INTRODUCTION TO THE STORIES FROM THE MAHABHARATA

The Mahabharata, from which the following five stories have been adapted, is one of the two great epics of the Hindus, the other being the Ramayana. Its date is uncertain, but one estimate puts it as far back as the fifth century B.C. ‘Mahabharata’ means ‘The Great War of the (race of) Bharatas,’ or ‘The Great War.’ In 220,000 lines – which make it the longest poem of the world—it depicts the bitter feud between two brothers’ families: the Kauravas and the Pandavas.

Dhritrashtra, the Kauravas’ patriarch, was the elder of the two brothers, but because he was born blind, his younger brother, Pandu, head of the Pandavas, succeeded him as king. Though the two brothers loved each other dearly, their sons go to battle for the throne.

Among Dhritrashtra’s hundred sons, the eldest, Duryodhana, intent on securing the throne for himself alone, refuses to share the empire with the Pandavas. To this end he schemes to kill Pandu’s five sons: Yudhishtra, Arjuna, Bheem, Sahdeva and Nakula. Though he fails at his, Duryodhana manages to oust his cousins from the kingdom through trickery – a game of loaded dice – banishing them to a life in the forest for thirteen years.

The Pandavas at first comply, but after their repeated efforts at family reconciliation fail, they wage war upon their cousins, the Kauravas. With Krishna’s guidance, the Pandavas claim victory, and go on to rule successfully for thirty-six years.

In an intriguing aside within the Mahabharata, all five Pandava brothers are married to and live together with the same woman, Draupadi. This unusual arrangement comes about after Arjuna, a master archer, returns home after having won Draupadi in a contest. He calls out, “Mother, come see what I have won!” His mother, who hasn’t noticed the maiden, replies, “Whatever it is, Arjuna, share it equally with your brothers!” Honoring their mother’s wish, all five marry Draupadi.

Krishna, the Blue God, an incarnation of Vishnu, is cousin to the Pandavas from their mother’s side. Transcending the imperatives of a warrior, Krishna serves as Arjuna’s charioteer in the war, speaking to him as his Higher Self, and instructing him in the portion of the Mahabharata known as the Bhagawad Gita.