Paternal Uncles of Mahabharata

This is the Part III and continuation of series Relationships In Mahabharata. Please go through the Part I and Part II of this series before reading this article.

In India paternal uncles or brother of someone’s father are categorized in two parts. First one who are elder brothers and the other one who are younger brothers of that person’s father. Father's elder brother (paternal uncle) is mentioned as ताऊ (Taauu) or ताया (Taya) or Taat Shri or Bade Pitaji etc. This is how Father's elder brother is acknowledged in most Hindi speaking areas whereas there will be different names for different region, area and languages to address this term. Similarly Father's younger brother (paternal uncle) is mentioned as चाचा (chacha), Chachu or Kaka etc. in Hindi speaking regions. So to avoid any confusion unless otherwise specified, I will use the English term of Paternal Uncle across this article. Like Maternal Aunts this also follow recursion relationships, which means for two brothers one will be paternal uncles of other's children and vice-versa. So listed below are all the Paternal Uncles of Mahabharata.

S.No	Paternal Auncle	Of	Details
1.	Devavrata (Bhisma)	Dhritarastra, Pandu, and Vidur	Devavrata was the grandfather of Pandavas and Kauravas. He was the Half-brother of Vichtravirya, and being eldest he is the Paternal Uncle (Taauu, Taatshri or Badepitaji) of Dhritarastra, Pandu and Vidur. Devavrata was the eighth son of Shantanu and his first wife Ganga.  Bhishma means one with the terrible oath, referring to his vow of lifelong celibacy and service to whoever sat on throne of Hastinapur. He took this oath so that his father can marry Satyavati (सत्यवती). Chitrangada and Vichtravirya were two sons of Shantanu and Satyavati. Dhritarastra, Pandu are considered as son of Vichtravirya actually born through Ved Vyasa through Niyoga. Vidur been born through same Niyoga by Ved Vyasa is considered as half-brother of Dhritarastra and Pandu. Ved Vyasa is the son of Satyavati before her marriage with Shantanu. Ved Vyasa is the original author or first person to write the epic Mahabharata.
2.	Chitrangada (चित्रांगद)	Dhritarastra, Pandu, and Vidur	Chitrangada and Vichtravirya are two sons of Shantanu and Satyavati. Chitrangada ascended the throne of Hastinapur after his father’s death but died childless while fighting a duel with a Gandharva. Dhritarastra and Pandu were son of Vichtravirya through his two wife Ambika and Ambalika via Niyoga. As Vidur is also borned through same Niyoga so Vidur is also considered as there brother. Hence Chitrangada became Paternal Uncle (Taauu, Taatshri or Badepitaji) of all three.
3.	Pandu	Kaurava, Dushala and Yuyutsu(युयुत्सू)	Pandu is Dhritarastra’s younger brother and Pandu had five sons and Dhritarastra had hundred Sons and one Daughter which includes Duryodhan, Dushashan, Vikarna etc. and collectively known as Kauravas and the only daughter named Dushala. Dhritarastra had also one son named Yuyutsu from Maid of Gandhari named Sukhada. In short Pandu is the Paternal Uncle (Chacha) of all Dhritarastra’s children.
4.	Dhritarastra	Pandava	Pandu has five sons named Yudhishthir, Bheema and Arjuna from his first wife Kunti and Twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva from his second wife Madri. All five sons of Pandu are collectively known as Pandavas. Dhritarastra been elder than Pandu is Paternal Uncle (Taauu, Taatshri or Badepitaji) of all five son of Pandu.
5.	Vidura	Pandava and Kaurava	As mentioned above Vidura was half-brother of both Dhritarastra and Pandu hence Paternal Uncle (Chachu) of both Kauravas and Pandavas.
6.	Yudhistira, Bheema, Nakula and Sahdeva	Abhimanyu, Babruvahana, Iravan, Srutakarman	In Mahabharata Yudhistira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahdeva are considered as real brothers and son of Pandu even though they were born through Niyoga and from two different mothers. Collectively they are known as Pandava’s. Among Panadava’s Arjuna (The Third Borned) had married the most and had maximum number of children. This makes all his remaining brothers as paternal uncle of his children. Arjuna’s first son Abhimanyu had born from his marriage with Subhadra. Babruvahana by marriage with Chitrāngadā (चित्रांगदा). Iravan with Uolopi. Srutakarman from Droupadi or Draupadi. Hence remaining brothers will be the paternal uncles of Arjuna’s Children. Here Yudhistira and Bheema being elder than Arjuna will be Taauu, Taatshri or Badepitaji and Nakula and Sahadeva been younger than Arjuna will be Chacha of his children. Next four points will follow the similar patterns as remaining four brothers of that particular Pandav are Paternal Uncles of that particular Pandav’s children.
