PDE Mahabharata: Vyasa and Ganesha

Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata

Reading Guide. Just as the ancient sage Valmiki is credited with composing the Ramayana, the Mahabharata is attributed to Vyasa, and Vyasa will also be an important character in the story itself. This first episode explains how Vyasa came to dictate the Mahabharata to the elephant-headed god Ganesha, and you will also read the story of Vyasa's birth.

Image: The illustration below shows the sage Vyasa dictating to the elephant-headed god Ganesha; it's a sculpture in Murudeshwar, a town in Karnataka, India.

Source. The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921). [400 words] Macfie's book is a very brief summary of the Mahabharata, but it is very readable and comprehensive.

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PDE Mahahbharata | 1. Vyasa and Ganesha | Ganga

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The author of the Mahabharata was Vyasa, who also arranged the Vedas. He was very anxious to get somebody to write it down but declared that no one on earth was worthy of such a task. It contained every thing that man ought to know of things on earth and in heaven. Brahma appeared and told him that the god Ganesha would be his scribe. Ganesha agreed on condition that his pen was not allowed to stop for a moment.

Vyasa himself repeated it to his disciple Vaishampayana, and Vaishampayana in turn recited it at a snake sacrifice conducted by Janamejaya, king of Hastinapura. Janamejaya was the great-grandson of Arjuna, one of the five Pandu brothers, who were themselves the grandsons of Vyasa.

Vyasa is not only the composer of the Mahabharata; he is also a character in the epic. Here is the story of his birth:  

There was a king called Uparichara, king of Chedi, so devoted to asceticism that the gods feared he was seeking to rob them of their power. They accordingly sent Indra to bribe him with the offer of a crystal car capable of carrying him through the sky, a privilege designed for him alone of all mortals. One day in spring, as he was flying through the sky, his semen fell into a river. It was swallowed by a female fish with the result that ten months after, when the fish was caught by a fisherman, two children — a boy and a girl — came forth.

The fisherman told the king of his wonderful find. The king took possession of the boy but left the girl to be reared by the fisherman’s wife. The girl was very beautiful, but she had a fishy smell. Her name was Satyavati. She often helped her foster father, who acted as a ferryman on the river Yamuna.

One day she was ferrying across the river the rishi Parashara. The rishi persuaded the girl to yield to his embraces by promising that she should remain a virgin. She also made a condition that she should lose her fishy smell. She became so sweet-smelling that the fragrance could be smelt seven miles away.

A child was born, and because he was born on an island, he was called Dwaipayana or Island-born. He is called Vyasa because he arranged the Vedas.

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PDE Mahahbharata | Vyasa and Ganesha | Ganga

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Vyasa dictates to Ganesha.

PDE Mahabharata: The Burning of the Forest

Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata

Reading Guide. This episode tells about a famous adventure that Arjuna and Krishna have together. The meeting with Maya, the divine architect of the gods, will prove to be a crucial event in the series of events (leading to catastrophe!) that will take place when Arjuna returns home to Indraprastha. About Maya: this is the masculine for of the name (pronounced May-uh), as opposed to the feminine form, Mayā (Mayah). The masculine Maya is an asura, sometimes called Mayasura, while the feminine Maya is the goddess of the illusion that we call reality. You can read more about both Mayasura and about Mayā at Wikipedia. You may recalled Maya (Mayasura) from the Ramayana; he was the father of Mandodari, King Ravana's chief wife.

Source. The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921). [300 words]

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Subhadra | 34. The Burning of the Forest | Maya's Palace

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During Krishna’s visit the Pandavas entertained him at a great picnic on the banks of the Yamuna. The women in the party took so much liquor that their gait became unsteady, and they began to sport. Draupadi and Subhadra in their intoxication gave away many costly robes and ornaments to their female companions.

When Krishna and Arjuna were sitting together telling of their exploits, a brahmin with matted locks and clothed in rags approached them. The two heroes at once got up, and stood waiting to receive his commands. The brahmin said he wanted food, but not ordinary food. He was indeed Agni the god of fire and the food he wanted was the Khandava forest. He had tried to consume it more than once, but Indra had always put out the fire with torrents of rain. Agni asked the heroes to help him. He had been drinking so much ghee at a twelve years’ sacrifice, that he had got weak and pale. The only way to restore his vigor and brightness was to consume the Khandava forest.

Krishna and Arjuna agreed to help Agni if he got them celestial weapons. This he did. He got a bow from the god Varuna with an inexhaustible quiver full of arrows, and a chariot full of weapons. Krishna also got a mace and discus.

