MAHABHAR

ATA
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 MEMBERS
Maalvika Tushar kumar
Singh
Priyanshi Rana Vanya
Kapari

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 BACKGROUND
The Mahabharata, one of India's great epics, tells the story of
the Kuru dynasty and their battle for the throne. The epic
centers on the complex themes of dharma (duty), karma
(action), and moksha (liberation). It explores the intricate
relationships between the Pandava and Kaurava princes,
their quest for justice and power, and the consequences of
their choices.

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 Shantanu, Ganga, Satyavati, and the
Birth of Bhishma
King Shantanu fell in love with the celestial nymph Ganga.
They married and she bore eight sons, all of whom she
drowned after birth. When Shantanu asked why, Ganga
revealed that the sons were Vasus, celestial beings who
were cursed to be born as humans. She was tasked with
freeing them from their curse. After fulfilling her duty,
Ganga left Shantanu, leaving him heartbroken.

Shantanu yearned for an heir and wished to marry

Satyavati, the daughter of a fisherman, who had an
uncanny ability to control water. He asked for her hand in
marriage, but Satyavati insisted that Shantanu's future
sons inherit the throne, not her children. Shantanu,
conflicted between his desire for an heir and his love for
Ganga, agreed to this condition. In the meantime, he had
a son with Ganga: Devavrata, who would later become
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known as Bhishm
 Bhishma
vow
As a young prince, Devavrata had been destined for the
throne. However, his life took a dramatic turn when his father
fell in love with a fisherwoman named Satyavati. Her father
demanded that Satyavati's sons should succeed to the throne,
which Shantanu could not promise. Devavrata, to ensure his
father's happiness, took a severe vow. He swore to remain
celibate for his lifetime and renounced his claim to the throne.
From that moment, he was known as Bhishma – the terrible,
due to his terrible oath.

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 Patrilineal
Mahabharata reinforced the ideal of patriliny as
System
valuable. Under patriliny, sons could claim the
throne or other resources of their fathers when
the latter died

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 DRAUPADI
Draupadi's Swayamvara is an important event in the Mahabharata.
It was a ceremony where Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, was

SWAYAMWAR
to choose a husband from a group of suitors. The challenge set by
her father, King Drupada, was to string a massive bow and shoot
an arrow through a revolving target (a fish) placed above. Many
princes and kings, including Karna, Duryodhana, and Arjuna,
participated.
However, only Arjuna, disguised as a Brahmin, successfully
completed the task. Draupadi, who had already pledged to marry
the one who accomplished the feat, chose Arjuna. This event is
significant as it led to the marriage of Draupadi to the Pandavas,
who later became central figures in the epic.

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 The Game of Dice (Dyutakrida) is a pivotal event in the
Mahabharata, specifically in the Sabha Parva. It takes place after
the Pandavas have regained their kingdom and are living in
peace. Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas, is determined to
humiliate the Pandavas and regain control of their kingdom. He
invites Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava, to a game of dice in the
royal court, with the promise that the winner would take control
of the kingdom.
Yudhishthira, though reluctant, is persuaded to play due to the pressure from
his elders and the guise of fairness. The game is rigged from the start, as
Shakuni, Duryodhana's uncle, manipulates the dice to ensure the defeat of
the Pandavas.
Yudhishthira starts losing one bet after another, and he ultimately wagers and
loses his kingdom, wealth, brothers, and even himself. In a final, desperate
move, Yudhishthira stakes his own freedom and the freedom of his brothers,
ultimately losing all. This results in the Pandavas being forced into exile for 13
years—one of which must be spent in complete anonymity.
The dice game is a critical turning point in the Mahabharata, leading to the 8
humiliation of the Pandavas, the deepening enmity between the Pandavas
KARN
A
Karna, born to Kunti through a divine boon from the Sun god, was raised
in a lower caste family by a charioteer couple. Despite his royal lineage,
he was always seen as a Suta (charioteer's son), which led to constant
humiliation and rejection from others, especially the Kauravas and
Pandavas.
Karna's caste identity drove him to prove himself as a great warrior. He
secretly trained under Parashurama, disguising himself as a Brahmin.
Though a powerful and noble figure, his lower caste status kept him from
gaining full recognition and respect.
He aligned with Duryodhana, who accepted him without prejudice.
Ultimately, Karna learned that he was the eldest son of Kunti and thus a
Pandava, but this discovery came too late. His tragic fate highlights the
struggle between caste, identity, and destiny. 9
 VIOLATION OF
DRAUPADI
The violation of Draupadi occurs after the Pandavas lose
her in the rigged game of dice. Duryodhana orders
Draupadi to be dragged into the court, where Dushasana
attempts to disrobe her. She is humiliated in front of the
entire Kaurava court, but when she prays to Lord Krishna,
he miraculously protects her by providing an endless
supply of cloth, preventing her from being disrobed.

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 Draupadi
curse
Draupadi curses the Kauravas. She curses Dushasana that he will never
taste the blood of the Pandavas (symbolizing his death in battle) and
curses Dhritarashtra's family that they will all perish in the war. She also
curses that the Kauravas will be destroyed in the upcoming Kurukshetra
War.
This event deeply fuels the animosity between the Pandavas and
Kauravas and sets the stage for the great battle of Kurukshetra

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 Battle of
kurukshetra
he epic war fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas in the
Mahabharata. It lasts for 18 days and is fought on the fields of
Kurukshetra. The Pandavas, who were wronged by the Kauravas, seek
to reclaim their kingdom.
The battle involves many great warriors, including Arjuna, Bhima,
Karna, and Duryodhana. It is marked by intense duels, strategies, and
divine interventions. Key moments include Arjuna's moral dilemma,
the death of key figures like Karna and Abhimanyu, and the ultimate
destruction of the Kaurava army.
The Pandavas win the war, but at great personal and moral cost,
leading to a tragic resolution with heavy losses on both sides. The
war symbolizes the struggle between dharma (righteousness) and
adharma (unrighteousness).

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 After Math Of
The Mahabharat war ended in a bittersweet victory for the Pandavas,

War
following a devastating war that resulted in massive loss of life. With
most warriors on both sides dead, the aftermath continued to be filled
with violence, vengeance, and unresolved emotions. This blog explores
the events that unfolded after the Mahabharat, including Parikshit's
journey before his birth.The war had lasted eighteen days when the
Pandavas declared victory over the Kauravas. Draupadi greeted her
husbands as they returned from the battlefield, draping them with
garlands of triumph: Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva.

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 Rules of
Exogamy (marrying outside one's kin group) was common,

marraiges
especially among high-status families, to avoid close kin unions.
Young girls from elite families had their marriages arranged to
suitable partners at the "right" time, emphasizing kanyadana
(giving a daughter in marriage) as a religious duty for fathers.
Diverse marriage practices included arranged marriages,
voluntary unions, and capture-based marriages.
The Manusmriti classified marriage into eight forms,
distinguishing "good" and "condemned" types, reflecting
evolving norms.
Examples included gifting a daughter, voluntary unions, and
wealth-exchange marriages, showcasing varied societal values. 14
GOTRA SYSTEM OF WOMEN
• Women were expected to give up their father's gotra and
adopt that of their husband's after marriage.
• Marriage between individuals of the same gotra was
prohibited and considered incest.
• A woman's gotra would change to her husband's gotra after
marriage.
• The name of the gotra could be passed down through
generations of male descendants.

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THANK YOU

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