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Vibhishna

@Vibhishna

Goldie

Posted: 11 years ago

Originally posted by: .Vrish.
Can you quickly summarize what they showed in b/w in each episode?

I'll try my best to finish summarising by today and tomorrow.

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Vibhishna

@Vibhishna

Goldie

Posted: 10 years ago

Sorry, I disappeared. Wasn't able to come online for a long time.

Story so far:

Episode 1:

The creation of Mahabharata, Janamejaya's snake sacrifice, Astika's intervention and Vyasa starts to explain the events that lead to the war. A brief intro of Shantanu's reign is shown.

Episode 2:

Shantanu's reign, his marriage with Ganga and their married life filled with love, the birth of 7 of Ganga's sons and them being drowned in the river, the king's resolve to put an end to this, Shantanu stopping Ganga from drowning their 8th son, Ganga takes the boy away saying she'll return him when he is of age, Devavrata's education under Parasuram, Devavrata growing up, Ganga reunites father and son and leaves them.

Episode 3:

Devavrata, prince of Hastinapur, is loved and accepted by his father and subjects. He excelled in all arts of warfare and politics. Everyone expects him to be a great king. Shantanu falls for a fisher-woman Sathyavathi but her father asks that Sathyavathi's sons should rule the kingdom else he wont agree for their marriage. Devavrat takes a vow that he will never marry and promises the fisherman that Sathyavathi's sons will rule after Shantanu.

Episode 4:

Devavrata gives up all his clams to the throne. This earns him his father's blessings and the name Bheeshma. Shantanu marries Sathyavathi and two sons are born to them (Chitrangada and Vichitraveerya). They enjoy their married life. When Shantanu dies, Bheeshma takes care of his step mother and step brothers. He oversees their education himself. When the boys have grown up, Sathyavathi and Bheeshma decide to get them married to eligible princesses. Chitrangada is challenged to fight by a Gandharva of the same name and loses the battle. He dies of his wounds. Sathyavathi mourns her son. The ministers suggest that the royal family must prevail at all costs. Sathyavathi decides to get Vichitraveerya married but he hesitates due to his ailing health. She consoles him saying that the best of doctors will make him well. Sathyavathi discusses the issue with Bheeshma and suggests that Kasi's three princesses will make good queens of Hastinapur.

Episode 5:

Bheeshma consults with Vyasa before leaving for Kasi. In Kasi, all is set for the Swyamvara. Bheeshma captures the 3 princesses and starts for Hastinapur. King Salva tries to stop him but is wounded and retreats. Amba says she loves Salva and asks to be excused. Bheeshma tries to reason with her but she is adamant. Salva rejects Amba and she goes to Kasi. She is rejected by her father too. In Hastinapur, Sathyavathi convinces Ambika and Ambalika to become the queens.

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Vibhishna

@Vibhishna

Goldie

Posted: 10 years ago

Continued...

Episode 6:

Amba goes back to Hastinapur to ask for justice but is thrown out. She wanders from kingdom to kingdom but no one is willing to fight for her. The doctors treating Vichitraveerya are still not able to get him well. The doctors say that he is not strong enough to withstand a happy married life. Vichitraveerya decides to tell his mother that he is well and can perform all duties like a strong man henceforth. Amba prays to Lord Karthikeya and He gives her a necklace/chain saying that whoever wears this will kill Bheeshma. She wanders the whole of Bharata with that chain in hand but still no one is brave enough to stand up to Bheeshma. Dejected she goes back to the shrine where Lord Karthikeya blessed her and hangs the necklace on one of the spears (Vel). As she tuns away, the royal priest from Kasi advises her to go to Sage Parashuram.

Episode 7:

Amba pleads with Parasurama for justice. Parasurama summons Bheeshma and commands him to marry Amba. Bheeshma refuses. Parasuram is enraged and the verbal battle turns into a battle of astras. The master and student match each other's might with powerful astras but the world itself feels the wrath and fury of the missiles. Bheeshma decides to accept defeat rather than destroy the world and offers his life to his master. Parasuram is pleased with his student and blesses him. Amba, dejected, decides to go to Lord Shiva. Back in Hastinapur, Ambika and Ambalika witness a girl being forcefully pushed into her husband's funeral pyre. In the castle, Vichitraveerya is to consummate his marriage with Ambika. He dies before morning. Ambika runs to Sathyavathi and Ambalika. Sathyavathi is at first grieved at the loss of her son but then steels her resolve saying that no one is to enter the chambers and that this news should be maintained secret. Sathyavathi tells Bheeshma the news.

