The Mahabharata and The Ramayana

1. 6.29-I can identify the important aesthetic(relates to art) and intellectual(relates to the ability to think) achievements of India.  Sanskrit literature, including the Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana, and the Mahabharata Medicine Metallurgy Mathematics The Mahabharata andThe Ramayana

2. Important facts • The Indian epic the Mahabharata is made up of almost 100,000 couplets—about seven times the length of the Iliad and the Odysseycombined. • It is written by several different authors over 400 years. • A well known saying is the Ramayana teaches what to do in life and the Mahabharata teaches what must not be done in life. • It teaches important Indian values of dharma, patience and many others. • The Ramayana, describes the ideal Indian couple, Rama and Sita. • Rama's killing of Ravana is symbolic of destruction of our greed and indiscipline.

3. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are Indian epics that were originally written in Sanskrit. The Bhagvad Gita is an important section of the Mahabharata. What is an epic? Can you think of any examples? What is Sanskrit? Like the Vedas this literature is important to the Hindu religion and they are extremely useful in teaching and understanding the beliefs of the people.

4. Characters The Mahabharata • The Pandavas-The Five sons of Pandu, these heroes were fathered by the gods and are assisted by the gods, sages, and Brahmins throughout the story(The good guys) • Yudhishthira-The oldest of the Pandavas who became ruler of the world • The Dhartarashtras-The 100 sons of King Dhartarashtras, who were referred to as demons in human bodies • Duryodhana-The oldest and leader of the Dhartarashtras

5. The Mahabharata The Dhartarashtra’s behaved viciously and brutally toward the Pandavas, from the time of their early childhood. They tricked the eldest Pandava, Yudhishthira,who had become the ruler of the world, in a game of dice. The Dhartarashtra drove the Pandava’s out of the kingdom for 24 years.

6. The Mahabharata They tricked the eldest Pandava, Yudhishthira,who had become the ruler of the world, in a game of dice.

7. The Pandavas fulfilled their part of that bargain by living out side the kingdom, but the evil leader of Dhartarashtra, Duryodhana, was unwilling to restore the Pandavas to their half of the kingdom when the thirteen years had expired. The result of this is called the Bhagvad Gita.

8. Bhagvad Gita The Bhagvad Gita-The 2 families called on their allies and fought an 18 day battle. The Pandavas won. Yudhishthiraalone was terribly troubled, to the end of the story, in spite of the fact that everyone else told him the war was right and good.

9. The Mahabharata In the years that follow the war Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari, and Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, lived out their lives in a forest retreat. The mother died with yogic calm in a forest fire.

10. The Mahabharata When they learned of this, the Pandavas believed it time for them to leave this world too and they embarked upon the 'Great Journey,' which involved walking north toward the polar mountain, that is toward the heavenly worlds, until one's body dropped dead. One by one Draupadi and the younger Pandavas died along the way until Yudhishthira was left alone with a dog that had followed him all the way.

11. Yudhishthiramade it to the gate of heaven and there refused the order to drive the dog back, at which point the dog was revealed to be an incarnate form of the God Dharma, who was there to test Yudhishthira's virtue. Once in heaven Yudhishthira faced one final test of his virtue: He saw only the Dhartarashtra Clan in heaven, and he was told that his brothers were not allowed into heaven. He insisted on joining his brothers if that were the case! It was then revealed that they were really in heaven, that this illusion had been one final test for him.

12. Ramayana • Prince Rama was supposed to become the king, but he was sent into exile for 14 years. Prince Rama insists that his brother remain king because it is his job. • How does this support Hindu beliefs related to dharma?

13. Everyone must do their job or dharma.

14. Ramayana "Do I hear my husband rightly, are these words my Rama spake,
And her banished lord and husband will the wedded wife forsake? Lightly I dismiss the counsel which my lord hath lightly said
For it ill beseems a warrior and my husband's princely grade; For the faithful woman follows where her wedded lord may lead, In the banishment of Rama, Sita's exile is decreed,

15. Sita is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, the ten-headed ruler of Lanka. What do you predict will happen in the story? "Brahman nor a righteous rishi," royal Ravan made reply,
"Leader of the wrathful Rakshas, Lanka's lord and king am I, He whose valour quells the wide-world, Gods above and men below,
He whose proud and peerless prowess Rakshas and Asuras know! But thy beauty's golden lustre, Sita, wins my royal heart,
Be a sharer of my empire, of my glory take a part,

16. Rama went to rescue her, aided by Lakshmana, his brother, and the mighty monkey-general Hanuman.

18. Ramayana Rama and Sita return to rule their kingdom.

19. In the ____________________, Sita was kidnapped in the forest after she is distracted by a deer. A. Mahabharata B Bhagvad Gita C. Ramayana The _____________________ recounts the large war of good against evil. In the end good wins, but the hero is still sad. A. Mahabharata B Bhagvad Gita C. Ramayana ________________________ is the longest epic ever written that resolves with the discovery that everything is an illusion. A. Mahabharata B Bhagvad Gita C. Ramayana