Indian Epics Blog

I used ImgFlip to create a meme for  this Sunday's episode of Game of Thrones, because this part bothered me so much. I tried to make sure it didn't spoil anything, for those people still catching up!

I used the Automotivator to make a final motivational poster, inspired and using a quote from Avengers: Endgame because I think it goes so well with the end of the semester:

***This is a continuation of my Week 14 Story: The Bartender , but you can absolutely read this story if you haven't yet read that one. It continues with the relationship between Krishna and Draupadi, which I retold to suggest that it might span across lifetimes-and subsequently reincarnations. The previous story is told from Krishna's perspective, and in that life, Draupadi was a bartender with a fire tattoo. "Dancing with Fire". Source : Flickr "Here, she comes," someone said as I walked on stage. A hush fell over the crowd and the cold night wind blew against my skin. The stars were a little dim tonight, but that was to be expected, for the moon was at its fullest, as if it were competing for the spotlight.  No one, however, was competing against me tonight. Bala was allowing me to perform solo for there was a special guest in the crowd.  He hadn't told me exactly who it was, but just that they held a great importance in the commun...

"Shot glasses". Source : Pixabay She pulled her black hair up into a ponytail, revealing a small tattoo of a fire below her collarbone. From behind the bar, she swiftly mixed two drinks at once; a pink cocktail in a gold rimmed glass and a brown liquid poured into a shot glass. It looked like rum, but from the way she had swirled it just before she'd added it to the cup made me think otherwise. She always added her own touch to everything. "Thanks, love," one man said as he downed the shot glass in one gulp. He was swaying a bit, clearly this wasn't his first one. He smiled with a drunken haze. Probably not his last. "What can I get you?" I felt her fiery gaze before I saw she was looking at me. A smile tugged at my lips as I turned to meet that same gaze hidden beneath long lashes. I knew she didn't remember me in this form. It had been far too long for that. There was no guarantee that she would even remember me in the previous one ...

Draupadi: The Fire-Born Princess [Graphic Novel on Reserve]                  Part D, Pages 88-115 Draupadi Graphic Novel Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : The war begins and Draupadi watches from afar at the harsh granduer of it all; the first day brings no deaths that are close to Draupadi, except Uttaraa's brother dies The women tend to men's wounds but as the days pass, Draupadi becomes more worried at the war her divine destiny foretold she would help come to pass On one day, Arjuna's son Abhimanyu is killed very dishonorably and the Pandavas swear revenge on Drona who is fighting for Kauravas, who also had a hand in defeating Abhimanyu They trick Drona and Draupadi's brother, born of the flame to kill him, does him in and when Drona's son hears of this, he swears revenge (which he will later take) The battle rages is on and one by one the Kauravas fall under the hands of the Panda...

Draupadi: The Fire-Born Princess [Graphic Novel on Reserve]                  Part C, Pages 60-87 Draupadi Graphic Novel Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : On Vyasa's suggestion, Arjuna leaves to train with the gods and his father Indra; Arjuna is Draupadi's soft spot and she is sad for the years without it When he returns, Krishna also comes to visit and he and Arjuna's bromance make Draupadi laugh for the first time in years; One day, Draupadi is approached by Jayadratha, king of Sidhu and he tries to kidnap her after she says no to his advances; the Pandavas stop him, and after being dishonoured again, Draupadi expects them to kill him but Yud lets him go; at the moment she cannot understand this forgiveness and seethes Their years in exile are coming to an end but they must spend the thirteenth year in exile unknown with not a single person being able to recognise them; all the while ...

Draupadi: The Fire-Born Princess [Graphic Novel on Reserve]                  Part B, Pages 32-59 Draupadi Graphic Novel Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : So Draupadi warns the court who seek to dishonour her and have diminished her dignity that she, born a full woman straight of the fire to royal blood, was no mere woman.  However, they still mock her and ask what kind of woman would be married to five men? Karna is at the front of the mockery, telling her she must disrobe as her hubbies have done in shame; Draupadi then tells the story of how she came to have five husbands: It was her swayamvara and whosoever could hit the suspended fish ornaments with five arrows using their reflection int the pool below would be her hubby Krishna warns her that she will have to make a difficult choice; indeed, Karna seem sup to the task but Draupadi quickly denies him before he can even begin, ...

