Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A
My Top 3 Readings from Part A from the Public Domain Edition of Mahabharata:
1.Vyasa and Ganesha
-Vyasa is an important character and influence, author
-Nobody was worth enough to write down the story
-Ganesha the god would be the scribe for his story
-Birth Story
- Uparichara, king of Chedi dropped his semen into a river
-A fish became pregnant
-The children were taken in by fisherman
-The boy was given to the King
This is the first section of the epic, so it holds a lot of importance to set up the story. I thought that this origin story was quite interesting and complex from the start.
The first part is from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913), and the second part is from the Mahabharata translated by K. M. Ganguli (1883)
2.Kunti and Her Son
-King Pandu had 2 wives, "Kunti, who was chief rani, and Madri, whom he loved best."
-Kunti and the Sun God gave birth to Karna
-She tried to hide her child
-She put her child in a basket and put him in the river
-Karna was saved
-Karna grew up to be strong
I really enjoyed reading this story. It is always interesting to how impactful society is because Kunti could have accepted her own child in a more open environment.
Source. Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).
3.Pandu and His Wives
-Kunti loves King Pandu
-Madri came from Madra
-Madri was set to marry the King
-Pandu was told that he would die in the hands of one of his wives
-The King was celibate from that point on
This story has importance because the King is cursed. This will affect his actions throughout the whole story. It was also interesting reading the original translation as well.
The first part is from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913), and the second part is from the Mahabharata translated by K. M. Ganguli (1883)
1.Vyasa and Ganesha
-Vyasa is an important character and influence, author
-Nobody was worth enough to write down the story
-Ganesha the god would be the scribe for his story
-Birth Story
- Uparichara, king of Chedi dropped his semen into a river
-A fish became pregnant
-The children were taken in by fisherman
-The boy was given to the King
This is the first section of the epic, so it holds a lot of importance to set up the story. I thought that this origin story was quite interesting and complex from the start.
The first part is from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913), and the second part is from the Mahabharata translated by K. M. Ganguli (1883)
2.Kunti and Her Son
-King Pandu had 2 wives, "Kunti, who was chief rani, and Madri, whom he loved best."
-Kunti and the Sun God gave birth to Karna
-She tried to hide her child
-She put her child in a basket and put him in the river
-Karna was saved
-Karna grew up to be strong
I really enjoyed reading this story. It is always interesting to how impactful society is because Kunti could have accepted her own child in a more open environment.
Source. Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).
3.Pandu and His Wives
-Kunti loves King Pandu
-Madri came from Madra
-Madri was set to marry the King
-Pandu was told that he would die in the hands of one of his wives
-The King was celibate from that point on
This story has importance because the King is cursed. This will affect his actions throughout the whole story. It was also interesting reading the original translation as well.
The first part is from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913), and the second part is from the Mahabharata translated by K. M. Ganguli (1883)
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