Need of the study --- Gandhiji used to say, 

Ramayana and Mahabharata are a “must study”

for all Hindus.  If anyone is truly interested to know about human psyche, they really need to understand
these two epics. 

Mahabharata is an epic of magnificent proportion.  Mahabharata is a repository of Indian history,

mythology, philosophy, spiritual mysteries, folk lore, social scriptures, laws, jurisprudence, political
strategy, economic models, governing models, foreign policies, family structures, educational styles and
much more. 

Mahabharata covers every aspect of human life.  It covers realities of life.  It covers the human frailties,
shows character flaws, highlights follies of the great and good of society.  Mahabharata looks at the world
as it really is.  It exposes the unalloyed realities of life.  Mahabharata is not fuzzy, soft or built on
sandcastles of idealism.  Ideas of “universal love”, “unconditional forgiveness”, “fraternity of humanity”
etc are great principles, grand ideals, but more often than not, we find that they do not exist in real life. 
Mahabharata explores people’s search for this idealism and how they fare. 

Mahabharata is brutally honest.  It does not hide the ugly truth about even its many great and respected
characters.  It tells it “like it is.”  Mahabharata is a mirror.  An honest mirror.  It is a mirror of it's time.  It
is a mirror of our Indian society.  Mahabharata reflects all of life as it is.  This reflection may not please
everyone.  It may not even seem real.  But, Mahabharata does not look at anything with sentimentality.  It
represents everything as it is. 

For this reason, some people do not like the Mahabharata.  They prefer their scriptures to be sanitised,
devoid of human frailties, failings and shortcomings. 

They try to see this historical epic in the same light as the Puranas, not realising that this is an itihas –
history – and not a scripture.  A “scripture” has its own agenda – to deliver a spiritual message, explain the
philosophy of a particular “darshan” and affirm the reader’s faith in a particular deity.  An “itihas”, on the
other hand, has to lay out the facts of historical events for all to see – without judgement or prejudice.

Generally, we Hindus seem to prefer “worship” rather than “learn” from our epics.  We have kept both
Ramayan and the Mahabharata on such a high pedestal, that we have never bothered to actually read,
analyse or critic the contents to see how it can be integrated in our lives.  We have presumed it's contents
are so sacred and the events are so far back in the past, that we can’t possibly learn from them.  We bow,
we garland, we offer incense and wave arti in front of these great epics, but sadly, we don’t try and learn
life's essential lessons from them.

If indeed Hindus had internalised the lessons of Ramayan and Mahabharata, we would not be in the social,
political, financial or spiritual mess we are in right now.  For example - If we Hindus understood, accepted
and lived by the "Laws of Karma", none of us would be mean to any one – let alone our own family,
friends, neighbours and countrymen.  Do we not know the consequences of being mean to even the
smallest person from our scriptures ?  Or the tragedies caused by neglecting those who seem weak at a
particular point in time ?  Yet, we witness meanness being casually practised in our films, soap operas,
neighbourhoods, families and work-places all the time.  Lies being told for the most inconsequential
things.  Why ? 

Indeed, if we understood the enormity of our karmic actions, there would be no corruption in India. 
Everyone who gives, takes or demands bribes would appreciate the negative consequences of taking bribes
will last well beyond a single generation or a single lifetime.  Yet, corruption is rife in India and people pay
bribes for everything from rescinding a traffic ticket to winning contracts and even elections ! 
Why ?  Because we have not learned from our itihas or Puranas.
Where is our sense of morality or understanding of how Karma works if as a nation and society we lie,
cheat, hurt, bribe others on a regular basis ?  Where is our understanding of the Mahabharata or
Ramayan ?  It is simply because we haven’t internalised the learnings of Ramayan and Mahabharata that
we do this with such alarming regularity. 

Ramayan has been sanitised over the centuries and rarely do we bother to read the original Valmiki
Ramayan.  People prefer to read any one of the 300 plus versions of the original, adopted and filtered
through the ideologies and prejudices of later authors.  Most people do not realise how far these later
Ramayans differ from the original in their spirit or language or the message.

