The great epic Mahabharath was composed by Maharishi Veda Vyasa/Krishna Dwaipayana, son of Sage Parasara and Sathyavati, a woman from fishermen clan. Mahabharath describes the legend of Bharatha Dynasty. It was written in 18 Parva such as Adhi Parva, Sabha Parva, Vana Parva, Virada Parva, Udhyoga Parva, Bhishma Parva, Drona Parva, Karna Parva, Shalya Parva, Soupthika Parva, Stri Parva, Shanthi Parva, Anushasana Parva, Ashwamedha Parva, Ashramavasika Parva, Musala Parva, Mahaprasthanika Parva and Swargarohana Parva and each Parva has divided into many Upaparva and has chapters in detail. Adhi Parva depicts the life of King Dushyantha and his wife Shakunthala and their son Sarvadhamanan, who was famously known as Bharatha, a righteous ruler of Bharatha Empior.
Lord Brahma created deities, Sages and Prajapathis. It was the beginning of the growth of human race from the sixty daughters of Daksha Prajapathi. Pururavass, Yayathi, Puru, Dushyantha, Bharatha, Shanthanu were born in the family of Dithi, one of the daughters of Daksha Prajapathi.
Birth of Kauravas & Pandavas !!
Rishi Vaishampayan narrates the birth of Kauravas and Pancha Pandavas. Gandhari gave birth to hundred and one children of Drutharashtra. Drutharashtra had a son in his illicit relationship with a Vaishya woman. In the meantime Kunthi gave birth to three sons and Madhri gave birth to two sons in the woodland. King Janamejaya earnestly prayed to Rishi Vaishampayana to describe the whole happenings in detail, how Gandhari gave birth to hundred sons and how many years it took? How Pandu and his wives blessed with five children when the King had already a curse upon him by Sage Kindhma ?
Rishi Vaishampayana continued, Maharishi Veda Vyasa reached the palace of Gandhar with tired of hunger and thirst. Gandhari received Maharishi Veda Vyasa with utmost reverence; she respectfully served him with his needs and took good care of him. Maharishi Veda Vyasa was pleased at the dedication and devotion of Gandhari and blessed her. Maharishi Veda Vyasa offered her a boon as desired by her to have hundred sons with the intelligence, power and strength of her husband. In due course of time, Gandhari conceived with the child of Drutharashtra, she had to carry the fetus for more than two years in her womb. Gandhari was extremely disappointed and in a wretched state, she had to face sheer criticism of her husband and the family due to the unusual stay of the fetus in her womb. It was the moment Kunthi gave birth to a stunning child Yudhishtira, this joyful news propelled Gandhari in a miserable state, she forcefully banged on her stomach, and consequently she gave birth to a mass of flesh. Maharishi Veda Vyasa envisioned the misfortune of Gandhari with his power of meditation, arrived on the spot enquired the reason for the wreck. Gandhari sorrowfully described her mental state after receiving the news about the birth of Kunthi’s child. Maharishi Veda Vyasa comforted her that the boon given to her would never go waste. At the instruction of Maharishi Veda Vyasa the mass of flesh was divided into hundred in the size of a thumb and each pieces were filled in hundred mud pots and poured ghee over the top along with the exceptional herbs required for the growth of the child. This hundred mud pots were carefully secured with the above resources were moved to a cavern under the Earth. Before leaving for penance Maharishi Veda Vyasa advised Gandhari to wait for another two years to open the hundred pots. In due course of time, the eldest son Duryodhana was born to Gandhari and Drutharashtra. It was predestined that Yudhishtira, the elder son of King Pandu & Kunthi, the legal heir of the throne of Hasthinapur was born elder to Duryodhana. Duryodhana’s birth brought bad omens to the Kingdom, Bhishma and Vidura were shocked at the ill fortune brought by the new born of Drutharashtra, it was on the same day Kunthi gave birth to Bhima. Immediately after the birth Duryodhana shrieked like a donkey, it provoked the donkey’s, foxes, owls and crows to raise their loud cries correspondingly. The nature shown its extreme dislike at the birth of Duryodhana, nature calamities like some parts were engulfed in fire and windblown like tornado created a mayhem and dismay. Immediately, Drutharashtra conducted an assembly of Kripacharya/ Acharya of Kurus, Bhishma Pithamaha, Vidur and Brahmin scholars to discuss about the legal heir to the throne of Hasthinapur. Yudhishtira, son of Pandu & Kunthi declared as the legal heir to the throne, Drutharashtra raised a question about the successor to the throne and enquired the intellectuals assembled whether his son would be eligible for the same? Instantly, there were deafening screams of carnivores ruined the peace of the assembly. Vidura replied that, on the basis of the time of birth of elder son of Drutharashtra would destroy the sanctity of the Kuru Dynasty; he would possess all evil character and annihilate the Kurus from the Universe. It will be safe for the Kingdom to take away the life of the newborn. Vidura comforted Drutharashtra that if he would sacrifice his first child, it will do good for the Kuru dynasty, and the remaining ninety nine sons would remove the grief caused. Vidura narrates Dharma Sastra briefly. A single member can be sacrificed for the benefit of entire family, one family can be sacrificed for the benefit of entire village, one village can be sacrificed for the benefit of a country, and a person can be sacrificed the whole world for the benefit of betterment of his soul. All the intellectuals assembled were strongly agreed Vidura’s statement about the elder son of Drutharashtra, encouraged him to take away the life the child for benefit of the Kuru dynasty. Ultimately, Drutharashtra refused to follow any of the advices of Kripacharya and the enlightened members of the assembly. All the children were come out of the pot in a month. Thus, Drutharashtra and Gandhari had hundred sons and a daughter Dusshala. Drutharashtra also had a son Yuyutsu in his illicit relationship with a Vaishya woman who was taking care of him during the pregnancy period of Gandhari.
Jai Sriman Narayana !!