Another curious nugget in the Mahabharata is the fact that Vidhura's two sons shared one wife, though Vidhura himself advises against polyandry. While reading the Mahabharata, one cannot but wonder at the openness of society then, and how effectively the great epic captured the changing social norms of what was acceptable and what was taboo.
DHRITARASHTRA-GANDHARI'S 100 SONS & ONE DAUGHTER
Pandu retired to the forest with Kunti and Madri. The news that Kunti had become pregnant with a divine child, made Gandhari impatient and insecure. She wanted 100 sons. Vyasa had granted her a boon saying she would have them. However, she did not bear a son, even after a pregnancy lasting two years. When she heard the news about Kunti, Gandhari hit her own stomach in frustration and delivered a lump of flesh. Vyasa divided this lump into 101 pieces and sealed them in mud containers, where they developed to become 100 boys and one girl. Gandhari delivered the lump of flesh nine months before Yudhishtra's birth; but the 100 boys and the lone girl, were born a day after Yudhishtra was born. Hence, Suyodhana was part of the lump Gandhari delivered long before Yudhishtra; but he was born a day after Yudhishtra. Which of the Princes was the eldest was thus a perplexing question and it forms the root cause of the Mahabharata war.
Being the rebel I am, I have tried to find a logical explanation for the seemingly absurd situation of a couple having 101 children. What does this mean to the modern mind? A human pregnancy cannot last two years. Just as Kunti was in the race to produce the firstborn in the family, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari must also have been desperate to produce the firstborn son. It could be that Gandhari miscarried and the story of her two-year pregnancy and the lump of flesh being divided was an excuse to hide the fact that her son was younger than Yudhishtra. Or did Gandhari perhaps miscarry and Vyasa give her a concoction, leading to the multiple births the following year? The remaining Kaurava siblings could have been the children of concubines. This theory has the merit of plausibility. More fantastic theories suggest the ancients knew about test tube babies and cloning; however, a more rational explanation is that while all the Kauravas may have been Dhritarashtra's children, they were not essentially Gandhari's, as they are often referred to as 'Dhartarashtras', in the epic. Suyodhana refuses to acknowledge the Pandavas lineage and claim on the throne by always referring them as Kaunteyas, or the sons of Kunti, but not Pandu, whereas he is called Dhartarashtra, son of Dhritarashtra. It is also pertinent that, except for Suyodhana and Sushasana, none of the other Kauravas is referred to as sons of Gandhari, but only as Kauravas or Dhartarashtras. While the other Kauravas could have been the sons of Dhritarashtra's concubines, perhaps the role of Vyasa was to legitimize the 'containers' or wombs of these other woman who carried Dhritarashtra's seed. Obviously, in the race to produce the firstborn, neither Pandu nor Dhritarashtra were taking any chances.
When I had raised the question with my late father, L. Neelakantan, he proffered a simple but beautiful explanation. His advice was not to approach the Mahabharata just as a story, for it contains hidden symbolism: the 100 Kauravas represent the Desires and follies of the mind. Hundred is just a number used to represent 'numerous', and should not be taken literally. Dhritarashtra represents Ego, which is blind and produces numerous Desires. Some are good and others bad. The Kaurava names have both the positive suffix Su and the negative prefix Du. Gandhari represents the Mind and blind maternal Love. Hence, the Desires are sons of blind parents - Mind and Ego.
On another plane, the Pandavas represent the five Senses. They are all married to Draupadi, also called Krishna (black). Black represents Anger. The marriage of the five Senses to Anger, has catastrophic results when fighting the Desires - such as when the Pandavas visit the Kaurava sabha for the game of dice. Believing in Fate, not action, they gamble with the Desires, and lose everything. Anger is shamed and disrobed by the Desires and Fate. The Pandavas also represent the five Virtues: Yudhishtra represents Wisdom, as the son of Time (Kala). Bhima portrays Strength, as the son of Vayu (Prana). Arjuna represents Willpower, as the son of Indra. Nakula and Sahadeva stand for Beauty and Knowledge, as sons of the Aswinis, the Gods of Dawn/Beginnings. It is Krishna who brings the Pandavas and the Desires together at Kurukshetra. He is the Universal Soul (Paramatma). Black represents vastness/depth here. The Virtues are fated to lose without this aid. Kurukshetra represents the Soul. With the aid of Universal Consciousness, the Virtues triumph over desires.
This was my father's explanation of the underlying significance of the Mahabharata. However, his rebel son's take on the great epic is Ajaya.
SUGGESTED READING
Sarva Daman Singh. Polyandry in Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass New Delhi, 1988
John Dowson. Classical History of Hindu Myth and Religion. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi, 2000
A.L. Ahuja. Women in Indian Mythology. Rupa & Co. New Delhi, 2011
Ram Sharan Sharma. Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi, 2012
Vettam Mani. Puranic Encyclopedia. Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi 2010; Malayalam ed: DC Books, Kottayam 2013 [Ed: Perhaps the most comprehensive book on various Puranic characters; written as short notes, alphabetically arranged. A good reference source for anyone interested in Hindu mythology.]
