Pandu was cursed by rishi Kimdama because of a hunting accident. This story is about Pandu and his wife, Madri's death as a result of the curse and the events that followed.

Listen to the story to know more about:

- The cause and manner of Pandu's death 

- Why Madri chose to accompany Pandu to his afterlife rather than Kunti

- The final rites of Pandu and Madri–where, what and how.

- What happened to the five sons of Pandu–the Pandavas, and Kunti after Pandu's death.

Music: Jesse Gallagher

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com 

Instagram: @storiesofindiaretold

The Mahabharata 1: Complete and Unabridged; translated by Bibek Debroy. (2015). Penguin Random House India. (Original work published 2010)

Part 2 of the story of the birth of Pandavas and Kauravas–the lead characters of the Mahabharata. (Part 1 - Episode 13)

Both Dhritarashtra and Pandu are married, and the responsibility of continuing the royal line is theirs. Dhritarashtra is denied the throne because of his blindness and Pandu was made king.

Listen to the story of:

- Pandu's curse–a King who could not procreate 

- How Gandhari had 100 sons, the Kauravas. (With some help from Veda Vyasa!)

- How and why Pandu convinced Kunti to have sons through niyoga

- How Kunti and Madri conceived their sons, the Pandavas

Music: Jesse Gallagher

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com 

Instagram: @storiesofindiaretold

The Mahabharata 1: Complete and Unabridged; translated by Bibek Debroy. (2015). Penguin Random House India. (Original work published 2010)

Part 1 of the story of birth of the Pandavas and Kauravas. After the birth of the Kuru princes Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidhura, Bhishma took up the responsibility of both the thriving kingdom and also the growing princes. The members of the family were keen to see the princes marry well, have sons and continue the dynasty. 

Listen to the story of:

- Who the princes married

- How and why the girls were selected

- How Gandhari and Kunti received boons to have sons.

Music: Jesse Gallagher

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com 

Instagram: @storiesofindiaretold

Daughter of the great King Uparichara; mother to the author of the Mahabharata and the divider of the vedas; mother to 2 princes who became king; and the wife of King Shantanu, Satyavati was an intelligent and beautiful woman. Born to a Puru King and a fisherwoman mother, Satyavati was destined for great things and her adoptive father made sure to give her the best he could. 

Listen to:

-the origin and stories of her ancestors

-the circumstances of her birth

-her affair and the time she fell in love

-how she received the boon

-her son–Veda Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana

-what she did to save the Puru lineage from extinction.

Souti Vaishampayana tells the story of the births of Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura, who are seen as the saviors of the Kuru lineage.

Listen to the story to learn more about:

-How and why the Kuru lineage was in danger of going extinct

-The princes' parents and how their births were planned in order to guarantee the continuation of the Kuru lineage

-How the kidnapped princess Amba convinced Bhishma to let her go

-How the author of Mahabharata, Krishna Dwaipayana, is connected to the Kuru lineage. 

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com 

Instagram: @storiesofindiaretold

Vasus are children of Manu, who is the son of Brahma, and are collectively called the Ashta Vasu or Eight Vasus. They are deities who represent the eight elements—earth, water, fire, wind, sun, sky, moon and the stars; in the Mahabharata, they are named Dhara, Aha, Anala, Anila, Pratyusha, Prabhasa, Soma and Dhruva, respectively. Vasus lived a privileged life in the heavens. But, one day, they got in trouble with the great sage Vasishta and were cursed very harshly. 

Listen to:

-the events that led to the Vasus being cursed by Vasishta

-the details of the curse and how the Vasus managed it

-Goddess Ganga's role in their forced entry into earth as mortals

-Prabhasa's identity as a mortal on earth.

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com 

Instagram: @storiesofindiaretold

As commander of the Kuru army and the grand-uncle to both the Kauravas and Pandavas, Bhishma is one of the main protagonists of the story. The son of King Shantanu and goddess Ganga, he was named Devavrata at birth. In Indian culture, Bhishma is widely loved and admired because of his dedication to dharma and his selflessness.

Listen to how:

-Shantanu and Ganga were married and then separated

-Bhishma was born

-Shantanu was heartbroken because he couldn't marry the woman he loved, Satyavati.

-Bhishma gave up his claim to the throne and took up a vow of brahmacharya 

-Shantanu granted his son the boon to choose the time of his death

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com 

Instagram: @storiesofindiaretold

Govina Haadu,or Song of the cow (also called, Punyakotiya Kathe or Punyakoti's story) is a story about a cow named Punyakoti, who inadvertently crosses path with a very hungry and fierce tiger named Arbhuta. Based on a story in Mahabharata, this beautiful, soul stirring song has been part of Kannada folklore for thousands of years.

Listen to know how:

-Punyakoti convinces Arbhuta to let her see her young calf one more time before he makes a meal of her.

-Arbhuta is influenced by Punyakoti's beliefs and actions. 

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com 

Instagram: @storiesofindiaretold

Puru, son of Yayati, belonged to the Lunar dynasty. He was the founder of the Puru or Kuru lineage-key players in the Mahabharata. 

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com 

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The Nagas are semi-divine serpents. They were cursed by their mother and condemned to die in the snake sacrifice conducted by the descendent of Pandavas, King Janamejaya. Under the threat of the decimation of their race, the Nagas searched for a cure to beat their curse. Their grandfather, Brahma, revealed that the key to break their curse lies in a child named, Astika.

Listen to learn about how and why:

-Nagas were cursed

-King Parikshit was cursed

-King Janamejaya vowed to kill the Nagas

-Astika stopped the snake sacrifice.

-Also learn about the Nagas in ancient Indian history.

Blog: http://storiesofindiaretold.com

Podcast website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com