#Shantanu × Ganga

[thenewbie28]

Shantanu's ashes eventually being released in Ganga makes me feel something I cannot really put into words.

[jacobpking]

Okay now we’re cooking 👑

[zeherili-ankhein]

#mahabharat podcast

If I had a nickel for each time Shantanu went near the river and fell in love at first sight with a woman, I'll have two nickels which isn't much but it's weird (or is it?) that it happened twice...

[ersahtz]

Mahabharata - A 21st century retelling

Author’s Note: The Mahabharata is a legendary epic. Whatever your religious beliefs are, if you have any appreciation for a good story, you will admit that that the Mahabharat does not disappoint. Now, I’m not exactly Hindu, but I do know a good deal about it. I grew up reading Amar Chitra Katha and I regularly enjoy shocking people with how much I know as a non-religious person. This Ganesh…

[blackknight-100]

First of all, please don't apologise, I love when people write essays under my posts!

Secondly, yes! Surya is more distant than Indra, and that was what I was originally talking about - Arjuna, who is born from a consensual union of Indra and Kunti, is more involved in the plot and with his father. Karna, born of a coercive union of Surya and Kunti, is comparatively much less involved with his father. In general, this seems to be a theme in quite a few MB stories - that children born of dubious unions (where the woman is unwilling and/or coerced) tend to be lesser in some way (physically, materially, or in their relations with others) than those born of desirable unions. I suppose in a society where you could not truly define such assault, implying that questionable unions bore questionable fruits was some type of way to ward it off?

Thirdly, also yes! I have no doubt Surya tried his best to work with what he had and give Karna as much as he could, but Karna was renowned for his devotion to Surya. At some point it is even said he worshipped Surya till "his back was burnt". With this level of devotion, it seems to me that there is enough ground for everyone to think that Surya was favouring an ardent devotee. And while this may have given Surya more leeway to interfere, Karna at least did not really see or consider Surya as a father for most of his life. That place would be Adhiratha's. Which is as it should be, but it's also so sad, isn't it?

Desperately need to talk about how fatherhood works in the Mahabharata for Surya and Indra with their mortal sons.

Arjuna is known as Indra's child. His most common epithets (related to familial lineage) largely come from his mother, but it is openly understood that he is Indra's child. Indra helps him out so many times and it's wholesome as hell.

Then you have Karna, who is not acknowledged as Surya's son, and Surya keeps Kunti's secret either out of duty or regret (for leaving a child with a baby, that is). So his help is next to nothing for most of Karna's life. And then the event comes when his brother is about to take away his son's armour, the only protection he has been able to offer this boy, and he knows Karna will give it away but he goes to dissuade him anyway. When he comes, in most versions, he says he comes to aid an ardent devotee. In BORI he says that there is a secret he cannot reveal, but he is here to warn Karna out of love.

And it stands out to me so much, that from Karna's perspective, he meets his father through years of devotion and prayer, because you can tell he thinks of Surya as his mentor and spiritual guide, and Adhiratha as his father. He has next to no qualms in claiming Radha as his mother even after he is told the truth, and his reaction to Kunti being his mother is not dissimilar.

And then this god shows up, does not even bother to reveal that he is his father (I imagine Karna must have been pretty peeved when he found out - in a "you could've just told me when you visited" way) and asks him to let go of the one thing he takes great pride in. Even there too, there is a great deal of respect for agency: Karna is firm and Surya compromises. If they'd had a few more chances to interact, I think they would work out pretty well.

And then you have Arjun and Indra, so beautifully entwined, so beloved and so dear. Indra helping Arjuna is seen as interference (and rightly so), but there is something so paternal about how Indra desperately tries to protect his child - depending on the version he (not necessarily chronologically):

a) mitigates the Urvashi curse,

b) sends out the Gandharvas to heckle the Kauravas

c) bestows divine counsel upon his son

d) gives him a great bow after getting thrashed

e) turns into an insect and gets Karna cursed.

And most importantly, he shows up at a MORTAL'S door, CLAIMING TO BE A BRAHMAN (which is, again depending on version, one of reasons why said mortal got cursed), declines offers of land and money and girls, and shamelessly demands the armour. A KING. REDUCED TO A BEGGAR.

