The birth and caste of the key characters in the Mahabharata, from King Shantanu down to the Pandavas and Kauravas, are shrouded in controversies. These controversies not only add layers of complexity to the epics narrative but also serve as a reflection of the nuanced understanding of caste dynamics and divine intervention in Hindu philosophy.
Shantanu was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapura. Shantanu’s eldest brother, Devapi, had leprosy and renounced his inheritance to become a hermit. The middle son, Bahlika (or Vahlika), abandoned his paternal kingdom and inherited his maternal uncle’s kingdom in Balkh. Therefore, Shantanu ascended the throne of Hastinapura.
Shantanu encountered the celestial goddess Ganga by the banks of the river. Captivated by her beauty, he proposed marriage. Ganga agreed, but with a condition: Shantanu must never question her actions. They married, and Ganga bore him seven sons. However, she drowned each child immediately after birth. Shantanu, heartbroken, remained silent, adhering to their pact. However, he could not tolerate the agony when Ganga was about to drown their eighth child and questioned her actions. Having violated the pact, Ganga revealed her true identity as Goddess and explained the reasons behind her actions. However, left taking their eighth child, Devavrata for training and education to heaven, who later became known as Bhishma.
Shantanu while travelling near the banks of Yamuna smelled a sweet scent coming from an unknown direction. While searching for the cause of the scent, he came across Satyavati from whom the smell of scent was coming. Satyavati was the daughter of the chief of the fishermen of her village. Upon seeing her, Shantanu fell in love and desired to marry her. Upon asking for his consent, her father agreed to the marriage on the condition that Satyavati’s son would inherit the throne of Hastinapura.
King Shantanu was unable to give his word on accession as his eldest son Devavrata was the heir to the throne and was forlorn. Devavrata, however, realised the cause of his sorrow and for the sake of his father, gave his word to the chief that he would renounce all his claims to the throne, in favour of Satyavati’s children. To reassure the sceptical chief further, he also vowed lifelong celibacy to ensure that future generations borne of Satyavati would also not be challenged by his offspring. Upon hearing this vow, he immediately agreed to the marriage of Satyavati and Shantanu. Devavrata was named as Bhishma (one who has taken a terrible vow) by the celestials because of the terrible oath he took. Devavrata returned to Hastinapura with Satyavati, and marriage of Shantanu and Satyavati happens. Upon hearing about the vow taken by Devavrata, Shantanu at first was heartbroken, but later became highly impressed with his son’s love and affection and gave him a boon that he will only die if he wants to. Shantanu and Satyavati went on to have two sons, Chitrangda and Vichitravirya. After Shantanu’s death, Chitrangada became king of Hastinapur.
Problems within the Kuru dynasty started from the unconditional surrender of King Shantanu to the demands of his wives before marriage. Even though he was reluctant to agree to the conditions of Satyavati, he never stopped his son from taking the vow and even blessed him for the sacrifice.
Shantanu and Satyavati had two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Chitrangada dies before marriage and Vichitravirya married Ambika and Ambalika, but died childless.
Krishna Dwaipayana known as Vyasa, the legendary sage credited with composing the Mahabharata itself, was born to the sage Parashara and Satyavati before her marriage to King Shantanu.
Since Vichitravirya died childless, in order to perpetuate the lineage, his mother, Satyavati, arranged for her son Vyasa to father children with the two queens Ambika and Ambalika through a practice called Niyoga.
Vyasa was a sage with a hideous appearance, Ambika and Ambalika were both afraid of him. When Vyasa approached Ambika, she closed her eyes in fear, and as a result, Dhritarashtra was born blind. When Vyasa approached Ambalika, she turned pale with fear, and as a result, Pandu was born pale and sickly. Since both the children had some form of deformities Satyavati asked Vyasa to impregnate Ambika once again. However, Ambika was reluctant and secretly asked her maid Parishrami to approach Vyasa. She was not afraid of Vyasa, and bore him a healthy son named Vidura. Vidura was known for his wisdom and justice, and he served as an advisor to both Dhritarashtra and Pandu.
Dhritarashtra married Gandhari, princes of Gandhar and Pandu married Kunti and later on Madri.
Once Gandhari served with respectful attention the great Dwaipayana who came to her abode, exhausted with hunger and fatigue. Delighted by her service, Sage Vyasa grants her a boon. She asks for hundred sons who would be as powerful as her husband. Vyasa grants her wish but warns her that bearing a hundred sons would be a challenging ordeal. Gandhari conceives, but her pregnancy extends for an unusually long period, causing her great discomfort. Meanwhile, Pandu’s wife Kunti, using boons granted to her by Sage Durvasa, started giving birth to sons, further fuelling Gandhari’s impatience. Overcome by despair and jealousy, Gandhari struck her womb in anger. This act of desperation resulted in the birth of a single, hard mass of flesh instead of individual babies. When she was about to throw it away, Dwaipayana, learning everything by his spiritual powers, promptly came there, and instructed Gandhari to bring hundred pots full of clarified butter. He cut the mass of flesh into 100 pieces and placed those in the pots. In due course each of the hundred pots produced a son, thus fulfilling Gandhari’s wish. The sons are collectively known as the Kauravas and are named in a sequential order. Duryodhana is the eldest of the Kauravas and becomes their leader.
