Reading Notes: Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution - Part A

Bhishma taking his vow 


This week while watching Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution I decided to take notes on all the characters to help me keep track of who is who going forward.
  • Shantanu - Bhishma's father, great-grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas
  • Ganga - Bhishmas's mother and goddess of the Ganges
  • Bhishma - originally Devavrata, was the eighth Vasu cursed to be born a mortal to the goddess Ganga and Shantanu, and the only one not to be immediated drowned and freed from human life by Ganga. 
    • Granted the ability to live as long as he wishes after taking a vow of celibacy so his father could marry Satyavati
  • Satyavati - Daughter of a king and a nymph but adopted and raised by a fisherman. 
    • Married Shantanu when Bhishma made his vow to relinquish his claim to the throne and to be celibate for his entire life. 
    • Mother with Parashara of Vyasa. 
    • Mother with Shantanu of Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. 
    • Great-grandmother of the Pandavas and Kauravas
  • Chatrangada - Assumes the throne after the death of Shantanu
    • killed by a Gandharva
    • had no children
  • Vichitravirya - assumed the throne after the death of Chatrangada
    • Bhishma goes to Kashi to bring back the three princesses from their swayamvara to be his wives
    • married to Ambika and Ambalika but had no sons
  • Amba - eldest Kashi princess
    • asks Bhishma if she can leave to live with the man she loves, King Salva, instead of marrying Vichitravirya which Bhishma agrees to
    • is rejected by Salva because he views her as belonging to Bhisma.
    • asks Bhishma to marry her to give her a place to belong which he refuses because of his vow
    • seeks someone to be her champion and get revenge on Bhishma.
  • Ambica and Ambalica - younger two Kashi princesses
    • marry Vichitravirya
  • Vyasa - son of Satyavati and Parashara
    • summoned by his mother, Satyavati, to father a future king with Ambika and Ambalika
    • his appearance scared the women which affected the children they bore with him
  • Dhritarashtra - son of Vyasa and Ambika
    • blind because Ambika closed her eyes at the sight of Vyasa
    • strong and kind
    • assumed the throne
    • marries Gandhari
  • Pandu - son of Vyasa and Ambalika
    • pale and weak because Ambalika turned pale at the sight of Vyasa
    • great archer and well liked by the people.
    • commander of the military and was the practical ruler of Hastinapura along with Vidura
  • Vidura - son of Vyasa and the servant girl
    • wise and knowledgable
    • avatar of Yama
  • Gandhari - wife of Dhritarashtra, mother of the Kauravas, and princess of Gandhara
    • permanently blindfolds herself in solidarity with her husband
  • Shakuni - future king of Gandhara, brother of Gandhari
    • vows revenge against Dhritarashtra for Gandhari blindfolding herself
  • Kunti - elder wife of Pandu
  • Madri - younger wife of Pandu
Bibliography.
Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution Part A by Epified. Source.

Image Source: Marriage of Malsya Gandhi by Raja Ravi Varma via Wikimedia Commons

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