Mahabharata

The war of Mahabharata, it's story and legacy

1. MAHABHARATA
Submitted by
RidhikaShekhawat
22BCON1249
Section -W

2. TheMahabharatais an ancient Indian epic where the main story
revolves around two branches of a family -
thePandavasandKauravas-who, in the
KurukshetraWar,battlefor the throne of Hastinapura.
Interwoven into this narrative are several smaller stories about
people dead or living, and philosophical discourses.
Including within it theBhagavad Gita, theMahabharatais one of
the most important texts of ancient Indian, indeed world,literature.
INTRODUCTION

4. PRELUDE
The story begins when the blindness of Dhritarashtra, the elder
of two princes, causes him to be passed over in favour of his
brotherPandu as king on their father’s death. A curse prevents
Pandu from fathering children, however, and his wife Kunti asks
the gods to father children in Pandu’s name.
Theenmityand jealousy that develops between the cousins
forces the Pandavas to leave the kingdom when their father
dies. During their exile the five jointly marry Draupadi (who is
born out of a sacrificial fire and whom Arjuna wins by shooting
an arrow through a row of targets) and meet their
cousinKrishna, who remains their friend and companion
thereafter.
Although the Pandavas return to the kingdom, they are again
exiled to the forest, this time for 12 years, when Yudhishthira
loses everything in a game of dice with Duryodhana, the eldest
of the Kauravas.

5. Just before the war bugle was sounded, Arjuna saw arrayed before him his relatives:
his great-grandfather Bheeshm who had practically brought him up, his teachers
Kripa and Drona, his brothers the Kauravas, and, for a moment, his resolution
wavered.
Krishna, the warriorpar excellence, had given up arms for this war and had elected
to be Arjuna's charioteer.
To him Arjuna said, “What good is a kingdom that's gained at the cost of their lives?"
Krishna explained the impermanence of life to Arjuna, and the importance of doing
one's duty and of sticking to the right path in Bhagvatgeeta. Arjuna picked up his
bow again.
सुखदुखेसमेकृ त्वालाभालाभौजयाजयौ।ततोयुद्धाययुज्यस्वनैवंपापमवाप्स्यप्ति।।।
If you proceed to war treating equally joy and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and
defeat, you do not sin.
The Kurukshetra war & aftermath

6. . The battle raged for 18 days. Casualties on both sides were high. When it all ended, the
Pandavas had won the war but lost almost everyone they held dear. Duryodhan and all of the
Kauravas had died, as had all of the menfolk of Draupadi's family, including all of her sons by the
Pandavas. The now-dead Karna was revealed to be a son of Kunti's from before her marriage to
Pandu, and thus, the eldest Pandava and the rightful heir to the throne.
The grand old man, Bheeshm, lay dying; their teacher Drona was dead as were several kinsfolk
related to them either by blood or by marriage. In about 18 days, the entire country lost almost
three generations of its men. It was a war not seen on a scale before, it was the Great Indian
war, theMaha-bharat.
After the war, Yudhishthir became king of Hastinapur and Indraprastha.. The Pandavas and
Draupadi proceeded on foot to the Himalayas, intending to live out their last days climbing the
slopes heavenwards. One by one, they fell on this last journey and their spirits ascended to the
heavens. Years later, Parikshit's son succeeded his father as king. He held a big sacrifice, at which
this entire story was recited for the first time by a disciple of Vyasa called Vaishampayan.
1.
The Kurukshetra war & aftermath

7. Since that time, this story has been retold countless times, expanded upon,
and retold again.
TheMahabharataremains popular to this day inIndia. It has been adapted
and recast in contemporary mode in several films and plays. Children
continue to be named after the characters in the epic.
TheBhagvad Gitais one of the holiest ofHinduscriptures. Beyond India,
theMahabharatastory is popular in south-east Asia in cultures that were
influenced byHinduismsuch as Indonesia and Malaysia.
Legacy

8. From the palace of the rich to the hut of the poor, the nectar of the
Mahābhāratais still revered. People get a touch of holiness by listening to
the story. In any religious ceremony, Mahābhāratais recited now and
again in Day-In vows, Peace, Shrāddhādi ceremonies, Worship-Festival.
The meeting place of knowledge, action, yoga, and devotion in the Srimad-
Bhāgavatam Gītā, Listening to the nectar of this Gītā, people consider
themselves free from filth.. Its seven hundred verses state the underlying
theory of Indian spiritualism.
The Gītāhas become the content of the world beyond the boundaries of
country and time. In this way, the Mahābhāratahas become one of the
great paintings of ancient Indian science, law, philosophy and culture.
Influence of mahabharaton
religion

9. Influence ofMahābhārataon
Indian Society-
These glorious characters are still the norm in India today, the source of their
inspiration. The idol of righteousness and righteousness is the righteousness
and truthfulness of the devout Yudhisthira, the light of the heroic deeds of
Arjuna, the little manhood -the glory, the irresistible and invincible arm of the
middle Pandava Bhīma, the masculinity of Kshatriya Arrogant Draupadi,
The glorification of the composition of Unified India in the Mantra of Karma
has had a profound effect on the daily work life of all these Indians. The
various theories and facts of Brahmanical religion contained in the
Mahābhārata, the superficial ideas of secular principles, advice, religion and
philosophy have been controlling the social life of Indians since time
immemorial.

10. Paintings
Draupati’s humiliation
Arjun taken to the battlefeild by
Lord Krishna
Bhishmapitamaha on arrowbead
taking his last words

11. “यदायदाहिधममपग्लाहनभमवहत
भारत:।अभ्युत्थानमधममपतदात्मानं
सृजाम्यिम्॥”

12. Thank
You