Draupadi- Arrogant Princess or Caring Queen? Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas, is often relegated to the sidelines as an arrogant, prideful woman who expected her husbands to be at her beck and call. Vyasa Maharishi’s Draupadi is quite the opposite. In the chapter named the Draupadi- Satyabhama s...
When Satya is not Dharma... In the Markandeya Samasya Parva (Vana Parva), we have the very interesting story of the Rishi Kaushika learning dharma from the Vyaadha (hunter) and butcher, Dharmavyadha. Dharmavyadha explains to Kaushika how Dharma is extremely nuanced and it must be understood correctl...
The Origins of Chandravamsha The Yadavas, i.e.: Sri Krishna, and the Kurus belong to the Chandravamsha just as Srirama belongs to the Suryavamsha. The origin of both vamshas trace back to the same root and then split away. The Bhagavath Purana and the Mahabharata have slightly different lineages. Th...
Mahabharatha Kula Parampara- Ancestral Origins The Mahabharatha kula-Parampara narration begins with Pracheta. Pracheta had 10 sons and they all married one woman, Marishi. Marishi was the daughter of the woods because she had been brought up there. Note how Draupadi is not the only woman to have ma...
How did Airavata, Uchaisravas and the heavenly treasures end up in the ocean? Indra was sitting on his throne, presiding over festivities at Indraloka. The preceptor of the Gods, Brihaspati, arrived then. The devas, gandharvas, apsara, everyone stood and offered worship to the guru. Indra alone rema...