Draupadi: The Fire-Born Princess [Graphic Novel on Reserve]                  Part A, Pages 1-31 Draupadi Graphic Novel Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : Starts off at the beginning where Draupadi and her mans dem (the Pandavas) are trekking up the mountain for their Mahaprasthana ; as Draupadi climbs she tells the story of her life, remembering Krishna first and then starting from the very beginning (before she was even born) She tells the story of Bheeshma, born to Ganga and the king, and how he took his oath in front of the gods; in this version, both Dhritarashtra and Pandu are the sons of Bheeshma's half brother (interesting) Next the story of Pandu being crowned and here it is said that Dhritarashtra has growing resentment for his brother because he is crowned instead of him; The story of the Gandhari, Kunti and Madri, the wives of the two brothers and then the mothers of the ...

Gandhari: A Mother Blinded By Love [Comic on Reserve] Gandhari Comic Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : Gandhari is introduced as the princess of Gandhara and has many virtuous qualities, like a deep love of god and truth; she also prayed a lot Lord Shiva appears while she is praying and tells her she will have 100 hundred sons Later on, a proposal for Gandhari's hand in marriage is sent to the King from Hastinapura; it is none other than Dhritarashtra, the blind King Gandhari's father is wary but eventually agrees; knowing her future husband is blind, Gandhari blindfolds herself so that she may live like him and experience life as he does Everybody is talking about the honourable woman who blinded herself for her hubby as the celebrations of marriage fill the air Soon she becomes pregnant, but the pregnancy lasts a long time and all her worried for she was meant to give birth ever since Kunti, her sister-in-law and mother of th...

Preface : This story is sort of a continuation of my Week 6 Story: Ganga's Arrest . It is completely readable without knowing the previous story, but it includes some of the characters from "Ganga's Arrest" and picks up a little while after Sergeant Talbot watches Ganga's interrogation when she is arrested for drowning her babies.  "Attorney Briefcase". Source : Wikimedia Commons The mad woman who had drowned several children had called her lawyer. Talbot had told Officer Felix not to push her too far before she gave them any incriminating information, or she would do just that. But even though Felix had been around the block many times with these kinds of things, this woman called "Ganga" seemed to have disturbed him so much that he couldn't keep his calm. Not that Talbot could blame him. If you weren't mildly put off by a woman who claimed to be 'a river' and had a divine purpose in drowning children, you probably dese...

Ganga: The Divine Beauty [Comic on Reserve] Ganga Comic Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : The story of how Ganga came to Earth; she is defined as a great beauty and is said to be able to be able to purify all who cross her path; born to the mountain Himavan (Himalayas!) The gods and goddesses come to Himavan one day to ask him to send Ganga to earth so that she may cleanse its people They are having a very hard time down on earth as asuras are plaguing them and hiding in the ocean during the day; thus, the gods go to a sage who drinks up the oceans waters revealing them (as Vishnu told them they are on the ocean bed), so that the devas  may fight them. When the asuras are defeated, the earth is now without an ocean Many years pass and again they beg that Ganga be sent down to earth, but it does not occur as yet; Vishnu tells them that a king is being gifted a son who from his line, will produce an heir that brings Ganga to Ea...

Saraswati: Stories of the Goddess of Wisdom [Comic on Reserve] Saraswati Comic Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary :       The Birth of Saraswati In the first story, the birth of Saraswati is told; she is born of Brahma's mind just after her is finished creating the three worlds and is seated on his lotus in mediation Brahma is so captivated by her beauty that he cannot avert his gaze, and she tries to move to avoid it but he grows a head in every direction to look at her In order to stop this distraction, Shiva destroys the fifth head that appears, and Brahma apologises to Saraswati and asks her to teach him better; she tells him the vedas which he chants They are married, as Saraswati is his shakti       Saraswati Becomes a River In the second story, Saraswati must become a river in order to stop the vadavagni (all consuming fire), and cleanse the people who drink from the river's waters of their ...