Because remember, technically Brahman's are given state funding for their research, education, priesthood, or simply their birth. Indra does none of these. He knows this. Karna knows this. He knows that Karna knows this. But he demands it anyway.

Obviously, Karna's devotion to the Sun God, and the fact the said god is his father is a narrative device meant to represent his arc of reaching for the sun and getting burned (in most cases, at least), while Arjuna's relation to Indra and his rain motifs is because narratively he peaks at terminal velocity and then freefalls to the earth as soon as Krishna dies.

But I love thinking of what their respective relations to their fathers must have been, and how it mirrors/contrasts Kunti's relationship with the gods. Kunti calls Indra and he does what she wants (for him to give her a baby), and is able to support their child in most cases. Surya is called and he does not do what Kunti wants (for him to leave immediately), and his relationship with their son is one of distance and endurance. But they are good fathers still, as good as god can be. (Except Surya with Shani. Idk what's going on there).

Anyway I forgot what point I was trying to make... but yeah!

[h0bg0blin-meat]

Ancient girlbosses x malewives cuz honestly why not?

Chitrangada x Arjun (he'sss babygirlll :3)

Ganga x Shantanu (not comments)

Kymene x Apollo (I mean ofc)

Chandra x all his wives (he's the biggest malewife nmh)

Vishnu x Lakshmi (nuhh you can't deny me)

Psyche x Eros...? (Can you count that??)

Jayanti x Shukra (lol yeah)

Shachi x Indra (yupp)

Devsena x Kartikey (yupp again)

Bhanumati x Duryodhan (no comments again)

Behula/Usha x Lakhimdar/Aniruddha (in every sense)

You add more

OMG YES YES AND YES

Aight more

Sigyn x Loki

Varuni x Varun (I mean cmon)

Revati x Mitra (the most obvious)

Revati x Balaram

Ariadne x Dionysos

Aphrodite x Nerites/Hermes

Penelope x Odysseus

Satyabhama (and Rukmini) x Krishna

Rati x Kama

Durga/Kali x Shiva

Sekhmet x Ptah

Morana x Yarilo

[proudhinduforever]

"Is there anything more majestic than the vow of Bhishma?"

I don't think there is anything more tragic and greater than Bhishma Pratijna in the Mahabharata. Bhishma stands as an important character in the epic solely due to his adherence to his principles and valor.

The story of Bhishma Pratijna is rooted in the epic Mahabharata. Bhishma, originally named Devavrata, was the son of King Shantanu and the goddess Ganga. His father, wishing to marry Satyavati, was reluctant to do so because of Devavrata's claim to the throne. To secure his father's happiness, Devavrata took a solemn vow of celibacy and renounced his right to the throne, becoming known as Bhishma, which means "one who took a terrible vow."

This vow not only secured Satyavati's marriage to Shantanu but also ensured that Bhishma would dedicate his life to the service of the kingdom. His commitment to duty, honor, and loyalty made him one of the most revered figures in the Mahabharata.

Bhishma Pratijna is revered for several reasons:

Commitment to Duty: Bhishma’s vow of celibacy and renunciation of the throne exemplify his unwavering dedication to duty and family honor. His selflessness is a powerful lesson in prioritizing responsibilities over personal desires.

Moral Integrity: Throughout the Mahabharata, Bhishma embodies the values of righteousness and justice. Even when faced with difficult choices, he remains steadfast in his principles.

Wisdom and Knowledge: As a skilled warrior and sage, Bhishma is revered for his wisdom in governance, ethics, and warfare. His counsel is sought after by both allies and enemies.

Tragic Heroism: His life story is marked by personal sacrifice and tragedy, making him a quintessential tragic hero. His loyalty to the Kauravas, despite their wrongdoings, adds depth to his character.

Symbol of Sacrifice: Bhishma's commitment to his vow illustrates the theme of sacrifice, a central tenet in many cultural narratives. His story inspires discussions about the complexities of duty, love, and loyalty.

These qualities make Bhishma Pratijna a symbol of honor and integrity, earning him a revered place.

[blessed1neha]

Formerly Bhishma was a Kshatriya, so why did Lord Parshuram make him his disciple? Why did he give him knowledge of celestial weapons?

