The Mahabharata for parents: why the whole war is told to a blind king

The Mahabharata is the epic that holds the Bhagavad Gita. It is long, crowded and honest about people: brave and petty, wise and jealous, often in the same person. That honesty is why it is so useful when raising a teenager. It does not pretend that talent is enough, or that good people always choose well.

Who tells the story of the war?

The battle of Kurukshetra is told to the blind king Dhritarashtra by his charioteer Sanjaya. In the Bhishma Parva (section 2 in Ganguli's translation), the sage Vyasa offers the king sight so that he can watch the battle. The king refuses:

"I like not to behold the slaughter of kinsmen"

So Vyasa gives the gift of vision to Sanjaya instead, and tells the king:

"This Sanjaya, O king, will describe the battle to thee. Nothing in the whole battle will be beyond this one's eyes."

Why does that matter for parents?

Because it is a picture of how most of us see our children's lives. We are not on the field. We hear about the exam, the friendship, the coach, the bad day, from a narrator, usually the child. Dhritarashtra chose not to look directly, and then spent the war hearing news he did not want. The lesson is not that parents should watch everything. It is that seeing clearly is a choice, and it is better made early than late.

A good report, a good teacher and a good conversation are all ways of seeing a little more of the field. That is all DharmaCode tries to be: a clearer description, so you can choose well.

What will I find in this section?

Two stories about skill and how it is passed on. Abhimanyu learnt how to break into the circular battle formation but not how to break out. Ekalavya taught himself archery in front of a clay image of a teacher who had turned him away. Both are well known. Both are worth telling again to a fifteen-year-old.

Frequently asked questions

Which translation of the Mahabharata do you quote?
Kisari Mohan Ganguli's complete English translation, published between 1883 and 1896 and now in the public domain. Section numbers on these pages follow that translation.

Is the Bhagavad Gita part of the Mahabharata?
Yes. The Gita is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna inside the Bhishma Parva, told to Dhritarashtra by Sanjaya.

Are these stories suitable for children?
The Mahabharata includes war and death. The retellings here are written for parents, in plain language, and are suitable to read with teenagers.