A great battle ensued. Indra was defeated. When he poured down torrents of rain, Arjuna extinguished it with his arrows. Great multitudes of animals, uttering fearful yells and in great agony, perished in the flames. Only six creatures escaped: the snake Ashwasena, a son of Takshaka; four birds; and the demon Maya, who was the son of a rishi. But the object was accomplished, and Agni became once more bright and vigorous. He had drunk rivers of fat and marrow.

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Krishna | The Burning of the Forest | Maya's Palace

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Burning of Khandava forest.

PDE Mahabharata: Maya's Palace

Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata

Reading Guide.  Mayasura proves true to his promise and builds an amazing palace for the Pandavas, one which drive Duryodhana even more mad with jealousy. This palace provides the central metaphor for Chitra Divakaruni's novel, Palace of Illusions, which tells the story of the Mahabharata completely from Draupadi's point of view — a book you might want to read in the second half of the semester!

Source. The first passage about the building of the palace is from The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921), and the second passage about Duryodhana is from Vyasa's Mahabharata, translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli: Sabha Parva [400 words].

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Burning the Forest | 35. Maya's Palace | Victories

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Maya was so grateful to Arjuna for saving his life in the burning of the Khandava forest that he promised to build a palace for the Pandavas. He was the architect of the demons and had great stores of gold and gems, which he kept on the Himalayas guarded by rakshasas and yakshas. In fourteen months he built a palace the like of which had never been seen on earth. It was so brilliant with gems that it seemed to be on fire. Maya brought eight thousand rakshasas who could travel through the air to be its guards. When Narada the rishi came to see it, he was so impressed that he was led to compare it with the heavenly palaces of Indra, Yama, Varuna, Kubera and Brahma.

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And one day King Duryodhana in going round that mansion came upon a crystal surface. And the king, from ignorance, mistaking it for a pool of water, drew up his clothes. And afterwards finding out his mistake the king wandered about the mansion in great sorrow. And sometime after, the king, mistaking a lake of crystal water adorned with lotuses of crystal petals for land, fell into it with all his clothes on.

Beholding the plight of Duryodhana, the mighty Bhima and Arjuna and both the twins all laughed aloud. Being unused to putting up with insults, Duryodhana could not bear that laugh of theirs. Concealing his emotions, he even did not cast his looks on them. And beholding the monarch once more draw up his clothes to cross a piece of dry land which he had mistaken for water, they all laughed again. And the king sometime after mistook a closed door made of crystal as open. And as he was about to pass through it his head struck against it, and he stood with his brain reeling. And mistaking as closed another door made of crystal that was really open, the king in attempting to open it with stretched hands, tumbled down. And coming upon another door that was really open, the king thinking it was closed, went away from it.

And the heart of King Duryodhana was afflicted at the sight of the prosperity of the Pandavas. The prince thought of nothing else but that assembly house and that unrivaled prosperity of the wise Yudhishthira.

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Burning the Forest | Maya's Palace | Victories

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Duryodhana in the Pandavas' palace.

PDE Mahabharata: Bhima and Hanuman

Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata

Reading Guide. You might remember that at the end of the Ramayana, Hanuman remained on earth and was to remain on earth for as long as Rama's story was told... which means he is still here with us now! He was also on earth at the time of the events of the Mahabharata, and in this episode you will see his encounter with Bhima, who is Hanuman's half-brother: they are both sons of Vayu, the wind god.

Source. The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1913). [400 words]

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Himalayas | 46. Bhima and Hanuman | Gandharvas

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One day when Bhima went to gather lotuses for Draupadi, he found a monkey lying on the path in front of him. When the monkey would not get up, Bhima tried to lift it by the tail, but though he used both hands, he could not move it. This was very wonderful, as on the way Bhima had amused himself by killing lions and tigers and elephants, using dead elephants as a weapon to knock down and kill others. When Bhima realized that this was no ordinary monkey, he asked it to declare who it was.

The monkey told him that he was Hanuman and also gave him an account of his adventures with Rama.

At Bhima’s repeated request, Hanuman showed himself in his real gigantic shape and discoursed for some time on the duties of the different castes. He also said that in the first age or Krita Yuga, there was no need of performing any religious act; there was no malice or pride, or any kind of sin, there were no gods or demons. Brahma was attainable by all; all men were equal, and the four Vedas did not exist. In the Treta Yuga, sacrifices were introduced, men clung close to virtue, and were devoted to asceticism. In the Dwapara Yuga the Vedas were divided into four parts, and virtue decreased by one-half. With the division of the sacred books, men became divided in opinions and in the observance of different religious rites. They became less devoted to truth and more subject to passion. Falling away from truth they became subject to disease and many other calamities. Selfishness alone prompted many to perform sacrifices and thus secure heaven. And lastly the Kali Yuga came with only a quarter of virtue remaining. In this age all kinds of evil prevail, famine and disease, sloth and anger. Even religious acts have a contrary effect.

