I decided to read the public domain version of the Mahabharata since I am staying at home and cannot check out Narayan's version from Bizzell.
So many characters are introduced before the main protagonists (Pandavas) are even born! I thought it would be helpful to jot down some notes about the ancestral relationships before the Pandavas and Kauravas so I can understand how everyone is related. I summarized the ancestral stories below.
Also, I looked further into the story Satyavati on Wikipedia so that I could have a better understanding of the role she plays in the big picture: it turns out, that Satyavati was very much involved in ensuring that there were heirs to the Kuru throne. While many think that it was the fisherman that pushed for Satyavati's sons to inherit the throne, some readers argue that Satyavati's motherly instinct was so strong that she actually forced Shantanu to give her sons the throne herself. Regarding this perspective, I think it makes more sense why she was the driving force behind producing an heir --> ultimately even though her two sons with Shantanu died without an heir, she still ensured her sons would inherit the throne (through Vyasa, her other son).
- King Vasu (Chedi king) -------- Female Fish
- Vasu drops his seed in water and fish swallows; pregnant with human children)
- daughter Satyavati (beautiful but smells like fish) and son Matsya
- Vasu takes Matsya (who later founds Matsya kingdom) and gives Satyavati to a fisherman
- Satyavati -------- sage Parashara
- Sage ensures Satyavati's virginity is maintained and her fish smell replaced with fragrant scent
- Vyasa (sage, grows immediately into a man after birth and travels to forest; tells mother to call him whenever she needs him)
- King Shantanu (official Kuru king) -------- Ganga (river goddess)
- Had seven sons that Ganga threw into the river (they were gods that were cursed to live as humans; Ganga killed them as soon as they were born so they could be liberated)
- Devavrata (eighth son later became Bhishma - one who takes a "terrible" vow of celibacy)
- King Shantanu -------- Satyavati
- Shantanu asks Satyavati's father for her hand and fisherman says only if Satyavati's sons ascend the throne and not Devavratha
- Devavratha takes a vow of celibacy so Shantanu can marry Satyavati --> becomes Bhishma
- Chtirangadha and Vichitravirya
- Chitrangadha ascends throne initially but then is killed by Gandharva; Vichitravirya becomes heir (Bhishma is king regent until Vichitravirya is old enough)
- Vichitravirya -------- Ambika, Ambalika
- Bhishma steals three princess sisters - Amba, Ambika, Ambalika
- Amba leaves to be with Salva, who promised to marry her
- Salva refuses after being humiliated by Bhishma
- Amba blames Bhishma for being rejected; performs severe meditation and is granted by Shiva that she will be reborn as a man to kill Bhishma (Shikandhi)
- Vichitravirya dies of tuberculosis; no heir is left to ascend the throne
- Vyasa -------- Ambika, Ambalika, maid servant of Ambika
- Satyavati realizes there is no heir to the throne; initially asks Bhishma but he refuses so she remembers Vyasa
- Vyasa was ugly and scary, Ambika and Ambalika were too scared of him
- Three sons:
- Dhritarastra (blind but strong; Ambika closed her eyes so Vyasa cursed her son to be blind - deemed unfit to rule)
- Father of the Kauravas
- Pandu (pale and sickly; Ambalika grew pale when seeing Vyasa; inherits the throne)
- Father of the Pandavas
- Vidura (son of maid servant, who was unafraid of Vyasa; Vidura is a half-brother and is not able to inherit throne; incarnate of Dharma god)
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