Week 5 Reading Diary, continued: The Mahabharata [PDE]

Mahabharata: by various authors

Today I read some more sections from the Mahabharata. After the pandavas escaped Prince Duryodhana's plot to kill them, they fled to the forest and came across rakashas and other dangers. This specific part of the story had me reminiscing to when Rama and Sita were exiled in the forest and came across monsters and other weird, scary creatures! Also like in the Ramayana, this story has a lot to do with brothers and their relationship with each other. I thought that was also an interesting comparison between the two epics.

I absolutely loved how an ill-fated meeting turned sweet! When Bhima kills the monster, instead of also getting rid of its sister, Hidimbi, he instead accepts her plea to become his wife! It's a different kind of love story and something I did not expect at all.

I absolutely love the part where Bhima fights a chief, Baka, in the town of Ekachakra. His mom had barely uttered how she wishes he was there to fight the chief when Bhima shows up and says he will go right away. The scene depicted was so awesome! The description of the fight scene was told really well. It states that enraged at the sight of Bhima, "Baka tore down the bough of a tree and, rushing at Bhima, aimed with it a fearful blow at the Prince's head. Bhima skillfully caught the branch in his left hand, and with his right gripped Baka around the waist. Baka, with the force of his own blow, fell forwards with Bhima above him. Bhima placed his knee on Baka's back and said to him, "It is time that the forest was rid of a pest like thee." This really painted a superhero-like character out of Bhima!

Bhima the hero fights Baka (Image Source).

There was once part where Drupada sets a sort of contest for who will marry his daughter. For a target, he "constructed a strange and curious device: a high pole was erected, and it was surmounted by a golden fish, which was poised above a swiftly-revolving wheel." This was a random part of the story but it struck me because it is something I saw in a native american game where there was a fish on top of a long pole and that was the target to get points. I thought that was so interesting!!

One part that was completely unexpected was where Arjuna won the contest and got to be the husband of Draupadi. But because him mother had accidentally said the brothers should share the prize (without knowing the prize was a wife!!), the brothers all ended up marrying her. How different it is to the usual multiple wives to one husband!!

Draupadi and her husbands (Image Source).

Toward the end of the reading, after some gambling, Draupadi is forced to Duhshasana. Bhima again is shown to be the "heroic" character, getting angry and vowing revenge. I'm really liking his character so far.