Lord Parshuram had never taken a vow that he will teach the art of warfare or knowledge of celestial weapons only to Brahmins and not to Kshatriya’s.

Also it is believed that Mother Ganga made a request to Lord Parashuram to teach her son Devavrata( Bhisma) when he was a boy. Devavrata lived with his mother Ganga and not his father Shantanu, so perhaps what Devavrata was ( whether a Kshatriya or brahmin or someone else) did not matter to Lord Parshuram). Mother Ganga must have revealed to Lord Parashuram about Devavrata being a cursed Vasu, an elemental God. Maybe this was the reason why Lord Parashuram made an exception and taught the young Devavrata(Bhisma) and made him his disciple and gave him the knowledge of celestial weapons.

Also there is mis-conception that Parashuram cursed Karna because Karna being a sudra gained knowledge from him. This is a misconception. He cursed Karna because Karna lied to him that he was a brahmin and lying to Guru is one of the greatest sins.

[buzz-london]

Raja Ravi Varma's painting of King Shantanu saving Bhishma from being drowned by Ganga

[ghanakshisharma]

Jaag Uthi Usha l Shantanu Moitra l Bombay Jayashri l Swanand Kirkire l JSW Songs of the River Ganga

Special Thanks to Mrs. Sangita Jindal & Sajjan Jindal (JSW GROUP) Join us on a journey along the Ganga with "Jaag Uthi Usha," featuring Shantanu Moitra, Bombay Jayashri, Swanand Kirkire, and the mesmerising Songs of the River Ganga. Experience the adventure and beauty of Varanasi through music and exploration.

[chaitanyavijnanam]

శ్రీమద్భగవద్గీత - 441: 11వ అధ్., శ్లో 27 / Bhagavad-Gita - 441: Chap. 11, Ver. 27

🌹. శ్రీమద్భగవద్గీత - 441 / Bhagavad-Gita - 441 🌹 ✍️. శ్రీ ప్రభుపాద, 📚. ప్రసాద్ భరద్వాజ 🌴. 11వ అధ్యాయము - విశ్వరూప సందర్శన యోగం - 27 🌴 27. వక్త్రాణి తే త్వరమాణా విశన్తి దంష్ట్రాకరాలాని భయానకాని | కేచిద్విలగ్నా దశనాన్తరేషు సందృశ్యన్తే చూర్ణితైరుత్తమాఙ్గై: || 🌷. తాత్పర్యం : ఇంకా మన పక్షమున ఉన్న యోధులు కూడా తలకిందులుగా నీ భయంకరమైన నోళ్లలోనికి త్వరితగతిన ప్రవేశిస్తున్నారు. కొందరి తలలు నీ భీకరమైన పళ్ళ మధ్యలో చితికిపోయినట్టు నేను చూస్తున్నాను.

🌷. భాష్యము : కౌరవులకు మరియు పాండవులకు పితామహుడైన భీష్ముడు, శంతను మహారాజు మరియు గంగాదేవి యొక్క పుత్రుడు. తన తండ్రి పునర్వివాహం కోరిక సఫలం చేయటానికి వీలుగా భీష్ముడు సింహాసన హక్కుని త్యజించాడు, అంతేకాక, ఆజన్మ బ్రహ్మచర్యం శపథం చేసాడు. కానీ, దుర్యోధనుడు చెడ్డవాడు మరియు పాండవుల రాజ్య హక్కుని అన్యాయంగా లాక్కుంటున్నాడు అని తెలిసి కూడా భీష్ముడు దుర్యోధనుడి వైపే ఉన్నాడు. అందుకే, ఈ యొక్క ధర్మానికి మరియు అధర్మానికి మధ్య జరిగే యుద్ధంలో ఆయనకు చావు రాసిపెట్టే ఉంది. భీష్ముడు తన చివరి సమయంలో అంపశయ్య (బాణములతో తయారుచేయబడ్డ మంచము) మీద పరుండి, భగవంతునికి ఆయన చేసిన స్తుతిని, శ్రీమద్ భాగవతము, ఇలా పేర్కొంటున్నది:

