Reading Diary A Week 5: PDE Mahabharata

1. I like the idea of the dictation process being included at the beginning of the story.

2. Ganga in human for married the king, Shantanu, and had eight children with him, seven of which she drowned. Before she could drown the eighth one, her husband broke his vow to never question her and asked her why she was doing this. She explained that the children were the vasus and were being punished with human forms. She left with her eighth child, but later returned with him and gave him to Shantanu. His name was Devavrata.

3. Satyavati and her brother were carried as babies in a fish's stomach. They were found by a fisherman, but Satyavati always smelled of fish. She met Parashara who promised to make her smell good if she had his son and she agreed. The child grew instantaneously and his name was Vyasa. He left to meditate in the forest. She became a virgin again and then she smelled strongly of flowers. King Shantanu wanted to marry her but her father said he only could if her son would become king and not Devavrata. King Shantanu said he would not disinherit Devavrata. Devavrata relinquished his right to the throne so Shantanu and Satyavati could marry, and they did.

Satyavati's father rejects Shantanu: found on Wikimedia Commons

4. Shantanu, or Bhishma, captured three princesses to be the brides of his half-brother, Vichitravirya because he was now king after the death of his father, Shantanu. Amba, one of these princesses told Bhishma that she was previously engaged and he allowed her to return to Shalwas, but he did not want her. She left because she could not go back to either place and she became very angry at Bhishma and wished him harm. She prayed and fasted for a long time until Indra came and told her that she would destroy Bhishma when she was reborn as a man. She threw herself into a fire to be reborn.

5. Kunti had a child named Karna with the sun god, Surya. She was a maiden and tried to conceal her son by sending him down the river in a basket. He stayed alive because of the power of his celestial earrings and his armor. Radha and Adhiratha could not have a son, but they found Karna on the banks of the river and they raised him.

6. Madri received the charms from Kunti and had two sons with Surya's twin sons, the Ashwins. Their names were Nakula and Sahadeva.

I decided to read the public domain version of the Mahabharata this time because I read the Narayan version of the Ramayana. I like it so far because it has illustrations!