People don’t like the Mahabharata because it tells it like it is.  The Mahabharata is so vast in its scope and
content, most subsequent authors have tackled only parts of the original.  Hence it does not suffer the same
fate as Ramayan and we can still see it in its original glory - warts and all. 

Most of us don’t like to see ourselves as we really are. 

Even when we look in the mirror, we focus on our “good side” and blank out the unflattering aspects of
ourselves.  Mahabharata reflects our minds and actions and doesn’t let anyone hide from their own selves. 
Maybe it is this “brutal honesty” that makes people poke at it from a distance, never quiet daring to
approach it too closely, least it revels too much of themselves.

Some people say we should not read the Mahabharata least it causes fights in the family.  
Don’t we witnesses plenty of discord without reading the Mahabharata ?  Fact is, if you really read and
learn from the Mahabharata, you will not have any fights in the family.  Having internalised its learnings,
you will realise when people are making a fool of you.  You will realise the consequences of harvesting
hate.  You will realise that stealing only means having to return the original with interest to its owner.  You
will realise the power of unity.  You will appreciate the beauty of cohesion – in the family, society and
nation.  You will understand the importance of divine guidance in leading a successful life.

Mahabharata is a must read because it is a mirror for us to evaluate ourselves and see where we are being
reflected in its myriad characters.  If we don’t like what we see in the mirror, there is no point in blaming
the mirror or throwing it away, that is not a credible solution.  Ideally, we should change ourselves to make
and reflect those values and characteristics we do like in the Mahabharata. 

The Vedic Foundation gives the following chronology of ancient India since the time of Krishna and the Bharata War: [web 1][note 13]

 3228 BCE – Descension of Krishna[note 14]

 3138 BCE – The Mahabharata War; start of Brihadrath dynasty of Magadha; start of Yudhisthir dynasty of
Hastinapur
 3102 BCE – Ascension of Krishna; start of Kali Yuga
 2139 BCE – End of Brihadratha dynasty
 2139–2001 BCE – Pradyota dynasty
 2001–1641 BCE – Shaishunaga dynasty
 1887–1807 BCE – Gautama Buddha[note 15]
 1641–1541 BCE – Nandas[note 16]
 1541–1241 BCE – Maurya Empire[note 17]
 1541–1507 BCE – Chandragupta Maurya[note 18]
 1507–1479 BCE – Bindusara[note 19]
 1479–1443 BCE – Ashokavardhan
 1241–784 BCE – Shunga Empire and Kanva dynasty
 784–328 BCE – Andhra dynasty[note 20]
 328–83 BCE – Gupta Empire[note 21]
 328–321 BCE – Chandragupta Vijayaditya[note 22]
 326 BCE – Alexander's invasion
 321–270 BCE – Ashoka[note 23]
 102 BCE – 15 CE – Vikramaditya, established Vikram era in 57 BCE
SYPNOPSIS

The Mahabharata is one of the earliest and the most popular epics of India. It was written in Sanskrit by Vyasa around
the 3rd century BCE. It is an essential and foundational text addressing Hindu morality (dharma) and history (itihasa).
The Mahabharata is comparable to another ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana, although it is longer and focuses on a
different storyline. The plot of the Mahabharata revolves around a struggle for political power between two groups of
cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas. It is made up of about 100,000 couplets divided into 18 sections, making it the
longest epic poem in the world's history. Since the epic is so ancient, it's hard to know its origins for certain. It's said to
be written by Vyasa, an ancient Indian sage. However, it's possible that the epic was not written by just one author; it
may have been compiled from multiple sources. the great Kurukshetra war became inevitable. In the war, the god
Krishna was with the Pandavas, and his forces were given to the Kauravas, as both of them were his relatives. The war
lasted for 18 days, during which all the Kauravas died. The destruction caused by the disastrous war was unimaginable.
All the elders who were left after the war, Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, Kunthi and Vidhur, took the path of Vanaprastham
(living the rest of their life in the forests till death).

