A master warrior. A devoted student. A mission fueled by revenge. We dive into the riveting tale of Drona and Arjuna: a legendary teacher-student duo whose relationship shaped the destiny of empires. This isn’t your average guru-disciple story. It’s a story about the complex bond between Drona and Arjuna—how ambition, loyalty, and betrayal shaped one of Indian mythology’s most powerful relationships; this is a tale of power, privilege, and the price of greatness.

What made Arjuna Drona’s favorite and what did it cost others to protect that title?

Why did Drona, a master of weapons, demand the thumb of a boy (Ekalavya) who called him guru?

And how does an ancient rivalry between two childhood friends (Drupada) ignite a war that changes history?

This episode draws striking parallels between ancient India's pursuit of excellence as warriors and today’s modern-day educational rat race—from elite prep schools to college scandals—where access, privilege, and performance determine your place in the world.

Tune in for a story that’s equal parts myth, ambition, and human emotion.

Subscribe now so you don’t miss the next chapter in the epic saga of India’s greatest legends.

#IndianMythology #Mahabharata #DronaAndArjuna #EpicStories #Arjun #StoriesOfIndia #AncientIndia #PodcastIndia #MythologyPodcast #EducationSystem #Gurukul #DharmaAndRevenge

Reference:

The Mahabharata 1: Complete and Unabridged; translated by Bibek Debroy. (2015). Penguin Random House India. (Original work published 2010)

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Images: #Wikimedia Commons #Canva

In this episode, we dive into the powerful and timeless story of Shakuntala and Duhshanta (Dushyanta) as told in the Mahabharata. Shakuntala’s journey highlights themes of women’s rights, autonomy, and justice. Far more than a love story, Shakuntala is a strong, bold young woman, who stands up for herself and her son in the face of betrayal and abandonment. Tune in as we unravel the lessons from Shakuntala’s courage and resilience through this young woman’s story from the ancient times.

Links:

►Blog post -

►BORI Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcLzr93ByFE&t=263s

►Stories of India Retold Podcast Website: https://storiesofindiaretold.podbean.com

#bharat #mythology #ancientindia #story #podcast

References:

Dalal, Roshen (2010). “The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths.” Penguin Books India.

Ryder, A. (2014). Shakuntala. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. Sternbach, L. (1941).

A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE FORMS OF MARRIAGE IN ANCIENT INDIA (A Résumé). Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 22(3/4), 202–219. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43975949

The Mahabharata 1: Complete and Unabridged; translated by Bibek Debroy. (2015). Penguin Random House India. (Original work published 2010)

Images: #Wikimedia Commons #Canva

The Suras (Gods/good) and Asuras (Anti-god/evil) must work together to obtain the precious nectar of immortality, Amrita; in a process called Samudra Manthana or Churning of the Ocean. Along the way, they face many obstacles and even a deadly poison that threatens to destroy the world. From the appearance of divine treasures to Vishnu's clever tricks, this episode explores the intense struggle, wisdom, and lessons learned through compassion, perseverance, unity, and divine intervention.

#purana #bharat #samudramanthan #khumbhmela #churningoftheocean

The Bhagavata Purana 2, translated by Bibek Debroy.