సపది సఖి-వచో నిశమ్య మధ్యే నిజ-పరయోర్ బలయో రథం నివేశ్య స్థ���తవతి పర-సైనికాయుర్ అక్ష్ణా హృతవతి పార్థ-సఖే రతిర్ మమాస్తు (1.9.35)

‘తన స్నేహితుని ఆదేశాన్ని శిరసావహించి, రథాన్ని ఉభయ సేనల మధ్యకి నడిపించిన అర్జునుడి ప్రియ మిత్రుడైన శ్రీకృష్ణుడిపై నేను ధ్యానం చేస్తున్నాను. అక్కడ శత్రుపక్షపు యోధుల జీవిత కాలాన్ని కేవలం తన చూపుతో తగ్గించివేసాడు.’ కాబట్టి, పరమేశ్వరుడైన శ్రీకృష్ణ భగవానునికి వ్యతిరేకంగా పోరాడితే మరణం తప్పదని భీష్ముడికి తప్పకుండా తెలుసు.

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

🌹 Bhagavad-Gita as It is - 441 🌹 ✍️ Sri Prabhupada, 📚 Prasad Bharadwaj 🌴 Chapter 11 - Viswaroopa Sandarsana Yoga - 27 🌴 27. vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ 🌷 Translation : and our chief soldiers also – are rushing into Your fearful mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth.

🌹 Purport : Bheeshma, the grandsire of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, was the son of Shantanu and Ganga. To facilitate his father’s wish for remarriage, Bheeshma renounced his right to the throne, and also took a lifelong vow of celibacy. However, Bheeshma had continued to support Duryodhan, despite knowing very well that he was evil and was usurping the right of the Pandavas. Thus, he was destined to die in this war of goodness versus evil. The Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam describes Bheeshma’s prayer to the Lord, when he lay on the bed of arrows at the end of his life:

sapadi sakhi-vacho niśhamya madhye nija-parayor balayo rathaṁ niveśhya sthitavati para-sainikāyur akṣhṇā hṛitavati pārtha-sakhe ratir mamāstu (1.9.35)[v10]

“Let my mind meditate upon Arjun’s dear pal, Shree Krishna, who obeyed his friend’s command to drive the chariot to the center of the two armies, and while there, he shortened the lifespan of the opposing generals by his mere glance.” So, Bheeshma himself was aware that the consequence of fighting against the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna would be death.

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

[blackknight-100]

Not exactly mainstream mythology, but the past few days I've been thinking about how many goddesses and some gods are associated with rivers, and how their parentages changed over the years.

There is a Wikipedia page for the Rivers in Hinduism, and while I haven't been able to cross-reference some of these (Wikipedia, due to the nature of contributions, has a vast number of references from books, travelogues and anecdotes written by individual authors instead of actual scripture or local sources), many others are easily verifiable and extremely interesting. I'd still advise taking this with a grain of salt, though, because some might not be extensively true.

The south gets a separate post, and this one is a list of the most prominent rivers of the north:

1, Ganga: As the major river in the plains, Ganga has quite a few myths attached to her. There is, of course, the story of how she was brought down to earth, with a detour through Patala, by Bhagiratha, and the Ramayana makes her Parvati's sister and Himavat's daughter by his wife Mainavati, daughter of Mount Meru. During the descent, she floods sage Jahnu's aashram so the sage drinks her up completely. Bhagiratha comes to entreat him, and Jahnu, realising his mistake, lets her out of his ear. This is Ganga's rebirth, and also why so many people call her Janhavi.

Another myth that is attested in the Devi Bhagwata Purana labels her as Vishnu's wife, along with Lakshmi and Saraswati. Once Saraswati accuses Ganga of trying to steal Vishnu's love. Vishnu refuses to intervene in this, but Lakshmi tries to soothe Saraswati, who becomes angrier and curses Lakshmi to be born on earth as a river (which Vishnu later alters so she is born as both the Padma(vati?) river, and the Tulsi plant). Ganga gets upset that Lakshmi got cursed defending her, and curses Saraswati to become a river, and adds on that men will wash away there sins in her waters. Saraswati gets even madder and curses Ganga to also become a river with the same conditions . Then Vishnu intervenes, and declaring he will keep only Lakshmi as his wife, and sends Saraswati to Brahma and Ganga to Shiva. Which is a hell of a thing to say when you have three wives in who were quarreling for your affection and you did not interfere. Predictably, the three of them band together and Vishnu in the end has to back down. A third part of Ganga goes to Shiva's hair, a third into Bharata, and the full part (no I don't get the math either) stays with him at Vaikuntha. Similarly, the other two remain his wives in Vaikuntha, while simultaneously being rivers and all the other things they're supposed to be.

