mahabharata stories

Suta said: “Then Mahavira, Mahabala, that bird who can go at will came to the mother on the other side of the ocean. There, Vinatha lost the bet and became a slave, and was very sad. Then once Kadru called Vinatha and said to her who was bowing before her son: “Bhadre Vinate! Take me to the solitude of the temple of Nagas, which is very beautiful located at the bottom of the sea.” Then the mother of Suparna left with the mother of serpents and Garuda carrying the Pannagas on the shoulders as the mother said. As that Vihangama Vainateya ascended towards the sun, all the pannagas were struck by the rays of the sun. Seeing the plight of the children, Kadru praised Shakra Indra: “Save the snakes from the scorching sun by raining. Amarottama! You alone are our greatest strength. Purandara! You are the lord of rain and you can make it rain as much as you want. You are the cloud, you are the air, and you are the lightning that shines in amber. You are the one who disperses the clouds and ...

The Suta said: “I have told you everything about the churning of nectar. At the same time, a beautiful horse of unparalleled strength was born. Watching it, Kadru asked Vinata: “Bhadra! What color is that ucchaishrava? Tell me quickly.” Vinata said: “This horse is white. Good luck! What do you think? Tell me what color it is. Let’s bet on it.” Kadru said: “Suchishmitha! I think this horse’s tail is black. Bhamini! The loser in this should become the other’s maid.” Suta said: “Thus, having made a vow to become each other’s maidservants, they went to their respective homes, saying, “Come tomorrow and see the horse.” With the intention of deceiving her, Kadru ordered her thousand sons, "If I do not want to be a maidservant, immediately go and wrap yourself around the tail of that horse and make it appear black." She cursed those Bhujangas who were unwilling to obey her words, saying, "Pavaka will burn you all to ashes in the yaga run by the wise Pandava king and sage Janame...

The Suta said: “Then the leading giants-danavas, armed with armor and various weapons, pursued and attacked the gods. Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu, the god of strength, accompanied Nara and took the nectar from Danavendra. Then all the gods received the nectar from Vishnu and drank it together with joyous cheers. While the gods were eagerly drinking the nectar, the demon Rahu, who was in the form of a god, also drank it. Just as the nectar reached the demon's throat, the benevolent moon and sun informed him of the matter. Immediately, the Lord severed his adorned head while he was drinking the nectar with His Chakra weapon. The giant head, like a rock, was severed by the wheel and soared into the sky, while the headless body fell to the ground. Since then, a permanent enmity has developed between Rahu's face and the Moon and Sun, and eclipses of both of them have been occurring continuously. Then Lord Hari, abandoning his incomparable female form, threw various types of fierce weapo...

The Suta said: “Tapodhana! At this same time, both the sisters saw Ucchaishrava, who was born during the churning of nectar, samudra mathana worshipped by all the gods, beautiful in form, the finest horse jewel, divine, endowed with all attributes, wealthy, eternally youthful, the best, most excellent, and most powerful of horses, coming towards them.” Shaunaka said: “How and why did the gods churn the nectar? Where was Mahavira Mahadyuti Ashvaraja born? Explain.” The sage Suta said: “There is a mountain called Meru, shining with infinite brilliance. The rays of the sun, falling on its bright glassy peak, were emanating from there. Adorned with golden ornaments, adorned with the perfume of the gods, unappealing and invisible, it is invisible to the bad people. Wild animals roam the highest peak of that mountain, illuminated by divine herbs. It is surrounded by many riverside trees and filled with the melodious sounds of various birds. All the great sages had formed a congregation on i...

Shaunaka said: “Suta! Retell in detail the great story of the saintly poet Astika that you told me. You tell the story melodiously, using the right syllables. We are delighted by your words, which are like those of your father. "Your father has always been busy with our caretaking. So tell me the story you are telling, just as your father told you." The Suta said: “I will tell the story of this Astika just as I heard my father tell the story. Brahmin! In the past, in the Devayuga, Prajapati Daksha had two auspicious daughters. Both these sisters had assumed the form of a wonderful goddess. They were the wives of Kasyapa: Kadru and Vinata. Kasyapa, the husband of Prajapati’s daughters, who had attained supreme happiness with his wives, bestowed boons of love upon them. Hearing that Kashyapa was going to grant them good boons, both the women were filled with incomparable joy and love. Kadru asked for a thousand Nagas, equal in brilliance, as her sons. Vinata asked for two sons,...

Ruru said: “My beloved wife was bitten by a snake earlier. At that time I had taken a terrible decision to kill all the snakes I saw. So I am killing you and giving you moksha.” Dundubha said: “Bramhin! Snakes that bite humans are different. Therefore, it is not right for you to torture the Dundubhas. Dundubha and snakes seem to be the same but they are different when it comes to happiness. Dundubha and snakes, though different in nature, are considered to be the same when it comes to suffering. You follow righteousness. It is not right for you to torture Dundubhas.” Suta said: “Hearing these words of the serpent, sage Ruru did not kill Dundubha, who was fearful. Calming him down, Lord Ruru asked: “Bhujaga! Tell me who you are and how you got this form.” Dundubha said: “Ruru! Formerly I was a sage named Sahasrapada. I became a dundubha after getting cursed by a bramhin”. Ruru said: “Bhujagottama! For what reason were you cursed by the enraged bramhin? How long do you have to stay li...

