Karna’s complex character has been dissected and explored by several playwrights and writers over two millennia.
This video explores what it means to be Karna as seen through the eyes of his fandom.
Check it out!
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Did Draupadi secretly love Karna?
Did Draupadi secretly love Karna? That is what popular imagination would have us believe.
But was it Vyasa’s truth? Or a secret wish of the people?
Watch the video to find out more about where the video comes from!
Enter Karna…
Karna is one of the most nuanced characters created by Vyasa. He crafts the character of Karna so finely making Karna one of the greatest tragic heroes of all times.
Check out how, when and where Karna enters the epic’s story and changes its course forever….
Arjuna, the iconic hero of the Mahabharata
The Mahabharata refers to Arjuna using 14 different names. One of which is Savyasachi.
Do you know what the name means?
Watch the YouTube video for the answer and to know what makes Arjuna the iconic hero of the epic.
Sarasvati: River or Goddess? What does the Mahabharata say?
The river Sarasvati finds wide mention in the Rig Veda. The Mahabharata is not far behind as it dedicates an entire sub-parvan to the tirthas or pilgrimages on the banks of the river.
But was the river Sarasvati a real river that flowed in the Indian sub-continent?
Or, was it a river reconstructed from a much more ancient past?
What does the Mahabharata say about the Sarasvati?
And more importantly, how did the river become the Goddess of Speech?
The questions are endless….the answers, a mere click away!
Drona’s cruelty to Ekalavya
Why did Drona refuse to teach Ekalavya?
Was it because Ekalavya was not a Kshatriya? Because Ekalavya was supposedly a low-born compared to his other students?
Why did he extract a bloody sacrifice from Ekalavya?
Check the video on one of the most debated issues from the Mahabharata!
Caste in the Mahabharata
The stories of discrimination that characters like Karna and Ekalavya faced in the Mahabahrata are well known.
But equally well known are the birth stories of Vyasa and Vidura who were born to mothers from a lower social strata of the society, but were nevertheless revered and respected for their ability.
So, what was the epic’s stance on the questions of ability vs. birth and purity of birth?
Do watch the video to find out!
Intriguing Patterns in the Mahabharata
Pandu, the father of the Pandavas dies as a result of a curse on his head. On closer observation, one finds that Pandu’s life, bears some similarities with Bhishma’s life.
Both of them are forced to give up the throne or their claim to sovereignty when young. While Bhishma is forced to abdicate his kingship to fulfil his father Shantanu’s desire to marry Satyavati, Pandu is forced to relinquish his throne because the deer’s curse would never allow him to become a father and bear a successor for the throne.
Again, both Pandu and Bhishma are forced to give up their sex life. Bhishma after he swears to a strict vow of celibacy as part of his promise to Satyavati’s father, and Pandu, because of the dying deer’s curse. Both men are thus forced to lose their social status as well as their manhood and the right to have their basic human needs satisfied.
This is just one of the many recurring patterns in the epic. Explore what they are, and why events tend to repeat in the greatest story ever told.
Yuyutsu: The Son Who Didn’t Belong
Yuyutsu was the second son of Dhritarashtra. Yet, he was rarely acknowledged as one of the Kaurava siblings by his own family.
The epic says he was a Maharatha, capable of single-handedly taking on10,000 warriors. Yet, like Karna, Yuyutsu chose to fight his own brothers in the Kurukshetra war.
Why?
Watch the video to find out the story of Yuyutsu from his initial years of oblivion to his final moment of glory at the end of the epic.
Pearls & Precious Stones in Indian stories
India’s Deccan plateau, that was formed out of a volcanic eruption millions of years ago, was the first place on earth where diamonds were mined.
In India, these precious stones were believed to possess miraculous powers. Flawless gems, it was thought, brought good fortune to the owner in the form of long life, good health and prosperity. Whereas, flawed gems brought the opposite effects.
Power and purity of these precious stones, thus become the most common motifs in our stories.
Watch the video to listen to interesting and intriguing stories about pearls and precious stones!
Kulture Katha 