Mahabharatam is one hell of a book, if you read it right! It could beat any Game of Thrones in a heartbeat! Now while we were marveling on the elaborate and deep stories of Mahabharata we came across some insane ones too!! Some of these are a part of the Vyasa Mahabharatam while some are from various others. And yet each of them most certainly interesting as hell!! Read on, it will be worth it.
1. Duryodhana’s Thigh: Now we all know that Bheema killed Duryodhana by breaking his thigh. But did you know Duryodhana wouldn't die if he was hit anywhere else??
Gandhari with her devotion was gifted a potion of immortality by Durvasa Maharshi. Gandhari calls her eldest son, when he was a child, to her chambers naked so that she can rub the magical potion on his body, making him immortal. Lord Krishna, being all-knowing, takes the form of his sister Dussyala and obstructs his way. Duryodhana feeling shy keeps his underpants on when he goes to his mother’s chambers. The potion doesn't touch his skin where he was covered making his thighs the only vulnerable part of his body.
2. How did Pandavas die?: After the death of Krishna, 36 years after the Kurukshetra war, Dharmaraju along with his brothers and wife set out to the heavens on foot. They are followed by a dog throughout their journey but Dharmaraju orders his kin to not turn back. Each of his brothers and wife drop dead one by one for their mortal sins while Dharmaraju is given the honor of reaching the heavens in his mortal form. Such was his righteousness.
3. Sahadeva’s Wisdom from Cannibalism: In the Telugu folk versions of Mahabharatam, Pandu Raju orders his children to not burn his body but to eat it so they can attain all the wisdom of the world. Only Sahadev obeys this order when his brothers leave him to guard the body. Krishna finds out about Sahadev’s wisdom which can be a threat to Dharma in the upcoming war. So, Krishna warns Sahadeva that if he ever shares this knowledge with anyone then his head will burst into a thousand pieces.
4. Draupadi’s confession of love: This one is from an episode called Jambul. Draupadi during their vanavasam, plucks a fruit to eat, a fruit that a sage wanted to break his 12-year-long fast with.
Krishna grants a boon that if she reveals any secret she holds the fruit will stick back to the tree, hence saving the Pandavas from the sage’s wrath.
Draupadi confesses that she loves her 5 husbands but also loves and desired a sixth one; Karna, who possesses all the qualities of the five. And that if she had married Karna instead, she wouldn't have had to face the insult in the hands of Duryodhana.
5. Karna was capable of killing the Pandavas: Karna was capable of killing each one of the Pandavas if he intended to, instantly. However, Kunti visits Karna during the war to reveal to him that she is his mother and asks him to grant her a wish. Being the Daana Veera that he is, he says yes despite knowing all along about Kunti being his mother and her injustice towards him. Kunti asks him to not kill any of her sons. Karna promises her that he would turn away from her sons at war but would battle Arjuna to death, because of his promise to Duryodhana.
6. Ghatotkacha’s son would have killed everyone: Ghatotkacha’s son was called Barbarika, who was also a part of the war. He was granted a boon by Lord Shiva to mark his arrows to reach a specific target. He also vowed to fight for the weaker side in a war. Krishna knowing that he could be a threat to Loka Kalyanam, asks him to sacrifice his head, the head of the greatest Kshatriya alive, as an offering to the Gods.
7. Bheeshma could choose when he wants to die: Bheeshma’s father, Shantanu, falls in love with a fisherwoman whose father refuses to give her hand in marriage to Shantanu because then their children would never rule as kings. Bheeshma rushes to the fisherman and vows Brahmacharyam and gives up the throne for his father's love. Bheeshma’s father, moved by this gesture, grants him a wish of Iccha Mrutyu. He basically gets to choose how and when he wants to die.
8. Perishing of the Yadava Clan: Gandhari on finding her dead son Duryodhana in a fury of rage curses Krishna that his clan, the Yadava clan would perish.
Samba, son of Krishna once mocks a group of sages by dressing up as a pregnant woman by hiding a mace in his dress and asking them whether it would be a boy or a girl. The sages curse him that the thing that he holds will be born and kill the entire clan including their lord, Krishna.
Samba, because of the curse, gives birth to a mace which they grind into a fine powder throwing it into the ocean. The powder deposited in the sand grows a specific grass with which the Yadavas fight each other killing the entire clan. The last piece left out of it leads to the death of Lord Krishna.