Episode 8:

Sahtyavathi and Bheeshma discuss what should be done. They decide to keep Vichitraveerya's body preserved for a while. Sathyavathi remembers her encounter with Sage Parashara and the birth of her son Vyasa. Sathyavathi meets her son and explained her predicament. Sage Vyasa agrees to help her. In the palace, Ambika and Ambalika are anxious and prepare themselves mentally to enter their husband's pyre. Sathyavathi tells them to beget sons through Vyasa. They are aghast and refuse.

Episode 9:

The episode starts with Ambika in her chambers and Vyasa entering. (Really not sure what happened in-between). She is scared on seeing Vyasa and closes her eyes, not able to look at him. Later, Ambalika waits in her chambers. She is also scared on seeing Vyasa. Though she is keeps her eyes open, she is frightened. Meanwhile, in Kailash (I think it was Amarnath), Amba is deep in penance to please Lord Shiva. Ambika and Ambalika give birth to a son each and Vyasa names them Dridrastra and Pandu and later explains to Sathyavathi that Dridrashtra has been born blind and Pandu has a short life. Sathyavathi asks for one more heir for the throne. Vyasa once more enters the queen's chambers. Bheeshma meets Vyasa saying that though he is happy that there is going to be an heir to the throne he still feels uneasy as if a great calamity is to befall his kingdom. Vyasa shows him glimpses of the future and Bheeshma is aghast to know that so much is going to happen in Hastinapur. Bheeshma asks Vyasa if there was nothing to do prevent the calamity and if no one will save them. Vyasa then shows Bheeshma the vision of a small baby boy with a flute, frolicking on the banks of Yamuna, face smeared with butter. Bheeshma never doubting Vyasa's wisdom lifted up his hands high in salutation paying respects to the young boy he just saw. Sathyavathi finds out that instead of one of her daughters - in - law, a maid named Sivai is to bear the son of Vyasa. She confronts Vyasa on this issue. Vyasa comforts her saying that what was meant to happen has happened and tells her to perform Vichitraveerya's funeral. Amba is still in deep meditation in front of the huge snow Linga and Lord Shiva appears before her.

Episode 10:

Dridrashtra, Pandu and Vidura are educated well (by Kripacharya, I think, they didn't mention the name) under the supervision of Bheeshma. Bheeshma tests them and finds that each of them has a redeeming quality. He praises Dridrashtra for his conviction, Pandu for his hard work and Vidura for his wisdom. During lunch, Ambika and Ambalika praise their own son but slight the other boy. Bheeshma looks on at what might become a bitter relationship but Vidura interferes. Both Ambika and Ambalika say that Vidura is the son of a maid and they should not have allowed him to be treated equally with the princes. Sivai tries to speak of her son's abilities but she too is cast aside. Vidura tactfully turns the conversation away from all the bitterness and in the end all three brothers end up laughing. Bheeshma is proud that he was able to avert a fight among siblings. A case comes to court and Bheeshma brings Vyasa to preside over it. A priest, vexed at the death of his daughter had closed down the temple and refused to perform his priestly duties. Vyasa explains the birth, life and death and smoothly solves the case. The priest agrees to continue offering his service to the temple. Dridrashtra, Pandu and Vidura are also present at court. In Amarnath, Amba pours out her heart to Lord Shiva and bemoans her fate. Lord Shiva tells her that she was too bent on revenge to find peace for her soul. Amba still wants revenge for her shattered life. Lord Shiva tells her that it is not possible in her current life but in her next birth. Not fully pleased but accepting the facts, Amba vows to be born again to destroy Bheeshma. She jumps into a fire by which some sages are meditating and ends her life.

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Viewbie

+ 4

Posted: 10 years ago

Vibs

Thanks for the updates.

Chitrangada vs Chitrangada battle resulted in both of them being killed, not just the Kuru prince.

They seem to have added their own masala to things 😆 Amba being rejected by her father, then thrown out of Hastinapur... Incidentally, the necklace (or the garland) that Amba received - here, they have her garland the vel, while in the original, they had her garland the gate of Drupada's palace. But really, shouldn't that garland have gone to Arjuna, whenever he surfaced, for the prophecy to be true? Ultimately, it was Arjun, and not Shikandhi or anyone else who 'killed' Bheeshma.

