kurus

Of dominating fathers and submissive sons in Indian stories…

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King Yayati wanted to enjoy the pleasures of life for long and demanded that his sons trade their youth for his old age. Puru, his youngest son, satisfied his father’s lust for life by sacrificing his youth.

King Shantanu fell in love with a fisherwoman at an advanced stage of his life. His son, Devavrata, ensured that his father’s desire was satisfied even though it meant he would have to sacrifice his kingship and sex life forever!

Why do we find dominating fathers and submissive sons in Indian stories?

How Bhishma made the Kurus a matrilineal clan!

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Bhishma, a key character in the Mahabharata, is known for the supreme sacrifice of his sex life for the sake of his father.

But this selfless act of his changed the patriarchal nature of the Kuru clan forever.

After Bhishma, we find succession in the Kuru throne becomes matrilineal, with the Kuru throne being handed down through the mother’s bloodline.

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For more on the Bhishma story, check this video!

Mahabharata Series 3 | The epic’s violent beginnings

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The Mahabharata is narrated for the first time at a horrific snake sacrifice conducted by Arjuna’s great grandson and Abhimanyu’s grandson, Janamejaya.

But how does the snake sacrifice relate to the core story of the epic? How does the Sarpa Sattra or the snake sacrifice set the perfect context for the epic?

Click to find out!