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Week 7 Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata Part C

PDE Mahabharata

Sources provided by: Arnold, Besant, Devee, Dutt, Ganguli, Kincaid, Macfie, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Seeger, and Tagore.


#47
This story is interesting to me because the Pandavas help out their enemies by fighting for them. It seems like the Pandavas also are not high in numbers, meanwhile their enemies have a lot of men and women on their side. Despite the numerical disparity, the Pandava brothers are able to beat the gandharvas and save their enemies from capture. This drives Duryodhana to want to commit suicide by starving himself, but his followers prevent him from doing so by abducting him. This establishes that the Pandavas must fight the royal family because even though the Pandavas helped them, the royal family partners with demons and is still focused on fighting.

I think it is weird that the Pandavas helped the people who exiled them. This must be like the cultural element in the Ramayana where Rama would help people and refuse to take the throne despite everyone wanting him to. The value of both stories is placed on restraint of selfish interests and acting noble even toward your enemies. These stories probably could have a cross-over episode, as the Pandavas are exiled in the forest with their wife just like Rama. The only difference is that Draupadi hasn't been kidnapped and there are 5 brothers exiled.

Duryodhana's messenger asks the Pandavas for help, Source: PDE Mahabharata

#57
In this selection, Karna is told he is trying to fight his brothers. In theatre, the Mahabharata would be considered a farce, with many missed connections and missed understandings. It seems like the Mahabharata could have been a comedy, but instead it is going to take a dark turn with a battle. It might make for a good story to explore the Mahabharata as a comedy rather than a tragedy. Karna insists with his mother that he will fight his brothers because blood isn't thicker than water - he regards the Kauravas as his family now and cannot go against them. The impending battle could have been avoided if not for this misunderstanding.
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