Reading Notes: Narayan's Mahabharata Part C

This section of readings was heavily focused on war and prepping for it. One chapter that interested me was 48. Karna and Indra. This was an interesting story. Karna has natural armor and earing that protect him. Indra is worried that this puts his son Arjuna in danger so he wants to take them away. This story includes details like turning into a cow to trick Karna, the gift of a thunderbolt, and a lot of other creative details. This would be a good story to retell. It has a lot of those classic elements to it. A hero with a great strength, a trickster wanting to take it away, them making a deal, and the epic weapon to kill any foe. This story could be told in modern day or in another anchient culture. Another interesting chapter is 50. Riddles at the Lake. This chapter is really funny. One by one the men approach a pond, hear a voice, deink anyway, and then drop dead. You would think if you see your two friend laying dead after taking a sip you would reconsider. Also I can picture Arjuna randomly shooting arrows at the talking pond and then deciding to drink anyway. The last of the four good through a series of riddles and the pond reveal itself as Dharma, God of wisdom. Using wishes Yudhishthira is able to bring his three friends back to life so they can continue. This story has a lot of potential to be a good story. One idea would be to crank up the absurdity of the story and tell it as a sort of dark comedy. I could also try to tell it with modern times, or substitute it as a completely different folktale. Either way this story has a lot of potential to be one of my best so far. 

Yudhisthira in a Lake

Wikimedia Commons

The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie (1921). Mahabharata