The story of Ganga marrying Shantanu and drowning seven of their eight kids is pretty popular, but this myth has a bit of a prequel, in which everyone gets cursed. Ganga (called Janhavi in the Mahabharata, because she was reborn to the sage Jahnu) and this other Suryavamshi King are attending Brahma's court with the other gods. Suddenly, the wind blows off Ganga's clothes, and everyone averts their eyes, except the King. Brahma is furious at the disrespect and curses him to be reborn on earth as a man, and Ganga, who apparently didn't mind as much, decides to follow him. In some versions, she also gets cursed because she enjoys the act of being watched and Brahma went "get a room and the room is the earth". As she is leaving the meeting, she runs across the Vasus, who also just got cursed, and offers to help them. Nice :)

Also the Devi Bhagawata Purana makes Shantanu a part of Vishnu to retain Ganga as Vishnu's wife, which, given that both he and Krishna did their best to cause war, makes sense in a weird type of way.

The sacredness of river Ganga comes from the fact that she interacts with all the three supreme gods. The Bhagwata Purana says that when Vamana Vishnu stepped for the second time, his toenail pierced the fabric of the universe and let in the water from outside in the form of Ganga (yes, this is exactly what is written. I'm not exaggerating one bit, they even call her Vishnupadi for this). Then she passes past the Saptarshis, into Brahma's city, and afterwards Shiva picks her up and ties her in his hair so her force will not shatter the earth.

The Agni Purana depicts her as a fair-complexioned goddess with a pot and a flower, and names her vehicle the crocodile.

2. Yamuna: She is very often referred to as Kalindi in later texts, and is included among Krishna's eight principal wives, and also plays an important role in Krishna's childhood myths. By and large, her parents are accepted to be Surya and Sanjana/Saranyu, which makes her related to a bunch of Kunti's children in some really complicated ways.

[Side note: despite Indra being the King of Gods, Surya appears to have a much broader influence in the genealogy of heroes and most of his children end up being kings and queens.]

There are a few early texts that equate Yami with Yamuna, and by that metric, here is another story about her. In one version, attested in the Rig Veda, Yami wishes to marry her brother Yama and gets rejected. It sounds like a dialogue between a little sister and her big brother, because all Yami says is, "Let's get married, and we will be beautiful and happy forever!" and Yama keeps dissuading her by saying things like, "No, that is wrong, that is sinful. You're going to get a lovely husband, don't worry." And then Yami gets upset and calls him a bad brother. But there is no basis for this, I just got those vibes. This is very likely a moral and social rejection of brother-sister marriage. In her book, The Indian Theogony, Sukumari Bhattacharji speculates that Yama-Yami may have been married at some point, as a parallel to all the married brother-sister couples across mythologies who retain their opposite and comparative nature, and Yama committed adultery to avoid laying with his sister.

Cute story about Yamuna and Yama: In my culture, and possibly some others as well, we say that Yamuna gives 'phota' to her brother Yama, and all sisters do the same to the brothers on Bhai-Phota to cover Yama's doors with thorns so he will never be able to take their brothers away. I think Bhai-Dooj, Bhai-Beej and Bhratri-Dwitiya are celebrated similarly.

There is another story, and this one involves coercive intimacy, so skip to #3 if this is uncomfortable for you. In the Bhagwata Purana (and the Agni Purana mentions this in passing), a drunken Balarama spots Yamuna and beckons her to come "play" with him (we all know what that means). She refuses and ignores his calls, so he gets mad and using his plow, diverts her waters into the orchard he was standing in. Now frightened, Yamuna apologises to him and agrees to "play" with him, explaining that she was unable to recognise him as the Supreme Lord. Evidently, this is supposed to be a metaphor for divertion of canals for irrigation.

