Book One:  The Beginning

The story begins with Vyasa, the author of the epic.  He writes the
entire epic in his head and summons Ganesh, the elephant head God to 
become his scribe.  Ganesh tells Vyasa that he will write it all down,
but  Vyasa cannot stop at any point; he must continue to tell the 
story.  Vyasa agrees, but tells Ganesh that he cannot take anything 
down until he has understood the full meaning of everything behind what 
Vyasa is saying.  They both agree and Vyasa starts telling him epic.

The story starts with the genealogy of the characters.  They run down 
the kings of the Kuru dynasty and stop to expand on Shantanu.  Shantanu 
marries that Goddess Ganga and they have a son who comes to be known as 
Bhishma.  At the same time, in a village near by, Satyavati gives birth 
to Vyasa, the author of this epic.  Later, Ganga leaves Shantanu and he 
marries Satyavati when Bhishma makes a vow that he will give up his 
right to the crown and lead a chaste life so Satyavati's descendants 
will become the next kings of Bharata.  Satyavati gives birth to two 
boys, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.  Both die childless.  Bhishma 
refuses to break his vow, so Satyavati calls on Vyasa to help continue 
the lineage.  Vyasa come to the widows of the dead kings as a very ugly 
man.  Seeing him, the first widow closes her eyes, thus giving birth to 
a blind son, whom they name Dhritarashtra.  The second widow turns pale 
at the sight of Vyasa and thus gives birth to a pale, sickly son, whom 
they name Pandu.  Neither widow wanted to see Vyasa again so the third 
time they sent one of their royal maids.  A strong and virtuous son 
named Vidur was born to her.  Pandu becomes king since Dhritarashtra is 
blind and Vidur becomes his Prime Minister.  Soon all three brothers 
get married.  Pandu marries Kunti, (who already has a son from a 
previous meeting with Surya, the Sun God and whom she floats away on 
the river soon after his birth), who gives him three sons, Judhishthir 
(who was really the son of the God Dharma), Bhim (who was really the 
son of the God of Wind, Vayau) and Arjun (who was really the son of the 
King of the Gods  Indra).  He also marries Madri, who gives him twin 
sons, Nakul and Sahadev (sons of the twin Gods, Ashvins).  
Dhritarashtra marries Ghandhari, and she gives birth to Duryodhan, 
Dushasan, and 98 other sons and one daughter, Dushala.  Pandu dies and 
Dhritarashtra becomes king.

Kunti lives in the palace with her five sons.  Drona, a bhramin who is 
an expert at weapons, becomes a teacher at the palace.  Along with 
Kripa, another bhramin teacher, Drona teaches both the Kauravas and the 
Pandavas about weaponry.  Aswatthaman, Drona's son also learns with the 
princes.  

After the princes have finished their education, Judhishthir is crowned 
the heir to the throne and Duryodhan and his brothers become very 
jealous.  Him along with his uncle Shakuni plot to get rid of the 
Pandavas.  The build a flammable house for the Pandavas to live in and 
set it on fire.  Knowing the cunning mind of Duryadhan, the brothers 
prepare ahead and escape the house alive.  Meanwhile the Kauravas think 
they are dead and rejoice.  Around the same time, Duryodhan befriends 
the king's charioteer's son, Karna (who in reality is Kunti's eldest 
son) and makes him king of Anga.  

The Pandavas retreat into the woods and live as bhramins.  Soon they 
hear about the king of Panchal, Draupad, who is looking for a husband 
for his daughter, Draupadi.  The brothers head for Panchal and at the 
same time, the Kauravas along with Karna head towards there also.  King 
Draupad sets up a special test of all those who have come for his 
daughter's hand in marriage.  They must string a bow and looking at a 
plate of water that reflects, aim and shoot a target above their heads. 
 All the kings in the palace fail to even string the bow.  Then Karna 
tries; he strings the bow, but as he is about to shoot the target, 
Draupadi cries out that she will not marry someone of a lower caste.  
Arjun goes up next.  He strings the bow and hits the target and 
Draupadi gives him her garland.  The five brothers return to their 
house with Draupadi.  As the enter, they say to Kunti, "mother, look 
what we have brought."  Kunti, thinking that it was food tells them to 
share it amongst themselves.  Thus, Draupadi becomes the wife of all 
five of the brothers.  Krishna, who is also their cousin, congratulates 
them and their identity is revealed.  They return to Hastinapur where 
King Dhritarashtra divides the kingdom in two and gives Indraprastra to 
the Pandavas.  

Arjun goes off on a journey and has many adventures.  Along the way, 
while he is at Dvaraka, he falls in love with Subhadra, Krishna's 
sister and marries her.  The friendship between Krishna and Arjun 
strengthens even more.



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