Suta said: “Brahmin! Bhargava Chyavana got a son named Mahatma Diptatejasa Pramati from Sukanya. Pramati got a son named Ruru from Ghritachi. Ruru got a son named Shunaka from Pramadwara. Brahmin! Now I will tell in detail the whole story of that Bhuritejasa Ruru. Listen to the story without leaving anything out. In the past there was a famous sage called Sthulakesha. Hey the bramhin! At the same time we know that Menake was pregnant by Gandharva king Vishwavasu. Bhrigunandana! When the time came, Menake left that womb near the hermitage of Sthulakesha. She went away, leaving the girl on the bank of the river, shining like an immortal child. The great sage Sthulakesa saw that Tejaswini on the banks of the river. Dwijottam! Munishreshtha Sthulakesa saw the girl and was gracious and took her and raised her. She grew up in his ashram. The great sage named her as Pramadvara because she was superior to all others in all forms. Seeing Pramadvara near that ashram, Dharmatma Ruru fell in lo...

Suta said: “Vahni who was cursed by Bhrigu, angrily asked: “Brahmin! Why is this action against me? What adultery have I committed by walking in the path of righteousness and speaking the truth when asked to tell the truth? If the witness says otherwise than what he knows when he is asked to testify, he destroys his ancestors and his next generation - both for seven generations. There is no doubt that a philosopher who does not tell what he knows when asked also commits a similar sin. I can curse you too. But I prefer offering good hospitality to Brahmins. Although you already know all this, I am telling you to express that. Through yoga I have made myself multi-souled and become Agnihotra, Satra, Kriya and Makha. Gods and Fathers are satisfied when I pour havissu inside me by vedic methods. All Gods are water and Pitrganas are also water. Deva and Pitras appear on full moon and new moon respectively. Gods are ancestors and ancestors are gods. Both of them are worshiped in two festiv...

Ugrasrava Sauti Puranika, son of Lomaharshana, was present among the sages who attended the twelve-year satra of the sage Shaunaka at Naimisaranya. The Puranic, who had labored and mastered the Puranas, asked: "What do you want to hear? What should I tell you?" The sages said: “Lomaharshana! We look forward to hearing the great stories you tell us. But at present Shaunaka is busy in fire worship. He also knows all the divine stories of gods, demons, Humans, snakes, and Gandharvas. We should wait for his arrival whom we respect a lot. When he sits in the seat of this supreme Guru and asks, say whatever he asks for.” Suta said: “So be it. After that great man sits in this Gurpeeth, I will tell him whatever pious story he wants to hear on various subjects.” At the same time, Viprarshabha duly performed all the functions, praised the deities, offered tarpana to the fathers, and came to the yajna school where the Brahmarsi Siddhas were sitting with Sutaputra. Grihapati Shaunak...

The Suta said: “Parikshita Janamejaya was engaged in a long yaaga with his brothers at Kurukshetra. His three brothers were Sritasena, Ugrasena and Bhimasena. The dog Sarameya arrived there when he was present in that satra, after being beaten by Janamejaya's relatives, Sarameya lamented and went to his mother. Addressing the crying son, the mother asked: “Why are you crying? Who hit you?” Questioned by his mother, he replied: "Janamejaya's brothers beat me." The mother told him again: "Maybe they hit you because you really did some crime." He told her again: “I have not committed any crime. I didn't even look at Havis; Din't lick it." On hearing this, his mother Sarame came to Janamejaya who was participating in the satra along with his brothers. Having filled with rage she told him: “This son of mine has not committed any crime. Why did you hit him? Just as you beat him who did nothing wrong, you too will experience unexpected fear in the fu...

The sage suta said – Let me begin with the story of Paulomana while narrating the Bharatakhyana in detail in this Shaunaka Satra. Praajna is of the opinion that this story, which is composed of strange words and covers many periods, is like a Vairagya for salvation. This history is considered to be the greatest of all the Agamas, as soul is among the knowable and life is among the beloved. In this great history there is a wonderful arrangement of vowel-consonants which the wise have accepted as the best, and which have been regarded as the language of the Vedas. Listen to this enlightening anthology of Indian history. Thus Mahatma Vyasa composed one hundred parvas in total. Later Lomaharsana said the same thing in 18 Parvas in Naimisaranya. The gist of the Parvas mentioned by him is as follows. In Astika there are stories of the birth of all Nagas and Garuda, the churning of the milky ocean, the birth of Uchchaishrava, and the Sarpasatra performed by King Parikshit. The events of Mahat...

Your children were wicked burning with anger and greed. They had immoral behaviour. It is not right for you to grieve for such people. You are the knower of the senses, the genius, the wise. Those who follow the Shastras do not mourn like this. You know the restraints of fate. Everything you did to protect your sons was predetermined by fate. It is not right to mourn that it had to be like this. Who is able to prevent God’s decision? It is impossible for anyone to leave the path laid down by fate. What happens and what doesn't happen, happiness and sorrow all arise from time. Time itself creates everything that exists and destroys everything that exists. Time burns everything that is born and Time itself chooses that fire. All the auspicious feelings in the world have been created by time itself. Time destroys and recreates everything created. Time works simultaneously in everything that exists. It is not right to mourn knowing that everything that has happened in the past and ever...

Sanjaya! I gave up the desire for victory when I heard that Arjuna had satisfied the god Tryambaka in battle and obtained Mahastra Pasupata. When I heard that the famous and truthful Dhananjaya entered the Devaloka and got the divyastras ie divine weapons from Sakshat Shakra, I doubted victory Sanjaya! Sanjaya! When I heard that Bhima and the other Parthas accompanied Vaisravana to those regions where men had never gone before, I was skeptical about victory. Sanjaya! When I heard that my son, who believed in Karna and did as he said, was freed by Arjuna during the Ghoshyatra while he was being held captive by the Gandharvas, I was in doubt about the victory. Suta Sanjaya! When I heard that Dharma Raja answered all the questions asked by Dharma who had come in Yaksha form and satisfied him, I was in doubt of victory. When the noble men were residing in the country of Virata, I doubted victory, Sanjaya! When Dhananjaya single-handedly defeated us who were joined by elders. When Matsyar...