Hanuman also explained the duties of the four castes, and added that the brahmin secures heaven by asceticism, the vaishya by gifts and hospitality, and the kshatriya by protecting men. As to the shudra, he was silent.

Bhima and Hanuman were both sons of the god, Vayu, and when they parted, they embraced one another over and over again.

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Himalayas | Bhima and Hanuman | Gandharvas

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Hanuman.

PDE Mahabharata: The Pandavas and Bhishma

Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata

Reading Guide. Bhishma, as you might recall, fell in battle, but he had the gift of choosing the moment of his own death. He is waiting for the solstice, and before he dies he will instruct the survivors of the battle on how to rule the world that has survived.

Source. The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921). [700 words]

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Mourning | 72. The Pandavas and Bhishma | Parikshit

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Not long after, the Pandu princes resolved to visit Bhishma. It will be remembered that he was left lying on the field of battle, waiting till the sun had entered the summer solstice, before he would choose to die. He was not alone, however. The greatest of the rishis as well as Parashurama the incarnation of Vishnu were keeping him company.

Bhishma preached many long sermons and told many stories. Here is one of the stories:

Yudhisthira asked Bhishma what a brahmin ought to do to maintain life in times of calamity. Bhishma replied by telling of what happened to the rishi Vishvamitra towards the end of the Treta Yuga and the commencement of the Dwapara Yuga, during a terrible drought which lasted for twelve years. Shops were closed, the fields lay empty, the countryside was covered with heaps of bones of men and beasts, the temples were forsaken and even brahmins died. In the extremity of their hunger, men began to eat human flesh. Vishvamitra suffered like others and, abandoning his wife and child, wandered everywhere in search of food.  

One day he entered a village inhabited by chandalas, and begged from door to door, but no one was able or willing to help him. In one house he chanced to see a piece of dog’s flesh, and resolved that he would go at night when all were asleep and steal the flesh. He crept into the chandala’s house when all, as he thought, were asleep, but the owner of the house at once demanded to know why he came. When he discovered who his visitor was and why he came, the chandala was greatly horrified to think that so holy a man was willing to break all the laws of the Vedas and of Aryan morality. 

But the rishi replied that when one’s life is in peril there is no sin eating unclean food. He reminded the chandala that the rishi Agastya had once eaten the demon Vatapi when he was hungry, and he did not see why he should not be allowed to eat a dog. So, though the chandala protested, Vishvamitra took away the piece of dog’s flesh and ate it.  

Yudhisthira was greatly shocked at this story. It seemed to him that such teaching swept away the foundations of all morality. Bhishma was inviting him to do what truth and duty had always said must not be done. 

To this Bhishma answered that he must look at things from a broader point of view. Righteousness sometimes had the appearance of unrighteousness. Evil sometimes seemed better than good. One had to take all the circumstances into consideration and then calmly form one’s opinion.  

Having finished his long discourse and answered a multitude of questions, the aged warrior bade Yudhishthira return to Hastinapura and assume the sovereignty of his own recovered empire. Yudhishthira did so and was duly installed on the throne.

At the end of fifty days he returned to the battlefield, bringing sandalwood and other precious stuffs for use in cremating the body of Bhishma. The dying man said he had now lain on his arrowy bed for fifty-eight nights and he was anxious to be gone. The time had passed as slowly as if it were an hundred years, but the auspicious hour for death was at last arrived.

Turning to Krishna, whom he called the god of gods, the Supreme Eternal Soul, he asked permission to depart. Krishna gave him leave, and as he did so, declared that Bhishma had never been guilty of one solitary sin all through his life. The arrow then left Bhishma’s body, and his soul, emerging from the top of his head, passed through the sky like a meteor in the sight of all observers.

The funeral rites were duly performed and then the Pandus accompanied by Krishna, the attendant rishis, the ladies of the Bharata family, and a great crowd of citizens went to perform the water oblation on the banks of the river Bhagirathi.

When they reached its shores, Ganga, who it will be remembered was the mother of Bhishma, rose up out of the waters, overcome by sorrow. When she had spoken in praise of her dead son, Krishna told her not to shed useless tears for one who had passed in the fullness of years to spend a happy life in heaven.

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Mourning | The Pandavas and Bhishma | Parikshit

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Bhishma on the bed of arrows.