Kunti, gifted with a divine boon from the sage Durvasa, had the ability to invoke any deity and bear children by them. Prior to her marriage, Kunti tested the power of her boon by invoking the Sun God, Surya. This resulted in the birth of her firstborn son, Karna. However, Kunti, fearing societal stigma, decided to abandon Karna by placing him in a basket and setting him adrift on a river. Later, after marrying Pandu and learning of his inability to father children due to a curse, Kunti revealed her secret to him. Pandu urged Kunti to invoke various deities through Niyoga to ensure the continuation of their lineage. Thus, Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna were born through Niyoga, invoked from the gods Yama, Vayu, and Indra respectively. One mantra was shared to Madri on the request of Pandu, who invoked Aswin Brothers and conceived Nakul and Sahadev.
Let us look at the family genealogy from King Shantanu down to Pandavas.
What were the main reasons for the animosity between Pandavas and Kauravas?
Dispute Over Succession: The Kauravas argue that the kingdom was rightfully inherited by Dhritarashtra after Pandu’s death, and as Dhritarashtra’s sons, they are the legitimate heirs. They reject any claims made by the Pandavas, viewing them as usurpers seeking to challenge their birthright.
Questionable Paternity: Pandu’s inability to father children due to a curse led to the Pandavas being born through divine intervention, with different gods fathering each of them. This unconventional method of conception raises doubts about the legitimacy of their claim to the throne. According to the Kauravas, Pandavas are not Kshatriyas and has NO connection with the Kuru Dynasty.
Analysis and Discussions
Let us analyse the Purity of the Kuru dynasty and Caste conundrum from King Shantanu onwards.
Niyoga, as depicted in the Mahabharata, is a traditional practice prevalent in ancient Indian society, particularly during times of crisis or when there is a need to continue a family lineage. It involves the appointment of a surrogate father to impregnate a woman, usually the brother of the deceased or infertile husband, in order to ensure the continuation of the family line.
It has been used multiple times in Mahabharata. Dhritarashtra and Pandu were born through Niyoga by Vyasa and they are not the biological children of Vichitravirya. Similarly, Pandavas are born through Niyoga, though divine Gods were selected to father them instead of Pandu’s brother. Therefore, neither Kauravas nor Pandavas are truly from the bloodline of Kuru dynasty.
However, the biggest conundrum is in their assigned castes.
In Anusasana Parva, on a question from Yudhishthira regarding various castes and mixed classes and their duties, Bhishma answers thus. “In the beginning, the Lord of all creatures created the four orders and laid down their respective acts or duties, for the sake of sacrifice. The Brahmana may take four wives, one from each of the four orders. In two of them (viz., the wife taken from his own order and that taken from the one next below), he takes birth himself (the children begotten upon them being regarded as invested with the same status as his own). Those sons, however, that are begotten by him on the two spouses that belong to the next two orders (viz., Vaisya and Sudra), are inferior, their status being determined not by that of their father but by that of their mothers. The son that is begotten by a Brahmana upon a Sudra wife is called Parasara, implying one born of a corpse, for the Sudra woman’s body is as inauspicious as a corpse. He should serve the persons of his (father’s) race.” And he continues to elaborate further on various permutations and combinations. Let me show you the summary of all the pure castes.
Now let us analyse the caste of various characters.
Bhishma – Pure Kshatriya and Kuru blood as he is the son of King Shantanu and Goddess Ganga.
Vyasa – Father is Sage Parasara a Brahmin and mother is Satyavati, Shudra as she is the daughter of the Chief Fisherman. Hence their son should be a Parasara (Shudra) but is considered a Brahmin. (There of course is another story that states that Satyavati is the daughter of King Uparichara Vasu and Apsara Adrika who was cursed to be a fish and living in water consumed the semen of the king that was being carried by a bird!)
Chitrangada and Vichitravirya – Sons of the King in Shudra women. Normally such children are called Ugra and not Kshatriya.
Dhritarashtra and Pandu – Their biological father is Vyasa and mother Kshatriya prices Ambika and Ambalika. If we consider Vyasa as Brahmin, then both Dhritarashtra and Pandu are Brahmins and not Kshatriya. If Vyasa is Shudra, then the children are Nishada. In any case none of them have the Kuru blood.
Kauravas and Pandavas – whether the Kauravas are born through cell culture or in vitro fertilization and Pandavas through divine intervention, none has the Kuru blood.
Bhishma is the last pure Kuru and none afterwards. It is even difficulty to determine whether they are Kshatriyas or of any other mixed class.
Isn’t it interesting?