Hidden Facts About Mahabharat That You Don’t Know

Mahabharat is a precious asset for Hindu culture. It has been called the fifth Veda scripture written by Maharishi Vedvyas. Mahabharat is one of the epic battles known in the sacred history which is also called as battle of Kurukshetra. The epic battle was between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and was undoubtedly one of the bloodiest wars fought for the throne of Hastinapur. Millions of lives were lost in those fierce and horrifying days. But there are some interesting hidden facts about the Kurukshetra war that you don’t know. Here are they..

• Pandu was one of the greatest kings on the Earth. Pandu, the father of the Pandavas died due to his long preserved curse as Pandu in his early rule had gone hunting and killed a sage called Kindama who was love making with his wife as a deer in the jungle. Pandu was cursed that he will die on spot if he made love with either of his wives; Kunti and Madri because of the curse. Thus, Pandu never made love with his wives and the wives had the Pandavas with a boon. Yudhishtir, the son of Dharma, Bheem, the son of wind, Arjun, the son of fire, Nakul and Sahadev were born out of the Aswamedhyaga (ritual of sacrificing horses). When Pandavas along with their beloved wife left for exile, Pandu made love with his wife Madri and that resulted his demise.

• Draupadi was unable to marry in her previous birth so she started meditating. Lord Shiva got impressed fulfilled her desired wish. She asked for the husband having all qualities in her wish and repeated her wish five times, that’s why she got five husbands in the next birth.

• When Dhritrashtra and Bhishma Pitamah got to know that Pandavas were alive hence they were called to Hastinapur. So that there will be no fight in the future and property would be divided into two equal halves between Pandavas and Kauravs. Soon the kingdom of Pandavas looking like heaven and Yudhishthir named it as ‘Indraprastha’.

• The Pandavas made a rule for their wife Draupadi that she would stay and spent time with each Pandava for a specific period of time. When she will be with one Pandava, and there will be no other Pandava near to her and if anyone breaks the rule, then he has to spend his 12 years of life as a bachelor in the forest.

• In Yudhishthir’s ruling kingdom, few robbers stole a cow of Brahmin and Brahmin asked Arjun for help. But the weapons of Arjun were in Yudhishthir’s palace where he was alone with Draupadi, as Arjun entered the palace he broke the rule but according to him, not to protect the cow is against the religion. As a result he had to spend 12 years in the forest.

• After knowing about the death of Krishna, the Pandavas lost the interest in the world and decided to go to the heaven along with Draupadi and dog. In the way to heaven all were dead one by one and only Yudhishthir and one dog remained alive. Due to his righteousness and honesty, Yudhishthir was the only human being who was granted with the privilege of going heaven alive.

• Yudhishthir was surprised and shocked seeing Duryodhan in the heaven but he came to know that as Duryodhan never showed cowardice and died a brave’s death too in a holy place, Samantpanchaka.

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• Before the battle, both Arjun and Duryodhan went to Krishna asking for help. Duryodhan was first to reach at Krishna’s room and sat near his head. Arjun who came after Duryodhan sat near krishna’s feet. When Krishna woke up from his sleep, he saw Arjun first since he was right to the opposite his eye view and asked him his reason of visit. But as Duryodhan had come before Arjun, he got miffed and complained that he came first. Hence, Krishna replied that since he saw Arjun first therefore his wish should be fulfilled first. Arjun given the chance asked Krishna to be on his side in the battle which made Duryodhan very happy, as he wanted the army and not unarmed Krishna.

• Actually it was a Masterplan! Before the battle, both Arjun and Duryodhan had a choice between Krishna and his army. Arjun had happily chosen Krishna and Duryodhan happily picked the army, so it was not Krishna who actually proffered his army to Kauravas.

• Actually, Krishna played this drama as he knew that Arjun would prefer him and Duryodhan, who never considered Krishna as God, would prefer the powerful army instead of him. Krishna never wanted to be at Kaurava’s side. This smart deal also made both Arjun and Duryodhan happy and content.

• Krishna tried to encourage Duryodhan in several ways to opt the way for dharma. Even at a point when he gave Duryodhan a choice between him and his army, Krishna still tried to avoid the battle Mahabharat. In a way, it was a very smart and ideal move to give all the army to Duryodhan. But Duryodhan felt that Krishna was on his side and the Pandavas were fools to take one person instead of a 100,000-man-strong army.

• It was Arjun who killed Krishna’s strong army, with Krishna’s support as his charioteer (the guide) Krishna’s army (the Narayani Sena) fought along with Samsaptakas against Arjun and he was the only warrior who exterminated all of them.

• Krishna did not have to help Duryodhan. According to the Kshatriya rules, warriors always had the privilege to help their friends no matter the other end asked or not. Only one person who is not attached much to any side opts his help to the side that approaches him first.

• Krishna was always with Pandavas personally but, officially his Kingdom had equal political link with both Pandavas and Kauravas. Thus, he decided to provide some material help to Duryodhan too to make a fair decision.

• Dhritarashtra once walking side a lake, he witnessed a swan bird surrounded by hundred cygnets. For his fun and pleasure, he ordered his army servants to blind the swan and kill all the hundred cygnets. For his erroneous karma, he was cursed with to re-born as a blind king and all his hundred sons would be killed in the war.

• Krishna did not desert/abandon his army actually. He protected yadavas all his life, although- as he professed in the Gita with perfect detachment.

• Krishna was a cousin to both Pandavas and Kauravas hence he could not be partial to anyone. He neither believed completely that the Pandavas were absolutely pure beings, nor that the Kauravas were absolute evil. This was not the way he looked at life.

• Abhimanyu was actually the soul of a demon named Kalyavana. Krishna, earlier burnt Kalyavana to death and seized his soul in the knot of his upper cloth. In Dwaraka, he made sure to hide it in his wardrobe but Subhadra (Arjun’s wife) being pregnant accidentally opened the wardrobe when that light (the soul) entered her womb and made her unconscious. This is one of the main reasons why Arjun revealed only the half of the secret of Chakravyuh pattern in Mahabharat that is how to enter the Chakravyuh to Abhimanyu but did not tell him how to exit which was the cause of his death.

• Jayadratha was married to Dushala the only sister of Kaurava. One day Jayadratha saw Draupadi in a forest and fell in love with her. He proposed Draupadi for marrying him but Draupadi refused to do so. Then he abducted Draupadi to his kingdom. When Pandavas came, not finding their wife, Yudhistra ordered Bheem and Arjun to find Draupadi. When they came to know about Draupadi’s abduction, they tried to kill Jayadratha. But Draupati requested Pandavas not to kill him as he was the husband of their cousin sister. So they made him slave and shaved his hair.

• Draupadi was the sole reason behind the great Mahabharat war. Once she made fun of Duryodhan and laughed at him while he was in her palace walking on the magical floor which was an insult to Duryodhan. Later the ‘Chir Haran’ of Draupadi was another reason of the battle Mmahabharat to take revenge from Kauravas.

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