Week 9 Reading Diary B: Gambling & Weapons

I have to say, this epic is nothing like what I had expected.  The Ramayama was very straightforward, and the storyline was pretty easy to understand.  The Mahabharata, although it is a lot older, reminds me of how Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are constructed.  In the Mahabharata there isn't a dull moment.  I can say at this point I really like the Pandavas, and the unbreakable bond the five brother's have is inspiring.

Up until this point, I think Duryodhana needs to seriously take a chill pill.  He's like the Manthra from the last epic, if it weren't for his character, there may not be a story!  When the Crystal Palace, and Indraprastha, are built I wish there were illustrations in the book.  Their descriptions imply how breathtaking the architecture must have been.  The story about Arjuna's fire for Agni took me by surprise some, especially considering Vayu's son is a monkey!

I think that's it interesting that gambling is mentioned in the epic, and that it is a catalyst in the tale. I wonder if gambling is as big of a deal in India as it is in the Philippines.  In the Philippines there isn't much dice playing, at least not from what I had seen, but there were plenty of "walking lotteries" and all the people on a block may have placed bets.  Draupadi reminds me some of Sita and Kaikeyi in the Ramayana, because if it were not for Draupadi all of the Pandavas would be imprisoned.  Nonetheless, this does not stop the brother's from getting exiled anyway during a second dice match.

(The Disrobing of Draupadi)

I really like this part of the epic (pertaining to the picture), I like how Draupadi is protected from humiliation and the scene makes a fool of her cousin-in-laws.  

My favorite part of this section was the last part of the reading.  I always enjoy learning about the mantras, and I think it's because this is how Rama defeated Ravana.  Oh! Also, throughout the readings I seem to find a lot of similarities between Ravana and Duryodhana's personalities.  I'm predict that there's going to be this significant battle where Duryodhana is going to be defeated either by all five brothers, or by Arjuna himself. I can't wait to see whether or not I am right!