The Agni Purana depicts her as a dark-complexioned goddess with a pot, and names the tortoise as her vehicle. It also names Yamuna's mother as Rajni, mother of Revanta and daughter of Raivata, and I have no idea who this is. There is one Raivata who is the father of Revati, Balarama's wife, but as far as I was aware he had no daughters named Rajni and Revanta was Sanjana's son so... Idk what happened here. The most likely option is that this Raivata is one of the Rudras, but he could also be the mountain Raivata or the fifth Manu Raivata, because the Agni Purana also mentions all of them them.

3. Sindhu: So, Wikipedia thinks this river is a goddess, sourced from a book called Rivers of the Rigveda by J.N. Ravi. I have always heard of Sindhu being labelled masculine (along with Brahmaputra) at least in my mother tongue. The Mahabharata calls him the Devanada - an exclusively masculine epithet meaning River of the Gods. But wisdom.lib, a mostly reliable website, notes that at one point Sindhu is invited to Parvati's meeting with other goddesses where they discuss the duties of women. I couldn't find it, but then again, Ctrl+F is useless in the MB pdf so eh.

The Rig Veda also appears to refer to Sindhu as a man. I have only the english version, so the accuracy of translation is difficult to pin down, however, Sindhu is compared to a king or lord leading an army (the confluence) and a fleet-footed stallion (but I've also seen a mare translation though smh). SIndhu is also considered to "unite" with several female rivers - Gomati, Shveti etc. And then, right after, Sindhu is called "as handsome as a beautiful woman". Also he is invoked with the goddess Aditi and Saraswati a bunch of times and is listed with the "Goddess Floods". So make of that what you will. Maybe Sindhu is a god who sometimes looks androgynous. Or he is trans as well. Or enby. Or something else. Idk.

Also in one version of Rig Veda I came across Sindhu being called the Dragon of the Deep and I think that's the coolest thing I've read while searching up the rivers.

Varuna is credited with charting out the river Sindhu's course, is very often invoked right before Sindhu, and is also said to glorify Sindhu (Mahabharata, Sabha Parva) so it is safe to say Varuna really likes him.

Interestingly, although he is supposed to be hailed before a battle or a sacrifice, Sindhu's chariot is said to perform no violent deeds. Whether this means the Sindhu river never flooded in those days* or something else, I am not very sure, but quite a few kings of the Bharata lineage sheltered in the Sindhu basin when attacked, so make of that what you will.

*This would be very strange because a) the Sindhu nowadays floods pretty often and b) Sindhu is also called "of the [mighty] floods" a bunch of times. His other epithet is "Sindhu with the path of gold" so it could also mean that Sindhu is a bounteous and fertile river.

It is likely that the region around the Sindhu River was known as Sapta Sindhu, after the seven sacred rivers - Sindhu, Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikli (Chenab/Chandrabhaga), Parushni (possibly Iravati, i.e. Ravi), Vipasha/Arjikiya (Beas), Shatadru (Sutlej) and Sarasvati.

4. Saraswati/Sarasvati: I am going to make a separate post for her because she is, by far, the most interesting of all the rivers when it comes to evolution pre and post Indra-supremacy age and there is a lot more to share.

[h0bg0blin-meat]

Listen about this fic Idea I have...

So when Ganga takes Devavrat with her away from Shantanu, ahe takes him to Kailash with her

And everyone gets a hell of a time babysitting da Baby...

And I headcanon Ganga, Vasuki and Chandradev to have this chaotic trio kinda friendship... So they can be this disaster uncles.. 👀

Also we already know about all the custody fights related to Ganga... So imagine everyone fighting over who's the grandpa..

And then Devavrat meets Limnaie (Ganges's daughter and a nymph) and they become besties.

After her son Atthis gets killed by Perseus Dev consoles her and becomes her emotional support. Meanwhile Limnaie comes to find out about his aroaceness (my hc) and she's like wooo congratss and he's like yeah this is why my brother can become the king so he can continue the lineage :3

Also we all know they become besties with Ganesh and Kartik as well :3

[blessed1neha]

Did Arjuna defeat Bhishma and Drona alone? If not, who helped him?

