Reading Notes: Epified Mahabharata Part F

(Art depicting Hanuman blocking Bhima's path)

Draupadi Disrobed

The fact that they wanted to strip Draupadi of her clothes as a means of demeaning and shaming her simply as humiliating revenge against a perceived wrong that they brought about themselves is exactly why long lines of families in power is pretty much not a thing anymore. I totally understand the revenge vow here. I still don't have a ton of respect for the Pandavas, but I respect their need for revenge after their cousins tried to undress their wife in court.

Pandavas Exiled

I feel like Vidhur doesn't belong in the company he keeps. Kunti stays behind because she is too old to go back into the forest into exile again.

Pandavas Exile Begins

I thought that Krishna was supposed to be a source of great wisdom and counsel for the Pandavas given his identity as an actual god, but it seems that Yudhisthir is meant to be the wise one. It seems to me that the wisest way to wait out this exile would be to go find a distant ally, but maybe I just don't understand social conventions.

Krishna meets the Pandavas

So this story explains why Krishna was unable to prevent the Pandavas from engaging in this gambling game so that they would never have lost their kingdom. This story is about cycles of karma, and it is Krishna killing Shilupa that leads to his inability to help the Pandavas. This also solidifies that Krishna fully supports the Pandavas.

Arjuna Receives Shiva's Weapon

Arjuna gets into a physical altercation with the god to whom he's spent so many hours praying. Apparently, though, this just proves to Shiva that Arjuna is worthy of the weapons he's been requesting this entire time and accordingly gives them to the now-poor prince.

Arjuna Meets Indra

Is this when Arjuna finds out that he's actually Indra's son, or has he known for some time now? I think it's interesting that visits from other gods who happened to see his devotion preceded his father's summons. I think that Arjuna's father's gift is possibly the most important of all because he gives his son the gift of knowledge and training that will allow him to actually use the weapons he has been given.

Urvashi's Curse

How could Indra have known in advance that the curse Urvashi laid on her son would last only one specific year and would actually benefit him? Is this premonition or a perk of being the son of a powerful god within the pantheon. I also think it's interesting that the other Pandava's austerities don't seem to be drawing the attention of their individual fathers.

Bhima Meets Hanuman

It's unique that this story focuses on the fact that Bhima and Hanuman are actually related. I do like that this problem could not be solved by a fight. For once, Bhima was forced to take a moment and simply listen to the person who was opposing him if he wanted to have any chance at getting his way. I think it's an important lesson to learn that violence simply won't solve some problems, especially when, like the Pandavas, you use violence to solve a good deal of your problems.

Bibliography: Epified Mahabharata