My Version Of Mahabharata

back to Hastinapur

A few hours after eating laddoos, the six siblings ran back to their house.
Five of them spied on Bheem as he went to their mother to ask for more laddoos.

Nakul, Sahadev and Anu spied through one side, while Arjun and Yudhishthir spied through the other side. Bheem went to Kunti and said.

"Mata I am feeling very hungry."
Kunti looked at him surprised and said,

" but... I had already given you laddoos to eat."

"Arjun Nakul Sahadev and Anu all ate them together!"

Kunti looked at Nakul Sahadev and Anu gaping at each other, smiling she asked,

" They ate all of them?!"
"Not all, they ate four altogether, and I didn't have enough left for me." He looked hungrily at the laddoos that were sitting in the nearby table. Kunti noticed, smiled and picked up the laddoos and fed them affectionately to Bheem. Happily, Bheem said,

"Mata, I don't know why, but when you feed me with your hands the sweet tastes much better."

Kunti smiled and said, "that is because along with the ingredients it is also filled with my contentment. And my contentment is most when I feed you with my own hands."

Bheem smiled at his mother, munching the ladoo.

Still smiling, Kunti looked at the rest of her hiding children and said,

" Come quick and have your food, or his contentment won't last for long."

Laughing, the other Pandava kids ran out of their hiding places and went into their mother's embrace.

"Mata!" They cried happily.

Back in Hastinapur

Satyavati was walking by the river Ganges, remembering the fateful day her stepson Bheeshma renounced the throne and took a vow to protect it and remain celibate for his life just so that she and her sons could get the satisfaction of Shantanu and the throne respectively. She hated herself for being so selfish. She turned towards The river Ganga and said,

"He took that oath right on the banks of your river, why didn't you stop him then? Why?"

Then a voice echoed from the river,

"Every day hundreds of humans come to my banks Satyavati, they make various oaths and promises."

A few seconds later the river goddess, Bheeshma's mother Ganga, appeared from the shallows, she walked towards Satyavati and said,

"If I keep stopping everyone, how will nature work? It isn't my duty to hinder one's oaths."

"But Bhagirathi," Satyavati said, "Bheeshma is your son! For 25 years you have imparted him with morals. You made him capable of being a king!" 

"Who isn't my son?" Ganga said calmly." Every human that visits my banks is my son."

"Is Bheeshma not significant or special to you?" Satyavati asked.

"He is special, but his significance lies in his heart, not how I perceive him."

Looking more stern she said,

"Satyavati, the sole reason for the bad state of Hastinapur and the Kuru dynasty is you, because you have foresight, not me."

With a sad expression, Satyavati said,

"But I am a mere mortal, I am not immortal like you Ganga, every second, the fear of death torments the human heart, which is why one seeks protection." Turning to Ganga in a pleading voice she said,