The Greatest Indian Epic - Mahabharath

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viggop

2 questions
============
(1)Can someone tell me the story behind Karna's wheel getting stuck because of a curse during the battle?

(2) I think Krishna also sacrifices the life of "Aravan" .another son of the Pandavas.But the above quiz gives name of Bheema's son being sacrificed.I have not heard about this story too.

---

I am going through the old pages. Interesting posts indeed. Here are your answers:

1) While returning from Parasurama, cursed that he would forget whatever he learnt by cheating the Guru, Karna keeps shooting his arrows in frustration. That's how he killed a cow belonging to a Brahmin, without realising that it was a cow. The Brahmin cursed him that the wheel of his chariot would get stuck at the most difficult time.

2) The story of Aravan is an addition by Villi. It is narrated in Villi Bharatam. I have not come across the name in Vyasa Bharatam.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viggop

A very tough quiz on the Mahabharatha.I scored 10/25

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz.cfm?qid=150304
&origin=http://www.funtrivia.com/search2_act.cfm_QN_type=quizzes_AND_searchstring=
The+great+mahabharatha_AND_Go.x=13_AND_Go.y=14

---

It is a nice quiz indeed. But the answers/choices contain wrong suggessions. I have reported the errors to the website. :-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viggop

Atleast 1 Kaurava brother is supposed to have joined the Pandavas in the war.Do not know whether he was killed in the war or not.

---

No. Not a single Kaurava brother joined the Pandava side.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raghu

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viggop

Atleast 1 Kaurava brother is supposed to have joined the Pandavas in the war.Do not know whether he was killed in the war or not.

---

Viggop,

It would be great, if you can or some post about Vikarna.


Q 4)

What was the reason for Vidura to break his bow and not to take part in the war? :?

---

Ans for Q 3) Vikarna died on the 14th day of the war, and was killed by Bheema. He killed 7 of the Kaurava brothers that day. After killing Vikarna, Vyasa says, Bheema shed tears saying, 'Gory indeed is this war, Vikarna, in which you and Bheeshma had to be killed.'


Ans for Q 4) As far as I can recollect, Vidura abstains from joining either side and the incident of his breaking the bow is not to be seen in Vyasa Bharata. But, I will have to double-check this. My memory may be slipping.

The incident of Vidura breaking his bow and going away from the Sabha is found in Villi Bharata. This was becasue Duryodhana insulted him for playing the host to Krishna, against his orders.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viggop

Coming to charcater of Draupadi,she appears very haughty, arrogant,proud and vengeful character.
She is born in the yagna of Draupada.The objective of the yagna was to take revenge(not noble) on Drona and both Drishtadyumna and Draupadi are born in it.

She laughs at Duryodhana when he slips and falls in Indraprastha.
She takes a vow not to plait her hair till she drinks the blood of dushashana.Hence she is also very vengeful person full of fury.

She loves Arjuna more than other husbands and does not treat them equally as Arjuna.This is supposed to be adharmic! Hence,she is the first to fall down dead on the way to Himalayas at the end.

She is much sinned against too.Arjuna loves Satyabhama(?) more than Draupadi.Yudishtra keeps her as an object in the game of dice and loses her.She is disrobed publicly.When Pandavas have to be incognito for 14 years,she is serving as a servant for some queen.

---

I am sorry to say this. The perception of Draupadi is not right. And it is not right to say that she did not treat everyone of the Pandavas equally.

Draupadi is an admirable character. Very brave; excellent in wisdom; very precise in her stand; very sound in her reasoning and logic.

Hope we will have more time to see the facts and come to conclusions rather than on impressions. :-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jaiganes

hey!
slight misunderstanding. what krishna drops is his modhiram or ring. Jewel is something he is born with and in the last day of the war, shri krishnaa takes that jewel away from him as a punishment for his unjust practices in the war (by killing children of the pandavaas when they are asleep).

---

Are you speaking about the incident that is associated with Vidura (which is again a hearsay) or Aswathama? If it is Aswathama, it is Sironmani that was removed from him.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raghu

Dear Viggop,

Vidur had a bow which can destroy the universe, which was granted to him by the supreme personality of god head Maha Iswar(Lord Shiva),similar to Shiva thanusu in Ramayna,

---

What Vidura had was known as Narayana Dhanus. The very same bow that Sri Rama had. These divine weapons keep changing hands from time to time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viggop

I thought Kunti went along with the Pandavas in the forest.It is there she asks them to share Draupadi.
Vidura was a great devotee of Lord Krishna

He is supposed to have given the banana peel instead of banana to Krishna when praying but the Lord accepted it gladly because of his devotion.Similar ,one Nayanmar was throwing stones at the lingam deeply absorbed in Bhakthi thinking them to be flowers but shiva gladly accepts it.In Kalahasthi,the hunter nayanmar,kannappa nayanar, offers pork to the Lingam which is accepted by the lord much to the anger of the priest.

Is not Vidura called as Sanjaya? He narrates the entire war to Dhiritharashtra by seeing thru Gnana Kann.

---

No. Kunti stayed with Vidura. She did not accompany Pandavas. The sons did not want their mother to undergo suffering.

The banana peel story is interesting. But once again, not to be found in Vyasa or Villi. Can you please let me know the source?

Sanjaya was the charioteer whereas Vidura was the youngest of the three - Dhritharastra, Pandu and Vidura.

As mentioned elsewhere, Charioteer was not the equvilaent of a car driver. The Chariots of kings and emperors were driven by their ministers, or other smaller kings. This was essential because Charioteer played a very vital role in times of war. He played the part of counsellor too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ts

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viggop

I thought Kunti went along with the Pandavas in the forest.It is there she asks them to share Draupadi.
Vidura was a great devotee of Lord Krishna

---

The draupadi story happened much earlier. This was when they were accomodated in the "arakku mAligai" in deceit where they was an attempt to kill them.

---

Draupadi story in arakku mALigai? It is AFTER the arakku mALigai incident that Pandavas reach Ekachakra and stay there for more than a year. After the killing of Baka, the Pandavas go to Panachala hearing the news about Draupadi's proposed swayamvaram. Therefore, the marriage takes place about 2 years after arakku mALigai incident.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Raghu

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by viggop

I thought Ashwathama was born with the jewel on his head.It is embedded into his body.

---

Not sure about that :?

---

Yes. It was known as sironmani.