Ambika & Ambalika observing a forced instance of sati - did they show how they reacted? Did they intervene to stop it, since sati was voluntary at the time? Also, Vichitravirya dying b4 he could consummate - that sounds to me like a Hollywood movie called 'Dave' back from the 90s 🤢 Keeping the death a secret and the body secretly interned - that sounds like that serial 'saubhagyavati bhava' on LifeOK from the last year. 🤢 One thing - when Satyavati was angry @ Sival being the mother of Vyasa's child, why was she angry w/ Vyasa rather than Ambika, who was the one who sent her?

Mahadev telling Amba that she was too bent on revenge sounds unjust, and uncharacteristic of him - it would have been justice, rather than revenge, that Amba was seeking. And jumping into a fire to which some sages were meditating - how disgusting is that? In the original, Amba created her own pyre & jumped into it.

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Vibhishna

@Vibhishna

Goldie

Posted: 10 years ago

True, they have added a lot of their own masala but I'll check if any of the sources they have mentioned have these stories.

Here, the prince Chitrangada dies in Bheeshma's arms due to his injuries near the scene of battle and the Gandharva excuses himself from the scene.

I too used to think Arjun was the one who should have worn the necklace but it was said that the person who wore it would bring about Bheeshma's end. So, it may have meant Shikandi as he was the reason Bheeshma refused to life up arms.

Ambika and Ambalika were disturbed but left the scene soon. They did not intervene. I think Vichitraveerya did try but was not able to make it through. Keeping the death secret actually answered a lot of doubts I had before as to how people accepted Dridrashtra and Pandu as princes of Hastinapur. It is possible that the royal family kept Vichitraveerya's death secret. Was anything like this mentioned in Vyasa's Mahabharat?

For some reason, this serial seems to extol Bheeshma a lot. They have chosen powerful actors to portray Sathyavathi, Amba and Gandhari. They have shown Sahtyavathi and Amba to be really strong willed but quite forceful in their demeanor. It is nice to see a really powerful performance by Sathyavathi but I feel they are stretching it too far at times. Sometimes, the bitterness shown among the family (like Ambika and Ambalika slighting Pandu and Dridrashtra respectively) was a bit too much. And Dridrastra was portrayed to be quite greedy. I am not sure if that was how it was in the epic too but I thought even if all these feelings existed, it was subtle and not this open (maybe not that invisible either).

Here, they showed Sathyavathi being shocked when she learnt that the wise son of Vyasa was growing in Sivai's womb. She was more worried than angry. She went straight to Vyasa and asked him what would be that boy's future hinting that she was worried that if the son of a maid will rule the land. Vyasa diplomatically reminded her that she was not of royal birth either. He also told her that the boy born to Sivai will not rule Hastinapur but will lend his wisdom to the princes always.

I too agree with you on the issue of Mahadev telling Amba it was her fault. And I too was aghast when she jumped into the fire by which some sages were meditating. The version of Mahabharat I read (in Tamil) had Amba get the boons from Lord Karthikeya and when she knew she couldn't fulfill her oath in this birth, she built a sacrificial fire at the same altar and ended her life.

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Vrish

@Vr15h

Viewbie

+ 4

Posted: 10 years ago

Vibs

I forgot to comment about this aspect - the backbiting b/w Ambika & Ambalika (and Sivai) over Dhritarashtra, Pandu (& Vidura) was not just unseemly, it was pretty much busted by one glaring event: after Pandu's death, Satyavati retired to the forest, and both Ambalika & Ambika went w/ her. Had this been the real relationship b/w the 2, Ambika would have happily stayed on in Hastinapur to back Dhritarashtra, and Satyavati would have left w/ Ambalika alone.

But I do prefer one thing about this serial as you are describing it - it does show more of the real picture than BRC ever did. In BRC, everybody was lovey dovey w/ each other - except the Pandavas & the Kauravas: Kunti & Madri both doted on Gandhari, while Ambalika pretty much followed Ambika. Even after Draupadi's disrobing, it was shown like there was no bitterness on Kunti's part, which was asinine. In DBSK, they showed some friction b/w Kunti & Gandhari on the latter's part, and in this serial, apparently, they're extrapolating the Bhima-Duryodhan enmity to their grandmothers 😆👏 Good job!!!