The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the throne of Hastinapura, the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan.
The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are the Kaurava and the Pandava. Although the
Kaurava is the senior branch of the family, Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava, is younger than Yudhishthira, the eldest
Pandava. Both Duryodhana and Yudhishthira claim to be first in line to inherit the throne.
The struggle culminates in the great battle of Kurukshetra, in which the Pandavas are ultimately victorious. The battle
produces complex conflicts of kinship and friendship, instances of family loyalty and duty taking precedence over what is
right, as well as the converse.
The Mahābhārata itself ends with the death of Krishna, and the subsequent end of his dynasty and ascent of the Pandava
brothers to heaven. It also marks the beginning of the Hindu age of Kali Yuga, the fourth and final age of humankind, in
which great values and noble ideas have crumbled, and people are heading towards the complete dissolution of right action,
morality, and virtue.

**********************************************************************************************************
******

ORIGIN OF CASTE SYSTEM

The caste system as we see it today has not been pronounced in just one book; in fact it has been shaped by multiple
texts. The most ancient mention of the caste system is found in the Rig Veda, believed to be developed between 1500-
800 BC, where it was called the Varna system. It classified the society into four varnas: the Brahmins: priests, scholars
and teachers; the Kshatriyas: rulers, warriors and administrators; the Vaishyas: cattle herders, agriculturists, artisans
and merchants; and the Shudras: labourers and service providers.

These distinctions were mentioned in the Purusha Sukta verse of the Veda, although some scholars believe that this
clause was added much later than the Vedic period. Similar laws were articulated in Manu Smriti, which is believed to
be written between 200 BC-200 AD and which served as the guiding text for formulating Hindu laws by the British
government. Even Mahabharata, the text of which was completed by 4th century AD, had mentions of the four-tier
Varna system. All of these texts associated particular traits with each class: Brahmins were considered to be pure, wise
and gentle; Kshatriyas were linked with anger, pleasure and boldness; Vaishyas were deemed to be hard-working
people living off the plough; and Shudras were associated with violence and impurity, worthy of contempt. As such,
their social status began to be perceived in the declining order – Brahmins were highly respected and obeyed while
Shudras were despised and ordered. Over time, particular castes were placed even below Shudras and were called
Avarnas – not belonging to any class. They were supposed to do menial jobs as sweepers, gutter cleaners, scavengers,
watchmen, farm laborers, rearers of unclean animals such as pigs, and curers of hides. People from such castes are
called Dalits (meaning oppressed) in modern times. Although many of them have moved to other professions over
time, yet the general perception against them has remained to be one of hatred and loathe.
 POLITICAL LIFE
(i) Many large empire came into prominence or emerged during this era. Some of the vast and powerful empire during this time were
the Panchala, Kosala, Kuru and Pandus.
(ii) The king occupied the highest position in the society. All the powers of the empire were vested in his hand. There was no
restriction on his power. He had council of minister to assist him. To act or not to act on his advice depended on his will.
(iii) The king lived in very beautiful palace. He adopted many title. The king performed Ashvamedha yajna to become Chakravarti
king. All the powers of the empire rests in his hands, but there were shortcoming in his character. Drinking liquor and gambling were
parts of their character.

ECONOMIC LIFE
i) Land was very fertile, hence agriculture was the main occupation of the people. It is believed that even the king used to plough the
land.
(ii) Beside agriculture, animal rearing was the main occupation of the people.
(iii) Trade also flourish during this age. It was controlled by trading guilds, who were given many facilities by the state. (iv) People also
practise other occupation like carpenter, jeweller, potter, ironsmith, crafts, etc.

