Mahabharata as we have grown up on, has been the story of the Pandavas and the Kauravas with Krishna playing a big role.
That is we read and saw on Television.
Mahabharata is much more than that.
For one there nested stories - stories within stories.
In a forest Saunaka asks Suta about the story. Suta starts from the begining. He mentions something, and Saunaka wants to know why and so another story within that.
While the Pandavas have the main role in the epic, they do not make an entry in the begining, but much later in the epic.
Ramayana is straight forward. It starts off with the main story and hardly deviates.
The Puranas follow the style of Mahabharata. Incidentally the main Puranas and the Mahabharata have all been attributed to Vyasa as the writer.
The Naimisha Forest or Naimisharanya play a role in both Mahabharata and the Puranas. This is the forest where Saunaka and the other rishis are performing sacrifices. This is where Sauti comes and starts telling stories.
That is we read and saw on Television.
Mahabharata is much more than that.
For one there nested stories - stories within stories.
In a forest Saunaka asks Suta about the story. Suta starts from the begining. He mentions something, and Saunaka wants to know why and so another story within that.
While the Pandavas have the main role in the epic, they do not make an entry in the begining, but much later in the epic.
Ramayana is straight forward. It starts off with the main story and hardly deviates.
The Puranas follow the style of Mahabharata. Incidentally the main Puranas and the Mahabharata have all been attributed to Vyasa as the writer.
The Naimisha Forest or Naimisharanya play a role in both Mahabharata and the Puranas. This is the forest where Saunaka and the other rishis are performing sacrifices. This is where Sauti comes and starts telling stories.
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