Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Epified, Part A

Episode 1: Shantanu the Unfortunate by Epified

• In this episode, we saw King Shantanu falling in love with the river goddess Ganga as per the written version many of us had read a few weeks back. Ganga and Shantanu were married on the condition that Shantanu never questioned her decisions. Thus, when she drowned their first seven children, he did not question her as per their agreement. However, he could not hold himself back upon the eighth and thus Ganga left Shantanu and took the eighth child with her. It turns out that Ganga was drowning the children because she made an agreement to the 8 Vasus that when they are born as mortals she would release them immediately.

Episode 2: Devavrat Returns by Epified

• In this episode, the eighth child of Shantanu is discovered by none other than Shantanu himself. Named Devavrat, Shantanu found him exercising his exemplary archery skills, and Ganga appeared to Shantanu and informed him that Devavrat was his son. Shantanu returned to his kingdom with Devavrat as his heir. Later (perhaps years) Shantanu fell in love again but with a fisherman's daughter this time. Surprisingly, the daughter refused to marry the king, so Shantanu returned home alone. Devavrat saw his father in despair and left to reason with the fisherman and his daughter himself.

Episode 3: Devavrat Becomes Bhishma by Epified

• In this episode, Devavrat manages to convince the fisherman to let his daughter marry Shantanu by taking an oath. Devavrat vowed he would never have children or marry so that Satyavati could marry Shantanu and her children will inherit the throne. Because of this, Devavrat became known as Bhishma. He returned home with Satyavati to his father, who was not happy with the outcome. But, he knew what his son had sacrificed for him, so he granted Bhishma the power to choose when he dies.

Episode 4: Desperation of Bhishma by Epified

• Shantanu passes, leaving behind two new sons: Chitrangad and Vichitraveerya. Chitrangad died, however, so Vichitraveerya inherited the throne. But he was sickly, so Bhishma needed to find him a wife so the throne would be secure. So, Bhishma kidnapped three princesses: Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika.

Episode 5: Amba's Ruin by Epified

• The eldest of the three princesses, Amba, was in love with another man, so Bhishma allowed her to leave and be with him. However, the king she was in love with denied her pleads to marry her, so she returned and instead asked Bhishma to marry her. However, Bhishma had vowed to never marry, so he declined. Amba blamed him for her misery.

Episode 6: Satyavati's Secret by Epified

• Vichitraveerya has passed. The throne was kingless. Queen Satyavati demanded her stepson Bhishma to marry, but he still refused on account of his vow. Satyavati then reveals she had a son, Vyas, before she met Shantanu. Satyavati called for Vyas to return to her and father children from Ambika and Ambalika. But Vyas was quite scary to look at.

Episode 7: Sons of Vyasa by Epified

• Vyas was quite scary to look at. So, when Ambika and Vyas created a child, the child would be born blind due to her fright because she closed her eyes to avoid looking at him. Similarly, the child of Ambalika was born pale because she herself was pale from fear from looking at Vyas. Vyas fathered a third child from a servant who was not afraid of him. These children in order were named: Dhritarashtra (blind), Pandu (pale), and Vidura.

Dhritarashtra in white as king, as we will see later. Source: Wikimedia