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varaali

@varaali

IF-Dazzler

+ 2

Posted: 10 years ago

Yes, I remeber reading in literary sources regarding Murugan, that Amba did garland a Vel in Drupada's palace.

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Vibhishna

@Vibhishna

Goldie

Posted: 10 years ago

I never knew what happened to Sathyavathi, Ambika and Ambalika after Dridrashtra and Pandu grew up. I too wondered why Kunti never spoke a word to Gandhari, Dridrashtra, Bheeshma after Draupadi's Vastraharan but thought that she didn't find it the right time when her sons had lost the gamble. By the way, was Kunti in Hastinapur when this happened?

I am going to change the title of this thread indicating that updates are available. Any suggestions for improvements are welcome (criticisms as well). Will try to update regularly.

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Vibhishna

@Vibhishna

Goldie

Posted: 10 years ago

Title Song of the series:

I've given the transliteration and translation in different colours with some explanations. I am still not sure if the translation is 100% correct but I've done as much as I could.

Mahaaa-bharatham...

Bharatham, Mahabharatham

Bharat, the great Bharat

Uyar needhiyum sonna kaaviyam

An epic which speaks of the higher truth

Mahabharatham Mahabharatham

Mahabharat, the great Bharat

Mannai veri nindru thedum oruvan

One (a man) viciously covets land (Duryodhan)

Manitham uyarvu endru naadum orivan

Believing humanity to be greater, one (a man) seeks it (Yudhishtra)

Vanmam vaazhvendru vaazhum oruvan

One lives a life of malice (Sakuni)

Naane ulahendru kaatum oruvan

There is one who shows that He is the world (Krishna)

"Parithraanaaye Saadhunaam

"For the deliverance/protection of those (devotees) living in harmony

Vinaashaaya Sa-dushkritaam

To anhilliate the miscreants/evil who disrupt harmony

Dharma Samsthapana - arthaaya

To re-establish Dharma (principles of the religion)

Sambhavami yuge yuge"

I shall appear every yuga"

Gnaayathilium, uyar dhyaanathilum kaaviyam kanduthaan vaazhum Vyaasarey...

In wisdom and great meditation/penance Vyasa visualises/sees the epic

Peraatralum, Nenjil por veeramum thyaagamaai, dheepamaai thaangum Bheeshmarey...

Bheeshma who bears great skill and a warrior's courage as a sacrifice, like a lamp (referring to Bheeshma being like a lamp/guiding light for others)

Kaadhal thanga Bhoomi vandha Nangai, Kangal ponga innal konda Gangai

She came to Earth for her love, her eyes filled with tears, she (Ganga) faced trouble

Annai aahi aatchi seidha nenjam,

A woman who ruled becoming a mother (of the king's sons - Sathyavathi) - referring to the fact that Sathyavathi ruled as Queen by bearing King Shantanu's sons

Azhagai thedi azhindhu pogum ullam

The one who was destroyed while seeking beauty (beautiful maidens) - refers to Vichitraveerya

Udhirangal palavidham,

Unarvugal palavidham,

Blood of many types (I think they mean the different clans/kingdoms involved in this epic here)

Relation(ship)s of many types

Ithuthaane Bharatham

This is Bharatham

Mannai veri nindru thedum oruvan

One (a man) viciously covets land (Duryodhan)

Manitham uyarvu endru naadum orivan

Believing humanity to be greater, one (a man) seeks it (Yudhishtra)

Vanmam vaazhvendru vaazhum oruvan

One lives a life of malice (Sakuni)

Naane ulahu endru kaatum oruvan

There is one who shows that He is the world (Krishna)

Edited by Vibhishna - 10 years ago

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Vibhishna

@Vibhishna

Goldie

Posted: 10 years ago

Sources used for this serial:

"Mahabharatham" - Tamil Translation, Kumbakonam Publications.

"Mahabharatham" - Tamil Translation, Nrusimhapriya Publications, Chennai.

"Baghavan Vasudevan" - Sri Bagavan Nama Publications, Chennai.

"Irandaam Padi (Second Step)" - M. T. Vasudevan Nayar, Sahitya Academy, Poonamallee.

"Mahabharatham" - Kamala Subramaniyam, Bharathiya Vidhyabhavan, Mumbai.

"Yudhishtra" - K. M Munshi, Bharathiya Vidhyabhavan, Mumbai.

"Yuhathin Mudivil (At the end of the Yuga)" - Sahitya Academi New Delhi.

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