Neev (bright, excited):
 Welcome back to Mythical Masala with Neev!
 Today… we’re doing something totally new.
 No demons to fight, no kings to impress, no secret disguises…

Co-host (laughing):
 …well, maybe a secret or two. This IS the Mahabharata after all.

Neev:
 Today — we’re answering your questions!
All the funny, confusing, surprising questions kids ask about these stories.

Co-host:
 And honestly… some of the questions even I don’t know the answers to.

Neev:
 Same. Some of you sent questions that made us go,
 “Wait. Good point. How DOES that even work?”

Co-host:
 So today, it's all about the Mahabharata mysteries.

Neev:
 So sit back —
 grab some snacks —
 and let’s jump into our big mythology Q&A special!

Neev:
 Let’s start with the biggest question of all — the one SO many kids asked:
 “When did ALL of this even happen? What is the timeline of Mahabharata and Ramayana?

Co-host: Yeah, many of you asked - Which happened first — Ramayana or Mahabharata? And like… how far apart were they?”

Neev:
 So here’s the simple version:
Ramayana is older. Thousands of years older.
 Think of it like:
 Rama’s story happens long, long before Krishna’s story.

Co-host:
 Yeah, imagine Ramayana as Season 1 of ancient epics —
 and Mahabharata as Season… I dunno, Season 15?

Neev (laughs):
 Kind of!
 Also, the world changes between the two epics.
 In the Ramayana era, kings followed super strict rules.
 But by Mahabharata, things have become… complicated.
 Lots of kingdoms, lots of politics, lots of drama.

Co-host:
 Basically… humans being humans as we know them today! 

Neev:

And here’s something really cool —
 ancient India divided time into huge cycles called Yugas.

Co-host:
 Like giant “eras” in a video game.

Neev:
 Exactly!
Ramayana happens in the Treta Yuga
Mahabharata happens in the next one, the Dwapara Yuga

So even in the stories themselves,
 Ramayana is set much earlier.

Co-host:
 Okay, but how early? 

Neev:
 Get this —
 The oldest parts of both epics may have started forming
 around 700 to 400 BCE,
 and the final versions were written down by around 200–300 CE.

But the events of the stories?
Those are believed to have happened thousands of years BEFORE that.

Co-host (mind blown):
 So we’re talking about times so old…
 they make Ancient Egypt look new?

Neev:
 Pretty much!
 These stories were passed down by memory and storytelling long before paper existed.
 That’s why they feel ancient, magical, and larger than life.

Neev:
 Next question — which is also commonly asked and I have wondered myself:
 “Why did the Pandavas and Kauravas fight SO much?
 Why didn’t they just share?” 

Co-host:
 Yeah! Why was there rivalry in the first place? 

Neev:
 So — the rivalry began WAY before the kids were born.
 Their parents and grandparents had arguments…
 and then the children grew up seeing those arguments.
 When the Pandavas turned out to be more loved, more talented,
 and more popular… Duryodhana felt insecure.

Co-host:
Classic jealousy plot — but there’s a real reason behind it.

A long time before the Pandavas and Kauravas were even born,
 their fathers and grandfathers already had a huge argument about who should be king.

Dhritarashtra was the older brother…
 but because he was blind, he wasn’t allowed to be crowned.
 So his younger brother Pandu became king instead.

Neev:
And Dhritarashtra never really got over that.

That hurt — that grudge —

got passed down to his children…

and that’s where the rivalry truly began.

Neev:
 Okay, this first question is from Kian —
 “How come Arjuna has ten names? And Krishna has hundreds?
 Did ancient heroes just… collect usernames?”

Co-host (laughs):
 Like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon for your next epic title!

Neev:
 So actually — in ancient India,
 names weren’t just labels.
 They were recognitions.
 A person got a new name based on:

• a great deed they did
• a quality they had
• a weapon they mastered
• a blessing from a god
• or even something poetic about them

Co-host:
 So Arjuna having ten names basically means…
 he achieved ten different amazing things.

Neev:
 Sort of.
 And Krishna has so many names because people loved him so much,
 everyone gave him a different special name.

