Reading Notes: Mahabharata

This week I am still reading the Mahabharata which is written by several authors. I have enjoyed getting to read this a little more slowly over the course of two weeks. It has given me the chance to really read through all of the stories and pick apart what I have liked and disliked. As a whole I am disappointed in how some of the women are written throughout these stories, but it is understandable considering they were written in India thousands of years ago!

I liked the variety of stories in the Mahabharata; there was definitely something for everyone. I was not sure if I would enjoy reading something so similar to the Ramayana, but honestly it was nice because it was familiar enough to help guide some of the basics. However, I am not looking forward to reading another version of this in the following week. I don’t think it’s super necessary to really get a good feel for the culture and these stories.

My favorite story from section D is the one told by the Mongoose. I thought it was very creative to have an animal tell this story. I may look to do this in my story this week to create a new way to look at the Mahabharata. I may use Mr. Piddles to be the narrator rather than focusing in on just Jonathon. I have enjoyed developing these characters through my portfolio so I hope to utilize the different settings and characters from our readings this week to continue this pattern.

I did like that the story ended in the afterlife and gave a perspective on how Indian culture views the afterlife. Although, there is lots of debate amongst different religions in India I liked this version. I like that we see the gods and goddesses again and that Yudhishthira becomes an immortal one. 

Yudhishthira in hell

Reading Notes; Mahabharata

I am enjoying the Mahabharata this week which is written by many authors.

So far the stories center on the Pandava brothers (which I continue to keep reading as the Panda brothers in my head, I can’t be the only one…) and Draupadi. I think it is interesting how closely this story parallels Rama’s own story. They are in exile and have a very difficult situation faced before them. I think it is interesting how Draupadi is a part of all of this. She seems to now be very upset about the fact that she has been married to these five men and that they are in exile. I used to like her, but she is very whiny in a lot of these stories which is annoying. It could be interesting to see her side of all of these stories because of how she is not used to this way of living.

I also like that this part of the Mahabharata mentions a lot of gods, goddesses, and mythical creatures throughout the stories. There is a good mix of cultural references throughout all of these stories and I hope to use some of this in my story this week. I have really liked learning about the different gods and goddesses, such as Indra and Varuna. I may try and incorporate them with my characters Jonathon and Mr. Piddles.

I really like that the Himalayas are also included in the stories as a setting. This could be a great environment to try and tell different stories. I think that these mountains are a large part of India’s history and how they developed as a country so I am glad that we now have them as a backdrop for future stories.

This week I am not sure which story I will exactly choose because there is so much material, but I look forward to writing it! 

Hanuman

Story: Draupadi's Diary

Dear Diary,

               Today I am to meet my new husband, or should I say husbands… I can’t believe that I am going to have to marry 5 men! I could barely put up with the stink and disorder one created, how can I possibly put up with five. Although, now I have maids and butlers to help me I suppose I will just have to manage. I wonder what father will use to make sure that the competition is fair; I heard rumors from the staff that it might be a bow and arrow contest. Well, here I go off to meet the men of my dreams! *cue unenthusiastic swooning* I wonder how Cici is doing… She did not seem well yesterday, she is my favorite dog and I would be quite lost without her!

Sincerely,

Draupadi

Dear Diary,

               Yesterday father hosted a big competition to see who could shoot the bow and arrow and strike a small goldfish! It was quite impressive to see all the men come and try to win my hand in marriage, although some I am very glad were not even able to bend the bow. In the end I met five men, all brothers none-the-less that will be my new husbands. I have heard that they are brahmins from one of the maids, so I am not sure how our marriages will work out. And I bet father is having a conniption fit because of this. Although they are all quite handsome men, so perhaps this new marriage could work out for the better. Oh! I have also received an update on Cici, she is doing much better. Apparently one of the kitchen staff accidently gave her chocolate and that made her quite ill. But she should be fine by tomorrow, so I plan to have one of my maids pick her up from the advisor’s office.

Sincerely,

Draupadi

Dear Diary,

               Very big news from the last twenty-four hours! The five brothers are not brahmins at all, but princes! Yes the Pandavas princes! I am so excited now for our wedding ceremonies, although it will take five days for all of them to be completed. However, that simply means I can ask father for five dresses! He has already begun to spoil my husbands-to-be by giving them gold necklaces and trinkets, as well as good for their mother. She seems quite nice too, maybe a little pushy but with good intentions. I hope to get to know her better after the wedding ceremonies. Father wants us to get married immediately so within the next week or so I will be a married woman! I also received Cici this morning! She is doing so much better, back to her old self. I am very glad to see that this was a minor illness and nothing too serious. I would have been heartbroken had something happened to her. I hope that my new husbands are not allergic to dogs, for I will simply have to have a second home for Cici and I!

Sincerely,

Draupadi

Draupadi's swayamvara

Author's Note:

This week we read the Mahabharata which is written by many authors. I have been wanting to do a diary entry style story for a while and I thought that this week would be the perfect opportunity. I also really liked Draupadi's story and how she ended up with five husbands. Although, it was due to karma I like to think that she was somewhat excited about all of the festivities in her honor and that she would be marrying five princes (I know I would be)! I wanted to portray her story from her perspective so the diary entries allowed me to give some insight from Draupadi's own mind. I may have to use this style again because it is fun and relaxing compared to having to write a complete story from new! 

 

Reading Note: Mahabharata (Cont.)

This week I am reading Mahabharata which is written by many people.

I enjoy reading the stories about Bhima and his family. Although they seem to be in a lot of bad situations with bad timing, they always seem to make it out on top. I think that these stories show that good will always conquers evil and that love can come from any situation. I may use Bhima and Hidimbi’s love story in my own story this week and try to incorporate some unconventional love as there love is. I think that this could make for an entertaining story as well as a very funny one!
I also think that Bhima represents a super hero of sorts due to his strength and ability to always fight for his family. This would be a very powerful image at any time of history.

Draupadi’s story is very interesting as well because it involves reincarnation (of which we have not read much about) and karma. These two concepts are well known to be linked with Indian culture but have not been discussed much in our readings so far. I will probably try to add some form of ‘karma’ in my story because I believe that if you put positivity and good out in the world it will come back to you some day. I also think that it is an interesting situation because in Draupadi’s previous life as Nalayani she was assigned to marry five men, something you don’t see very often. Usually it is polygamy not polyandry.

I like reading the Mahabharata much better than the Ramayana so far because it focuses a lot more on women and their role in Indian culture and society. It also features strong women, which is uncommon in many stories written so long ago. I am glad we get to read this story next week as well.

Draupadi and the Five Pandavas

Reading Note:Mahabharata

This week I am reading the Mahabharata written by many authors as well.

There are a lot of characters in this story and I am barely able to keep up with all of them! I do enjoy the character Ganesha, mostly because of the image that is provided for us. I think that this will be a fun story to continue with because of the many options we have to write about. The birth story was interesting about Ganga and I think that she is a very interesting character to write about as well.

Bhishma's seizure of the three women was very cool to read because it gave more insight into the concept of marriage in Indian cultures. This was very similar as to how to Rama won Sita because of the use of a bow and arrow, or in Bhishma’s case numerous arrows. I like using something like this perhaps with a diary entry so that there is a new perspective on the storyline. It could also be fun to switch the gender roles so that it was a woman ‘taking’ the men or rescuing them.

Amaba’s story is also an interesting twist to all of this. I like that they make a powerful woman who doesn’t want to be forced into marriage a piece of this story. This could be a cool character to use as well because of how she turns away from the norm.

Vyasa and Ganesha