PDE Mahabharata: Parikshit

Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata

Reading Guide. You will read two accounts of Parikshit here; the first is a brief summary of the miraculous birth of Parikshit. Then you will read Sunity Devee's account of Parikshit's mother Uttara and how she mourned her dead husband, Abhimanyu, Parikshit's father; you will also get some insight into Subhadra, who was Abhimanyu's mother. Krishna plays a crucial role in both versions.

Source. The first part is from The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921), and the second part is from Nine Ideal Indian Women by Sunity Devee (1919). [800 words] You can read more about Devee here: Sunity Devee.

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Bhishma | 73. Parikshit | The Horse

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It will be remembered that Ashwatthaman had by the Brahma weapon already killed the child in the womb of Uttara, wife of Abhimanyu.

The dead child was born just at the time that Krishna came back to Hastinapura to take part in the Horse-Sacrifice. The sorrowing women appealed to Krishna to bring the babe back to life. It was the sole living descendant of the Pandu race. Krishna had already given some sort of promise and in view of the fact he never uttered a falsehood, he uttered the words ‘Let this child revive.’

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After a few days after Abhimanyu fell in battle, Krishna came, as he heard that Uttara was still disconsolate. When he came and stood in the courtyard, Uttara was told of his presence. She ran out to him and fell on his feet, saying, "Oh, Krishna, oh, God, Abhimanyu has gone. I want to go, too. No sooner had I begun my play than it was ended. Merciful you are, why did you not let me play on longer? They call you merciful. Have mercy on me. Send me to my Abhimanyu. You were his uncle, Arjuna was his father, and yet my Abhimanyu has gone!" She cried piteously.

Krishna lifted her and said, with affection, "Uttara, dear child, do not be so utterly distressed. Have faith, have strength. We are all under the great Law. We are here for but a few years. Life and Death, sorrow and happiness, go round as the Wheel of the Law. We shall all meet in heaven and you shall go to Chandra Loka and join Abhimanyu and be happy with him. Before Abhimanyu came to this world, he said in heaven that he did not wish to remain on earth longer than a few years."

Uttara cried, "I was so happy with him! Oh, Shri Krishna, you have taken him; take me, too. Let me follow him! I have no child to comfort me."

Krishna, all love and tenderness, said, "Uttara, I shall be your little son, and I shall call you 'mother.' Will that comfort you?"

His words consoled her, and, when Sulochana, the old nurse, came in, she found that the Princess Uttara had taken up the broken thread of her life, but never again did she see Uttara playing as before. Instead, she spent long hours in prayer.

One day, catching a reflection of herself in a mirror, Uttara did not know, at first, who it was, for she had never seen herself there since the day Abhimanyu had left her. Now she started back, crying, "Is it a witch?" and recoiled in horror from her own grey hair and sunken eyes and grief-wrecked face.

Covering her face in Sulochana's sari, she cried, "Mother, do all widows look so terrible?"

Sulochana lifted up her voice and wept, for she loved the Princess as if she were her own child. Then she comforted her and reminded her of the little one yet to be born.

Uttara listened to her words, and gathered strength and courage to bear her loss, and, for her gentle resignation, all who had ever loved her loved still more, and ever loved her more and more, because she carried within her the hope of all Pandu.

When five weary months were passed, her son was born, and Arjuna named him Parikshit. After he was born, Uttara besought them all to let her join the many widows who immolated themselves upon the funeral pyres.

But Krishna came to her and said, "No, no, Uttara, your son needs your care. A mother with a tender child must deny herself the comfort of the flaming fire which reunites her to her lord."

Uttara heard his words and again resigned herself with gentle patience, and all who saw her saintly life marvelled.

Nor did Krishna forget to console his sister, Subhadra, who hid her grief within her heart, and nursed the sick and wounded with so bright a face that all wondered, and, at last, one asked, "For all, Mother, that you look so happy, do you not mourn your son?"

And she answered, "Before, I had only one, Abhimanyu, but now I have many, for I see my boy in every wounded soldier."

At last, the cruel Kurukshetra ended, and Yudhishthira placed Uttara's son upon the imperial throne of Indraprastha, for all his own sons, and Prince Bhima's, had gone, and he himself was anxious to journey to the distant snows of Himalaya, where he spent his closing years in solitude and prayer, and Parikshit and his descendants held the throne of Indraprastha (Delhi) for many years.

Many years, too, had to pass, ere Uttara ascended the longed-for funeral pyre and freed her soul to journey forth to find her lord.

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Bhishma | Parikshit | The Horse

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Krishna, Uttara, and baby Parikshit.