Source: – Shadwal Srivastava / Twitter.
After months of reading, I wish to present to you one of the best, yet most unheard story from the Mahabharat.
It will leave you in awe of the level of detail to which Ved Vyasa wrote it, and make you wonder how little we know about the great epic.Please RT. (Thread)
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
It is from the Adi Parva of Mahabharat. Although it might seem unconnected from the central plot, but it has massive relevance to the overall epic, and even the entire Hindu Mythology.
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
The story of son's of Kadru and Vinata.
Kadru and Vinata were two wives of Rishi Kashyap. Pleased by their good behavior, he offered them a boon each.
Kadru asked for 1000 Naga sons, all valiant and splendid.
Vinata asked for 2 sons, but stronger and powerful than Kadru's sons.— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
After a long period of pregnancy, Kadru brought forth thousand eggs, and Vinata two.
After 500 years, Kadru's 1000 eggs cracked open and her mighty Naga sons were born.
Jealous, Vinata cracked open her own egg, but she found that only the upper limbs of her child were developed.— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
The lower part was still undeveloped. The child cursed Vinata for breaking his shell prematurely. He curses that she'll become a slave, and only if she take tremendous care of the other egg, the child born five hundred years later will free her from slavery.
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
The first child of Vinata, born prematurely, was the mighty Aruna.
Since he was underdeveloped, his radiance is only as much as the morning sun. He is none other than the charioteer of Surya Dev. pic.twitter.com/4UhnVGgwOm— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
Surya dev even offered Aruna to his son, Karna, during the Kuruksheta war. Karna, however, denied the offer because he did not want to be dependent on someone, unlike Arjun, who was dependent on Sri Krishna.
I love how this adds another layer to the awesome story of Karna!— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
Coming back to the original story, Kadru and Vinata decided to place a bet on the color of the tail of the Uchchaihshravas, the divine horse which emerged out of the ocean during Samudra Mantha. Kadru said it would be black, Vinata said white. pic.twitter.com/BiYoX9iq21
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
They decide that the one who wins the bet will make the other her slave. Not wanting to lose the bet, Kadru asked her Naga sons to reduce their sizes and stick on the strands of Uchchaihshravas's tail, so that it would appear black. pic.twitter.com/OtqyrMMtZ4
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
The Naga sons deny doing it for her, because they knew it was wrong. Enraged, Kadru curses them that the entire Naga race will be ended by the Kaurav king Janamejaya (Arjun's great grandchilren).
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
Terrified of the curse, the Nagas decide to do what their mother had asked, hoping that she might reverse the curse. With the help of her sons, Kadru wins the bet and makes Vinata her slave.
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
Among the thousand Naga sons of Kadru, I would like to mention the significant ones.
First one is Shesha. You might not have realized, but you've seen him in posters of Lord Vishnu. Balaram and Lakshan are believed to be human manifestations of Adi Shesha, the first Naga. pic.twitter.com/DahYo2NurU— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
The second is Vasuki, the Naga king you've always seen around the neck of lord Shiva. Vasuki was used as a rope to churn the ocean during the Samudra Manthan. pic.twitter.com/Pv7tuoin3W
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
The third is Takshaka. He was the one who killed Arjun's grandchild, Parikshit. The entire Mahabharat which we read today was recited during a Sarpa Yagna conducted by Jamanejaya to kill Takashaka. pic.twitter.com/cg00LF4Hqi
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
Meanwhile, the second son of Vinata is born. He is Garuda, the god of birds. You've probably seen him as the Vahana of lord Vishnu. He is supremely powerful, and is radiant as the sun. He is believed to be the enemy of the snakes. pic.twitter.com/UtD6wfeh73
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
When Garuda was born, Vinata was still a slave of Kadru. As mentioned by Aruna in his curse, Garuda decides to free his mother from slavery. He strikes a bargain with the Nagas. The Nagas ask him to bring the Amrit in exchange of his mother's freedom.
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
Garuda defeats the Devas and wins the amrit from them. However, he does not even drink drop himself. Pleased with his selfless act, Lord Vishnu gives him the boon of immortality, and asks him to be his vehicle. Also, while he is returning to the Nagas, he meets Indra on his way. pic.twitter.com/KMLqNKK361
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
Indradev asks Garuda to not give the amrit to the Nagas, for it will have grave consequences. Garuda agrees, and asks for Indra to let the Nagas be his food. Since then, Garuda is know as the eater of serpents. pic.twitter.com/leMYL0yrpb
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
When he returns to the Nagas with the amrit in a vessel, he asks them to purify themselves in the river before consuming it.
Thus, Garuda frees his mother.
Meanwhile, Indradev appears and takes away the Amrit, acting on his plan with Garuda to save the amrit from the Nagas.— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
When the Nagas return, they find that the vessel is not there. In desperation, the Nagas lick the Kusa (druva) grass, because they last saw the amrit on it. It is believed that till date, the snakes are born with their tounge bisected because they licked the sharp grass. pic.twitter.com/hR4MurbBCl
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
Even today, the Kusa grass is considered sacred and used in Pujas because the amrit was once placed on it.
That's all, folks. I find it fascinating that the story connects everywhere, from our gods, to our daily lives.
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
While I've tried my best to convey the gist of the story, I've omitted a lot of details due to the word constraints. I would urge the scholars reading it to add on to the details that I've missed, because I've missed a lot. Twitter does not allow a thread to go beyond 25 tweets😭
— Shadwal Srivastava (@Pareshaan_aatma) August 4, 2018
I would like to add a less well known and grossly misrepresented story of Parikshit Maharaj’s Death. To cut short a long story he was cursed to die from a snake bite, that is Takashaka. This was to happen within 7 days. Parikshit Maharaj was a great king. He goes back to his kingdom, and calls for a meeting about what the next step should be. He had great ministers and Rishis who discussed about reversing the curse so that Parikshit Maharaj would not die. Parikshit Maharaj counters them saying that everybody had to die. At least he is fortunate to know beforehand that he would die within seven days. He crowns his son as his successor and leaves the Palace to go to the banks of a river. Many great Rishis assemble around him. His greatest concern was :”How will I get and experience that Supreme Knowledge that would give me Moksham”. To that person who is craving for Ultimate Knowledge, Paramatma would send a Guru. That’s whenSuta MahaRishi (Veda Vyasa’s son) was passing by, and Parikshit Maharaj himself was a great person that he could recognize Suta MahRishi’s greatness. He falls at his feet and begs for knowledge wondering if he could attain Moksham in7 days. Suta MahaRishi reassures him, and tells him Bhagawatham in 7 days. At the end of the 7 days Parikshit Maharaj then says – I am ready. I now know that the snake (Takshaka) cannot kill me. Takshaka bites, and the body of Parikshit is no more. And Parikshit Maharaj attains Moksham. And, His Atma – the undying Atma which is what one is – merges with Paramatma