SOCIAL LIFE
i) At this time society was divided into four varnas. These varnas were the Brahmans, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra.
Among them Brahmans occupied the highest rank in the society.
(ii) Women occupied the respectable position in the society. They have the right to choose their husbands. The royal
Princesses chose their husbands through Swayamber.
(iii) Mahabharata was the age of bravery. Dying in the battle field was considered as a symbol of prestige. Protection of
the weaker section was also considered important.

Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (“Song of God” or “Song of the Lord”) is among the most important religious texts
of Hinduism and easily the best known. It has been quoted by writers, poets, scientists, theologians, and philosophers –
among others – for centuries and is often the introductory text to Hinduism for a Western audience.

It is commonly referred to as the Gita and was originally part of the great Indian epic Mahabharata. Its date of
composition, therefore, is closely associated with that of the epic – c. 5th-3rd century BCE – but not all scholars agree
that the work was originally included in the Mahabharata text and so date it later to c. 2nd century BCE.

The Gita is a dialogue between the warrior-prince Arjuna and the god Krishna who is serving as his charioteer at
the Battle of Kurukshetra fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and their allies.

The Kauravas and Pandavas are related and there are mutual friends and family members fighting on both sides for
supremacy of rule. Accordingly, when Arjuna sees all his former friends and comrades on the opposing side, he loses
heart and refuses to take part in a battle which will result in their deaths as well as many others. The rest of the text is the
dialogue between the prince and the god on what constitutes right action, proper understanding and, ultimately, the
meaning of life and nature of the Divine.

The Gita combines the concepts expressed in the central texts of Hinduism – the Vedas and Upanishads – which are
here synthesized into a single, coherent vision of belief in one God and the underlying unity of all existence. The text
instructs on how one must elevate the mind and soul to look beyond appearances – which fool one into believing in
duality and multiplicity – and recognize these are illusions; all humans and aspects of existence are a unified extension
of the Divine which one will recognize once the trappings of illusion have been discarded.

The Gita inspired the Bhakti (“devotion”) Movement which then influenced the development of Buddhism, Jainism,
and Sikhism. Krishna explains the path of selfless devotion as one of the paths toward self-actualization, recognition of
the truth of existence, and liberation from the cycle of rebirth and death; the other two being jnana (“knowledge”)
and karma (“action”). The Hare Krishna Movement of the present day is an expression of Bhakti, and the Gita remains
their principal text.
 8 forms of marriages
Mahabharata classifies marriage into eight types. They are Bráhma, Daiva, Ársha, Prájápatya, Asura, Gándharva, Rákshasa and
Paisácha.
1. Bráhma: In this mode of marriage, the conduct,disposition, learning, lineage, respect and achievements of the groom are
considered before bestowing one’s daughter in marriage.  (This is regarded as the best form of marriage by scriptures, and
no exchange of wealth or dowry is involved)
2. Daiva: (Here the bride is offered in marriage to the the priest after a yagna. This happens typically after the bride’s family
waits in vain for a suitable groom to turn up)
3. Ársha: The bride is offered in exchange in exchange of two cows. The groom in this case is typically a rishi. (This is
probably because the parents could not celebrate the marriage according to the Brahma rite at the right time. The exchange
of two cows indicate that the groom does not possess extraordinary wealth)
4. Prájápatya: The groom, once identified is enticed with wealth and presents of various to win the groom’s hand. This
method is best for Kshatriyas, and is also called the Kshátra mode of marriage
5. Gándharva: The parent(s) gets the bride married to the groom of her choice, even if it is against their preferences. (This is
the precursor to the modern ‘love’ marriage. The marriage of Dushyanta and Shakuntala is of this type)
6. Asura: The bride’s parents and kinsmen are enticed with wealth, in return for offering their girl in wedlock. (This usually
happens when the groom is rich and the bride’s family is not)
7. Rákshasa: In this form, the bride’s kinsmen are killed or beaten (often in a battle), and force is utilized to take away the
girl. (Krishna’s abduction of Rukmini and their subsequent marriage is of this type. Note that the bride does not object to
marry the groom in this case)
8. Paisácha: In this form, the bride is taken away forcibly (against her wishes), sometimes in a state of unconsciousness (The
bride’s opinion does not count. This is considered the lowest form of marriage)
A DYNAMIC TEXT …. The growth of the Mahabharata did not stop with the Sanskrit version. Over the centuries, versions of the
epic were written in a variety of languages through an ongoing process of dialogue between peoples, communities, and those
who wrote the texts. Several stories that originated in specific regions or circulated amongst certain people found their way into
the epic. At the same time, the central story of the epic was often retold in different ways. And episodes were depicted in
sculpture and painting. They also provided themes for a wide range of performing arts – plays, dance and other kinds of
narrations.

