Read Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling Online
Authors: Carole Satyamurti
Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling (2 page)
The Pandavas plan the disguises they will assume during their thirteenth year. They travel to the kingdom of King Virata and obtain employment in the royal court. Bhima protects Draupadi from the lustful advances of Kichaka.
The Kauravas mount a raid on King Virata’s cattle. Arjuna, still disguised as a eunuch, defeats them, with Virata’s son, Uttara, as his charioteer. The Kauravas recognize him, but the thirteenth year is up. Virata offers Arjuna his daughter, Uttaraa, in marriage, but Arjuna suggests that his son, Abhimanyu, marry her instead.
27. Suing for peace, preparing for war:
Duryodhana refuses to return Yudhishthira’s kingdom and the Pandavas, expecting war, meet with their main allies. In the hope of achieving a resolution, Drupada sends his household priest to Hastinapura. Both Arjuna and Duryodhana seek Krishna’s support; Krishna will act as Arjuna’s charioteer, and Krishna’s army will join the Kaurava side. Shalya, Madri’s brother, takes the side of the Kauravas. Dhritarashtra sends Sanjaya to urge the Pandavas not to make war.
Dhritarashtra is extremely agitated, and Vidura tries to soothe him with stories and wise words. The council meets to hear a report from Sanjaya. Duryodhana is confident of victory and refuses to make any concessions.
The Pandavas are pessimistic about the chances of peace. Krishna decides to make one last attempt, and travels to Hastinapura. He addresses Duryodhana in the council, but the Kaurava insists that he is in the right. Krishna reveals his divine power.
Before leaving Hastinapura, Krishna reveals to Karna the truth about his origins—he is really the eldest brother of the Pandavas—in the hope of persuading him to change sides and share the kingdom with the Pandavas. Kunti makes the same attempt, but Karna refuses on principle.
Huge forces are assembled on the plain of Kurukshetra. Bhishma is appointed commander of the Kauravas, but he and Karna declare that they will not fight alongside each other; and Bhishma will not fight Shikhandin because he was born a woman, Shikhandini, and, in a previous life, was Amba, whose goal was to have revenge on Bhishma for ruining her life.
Through the gift of divine sight, Sanjaya will report every stage of the war to the blind king. Arjuna suddenly sinks down in his chariot declaring that he will not fight, that he cannot commit the sin of killing his kinsmen. Krishna, through teachings and through revelation, persuades him that his attitude is wrong (the “Bhagavad Gita”).
Yudhishthira approaches the Kaurava elders to ask for their blessing. Battle begins. The first day brings heavy losses for the Pandavas.
The second day goes better for the Pandavas. On the third day Arjuna engages in combat with Bhishma, but so half-heartedly that Krishna intervenes. The fourth day favors the Pandavas; several Kaurava princes are killed. Duryodhana starts to worry. Bhishma urges him to make peace but he refuses. On the fifth day, many thousands of troops are killed. Bhima fights heroically and, on day six, wounds Duryodhana severely.
Bitter fighting involves many named warriors, including Arjuna’s son Iravat. Ghatotkacha inflicts huge damage on the Kauravas. Duryodhana is discouraged and suspects Bhishma of favoring the Pandavas. Next day, Bhishma scorches the allies of the Pandavas. Again, Arjuna is reluctant to fight him.
Bhishma is felled by Arjuna, using Shikhandin as a shield. Bhishma has been given the boon that he can choose the time of his death, and this is not an auspicious time. He will lie on the field of Kurukshetra, pierced by arrows, but alive, until the winter solstice.
Karna and Bhishma are reconciled. Drona fails to capture Yudhishthira. Arjuna is challenged by the Trigartas. Death of Bhagadatta.
Arjuna is drawn away to fight the Trigartas. Jayadratha’s revenge leads to Abhimanyu being trapped by the Kauravas and killed. Arjuna vows to kill Jayadratha the next day.
Arjuna and Krishna make every effort to reach Jayadratha before nightfall, but he is heavily defended. Bhurishravas is killed by Satyaki in dubious circumstances. Thanks to a ruse of Krishna’s, Arjuna succeeds in killing Jayadratha, fulfilling his vow.
General fighting continues through the night. Karna is an outstanding warrior, but the Pandavas do well. Duryodhana suspects Drona of favoring the Pandavas. Discord among the Kauravas, whose forces are hard pressed by Ghatotkacha. Karna uses the celestial spear he was keeping for Arjuna, and kills Ghatotkacha.
The fighting continues, Drona inflicting great damage on the Pandava forces. Drona is killed through deception encouraged by Krishna. Drona’s son Ashvatthaman swears vengeance and uses celestial weapons which Krishna and Arjuna neutralize.
Karna is consecrated as Kaurava commander, with Shalya as his charioteer. Arjuna fears Yudhishthira has come to harm, and seeks him out. They quarrel and Krishna helps them resolve their differences. Arjuna swears not to return until he has killed Karna.
Shalya tries to undermine Karna’s morale. Bhima kills Duhshasana and drinks his blood, fulfilling his vow. Karna’s sons are killed. Arjuna and Karna finally meet in a duel to the death. Karna is killed.
Shalya is the Kaurava commander. Bhima kills the last of Dhritarashtra’s sons, apart from Duryodhana who flees and hides in a lake. The Pandavas track him down and challenge him to come out and fight. He is narrowly defeated by Bhima who smashes his thighs, contrary to the rules of fair fight. The war is over. Krishna takes the news to Hastinapura.
X
•
THE BOOK OF THE NIGHT ATTACK
Ashvatthaman vows to avenge Duryodhana and his father. With Kripa and Kritavarman, he attacks the Pandava camp and, strengthened by the god Shiva, slaughters the surviving Pandava and Panchala fighters, including all of Draupadi’s sons. The Pandavas pursue Ashvatthaman and defeat him, but at great cost.
