{| Doubts and Discussions about Mahabharata |} - Page 61

Originally posted by: .Vrish.

Actually, after Shantanu's death, Chitrangada was made king, and he ruled for a short while until he died while killing a Gandharva w/ his own name. Then Vichitravirya was crowned, and Bheeshma abducted AAA for him. After his marriages, he ruled for 7 years b4 dying.

Following his death, Bheeshma ran things for a while until Dhritarashtra & Pandu came of age, and then Pandu was made the king.

I have a new, and different question. If Dhritarashtra was thought incapable of ruling, due to his blindness, then after Pandu's death, while they waited for the Kuru princes to come of age, why didn't Vidura get crowned the king of Hastinapur? Wasn't he too considered a son of Vichitravirya as per the gotra - he was certainly not considered Vyasa's son as per Parashara's lineage.

Originally posted by: .Vrish.

Different question, to bring this sync this thread a bit more w/ the serial, since it's getting closer to the point where we'll be seeing the start of the story

When Satyavati's father declined to give Satyavati in marriage to Shantanu, why didn't he simply assert his royal authority and forcibly seize Satyavati & marry her? At that time, kings had absolute despotic power, and there were no limitations on what they could do. Indeed, as Bheeshma himself demonstrated several years later, when he seized Amba, Ambika & Ambalika, might was right. It would have been no big deal for the king of Hastinapur to simply seize that maiden who got him so infatuated, and then marry her. If she wanted, he could later have given Chitrangada/Vichitravirya a conquered kingdom.

So why did Shantanu not do it? Please don't make me laugh w/ a 'he respected the wishes of Satyavati's father'. Rulers of that time did nothing of the sort.

Originally posted by: .Vrish.

I have a question about the organization of the Mahabharata.

Why is the first chapter - Adi Parva - so huge? It covers everything from prehistoric Mahabharata right up to the destruction of Khandavaprastha. Instead, like the latter chapters are split by the Kaurava commanders, this one could have been split like below:

Adi Parva (for Janamejaya's yagna/Parikshit's death)

Shantanu Parva (birth of Bheeshma, marriage to Satyavati)

Vichitravirya Parva (abduction of AAA, death of Vichitravirya)

Pandu Parva (AA giving birth up to death of Pandu & return of Pandavas & Satyavati & AA retiring to the forest)

Dhritarashtra Parva (until the destruction of Khandavprastha)

That would have been more managable to read & search

Originally posted by: varaali

I think Drupada didn't expect Arjuna to win the contest. Like everyone else, he too thought the Pandavas had perished in the Lac- house. Let alone win, he didn't expect them to attend the swayamvara even.

Drupada may have expected Jarashandha's son Sahadeva to win the contest. In that case both Panchala and Magadha would have joined hands to form a formidable alliance against the Kurus. Hastinapur would not have stood a chance against the combined might of Jarasandha and Drupada.

In case Duryodhana had won the contest, Drupda would have used all his powers to separate him from Dronacharya. Drupada would have helped Duryodhana's ascent to the throne and once Duryodhana was established as the king, Drupada would have asked Duryodhana to alienate Dronachrya. It would not have been too difficult- given that Duryodhana was never a Drona- favourite.

What Drupada certainly did not anticipate was Arjuna winning the bride. Having given Draupadi in marriage to Arjuna, there was no way he could use Arjuna- a staunch Drona shishya- against Drona.

Drupada now only had Drishtadyumna to rely on.

Originally posted by: .Vrish.

No, but Draupadi had a boon that she'd never be widowed. So had the other 4, or any number of them, died b4 her, she'd have been partially widowed. So she died first, and once she did, the others could also then die.

It had nothing to do w/ which sin was greater - the Pandavas then died in reverse chronological order.

Originally posted by: peridot.

This is very interesting indeed! This explanation isnt very widely known . Could you please give a citation for this. It needs to be highlighted , I feel .The commonly known version is that Draupadi sinned the most therefore died first. The two versions are so much contradictory.😲