CHARACTERS
Bhishma Pitamah
Bhishma Pitamah is the most important character of the Mahabharata as well as the finest illustration of ethics and fairness. The oldest
stalwart of the kingdom of Hastinapur; Bhishma Pitamah’s personal life was full of frustration and solitariness, Bhishma Pitamah’s
peerless statesmanship and other impeccable characteristics still inspire his ardent followers across the world.

LORD KRISHNA
No one can describe Lord Krishna in words; he excels in everything. But if one keeps his Godly image out and brings him at par to the
level of any other human, Krishna remains the coolest and wittiest character ever. In the Mahabharata, Krishna goes around doing his
deeds in a manner justifying his birth as an avatar and fulfilling the promises he made in upholding righteousness.

ARJUN
A gallant warrior and a skilled archer, best known for stringing numbers of arrows in a fraction of second and that with deadly accuracy,
Arjun is a Pandava prince as well as the most adorable disciple of Guru Drona. Enlightened with the cognition of selfless action, the
character of Arjun in Mahabharata teaches what you should do while confronting an abominable moral crisis.

Dhritrashtra
DHRITRASHTRA had a very low self-esteem and believes that his blindness is a curse, making him unfit to rule. It’s depicted in
Mahabharta that Dhritarashtra has a great envy against his brother Pandu and his paragon advices for the betterment of Kuru dynasty. It
was Dhritrashtra’s emotional blindness and rapacious look towards the throne which made his son Duryodhana a hot-headed and
egocentric human being

Duryodhana
Duryodhana is a massively strong leader, a magnificent warrior. Duryodhana belongs to the evil side , holding the traits of greed and
jealousy to a specific magnitude, but here one must remember that Duryodhana is known for his hospitality. And these traits are enough
to mark him as a real ‘Kshatriya’.

Karna
central character and one of the unsung heroes of the Mahabharata–is an invincible warrior despite of being an ill-fated prince ever since
his birth. Throughout the epic he justified his never-say-die attitude and courageously confronted all the odds of his destiny. His character
in Mahabharata has an everlasting fame because he teaches how can one present himself better than the destiny and accomplish
everything with shatterproof determination

GANDHARI
A blindfolded mother of a hundred sons, a puppet for her blind husband, and a lady who died every moment she lived; Gandhari is
undisputably the wisest female character of the Mahabharata. Gandhari is a lady of immense natural power and always favors Dharma.
One by one, she witnessed her hundred sons going down like skittles, but she never left the domain of righteousness and refused her own
son to wish victory into the battlefield.

Guru Dronacharya
The royal guru to Pandavas and Kauravas and a ferocious warrior of tremendous combating skills, Guru Dronacharya is a significant
character of Mahabharata. Committed to protect the realm of Hastinapur, Guru Dronacharya supported the Kauravas and remained firm
like an inexorable hero in the battle of Kurukshetra.

