Photo by Oleg Churakov on Unsplash

In Hastinapura, a kingdom grand,
A tale began in this ancient land.
King Shantanu, noble, ruled with might,
But love for Ganga would cloud his sight.
She bore him sons, but fate was dire,
Their lives were bound by a cruel fire.

Then came Satyavati, fair and pure,
And Shantanu’s love was hers for sure.
She bore two sons, but dark was the fate,
That bound the family to a twisted state.
Dhritarashtra, blind, took the throne,
And his Kaurava sons, their hearts of stone.

Pandu, the brother, was strong and wise,
But a curse made him leave the prize.
He had five sons, brave and bold,
The Pandavas, their future foretold.
But Duryodhana, with jealousy burned,
Sought to see the throne overturned.

In a game of dice, the trap was set,
The Pandavas lost their hearts in debt.
Exiled to forests, in sorrow, they roamed,
Their rights were stripped away, and their hopes were postponed.
But destiny called them back once more,
To fight for the throne they’d lost before.

Kurukshetra’s field, the stage was set,
For the greatest battle, the world would get.
A hundred Kauravas, against five,
The fate of a kingdom, for which they'd strive.
Arjuna, the archer, the finest of all,
Felt his spirit falter at the battle’s call.

Then Krishna, his charioteer so wise,
Spoke words that opened Arjuna’s eyes:
"Fear not, O warrior, for this is your path,
Fight for your duty, and resist your wrath.
The truth must prevail, justice must rise,
Do not turn away, do not despise."

The war was fierce, with bloodshed wide,
As heroes fell on every side.
Bheema, the mighty, crushed his foes,
While Karna, with honor, faced his woes.
The battlefield was dark and long,
Where once there was right, now all was wrong.

At last, the Kauravas were defeated,
But peace for the Pandavas was still unseated.
Victory came, but at great cost,
For in their hearts, much had been lost.
The throne was theirs, but joy had gone,
The pain of the war lingered on.

So the Pandavas, their souls weighed down,
Left behind their kingdom and crown.
To the Himalayas, they climbed in grace,
Seeking solace in that sacred place.
Yudhishthira, their leader, is strong and true,
Led them to heaven, where peace they knew.

At the gates of heaven, their journey ended,
But not all could enter, as fate intended.
The worthy alone would find their way,
To eternal bliss, beyond the fray.
And so the Pandavas, with hearts pure and light,
Joined the divine in the realms of light.

The Mahabharata tells a tale of old,
Of duty, sacrifice, and hearts bold.
A lesson in life, in pain and strife,
Truth and justice define our lives.

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