Stories

Once upon a time, in the magical Kingdom of Mathland, there was a young knight named Ansh. Mathland was a special place where every citizen loved numbers, patterns, and solving puzzles. But one day, the Great King Mathias announced a crisis: the Golden Key of Knowledge, which powered the kingdom’s libraries and schools, had been locked in a mysterious chest! To open it, someone had to solve the riddle of  factors, primes, and multiples  hidden in the enchanted Forest of Arrays. “Only the bravest and wisest can find the key,” said the King. Ansh stepped forward. “I’ll go!” he declared. The King handed Ansh a glowing scroll. It read: “To find the Golden Key, solve three riddles from the guardians of Mathland. Be quick and clever, for the fate of the kingdom depends on you!” Riddle 1: The Tower of Factors Ansh journeyed to the Tower of Factors, where a wise owl named Hoot was perched. Hoot said, “To enter, you must tell me all the factors of 12.” Ansh thought for a moment. He rem...

A lesser-known adventure from the  Mahābhārata  (Ādi-parva, “Paushya-Upākhyāna”) 1 A Quick Mahābhārata Refresher The Mahābhārata isn’t only about mighty warriors and the Kurukṣetra war. It’s a library of side-quests—tales of sages, snakes, flying chariots, and talking frogs. Today’s story happens  long before  the famous battlefield, when the world was still buzzing with wandering students called  brahmacharins . 2 Meet the Characters Person (or Serpent!) Why You Should Know Them Utanka A young scholar who can chant Veda hymns  and  sprint like a deer. Āchārya Gautama Utanka’s strict but loving teacher ( guru ). Gautamī The guru’s wife; she keeps the ashram running. Queen of Paushya Owner of a pair of magical pearl earrings. Takṣaka King of the Nāgas (serpents) and part-time jewelry thief. Indra King of the gods, rides an elephant and throws thunderbolts for fun. 3 The Promise of  Guru-Dakṣiṇā When a student graduated from a forest academy, he off...

  (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva, “Yaksha-Prashna”) 1  Where Are We in the Epic? After losing kingdom and wealth in the fatal dice-match, the five  Pāṇḍava  brothers and their mother  Kuntī  must spend  twelve years in forest exile . In their tenth year they wander through a scorched jungle called  Kamyaka . One blazing afternoon they meet their strangest challenge yet—not swords or arrows, but  questions . 2  The Thirsty Warriors The brothers are exhausted.   Nakula , the youngest, climbs a tree and spots a shimmering blue lake nearby. “Let me fetch water,” he says and hurries off with a pot. As he kneels to drink, a bodiless voice echoes from the sky: “ Stop! This lake belongs to me. Answer my questions before you sip, or you shall fall dead. ” Nakula, parched and impatient, ignores the warning—he drinks, and instantly collapses, lifeless on the grass. One by one the same fate befalls  Sahadeva, Bhīma, and Arjuna . Each brother rushes t...

  (Mahābhārata,  Sabhā-parva , “Dyūta” & “Anudyūta”) 1 Who’s Who (Quick Background for New Readers) Character 1-Line Intro Yudhiṣṭhira Eldest of the five Pāṇḍava brothers; famous for honesty and calm. Shakuni Crafty uncle of the Kauravas; unbeatable with loaded dice. Duryodhana Jealous prince, cousin to the Pāṇḍavas; wants their kingdom. Draupadī Wife of all five Pāṇḍavas; wise and courageous. Dhṛtarāṣṭra Blind king of Hastinā-pura, father of the Kauravas. After years of adventures the Pāṇḍavas build a glittering capital,  Indra-prastha . Their success makes Duryodhana burn with envy. Shakuni whispers a plan: “Invite Yudhiṣṭhira to a  friendly game of dice . Dice are my soldiers; the board is my battlefield.” 2 Vidura’s Warning ( Ignored ) Royal adviser  Vidura  begs the blind king not to allow the match: “द्यूतेन नाशो न हि संशयोऽस्ति।” dyūtena nāśo na hi saṁśayo ‘sti “Gambling ends in ruin—of this there is no doubt.” But Dhṛtarāṣṭra, eager to please hi...