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SELECT GLOSSARY
Aarti - Worship with lamps
Acharya - Guru, teacher
Achuyuta - Another name for Krishna
Aghoris - Ascetic worshippers of Shiva who do not believe in caste or the taboos of Hinduism; known for extreme and even outlandish penances
Ajaya - Unconquerable
Andha - Blind
Anga - Ancient Indian kingdom; present-day Eastern Bihar and parts of Bengal
Angavasthra - Shawl worn by nobles
Ashwini Twins - Gods of sunrise and sunset
Astra - Arrow/shaft; described by the epics as having divine powers
Asura - Hindu mythology portrays Asuras as demons of darkness - the antithesis to Devas, the Gods; here, they are one among many tribes
Atharva - The fourth Veda, which speaks of magic, spells, etc.
Atma - Soul
Avarna - A person who does not belong to the first three castes; literally one without colour (varna); opposite of savarna (person with a good colour)
Ayurveda - Ancient Indian system of medicine
Bindi - Red dot worn on the forehead by Hindu women
Brahmacharya - Self-imposed vow of celibacy; a period of life as a student when a man observes brahmacharya; to seek or follow God
Brahman - The Supreme Power responsible for Creation and the Universe
Brahmin - The highest Hindu caste and varna - Priests and scholars; Hindu society was divided into four varnas (refer Varna for details), and further sub-divided into jatis (castes); these varied from region to region (eg. a Brahmin from Kashmir in the north and one from Andhra in the south, belonged to the same varna but did not intermarry as they belonged to different castes)
Chaitra - Indian calendar month when spring begins
Chandagyo - One of the most important of the Upanishads
Chandalas - One of the lowest of the Untouchable castes; keepers of graveyards; those who carried the dead
Chaturvarnas - The four varnas (refer Varna for details)
Chenda - A south Indian drum beaten with a curved stick; known even today as the Asura Vadhya or 'musical instrument of the Asuras' and used during festivals in Kerala and parts of south Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
Chera - Ancient kingdom in south India, with Muzaris as its capital
Chettis - Merchant caste of south India (corruption of the term shresti)
Crore - One hundred lakhs; ten million
Dakshinajanapada - Land south of the Vindhyas; south India
Darshan - Literally 'view'; it was customary for Indian monarchs to appear at a balcony and hear petitions from their subjects
Dasa - Servant or slave
Dasi - Female servant/slave
Dhanurveda - Science of arms and weapon-making
Dharma - Rough translation: duty, righteousness etc; but dharma encompasses more - it is the code of life; antonym: adharma
Dharmaveera - Warrior or hero of dharma
Dharmayudha - Ancient code of battle
Dhoti - Traditional lower garment for men, made from an unstitched length of cloth; also worn in different styles by lower-class women in ancient India
Gandhara - Present-day Kandahar in Afghanistan
Gandharvas - Singers in the courts of the Gods; considered to be supernatural beings pining for love; messengers between the Gods and men; here, they are simply another aboriginal tribe
Ganga - Ganges
Gangotri - Glacier from where the Ganga originates
Gayatri - Sacred Hindu mantra from the Rig Veda; when the caste system was at its zenith, many texts forbade Shudras from even listening to it; some texts advocated pouring molten lead into the ears of Shudras who heard the Gayatri even accidently - though it is doubtful if it was really practised
Ghat - A broad flight of steps leading down to a river
Gobar - Cow dung
Har Har Mahadev - Hail Shiva, the Greatest God
Hari - Another name for Lord Vishnu
Hastinapura - City of Elephants, capital of the Kuru kingdom
Indra - King of the Gods; used here as a generic name of the tribe who are the nominal rulers of the Devas; Indra, their last King, lives in penury; he is also the biological father of Arjuna
Indraprastha - Ancient capital of the Pandavas; present-day Delhi
Jambu Dweepa - Ancient Indian name for Asia
Jaya - Victory
Kala - Time; also God of Time and Death, commonly known as Yama (derived from the unit for measuring time - yamam)
Kalaripayattu - Traditional martial art form of Kerala
Kalinga - Present-day Odisha (roughly)
Kaliya Mardana - Kaliya: a poisonous snake (naga), in the original Mahabharata; Mardana: punishment, suppression, etc. Kaliya Mardana is one telling of the legend of Lord Krishna punishing the naga for his evil deeds
Kamarupa - Ancient name for present-day Assam
Karma - Action or deed
Kashi - Another name for the holy city of Varanasi or Benaras
Kauravas - Scions of the Kuru dynasty
Khandiva - Present-day Delhi
Kingara - Servants; soldier-slaves
