- King Shantanu married Ganga.
- Ganga was a goddess assuming human form, but King Shantanu thought she was fully human.
- Ganga made the promise of casting her children into the Ganges river prior to assuming human form.
- Fufilling her promise, Ganga threw each of her and King Shantanu's children into the river.
- Shantanu stayed silent as she did this to their first seven children; however, by the eighth child,l he became furious at Ganga for her action.
- Ganga left Shantanu with their eight child because Shantanu yelled at her.
- Ganga returned and gave back their son, Devavrata, to Shantanu.
- Shantanu later fell in love with Satyavati.
- Satyavati was a human twin who was born from a fish.
- She was born from King Uparichara, who was the King of Chedi, when he was flying through the sky and his semen fell into the river which was swallowed by a female fish.
- A fisherman caught the fish and two children came forth - one boy and one girl.
- When this was presented to the king, the king only took the boy. The girl, Satyavati, stayed with the fisherman and his wife.
- Satyavati bore a child name Vyasa with the rishi Parashara.
- However, the rishi with his powers made Satyavati virgin againm even after the birth of their child.
- Satyavati agreed to bore a child in order to have her fish smell replaced with a sweet fragrance.
- Shantanu and Satyavati married and had two sons Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.
- Devavrata promised the father of Satyavati that he would not claim the throne after his father passed so that Satyavati's sons will become king.
- Chitrangada died soon after he assumed throne.
- Vichitravirya assumed throne but needed to find a wife.
- Devavrata found Vichitravirya three wives: Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika.
- Amba left the kingdom to go to who she loved.
- Ambika had a blind son, Dhritarashtra.
- Ambalika had a pale son, Pandu.
- Pandu assumed throne.
- He had two wives, Kunti and Madri.
- Kunti bore a child that she sent into the river.
- Besides the son Kunti sent into the river, Pandu had 5 sons: Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva.
- Pandu died and Madri followed along.
- Dhritarashtra assumed throne and married Gandhari, who bore a hundred sons.
- Their eldest son, Duryodhana, was born terribly crying so men told Dhritarashtra to kill him for it was a bad sign and the boy will turn evil.
- The Pandavas (the five sons of Pandu) and Kauravas (decedents of Kuru) lived together in the kingdom but there was always tension between them.
- Leader of the Pandavas: Bhima.
- Leader of the Kauravas: Duryodhana.
- Duryodhana poisoned Bhima.
- Bhima came back to life as the king of the nagas (or snakes).
- Drona and Drupada were best friends that drifted apart.
- Drona was found by Bhishma to train the princes to fight and their fight would be agains Drupada.
- After, many wanted to be trained by Drona.
- Drona welcomed everyone except Ekalavya, the son of the rajah of the robber Bhils.
- Tournament between Bhima and the Pandavas versus Duryodhana and the Kauravas.
- Drona with the princes fought Drupada.
- Arjuna captured Drupada which angered Duryodhana.
- Out of jealously Duryodhana planned on setting the palace on fire when the Pandavas and their mother was asleep.
This image is a cartoon representation of the jealousy Duryodhana has against Arjuna for capturing Drupada.
Bibliography: Public Domain Edition of the Mahabharata, Part A Multiple Authors from Various Sources: Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore
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