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Servitude
Oh wow, I cannot believe that the Kauravas would set out to harm Virata! They are truly cruel people. It was odd to me how sure these men were of themselves – “there can be no doubt about [the Pandavas perishing in a fire].” Did they think it too difficult for the Pandavas to survive in exile?
I can imagine Bhima (aka Indian Hulk) uprooting a tree to conquer his enemies – and then Yudhishthira has to remind him that he is in disguise (key Bruce Banner breather techniques). And then picturing Arjuna having to pretend to be clumsy and fumble around – lol, they must be counting down to seconds for the ability to be themselves again!
Arjuna was so supportive when he was the chariot driver for Prince Uttara. I think that is such a great quality to have – be firm, but kind when trying to support someone! And even though the Prince turned out to be kind of a chicken, Arjuna showed grea spunk! Maybe a bit too much – he revealed himself to the Kauravas, which could have ruined the whole exile/be hidden thing.
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| A screenshot from a video on the title song of the Mahabharata. (Source: YouTube) |
Warning Shots
Wow, the king is such a mean person sometimes. First, in the chapter before he threw dice at Yudhishthira (who does that?), and then upon seeing the five strangers dressed differently he gets all angry. He needs to take a chill pill. I was sad to see such a kind man act like such an awful person around those he found inferior to himself. It really shows how you should respect everyone around you – you never know when the person is a “diamond in the ruff”.
I am really interested in the Krishna part of this story (storybook!!). I am so glad he is on the Pandavas’ side, and I look forward to reading about his battles. Having to decide between a million soldiers or Krishna – hard choice – but I am glad Arjuna chose Krishna. It is the better choice!
War or Peace?
“Everyone knows that lawfully the Pandavas must get everything back…” so everyone knows that the Kauravas are wrong, yet they are still going along with their plans? It just doesn’t make sense to me. Does anyone ever think to stand up and actually DO something about it, rather than blabber on with empty words?
I really like this quote by Krishna: “The entire universe and all nature functions and keeps life growing only by a proper balance of action and reaction. Otherwise, creation will collapse.” I think it shows the principle of Dharma exceedingly well.
Another great line was by Vidura: “Do not pursue a line of action which is clearly unjust; happiness lies only in doing the right action.” I think this represents that ‘gut-feeling’ that we get when we have to make decisions. Somehow, you just KNOW when something is right or wrong. And when you do something wrong, guilt really eats away at you.
Action
Ah, as the battle nears, tensions rise. In the beginning of this chapter, it is mentioned that if a single baby of the opposing camp is left behind, it will harbor resentment and would go on to seek revenge. It is interesting how true that is – children carry on the wars of their parents. It is such a difficult cycle to break, but also a crucial one.
Draupadi had such a good point that one who commits sins ought to be punished, and one who does not punish the sinner has also sinned. It would be like someone letting a murderer get away with their crime. We have a moral obligation to do what it right – which includes punishing those who do wrong (hence judges, cops, etc.). I am glad that she stands up for herself here, and makes sure to remind everyone that there is a good REASON to have this war – those Kauravas humiliated her, and tried to defile her.
The back-and-forth mind of Dhritarashtra is so confusing. One second he is for his son, the next he is for the Pandavas – will he ever make up his mind? Although, I think he is seeing more and more how crazy his son is: “What undreamt-of evil comes to your mind!”
I like the pow-wow that Krishna and Karna have. Karna really needed to hear how his friendship with Duryodhana was not healthy - he was feeding into his friend’s bad behavior. At times like this, the best solution is to take a step back.
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