Karṇa and Śakuni advise a frustrated Duryodhana on how to handle the threat of the Pāṇḍava-s.

Pāṇḍava capture King Drupada and make him submit before Drona as a part of their Guru Dakshina.

Arjuna astounds the assembly with his skill with the bows and arrows. Karna follows it with a display of his own skills. They both enter into a duel.

Yudhiṣṭhira, Duryōdhana, Bhīma show their mastery of weapons. Duryōdhana and Bhīma engage in a fierce duel.

Kaurava-s and Pāṇḍava-s finish their training under Droṇa. A huge stadium is erected for the display of Princes' combat skills.

Droṇa becomes the teacher to Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. Karṇa befriends Duryodhana.

Droṇa arrives in Hastinapura after being humiliated by his childhood friend Drupada.

Rivalry between Duryodhana and Bhīma that started with childhood games, intensifies as days progress. The Kaurava-s' attempts to kill Bhīma fail. Bhīṣma looks for a teacher to keep the boys occupied.

Post Pāṇḍu's death, Mādrī follows him to the other world. The Ṛṣis bring Kunti and Pāṇḍava-s to Hastināpura

In a glorious spring season, Pāṇḍu is smitten by Mādrī's beauty. His desire becomes the cause of his death.

Kunti begets Arjuna through Indra. Nakula and Sahadeva are born to Mādri through Ashvini Devatas. Krishna is born to Devaki

Kunti obtains sons Dharmaraja through Yama and Bhimasena through Vayu. Gandhari deliberately miscarries, but rescues the womb.

To atone for the sin of killing the Ṛṣi couple, Pāṇḍu leaves for the forest to perform austerities. There, Kunti informs Pāṇḍu of the five mantra-s which Dūrvasa had given her long ago.

Pāṇḍu gets married to Kunti & Mādri. After his coronation, Pāṇḍu goes for a hunt where he unwittingly shoots an arrow at a Ṛṣi couple, who curse him before dying..

Kunti utters the syllables of the mantra taught by Durvāsa and invokes Sūryadeva to obtain a son who becomes Karṇa

After Vicitravīrya's dies without an offspring, and since Bhīṣma refuses Kingship, Satyavati asks Vedavyāsa to beget sons in Vicitravīrya's field.

In the second half of the 2nd sandhi of Ādiparva, Vaiśampāyana describes the Candravamśa lineage starting with Candra up until Śantanu. Then, he provides details on the birth of Bhīṣma through Śantanu and Gaṅgā, birth of Satyavati to Uparīcara Vasu, and the birth of Vedavyāsa through Parāśara and Satyavati. Śantanu is smitten by Satyavati’s beauty,Continue reading "Adiparva : Sandhi 02 : Part 2 of 2 : Births of Bhiṣma, Satyavati, Vedavyāsa, Citrāṅgada, Vicitravīrya"

In the first half of the 2nd sandhi of Ādiparva, Kumaravyāsa describes the context in which Mahābharata was recited. This work composed by Veda Vyāsa was first publicly recited at Janamejaya’s Sarpa Sattra by Vaiśampāyana, Vedavyāsa’s student. The Sūta Purāṇika Ugraśrava, who the son of Romaharṣaṇa, heard it first at the Sarpa Sattra. Subsequently, UgraśravaContinue reading "Adiparva : Sandhi 02 : Part 1 of 2 : Vaiśampāyana to Janamejaya"

In the very first Sandhi, Kumāravyāsa invokes the blessings of Viṣṇu, Śiva, Gaṇapati, Saraswati, Lakśmi, Durga, Vedavyāsa, Dattātreya and describes the merits of his work.