Dhritarashtra is heartbroken and is consoled by Vidura and Vyasa. Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, and the Pandavas go to the battlefield.
The field is crowded with women looking for their dead loved ones. Gandhari is given the gift of divine sight and describes what she sees. She curses Krishna for his part in the war. Kunti reveals that Karna was her son.
48. Yudhishthira, reluctant ruler:
Yudhishthira is grief-stricken by the carnage and by Karna’s death. He holds himself responsible and says he will renounce the kingdom. Only in that way can he atone. His brothers and Draupadi try to dissuade him.
49. Yudhishthira listens to the seers:
Devasthana, Vyasa, and Krishna all speak to Yudhishthira. Vyasa tells him he should perform the great horse sacrifice. He sets aside his doubts and enters Hastinapura. Krishna tells him to learn from Bhishma.
50. The education of the Dharma King (1):
Bhishma, lying on his bed of arrows, instructs Yudhishthira on the duties of a king.
51. The education of the Dharma King (2):
Bhishma’s teaching continues. He speaks about a person’s moral obligations, as well as the need for a king to exercise good judgment. He tells instructive stories.
52. Dharma in difficult times:
Through parables, Bhishma talks about right action at times when the kingdom is under threat, or is undergoing famine. Yudhishthira asks his brothers for their views on the relative importance of the three goals of kshatriya dharma—virtue, wealth, and pleasure. He praises a fourth goal—moksha—and asks Bhishma to talk to him about how absolute freedom can be achieved.
53. The path to absolute freedom:
Through stories, Bhishma teaches the subtleties of karma, spiritual practice, and the importance of worshiping Vishnu. He discusses the difficulty of achieving absolute freedom while still living in the world.
Bhishma’s final stories concern the nature of responsibility for actions; whether Death can be conquered; whether men or women enjoy sex more; whether one can become a brahmin within one lifetime; and the nature of compassion.
Yudhishthira continues to learn from Bhishma. With the arrival of the winter solstice, Bhishma composes himself and dies.
XIV
•
THE BOOK OF THE HORSE SACRIFICE
56. King Yudhishthira turns to the future:
Yudhishthira is again despondent but is heartened by the prospect of the horse sacrifice through which he can atone for wrongdoing. Yudhishthira travels to the mountains to retrieve buried treasure which he will need for the sacrifice. Arjuna spends time with Krishna and receives spiritual instruction. Krishna sets off for Dvaraka and encounters Uttanka, an ascetic to whom he reveals his divine nature. Uttaraa gives birth to a son but the baby is born dead as a result of Ashvatthaman’s deadly invocation. Krishna brings him to life and he is named Parikshit.
Arjuna accompanies the sacrificial horse throughout the land in preparation for the great ceremony. He encounters Chitrangadaa and Ulupi, and his son Babhruvahana. The elaborate sacrifice takes place. A mongoose disparages it, and tells the story of the devout brahmin of Kurukshetra.
58. The retreat of the elders:
After fifteen years, Dhritarashtra and the other elders depart for the forest, to lead an ascetic life. The Pandavas visit them. Vidura dies and his spirit enters Yudhishthira. Vyasa arranges an epiphany: for a single night, the heroes killed at Kurukshetra rise up from the Ganga and are reconciled, and reunited with their loved ones.
Thirty-six years into Yudhishthira’s reign, grim portents are seen. In Dvaraka, Vrishni warriors are cursed by brahmins for disrespect, and are killed by one another, thus fulfilling Gandhari’s curse. Krishna’s time on earth is over; he and Balarama die. Arjuna escorts the citizens of Dvaraka out of the city before it is engulfed by the sea. His divine weapons fail him. Vyasa advises the Pandavas to leave Hastinapura.
XVII AND XVIII
•
THE BOOKS OF THE FINAL JOURNEY
AND
THE ASCENT TO HEAVEN
Yudhishthira abdicates in favor of Parikshit. The Pandavas and Draupadi circumambulate the kingdom and make for the Himalaya. One by one, they fall dead and their spirits go to heaven, except for Yudhishthira who enters heaven in his body as a mark of his extraordinary virtue. In heaven his virtue is tested. He sheds his earthly body and is reunited with those he loves.
Ugrashravas has come to the end of Vyasa’s epic poem. He takes his leave from the forest ascetics, and goes on his way.
Afterword
by Vinay Dharwadker:
The Poetry of the
Mahabharata
Suggestions for Further Reading
The
Mahabharata
, a Text for All Seasons
1
WENDY DONIGER
THE TEXT: VARIATIONS ON A THEME
T
HE
Mahabharata
is a text of about 75,000 verses—sometimes rounded off to 100,000—or three million words, some fifteen times the combined length of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, or seven times the
Iliad
and the
Odyssey
combined, and a hundred times more interesting. More interesting both because its attitude to war is more conflicted and complex than that of the Greek epics and because its attitude to divinity is more conflicted and complex than that of the Jewish and Christian scriptures. It resembles the Homeric epics in many ways (such as the theme of the great war, the style of its poetry, and its heroic characters, several of them fathered by gods), but unlike the Homeric gods, many of the
Mahabharata
gods were then, and still are, worshiped and revered in holy texts, including parts of the
Mahabharata
itself. It has remained central to Hindu culture since it was first composed. It is thus “great” (
Maha
), as its name claims, not only in size but in scope. Hindus from the time of the composition of the
Mahabharata
to the present moment know the characters in the texts just as Christians and Jews and Muslims, even if they are not religious, know Adam and Eve. To this day, India is called the land of Bharata, and the
Mahabharata
functions much like a national epic.
