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12 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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the story and its mythological background
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There was a king named Vasu whose wife was in her “time” to get pregnant.
His seed came out in the forest and he caught it on a leaf and was going to take it to his wife when a bird flew down and took it. Another bird took it from that bird and then the leaf with the seed fell into the water and a celestial nymph in the form of a fish became pregnant. Later, she was caught and Satyavati, and her twin were born. The nymph was fulfilling a curse and was now freed. Satyavati smelled like fish because of the way she was born. The fisherman who caught the nymph took her in and cared for her as his own daughter. One day, he took his daughter on the ferry to cross the Yamuna River. A sage came along and tried to seduce her. S he refused but said “I’ll do it but only under the condition that you get rid of my stench and restore my virginity” He agreed and had his pleasure with her in a fog and she gave birth on an island and her virginity was immediately restored. Her son was named Krisha Dvaipayana. Another king fell in love with Satyavati and she agreed to marry him only on the condition that her son would be the heir to the throne. Bhisma, the king’s firstborn was already Samtanu’s heir to the throne. Bhisma’s mother was Ganga. He was very much loved by his father and he refused Satyavati. Upon hearing this, Bhisma refused and renounced his right to the throne and said that he wouldn’t have any children and marry because they would be potential heirs to the throne. For this reason, Bhisma is named as such, which means “awesome” He behaves as an ascetic, a Brahman. Samtanu and Satyavati had two children: Citrangada and Vicitravirya but they died childless or something. Since Bhisma had vowed not to break his promise, there was no heir to the throne. Satyavati tells Samtanu about her other son, Krsna (who was named so because he was dark-skinned). She convinces Krishna to have sex with Ambika and Ambilika (her son’s ex-wives or something?) Ambika closed her eyes during intercourse and she was coursed. Her children were cursed to be born blind. Ambalika was also cursed and her children were going to be “pale” because she was scared. Ambika gives birth to Dhrtarastra, who was a blind king and Ambalika gives birth to Pandu, the father of the Pandavas. Pandu was cursed and couldn’t have intercourse. His wives had sons with the gods. Prtha-Kunti has children: Yudhisthira (son of Dharma), Bhimasena (son of Vayu) and Arjuna (son of Indra). Madri, Pandu’s other wife had twins: Nakula and Sahadeva (sons of the Asvins). Pandu ended up having sex with Madri and he died and she ascended his funeral pyre and so Kunti ended up being the mother of all five Pandavas. |
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pandavas and kauravas
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pandavas are the protagnitss. sons of kunti and Gods. kunti's husband Pandu could not have intercourse. his mother was cursed because shee was scared during sex. 5 brothers.
kauravas. 100 sons of dhritarashtra. antagonists. |
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yudhishtira arjuna bhima nakula and sahadeva
draupadi |
sons of: dharma, indra, vayu, and the ashvins.
draupadi is their wife. daughter of king drupada. |
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krishna and balarama
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krishna is advisor to arjuna. drives his chariot and tells him to fight in the mahabharat. he is vishnu's incarnation.
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dhrtarasthra
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son of ambika. she closed her eyes during intercourse so her son was cursed to be born blind. he is the father of the kaurvas. he is a good king but did not have control over his sons.
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duryodhana sakuni dushashana bhisma karna drona asvattama
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duryodhana - also heir to the throne along with yudishtira. hates the pandavas and tries to kill them.
sakuni is dhritarashtras advisor, duryodhana's uncle. expert and crude dice player. scheming. dushashana tries to disrobe draupadi, duryodhana's brother, killed by bhima at the end karna - pandava's half brother. duryodhana gives him land and makes hima ing so he is more loyal to kauravas drona- the teacher of pandavas and kauravas. teaches them archery. fights on the side of kauravas asvattaman- son of Drona; the Pandavas tricked Drona into thinking that he was dead when in reality, an elephant named Asvatthaman died. |
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virata utarra utaraa
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virata is the king who allows the pandavas to stay with him when they are spending a year incognito. utara (no accent) is his son. he fights against kauravas. arjuna is his charioteer and lets him use the gandiva bow that is hidden in a tree
utaraa ( with accent) is virat's daughter. she is married to abhimanyu. their son is pariksit, with whom the sotry of mahabarat begins |
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abhimanyu and pariksit
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arjuna's son. pariksit is his son.
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kunti and ghandari
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they are the wives of pandu and dhritarashtra. kunti is mother of five sons. ghandari wears the blindfold because her husband is blind
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vyasa
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grandfatther of pandavas
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three krishnas
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Krsna Dvaipayana (born on an island; Satyavati is the mother), Krsna Draupadi (wife of Pandavas), Krsna Vasudeva (Yadavas: the righteous incarnation of Vishnu)
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three ramas
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rama chandra, incarnation of vishnu. half vishnu half ram. he balarama- krishnas brother. killed in a brawl at the end of mahabharat
parasurama - incarnation of vishnu who kills kshatriyas 21 imes over means rama with an ax |