  (Mahābhārata, Ādi-parva, “Bakasura-vadha”) 1 Quick Background for New Readers The Pandavas  – five heroic brothers, sons of King Pāṇḍu.    Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva Kauravas  – their jealous cousins, led by wicked Duryodhana. After a palace-fire plot, the Pandavas hide with their mother  Kuntī , wandering in disguise as poor brāhmins. One day they reach the quiet town of  Ekachakra  and rent a small room in a potter’s house. They hope no one will recognize them. 2 The Town’s Dark Secret At dusk the potter’s wife begins to weep. Kuntī gently asks why. The woman explains: “A flesh-eating ogre named  Baka  (or  Bakasura ) lives in the forest. To stop him from attacking us, the king struck a horrible bargain:   Every week one cart of rice, two buffaloes  and  the  person  who drives the cart must be delivered to Baka for his meal.” Tomorrow it is this poor family’s turn to send  someone  wit...

(from the Ādi-parva of the  Mahābhārata ) 1 Setting the Scene Long before the great war of Kurukṣetra, the princes of Hastināpura studied the arts of combat at  Gurukula —a forest academy. Their teacher was the legendary archer  Droṇa Ācārya . Among the students, prince  Arjuna  quickly became Droṇa’s favorite, and Droṇa secretly promised to make him “the greatest bowman on earth.” Deep in the same forest lived a tribal boy named  Ekalavya  from the  Niṣāda  clan of hunters. He, too, dreamed of mastering the bow. 2 The Teacher Who Said “No” Ekalavya once walked days through the jungle to reach Droṇa’s hut. Bowing low, he begged, “Gurudeva, make me your student.” But Droṇa thought,  If this talented outsider joins the class, my promise to Arjuna may break.  So he said politely, “I teach only princes.” Heartbroken, Ekalavya left—but his desire did  not  leave him. 3 The Clay Guru and Tireless Practice Back home, Ekalavya mol...

  Part 1 What  Is  the Mahābhārata? More than 2,000 years ago Indian storytellers wove a gigantic epic called the  Mahābhārata  (mah-haa-BAA-ruh-tuh). It tells of  two sets of royal cousins : the righteous  Pāṇḍava  brothers and their jealous cousins, the  Kauravas . After years of quarrels, cheating and exile, both families gather huge armies on a plain called  Kurukṣetra  (“the Field of Duty”) to fight for the throne of Hastināpura. The  battle  itself lasts only 18 days, but the  lessons —about courage, fairness and self-control—have lasted millennia. One small slice of this epic is so important that it later got its own name: the  Bhagavad Gītā  (“Song of the Divine”). That is the story we’ll read today. Part 2 “The Chariot Between Two Armies” 1 The Heroes on the Field Arjuna : third of the five Pāṇḍava brothers, the best archer alive. Śrī Kṛṣṇa : prince, dear friend of Arjuna, and (secretly) an incarnat...

  (Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva, Chapters 25–42 —  The Bhagavad Gītā ) The dawn of the eighteenth day before the great battle of  Kurukṣetra  began with conches and kettle-drums. Arjuna asked his charioteer  Śrī Kṛṣṇa  to halt their chariot between the two armies so he could look upon friend and foe alike. Suddenly the mighty warrior’s bow  Gāṇḍīva  felt unbearably heavy. He saw grandsire  Bhīṣma , his guru  Droṇa , cousins, uncles, even childhood friends standing opposite him. Sorrow washed over him and he whispered, “ गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्  –  Gāṇḍīva slips from my hand. My skin burns; I can no longer stand, O Keśava.” He slumped onto the seat, declaring he would not fight. Kṛṣṇa’s First Rebuke Kṛṣṇa looked at Arjuna’s tear-streaked face and spoke sharply: “क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ न एतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते।” “klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha, na etat tvayy upapadyate.” “Yield not to unmanliness, O son of Pṛthā; it befits you not!” A...

  This isn’t the Mahabharata you’ve heard before. It all starts, oddly enough, in a bus depot in Dehradun. 1. The 3D-Printer and the Bus Ticket Fourteen-year-old  Meera Deshmukh  was lugging a cardboard box that read  “Handle With Cosmic Care” . Inside was a homemade, palm-sized 3-D printer she’d built from scavenged e-waste and bicycle parts. Her goal? Enter it in the National Young Innovators Fair in Delhi. But the last seat on the overnight bus was gone. With a sigh, she flopped onto a bench—right next to a wrinkled street vendor selling boiled corn and cracked-spine storybooks. One booklet caught her eye: “शंख के भीतर एक ब्रह्मांड — The Universe Inside a Conch ” The cover showed  Arjuna  from the Mahābhārata, blowing his famous conch  Devadatta  before battle. Meera bought it for ₹10 as “bus-queue entertainment.” 2. A Page That Shouldn’t Exist Skimming the booklet, Meera nearly dropped it. Between two faded pages, a sheet of modern polymer fil...