Facts from the Mahabharata



Lesser Known Facts from the Mahabharata

As we all know, the Mahabharata is one of the two greatest epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. Mahabharata is all about the rivalry between Kauravas and Pandava brother for the throne, which led to the most dreaded battle called the Kurukshetra War.  

But, there are some unknown and lesser-known facts from the Mahabharata.

1.      Did you know Sahdev could see the future?

Sahdev, Pandava's youngest brother, knew everything about the future and all the events of the Kurukshetra war which was going to happen. He knew about the outcome of the war but remained silent as he was cursed to die if he revealed anything.
There are some versions of Mahabharata which claimed that Sahdev ate his father’s flesh to gain such knowledge. After the death of Pandu (Pandava’s father), Pandavas were told to eat his flesh so that they could gain his knowledge but only Sahdev was able to eat a piece of his father’s brain. In this way, he attained the power to see the future.
Sahdev tried to tell everything to his brother and mother but a stranger stopped him to do so. That stranger was Krishna. He asked him to keep quiet.

2.      Did you know Pandavas were saved by Duryodhana once in war?

During the Kurukshetra war, Bhisma who was on the side of Kauravas was accused by Duryodhana for not doing any harm to Pandavas and favoring them. On hearing, Bhisma became very angry and in his anger, he took his five golden arrows and filled it with mantras. He vowed that he will kill Pandavas before the sunset. On the very next day, Duryodhana suspected that Bhisma would never do such a thing to Pandavas so, he took the arrows.
Krishna reminded Arjun that Duryodhana had promised him of a boon and he should ask him for those five golden arrows.
Actually, when Pandavas were living near a Kund (pool/pond) during their 12 years of exile, to keep an eye on Pandavas Duryodhna also started to live nearby in a tent. One day Duryodhana went to that pool to take a bath where Gandharvraj also came to take a bath. Seeing this, Duryodhana got angry and this event broke out into a war. Gandharvraj held Duryodhna captive. Later, when Yudhishthira came to know then he ordered Arjun to free Duryodhna from Gandharvraj.
Duryodhana was then saved by Arjun. Ashamed by the fact that Arjun saved him and being a Kshatriya, he gave a boon to Arjun, which Arjun used in the Kurukshetra war by demanding those five arrows.

3.      Did you know not all Kauravas were against Pandavas?

Vikarna and Yuyutsu never approved of Duryodhana's actions and were in Pandavas' favor of Dharma. The two had actually protested against Draupadi being staked in the game of dice. Vikarna was the third son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra and despite his apprehensions, he had to fight the battle against Pandavas.
Yuyutsu was the son of Dhritarashtra from a maid of Gandhari. Before the battle of Kurukshetra war, he moved to Pandavas Camp and was on their side during the war.so, he was the only Kaurava who survived the Great War.







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