Week 10: The War and the End (Reading Diary B)

The ending of this epic was very intense throughout. The battle much more intense than I expected. Often times in epics like this, in the war the good guys are fighting cleanly and the bad guys are being savage and playing tricks on their opponents. However, in this one the Pandavas were tricking people and being acting crazy, perhaps just in the haze of war.

For example, when Bhima killed  Duhshasana then drank his blood. Also when Bhima killed the elephant Aswathama and Yudhistira tried to make the army think it was the man named Aswathama not an elephant. This definitely helped the Pandavas by disheartening their opponents, but it didn't seem like something epic heroes usually do.

Bhima and Duryohana. Wikimedia.

After the battle, everyone not sided with the Pandavas, had their world world crumble around them. Dwaraka's civil war and then being swallowed by the sea suprised me. I figured the Pandavas would have taken over the cities and ruled, like how Ramayana ended with everyone just at peace and Rama becoming the king. The fates of Krishna, Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti were especially dark but that made sense based on the bad karma they had gathered throughout the story.

Week 10: End of Exile and Preparing for War (Reading Diary A)

This section of reading had many different pieces to it. The first part that caught my attention the most when reading was the part by the lake during the Pandavas exile. 

I couldn't believe that all of the brothers besides Yudhishthira drink the water and ignore the warning, especially when they see their other brothers dead around them. I was ridiculous how one after another the Pandavas came across he lake, heard the warning and (in every case but Nukula) sees their dead brother(s) but still they drink the water and die. There were many more questions than I would have thought that Yama asked Yudhishthira. I thought that there would have just been a few questions but it seemed like Yudhishthira was nearly dead of thirst by the time he finished answering the questions. In the end, I was glad that Yama resurrected all the brothers, as the story wouldn't be nearly as interesting if it was just Yudhishthira and Nakula (who Yudhishthira chose to live as well). 

The sections where they prepare and go to King Virata's court was also interesting. They all worked so hard on their cover identities so they would be doing what they wanted but not be recognized and also not be technically lying. I thought it was funny how much they all wanted to technically be telling the truth even though they were trying to stay hidden for the end of their exile. I was very glad with how Bhima protected Draupadi. I was very suprised that the king and queen let Draupadi stay after the death of Kichika.

Bhima and Kichika. Wikimedia.