One of the two great epics of Indian History is the Mahabharata that is as length about four times the length of Ramayana. Approximately 100,000 verses are written by Vyasa to explain or narrate the whole context of Mahabharata. The ultimate theme of the epic is the controversial relationship and its related betrayal and knitting of evil clutches attain crown ship. The story begins with the wish of crown king Shantanu that had a short-lived marriage with Ganga. Shantanu, once, went for hunting happens to see Satyavati, fisherwoman, the most beautiful lady. He expresses his love for her and approached her father with the marriage proposal.
Greedy chief of fishermen concludes to clutch the throne of a crown ship to her girl and her lineage consecutively. Learning to this wish, Shantanu returned as he fathers a legal heir that owes to accept crown ship and proceed as king. Devrata is the legal heir to the crown ship born to Shantanu and Ganga. He came forward giving up all his rights to crown ship besides take an oath of lifelong celibacy to keep up his promise.
Beginning to this story narration, the story elongates with the competitive Kauravas and Pandavas the respective lineage of Shantanu’s dynasty. Kauravas had born to Diruthrastra and Gandhari however Pandavas born to Pandu and Kunti are the two groups of Shantanu Dynasty conflicting between attaining the ownership of the crown of Hastinapur.
Significance of Mahabharata war
The mighty Mahabharata war occurred at Kurukshetra between the two major groups of good and evil. Duryodhana, the first prince of Kauravas, betrayed Pandavas in the dice game and exiled them to the dense forest for 13 years. At the end of the incognito period, Pandavas went for a compromise and tried their best. However, Kauravas denied of any compromise ending in the brutal war, Mahabharata.
This crucial war brought major disaster and demolition leaving back none of the Kauravas alive. Pandavas, besides, met equal loss of lives of legends. In the end, good wins the evil and bad deeds. Hindu mythology praises the epic as the fifth Veda by itself and none other epical work scored that much credit.
Branches and its uniqueness
Every character in Mahabharata earns its specific importance and none of the others left their significance. Ved Vyasa, the author of the great epic and find his root building the Shantanu dynasty. This is the same personality that fathers the Diruthrastra and Pandu to the princesses Ambika and Ambalika respectively thereafter the fall of Vichitraveerya, husband of above said, princesses.
Below are some general questions asked for Marabharata/Mahabharatamu:
- How old is Mahabharata?
The estimated age of Mahabharata was found to be 5,152 years and scholars deduce that Mahabharata known to happen an era later Ramayana held already. In other words, Hinduism believes Ramayana occurred in Treta Yug whereas the Mahabharata occurred 36 years before the beginning of Kaliyug.
Simply saying Dwapara Yug got over by the death of Krishna as suggested by him early. Pandavas and Krishna bound to give up their lives wherein Pandavas crowned Parishit as King managed by the half brother of Kauravas Yuyutsu. He was the only man who stood aside Pandavas though belongs to Kauravas.
Yuyutsu was honored for his gracefulness and made loyal advisor to their lineage Parishit. On the other side, Krishna was killed by someone in the forest. As per Ghandari’s curse for Krishna, He saw the demolition of his Dynasty hence decided to complete his purpose of incarnation.
Hinduism also believes the age of Mahabharata coincides with the age of Bhagavad Gita. The emergence of Gita believed held at the time of Kurukshetra and all converge at the point determining the age of Mahabharata.
- Who are the real fathers of Pandavas?
King Pandu renounced the throne and exile for forest along with his wives Kunti and Madri as a result of the curse from Brahmin Rishi. At the time of exile, Pandavas were born according to the boon of Kunti blessed by Rishi Dhurvasa. Though Pandu fathers five Pandavas, their celestial fathers are known to be:- Yama dharma raja, celestial father of Yudhisthira
- Vayu, celestial father of Bheema
- Indira, celestial father of Arjuna
- Aswini Twins, celestial father of Nakula and Sakadeva
- Who killed Dronacharya?
The son of Rishi Bharadwaj, Dronacharya, was the honorable teacher that scholars both the Kauravas and Pandavas. The Rishi is known for his excellence in drawing Bow and the ability to handle divine arrows like Nagasthra, Brahmasthra, etc.
Once the Rishi visited Kambalya meet the King of the empire and to seek for his generous to overcome his poverty. Rather being gratified the Rishi was ill-treated and insulted by the King himself. Enraged by this cruel act, the Rishi vow defeating the king and captured half of his empire.
