MahabharataAdi Parva: The book of beginnings
Adi Parva of the Mahabharata (the book of beginnings): a summary in plain words, book 1 of 18.
The epic is recited by Vaishampayana to King Janamejaya, as heard from the sage Vyasa, and first told by Ugrashravas. It tells the family history of the Kurus: Shantanu and Ganga, and their son Devavrata, who takes a terrible vow of lifelong celibacy so that his father can marry Satyavati, and is named Bhishma. Satyavati's sons die without heirs; Vyasa fathers Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. Dhritarashtra is born blind and marries Gandhari, who blindfolds herself; Pandu has five sons by Kunti and Madri through the gods: Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, while Gandhari has a hundred sons, the eldest Duryodhana. The boys learn arms from Drona; Arjuna becomes the finest archer. Karna, Kunti's son from the sun god before her marriage, is raised by a charioteer. The Pandavas survive a plot to burn them in a house of lac, Arjuna wins Draupadi at her swayamvara, and the five brothers marry her. The kingdom is divided, and the Pandavas build Indraprastha.
This is book 1 of the eighteen parvas of the Mahabharata. See all eighteen and the characters.
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A retelling in our own words of a story told in many ways across India and Asia. Tellers differ on many episodes. It is not a scholarly translation.