Week 6 Reading Diary, cont.: Narayan's Mahabharata

reading: Part D of The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic by R.K. Narayan (Univ. of Chicago Press, 2000)

I found The Mahabharata a more complicated and deeper story than The Ramayana. It's difficult to separate out who's right and wrong in the story. Duryodhana is definitely wrong in his persistence in pursuing his own agenda, but everyone else is just caught up in the crossfire, torn by loyalties, prophecies, kinship, and morality. The Pandava brothers question whether what they do is right -- and make plenty of mistakes along the way -- and in the end, they're mainly the "right" side just because they're the protagonists and we want them to win.

The web of promises, allegiances, and prophecies is astounding. Krishna has promised some things to the Kauravas, but ultimately his loyalty lies with the Pandavas, whom he assists to victory. Characters and oaths that have been forgotten since the beginning of the story pop up again, like Amba getting revenge or the sons of the Pandava brothers. It all comes full circle, which I guess is the main point of the epic. Characters may be given opportunities to learn from their mistakes and depart from the destructive paths they've created for themselves, but ultimately, they're locked into this cosmically dictated sequence of events.

I liked Narayan's version for its brevity (I think the Penguin Classics *abridged* version is over 900 pages). I'm reading this mostly for the narrative content, so long lists of wedding guests or military allies or overly detailed descriptions wouldn't be that interesting. Still, having browsed through epic-inspired books, I've noticed how many novelized versions focus on the women of The Mahabharata and wondered how much their story can be expanded from the glimpses Narayan gives us in this adaptation. The battle is epic or whatever, but I really care more about how they live the rest of their lives.

battle scene from Bhagavad Gita, 16th cent.

source: Wikimedia Commons

Week 6 Reading Diary: Narayan's Mahabharata

reading: Part C of The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic by R.K. Narayan (Univ. of Chicago Press, 2000)

I found the incident between Duryodhana and the gandharvas highly amusing. Duryodhana is trying so hard to put down the Pandavas, but in this case his plans comically backfire. It's like a scene out of a cartoon: Duryodhana in all his bluster arriving to appear pompous and grand, only to be placed in chains and need to be rescued.

Another comic scene is Arjuna becoming a "eunuch." It's really only a disguise for him, so he doesn't seem too disappointed to be stuck in a group of palace women for a year! In fact, for being exiled and in hiding, the Pandavas don't have a rough time of it during this thirteenth year. It's almost fun for them, pursuing dreams and interests within someone else's royal court, without the kingly responsibilities they will have upon their return.

But the conflict with Draupadi being pursued by the queen's brother disturbed me. There's the old theme of men being ruled by their lust, incapable of resisting acting upon it even when they know it will have negative repercussions for them. And then to want to throw out Draupadi, place her on her attacker's funeral pyre (like how wives traditionally burned themselves with their deceased husbands)?! Talk about victim blaming! While I typically enjoy reading ancient literature like these epics, sometimes the outmoded views of gender relations kill the atmosphere...

Draupadi fending off Kichaka's advances

Raja Ravi Varma, c.1848-1906

source: Wikimedia Commons