INTRODUCTION

Condensing a huge story into a short essay is a folly; however it is necessary to help better viewing of kathakali for those who do not know the story. Let the wise people forgive me for my ignorance in making such an attempt. For this effort I have followed the pattern of Mr. David Bolland, to whom I am heavily indebted.
Long, long ago, when a moving Aryan culture met a static Indus Valley Civilization, a moving-cum-static
culture was produced which in turn produced great kings. The great kings produced great writers and great writers produced great poems. The Mahabharata with 90000 verses is one of them, and also the longest poem in the world.
The Mahabharata Epic was taught by Sage Vyasa to his pupil Vysampaya, who in turn recited this epic to Janamejaya Raja, grandson of Arjuna, during a huge Yaga, and thus came into public domain. The story appears to be a bit partial towards Arjuna maybe because of the above reason. The story not only drives home the futility of desire, greed, anger and hatred, but encompasses all aspects of life itself.

THE BEGINNING

King Santanu of Hastinapura was hunting near the river Yamuna when he fell in love with a tribal girl called Satyavati who belonged to the fisher folk. He went to her father requesting for her hand. Her father said that he would give his daughter to Santanu only on condition that a boy born to her would succeed to the throne of Hastinapura.But the king had a son through Ganga Devi called Devavrata who was learned and valiant. Santanu was dejected - how could he overlook his only son?
Santanu returned to his palace hurt. Devavrata came to know about this. He went to the fisherwoman's father and gave a terrible oath that not only he will not take the kingdom but he will remain celibate all his life so that he will not have any progeny who will make any claim. Henceforth Devavratha was known as Bhishma(the terrible).
Thence Santanu married Satyavati and they had two sons, Chitrangada and VichitraVirya. Chitrangada died in a battle. Bhishma arranged Vichitravirya's marriage to Ambika and Ambalika. However Vichitravirya too died leaving the girls widows. There was a rule that if a king dies leaving widows without children the king's next relative can father a baby or babies who can become rulers in time. Hence Vyasa a former child born to Satyavati through Sage Parasara was called to a secret meeting with Ambika and Ambalika. Ambika gave birth to Dhritharashtra who was blind and Ambalika gave birth to Pandu who had patches on his body.
Pandu became the king of Hastinapura since Dhritharashtra was not eligible as he was blind. One day Pandu decided to go for making Tapas(Penance) leaving the kingdom to Dhritharashtra. Hence Pandu with his two wives Kunti and Madri went to a forest. Pandu forgetting a curse he had received, died when he tried to embrace Madri. Kunti had a boon by which she could beget children through Gods and Pandu had insisted that she use the boon when the time arrived to keep the lineage alive. She and Madri used this boon. Kunti had three sons, Yudhishtira through Yama, god of Justice, Arjuna through Indra and Bhima through Vayu and Madri begot twins Nakula and Sahadeva through Ashwini. These children were called Pandavas.
Dhritharashtra had a hundred sons eldest among the sons being called Duryodhana and Dussasana and he also had a daughter called Dussala. All these children were called Kauravas.

THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH

Bhishma oversaw to the excellent education of Pandavas and Kauravas with the help of first Kripacharya and later the more efficient Dronacharya. Right from the beginning the Pandavas(especially Bhima) and Kauravas(especially Duryodhana) fought each other. Later on Bhima an Duryodhana grew up to become mace fighters, Bhima excelling by strength and Duryodhana by speed and tactics.Eldest among all the children was Yudhishtira who excelled in the administration of Justice. Hence the elders discussed and decided that Yudhishtira shall be the Yuvaraja (Heir apparent) and King Dhritharashtra made this declaration. Duryodhana became so jealous that he made a plan to kill the Pandavas. A palace was specially built made of inflammable materials like lac and Pandavas were sent to live there to participate in the local festivals. A person called Purochana was appointed to set fire to the palace at the appropriate time. But Vidura, the minister came to know of the plot through his agents. He also sent a Carpenter cum Mason not only to warn Yudhishtira, but also to make a secret underground passage out of the palace. The Pandavas along with Kunti escaped through this passage while Duryodhana thought that the Pandavas had perished and soon he would become the Yuvaraja.
The Pandavas along with Kunti wandered in the forests. There they met a Rakshasa called Hidimba who fought with Bhima and got killed. His sister called Hidimbi was in one-sided love with Bhima. Even though Bhima wanted to reject her love, Vyasa himself (autobiographically) interferes in his own story and advises that Bhima marry Hidimbi if only for begetting a good son who would naturally help the Pandavas in their times of need. Hidimbi gives birth to a son who was named Ghatothkacha.
The Pandavas proceeded to a village called Ekachakra in the guise of Brahmins. (It was understood that if they came in the open, Duryodhana who in the meantime had made himself Yuvaraja, would get them killed immediately.)
In Ekachakra they stayed with another Brahmin family. A Rakshasa called Baka was fed with a human from each family in succession and when the turn came to send somebody from the Brahmin family Bhima agreed to go instead. He went and killed Baka in a fierce battle.

