Mahabharata is a literary masterpiece and a combination of Hindu philosophy and mythology. It is regarded as being strictly for adults. Yet there is more to this wonderful epic than that. The diverse stories and lots of characters also appeal to the children. It is, in truth, a treasure trove raised on Harry Potter for today’s generation, and likewise stories. It has countless stories that teach valuable ethical and moral lessons. This great epic is a part of our history and should have a proper place in our children’s hearts. Scroll down to know the stories of Mahabharata for children.
What is Mahabharata?
It is one of India’s two great Mythological Sanskrit Hindu epics. It is the narration of the great Kurukshetra war of eighteen days, between the hundred Kauravas and the five Pandavas, two brothers’ children. This is interwoven with several stories and a multitude of characters, containing content both philosophical and devotional. It also includes the much respected Hindu holy text, the Bhagwat Gita. Mahabharat isn’t intended to be read as a fun pastime. You need to look into it thoroughly to understand the characters to their actions and reactions. You’ll find yourself playing too many roles while involved in the story, connecting something identical with the characters as they emerge in the story.
Brief Story Of Mahabharata For Children
The tale begins with the Kuru dynasty marrying river Goddess Ganga King Shantanu of Hastinapur. Bhishma, one of Mahabharata’s popular characters, was its son. Ganga left them to perform her godly duties, and Shantanu married Satyavati and she had two sons. One of the sons, Vichitravirya, was made the king after him. Three sons he fathered, Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidur. Blind as Dhritarashtra, Pandu became the Bhishma-supported king. Dhritarashtra was married to Gandhari and had a hundred sons, the Kauravas. Pandu married Kunti and Madri, and the five Pandavas were born, with the blessings of various gods. Unknown to all, Kunti was her oldest son, Karna, already an unwed mother.
Pandu decided to retire to the forest after having brought prosperity to his kingdom, entrusting the kingdom to the protection of the Dhritarashtra. After Pandu and Madri’s death, Kunti returned to Hastinapur with the five boys. Cousins, Kauravas, and Pandavas never got along with each other. There have been unsuccessful attempts by the Kauravas to destroy them. And after one such plot, the Pandavas and their mother went into hiding. In this time, Arjun was married to Draupadi, and they all went back to Hastinapur. But for thirteen years they were exiled to the jungle when Yudhishthir lost everything to the Kauravas in a dice game. Duryodhana declined to restore the kingdom, and despite attempts by Lord Krishna to bring peace, the stage was set for the greatest war. The war lasted 18 days and ended with the Kauravas’s defeat. Yudhishthir became the new king.
Stories Of Mahabharata For Children
This long epic has hundreds of stories, and many for the kids too. Below are some well-known stories of Mahabharata for children.
1. Abhimanyu and the Chakravyuh
Abhimanyu had learned how to break the Chakravyuh, an complex battle pattern, when in the womb of his mother. The sixteen-year-old youth bravely fought against the experienced, much older warriors on the thirteenth day of the great battle, and reached the middle of the circular formation where Duryodhana was. The Kauravas hastened to save Duryodhana, targeting Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu had unfortunately not learned how to exit the formation. He fought a great battle and defeated several great warriors before he was killed.
2. Arjun and the Bird’s Eye Test
The Kauravas and the Pandavas had their Guru, Dronacharya, given an archery test. They had been asked to aim a toy bird’s eye on a tree’s branch. When the teacher asked them what they saw, all the others claimed to see the clouds, trees, birds, leaves, branches, etc. except Arjun. Arjun said he had just seen the bird’s eye’s blackness. Only he was allowed to aim at the goal, which he successfully did.
3. Eklavya and Dronacharya
Eklavya, a tribal boy was rejected being taken as a disciple by Guru Dronacharya who instructed only the Kshatriyas and the Brahmins to practice archery. Undeterred, he kept before him a clay image of Dronacharya and learned archery at which he was very professional. When annoyed by a dog’s barking, he shot arrows in his mouth to calm it down without hurting it. As the feat came to Arjun’s notice, he was disappointed that there was a better archer than he had been.
Lessons for Children from Mahabharata
- Keep up a good company. Poor friends are going to cause your downfall.
- Girls are respected. The disrespect given to women would bring you disaster.
- Don’t engage in gambling vices. You’re going to end up losing everything.
- Don’t quickly give up. Fight what rightfully belongs to you. The truth still eventually succeeds.
- Should not add half-learned skills to your acts. It’ll only lead to disappointment.
- Don’t support your near friends and relatives’ wrong deeds. It will also cause trouble for you.
- Don’t look for vengeance. Revenge spells the end to both the seeker and the sought after.
- Concentrate and you’ll always succeed.
- You can be guided and encouraged by a teacher but practice can make you better.
- War is never a positive thing. Things can be resolved by discussion.
Like other great epics, Mahabharata is the story of good’s triumph over evil. The term ‘Mahabharata’ has become synonymous with every major day-to-day fight, too. Yet its moral teachings for years and years to come will be synonymous with the right and honest way of life.
Also Read: Tips To Teach Kids About Indian Culture And Traditions
