Reading Notes Mahabharata videos, Part A

 Intro- explains Mahabharata and its origin. It explains that this is a story of king, queens, heroes, villains and a great war. This story has been told for many years.

Shantanu the unfortunate-  explains the mahnharata is a story that explains how Karma works. They started when king shantanu of histanapur was in the back of the Ganga. He fell in love with the beautiful river goddess and asked her to marry him and ganga said yes. She had a condition that she would marry him as long as he would not question her decisions and he agreed to all that she asked. for a time they were happy and the people were happy with them. The despair came to the king when they had their first child and Ganga drowned the baby. Although he was devastated he kept his promise and asked his wife no questions. He continued to ask no questions as Queen Ganga proceeded to kill their next six children. Then when their eighth child was going to meet the same fate as the seven before it Shantanu could no longer keep his silence. He asked his wife why he had killed their children she told him about the eight vasus who had been cursed to live mortal lives a long time ago Ganga had agreed to give birth to the 8 celestial spirits and free them from mortality as soon as they were born and then she went away and left him after she told him the truth. She left and took with her his one remaining son. 

Devavrata Returns- one day sixteen years after his wife left him, king shantanu of hastinapur found himself at the banks ganga where his wife left him. he missed his wife and the son she had taken with her. Shantanu sadness was interrupted when he heard the sound of fighting and found that a young boy who was an archer tamed the river ganga and he had never seen someone with such skill or as daring. Ganga appeared to him and shantanu was happy and to see his wife and to find out that this skilled young man was his won and his name was devavrat. before Ganga left him she told shantanu that their son was taught the art of war by the god of war himself. She had brought him, his kingdom, and the people a new prince. The people could not be happier.  after time had passed shantanu had fallen in love again and he fell for a fishermans daughter that went by the name shatyavti and asked her to marry him. She refused him, her father believed that even if satyavati would become his queen that her children would never be kings. they would always remain second to prince deavrats children. There was nothing that could be done, shantanu could not deprive his son of his birthright so he returned home with a broken heart. His anger and despair at not getting the woman he loved showed he was not attending to his kingly duties and would not talk to anyone. prince deavrat noticed this and could not allow his father to act in such manner. He decided to take the matter in his hands and he decided to speak to the fisherman and his daughter himself. 

Epified