Co-host: Do you know, even today in some indian cultures a baby is given 5 names when they are born. 

Neev: So one sticks as the official name and they might have a nickname from the others or shorter version. Do I have 4 other names?

Co-host: Yes, you do!  besides Neev - we chose Samar, Shlok, Dev, Riaan

Neev:
 Okay, this question came from multiple kids.
  “Why can someone have more than one wife or one husband?”

Co-host:
 Yeah, this is one of those tricky-but-important ones. 

Neev:
 So — in ancient epics, marriage sometimes followed duty,
 or political alliances,
 or boons from gods.
 It didn’t always look like today’s marriages.

Co-host:
 Different time, different customs.
 Not a model for how life works now. So don’t try that out now.

Neev:
 Exactly.
 So when someone has multiple spouses in Mahabharata,
 it’s usually for a special reason —
 not something normal or everyday.

Neev:
 Next — Zoya asks:
 “Why do rishis or sages live SO long? Like… hundreds of years?”

Co-host:
 I’ve wondered too!
 Is it yoga? The fasting? The forest smoothies? Do they have special powers or special food?

Neev (laughs):
 So, in mythology, sages spent their whole life meditating.
 It’s believed that deep meditation gives them extraordinary strength —
 both mental and physical.
 So they could live very long lives,
 like guardians of knowledge.

Co-host:
Aah But if meditation makes you calm, why were sages especially like Durvasa always angry and cursing in ancient indian mythology?

Neev:

So here’s the thing — in mythology, a sage’s anger isn’t like our anger.

It’s not “I’m mad because someone took my cookie.”

Their anger was almost like a superpower.

A tool they used to teach lessons, protect others, or stop something wrong from happening.

Co-host:
 So… it’s not wild yelling anger?

Neev:
 Right — it was controlled, even if it looked scary.
 Sages spent years meditating and gathering something called tapas shakti —
spiritual energy.
When they became angry, they weren’t losing control…
they were using that energy for a purpose.

Neev:
 Another great question - this time from Neil:
 “How does someone return after 12 or 13 years and people instantly know who they are?”

Co-host:
 Yeah like — no selfies, no WhatsApp status, nothing!

Neev:
 True. But people in those days remembered:

• voices
• mannerisms
• family resemblances
• skills (like Arjuna’s archery style)

Also, stories describe heroes as having a special glow or aura
 that made them recognizable everywhere.

Co-host:
But seems like it also worked in their favor when they needed to be in disguise - at least some people would never recognize unless they were a close family member

Neev:
 Okay, this one cracked me up.
 Eva asks: “Why do kings in most stories have NO kids?
Like Why does every story begin with ‘Once a king had no children’?

Co-host (laughing):
 She’s not wrong.
 It’s always the same beginning.

Neev:
 So actually — stories begin that way
 because a childless king creates tension.
Everyone wonders: “Who will be the heir?”
It sets up adventure, quests, and destiny.

Co-host:
 Basically writers in ancient India were like:
 “Hmm… need drama. Let’s start with no kids.” But stories are meant to have those elements - else it would be uninteresting.

Neev:
 Haha — here’s another funny one from Sid.
 “How did the Pandavas stay clean? Did they have some kind of a forest laundry? 

Co-host:
 The Whirl-pool of the forest! Or should it be ocean..i mean river?

Neev:
 Actually yes — rivers did the job.
 They washed clothes by hand
 and wore simple cotton outfits that dried quickly.

Co-host:
 Yes, rivers not only provided valuable drinking water or means of easy transport - water could be used for cooking - washing. 

If you think about the biggest cities today - they are all near a major water source - either river or the open sea. 

Neev:
 Oh, this is my favorite.
Ana asks:
 “If Bhima and Hanuman are both sons of Vayu,
 why don’t they team up more?

Co-host:
 Imagine the chaos if they did.
 No mountain would be safe. Maybe that’s why?

Neev:
 So — Hanuman appears only when Bhima needs a reminder
to be humble and calm.
Hanuman teaches lessons, not just helps fight.

Co-host:
 He’s that older sibling who gives wise advice…
 and then disappears mysteriously into the forest.