Kinnaras - In Hindu mythology, these are celestial musicians, half-horse and half-human; here, they are treated as just another tribe
Kirata - A wild tribe
Kshatriyas - The warrior caste; often kings and rulers
Kuravan, Malayans, Vannans, Velans - Tribes from the Western Ghats (Sahyas) of India. They were Priests before the Brahmins became prominent; even today, many rituals in the Malabar region are conducted by these people
Kurta - Indian shirt
Lakh - One hundred thousand
Lathi - Staff, usually used by police to control crowds
Leela - Divine play or drama
Lord Vishwanatha - Lord of the Universe; another name for Shiva
Ma - Mother
Madhava - Another name for Krishna
Mahadeva - Great God; another name for Shiva
Maheswara - Great God; another name for Shiva
Mahout - Elephant handler
Mata - Mother
Maya - Illusion
Mela - Gathering
Milavu, Timila, Maddallam & Mrudangam - Percussion instruments
Mlecha - Barbaric/uncivilized people; term usually used for foreigners like the Greeks or Chinese, in ancient India
Moksha - Salvation; nirvana in Buddhism
Muzaris - Ancient port city on the South-Western coast of India, 50 kms north of modern-day Cochin, in Kerala
Nagas - An ancient tribe; literally 'serpents'; here they represent a warring tribe who rises against caste oppression
Namaskara - 'I bow to the goodness in thee' - a form of greeting; also Namaste
Nishada - A hunter tribe
Onam - The only Indian festival celebrated in honour of an Asura King - Mahabali; State festival of Kerala; people still believe the reign of this Asura King (cheated of his kingdom by Lord Vishnu in his Vamana avatar), is the ideal; and every human being was considered equal under his rule.
Pallavas - Ancient south-Indian kingdom; its capital was Kanchipuram/Kanchi
Pallu - The loose end of a sari worn
Panchayat - Indian village Council, usually with 5 members
Pandavas - Sons of Pandu
Pandya - Ancient kingdom in south India with Madurai as its capital
Parameswara - Literally 'Supreme God'; another name for Shiva, one of the Trinity of Hindu Gods (the other two being Brahma and Vishnu)
Parashuramakshetra - Place of Parashurama - the ancient kingdom of Cheras (Gokurna to Kanyakumari, between the Sahyas and the sea). It is believed Parashurama reclaimed this land from the sea and gifted it to the Brahmins
Parvati - Lord Shiva's consort
Pasupathi - Literally 'Lord of the Beasts'; usually applied to Shiva
Patala - Netherworld; here, capital of the Asuras in exile
Poorna - River in Kerala; also known as Periyar
Prabhasa - A city in present-day Gujarat
Prabhu - Sir, an honorific; also used to mean a rich man
Puja - Religious ritual
Purendra - Indra, King of the Gods; also known as 'destroyer of cities'
Ragas - Scales in Indian classical music
Raja Dharma - Code of ethics for rulers
Rajasuya - Sacrifice performed by Indian Kings in ancient times, who considered themselves powerful enough to be Emperors
Rakshasa - Mythological evil being
Sabha - Court or assembly
Sahya - Mountains running parallel to the Western seaboard of India
Samhita - A collection of holy hymns/science/knowledge
Sanathana - Eternal; Hinduism is often considered an eternal religion without beginning or end
Sari - Traditional attire of Indian women, made from 6 yards of unstitched cloth
Sarpanch - Village Chief/Head of the Panchayat
Sarswati - A mighty river which once flowed between the Indus and Ganges, which has now vanished
Shastras - Rules, codes, tradition, science, specialized knowledge
Shiva - The Destroyer, one of the Hindu Trinity of Gods who at the end of each eon, destroys the Universe, after which Brahma the Creator, recreates it
Shivalinga - Phallic symbol of Lord Shiva
Shravan - Fifth month of the Hindu calendar; considered a holy month
Shri - Honorific for gentlemen; equivalent to Mister; also spelt Sri, Shree, etc.
Shudra - Lowest of the four Varnas, the other three being (in order of precedence): Brahmana, Khshatriya, and Vaishya
Sindhu - River Indus; also the land around it; here, Indus is ruled by Jayadratha, Duryodhana's brother-in-law
Smritis - 'That which is remembered'; Hindu laws written by different sages; including Manu Smriti, the code for society in ancient India
Soma - Important ritual drink during Vedic times; also the moon
Somanatha - Celebrated temple of Lord Shiva - Lord of Somas (life energy)
Suta - Charioteer caste; also famous as storytellers. Kings often used them to propagate tales of their valour in battle
Swami - Sir, an honorific used to address a social superior
Swayamvara - Ancient Indian custom wherein a girl chose her groom from a gathering of suitors, sometimes through a competition
Tapsya - Penance
Timila - Percussion instrument of Asura origin