Reading Notes: Pard D Mahabharata

Arjuna and Karna are finally having battle against each other.  Now Karna does not have the invincible armor and earrings to protect him which made him invincible.  Arjuna arrows can hurt Karna.

Arjuna whose charioteer was Krishna and Karna whose charioteer was Shalya.  It was the time for their battle and Krishna took Arjuna in front of Karna.  They both started raining arrows on each other like they both were meant to die by each other’s hand.  Arjuna's arrows was like summer rain and Karna's arrows was like stinking snake and drank blood.  Both of the side were not giving each other a chance to rest and they were going like crazy.  It's understandable that they both are the son of god, which they inherit their power from.

Arjuna was fighting with his celestial bow Gandiva, but while they were fighting his bow-string severed.  Arjuna said to Karna "Pause, according to battle rules you cannot attack a helpless man on the battlefield."  Karna ignore that and shower countless arrows on Arjuna until he was gravely injured.  Krishna is a charioteer so he tried to protect him by moving the chariot and once the bow-string was restrung.  Arjuna started showering arrows as he was angry who don't want anything but defeat Karna for not showing mercy to helpless man on battlefield.

Karna was not slowing down and raining arrows on Arjuna as well.  Suddenly the wheel of chariot sank into soft ground and Shalya couldn't make horse go forward.  Karna said the same thing to Arjuna "Pause, it is not manly to attack helpless man."  He should have understood that you get what you do to others which means karma follows you till you die and shape your life for reincarnation.  Arjuna knows that and he stopped showering arrows on Karna, but Krishna reminded Karna "was it right to attack Arjuna while he was restringing the bow, and when six warrior attack Abhimanyu, and was it manly to scoff Draupadi in front of elders and princes in the gambling hall?"  As Arjuna heard his son's name he got angry and shoot the arrow at Karna and his head was immediately struck off.

If I was Arjuna I would have gotten angry after hearing that they did not follow the battle rules and killed his son.  Since Karna did not stop showering arrows on Arjuna while he was restrung the bow, he should not stop either because he did not follow the battle rules.  I think that is why Krishna said what he had which made Arjuna take action and shoot the arrow at Karna.

Bibliography:  Author is Donald A. Mackenzie, PDE Mahabharata: Arjuna and Karna.

Arjuna shoot arrow at Karna while the chariot wheel is sank.

Reading Notes: Part C Mahabharata

Karna whose mother was Kunti.  She had wish four wish for having four children but one of the wish she used before the she got married to King Pandu.  King Pandu who is the father Pandu brothers.

Karna who siding with the Kauravas in the battle against Pandu brothers.  Everyone knew that he is invincible because he had invincible armor and earrings.  Indra learn that in the battle against Arjuna and Karna, his son Arjuna would lose to Karna because of the invincible armor.  All of the Pandu's children father is god and therefore Karna was granted with armor when he was born by his father Suryadeva.

Indra knows that Karna will give anything to Brahmins if they ask.  So Karna's father Suryadeva went to warn him that Indra will come to ask for your armor and earrings.  As he was praying in the morning to his father Suryadeva, Indra comes by taking the form of Brahmins and ask Karna to give him his armor and earrings.  Karna already know who it was but he said many time that "I can't give you because I was born with it."  Indra was not giving up his request and Karna was saying ask anything else.  Finally, Karna said to Brahmins "I know your Indra and you have come to take my armor and earrings." So Karna was like what would you give me in exchange.  Indra give him his dart called Vasava and he can only use if he is not angered otherwise it would rebound and fall upon himself.  After that he gave him his armor and earrings and Indra went back to heaven.

Isn't it foolish to give his armor and earrings even though he knew that he was not Brahmins but God Indra.  I like that he would not let anyone return empty handed if someone ask him of anything.  I can understand that Karna's character was someone who would not like anyone to face the same situation he had faced in the past.  Without considered outcome he will face in the future, he still went and give his armor and earrings which made him invincible.  It was good and really nice guy but siding with Kauravas was biggest mistake.

