"Mahabharata" post-war

Hello I-F members,

May God bless us all!!!!

 Om Namoh Ganapataye Namah!!!!

 After a long time, I am penning down on I-F, and every time I visit I-F, I find it like a homecoming feeling. Today, I would like to post on the "Mahabharata post-war" and esp, to the successor of the Pandavas, the Kurus and the Yadavas. My source of information has been the internet and the T.V. i.e. Wikis, "Mahabharata", "Srimad Bhagavatam", "Devi Bhagwat", and of course from the late B.R. Chopra's "Mahabharat", "Mahabharat Katha" & the late Ramanand Sagar's "Shri Krishna"

 *Please note that it's not necessary that all of my information is correct, because even most of the mythological books that we have, they tell the same stories, but in a different version.

 So, a big question is that who survived the Mahabharata war?

 From the Panadavas side:  Five Pandavas, Krishna, Satyaki,  and Yuyutsu.

From the Kurus side: Ashwatthama, Sage Kripa, Kritavarma, Vrishakethu

 

Another question is that who are successor from each dynasty?

 -Parikshit: A grandson of Arjuna and Subhadra, and a son of Abhimanyu and Uttara. He was made the king of Hastinapura

-Yuyutsu:  A son of Dhitarastha with a Vaishya woman named Sauvali. He was the only son of Dhitarastha, who survie the Mahabharata war. It's believed that he shited to the Pandavas side just before the war. After that Yuyutsu was appointed as a guardian to the king Parikshita. Now, here's a different version of the story, somewhere I read was that Vajra was appointed as a king of Indraprastha.

-Vajra: A great grandson of the Lord Krishna and Rukmini, a grandson of Pradhymna and Rukmavati, and a son of Aniruddha and Usha. After the destruction of the Yadavas due to the curse from Gadhari and from the sages, Lord Krishna and Balarama left this earth, and went to their adobe, Vaikuntha. Arjuna came to Dwarka and took the remaining Yadavas and the Yadavas' wives to Hastinapura. After that Dwarka got submerged into the sea. On the way, Arjuna was attacked by the robbers. Arjuna fought with them, but noone of his great divine weapons worked at that time, and the robbers were successful to rob the gold, other valuable items and some of the Yadavas' women (mostly of the Vrishni and the Andhaka dynasty). Arjuna, then established the son of Kritavarman in the city of Marttikavat with the remnant of the women of the Bhoja King, as well as, Arjuna installed the son of Satyaki, Asanga, the king of the territory near the Saraswati river, and handed over to his care many of the old men and women of Dwarka. Then, Arjuna appointed Vajra, a king of Mathura. (The capital of the Surasena kingdom was Mathura). Now, here's another version of the story is that Vajra was appointed a king of Indraprastha. Note:  I wonder which one is true, Vajra was appointed as a king of Indraprastha, or a king of Mathura at Indraprastha, or Yuyutsu was appointed as a ruler of Indraprastha, or he was made a guardian of the king Pariksht

-Vrishketu: A son of Karna. His eight brothers died in the battle of the Mahabharata. He was the only one survived. Later, he became very attached to the Pandavas esp. to Arjuna. He assisted Arjuna and Bheema in the Ashwamedha Yagna. It's believed that Babrubavana killed Vrisketu during the Ashwamedga Yagna, when the horse reached Manipura. He was later brought back into life by the Lord Krishna. We don't know a lot about him post Ashwamedha Yagna, but I guess, it makes more sense that he became a king of the Anga Kingdom, since his father (Karna) was a king of the Anga Desh.

 For more info: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m17/m17001.htm

 Some other characters:

 -Babruvahana: A son of Arjuna and Chitrangada. He fought with his father during the Ashwamedha Yagna. Due to the curse from the mata Ganga, Babruvahana slain his father in the war, but later, Ulupi, Arjuna's another wife, who was a naag kanya, with the help from the gem, she brought Arjuna back into the life. After that Babruvahana continued to rule the kingdom of Manipura.

-Meghavarna: A son of Ghatothkach and Maurvi, and  a younger brother of Barbareek. He assisted Vrishketu during the Ashwamedha Yagna.

 Who was Barbareek?

 Even though, Barbareek is not mentioned in the Vyasa's Mahabharata, or in the jamini's Ashwaedha Parva, but Barbareek was indeed a very important character of the Mahabharata. He learnt the art of warfare from his mother. God Shiva, pleased with him, gave him the three infallible arrows (Teen Baan). Hence, Barbarika came to be known by the appellation Teen Baandhaari, the "Bearer of Three Arrows". Later, Agni (the god of Fire) gave him the bow that would make him victorious in the three worlds. He promised his mother that he would support the losing side in the battle. Lord Krishna knew his strength, and he knew that if Barbareek would come to join the Kauravas, the Pandavas would lose this battle for sure, even he couldn't have done anything to protect them. As a result, the Lord Krishna asked Barbareek his head as a sacrifise, which he gave to the Lord Krishna with a smile. Before decapitating himself, Barbarika told Krishna of his great desire to view the forthcoming battle and requested him to facilitate the same. Krishna agreed and placed the head on top of a hill overlooking the battlefield. From the hill, the head of Barbarika watched the entire battle. At the end of the battle, the victorious Pandava brothers argued amongst themselves as to who was responsible for their victory. Krishna suggested that Barbarika's head, which had watched the whole battle should be allowed to judge. Barbarika's head suggested that it was Krishna alone who was responsible for the victory: his advice, his presence, his gameplan had been very crucial.  (Source: Wiki and other resources such as http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=10683)

What happened to Subhadra and Uttara afer Five Pandav and Draupadi went for their final journey?

