The Mahabharata Podcast

The two brothers Dhritrashtra & Pandu had thus been married through the vision of Bhishma in reinforcing alliances with the Gandhara, Vrishni, and Madra Kingdoms, who were none other than the fellow ancestors through the line of King Yayati. This episode explains the past of Kunti, who was now Queen of Hastinapura, and her eldest son, who would be known as Karna. Music Forest Walk by Alexander...

After Bhishma had in his mind an idea of how the marriages of his nephews Dhritrashtra and Pandu would pan out, this episode covers the events would unfold providing an opportunity for those to materialise; bringing together the lines that had come from their great ancestor King Yayati from the Age of Truth. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by http...

After Satyavati & Bhishma had thought through together their succession plans on how best their line may be salvaged, and following the births of Dhritrashtra, Pandu and Vidura, Bhishma in this episode turns his attention to the prospective alliances through the marriages of the princes. Music: Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.chosic.c...

Amongst the three sons of Vyasa with the princesses of Kashi, and the maidservant, the previous life roots of Vidura, though born of a maidservant, are indeed the most intriguing, and high. As Dharma himself incarnate, he is amongst the most elevated of personalities that feature in the entire epic. This episode sheds light onto the reasons for Dharmas birth, as Vidura. Music Forest Walk by Alexan...

Bhishma & Satyavati, as the leadership of the Kuru house, had made their resolution that Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, would be invited to Hastinapura and asked to procreate with the two widowed wives of former King Vichitravirya. The episode describes how this all were to unfold. Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/...

After the passing within a short timeframe of three monarchs of Hastinapura in Shantanu, Chitrangada, and Vicchitravirya, the caretakers of the throne, Satyavati & Bhishma are plunged into a dilemma over what should happen next in absence of the royal line of Kuru effectively being halted in its entirety in the absence of Bhishma having any offspring. This episode explores how the dilemma was...

After the passing within a short timeframe of three monarchs of Hastinapura in Shantanu, Chitrangada, and Vicchitravirya, the caretakers of the throne, Satyavati & Bhishma are plunged into a dilemma over what should happen next in absence of the royal line of Kuru effectively being halted in its entirety in the absence of Bhishma having any offspring. This episode explores how the dilemma was...

The unlikely union between King Shantanu of the great Kuru line, with the daughter, Satyavati of the fisher tribe would set in motion a set of events described in this episode, that would complicate the rulership at Hastinapura, with Bhishma installing his mother in law, followed by his two step brothers within a very short timeframe. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords...

In a circumstance that King Santanu chanced upon, in encountering Satyavati, the fisherlady, it would result in a high stakes encounter involving the heir to the throne Devavrata intervening and effectively staking the future for the present. This episode details the meeting of Santanu and Satyavati, to the royal reception of the latter. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorcho...

The union of Ganga & Santanu, anticipated in the previous life of Santanu as Mahabhisha coincided with the curse of the eight Vasus, which would result in blended Karma, which would play out through their children, which would include none other than Gangeya, also known as Devavrata. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/fr...

The story of how Santanu met Ganga was not ordinary, and would not give way to ordinary events. Stemming from the heavenly personality Mahabhisha, Santanu would be born to fulfil his desire; for the celestial goddess Ganga. The episode describes these happenings that transgress the boundaries of a single lifetime. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted b...

Whilst much attention has been given to the Kuru line, not so much has been given to the Yadava line. The Yadavas form the maternal backbone of the Pandavas, and are instrumental in the happenings through till the final battle and beyond. This episode explores the intermingles of the Yadus and Kurus Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.c...

After hearing of the fall, and return of King Yayati, one of the prominent Kings amongst the Paurava line to the Kurus, Sage Vaisampayana and King Janamejaya elaborate further on this great lineage beyond the noble son of Yayati, Puru. Here again is addressed King Dushyant and Shakuntala, as well as feuds within the line that threatened to break the line from Puru, and their re-forming. Music Fore...

This episode features the precise inquiry of King Janamejaya of the line coming from the great King Puru, the youngest and dear most child of King Yayati, and indeed King Janamejaya’s forefather. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

The Mahabharata, as the worlds largest ancient classic, has a genelogy spanning across ages, transcending worlds, and leading to interchanges across various branches of the tree, that remain unknown to most. From naming conventions, to the inheritance of dominions, to interventions of the celestials, the Mahabharata genelogy is introduced in this episode. Music Permafrost by Scott Buckley | www.sc...

After Yayati has taught his son, his most cherished and pronounced realisations covering kindness, Indra asks him more questions; one of which brings out a certain pride in Yayati, leading him to fall from the heavens. Even in falling, Yayati pleads for the association of the virtuous, and receiving this, he meets with his relatives, and discourses to them on the importance of humility and recogni...

King Yayati after enjoying the insatiable pleasures of the world, decided to retire to the forest, and devote his life to meditating and conducting sacrifices, devoting himself to contentment with simplicity. After attaining the heavens as a result, the King was asked by the King of gods, Indra, about the teachings he imparted to his youngest son Puru, to whom he had bestowed his Kingdom. The teac...

This episode describes the immediate lineage of King Yayati, namely that of King Pururava, King Ayus, and King Nahusha; those though human, had interacted with the celestials. Amongst these descriptions, the focus is King Yayati, and his encountering the curse of decrepitude from Sage Shukra, the father of his wife Devayani, and how he reacted to receiving the curse. Music: Forest Walk by Alexande...

After being declined by Kacha, and having been saved from the well by King Yayati, Devayani chances across the King again, this time in different circumstances; when she now has Sharmistha as her maidservant. Devayani and Yayati, being enamoured with one another, agree to marriage with the conditional assent of her father Sukra. However, Devayani doesn’t know what she may expect from the boisterou...

After the efforts of the gods to obtain the sanjeevani from the demoniac preceptor through Kacha, and the departure of Kacha from the abode of his new found preceptor Sukra, he turns away his daughter Devayani. Devayani finds herself then stuck in a feud with the daughter of those so close to her Father, the demon King, Vrishaparvan through the intervention of Indra. Music: Sovereign by Kevin MacL...

Having explained of the birth of King Bharata, Sage Vaisampayana goes on to speak of the following ancestors of King Janamejaya after Bharata; many  of whom had their maternal line originating from the celestials, both the demons, and the gods. Here is introduced the preceptor of the demons, Sage Sukra, and his approach by the son of Brihaspati, the preceptor of the gods, named Kacha. Music F...

After the King of the Puru race, Dushyanta, was enamoured by the adopted daughter of Sage Kanwa, named Shakuntala, and having proposed numerous options for their union, the King awaits her opinion on the matter. This episode explains what happened next, as the pathway for the great Kings Nahusha, Yayati, Kuru, Hasti, and Pandu, is paved. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorcho...

Now that the identities of descending characters have been explained as well as the reason for their descent, and also the summaries of the story of the Bharata cited; it is now time for King Janamejaya to go directly, in chronological order, to the story of the birth of King Bharata. His father was King Dushyanta, scion of the Paurava race. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creato...

After the somewhat more abstract aspects of existence, such as dharma, and adharma, the personalities behind planetary systems, King Janamejaya inquires of Sage Vaisampayana of who each of the principle characters of the Bharata, the heroes, the villains, the queens, and sages, were, in their more eternal identity in the transcendent worlds, who would descent to play out the great epic. Forest Wal...

After describing the daughters of Daksha, in his final descriptions of how the various entities arose, Sage Vaisampayana describes the progeny of Dharma, and their composite qualities. And side by side, the grave descriptions of Adharma are provided. Music Forest Walk by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Attribution 4.0 Internat...