THE MARRIAGE

While in Ekachakra the Pandavas heard that Drupada, the king of Panchala was to marry off his daughter by performing "Swayamwara". A contest had been arranged for this purpose. The man who shoots an arrow at a revolving target by looking at it indirectly in its reflection in water will be one to marry Panchali. The Pandavas still in the guise of Brahmins attended the Swayamwara. None of the King folk could hit the target when the Brahmins were allowed to contest. Arjuna did it in style. Immediately there was a terrific commotion, and many Kshatriyas ganged up and attacked Arjuna. Arjuna defeated them and finally married Panchali. When Arjuna brought back Panchali, they told Kunti that they brought a great gift. Without knowing what it was Kunti said "Share it equally ". Hence all Pandavas became the husbands of Panchali. In each year in succession she consorted with only one of them. Now that the Pandavas not only came in the open but had behind them the support of Panchala kingdom, Dhritharashtra had to call them and offer half the kingdom which in fact belonged to them. Indraprastha was decided as the capital of this new half and Pandavas went there and built a beautiful palace for themselves, a palace which became the envy of other kings. The floors were crystalline and looked like water. Once Kauravas came to visit them. Where there was no water they were found lifting their skirts and where there was a pool they just dropped in. Seeing this Bhima laughed. The author is not sure whether Panchali laughed. However an angry Duryodhana went back to Hastinapura and told his uncle Shakuni that she laughed at him and he is terribly insulted by this.
Pandavas decided to perform a Rajasuya sacrifice so that Yudhishtira could proclaim himself sovereign. It was necessary to fight potential enemies during such a yaga(sacrifice). Krishna took Bhima and Arjuna to a king(allied to invaders) called Jarasandha and asked for battle with one of them. Bhima did battle with Jarasandha by tearing him into two pieces and throwing the pieces in opposite directions. This was he only way Jarasandha could be killed. Then the yaga took place but not without incident. In the august assembly Sisupala the king of Chedi started insulting Krishna saying he was only a cowherd and not eligible to sit with great kings. When insults started mounting at last Krishna could not bear it anymore and sent his discuss at Sisupala and cut off his head. Then the Rajasuya was duly completed.

THE GAME OF DICE

Duryodhana, Dussasana, Shakuni, Karna and others invited Yudhishtira for a game of dice. Yudhishtira accepted the challenge. Shakuni cheated in the game and Yudhishtira lost everything. He lost even his brothers, his wife and himself also. Dussasana insulted Panchali by dragging her by the hair and trying to strip her in front of all. Panchali prayed to Krishna by which her sari became endless and Dussasana failed miserably. Dhritharashtra the king was frightened of Panchali's curses and set Panchali and all Pandavas free. When they were traveling back, Duryodhana again invited Yudhishtira for just one more game. In this game the condition was that whoever is defeated will go to forest for 12 years plus live incognito for one year. If they are found out while living incognito they have to repeat the cycle and so on endlessly. The dice was cast and again Yudhishtira lost. The Pandavas along with Panchali went to the forest. Many people, mostly Brahmins, also followed them.
In the forest Panchali prayed to SUN-God and obtained a vessel with the help of which she could feed all the people. Duryodhana came to know of this through spies, and sent a sage called Durvasavu to go there when Panchali had already eaten. When Durvasavu came Krishna also came at the same time and requested Panchali for something to eat. He ate a small leaf which was remaining in the vessel. Durvasavu started feeling stomach-full and uncomfortable and left the place. A Rakshasi tried to abduct Panchali, but she was saved by Sahadeva. A powerful Rakshasa called Kirmira came to war with the Pandavas, but got killed by Bhima.
Arjuna went to Himalayas to do tapas to Shiva. Shiva and Parvati dressed as forest dwellers came to test Arjuna. Shiva caused a dual with Arjuna. Arjuna failed in the dual, but Shiva was happy and rewarded Arjuna with a divine arrow. Arjuna's father Indra invited Arjuna to Paradise. There he wandered for some time when a heavenly beauty called Urvashi fell in love with him. He rejected the love at which time Urvashi cursed him to become an eunuch. Indra interfered and made the curse last only for one year and that coinciding with incognito living. Thus Urvashi's curse became a blessing. Once Bhima was sitting in a forest with Panchali when a beautiful flower wafted by the wind came and fell at the feet of Panchali. Struck by the beauty of the flower, Bhima was asked to get more of them. Bhima set forth in the direction of the coming wind. Soon he crossed a huge mountain and came to a Plantain Garden where Hanuman was sleeping across the way like a very old and tired monkey. Bhima was asked to cross over by lifting his tail. When Bhima tried to lift the tail he could not. Then Hanuman showed himself as his half-brother and blessed him for success in the coming war with the Kauravas.