9. Durvasa’s curse & Lord Krishna’s death: Durvasa Maharshi who is known to be a temperamental and eccentric sage, once while visiting Lord Krishna at his place, ordered Lord Krishna to smear the leftovers of the payasam that he was served all over his body. Krishna didn’t apply it on his feet as he was standing on them. Upon seeing this, Durvasa cursed Krishna that his feet would be his death.
Now remember the last piece of the mace from the previous story? A hunter found that piece in a fish and makes it the tip of an arrow. The same arrow that hits Krishna’s foot as the hunter mistakes it for a moving animal.
Share the stories that you think are fascinating and unknown!
2. How did Pandavas die?: After the death of Krishna, 36 years after the Kurukshetra war, Dharmaraju along with his brothers and wife set out to the heavens on foot. They are followed by a dog throughout their journey but Dharmaraju orders his kin to not turn back. Each of his brothers and wife drop dead one by one for their mortal sins while Dharmaraju is given the honor of reaching the heavens in his mortal form. Such was his righteousness.
3. Sahadeva’s Wisdom from Cannibalism: In the Telugu folk versions of Mahabharatam, Pandu Raju orders his children to not burn his body but to eat it so they can attain all the wisdom of the world. Only Sahadev obeys this order when his brothers leave him to guard the body. Krishna finds out about Sahadev’s wisdom which can be a threat to Dharma in the upcoming war. So, Krishna warns Sahadeva that if he ever shares this knowledge with anyone then his head will burst into a thousand pieces.
4. Draupadi’s confession of love: This one is from an episode called Jambul. Draupadi during their vanavasam, plucks a fruit to eat, a fruit that a sage wanted to break his 12-year-long fast with.
Krishna grants a boon that if she reveals any secret she holds the fruit will stick back to the tree, hence saving the Pandavas from the sage’s wrath.
Draupadi confesses that she loves her 5 husbands but also loves and desired a sixth one; Karna, who possesses all the qualities of the five. And that if she had married Karna instead, she wouldn't have had to face the insult in the hands of Duryodhana.
5. Karna was capable of killing the Pandavas: Karna was capable of killing each one of the Pandavas if he intended to, instantly. However, Kunti visits Karna during the war to reveal to him that she is his mother and asks him to grant her a wish. Being the Daana Veera that he is, he says yes despite knowing all along about Kunti being his mother and her injustice towards him. Kunti asks him to not kill any of her sons. Karna promises her that he would turn away from her sons at war but would battle Arjuna to death, because of his promise to Duryodhana.
6. Ghatotkacha’s son would have killed everyone: Ghatotkacha’s son was called Barbarika, who was also a part of the war. He was granted a boon by Lord Shiva to mark his arrows to reach a specific target. He also vowed to fight for the weaker side in a war. Krishna knowing that he could be a threat to Loka Kalyanam, asks him to sacrifice his head, the head of the greatest Kshatriya alive, as an offering to the Gods.
7. Bheeshma could choose when he wants to die: Bheeshma’s father, Shantanu, falls in love with a fisherwoman whose father refuses to give her hand in marriage to Shantanu because then their children would never rule as kings. Bheeshma rushes to the fisherman and vows Brahmacharyam and gives up the throne for his father's love. Bheeshma’s father, moved by this gesture, grants him a wish of Iccha Mrutyu. He basically gets to choose how and when he wants to die.
8. Perishing of the Yadava Clan: Gandhari on finding her dead son Duryodhana in a fury of rage curses Krishna that his clan, the Yadava clan would perish.
Samba, son of Krishna once mocks a group of sages by dressing up as a pregnant woman by hiding a mace in his dress and asking them whether it would be a boy or a girl. The sages curse him that the thing that he holds will be born and kill the entire clan including their lord, Krishna.
Samba, because of the curse, gives birth to a mace which they grind into a fine powder throwing it into the ocean. The powder deposited in the sand grows a specific grass with which the Yadavas fight each other killing the entire clan. The last piece left out of it leads to the death of Lord Krishna.
9. Durvasa’s curse & Lord Krishna’s death: Durvasa Maharshi who is known to be a temperamental and eccentric sage, once while visiting Lord Krishna at his place, ordered Lord Krishna to smear the leftovers of the payasam that he was served all over his body. Krishna didn’t apply it on his feet as he was standing on them. Upon seeing this, Durvasa cursed Krishna that his feet would be his death.
Now remember the last piece of the mace from the previous story? A hunter found that piece in a fish and makes it the tip of an arrow. The same arrow that hits Krishna’s foot as the hunter mistakes it for a moving animal.
Share the stories that you think are fascinating and unknown!
