PDE: Mahabharata by various authors
This week we are starting to read the Mahabharata. I chose to read the stories from the online public domain edition because it is far more convenient for me. I am excited that we are finally starting the Mahabharata. I am familiar with the stories because I have grown up hearing them from my parents. We even read Mahabharata comics and watched cartoon versions of the great epic. The first thing to catch my attention when I started reading was the part about how Ganga wanted her son to be very powerful, but never be married or have children. I was curious as to why she would want that. I really liked the part in King Shantanu and Ganga when Ganga said that if she was to marry him, she still wanted her freedom and independence. That's rare to read about in these epics. Ganga was very adamant on returning to her celestial form. "She suddenly vanished before his eyes." Ganga still came back to King Shantanu for a moment, to give him his son, Devavrata. What I liked about Devavrata was how he received his other name, Bhishma. He wanted to help his father, King Shantanu, marry Satyavati. In doing so, he went to her father and vowed that if Satyavati would marry Shantanu, he would never take the throne. He would remain unmarried and without children. This is just what Ganga wished for her son. I want to retell this story and touch more on Bhishma's side. I want to find more emotion behind the "terrible vow" that he promised.
(Devavrata takes the vow. Source: Wikimedia Commons)
No comments:
Post a Comment