LESSER KNOWN FACTS ABOUT MAHABHARATA

LESSER KNOWN FACTS ABOUT MAHABHARATA

The pandemic surely made you watch Mahabharata more than thrice. 

Today lets know about some lesser known facts about Mahabharat 

1. Mahabharata was a world war:

    The real fight was not just between       Pandavas and Kauravas, forces from       Rome, Greece were also a part of it

 

 The war caused widespread                      destruction, and totally destroyed the        social structure and even raised                question mark on the survival of                humanity. But that was 5000 years            earlier.

2. Pandu’s Knolwdedge transfer and cannibalism:

Pandu (Father of Pandavas) wished his sons must eat his flesh post death so that all the knowledge may transfer to them which he had collected after so many years. Only Sahadeva ate a piece; the moment he ate he was able to see the future but stopped by God. He was a blessed astrologer and able to see the future

3. Vedvyas is not a name but a post 

given to those who had knowledge of Vedas. There were 27 Vedvyas before Krishnadweepayan. And Krishnadweepayan was the 28th Vedvyas, who was given this name because he had a wheatish skin colour like Lord Krishna and he was born on an island.

4. In Mahabharat, Vidur was the avatar of Yamraj  and was a great scholar of Dharma Shatra and Artha Shastra. Due to the curse of Rishi Mandavya’s he had to be born as human.

 

5. The five golden arrows that could have killed all Pandavas:



At the time of war as Bhishma who was on the side of Kaurava was accused by Duryodhana for doing any harm to Pandavas and favoring them. On hearing, Bhishma became very angry and in his anger, he took five gold arrows filled it with mantras.He vowed that the Pandavas would die before the Sunset. On the other day Duryodhana suspected that Bhisma would never do anything wrong with them so, he took those arrows with him.Lord Krishna reminded Arjun that Duryodhana had promised him of boon and he should ask him for five golden arrows. When Arjun asked him about the arrows Duryodhana was shocked and asked him how did he know about those arrows then Arjun replied “Krishna”.

6.  Generally people know about six-sided dice. Amazing is that the dice through which Shakuni had defeated the Pandavas in the game of Checker had four sides. And of what that dice was made up of nobody knows.

7.  Arjun was cursed by Urvashi an Apsara of Indralok as he was addressing her ‘mother’ and said that he would become a eunuch. On this Lord Indra told Arjun that this curse is going to serve as a boon during the one year stay in hiding and after spending that period he would regain his masculinity. And in Mahabharat after spending 12 years in forest, Pandavas spent 13th year of exile in cognito, in the court of king Virat. Arjuna used this curse and lived as eunuch named Brihannala.

8. Eklavya was reincarnated as Draupadi’s twin brother Dhrishtadyumna. As he was killed by Krishna during Rukmini’s abduction. So, in place of guru dakshina Krishna blessed him that he can reincarnate and take revenge on Drona.

9. Not all Kauravas were against the Pandavas in the war:

Two of Dhritarashtra’s sons, Vikarna and Yuyutsu did not approve of Duryodhana’s actions and had actually protested against Draupadi being staked in the game of dice.

Interestingly, Vikarna was the third son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra –also the third most reputable of Kauravas after after Duryodhana and Dussasan.

Despite his apprehensions, Vikarna still fought on the Duryodhana side during the Kurukshetra War. 

While Yuyutsu was the only son of Dhritarashtra with Sughada/Sauvali, his wife Gandhari’s maid. He was the paternal half-sibling to Gandhari’s children — Duryodhana and the rest of the 100 Kaurava brothers and their sister Dushala.

Before the start of the battle of the Kurukshetra War between Kauravas and Pandavas, Yuyutsu shifts from Kauravas to the Pandava camp — ultimately, he was the only Kaurava brother and son of Dhritarashtra who survived the Kurukshetra war.

10. It was a Brahmana’s curse that killed Karna:

It was a Brahmanas curse that killed Karna. Karna, once when practicing the Shabdbhedi Arrow, mistook a Cow for a wild animal and shoots it down. The Brahman to whom the cow belongs is distraught and curses Karna that he will be killed by his enemy when his attention is diverted when he is not in combat. This curse materializes when Karna is busy removing the chariot wheel from the mud and is shot by Arjuna.

When Karna went to Mahendra Parvat. He was practicing Archery with his Vijaya bow and then he inadvertently slew a Homa cow of a Brahmana who has performed Agnihotra Rite daily. Then Karna informed that Brahmana about his inadvertent act and apologized for it.

Then that Brahmana cursed Karna that Karna’s chariot wheel will be swallowed by the earth and he will be totally heedless and his head will be cut off by the warrior whom he always challenges, for whom he was striving so much. 

We all know that mahabharat one epic of ancient India

It consist of lot of storys (some are known and some are not known till date) 

Author doesn't claim that the facts mentioned above are all 100% true. 

Kalindi Chokshi