Yes. Arjuna had defeated Bhishma and Drona alone in Virat war and on 3rd day of Kurukshetra war.

Arjuna defeats Drona -

“On beholding Partha’s fixedness, learning, dexterity and great reach in battle, Drona was amazed. O bull among the Bharata lineage! In that battle, Partha raised the invincible and divine bow Gandiva and drew it with his arms. He released a shower of arrows, like a cloud of locusts. Even the wind was not capable of gliding through those arrows. There was not even an instant between Partha’s shooting an arrow and the next one, no gap could be seen. In that extremely terrible battle of swiftly released weapons, Partha shot the arrows faster and faster. Then hundreds and thousands of straight-tufted arrows descended simultaneously on Drona’s chariot. O bull among the Bharata lineage! The wielder of the Gandiva enveloped Drona with arrows and a great lamentation arose from the army. Maghavan himself applauded Pandava’s swiftness with weapons and so did the gandharvas and apsaras who had assembled there.”

649(53), Go-harana Parva, Mahabharata.

2. Arjuna defeats Bhishma -

“Shantanu’s son Bhishma attacked Savyasachi from the left side. But Bibhatsu laughed out aloud. With a broad and sharp arrow, shafted with the feathers of vultures, he sliced down the infinitely energetic Bhishma’s bow. With ten arrows, Kunti’s son, Dhananjaya, pierced the brave and careful one on his chest. Thus oppressed, Ganga’s mighty-armed son, invincible in battle, clung to the pole of the chariot and stood there for a long time. On seeing that he had lost his senses, the charioteer remembered his instructions, and controlling the horses that were yoked to the chariot, drove away, so as to protect the maharatha.’

655(59), Go-harana Parva, Mahabharata.

3. Arjuna defeats Bhishma again -

“Bearing Arjuna, the white steeds passed through the midst of the army and its standards. When that foremost among men passed through, the spirited Bhishma shot arrows at him. But he killed Bhishma’s horses and struck him in the side with ten arrows. Having killed his charioteer, Arjuna, the wielder of the invincible bow, left Bhishma on the field of battle. He emerged from the midst of that mass of chariots, like the one with the thousand rays shatters Rahu.”

657(61), Go-harana Parva, Mahabharata.

4. Arjuna defeats Bhishma and Drona on the 3rd day of Kurukshetra -

“In that battle, Dhananjaya brought down large standards and the best of pennants and large numbers of infantry, chariots, horses and elephants. Struck by the arrows, they lost their lives. Their bodies became immobile and they fell down on the ground. O king! In that great battle, their armour and their bodies were mangled by the supreme weapon named after Indra. With a flood of sharp arrows, Kiriti made an extremely terrible river flow on the field of battle. The blood was the bodies of men wounded by weapons. The foam was human fat. Its expanse was broad and it flowed swiftly. The banks were formed by the dead bodies of elephants and horses. The mud was the entrails, marrow and flesh of men. Many hordes of rakshasas and demons populated it. The moss was formed by heads, with the hair attached. Thousands of bodies were borne in the flow and the waves were formed by many shattered fragments of armour. The bones of men, horses and elephants were the stones. A large number of crows, jackals, vultures and herons and many predatory beasts like hyenas were seen to line up along its banks, as that terrible and destructive river flowed towards the nether regions. That terrible river was as cruel as the great Vaitarani. Created through the masses of Arjuna’s arrows, that extremely fearful river conveyed fat, marrow and blood. The Chedis, the Panchalas, the Karushas and the Matsyas, together with all the Parthas, began to roar. The soldiers and leaders of the army were terrified, like a herd of deer at the sight of a lion. The wielder of the Gandiva and Janardana roared in great delight. The Kurus, together with Bhishma, Drona, Duryodhana and Bahlika, saw that Indra’s terrible weapon had extended everywhere and was like the end of a yuga. Their limbs were sorely wounded from the weapon and they saw the sun was withdrawing its rays. They saw that twilight was near and that the sun was streaked with red. They decided to withdraw. Having performed deeds and won fame in the world, Dhananjaya had triumphed over the enemies. “

Chapter 915(55), Bhishma-Vadha Parva, Mahabharata.

