The Story of the Mahabharata
The kingdom of Hastinapur was ruled by a king named Pandu. He had five sons called Yudhisthir, Bhima Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. They were known as the Pandavas. When Pandu died, his blind brother, Dhritarashtra, became the king. He had 100 sons and they were called the Kauravas. Dhritarashtra divided the kingdom between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, giving Hastinapur to his sons and the Khandava forest to his nephews
The Pandavas built their capital at Indraprastha(near modern Delhi)and made the kingdom of Indraprastha large and powerful. The Pandavas were married to Draupadi, the daughter of the king of Panchala. Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas, was jealous of the Pandavas and wanted to destroy them. He Invited them to a game of dice. The condition was that whoever lost the game would go into exile for 13 years
The Kauravas tricked the Pandavas and they lost everything to the Kauravas in this game-their kingdom, their wealth and even their wife Draupadi. They also had to go into exile for 13 years
On their return from exile, they demanded back their kingdom but the Kauravas refused. This led to a fierce 18-day battle in the plains of Kurukshetra. The Kauravas were defeated and killed Yudhisthir became the king of Hastinapur
Besides the main story of the war, the Mahabharata includes the Bhagavad Gita. The sermon Given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the battlefield is contained in the Gita, the sacred book of the Hindus.
Hinduism
The term Hinduism was coined by the British in the early 19th century. It was a generalized term sed to collectively denote the various religious sects with similar, but not identical, beliefs with roots in the ancient Harappan and Vedic culture. Hinduism represents a set of religious, spiritual and philosophical systems and cultural traditions and practices that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is also referred to as Vedic religion or Sanatan Dharma (Eternal Law).Hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it has no spiritual founder or specific time of origin. It is a way of life that has evolved over thousands of years. The basic principle of Hinduism is the belief in an omnipotent and omnipresent single force or energy (shakti)—the source of all creation.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Ashvamedha yagna was performed by powerful kings. After the yagna, the horse was decorated with the king's emblem and set free to roam at will. The regions through which the horse passed came under the rule of the king who had performed the Ashvamedha yagna. If the horse was stopped by any other king, a war followed and the victorious king annexed the defeated king's territories.
The Story of the Ramayana
Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya, had three queens.Rama was born to Kaushalya, Bharata to Kaikeyi and Lakshmana and Shatrughna to Sumitra. Rama was married to Sita, the daughter of King Janaka of Videha. When Dasaratha grew old, he chose Rama, the eldest son, as his heir to the throne. Kaikeyi was not happy with this decision as she wanted her son Bharata to be the king.
To keep a promise that he had once made to Kaikeyi. Dasaratha had to send Rama into exile for 14 years. Rama, accompanied by Sita and Lakshmana, left Ayodhya. They settled down in the Panchavati forest.
Meanwhile, King Dasaratha died of grief and Bharata refused to become the king. He ruled the kingdom on behalf of his brother Rama and waited for his return.
One day, when Rama and Lakshmana had gone out in search of food, Ravana, the king of Lanka (Sri Lanka),kidnapped Sita and carried her away to his kingdom. Rama and Lakshmana took the help of King Sugriva and the commander of his army, Hanumana. They crossed over to Lanka, defeated Ravana in a fierce battle and rescued Sita.
At the end of the 14-year-exile, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana returned to Ayodhya. The people of Ayodhya celebrated the return of the rightful heir to the throne by lighting earthen lamps. Rama was crowned the king. He established an ideal state called 'Ramarajya' based on equality and justice. There was prosperity and happiness in his state. It was Gandhiji's dream to establish Rama rajya in India.
Important Words
Hereditary is what is passed from one generation to another
Rajasuya yagna was performed when a king ascended the throne to confer supreme power on him.
Ashvamedha yagna or the horse sacrifice was performed to establish undisputed authority of the king over the territory through which the horse moved unchallenged.
Brahmacharya was the first stage of a man's life during which he lived with his guru or teacher and received education.
Gurukul was the house of the guru or teacher where the young boys were sent to get education.
Grihastha was the second stage of a person's life during which he got married and led a family life as a householder.
Vanaprastha was the third stage of a person's life when he gave up his worldly life and went to the forest to meditate.
Sanyasa was the last stage of a person's life when he renounced all worldly ties and became an ascetic, spreading the principles of religion and truth.
Guru dakshina was paid to the guru after a student completed his education. It was paid according to the student's capacity.
Dharma means that every person has a moral duty to do what is right and lead a pious life.
Karma means that people must face the consequences of their actions, i.e. good deeds must be rewarded and evil deeds must be punished.
Transmigration of the soul means the passing of a person's soul, after death, into another body.
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