Reading Notes Epified: Mahabharata Part C

For this weeks reading I am continuing with the epified Mahabharata YouTube series. I really like this series. It is a quick and entertaining way to get the details of the stories. The live drawing is also really interesting to watch. One episode that interested me was 21 Drupad humiliates Drona. This tells a story of two friends who are training together. Due to this friendship Drupad promises his friend half his kingdom when he becomes king. Years later Drona has fallen oh hard times and goes to see his old friend, confident he will keep this old promise. Instead he finds that his friend has changed and is drunk with power. In the next episode we also see a king acting poorly. In this one he wants to kill the Pandava's. These brothers were very popular and may one day threaten his rule. He decides to build an entire castle out of flammable materials. he even placed their beds in the highest flammable areas. He then invited the brothers to a spectacular feast in their honor. After the banquet they would go to sleep and be burned alive. This plan would keep the people from hating him if it remained a secret, unfortunately the plan would be discovered. Both of these, as well as others in this section have a lot of story potential. I like all the angles for an evil king and the betrayal. I also like the story of two friends who pledge to each other. one becomes rich, one becomes poor. Te rich one then turns their back on the poor who pledges revenge. I think this would be a story that could easily be replicated in a modern setting. It also leaves a lot of opportunity to change details.

Palace Fire

Wikimedia palace fire

Epified: Mahabharata videos

YouTube playlist link