Bibliography:  Author Sister Nivedita, PDE Mahabharata: Karna and Indra.

Indra giving Vasava to Karna

Story Week 6: Pandu and His Two Wives

Pandu who was handsome and intelligent but not wise enough to make decision.  Sometimes he makes choice which he regrets for rest of his life.

Pandu was not only intelligent but was also good in archery, sword art, and fighting.  Nobody can defeat him in his school and he also belong to one of the greatest clan named Kuru.  He was someone who will become important member of that family.  While he was growing up, he fell in love with Madri and ask her to go out with him.  She was wondering that someone from Kuru clan proposed to her and that how can she accept his love because she belong to lower clan.  Despite the difference of clan, she said "Yes", Pandu was really happy to hear that.  Time passed by and he grew up and it was almost time for his marriage.  When Pandu heard that his father his looking for his wife, he got desperate and couldn't do anything.  He married Kunti and she belong to Yadava clan which is also one of the greatest clan.  

Soon after that Pandu become the head of the whole clan, he was someone who everyone looks up to.  Even though after marriage, he could not forget Madri and now he is head so he went to marry Madri.  She became the second wife of the Pandu and he was really happy because he obtains everything he need that is what he thought.  One day Pandu went on hunting, where he kills a female deer who was with his husband male deer and he dies as well.  Before he died, he said "If you try to have intimate relationship with any female you will die at that time.  Pandu was really depressed that he could not have intimate relationship with the women he fell in love.  He told what happen to his two wife's Kunti and Madri, they started praying god to give them some kind of wish that they can children without having intimate relationship with their husband.

Kunti got three wish and she had three sons named Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna.  Madri had two sons named Nakula and Sahadeva.  Pandu was happy that he now has sons who will look after his Kuru clan and one night when he tried to have intimate relationship with Madri, at that moment he died.  Madri followed him till heaven because Pandu loved Madri and she had the right to follow him after his death.  Kunti took care of five sons and make them capable enough to take care of everyone in the Kuru clan.

Author note:  I change the story little bit from the original.  Pandu got curse before his marriage and he didn't fell in love with Madri before marriage but after marrying Kunti and then Madri become the second wife.  I kept the same name of the character that I choose from the story.  I change where Kunti got wishes after her marriage but in reality it was before marriage.

Bibliography: The Author is Donald A. Mackenzie, PDE Mahabharata: The Sons of Pandu.

Pandu and Kunti marriage.

Reading Notes: Part B Mahabharata

Draupadi was the daughter of the King Drupada and he hope that his daughter would marry the might Arjuna one of the five Pandu brother.

Drupada construct the mighty bow and the only one who can pick it up was the strong men's and shoot the golden fish, which was in swiftly-revolving wheel.  He invited my princes all around the world but nobody would able to pick the bow up or the one who was able to pick it up could not able to aim and hit the golden fish.  The Pandu brothers were not there but they were watching from the crowd as a Brahmins, nobody knows beside Krishna who was sitting beside Draupadi and telling her everything about princes that came there.

Nobody would have imagined that Brahmins who doesn't fight will come and pick up the bow and shoot the golden fish perfectly.  The princes were mad at the Brahmins but they did not know who it was because the Brahmins were Pandu brothers who came to watch.  Krishna who sided with Pandu brother gave him a look that he knows them and who they are.  Which made Arjuna to take action, come down to take part in Swayamwara of Draupadi.  When all princes came to attach Arjuna, all of the other Pandu brother came to fight and protect him.  It was brotherly love that made them protect each other and the teaching of the parents that shows that they would not let anyone harm their brother.  But Krishna comes and protect them by exchanging smooth words with all the prince's and Draupadi and Arjuna get married.  Then the Swayamwara ends.

Draupadi didn’t mind marrying a Brahmins even though she said “she will not marry the son of a charioteer.”  She may have heard from Krishna that the Brahmin who pick up the bow was Arjuna. 

Bibliography: The Author is Donald A. Mackenzie, PDE Mahabharata: Draupadi’sSwayamwara.

Arjuna shooting arrow.