SHAKUNI
of Gandhari and a proficient king-maker, Shakuni is considered as the great-grandfather of all gamblers throughout the existence of planet
earth. He is the person who poisoned the mind of his explosive nephew Duryodhan and fueled-up the destructive war of Mahabharata,
thus becoming the cause of the destruction of the Kauravas

DRAUPADI (Panchali)
Draupadi is one of the most important female characters of Mahabharata. DRAUPADI prays Krishna to protect her when Dushasana tried
to disrobe. A miracle occurs henceforward, which is popularly attributed to Krishna. Dushasana unwraps layers and layers of her sari. As
her sari keeps getting extended, everyone looks upon in awe, and Dushasana himself is forced to stop due to exhaustion.

GANGA
The goddess, mother of Bhishma. Sacred River Ganga or Ganges. It flows from the toe of Lord Vishnu and was brought down to earth by
King Bhagiratha.

BHIMA
Bhima: The second Pandava brother who surpassed him in physical prowess, as he was born of the wind-god, Lord Pavana and Kunti.
Another Bhima is the king of Vidharbha and Damayanti’s father.

Yudhishthira
In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhishthira was the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti and the king of Indraprastha and later of
Hastinapura (Kuru). He was the leader of the successful Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War. At the end of the epic, he ascended to
heaven

MANUSMRITI
The Manusmṛiti (Sanskrit: मनुस्मति ृ ), also known as the Mānava -Dharmaśāstra or Laws of Manu, is believed to be the first
ancient legal text and constitution among the many Dharmaśāstras of Hinduism. Manusmriti, was compiled between c. 200
BCE and 200 CE. Manusmriti is an ancient Hindu law book , that prescribes function of each varnas . it laid down the duties of
chandala .

 In ancient India, the sages often wrote their ideas on how society should run in the manuscripts. It is believed that the
original form of Manusmriti was changed as many things written in the manuscript contradict each other. [3] It was one of the
first Sanskrit texts to be translated into English in 1776, by British philologist Sir William Jones,[3] and was used to construct
the Hindu law code, for the East India Company administered enclaves.[ Over fifty manuscripts of the Manusmriti are now
known, but the earliest discovered, most translated and presumed authentic version since the 18th century has been the
"Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) manuscript with Kulluka Bhatta commentary"

Vyasa
 Krishna Dvaipayana (Sanskrit: कृष्णद्वै पायन, romanized: Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known
as Vyasa (/ˈvjɑːsə/; Sanskrit: व्यासः, romanized: Vyāsaḥ, lit. 'compiler') or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, Veda-vyāsaḥ, "the one who
classified the Vedas"), is a central and revered sage[citation needed] portrayed in most Hindu traditions. He is traditionally regarded
as the author of the Mahabharata. He is also regarded by many Hindus as the compiler of a number of significant
scriptures. As a partial incarnation, Amsa Avatar (aṃśa-avatāra) of Vishnu, he is also regarded by tradition as the compiler
of the mantras of the Vedas into four Vedas, as well as the author of the eighteen Puranas and the Brahma Sutras. He is
one of the seven Chiranjeevis.

Vyasa is traditionally regarded as the chronicler of this epic and also features as an important character in Mahābhārata. It
is believed that Vyasa asks Ganesha to assist him in writing the text. Ganesha imposes a precondition that he would do so
only if Vyasa would narrate the story without a pause. Vyasa set a counter-condition that Ganesha understands the verses
first before transcribing them. Thus Vyasa narrated the entireMahābhārata.

The 4 major varna

the Varna system in Dharma-shastras divides society into four varnas Brahmins- The brahmanas provide education and
spiritual leadership, Kshatriyas- The kshatriyas are the nobility, the protectors of society. , Vaishya - The vaishyas are the
productive class. and Shudras - The shudras are the only section of society allowed to accept another’s employment;

CHANDALA AND THEIR DUTIES

Chandala is a Sanskrit word for someone who deals with disposal of corpses, and is a Hindu lower caste, traditionally
considered to be untouchable.

According to the Manu Smriti, there were some duties of the chandalas.  1. The chandalas had to live outside the village. They used
the discarded utensils and wore clothes of the dead. They also wore ornaments of iron.  2. They could not walk about in village and
cities at night.  3. They had to dispose off the bodies of those who had no relatives. They served as the executioners. 4. They also
performed polluting activities like handling corpses and dead animals. They were placed at the very bottom of the hierarchy.