Mothers in the Mahabharata Kunti and Gandhari These are two mothers who share their story, and also, in a way, give birth to the great story, and great war, in the Mahabharata . Sisters, sisters-in-law, children of noble/royal blood, devoted wives and both lost children and grandchildren to the great war Kunti Quick facts : Mother of the Pandavas (hers are Yud, Arjuna and Bhima but also the twins by Madri, who throws herself to the pyre when her husband, Pandu dies); has another son Karna, by the sun god, because of the mantra given to her by sage Durvasa; she gives Karna up at birth and he later becomes the enemy of the Pandavas; she is the one who inadvertently causes the Pandavas to each marry Draupadi, such that the one woman born of the fire becomes the wife of five husbands; she also raises the Pandavas on her own; when the time comes, she loses most of her grandchildren in the great war Gandhari Quick facts : Mother of the hundred sons, including Duryodhana (jealous of ...

Shiva Parvati: A Story of Divine Love [Comic on Reserve] Shiva Parvati Comic Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : Shiva is meditating, waiting for Sati to be reborn on earth after she sacrificed herself Near where he meditates, the mountain king and his wife give birth to Parvati, the reincarnation of Sati; Parvati grows into a beautiful woman and then it is time for her to be married Her father wants her to have the best suitor, and he is told that Parvati is destined to be with Shiva; however, Shiva is in deep meditation and to hurry it up, mountain king sends Parvati and several of her friends to wait on Shiva so that he will fall for Parvati; it is Parvati who falls for him In heaven, the gods go to Brahma to ask him to lead them in the war against Taraka, who has overtaken heaven; Brahma predicts the son of Parvati and Shiva shall be their 'war lord' Kama is sent to help Shiva fall for Parvati (everyone wants to hurry Shiva up...

Sati and Shiva: Perfection Rewarded [Comic on Reserve] Sati and Shiva Comic Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : Brahma and Vishnu discuss getting Shiva a husband; Vishnu advises Brahma to ask Uma to reborn on earth and she is reborn as Sati to Brahma's son, Daksha Even from young Sati is strongly devoted to Shiva, such that when she is old enough, she performs seven deep penances to woo Shiva; so deep that she does not realise Brahma and Vishnu, along with their eternal consorts (Saraswati and Lakshmi) have visited her Back where Shiva is meditating, they convince the ascetic Shiva to go to Sati and he grants her a boon; before she can even wish for him, he asks her to be his consort; she requests he asks the blessings of her father (who from this and henceforth, must have thought he had thus had power over Lord Shiva, this incident seems to be what stirred the later disrespect) They are married and spend their days very happy togeth...

"Stolen Kiss". Source : Pixabay My dearest Nikumbha, Today I overhead pa discussing my swayamvara . He seems so quick to find a suitor best matched to his standards from a kingdom beyond Dwarka, and I believe his mind is set on one of the Pandavas. Does he not know that they are married to one women? Why would I want to share my husband with another woman, who would certainly always come first? And how could she not, for I hear her soul is like wildfire, and her beauty just as untamable. Pa hasn't even asked where my heart lies or what I care about, but I shouldn't be surprised at this point. He wants to begin preparations for the ceremony after the cruise with grandfather Krishna in two days time. You must come for me then. The city will be barely guarded at that time, with its most valiant warriors drinking themselves silly on a boat far out to sea. It will be the perfect opportunity to sneak in and out without a trace. I will begin preparing for your arriva...

