It is done. I was surprised that there were still several chapters left after the big battle, but then, the original epic does cover long-reaching consequences of the conflict. The novel most of these events in only slightly more detail than the succinct summary given by Narayan. They rebuild after the war, there's a prophecy about Pariksit, Krishna and all his family dies, the Pandavas die. Another couple decades of Draupadi's life summed up in little space.
This section of the novel was more rewarding than the last because the characters begin to heal. Draupadi, Kunti, and Gandhari finally come together, to help the widows who are left in desperate situations. They've come to regret many of their past actions, but the effects of these will inevitably come back to haunt them. Draupadi's voice matures at this point, as she finally begins to let go of the selfish concerns that have driven her before to look more at her relationships with those around her.
The last chapter was most interesting to me. The Pandava brothers and wife are on their last journey, one that is both physical and spiritual. Draupadi is the first to fall, and as she dies, she converses with Krishna one last time. With Krishna coming back and discussing metaphysics with her, I wonder (not knowing much about actual Hindu faith in practice) how much of this section is just literary content and how much begins taking on a spiritual/religious message. All of the strains of thought are finally coming together in this scene, with Draupadi coming to terms with the role of the individual in the world.
death of Draupadi
from Bahadur's illustrations of the Mahabharata, 19th cent.
source: Wikimedia Commons
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