Mahabharata, (Sanskrit: “Great Epic

of the Bharata Dynasty”) one of the

two Sanskrit epic poems of
ancient India (the other being
the Ramayana). The Mahabharata is an
important source of information on
the development of Hinduism between
400 BCE and 200 CE and is regarded
by Hindus as both a text
about dharma (Hindu moral law) and a
history (itihasa, literally “that’s what
happened”).
 Appearing in its present form
about 400 CE,
the Mahabharata consists of a mass
of mythological and didactic material
arranged around a central heroic
narrative that tells of the struggle
for sovereignty between two groups
of cousins, the Kauravas (sons
of Dhritarashtra, the descendant of
Kuru) and the Pandavas (sons of
Pandu).
 The poem is made up of almost 100,000
couplets—about seven times the length of
the Iliad and the Odyssey combined—
divided into 18 parvans, or sections, plus a
supplement titled Harivamsha (“Genealogy
of the God Hari”; i.e., of Vishnu). Although it
is unlikely that any single person wrote the
poem, its authorship is traditionally
ascribed to the sage Vyasa, who appears in
the work as the grandfather of
the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The date
and even the historical occurrence of the
war that is the central event of
the Mahabharata are much debated.
 How is love or loyalty
measured or determined?
 Is it enough to express this
in words?
 How are these two virtues
best shown?
 Form group of 10 and
brainstorm.
 Savitri was the beautiful
daughter of a wise and powerful
king. The fame of Savitri's beauty
spread far and wide, but she
refused to marry, saying that she
would herself go out in the world
and find a husband for herself. So
the king chose the best warriors
to protect her, and the princess
wandered throughout the country
searching for a prince of her
choice.
 What do you think are the
qualities of a man Savitri
looked?
 Where will Savitri go to find
the perfect man for him?
 Do you think Savitri could find
a man he wants to marry?
 One day she reached a dense forest,
where dwelt a king who had lost his
kingdom and fallen into his bad days. Old
and blind he lived in a small hut with his
wife and son. The son, who was a
handsome young prince, was the sole
comfort of his parents. He chopped wood
and sold it in the countryside, and bought
food for his parents, and they lived in love
and happiness. Savitri was strongly drawn
towards them, and she knew her search had
come to an end. Savitri fell in love with the
young prince, who was called Satyavan, and
was known for his legendary generosity.
Will Savitri’s parents allow
her to marry Satyavan?
 Hearing that Savitri has chosen a
penniless prince, her father was
heavily downcast. But Savitri was hell-
bent on marrying Satyavan. The king
consented, but a saint informed him
that a fatal curse laid upon the young
prince: He is doomed to die within a
year. The king told her daughter about
the curse and asked her to choose
someone else. But Savitri refused, and
stood firm in her determination to
marry the same prince. The king finally
agreed with a heavy heart.
 The wedding of Savitri and
Satyavan took place with a lot of
fanfare, and the couple went back
to the forest hut. For a whole year
they lived happily. On the last day
of the year, Savitri rose early and
when Satyavan picked up his axe
to go into the forest to chop wood
she requested him to take her
along, and the two went into the
jungle.
 Under a tall tree, he made a seat of soft
green leaves and plucked flowers for
her to weave into a garland while he
chopped wood. Towards noon Satyavan
felt a little tired, and after a while he
came and lay down resting his head in
Savitri's lap. Suddenly the whole forest
grew dark, and soon Savitri saw a tall
figure standing before her. It was
Yama, the God of Death. "I have come
to take your husband," said Yama, and
looked down at Satyavan, as his soul
left his body
 Why did Savitri follow
Yama?
 What request did she ask
Yama?
 Do you think this would be
granted?
 When Yama was about to
leave, Savitri ran after him,
and pleaded Yama to take her
too along with him to the land
of the dead or give back the
life of Satyavan. Yama replied,
"Your time has not yet come,
child. Go back to your home.”
 What happened to
Satyavan?
 Did Savitri know beforehand
that this would happen?
 Did she tell her husband?
 When he tries to convince her to turn
back, she offers successive formulas
of wisdom. First she praises obedience
to Dharma, then friendship with the
strict, then Yama himself for his just
rule, then Yama as King of Dharma,
and finally noble conduct with no
expectation of return. Impressed at
each speech, Yama praises both the
content and style of her words and
offers any boon, except the life of
Satyavan
 Will Savitri gain back the
Satyavan’s life?
 Savitri is given a chance to
ask a boon and it shall be
given, what do you think
will it be?
 She first asks for eyesight and
restoration of the kingdom for her
father-in-law, then a hundred sons
for her father, and then a hundred
sons for herself and Satyavan. The last
wish creates a dilemma for Yama, as it
would indirectly grant the life of
Satyavan. However, impressed by
Savitri's dedication and purity, he
offers one more time for her to
choose any boon, but this time
omitting "except for the life of
Satyavan".
 Savitri asked, "Let me have
wonderful sons." "So be it",
replied Yama. Then Savitri said,
"But how can I have sons without
my husband, Satyavan? Therefore
I beg of you to give back his life."
Yama had to give in! Satyavan's
body came back to life. He slowly
woke up from the stupor and the
two gladly walked back to their
hut.
 1 .What happened to Satyavan at the end of
the story?
 2. How do you characterize Savitri as a wife,
daughter in law?
 3. If you were Savitri, would you have done all
that she did? Explain your answer?