Vyasa and Ganesha
Source:
The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie
- Vyasa is the author and arranged the Vedas
- The god Ganesha is the scribe to the book because it contains everything man should know
- Ganesha agrees but his pen isn't allowed to stop
- Vyasa is the composer and a character
- Uparichara is devoted to asceticism to the point the gods fear him
- his semen fell in the river and were swallowed by a fish and two kids were created
- The king takes the son, but leaves the daughter for the fishermen who found him
- Satyavati was the girl and she was beautiful but smelled of fish
- she gets pursued by the rishi to "yield to his embraces" because she'll remain a virgin and she'll no longer smell of fish
- Vyasa was born and he was called Dwaipayana
King Shantanu and Ganga
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- King Shantanu married the goddess Ganga and she was beautiful
- Ganga makes a promise to the rishi's celestial beings but has to swear while she's a human she doesn't get married or have any kids
- Ganga agrees to marry the King, but she'll leave if he's ever mean or stopped her from doing what she wanted
- She gave birth to a son but threw him in the river as promised. The King was horrified but said nothing
- This happens seven more times, but the King stops her the eighth time
- She disappears but comes back to leave the son, Devavrata
King Shantanu and Satyavati
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Shantanu wants to marry a young beautiful bride
- He finds Satyavati
- Vyasa grew very quickly and left fast too
- He wants to marry her, but the fisherman refuses to let it happen unless he disinherits his son, Devavrata so he leaves.
Devavrata's Vow
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- The King tells Devavrata his problem and Devavrata goes to talk to the fishermen
- He promises to never marry or have children and not take the throne
- He was then called Bhishma
- Satyavati has two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya
- the King dies and Bhishma follows his vow
- Chitrangada was King but only for three years because he was killed in battle
- Vichitravirya next King, but since he's too young, Bhishma rules for him
Bhishma at the Swayamvara
Source:
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita
- Bhishma goes to find a wife for his half brother
- King Benares has three daughters and promises them to the bravest night
- Bhishma wins and takes the trees princesses to Satyavati
Amba
Source:
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita
- Amba, the eldest, tells Bhishma she was engaged to another king
- She is taken to the King, who pretends he doesn't know her
- She's mad and returns to the city humiliated
- She goes to an ashram
- She withers away until Shiva asks what she wants. She answers the defeat of Bhishma
- She's told she will slay him
- She goes onto the funeral pyre to end Bhishma
Dhritarashtra and Pandu
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Vichitravirya dies and Satyavati asks Bhishma to marry his widows
- He says he can't
- Satyavati thinks of Vyasa, who appears
- Ambika closed her eyes and she had a blind son, Dhritarashtra
- Ambalika was pale and her son was Pandu
- Satyavati wants a grandchild without defects
- Ambika sends a handmaiden and she has a son named Vidura
- Vidura was Dharma's human incarnation
- Pandu becomes King
Kunti and Her Son
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Pandu has two wives, Kunti and Madri
- Kunti is a celestial origin
- She has a son, Karna who is the son of Surya
- She sends the baby away in a river in her shame
- Radha and Adhiratha finds him
Pandu and His Wives
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and Mahabharata translated by K.M. Ganguli
- Pandu hunts down two deer and they turn out to be a holy brahmin and his wife
- He cursed Pandu to die in the arms of one of his wives
- Scared, he takes a vow of celibacy and went away to live in a solitary place with his wives
The Sons of Pandu
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Five princes were born, but all of them had gods for parents, none were actually Pandu's kids
- Pandu dies in Madri's arms
- Madri killed with Pandu after her and Kunti fight about it
Gandhari and Dhritarashtra
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and The Five Brothers by Elizabeth Seeger
- Dhritarashtra takes over the throne and marries Gandhari
- She's blindfolded whenever she goes to him
- She has hundreds of sons and the eldest is Duryodhana
- When Duryodhana was born, he upset the animals
- Advisors beg them to kill him
- He is favored instead, so he grew up proud, jealous and evil-minded
Pandavas and Kauravas
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie and The Five Brothers by Elizabeth Seeger
- Kunti returned to Hastinapura with the five sons
- Young princes are protected and trained
- Bhima was the most powerful son and Duryodhana is jealous of him
Bhima and the Nagas
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Duryodhana posions Bhima and he is presumed dead
- Nagas attack him but the posions counteract each other
- Bhima finds himself in the underworld
- He gets returned
- He tells his brothers what happened and they tell him not to tell their cousins
Drona
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Drona found to train the princes
- Drona has no mother
- He was close friends with Drupada and this turns out to be
- Drona married Kripi and has son Ashwatthaman
- he received heavenly weapons and the ability to use them
- He shares them with his friend
- Drupada upsets Drona
Drona Trains the Prices
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Bhishma welcomes Drona
- He says he'll train the princes if when they are warriors they help his defeat Drupada
- Ashwattanman trained with the princes
- Drona prefers teaching the Pandavas and gives special treatment to Arjuna and this makes Duryodhana jealous
Ekalavya
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Ekalavya wants to be trained as an archer but Drona says no
- He gets turned away from Drona but trains on his own, worshipping Drona and is later accepted.
- All other Bhil's trained for archery
The Contest
Source:
Mahabharata, Epics of the Bharatas by Romesh C. Dutt
- Bhima and Duryodhan fight
- Arjun battles too
- Arjun wins
The Arrival of Karna
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- Karna arrives, the son of Surya and Kunti
- Arjuna, Kunti's youngest son
- They don't know they're brothers
- Duryodhana likes that Karna is better than Arjuna
- The two are close friends
- Bhima says something that upsets Karna
Drona's Revenge:
Source:
Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
- The princes are now accomplished warriors so they go to attack Drupada
- The Pandavas rush forward to attack
- Drupada turns the tide of the battle
- Drupada is sent to rule somewhere small
- The Pandavas wage war for their king to grow his kingdom
Duryodhana's Jealousy
Source:
The Indian Heroes by C. A. Kincaid
- Duryodhana is now angry at life
- He convinces his father to not have the heir he chose be King
- He burns down the palace
