Mahabharata: by various authors
This week, I continued reading the Mahabharata. Last week, I stopped at the part of the epic where Duryodhana wins the match and Bhima swears revenge.
It starts out with the brothers living in the forest in a period of exile. This and the following chapters really remind me of Rama's adventures in the Ramayana! He too was exiled and had some various encounters like the Pandavas do. It is a simple little detail that I noticed but it was still nice to see the similarities between the two epics.
The Pandavas and Draupadi in exile (Image Source).
There is one scene that is not of the utmost importance but it was really very touching. It showed the care that they all showed one another in exile. The scene tells of how "they wandered in sunshine and shade; they dwelt in pleasant places, amidst abundant fruits and surrounded by flowers. They suffered also from tempests and heavy rains, when their path would be torn by streams, and Draupadi would swoon, and all the brethren would be faint and weary and in despair. Then Bhima would carry them all on his back and under his arms." How beautiful of a picture it is!!
Another scene that was brief but had such a great impact on me was the one where Yudhishthira was giving advice to Draupadi. He says that "anger is sinful; it is the cause of destruction. He that is angry cannot distinguish between right and wrong. O fair Draupadi, one should forgive every wrong. Forgiveness is holiness; it is Truth." This is truly one of my favorite little scenes in the entire epic. It is such a great piece of advice and something that we can apply in our own daily lives.
I love the part where Hanuman makes an appearance! I really liked the scenes between him and Bhima since they are half-brothers after all!
Like in the Ramayana, Draupadi faces many obstacles and challenges like Sita. I love finding more and more similarities between the epics!
One of the best scenes in the epic so far is the one where the brothers are asked riddles by a "voice" in the river and at the end, only Yudhishthira was patient and answered them all wisely.
The battle was was so nice to read about! I can't wait to finish the epic!
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