7.	Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahdeva	Prativindhya and Yaudheya	Yudhistira the eldest son of Pandu had a son named Prativindhya (Named as Shrutavindhya In some texts) from Draupadi and another son named Yaudheya from Devika the daughter of Govasana of the Saivya tribe. Remaining four Pandava’s will be Paternal Uncles (Chachu) of Yudhistira’s two sons.
8.	Yudhistira, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahdeva	Ghatotkacha, Sutasoma and Sarvaga	Bhima had three sons. Ghatotkacha from Hidimbi or Hidimba. Sutasoma from Droupadi and Sarvaga from Valandhara the daughter of the king of Kashi. All Bheema’s brothers are there paternal uncles. Yudhistira will be Taauu, Taatshri or Badepitaji and Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva been younger than Bheema will be Chacha of his three children.
9.	Yudhistira, Bheema, Arjuna and Sahdeva	Satanika and Niramitra	Nakula had two sons named Satanika from Droupadi and Niramitra from Karenumati, the daughter of Sishupal. In this case Yudhistira, Bhema and Arjuna will be Taauu, Taatshri or Badepitaji and Sahadeva will be Chacha of his two children.
10.	Yudhistira, Bheema, Arjuna and Nakula	Srutasena and Suhotra	Sahadeva the youngest son of Pandu also had two sons Srutasena from Droupadi and Suhotra from Vijaya, the daughter of Dyutimat, the king of Madra. All four of his brothers are Paternal Uncles (Taauu, Taatshri or Badepitaji) of his children.
11.	Balarama	Pradyumna and his 9 Brothers	Krishna and his wife Rukmini had ten sons. Eldest of them is Pradyumna. Balarama is the elder brother of Krishna which makes him Tatshree or Tau of all ten of them. Krishna did have many other wives and their children. I have not included them in this article but Balarama will be there paternal uncle too.
12.	Krishna	Nisatha, Ulmuka and Vatsala	It’s mentioned in various text that Balarama and his wife Revati had two sons and one daughter. Nisatha and Ulmuka were the two sons and Vatsala was the only daughter. Krishna been the younger brother of Balrama becomes there lovely chachu. In one of the tale of Mahabharata, Abhimanyu (Son of Arjuna) Married Vatsala with the help of Ghatotkacha (Son of Bheema) and Krishna because Abhimanyu loves Vatsala where as Balrama wants to marry his daughter to Laxman Kumara (Son of Duryodhana).
13.	Devapi, Balkika	Devavrata (Bhisma), Chitrangada and Vichtravirya	Shantanu who was the father of Devavrata, Chitrangada and Vichtravirya was the youngest son of King Pratipa. His two brothers Devapi and Balkika have very small role in Mahabharata. Shantanu became default ruler of Hastinapur after his eldest brother Devapi (देवापि) abdicated his inheritance to become a hermit. According to the mythology he is an immortal sage.
14.	Yudhistira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahdeva	Vrishasena, Vrishaketu, Chitrasena, Satyasena, Sushena, Shatrunjaya, Dvipata, Banasena and Prasena	Who are they? These are the nine sons of Karna (कर्ण). Kunti, the mother of Pandavas before marriage to Pandu had another son named Karna. This makes Pandavas as Karna’s brother and Paternal Uncles (Chacha) of Karna’s children. Identity of Karna’s wife is not fully clear, some version mentioned he has only wife named Vrushali and had Nine children from her. Whereas some version mention about a second wife and some of these nine children belongs to that wife. All of Karna’s eight children died in the war and Vrishaketu was the only son survived the war. He was offered to be the King of Indraprastha because of Karna being the eldest brother of Pandavas.
15.	Karna (कर्ण)	Prativindhya, Yaudheya, Ghatotkacha, Sutasoma, Sarvaga, Abhimanyu, Babruvahana, Iravan, Srutakarman, Satanika, Niramitra, Srutasena and Suhotra	Listed here are all sons of Pandavas, and Karna been the eldest brother is the paternal uncle (Tatshree or Tau) for all of them. Among them Ghatotkacha is the eldest.

16.

Dushashana, Vikarna, 96 Brothers

Laxman Kumara and Laxmanna

Duryodhana had One son named Laxman Kumara and Daughter named Laxmanna. His 96 borthers including Dushashana and Vikarna are Paternal Uncles (chachu) of these two characters.

Note: I have only listed direct paternal uncles only. Like been the cousin of Pandavas, all the Kauravas are also paternal uncle of Pandavas children and vice versa.

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©Tapas Majumdar