As per his vow, the Rishi trained the princes of Hastinapur. He demanded half of the territory conquered by the prince as the tribute paid to him by his student. Pandavas won the gratitude of paying the tribute by defeating Dhrupad. This enraged the defeated King and bestowed to own a son to kill Dronacharya. According to the wish of the King Dhrupad, Drishtathyumna was born to kill Dronacharya.
- How did Krishna die?
Krishna is the soul of goodness and the advisor of the Pandavas stood beside them by all means. He was the maternal cousin to Pandavas and much close cousin for Arjuna. Lord Vishnu incarnated in his eighth avatar as Lord Krishna and the ultimate goal of his birth is to battle against evil and to replace the truth and good deeds firmly on earth.
His role in Mahabharata was unrivaled and indispensable as he took a firm position establishing deeds of Goodness through the efforts of Pandavas. Only because of his advises and assistance, Pandavas won the battle by killing massive major forces of Kauravas. He abides by Bheema in killing the couple of fifty Kauravas, single-handed and infuriated by his act Gandhari cursed him to be killed brutally by unknown and left in the woods. Before his death, He would benefit the destruction of his dynasty and massive destruction of his fellowmen, helplessly.
- How did Arjuna died in Mahabharata?
Arjuna, the middle Pandavas, was known for his excellence in Archery. He was the ultimate reason for Yudhisthira completing the Rajsuya yagna and Ashwamedha Yagna during his monarchy. It was the same that killed mighty superpowers in Mahabharata like Karna, Jayathratha, etc. He conquered in all four directions and extended their boundary.
After the Mahabharata war Yudhisthira coronate as emperor of Hastinapur and Indraprastha by Lord Krishna. Even after learning the fall of Krishna, Pandavas coronate Parishit to be King and left to the Himalayas. On their way, followed by Sakadeva and Nakula, Arjuna died for his pride over his excellence in archery.
There exists another legend insisting on the death of Arjuna. After the battle of Kurukshetra, Once Yudhisthira conducted Ashwamedha Yagna and Arjuna subjected to run after the horse roaming around the world. Arjuna when reached Manipura along with the horse was challenged by the King of Manipura to battle. Both of them quarreled severely unknowing each other (father and son) and Arjuna was killed in the war.
Later knowing who about of Arjuna, Lord Krishna arrived in the rescue of Arjuna. Ulupi, princess of snakes, one of the wives of Arjuna requests for the magical crystal to revive Arjuna.
- How many sons did Draupadi have? Did Draupadi enter heaven?
Of course! Draupadi has five sons born to each of Pandavas. Soon after her swayamwara, Pandavas married Draupathi to fulfill the wish of Kunti. Pandavas stayed at Panchala for a consistent period and the upapandavas is known to born during the period. Controversial ideologies debate that Draupathi had her sons to each of the Pandavas during 13 years of exile. Leaving behind the rivalry thoughts, Pandavas each of them fathers a son to Draupathi during their privileged period of turn.
After her Swayamwara followed by marriage with Pandavas, Draupathi lived with Yudhisthira for a year and bear him Prathivindya. Followed by the turn of Nakula for the consecutive year, she bears him Satanika. Soon after, she bears Shrutasoma, Shrutakriti, and Shrutasena for Bheema, Arjuna, and Sakadeva respectively in their consecutive privileged years.
The story narrates that Draupathi never entered Heaven. Pandavas take a path to the Himalayas along with Draupathi, after the Kurukshetra war. On the way to Mount Sumeru, Draupathi was the first person to break her journey and died. When else others questioned Yudhisthira for the fall of Draupathi, Yudhisthira replied that she was fond and pride of her wisdom and beauty hence died and failed to go ahead. According to the story of Mahabharata, Draupadi was died because of her deeds.
- Who cursed Arjuna?
Arjuna went for in seek of Pasupathasthram from God of Gods Shiva during their exile period of 13 years. While the rest of Pandavas along with Draupathi abandoned in the woods serving Rishi and Sages visiting them. Arjuna visited heaven and spent quality time with Lord Indra, celestial father of Arjuna. Meanwhile fascinated by the charm and glorious complexion of Arjuna Oorvashi, a celestial maiden proposed him. The proposal was denied by Arjuna by addressing her as mother had infuriated the fairy to curse him to be transgender throughout his life ahead.