[theramblergal]

Before I get into the actual translation itself, might I offer a recommendation of a much shorter version (if you haven't read it already?) that is pretty faithful to the original: C. Rajagopalachari's Mahabharata.

It's an abridged version but loses none of the important events. However, if you do want to read the original translation, here's what I opine.

Honestly, a lot of the Mahabharata are side-stories that usually have little to no bearing on the actual tale. They are interesting stories but not the best if you want to read the main plotline. I can break it up by book for you, you can skim through quite a bit of it.

Adi Parva: The important bits start from Chapter 96. It starts with Shantanu and Ganga's tale, who are the parents of Bhishma, a major character in the Mahabharata. The following chapters detail the growth of the Pandavas and Kauravas; Karna also plays a major part in it.

Sabha Parva: This one is best read in full, even though it's pretty big as well. It covers important events, like the growth of the Pandavas' empire and the most impactful event: the dice game where Draupadi is staked.

Vana Parva: ...I'll be honest, this part is interesting, but it doesn't contribute very much to the storyline. I'd suggest reading the latter half, from Chapter 231, because that's where the meat of the action happens. (I'd suggest reading a summary of the first half of this book, however.)

Virata Parva: This is comparatively shorter, and pretty interesting too! You could read this in full.

Udyoga Parva: This is in preparation for the war, and is an interesting read if you want to understand Dhritarashtra's character, but it is quite repetitive too. I would suggest reading from Chapters 72 to 147.

Now we get to the war parts. I don't really know how to condense it; this is the longest part of the whole epic. Eighteen days' war covered literally blow-by-blow in 4 long books.

Bhishma Parva: Honestly, if you read nothing else here, I would recommend the Bhagavad Gita chapters (you could read them separately too, it's very good). And maybe Bhishma's death, from Chapter 108 to the end.

Drona Parva: I really think you could get away with reading a summary of this whole book. Because all the events are pretty important, but they drag on forever. If you are interested, Abhimanyu's death sequence is heart-wrenching and one of the bravest things I've ever read/seen.

Karna Parva: This is straight-forward, it just details Karna's commandeering of the Kaurava army and his death. I would recommend Chapters 65-72 and Chapter 79-96.

Shalya Parva: Not very interesting. You can skip this.

Sauptika Parva: One of the shorter books, this is also easy to read in full.

Stri Parva: This is an intriguing book, dealing with the women's grief after the war, so you could read this one in full too.

Those are all the books that detail the Pandavas' and Kauravas' conflict. After that.. it's really up to you.

I would advise: do not read Shanti and Anushasana Parva. They're chock-full of side stories and discourse that bored me to tears. (My opinion, again!)

If you're interested in Arjuna, the Ashvamedhika might be cool to read. Lmk if you want specific chapters. Otherwise, the last three books dealing with the Pandavas' and Krishna's death are a good conclusion. They're also incredibly short.

Also, another note of sorts: if you're planning to read the English translation, I would recommend the BORI CE over KMG. BORI is a lot easier to read because it's written in modern-ish English, while KMG is really Shakespearean English on steroids. Plus, the BORI has been compiled over 50 years of research and crossreferencing, and is probably the most accurate version we have today.

Apologies for the long reblog! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! If anyone else has any opinions on what is best read, please do add on.

Mahābhārata fans, what parts/books do you recommend to read? I wanna read the Mahābhārata for research purposes but holy shit it's around 1.8 million words long, spread across 18 books with the first one having a whooping 236 chapters alone.

I have difficulties getting around to reading like a 300 page long novel, so it's gonna take me at least a decade to read the whole thing and I was advised that I don't have to read the text's entirely and instead pick which parts I wanna read.

I'm more interested in the conflict between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, especially Karna, if it helps

[tere-rang]

“kisi ki yaad mein

shamein guzarne ke liye

kaleja chahiye khud ko

marne ke liye

ke ghat maut ke

har din utarna padta hai

ye ishq dil mein meri jaan

utaarne ke liye”

Gangubai Kathiawadi (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 2022)

— Ganga/Gangubai (Alia Bhatt) & Afsaan (Shantanu Maheshwari)