Week 6 Review

For this weeks review I wanted to mention the Sunday, October 4th’s Course Announcement. I found this post to particularly interesting because this summer I was able to spend a couple of weeks in Israel. The country has a large Jewish population, but I did not know about the Sukkot Jewish holiday. I love learning new things about Israel!

Sukkot Image from Course Announcements

Reading Diary B Week 6: Mahabharata

Yudhishthira and the Dog

For reading diary B of Week 6 I continued reading the Public Domain Edition of the Mahabharata. I found the overall ending of this story to be very interesting. As the war between Kauravas with a million soldiers and the Pandavas brother I was not sure what the outcome would be. Yudhishthria attempts to keep peace between the two sides, but he cannot contain them. After the war the Pandavas brother win with the help of Krishna, who dies sadly :(!  Out of respect for everyone that dies, the Pandavas brothers buried all of the men for religious reasons.  Yudisthara and the other brothers including Draupadi leave the kingdom and leave their jewels and clothes.

Week 6 Reading Diary A: Mahabharata PDE

Public Domain Edition of Mahabharata

This week I am continuing to read the Mahabharata Public Domain Edition. Readings 41-60.

Hanuman Statue

The Pandava brothers and Draupadi wander into the forest. They complain about how they lost their kingdom. They live on fruits and roots and face many perils in the woods such as reptiles and wild animals. A brahmin advised the brothers to call upon the sun god. The Pandavas lived in the woods for 12 years! They set aside some food for holy men and the rest for them. All the brothers would faint and Bhima would carry them all on his back and his arms. Krishna visits the Pandavas in the forest. Drapadi exclaims to Krishna that her husbands did not lift a finger to save her from Duryodhana who claimed her as a slave. Krishna comforts her and says that he will help the Pandava brothers and make Draupadi a queen again. Drapadi is mad at Yudhishthira for making her poor. He laments and tells her to forgive. Bhima is also mad at his brother and ask him to go to war, but he refuses and remain to his vow of exile. Arjuna ventures on his own to gather weapons needed by his brothers for the end of their exile. Arjuna went to see his father, Indra, and battled demons. Upon winning Arjuna’s father gave him gold, a diadem and a war shell that sounded like thunder. Draupadi and the Pandavas brother continue toward the Himalayas and are finally rejoined by their brother Arjuna. Hanuman, from Ramayana, meet up with the Pandava brothers and his half brother Bhima. Hanuman explained the four caste to them.

Duryhodina wanted to spy on Draupadi and the Pandavas brothers, but celestial spirits blocked him from doing so. Indra, attempts to protect his son Arjuna from Karna. Karna, born with celestial earrings that provided invincibility were a problem, so Indra stole them, but Karna was given in return a powerful dart that would kill one enemy.

Jayadrauhta stole Draupadi while the boys were hunting. But Bhima quickly beats the enemy and returns her to him. Famous Lakes Riddle Scene. During the last year of exile, the brothers and Draupadi must conceal themselves from the king. They do so by taking up medial task in the kingdom. Brother of the queen attempts to rape Draupadi, but she is rescued by her husband Bhima. Although not publicly. The other brothers cannot expose themselves. Duryodhana went to steal cows from Kind Virata, but the Pandavas brothers step into save the king. War is upon the pandas brothers, but Krishna attempts to settle the dispute, but it was unsuccessful. With the exile over the brothers go to was with Krishna by their side. Karna, (57) finally found out that the pandas brothers were his brothers. He struggles with this reality. An intense battle takes place. Either on Duryohana’s side or the Pandavas brothers side. Arjuna, on the battle field sees his brothers and relatives on the other side and doesn’t want to fight them, but Krishna persuades him to fight. The war begins and Bhishma warns Duryodhana of the doom. Ignored he goes on to lose the war.