The Mahabharata ( Part A) - Peter Brook
The Beginnings:
A boy/young man steps out into the scene - He is alone and the temple is deserted
He walks around observing everything the room has to offer
He comes across Vyasa, who has a story about the young boy's race
Ganesha appears to offer himself as a script to Vyasa
The boy sits with them as Vyasa tells the poem
Ganesha suggests that Vyasa starts with himself
He starts with the story of Satyavati, who is the mother of Vyasa
Bhishma's father wanted Satyavati and she rejected him until her sons could be promised the throne
Bhishma renounced the throne and a wife/children
Bhishma fought for his half-brother's future wife and he won three
One of them, Amba, had already chosen a husband - King Salva
He lets her go and Salva rejects her harshly
Bhishma's half-brother died his wedding night
Vyasa was in charge of providing children for the throne
Dhritarashtra is born blind due to his mother closing her eyes
Pandu is born pale due to his mother having her color drain from her face
Amba vows to find Bhishma's executioner and becomes "his death"
Pandu became king because Dhritarashtra was blind
Kunti's children would be the fate of the world
Pandu married Kunti and Madri
Pandu kills hermits accidentally - the hermit curses Pandu that if he has sex then he'll die
Pandu passes on the kingship to Dhritarashtra
Kunti says that her and Madri only want poverty and solitude until they die
Kunti received a gift and a child from the Sun god
The son she bore was one she sent down a river due to fear
Karna is the son of Kunti and the Sun god
Pandu wants Kunti to immediately call upon the gods for children when he hears about her gift
The first god was Dharma and he gave her Yudhihthira
The next god was Vayu and he gave her Bhima
The last god was Indra and he gave her Arjuna
Madri asks Kunti for the mantra
Her first god was the Ashwins and they gave her Nakula and Sahadeva
These are the five sons of Pandu
The boy asks if he is from the same blood as the Pandu and Vyasa answers the affirmative
Gandhari finds out her future husband is blind and so she covers her own with a veil
This is so she cannot fault him due to his misfortune
Gandhari feels as if she is pregnant, but nothing has happened in two years
She tells her servant to get an iron rod and strike her stomach which would cause her labor
A ball of flesh comes from her stomach instead of a living child
Her servant is to throw a ball into a well but Vyasa stops her and he gives the servant instructions
Dhritarashtra hears his son's screams
Gandhari says that her first born must not be killed without her being killed first
Pandu pushes himself upon Madri and Pandu dies
Kunti wishes to follow his death because Madri saw his face glow with desire
Madri says that she will die because he died in her arms and she wants her body burned with his
Youth and Marriage:
Ganesha is supposed to write everything
They skip twenty years
Drona appears to educate the sons and no one sent him
Bhishma and Drona greet each other
The sons take turns shooting at a fake bird that Drona made
Arjuna is the best archer due to him seeing only the eye and shooting it - his aim was impeccable
Drona says that one day Arjuna and Drona may fight and that Arjuna must fight to kill
Ekalavya appears before Drona to ask to become a pupil
Drona refuses him so he goes into the woods to practice with a construction of Drona he made
Ekalavya becomes amazingly skilled
Drona demands payment, which turns out to be Ekalavya's thumb from his right hand
Ekalavya gives it willingly
Karna shows up Arjuna
Karna calls for a fight against Arjuna
Drona says that Arjuna cannot fight anyone of inferior birth
Karna is deemed a king of a land by Duryodhana so that he may fight and is only asked for friendship
Bhima speaks out about how Karna is a driver's son
"Birth is obscure"
Duryodhana sticks up for Karna in a massive way
Kunti is visited by her sons and she says that whatever is won must be shared by the brothers
Draupadi is won and must be shared by the brothers
They all love Draupadi
The Beginnings:
A boy/young man steps out into the scene - He is alone and the temple is deserted
He walks around observing everything the room has to offer
He comes across Vyasa, who has a story about the young boy's race
Ganesha appears to offer himself as a script to Vyasa
The boy sits with them as Vyasa tells the poem
Ganesha suggests that Vyasa starts with himself
He starts with the story of Satyavati, who is the mother of Vyasa
Bhishma's father wanted Satyavati and she rejected him until her sons could be promised the throne
Bhishma renounced the throne and a wife/children
Bhishma fought for his half-brother's future wife and he won three
One of them, Amba, had already chosen a husband - King Salva
He lets her go and Salva rejects her harshly
Bhishma's half-brother died his wedding night
Vyasa was in charge of providing children for the throne
Dhritarashtra is born blind due to his mother closing her eyes
Pandu is born pale due to his mother having her color drain from her face
Amba vows to find Bhishma's executioner and becomes "his death"
Pandu became king because Dhritarashtra was blind
Kunti's children would be the fate of the world
Pandu married Kunti and Madri
Pandu kills hermits accidentally - the hermit curses Pandu that if he has sex then he'll die
Pandu passes on the kingship to Dhritarashtra
Kunti says that her and Madri only want poverty and solitude until they die
Kunti received a gift and a child from the Sun god
The son she bore was one she sent down a river due to fear
Karna is the son of Kunti and the Sun god
Pandu wants Kunti to immediately call upon the gods for children when he hears about her gift
The first god was Dharma and he gave her Yudhihthira
The next god was Vayu and he gave her Bhima
The last god was Indra and he gave her Arjuna
Madri asks Kunti for the mantra
Her first god was the Ashwins and they gave her Nakula and Sahadeva
These are the five sons of Pandu
The boy asks if he is from the same blood as the Pandu and Vyasa answers the affirmative
Gandhari finds out her future husband is blind and so she covers her own with a veil
This is so she cannot fault him due to his misfortune
Gandhari feels as if she is pregnant, but nothing has happened in two years
She tells her servant to get an iron rod and strike her stomach which would cause her labor
A ball of flesh comes from her stomach instead of a living child
Her servant is to throw a ball into a well but Vyasa stops her and he gives the servant instructions
Dhritarashtra hears his son's screams
Gandhari says that her first born must not be killed without her being killed first
Pandu pushes himself upon Madri and Pandu dies
Kunti wishes to follow his death because Madri saw his face glow with desire
Madri says that she will die because he died in her arms and she wants her body burned with his
Youth and Marriage:
Ganesha is supposed to write everything
They skip twenty years
Drona appears to educate the sons and no one sent him
Bhishma and Drona greet each other
The sons take turns shooting at a fake bird that Drona made
Arjuna is the best archer due to him seeing only the eye and shooting it - his aim was impeccable
Drona says that one day Arjuna and Drona may fight and that Arjuna must fight to kill
Ekalavya appears before Drona to ask to become a pupil
Drona refuses him so he goes into the woods to practice with a construction of Drona he made
Ekalavya becomes amazingly skilled
Drona demands payment, which turns out to be Ekalavya's thumb from his right hand
Ekalavya gives it willingly
Karna shows up Arjuna
Karna calls for a fight against Arjuna
Drona says that Arjuna cannot fight anyone of inferior birth
Karna is deemed a king of a land by Duryodhana so that he may fight and is only asked for friendship
Bhima speaks out about how Karna is a driver's son
"Birth is obscure"
Duryodhana sticks up for Karna in a massive way
Kunti is visited by her sons and she says that whatever is won must be shared by the brothers
Draupadi is won and must be shared by the brothers
They all love Draupadi
(Image Information: Sauti recites the Mahabharata; Source: Wiki)
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