Neev: And remember - Hanuman is much older by the Mahabharat timeline 

Co-host:
 Next question from Avi: Why is Vidura the only one always giving good advice?

Neev: Ah, Vidura — the one guy in the whole story who NEVER panics, never cheats,
 never loses his mind during drama.

So why is he always so wise?

Vidura is actually believed to be an avatar of Dharma —
 the spirit of righteousness itself.

Co-host:
 Basically the “Google Maps of morality.”
 Always pointing the right way… even if no one listens.

Neev (laughs):
 Yeah. poor guy!
 Vidura grew up reading scriptures, learning self-control,
 and watching people make terrible decisions.
 So when he gave advice,
 he wasn’t guessing —
 he could predict what would go wrong.

Co-host:
 He’s that one friend who says,
 “Umm… maybe don’t do that,”
 and later you’re like,
 “WHY DIDN’T I LISTEN?!”

Neev:
 Kripa is one of the royal teachers of Hastinapura —
 like Drona, but calmer and way less dramatic.

He trained princes in archery, ethics, and discipline. He was eventually replaced by Dronacharya as Drona was better at warfare and such skills, and Bhishma wanted his grandsons to have the best. 

Co-host: You are telling me, he got demoted?

Neev: Let’s just say he also had other duties. But here’s the cool part —
 Kripa is one of the few characters in the Mahabharata
 who is said to live until the end of time.
 He becomes a teacher in the next era too.

Co-host:
 Ohhh, so he’s basically the “forever professor.”

Neev:
 Yep.
 He’s respected because he’s fair.
 Even though he teaches the Kauravas,
 he didn’t let favoritism or hatred control him.

Neev:
Here’s another one that one made me laugh because it’s true —
Abhi asks “Why is Dushasana the only Kaurava mentioned and not the other 98? 

Co-host: So true! Where ARE the other 98 Kaurava brothers hiding? I hope they show up in the great war!

Neev:

Dushasana shows up a lot because
 he’s the one who actually does the really bad things
 Duryodhana thinks of.

He’s like the main “sidekick villain.”

Co-host:
 The rest?
 Honestly… they’re more like background characters.
 Like extras in a movie battle scene.

Neev:
 Exactly.
 Most ancient epics focus on a few key characters
 to keep the story tight and memorable.
 So the spotlight goes on:

• Duryodhana
• Dushasana
• Karna
• Shakuni
  The others fight in the war
   but don’t play major story roles.

Co-host:
 So no, nothing happened to the other 98.
 They just didn’t get enough screen time.

Neev:
This is an interesting question: Why do Gandharvas show up randomly? Who are they? 

Co-host: This question is from Rihaan - Great job listening to all the episodes keenly!

Neev: Gandharvas! Ah yes — the “surprise guests” of mythology.
 Gandharvas appear randomly to fight, sing, help, or test someone.

So who are they?

They’re celestial beings —
 warrior musicians of the heavens.

Co-host:
 So basically…special appearances by
 rockstars with superpowers.

Neev (laughs):
 Pretty much!
 Gandharvas guard sacred places,
 protect nature,
 and sometimes teach lessons to arrogant kings.

They show up when:

• someone disturbs their space
• someone needs protection
• a lesson needs to be taught

Co-host:
I wonder if we have Gandharvas quietly roaming around Earth today and show up randomly to protect us.

Neev:
The next question comes from Aadi. Who are the Yadavas and why are they so strong? 

Co-host: Sharp ear Adi! We mentioned about the Yadavas in our latest episode - 13 when Krishna promises to help both Arjuna and Duryodhana but in different ways.

Neev: The Yadavas are Krishna’s clan —
 a powerful kingdom of warriors, chiefs, and princes.

They lived near the sea, trained constantly,
 and followed Krishna’s leadership.
 They weren’t just strong in muscles —
 they were strong in unity.

Co-host:
 Krishna gives the Yadav forces to Duryodhana after Arjuna requests Krisna to be by his side in the war!

Neev:
 That’s right!
 The Yadavas had incredible fighters like:

• Satyaki
• Kritavarma
• Pradyumna

They also had powerful weapons
 and disciplined training systems.