THE MAHABHARATA: A Modern Rendering, Vol 1

THE MAHABHARATA

A Modern Rendering

(Volume 1)

Ramesh Menon

iUniverse, Inc.

New York Lincoln Shanghai

THE MAHABHARATA

A Modern Rendering

Copyright © 2006 by Ramesh Menon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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‘Memories of a Hero-Stone’ by S. Nandagopal, 2005 Welded Copper & Cast Brass 107 x 64 x 31 cm Collection: Jasdeep Sandhu. Gajah Gallery, Singapore.

ISBN-13: 978-0-595-40187-1 (pbk)

ISBN-13: 978-0-595-84564-4 (ebk)

ISBN-10: 0-595-40187-2 (pbk)

ISBN-10: 0-595-84564-9 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Foreword
 

Acknowledgements
 

Preface
 

THE BIRTH OF A POET
 

BOOK ONE ADI PARVA
1
 

ONE ON THE BANKS OF THE GANGA
 

TWO A TALE OF TWO CURSES
 

THREE THE RIVER’S SON
 

FOUR A SCENT OF HEAVEN
 

FIVE A SOLEMN VOW
 

SIX TWO PRINCES
 

SEVEN THREE PRINCESSES OF KASI
 

EIGHT BHEESHMA AND AMBA
 

NINE AMBA
 

TEN THE SOLEMN OATH
 

ELEVEN SATYAVATI’S OTHER SON
 

TWELVE
 

THE BLIND NIGHT AND THE PALE ONE
 

THIRTEEN IN THE DARK
 

FOURTEEN
 

THE THREE PRINCES OF HASTINAPURA
 

FIFTEEN KUNTIBHOJA’S DAUGHTER
 

SIXTEEN THE BLAZING DEVA
 

SEVENTEEN A CURSE IN THE FOREST
 

EIGHTEEN PANDU’S YEARNING
 

NINETEEN
 

KUNTI’S UNWORLDLY LOVERS
 

TWENTY THE SONS OF PANDU
 

TWENTY-ONE THE SINISTER NIGHT
 

TWENTY-TWO SWEET, DEADLY SPRING
 

TWENTY-THREE THE PANDAVAS COME HOME
 

TWENTY-FOUR THE SEEDS OF ENVY
 

TWENTY-FIVE AT PRAMANAKOTI
 

TWENTY-SIX UNDER THE RIVER
 

TWENTY-SEVEN
 

A MASTER FOR THE KURU PRINCES
 

TWENTY-EIGHT
 

DRONA’S STORY
 

TWENTY-NINE THE BRILLIANT PUPIL
 

THIRTY AT THE RIVER
 

THIRTY-ONE EKALAVYA
 

THIRTY-TWO A YOUNG MAN’S DREAMS
 

THIRTY-THREE KARNA FINDS A MASTER
 

THIRTY-FOUR THE EXHIBITION
 

THIRTY-FIVE THE GOLDEN WARRIOR
 

THIRTY-SIX DRONA’S REVENGE
 

THIRTY-SEVEN A FATHER AND HIS SON
 

THIRTY-EIGHT TO VARANASI
 

THIRTY-NINE THE PALACE OF LAC
 

FORTY FIRE
 

FORTY-ONE THE TRAGIC NEWS
 

FORTY-TWO FLIGHT THROUGH THE JUNGLE
 

FORTY-THREE A CHANGE OF HEART
 

FORTY-FOUR GHATOTKACHA
 

FORTY-FIVE A SLEEPY TOWN
 

FORTY-SIX A STRANGE STORY
 

FORTY-SEVEN ENCOUNTER IN THE NIGHT
 

FORTY-EIGHT THE SPINNING FISH
 

FORTY-NINE
 

‘SHARE THE ALMS YOU’VE BROUGHT’
 