THE LIVING INCOGNITO

The Pandavas decided to spend the thirteenth year incognito in the Virata Raja's kingdom. Yudhishtira became a sanyasi and an adviser to Virata. Bhima became a cook, Arjuna eunuch dance teacher, Nakula a horseman, and Sahadeva cow keeper. Panchali's beauty attracted Keechaka, the commander of the army, who tried to obtain her by wrong means. He was killed by Bhima by strangulation of his throat.
When the news of Keechaka's death reached Hastinapura the Kauravas suspected Pandava's presence in Virata's kingdom. They attacked the kingdom from two sides. One side was attacked by Thrigartha's army and the other by Kauravas, so that Pandavas will come out and be exposed. Bhima drove away Thrigartha. By this time the stipulated 1 year was over and so Arjuna went to war with Duryodhana, Karna and others and disrobed and insulted them. Meanwhile Uttara, the daughter of Virata, was in love with Arjuna as her Eunuch dance teacher. However Arjuna offered his son Abhimanyu (who was youthful and brave) to Uttara and the marriage took place in style.
Now Pandavas had rich relatives and could build a big enough army for a real war with Kauravas. Yudhishtira on the other hand was a man for peace. He sent Krishna to negotiate peace with the Kauravas. Krishna tried his best to negotiate a peace deal but Duryodhana struck to war as the only alternative. Krishna came back and Yudhishtira declared war.
Once the war was declared Kunti made an unsuccessful attempt to win Karna to the Pandava's side by expressing that Karna was in reality her son(which was true). But blood happened to be not thicker than friendship. Karna stuck with Duryodhana.

THE WAR

Just before the war started Krishna talks about the virtue of equanimity to Arjuna, which is known as the beautiful Bhagavad Gita. The war which took place according a set of rules laid down by the great Acharyas lasted for 18 days. Yudhishtira appointed Drishtadyumna(Panchali’s brother) as commander of Pandava army, who was killed only on the last day. Duryodhana appointed Bhishma as commander. Bhishma as commander of the Kaurava Army fought valiantly for 10 days, but on the 10th day fell down with his body covered with struck arrows. Then Dronacharya became the Commander of Kaurava army. But his head was cut off by Drishtadyumna. At that time Drona had kept down his bow, as a half-truth (truth in a way intended to mislead) was told to him by Yudhishtira that Ashwadhama, the elephant, died. Drona thought that his son had died. He new Yudhishtira could never lie. Then Karna became the Commander but he was felled by Arjuna when Karna's Chariot got struck in mud. Meanwhile Dussasana was also killed by Bhima who used his blood to tie back the hair of Panchali as per her vow.
Now Duryodhana, Ashwadhama, Kripa Varma and Kripacharya remained in the Kaurava side and the five Pandavas, Krishna, Drishtadyumna and sons of Panchali on the Pandava side. At the end Bhima killed Duryodhana and it appeared the war had ended. However in the wounded condition, but before he died, Duryodhana made Ashwadhama( Drona's son) as his commander who went ahead and killed the five sons of Panchali and also Drishtadyumna. Still the war did not end. Ashwadhama sent a brahma astra at the Pandavas. Arjuna retaliated with another brahma astra. The heat generated by the two astras would have destroyed the earth.Sage Vyasa interfered (again autobiographically) and pulled back both the astras and avoided a colossal tragedy. Thus the war actually ended. Actually Mahabharata is also about the rivalry between Drona and Drupada. Both were thick friends when they studied together, but became bitter enemies when Drupada refused a milking cow to Drona and Drona vowed revenge. Thus the killing of Drishtadyumna by Ashwdhama completes the revenge and later Ashwadhama wandered about like a madman.
Yudhishtira became the king of Hastinapura and ruled justly for many years. An Ashwamedha Yaga was taken out to establish sovereignty. Arjuna went as the protector of the Yaga Horse. The horse went to many outlying territories such as north east and south. When it came to Sindhu kingdom in the west Dussala's son died of shock on seeing the Arjuna's army. But Arjuna chivalrously anointed Dussala's grandson as king of Sindhu.

THE LAST WORDS

Krishna, the architect of all that happened, ruled from Dwaraka, an island. While on a visit to Dwaraka, Arjuna faced his ultimate test. He had to protect a child to be given birth by a Brahmin woman, but failed. Krishna, who knew where the missing child had gone, returned the missing child as well as the previous children of the Brahmin, who were all found in Vaikunta(heaven of Vishnu in a sea). Both Arjuna and Krishna were blessed by the thankful Brahmin. Krishna died when an arrow struck his feet when he was sitting on a tree. The Pandavas along with Panchali walked over the himalayas and each of them died one by one except Yudhishtira and a dog which was following them. Indra came in a chariot to take Yudhishtira to heaven. Yudhishtira refused to enter without taking the dog with him saying that it is against the Dharma(Justice). Finally it was found that the dog was Yama in disguise. Then all three proceeded to heaven, but then they also visited hell for a some time as punishment for the one half-truth uttered by Yudhishtira, popularly called in kathakali as Dharmaputra, the son of Justice.