Sun TV Mahabharatham

The Voice of Parashara People often think the Mahabharata begins with kings, princes, and the great war of Kurukshetra. It does not. Long before Bhishma takes his vow, before the Kuru princes are born, and before Krishna walks the earth, the story begins quietly upon the waters of the Yamuna. I am Parashara, son of Shakti and grandson of the great sage Vasishtha. My forefathers guided kings for generations. Through them I inherited not only sacred knowledge but also an understanding of how humanity changes across the ages. They had witnessed the age of Bharata, the great king after whom this land came to be known as Bharata-varsha. Bharata understood that dharma stood above personal attachment. When his own sons proved unworthy, he chose merit over inheritance and placed the welfare of the kingdom above his affection as a father. Yet the challenges confronting humanity never remain the same. The story of Yayati revealed how even a powerful king could struggle against his own desires. ...

Bhishma lies on the bed of arrows he had chosen for himself. As long as he stood at the head of the army, the war could not move forward. Arjuna would not strike him down. The battle would continue without end. Bhishma himself had shown them the way — that he could be brought down only if Shikhandi stood before him, for he would not raise weapons against one who had once been Amba, whose life had been broken by him long ago. The arrows hold him in place. The body does not resist them. As Bhishma lies upon his bed of arrows, Arjuna shoots an arrow into the earth and brings forth the sacred waters of Mother Ganga to quench his grandsire’s thirst. When Arjuna draws water from the earth and offers it to him, he drinks. The coolness settles through him and carries him, for a brief moment, away from the field — back to the river, to his mother, to a time before vows and kingdoms. The war does not pause. Command has passed. Men come to him, speak of the battle, re...