Gita Satsang: Brief Introduction to Mahabharat

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Greetings Advaitins:

 

This brief introduction will be a useful reference to follow the first chapter

of Gita starting next week.

 

Long long ago King Pandu was the ruler of Hastinapur, a kingdom which

flourished near Delhi, the present-day capital of India. He died an untimely

death, leaving behind five minor sons. Before he died he entrusted the throne

to his brother Dhritarashtra. He told him to give the kingdom back to his sons

when they grew up.

 

Dhritarashtra was blind. He had one hundred sons of whom Duryodhana was the

eldest. Kind-hearted, he kept the five sons of his brother in the palace in

the company of his own sons. He appointed Drona to teach them the art of

warfare. The Pandu brothers - Yudhishtra, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul and Sahadev,

grew up to be great warriors. They were far superior to Dhritarashtra's sons

who were called Kauravas. Dhritarashtra named Yudhishtra, the eldest of the

Pandu brothers, as heir apparent to the throne.

 

Duryodhana, the eldest of the hundred Kaurava brothers, did not like this

decision of his father favouring his cousin Yudhishtra. He became jealous and

began to plot against the Pandus. His maternal uncle Shakuni helped. The

BhagavadGita him in his wicked designs. He advised him to invite Yudhishtra

to a game of dice which he would play on his behalf. He would ensure

Duryodhana winning it, by hook or by crook.

 

Yudhishtra agreed to play and, as was to be expected, he lost everything at

stake: his jewels, his brothers, his kingdom and even his wife Draupadi.

Duryodhana, the winner, sent the Pandus into exile for twelve years, after

which they were to spend another year incognito. They lived in a forest for

thirteen years braving the hardships of a rough life. Back in Hastinapur they

sent a message to Dhritarashtra asking for the return of the kingdom to them.

Dhritarashtra wanted to do so but his eldest son Duryodhana stood in his way,

saying "No, I will not give them even one inch of the kingdom." Dhritarashtra,

being blind, was helpless. Even his wife Gandhari failed to persuade her son

to honour the wishes of his father. This paved the way for the great battle of

Mahabharata that was to be fought in the plains of Kurukshetra, about 120 kms

from Delhi, for eighteen days.

 

Yudhishtra told his brothers to get ready for battle. Krishna, the head of the

Yadava clan, offered to mediate between the cousins. When all efforts for a

peaceful solution failed, a war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas became

inevitable.

 

Yudhishtra's army comprised seven divisions, each under the charge of one of

the kings who were his friends. Krishna joined battle on the Pandava side.

Arrayed against them was Duryodhana at the head of the Kaurava army of eleven

divisions. He had with him great warriors like Drona, Bhishma, Karna and

Ashavthama They deployed their forces in a semi-circle. Both the armies faced

each other, the commanders of the divisions riding their chariots. All

preparations for war were now complete