Extra Credit Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A

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• Many storytellers have given their own iteration and twist on the story
• a story of kings and queens and heroes and villains and a story of an all consuming war
• an account of how karma functions
• every result is based on what happened before and impacts what happens after
• shantanu asks ganga said yes
• Shantanu was made to promise to never question her.
• they became married
• She drowned their first child and she killed their next 6.
• He stepped in before she could kill the 8th.
• She explains
• she had been tasked to give birth to the 8 celestial spirits
• After telling him the truth she left him and took with her his one remaining son.
• 16 years after Ganga had left, Shantinu returned to where he met his past wife
• His wife appeared before him as he was shocked to see his son again who had become an amazing archer (Devarat)
• Shantanu brought back his son to the kingdom and made him a prince
• time passed and Shantanu fell in love with a different woman
• Shantanu was miserable
• Devarat went out to find the fisherman's daughter in an attempt to bargain
• Devarat went out and begged for the fisherman to have his daughter marry his father
• Devarat gave an oath and vowed to never marry and never have children
• He did this to make his father happy and he became Bhishma
• The father was not happy, but he was actually heartbroken and felt a sense of doom
• He was still proud of his son
• Bhisma kept his promise
• After his father passed Devarat acted as a father to his two step brothers
• three princesses are brought back after the death
• oldest sister named Amba was allowed to leave, but the other two had to stay
• King could not accept Amba as she was taken by a different man
• Amba accuses bishna of ruining her life
• Amba seeked out revenge
• Parashuram fought with Bhisma for 23 days
• they were evenly matched 
• Parahuram ended up giving up
• Amba still wanted Bhisma dead and wanted to be the reason for his death
• King Vichitraviyra died due to illness
• the kingdom was left with no king or prince
• It was decided that Bhisma was to end his celibacy and become married with kids
• He refused
• Vyasa is summoned by his mother Satyavati
• She asked him to father the children of ambika and ambalika
• Vyasa was not a good looking guy
• Because Ambika closed her eyes when she layed with Vyasa the child would be born blind
• Ambalika turned pale with fear when Vyasa too her, he tells her that her child will be born pale and will have poor health
• Amabalika asks for another chance, but she sends a servant girl in her place
• The servant girl accepted him with no fear 
• All 3 women gave birth
• Vidura was the child of the servant
• Bhisma raised the 3 boys
• there was an unspoken rivalry between the 3 brothers
• blind Dhritrashtra became king
• Pandu had no ill feelings, but Pandu was supposed to be the king
• Gandari blind folded herself for life to marry Dhritrashtra and they would both be blind
• Gandari wanted to repair this injustice that had occurred in his eyes
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