the east-flowing river actually flows towards the west, giving the locale it's local name --- Pachmani( Paschim being West). This situation has existed for thousands of years, over a vast plain where there is no reason for the Yamuna to flow a tortuous path, rather than straight ahead. No hills or mountains cause the exreme meandering of the flow, and even the times of great floods have failed to alter the path of the river in this area. This strip of land surrounded by water on all sides is ideally located from safety point of view and is known as Manchodri in local parlance. Later, King Santanu of Hastinapura saw her and asked her to marry him. She agreed on condition that their children would inherit the throne. Their children were Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. After Santanu's death, she with her princely sons ruled the kingdom. Although both these sons died childless, she arranged for her first son Vyasa to father the children of the two wives of Vichitravirya (Ambika and Ambalika).
The story of Sahadeva
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Sahadeva is a character in the MahÄbhÄrata. He was one of the sons of Madri, who invoked Ashvins using a mantra shared by Kunti for a son. He was one of the five Pandava brothers and had a twin brother named Nakula.
All the five Pandava brothers were wed concurrently to Draupadi, and each had a son by her.
During their incognito in the Matsya kingdom of king Virata, Sahadev was responsible for the cowshed and had taken a vow to kill the king of Gandhara, Shakuni who had tricked them all their life. He was successful in his vow in killing Shakuni the second-last day of battle.
Of the five Pandavas, Sahadeva was the youngest. He is nevertheless referred to as the wisest of all of them. Yudhishtra even speaks of him as wiser than Brihaspati, the divine teacher of the Devas.
Sahadeva as seen in the Javanese shadow puppet play (wayang)
Sahadeva as seen in the Javanese shadow puppet play (wayang)
Sahadeva was a great astrologer and was supposed to have known the events of the MahÄbhÄrata war aforehand but was cursed that if he disclosed the knowledge, his head would split in pieces. Hence, his relatively silent role in the epic compared to the other brothers.
Like his brother Nakula, Sahadeva was an expert swordsman. He was married to Magadhan King Jarasandh's daughter and his brother-in-law's name was also Sahadev.
He is one of the greatest devotees of Lord Krishna. Krishna once asked Sahadeva, what should be done to stop the war. Sahadeva told that Krishna must be tied down and prisoned and all the Pandavas along with Duryodhana must be sent to forest and Karna must be made the king. When krishna challenged him to tie him down, Sahadeva started meditating and envisioned Krishna as a small baby and tied him down. Since Krishna could not move out of his bondage created by Sahadeva in his meditative trance, he blessed him with divine vision and Sahadeva released Krishna from the bondage which he made in his meditation.
The story of Sanjaya
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Sanjaya is a character from the ancient Indian epic MahÄbhÄrata. In this story of warring families, the father of the principals of the Kaurava side is the blind king Dhritarashtra. His advisor and hence also his charioteer Sanjaya (who has the gift of seeing events at a distance granted by the rishi Vyasa) narrates to Dhritarshtra the action in the climactic battle of Kurukshetra, which includes the Bhagavad Gita. He had the unpleasant duty of breaking the news of the death of Dhritarashtra's hundred sons at the hands of Bhima at different points of time in the battle and offers the sorrowing king solace in his darkest hours. Sanjaya is known to be brutally frank in his recital of the day's battle events and his own opinions, (which usually would predict the utter destruction of the Kauravas at the hands of Arjuna and Krishna).
In the Bhagavad Gita, passages often start with the Sanskrit words "Sanjaya uvaacha:" ("Sanjaya said:"). The entire Bhagavad Gita (translates as The Song of God or God's song) is a recital of Sanjaya to Dhritarashtra of the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna.
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
The story of Parikshit
Characters/Persons from Mahabharata
Parikshit is the son of Abhimanyu and Uttara, and the grandson of Arjuna. He was the successor of Yudhisthira to the throne of Hastinapura.
Parikshita is the son of Uttara, the Matsya princess and Abhimanyu, the Vrishni son of Arjuna. He is born only after the end of the war.
Uttara is carrying their son in her womb when Abhimanyu is mercilessly and unfairly slain by the Kauravas. Later, Ashwathama attempts to kill the unborn child and his mother by directing the brahmastra towards her tent off the battlefields. She is saved by Lord Krishna, who was also the maternal uncle of Abhimanyu (Arjuna's wife Subhadra was the sister of Lord Krishna and mother of Abhimanyu.)
The chief priest Dhaumya predicts to king Yudhisthira after Parikshita's birth that he will be a great devotee of the Supreme Lord Vishnu, and since he was saved by the Lord Krishna, he will be known as Vishnurata (One who is always protected by the Lord).
Dhaumya Rishi predicts that Parikshita would be ever-devoted to virtue, religious principles and the truth and would be a wise monarch, exactly as Ikshvaku and Rama of Ayodhya. He would be as exemplary a warrior as Arjuna, his own grandfather, and would expand the fame of his family.
He is given the name Parikshita as he would search and test for the Supreme Lord, whom he had witnessed as an unborn child, across the world and within every human being.
Upon the commencement of the Kali yuga, the dark age of sin, and the departure of Krishna Avatara from the world, the five Pandava brothers retire. Young Parikshita is duly invested as king, with Kripa as his counselor. He performed three aswamedha yajnas under the guidance of Kripa.
Once Parikshita went hunting in the forest. Kali, the embodiment of Kali Yuga, appeared before him and asked permission to enter his kingdom, which the king denied. Upon insisting, Parikshita allowed him four places to reside: where there is gambling, alcohol consumption, prostitution and gold. Kali smartly entered into Parikshita's golden crown and spoiled his thoughts.
Parikshita entered into a sage Shringi's hut as he was thirsty. He found the sage in deep meditation. He bowed to him several times but as their was no response he took a dead snake and threw it around the sage's neck. Later when the sage's son heard of this incident and cursed the king to die of a snake bite on the 7th day.
On hearing this, the king forswore the throne for his son Janamejaya and spent his last 7 days listening to the discourses of Sage Sukadeva on Bhagavata. As prophesied, the snake king Takshaka bit Parikshita, who left his mortal remains behind and attained salvation.
Other thesis say that Kali had entered the gold and thus creating man's desire for gold. Parikshit had gone hunting into the forest. He stops at one point and gets into the lake for a bath. He removes his crown and keeps it on the bank of river. Takshaka, a naga king sees the golden crown and desires to get it. He steals the crown, but he was got by Parikshita guards. Parikshita jails him. On his release Takshaka avenges Parikshita and kills him mercilessly.
On hearing this, Parikshita's son Janamejaya vows to kill all the naga in a week. Janamejaya starts his killing spree of naga. He brutally murders Takshaka. Asthika, a close friend of Janamejaya, minister and a philosopher comes to know of Janamajaya's act and stops him