 Nothing has been said about them too much, but we can imagine that both Subhadra and Uttara stayed at Hasinapura to take care of Parikshit.

 What happened to the Lord Krishna's wives?

 -After the death of the Lord Krishna, Rukmini, Jambavati and few became sati, while Satyabhama and many other queens of Lord Krishna entered the forest to practice austerities. Note: It's not cleared about remaining 16100 wives of the Lord Krishna.  

 Who is Revati?

Revati was a wife of the Lord Balarama. Balarama and Revati had two sons: Nisatha and Ulmuka. Both her sons Nisatha and Ulmuka were killed in the Yadu fratricidal war. Revati became sati after the death of the Lord Balarama,  by ascending  onto his funeral pyre.

 What happened to Dhitarastha, Gandhari , Kunti, Sanjaya and Vidura?

 -All of them went to the forest for the penance and austerities. Vidura died first, while Dhitarastha, Gandhari and Kunti died in the forest due to the fire, only Sanjay survived.

 

Jaya Shree Krishna!!!! Hare Krisha!!! Hare Rama!!!!

 

 

According to Srimad Bhagavatham, Vajra was escorted by Arjuna to Indraparastha where he was crowned as the King of Yadavas.  Edited by varaali - 11 years ago

Thanks a lot for your info !!!! It does clear so many doubts regarding whether Vajra ruled Mathura, or Indraprastha. Btw, I hope you and others liked my post!!!!

Jaya Shree Krishna!!!!

I haven't read the Mahabharata thoroughly but here is what I think:

By the end of the war, almost all the main dynasties merged into one. All of them who survived the war could be considered as survivors of the same family (except for the allies who supported either side, maybe). Also, Dushala's son Suradha also survived the war but died of fear when Arjun came to Sindhu with his army while following the sacrificial horse. Her husband Jayatradha had already been killed in battle. Dushala put Suradha's son in front of Arjuna and begged him to spare him. Arjuna, shattered at what happened, said he had come in peace and not for war. Dushala and Arjuna reconciled, Arjuna left Sindhu after crowning the boy king of the land. 

I am not sure who lived how long but I had always thought that Parikshit was the only one left of the younger generation. It is possible that everyone of his father's generation (Abhimany's) were either too old or deceased. Parikshit was born at the end of the war - probably he was the eldest of his generation of the Kuru lineage - that includes the Kauravas and the Pandavas (Karna's family included). Those who had survived the war may have lost their sons or had children born after Parikshit. Maybe that was why Yudhishtra crowned Parikshit king.  Anga was part of the Pandava empire by the time Pandavas and Draupadi left for the forest. Mathura was ruled by Vajra who was an ally and a cousin to Parikshit.

Subadhra and Uttara did indeed stay with Parikshit after the Pandavas left. Not only these two but Chitrangada, Babruvahana's mother too stayed with them - not sure of the source but I remember reading it somewhere.

Probably Krishna's wives (the 16,1000 or whoever was left) followed Krishna's queens into the forest or entered the pyre - I think they made their own choice.

I wonder what happened to Sanjaya afterwards. I don't know if he followed Dridrashtra into the forest.
Edited by Vibhishna - 11 years ago

@Vibhisina: I really appreciate a lot for your kind info and thought. I always find it interesting whenever I talk about these mythological stuffs.

Yes, after the war,  during the Ashwamedha Yagna, the horse entered the Sindhu territory. Dussala's son Suradha, who was ruling this land, dies of fright on knowing about the approaching army. But he had a small boy. Dussala takes this boy and approaches Arjuna and tells him to show mercy on the boy. When Arjuna learns that he is responsible for the death of Suradha, his nephew, he feels totally shattered. He tells Dussala, "I did not come for war, I came for peace". Arjuna made that boy as the next king of the Sindhu kingdom. Even we put into the consideration that the Anga kingdom came into the Pandavas, because Karna was their elder brother, but still, they probably needed someone to take care of that kingdom, so I think Vrishketu succeeded  his late father's throne.

Now, one thing that Arjuna established the son of Kritvarma in the city of Marttikava, my big question is what is his name? We know that Satyaki's son is Asanga. In the various Puranas, it has been mentioned that the daughter of the Lord Krishna and Rukmin, Charumati, she was married to Bali, the son of Kritvarma. Now, did Bali survived the Yadu's fatal destruction? and if he was dead  then whom did Arjuna made the king in the city of Martikava?

Rgarding Sanjaya, that's another mystery.

Jai Shree Krishna!!!!
 

I heard that a new Mahabharata is coming at Star Plus, is it true?

Also, each and everyone are most welcome to post their thoughts on this "Mahabharata" post-war topic.

RJ

Originally posted by: RJ1234

I heard that a new Mahabharata is coming at Star Plus, is it true?

Also, each and everyone are most welcome to post their thoughts on this "Mahabharata" post-war topic.

RJ

Edited by varaali - 11 years ago

@Varali: Thanks a lot!!!! You indeed have been such a great guide to me.!!!!

I am a huge "Mahabharata" fan, so anyone who are very interested in pouring out thoughts regarding post-war of the Mahabharata, a huge warm welcome to them!!!!

Also, if the mods can start a new thread regarding the "Mahabharata" would be really appreciated!!!!

RJ

Originally posted by: RJ1234

I am a huge "Mahabharata" fan, so anyone who are very interested in pouring out thoughts regarding post-war of the Mahabharata, a huge warm welcome to them!!!!

Also, if the mods can start a new thread regarding the "Mahabharata" would be really appreciated!!!!

RJ