Kinship
In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all
societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Kinship can refer both to the patterns of
social relationships themselves, or it can refer to the study of the patterns of social relationships in one or more human
cultures

Mahabharata portrays the story of kinship and relationships. It depicts the story of two groups of cousins, the
Kauravas and the Pandavas belonging to the single royal family of the Kurus. They grew up together and are
sent to the same gurukul. But with the passage of time, the displeasure between them increased that resulted in
the Mahabharata war between them. It gives a deep analysis of the relationships between the family clans and
their behaviour.

MARRIAGES

The status of daughters is given in an entirely different viewpoint in the epic. Unlike the sons, the daughters had
no claims to the resources, position and power of the family. Also marrying them into families outside the kin
was considered appropriate. Marrying daughters to a different clan were considered desirable at the right time
and to the right person. This gave rise to the belief that kanyadana or the gift of a daughter in marriage was an important
religious duty of the father. Thus, this was considered to be an important religious duty of the father. The
organisation of swayamwara to Draupathi is part of this system of exogamy. Also, her marriage with the five
Pandavas is the practice of polyandry, in which a woman can have several husbands.

Gotra of women
One Brahmanical practice, evident from c. 1000 BCE onwards, was to classify people (especially Brahmanas) in terms of
gotras. Each gotra was named after a Vedic seer, and all those who belonged to the same gotra were regarded as his
 descendants .Two rules about gotra were particularly important: women were expected to give up their father’s gotra
and adopt that of their husband on marriage and members of the same gotra could not marry.

However, some satavana rulers adopted the gotra of their mother. Some of the Satavahana rulers were polygynous. An
examination of the names of women who married Satavahana rulers indicates that many of them had names derived
from gotras.

Gendered access to Property: The paternal estate was to be divided equally amongst sons after the dearh of the
parents, with a special share for the eldest. Women could not claim a share of these resources. However, women were
allowed to retain the gifts they received or the occaston of their marriage as 'stridhana' (literally, a woman's wealth). This
could be inherited by their children, without the husband having any claim on it. Prabhavati Gupta was an exception when a
woman claimed the resources of her father. At the same time, the Manusmriti warned women against hoarding family
property, or even their own valuables, without the husband's permission. However,cumulative evidence both epigraphic and
textual - suggests that while upper-class women may have had access to resources, the land, cattle and money were
generally controlled by men. Women acquired wealth during the ritual of marriage, bridal processions as a token of affection
from her brother, mother or father or as a gift from her husband. In other words, social differences between men and
women were sharpened because of the differences in acccss to resources.

The ideal of patriliny

 The Ideal of Patriliny The Mahabharata stands exemplary when it comes to the idea of Patriliny. The feud between the
Kauravas and the Pandavas, ultimately ended in a battle, in which the Pandavas emerged victorious. After that, patriltneal
succession was proclaimed. While patriliny had existed prior to the composition of the epic, the central story of the
Mahabharata reinforced the idea that it was valuable.
Most ruling dynasties (c. sixth century BCE onwards) claimed to follow this system, although there were variations in
practice: Sometimes there were no sons in somc situations and brothers succeeded one another, sometimes other kinsmen
claimed the thronc, and, in very exceptional circumstances, women such as Prabhavati Gupta exercised power. It is evident
in ritual texts such as the Rigveda.

Patriliny is tracing the descent of the family in different generations from father to son, grandson and so on. It is
the method of tracing the ancestry from the paternal side. After the victory of the Pandavas, the patrilineal
succession was declared. Even though patriliny had existed prior to the composition of the epic, the
Mahabharata strengthened that it was important to follow the tradition to ensure the stability of the system.
Under this, sons could claim the resources, positions and wealth of their fathers when the latter died.