Reading Notes: The Mahabharata Part B

The second half of this week's reading was my favorite. It follows the story of Yuhidistra, the eldest brother of the Pandavas getting into a series of gambling entourages in which he loses everything. The first time, the stakes he bet were so high that he literally lost himself, until the good King Dhritarashtra gave everything back to them because of Panchali's virtue.
The theme of virtue and vice play a strong role in these scenes. Panchali would not give up her piety and Yudihistra engaged in a sin - gambling. Through both characters, the most extreme of the carrying of both vice and virtue were portrayed.
In the end, the Pandavas were exiled into the woods for 12 years with the 13th year to be spent incognito. There is something about exile that plays an important role both in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Furthermore, I appreciate how Panchali and Sita both depict scenes of losing hope faith. There is probably something there about women in these epics.


image of the Pandavas in exile form harekrsna

Bibliography:

The Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan