Mahabharater Katha: Recent Episodes
Mahabharat
Once the Devatas put the Mahabharata on one side of a scale and stacked up all the Vedas and Puranas on the other. It was seen that the Mahabharata outweighs them all. This epic sums up the concept of Bharat and contains history, geography, politics, sociology, art and culture an all possible knowledge that ever existed. It is said that "if it's not in the Mahabharata, it's not in Bharat". There was a time when the storytellers - the "Kathak" - would tell the stories of the Mahabharata - with all their charm and drama and explanations - to the listeners. I am doing exactly that, in Bengali. Retelling the Mahabharata, not just reading out the text, with explanations and connecting with modern day scenarios.I am a Midlife transformation Coach. My Mission in Life is to help 40+ men Transform their Lives. And, I have found the Mahabharata to be the best go-to reference to run your life at this phase of life.
Yudhisthir ruled for just 36 years after the Kurukshetra war. In the mean time, Dwapar Yug was coming to an end and the Kali Yug was to begin. Falsehood, treachery and quarrel - the signs of Kali Yug - were everywhere. Sensing the change of times, Yudhisthir left for the Swarga with the Pandavas and Draupadi - on the way to Maha Prasthana.
Here, Abhimanyu's son, Parikshit was enthroned and he goes out in search of Kali to defeat him and throw out of his kingdom. Parikshit happens to find Kali but had to let Kali stay in his kingdom.
Later, he insults Shamik Muni by garlanding him with a dead snake and thereby attracts the curse of death from Muni's son, Sage Shringi. The events that followed, led to the Sarpa Yagna by Janmejay, where Ugrashraba Sauti heard the stories of Mahabharata.
Ugrashraba Sauti describes how the scholar Utanka goes to King Pousya's home to get his queen's ear-rings for guru dakshina. Utanka encounters Nag Takshak on the way who steals the ear-rings. Utanka chases Takshak into the Nag Lok and gets astonished by the grandeur of the Nag Lok.
Utanka gets angry with Takshak and goes to King Janmejay - the son of Parikshit - and provokes him to kill Takshak to avenge Janmejay's father's death.
Kulpati Shaunak comes back to the yagna shala and asks Sauti to narrate the history of the Bhrigu clan. Being a descendant of the Bhrigu clan himself, Shaunak wants to test the knowledge of Sauti. And, Sauti begins with the story of Maharshi Bhrigu, son of Lord Brahma and the founder of the clan.
Once upon a time, the Devatas put the four Vedas on one side of the scale balance and Mahabharata on the other. Mahabharata was heavier than others. This epic contains knowledge, philosophy, history, humanity or devotion like no other. Hence the Bengali saying, "Ja nei bharate, ta nei Bharate" - if it is not in the bharat, it is not in the Bharat - which means, if it is not mentioned in the Mahabharata, it did not happen in India.
I am creating these Bengali episodes from the translation of Mahabharata by Rajsekhar Basu and the narratives by Nrisinghaprasad Bhaduri, 'Katha Amritasaman'.
The story of Mahabharata begins in Naimisharanya, at the ashram of Kulpati Shaunak, where he is conducting a 12 year long yagna.
Ugrashraba Souti, the son of Lomharshan, turns up at the yagna venue. He says that he has listened to the Mahabharata from Maharshi Baishampayan - the son of Vyas Dev - at the Sarpa Yagna conducted by Janmejay, the son of Parikshit.
The rishis, present at the Kulpati Shaunak's 12 year long yagna, asks Souti to narrate the Mahabharata and Souti obliges.