FIFTY THE UNUSUAL WEDDING
 

FIFTY-ONE ANXIETY IN HASTINAPURA
 

FIFTY-TWO THE COUNCIL AT HASTINAPURA
 

FIFTY-THREE VIDURA IN KAMPILYA
 

FIFTY-FOUR A DESOLATE GIFT
 

FIFTY-FIVE MIRACLE IN THE WILDERNESS
 

FIFTY-SIX NARADA VISITS INDRAPRASTHA
 

FIFTY-SEVEN ULUPI AND CHITRANGADAA
 

FIFTY-EIGHT THE CROCODILES
 

FIFTY-NINE THE RAIVATAKA HILL
 

SIXTY THE HOLY YATI
 

SIXTY-ONE THE YATI AND THE PRINCESS
 

SIXTY-TWO CURE FOR AN ILLNESS
 

SIXTY-THREE BALARAMA’S ANGER
 

SIXTY-FOUR DRAUPADI’S ANGER
 

SIXTY-FIVE
 

THE YADAVAS COME TO INDRAPRASTHA
 

SIXTY-SIX THE HUNGRY BRAHMANA
 

SIXTY-SEVEN
 

THE BURNING OF THE KHANDAVA VANA
 

BOOK TWO SABHA PARVA
 

ONE MAYAA
 

TWO MAYAA’S SABHA
 

THREE NARADA, THE MESSENGER
 

FOUR YUDHISHTIRA’S QUANDARY
 

FIVE
 

KRISHNA ARRIVES IN INDRAPRASTHA
 

SIX JARASANDHA
 

SEVEN GIRIVRAJA
 

EIGHT THE BLADE OF GRASS
 

NINE THE FOUR QUARTERS
 

TEN THE RAJASUYA YAGNA
 

ELEVEN A COUSIN’S ANGER
 

TWELVE DARK OMENS
 

THIRTEEN THE GREEN MONSTER
 

FOURTEEN SHAKUNI’S PLAN
 

FIFTEEN AN ANXIOUS MESSENGER
 

SIXTEEN THE GAME OF DICE
 

SEVENTEEN SHAME
 

EIGHTEEN ‘AM I A FREE WOMAN?’
 

NINETEEN THE MIRACLE AND THE OATHS
 

TWENTY DHRITARASHTRA’S FICKLENESS
 

TWENTY-ONE THE SECOND GAME OF DICE
 

BOOK THREE VANA PARVA
 

ONE THE SUN’S GIFT
 

TWO THE KING’S BROTHER
 

THREE THE RISHIS’ WARNING
 

FOUR KRISHNA SWEARS AN OATH
 

FIVE DWAITAVANA
 

SIX THE TRIALS OF YUDHISHTIRA
 

SEVEN VYASA’S ADVICE
 

EIGHT ARJUNA’S QUEST
 

NINE THE VETALA
 

TEN THE LORDS OF LIGHT
 

ELEVEN AMRAVATI
 

TWELVE THE WEAPONS OF INDRA
 

THIRTEEN THE APSARA URVASHI
 

FOURTEEN THE CURSE
 

FIFTEEN THE MUNI BRIHADASWA
 

SIXTEEN TIRTHA YATRA1
 

SEVENTEEN TO BADARIKASRAMA
 

EIGHTEEN AN OLD MONKEY
 

NINETEEN WHERE THE SAUGANDHIKA GROWS
 

TWENTY ARJUNA RETURNS
 

TWENTY-ONE ARJUNA’S STORY
 

TWENTY-TWO THE WONDROUS CITY
 

TWENTY-THREE HIRANYAPURI
 

TWENTY-FOUR BHEEMA’S ADVENTURE
 

TWENTY-FIVE THE RIDDLES OF NAHUSHA
 

TWENTY-SIX
 

MARKANDEYA’S LORE1
 

TWENTY-SEVEN THE FOUR YUGAS
 

TWENTY-EIGHT THE FOOLISH BRAHMANA
 

TWENTY-NINE DURYODHANA’S GHOSHA-YATRA
 

THIRTY THE SHAMING OF DURYODHANA
 

THIRTY-ONE DESPAIR
 

THIRTY-TWO THE POWERS OF DARKNESS
 

THIRTY-THREE THE RISHI DURVASA
 

THIRTY-FOUR JAYADRATHA
 

THIRTY-FIVE THE LAKE OF DEATH
 

THIRTY-SIX
 

YAKSHA PRASNA: THE YAKSHA’S RIDDLES
 

BOOK FOUR VIRATA PARVA
 

ONE THE THIRTEENTH YEAR
 

TWO KANKA, THE GAMBLER
 

THREE AJNATAVASA
 

FOUR THE COOK AND THE WRESTLER
 

FIVE KARNA’S DREAM
 

SIX THE BRAHMANA AT NOON
 

SEVEN THE QUEEN’S SAIRANDHRI
 

EIGHT THE BESOTTED KEECHAKA
 

NINE BALLAVA’S NIGHT VISITOR
 

TEN THE LONG DAY
 

ELEVEN THE ANGRY GANDHARVAS
 

TWELVE DURYODHANA’S SPIES
 

THIRTEEN VIRATA’S BATTLE
 

FOURTEEN THE PRINCE AND THE EUNUCH
 

FIFTEEN UTTARA KUMARA
 

SIXTEEN UNEARTHLY WEAPONS
 

SEVENTEEN DISSENSION
 

EIGHTEEN THE KURU ARMY
 

NINETEEN ARJUNA
 

TWENTY A GAMBLER’S BLOOD
 

TWENTY-ONE THE PANDAVAS
 

TWENTY-TWO A WEDDING IN UPAPLAVYA
 

APPENDIX
 

Glossary
 

About the Author