Later Lord Indra requested to forgive his son hence Oorvashi reduced her curse to be effective for a consolidated period of one year. None other situations explain that Arjuna been cursed anywhere in the story Mahabharata. The curse was utilized by Arjuna to spend at the time of incognito in Virata’s Matsya kingdom.
- Who killed Dhrupad?
Dhrupad was the father of Drishtyumn, Draupathi, and Shikandini was caught dead in the clutches of Royal guru of Hastinapur also the father of Ashwathama, King of Kamabalya. On the 15th morning of the Kurukshetra war, Guru Drona killed Dhrupad who associated Virata in the great battle of revenge.
- Who killed Duryodhana?
At the end of the betrayal and bloody execution of the Dice game, each of Pandavas takes a vow to kill a specific person responsible for the execution. Bheema takes an oath of smashing a couple of 50 Kauravas brutally. At the end of the Mahabharata war, Bheema maces up Duryodhana by smashing on his thighs and killed him brutally as per his vow.
Earlier Duryodhana was up to envelop with divine powers of his mother thereby rescued from being killed. Learning about this Krishna interferes with Duryodhana and prevented him stand naked in front of his mother. Thus Gandhari takes a look at her son, once in her lifetime, to protect her only son left alive. She failed to envelop her son’s thighs hence the part become weaker and suitable to kill him.
On the fine last day, Bheema calls for one on one mace battle with Duryodhana and fought severely. After a tough mace battle, Krishna pointed a finger on the thighs, and knowing the signal Bheema hit Duryodhana on his thighs and killed him.
- Why did Kauravas go to heaven?
The controversial truth in Mahabharata was the entry of Kauravas to heaven. A valuable question might arise how is it possible for Kauravas to enter heaven? It is all because the couple of fifty brothers suffered a lot while the Kurukshetra war and killed brutally in the same divine land.
Yama, the lord of death described that the Kauravas died as warriors in the battlefield earned them credit to enter heaven wiping out all of their bad deeds.
- Did Pandavas enter heaven?
Of course! They did. However a tricky twist was experienced by Yudhisthira and according to that once he entered heaven, He found Kauravas but not his beloved brothers and wife there.
Asking Yama for this situation, He was learned that they were sentenced to enter hell for their misdeeds on earth. Yudhisthira was allowed to visit Hell where he could find the horrified appearance and sound of his beloved blood siblings and wife.
Yudhisthira felt sad and worried about seeing all this. He was then invited to enter heaven but denied by him but he admitted his wish being there at hell along with his beloved men rather be with his enemies in Heaven, though. Later Yama explained about the illusion and Yudhisthira was subjected to experience it to console the soul of Drona. He felt sad on hearing the half-told message told by Yudhisthira about his son’s death. Later, all Pandavas entered heaven.
- Who killed Shikandi?
Shikandi was used instrumentally in the death of Bhisma. She was killed on the final day of the Mahabharata war. On the final night of the war, Ashwathama killed Upapandavas, Shikandi, and Drishtathyumna in the sleep.
Ashwathama killed everyone as revenge against his father’s death. He continued killing the lineage of Pandavas not leaving the unborn child of Abhimanyu and Uttara.
- Why did Shakuni destroy Hastinapur?
Shakuni was the prince of Gandhar and son of Subhala also the elder brother of Gandhari, Crown queen of Hastinapur. He developed an enraged furious against Bhisma to marry her beloved sister to Blind Dhritarashtra.
His dynasty was demolished by Bhisma when Subhala denied to a marriage proposal. This infuriated Shakuni to destroy Hastinapur so he materialized Kauravas against Pandavas and developed enmity. All because of his evil plots the Kuru dynasty was demolished, completely.
- Who killed Dritarashtra?
The blind king along with his crown queen Gandhari and sister-in-law Kunti left crown and exile to the forest. He died of loneliness after the crucial death of his lineage in the Kurukshetra war.
- How many died in the Mahabharata war?
The crucial battle brought mighty destruction of the Kuru dynasty all along. 1 Billion, 660 Million, and 20 thousand men died in the crucial war. By the end of the Kurukshetra war, the mighty Dwapara Yug comes to an end. It is also estimated that the great battle held 36 years before the end of Dwapara Yug.
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