 Bhanumati: Granddaughter Of Krishna  [Comic on Reserve]  Bhanumati: Granddaughter Of Krishna, Comic Cover Page.  Source :  Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : Opens with celebrations taking place as Krishna and Rukmini's son, Pradyumna has come back after defeating Vajranbha The next day, Krishna and fam set out for Raivataka, and his granddaughter Bhanumati and her friend are up to some fun; they sneak off to play where Bhanumati accidentally bumps into a bad-tempered sage who curses her for "being bad-mannered"; he tells her she will be kidnapped by her "traditional foes"; once a curse has been uttered it can't be taken back; they tell no one what happened. Years pass by and Bhanumati turns into a beautiful maiden and it is soon time for her to be married One day, Krishna and most of the 'warriors' leave Dwarka for a 'pleasure cruise' and leave the city unguarded; Vajranbha's brother, Nikumbha sees this as an oppor...

Krishna and Rukmini [Comic on Reserve] Krishna and Rukmini Comic Cover Page. Source : Indian Epics Blog POV: Third person Summary : In Vidarbha, news of Kamsa's defeat by Krishna has traveled fast and far; While the rulers of the kingdom, King Bheeshmaka and his wife are in favour of Krishna, Rukmi, Rukmini's brother, is angered by the death of his so called 'friend' As the councilors gather to discuss, Rukmini pitches in, in favour of Krishna and is immediately falls for him; she is ignored by her brother who scolds her for supporting him Rukmi fights against Krishna with allies of the late Kamsa;  Her parents wish that she would marry Krishna, but her brother convinces their father otherwise; Rukmi tells their father that Rukmini should marry Shishupala (Rukmini calls him a Jackal lol) Rukmi overhears their conversation and decides to send word to Krishna, through a trusted Brahman; she asks that he comes save her but to still spare her people When Krishn...

" Nataraja " The Nataraja  is the depiction of Shiva performing his cosmic dance. He poses as the lord of dance and arts, typically holding fire in one of his hands, and is surrounded by a circle of flames. Shiva's dance was mentioned earlier in the semester, and I was interested in it as a possible topic for my Storybook because of how much I enjoy dance myself. "The Nataraja", Shiva as the Lord of Dance. Source : Wikimedia Commons " Agni " Following Shiva's dance, Agni means fire in Sanskrit but also represents the fire deva in Hinduism. Agni is mentioned in the Ramayana when she steps in the flames to prove her purity to Rama, and Agni is who delivers her unharmed from the fire. His mount is a ram, and I just overall like to read about the different deities in the Epics, especially those that represent the elements (like water, wind and of course, fire) " Caduceus " Agni is mentioned to also hold a staff in his hand while on ...

Empathy through a lesson in kindness... I watched the Epified videos on Krishna for my Week 10 readings, and I think the story of Krishna and the bull, Hastin, is a good example of empathy and its importance. Hastin was known as the village's fiercest and most aggressive bull, and everyone refused to go near him. However, Krishna tells everyone that he will ride Hastin by the next full moon and over the course of a month, he slowly gains the bull's trust through small acts of kindness like playing music for him and feeding him sweet treats. In the end, Krishna is able to ride Hastin through the village and he becomes peaceful. Moral of the story: kindness and compassion are some of the best 'weapons'. I think this story also demonstrates empathy because through Krishna's understanding of the bull's situation, and the fact that it wasn't that his ferocity needed 'taming' but he just needed a kind hand like anyone else, he was able to soften the bull...

"Can I tell you a secret?" "Counselling Session".  Source :  Pixabay Saliq looked at me with those sad brown eyes. She always seemed to have something on her mind, and there was no mistaking the slight down turn of her lips, as if there was something more weighing her down now. Perhaps this secret was heavier than the rest of the thoughts she usually hid from me. As I nodded quickly so she wouldn't shy away from telling me, I considered what the quiet girl who had been attending sessions with me for over three months now would say. We usually only discussed trivial items: the latest gossip at school, her archery practice with renowned teachers, and the philosophical readings she was required to complete. She had no problem explicitly stating the things that were going on in her day-to-day life, but never how she was feeling.  There were times it seemed she was be on the brink of showing me a glimpse, but she would quickly pull back. She either sti...